Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge discussion
2019 Weekly Checkins
>
Week 11: 3/7 - 3/14
I am at 33/50.This week I finished:
The Lying Game – The first of 2 books with the same title: I was underwhelmed by this one.
The President Is Missing – A book by a musician: I love James Patterson but I may have read too many. I found it really predictable.
Her Mad Hatter – A retelling of a classic. This book was ridiculous and short, but fun.
Currently reading:
Beartown: SOOOOOO excited.
The Night Before: I got an ARC from Goodreads and found a prompt it will fit, so I’m going to give it a chance.
Observations so far:
I had a rough week for reading. I am in a bit of a slump, but I have high hopes for the next two and my library recently made some purchases I’m quite excited about.
Question of the Week
Are there book titles/ authors you get confused for no particular reason. (eg: Middlesex & Middlemarch)?
I once confused J.D. Vance and J. A. Jance in a conversation with a really smart person, which made me feel like a dumbass.
No finishes this week.Apparently this is the year of the DNF. I’m trying to be a bit more choosy about what I put my time into reading. I’d love to have a higher average star rating this year. I think I’m also kind of an extreme mood reader and perhaps easily bored? I try to read at least 50 pages though.
DNF- The Luminaries (astrological), Redeeming Love (love), Warcross (game), Six of Crows (multiple pov), The Hate U Give (ownvoices).
QOTW- I don’t think I tend to do that. Or at least I can’t remember if I have!
I have been reading a lot, but few of the books I've read fit the challenge prompts. I did pick up some from the library yesterday that should mark off a couple of the prompts.This week I read:
The Rules of Magic- my only challenge read in the last two weeks,
The Vanishing Stair- I liked the first one in the series better. I'm not sure I'm invested enough to read the next one when it comes out.
Dare You to Lie- someone on this thread a couple weeks ago mentioned that this was a good book, and I agree. I love finding good books that ya'll recommend.
I also read three cozy mysteries.
QOTW: I get authors and titles confused all the time. Sometimes the authors I just blank. I know who I mean, but I can't begin to come up with their name. It drives me crazy.
It's very windy this week, but we still risked going camping for a couple of days at the weekend and didn't blow away! It's the first time we've slept in the tent with our dog, so it was a good trial run for a longer holiday. She did decide to snog me in the middle of the night for some reason! Bleurgh, dog tongue.I finished The Kingdom of Copper! After my slow start I whizzed through the final third and now desperately want the next book to be out now. Using for ATY (periodic table).
I also read Shades of Magic Vol. 1: The Steel Prince which is a prequel comic to the Shades of Magic series. Pretty simple story but I liked revisiting the world and might read more in future.
I've nearly finished Do You Dream of Terra-Two? for question in the title (I would also suggest this is a good one for set in space if you want to avoid hard sci-fi or aliens). Very character focused, I can see why some reviewers thought nothing happens, but it's all about the young astronauts coming to terms with the choice they made and living in close quarters with others in space.
Currently reading The Rosewater Insurrection for review (will probably use for ATY speculative fiction).
PS: 15/52 | ATY: 15/52 | GR: 29/100
QOTW:
I get actors' names mixed up all the time but I'm not sure it happens with books. I have quite a visual memory so I remember the covers...now if they have very similar covers *and* names, I'd be useless. With the whole 7 Deaths/7 Husbands thing, the books have always been separate in my mind because they look so different.
Greetings all. Hope everyone has had a good week this check-in. Totally insane week here. Got a reminder how lovely some of my friends and colleagues are today. Locked myself out of the house as I flipped the dead bolt and walked out without the keys. One Lovely person drove all the way back from Humpty Doo to Palmerston to bring the spare keys I stash at school. The house one didn't work but the car did so I went to work and left the house as was. Another friend then send her hubby over with the spare to see if he could get it to work and he got my regular keys out for me and handed them over after school. Feeling very grateful to have them in my life for when I have stupid days.
Still no news on the errant friend though so still super worried there.
Better reading week; finished 5.
Finished Home Sweet Murder for #22 sweet in the title. Patterson does true crime like he does fictional crime, fast paced and easy to read.
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine which was for my FTF book club and also fitted ATY but couldn't find a prompt for this one.
House of Odd which also slotted in ATY
Can You Survive a Zombie Apocalypse? For 42 choose your own adventure. There were 21 endings and I survived in 6. Yes I read them all as it was a short book.
Bird Box which was recommended by the errant friend before he fell off the face of the planet and I slotted in for ATY.
Currently reading:
Why Mummy Swears which seems to have come out before the 21st here unless I have lost a few weeks somewhere. (will fit for ATY)
Dracul for prompt #50 PS
Ender's Game for # 20 PS
Plus a bunch of others I am doing really slowly.
PS 29/53 ATY 24/52 GR 31/75 I am using books for both challenges if they fit both obviously.
QOTW
None spring to mind right now but I am feeling pretty dopey.
Hellooo!This has been a strange week. We've had some lovely fall weather; lots of rain(showers), hail, heavy winds resulting in code reds and orange. (we have a saying about March "Maart roert zijn staart" which basically means that March does whatever the fuck it wants regardless what season it's supposed to be. It's always been accurate.) Basically, it's been perfect weather for reading, and up until March 10 (the ATY readathon) I took full advantage, but after that.. I dunno, perhaps after such a marathon I just needed a break?
The coupling of my bunnies went well, luckily, so I've only got one alone right now after she filed for a divorce, and this Sunday she's going on a coupling holiday at a bunny shelter to find a new boyfriend :D I even got a second shelter lined up if she doesn't find anyone on her holiday haha! The trio I've got now has two boys and a girl now, and they are so in love. I've been saying Roger is gay for as long as we've had him (9,5 years) and once again he is more in love with Henkie than with Shanti haha! It's so cute to see them together.
Anyways, on to what we're here for:
Read
Coraline for imaginary creature (I think) and name in title for ATY, on audio. I wasn't sure how to rate this, so I gave it some time before I did. I enjoyed it, but I was also a bit meh about it. Then I watched the movie and appreciated the book a whole lot more, haha! I ended up giving it 4 stars- 3,5 for the story, and 0,5 for Neil Gaiman's brilliant narrating.
Moominsummer Madness on audio, not for any challenges yet. I kind of felt the same way about this as I did with Coraline, but I blame that on me feeling rushed, and not having watched the Moomins in forever, and never in English, leaving me to struggle to figure out who some side characters were. But I just love the moomins, and the more I think back on this little book, the more I love it (Snufkin, my fave character, is Scottish in the audio, be still my heart) so a well deserved 4 stars! The nostalgia! (a prompt I already filled btw ha)
Een jaar met jou/My Oxford Year for book set on school/college/uni for both PS and ATY. I saw someone on here mentioning it went in a direction they did not expect at all, and I'd have to agree. I added a warning in my review because of it (hidden of course), as I feel it can be a trigger to some people:(view spoiler). I really loved it, though, especially with the bittersweet ending. I gave it 4,5/5 due to some things at the start that really bothered me, but I would definitely recommend this is it's your thing.
