Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge discussion

Hello readers!

It's been a super busy week for me so forgive me if I skip the intro and go straight to the reading check-in :)

I haven't finished any books this week, but I have several in progress.

Currently reading:

Fawkes by Nadine Brandes– this is a fantasy reimagining of the Guy Fawkes incident. In this world select people have the ability to bond with and “speak” a certain color which gives them some magical control over things relating to that color. The debate over the use of this power has erupted into two groups - Keepers versus Ignitors. The King, and much of parliament, are Ignitors and are hunting down and executing the Keepers. The conspirators are, you guessed it, Keepers and their goal is to take down the Ignitors. It’s an odd twist on a historical event, but it’s pretty interesting so far. I’m using this for a novel based on a true story.

Dash and Lily’s Book of Dares – Imagine finding a small moleskin notebook tucked away on an obscure shelf at The Strand. When you open the notebook you find a message from an unknown person with a dare. That’s how this book starts. It’s set during the Christmas season in New York. Dash finds a notebook left by Lily and begins following her suggestions. They trade the notebook back and forth, sending each other through an almost scavenger hunt like game. I will admit this isn’t as interesting as I expected it to be. I think it falls into the category of YA that I tend to stay away from – the angsty teenager one – but I’m going to keep going. I’m using this for a book involving a game.

Disney War by James Stewart – this is a slow but steady read for me. This is a behind the scenes account of the Disney corporation during the reign of Michael Eisner continuing through the coup that ousted him from the CEO position. It’s really interesting, but it’s not something I’ll binge read. I expect this will at least go through until the end of the year, possibly into next year.

The Lady from the Black Lagoon by Mallory O’Meara – I first heard about this book on What Should I Read Next. Mallory O’Meara researched Millicent Patrick who was one of the first women to work in the art/special effects departments of major Hollywood movie studios back in the 30’s, 40’s and 50’s. She has been acknowledged as the artist behind the creation of the creature from the black lagoon. This book dives into Millicent’s life but also into the culture in the studios at the time and the prejudices faced by women. The audio is fantastic!

Question of the week:

Do you reread books?
If so, what draws you to reread certain books? What do you gain from rereading?
If not, what are your reasons? What benefits do you find in your reading life from avoiding rereads?

I used to say I never reread books. Ok, maybe a few exceptions have always been present like Jane Eyre and Harry Potter, but mostly I've been a once and done reader. Over the last few years, though, I have found more stories that just stay with me enticing me to revisit them over and over. With series, especially, you can discover completely new connections on a reread that you never noticed the first time. I still try to read mostly new-to-me books, but I don't limit myself anymore. If a previously read book is calling me I must go.

Greetings.
School is back and in the final lead up to end of year exams so super busy sorting graduation etc.

Finished 2 books but both before Monday (when school went back)
Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore which I enjoyed but knew what was happening long before they told me.
Zombie Apocalypse! which ended up being 4* not the 5 I thought it might be last week. The ending was not up to the rest unfortunately but it was unique and very funny in places.

Currently reading The Girl Who Played with Fire which is OK but because I am only having time to read a little each evening it is seeming to drag (I think that's why).

QOTW
Very rarely. I have tried Little Women 3 times because everyone else seems to love it and I can't figure out why. Each time I hated it more and it is now down to 1*. The only others I've reread are those I loved 40 years ago (early primary) before my memory became what it is. I don't reread much because the first page generally brings the whole thing back. I'm an analyser anyway so rarely find new stuff in a reread other than some non-fiction (Quantum Physics bears reread to understand better).

One of my favorite things is the four-day work week that follows a three-day weekend, so this week has been great. Plus, the Washington Nationals are going to the World Series, so my boss and my coworkers are all excited and happy, which makes work a lot more fun.

This week I finished two books. I finished A Cosmology of Monsters, which I really enjoyed. It was my book recommended by a celebrity I admire. It was reviewed and recommended by Stephen King, who I definitely admire as a writer. It really is incredible how much good content Stephen King is able to create. Anyway, A Cosmology of Monsters was a great book about a family and the monsters that chase them. It was steeped in Lovecraft, but also a little bit Stephen King. Very good, definitely recommend for a good Spooktober read.

I also finished Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me which is a graphic novel about a teenage girl whose asshole girlfriend keeps breaking up with her. It was really lovely, a nice story about young love and what to do when the person you love isn't very nice to you. There's no abuse or anything like that, just thoughtlessness and selfishness. The ending made me cry, which is always a great thing in a book.

I am currently reading: The Water Dancer, which is my book of the month selection for October and it is very good. The writing is incredible and it really describes a feeling of slavery that I have never read before. It's pretty powerful. I will say that I have been listening to the New York Times's 1619 podcast and that gave me some background that I think helped me to understand the time period of this book a little better, as well as generally how slavery worked as an economic machine. I definitely recommend this book.

Also, American Sphinx: The Character of Thomas Jefferson, which is my book that I meant to read in 2018. It's an interesting look at Thomas Jefferson and I am finding it very illuminating.

Finally, I started The Heartbeat of Wounded Knee: Native America from 1890 to the Present on Indigenous People's Day, which we were celebrating here in the Nation's Capital on Monday. One of my best friends is Lakota Sioux and grew up on a reservation in South Dakota. I have learned a lot from her about her experiences and through her activism, but I am interested to learn more about the history of Native people in America. The thing that I am enjoying most about this book is that it is telling the story of how Native people were killed and enslaved, but it is also telling about how they remained and retained their cultures. Most importantly, that they are still here.

QOTW: I do reread books. Generally it's because I'm in the mood for something particular that I know that book offers. I find that I generally have new experiences and thoughts when reading a book again. Partly because I might notice something new and partly because I have new experiences in my life that give me a slightly different lens.

The public library is hosting a silent book club tonight. Have you heard about these books clubs? You gather as a group, read for awhile, and then spend a little time talking about what you're reading. Not everyone reads the same book and there are no discussion questions. I'm going to attend and see if I like this better than normal book clubs.

Finished
The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow. I'm still trying to sort out my feelings about this book. It was a well-written fantasy, but I'm not a huge fan of books about books and that's what this is.

Soulless by Gail Carriger. I have been avoiding this book for 10 years on the premise that it's a cookie cutter YA paranormal romance. I will never trust the reviews of the person who told me this lie again. This book is none of those things. It's a wonderful, funny, imaginative paranormal steampunk light book about a Victorian spinster with no soul. I absolutely loved this book! One good thing about reading it late is that I don't have to wait for the sequels. I can read the whole series at once.

Reading
Mansfield Park by Jane Austen
The Indian World of George Washington: The First President, the First Americans, and the Birth of the Nation by Colin G. Calloway

I'm going to start Changeless tonight.

QOTW
The only books I can remember rereading are Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, and some childhood favorites that I read again as an adult. I will occasionally think about reading a favorite book again, but there are so many new books to discover.

