Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge discussion
2020 Weekly Checkins
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Week 14: 3/27 – 4/2
On the QotW, the ones that immediately springs to mind in the current situation are one Craig Johnson quotes a lot in his Longmire books, although I don't know the origin."Stay calm, have courage and wait for signs"
and its UK friend/equivalent "Keep calm and carry on".
I've got a few more prompts ticked off since I last checked in, which I think was week 10.
5. A book set in a city that has hosted the Olympics: False ValueBen Aaronovich - liked it a lot
20. A book you picked because the title caught your attention: If on a Winter's Night a Traveller, Italo Calvino - not a fan
13. A book with the same title as a movie or TV show but is unrelated to it: Dark Matter, Blake Crouch - not bad, although I saw at least some of the twists coming.
40b. From 2016 - 27. A murder mystery: Killer Jam, Karen Macinerney - likeable first in series
16. A book that has a book on the cover: Monsignor Quixote, Grahame Green - stated well, but tailed off
Current totals:
Basic: 21/44
Advanced: 6/10
I finished two great books, sadly the next two I’ve started have been a bit uninspiring… I also started looking at the 2019 PS Challenge, because it looks like PS 2020 and ATY won’t be enough to cover my reading for the year. I won’t finish PS ‘19 this year, but I could start it at least. But without the listopia it’s been hard trying to find books that fit prompts. It also seems to me that the prompts for 2019 were a bit harder?
This week I finished:
The Remains of the Day – for ATY 42nd prompt, 5 stars! I didn’t expect to like it so much, there isn’t really much happening plot-wise, but the way it’s written – marvelous. This is the first book by Kazuo Ishiguro that I’ve read. I’m looking for recommendations - which one from his other books should I pick up next?
Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore – for “Book by an author with flora or fauna in their name” – 4.5 stars! This was also a surprise, really interesting plot, I liked the characters and the ending very much.
That makes 23/50 for PS.
Currently Reading:
The Lost Book of Adana Moreau
The Ten Thousand Doors of January
QOTW
Oh I love quotes, I even bought The Wit and Wisdom of Discworld which is filled with quotations from the Discworld. Trouble is, I love quotes but I can’t remember them hahaha. So here are a few I could find on my GR page:
“Friendship .. is born at the moment when one man says to another "What! You too? I thought that no one but myself . . .”
― C.S. Lewis, The Four Loves
"In the Ramtop village where they dance the real Morris dance, for example, they believe that no one is finally dead until the ripples they cause in the world die away until the clock he wound up winds down, until the wine she made has finished its ferment, until the crop they planted is harvested. The span of someone's life, they say, is only the core of their actual existence." - Terry Pratchett, Reaper Man
"I don't mind criticism, said Granny. You know me. I've never been one to take offence at criticism. No one could say I'm the sort to take offence at criticism --
Not twice anyway - said Nanny. " - Terry Pratchett, Witches Abroad
and of course: “So many books, so little time.” ― Frank Zappa
We're under a similar order here in Ohio - tbh I can't remember the last time I went for a "scenic drive" unless it involved looking at Christmas lights on the way home from some event or other. What I really miss right now is seeing friends. My husband and I are Those People who don't have smartphones, so things like FaceTiming are out. Ten more days til I'm back on Facebook and Twitter, which I'm sure will help immensely.Finished this week:
Blood of Tyrants by Naomi Novik - 3 stars. This one was rather disappointing, being the penultimate book of the series. It didn't feel as though much happened.
The Two Towers by JRR Tolkien - 4.5 stars. Another great reread, like Fellowship. I love Treebeard and was surprised by how the film adaptation shifted things around; the book ends with (view spoiler), while that whole scenario is saved for Return of the King in the films. (It's been 15ish years since I read them, so I've forgotten most everything that's not in the movies.) Book with a three-word title
27/50
Currently reading:
Cold Magic by Kate Elliott
All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
QOTW: Do you have any favorite quotes? They could be literary, book-adjacent or not book related at all!
Oh, many! Let's see what I can come up with this morning.
- “I wish it need not have happened in my time,” said Frodo. “So do I,” said Gandalf, “and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.” - The Fellowship of the Ring, JRR Tolkien
- "I lived in books more than I lived anywhere else." - The Ocean at the End of the Lane, Neil Gaiman
- "You write?" "Why, all the time," said Locke. "Except of course when I'm wrong." - The Lies of Locke Lamora, Scott Lynch
- "I am the one thing in life I can control." - Hamilton, Lin-Manuel Miranda
Well, the gentlemen have spoken, it seems.
The days are all starting to run together. Challenge Progress: 34/50
Completed:
Doc: I am not a western fan. I've actively avoided movies like "Tombstone," "The Magnificent Seven," and "Silverado" all my life (even if they're some of my husband's favorites), so reading a novel about Doc Holliday is not to be expected. But Russell's beautiful writing and attention to historical detail may have changed my mind about the genre just a little bit. I'm certainly looking forward to reading her follow-up book Epitaph. ★★★★ (A western)
The Rosie Result: Superb conclusion to the series! As an autism parent, I love to read fiction featuring characters on the spectrum, especially when it's done as deftly, humorously, and honestly as in Graeme Simsion's Don Tillman trilogy. ★★★★★
Children of Virtue and Vengeance: So disappointing. It's so obviously an intermediary book in a series. No real beginning; no real end. The plot felt pointless and undirected - just one bad decision after another. It reminded me of a plucked daisy: He loves me... he loves me not, I trust you... I trust you not. I don't know if I trust this author to bring this series to a satisfying conclusion. ★★ (A book by an author in their 20s)
Dragon Hoops: "[Y]ou don't know if you're going to win or lose. But you step out anyway." A graphic memoir about high school basketball? Yes. But it's about so much more than that. It's about the choices you make and the chances you take. Yes, yes, yes. ★★★★★
But What If We're Wrong? Thinking About the Present As If It Were the Past: While the concept of challenging what we know and how it might be viewed in the future is certainly intriguing, this one loses a star for the inexplicable use of a British woman as the narrator. It was quite jarring at times as the voice in no way matches the prose. ★★ (A book with an upside-down image on the cover)
Nobody's Victim: Fighting Psychos, Stalkers, Pervs, and Trolls: It's stunning to read about all these people (mostly women) who have been abused, shamed, and extorted and the legal system that seems set up to protect the perpetrators. I didn't really appreciate Goldberg's writing style, but the message is so, so important. ★★★ (A book with a pink cover)
Currently Reading:
We Ride Upon Sticks (A book you picked because the title caught your attention)
A Gentleman in Moscow (A book set in a city that has hosted the Olympics)
Things in Jars (Past Prompt: 2016 - A book with a blue cover)
Oona Out of Order (Past Prompt: 2018 - A book with alliteration in the title)
Seeds of Science: Why We Got It So Wrong on GMOs
A Citizen's Guide to Beating Donald Trump
The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz (A fiction or nonfiction book about a world leader)
Four Weddings and a Sixpence: An Anthology (An anthology)
QOTW: I'll just share a few quotes from some of my favorite reads from 2019:
"Boredom is the mind's scar tissue." - Charlie Jane Anders, All the Birds in the Sky
"Listen to yourself, hear your own footsteps, your breaths, your heartbeats, oh, how many rhythms you make as you come and go! You are an orchestra." - Charlie Jane Anders, The City in the Middle of the Night
"Sometimes I feel there are doors lurking in the creases of every sentence, with periods for knobs and verbs for hinges." - Alix E. Harrow, The Ten Thousand Doors of January
ALERT FOR MURDERBOT FANS! BONUS SHORT STORY - if you preorder the hardcover edition of Network Effect, you can submit an image of your receipt HERE to get a bonus short story emailed to you on the publication date.Now, for less important stuff. :)
I haven't left my house except for obtaining food or medical care in 21 days. Let me tell you all, I'm a pretty big introvert, but this is ridiculous. It's worth it of course, but we all have a right to whinge. All our lives are turned upside down. Being isolated and robbed of your routine is a legitimate threat to mental health. It's hard sometimes. But working from home, Zoom dance classes, reading, and streaming TV are keeping me sane!
