Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge discussion
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Week 31: 7/28 - 8/3
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I finished four books this week:. Two of these check off Challenge categories, so I am now 51/52 (yay!):
You by Caroline Kepnes, audiobook read by Santino Fontana who was AMAZING! This is a rather twisted story about a sociopathic killer, it was creepy and it also made me laugh, because the reader was perfect. 5 stars
Memorial Day by Vince Flynn - this was for the "holiday" category. Meh. The previous "Mitch Rapp" books I've "read" were audiobooks, and I think that's a better format for me with this sort of book, because I can let my mind wander during the tedious parts. I finished it because it was fulfilling a challenge category.
Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler - I'm just going to say to heck with it and use this as my "different ethnicity" book (I'd been planning to finish another book and use that one, but ..,. Why?). I didn't love this. It was good, but just not the book for me. I know there is a strong Butler fan base, but this is the third book I've read by her, and ... I think I'm not a fan.
Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry - I like to read a few fluffy romances during my vacation, and this one started out great but quickly fizzled for me. Sigh. I don't recommend, not even to my 14 yo daughter,
QOTW Reading is my hobby!! Because, as a single mom of two school age kids, with two dogs and a full time job as an engineer, I have no time for anything else! I count it a success that I manage to feed everyone every day and also make time for reading. (My kids tease me about it.) If I did have time for other hobbies, I would be: taking yoga classes, painting (acrylic is my preferred medium - my parents have several of my paintings here), and gardening. I used to have a beautiful garden, back before I had kids. Now, well... the raspberries are still growing, and the daffodils come back every year, and some of the daylilies are still hanging on. But mostly it's weeds. Some are pretty weeds, but still weeds. It'll be a sea of goldenrod and asters in a few weeks.
Hello! This year is going by very fast - pretty soon we'll be begging for the new popsugar list to come out ;)I finished two books and have three started/in progress.
Finished The Bungalow Mystery a Nancy Drew story for my book I read as a kid. This was a cute, quick read. I definitely remember reading them as a kid.
Finished The Hate U Give for my red spine. Loved it.
Started The BFG on audiobook. I never read it and saw the movie trailer and thought I should pick it up.
Started Does This Beach Make Me Look Fat?: True Stories and Confessions. I got this from the library because of the beach cover. Its a bunch of essays that a mother and daughter wrote. I only read a couple essays per day. Its just ok...
Started Roar - and by started I mean I read one chapter last night and fell asleep. Whoops!
I'm at 30/40 and 7/12.
QOTW Reading is my main hobby. Also, watching tv! I like doing crafts but hardly have the time. And I love those adult coloring books! Cooking, baking, and looking at pinterest for recipe ideas too! And spending way too much time on goodreads when I should be reading!
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I'm still recovering from my weekend--a three-day wedding in NYC. Thankfully it's a long weekend in most parts of Canada this weekend, so I'm hoping to for some solid R&R. I finished one book this week, so I'm inching ever slowly to that goal of 52. Currently, I'm 42/52 (35/40 + 7/12).
Completed
40. A book you bought on a trip: California: A History by Kevin Starr
I finally picked this up again, so I was finally able to finish. Really solid history of my home state.
On Deck
I just finished California last night, so I haven't started anything new, but I have a couple of library books ready to go.
34. A book with a month or day of the week in the title:
Saturday by Ian McEwan
45. A book about an immigrant or refugee: Girl in Translation by Jean Kwok
QotW
Other than reading, my primary hobby is pretty much my dog these days. But it's also baseball season, so my wife and I watch a lot of baseball (Go Dodgers!). When I have time and inspiration, I write fan fiction and I swim. When I have time and money, I love to travel.
Hi everyone! This is a work at home day for me and I'm giddy with happiness. I'm introverted enough that a day in my jammies plowing through my deep work is absolutely refreshing!I went on vacation and sadly didn't get a ton of reading done. It turns out my husband really doesn't want to sit for hours reading himself, so we wound up watching TV and movies quite a bit. Which was fun, but I did look longingly at my book pile a few times.
I did tear through We Have Always Lived in the Castle. Just loved it! That will either be my unreliable narrator or book becoming a movie. I gave it to my 14yo who is super introverted, and kind of in a Lydia-from-Beetlejuice mindset right now ("My whole life is a dark room. One big dark room," but you know, with deliberate drama and enjoyment of her own gothy affectation.) I think she'll love it!
Did I report finishing The Shambling Guide to New York City? It was good not great. I'm willing to read the sequel because the stuff like tone mismatch and lack of focus could be a new writer working out the kinks, and the basic story was a lot of fun. Kind of an inside-out Buffy story.
I'm glad I gave Futuristic Violence and Fancy Suits another chance. The audio version is dreadful, but the story is really starting to pull me in. Zoey is a nice character and I love her feistiness and her dedication to her cat, not to mention that she's a female character written by a man, but she's not a Strong Female Character, and has been known to lick spilled chili off her phone or even fart on occasion.
QOTW:
I have a new hobby the last few months: belly dancing! I've always struggled to find physical activity that I truly enjoy, and now that I'm pretty hefty and have some physical limitations, most group fitness or dance classes are not good for me.
But belly dance is all about very controlled, isolated movement, and is very low impact. The culture is also abundantly welcoming and supportive of body diversity. Bonus is that the moves are actually helping with my physical therapy for my neck and back, since the isolations require building up the muscle groups I need to strengthen. Great antidote to hunching over my keyboard at work all day!
Nadine wrote: "as a single mom of two school age kids, with two dogs and a full time job as an engineer, I have no time for anything else!"Full respect here. Two kids, two dogs, and a full-time demanding job? I'm exhausted for you. Enjoy the Jersey shore. You deserve it.
I haven’t checked in two or three weeks and vacation cut into my reading time.First, the books that actually fulfill a prompt.