This week I read 5 books. They were mostly pretty good, and some were books I’ve been meaning to read for a while, so I count this as a good reading week! The weather has been mostly cold and rainy, good reading weather, except my kids have been keeping me too busy to read a lot! Punk kids.

The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Colgan - this was a lot of fun, it was my first book by this author but I’m sure I’ll read her again. I was a little disappointed to find out that the pivotal children’s book that everyone enthused over in this story was made up! This would work for “about reading” over in AtY.

Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds (apparently there are quite a few books with this title!) - I listened to the audiobook, so I didn’t experience the “novel in verse” but I did get all the author’s intended intonations. This would work for “takes place in one day (takes place in just a few minutes!!)

Bronx Masquerade by Nikki Grimes - several years ago I decided to read all the books my kids have assigned in school that I haven’t read before. I thought it would help me “fill the gaps” in classics I haven’t read, but so far I’ve read A Midsummer Night's Dream and two somewhat contemporary children’s books that did not wow me, including this one. BOTH of my daughters have had this book assigned in 8th grade. Why is it such a staple?

The Crazy Kill by Chester Himes - I enjoyed this hard boiled Harlem mystery, but it probably won’t appeal to everyone. In a way, the title gives away the ending, but it’s only obvious once you’ve finished, I think.

Island of a Thousand Mirrors by Nayomi Munaweera - positively gorgeous and gut-wrenching. Five stars. This would work for multiple POVs, about a family, own voices, a d author from Asia.


QOTW

Like Sara, I’ve only recently become a re-reader (and an infrequent one at that). For the first five decades of my life, the only book I’d read more than once was Wuthering Heights. But it turns out that I forget a lot of stuff in five decades, so - thanks to reading challenges that required me to read-read! - I’ve discovered there is satisfaction in re-reading an old favorite.

I made a small list of books I would like to re-read, and I read one or two a year. I re-read nineteen eighty four, animal farm, and things fall apart. I want to reread Brave New World and Wide Sargasso Sea and On the Beach and Their Eyes Were Watching God. Since I’m a long time SFF reader, most of my old favorites are SFF. I bought an omnibus edition of Zelazny’s Princes of Amber and I try to read one book each year (tho I’ve fallen off at that and haven’t read one in two years now, oops). I decided to reread the complete Robots and Empire series by Asimov, but I sort cancelled that plan when I found myself agitated by how sexist The Naked Sun was(I didn’t notice that at all as a kid!!). I bought the e-book version of Wolfe’s New Sun series (which is probably my favorite series ever, tho I haven’t started my re-read yet - I hope it holds up!!!), and I’m slowly working my way through his Soldier series, so I can eventually read the third one (which is a new one for me).

But I also have soooo many new-to-me books I still want to read!!!! So the re-reading is kept to a minimum.

I finished the challenge, but I saw that a lot of people were reading The Princess Bride, so I figured I'd give it a go. I'm not sure how I feel about it, yet.

QOTW: I don't do a lot of rereading. Lonesome Dove is my fave book and I think I've read it 3 times. Also seen the movie 3 times. I had been carrying around David Copperfield, meaning to rearead it for years, so I finally did it this year, for the reread a fave book category this year, and that went so well I reread Wuthering Heights for the book seen read in TV.

The reason I resist rereading is there are about 700,000 books in the world I think I need to read before I die. Give or take.

Also, another reason to be wary of rereads is a few years ago, I reread To Kill a Mockingbird to refresh my memory before reading Go Set a Watchman. Mostly all I remembered from he book was that I loved it. I had read it sophomore year of high school. I didn't love it as much as I remembered. I mean, I liked it, but I didn't loooove it.

I'm getting so close to the end. I really want to try and get Popsugar done before the new list is out.

I read War Girls for review and ATY rejects (disabled character). I thought the way it explored what happens with child soldiers was good but it had pacing issues, dwelling a bit long on all the tech.

I finished Gotta Get Theroux This: My life and strange times on television (ATY rejects - journalist) and even though I was forewarned about the amount of Jimmy Saville content, it still seemed too much. I get that it's something he's struggling with, but even the bonus audiobook chapter was about him.

I also listed to Everything You Ever Wanted for South American author. I split this prompt into three and then had terrible trouble finding someone to fit who was also available on audio. Luiza was born in Brazil but grew up in the UK, so it's a bit of a stretch but at this stage, it'll do.

Currently reading Homegoing for ATY (multi-generational) and listening to Mary Poppins for pop in the title. I've had a few false starts with the "pop sugar challenge" prompt but this just popped up as available from the library and it's narrated by Olivia Colman. I can also use it for an ATY prompt if I don't get to the Moomins.

PS: 49/52 | ATY: 49/52 | GR: 109/100

QOTW:
I used to re-read more often but now there are too many new to me books I want to read. I need to have a decent amount of time between re-reads too. I re-read His Dark Materials before La Belle Sauvage came out because I first read them as a teen and I did not pick up any of the philosophical aspects! So that was worth reading again as an adult.

I still haven't got round to this year's re-read prompt. I think I'm a little worried I won't like my favourites so much the second time.

Heather wrote: "The public library is hosting a silent book club tonight. Have you heard about these books clubs? You gather as a group, read for awhile, and then spend a little time talking about what you're read..."

That silent book club sounds really interesting. Let us know how it goes. Since everyone is reading different things, you won't sound like an idiot when you don't know what you're talking about, which is my biggest fear of book clubs.

BTW, just in case it wasn't clear, I meant that as the universal "you". I wasn't assuming that you specifically would not know what you're talking about.

Ellie wrote: "I think I'm a little worried I won't like my favourites so much the second time."

Ellie, that's a legit concern! Mostly I've still enjoyed books on rereading them, but I tried to reread An Old-Fashioned Girl by Louisa May Alcott this year and could not do it. I loved it when I was a young teenager.

Heather wrote: "The public library is hosting a silent book club tonight. Have you heard about these books clubs? You gather as a group, read for awhile, and then spend a little time talking about what you're read..."

One of my colleagues goes to an interesting sounding group where each month they are given a theme and they have to go and read a book that fits, then they meet to talk about what they chose, and I guess discuss similarities and differences between what they chose. I like the idea of groups where you don't all read the same thing!

Heather wrote: "The public library is hosting a silent book club tonight. Have you heard about these books clubs? You gather as a group, read for awhile, and then spend a little time talking about what you're read..."

Why in the world did that person lie to you about Soulless?! I'm glad you read it. It's such a fun book.

Haha Soulless isn’t even YA!! The other reader must’ve confused it with her YA series set in the same world (also fun and worth reading!)

Happy Thursday, y’all!

Our library has finally joined the inter-library courier system, which means we can access all those other library’s collections as well as our own. I’ve been having a bit too much fun with this system and requested a whole pile of books and CDs, some of which I doubt I’ll get to before I have to return them. Whoops.