Finished:
A book with a map - Shadow and Bone - really liked it. Bardugo has a special talent for marrying fairy-tale style storytelling with solid, relatable characters and fascinating (but not confusing) world-building.
Currently Reading:
A book with a pink cover - Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle - very timely read! Worth reading just for the first part on completing the stress reaction. I feel like listening to the audiobook is impairing some of my understanding on following sections, so I'll probably get the print version too. But I do recommend the audio, read by the authors themselves. They are amazing readers, and so funny and warm. Plus it's hilarious to hear them talk about the patriarchy - don't know how it's spelled in the book, but every single time the word comes up, it's followed by an exhausted, disgusted "Eugh." :D
An anthology - New Tales of the Yellow Sign - turns out I got about halfway through this once upon a time, then put it down and lost track of it. Glad to pick it up again. The first story, "Full Bleed," is just *chef kiss* perfect!
QOTW
(Possibly I was overthinking this. I do that; it’s the anxiety that comes with being a part-organic murderbot. The upside was paranoid attention to detail. The downside was also paranoid attention to detail.)
-- Martha Wells, Exit Strategy
Good stories make you feel all of the emotional weight and you don’t feel any of the writers’ maneuvering to get you there.
-- A. Ron, Game of Thrones podcast episode 806 - The Iron Throne
There's no way to be a perfect mother and a million ways to be a good one.
-- Jill Churchill
Much like folks who reside in troll farms that insist that they’re just doing it “for the lulz” or “ironically” and that they don’t mean it, “ironic” hate is still hate. You can roll your eyes while you fuck a goat but at the end of the day, you’re still balls deep in ungulate.
-- Dr. Nerdlove
Happiness is the only good.
The place to be happy is here.
The time to be happy is now.
The way to be happy is to make others so.
-- Robert Green Ingersoll, 1897
you can do nothing.
or you can do something.
if you do something, you will be told you are doing it imperfectly.
you will be scolded for getting the tone wrong, the sentiment wrong, the wording wrong, or the timing wrong.
do it anyway.
do it anyway.
keep doing the things.
the only alternative is to do nothing, and nowadays that’s exactly what nobody needs.
keep doing.
get it wrong. get it wrong. get it wrong.
and keep going. the enemy of progress is perfection. keep going. keep doing.
i am amanda palmer and haven’t brushed my hair in a long time and i believe in you.
-- Amanda Palmer, Facebook, 1/4/2020
Every week seems like it can't get worse, and then something happens to make things worse. We're literally living through a plague right now and I hope that everyone is staying safe. I'm trying to stay positive, and mostly succeeding, but this is a truly depressing time. I did read an article yesterday saying that book sales are up, because all the people staying home are reading more, so that's good news for booksellers and authors, I suppose.This week I finished 2 books. From Dead to Worse, which is part of my re-read of the Sookie Stackhouse series and it fit the ATY prompt for last week, which was to read a book that fit a previous prompt. I used the previous prompt of reading the next book in a series that you're reading. Anyway, this is one of my favorite book series and I haven't read it in years, so I'm really enjoying it.
I also finished Malice Aforethought. I read this as part of a reading project I'm doing to read all 8 books referenced in Eight Perfect Murders. I also used it as a book featuring one of the seven deadly sins. I loved this book, it was really entertaining. Now I'm trying to get my husband to read it.
I just started Wuthering Heights, which is a book written by an author in their 20s. I read this book in high school, over 25 years ago. I don't remember much of it, but I am really enjoying it.
QOTW:
There is only the fight to recover what has been lost
And found and lost again and again: and now, under conditions
That seem unpropitious. But perhaps neither gain nor loss.
For us, there is only the trying. The rest is not our business.
- T.S.Eliot "East Coker"
Hi all,I hope everyone is hanging in there.
I only finished one book this past week.
“Anthology” The Last Storytellers: Tales from the Heart of Morocco- This is a collection of stories written down by a British journalist from the last few professional storytellers in Morocco. I appreciated the look at traditional Morrocan culture, but one of the stories in particular made me uncomfortable enough to downgrade a star. 2 stars
QOTW-
I took a quick peek on Goodreads for quotes from some of my favorite books as I don’t necessarily remember good quotes off the top of my head.
“Open your eyes and see what you can with them before they close forever.”
― Anthony Doerr, All the Light We Cannot See
“It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live.”
― J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
“I am glad you are here with me. Here at the end of all things, Sam.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King
Happy Thursday Everyone! :) I hope everyone had a great week & happy birthday to those of you who mentioned you have birthdays coming up this week in last week's thread! :) This week I finished 3 more books bringing me up to...Current Progress
PS: 20/50 | HP: 30/56 | ATY: 30/52 | GR: 30/100
Finished This Week
Addicted: Notes from the Belly of the Beast edited by Lorna Crozier & Patrick Lane ⭐️⭐️ This is a collection of essays written by people who suffer from addictions of varying kinds. Like most anthologies, some entries were way better or easier to connect with than others. I didn’t particularly enjoy this book but it did seem to distinguish between the intellectual and emotional aspects of addictions and that was definitely a plus since most people who don’t experience addiction only see it intellectually. In that sense, it's an important read that so many of us could probably benefit from!
Used for: HP - 7. Read a book where a Character breaks the law
ATY - 22. A Book with the Major Theme of survival (so many essays deal with how to survive and cope with addiction)
Not used for PS
Sadie by Courtney Summers ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This is the story of a teenage girl who takes off and sets out to get revenge for her sisters murder and the story of a podcaster trying to figure out where she is and if she's safe. The plot of this one kept me intrigued for sure, it was satisfying that not everything was spelled out for the reader in the moment and had to be guessed, then discovered later in the book and that you had enough tools to actually make those guesses along the way. I liked some of the deeper more thoughtful quotes/moments as well. It's a book that could so easily be read in one sitting if you have the time to set aside (and I think I would have preferred it that way if I'd known in advance) but there were a couple things that just didn't work the best for me: lack of different formatting for flashbacks/visions so it was a little jarring to read a few of those and do a double take as to what's happening + slightly repetitive in the shorter podcaster sections since 90% of the time the reader already knows where she is (although the podcast sections do provide interviews with her friends/family and other perspectives that we otherwise wouldn't get that help the story unfold so I get why it's written this way). Also I wish the ending had been a little less open.
Used for: HP - 5. Read a book written by OR about someone you respect (the way Sadie basically raises her sister from such a young age herself + her bold/brave actions make her a very respectable character!)