This brings me to 18/50, 13/52, 16/25(3), 34/75.
Currently Reading
Way. Too. Many. I still haven't started The Princess and the Fangirl (shame on me) but I did start plenty of other things because I am beyond help.
Never Mind on audio. I'm using the two word title prompt. I'm enjoying it, but expected more Patrick, though I think this is important to set the rest of his story.
Warcross for LitRPG, on audio. Really enjoying this, though it is quite predictable so far. I hope to finish it today, and if I do, I'll edit thist post heh. Thanks so much to the people who recced this book for this prompt! I think Ready Player One is just never happening for me haha!
EDIT: I FINISHED IT. TWIST ENDING. LOVED IT. SEQUEL NEXT CHALLENGES BE DAMNED.
The Night Circus made no progress since last week, though I found an ATY prompt for it. I extended it again, so I have another 3 weeks to read it, as I want to try the physical book because the audio wasn't working for me.
The Orphanage of Gods, for the Illumicrate buddy group read, as it was the February book. Technically I'm only 5 pages in, so I haven't even set a proper start date, but I hope to get into it properly today. Just need to either go upstairs or force my mom to turn off the TV haha!
Marvel Masterworks: The Amazing Spider-Man, Vol. 2, for my personal challenge to read 100 comics this year, because I love them but I don't take the time for them. And I pay each month for the app so ha. I read one comic during the readathon, so I got a way to go yet! I started adding the comics separately but only add dates to the collected versions to count as books.
QOTW
FOR SURE. Of course I now can't think of any, but The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo took me a long while to keep apart!
Good morning all! It's been a long and tiring week here. I'm ready for a weekend where I can mostly lay around reading.Finished two books this week:
The Nature of the Beast by Louise Penny - I finally picked this series back up after a long break.
A Great Reckoning by Louise Penny. Loved this installment in the Gamache series! This is seriously becoming one of my favorite series of all time!
Currently reading:
Why Not Me? by Mindy Kaling. I don't really like to read celebrity books, and comedians in particular don't really appeal to me. I watched several seasons of The Office, but have never watched The Mindy Project. I picked this up from the library as an audiobook on a whim. I'm actually enjoying it. I will use it for a book with a question in the title. I don't know if I'll read her other book, but maybe someday.
Glass Houses by Louise Penny. One of my reading goals this year is to finish the published books in this series. This is #13 out of 14 (plus there is a new one tentatively scheduled for release later in the year).
17/50
QOTW
I am sure I have mixed some up at some point, but I can't think of any specific examples!
22/50Finished:
Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift for a book you see someone reading in a movie (featured in Journey 2: The Mysterious Island).
Size 12 Is Not Fat by Meg Cabot for a book set on college or university campus.
The Restaurant at the End of the Universe by Douglas Adams for a book set in space.
A Morbid Taste for Bones by Ellis Peters for a book set in an abbey, cloister, monastery, vicarage, or convent.
Currently reading:
Kerala Kerala Quite Contrary
QOTW:
I don't think so.
I had a great reading week, finally finishing some books I've been working on and starting some new books that I'm really in to.This week I finished Middlemarch, which was not for the challenge, but was for the library's book club. It was a little slow to get into, but I really enjoyed it, particularly the last 2 sections.
I also finished The Johnstown Flood, which is my book that makes me feel nostalgic. I know it seems weird to feel nostalgic for a huge tragedy, but I grew up in that area and I was familiar with all of the places and quite a few of the family names. So, it did make me feel nostalgic about my family's history.
Finally, I finished Talent, which is a book set on a college campus. I guess my final feelings on this are that I didn't love the story, but the writing was superb.
I am currently reading: War and Peace (I'm still not quite halfway, but I'm getting there, I took a little time off to finish Middlemarch); Bringing Down the Colonel: A Sex Scandal of the Gilded Age, and the "Powerless" Woman Who Took on Washington (is this the week I finish? I hope so!); The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs: A New History of a Lost World (dinosaurs!!); and The Pisces (a woman falls in love with fish book that I am super enjoying).
QOTW: I'm pretty list oriented, so I don't think I confuse them too often. But sometimes I'll forget an author's name.
Happy Thursday!15/50
Completed:
The One That Got Away which I was going to read for the season, except it ended up occurring over a year. Drats. Bethany Chase wrote something between a romance and chick-lit. The protagonist was not likeable. The original boyfriend was charming and, even though the dated for four years, allegedly, was treated like dirt at the end. Everyone in her circle of friends was as shallow as she was about their relationship. Great to date a rich guy until a rich, good looking guy comes along - ugh.
Ophelia by Lisa M Klein, but I didn’t know that this was YA – insert big annoyed groan. This is supposed to be a movie this year. Clearly it’s based on Hamlet, but from Ophelia’s point of view. She’s been written with a much stronger feminist arc, of course. I’ll be honest though – the first 2/3s of the book were not terrible, aside from anyone in the male gender (save the romantic lead) being evil. The last third though! Yuck! The author decided she could write a better ending that Shakespeare. Not a spoiler – she can’t. I will not be rushing to the theatre.
In Process:
The Boy: A Novel by Tami Hoag is the second in her Broussard and Fourcade series. I’m listening to it through an Audio book. I can’t tell if I don’t like the story or the narration at this point. I have loved other works by Tami in her Kovac and Liska series, so hope it’s just the narration style. The subject matter isn’t light-hearted. A child is dead and the police are having to question the 12 year old babysitter (who had palmed the child off onto her brother) and her friends. Several of the main characters are unlikeable, as well. Way too much vulgarity in the language. What I would give for Kovacs!
The Whispering City by Sara Moliner is my #39, involving a puzzle. It’s a Spanish novel translated to English. I’ll be interested in seeing the integrity of the linguistic puzzle involved through translation, but the prose is outstanding! A female journalist, normally limited to the society pages, has been given the opportunity to write a news article on the murder of a society dame. This occurs in 1952 Barcelona – 13 years into the oppressive regime of Francisco Franco, so the power of the police coupled with the intense censorship of the press adds to the challenge of solving the crime!
QOTW Title/ author confusion
I must admit to not keeping the Bronte sisters straight.
And Mary’s mix up of JD Vance and J A Jance is something I could see myself doing – they are one surname letter and a middle initial apart, despite their writing styles being memoir versus mystery.
