Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge discussion

Another week of winter here.  Winter lasts forever, but I remind myself that winter is the relaxing season because I don't have to mow.


Admin stuff:
We have all our 1Q & 2Q group reads chosen, now we need discussion leaders for these books!!

March:  The Song of Achilles  for A book that has won the Women’s Prize for Fiction

April: The Midnight Library  for A magical realism book

May: Ayesha at Last for A book by a Muslim American author

June: Dear Martin  for A book on a Black Lives Matter reading list


Send a note to me or Lynn if you're interested in leading a group discussion.  Don't be shy! It's fun and informal! 


This week I finished 5 books, all for this Challenge, so I am now 12/50.

It's that easy time of year when you can find a category for ALL the books you're reading, whether or not you chose them for the Challenge! Do you ever get annoyed with yourself, because you were hoping that a particular Challenge category would finally push you to read that book you've been meaning to get to for a while, but then you fill that category with a different book? That's me, right now.


Bluebird, Bluebird by Attica Locke - this was fantastic!  It was sort of a mystery, since it starts with two dead bodies washing up in the bayou, but it was more about Texas Ranger Darren and his struggles dealing with racism in East Texas and dealing with drinking problems and family problems and other people's problems.   I checked off: "book you meant to read last year" with this one.

Xeni by Rebekah Weatherspoon - this was a spontaneous choice, I'd never read this author but I saw a friend give it a good review and it was available from my library so I borrowed it.  And I hated it.  One star, will never read this author again, not for me, nope  nope nope.  I checked off: "title starts with X" with this one.

Cinnamon Kiss by Walter Mosley - I have this love/hate relationship with Easy Rawlins.  I really like Easy but I don't really like Walter Mosley's portrayal of women.  They make for good audiobooks though, so I keep listening.  This is book ten in the series and it is not one of the better ones.  This had not been the book I planned, but Mosley has the same astrology sign as me, so I checked that off.

White Ivy by Susie Yang - this took me a long time to read, because it was slow, and I kept setting it down to read other books.  But in the end, I LOVED this book.  Ivy is such a twisted person.  If you like to read books about unlikeable people, this book is for you.  Ivy's mother and grandmother were main characters, so I checked off "three generations."

Catherine House by Elisabeth Thomas- Just finished last night! I had this book on my TBR but I'm not sure if I ever would have actually read it if not for my need to find a "dark academia" book.  It was a slow read, but I ended up LOVING this book.  One of my all-time favorite books!!  It was so dark and dreamy and weird!  Five stars!






Question of the Week
Which 21st century novels do you think will become classics?



I saw this question on FB, which linked to a Book Riot article, which references a reddit discussion, and here we are on GR.  Very 21st century of us!

The Book Riot article helpfully lists some qualities of a "classic," from Italo Calvino:

* Exercise an influence over the reader, become unforgettable, be reread often, and “hide in the layers of memory disguised as the individual’s or the collective unconscious.”
* Constantly generate discussion, and always have something new to present to even those who have read it before.
* Doesn’t allow you to remain indifferent: Readers are profoundly moved by it.
* Have a timeless quality or, effectively capture a certain time period in a bottle, “trailing behind them the traces they have left in the culture or cultures through which they have passed.


So, based on that, I'm going to say:

A Gentleman in Moscow  - I HATED that book, so I definitely was not able to remain indifferent ,and I had A LOT to say about it after, and I still remember it now, years later (it helps that my memory is jogged every time someone likes or comments on my one-star GR review/rant).

Fingersmith - perfectly crafted, and it really took me by surprise.

Gone Girl - the first of its kind; it seems derivative now, but that's only because so many others have copied Flynn.

Half of a Yellow Sun - with four POVs, almost anyone will be able to find someone they identify with in this wartime story.  I found it emotionally moving and eye-opening.

The Underground Railroad - this is a real American novel, passing through regions and eras of American history in an innovative way; there is a lot to talk about in this story.

The Vanishing Half - full of complex and relatable characters, this book had layers on top of layers.