Books read this week:

The Butterfly Girl -- Rene Denfeld writes beautifully, but she covers some REALLY rough and hard-to-read topics! Don’t read this book if you’re not okay reading about sexual abuse of minors (thankfully treated appropriately as a crime here). Not quite as good as The Child Finder, the first book in this series, but still really good.

Daughter Of Earth And Water: A Biography Of Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley -- figured the biography of the woman who wrote Frankenstein would be fitting for this month. A little dry at times, but still a fascinating account of a fascinating woman and her legacy.

The Infinite Future -- fascinating buildup that sadly dragged on for too long and had one of the most unsatisfying ends I’ve read recently. Seriously, it feels like the author just got bored mid-scene and quit writing. Bleh.

Currently Reading:

The Best of Planet Stories 1
Carry On
The Heartbreakers
Small Spaces -- another Halloween read because why not

QOTW:

I rarely do a full re-read of books I've previously read. What I tend to do if I LOVE a book is flip through occasionally and re-read favorite passages. It helps me better appreciate the book itself, and maybe pick up things I missed when I first read it.

I've made it!

With Heroine Complex for the "superpower" prompt, I've completed the 2019 PopSugar challenge!

Alas, I'm not doing so well with ATY, which I'm a bit behind on.

QotW Do you reread books?

Most of the time, I don't reread - especially mysteries, because once who know whodunnit...

That said, I have a stable of favourite books/series which I get off the shelf when I'm either having a reading slump, or I want to go back to something familiar, or I even just want to comfort read.

Nadine wrote: "Haha Soulless isn’t even YA!! The other reader must’ve confused it with her YA series set in the same world (also fun and worth reading!)"

I enjoyed the Soulless series a lot - I'm having more trouble with the Custard Protocol (YA) ones. I liked the first book, but there were sections of the second one which I just found cringeworthy.

Also LOVE "Soulless!" And wonder who complained that it was a cookie-cutter romance and why. Yes there's romance, but the book itself is far more than just another romance dressed up in supernatural trappings.

Good morning from Columbus! I have been getting up too early since my son has started constraint therapy (they cast his good arm to encourage use of his weaker arm), it is draining. But I’m good news, I’m picking up my new car today! I’m so excited to be back in a car of my own and not in a rental.

Spooktober is going well, though I don’t think I’ll get to everything I wanted to.
Civil Disobedience for book riots a book written in prison. I feel like this is cheating since it’s more an essay but I spread myself to thin this year in terms of challenges and am trying to get through these prompts quickly lol. My dad must have been a fan of Thoreau, as his favorite saying was always “fuck the state”. This was an interesting read, and he made some good points that are still relevant today.

The Changeling for the two books with the same title prompt (part 1). Weird, good, heartbreaking, with a twist I wasn’t really expecting.

The Sisters of the Winter Wood for Marisha Pessl’s challenge. This had a lovely cover, which was why I picked it. Set in 1800’s Moldova (I think?), it’s a tale of two jewish sisters saving each other. There’s a fairy tale aspect to this, and a very human theme of a jewish community dealing with antisemitism. This was written in a very YA kind of way but I overall enjoyed it.

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow for Marisha Pessl’s challenge. I listened to an audiobook version on YouTube that had fun sound effects and stuff. My daughter listened to it with me.

The Secret Commonwealth for the author whose first and last name start with the same letter prompt. I’ve been so excited to read this, and it didn’t let me down! I love Philip Pullman so much. And now I wait for the third book lol

The Turn of the Screw for a back to the classics prompt. I keep trying to read this book thinking maybe this’ll be the time it makes sense. Alas, it was not. I’m just accepting that this was not meant for me to get and I have to be okay with that. It’s still eerie, at least.

37/40; 6/10 for popsugar, 16/24 for book riot, 5/12 for back to the classics, and 19/37 for Marisha Pessl with 137 books read this year

QOTW: I reread books I’ve read to fast or just didn’t remember well. I also reread books I loved as a kid-teen to feel nostalgic, and I tend to reread my favorites every so often. I read Night Film around this time every year

I don’t think anything I read this week ticked off any prompts. I’ve really got to get on that.

Best to worst:

Lock Every Door by Riley Sager. Thriller about a woman who is housesitting in a very exclusive apartment building and strange things start happening. I enjoyed it and would watch the heck out a Netflix series about it.

Small Sacrifices by Ann Rule. True crime about a woman who shoots her kids. I watch a lot of true crime and listen to a lot of true crime podcasts so I knew a lot about this case but there were some interesting details in the book.

13 Minutes by Sarah Pinborough. Thriller about the attempted murder? of a young girl. Really enjoyable and once again would watch the heck out of Netflix series.

The Wedding Party by Jasmine Guillory. Contemporary romance and probably my least favorite of her despite it being my favorite trope (enemies to lovers)

Caught in Time by Julie Elwain. FBI agent ends up in the past and she starts investigating crimes back in the day. Probably my least favorite of the series.

Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari. Very textbook so it took me a bit to get through it but it was interesting.

Waiting for Tom Hanks by Kerry Winfrey. Contemporary romance. Cute but shallow. Could see it as a hallmark movie.

Fix Her Up by Tessa Bailey. Okay contemporary romance.



QOTW:
I re-read everything I teach in class every year. Most of my re-reads tend to be romance novels because probably my favorite genre. And it’s generally because I’m not in the mood for what I’m currently reading so I go to something I know I’ll like.

Complete:
N or M? by Agatha Christie- (Book with a question) I'm not a huge Agatha Christie fan but I've read a few because she's written so many books and is so well regaurded. I always feel like she introduces all these characters in the first pages and they aren't all that different and I have trouble keeping them straight. This is my first Tommy and Tuppance, however, and I was delighted by it. I'd totally read the others.

Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston needed something light after a heavier read and it hit all the right spots. It is everything you'd expect from an English Prince falls in love with the son of the first female president.... but I enjoyed it and there was a bit of wish fulfillment at the end that hit all my most exposed button. Would recommend if you are looking for a book that feels like an only ever so slightly edgier than a Hallmark Movie.

The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead based on a true story and absolutely heartbreaking. So well written. I was completely wrapped up in it but afterwards needed a bubblegum read.

Question of the Week

I reread sometimes but not often. There are so many books on my TBR list that I always feel like a reread is taking time away to get to more of those. But I find rereads interesting when I do them, especially childhood favorites. I'm always curious how well things hold up both as the times change but also as I change.

Good morning, bibliophiles! The weather here cannot make up it's mind, which makes for chilly mornings and warm afternoons. I finished three books this week.

I read I'll Be There for You: The One about Friends for a book that makes me nostalgic. I love Friends so this was an interesting read that goes more into the making of the show, it's legacy, and it's problems.

I read Tart but not to fill any prompts. I don't think this is really my type of book. I really did not enjoy the writing. There was a lot of British slang for being set in the Pacific Northwest and the characters were rather flat. And insta-love tends to make me cringe.