Good morning everyone! The weather has been nice the last few days, it makes me happy. We're supposed to get tons of rain tomorrow, but I don't care because I work from home on Fridays.Finished:
A Man Called Ove for a book set in Scandinavia. I liked it, Nadine. It was so different from Beartown, I don't think I would have known they're by the same author. Ove was completely devoid of sense of place, it could have taken place anywhere, whereas Beartown was very specific to its' setting.
Case Histories for book with a two word title. I was craving a mystery and this did nicely. It was very Kate Atkinson, if that makes sense.
Front Desk for Read Harder challenge. It was a very touching middle grade book about an immigrant family managing a motel.
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban for re-read of a favorite book. This is my favorite of the series.
Currently reading:
Middlemarch I started March 1st and am only 20% in. This is going to take forever.
The Prison Letters of Nelson Mandela for Read Harder.
Florida
The Parking Lot Attendant on audio.
The Stone Sky I started this morning on the train, and I already love it. I needed something compelling to read on my commute. My other non-audio books are just too slow moving right now.
QOTW:
The only thing that comes to mind is Fifty Shades of Grey, Between Shades of Gray, and Shades of Grey.
Sara wrote: "I had a great reading week, finally finishing some books I've been working on and starting some new books that I'm really in to.This week I finished Middlemarch, which was not for th..."
I'm so happy to read about someone that finished Middlemarch. I am only 20% in and really need the motivation.
Mod
I finished Devil's Brood as my book told from multiple POVs. I just love Sharon Kay Penman so much. She really does her research and also writes really well. I recommend her to anyone who likes historical fiction. I read Terror on the Titanicas my choose-your-own adventure book. I only did one path. I think it took me like 20 minutes. I lived for once, but I read some reviews on the book, and apparently it was as lame as I thought it was. I didn't like these when I was a kid either, so I guess, thank goodness that's over with.
I am now reading Harvard Yard as my book that takes place on a college campus. Only parts of the book do. Hope that's OK. Also love William Martin.
QOTW: I also get Middlemarch and Middlesex mixed up. Along with John Updike, Upton Sinclair and Sinclair Lewis.
I also get the cat writers mixed up. Somebody Rousseau, Rita Mae Brown, Lillian Jackson Braun.
Hello,The snoe is melting here, but painfully slow. I want to wear shoes outside, not winter boots anymore.
Read last week:
The Supernatural Enhancements for the puzzle prompt. It was fun and a bit bizarre but I liked it.
La Liste des choses qui existent written by two female authors. Didn't like that one. It's a book that explain where everyday things came from (trash can, shoes). They tried to make it funny but it fell flat for me.
Divergent for the more than 1 millions rating. My son read it and asked me to read it too so we could discuss it. Can't say no to that kind of request. I rated it 3 stars and quite liked it. Not predictable as I supposed it was going to be.
The Disintegration Machine for no prompt. It was a short story and was just ok. I will try to read other books with Professor Challenger.
Currently reading:
Annihilation and I don't know if it will fit any prompt yet. I just saw the movie and I was curious to read the book.
QOTW: I mix Russian authors even if their names are very different: Tolstoy, Dostoyevsky, Solzhenitsyn.
Fannie wrote: "Hello,The snoe is melting here, but painfully slow. I want to wear shoes outside, not winter boots anymore.
Read last week:
The Supernatural Enhancements for the puzzle prompt. ..."
Annihilation works for cli-fi.
Nadine wrote: "Ellie - we used to go tent camping with our dogs, and all was fine, until one time another dog strolled into our campsite in the night, and our dog went ballistic and charged THROUGH the tent wall...."Eek! Though Scully is very respectful of barriers so I'm not sure she would consider trying to leave via the tent wall. She won't even step over the PS4's controller wire without permission if it's plugged in whilst someone's playing (I think she fell over it once as a puppy so now views all wires with scepticism).
My week has been emotional and stressful, and every day I've woken up thinking, "I can't believe it's only [fill in the blank]" because it feels like this week has lasted for a month. Reading has been a welcome escape. I'm so glad I happened to be reading the Winternight trilogy the past two weeks. The books are fantastic, and I felt I could truly escape into that world. Finished
The Winter of the Witch by Katherine Arden (two books with the same title (2)). This book turned last night into a very late, "just one more chapter" night. I adore this series, and I'll read whatever the author wants to write next. I could read about Vasya and Morozko forever, but I think the series ended in a really good place.
DNF
The Midnight Witch by Paula Brackston. The Shadow Chronicles is a series of stand alone books that share a magic system. Apparently I read them out of order and read the best book first.
Reading
Cibola Burn (The Expanse #4) by James S.A. Corey
Don Quixote by Miguel Cervantes
QOTW
Sometimes I confuse books by the same author. I have to think really hard about John Steinbeck's books. It doesn't matter which one is mentioned, if I hear a Steinbeck title, I always think that one is the plot of Of Mice and Men.
Hi everyone! This has been another busy work week, so I am counting down the hours until tomorrow evening. Next week I have a conference in Orlando (fun place for vacation, but I hate that this conference is there each year during spring break) for 3 days, so at least I won’t be staring at a screen as much as I’ve been the last few weeks. 18/50 for Popsugar
20/52 for Around the Year
3/26 for The Reading Women Challenge
Books I finished:
Immortal in Death by J.D. Robb (Popsugar #6: Book with a plant on the cover) I don’t know how long it will take for me to catch up with this series – I think there are close to 50 books in it now – but I’ve enjoyed the first 3 books! I have #4 from the library now and will keep reading until I need a break. I enjoy being in this near future world with all of its technology, and the billionaire husband doesn’t hurt. 😊
Succubus Dreams by Richelle Mead (Popsugar #27: Book with an imaginary or extinct creature) This is the 3rd in a series that I find highly entertaining. It is far from what would be considered literature, but I always laugh. I mean, the various demons (and one angel) living in Seattle are actually part of a corporate hierarchy and have Secret Santas at Christmas.
My Lady's Choosing: An Interactive Romance Novel by Kitty Curran & Larissa Zageris (Popsugar #42: A choose your own adventure book) This was okay; I doubt I would have read it if it wasn’t for this challenge. It doesn’t take long to get through a few paths, which is good since this type of romance novel isn’t really my thing.
Fascism: A Warning by Madeline Albright (Around the Year: A book with a mostly black cover) I’ve always loved history, especially around WWI and WWII, and this gave great insight into the world leaders of that time. It also explored Venezuela, Russia and Yugoslavia. Albright is very qualified to speak on this topic, and she painted a frightening picture of today’s politics.
One of Us Is Lying by Karen McManus (Around the Year: A book with a number in the title) This was a good YA mystery, although it is one that can be figured out halfway through.