Circe - I know The Song of Achilles is the one that won the Women's Prize, but I found this book stayed with me longer, it was full of surprise and mystery, and it was a real spin on the classic tale.

Homegoing - this debut was a masterpiece of structure.

The Borrowed - like How the García Girls Lost Their Accents (which I can't list here since it was published in the 20th century), this is a collection of stories told in reverse chronological order, so very very clever.

Station Eleven - I loved this book, and it still feels relevant now that we've all lived through an actual pandemic.

And the two books I just finished, White Ivy & Catherine House, might make it on my list.  I'll have to see if I still think about them months from now.


I didn't mean for my list to be so long!  Once I started thinking of titles, more and more popped into my head!!  

I finished The Lightning Thief as my random tbr book. It was pretty good. Probably would have liked it more if I was 12ish.

I read Atlas of the Bible as my book that has been on my tbr longest. there was a reason for that. LOL.

Qotw: I have no idea.

Good morning from NE Ohio! We got dumped on with more snow last night, but it looks like the roads are mostly clear this morning (not that I have to drive anywhere, but I worry about other people a lot lol). My husband's boss is sick with COVID and two other employees are quarantining, so he's getting a few extra shifts this week.

I finished three books this week!
Hood Feminism: Notes from the Women That a Movement Forgot - 5 stars, and an excellent, concise read. Recommended for anyone who's doing their best to be inclusive in their feminism. Social justice issue
Between the World and Me - 3.5 stars. I understand Coates's fatalistic approach and it makes total sense considering everything he's seen and endured, but I found it discouraging in spots. He does reference a lot of other writers I haven't yet read, so that was exciting. Random TBR
Legendborn - 4.5 stars. I couldn't stop thinking about this while I was reading it. I'd be sitting at work like 'I just want to go home and READ!' And now I have to wait months before the second one is released. Alas. Another book not to be taken lightly; it deals with racism, traumatic grief, several characters grapple with the loss of a parent -- lots of tough stuff. But the end result is a deeply moving story. Dark academia

PS 12/50

Currently reading:
Ring Shout
War Girls Africanfuturist book
A Brief History of Fascist Lies

QOTW: Which 21st century novels do you think will become classics?
I'll agree with Nadine's choice of The Underground Railroad and add Little Fires Everywhere, The Hate U Give, and Code Name Verity.

QOTW: Which 21st century novels do you think will become classics?

When I read A Gentleman in Moscow, which was a five-star rating for me, I knew that this would be a classic one day.

Happy Thursday, y’all.

So our refrigerator died on Sunday. Yaaaay. /sarcasm At least it happened in winter and not summer -- we've been able to save some food by keeping it in coolers in the garage. Still not fun, and can't wait for the new fridge to be delivered. (Thank goodness we were able to get one, there's apparently an appliance shortage in our area thanks to the building boom and manufacturing issues related to the pandemic...)

Also I DNFed a LOT this week! Guess I've decided if I'm not enjoying a book, why keep going? (Thanks "Eye of the World" for at least teaching me that much...)

Books read this week:

The Eye of the World -- for “bestseller from the ‘90s.” FINALLY finished this beast! And I have one word to describe it -- VAGUE. For being an 800-page novel and the first in a 14-book series (not counting the prequel and any spinoffs), it feels like very little actually happens. And for being so insanely popular in its day, it feels very bland and generic. No desire whatsoever to move on to the rest of the series, but at least it’s over…

Redshirts -- for “book on your TBR list you got for free” (from the Tor free e-book of the month club). Despite only being passingly familiar with Star Trek and its associated tropes, I really enjoyed this book! It’s hilarious, fun, and wreaks merry havoc with the fourth wall.

Everything's Fine -- Tor short, not for the challenge. Short surreal horror that, while a bit over the top in some places, is a surprisingly apt metaphor for how we manage to keep plugging away at our lives despite the chaos and horror of current events.

Castle Waiting, Vol. 2 -- graphic novel, not for the challenge. Just as charming and wonderful as the first volume, and I sincerely hope the author/artist decides to continue it someday.

