Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge discussion

Happy Thursday! Spring has finally made a (tentative) appearance, even up here in the frozen wastelands of NY. My snowdrops are in full bloom and the earliest crocuses are peeking out. We still have some snow on the ground, but not as much.


Admin news: POLLS ARE OPEN!!! Vote for the July, August, and September group read. Polls close Wednesday April 3 at midnight EST.

Vote here!

Also, April starts next week (!!) and our April monthly read is The Witch Elm - I think this is the kind of book that can inspire a lot of discussion!


I read 4 books & 2 graphic novels (& 2 picture books!) this week, 0 for the Challenge, so I remain 32/50.

The Raven Tower by Ann Leckie - I gave this four stars but I admit I was disappointed. I ended up downgrading it to 3 stars. It wasn't bad, it's just that I have super high expectations for Ann Leckie. This had no chapters, so it would work for that category.

Captain Marvel, Volume 2: Down & Captain Marvel and the Carol Corps - meh. Both were underwhelming. Maybe I don't love Kelly Sue DeConnick as much as I thought?

What Was She Thinking? Notes on a Scandal by Zoë Heller - wow this was unexpected! I liked it! (This would, of course, work for "question in the title.")

In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez - I was stupidly surprised by how sad this was. (This was going to be my book about a family, but American Spy snuck in and filled that category already.)

Circle picture book by Mac Barnett - I don't usually mention picture books here but I have been so ridiculously charmed by this simple and slightly off-kilter series (previous books were Square and Triangle). 5 stars!

Women & Power: A Manifesto by Mary Beard - this was a phenomenal and very short!! I encourage you to read it! (This would work for "a previous category (last year's "about feminism")") ... annnnnd that was a lot of parentheses and quotes all nested.

currently reading:
A Natural History of Dragons by Marie Brennan - I can't remember who was looking for read-alikes for the Temeraire series, but this would work perfectly, except in these books the dragons are wild creatures to be studied. This series is the "memoir" of Lady Trent, a dragon enthusiast, natural scientist, and somewhat stuffy quasi-Victorian lady. I say "quasi" because this is not actually set in our world. It took me a while to figure out that all of the place names are fictional and this is set in a fantasy universe! "Lady Trent" reminds me a lot of Elizabeth Peterson's Amelia Peabody, except with dragons in a fantasy world instead of archeological relics in Egypt. And maybe without the murder mystery part, too.



Question of the Week
(this one is from Lauren) Do you prefer novels that end neatly, tying up loose ends, or novels with endings that leave you guessing?

I tend to prefer the tidy ending, which is pretty much why The Raven Tower and What Was She Thinking didn't get higher ratings from me.

Hi all! Greetings from sunny Dublin, where I'm distracting myself from Brexit with reading.

I'm on 20/50 for Popsugar, and 9/52 for ATY. I'm struggling a bit - not to read, but to read books that fit the challenge prompts. I've read a few that I wasn't wild about just to get a prompt, and am annoyed to find great books that I'm struggling to fit into prompts.

Anyway! In the last week I read:

No One Can Pronounce My Name - this fits as "own voices", but I was quite bored, and kept procrastinating reading it.

The Last Kiss Goodbye - this worked for dual timeline for ATY, and was tolerable - normally I really like Tasmina Perry.

Nadia Knows Best - this was a reread, as I was in such a grump over reading boring/bland books (there have been two others I struggled with in March) but it fits as a book about a family.

Anyone for Seconds? has a question mark in the title, and that's all I can say about it. I couldn't even pretend that it was good. It passes time, but feels like something I would normally only pick up if I were stuck in a waiting room. I read it purely for the prompt.

I might have to give myself some more freebie books, even though that'll annoy my compulsion to complete the challenge!

I'm currently reading Kindred which I'm really enjoying, but I haven't figured out a prompt for.

QOTW - I think I'm changing over time - I used to enjoy arguing about ambiguous endings with my friends, but now that everyone can contact the author to get confirmation on what was meant, I don't enjoy it as much.

Crazy week in the top end. Very wet at the start as the cyclone went past but it seems nobody was killed so the evacuation worked. School is super busy with all the marking coming in and the new chem teacher has resigned along with a couple of others so who knows what we will all be teaching next term (3 weeks to go). Errant friend is still errant. Several other friends are having truly horrid times in their lives and I wish I was closer to help more.

So not so much reading time just survival at work and worry about friends. Only 1 book finished: Why Mummy Swears which was not as funny as Why Mummy Drinks but didn't require any brain power which is a bonus.

Currently attempting to read lots of stuff and not getting very far.

QOTW
It depends. If it is an author who I read often I don't mind not knowing because I will be continuing anyway (King and Koontz). If it is a new author and the book was just sort of OK I hate it, I have to know what happens in the end but don't want to read more. Same in real life I have to understand or I am super stressed.

24/50

Finished:
The Canterville Ghost by Oscar Wilde for a ghost story.

Sugar by Deirdre Riordan Hall for a book with pop, sugar or challenge in the title.

Third Girl by Agatha Christie. Not for the challenge.

Currently reading:
The Thing Around Your Neck
Release

QOTW:
It depends on the book.

I read a whole lot of nothing this week. I'm not sure that has ever happened to me before. But here we are.

QOTW
(this one is from Lauren) Do you prefer novels that end nearly, tying up loose ends, or novels with endings that leave you guessing?

I like when things are tied up neatly when they are earned. I don't mind an ambiguous ending.

What I don't like is when they introduce a final twist at the end that should have the main characters reeling but they act like, "yep, it is all fine."

I am the person who HATES Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon because I very much feel like I'm supposed to feel like everything is all wrapped and fine because, you know, boyfriend and (view spoiler)[bonus health and I'm like how do you rebuild your life from learning that your mother invented an illness for you, lied to your whole life? Don't leave me with that hanging and pretend it is fine. (hide spoiler)].. or, you know twist endings in mystery novels are GREAT when they aren't affecting the main character but if the main charater learns a member of his or her immediate family is the killer in the last pages but you have him go, "eh, life happens" and go on happily like that isn't something he/she needs to process...

Firstly, I read The Mezzanine (single day). I certainly haven’t ever read anything quite like this. I appreciated the new experience, but I didn’t love it. Some of the almost meditative passages on quotidian experiences were interesting. I really could have done without the section on office bathroom use though. I guess I’m slightly squeamish. 2 stars.

I also finished A Christmas Carol (accessory). I’ve been familiar with the basics of the story (mostly through growing up with Mickey’s Christmas Carol on VHS), but I’ve never read the actual book. It’s a bit out of season to read it, but some Christmas spirit never goes amiss. 3 stars.

I listened to The Wind in the Willows on audio (plant). I had read this before as a child and I think I liked it okay. This time around though I was really bored which I feel bad for saying. This is mostly a collection of gentle episodes where not much happens. The audio narrator also wasn’t my favorite. He did wonderful voices for the characters, but his regular narrator voice was a smarmy sounding and put me to sleep. 2 stars.

Also read The Right Side of History: How Reason and Moral Purpose Made the West Great not for the challenge.

QOTW- I think I tend towards liking neat tidy endings.

I finished The Secret Garden-Prior year prompt-Children's classic I hadn't read. I'm not sure if I liked it or not. I'm reasonably sure I would not have liked it as a child, as it was kind of boring.