I am currently reading:
Blythewood by Carol Goodman (Around the Year: A book set in a school or university)
The Proposal by Jasmine Guillory (Around the Year: A book from the top 5 money-making genres) I had to pause this because too many library holds became available at once. I keep forgetting to check my holds list and pause them as necessary so this doesn't happen!
Yes, Chef by Marcus Samuelsson (Around the Year: A book related to food)
Rapture in Death by J.D. Robb (Reading Women: A book bought/borrowed in 2019)
QOTW: I definitely confuse Middlemarch and Middlesex. I haven’t read either yet, though, so maybe once I do I will be able to keep them straight. I probably confuse authors more than titles. For example, there are so many Kristins with a last name that begins with “H” (Kristin Higgins, Kristin Harmel, Kristin Hannah) that I easily confuse them.
Another week, another checkin…Been an interesting week at work. Our library is making changes – instead of each person having an individual position (circulation clerk, reference desk, children’s room, shelver), we’re now rotating jobs each day. The idea is apparently to make sure everyone knows how to do everything, but it seems like an inefficient way of going about it to me. And I miss my old job… ah well.
Books read this week:
Circe – for “book by an author whose first and last names start with the same letter.” A retelling of several classic Greek myths from a minor goddess’ point of view. I DNFed this awhile back, but gave it a second chance and LOVED it! Glad I tried again.
Death Troopers – “a book that makes you nostalgic.” I used to read a TON of Star Wars novels, but somehow I missed this one… Essentially a Star Wars zombie novel, this is a gruesome but surprisingly entertaining read.
The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl: Squirrel Meets World – “a book about someone with a superpower.” The literary debut of Marvel’s cheeky superheroine Squirrel Girl, this was silly cute fun, and a superhero novel that didn’t take itself dead seriously was a huge treat.
The Broccoli Tapes – “book with a plant in the title or on the cover.” A girl living in Hawaii keeps an audiotape diary about her life, including the wild cat she’s adopted. A nice coming-of-age YA read, and could also work for “book about a family” or “unusual chapter headings” (each chapter consists of one audiotape’s worth of narration and so is named “Tape 1,” “Tape 2,” and so on).
All Summer Long – graphic novel, not for the challenge. Not much plot but still a nice slice of life as a middle-schooler grows up a little over the course of a summer.
Mr. Wolf's Class – graphic novel, not for the challenge. A comic aimed at grade schoolers, this one was mediocre, both in art style and in story.
Regular Challenge – 32/43
Advanced Challenge – 5/10
Non-challenge books – 12
Currently Reading:
Night of the Living Trekkies – for “book that takes place over the course of a day” (maybe? I don’t know yet, this kind of thing is hard to judge until you’ve actually read the book)
A Man Called Ove – for “book that takes place in Scandinavia” (Sweden)
QOTW:
Boy let me tell you, when you work at a library, name mixups are not only just annoying, they lead to misfiled books! There are a LOT of authors with names that get mixed up a lot, including:
Dan Brown/Dale Brown
James Patterson/Richard North Patterson
Robert B. Parker/T. Jefferson Parker
Mary Higgins Clark/Mary Jane Clark/Carol Higgins Clark
Also Beverly Cleary and Judy Blume's works get mixed up occasionally, despite having very different names. Maybe it's because they write similar types of kids' books?
As for titles... Fifty Shades of Grey and Between Shades of Gray are the biggest example that come to mind. Is it any wonder that they changed the name of "Between Shades of Gray" for the movie adaptation?
I’m still sick, and I’m starting to be very put out about this situation. At least there are books (and antibiotics).Fannie wrote: "The Supernatural Enhancements for the puzzle prompt. It was fun and a bit bizarre but I liked it.
YAY!
Kenya wrote: "Circe – for “book by an author whose first and last names start with the same letter.” A retelling of several classic Greek myths from a minor goddess’ point of view. I DNFed this awhile back, but gave it a second chance and LOVED it! Glad I tried again."
YAY!
(I love to see other people enjoy my favorites!)
Finished
There Is No Lovely End - A novel based on a true story - I really enjoyed this! I would say it gets 3.5 stars for actual quality and how much it made me want to keep reading, plus a bonus .5 for sheer audacity. It’s a first novel, and she doesn’t play it safe. The characters are distinctive and not necessarily lovable (though often the least lovable are the most entertaining), and the story is unlike anything I’ve read. Sometimes things went as I anticipated, but more often I was surprised. And the world is an intriguing mix of real history and disturbing magic.
(This is Templeton’s take on how Sarah Winchester came to build the Winchester Mystery House in California, and I was interested to read the author’s note that calls into question the “appeasing ghosts” mythology of the house. I think I need to read Captive of the Labyrinth: Sarah L. Winchester, Heiress to the Rifle Fortune now, on Templeton’s recommendation.)
Currently Reading
The Wide, Carnivorous Sky and Other Monstrous Geographies - A book you meant to read in 2018 - I get sucked into each individual story, but then I have trouble picking it back up to start the next. Maybe I need a rule that I don’t stop reading at the end of a story, but always start the next one!
QOTW
Question of the week:
Wow, I think you discovered an awkward behavior that I’m exempt from - how unusual!
Good morning from Columbus! God bless the time change, once you get over that initial hump, the extra light at the end of the day is so, so lovely. And the weather has been so nice! I know not to get my hopes up with a false spring but being able to walk outside without a coat and going to the park with the kids has been wonderful. It’s been a slow reading week for me. Kids are on spring break, I’ve had a pretty packed schedule. I’ve also been finishing watching the haunting of hill house. Im such a baby, it’s taken me this long to finish it after I noped when I got scared by the tall floating man lol.
More Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark and More Tales to Chill Your Bones not for a challenge, I just wanted to reread these after the movie preview reminded me of these stories. I’m excited to see how Guillermo del Toro and André Øvredal work their magic. Has anyone else here seen the movie Trollhunter? I think it’s what André Øvredal is best known for, if you’re into subtitled films this one was really, very good. Anyhow, the Harold story was still the only one that I found scary, and I’m dreading see that story fleshed out on screen.
The Grave's a Fine and Private Place another Flavia de Luce mystery. I’ve felt kinda meh about the last few ones but I really enjoyed this novel. If you haven’t read The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, the first Flavia book, I’d highly recommend it. The series is fun, interesting, and it never manages to get too dark even when it visits topics surrounding death.
Goldenhand the final (but I hope there is more to come!) book in the Old Kingdom/Sabriel series. I’m surprised it took me this long to get to the final two books in the series, and I’m also pleasantly surprised that these new books maintained that quality I loved in the first. Especially considering they were written so far apart. I’ll be so sad if this the true end of the series.
This weeks bring me to 16/40 and 1/10 for popsugar, 1/24 for book riot, 1/12 for the classics, and 5/37 for MP’s challenge. 39 books total read this year.