Seabiscuit: An American Legend by Laura Hillenbrand. Using it for my used book sale prompt and the sports prompt on the Read Harder challenge. I love Hillenbrand. I think she’s a great storyteller and her books seem to be impeccably researched.
11/22/63 by Stephen King. I generally find King a slow burn and it takes me a bit to get into to it. However, this time, I was super into it pretty much right away but it fell apart in the end for me. But I’ve now ticked off the 800+ page prompt.
Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie. I listened to the audiobook. I don’t generally like audiobooks. They only reason I picked this was because I read a lot of Christie when I was a teenager and it was relatively short. The only reason I managed to get through it and tick off this prompt was because there was a crying baby on the plane I was on. It drowned out most of the crying. I still don’t like audiobooks and I didn’t put this one on goodreads or rate it because I feel like I couldn’t do one fairly because I just hat audiobooks.
The Wangs Vs. the World by Jade Chang. Using it for a book bought on a trip prompt and the all viewpoints are POC prompt on the Read Harder challenge. It was an okay read. I would probably give it a 2.5 if goodreads let half stars be a thing. I feel like I’ve read a lot of meh books this summer.
And books that don’t fulfill a prompt:
The Infinite Inbetween by Carolyn Mackler. YA about a group of freshmen who are put into a group together at high school orientation. They write letters about what they hope high school will be and hide them and it follows them through high school. It was an okay book. My biggest issue is that it covered four years and five teenagers and it was a rather shallow look at their lives.
Behind Her Eyes by Sarah Pinborough. It’s billed as a psychological thriller a la Gone Girl. I’d call it more of a psychological/paranormal thriller. And I gave it one star for a ridiculous twist ending. It was ludicrous and I’m kind of annoyed that I can’t get that reading time back.
The Vacationers by Emma Straub. I’m very ambivalent about this book. Rich people go on vacation and whine about their problems. I didn’t like any of the characters and I didn’t hate any of them either. At least it was short.
This Side of Home by Renee Watson. YA about a young, black girl whose neighborhood is going through gentrification. It was an easy, enjoyable read about change but trying to stay truthful to your cultural identity. I felt like some things may have been glossed over but still a nice read
QOTW: I can Netflix with the best of them. I love going to the movies and I really love those paint and wine classes. My laundry room is full of my “artistic” creations. I have no artistic talent at all but I love the classes.
Happy Thursday! Here's my update for the week.
Finished:
I finally finished The Best American Mystery Stories 2016 for a book with multiple authors. Like most short stories books, there was some good stuff and some not so good stuff and the not so good stuff made it hard for me to finally finish this one. It's done now and I think I'll stay away from short story books for a bit.
I also finished Final Girls for a book by an author who uses a pseudonym. I know there's been some "controversy" around this book and the fact that some male authors' are using ambiguous sounding pseudonyms to write in this genre. I really enjoyed this books. I love a good mystery/thriller and really didn't see the ending coming.
Those two put me at 22/40!
Currently Reading:
Argo: How the CIA & Hollywood Pulled Off the Most Audacious Rescue in History for an espionage thriller. I'm listening to it on audio while I'm driving to and from work. It's pretty good so far.
Murder on the Orient Express for a book involving travel. I haven't read it before and am only 4 chapters in. I really plan on digging in this weekend.
QOTW:
I feel like my dog is my hobby sometimes. We joined a dog walk group with a bunch of other awesome dogs and dog parents. I've been slowing getting back into writing. It really feels like a muscle I haven't stretched in a while but it's nice to make even a little bit of progress.
Hello from hot and humid Cleveland! We're supposed to get rain the next few days, and then it should cool down. I'm so excited.No new books for the challenge this week. I have a stack waiting for me, but I have to get through my long-ish pick for Around the Year this week first. (And if the library could order a few more licenses for My Cousin Rachel so I could get off the hold list, that'd be great. Three is just not enough when the movie is coming out!)
QOTW: My goal is to run a marathon in all 50 states, so training takes up most of my other time. I'm only doing a half this fall though, so cutting back has been nice. I love hiking, and I'm super fortunate, there's a *ton* of opportunities to do so in Cleveland. (Yeah, it surprised me too, when I moved here.) I've also gotten back into writing after I wasn't allowed to in high school, and it's such a nice creative outlet. I'm so envious of people who are crafty or artistic, but I have to stick to words!
As I get close to finishing my Popsugar list, fewer of my reads fulfill categories..l but this week I did cross one more off the list! Yesterday, I finished Rules of Civility, which I bought at a used book store while visiting Monterey earlier this year. I really enjoyed it! It has some lovely but subtle writing, and I thought the male author did a good job writing both major female characters.
I also read The Magician's Land to finish out that series, which I really loved. I'm considering watching the series based on the books on Netflix... has anyone seen the show?
And, I finished my longest book of the year, The Count of Monte Cristo, at over 1200 pages! I read this using the Serial Reader app, which made it feel totally doable by breaking it into 5-10 minute chunks. Most days I read 2-4 sections, but you have to upgrade to the paid app to do that. Interestingly, I had no problem remembering what was happening day to day, but that was more to do with the story structure that me... my memory for plot is crap!
QOTW: I have too many hobbies, and most of them are getting short shrift now that I'm reading so much. I knit, spin yarn, weave, and sew. I also like coloring, photography and travel.
Good morning from not as hot as it could be Baltimore! I was in a wedding last weekend which was out of town so I logged some serious reading time in airports.As a result, I finished two over the weekend. First, The Cafe by the Sea by Jenny Colgan, who is officially a must-read author for me at this point. Her books are just so lovely. Second, The Lost Book of the Grail by Charlie Lovett. I really, really enjoyed this one (pretty sure it was on the Modern Mrs. Darcy Summer Reading List). It was a great treasure hunt/historical mystery book that still took time to develop its characters.
Also finished my reread of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.