ATY - 24. A Book with an emotion in the title (Sad)
Not used for PS
One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid ⭐️⭐️ This is about a woman who's husband is presumed dead, years later she has moved on and is engaged when she suddenly gets a phone call from her husband and this book is all about her memories with both guys + the fallout of that situation. The premise of this one was intriguing (because what does one do in that situation?!) and the story line kept my interest but the way this one was written just DID NOT work for me and I was surprised and disappointed considering I have really enjoyed some of TJR's other books! From the first quarter of the book, I felt very primed for one obvious choice. It is blatantly obvious that one of the relationships is very far from being a true love, in some aspects unhealthy and it drastically cheapens the whole story. Emma's emotional confusion in the fallout leads me to believe she has the self awareness/emotional intelligence of an inanimate object for large portions of the story and has me grasping at straws as to why she is even conflicted about which relationship she wants in the long run which greatly diminished the emotional experience of a read like this and just had me frustrated if not outright angry with her most of the time throughout this book. I know that TJR likes to write flawed characters so that they seem more realistic but this one was a doozy. There are also some moments where she acts questionably and by the end, I actually had tossed the book across the room!
Used for: PS - 16. A Book that has a Book on the Cover
HP - 29. Read a book set in the North-East United States (mainly in Massachusetts with portions taking place in Maine and LA)
ATY - 37. Two books that are related to each other as a pair of binary opposites: Book #1 (my plan for Book #2 is The Hating Game so I'm going for the Love/Hate)
Currently Reading
Nothing, haha! I haven't decided what to read next just yet..but I'll pick one of my ebooks later this morning once my tablet is all charged up! :) I started a few pages of The Casual Vacancy but I think I'll set it aside and pick it up later since I don't think it's what I'm in the mood for just now.
QotW
There are plenty of books with quotes that have impacted me in the moments that I've read them but the only one that has stood the test of time and really stuck with me is:
"Tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it yet." from Anne of Green Gables! I loved this quote even as a kid, but appreciate it more as an adult! Somehow learning lessons and making mistakes when you get older can sometimes feel more embarrassing so this quote is just a little truth nugget to help not feel so sad in a situation like that! =)
Hi everyone. With everything that is going on in the world, I haven't actually read a single page since the last check in (I'm going to put myself in bookworm jail!)QOTW: A bit of Douglas Adams to make us smile
"For instance, on the planet Earth, man had always assumed that he was more intelligent than dolphins because he had achieved so much—the wheel, New York, wars and so on—whilst all the dolphins had ever done was muck about in the water having a good time. But conversely, the dolphins had always believed that they were far more intelligent than man—for precisely the same reasons."
This week I finished The Restaurant at the End of the Universe as my book I meant to read last year.I've just started Searching for Jesus: New Discoveries in the Quest for Jesus of Nazareth—and How They Confirm the Gospel Accounts as my book with a 3 word title. Not counting subtitle obviously.
QOTW: Psalm 57:1 Have mercy on me, my God, have mercy on me, for in you I take refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of your wing until the disaster has passed.
Hi all - hope you're all staying safe and well. I'm in the UK and am now out of self-isolation due to a fever. I'm now allowed out once a day near my home for exercise!Had a much better reading week than last week as last week I read nothing. Still much less than normal as it's pretty hard to keep focused.
Finished
The Bees by Laline Paull - using this for subject you know nothing about as I knew nothing really about bees and read in the dedication that the author researched and wrote it in honour of an ill beekeeper friend. I learned that bees are brutal haha but also very selfless.
The Colour of Bee Larkham’s Murder by Sarah Harris - title with over 20 characters. A very different book about a boy with synaesthesia who witnesses a murder but unfortunately cannot recognise faces to identify the killer.
Currently Reading
The Secret History by Donna Tartt - not sure where I'll put this, I've meant to read it forever so pleased to finally get to it. Bit of a beast though so taking my time!
Station Eleven by Emily St John Mandel - maybe not the best time for this. The main character's approach to panic buying amused me at the moment - particularly the trolley full of toilet roll.
Transcription by Kate Atkinson - bird on the cover. Hardly into this one but enjoying it so far.
QOTW
I keep a book of Winnie the Pooh on my coffee table. Pooh always has words of wisdom...
If you are trying to find your way home, and keep finding yourself instead back at the same sand-pit, it may be that the sand-pit is following you about.
When trying to ignore a knock at your door, don't yell out, "No!" when someone asks, "Is anyone at home?"
Mod
The weather here has been hot and then chilly and rainy and gray and then warm and I’m over this social distancing (but I will continue to do so because I don’t want to get sick and/or inadvertently get someone else sick). And distance learning starts next week for my classes, so this will be fun, I’m sure.No prompts checked off this week:
Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor. Fantasy and about halfway through I was like I’m definitely getting the second book but I felt like it kind of fell apart in the second half and got overly complicated with not enough backstory and explanation.
The Prince of Broadway by Joanna Shupe. Historical romance. I have been devouring my stock of mass market paperbacks lately as they are my comfort reads. Joanna Shupe is probably my new favorite romance author.
Royal Holiday by Jasmine Guillory. Romance with an older heroine. It was an okay read but it kind of felt like an early book of hers that they packaged after her success with The Wedding Date and The Proposal. It just felt slight.
Did not finish
Cabin at the End of the Woods by Paul Tremblay. I made it about 50 pages in before I decided it wasn’t for me but that could be just because of the mood I’m in right now.
QOTW:
“I don't want to sell anything, buy anything, or process anything as a career. I don't want to sell anything bought or processed, or buy anything sold or processed, or process anything sold, bought, or processed, or repair anything sold, bought, or processed. You know, as a career, I don't want to do that.” -Say Anything
I thought I'd have an update today but I am just nearly finished two books Atlas Alone and Black River.A lot of book distributors in the UK are shutting down so most of the bookshops who were trying to carry on with deliveries now can't. Am I glad I have 100s of unread books on my shelves and kindle! Hoping Waterstones can still send me some of my pre-orders, I need to get them changed to deliver, but they are so far off I am trying not to pester them when I am sure they are very busy.
QOTW:
I am not someone that can just come up with quotes off the top of my head. So I guess I don't have favourite quotes? I note some down when I'm reading to use in reviews, but I don't often go back to them after that. I probably say a lot of things I've picked up from TV shows though...
Finished:-The Deep by Rivers Solomon
-My Sister the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite
-The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert A Heinlein
-Pretty Little Liars by Sara Shepard
-Wishful Drinking by Carrie Fisher
Starting: The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne
PS: 18 ATY:14
Mod
Oooooh I rarely buy books but now that the libraries are closed I am worried about the long wait times on ebooks so I've pre-ordered three new releases, including Network Effect!! My receipt is an email from Amazon, I assume I can screenshot it and submit?
This week I started listening to the audiobooks I had been saving for a vacation that might not happen now. It’s possible it will be okay to take a vacation in late May/early June, but I’m not holding my breath. I decided to listen now so that if I can’t go, I don’t listen to the audiobooks later and feel depressed about missing my trip. If I can go, I have plenty of other audiobook choices. I really liked the books! They would have made great listens on long drives. Finished
Crimson Lake by Candice Fox (a book that won an award in 2019 - Audie). This is a good contemporary mystery novel. The pacing was great. I was never bored, but also had time to get to know the detectives, who have interesting pasts. It’s the beginning of a series, but could be a standalone novel too. The audiobook narration definitely deserved the Audie Award.
Golden State by Ben H. Winters (a book with gold, silver, or bronze in the title). I didn’t really care for this book. The dystopian setting where lies are illegal was interesting, but the characters felt flat and too many plot points felt like they were taken straight from 1984 and Fahrenheit 451.
Bad Axe County by John Galligan (a book with a pun in the title). The first female sheriff in Wisconsin, who is also the former Dairy Queen, investigates sex trafficking of underage girls in her county. I didn’t expect much from this book given the title, but I loved it!
