Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge discussion

Welcome to February! I can’t believe we’ve already completed the first month of the challenge! Last week we were on the edge of the polar vortex consuming a quarter of the US mainland, with temperatures below freezing for several days. This week our temperatures are in the 60’s and even 70’s!

Admin notes:
Discussion is open for February’s group read of To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before.

We are looking for volunteer discussion leaders for April, May and June. The selected books for those months are listed here

Books finished:

I finished two books, but both were rereads for me.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets – my least favorite of the series, but any Harry Potter is better than no Harry Potter! Plus I am participating in a read-a-long with an online book club so I am picking up on some little details or things that come into play later in the series.

Present Over Perfect: Leaving Behind Frantic for a Simpler, More Soulful Way of Living – I love Shauna’s writing, and I love that she narrates her own audiobooks. This was a bedtime audiobook for me.

Currently reading:

American Street by Ibi Zoboi

99 Percent Mine – I adored Sally Thorne’s first book, The Hating Game. So far this one has been underwhelming, but I am going to continue and hope it gets better.

Recursion by Blake Crouch – I’m reading an advanced copy of this book which is due to release in June I think. I have tried reading two of his other books and struggled to follow the story, BUT both were audiobooks. I have since recognized that I really can’t follow a complex storyline on audio. Thankfully this one is a kindle book so hopefully it will be a better reading experience. This one is a buddy read with some friends.

Question of the week
Have you ever received an advance copy of a book? Commonly these are acquired through Goodreads giveaways, Net Galley, Launch Teams, etc.

I’ve been very fortunate to have received several advanced copies

I have read and reviewed 6 books on Net Galley, and I have two books currently to read.

I have won a few Goodreads giveaways. I know that The Alice Network was an advanced copy. I am not sure about the other.

I was also privileged to be on the Launch Team for Reading People: How Seeing the World through the Lens of Personality Changes Everything by Anne Bogel. For those not familiar, a Launch Team is a select group of readers (often bloggers or other people with an audience) that receive an advance copy to read and then work to help promote the book via social media and other platforms.

Uh oh ... I've been looking forward to 99 Percent with excitement!!! I just dialed back my expectations to "moderate."

I've not felt like reading much this week, but I still made a little progress. I had all my library audiobook holds come it at once too. We don't have any fancy system which lets us delay them, so I imagine I'll be returning most, as I'd really like to listen to Black Leopard, Red Wolf this month.

I read All the Lonely People which is about a victim of trolling and the perpetrator, but what made it different is that it explores how young men end up drawn into those communities. I thought it was very thought-provoking, topical and sad. It wasn't specifically a challenge read but I have a few slots for new releases so I'll probably use it for ATY's something new.

I finished listening to We Cast a Shadow for a debut novel, it explores institutional racism through a near-future setting where most of the US's progress on race relations has been undone. Sadly, it didn't feel at all futuristic and you can imagine nearly all of it happening now.

I'm currently listening to The Wicked King for nothing specific, it's just that the library had it and I wondered if I'd like it more than The Cruel Prince. I feel about the same about it but it's nice to have a break from heavy subjects.

And I've just started The Migration for review which I think is going to be cli-fi.

PS 10/52 | ATY 10/52 | GR 18/100

QOTW:
Yes, I blog at Curiosity Killed the Bookworm and get books to review there, both from NetGalley and physical copies from publishers. I've cut down a lot on review books the last couple of years though as it's easy to get bogged down and sometimes I just want to read my own books.

We don't have Goodreads giveaways in the UK any more, but in the past whenever I won one, it was terrible, so I stopped entering!

Nadine wrote: "Uh oh ... I've been looking forward to 99 Percent with excitement!!! I just dialed back my expectations to "moderate.""

Maybe it's just me! Or maybe it's because my expectations were too high so you're welcome for lowering yours :)

I had an interesting reading experience this week that convinced me I’ve reverted to a print reader. While I was reading on my Kindle, I couldn’t sit still, felt exhausted, and decided to DNF every book I started despite liking the stories. I think it has to do with the fact that I look at screens all day, every day for work. I think the Kindle screen is screaming at my brain accomplish! instead of relax.

Finished
Legendary by Stephanie Garber (a book revolving around a puzzle or game). I don’t think this book was as good as Caraval, but I enjoyed it. I’m not a fan of Caraval (view spoiler)[being real. I think it was much more fun as a game than a save-the-kingdom plot. (hide spoiler)] That ending makes me want the third book right now!

Reading
Trail of Lightning by Rebecca Roanhorse

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

QOTW
The first ARC I ever received was from a Goodreads giveaway. The writing was so awful I DNFed it after one chapter. I went to the annual American Library Association conference once. There were a ton of publishers there with ARCs to handout. I read about 8 of the ARCs I got. I didn't really love any of them. The experience kind of turned me off from requesting them. I rely on reviews more than I thought to decide which books I want to read.

Hi All!

Man this week flew by for me. Really looking forward to the weekend, I think the weather is supposed to be fairly nice so my husband and I are going to do some long overdue yardwork.

I finished up 3 books this week. Thank you to the person last week who mentioned reading The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet. This book is like a blend of Star Trek and Firefly. Maybe not the most original characters but I really enjoyed this one. I was looking for something that was just fun and happy to read and this ticked the box. It also works for a book set in space.