I read The Call of the Wildas my book featuring an extinct or imaginary animal. Interesting read, but a big dry. It was written in the 1930s, and I feel in general that older non-fiction does have a drier feel. But, maybe that's just me.

I read The Lore of the Unicorn as my book with an imaginary creature. Interesting but a bit dry. It was written in the 1930s, and I think most of the older nonfiction is a bit dry. But, maybe that's just me.

And, I have started Wuthering Heights as y book that someone is reading on TV or in a movie (Friends). I actually read this a billion years ago when I was a freshman in college. It doesn't really seem all that familiar yet. I've only read 3 chapters, but I'm looking forward to the rest as I do remember that I liked it.

QOTW: I prefer tidy endings, and preferably happy endings.

A mixed reading week for me, two amazing books finished and one very meh book. Weather has been lovely though. A public service announcement to fellow pasty white Brits, it's time for the sunscreen! I was a bit red after 3 hours outside on Sunday.

Finished listening to The Familiars for based on a true story. I loved this tale of one young nobel woman's interaction with one of the accused Pendle witches.

I also listened to War Doctor: Surgery on the Front Line for two word title (am ignoring the subtitle). This book broke me, I've been trying not to bawl my eyes out on my commute all week. David Nott has treated some of the victims of the worst that humanity can do. The state of Syria is horrifying and it is heartbreaking that the refugees have been treated as political pawns.

Finished reading Happy Girl Lucky for plant on the cover. This was so disappointing, it's not even that it's too young because I wouldn't want to recommend this superficial character to a pre-teen either. Not a patch on Geek Girl.

Currently reading The True Queen for review. Not sure where I'm going to slot this yet.

Just started The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo for ATY (name in title) and I love the narration already.

PS: 19/52 | ATY: 17/52 | GR: 35/100

QOTW:
I don't like very tidy endings where everything feels a bit too convenient. Otherwise it depends on the book. Sometimes I want to be left thinking about what actually happened, but other stories need a definite conclusion.

This was a very busy week. I was at the NCAA wrestling championships, which was a lot of fun, but it leaves no time for reading. Then I've been very busy at work, catching up from my time off. Which means I didn't finish any books this week.

But, I'm in the middle of five books, which is about normal for me these days. Still reading War and Peace, which is very long, but I am enjoying it. Also reading The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs: A New History of a Lost World, which is fun. I've also started New Moon, Love in the Time of Cholera, and Thick: And Other Essays. Hoping to finish at least 2 over the weekend. Could be two of these, might be something else.

QOTW: I prefer a neat ending, with everything tied up, but I will accept a loose ending if it's right for the story.

Happy Thursday!
17/50

Completed:
My amateur detective novel, #30, was The Body in the Fjordby Katherine Hall Page. She writes the Faith Fairchild series, although this one featured Faith’s friend, Pix. Meaning the amateur detective’s more amateur friend was the detective on the case. This followed the death of a young man, his missing fiancée, a swastika, and a body in a fjord. Loved it. And the descriptions of the food – well, I now want to try lutefisk, and I know what it is!

42.) For chose your own adventure, I’m reading Andy Miller’s The Year of Reading Dangerously: How Fifty Great Books (and Two Not-So-Great Ones) Saved My Life. This nonfiction work follows Andy’s personal chose to read 52 books he had, fibbingly, claimed to read most of his adult life. Let’s just say we have very different reading tastes.

For no PopSugar credit, I read The City Baker's Guide to Country Living by Louise Miller. How this was not a DNF for me, I don’t know. It took until the last 50 or so pages for the protagonist, Livvy, to abandon her Narcissistic ways and be decent to those who took her in when she literally had nowhere else to go. Her snark remained even to the end though and I would not have treated her with the same kindnesses they did through that all.

Reasons to Believe: How to Understand, Explain, and Defend the Catholic Faith by Scott Hahn to celebrate Lent. I was fortunate enough to hear Dr. Hahn speak this week. Sometimes I stop and think about what I’m reading. If left to my own devices, I load up on thrillers, biographies, history, mysteries, and assorted best sellers. It’s important to stay well rounded, so dipping into religion should be something of which I do more frequently.

In Progress:
4.) Joseph Kanon’s Defectors should totally be a movie. A publisher heads to the heart of 1960s Moscow to work on a tell all book from an American defector. The defector expresses interest in defecting BACK to the US with his wife and the publisher is dragged into a tale of intrigue…..

38) Based on a true story, I’m reading Lady Colin Campbell’s Empress Bianca, that resulted in a slander lawsuit from a Lily Safra’s team of attorneys. Well, the book infers she killed at least one husband and has another murder under her belt. All the unsold copies of the book were burned, but I found a used copy online. I don’t want to be on this woman’s radar! I also don’t think it’s that well written.

Just started Alibis & Angels for y #44, a book read in the season it's sent in, for a Lenten mystery featuring a nun. Sounds right down my alley!

QOTW Tidy endings
Yes, please! My favorite genre is mysteries/thrillers where the bad person and the motive are revealed. I love a tidy ending. I also don’t want the monster to go unpunished. (view spoiler)[ Gone Girl (hide spoiler)]

Nadine wrote: "Happy Thursday! Spring has finally made a (tentative) appearance, even up here in the frozen wastelands of NY. My snowdrops are in full bloom and the earliest crocuses are peeking out. ..."

Ugh! We were starting to warm up here in CT but I'm wasting gas this morning defrosting the car to get the kiddos to school :/

Finished one book and I'm saving it for my daughter to read: Girl Code: Gaming, Going Viral, and Getting It Done. This was a great story that I read for the ATY STEM prompt. It was a little repetitive, but It's non fiction about two teenage girls who go to code camp over the summer and create a video game called "Tampon Run" 🤣 and it went viral on the internet. LOTS of girl power here!! I think these two will go on to do some great things in their future. I tried to check out the game online but its not currently available in the US :/

It was a whole lot about women in IT, coding, learning what you're capable of, overcoming your weaknesses, teamwork and the taboos of discussing menstruation. Interesting combo. Super quick read and interesting to me since I'm currently learning code. I gave it 4 stars.

Still working on There There ( always look up the authors name for this link: still NOT FIXED!!!!!!). I have to finish it this week because I can't renew it. Also started You and My Sister, the Serial Killer, but honestly my brain just wants to watch tv still. I'm getting really frustrated.


QOTW: I think it depends on the book. Every once in awhile I like to try and figure out what the non-endings mean. What did the author want me to think happened, and what were they thinking happened? But mostly I like an ending that lets me know what actually happened.

PopSugar Challenge-20/40
Goodreads Challenge- 25/60

Finished this Week:
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. It it is a very interesting take on the siren/mermaid legend. I really enjoyed it. More than I thought I would.

Why Didn't They Ask Evans? Book with a question in the title I read this as a physical book in just about a day. To be honest this mystery was a bit predictable. I had it figured in about halfway through. This is the first Agatha Christie that I have read in at least 10 years, so maybe this wasn't the best one to start with.

Currently Reading:
Everyone Brave is Forgiven Author with both names starting with the same letter I have been listening to this over the last week and am just over half way through. Parts of it has caught my interest but it isn't one that I cannot put down. I am enjoying it but I don't see myself rushing to the finish or reading it again.

Sun Warrior A book told from multiple POVs This is the second in the series and already I am liking it better than the first. I think that might be that I am not having to wade through understanding a new world and new cultures. The characters and world has already been developed and I just get to see where they go from here.