DNF:

Baby Teeth -- was going to be for “book with something broken on the cover.” Yeah, yeah, I knew going into this that it was going to be a thriller, but I was immediately creeped out by all characters involved and decided to bail out while I had the chance.

Brightest Kind of Darkness -- was going to be for “book with an oxymoron in the title.” One of those books where I decided from the very first page that it wasn’t going to be enjoyable. And hearing from reviews that the romance ends up derailing the plot sealed the deal. Gimmie the clairvoyant powers, not the mysterious hot bad-boy love interest…

The Power -- was going to be for “book that’s won the Women’s Prize for Fiction.” Interesting concept, but it just wasn’t doing it for me. And the framing device of it being a fictional novel set in an alternate universe felt… weird. But that’s just me.

Doomsday Book -- not for the challenge. I’ve heard so many good things about this book, but it’s SO slow and repetitive and bland. There are the germs of a good idea here, but the author doesn’t even try to make it interesting.

Challenge stats:

Regular challenge books -- 10/45
Advanced challenge books -- 4/10
Not for the challenge -- 11

Currently Reading:

Bradbury Stories: 100 of His Most Celebrated Tales -- for “longest book on your TBR list”
Generation Robot: A Century of Science Fiction, Fact, and Speculation -- for “book on a subject you’re passionate about”
Pet -- for “book about a social justice issue”
Hamnet -- for “book that has won the Women’s Prize for Fiction”

QOTW:

I mostly read fantasy and sci-fi, so for those genres I guess that Leviathan Wakes, The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet, and The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making will end up being classics.

We had about 1mm of snow on one day here, otherwise it's been cold and dry. At least all the mud up the woods has frozen so the doggo can run around without getting filthy, but it does make it hard to walk on.

My friend Bex usually runs bookshop crawls but with lockdown, she's currently running a virtual London Bookshop Crawl, so I've been browsing shops online and treating myself to a few extra books.

Finished:
The Lady from the Black Lagoon: Hollywood Monsters and the Lost Legacy of Milicent Patrick for a book about an artist. I am glad to have learned about Milicent but this didn't feel like quite enough material for a whole book. There were a few to many tangents about people Milicient would have known that were dry in comparison to when she was talking about her hero.

The Sad Ghost Club which wasn't for a challenge but I think I'll use it for the Book Riot mental health prompt. It's a cute book about social anxiety, I can relate so much to the sad ghosts.

Still listening to The Project, it's not nearly as good as Sadie, so I'm not making much time for listening, which is something I have put conscious effort into now I don't commute.

PS: 8/50 | ATY: 7/52 | RH: 3/24 | GR: 15/100

QOTW:
Basically I have no idea what makes a book outlive several generations of readers. Things that particularly capture the zeitgeist and books with widespread appeal?

I'd like to think N.K. Jemisin's Broken Earth trilogy would be considered a classic.

I’ve read a little bit this week, but I’ve been distracted by an unusual work schedule and all the snow removal I’ve had to do. My MCU rewatch continues. I finished Iron Man 3 last night, which I’m happy about because I like Tony in Avengers movies, but not on his own. I feel like I say “I hope to get back into the swing of things next week” every single week. I don’t know where this newfound optimism is coming from, but I’ll hold onto it.

Finished
Dear Edward by Ann Napalitano (a book about do-overs or fresh starts). This book just wasn’t for me. It was well written and emotional, but the story isn’t something I like to read.

Reading
Watership Down by Richard Adams

Binti by Nnedi Okorafor

QOTW
I couldn't even venture to guess.

Hello! Work is starting to pick up for super-busy season (February to April), so my reading has already started to go down in response. I don't want to do anything difficult or deep, so I've been going through my shelves to find happy, or light reads. Moderate success, at that.

Finished This Week:
War Girls by Tochi Onyebuchi - The author's note said he wanted to do Gundam in Nigeria, and he succeeded. Very gripping and hard to read at times, but ultimately worth it. It definitely would not have fit for Black Joy last fall. Going to read the sequel, but probably later in the spring. Using for #2, Afrofuturist.