My library finally got a copy of The Cruelest Month which is the 3rd story in Louise Penny's Inspector Gamache series. My library had nearly all of the books except 3 and 4 so I asked if they could get them and they did! It's the first time I've put in a request like that and if you request them they also put them on hold for you so you get first dibs. Well on Monday I woke up to this slow and startingly loud sound of ripping paper. There isn't much paper in my bedroom so I was immediately on edge. I looked down and there was my book on the floor with a huge chunk completely missing from the first page. My cat had apparently taken offense and just decided to rip it out. I'm going to have to fess up to the library but I'm really embarrased. Thankfully it's just the page which has previous reviews and the list of other books she's authored. I'm hoping that it's not too big a deal. I have social anxiety specifically pertaining to disappointing people and the library is basically my good place so this has been hanging over me since it happened.

Lastly, I listened to Tart of Darkness. This book had all my favorite cozy mystery themes, an accusation of murder on an innocent chef, a clever title, and light romance. This book was just ok so in the end I gave it 2 stars. There were a few points where I had to laugh out loud when some of the romance (of which there was mainly flirting and longing) was too cheesy. I'm going to use this for the amatuer detective prompt.

QOTW: No, although for the first time last year I started to look into it. I'm generally good to wait until something has came out so I probably won't end up trying for one.

It's been a productive week! Finished 3, so now I'm 12/50!

The Paragon Hotel: The flapper slang at the beginning of the book made it difficult to get into the rhythm of things, but I ended up really enjoying this book, and the language got easier too. As you get to know more and more about "Nobody" Alice James and her upbringing in (Italian) Harlem, the more her language and actions make sense. The novel twisted and turned in ways I didn't expect. A hotel full of misfits, a missing mulatto boy, love and longing, and the KKK... A fascinating look at prejudice and discrimination in 1920s Oregon! (40 - 2017 A book set in a hotel)

Redshirts: What a fun take on the rules of Star Trek and the expendable Crewman #6! I thoroughly enjoyed the main story, and then the codas put it right over the top. It started as a sharp spoof of (bad) sci fi television and ended up with something lovely, touching, and very, very human. (20 - A book set in space)

The Kiss Quotient: It's a reverse Pretty Woman (and I'm really not a fan)... he works as an escort/prostitute (to pay for his mother's medical bills), so there's an ick factor there that I can't quite get past. But there are some great things about this novel too. It's steamy. (And when I say it's steamy, it's really steamy. Explicit and detailed. If that bothers you in a romance novel, stay away from this one.) It's an "own voices" novel (the heroine has Asperger's as does the author). The heroine works in a STEM field. Is that enough? Yeah, I think so. I'd read another of Helen Hoang's novels. (43 - An "own voices" book)

I'm currently reading The Bear and the Nightingale, Jubilee, and The Dreamers.

QOTW: I've won many Goodreads giveaways. I just got one in the mail yesterday!

I can't believe it's February either. January was very productive for me, I read 20 books and listened to one short story. That is definitely an all time high for me.

Finished:
The Masterpiece on audio. I used this for ATY dual timeline book. I loved all the history and descriptions of Grant Central Terminal, which is 3 blocks from where I work yet I never go there. The Whispering Gallery, The Oyster Bar, The Grand Central School of Art, it was all fascinating. I would say this book has a great sense of place. The book itself was good, but not amazing.
Death on the Nile also on audio for a book being made into a movie in 2019. It was very good, but not as good as the 3 Agatha Christies I read last year.
What It Means When a Man Falls from the Sky is a short story that I listened to on LeVar Burton reads. I really liked it.
Maus II: A Survivor's Tale: And Here My Troubles Began for Read Harder.

Currently Reading:
The Obelisk Gate
The Clockmaker's Daughter Reading along with the ATY monthly read.
Little Women
Unaccustomed Earth Fitting in short stories between other reads.
Listening The Iliad read by Derek Jacobi. I was just going to use this only for Catching up on the Classics. But then I remembered Achilles' heel, Trojan horse, etc. Duh! So now I am using it for book that inspired a common phrase or idiom. If I do manage to squeeze in Catch-22 this year, then I will replace.

QOTW:
I have never received an advance reader copy of a book. I have also never won a Goodreads giveaway, but I keep entering.

January also flew by for me! Happy to say it was filled with lots of good reading time.

Popsugar: 7/50
ATY: 7/52

Finished:
If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio ("a book you think should be turned into a movie" and ATY "a book by Shakespeare or inspired by Shakespeare" prompt)
Sweet Little Lies by Caz Frear ("a book with salty, sweet, bitter, or spicy in the title" and ATY "a book with a dual timline" prompt)

Currently Reading:
Look For Me by Lisa Gardner
Runner's World How to Make Yourself Poop: And 999 Other Tips All Runners Should Know by Meghan Kita
The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory

QOTW:
No. We really try to limit the number of books we add to our bookshelves. As I'm sure many of you have experienced, it is really easy to start your own mini-library!

11/50

Finished:
My Grandmother Sends Her Regards and Apologises (aka My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry) by Fredrik Backman for a book set in Scandinavia.

Currently reading:
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - Slowly rereading it.
Beneath a Scarlet Sky
No Exit

QOTW:
No, I haven't.

Sara! Asked about advanced copies of books! Well! Nope for me because all the advanced books are all for USA residents and I live in Canada! Which they would open it to everyone

We are having ICK weather in NY : 30s and raining. Just yuck. And a raccoon was in my yard last night and messed up one of my bird feeders.

This week I finished 6 books, 3 for the challenge, and I am now 18/50.

Remnant Population by Elizabeth Moon - an interesting "first contact" story set in a defunct colony on a planet far, far away. I checked off "two word title."

Circe by Madeline Miller - So so good!! And, obviously, "inspired by myth." 5 stars!

The Best of It: New and Selected Poems by Kay Ryan - uneven, I loved some but others were just ok.