The Last Girl: My Story of Captivity, and My Fight Against the Islamic State A book author from Asia, Africa, or South America I have barely started this book so no opinion yet.

QOTW
I prefer tidy endings myself, unless it leaves you guessing for the next in the series that hopefully is already published or I wouldn't need to wait ten years to finish (Looking at you Patrick Rothfuss)

Happy Thursday everyone!

I have made decent reading progress despite the fact that I have spent several evenings this week shivering at my son's soccer games. He and his sport are worth sitting for hours in the cold though.

I read:
The 100 Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared- this was a reread, but I read it so long ago I couldn't remember many details and I have the next adventure waiting on my shelf. Now that I've brushed up my memory I am ready to see what happens to the 100 year old man next.
Bittersweet and Bittersweet- for two books with the same title. They were meh so maybe I should have picked two different Bittersweets since there are tons out there. They were quick reads so that was good.
The Unsung Hero of Birdsong, USA- a children's book about race in post WWII South. It was worth the time.
And two Gaslight Mysteries books.

QOTW:
I tend to prefer tidy endings.

What I hate is endings that are just a big set up for the next book in the series. I read a lot of youth books for a committee I am on and this is the MO. It drives me bananas- you are still in the middle of the action and boom- the end.

Happy Reading!

Brandy wrote: "I read a whole lot of nothing this week. I'm not sure that has ever happened to me before. But here we are.

QOTW
(this one is from Lauren) Do you prefer novels that end nearly, tying up loose end..."

That sounds a lot like Bubble Boy with Jake Gyllenhaal! I love that movie, it's where I discovered Jake and I have loved him ever since, but it was glossed over as well. Such a shame, as that is such an interesting aspect!

Howdy, y’all. Another week, another check-in!

Books read this week:

Creatures of the Rock: A Veterinarian's Adventures in Newfoundland – for “book with an article of clothing or accessory on the cover” (a pair of rubber boots). A veterinarian tells stories about his practice in Newfoundland. I seem to be drawn to stories about vets and their practice, and this one was delightful. If you like James Herriot, you should enjoy this.

The Glass Town Game – for “favorite prompt from 2018’s challenge,” specifically “a novel based on a real person” (Charlotte, Emily, Branwell, and Anne Bronte). I usually absolutely LOVE the writing of Catherynne M. Valente, and this book was a charming and whimsical read that reminded me of her “Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland” books. But this wasn’t quite as good as her usual fare, and I have to wonder if I would have enjoyed it more had I been familiar with the Bronte siblings’ writing before going into it.

The Crane Wife – for “book based on mythology, legend, or folklore.” Based on a Japanese folk tale. Stunning writing, but seriously lacking in substance. This is the third book I’ve read by Patrick Ness for this challenge, and after striking out with both this book and The Knife of Never Letting Go I’m starting to wonder if the excellent A Monster Calls was just a fluke…

The Red King – for “two books with the same title.” A short but entertaining fantasy novel with surprisingly complex characters for its length (less than 200 pages).

Jerusalem: Chronicles from the Holy City – graphic novel, not for the challenge. Interesting account of the author/artist and his family living for a year in Israel, though his cultural/religious insensitivity got obnoxious at times.

Around the World – graphic novel, not for the challenge. An interesting graphic biography of three individuals (Thomas Stevens, Joshua Slocum, and Nellie Bly) who made journeys around the world in the late 19th century.

Regular Challenge – 38/43
Advanced Challenge – 6/10
Non-challenge books – 14

Currently Reading:

Death and the Penguin – for “favorite prompt from the 2015 challenge” (book originally published in another language)
The Luckless – for “LitRPG book”

QOTW:

I prefer an ending that ties things up neatly -- I'm STILL frustrated by the ending of The Giver, which I know was intended to be symbolic and all but gave no closure.

Also, I feel that even if a book is part of a series, it needs to resolve SOME element of the arc before just cutting off entirely. I don't care if you need to sell another book, don't cheat us by giving us a cliffhanger ending...

I started too many books at the same time and was not able to finish any of them! 3 out of the 4 need to be completed before the end of the month so I'll definitely have books to check in with next week.

Currently Reading:
The Time in Between (with over 600 pages this one is taking me awhile to get through but I am deeply invested in the story).
A Study in Scarlet Women which I should have probably DNF'd but it's for a challenge and I won't have time to find an alternate.
The Court Dancer which I just started last night but am loving the vivid descriptions of court life in South Korea.
The Commitments which I'll be starting tonight. I've heard this book described as the Irish version of the Blues Brothers and since I loved the movies am hoping this book will not disappoint.

QOTW:
It really depends on the book and in my experience so far find that I do not mind a more ambiguous ending in Russian literature, a book where there is an already known continuation of the series or a book where a more loose ending facilitates the reader thinking more deeply about what they have just read. Otherwise, I tend to think a book should be firmly resolved especially if it has chronicled a journey of some sort. One of my biggest reading pet peeves is when a character goes on a journey but it is left unresolved or fulfilled.

Hello!

I finished 1 book this week -

we'll beachcomb for their broken bones by Elena Botts - a book of poetry for the Book Riot challenge, this was a very intriguing collection of poems

I didn't get any reading done for PopSugar this week, though I've been slogging through my book written by a musician - A Salty Piece of Land. It doesn't look like I'll be recommending it, unfortunately.

QOTW: I prefer an ending that ties things up. Sure, it can be obvious that life continues after the book, but I hate when it leaves off not knowing the actual outcome of the story. I think it's lazy writing not to finish what you started.

Hello all! Read 5 books this week, 2 for the challenge, which leaves me at 35/50.

Finished:
The Black Lung Captain- meh. Not as enjoyable as book 1. Not sure why, but I was bored.

The Emerald Enigma- (A book set in space). This was a fun sci-fi in the sense it was a misfit crew having adventures in space, but there was a little too much reacting to crisis after crisis and not enough plot. Still will probably check out book 2 though since fun sci-fi is hard to find. It seems if a sci-fi book isn't tech/science porn or political allegories, it's not considered "real" sci-fi!

Challenger Deep-(A book with POP, SUGAR, or CHALLENGE in the title) This was a well-written story of a teenager's fall into/battle with mental illness, based apparently on the author's son. While I liked the way the character's false world reflected the real world, I still felt a bit held at a distance from the character- told things more than experienced them with him.

The Dreadful Tale of Prosper Redding- This was a fun middle grade fantasy with a great twist at the end I did not see coming! Definitely checking out the next book.

Childhood's End- (Dragons and Jetpacks Group sci-fi book of the month) Ugh. Most was standard old time sci-fi where the idea matters more than fleshed-out characters. Then the ending happened and I all I can say is, wow, yes, this was definitely a product of the 50s when everyone thought the world would end soon in nuclear annihilation.

QOTW
I prefer neat, tidy endings. There's nothing more annoying than when the author decides to "let the reader decide! Was it all a dream? Did the character live or die? You choose!" No, it's not my job to decide, it's your job! You're the author! You tell me!

Good afternoon from a very March-like Netherlands!