Reading
The Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon (a book by or about a woman in STEM)
The A.I. Who Loved Me by Alyssa Cole (a book with a robot, cyborg, or AI character)
QOTW
Yes, many! I use my Goodreads profile to track my favorite quotes.
"So comes snow after fire, and even dragons have their endings." -JRR Tolkien, The Hobbit
"Fill your paper with the breathings of your heart." -William Wordsworth
"If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them." -Henry David Thoreau, Walden
GoodMorning All, I read two books for the week. My Dear Hamilton: A Novel of Eliza Schuyler Hamilton by Stephanie Dray & Laura Kamoie. I used it for a fiction or nonfiction book about a world leader. Alexander Hamilton is all throughout the book. Her relationships with all the founding fathers is also in the book. I really enjoyed the book & gave it 4 stars.
Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid. I didn’t have a prompt for this challenge I could use it for. I read that book in a day.
QOTW. I quote books & movies all the time. I say “Bloody Hell” all the time. I quote a lot from The Godfather by Mario Puzo. There is a scene toward the end of the movie The Godfather where Michael & his father are discussing all the things to be done during their transition of power. The Godfather keeps reminding Michael of things to be done. Michael says in a tired voice “we’ll get there pop,we’ll get there.” Last year when we were cleaning out my parents home, selling the house, & helping mom moved to assisted living I said that quote a hundred times. I’m sure I have many more but those 2 popped in my mind.
Hi everyone, We've been on stay-at-home orders since March 23, and I've been doing that un-officially since the first case popped up in Michigan on the 11th or so. It's getting very old. I'm an introvert, but there's a big difference between doing it because you want to and doing it because you HAVE to. The constant fear/paranoia/anxiety also just makes it hard to enjoy things you normally like. Also we hibernate in the winter a lot, this is about the time we finally start DOING things again, so it's really frustrating that we can't.
However my big box of Powell's books just came in, so that's happy!
This week I finished:
Men Explain Things to Me - this was just ok for me. I think i expected more humor, if exasperation, but it was a lot about violence against women and how it's used to silence thoughts and ideas and it was depressing. Info was good, but because it was collected essays from different sources, it had an awful lot of repetition for a book of only 130 pages. Book with only text on the cover.
The Queen of Nothing - this came up in library holds, tore through it. Loved it, great conclusion to the series. Counts for author with a flora or fauna in their name.
Rescue & Jessica: A Life-Changing Friendship - Read Harder's children picture book with a main character that is human and a marginalized group. One of the main characters is a girl who is an amputee, and it's about being paired with a service dog and re-learning how to do things. I actually did a little version on hoopla where the book art was slightly animated, and was narrated. It was cute, art was nice.
The Faceless Old Woman Who Secretly Lives In Your Home - third nightvale book, i'd preordered it to make up for not going to their live show and supporting them that way. Normally i wait until the books go on sale for under $5, but i figure they're struggling with the cancellation of the tour so it was a way to help. I liked it, wasn't what i expected. Counts as my book published in 2020.
Currently Reading:
The Count of Monte Cristo- read another 30 pages or so, such slow going.
Magic for Liars - book by a trans or nonbianary author. I'm enjoying it so far. I always like a good magic-meets-noir type book.
QOTW:
The Night Circus is one of my favorite books and has a lot of good ones, but i'll go with:
“Good and evil are a great deal more complex than a princess and a dragon . . . is not the dragon the hero of his own story?”
― Erin Morgenstern, The Night Circus
and
“You're in the right place at the right time, and you care enough to do what needs to be done. Sometimes that's enough.”
― Erin Morgenstern, The Night Circus
I also really like the Harry Potter quote:
“Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?”
― J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
This week, I finished:Bitch Planet: Triple Feature, Vol. 1
Sass & Sorcery
The Far Reaching Tentacles of N'rygoth
Earthseed: The Complete Series (I read Parable of the Sower last month, which I'm using for "A book by a WOC" and I finished Parable of the Talents on Tuesday)
The Classic Slave Narratives (using this for "An anthology" prompt)
I'm currently reading:
All-American Muslim Girl ("A book you picked because the title caught your attention")
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince ("A book with more than 20 letters in its title")
I still need to add a few books to my challenge bookshelf, but I'm at about 14/50.
Favorite quote: This one has stuck with me since high school. It's by George Santayana. "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." Not very uplifting, sorry! lol
Happy Thursday! Spring is definitely here now and we keep going between rain and beautiful sunshine. Tornado season is upon us in Oklahoma. We've been self-isolating for a few weeks now. I mark the start of the world screeching to a halt the night the Thunder/Jazz game was unexpected cancelled. In my mind, that's when everything seemed to shut down all of a sudden.I managed to finish one book, the audio version of The Only Plane in the Sky: An Oral History of 9/11 for a book with no images or graphics on the cover. This book was amazing and devastating. I thought I knew everything about 9/11. I mean my memories are so vivid but this gave me a whole new insight on that day. And I learned a lot that I didn't know before. It's heartbreaking though. 5 stars.
QOTW:
“Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light.” J.K.Rowling, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
"A room without books is like a body without a soul." Marcus Tullius Cicero
"Not all those who wander are lost." J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring
"There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.” Maya Angelou, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
This situation has me in a serious reading funk. I think last week was the first week this year I have not finished multiple books. Very Sad. Books I was really looking forward to reading I just can't get into right now. It's very disappointing and discouraging!Progress:
Popsugar - 30/50
ATY - 24/52
Goodreads - 40/100
Finished:
An Unkindness of Ghosts by Rivers Solomon
POP trans or nonbinary author. 2 stars Had a hard time following or being interested in the story. Looking forward to The Deep by the same author to see if its better.
Currently Reading:
The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin
ATY: Published in 2020
Archenemies by Marissa Meyer
The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin
Away from the Dark by Aleatha Romig
The Wives by Tarryn Fisher
QotW: I'm usually not a debbie downer but I can't think of any quotes off the top of my head right now.
Nadine wrote: "I just realized today is THURSDAY!!! hahaha"Me too!!!!! Good thing because I had to go pick up the girls.
Mod
This is only my second week working from home, the week before that I was in the 50% of our employees told to work in the office. Already it is hard to remember which day it is. I am fortunate to have the sort of job that allows me to work from home; I’ve got my work laptop set up on a TV tray table next to my home computer. It’s tough to stay focused on work, though.
My audiobook time has decreased mightily now that I no longer commute and also don’t go to the gym, and my ebook time has decreased too, because I used to read at my desk at lunch, but now I have lunch with my daughters. And my bedtime reading has decreased, since my kids do schoolwork all day, we have time to watch TV after dinner. I’m not reading nearly as much as I expected.
This week I finished 2 books, one for this Challenge, so I am now 26/50.
Fleishman Is in Trouble by Taffy Brodesser-Akner - this was an audiobook, which I usually listen to at the gym or alone in my car, and since both of those have been eliminated, I had to get creative to make time to listen before my loan expired. This had a slow start, but I ended up LOVING this book. This was my “upside down image” book.
The Essential Gwendolyn Brooks - turns out I don’t really love Brooks poetry.
QUOTE of the week!!!
I quote movies allll the time, such as Say Anything (yes, the quote Chandie quoted already!), Ghostbusters (favorite quote: “where do these stairs go?” - “they go up!”) and The Incredibles (favorite quote: “oh my back!”). My kids can even quote movies and TV shows they've never seen, because their father and I communicate in quotes so often.
But literary quotes are not so common for me to have memorized. When I read Kindle I highlight tons, however, and I often include quotes in my GR reviews. So here’s a quote from Fleishman:
Whatever kind of woman you are, even when you’re a lot of kinds of women, you’re still always just a woman, which is to say you’re always a little bit less than a man.