Kenya wrote: "Another week, another checkin…Been an interesting week at work. Our library is making changes – instead of each person having an individual position (circulation clerk, reference desk, children’s..."
In our library (the one where I work) we have employees and volunteers (I'm one of them). As volunteers we can't do as much as the employees, but we do all the same tasks separate from those we are not allowed to do (like set up subscriptions). This way we never have to defer to someone else, or send someone to another employee, unless there is something we don't know or can't do. It is quite efficient for us, but of course every library is different! I can imagine such a change is very hard to get used to, though.
Misshelving books hardly happens because of names, because all fiction books are shelved on the first 4 letters of an author's last name, divided into three categories (action/adventure/fantasy/scifi, literary fiction/humor/'fantasy'/animals, and romance/historical/chicklit/erotica/family). Sometimes they end up in the wrong section, which makes finding a book hard.
Non fiction books go by subject, also divided into sections, making it easy to search for them.
The Dewey system seems awesome, but also very difficult to know by heart!
Dani wrote: "Good morning from Columbus! God bless the time change, once you get over that initial hump, the extra light at the end of the day is so, so lovely. And the weather has been so nice! I know not to g..."I'm currently still cursing the time change, because for us it's not until the 31st, which means that my usual IMAlive shifts often no longer worked for me as they're all in EST! I had to resort to weekend shifts because of it, so I cannot wait for us to change too so all is steady again haha!
Mod
It's starting to feel like spring here! I love winter, but I also love the changes in the seasons. :-)Finished Reading:
Reamde I ended up giving this one five stars despite only having three star writing quality, which is very rare for me. I just found the plot to be SO much fun--a little ridiculous, yes, but fun. It was like watching three action movies in a row with a grown up version of Nancy Drew (smart and resourceful in difficult situations) in the middle of it all. I used this for 'book that should be made into a movie'.
It's Not Fair: Learning to Love the Life You Didn't Choose Got this as audio book with some free Audible credits I got as a promotion. Not sure what I thought overall, but I ended up rating it well despite some parts that felt like bad advice to me--it was just a lot of fun to hear the author's narration and felt like hanging out with someone who really gets it that life is hard sometimes.
The Teahouse Detective: The Old Man in the Corner A Netgalley review book (but you can also get the same book as a free book on Kindle from Amazon...) that was a moderately interesting series of classic mystery short stories. I just realize this fits the amateur detective prompt (which is actually a bit annoying, as I meant to read The Red House Mystery very soon for that prompt).
Currently reading:
Les Misérables Once again slowly working through the audio version.
Miss Pickerell on the Moon A fun little middle grade book I picked up at a yard sale. I have it marked down as my book set in space though, which confuses me because I thought this was a category I was super particular about and wanted to read something set on a spaceship.... Ah well. It was written a few years before the first moon landing, so it's a strange combination of science facts, science fiction, and outdated science.
A Praying Life: Connecting with God in a Distracting World Reading a couple chapters at a time as my Sunday afternoon book.
Happier at Home: Kiss More, Jump More, Abandon a Project, Read Samuel Johnson, and My Other Experiments in the Practice of Everyday Life My current audio book. Not sure yet if I'll get anything new out of this compared to her first happiess project book, but as a full time homemaker, just the fact that it's focused on home makes it potentially interesting.
The Awakening of Sunshine Girl For ghost story, but also because I've been wanting to read it and the e-book was available to download immediately when I went to put it on hold.
QOTW:
I was one of the people that they put the 1/2 for in The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle. :-) I literally thought it was the same book as The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo until the 1/2 caught my attention one day as I was scrolling and I thought, "How can you have 1/2 a husband? ... Oh..."
I can't think of any other books I've done this with specifically, but it's possible there are others that I never actually noticed I was conflating.
Finished 1 this week, bringing me up to 19/50...The Care and Feeding of Ravenously Hungry Girls: Emotional and powerful. I can't say I "enjoyed" this book, but I was definitely affected by it. The women in the Butler family are all damaged, but this is the story of their redemption (and their strength) despite their scars. A great book club selection... There's a lot to unpack here. (A book about a family)
I also finished Keys to the Kingdom... I'll read anything by Joe Hill. And I'm currently reading Rush, Killing Adam, and Becoming.
QOTW: I can't think of any that I mix up frequently, but I admit that I recently called the author of Station Eleven "Hilary" instead of "Emily."
Nadine wrote: "My library rotates the librarians, which frustrated me when my kids were little, because sometimes the librarian in the children's section knew nothing about children's books and was no help at all..."It's definitely a special skill. I took a class in library school on readers advisory, and it was the hardest class I took. It seems simple, but anything that subjective is really challenging. My professor is the one who got me into book blogging and Goodreads as way to get better at recommendations.
Morning all. We're finally getting warmer weather over here - I wore my light jacket this morning and felt overdressed. (Also, Carmen, I love that saying about March. So accurate.)Finished reading: (11/50)
Witchmark (amateur detective, superpowers, debut novel, about a family, cli-fi) - Does it count as cli-fi if it's done by magic? It's a very big deal in the book, since the nation would be devastated by storms if Storm-Singers didn't sing in winter every year.
Anyway I'm probably using this for the amateur detective prompt because that seems harder to fill. A doctor believes his patient was murdered and, when the police refuse to investigate, takes matters into his own hands. Naturally he stumbles across a ~vast conspiracy~. And true love. y'know, the usual
Currently reading:
The Raven King by Nora Sakavic (same title as The Raven King by Maggie Stiefvater)
QotW:
For a while, I also thought The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle was the same book as The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. Can't think of any other examples offhand.
Finished (16/50):Kingdom of the Blind - Read in the season when it is set. I read this while it was snowing and freezing, although things are melting now! It’s the latest Gamache mystery and I loved it. I wasn’t so crazy about the last few, but I think Louise Penny is back on top with this one!
The Imperial Wife- a book with a wedding. This is a dual timeline book about Catherine the Great and an art historian in modern times. Includes a scene of Catherine’s wedding. This book is just ok, but made me want to read a biography of Catherine the Great.
Transcription - a book I wanted to read in 2018. I love Kate Atkinson but this wasn’t my favorite of hers. Slow, and I didn’t care for the ending at all.
QOTW: I’m sure I mess up titles and authors all the time, but nothing comes to mind at the moment.
Brooke wrote: "For example, there are so many Kristins with a last name that begins with “H” (Kristin Higgins, Kristin Harmel, Kristin Hannah) that I easily confuse them.n..."You've reminded me, I do tend to get Kristin Hannah and Sophie Hannah mixed up, but I haven't read either of their books, so that might be why.