I didn't get a whole lot of reading done, which I blame on the sudden fever I spiked on Saturday night. I didn't sleep at all that night and Sunday was just miserable as well. Lots of headaches, queasy feelings, feeling weak and swaying when standing. On Monday I felt fine, with only a raised temperature, so who knows what it was? On Monday I went to the kiddy farm and got myself another volunteering job! I start April 12th on the Fridays and I am so excited to spend 3 hours around those animals!

So, to my reading. I came across the Magical Readathon so of course I'm all for it, and I would definitely recommend it! It starts April 1st and it lasts the entire month. Join me in the OWL exams! Because of that readathon however, I came across another: the Choose Your Own Adventure Fantasy Adventure-A-Thon. So my reading has been inspired by the prompts on my path. Let's hope I'll finish. I can't let my team down! (#fantasyunicorn all the way!)

Read
City of Ghosts on audio, for the group read and black on the cover for Adventure-A-Thon. Non prompt, but could obviously work for a ghost story- it's not scary either so if you're worried, go for it! It's a middle grade. I really enjoyed it, and loved going back to Edinburgh, even if only mentally this time. Just got very annoyed by the 'I'm American and therefore all British words are incomprehensible and ridiculous to me'.

The Princess and the Fangirl ARC for review, not for a prompt. SO. MUCH. LOVE. I need a third book and my own personal Ethan, just saying. You do not need to read Geekerella before reading this, but it does give you a better understanding of the setting and the side characters. Reading them in reverse will get you spoiled a bit too, but nothing too bad.

I remain the same for my challenges, but am at 39/75 for my GR challenge, so at least not all is lost haha!

Currently Reading
King of Ashes for royalty world in the title AND 500+ pages book for the adventure-a-thon. In a perfect world a romance will pop up at some point, because then I only need to eat a snack while reading for my path to be completed, haha! I'm 21% in, and as with most of these kinds of fantasy book, it's still showing you a lot of the building, but the prologue was so intriguing that I cannot wait to see where this is going. Fingers crossed I can finish it in time haha!

Everything else has pretty much been put on hold. There There isn't really doing it for me, but I'm not giving up just yet. It just might take a long time given the readathons. I should start Wicked Saints ASAP though, as it releases on April 2nd. It also has a romance so I need to read it anyways haha!
There are multiple other books, but one of them is planned for my Transfiguration OWL next month, one is a comic collection, one is The Night Circus that I'm just having a hard time wanting to pick back up and now has to wait a long time again, and one that I read last in June/July last year xD.

So yeah, basically, wish me luck?

QOTW
I definitely prefer tidy endings, with a clear ending, though like mentioned before if it's all a bit too unrealistic, for whatever reason, I'm like ...no. If there is a bit of cliffhanger/set up for a next book, that's fine too, though some writers' struggles with continuing is a problem sometimes haha!
Open ended ones are not for me and my autistic brain. I have questions, and want to know more. For example, I am glad Bird Box is getting a sequel because I have questions, though I'm sure people wouldn't call that an open ending haha!

It's difficult to explain, really, but I need the story to have wrapped and for me to have as little questions as possible, with the exception of in series where you kinda need them to be interested in the next heh.

Hello,

Quick update for me today.

Books read:
Deathtrap Dungeon for the choose your adventure book. It was a serie that I loved when I was 10 years-old and I know a friend had many of those books. It was a fun back to my childhood book.

Annihilation for the cli-fi prompt. Even if it is a short book, it took me a while. I like the format of the book and I also like the open-ending.

Death in the Clouds for the book saw on TV. It was from an episode of Doctor Who. Not the best that I read from Agatha Christie, but enjoyable.

Roller Girl recommanded by my 10 years-old son. That one I liked a lot. I used it for a book about a hobby.

The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared for the book set in Scandinavia. Just ok for me.

Currently reading:
Eligible for the retelling of a classic. I have mixes feeling about that one.

QOTW: I really don't mind open ending. I like not knowing and creating my own version of what happens next.

Kenya wrote: "Also, I feel that even if a book is part of a series, it needs to resolve SOME element of the arc before just cutting off entirely. I don't care if you need to sell another book, don't cheat us by giving us a cliffhanger ending..."

^^^^ this!

Good morning from a nice and warm Columbus! Warm enough to comfortably skip a coat even. Short sleeves, maybe even shorts! I’m not wearing shorts but still. With a forecast saying the high will be 60, it’s nice to think about! I can’t believe it’s already almost April!

Florida this wasn’t initially going to be for a challenge but it works for Marisha Pessl’s challenge short stories prompt. Lauren Groff is another one of those authors that hooked me with one book (Fates and Furies) and now I’m working my way through the rest of her published works. These are stories that mostly take place in the titular state, but the ones that don’t have ties to Florida. I really liked them all. They have that same pang of sadness I got from Fates and Furies, but we’re also funny and sweet and weird.
Funny side story: a year or so ago my daughter had asked from across the room, "Should I put 'Fatties and Furries' on the shelf?", to which I responded with "Um what?" She was holding out a book so I walk over to grab it thinking, what kind of books is her school giving her, and snatch it from her hand. She was holding Fates and Furies and every time I see it or hear someone mention it I get a chuckle from remember that mispronunciation.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets I’m not sure I can fit this in the challenge, I just wanted to revisit the series but in audio format. I really wish I had easy access to the Stephen Fry version. I don’t hate the ones I’ve been listening to but there’s something about the way he said “I’m sorry” or uses a tone that’s supposed to convey surprise it kind of makes me want to rip my ears off lol. But otherwise it’s fun to come back to a series I loved so much when I was growing up.

The Screwtape Letters this version also had Screwtape’s Toast at the end, I used it for book riots epistolary prompt. Screwtape is a demon writing letters to his demon nephew with advice on how to corrupt a human soul. I love C.S. Lewis’ religious writings. And even though this was written during the war, it’s still surprisingly relevant to modern day struggles. A very short read, I finished it in an afternoon!

P.S. I Still Love You I liked the first book enough to pick up the second. I’m pretty invested in seeing where Lara Jean and Peter take things. I dont think I enjoyed this as much as the first but it was still a fun, easy read. Ah, to be 16 and in love again.

I’m at 18/40 and 1/10 for popsugar, 3/24 for book riot, 1/12 for back to the classics, and 7/37 for the marisha pessl challenge. 47 books read this year.

QOTW: yes and no I guess.

I finally got to read a little bit more last week and think I finished 3 books since I last posted on a check-in.
Being of Two Minds - book about someone with a superpower. It was interesting without being overly weird or lengthy. This is the nice thing about reading books out of my high school classroom library!
A Study in Charlotte - for the retelling of a classic. It's kind of a spinoff of the Sherlock Holmes stories with a modern twist (relatives of Holmes & Watson), but I enjoyed it.
Where'd You Go, Bernadette - for the book becoming a movie in 2019. I won't go see the movie now that I've read the book and only marginally enjoyed it. This just wasn't my style but it wasn't completely dreadful.

Currently reading -
Mary Poppins for the book that makes you nostalgic. Mary Poppins was my favorite movie growing up so I'm kind of enjoying reading the book as an adult. It's a short read and one I could find in the school library so those are also bonuses.

Next up -
The Sun Is Also a Star for multiple POVs or Zoo Nebraska: The Dismantling of an American Dream for a book published in 2019. I have The Sun checked out from the school library and Zoo Nebraska is downloaded on my Kindle, so we'll see which one I get to first.