The Real Cool Killers by Chester Himes
- this classic noir Harlem crime novel starts off fairly ordinary, but gradually becomes really powerful. This would make an awesome movie! (but I already filled that category) and it takes place in a single day (but I already filled that category). It could work for "own voices," but I've left that open for now.

The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin - this was good but I never seem to LOVE Baldwin the way others do - he's so ... rambley

Back to Your Love by Kianna Alexander - this sounded fun but it was not; clunky writing and an upsetting sexual assault sub-plot. But it included two weddings!


QOTW

Yeah I've won a few books through Goodreads, and one from (I think!) Smart Bitches Trashy Books. I don't have a NetGalley or edelweiss account, and I have entered a few drawings held by authors but never win.

Most of the time I end up hating the book, and then I feel bad because it was so nice of them to give me a book!! And I wonder if I rarely win because I've panned most of the few books I HAVE won.

A few that stand out:

Rapture & Tribulation by Phillip W. Simpson - I didnt like the books but I had a very nice email chain going with the author after, and I often wonder how he's doing now. I haven't seen him publish anything recently.

The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker & The Darkly Luminous Fight for Persephone Parker by Leanna Renee Hieber - this was two books collected as one, and the first one was so bad that I just could never bring myself to read the next.

Darkness by Karen Robards - well, I wasn't inspired to ever read anything else by her, but I do remember the book rather clearly, so I guess ithad a certain something. It really bothered me that the title was "Darkness" but the cover was BRIGHT PINK. Like, hello disconnect!

The Rogue's Proposal by Jennifer Haymore LOL this was pretty bad. I had fun writing a negative review.

Into the Water by Paula Hawkins - the only book I was super excited to win, and the only one I really loved! This is the book that keeps me entering giveaways.

I've been reading slow. Just finished From Twinkle, with Love. It was ok. I think this checks off author from Asia, Africa, or South America.

Currently, slowllllyyyy reading Dress Codes for Small Towns. I think I'm almost in a reading slump because this isn't grabbing my attention at all and I'm having trouble keeping up with what character is who...

But at least I'm at 4/42, 0/10, and 2 non-challenge reads so far.

Finished:
To All the Boys I've Loved Before I'm using this for promt #29 - a book with "love" in the title and for the February group read. I actually really liked this although I know that's not a popular opinion. I read it then watched the movie which I think helps.

Forget You Know Me I'm not using this for a challenge prompt. I got this through NetGalley and really did not like it. There was too many sub-plots, and I just didn't think they helped the book at all.

The Hiding Place I also got this book through NetGalley and as of now, I'm not using it for the challenge. I thought this was an interesting book - a thriller with a sort of supernatural twist. I don't normally read supernatural books, but because this was a thriller I did like it.

Challenge Progress:
Regular Challenge - 10/40
Advanced Challenge - 0/10

Currently Reading:
Two Can Keep a Secret I decided to listen to this on audible for my commute after I loved One of Us is Lying so much. I will probably use this for a book I think should be turned into a movie, but I'm only about half way through so we'll see.

The Travelling Cat Chronicles I'm reading this for my book club this month. I don't think I'll use it for the challenge because I'm not sure where it will fit. I just started it, but it's good so far.

The Promise I got this book from NetGalley, and so far it's intriguing. I just started it though. I don't think it will be used for the challenge.

QOTW:
I get ARC's through NetGalley.

Morning all. :)

Nothing really new to report, so moving on to the books!

Bed-Bugged -- "book featuring an amateur detective." Aimed more at middle-schoolers and older grade-schoolers, but still a cute and fun mystery with a dog as one of the amateur detectives.

The Graveyard Book -- "ghost story." A boy raised by ghosts certainly counts, I think... This was lovely! I think my faith in Neil Gaiman has been (mostly) restored after I crashed and burned with "Fragile Things" last year...

The Knife of Never Letting Go -- "book being made into a movie this year." Interesting premise, but the entire book felt like a miserable slog to me. Not continuing with the series.

Hex Vet: Witches in Training -- graphic novel, not for the challenge. A cute read geared toward younger readers, though I thought the art style was a little TOO cutesy given the subject matter (a veterinary hospital for magical creatures, run by witches).

DNFed Woman on the Edge of Time, which was a non-challenge read. Just wasn't what I thought it would be.

Regular challenge -- 15/43
Advanced challenge -- 2/10
Non-challenge books -- 5

Currently Reading:

The Pros of Cons -- "book about a hobby," though it could also count for "multiple POVs" and "book written by two female authors" (well, three, but it's still more than one, right?)

King of Scars -- "book published in 2019," though could also count for "multiple POVs"

The Road -- "cli-fi book," though could also count for "no chapters." There's been some debate as to whether this is actually a cli-fi book, but I found it on a list of recommended cli-fi books, so I'm counting it unless I find something better later...

QOTW:

I don't receive ARCs. You'd think libraries would get some, but alas, ours doesn't...

I finished A Confederacy of Dunces for a book published posthumously. I decided I liked the book while hating all but one character in it.

Now, I'm slogging my way through Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison as my first of two books with the same title. I'm almost halfway through and I'm not loving it. I'm sure that part of the problem is that I'm a white girl who went to a high school in the '80s with exactly one black kid who was a year behind me and I didn't know, as opposed to a black man in the '40s and '50s.

QOTW: Nope.

Morning!

It's pretty gloomy and damp here, and cold. Looking forward to spring!

This week I finished:

Starless - This was my book I meant to read last year. I really enjoyed it, I love Jaquliene Carey's writing. She really brings mythology to life. I also used it for ATY's book over 500 pages.