I’m more likely to quote poems, actually. Here is a Langston Hughes poem:
Hope
Sometimes when I’m lonely,
Don’t know why,
Keep thinkin’ I won’t be lonely
By and by.
And here is the poem I read this morning from American Primitive by Mary Oliver (I am loving this book - I think I need to buy myself a complete collection of Oliver's poems):
Tasting the Wild Grapes
The red beast
who lives in the side of these hills
won’t come out for anything you have:
money or music. Still, there are moments
heavy with light and good luck. Walk
quietly under these tangled vines
and pay attention, and one morning
something will explode underfoot
like a branch of fire; one afternoon
something will flow down the hill
in plain view, a muscled sleeve the color
of all October! And forgetting
everything you will leap to name it
as though for the first time, your lit blood
rushing not to a word but a sound
small-boned, thin-faced, in a hurry,
lively as the dark thorns of the wild grapes
on the unsuspecting tongue!
The fox! The fox!
Mod
Me too!!!!! Good thing because I had to go pick up the girls."
LOL without these weekly check-ins, I don't know how I would keep track of the days!! Thursday is important for our check-in, AND I need to remember to take the trash out because Friday is track pick-up day here.
Yes, week 3 of isolation, week 2 of stay-at-home order, which has been extended by our governor to the end of April. Gonna be a looong month. :( But, we're also counting our blessings since my husband can work from home. But my daughter misses going out and seeing people. She's 2, so I can't really explain to her why her schedule is all upside-down and why we're only watching church on tv or can only see GG and Pop-Pop on a computer screen. She's been very cranky and confused. But hopefully during this month we will distract her with potty training. We were going to wait until the summer, but since we're all stuck at home for another month, we figured, why not now? Wish us luck....Finished 11/50
I am SO CLOSE to finishing two books. I will probably finish them within the next couple days. Just barely missed the week deadline!
Currently Reading
Early Christian Writings: The Apostolic Fathers for "book with a book on the cover". Enjoying it so far!
Father Arseny, 1893-1973: Priest, Prisoner, Spiritual Father for "book with a 4-star rating on Goodreads". I am inches away from finishing this!
The Wilderness Journal: 365 Days with the Philokalia for "book with a title that caught your attention". A page a day. Still plugging.
QotW
"If only there were evil people somewhere insidiously committing evil deeds, and it were necessary only to separate them from the rest of us and destroy them. But the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being. And who is willing to destroy a piece of his own heart?" -Solzhenitsyn, The Gulag Archipelago
"It is our choices that show who we truly are, far more than our abilities." -Prof. Dumbledore, Harry Potter
"Wrong will be right,
When Aslan comes in sight.
At the sound of his roar,
Sorrows will be no more.
When he bears his teeth,
Winter meets its death.
And when he shakes his mane,
We shall have spring again." - Mr. Beaver, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
And pretty much anything St. John Chrysostum says. XD He isn't nicknamed "golden tongue" for nothing!
PS 19/50Finished:
The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls for prompt “a book with at least a 4-star rating on GR.” I loved this book. I could relate to so many of the stories she told.
The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate- Discoveries from a Secret World by Peter Wohlleben for prompt “a book on a subject you know *nothing* about.” I gave it 3 stars. It was interesting in some areas. It took awhile to read though because it just wasn’t interesting enough. :(
Currently reading:
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo (I’ll be starting this later today).
QOTW:
“Be yourself and people will like you.” (Diary of a Wimpy Kid)
“Hoping for the best, prepared for the worst, and unsurprised by anything in between.” (I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings)
“I don’t understand it any more than you do, but one thing I’ve learned is that you don’t have to understand things for them to be.” (A Wrinkle in Time)
Still moving classes online. At least it keeps me too busy to be worried. I have started reading like usual after months of a slump.Thanks to the thread for the prompt - A book about or involving social media (one that I had dreaded) I read Twittering from the Circus of the Dead which was a free story by JOE HILL ( find it here) It wasn't bad for what it was (and hey, free)
I read Prose and Cons by Amanda Flower for A book with a pun in the title. Cozies in general are good for punny titles if you're looking for one. This one was pretty good if you ignore some of the dumb crap the protagonist pulled (i.e. your usual cozy mystery fare these days. I miss Jessica Fletcher)
Another dreaded prompt was A Western since that is so not a favorite genre. I had been looking forward to picking up a weird western at the Steampunk convention but as you might imagine that was canceled but then this book I was going to read anyhow turned out to be a weird western set mostly in 1871 Californian saloon (and then on a train back east) No Rest for the Wicked by Phoebe Darqueling. It was fairly enjoyable, a western with ghosts.
QOTW Favorite quotes. I have several from Star Trek but here are my three favorites. Make it So (Jean-Luc Picard), and from Spock Live Long and Prosper and Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations
From Lord of the Rings Not all those who wander are lost.
From Ganhdi Be the change you want to see in the world However, he didn't actually say that. What he said was We but mirror the world. which is also very good.
One of my favorite Star Trek quotes is from the original Star Trek. I can’t remember who said it. Maybe Dr. Spock. “Beam me aboard Scotty. There is no intelligent life forms here”.
Sherri wrote: "One of my favorite Star Trek quotes is from the original Star Trek. I can’t remember who said it. Maybe Dr. Spock. “Beam me aboard Scotty. There is no intelligent life forms here”."I think that one is more from fandom than canon but it's wonderful
Ah yes, week 3, or as I like to call it, the week that time lost all meaning. :-) We got our official stay at home order for the state yesterday, it goes into effect tonight. We've already been doing that ourselves, but here's hoping the rest of the state finally settles down. I finished two books this week:
Five Feet Apart by Rachael Lippincott with Mikki Daughtry and Tobias Iaconis - though predictable for its genre, I was absolutely taken in by the characters and their experiences, it was a real tear jerker. Next up, watching the movie.
THE KING WHOSE NAME IS LOVE: Eight Tales of Faith by Shlomo Kalo - I was disappointed by this volume. I felt like the way the parables were modified by the author took away the most important lessons they were meant to teach.
QOTW: My quotes are usually movie quotes. And pretty random, lol. I'll share a few, but honestly I usually don't realize I know a quote until a situation comes up and it comes out of hiding in my head.
"You can't handle the truth." A Few Good Men
"I'm your huckleberry." Tombstone
"This is no democracy. It is a dictatorship. I am the law." Remember the Titans
“First of all, I would like to make one thing clear: I never explain anything.” Mary Poppins
Happy Thursday, y’all.Well, in addition to the coronavirus, our state's 21-day stay-at-home order, and being gone from my job and having to adjust to a new normal... we had an earthquake in Idaho on Tuesday! It was a 6.5 and hit the middle of the state, and caused some minor structural damage but no deaths. All we got out at our house was some stuff shaking on the shelves (we were about 70 miles or so from the epicenter), but still freaky.
Can we just... reboot 2020 and start this over?
Books read this week:
Poison Study -- for “book that passes the Bechdel test.” While an engaging story, I wasn’t won over by this one. Despite passing the infamous Bechdel test and portraying a world where women can hold the same jobs as men (view spoiler), it’s sure nasty towards women. Can we PLEASE stop using sexual assault as a shortcut to creating a tragic character backstory, or as a cheap way to make the bad guys as awful as possible? Bleh.
Lizard -- for the advanced prompt “book set in Japan.” I loved Kitchen by the same author, and this short story collection is melancholy but delightful.