I've finished 20/40 for the main challenge, and I'd like to do the advanced challenge too this year but don't know how much time I'll have in the fall since I'm having a baby in mid-September and will have to adjust to being a mom.

QOTW - I prefer neatly tied up endings unless a book is part of a series and I REALLY enjoyed the first book in it. Then I'll get into a cliffhanger-type ending.

How is it Thursday again already? This week has gone fast ... too fast! Mostly been reading dry philosophy texts in French but I finished two books this week, An American Marriage (probably for the multiple perspectives or family prompt?) and Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead, both of which I loved! Drive Your Plow had an ending I was not expecting from the beginning ... I thought it might fit the amateur detective prompt, but alas. It's an amazing book though, and apparently almost a "filler" book between two more hefty works - so I'm excited to read more by that author.

Started reading How Long 'til Black Future Month? this week too ... It's not my usual genre but it's proving pretty interesting for metro reading too. & I'm a few chapters into My Sister, the Serial Killer (is anyone following ToB too? feeling some ... very strong feelings about books this week!)

For QoTW - I'm trying to get more comfy with grey areas, ambiguity, unresolved endings - in lit and in life. It's tough. But I'm trying! I do like a happy ending though - which is usually a resolved ending too.

Finished

Miranda and Caliban - Absolutely lovely writing in this one, with some beautiful descriptions of the natural world in particular. This is a retelling of The Tempest, which I haven't read since college, so I read a summary to remind me of the characters and events in the play before I started. That turned out to be unnecessary. The vast majority of the story takes place before the play, and I don't think you would really need to be familiar with it to enjoy the book on its own merits. I do wish the pace had been a little faster. I found this pleasant to read, and a few scenes during the course of the romance got at my emotions, but overall it just wasn't interesting enough to rate very highly. I think I needed more to happen in between the pretty descriptions. Still, worth a read! Read for the retelling of a classic prompt. 3 stars.

Illuminae - I read this in literally one sitting. Basically the opposite of the last one - I couldn't put it down! I don't usually read YA, but the creative design work and fast pace of this one made it a really fun read. Nothing outside of the formatting has really stuck with me (I don't even remember the names of the main characters), but sometimes I'm just looking for a diversion, not a book that will live forever in my heart. This satisfied that urge very well! Read for the unusual chapter headings prompt. 4 stars.

The Alchemist - I only picked this up because I know it's popular and wanted to see what all the fuss was about. Now that I've read it, I still don't understand. Incredibly basic, not particularly well written, and pretty sexist by my reading (no women in the entire book with Personal Legends of their own? Seriously?). There are so many other books about working hard, following your dreams, never giving up, etc etc etc. Clearly this one worked for some people, and that's great! I didn't connect with it at all. Next time I want to read an inspiring tale of a hero's journey, I'll just read The Hobbit again. Read for the author from Asia, Africa, or South America prompt. 2 stars.

Animal Farm - This is another on my list of classics I probably should have been assigned in school at some point and wasn't. I don't know much about the history this novel is allegorizing, but honestly it was a compelling story just at face value. Orwell's writing is clear and pleasant to read, and I thought the characterization of the animals was really well done. As in his other work, some of the warnings and lessons felt incredibly relevant to today. Unlike The Alchemist, I felt that this worked very well as a fable, really accomplishing what it set out to do. Read for the book that inspired a common phrase prompt ("All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.") 4 stars.

Total complete: 17/50

Next on the Stack

To Kill a Mockingbird
The Monster Baru Cormorant

QotW

Do you prefer novels that end neatly, tying up loose ends, or novels with endings that leave you guessing?

I guess I prefer novels with endings that fit the story. Any of those options can be great, or they can be totally unsatisfying. Like so many elements of writing, it's all in the execution.

Anne wrote: "Bittersweet and Bittersweet- for two books with the same title. They were meh so maybe I should have picked two different Bittersweets since there are tons out there. They were quick reads so that was good...."

Since there are tons out there, are you going to read another Bittersweet for the Bitter, sweet, salty prompt?

Hi all

I finished 3 books this week (am doing so much better this year compared to last year!)

Warcross, for the LitRPG prompt. I found it a quick, light read. Yes, some parts were predictable but still a fun read. And in my case addictive, as I had to read the sequel, Wildcard, immediately afterward. Not quite as absorbing as the first one, but still an enjoyable read. I’m not yet sure if I can fit it into a prompt, but I may use it as one of the two books with the same title prompt as I’ve seen many other books with the same title.

The Graveyard Book, for the ghost story prompt. I don’t do horror, so when this was suggested, it sounded perfect. Plus I love Neil Gaiman. It was another quick read, and I found it cute. Really liked the characters and especially liked the various epitaphs on the graves.

That takes me to 21/50.

QOTW:
Prefer a neat ending, but am ok with grey areas - it depends on the book; in some cases, open endings can work. What I don’t like though is when it feels like an ending was rushed just to get it quickly tied up before the end. Or conversely, if a book just ends very abruptly.
@Kenya – completely agree with your comment about series!

Sarah wrote: "The Alchemist - I only picked this up because I know it's popular and wanted to see what all the fuss was about. Now that I've read it, I still don't understand..."

Read The Alchemist ages ago, can't remember much of the actual story but I do remember also being very underwhelmed by it!

Carmen wrote: "So, to my reading. I came across the Magical Readathon so of course I'm all for it, and I would definitely recommend it! It starts April 1st and it lasts the entire month..."

I thought this sounded like fun but now I'm confused with all the different documents! This is clearly why I don't do anything organised by YouTubers, I just want them to have everything written down in one place.

I read several very short Kindle freebies this week, both to clear them off my TBR and for the Dewey pre-readathon challenge to read as many books as possible before this Friday.

Also, I've had a run of books that I disliked (or was bored by) at the beginning, but decided to give them a little longer before giving up on them, and then ended up really enjoying them. I still stand by my usual practice of DNFing freely, but I think it's been good for me to the have the reminder that some books are worth waiting for them to get really good, even if it doesn't grab me immediately.

I'm working on a couple books for the challenge, but have already gotten to the point where it's hard to fill prompts with randomly selected books, so I didn't make any progress this past week.

Finished Reading:
The Sacrifice of Sunshine Girl Glad I finished the trilogy, but only a week later all I can remember is that it wrapped up well but the ending felt rushed.

Dodge & Twist As an audio drama this was well done. The story itself was a moderately interesting heist. Only three stars for me, but probably a good way to fill the ghost story prompt for those who want a non-creepy read.

The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry One of the books that slowly grew on me as I read. A nice quiet, charming story with an ending that made me cry.

The Outsiders Another one I was skeptical of after a few minutes of the audio book, but that grew on me quite a bit.

(Short Kindle books/freebies)
Confessions of a Teenage Zombie Queen Fun enough to make me read the full length book that follows.

Overwatch #1: Train Hopper and Overwatch #2: Dragon Slayer The first one was okay, the second one I really enjoyed.

The Weeds within the Rulership Premise was somewhat interesting, but the writing was quite mediocre. Won't be reading the series.

Debt of Mercy Mostly dull as a retelling of a Bible parable I was already familiar with, but had a nice twist at the end.

Currently Reading:
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire Finally got back to the audio book my husband and I are listening to together.

A Praying Life: Connecting with God in a Distracting World Still making slow progress on my Sunday afternoon book.