Happy Thursday everyone! This week I listened to a lot of books, and ended up finishing 3 audiobooks and 2 physical books.25/50 challenge books completed
Finished
The Birchbark House I decided to use this for read a book during the season it is set in. It takes place over the course of a year, so every season is represented, but it is broken into four sections by season and the seasonal weather and patterns are important to the story, so it felt appropriate to use it for this prompt. I didn't love it though. It wasn't bad, but I just don't think I really like this style where there isn't some kind of central plot throughout. Also, I listened to this on audiobook, and I wouldn't recommend it. While I appreciated that the narrator used distinct voices for each character, some of the voices were really grating.
In This House of Brede This was a perfect book for the book set in an abbey prompt. It is a novel about a fictional abbey, based on a real abbey, in mid-20th century England. It started slow for me, but then I got very invested in this group of nuns and ended up really enjoying the book.
Esperanza Rising This is my "own voices' choice and I loved it so much. Pam Muñoz Ryan based it on the life of her grandmother, though it is fiction because she imagined a lot of the details. Esperanza is a priviledged 13-year-old girl living in Mexico in the 20's or 30's, when her life is upended and she flees to California to start over as a farm worker with nothing. It is a beautiful story well told.
Inheritance: A Memoir of Genealogy, Paternity, and Love I have had more trouble, and spent more time trying to figure out the two books with the same title than any other prompt. I think I finally landed on this. I listened to this one on audiobook and it was incredible. It's an unbelievable true story of what happened to the author after she took an Ancestry DNA test on a whim. It's wild. I listened to all 6 hours in 2 days because I had to know what happened. To round out these prompts, I'm planned to read The Inheritance: A Family on the Front Lines of the Battle Against Alzheimer's Disease
The Street I just finished this book last night, and it was brutal. It was published in 1946 by Ann Petry, an African-American author who spent some of her adult life in Harlem. This book examines what life is like an a rough street in Harlem in 1944 for a single mom and her 8-year-old son. It was a really well written and a compelling read, but oh man was it brutal. I'd love to process the ending with someone who's read it, so if you have and would be willing to chat about it, send me a DM.
Currently Reading
The Portable Dorothy Parker (book that makes you nostalgic)
Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day (takes place in a single day)
The Blue Castle
QOTW
I can't think of anything I mix up, but there does seem to be a recent trend of book titles with long stretches of small words (like This is How It Always Is and All You Can Ever Know: A Memoir) and I have the hardest time remembering the exact titles.
Also, there are so many books with Girls in the title right now, I can't keep any of them straight.
Nadine wrote: "Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James - I don't know how to rate this book (pertinent to last week's discussion!). I enjoyed it and I thought about it when I wasn't reading and I looked forward to reading it again, but ... I was often really confused..."I found myself mentally writing plot summaries between reading sessions, just to keep everything straight in my head.
In fact, I'm going to actually write out a summary now, so I can refer to it once book two comes out. MAJOR SPOILERS OBVIOUSLY
(view spoiler)
Wow, that turned out longer than I expected.
I'm at 16/50 books for this challenge, and I'm facing the same problem here that I'm facing generally: most things I'm reading are falling into that amorphous 3-to-3.5 star range where I enjoy it just fine and then never think about it again. FINISHED
I did manage to finish three books this week, all of them for this challenge: Once Ghosted, Twice Shy (used this for the published in 2019 prompt - enjoyable but I won't read it again); Red, White & Royal Blue (used this for the book that should be made into a movie prompt - enjoyable but too long); The Graveyard Book (used this for the ghost story prompt - Neil Gaiman isn't always my cup of tea, but I enjoyed this a lot).
IN PROGRESS
I'm reading The Shell Seekers, which I genuinely do love so far. Here's hoping for more of that!
Hello all! I was still participating in the ATY read-a-thon for the beginning of the dates for this check in, so probably read more than my usual. I also had too many books come in at the library at once, so I'm trying to get through them to get them back on time. I'm currently at 22/50 for Popsugar.I finished the last bit of Strange the Dreamer which I enjoyed - would definitely pick up another from the author. I used this for a book based on mythology, etc.
I completed Madame Bovary and this is one that I had trouble getting into as a whole. It is one I felt I should read, so I finished it, but definitely not a fave.
Never Let Me Go - I enjoyed this read, though some of the reviews I had seen had me expecting more of a plot twist than there was. It also came up as a 'thriller' in my library search and I didn't see it as that at all.
Gingerbread - I picked this one up at a library after seeing it on many 'most anticipated' lists. I liked it, but didn't love it (though I think that might have been related to picking it up when I was tired and not in the right mood).
The Deeper the Water the Uglier the Fish - I really liked this one. While it was definitely not the easiest of reads in terms of topics, it kept me hooked and wanting to read through to the end.
Field Notes on Love - I needed something light after a lot of heavier reads and this was the perfect fit. I really enjoyed this one. I saw this recommended by Lauren Graham.
Roses and Rot - I did this one primarily on audio and it worked well for this while I was doing some crafts and other mindless work around the house. A very dark fairytale spin off that kept me interested.
Terra Nullius - I picked this one up because it is being featured on Reading Women and I was left with mixed feelings. It was interesting, but definitely more about putting forth a message than a great literary work.
Lastly, I finished Where'd You Go, Bernadette fo our group read and to check off the novel with a question in the title. Overall I enjoyed it, it kept me entertained, but not one that I loved.
I'm currently working on Lisey's Story on audio and The Wrath and the Dawn in print.
QOTW: I'm quite sure I mix up titles more than I realize though no specific examples come immediately to mind. I do know that I will walk into the library without my book list because surely I can remember the name of the book and/or author I'm looking for between the car and the bookshelves.., only to realize that I've managed to confuse the author's last name!
Happy Thursday! I seem to have gotten my reading mojo back because I finished 5 books this week! I'm so happy!First was I've Got My Duke to Keep Me Warm by Kelly Bowen, which is my book from multiple POVs, as we get the hero, heroine, and another character's perspective. This was an excellent romance that dealt with domestic abuse so beautifully. I love Bowen's novels!
Next was I've Got This Round by Mamrie Hart, which I couldn't fit into a category. I love Mamrie's comedy, I loved the first book, and I loved this! Her first book I read the physical copy, but this one I got the audiobook - so worth it. Mamrie is an excellent storyteller and I loved hearing her crack herself up.
Then I read The Color Purple by Alice Walker, which is my book with no/unconventional chapters, as this is told through letters. This book is beautiful. I loved it so much. I've never seen the film, which I really need to remedy!