Funny, You Don't Look Autistic: A Comedian's Guide to Life on the Spectrum -- not for the challenge. As someone on the autistic spectrum myself, I not only found this funny but very true to life, and found myself identifying with the author frequently throughout.
Me -- not for the challenge. Elton John’s biography… and while he tends to infodump at times, Elton tells an honest and hilarious account of his life. I don’t normally read celebrity memoirs, but I was a huge Elton John fan growing up, so this felt like required reading, albeit required reading I enjoyed.
Regular challenge -- 27/44 (split the last prompt into five)
Advanced challenge -- 6/10
Not for challenge -- 22
DNF:
Silver in the Blood -- was going to be for “book with gold, silver, or bronze in the title.” I just could NOT get into this one. Which is a shame, because I usually really love Jessica Day George’s books.
Currently Reading:
Blood Oath -- for “book about a world leader”
The Rarest Bird in the World: The Search for the Nechisar Nightjar -- for “book with a bird on the cover”
The Silver Stag -- for “book with gold, silver, or bronze in the title”
QOTW:
I have a few favorite book quotes:
"Anything's possible if you've got enough nerve." -- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
"Wizard's first rule: people are stupid." -- Wizard's First Rule (I actually don't like this series as much as I used to, but I like the quote.)
“A silent Library is a sad Library. A Library without patrons on whom to pile books and tales and knowing and magazines full of up-to-the-minute politickal fashions and atlases and plays in pentameter! A Library should be full of exclamations! Shouts of delight and horror as the wonders of the world are discovered or the lies of the heavens are uncovered or the wild adventures of devil-knows-who sent romping out of the pages. A Library should be full of now-just-a-minutes and that-can't-be-rights and scientifick folk running skelter to prove somebody wrong. It should positively vibrate with laughing at comedies and sobbing at tragedies, it should echo with gasps as decent ladies glimpse indecent things and indecent ladies stumble upon secret and scandalous decencies! A Library should not shush; it should roar!” -- The Girl Who Soared Over Fairyland and Cut the Moon in Two
I also like "There are no happy endings, because nothing ever ends," though it's from the film adaptation of The Last Unicorn and not in the book. Though the author of the book also wrote the screenplay, so... sorta an example?
What a week! We are finishing up our third week of online teaching/learning now, leading into spring holiday. Thankfully, the weather across our bit of Europe is going to be warm and sunny ... but while I can't travel as I meant to, I'll be spending a lot of time on my little patio reading and refinishing some furniture. Finished this week:
The Mother-Daughter Book Club for the prompt a book about a book club. Super cute story. I enjoyed it, being a teacher of tweens.
The Shadow of the Wind for the prompt of a book set in a city that hosted the Olympics (Barcelona). I had a hard time starting the book, but once it started thumping along, it got better - and turned hysterically funny. It was a A LOT of cloak-and-dagger stuff with all sorts of Gothic elements, but it was fun, and I couldn't resist finishing it up quickly.
Working through: Darling Rose Gold on Audible and reading The Bookish Life of Nina Hill. Also reading The Fountains of Silence because anything by Ruta Sepetys is amazing - and also, our grade 7s were supposed to travel to Spain for their out-of-the-classroom trip in May, but obviously, that's been kabashed. We've kept going by reading books set in Spain, like this one.
May start on My Dark Vanessa for the Bildungsroman prompt.
QotW
I do have a lot of favorite quotes. Many of them from The Diary of Anne Frank and Harry Potter, and a few from Pride & Prejudice. I'm sure they've already been listed!
Another long week of staying at home. We are all adjusting though, so that is good. Having a yard and a quiet neighborhood is helping us get out- which is a relief. I miss my trips to the library though.This week I read:
Eagle & Crane- first book I touched on a shelf with my eyes closed. It was pretty good. I have to admit, I liked it better after I read it (while reflecting on it) then I liked it while reading it.
The Year We Fell From Space- a book for young people about children going though a divorce. I think it is good for kiddos who are early in the process- so they know their feelings are valid, but the divorce is not their fault.
At the Wolf's Table- an historical fiction about one of Hitler's food tasters. Very sad, but a good read.
Marilla of Green Gables- Anne is definitely better, and I hated knowing that John and Marilla wouldn't be together- made me sad for them and for John's wife, honestly. Still, I am glad I read it.
QOTW:
"In all my years of word collecting, I've learned this to be a tried and true fact: I can very often tell how much a person loves another person by the way they say their name. I think that's one of the best feelings in the world, when you know your name is safe in another person's mouth. When you know they'll never shout it out like a cuss word, but say it or whisper it like a once-upon-a-time." A Snicker of Magic by Natalie Lloyd.
My reading is really taking a hit from all this going on. :(Finished:
The Call of the Wild (book becoming a movie in 2020) - This was a short read and nothing that special.
The Grapes of Wrath (a book published in the 20th century) - I really like this. I enjoyed Of Mice and Men when I had to read it for high school so I decided to pick up this one. There's just something about his writing that I enjoy.
Currently Reading:
Nothing! I might pick up The Two Lives of Lydia Bird or The Simple Wild but I'm not sure what I'm in the mood for. I'm also going to look at what audiobooks are available on Libby.
Regular: 14/40
Advanced: 3/10
QOTW:
Oh man. I have a lot of favorite quotes!
"Life offers up these moments of joy despite everything." from Normal People
"When everyone knows you're a monster, you needn't waste time doing every monstrous thing" from Six of Crows. One of my favorite books of all time!
"We don't have a word for the opposite of loneliness, but if we did, I could say that's what I want in life." from The Opposite of Loneliness: Essays and Stories.
"The way I see it, every life is a pile of good things and… bad things. The good things don’t always soften the bad things, but vice versa, the bad things don’t necessarily spoil the good things or make them unimportant." from the Vincent Van Gogh episode of Doctor Who. The only episode that made me cry.
Finished: I finally finished a book! The Great Influenza: The Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History for medical thriller. This book avoided being sensational because it was couched in terms of scientific discovery. I felt like it had a lot of relevance to our current pandemic. In fact, as soon as I finished, I started reading it again, so I could talk more cogently about it!Started: Free Culture: The Nature and Future of Creativity Reading this for its relevance to copyright law since I'm designing a website.
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Reading the whole series for the first time!
Qotw:
"Be a loner. That gives you time to wonder, to search for truth. Have holy curiosity. Make your life worth living." -- Albert Einstein
"You've gotta keep control of your time, and you can't unless you say no. You can't let people set your agenda in life." -- Warren Buffett
"Reading is that fruitful miracle of a communication in the midst of solitude." -- Marcel Proust
"We are healed of a suffering only by experiencing it to the full."
-- Marcel Proust
"Within you, there is a stillness and a sanctuary to which you can retreat at any time and be yourself." -- Herman Hesse
"May you never be too grown up to search the skies on Christmas Eve." -- Anonymous
This week has been a bit up and down. I feel like I don't have any time for reading but I feel like reading all the time. I'm making progress in my schoolwork so that feels good. I had a pretty good reading week and have read some really great books. Popsugar reading challenge: 21/50
Goodreads reading challenge: 21/55
Finished
Crooked House by Agatha Christie. Loved this mystery! I really liked the plot and the way story was told. Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Prompt: A book nby an author who was written more than 20 books
The Rice Mother by Rani Manicka. I'm trying to read a book from every country and this fits for Malaysia. Another great read. We follow a family from 1916 to 2000ish and it's so good. A bit tragic and brutal but still a very compelling read. Reminds me a bit of Half of a yellow sun which is a good thing. Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐Prompt:Your favorite prompt from a past challenge (I chose female author)
Currently reading
Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur. Trying to read some poetry, it is not my preferred genre but I like to challenge myself.