I also finished Legend last night for my Cli-Fi book. I really liked this one. I tend to like Marie Lu's world-building but I don't always enjoy the sequels. I'll keep reading this series though as I really liked the main characters, June and Day. I want to see where they go. Also, I was a little disappointed the climate aspect of the book didn't play a bigger role. It wasn't explained at all.

QOTW: I re-read quite a bit. I've read the Harry Potter series at least 10 times. I've re-read Lord of the Rings, Twilight Saga, Little House on the Prairie, and The Hunger Games. I've read All Quiet on the Western Front three times. Twice was for school because I moved to a different state and they repeated a lot of the curriculum I had already learned which was annoying. Then I read it again as an adult. I hated it the first time and loved it the next two times. I've also re-read Beyond the Burning Time as it was a favorite of mine as a teen. I'm looking forward to this year's re-read which will be Alas, Babylon. I remember loving it in high school and I hope it holds up.

I don't have much contact with the friend who warned me off Soulless anymore, so I may never know why she hated it. I pretty quickly started to suspect everything she said about the book was wrong. I don't think we're friends on Goodreads. Maybe I should post my 5 star review on Facebook too and see if she wants to discuss/debate/fight me. :D

Hello from Nebraska! This week is Fall Break in the school, so I get time off. Everyone was asking what I was doing with my break and I would just reply "Reading." I got more than a few odd looks at my answer.

This week I read:
Goodbye, Mr. Spalding- a chapter book for my youth reading committee. There were some interesting facts about the Philadelphia A's (yes, it is historical fiction) and the stadium they played in. The book was decent.
The Downstairs Girl- another historical fiction that I enjoyed very much. It is YA and about a Chinese girl in Atlanta right after Reconstruction was dropped. She wasn't technically an American citizen even though she had been born in the United States, and the discrimination was pretty awful. I loved her strong spirit.
The Last List of Miss Judith Kratt- I also enjoyed this book. I think someone on this thread recommended it.

QOTW:
I am a big re-reader. It is like visiting old friends, and sometimes it is a reminder about books that I have forgotten. I love to re-read mysteries (if I enjoy them the first time) so I can see all the clues that I missed or picked up on. Oddly, I have only started re-reading the Harry Potter series for the first time this year, and that seems to be the series most people re-read. I still love the shiny new books though, so I imagine with my new job my re-reading will go down during the school year.

Happy Reading!

Happy Thursday, all!

Finished reading: (40/50)

The Twisted Ones (about a family, plant on the cover, imaginary creatures, published in 2019) - Horror story about a woman cleaning out her deceased grandmother's house, and a Very Good Dog who is okay (not a spoiler, the book lets you know within 10 pages). Recommended if you like strong narrative voice and good dogs.

"I wish I were a dog. One of the simple ones, like hounds. Border collies are too complicated. I suspect if I had owned a border collie, this story would have a very different ending, and I probably would not have been around to type it up. But I had Bongo, and he saved our lives because he is simple and made of nose."

Elder Evils (cli-fi, LitRPG, imaginary creatures, superpowers) - A D&D guidebook about creating campaigns against various "elder evils" - basically planetary-level threats. Someone I know is doing a campaign against Ragnorra (the most interesting one imo), so I was leafing through the book and ended up reading the whole thing.

It's cli-fi because one of the evils, Father Llymic, will cause a catastrophic ice age if released from his prison. Global cooling is one of the signs that the seals on his prison are weakening. (I love the cli-fi prompt. There are so many creative ways to fill it.)


QotW: I don't re-read much, because there's so much new stuff I want to read. But also, what Kenya said:

Kenya wrote: "I rarely do a full re-read of books I've previously read. What I tend to do if I LOVE a book is flip through occasionally and re-read favorite passages."

I did manage to finish one for the prompt A book you meant to read in 2018 Zero Sum Game by Cody L. Martin which I owe a review for (for a year, yikes). It wasn't my thing unfortunately.

And I finished out the advance prompts with A LitRPG book Hyperborea by Harmon Cooper which did nothing to make me like the genre and I say that as someone who has RPGed for the last forty years.

I only have to prompts remaining which should be like shooting fish in a barrel (technically I've read a crap ton of books by Asian authors as I'm an avid manga fan but I'm holding out for a novel)

I also read Yankee Doodle Dead by Carolyn G. Hart for the alphabet challenge. It was good but nothing stood out about it. I'll probably forget half of it by the time I review it

QOTW I only reread if there's a challenge to do so or it's my manga/graphic novels as they're quick reads. I used to reread but I'm all about the next new thing. Also I don't reread much because of the sheer size of my TBR pile (no literally had to rent a storage unit in part for all the books). I just no longer have the time to work, write my own books and reread so I keep whittling down the TBR pile.

Katy wrote: "I finished the challenge, but I saw that a lot of people were reading The Princess Bride, so I figured I'd give it a go. I'm not sure how I feel about it, yet.

QOTW: I don't do a lot of rereading...."

You did make me laugh! I am the same--roughly 700,000 books I want to read in this lifetime! ;)

I, too, have reread a few classics after about 50 years and my reactions now are VERY different! (As I would expect...)

I completely forgot to check in last week! My last day at my job is Wednesday and my birthday is Monday, so I've just been crazy busy. And once I stop working, I'll be helping coordinate my mom and I's move. I'm so stressed, but also excited?

So in the last two weeks, I've finished 5 books and a short story! 2 of them counted towards Popsugar so I'm currently at 47/50!!

First was As Kismet Would Have It by Sandhya Menon, which was a short story epilogue When Dimple Met Rishi and I didn't really like it honestly. It kind of felt unnecessary and just overly dramatic?

Next was When the Moon Was Ours by Anna-Marie McLemore, which was my book with a zodiac or astrology term in the title (moon). I enjoyed this! I struggled at first because the language is a little confusing and repetitive that I couldn't be fully immersed, unlike how i felt with The Weight of Feathers. however, I love what this book did. The way it explored gender, identity, family, and trauma was so wonderful. McLemore was inspired by her husband's journey as a transboy, and for a cisauthor and as a cis reader, I thought it was an incredibly moving & loving portrayal. Definitely gonna keep reading McLemore.

Next was There's Something About Sweetie by Sandhya Menon which was my book with sweet, spicy, bitter, or salty in the title. I didn't like this. I thought Sweetie was a really great character and I love how the author dealt with body image and self acceptance versus family pressure, but I didn't like Ashish or the romance. He was... really bland. Also I'm thinking Sandhya Menon is not for me. I love her first book, but this and her second have left me feeling extremely meh. These books read to me almost middle grade esque even though the characters are in high school? But frankly, as I'm about to turn 26. some YA just reads too juvenile for me anymore. I still think Menon is a great voice in the YA community and I hope she publishes hundreds of books about brown teens falling in love!