The 10-Day Belly Slimdown: Lose Your Belly, Heal Your Gut, Enjoy a Lighter, Younger You Still good info despite the effort to make the beginning/title as annoying and gimmicky sounding as possible.

Spelled A little cutesy for my taste and currently waiting for me to finish my other fiction book:

The Knife of Never Letting Go Didn't like this for the first chapter or two, but started developing a need to know what happens next. I might have given up on it except I think a couple other people in this group had the same experience (plus I already DNF'd one for the '2019 movie' prompt...).

A Man Called Ove I knew Ove started off curmudgeonly but I didn't realize he would irritate me so very much. Trying to stick it out and see if his character arc makes him less irritating later... Reading this for book set in Scandinavia.

QOTW:
The simple answer is that I prefer neat endings (specifically neat AND happy), but in some cases it works to not resolve ALL the loose ends. Depends on the writing and what the arc is actually about.

I agree with series arcs too--there should be some resolution at the end of the first book, but it doesn't have to be completely resolved. I think my favorite is when they answer the questions or resolve the main arc from that story, but it just leads to bigger questions/problems to deal with in the next book. (That is, if I was enjoying the book. I don't mind more books and more story if it's good--it's just if it was mediocre that I mind being compelled to keep reading.)

I edited my opening post to add a link to the polls for monthly reads... (if that helps anyone)

Finished up two during the week both in the same series:

Finished Confessions of a Murder Suspect. This was interesting. A quick read. Using for amateur detective since the young girl took it upon herself to help the police solve crimes.

Continued on and started and finished The Private School Murders. I liked this one more than the first.

Started The Paris Mysteries... notice a trend? continuing on with the series with the third book. Only 100 pages in so far.

12/42 Regular, 1/10 Advanced and 3 Non Challenge reads

Not the best reading week for me, but I've begun some good ones, so I feel I've recovered from the bobble.

DNF:

Ghost Stories: Collected with a Particular View to Counteract the Vulgar Belief in Ghosts and Apparitions - as I feared, this was a charming idea that vastly overstayed its welcome. The stories got boring and repetitive. But I do recommend reading the first three for some skeptical laughs, if you're into that.

Started:

Winter Tide - A book about someone with a superpower - a female-centered take on the continuing story of "The Shadow Over Innsmouth." Why did I wait so long to try this? I love Emrys's Tor column where she and Anne Pillsworth "get girl cooties all over old Howard’s sandbox." LOL. I really like it so far.

The Greatest Love Story Ever Told - A book written by a musician (fiction or nonfiction) - Another one I'm kicking myself for delaying. I adore Nick Offerman and Megan Mulally, and they're both musicians! (Saw their show live in 2016 and it was delightful.) This is mostly them sitting down and reminiscing - pretty loose structure, but they're both so funny and sharp it's a lot of fun. Audio version is definitely the way to go on this one!

QOTW:

I like either, if it makes sense with the story and is done skillfully. I'll be hella mad if it doesn't play fair with the reader though! If something open-ended still resolves enough threads and leaves a logical set of "what ifs", great. If it seems like a cop-out, no thanks.

Similarly, if a tidy ending stays true to the bulk of the text, that can be really satisfying. But if the author crams in a hastily rationalized resolution that ignores facts or makes characters act counter to their established traits, it makes me really angry!

Ellie wrote: "Carmen wrote: "So, to my reading. I came across the Magical Readathon so of course I'm all for it, and I would definitely recommend it! It starts April 1st and it lasts the entire month..."

I thou..."

This does sound like fun! Probably won't have time to do it justice, but maybe I could try one of the easier careers this year, like Journalist/Writer.

@Ellie - the main documents you need are the Career Guide and O.W.L. prompts. From the career guide, choose what career you want to study toward and it will tell you what subjects you need to get an O.W.L. in (which are basically the prompts). The second part of the challenge is the N.E.W.T.s which takes place in August. The career guide also tells you what the requirements are to pass those. I assume those prompts will be published later, but it'll be 3 books to get an O, 2 books to get an E, and 1 book to get an A, per subject. Hope that makes it clearer?

It was the end of spring break and I went on a reading spree.

Article of clothing:

Devil’s Daughter by Lisa Kleypas. Delightful historical romance.

Book becoming a movie:

Where’d You Go, Bernadette by Marie Semple. I feel like this book was kind of all over the place.

LitRPG

Warcross by Marie Lu. YA. A lot of used this book. It was right up my alley and I think I’ll start her other series.

Question in the title

What If It’s Us by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera. YA romance with gay main characters. It was a delight.

Two female authors:

An Anonymous Girl by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen. Psychological thriller. I really enjoyed it. Stayed up way past my bedtime to finish it.

Books that don’t tick off prompts:

Altered Carbon by Richard K. Morgan. I bought this for a prompt last year and didn’t end up using it. It was good. I might actually watch the Netflix series now.

The Proposal by Jasmine Guillory. Romance. POC main characters. I found it to be delightful and will keep reading Guillory.

Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty. It was okay. It took a long time to really hook me though and I feel like she spent way too much time with some characters and way too little with others.

Day Shift and Night Shift by Charlaine Harris. I read the first one of this trilogy when it first came out and hated it. I decided to re-read it when the series got cancelled. I didn’t hate the first one as much as I originally did but hoo boy did the next two really annoy me, especially the last one and how the solved the demon problem (there are not enough eye rolls). I really enjoyed the tv show though. It was better than the books.

QOTW:
I prefer endings to be tied up because some authors are really bad at the ambiguous ending. I especially hate cliffhangers in series. I’m looking at you Karen Marie Moning Fever series.

Finished reading: (15/50)

The Stars Are Legion (set in space, includes a wedding, multi-POV) - This was super weird and also amazing. (I feel like I say this a lot.) It's about a war between the inhabitants of two dying worldships, fighting over territory and organic matter needed to sustain their ships. And it's got an all-female cast! And some great characters!

River of Teeth - (based on a true story, should be a movie, plant on the cover, multi-POV) - True story: In the early 20th century, Congress was considering a plan to import hippos into the bayous of Louisiana. They backed down (quite wisely) but this book is an alt-history if that plan went through. Hippo wranglers! Hippo heists! Treacherous waters infested with feral hippos!

The concept is an easy 10/10, but the execution was a bit lackluster. It's a short book with a big main cast, so nobody is developed enough for me to care about them. Also, not enough characterization for the hippos.


QotW:
Some loose ends are fine (and preferable to being rushed/contrived). But I don't like super ambiguous endings. Last year I read a book (which I won't name due to spoilers) where, through the whole book, it was unclear whether it was real or all in the main character's head. At the end, the main character is going to try and confirm, and then the book just ends. We don't know if it was real or not, we don't know if he's alive or not. I was mad. The rest of the book was great, but it needed a real ending.

Kenya wrote: "Also, I feel that even if a book is part of a series, it needs to resolve SOME element of the arc before just cutting off entirely."

YES PLEASE

I'm okay with cliffhangers, but something should get resolved first. You had a whole book.

Hello everybody. Hope you are well. The weather is getting gorgeous again. I hope it stays this was for a while before it gets surface of the sun levels of hot. I am still a bit "off" on my reading but I had book club this week which forced me to push through the book.