Dress Codes for Small Towns - This was my book with an accessory or article of clothing on the cover. The cover has a black boot. I really enjoyed it. I also used it as my ATY book I stumbled on since I picked up as a whim off bookperks.

Apparently I've been in a "exploring gender norms" mood, since I read The Left Hand of Darkness the other week, plus Starless, the two Tensor books at the start of the year, and this one. I've enjoyed them all!

Cat's Eye - this will be one of my books with the same title. I'll get to the other one soon. I enjoyed it, although the beginning was hard to read. Atwood certainly knows how to stir up emotion, it made me remember every nasty thing I experienced at the hands of little girls as a kid.

I also read a bunch of comics, including the current run of Steven Universe.

Currently Reading:

The Sun Is Also a Star - this will be my book becoming a movie this year. I'm enjoying it so far. I'll also use it for ATY's book with an astronomical term in the title, and for Reading Women's romance/love story.

The Art of Asking; or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Let People Help still listening to this while I knit/draw. I'm slow at audio books.

QOTW:

Nope. I've done a bunch of goodreads giveaways but I've yet to win one.

10/50
Weather here has been horrible, school is cancelled again today. Cabin fever is setting in, but it does help with my reading! I finished:

Magpie Murders for a book with unconventionally numbered chapters. This book has a mystery novel within a mystery story, which is numbered separately within the book. I really liked it! I started this for the amateur detective prompt, but swapped it.

a novel with a piece of clothing on the cover. Not sure why this blouse is on the cover, the book is about an anesthesiologist who loses an eight year old patient during surgery. This is a good book, explores how doctors feel reponsible for their patients and how the American healthcare system isn’t really set up to deal with bad outcomes. There is a bit of a mystery in it as well that wasn’t as successful for me, but I still liked this book.

QOTW: yes, I have gotten a few ARCs. I always feel bad if I don’t like them!

Kenya,

Glad to hear you say that, about the Knife of Never Letting Go. Everyone else I've seen who has read it seems to LOVE the series and I was struggling to get through the one.

Hi everyone. It's cold and windy and raining today so a trio of horrid weather!

This week I finally finished Les Misérables: Volume One. It finished at a super random point so I think the publishers just went for the exact middle to split the book rather than a convenient place for readers.

Also finished The Winter of the Witch. I'm so glad I continued this series after being underwhelmed by the first book. It definitely gets better as it goes along, but frustratingly it is not set in winter. Grrrr!

DNF Vengeful I am so disappointed with this book. After the awesomeness of Vicious I had sky high expectations and it was just bland.

Currently reading: Thunderhead and Les Misérables: Volume Two. Not far enough into either to comment at the moment

QOTW never received one unfortunately

Good Morning! No books for this challenge this week.

Read
Cleaning is Murder: Good cozy mystery, with a feisty little old lady as the sleuth.

The Light Over London: ATY #8: 2 books about the same topic. This was a good book.

The Forgotten Child: I really liked this book. It was a ghost/mystery.

Final Exits: The Illustrated Encyclopedia of How We Die: This has been on my shelf for like 10 years. I have finally finished the last 100 pages.

Currently Reading:
Human Errors: A Panorama of Our Glitches, from Pointless Bones to Broken Genes

DNF:
Strange the Dreamer- Right now it just wasn't clicking. Maybe one day I will pick it up again.

QOTW:
I have received many books from Goodreads. In fact the first 3 books I have read this week were from GR. They are usually hit and miss, but the 3 this week were good.

Helene wrote: "Sara! Asked about advanced copies of books! Well! Nope for me because all the advanced books are all for USA residents and I live in Canada! Which they would open it to everyone"

Oh no! Are any of the Goodreads giveaways open to Canada? I wish the world was a bit more globally minded sometimes :(

I want to say I've seen a few books on Net Galley that are open to US and Canada, but I'm not sure.

Happy Thursday!

Completed:
40. Fascinating country past prompt H.R.H. by Danielle Steele. I’m also doing a European read, so I thought Liechtenstein would be a pretty fascinating country about which to read. It is! What isn’t fascinating is Danielle Steele’s story of the princess. It’s incredibly repetitive.

46. Party HeadquartersUnconventional chaptering is just not my thing. Add in a Bulgarian story and, well, the struggle was real!

33. Chinese zodiac has a rooster as a sign. The Rooster Bar by John Grisham could have been amazing. It wasn’t bad, but Grisham was shoving his political agenda in your face through most of the book.

In process:
8. Drawing and 3D sculptures as a hobby. I received an ARC for The Lady from the Black Lagoon: Hollywood Monsters and the Lost Legacy of Milicent Patrick by Mallory O’Meara. This is a powerful, well researched book on someone about which I knew nothing. I can’t complement the research enough! My piece of constructive criticism again heads to using a politically motivated tone. While I don’t work in the movie industry and cannot speak to harassment or the #MeToo movement, as I am treated with dignity most places I go, I think Ms. O’Meara was searching for things, especially at the Disney studio in the 1940s. Without proof, it's just mean-spirited to assume that harassment was a major concern. Some of those employees could still be alive, so it seems silly to not try and fact check.

I had a bit of a jam at the Interlibrary loan, so I’m also reading Mary Higgins Clark As Time Goes By as my commuting book for no reason whatsoever. I’m only 3 chapters in, but I need a little froth with my European novels periodically.

QOTW Advanced copies of books
I have been lucky enough to win about 8 books. One of the ones I’m reading currently is one! Most of them have very much been in favorite genres of thrillers, historical fiction, or memoirs. I loved all but one of them! Here are the ones I've enjoyed:
The Death of Mrs. Westaway
The Queen of Hearts
Educated
Persons Unknown
Fierce Kingdom
Siracusa

My middle of the roader:
The Lady from the Black Lagoon: Hollywood Monsters and the Lost Legacy of Milicent Patrick

And my lone serious dislike: America's First Daughter for rife historical revision.