Love Her or Lose Her by Tessa Bailey - the other book I tried to read for Black Joy last fall. It's about a married couple trying to fix their failing marriage. Parts of it were good, like figuring out how to communicate with your spouse. Most of it was terrible. I was so mad at the husband for the secret he'd been keeping from his wife, and then infuriated at the resolution. Also, the description said they needed marriage boot camp, which is what I was expecting, not the stereotype of a hippie marriage counselor they end up going to in the book. End up giving it 1 star.

Damsel by Elana K Arnold - The wrong book to read next, honestly. It's a dark look at the nature of fairy tales and what princes rescuing damsels from dragons means for having a life after. I was expecting more about dragons and less about what being in an abusive relationship is like. All the trigger warnings (seriously, ALL). The ending revelation and resolution shocked me. Not even sure how to rate it. Using for #3, Heart on the Cover.

Perfect Double by Merline Lovelace - and the book that I picked because it's happy. This is a reread from ages ago, when I would reread the entire Code Name: Danger series over a few days. Perfect Double is Adam and Maggie's story, and while the world is very different place than 1996, I still love reading it.

PS: 11/50 RH: 2/24 RW: 4/28 ATY: 16/52 GR: 22/100

Currently Reading:
Accused by Lisa Scottoline - I picked this up at a used book fair a few years ago, read the first chapter and got distracted, so trying again. It's not the happy, light book I was looking for. Halfway through.

Come as You Are: The Surprising New Science that Will Transform Your Sex Life by Emily Nagoski - my song title prompt. Reading a bit at a time over lunch breaks. Good so far. First chapter was all about how you are normal. Yes, even you. Especially you.

Minority Leader: How to Lead from the Outside and Make Real Change by Stacy Abrams - my book club's selection for February, and the library hold came in, to my surprise.

The Queen's Gambit by Walter Tevis - book club's pick for January which we all neglected to read. Trying again for this month.

QOTW: Which 21st century novels do you think will become classics?
My first thought was The Hunger Games. It kicked off the post-apocalyptic teen book craze and people are not indifferent to it. It was very much a cultural thing, and I could see teachers talking about symbolism and comparing and contrasting the districts with the Capital and such.

Challenge Progress: 16/50

Completed:
The Liar's Dictionary: What a quirky little book! It's about loneliness and identity... and fake words being inserted into a never completed dictionary. I'd recommend this one for people who loved Ella Minnow Pea: A Novel in Letters. ★★★★

The Biggest Bluff: How I Learned to Pay Attention, Master Myself, and Win: I think I want to learn to play poker now. This isn't about gambling - it's psychology. (P3: A book with a heart, diamond, spade, or club on the cover - Queen of Spades) ★★★★

Concrete Rose: Worthy addition to Angie Thomas's work. I enjoyed Mav's backstory. (P4: A book by an author who shares your zodiac sign - Virgo) ★★★★

A Study in Emerald: This a graphic novel based on a short story by Neil Gaiman. I love Gaiman, but this time I came away a little bit disappointed. The story was good, but it felt like an idea for something bigger... not just a standalone story. ★★★

Cleopatra's Shadows: I was bored. Arsinoe and Berenice felt like cardboard cutouts. You'd think a story about Cleopatra's sisters and the fall of Egypt would be much more interesting. ★★

Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood: This my second time through (it's for one of my book clubs), and it's still a 5-star read. The audio version is superb! ★★★★★

Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982: Purportedly a novel, Kim Jiyoung is not so much a character as a construct for exploring sexism and misogyny in Korea. The statistics are rather clumsily inserted into the text, but the issues are all too familiar. ★★★

The Beauty in Breaking: Lovely writing and thoroughly engaging account of an emergency doctor's experience both in the ER and in her own life. (P44: The book on your TBR with the ugliest cover) ★★★★

Seth and I only read two books this week. The weather's been so nice here in New Mexico that we've spent a lot of time outside walking the trails.