Then I finished How the Dukes Stole Christmas which was a fun book of novellas. I like Tessa Dare and Sarah Maclean's the best, but honestly none of them were bad! A really solid combination.

Next I finished Rogues Rush In which I did not like that much. Dare's story was fine. I love her writing and the situations she put the characters in (they themselves were forgettable) so it was fun. Caldwell's story I did not like even a little bit. Don't know if i'd want to try anything full length from her.

Lastly, I finished The Wallflower Wager by Tessa Dare which was incredibly delightful. I'm a huge Tessa Dare fan, and this book was just so sweet and cute. It had some deeper & intense moments too, so a trigger warning for child abuse and molestation! I thought Dare handled those issues extremely well, and I eagerly look forward to the next (and final?) book in the series.

QOTW: I love rereading! I don't do it enough because of trying new things, but it's so much fun to revisit old favorites. I love rereading Harry Potter as it always has so much to offer. Plus rereading my favorite romance novels is the perfect antidote to a reading slump or just a crappy mood.

Happy Thursday from chilly Cleveland, Ohio. I'm at work feeling pretty groggy. I just wanna go home and sleep but i can't. I'll be at work until 5p.m. today (insert sad face lol)
I'm posting for two weeks even though I barely got any reading done.

Finished:
Peanuts Holidays Through The Year: Five Classic Stories My mom bought this for my nephew and I ended up reading it because I absolutely love Charlie Brown and it was one of my childhood favorites! Reading things from my childhood now as an adult is weird because I notice so many problematic things like how Charlie Brown has bad self esteem and his friends all treat him like crap.
Scary Stories Complete Set: Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, More Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, and Scary Stories 3 I decided to read this as a re-read for Halloween because once again I read it as a child and didn't remember it. Well it turns out it was all 3 books on audio. I wasn't expecting it and it was kinda cool to listen to the stories. They weren't very scary or spooky however.
I DNF'd The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle after 8 chapters I couldn't get into it. I got the Audible version and the ebook. It just wasn't what I thought it was sadly.

Currently Reading:
Carmila
Camp Red Moon
The Memory Keeper's Daughter

QOTW:
I've only re-read 3 of my favorite books Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret Kindred andThe Feast of All Saints. I have too many books on my TBR pile to reread other books

Good Afternoon.. I finished one book for the week. Everyone Brave is Forgiven by Chris Cleave. The book has been on my queue for awhile. Since I am done with challenges for now I am reading off my queue. The book was okay. Not my favorite of WWII historical fiction.
I want to let everyone know about Nonfiction November challenge on Booktube..The challenge is to read 4 or as many nonfiction books during November. They have 4 one word prompts you can use but you don’t have to. I did the challenge last year & have looked forward to it all year. There is a good short announcement video on the site. There is a Goodreads page too.

Katy wrote: "Heather wrote: "The public library is hosting a silent book club tonight. Have you heard about these books clubs? You gather as a group, read for awhile, and then spend a little time talking about ..."

You made me laugh! Glad YOU clarified the "you" in your statement!

I am sad when I hear others comment that they don't want to sound "stupid" or like they don't know something at a book club meeting! :( I have facilitated an IRL book club for about 10 years and have participated and still participate in many other book clubs. In all of those, there has been only one book club that was not very carefully facilitated to be all-inclusive and non-judgmental with regard to everyone's right to their own reaction, opinions, etc.

Needless to say, with regard to that one book club, I attended one meeting and never returned, because, IMHO, the whole point of a book club is to allow (and yes, even encourage!) each person to state their reaction to the book. There is never a right or wrong answer, nor should any one participant feel judged in any way. *Stepping down off my soapbox now...*

Sorry for the rant... I just want each person to feel validated! ;)

Sherri wrote: "Good Afternoon.. I finished one book for the week. Everyone Brave is Forgiven by Chris Cleave. The book has been on my queue for awhile. Since I am done with challenges for now I am reading off my ..."

Thanks for the reminder about this challenge. I have done this for several years and find it helps me fit in a few more nonfiction books for the year!

This week I finished:

Uganda Be Kidding Me and Why Not Me? - I'm going through a female comedian kick right now, and everything else I'm trying to read I have a hard time getting through.

Currently reading:

The Poetry of Emily Dickinson
I Will Find You: Solving Killer Cases from My Life Fighting Crime
Striker

QOTW:

I reread books all the time. Generally when I reread, it is because the book is a favorite from the past (Speak, The Outsiders) or its because it is a part of the series and I want to reread what I've already read before reading a new one. I get why other people don't like to reread, because there are so many new books to read, but I love to visit stories I really enjoyed. It's kind of like spending time with an old friend.

Happy Thursday!

I am loving this beautiful fall weather that I'm experiencing right now. I'm meeting up with my friend to walk our dogs tonight and hope to get some extra reading done this evening as well.

Finished:

American Predator: The Hunt for the Most Meticulous Serial Killer of the 21st Century - Not for the challenge but for my October creepy reads. The book had a lot of good information in it, I thought it also did a good job of talking about the victims but I wanted way less backstory of Israel Keyes (he's a bad guy, I don't really care that he had a bad childhood). I'll Be Gone in the Dark was so good (I read it earlier this year) that it made me have high expectations for this one. It didn't live up to them but it doesn't mean this is a bad book.

Beard in Mind - Also, not for the challenge, just trying to get through the Winston Brothers' books before the final one comes out and I want to read all of the spin-off books but need to catch up with these first. I enjoyed it. I though the female love interest was super interesting. I also liked that it happened at the same exact time as the last book but you're seeing it from a different perspective. Really fun read!

The Sweet By and By for a book with SALTY, SWEET, BITTER, or SPICY in the title. Uuuuggggghhhhhh...this book was soooooo not for me. It was a Christian romance, nothing wrong with those, I just didn't realize it going in. I picked this one because it was available on audio right when I needed a new audiobook and it fit this prompt. Everyone sucked. Seriously, almost every character in this book was crap. The one-eyed German Shepard Roscoe was the best part of the book.

Currently Reading:

Promise Not to Tell - Not sure if this will fit any of my remaining prompts but this is for my October creepy reads. I'm not far enough into it to judge it.

My Plain Jane for a book by two female authors. I'm not far enough into this one to judge it either. But I do love a re-telling/re-imagining of a classic.

QOTW:

I do enjoy re-reading. There's a few books this that I wanted to re-read this past year but a reading slump in the spring put me behind. I could not tell you how many times I have read Little Women. It's one of my favorites of all time and I was constantly re-reading it as a kid.

Hello everyone! I'm getting so close to finishing my challenge--only 2 books left! Shockingly, I even have a plan for the last two prompts, so I am extremely pleased with myself at the moment.

I finished Circe this week, which I counted for "retelling of a classic". I enjoyed it, and Perdita Weekes' narration is as good as I've been told.