Sheri wrote: "Kenya,

Glad to hear you say that, about the Knife of Never Letting Go. Everyone else I've seen who has read it seems to LOVE the series and I was struggling to get through the one."




I DNF'ed The Knife of Never Letting Go. It seems like I rarely love the books everyone loves.

I am checking in even though I have a bathroom to scrub before my in-laws get here. I guess we all know where my priorities lie.

This week I read:
Lord Edgware Dies- I am working through the Agatha Christie books again. I hadn't read this one in a while and enjoyed it, although it is not in my top ten (or even twenty).
The Avalon Ladies Scrapbooking Society- for a book about a hobby. Thanks to whoever suggested it. I enjoyed it very much.
Two Can Keep a Secret- I really liked this book. @Samantha, I was thinking about a book I thought should become a movie as well, then decided I would be too scared of the movie (I can handle more in books than I can on the big screen).
Mystery in White- a new to me author from the golden age of detective fiction. He doesn't hold a candle to Agatha Christie especially since (view spoiler)[ the killer is never really a character of the book, just someone that you've heard about. (hide spoiler)].
Thirteen Guests- another by Farjeon and he still doesn't hold a candle to Christie. It was like he got tired of writing because clues were coming in and suddenly we are at wrap up with the police report.
Property of the Rebel Librarian- a middle grade reader about book banning. The whole time I was thinking "where are all the reasonable adults?" Her parents even defaced her books. This book definitely made me feel furious.
I also read several picture books, most of them were just meh. Ready or Not, Woolbur Goes to School! was cute though.

QOTW:
Never read an ARC. I have too many books to read that aren't ARCs to try and get involved with that.

Heather wrote: "I had an interesting reading experience this week that convinced me I’ve reverted to a print reader. While I was reading on my Kindle, I couldn’t sit still, felt exhausted, and decided to DNF every..."

What type of Kindle do you have? I have the paperwhite and refuse to get the "smarter" ones that have more computer-like screens because I also need it to feel like a book and my eyes get tired of those back-lit screens.

I read three books this week! That might be an all-time high (at least, in my adult life.) I'm not sure what's gotten into me lately, I want to read all the time and am having no trouble finding books that fit the prompts. Not at all like last year! I guess my pre-planning paid off :)

Read this week:
The World of Ice & Fire: The Untold History of Westeros and the Game of Thrones - For the "unconventional chapters" prompt. I've been on a big Game of Thrones kick since Season 8 promos were released, so I thought it was time to take the plunge and read some of George's background material. Oddly, the sections about the 7 kingdoms themselves kind of dragged, but oh! the Targaryen histories. Quality!

The Westing Game - For the "puzzle/ game" prompt. I read this for a class in 8th grade and enjoyed it just as much as an adult! Really fun and very twisty. Also fairly progressive for its time. I strongly recommend this if you like middle grade or YA.

A Thousand Acres - For the "retelling of a classic" prompt. My first 5 star read since... I don't remember! Jane Smiley is amazing. I must confess I haven't read King Lear so I didn't know where the story was going. But now I want to!

Currently reading: Nothing!

QOTW:
No advance read copies for me, I'm too picky.

Sara wrote: "Oh no! Are any of the Goodreads giveaways open to Canada? I wish the world was a bit more globally minded sometimes :(..."

Goodreads used to allow giveaways for anywhere but when they introduced fees, they decided to limit it to the US whilst they try it out. That was over a year ago so I can only guess that there wasn't much international interest in paying $120+ per giveaway.

This is gonna be a very short check in as I didn't finish anything in the past week. Not really surprising, given that I left home on Thursday night, came home on Tuesday morning, and slept until Wednesday late afternoon haha! I didn't read on my bus trips at all, but I did read a bit at the Sunday night party. Though I did listen to my audiobook during the bus ride home.

However, I do hope to finish either (or both?) my audiobook (The Psychology of Time Travel, still underwhelming, would probs work better in print) or physical book (Spellslinger, still yes. About 80 pages left though!) today. If I do, I'll make sure to mention it on here so I feel like less of a failure haha!

Besides Spellslinger I have 13 unread library books waiting and I bought two more book at Piccadilly Waterstones last Monday (The 1,000 Year Old Boy and The Binding- this last one is SO BEAUTIFUL SAVE ME) that I really really want to read so I need help. Tell me what to read everyone. TELL ME WHAT TO DO. I am too tired to make these choices, I'm still recovering from the weekend!

QOTW
I started NetGalley properly last year. So far I've finished 3 books, with 7 left to go. The Psychology of Time Travel is one of them, but as it was on Storytel already, I decided to listen to it so I could read another eGalley at the same time. I haven't started that one yet. Honestly the pressure of the library books and NetGalleys is real, so I totally understand Ellie cutting back on ARCs (I love your blog btw, am subscribed to it!). I have never received a physical one yet, though I would absolutely love one!

I'm currently at 14/50 for the challenge, and this week I finished:
America Is Not the Heart - there were some parts that I really liked, and others that were not for me, but I would be interested in seeing a screen adaptation of it, especially if it focused a bit more on the rebel group situation and other important history for the Philippines. (should be turned into a move prompt)

Dumplin' - I really enjoyed the movie for this one, and the book wasn't quite as good, but worked for a light read. (hobby prompt - the hobby being beauty pageants)

The Parking Lot Attendant - this is another ToB shortlist book. I really enjoyed the middle section that takes place in Boston, and the overall idea is great, but the ending needed more. (debut novel prompt)

I'm currently reading The House of Broken Angels, Kindred, White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism, and Never Stop Learning: Stay Relevant, Reinvent Yourself, and Thrive.