Hedge Hog! ★★★★★
The Lonely Giant ★★★★



Currently Reading:
A Deadly Education (P5: A dark academia book)
Arguing with Zombies: Economics, Politics, and the Fight for a Better Future
Piranesi
The Lonely City: Adventures in the Art of Being Alone
The Island at the Center of the World: The Epic Story of Dutch Manhattan and the Forgotten Colony That Shaped America
The Beekeeper of Aleppo
Gilead

QOTW: I'm going echo votes for Station Eleven and The Underground Railroad... and Fingersmith - it's one of my favorite books of all time. If you love it as much as I do, you should check out the movie "The Handmaiden" on Amazon Prime. It's an adaptation of Fingersmith set in Korea during the Japanese occupation. Yes, it's all subtitled in Korean and Japanese, but it's amazing!

Kenya wrote: "Doomsday Book -- not for the challenge. I’ve heard so many good things about this book, but it’s SO slow and repetitive and bland. There are the germs of a good idea here, but the author doesn’t even try to make it interesting.."

If you haven't already, go read To Say Nothing of the Dog. It's set in the same universe with time traveling historians, and it's SO much better than Doomsday Book. It's fun, and light, and funny, and not set during the Black Death.

Hello hello from another painfully cold morning in Columbus. Am I getting old or is this winter weirdly cold? And why are summers so unbearably hot? This cannot be the same seasons I spent my childhood outside in. Now if the temperature isn’t perfectly moderate I am miserable and refuse to go anywhere. Anyway, we’ve had a few snow days and I’ve appreciated getting to sleep in a bit on those days.

The Golden Tresses of the Dead not for the challenge, I was just rereading the Flavia series. I know Alan Bradley said he was more or less done with this series (last I checked) but the thought of no more Flavia adventures makes me more sad than I care to admit.

The Lying Life of Adults for a book with a family tree. I think this might be a loose interpretation of the prompt but it most definitely focused primarily on the main character’s relationship with her parents, her estranged aunt and her aunt’s family. I once saw someone describe Elena Ferrante’s books as ugly, and they meant it in a good way. And I that really sums her style up perfectly. Every book I’ve read of hers has been abrasive, uncomfortable and bleak but I love every minute of this. I think there will be more books based on how it ended, and I saw the Netflix picked up the rights. HBO’s My Brilliant Friend was so well done and I’m excited to see Maggie Gyllenhaal’s film based on another Ferrante novel. As you can tell, I am a huge fan lol

Hamnet for a book that won the women’s prize for fiction. I feel like this fell into the Madeline Miller category of luscious narratives that feel like dessert. Hamnet bounces between two time frames: the beginning of William Shakespeare’s marriage with Agnes and then several years later when their son Hamnet dies suddenly at age 11. It mainly focuses on Agnes and the children, in fact her husband is never actually named. Sorrowful and beautifully written, I can see why this won awards.

Popsugar- 7/40; 0/10
Book Riot- 1/24
Back to the Classics - 1/12
23/200 books read this year

Good morning! Been a little crazy around here so this is a 2-week check-in. It's raining constantly here and turning my yard into a mudhole, BUT we've finally gotten our poor, anxiety-riddled dog to let us wipe her feet after she comes inside! She still doesn't love it, but she accepts it as part of the routine and I'm counting that as my victory for the month.


Finished:

The Memory Police (4/5) (PS #11 - About forgetting)
I had a different book planned for this prompt, but then I picked this up for the reading women challenge and it fits better than probably any other book in existence. I really enjoyed this! Whenever I read a book in translation I look up reviews after because there are often elements of language or culture that just flew over my head. For this one, it seems everyone has a different idea of what message the book is sending.

Detransition, Baby (4/5) (PS #19 - Body positivity)
More about the general experience of being trans than necessarily body positivity, but dealing with dysphoria is so innately part of that (for these particular trans characters) that it plays into the whole novel. Very blunt and honest, and, open? Not a feel-good novel, not a "trans pain" novel, doesn't make the characters good people, doesn't make them villains. I don't think this is going to get lauded as a masterpiece but I wouldn't be surprised if one of her future books does.