15/40 Regular
2/10 Advance

Finished

I disliked her writting style immensely, as did my entire book club.
31. A book about Family

27. Featuring an extinct or imaginary creature

ATY

Currently Reading


QotW:
(this one is from Lauren) Do you prefer novels that end neatly, tying up loose ends, or novels with endings that leave you guessing?
I don't need to have everything tied up but I at least need to feel like it's over. Sometimes ambiguous endings still give you closure. I HATE endings that just scream "read the sequel". Ugh. Write one book at a time.

Megan wrote: "Finished up two during the week both in the same series:

Finished Confessions of a Murder Suspect. This was interesting. A quick read. Using for amateur detective since the young g..."
I enjoyed the confessions series a great deal. Trying to convince my daughter to pick it up.

Denise wrote: "Hi all! Greetings from sunny Dublin, where I'm distracting myself from Brexit with reading.

I have the same problem with finding great books that fit the prompts, especially after I have filled the “easy” ones for me. The last few on the list usually end up being 2 star reads. On the plus side I do run into a couple of great books unexpectedly, Kindred was one of those for me, I read it late last year for the time travel prompt. Great book!

Sara wrote: "This was a very busy week. I was at the NCAA wrestling championships, which was a lot of fun, but it leaves no time for reading. Then I've been very busy at work, catching up from my time off. Whic..."

Loved the The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs: A New History of a Lost World! I too have been distracted by sports, but for me it is basketball even though my tournament pool brackets are looking pretty sad.

Hi everyone! I missed last week's check-in, but it's just as well, as I didn't finish anything as of last check-in, and only finished one this week. However, that's because my teenage niece was here visiting for a week for her spring break, and the rest of her family (grandparents, sibling) came down to pick her up over the weekend, so we had a house full of guests. It was great though - very little time to read meant I was out having fun with the kid & the family. Board games, video games, drive-in movies (still WAY too cold for that even though it's Phoenix, what were we thinking, haha?) and other fun stuff.

Since I'm also a big gamer, the niece convinced me to start playing Overwatch (it's one I've never played, I guess I assumed it was geared more toward the younger set) but I found it's fantastically fun, especially since I found I have a ton of family/friends to play with (I come from a gaming family). So some of my usual reading hours have been eaten by Overwatch, but I'm OK with that right now.

But this week I'm back to reading and finishing up some digital holds I've had out for awhile.

I'm sitting at 21/50 for the challenge.

Finished: Crazy Rich Asians which I'll probably use for a book with a wedding, but would also work for multiple POVs, author with first & last name that start with the same letter, and author from Asia. It was cute, and I did really enjoy it. Parts of it seemed to drag a little for me, as the tedious family details got a bit mundane at times, but the rest was interesting enough it didn't greatly affect my enjoyment of the book. I'd say it was a four star read, and I've put the rest of the books in the series on hold now too. I'd already watched the movie, and was surprised at how many differences there were between both, but actually have to say it didn't bother me a bit - I still think they did an excellent job on the movie adaptation.

Currently reading:
Caraval. I'm one of those who loved the Night Circus, so I'm interested to see if I fall into the "loved Night Circus, disliked Caraval" camp. Will hopefully be able to report in on that next week.

Britt-Marie Was Here Still working on audio on this, but have stalled out for awhile - hope to pick it back up this week.

QOTW: I can't say I prefer one or the other. I can love or hate either one, depending on execution and how well it fits the story. In my opinion, some books need tidy endings, others lend themselves more to open-ended ones (like some of the horror / thrillers I read). But both can be used inappropriately or the execution can really be lacking.

I hate the last minute, inappropriately tied-together ending when the rest of the book is loose and messy. I also hate when a tidy ending is so tidy it's unrealistic, or feels like the author was rushing to wrap up a story in the final pages. On the same token, I hate an open ending that just feels lazy, like the author didn't know what to do so just stopped writing, or one that doesn't fit the tone of the book.

A good tidy ending (like in Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda) is awesome and gives closure to the story, while a good open ending can leave me chewing on a story, mulling it over, for days or weeks afterward, which I really like.

Carmen wrote: "I am glad Bird Box is getting a sequel because I have questions, though I'm sure people wouldn't call that an open ending haha!"

I consider it an open ending. At least to an extent. Though I'm a fan of well done open endings in certain circumstances, this one just didn't sit well with me. Not sure why, but I wasn't a fan of this particular open ending. I felt like I was rapidly turning pages and reading to get to a particular "goal" (the explanation at the end, which it felt like the book was set up for) and when that didn't happen, I just felt frustrated.

20/50. I only finished one book, The Sparrow for my book set in space. Still not sure if I liked it or not, but there is a lot to chew on... I’m not a big sci fi person, but this book came highly recommended and had been sitting on my kindle for years. Essentially a novel where priests make first contact with an alien society. Big themes in this, faith and religion, morality, impact of exploration. I’m glad I read it, but the ending was a lot to take in.

QOTW: I don’t really have a preference, if the ending is well done.

Hey everyone! Not much reading this week either. I keep stalling on challenge books and thinking I should DNF them but:
a) I'm stubborn.
b) lots of them are ones my friends recommended that I want to discuss with them.
c) I've already written them down on my tracking sheet in pretty pen, which is a substantial commitment in my eyes.

Anyway, this week I finished:

#FashionVictim for a debut novel. I'm gonna be honest, I did not go into this book optimistically. I got it from Book of the Month aaaages ago and had been putting it off because I hate thrillers, but this is really not a thriller, more of a semi-literary murder satire. I was absolutely blown away. I don't recommend it if you don't like blood/violence in your fiction, but if you liked My Sister, the Serial Killer or My Year of Rest and Relaxation this is pretty similar to those two.

Not for the challenge:

Beneath the Sugar Sky: I wish I'd found the Wayward Children series before I did the pop, sugar, or challenge in the title prompt! I love every one of these books so so much!

Currently reading:
Early Riser (cli-fi)
The Pretty Committee Strikes Back (I swear I intend to finish this one, but it's on my Overdrive and I keep forgetting I even have it)
Anna Karenina (2-word title, on audio, 35 hours is a loooooong time to listen to Maggie Gyllenhaal)
The Complete Poems of Emily Dickinson (there are. so many. freaking. poems)

QOTW: I prefer ambiguous endings! But I don't know that I'm all that concerned about endings in stories at all. When I go back to favorite books, I usually read from the beginning until about halfway through and don't bother about the end. Pretty sure I've read the beginning of The Golden Compass about five more times than the rest of it, haha. Even with new books the endings fade from my mind very quickly and I can only remember the beginning/middle.

Afternoon, all

Still on a bit of a cozy mysteries kick at the moment, but two of the ones I've read this week tick off prompts:

For now, I'm using for 11. Clothing or accessory, as the shoes grab the eye.

I also read Pleating for Mercy this week, and as the plot revolves around making dresses for a wedding (plus the wedding itself), I'm going to use it for 34. "includes a wedding", as I'm not sure if I'm really interested in Crazy Rich Asians, which is the "group read" for that prompt.

Elsewhere, I read All the Weyrs of Pern for ATY's zodiac animal, and I've actually replaced my previous choice for 27. Imaginary creature with it, as the dragons are more prominent in this one than my original choice.

ATY also saw me finally read A Dark and Twisting Path, by Julia Buckley for this week's prompt.

Now, I need to see if I can read Where'd You Go, Bernadette by the month end for this month's group read.

Question of the Week
Do you prefer novels that end nearly, tying up loose ends, or novels with endings that leave you guessing?