QOTW: Nope, I've entered the Goodreads giveaways many times but never won. I don't really have room for more hard copies of books anyway though. My book shelves are full and my nightstand has a stack of 20. ;)

Yeah.... it's still in the -20's where I live in the US.

I'm at 11/50 and finished 6 books this week

Gemina by Amie Kaufman for a book set in space
A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness for set at a college or university
The Winter of the Witch by Katherine Arden for read during the season in which it's set
American Vampire, Vol. 1 by Scott Snyder for the ATY challenge
Fablehaven by Brandon Mull-read aloud to son, for featuring an imaginary creature
Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight, Vol. 1 for the ATY challenge

QOTW:
Nope

I should mention that I live in the Netherlands and I get approved for eGalleys all the same.

Sara wrote: "Welcome to February! I can’t believe we’ve already completed the first month of the challenge! Last week we were on the edge of the polar vortex consuming a quarter of the US mainland, with tempera..."

I have 99 Percent Mine on for later this month, and I read the ARC of Recursion and LOVED it, but I loved his other books too. I didn't try them as audio, though, but I try to do easier books on audio or familiar ones.

This week I read 3 books, 2 for Popsugar prompts. That puts me at 53/365 books and 25/50 popsugar prompts.

I read:

4 3 2 1 for two books that share a title (I plan to pick up Four Three Two One for the second)

The Kiss Quotient for a reread of a favorite. I wouldn't have called it a favorite the first time, but wanted to give it another chance, especially after my disappointing book right before it. I don't know if I was in a better mood for it, caught more on the reread, liked the ebook better than audio, but it just hit me and I connected with Stella and cried throughout my reread and breezed through it.

Time's Convert

QOTW: Yes, I just started with Netgalley in December, and won an ARC in a goodreads giveaway. So I've read about 15 ARCs now.

Carmen wrote: "Honestly the pressure of the library books and NetGalleys is real, so I totally understand Ellie cutting back on ARCs (I love your blog btw, am subscribed to it!)...."

Thanks Carmen! I also succumbed to the beauty of The Binding, I'm hoping the inside lives up to the outside.

Lauren wrote: "What type of Kindle do you have? I have the paperwhite and refuse to get the "smarter" ones that have more computer-like screens because I also need it to feel like a book and my eyes get tired of those back-lit screens."

I have a Paperwhite too. I can't even handle that screen anymore, unfortunately. I only have one unread book left on my Kindle. I might try to read one chapter at a time or just let it wait until I have a long vacation away from my computer.

I also have a Kindle Fire, but the only thing I use it for is watching TV episodes at the gym. I tried reading a book on it once, and it was a horrible experience.

Oh and *moderators* I was already planning to read This is How It Always Is, so I could lead the group discussion in May, unless someone else has a strong desire to. :)

I missed last week’s check-in and I still have very little to talk about! Oops! I’ve started a few things here and there and watched a bunch of TV.

Family Trust - I really enjoyed this. Rich but not super rich people all having somewhat ridiculous and unlikely personal problems while wondering about the contents of Stanley’s will and how much he might have to leave behind. I used this for multiple viewpoints but it could have fit a few places.

RWBY Official Manga Anthology Vol. 1: Red Like Roses - I started watching the anime when I started dating my husband and I really enjoy it, but thanks to the book riot prompt I can tell you that I still don’t much like manga.

And that’s it! I’m listening to The Egg and I right now and man, some of the attitudes are certainly dated. That said, it’s been surprisingly interesting so far for something I borrowed from the library but have no recollection of doing so and sort of suspect I just accidentally clicked on it.

QOTW: I use Netgalley fairly frequently and have won a few Goodreads contests. But the place I get most of my ARCs is Denver Comic Con, where I like to mostly hang out in the book section of Con and they hand out books like candy on Halloween!

I am actually a bit behind with my reading due to little time, so I have only one book to list here, and I haven't even finished it yet:

Caliban's War (A book set in space)
The second book of "The Expanse", and like with book #1, I'm loving every single page of it. I'm actually even a little glad that I have so little time, because that way I am making it last^^

QOTW
I don't think I have. As I am living in Germany, I am not eligible for most of the GR giveaways, and I am not a member of any community that gives out advance copies. What I do have is a genuine review copy of a book written by the little sister of a friend of mine. I didn't pay for it; she sent it to me in exchange for a review. I also know that my mom sometimes gets advance copies of books by a certain publishing house where my cousin's husband works; he knows her taste and has given her advance copies of books he was sure she would like once or twice. Not in exchange for a review, though.

@Sarahkat the American Vampire series is one of my favorites and I've read all of them!!


SarahKat wrote: "Yeah.... it's still in the -20's where I live in the US.

I'm at 11/50 and finished 6 books this week

Gemina by Amie Kaufman for a book set in space
[book:A Discov..."

Finished a couple of books this week and started too many more. I have as much problem keeping my 'currently reading' list under control as I do with my TBR...

Finished:
The Mystery of Agatha Christie Not amazing writing, a few too many irrelevant details (probably to try to make up for the scarcity of relevant details, because of Agatha Christie's preference for privacy), but I still enjoyed learning more about her life. Worth reading if you're a Christie fan. After finishing I realized this works to check of 'book that makes you nostalgic' because now I want to go back and read ALL the Agatha Christie books, including the ones I didn't get a hold of as a teen.