Currently reading: Still working on the audiobook Murder on the Orient Express because I haven't been in the car for long stretches. It's due back to the library soon so I'll have to wrap it up this weekend! Also in the middle of Pieces of Happiness: A Novel of Friendship, Hope and Chocolate. I'm not sure how I feel about this book... only about a quarter of the way in and the conflicts are still being set up.
QOTW: When I'm not reading, I am sewing (lots of baby quilts happening right now for friends and family) or going to concerts... where I totally read books between acts. In the coming months I'll be getting pumped for hockey season (Go Caps!) and also probably do a lot of baking when it becomes "PUMPKIN EVERYTHING" time.
I'm on vacation in England and finally had a good reading week! I finished:The River at Night, for a book set in wild. I loved the first half of this and then felt a bit annoyed with the second half of the plot, so only 3 stars for this. I did like the writing though, would have been 3.5 stars if goodreads had half stars.
In Farleigh Field, for a book set in wartime. Only ok - good plot but fairly thinly drawn characters. 3 stars.
The Hate U Give, for a book by a person of colour. Absolutely adored this, 5 stars.
QOTW: as well as reading, lots of cooking, eating out or finding new recipes. I'm greedy!
So yesterday is was sun-shiny, warm, and also full of lightning and rain...all at the same time. It was bizarre.This week:
Sword of Darkness, Kinley MacGregor - This one is a retelling of Arthurian legend...my total weakness. I'm looking forward to the rest of the series. (Love me some Sherrilyn Kenyon!) [Bookshelf Challenge]
Firelight, Kristen Callihan - A nice beauty/beast story where BOTH main characters are a bit of each. Nice unique story, bit of mystery, bit of romance. I will continue this series, as well.
Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things, Jenny Lawson - I can't even explain. Jenny Lawson is amazing. I love her brain. I love her family. Most of all, I love that she decided to start blogging. She brings weird to the forefront, and is not afraid of what anyone will say...or rather, does it even if she is afraid.
The Spellman Files, Lisa Lutz - It took me the majority of this book to figure out that there wasn't much of a point. I'm OK with that, it read mostly like a memoir. With this being the first in the series, I'm intrigued enough to read the next. There was a plot, it just didn't come to the forefront until halfway through the book. Again, I enjoyed it, but was a bit puzzled. LOL
Wicked as They Come, Delilah S. Dawson - an altered reality/parallel universe story set in England. Intriguing story. Ignore the cheesy cover and the spelling of blud throughout, this is a good story.
QOTW: I'm a Netflix junkie. I knit. I enjoy naps. LOL
Hello, everyone!!So this week I finished 3 books:
La Ilíada by Homer, I did not use it for any prompt. This is a lovely classic that I absolutely adore. I am in love with mythology, especially Greek and Egyptian. This was a re-read I've trying to do for a long time.
The Devotion of Suspect X by Keigo Higashino, I used it for a book with an author from a country you've never been to. So this year I am trying to read more Japanese authors with books set in Japan. I find this culture very interesting and I absolutely loved this book. It's a mystery series although it's not entirely translated, so this is the third one in the series. It's ok though because you can start with this one and not get lost. It was so clever you guys, my mind was blown!!!
Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli, for the book with a red spine. I found it sweet and refreshing but I guess I didn't love it. Probably because I wasn't in the right mood, to be honest. Does this happen to you?
Working on: La Odisea by Homer and Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor. I am really excited.
QOTW: I enjoy going to music concerts and having coffee pretty much all the time, I don't know if those are hobbies though. I love traveling and I do that every chance I get. I also like being fit so I run, do yoga and cycle. And I love studying, I am sort of a nerd and since I am a physician I guess it works. :)
Have a nice week!!!
It is raining here in Grand Rapids, Michigan and I'm not complaining because I don't feel so bad being at work while it rains. I've been really enjoying our summer and sitting lakeside so no complaints if it rains today. My kids may disagree because their child care had a field trip to a pool planned for the afternoon but since 'tis Michigan, it could be sunny and clear at noon. I've had a great reading week and feel like this week's post should be titled How Juanita got her (reading) groove back, with a nod of thanks to Terry McMillan for the inspiring title. ;-)
I started and finished The Color of Water in July this week. This was a rare find in which someone on Goodreads reviewed it last year and it was noted that it took place in northern Michigan. At the time, I needed a "takes place in the state where you live" for 2016's Popsugar Reading Challenge and then Bam! It was a Kindle Daily Deal so I bought it. It has hung in cyber space since then as I ended up going with a nonfiction (typical) for my "home state book" and I brought it out this year for "with a day or month in the title."
This book was everything I needed at the time: short (225ish pages, suitable for beach read, Kindle-ready, and lighter than the WWII novel waiting for me next). I enjoyed this book. It had some surprises and the subject was sad at times but overall I am glad to have read this book. It's the story of a woman who inherits her grandmother's cottage (read mansion) on the shores of an inland lake in northern Michigan. She had summered there throughout childhood and hasn't returned since college. It goes back and forth between the character's present day and her days as a 17-year old as well as including narrative from the grandmother's POV. A good read.
Feeling energized, I checked Overdrive and found The Little Prince, which I had never read (gasp!) and is featured in the book Everything, Everything. I loved the latter and went to see the movie (by myself) a few weeks ago. I called The Little Prince low hanging fruit. It is on my list of 100 books to read in a lifetime that I am trying to get through in tandem with Popsugar each year. Plus at 93 pages, I read it in one day.
On Monday, I felt compelled to go to the bookstore and buy Option B: Facing Adversity, Building Resilience and Finding Joy by Sheryl Sandberg and I'm glad I did. I packed the kids up in the car and drove to our local independent bookstore (Schuler's Books & Music). My brother-in-law had given me a generous gift card for my birthday. Additional purchases included used copies of The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao and The Thorn Birds in hardcover. And I still have a bit of money remaining on my gift card. Woot woot!