Then I finished Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma which is the second half of my two books with the same title. The other was Forbidden by Beverly Jenkins, which I finished a couple weeks ago. What an interesting prompt! In my case the stories are nothing alike, just simply that they center forbidden romance. Jenkins' book is about an interracial couple in post Civil War Old West, and Suzuma is about an incestuous relationship between a brother and sister. And I gave both books two stars! I didn't like either! I thought Jenkins' characters were underdeveloped and the writing was focused on telling, not showing. For Suzuma's book, while she handles the taboo topic delicately, I couldn't get behind it. My psych background just made me see two traumatized teens who desperately needed therapy, and I wasn't moved the way so many people were. All in all, really interesting books to share the same prompt.
Finally, last night/early this morning, I read Prelude to Bruise by Saeed Jones, which I couldn't fit anywhere. This poetry collection was gorgeous. I loved it so much. I'm ordering my own copy because I really want to take notes and mark it up.
QOTW: No one that I can think of off the top of my head! But in general I have a good knack for keeping names straight.
Second week of March... how time flies! It feels it was New Year's Eve just a couple of weeks ago!This week I read
The Illustrated Man
The Second Jungle Book
On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft
Atlas Shrugged
The Penderwicks
The Mistress of Spices
I'm currently reading
The Children of Blood and Bone
Becoming Michelle Obama
The Great Hunt is 1/3 read, but waiting for now (I need to add some more diversity to my reading list, because I am a reading snob and I can't snort with good conscience if I'm just reading Anglosaxon white heteronormative fantasy (more or less, like magical realism and talking animals) fiction in English all the time :-D)
Question of the Week
(From Brandy) Are there book titles/ authors you get confused for no particular reason. (eg: Middlesex & Middlemarch)
Oh... I'm sure there are, but of course can't remember any of them right now :-D
I always mix Battle Beyond the Stars and War of the Worlds, though :-D And Ice Capades and Ice Pirates :-D
Maybe Katharine Kerr and Katherine Kurtz, You know, one wrote Deverry and the other Deryni... :-P Both American born 1944, too :-D
I keep forgetting about these weekly check-ins, so I've read lots of books since the last one, but I'll try to stick to what I've finished in the last week.The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum
This was for the prompt on a book that inspired a common phrase or idiom. "The man behind the curtain" actually comes from the movie, not the book, but I figure the book inspired the movie, so indirectly it inspired the phrase. I was going to read this one anyway, for the category of a book that makes you nostalgic.
This wasn't for the challenge, but I read The Best American Mystery Stories 2018, edited by Louise Penny, because I enjoy mystery stories and particularly the Gamache series by Louise Penny (I finished her latest book last week), so I figured I'd enjoy a set of stories with her as editor. They were OK, but not the kind of mystery stories I expected - mystery is defined very loosely for these yearly books as any story where a crime is central to the story. Some were pretty good, others OK, and one I just hated.
I'm currently reading:
Retablos by Octavio Solis, for "own voices." It was suggested by the college librarian, but hadn't yet been shelved at the time, so I read Unbroken: 13 Stories Starring Disabled Teens, edited by Marieke Nijkamp, for that prompt, but once Retablos showed up in the New Books section I decided to read it as well. So far pretty interesting.
The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame, for a book that makes you nostalgic. My father always read to us at night when I was little, and this was one of the books that he read repeatedly (along with the Pooh books and stories by Saki). Unlike some other childhood favorites, this is one that I have never read as an adult. I just barely started it, but it's an easy book to get into, especially with the childhood memories.
Seize the Day by Saul Bellow, for a book that takes place in one day. Not exactly exciting reading, but at least it's short, and I should get through it in a week reading a bit each day. I remember learning a list of Nobel Prize winners in 9th grade English, and Bellow was one, but I had never read anything by him (or several of the others in the list, since mostly in school we read stuff written before Nobel's time), so this seemed like a good one to finally read.
Saint's Gate by Carla Neggers for a book that takes place at a convent or monastery. Where I am in the book right now, they're not at the convent, so I don't know how much takes place there. I'll read more for that prompt in any case. I'm also reading World without End by Ken Follett, where a lot of action takes place at or near the monastery. I started it a few years ago but never finished; now I'm listening to the audiobook during my commute so I don't have to worry about finding time to read such a long book. I'm also planning on reading In This House of Brede.
Kenya wrote: "Also Beverly Cleary and Judy Blume's works get mixed up occasionally, despite having very different names. Maybe it's because they write similar types of kids' books?"Even thought I can't explain why I know I've done this. It's the reason why I spent years thinking I'd read some Judy Blume. I was sure the same author wrote the Fudge books (which I remember but don't think I ever read) and the Ramona books (which I did read a few of).
Hello from Cleveland. It is in the 60s and I can’t wait to leave work and go for a walk. Before the high winds warning start....I missed checking in last week because my grandma’s funeral was Thursday. My husband and I did make good progress during all the driving to and from Illinois for my litrpg pick, which we’ll finish driving to and from Michigan this weekend.
I read Is That a Fish in Your Ear? Translation and the Meaning of Everything by David Bellos for a book with a question in the title. The chapters were loosely linked essays on all sorts of translation-related topics, and some I really enjoyed, but overall he seemed unable to decide if this should be more “pop science” or academic in tone. This was my second book by him, and I think it’ll be the last, because I find his tone very arrogant and grating.
QOTW: I can’t think of any examples off the top of my head. Sometimes I have trouble remembering the name of a book or its author if I haven’t read it yet but added it to my TBR. This leads to some desperate searching when it’s planning time and I’m to search my TBR by plot summary!
Another week with not as much time for reading as I would like, but I am still chugging along. With warming temperatures and lots of sun this week, my thoughts have been drifting to garden planning and outdoor activities.Nothing new finished for challenge prompts this week, so still at 11/50 for the challenge.
Finished
Unsheltered - Definitely was not my favorite Kingsolver book but it was OK. I thought the political commentary was heavy-handed and took away from the story. I did not count it for the challenge for the moment but I could use it for a book with a flower on the cover.
Currently Reading
Washington Black - Reading as I try and wrap up the Tournament of Books short list. I don't have a PopSugar category for this one.
Question of the Week
With so many people in this group reading The Nightingale, which I have not read, I keep thinking of The Goldfinch, which I have read.
I am with Nadine in mixing up Sarah Waters and Sara Gruen, as well as those who keep confusing The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle.
Happy Pi Day! I know it's Pi, but it really makes me want pie. LOLI'm 22/50 for the challenge, I finished 3 books this week.
Myths Of Greece And Rome - Narrated With Special Reference To Literature And Art by H. A. Guerber - used as A book inspired by mythology, legend, or folklore, this took me forever to get through, it's a summary level but covers nearly every mythological being and their main stories, so it's a lot to absorb.
Deed to Death by D.B. Henson - used as a book I meant to read in 2018. I picked it up last year, and never got through the 1st page. But this time I read it in two sittings, I was really annoyed when I had to break away from it, lol. Not the best writing, but a great mystery/thriller.