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. I have such high hopes for this book!
Elantris by Brandon Sanderson. So excited to read another one of his books.
QOTW
I have so many quotes that I like but I rarely write them up. Here are som of my liked quotes from Goodreads.
Nora Ephron: “Reading is escape, and the opposite of escape; it's a way to make contact with reality after a day of making things up, and it's a way of making contact with someone else's imagination after a day that's all too real.”
Oscar Wilde: “Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson: “To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.”
Today marks three weeks of isolation for us as well. I'm grateful for books, online discussions of books (like this and the ToB), and walks outside. We're trying to take things one day at a time (which I was already doing for a while since I've been out of a job since November). This too shall pass. (I guess that can count toward the QOTW!)I am currently at 39/50 for this challenge but have re-prioritized for a few weeks since I'm trying to get through more 2020 fiction with my 30 days of scribd before Camp ToB. Many of my remaining challenge books are on the back burner right now, but I'll get to those later this month.
This week I read the new short story collection Verge: Stories and it was... a lot. Wow. Very powerful stuff, but mostly out of my comfort zone. Most of the stories were "too much" for me, but I can see the value. 3 stars
I listened to Cinder for the challenge even though I'm really not in the mood for SFF during this pandemic. Luckily the story didn't dwell on those commonalities too much and I actually enjoyed the story. 4 stars
I listened to Amnesty and the execution may not have been perfect, but it was a good story with important themes and I generally enjoyed it. 4 stars
I just finished Creatures and it was different in a good way. Slow and jumping around in the timeline, but this just worked for me right now. 4 stars
I'm currently listening to Over the Top: A Raw Journey to Self-Love (LOVE the Fab Five!) and reading Babel-17 on kindle for a book club.
QOTW: I'm really enjoying all these great quotes! I don't have too many that I can think of off the top of my head (some have already been mentioned) but I do enjoy the quotes the Goodreads app give you while it's loading. Just saw these:
"Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known." -Carl Sagan
"Some of these things are true and some of them lies. But they are all good stories." -Hilary Mantel
"Books are mirrors: you only see in them what you already have inside you." -Carlos Ruiz Zafon
Hello isolated and "essential" reading friends. I am currently on two week "vacation". This is a weird world we are living in. Anyway, hope everyone is safe and as sane as possible. 17/40 Regular
3/10 Advanced
Finished:
8. A book with an upside-down image on the cover
I liked this, the narrator was awesome, the end was underwhelming.
Currently Reading:
DNF:
QotW:
Do you have any favorite quotes? They could be literary, book-adjacent or not book related at all!
My all time favorite quote is from the movie Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid "Kid, the next time I say, 'Let's go someplace like Bolivia,' let's go someplace like Bolivia."
I have some quotes written in notebooks but I don't have any right now.
Happy Thursday! I hope you & your loved ones are all healthy. My week in books is copy + paste from last week. Finished 0 books, still reading 2 books. I hope works slows a bit down next week. It feels strange: while some people are completely run out of work or even lost their jobs, mine is like crazy these weeks. Really looking forward to this weekend: the weather promises to be extremely mild, so it looks like lots of reading-in-the-sun-in-our-garden! *keepsfingerscrossed*
Finished
0
Currently reading
Wir sehen uns unter den Linden
De Bourgondiers
Qotw
I don’t have that many favorite quotes in English. Especially no bookish ones. So here are 3 of my favorite quotes.
“Life is like a box of chocolates. You never what you’re gonna get.” - Forrest Gump
“Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country.” - JFK
“The only thing you can do, is taking good care of yourself.” - Lesson I learned when I was treated for my fear of flying because of being a control freak. Have been flying without fear since the treatment.
Made it to April! Man did March last an eternity, for real! Here in NYC we are on 'Pause' until at least April 28th, I predict into May in truth if we are lucky. We have field hospitals in Central Park a short walk from my home - no I am not going to check them out but I would not be surprised to see Hawkeye, Trapper, et all from MASH in the area. It is surreal. Meanwhile I'm adjusting to WFH, decided I will manage without going into a grocery store or pharmacy for as long as possible. I have well-stocked cupboards and freezer and it is time to clear that all out anyway. I'm safe and well and want to keep it that way.
And very busy with work. Lawyers never get a break. I'm trying hard to establish a routine. Probably will be well settled in a good routine just about the time I can return to the office.
But reading...still not really happening. Slow, easily distracted, nothing gripping. Except I did manage one read that just carried me away and at least broke the worst of the block I'd had:
His Majesty's Dragon - alternate history set during Napoleonic wars-- where there are AirCorps made up of dragons. LOVED it! Recommend it highly even to those who like me are not into fantasy. If you love historical fiction...this works.
Successfully reading that led me to my current read On What Grounds a cozy mystery set in a NYC coffee bar - first in a series. I actually am enjoying it even if reading at a snails pace.
Oh, and Proust lurks. I still have 125 pages in the current volume and 422 in the next to read over the next 4 weeks...
QOTW: I don't really collect or remember quotes. I recognize many when I see them though. I'd say an expression I use a lot is as close as I get:
"Let's take a refreshing turn around the room" - from Pride and Prejudice of course.
Tania wrote: "Ah yes, week 3, or as I like to call it, the week that time lost all meaning. :-) We got our official stay at home order for the state yesterday, it goes into effect tonight. We've already been doi..."LOVE I'm your huckleberry (and that movie is one of the few Westerns I've ever liked)
I'm feeling very overwhelmed today for some reason so this will be a super quick update. I finished 2 books this week:Dash & Lily's Book of Dares ( ATY by 2 authors) - did not like it. The dialogue between all of the characters was way too over the top.
Dead Mountain: The Untold True Story of the Dyatlov Pass Incident ( PS recommended bu a favorite vlog etc.) - I found this one on Book Tube/ Books and LaLa. It was really interesting and I'd like to read more about it or find a documentary. I didn't really buy this authors theory on what happened.
Still working on Becoming ( PS a world leader), and The Poison Tree (ATY about survival) and reading through Maggie & Abby and the Shipwreck Treehouse with the girls.
Can't think of any quotes right now for the QOTW
Some advice for those of you in quarantine.... Start your cars and let them run every couple of days. Batteries die!!! ( This was how my week started LOL)
I don't have much to say that's different from anyone else--I'm working from home, very grateful to still have a job, and trying to make it through each day. I am getting a second kitty soon. Since I live alone, the extra companionship will be welcomed!Finished:
Fifty Shames of Earl Grey: A book with a pun in the title. This was silly, required no emotional or intellectual work, and was just what I needed. I've never read the source material and have no plans to, but I know enough about 50 Shades to have gotten it.
Currently Reading:
Fer-de-Lance by Rex Stout: This will be my book from a series with more than 20 books. Joining up with Archie and Nero has been another comfort!