Baptism of Fire (4/5) (PS #22 - Set outdoors)
This is a situation in which having played the video games beforehand makes the book unintentionally hilarious as I know most of the characters' secrets and, more importantly, see the obvious clues others are missing. Fun to read a fantasy novel with a huge war taking place that the protagonist is steadfastly ignoring because he has errands to run.

Fragments of Isabella: A Memoir of Auschwitz (5/5) (No prompt)
I do not like memoirs, so when that came up as a prompt for another challenge I chose the shortest one I could find. It was brilliant. My heart hurt. Highly recommend.


Currently reading:

The Sorcerer of the Wildeeps (No prompt)
Just started, no verdict yet.


QOTW:
Oof this is a hard one. There are a lot of great books I've read, including some listed already by others, that I'm just not sure will stay in the public consciousness long enough to reach "classic" status. On the other hand, ebooks have really changed the publishing game and books don't really "go out of print" in the same way.

That being said, and with the caveat that I read a lot of fantasy/sci-fi and have just recently been delving into the literary fiction realm and so don't have a lot of those titles to draw on, I'd like to make a case for The Hunger Games.

Wildly popular, even people who haven't read it or seen the movies can likely name characters and events just by cultural osmosis (collective consciousness - check). "Hunger Games analysis" google search gives you a wide variety of articles and academic papers across the years (generates discussion - check). Widely speaking my peers either loved or hated it (moves readers - ok this is weak but I'm counting it as a check). Vaguely set in a dystopian future with a variety of futuristic and antiquated technology (timeless quality - check).

As income equality and police brutality/police states continue to become some of the star issues of American society at this point in time, I think people will be able to draw some solid parallels in the future between the book's themes and the cultural climate of our time.

Also I have no idea how to phrase this, but someone with an English degree probably knows what I mean when I say "compare/contrast with Lord of the Flies and cooperative vs competitive survival amongst youth of the generation from various socioeconomic backgrounds".

McKenzie wrote: "Also I have no idea how to phrase this, but someone with an English degree probably knows what I mean when I say "compare/contrast with Lord of the Flies and cooperative vs competitive survival amongst youth of the generation from various socioeconomic backgrounds"."

This is a fantastic comparison!

Melissa wrote: "War Girls by Tochi Onyebuchi - The author's note said he wanted to do Gundam in Nigeria, and he succeeded. ..."


What is Gundam? All I know is it's a Japanese ... TV show? graphic novel? story? fairy tale? involving robots? maybe?

Kenya wrote: "Baby Teeth -- was going to be for “book with something broken on the cover.” Yeah, yeah, I knew going into this that it was going to be a thriller, but I was immediately creeped out by all characters involved and decided to bail out while I had the chance. ..."


I have a thing about teeth, so I absolutely cannot stand Baby Teeth, The Story of My Teethor Sweet Tooth or Sweet Tooth, Volume 1: Out of the Deep Woods or Split Tooth, Just seeing those titles gives me the willies.



Other titles, like The Forest of Hands and Teeth & River of Teeth & What Big Teeth, don't bother me at all.

Heather wrote: "I’ve read a little bit this week, but I’ve been distracted by an unusual work schedule and all the snow removal I’ve had to do. My MCU rewatch continues. I finished Iron Man 3 last night, which I’m..."


My daughter feels the same way about Iron Man!! I love RDJ in all things, so I love Iron Man movies. It's The Hulk that bores me - I love the actors who have portrayed The Hulk, and I used to love the old TV show w/ Bill Bixby, but the movies all just bore me.

Laura wrote: "Concrete Rose: Worthy addition to Angie Thomas's work. I enjoyed Mav's backstory...."


I can't decide if I want to read this or not. I LOVED THUG, it lived up to ALL its hype and I recommend it to everyone. But I was disappointed in On the Come Up, it was just solidly YA and therefore didn't do much for me.

So, given that, do I want to read Concrete Rose? What do you all think?

The title (like those tooth & teeth titles above!) gives me the heebie jeebies, because it makes me think of someone's head being bashed into the concrete until it "blooms" red blood.

Hello from icy Kentucky! I hope everyone is staying safe. I’m back at my mother’s house with my cat due to the storm. I live in a more rural area and am more likely to get stranded with power outages than she is, so here we are.