I read Option B in three days. I've been having the worst. year. ever. and when I read the description of this book (it's about resilience) I felt I had to read it. And apparently needed to read it on Monday! Sandberg wrote it after her husband died. You might know her as the COO of Facebook or the author of Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead. I am using this one as "multiple authors" as she co-wrote it with a psychologist and I don't often read books with more than one author.
This brings me to 23/40 and 3/12, which puts me closer to on track than I have been in months.
Question of the Week
I agree reading is my hobby.
In the summer, reading lakeside is my preferred hobby. My family has a membership at a sailing club in town. My husband's parents have been sailing there for 50 years. We have a private swimming beach and a lovely clubhouse with kitchen and bathroom facilities and an amazing view. I count myself very fortunate to be able to spend time there.
Last year, I began volunteering as a Girl Scout troop leader for my daughter's Brownie Troop. I spend a lot of time planning meetings and outings and really enjoy this activity.
Hello from cool, foggy San Francisco!The bad news is that I have a broken arm and injured leg, but the good news is that I now have a lot of time to sit around and read! I finished three books this week:
The Hen Who Dreamed She Could Fly by Sun-mi Hwang. A lovely story of courage, love, acceptance and letting go. This is beautifully written and illustrated. I read it for a translation challenge I'm in (it's a Korean story) and was totally entranced. Highly recommended.
American Eclipse: A Nation's Epic Race to Catch the Shadow of the Moon and Win the Glory of the World by David Baron. I read this in anticipation of the upcoming solar eclipse and thoroughly enjoyed the accounts of both popular and scientific reactions to the 1878 eclipse. Descriptions of the experience of totality - and how different it is from a not-quite-total eclipse - were riveting and made me want to experience a total solar eclipse. I was less convinced by the centrality of the eclipse to America's scientific development, which seemed merely a focus around which Baron could tell the story of the three scientists (one of them female, yay!) that he chose. I'm using this for a book that tells a story in a story.
The Art Forger by B.A. Shapiro.
A clever fictional mystery set against the backdrop of the real-life Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum theft. I loved being immersed in the world of art reproductions/forgeries, and all the pieces of the plot came together after some exciting twists. Most intriguing, however, was the moral ambiguity of placing a value, monetary or otherwise, on works of art. I'm using this for the audiobook prompt. I don't generally like the audiobook experience (though it's great when traveling in a car), but this was perfect while I was laid up for awhile because I could read with my eyes closed! It was excellently narrated by Xe Sands.
I'm now at 40/52 for Popsugar.
Question of the Week
My main hobby is quilting, and I make art quilts for hanging on the wall and cuddle quilts to donate to kids in crisis (via Project Linus). I also take classes through online MOOCs (like EdX and Coursera) and OLLI. This year I've become more politically involved, too.
Happy Week 31, everyone!!! We have had a mostly nice week here in Oklahoma. Tuesday was cloudy, rainy, and had a high in the 70s, which is unheard of for August in OK, but today we are supposed to get back up into the low 90s. Still, I'll take it over the 100s we often have at this time of year!Week 31 - 37/40 & 11/12 (48/52)
I got one book finished this week, and am currently reading three more to fulfill challenge prompts, so once I finish them, I will have one left before I completely the challenge. Woo hoo!!!
Finished:
Bossypants by Tina Fey for prompt #20, a book with career advice. I listened to this on audiobook, and finished in just two days. Pretty funny!
Still working on:
The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield from prompt #7, a book that is a story within a story. I really wanted to finish this last night so I could mark it off the list, but life got in the way. I should finish it tonight, so I'll get to mark it as finished by next week.
Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance by Barack Obama for prompt #3 on the advanced list, a book with a family member term in the title. I own this book, so honesty I haven't picked this up since I started reading The Thirteenth Tale, because that was a library book that I wanted to make sure to finish before I had to turn it back in. Once I finish TTT tonight, I will pick Dreams from My Father back up and get started again.
Started Reading:
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, the illustrated version by J.K. Rowling with my son for prompt #30, a book with pictures. (I had previously had The Boy Who Carried Bricks: A True Story by Alton Carter in this spot, but I moved it to prompt #11 on the advanced list, a book about a difficult topic, because it was, and it didn't really have many pictures anyway.) I LOVE all things Harry Potter, but the books are where my heart is, and we just started reading this first one with my son for the first time on his 10th birthday Sunday, and I can hardly contain my joy!!!
QOTW:
When I'm not reading, I love to watch TV & movies. I would really like to learn to knit, and I feel like I could still watch TV or movies while doing that (not so much when reading), so I may look into that. Unfortunately, most of my favorite things to do involve sitting on the couch or laying in bed. Maybe I need a treadmill so I can read and watch TV or movies while I walk instead of while I sit!
Hi all,Vancouver is having some very strange weather! There are winds coming in, that have brought smoke from the BC wildfires -- it's very smoky!! It is sunny, but tough to see from the smoke.
I'm currently at 31/40 and 1/12.
I finished Where'd You Go, Bernadette, for the prompt with the character's name in the title. Honestly, I loved tis book. It is quirky and fun, and I even enjoyed the style of the book (series of letters and emails).
Took a bit of a break, and I'm currently reading, Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives: The Funky Finds in Flavortown: America's Classic Joints and Killer Comfort Food. Just for fun! This would work for the prompt about food -- but I did that months ago.
Last light I started a new book -- Station Eleven. This is for the prompt about a book that takes place in more than one time period. So far, it's great. We've already jumped time periods! Thank you to all the people on this challenge, who said they loved this book!!
QOTW: Reading is my biggest hobby. I also like TV, and finding new shows. I like exploring my neighbourhood....I live near a lake! Two weeks ago, I found a new restaurant. I like sushi, and this place is a bit of a hidden gem near me. Lunch was delicious!!
Hi everyone, Weird warm, muggy, sort of rainy but sort of sunny weather in SE Michigan today.