QOTW:
Oh man, this question was made for me! I have a whole quote journal that I've been keeping for years! Of course I won't list them all here, but here are a few:
"Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better, it's not." - The Lorax by Dr. Seuss
"You must remember, family is often born of blood, but it doesn't depend on blood. Nor is it exclusive of friendship. Family members can be your best friends, you know. And best friends, whether or not they are related to you, can be your family." The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart
"'People aren't either wicked or noble,' the hook-handed man said. 'They're like chef's salads, with good things and bad things chopped and mixed together in a vinaigrette of confusion and conflict.'" The Grim Grotto by Lemony Snicket
And one I think we can all relate to:
"There is no mistaking a real book when one meets it. It is like falling in love." Christopher Morley
I've been listening to books at work when I can, but not reading much at home. Not being able to read in the coffee shop isn't helping. I think I finished one book this week.Finished:
The Diviners
Currently Reading:
Lair of Dreams
Love Among the Chickens
QOTW:
The thing that's most unfortunate about audiobooks is that it's so much harder to note a good quote. Sometimes I hear a line go by and I just can't get to writing it down. Here's one I enjoy
“I'm not absolutely certain of the facts, but I rather fancy it's Shakespeare who says that it's always just when a fellow is feeling particularly braced with things in general that Fate sneaks up behind him with the bit of lead piping.”
― P. G. Wodehouse, Jeeves and the Unbidden Guest
The Magical Life of Long Tack Sam: An Illustrated Memoir a family history/biography of the Chinese magician Long Tack Sam for the prompt A book you picked because the title caught your attention; and Theodore Rex a fiction or nonfiction book about a world leader.My current read is American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer which will take a while as it is 591 pages long.
Oh my god I actually got to this thread on a Thursday. This never happens. I'm so proud of myself. Read this week:Number One Chinese Restaurant for a book with an upside-down image on the cover: Um....I didn't like this. I agree with the review that called it "aggressively mediocre." The beginning was fine and I was looking forward to seeing some drama amongst employees of a Chinese restaurant, but ultimately the whole thing just felt flat. 2 stars.
Wanted, A Gentleman, not for challenge: I liked this, especially the amount of care and research that went into it. More interesting and realistic than a lot of historical romance I've read.
I'm Afraid of Men, not for challenge: short but powerful. Really enjoyed this.
DNF:
Her Fearful Symmetry. Yeah, just couldn't do it. Thanks to everyone last week who responded about this book! I gave it another few chapters and read some spoilery reviews before deciding I had some better things to do.
Currently reading:
Edgedancer
The Secret Garden
The Unhoneymooners
Funny, You Don't Look Autistic: A Comedian's Guide to Life on the Spectrum
QOTW: Wow, everyone has such uplifting quotes! My immediate thought was: "I am in blood stepped so far that should I go no more, returning were as tedious as go o'er" (Macbeth). It's not very quotable or relevant to my life (except for a couple days every month), but it's fun to say.
And one that I'm really beginning to feel, spending so much time alone: "Sleep, that sometime shuts up sorrow's eye, steal me awhile from mine own company!" (A Midsummer Night's Dream)
Nadine wrote: "I just realized today is THURSDAY!!! hahaha"SAME
I haven't left my apartment building since March 13. I'm technically working from home but the main office is a mess right now (understandably) so it's not clear when we're getting more work in. At first I was restless, but I've chilled out and am trying to treat it as an extended vacation.
Time has become pretty meaningless, though. I meet up with friends online every weekend to raid in FFXIV, which is like...my only connection to the calendar. I also haven't been reading much, but that's not so much due to circumstances, just my mood.
Currently reading:
Gideon the Ninth - not very far but already Gideon is my favorite character of the year and Gideon x Harrow is my favorite couple of the year
"All because," said Gideon, checking her clock again, "I completely fucking hate you, because you are a hideous witch from hell. No offence."
There was a pause.
"Oh, Griddle!" said Harrow pityingly, in the silence. "But I don't even remember about you most of the time."
I ship this so hard
QotW: oh man finally a use for my quote bin, cool QotW
“In short, the mouse is perhaps the single most helpless animal on earth, blessed with nary a resource to defend himself against the cruel privations of a savage world.
Save one—the mouse knows it. The mouse is too feeble to cling to any illusions of safety. From the instant he leaves the flesh of the womb, he knows his life is there for the taking, and he grows cagey, and sharp. He sees the goshawk above him, sniffs out the polecat lurking in the shadows.”
—The Builders
“Imagine, if you will, that I am sat upon a motorcycle. The motorcycle is going very fast, and it is on fire. I, too, am on fire. The motorcycle and I are both in Hell, which is also on fire. In my hand, I have some manner of cocktail of indeterminate origin, which is on fire. I am using it to toast the Spectre of Oblivion, who isn’t on fire but will be fairly soon. We all hurtle towards the yawning void of the Well, which might or might not be on fire, but we’ll find out eventually. There may indeed be someone ahead of me, streaking a trail of fire and blood on a burning supersonic jet, but I’m content with my burning motorcycle.”
—Caolain/spacemarine9
“Reality is becoming obstreperous. We grow close to the Abyss.”—Johannes Cabal (A Long Spoon)
also there's song lyrics, but if I get into that I'll be here all day haha
Mod
QOTW: A bit of Douglas Adams t..."
Oh, my gosh! Is there a "bookworm jail"? LOL You made me laugh.
Twice! Love the quote, too!
Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge
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We are in week 3 (I think??) of isolating at home. The governor of Virginia issued an executive “stay home” order at the beginning of the week so we are pretty much only going out for groceries or just a scenic drive. I haven’t been in the office for a week and a half. I finally had to make the hard decision to stop my daughter’s horseback riding lessons. My reading is still not what it was, in part because I’ve lost much of my audiobook time. Still, I am very aware of the blessings I have in being able to work from home. My thoughts and prayers are with any of you that find yourself in difficult circumstances.
Admin note:
April’s group discussion of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is open here.
Reminder that we are still looking for discussion leaders for:
May – The Tattooist of Auschwitz
July – A Gentleman in Moscow
August – The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
PM myself or Nadine to volunteer!
On to the reading check-in!
Finished:
Goodnight June by Sarah Jio – Many of us either grew up reading Goodnight Moon or we read it to our children (or both!). This novel creates a fictional friendship between Margaret Wise Brown and Ruby, June’s great-aunt, who has left her bookstore, Bluebird Books to June. Through the letters Ruby left behind, June pieces together the past and the connections it makes to the now.
Marilla of Green Gables by Sarah McCoy – This book has been on my TBR for over a year and I finally got around to it. It was great to get a glimpse of Marilla’s backstory, but since anyone who has read Anne of Green Gables knows that Marilla never marries, some parts of the story just made me sad. Also, the author weaves in some Canadian history from the mid-19th century that I was unfamiliar with. Recommended for any fan of the Anne books! Used for a book set in a country that starts with “C”.
Currently reading:
The Honey-Don't List by Christina Lauren
Maybe You Should Talk to Someone: A Therapist, Her Therapist, and Our Lives Revealed – by Lori Gottlieb
Completed 30 out of 50.
Question of the week:
Do you have any favorite quotes? They could be literary, book-adjacent or not book related at all!
This quote from The Martian by Andy Weir seems particularly timely:
“If a hiker gets lost in the mountains, people will coordinate a search. If a train crashes, people will line up to give blood. If an earthquake levels a city, people all over the world will send emergency supplies. This is so fundamentally human that it's found in every culture without exception. Yes, there are assholes who just don't care, but they're massively outnumbered by the people who do.”
Harry Potter has some amazing quotable dialogue, but I think my two favorites are:
It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities (Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets)
Just because you have the emotional range of a teaspoon doesn't mean we all have. (Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix)
This quote from Tsh Oxenreider’s At Home in the World: Reflections on Belonging While Wandering the Globe:
“Tea drinking is a liturgy of comfort, and we partake of it everywhere in the world. It’s a ceremony of simplicity, nourishment for both the nomads in foreign teahouses and homebodies in their beds.”
I know I have others so I may come back and add in some more later.