I'm currently reading The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet, which sadly does not fit in any categories for my challenge, but I'm enjoying it very much. David Mitchell is so good at plot twists, and not just at the end either! I enjoy not knowing where he's going to take me next.

For my audiobook, I'm about to start Mrs. Dalloway (takes place in one day). I haven't read any Virginia Woolf before, so I'm excited to see what she's about. I've also got The Collector (about a hobby) waiting for me, which will finish up my challenge. Huzzah!

QOTW: I reread a lot as a child, particularly Avi and Tamora Pierce books, and also Julie of the Wolves. As an adult, I can't do it! It actually makes me a little anxious to reread a whole book, knowing there are so many books out there that I haven't read and I only have so much time to read them before I die. Sorry, that got a bit dark, but it genuinely is what goes through my mind when I consider rereading. I wish it didn't; I'd like to refresh my memory on what happened in the later books of Harry Potter for one; but there we are.

Wow, maybe I should give Soulless another go. I think I DNF'd after one chapter!

Hi everyone. I took my mum on a last minute getaway so I'm writing from sunny Spain. Went to a theme park today and my legs are feeling it!

This week I didn't finish anything (The shame!), but I have read a lot.

Currently reading: Song of the Sea Maid. This took an unexpected turn which I'm dying to go back and read it but I couldn't justify bringing a half read book on holiday (stupid luggage weight limit)

Also reading Rivers of London, which I didn't actually bring with me. I found it in the hotel library and it sucked me in. I find the main character hilarious in places

Qotw: I used to reread all the time as a kid (mainly because my parents were in charge of the book buying lol) but not so much as an adult. I have a few classics which I go back and read every so often but I also have some favourite books I know I will never reread because I read them at the exact right time in my life and I could never recreate that feeling

It feels like autumn! Yay!

Still have one book left to read for AtY. I'm hoping for time this weekend to read. Been a busy work week. Plus I had to read the next 250 or so pages of Proust for my class tonight. But I still managed some finishes and starts:

Finished:

Swann in Love - which, together with the final book, means I have finished the first volume of Proust's Remembrance of Things Past - Swann's Way (which is made up of 4 separate books). These early 20th Century writers and their odd format! It's not a series in the way we think of series -- either as a continuous story like LOTR or as a series of independent sequential stories with a common link - like the Jack Reacher series by Lee Childs. Yes there is a common narrator and much else, but there seems little sequential about the books. Odd. Anyway, this particular book, Swann in Love, is really a self-contained novel about Charles Swann and his obsessive love for the courtesan Odette de Crecy, from their first meeting, through their affair, to the ending of both - his love and the affair.

Hallowe'en Husbands: Marriage at Morrow Creek / Wedding at Warehaven / Master of Penlowen - collection of 3 historical romance novellas set at Halloween - what I liked best of all is that it removed it from my TBR Towers. And it was a perfect quick palate cleanser between bouts of reading Proust.

That Month in Tuscany - mother and housewife Lizzy heads to Italy when her husband of 20 years cancels vacation plans again at the last minute, claiming work. Ren, a burnt out rock star, is heading to Italy for a much needed break while struggling with a few demons. They meet by accident on the plane to Rome and end up traveling around Italy together. I adored this book - I could identify with the main characters who have real problems they are struggling with. Neither are looking for romance and in fact it isn't easy for them. The scenes in Italy are spectacular. I definitely will be reading more by this author.

Currently reading:

Tularosa - crime fiction set in NM. First in a series.
The Nonesuch
We Should All Be Feminists - part of my Proust relief reading.

On the nightstand:
Home to Stay
The Master and Margarita

PSST - next section of Proust will be on hiatus until next week at least!

QOTW: I re-read for 4 different reasons, actually, although I don't re-read a lot.

One reason is rereading old favorites: for comfort and laughs - books that feel like members of my family or old friends - Frederica, Harry Potter, Lord Heartless, The Family Vault, any Dickens, or because it's a seasonal favorite - Rest You Merry, The Twelve Deaths Of Christmas, Holidays on Ice.

Another reason is because the next in an ongoing series is FINALLY being published and I need to refresh my recollection of the series -- I did this with Harry Potter, and I do this with George RR Martin.

Another reason relates to challenges - such as Pop Sugar having a prompt that requires a re-read -- i.e. of a childhood favorite (Nancy Drew is my go to there).

The last reason is the one that is a real change from my younger days -- rereading a book because I either don't remember the details any more (i.e. certain Agatha Christie mysteries) or because I believe my reaction to it will be different now, as the first time I read it was when I was quite young - these are often classics like The Great Gatsby, or even my reading of Proust - I first read the first volume in French in college -- I got a lot more out of it reading it in English at my advanced age!

Once upon a time I could never really re-read books because I remembered the details too much and it spoiled it for me -- especially a problem when mysteries were mostly what I read. Now I find I have forgotten plots, details, characters, even whole books that I read when in my 20s and 30s. I think time and lots of reading has pushed those out of my head. An example is Middlemarch - I can no longer remember much of anything about it. I read it and loved it back when PBS first showed the excellent BBC series -- 20 years ago or more? Other than the name Dorothea, I neither remember nor recognize anything from the book. I don't think I will ever re-read that one - but I will definitely re-watch the series!

I don't think rereading is a waste of time. Impressions of a book vary greatly according to where you are in your life. A book that seemed silly to you at 20 may have deep impact at 40. A book that leaves you warm and fuzzy every time you read it is worth its weight in gold. And then there are people like a friend of mine who read so fast that without re-reading she would sometimes run out of a book on hand to read - less of a problem with ebooks (and she's a dedicated library user, one fond of saying that without a library she would not be able to afford to read because of the high number she reads).

I do have a question for those who listen to audiobooks (I don't care for them in general and only do ones I've already read like Jim Dale and HP when doing a long drive). How often do you find that you need to read a print/ebook version of a book in order to fully appreciate it after listening to it in audio? Or while listening in audio?

Sara wrote: "One of my favorite things is the four-day work week that follows a three-day weekend, so this week has been great. Plus, the Washington Nationals are going to the World Series, so my boss and my co..."

Hi Sara,
How scary is A Cosmology of Monsters? I'm looking for a good Halloween-themed read, and it looked interesting, but I'm not the best with super scary. Like, I can't handle It without having nightmares (I've tried). Spooooky scary is great for me, but not legit terrifying. Do you think Cosmology is worth a try?

Ali wrote: "Then I finished How the Dukes Stole Christmas which was a fun book of novellas. I like Tessa Dare and Sarah Maclean's the best, but honestly none of them were bad! A really solid combination...."

Pretty sure this one is in my ebook TBR for holiday reading this year! Glad it was not disappointing...love me some holiday themed historical romances!

Brandy wrote: "Complete:
N or M? by Agatha Christie- (Book with a question) I'm not a huge Agatha Christie fan but I've read a few because she's written so many books and is so well ..."