Finished:

The Guest List (audiobook, which I began listening at 1.2 or 1.4 speed, I'll never go back to 1.0 speed again!)- WOW, just wow. This was amazing. There was just one curve ball after another.

Check, Please! Book 1: # Hockey- So cute and fun. I loved Heartbreaker, which was my first graphic novel.

Currently:

Get a Life, Chloe Brown- I'm still reading this. Its a slow read for me, not really catching my attention. I find myself preferring to read or do other things over this almost daily. I'll finish it because I want to participate in a group discussion on Facebook group I'm in, but I feel like I'm wasting time when reading it. I know, I really need to learn to DNF a book, but I'm stubborn.

Check, Please!, Book 2: Sticks & Scones- reading this in my spare time since its so light hearted

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue (audiobook)- LOVING THIS! That is all.

The Sanatorium- started this one yesterday because it became available from Overdrive. I'm adding this into my currently reading stack so I can participate in the group discussions on the Reese's Book Club App. Its intriguing for sure. I'm not far into it, so I'm not sure where its really leading

Popsugar: 7/40
Overall: 12/50

(Originally my overall goal was 21 books this year. I've reevaluated and given myself more of a challenge)

Nadine wrote: "Fingersmith - perfectly crafted, and it really took me by surprise."

Laura wrote: "and Fingersmith - it's one of my favorite books of all time. "

This is the one that others have listed that I ADORE but don't think will stand the test of time. I gushed about it constantly after reading but didn't manage to convince a single person to pick it up. I've never seen it discussed outside of settings like these full of very avid readers who want to explore outside their normal reading zones.

The only reason I picked it up is because I loved the author, and the only reason I knew the author is because of a different book, The Little Stranger, and I only picked that book up because it was considered for an October/Halloween book club pick, and it didn't even get chosen for that book club because people were worried it would be too long so we went with something shorter.

Nadine wrote: "Melissa wrote: "War Girls by Tochi Onyebuchi - The author's note said he wanted to do Gundam in Nigeria, and he succeeded. ..."


What is Gundam? All I know is it's a Japanese ... TV show? graphic ..."

It's had a few different media that it covered, but the anime series is (are?) the main one(s?). My husband and his brother loved it growing up, and I've consumed exactly enough of the show to irritate them with references! Mostly by yelling "Big Zam!" and stomping on things, or by dramatically saying things like "Let me tell you the tale...the tragic story...the moving experience of...Quattro Bajeena" which is an actual name of an actual character on the show and is very fun to say. Also whenever I do that they point out "That's not his real name its an alias!" to which I say, "First, that's worse because he chose that as a name he thought was good, second his real name is Char Aznable you're not getting out of this one".

Nadine wrote: "Laura wrote: "Concrete Rose: Worthy addition to Angie Thomas's work. I enjoyed Mav's backstory...."


I can't decide if I want to read this or not. I LOVED THUG, it lived up to ALL its hype and I r..."

I am almost finished with Concrete Rose and if you loved THUG you will definitely love this one. I didn't read On the Come Up and really have no interest. Concrete Rose is funny but heartbreaking at times. Maverick's back story really shows why he is the kind of dad he is and how he deals with having kids at a young age and the ups and downs of his relationship with Lisa. Definitely recommend.

Nadine wrote: "Melissa wrote: "War Girls by Tochi Onyebuchi - The author's note said he wanted to do Gundam in Nigeria, and he succeeded. ..."


What is Gundam? All I know is it's a Japanese ... TV show? graphic novel? story? fairy tale? involving robots? maybe"

My husband is the Gundam fan, I'm more a Power Rangers girl. Gundam is giant robots that fly, with human pilots inside them, and used for combat/defense. (If you're a power rangers person like me, think like the zords with the rangers inside them, but all of them look like humanoid robots instead of dinosaurs). In War Girls, the main characters have old model "mechs" - robot suits - they can climb into and fly to defend their camp. The better funded army on the other side of the civil war has really fancy, high tech models. Most of the battle scenes are mechs fighting.