I have a daunting stack of library books to get through, and the timer's ticking. They are due on the 11th, and I still have three to get through =x
So this week I finished:
Stranger in a Strange Land which I'm counting for my Read Harder challenge as a banned book. I've also been trying to read more classics, especially classic sci-fi. I had mixed feelings about it. I really liked the first half or so, but once things started getting all culty i lost interest and was just plowing through to call it done. I didn't particularly like the ending either. But I can say I read it now, and I finally figured out where the term "to grok" comes from.
Anne of Green Gables - For read harder's book published between 1900 - 1950. I picked this one because I never did read them as a kid, and I know a ton of people who just love the series. I enjoyed it a lot more than I expected. I think I assumed it'd be like Jane Austin, where people love her writing and I find it boring to tears. But Anne was charming, and it was briskly written.
I just finished the last so I haven't had a chance to start something new. But I think I'm going to go for Information Doesn't Want to Be Free: Laws for the Internet Age off my library stack because it's short so I'm hoping I can get it done quickly. I'm saving the newest Mercy Thompson book for last, because I know I can plow through it with no problem. I know I can renew the books, but I'd rather not have to mess with it, and ideally I'd like to avoid having to make an extra trip to just return a few.
QOTW: I have so many hobbies, it's hard to narrow down. Aside from reading, I draw and paint, do cross stitch, knitting, kayaking, running, baking, whatever else currently catches my fancy. I tend to go in spurts where I do a lot of one thing, then move on to something else and will cycle back to the first thing later. I also love games, video, board, card, tabletop etc. Oh and I write, when I can find the discipline, although I have new stories in my head all the time. Really it's the whole pesky job thing keeping me from doing everything I want to do. Also my husband and I love traveling.
Hello!I finished Station Eleven in the past week. I'm not counting it toward this challenge but I do enjoy reading along with the monthly challenges even if I've already fulfilled a particular prompt. I liked this book and I loved how so many plot threads came together at the end in a way that didn't feel to too contrived. Good selection!
QOTW: This is a fun question to see what everyone else spends their time doing! I sew, although I recently saw a meme that sums up my sewing activity of late. "Buying fabric and sewing are two different hobbies." I've been indulging in the former a lot more than the latter this year. I love gardening but had to give it up for the most part since I moved into an apartment last year. Someday I'll have a yard again. I travel as much as I can afford and I've been lucky to see a lot of amazing places. And lastly, I foster rescue dogs as often as I can. It's the best therapy to have a dog around, even if it is just temporary.
I can't believe it's August already! Where did the summer go?Just two books finished this week.
Thing Explainer: Complicated Stuff in Simple Words : He explains a variety of different stuff from the ISS to laundry machines using hand drawn diagrams and only the 1000 most used words in the English language. It's a cool premise, but it loses it's novelty fast.
Run Fast. Eat Slow.: Nourishing Recipes for Athletes: This was pretty mediocre. A friend recommended it, but I wasn't very impressed. It's hard to glean what exactly they think you should change about your diet, beyond the usual generic eat healthier, cook at home advice. The recipes that I've tried have been sort of hit or miss. Certainly nothing to write home about.
QOTW: Hobbies...hobbies...hmmmm. I go running three times a week (and try to exercise at least another 2 days a week). I play video games. I watch a lot of youtube, but very very little tv (except for sports, which I watch a lot of). My fiancee and I like trying out new breweries too.
Hi everyone! Welcome to August!Finished
Public Relations - Hands-down, the most fun I've had reading a book all year. Loved it! I used it for Around-the-Year's prompt of "a book written by at least two authors," bringing me to 30/52 for that challenge.
Blood of Tyrants - Another worthy entry in my beloved Temeraire series. I used this for Popsugar's prompt of "a book involving a mythical creature."
An Extraordinary Union - I wanted to love this, but it ended up being just okay for me. I'm not a fan of insta-love in romance, and this book was built on the protagonists' immediate connection. Still, I'm glad this exists and that I read it. I used it to fill Popsugar's prompt of "an espionage thriller," which brings me to 30/40 for this challenge!
In Progress
I'm about 50 pages into Grace and the Fever, which I'm liking very much, and I'm reading a few poems at a time from Pictures Of The Floating World. (That one will probably stay in-progress for a couple of months.)
QOTW
I'm a big hockey fan, though I don't follow a particular team anymore. I listen to lots of podcasts, I'm into amateur organizing and home decorating, I'm an occasional cross-stitcher, and I am an extremely enthusiastic appreciator of other people's pets, since I can't have my own. But mostly, reading.
Hi everyone. It's raining here in Yorkshire. I think the weather's forgotten that it's supposed to be summer.This week I finished my re-read of Jane Eyre. Still love it to pieces and it's amazing how much that you notice little things that you have missed or forgotten from the last time.
I'm currently reading Red Seas Under Red Skies. I am only 100 pages in and already Locke and Jean are already up to their necks in trouble. Standard!
QOTW: I don't have too many hobbies. I like to bake (but I'm terrible at regular cooking), colouring and I have a three year old nephew who comes to play with his favourite aunty most days.
I also enjoy writing. I know it is still a few months away but I'm already thinking up ideas for NaNoWriMo. Does anyone else participate?
Hello from Columbus! Still hot and humid here, it's been driving me nuts. It's been quite a week. I had to get stitches iin my finger earlier this eeek and now I'm getting blood work done for my thyroid. I'd just like to go home and avoid doctors for a while. I finished two books this week
The Enchanted April was my second pick for a book with a month in the title. Well, actually it was my initial pick but I ended up getting A Million Junes for my BOTM June pick. The character is named June and while I'm sure it still counts I felt like it was cheating. But I ended up liking The Enchanted April a lot. It was a nice light, happy read after so many heavy books this year.
American Fire: Love, Arson, and Life in a Vanishing Land was my July BOTM pick. It doesn't fulfill any prompts I haven't already done but it could work for a few propmts. It was a very interesting book. I remember hearing about the arsons back when they were happening so I'm glad I got to read the back story. It's crazy to think that a whole town almost burned down over seemingly petty relationship issues.