Usually, I prefer tying up loose ends, but if I really like the characters, and it isn't clear if the novel is part of a series, then I'll take an ambiguous ending, in the hope of a sequel.

Happy Thursday! I spent the past week catsitting and today is my first day back home, but I really miss the little kitten (even when she attacked my toes in my sleep!) I finished two books since last check in, both of which I counted towards the challenge. I'm currently 21/50!

First was Eloquent Rage: A Black Feminist Discovers Her Superpower by Brittney Cooper, which I counted as a book about someone with a superpower. This is non fiction, so the superpower isn't your typical superhero stuff, but rather the ability to channel rage effectively. It was an EXCELLENT book of essays exploring race and gender, and I loved it! Highly, highly recommend.

Then I read All You Can Ever Know: A Memoir by Nicole Chung, which was my book with a plant on the cover or in the title. This was my book club's pick of the month, and we had a good discussion about it. I liked this a lot, and realized I haven't read a lot of books that discuss adoption!

Currently, I'm reading The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and The Obelisk Gate, which I don't know if either will count to the challenge? I'll figure it out after I finish.

QOTW: I'm nosy, so I love knowing EVERYTHING and having a tidy ending. But I understand when authors choose to not do that. So vague endings are fine for me when done correctly. If it's to leave you wondering and thinking about the book, great! If it's just a messy ending that I don't think the author knew how to conclude the story - no thanks.

Julie wrote: "Since I'm also a big gamer, the niece convinced me to start playing Overwatch (it's one I've never played, I guess I assumed it was geared more toward the younger set) but I found it's fantastically fun, especially since I found I have a ton of family/friends to play with (I come from a gaming family). So some of my usual reading hours have been eaten by Overwatch, but I'm OK with that right now."

I read SO much last year, that I've deliberately tried to leave a little more room for other hobbies like gaming this year. I don't play Overwatch myself (I'm terrible at anything that involves shooting in the first person, whether it's technically an FPS or not) but I have several family members who play and I LOVE the short character story videos they put out. Have you tried any of the Overwatch comics? They're free on kindle, starting with this one:

Overwatch #1: Train Hopper

Hi everyone! My first time posting as I completely forgot to check in as I was reading. This is my first year doing the challenge and it's making my commute far less boring haha!

I finished three books for the challenge this week:

A book written by a musician: 'Salem's Lot

I've been on a King binge recently and this was the next book of his I wanted to read. He really is a master of horror. I'm not easily scared (particularly by the subject of this book) but I definitely got the heebie jeebies at a couple of points.

Even though I enjoyed it, it probably ranks the lowest out of the King books I've read (IT, The Shining, Pet Sematary) because I thought the ending was a little lackluster.

A book with a plant of the title or cover:See Me

I tried to branch out with this reading challenge and read books I typically wouldn't so that's why I chose See Me. I'm not big into romance novels but I actually liked this one. It follows the same format that I've read in another Nicholas Sparks book, Safe Haven, but I liked the characters and I thought the dialogue seemed pretty genuine and not overly schmaltzy. It's not going to win any prizes but it's a nice light read.

A book about a hobby/a book published in 2019:On the Come Up

I love to sing so close enough haha! The is one of my favorites I've read so far from the challenge. The story was so moving and the performance on audiobook was phenomenal. I highly recommend it.

I also started two books (sort of):

A book that takes place in a single day: The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle

I don't know what to think about this book quite yet. I'm about 20 chapters in and I'm confused yet intrigued. I like that it's a murder mystery with a seemingly supernatural element. I just hope everything comes together in a satisfying way. That's what makes or breaks mystery novels for me.

A book with "pop", "sugar", or "challenge" in the title: Challenger Deep

I haven't cracked this one open yet but I will on the train today. From the reviews I read I should probably get the tissues ready!

Question of the Week
Do you prefer novels that end nearly, tying up loose ends, or novels with endings that leave you guessing?

I think it depends on the genre. I love this with horror novels. I think it lends itself to the spooky nature of the story. Now if there were loose ends in a murder mystery story that would probably annoy me.

Raquel wrote: "I don't play Overwatch myself (I'm terrible at anything that involves shooting in the first person, whether it's technically an FPS or not) but I have several family members who play and I LOVE the short character story videos they put out. Have you tried any of the Overwatch comics?."

I like the character videos too. I haven't tried the comics, didn't know about them, but will definitely put those on my TBR. Thank you!

Decent reading week quantity-wise, 5 books completed. I've already read over 50 books this year!

Read:

Shadow and Bone - This ended up being a 1-star. I didn't even hate it, I... nothinged it. I'll have forgotten its existence within a week or two, probably.
Still willing to try Leigh Bardugo's other books though. I hear the Six of Crows duology is a lot better, and the small preview segment off the Amazon page was reasonably interesting.

Freshwater - This was weird, disturbing, confusing, graphic - and fascinating. I definitely see why it's been getting so much attention.

Ghost Wall - Good things come in small packages! This is only about 150 pages long but packs in the content of a book twice that size. Beautiful writing, loved the descriptions of the moorland, and the incredibly tense atmosphere among the characters. I thought it was an excellent portrayal of a protagonist who lived in constant fear, awful as that may sound.
Only thing that I was a bit disappointed with was that I expected the "bog girl" element to be more prominent - there's a prologue-ish section from the perspective of a young woman in the Iron Age being sacrificed, and I thought the book was going to go back and forth in time or at least have the modern-day characters find the remains, but it didn't.
Used for Popsugar prompt #46, a book with no chapters / unusual chapter headings / unconventionally numbered chapters.

Autonomous - This was... decent. I liked the dystopian world and most of the protagonists were interesting enough (Paladin was my favourite) but the plot never quite got me engaged. Didn't think the pacing was great - the most part of the book felt like Act 1, then went straight into Act 3 in the last... few dozen pages or so. It wasn't very satisfying.

Goblin - This was great! Historical fiction with a surreal, almost hallucinatory viewpoint and a very queer protagonist. I bought this at the Edinburgh book festival a couple of years ago and am so annoyed that I've waited this long to read it. I love stories about really weird kids living in their own magical-realism worlds. Maybe because, y'know, I was a little weirdo as a kid. ... Okay, am, it's not like I ever grew out of it. Praise the lizards, holy holy holy, goblin-runt born blue. 😋🦎
Thoroughly recommend. Well, to anyone over 18, because of some sex scenes, with a tolerably strong stomach, because the plot is tied in with a World-War-2-era animal cull.

Currently reading:

Oliver Twist - Making pretty slow progress on this, haven't picked it up in a couple of days. It's currently at a less interesting part of the story and I've been distracted with other books. I'm still planning to complete it though.

The Grace of Kings - I'm not all that far into this (130~ pages out of 600+). It's quite interesting. The writing style is a bit stilted though, but I think that's deliberate - to evoke a historical text maybe.

QOTW: The kind of endings I like are those where the storyline for that book is resolved, but it's clear that the characters still have a lot more adventures ahead whether or not the reader gets to see them. I tend to like series openers a lot, sometimes more than their sequels, and I don't think that's unrelated.

Nadine wrote: "A Natural History of Dragons by Marie Brennan - I can't remember who was looking for read-alikes for the Temeraire series, but this would work perfectly,"

That was me, I think - I've already read almost all of the Lady Trent books (except the final one) and really liked them. 🙂