Steady Kind of Love by Elisabeth Ogilvie - used for a book with love in the title. This was a reread, but I haven't read it in years. It's a great story and there's a lot more than just romance going on.
QOTW: For a little while I was confusing Jon Krakauer and Stephen Kinzer for no apparent reason, other than that they both write amazing non-fiction.
Hi everybody. It is soooooo windy today. I nearly got blown away on my way to work.This week I finished The Name of the Wind. I loved this and I am dying to read the sequel. I can't believe I have had this book sat on my shelf unread for literally years.
I also finished Little Women, a book I've read at least a dozen times in my youth. It gave me warm a fuzzy feelings, as usual. I am undecided whether to use it for the book becoming a film or as a re-read of an old fave.
DNF: Smoke and Mirrors. Just did not care about the characters, even the dead body so gave up pretty quickly.
Currently reading: The Song of Achilles. I haven't read The Iliad but all of you guys cryptically saying it wasn't going to end well have me nervous...
QOTW: I am definitely someone who muddled up the two Evelyn books, but I wasn't planning on reading either of them any time soon to straighten them out.
There a lot of YA fantasy books which have really similar plots and characters that I can't keep straight in my head even thought the titles and authors are completely different.
Tania wrote: "Happy Pi Day! I know it's Pi, but it really makes me want pie. LOL I homeschooled my kids and when they were younger we celebrated pi day with pie. Measured the diameter and circumference of the pie/s we made before eating them of course!
My computer glitched and ate my update. SO lets try again. I finished six books this week - several were shorted than usual whichhelped me get through so many.
Good Morning, Midnight - Stark and evocative look at what really matters when we are all alone.
The Girl on the Train - I enjoyed it but wasn't blown away possibly because I came to it late and already knew a bit about it.
You Think It, I'll Say It - I was pleasantly surprised at how even the stories were quality wise. Often with short story collections I find some stories are great but others are only so-so or worse.
Jane, Unlimited- None of the genres in this book are among my favourites so I didn't love this one. But I did find much to appreciate.
The Night Circus- Loved the detailed descriptions which made the enchanted circus come to life and seem wonderfully real.
The Best We Could Do- A graphic memoir focussing on the long term impact of the refugee experience on one family.
I can't think of any books that I confuse but with the seven Evelyns the wrong title (or a mash-up of the two) often comes out of my mouth despite my head knowing which is which.
PopSugar Challenge-16/40Goodreads Challenge- 21/60
Finished this Week:
Yay! I have gotten back on track and finished multiple books this week!
The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle Took place on one day I read this as a hardback and poured through it on one weekend because it was due on Monday. It took me a while to get into the book but man once it hooked me, maybe 30% in I could barely put it down. I very pleasantly surprised by this book. It isn't my normal genre.
I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer A book published posthumously I am reading this as an ebook. This book was captivating and really got its hooks in pretty early in the book. This is also a genre I have not read much before, but I think that might have changed with this book. I fudged at work to "read just one more chapter."
The Time Traveler's Wife A book you see someone reading on TV or in a movie This was read by Rory in Gilmore Girls. I am listening to this as an audiobook. It is so much better than the movie but not one that really captured my attention.
Currently Reading:
Shiver A book featuring an extinct or imaginary creature Features werewolves. I am listening to this as an audio book and about half way through. Its alright but not my favorite by this author. I hope the second half gets better.
To Kill a Kingdom A book inspired by myth/legend/folklore Reading as an ebook. This one is a take on the Little Mermaid just a bit more murderous. I have barely begun this one so I am leaving my opinion on it for later.
Educated A book set on college or university campus I am going to be reading this in hardback starting tonight.
Question of the Week:
I don't read many books that have similar titles. So this hasn't happend to me much.
Hello Everybody! The week is close to over and I'm very excited. I work at South Puget Sound CC and the end of the quarter is always crazy busy and stressful for me so I really cherish my weekends! Plus this Saturday I plan to lay in bed and do nothing. Its going to be GREAT!Finished Reading:
Fire Country ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Prompt #37 A book with a two word title I cant get enough of this series. Its amazing!!
Currently Reading:
Ice Country-Kindle Gym book
A Breath of Snow and Ashes - Almost done with this one. I'm expecting it to be on next weeks update. 😄
QOTW
I don't think I usually confuse title or authors. I often don't know who the author is for a lot of books.
I used to think Harrison Ford was two different people though.
"Harris n' Ford" "Harris and Ford"
I think I said "they" while discussing him with my boyfriend when we were 18 and he goes "what did you say?". And then there was a whole discussion. He may have fallen in love with my charm not my brain. Hahaha.
Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge
Books mentioned in this topic
The Secret of the Old Clock (other topics)I've Got My Eyes on You (other topics)
Dalila (other topics)
I Will Never Leave You (other topics)
Caught in Time (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Melissa Marr (other topics)Marissa Meyer (other topics)
Lauren Lipton (other topics)
Laura Lippman (other topics)
Mindy McGinnis (other topics)
More...
Admin stuff
March group read of Where'd You Go, Bernadette is on-going.
Kali volunteered to lead discussion of April's read of The Witch Elm, and we still have an opening for the May read of Crazy Rich Asians
I finished two books this week, and I found categories for each, so I'm now 31/50:
The Duchess War by Courtney Milan (no actual wars are fought in this book) - this was so much fun!! 3 stars. I've owned it for a while and I don't know why it took me so long to read it. I'm pencilling it in for "clothing on the cover" because most of the cover is a red dress and I don't really understand what counts and does not count for this category.
Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James - I don't know how to rate this book (pertinent to last week's discussion!). I enjoyed it and I thought about it when I wasn't reading and I looked forward to reading it again, but ... I was often really confused, so the ending was just a cessation of words rather than a conclusion to any sort of plot I was following. I ended up giving it 4 stars, and checked off "imaginary creature." (Almost every character in this book is an imaginary creature!)
Question of the Week
(From Brandy) Are there book titles/ authors you get confused for no particular reason. (eg: Middlesex & Middlemarch)
I love this question, because my answer is "LOL YES!!!" I confuse authors more often than I confuse titles, but that happens, too!
Titles I've confused:
Picnic at Hanging Rock
Disappearance at Devil's Rock
Middlemarch
The Mill on the Floss
(The titles aren't at all similar of course, but for the longest time I thought I'd read Middlemarch, and I finally figured out that I'd read Mill on the Floss.)
Beasts of No Nation
Beasts of Extraordinary Circumstance
Night Film
Night Shift
And authors I've confused (I finally made myself a list so I could stop confusing them):
Kate Morton
Karen White
Kate White
Kiersten White
Kristen Callihan
Kristen Simmons
Caitlin Kittredge
Sarah Waters
Sara Gruen