So now I at 34/40; 4/12 with 53 books read this year.
QOTW: I'm also into nail art, watercolor, baking, and I'm kind of a foodie too. I just made Yelp Elite because I'm so chatty about food 😂
Hello all! I'm on 28/40 and 3/12
I've not checked in for a few weeks, this is what I've finished in that time:
My Cousin Rachel - made into a movie in 2017
I enjoyed this on the whole, DuMaurier is a master storyteller, but I found the narrator insufferable- I think that might have been the point but it did make me wish for a somewhat different outcome,
Lost For Words- published in 2017 - only now as I update did I realise this was published in 2017 - think it was a kindle deal and I thought I'd give it a go. Decent chick-lit style, enjoyable.
The Husband's Secret - set at a holiday other than Christmas- this was ok, didn't love it as much as I'd hoped.
I'm currently working on:
The Year of the Runaways - about an immigrant or refugee
Cold Comfort Farm - a book I've read before that always makes me smile
QOTW - Apart from reading (which is my main hobby), I like to just hang out with my boyfriend and dog. We like to walk and potter about National Trust Properties or by the seaside. I also enjoy cooking and baking. I'm just finishing up my masters degree alongside teaching full time so I've not had a great deal of free time lately, but after submission of my dissertation in Sept my time is my own again and I'd like to get back into yoga, and I want to do a cake decorating course. I like seeing live music and theatre too. I'm also a very proud and besotted auntie so I do a fair amount of babysitting.
Hello all! It's been beautiful beach and pool weather here. This week I finished Fever Code the prequel to the maze runner series. It was fine but I don't think I can fit it anywhere.
QOTW: I guess other than reading my main hobby is listening to (mostly true crime) podcasts. I dabble in lots of things; I like to knit, crochet, travel, drink wine, but nothing I do with the regularity of a true hobby. I have 2 kids under 3 so most of my waking hours are spent chasing, entertaining, feeding and otherwise caring for them.
It was a good challenge week for me. Not only did I finish a couple more books, but I did a bit of a reshuffle of the books I've read for what prompt, and was able to add another book I read in July as a prompt fulfillment! So, I'm now at 39/52 - 31/40 and 8/12 - but I have several really big reads designated for this challenge to read - one has over 1300 pages, one has nearly 700 pages, 2 are over 600 pages. Progress will slow down a lot! Anyone curious to see what I've read for what, or what I am planning to read, you can find my lists posted at #219 (page 5) for general/main challenge, and #446 (page 9) for advanced.
Finished this week:
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life - my book with a subtitle, but fits other prompts like a book about food. I really liked this a lot. It's the tale of Kingsolver and her family's relocation to a farm in Virginia and converting to a sustainable and locavore lifestyle. It brought me right back to my youth. I grew up on a dairy farm in upstate NY. We had a huge garden and orchard, harvested and 'put up' food for winter, and basically fed ourselves pretty seasonally. Kingsolver's wonderful storyteller voice entertains you with their personal story, however, those stories are interspersed with a lot of information as if you are in a seminar about the locavore and sustainable movements - lots of information but fortunately in short spurts. Note: a 10th Anniversary edition was published this year with an epilogue update. The family has continued their locavore lifestyle.
Thirteen Guests - this was my book purchased on a trip (London in 2015). A vintage cozy mystery of the classic country house murder genre, originally published in the 1930s. What a fun entertaining read! It has recognizable characters, scintillating dialogue, a dog barking in the night, a butler, a too pretty maid, a couple of room-bound guests, a body or two, and a detective inspector who solves it all into a nice neat package - or does he? Yes, there are a few twists and turns to amuse. So glad a British publisher reissued this author's work in 2015!
Now reading: Zorba the Greek - the new translation by Peter Bien as my book mentioned in another book (several times by Kingsolver in Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life, and she actually quoted from it). It has been mentioned on many world classics lists as the quintessential Greek novel, so I decided I really wanted to read it. It also led to my reshuffling of my prompt reads so I could fit it in - and ultimately fit another book in too! Important note: get this new translation (bright blue cover) by Peter Bien as it is the ONLY English translation directly from the original Greek. Truth - the only other translation was by someone who did not read Greek so he translated from a French translation (!) and large sections were omitted or changed.
QOTW: Where do I start?? I am an avid needleworker - mostly cross stitch but also some needlepoint. Follow theater, opera, ballet, classical music. Visit museums and historical sites/houses. Travel. Cooking.
olá, from hot,hot Algarve, Portugal.This week I read Enquanto acreditar em ti, a lybrian suggestion, and still working, and enjoyingResilience: Why Things Bounce Back, for career prompt.QOTW: don´t have time for hobbies, only write poetry, netsurfing, playing some games on facebook.
Woot! I just realized another book I read a couple of weeks ago can slot into a challenge prompt! That means I'm at 40 out 52!The Greatest Challenge Of Them All - fits the prompt for book set at a holiday other than Christmas -- Guy Fawkes Day which is critical actually to the story, not just a coincidence. I do like historical romances set during the 19th Century (this is the early years of Victoria's reign), and this is the 3rd in the Devil's Brood Trilogy by Laurens. Love her books, and liked the plot in this one in particular, how the intrigue started in the first of the trilogy resolved.
Theresa wrote: "Important note: get this new translation (bright blue cover) by Peter Bien as it is the ONLY English translation directly from the original Greek. Truth - the only other translation was by someone who did not read Greek so he translated from a French translation (!) and large sections were omitted or changed. ..."Theresa, unbelievable! A couple weeks ago I finished An Unnecessary Woman, in which the main character translates books into Arabic using only French and English translations of the book's original language, because she can't read the original languages! I had no idea that actually happened in real life.