The Tommy and Tuppence stories are some of my faves by Dame Agatha. Glad to see another fan! They are often disregarded in light of the Miss Marple and Poirot ones.

Heather wrote: "Soulless by Gail Carriger. I have been avoiding this book for 10 years on the premise that it's a cookie cutter YA paranormal romance. I will never trust the reviews of the person who told me this lie again. This book is none of those things. It's a wonderful, funny, imaginative paranormal steampunk light book about a Victorian spinster with no soul. I absolutely loved this book! One good thing about reading it late is that I don't have to wait for the sequels. I can read the whole series at once.."

I have these and I'm glad to hear such a positive response. I did read the first in the sequel series and liked it -- did not realize when I started it that it was a sequel series, or I would have started with Soulless. But it did lead to me adding the primary series to my TBR...and it might be just what I need to read now.

I have read Gail Carriger's Finishing School series - so much fun! I am sure Soulless has good fun in store for me :)

Hi everyone!

Been busy with Inktober and a halloween themed cross stitch SAL! Been reading a bit less, combined with a very slow book.

Finished:

The Fire Rose - re read for fun

The Gates of Sleep - another re-read for fun

Semiosis - I wanted to like this more than I did. very slow going. A lot of good ideas, interesting premise, but I just had trouble getting into it. I think a lot of it is the fact it's generational so every segment is a new perspective. I always have trouble with that format, breaks the story up and it doesn't flow right for me.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Vol. 2 - doing a comic binge at the moment

Currently reading:

More comic binges, catching up on various ongoing.


QOTW:

I re-read as evidenced by two this week! There's a number of reasons. Sometimes I rush through a book so fast to find out what happens, that it doesn't really sink in properly and I forget what happens later. So I'll go back and read again with less urgency later.

Some books I just love it so much I need to capture that feeling again.

Other times my brain just needs a break. Especially if i just read a lot of new books back to back, or they were particularly difficult subjects, serious, intense, boring, otherwise hard to get through. I can't NOT read, so re-reading something familiar gives me a way to read without having to work too hard.

If i'm having a bad day I'll go to some old favorites like Mercedes Lackey just to feel better.

Also if i'm doing an ongoing series and there's a big gap between books, I'll do a re-read before a new book just to remember what all was going on. By the time the Stone Door comes out, I'll for sure need to re-read The Name of the Wind and The WIse Man's fear.

The weather has been so absolutely beautiful the past week! I actually got out and rode my bike yesterday and it was delightful--I live near a river, so I rode down, stopped at a bench and read for a bit, then rode back home. That's what I want my life to be like all the time.

Finished:
Under Wildwood by Colin Meloy: This is the second in the series and I'm using it as my "book by a musician." I've enjoyed the trilogy so far; great characters and a lovely setting. I do feel that they've been a bit too long. Or they just take too long to read, I'm not sure. But yay! I finally finished a book!

Currently Reading:
Aesop's Fables: Still making my way through these, a few before bed each night. As a reminder (because I know you're all paying close attention), this is my "book that inspired a common phrase or idiom." And really, I've come across a TON that I didn't realize came from Aesop! Overall, it's a bit boring and pedantic, but it's kind of fun to see how much human nature doesn't change.

Because Internet: Understanding the New Rules of Language: I checked this out for fun last week (I haven't gotten to explore my love of linguistics for a bit) thinking it wouldn't fit any of my open prompts, but I was wrong! This will be my book published in 2019!

QOTW:
Hoo boy, I am absolutely a serial re-reader. Some books are like home for me. It doesn't matter how many times I re-read. They're old friends. I can't count the number of times I've read Speak (which is strange, since it's about such a tough topic). The day my mum called me at work to tell me my sister had been date raped, I went home and sobbed while re-reading it cover to cover. It was extremely cathartic. The Goose Girl, Feeling Sorry for Celia, Wildwood Dancing, and East used to be part of my yearly rotation--one for each of the four seasons. I never feel like re-reading takes me as long as reading a new book.

There are many other books I re-read, but the ones above are ones that feel like little pieces of my soul. I can't really explain it, but re-reading them helps me to remember myself and things that I've been through. They're also ones I rarely recommend (other than Speak) because they feel so much a part of me that if someone doesn't like the book, I feel like they don't like me. It's a bit twisted, but that's how it is! I think it's connected to the characters and their inner struggles, as well as the atmospheres.

Still trying to knock out remaining prompts before Movie Season hits with a vengeance.
47/50

Finished:
A Darker Shade of Magic - Yay

Aunts Aren't Gentlemen - bedtime Wodehouse

Watch Us Rise - Friends at school create a women's rights club. It has two women authors.

Sulwe - Gorgeous picture book about colorism written by Actual Disney Princess Lupita Nyong’o


Currently Reading:
Platform Seven - Ghost protagonist
Uncle Fred in the Springtime Bedtime Wodehouse


QOTW:
Not usually a big fan of the re-read, but I do it sometimes. Usually something like a picture book that takes just moments. I'll pop on an old audiobook if I need to sleep. A couple of times I saw the audio of something I loved stupid cheap and got it. Most are still sitting there un-listened though. Unless I L.O.V.E.D. a book and want to revisit that feeling, I don't get why anyone would keep reading the same books. It sounds really boring. There are so many other stories. I have only three prompts left, and reread is one of them. Luckily my book club is reading The Night Circus in December so I'll tick that off then.

Theresa wrote: "I have these and I'm glad to hear such a positive response. I did read the first in the sequel series and liked it -- did not realize when I started it that it was a sequel series, or I would have started with Soulless. But it did lead to me adding the primary series to my TBR...and it might be just what I need to read now. ..."


Soulless was published first (and was the first I read, too), but the Finishing School series is a prequel series and is set 25 years before. I think it's okay to read the series in any order (not the books IN the series they should be read in order, but one series vs another series!). I like them as audiobooks, and I've been focusing on the Finishing School series for now, just because it's set first.




I do have a question for those who listen to audiobooks (I don't care for them in general and only do ones I've already read like Jim Dale and HP when doing a long drive). How often do you find that you need to read a print/ebook version of a book in order to fully appreciate it after listening to it in audio? Or while listening in audio?


For me: never. I have never read a book after listening to the audiobook. I intended to for Neverwhere, since he released an author's version or something, but I haven't gotten around to it, and it wouldn't be because I felt like I missed something, just because I liked the story, and wanted to re-read it :-)

Often the audiobooks add another dimension and enhance the story (for example, I suspect I loved You, Lolita, Anansi Boys, and The Cuckoo's Calling BECAUSE I listened to them in audio version, and I may not have loved them if I had not had the narrator's voice to add that extra je ne sais quoi), but I never feel like they take away from it.

I did whip out the ebook of Middlemarch however, because I was getting confused with all the people, and I needed to sketch out a family tree of sorts for myself so I could follow it. That confusion would have happened if I had been reading it, too, though.