Faerie Knitting: 14 Tales of Love and Magic I picked this up from the library without realizing it actually had short stories that went with the knitting patterns. I found several of the stories to be meh, but liked a few, and really loved the concept. Used this for two female authors.

Restart I really enjoyed this one for LitRPG. That might just be because I love the idea of augmented reality so much, though, because the writing was only okay. On the other hand, that might be partly because it was translated from Russian, and I also enjoyed all the little Russian culture tidbits, and getting to cross a country off my list of reading a book set there.

Currently Reading:
Les Misérables Mostly listening to the audio on this lately--apparently the digital audio book is not super popular at my library so I was able to check it out twice in a row.

Tomorrow Will Be Better: A True Story of Love and One Family's Triumph over the Horrors of World War II Finally starting this book my mother recommended to me ages ago. Seems good, but probably going to be a slow, maybe hard, read. Also good for other challenges because it's written by Zdena Kapral and is the story of her and her family from Czechoslovakia so you can check off some a more unusual letter and country if you track either of those. :-)

A Praying Life: Connecting with God in a Distracting World Started this for my new Sunday afternoon book because my church is reading it together this month. I kind of started off on the wrong foot with my impressions of it, but I think/hope it will grow on me.

To All the Boys I've Loved Before For the February group read. It's fine, but it's not my typical genre, and I keep comparing it to the movie.

The Happiness Project: Or Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun Reading this because I've been interested in reading it for a while and I finally just went for it. Not sure it fits a prompt, but I'm finding it interesting so far.

Of Beast and Beauty I'd forgotten this had sci-fi elements by the time I actually got it from the library. Not was I was expecting, but has potential.

DNF:
Hyperion Was going to use this for ATY, but when I was on the fence about it after several pages, I checked reviews and discovered the story doesn't finish until the second book, and has content issues. So that settled it.

Winter Loon DNfing this is what I get for trying books outside my comfort zone. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

Aunt Bessie Assumes I really wanted to enjoy this one, just for the sake of reading something set on the Isle of Man, but it's too much of a meh cozy mystery for me. Also would be good for an alphabet challenge (author: Diana Xarissa).

Ellie and the Prince Might work for a younger age group, but didn't hold my interest.

QOTW:
I've gotten a few ARCs from NetGalley, but I'm pretty picky what I ask for because I don't want to get stuck feeling obligated to read something I'm not enjoying. I've also won a few on Goodreads giveaways, but I don't put as much priority on reading/reviewing those, so I haven't even gotten around to reading all of them yet. My favorite was winning an ARC of Hunted that someone else had gotten as a review copy and then did a giveaway with after reviewing it.

Edited to add: My library also has a spot where they put out ARCs of YA books for anyone who wants them. I picked up A Short History of the Girl Next Door there, but haven't seen any that look interesting since.

Nadine wrote: "We are having ICK weather in NY : 30s and raining. “Most of the time I end up hating the book, and then I feel bad because it was so nice of them to give me a book!! And I wonder if I rarely win because I've panned most of the few books I HAVE won.”
Nadine, I have often wondered if your success in subsequent Goodreads giveaways are dependent on whether you read or liked the ones you got. It seemed to me I wouldn’t ever win a giveaway until I had read and reviewed the ones I already had.

I'm an anomaly - I find it much easier to read Kindle books than physical books. (I don't have an actual Kindle; I either use the phone app or the desktop app.) I guess since I spend so much time at the computer, it makes it easy to just pick up and read one more thing on the screen? But I feel like most people who prefer paper books say the exact opposite, haha.

No new books read this past week, but I got a bunch of new books I'm hyped to try:
- The Gutter Prayer - three outcast thieves on a quest for revenge, which is Extremely My Brand
- Archivist Wasp - weird fiction featuring the Archivist, who...hunts ghosts? ghost story ahoy
- Annex - gangs of street kids in a Lord of the Flies/Gone-esque situation. also they fight aliens? not sure where I'm going to slot this (it takes place on Earth) but I'll figure out something

QotW: Nope. Honestly I don't think I'd want ARCs because sometimes things get changed/corrected prior to final publication, and I wouldn't want to feel I read an incomplete version of the book.

Good afternoon! A belated Happy Lunar New Year to those who celebrate.

Really haven't done anything much this week. Meeting up with a friend at the weekend to see How to Train Your Dragon 3, so that'll be fun.

Finally managed to fulfil a few Popsugar prompts, I'm now 9/50. Pretty good considering it's still very early in the year.

Finished:

Once Upon a River - This was very good. Just the right mix of relaxing historical fiction with an interesting and compelling mystery. I had guessed most of the "twists" at the end though. Didn't mind too much, it was still a lovely reading experience.
Used for Popsugar prompt #6, plant in title or on cover. (The UK cover has bulrushes/cattails.)

The Silent Companions

Delightfully creepy.
Used for Popsugar prompt #36, a ghost story.

Othello - Didn't enjoy this as much as the other Shakespeare plays I've read (though admittedly the sample size is small, I've only completed 2 others). The plot was fairly difficult to understand especially with the Elizabethan language - I found myself muttering, "Okay, so he's betraying him because this other guy got promoted, and this guy - who's he again, why's he here? oh right, he wanted to marry her..." and so on and so on. Actually had to have the Wikipedia article open to the summary in the event I lost track. I imagine it'd be a nightmare to have to study and take notes on.
Nevertheless, it's Shakespeare, his way with words is magic.

On the Come Up - SUPERB. Really, what more to say. If you've read The Hate U Give, then you know how good Angie Thomas is. On the Come Up doesn't disappoint.
Used for Popsugar prompt #43, an OwnVoices book

Currently reading:

The Djinn Falls in Love & Other Stories - It's great so far. All the stories are so different.
Obviously this one's lined up for prompt #29, "love" in the title.