Rebecca wrote: "QOTW: My goal is to run a marathon in all 50 states,.."Have you thought, Rebecca, about reading a book for each state that you have already run in or plan to run in? A NYC friend of mine belongs to a running club with the goal of racing in all 50 states - 5K races I believe. She's considering adding a reading challenge to it. Here are some of the lists etc. that got us talking about it:
https://granta.com/american-experienc...
http://www.businessinsider.com/famous...
http://www.rd.com/culture/books-every...
Oh and good luck reaching your goal! I'm impressed!
Nicole wrote: "When I'm not reading, I love to watch TV & movies. I would really like to learn to knit, and I feel like I could still watch TV or movies while doing that (not so much when reading) ..."Absolutely you can knit or do other needlework while watching tv or movies. I do just about all my stitching (cross stitch and needlepoint) while watching tv and movies. Granted, I don't stitch while the latest episode of Game of Thrones airs, but that's an exception!
Also, many of my stitching friends listen to audiobooks while doing needlework, so you actually can read while stitching or knitting. I personally prefer watching old movies...
Dani wrote: "But I ended up liking The Enchanted April a lot. It was a nice light, happy read after so many heavy books this year. "Ooh, if you haven't seen the movie, check it out! I find I like it more than the book, and it has SO many wonderful actors:
Josie Lawrence as Lottie Wilkins
Miranda Richardson as Rose Arbuthnot
Polly Walker as Caroline Dester
Joan Plowright as Mrs. Fisher
Alfred Molina as Mellersh Wilkins
Jim Broadbent as Frederick Arbuthnot
Michael Kitchen as George Briggs
Cheri wrote: "Theresa wrote: "Important note: get this new translation (bright blue cover) by Peter Bien as it is the ONLY English translation directly from the original Greek. Truth - the only other translation...he can't read the original languages! I had no idea that actually happened in real "Oh it is unbelievable what goes on in the world of translating, far more than just the age old debate of literal vs. Stylistic.
In researching translations of 20000 Leagues Under the Sea prior to buying I discovered that the older translation most often read was done by a Brit under pressure to remove or change those passages not so complimentary to the British empire (a lot it seems). And yes there is a new more complete one now available and highly recommended by the Jules Verne Society.
Then there is the story of the various English translations of The Master and Margarita - originally not available to the west as result of Soviet government interference, the first copy made available was incomplete and redacted so 1st English translation is basically crap. There have been at least 3 more translations of the original each has its opinionated and fierce defender. The whole thing is a hoot.
Moral: it is important to do a little research when picking a classic in translation.
Unauthorized Cinnamon wrote: "Dani wrote: "But I ended up liking The Enchanted April a lot. It was a nice light, happy read after so many heavy books this year. "Ooh, if you haven't seen the movie, check it out! I find I like..."
Agree. Movie is wonderful! Rent or stream it immediately!
Theresa wrote: "Moral: it is important to do a little research when picking a classic in translation..."Sure sounds like it! Great info! :)
I was working on a long book the past few weeks, although not quite long enough to meet the 800+ page prompt, so I only finished one - The Royals by Kitty Kelley. It wasn't quite what I'd hoped for, but it was still an interesting read.Now I'm working on Lord of the Flies, which will go for the favorite author recommends prompt (Stephen King thinks everyone should read this book).
QOTW: My other hobbies are hiking, scrapbooking, and travel.
It was overcast and a bit on the cool side in Fort Collins today, which made for a nice change. I really should be packing for a long weekend in the southern part of the state, but I will probably procrastinate until tomorrow morning.I finished two books this week. A Gathering of Shadows was awesome, as expected. It could count for book written by someone I admire, bestseller from 2016, or book with an eccentric character. You Are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life was not quite so awesome. It had a few nuggets of wisdom, so I will probably give it 2 stars, but it was mostly recycled "law of attraction" BS. It could count for book with a subtitle, book with (often questionable) career advice, or first book in a series you haven't read before.
QotW:
Too many hobbies! Well, music and writing shouldn't count as hobbies, as I'm actually trying to earn money with them. So, that just leaves slightly fewer than a million hobbies vying for my time.
Cooking. I've recently joined the Instant Pot cult, but I do still like using other methods. And I'm pretty sure IP tiramisu would be a Bad Idea.
Games. My husband and I both enjoy board games and participate in several regular groups. I even have a few ideas for games that I'd like to develop someday. Right now, I'm trying to decide if I have the stamina to be a Mensa Mind Games judge next April, or if I should focus my energies instead on making a trip to Bordeaux for the BookCrossing Anniversary Convention.
Travel. I love exploring, near and far, and I'm a sucker for ancient ruins, panoramic views, and quirky shops. I haven't strayed very far from home since barely surviving Athens last year, so wish me luck as I take on the Great Sand Dunes this Sunday.
Languages. I guess it's connected to my wanderlust, but I've always loved learning languages. Right now I'm working on Italian, but I guess I should be refreshing my French if I want to go to Bordeaux next year.
Collecting Pens. Especially fountain pens, but I have some really nice ballpoints and rollerballs as well.
I've had a really bad reading week. First Maddie was ill - she ran a mild fever for five days and all she wanted to do was nurse 24/7. I was also trying to clean because we have visitors and then the day they leave my parents arrive for the girls' birthdays. It was nearly impossible to clean with a clingy, sad baby. Today was bizarre, weather-wise. It's cooled down a lot here and then we drove into the mountains. The fog completely hid any views at all. We were at a hot spring and while we were swimming it rained and hailed quite intensely. Then it was sunny and lovely for our drive home.
The only book I finished was The Fire Next Time for the Book Riot challenge. I hadn't realized how short it was but it was full of a lot of passages that really moved me.
I'm at least 2/3s of the way through Guilty Pleasures. This is a reread for me for my book club, though I don't really remember much of it. I missed the meeting due to the sick baby but I'll finish it off fairly easily. I didn't continue the series last time because I felt that many other vampire series were better but maybe I'll read a few more this time.
I'm about the same amount through the audio of Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail and I'm enjoying it. Neither of these really fill any prompts for me though.