Late check-in today... driving from St. Louis to Santa Fe today (and tomorrow). I haven't been reading much lately. Too much time spent walking - averaging 20000+ steps a day - and packing for our formal move to New Mexico. How did we accumulate so much stuff???

Challenge Progress: 46/50

Completed:
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone: My first time listening to this book on audio, and it was thoroughly entertaining. Jim Dale does a fantastic job as narrator... I hope my children enjoyed listening to my reading (many, many years ago) as much as I enjoyed this version. ★★★★★

Fair Play: A Game-Changing Solution for When You Have Too Much to Do: I guess this book just wasn't for me. I'm older, and while I have still have a "child" at home (a 27-year-old son with severe autism), so much just didn't seem to apply to me and my family. The "game" seems unnecessarily complicated, and I feel sorry for couples that have to gamify their relationship to achieve a fair balance. You can't just talk? ★★

Currently Reading: Woman 99, The Perks of Loving a Scoundrel, The Nickel Boys, One of Us Is Lying (a book that takes place during the season in which it is read)

QOTW: Yes, I re-read books. It's like visiting an old friend. When I was a teacher (high school math), I would read the books my students were reading, so I've read To Kill a Mockingbird, Lord of the Flies, Of Mice and Men, etc. many times. And there are some other classics I always enjoy (Jane Eyre, Tess of the D'Urbervilles) and some books that should be classics (Station Eleven, The Magicians)... Oh, and the Harry Potter series, of course! When the books first came out, my husband and I would trade the book back forth - two hours at a time - until we finished, and then I would read them aloud to our children after dinner each night. And now I'm enjoying listening to the audio versions!

Hello ladies and gentlemen,

Went to the library yesterday and thought "I want to read all the books" and yet I am still working on the 158 page book I started two weeks ago. #life


29/40 Regular
5/10 Advanced

Currently Reading



QotW:

Do you reread books?
If so, what draws you to reread certain books? What do you gain from rereading?
If not, what are your reasons? What benefits do you find in your reading life from avoiding rereads?
Nope. I have read 2 books twice in 33 years of life. To Kill a Mockingbird and A Wrinkle in Time. Mockingbird was mandatory both times and Wrinkle I actually didn't really like the second time. I sometimes think about re-reading Harry Potter (I still haven't hit the re-read challenge for this year and am dreading it) but then I don't. I barely have time to get through new books. I also don't rewatch movies very often. Once I know all the surprises coming I kind of lose interest. Not for me.

Jessica wrote: "Hello ladies and gentlemen,

Nope. I have read 2 books twice in 33 years of life. To Kill a Mockingbird and A Wrinkle in Time. Mockingbird was mandatory both times and Wrinkle I actually didn't really like the second time. .
..."

I had to read Candide three times for school. High school senior year humanities class, College sophomore year something kind of like a humanties class. And College senior year lit class. I didn't like it the first time and it's the only book that got double duty in my classes. One of the girls in my sorority said it was her favorite book, and I'm ashamed to admit that I was a bit too enthusiastic in my negative response to that. LOL.

Katy wrote: "I had to read Candide three times for school. High school senior year humanities class..."

Yikes, that sucks. I read Candide shortly after seeing the opera (operetta? musical?) and was not impressed, I could not imagine having to read it three times. My college education tripled up on Tartuffe for some reason--I think it was three separate translations over the span of a year and a half and I refused to read any of them, lol.

Hi all! I didn't update last week so prepare for an avalanche!

Read:

The Dragon Republic: yes excellent good I want the last book of this trilogy immediately. I love a good end-of-book backstabbing.

Child Star: Shirley Temple's autobiography--fascinating! I skipped all the bits about studio finance and her own finances because the rest of it was much more interesting.

Home and The Night Masquerade: these were great! I wish there was more!

Hatchet: I read this because some podcast I listen to said it was an excellent example of man versus nature and like yes they're right, but I still have never read a man-v-nature story that wasn't also incredibly boring.

Journey to the River Sea: one of my very favorites from childhood! I remembered none of the plot but all of the details. Eva Ibbotson is really very good at delicious details.

When a Scot Ties the Knot: I had never read Tessa Dare and had no idea what to expect, but this just blew me away! I'll definitely pick up something else by her. And I loved the lobsters.

Bound with Love and Bound with Honor: then I ruined my historical-romance mood by reading these. Ugh. Points for unconventional relationships, but no points for writing, plot, or character. Everyone was boring!!

Tibet: A History: I knew very little about Tibet, and this was a good introduction.

Lyra's Oxford: I have a feeling I read this before and forgot. Either way, enjoyable but too short!

QOTW: I used to reread more books than I currently do, mostly because I was a child/teenager/student with limited money to buy new books and limited transportation options to the library, so I just reread what I already had. Nowadays I have too many in the TBR pile to read, and would feel guilty for rereading when there are so many unread! I did get This Is How You Lose the Time War from the library again for a planned reread though, just because I loved it so much.

Does anyone reread accidentally? I made it almost to the end of The Disaster Artist: My Life Inside The Room, the Greatest Bad Movie Ever Made and Lyra's Oxford before remembering I'd already read them. Maybe that's my memory trying to tell me something, lol.

I'm getting closer to completing my challenges, but the NBA regular season starts next week, which will seriously cut into my reading time. Go Jazz!

I finished three books this week:

Hope Rides Again by Andrew Shaffer; 4 stars - not for challenge
As did the previous book in this new series about Barack Obama and Joe Biden as amateur detectives, I giggled on nearly every page. This is silly stuff done right and I find it highly entertaining. I've wondered whether this series is helping or hurting Biden's presidential run chances, as it tends to portray him as a lovable aging blunderer (although I suppose we already know that about him).

On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong; 3 stars - PS #32 [author from Asia], ATY #49 [author from Far East]
This may be some of the most beautiful writing I have ever read, and I saved many quotes from it. It's an intense and haunting story of a Vietnam refugee written as a letter to his mother. But somehow I didn't love it as much as it deserves. It was perhaps too emotionally raw for me.

The Testaments by Margaret Atwood; 4 stars - PS #50 [set in convent]
This was a worthy successor to The Handmaid's Tale and answered some of the questions left open from that book. I'm glad the author decided after so many years to finish the story.

Goodreads: 68/80
PopSugar: 39/45, 7/10
Around The Year: 48/52

QOTW:
I don't reread a lot of books because my TBR list is so incredibly long and this group makes it grow faster than I can read. But, when I do reread, it is usually books that I read a long time ago. I started keeping track of what books I had read in 1989 when I was 29 years old. So I try to read a couple of books per year that I know I read prior to that time but don't have "proof" of reading. It makes marking them as "Read" more legitimate to me. I'm neurotic.

I have discovered that audiobooks of some favorites add a new enjoyment. I finished the audiobooks of Harry Potter this year. I am thinking of doing the same with the Hunger Game series next year.