She Called Me Woman - Verrry slowly. The subject matter is interesting but the essays themselves... underwhelming.

I also picked up and put down a bunch of stuff because of mood-reading but won't bother listing.

QOTW: Just the once. I went to an event at the 2017 Edinburgh Book Festival, featuring Joanna Cannon and Katy Mahood, where ARCs of Three Things About Elsie and Entanglement were given out to all attendees. I was disappointed with Three Things, and haven't yet read Entanglement.

I'd like to be able to get ARCs but I'm not sure how, and I think you have to be pretty big on Booktube or the book-blogging community for publishers to agree to give you them.

I read almost exclusively on Kindle these days. I commute by rail and it's just so much easier to not carry a paper book. I always have a hand free for my coffee. It also makes it so much easier to read in bed, which is my favorite reading time of all.

Good morning from Columbus! I’m at the tail end of a cold, it wasn’t horrible but boy do I get dramatic when I’m not feeling well.

The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making I picked this for a book that should be made into a movie, based on another challenge participant’s suggestion. And I agree, I think this would make a fun movie! The book follows 12 year old September, who is taken to Fairyland for an adventure by the Green Wind. There she meets all sorts of interesting characters and helps them challenge The Marquess who is currently ruling in very weird and mysterious way. I ended up really enjoying the story, but something about the writing style made it *very* hard for me to follow at times.

The Da Vinci Code for a book about a puzzle. I love Dan Brown, fight me 😂. This series is sort of detective-y, sort of historical, sort of theological, and 100% enjoyable for me. No, it’s not amazing literary work, but it’s entertaining and engaging and I love reading it. I’ll re-read these every few years when I need familiar and fun.

One Day in December one of my BOTM club picks. I’m not sure if it’ll work for any of my unfulfilled prompts for any of my challenges yet though. While this was a fun read, I can see why people kept saying it was frustrating. I found all of the characters very exhausting, and everyone needlessly complicated situations. I know it was supposed to be about coming back to the one person you were *meant* to be with, but some of the decisions characters made seems so silly in real life.

To All the Boys I've Loved Before for the February group read. This was an adorable YA novel that I’m sure most people here are at least vaguely aware of now. After my mild annoyance with the previous book I read, this was a fun, light read that has me excited to watch the movie and read the next book.

So this brings me to 10/40; 0/10 for popsugar with 19 books read this year.

QOTW: yeah I got a physical copy of Baby Teeth in the mail, I’m not sure how or why. I didn’t end up reading it until months later though. I could not put this book down and kind of traumatized me. I’m looking forward to what the author writes next lol

Heather wrote: "I have a Paperwhite too. I can't even handle that screen anymore, unfortunately."

I was going to respond to your original comment asking this very question. I reverted back to the original, no-frills Kindle because I can't even handle the Paperwhite's backlight at this point due to screen burnout and headaches. The Fire was a no-go for reading on for me :( So I get it.

It's been a good reading week. I finished the one that had been giving me trouble and the other two went fast.

For the prompt A book becoming a movie in 2019 I read Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer and honestly I should have liked this but I didn't at all (the constant use of the racial slur 'mud people' drove me nuts even if the fairies meant ALL humans and not just PoC)

For the prompt a book about someone with a super power
An Easy Death by Charlaine Harris. This wasn't what I planned to read for this but the book I had planned didn't contain what I thought it did. I'm counting magic as the superpower. This should have started 50 pages later than it did (I didn't need an on page rape for our heroine to stop to set up how ugly this alternative history world is)

And off the advanced list for the prompt A "choose-your-own-adventure" book Project UFO by R A Montgomery and I read it based entirely on this write up on Cracked.com, see it here . It's dead on. I chose a kid's version because I liked them as a kid and I do these challenges in part to clear my book shelves. I don't necessarily want to buy more books for it (and the adult ones seemed equally silly so library kid's books for the win)

QOTW Oh yes, I've gotten several from Netgalley, many from authors themselves and I've won over 70 Goodreads giveaways. I have four books waiting for me to read and I need to get on that challenge or no challenge. I take the implied contract of books for reviews seriously and I know how important reviews are for authors. Sigh. I need more hours in the day.

Bonjour,

We are having freezing rain again. Not the best of winter yet.

This week I finished:

Murder at the Vicarage It was my first Miss Marple's story and I liked it very much. But I usually like Agatha Christie.

L'Arabe du futur 4 : Une jeunesse au Moyen-Orient, 1987-1992 I can't wait for the next one. It stops with a cliffhanger.

Clockworks and Alpha & Omega I was a bit disapointed by the ending of this serie that I loved very much.

Now reading:

Big Little Lies as an audiobook for my commute. I like it so far, but I'm not sure if it will fit any categories.

The Magicians The beggining was fun but now it drags and I can't stop to put it down.

Fingersmith Just started this one and the beggining is very promising.

QOTW: No. And not interested.

Cendaquenta wrote: "I'd like to be able to get ARCs but I'm not sure how, and I think you have to be pretty big on Booktube or the book-blogging community for publishers to agree to give you them..."

It does depend on the imprint/publicist but in the UK you don't really need to be that big to get ARCs, however I do think you need to be on Twitter as that is where a lot of books are offered publicly (rather than existing lists of reviewers). Publicists often will do callouts for blogger lists there too.

Some publicists are happy to send out just for review on GR/Amazon but many ask for some other presence like a blog. YouTube channel or bookstagram account. I do know lots of smaller bloggers that get plenty of ARCs though.