QOTW: with two kids, reading is basically the only hobby I have time for now. Though we do make a point of exploring Denver most weekends, since we're new here.
Nadine wrote: "Ooooh I would love a local chocolatier shop!!! I visited Juliette in Montreal last year and we loved it! Single origin sipping chocolate was a revelation!"There's a local chocolatier about a block from my favorite bookshop in Old Town, and just darn the luck, sometimes I have to park over there and walk to the bookshop. After fortifying myself with a truffle, of course.
Sarah wrote: "...I also enjoy writing. I know it is still a few months away but I'm already thinking up ideas for NaNoWriMo. Does anyone else participate?"Yes, I've at least tried every year for something like 12 or 13 years now. Some years I win, some I don't. I haven't even started thinking about this year's yet, as I have so many active writing and editing projects going. Maybe around the end of September I'll be able to give it some attention.
Not a whole lot of reading done in the last week, and most of what I did read was comic strip collections. I'm having a bout of chronic fatigue, so most of my time not at work is being spent asleep.QOTW:
Besides reading? There's something else?!?
Just kidding. I cross stitch, occasionally cook & bake, spoil my feline owners and plan my dream vacation to the UK.
Yay! I finished the challenge... Well actually I finished it last week but its been a busy week so I kept forgetting to post it and forgot it again yesterday ups!
So I finished Slow Horses as my final book.
I am pleased that I completed the challenge and reached a goal and even before time but at the same time I am bumped that its over. I have been looking forward to thursday every week and love reading what you have all been up to and try new authors and genres.
Will still be swinging by the group and see what you all have been up to and grow my TBR list with all your recommendations.
QOTW: Thankfully we have between 5-7 weeks of holiday in Denmark, so I travel quite a lot. Absolutely love travelling. Reading books, pinterest is a huge time consumer, I am building my own websites at the moment, love to walk and hike although it is mainly walking long walks here in Denmark as it is completely flat where I live. However I do like to combine hikes with my travels. Other than that I always try out new things and then after a while move on to other projects.
Have a great weekend!
Anabell wrote: "Yay! I finished the challenge... Well actually I finished it last week but its been a busy week so I kept forgetting to post it and forgot it again yesterday ups!
So I finished [book:Slow Horses..."
Congratulations on finishing the challenge! No need to stop the check-ins, though -- we can still all share what we're reading. :)
I haven't been reading very much for the challenge lately. I have 8 books left to read and plan to finish them up this fall.I'm currently reading Emma in the Night for a NetGalley review. Really enjoying this one. Would be good for an unreliable narrator prompt.
On audio, I just finished The Alice Network, which I am using for the espionage prompt. Great read!
I also just finished The Almost Sisters which was really good.
As for hobbies, besides reading, I like to stamp and scrapbook. I enjoy making hand made cards. I also like to make my own door wreaths. Other than that, I do yoga, aqua fitness and walk on a weekly basis.
I've finished 3 books since my last check-in, however only 1 works for the popsugar challenge!I finally finished To Selena, With Love. This was one of the books I would read in between other books so the pace was slow going. I did enjoy hearing from Chris and hearing the way his and Selena's life was together. I watched the movie Selena over and over again as a kid. Ever since then, I've been a fan of her music and interested in her life. If you're a Selena fan - read this.
Next, I finished (on audio) Down Among the Sticks and Bones by Seanan McGuire. This is a companion novel to Every Heart a Doorway. So good! 5 stars. It jumps into two of the side characters' and their world that they were transported to. Loved it! More books please!
Lastly, I finished Zlata's Diary: A Child's Life in Wartime Sarajevo for the prompt "a book of letters." This book was very intriguing to me because last summer I went to Bosnia and Herzegovina for about 10 days and learned all of the history of this war. Still today (20+ years after the war was over), Sarajevo and other towns still show signs of the shelling and destruction. Decent read, but definitely up-rated it because of my interest in the country - 4 stars.
QOTW: Along with everyone else, reading is obviously my hobby. However, I really love traveling with my boyfriend as well as watching tv and lots of youtube. Should def add more exercise into that routine!
Stina wrote: "Sarah wrote: "...I also enjoy writing. I know it is still a few months away but I'm already thinking up ideas for NaNoWriMo. Does anyone else participate?"Yes, I've at least tried every year for ..."
I've attempted it for about 4 years, only won it once but always had fun!
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Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge
Books mentioned in this topic
Over the Moon at the Big Lizard Diner (other topics)Deep Shadow (other topics)
Etiquette & Espionage (other topics)
Lone Star Cafe (other topics)
Before We Were Yours (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Lisa Wingate (other topics)Gail Carriger (other topics)
Eric Newby (other topics)
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Sun-mi Hwang (other topics)
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Discussion is open for the August group read, The Snow Child, if you are interested in participating.
September's book has been chosen. The group selected The Color Purple by Alice Walker. As of this moment Amazon still has the ebook on sale for $1.99 if anyone is interested in getting a copy. Not sure how long that sale price will last.
No progress to report here. I'm gradually pulling out of my reading slump.
I'm working on a few books:
Lost Horizon by James Hilton. It's pretty good so far.
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - This is a reread on audio, and I'm 67% done.
The Bear and the Nightingale - I'm reading this on my kindle, but I haven't gotten too far yet.
Question of the week:
From member AF.
Let's get to know each other a bit better. Obviously our love for reading brought this group together, but what other hobbies do you spend your time on?
I don't have much time for hobbies these days, but aside from working and taking care of my 11 year old daughter I do enjoy baking, running (well, enjoy may not be the right term for it though I keep doing it. Christophe - I'm not sure whether to blame you or to thank you for keeping me motivated!), and general exploring (museums, antique stores, festivals, etc). I discovered a new chocolate shop in town a few weeks ago. They start with cocoa beans and prepare all their chocolate in house. I got a small cup of sipping chocolate which was to die for! So fantastic!