Japan recently built a "real" gundam robot. (https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/23/asia/j...) It doesn't fly, but it does move. So imagine six of those flying in the sky fighting each other.

If anyone else can explain this better, please feel free! Like I said, Power Rangers were more my thing.

McKenzie wrote: "The only reason I picked it up is because I loved the author, and the only reason I knew the author is because of a different book, The Little Stranger, ..."


Because I loved Fingersmith, I want to read everything else she's written, but I haven't actually picked up any of her other books ... YET. Someday, I will.

Nadine wrote: "I can't decide if I want to read this or not. I LOVED THUG, it lived up to ALL its hype and I recommend it to everyone. But I was disappointed in On the Come Up, it was just solidly YA and therefore didn't do much for me."

I'll throw my hat in the ring for Concrete Rose. The title more refers to Mav's resilience (although there is gun violence in the book), and seeing him as a teenage father was something I didn't know I needed til I read this book. I loved it to pieces!

Ok, I just bumped up Concrete Rose to my "definitely read soon" list!

Nadine wrote: "Ok, I just bumped up Concrete Rose to me "definitely read soon" list!"

Yay! I actually think I liked it more than THUG (is that possible?) but a few days after reading CR I finally watched the THUG movie and I couldn't take my eyes off Mav any time he was on screen <3

The threat of snow is in the air in the PNW! My favorite is to have it snow at night and wake up to white, clean powder.

Finished:

The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes. Ok, ok she got me with that ending. The writing is very YA and the chapters are short (sometimes less than a page) but the puzzles were interesting and it did keep me guessing on some specifics (the broader "whodunnit" stuff was easier to guess). The second book comes out this fall and I will most likely read it.

Almost done:
Concrete Rose by Angie Thomas. If you liked THUG, you will like this one. It's funny and heartbreaking at times. Maverick's story is definitely different than I would have imagined. Can't wait to finish!

UPDATE: Finished! So good!

QOTW:
I read Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier and Animal Farm by George Orwell for the first time last year, so a 21st century novel on par with those I would say Where the Crawdads Sing, The Hate U Give, Little Fires Everywhere.

I finished 2 books for the week. One for Popsugar.
Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi for an advanced prompt. A free book from your TBR list. I received a BOTMC membership for my birthday. Transcendent Kingdom was one of my picks.
Memorial by Bryan Washington. I couldn't find a prompt to fit this book. I will take suggestions, Thank You.
QOTW: Books that could become classics from the 21st century.
Caste:The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson
Becoming by Michelle Obama
The Overstory by Richard Powers

Melissa wrote: "If anyone else can explain this better, please feel free! Like I said, Power Rangers were more my thing."

Power Rangers is actually usually where I go when I'm explaining the concept, specifically because of the zords. The first(?) Gundam series was "Mobile Suit Gundam", which helps explain the idea a bit better. The "mobile suits" are giant war machines with pilots inside. One of the big appeals about these particular ones is that they're approached more realistically than a lot of that type of media - the suits can break down, run out of fuel, malfunction, etc.

I teasingly made fun of the series earlier, because it is fun, but honestly the shows deal with some pretty heavy topics like the futility of war, PTSD, whether true and pure evil exists or if all peoples are susceptible to cruelty, losing ones innocence to the horrors of combat, etc. etc.

But it also has a Gundam thats shaped like a windmill for some reason.

Wow, February is already flying by somehow. We getting a cold front here in Central Texas, so I might not be able to get many walks in. How do people up north deal with freezing temperatures for months on end? Do you just bundle up and still go on walks, or stay inside pretty much all winter? Austin is usually in the 50s-70s during most of our winter which I love, so I get confused when it's actually cold here for more than a day.

This week I finished:

Homeland Elegies This was a scathing critique of the U.S., which I enjoyed, but sometimes autofiction can be distracting, where I'm thinking "which of this is from the author's real life, and which parts are fiction?" the whole time. 4 stars

Mouths Don't Speak Wow, lot's of emotions with this one, especially everything that happens in the last 10% of the book. Mixed feelings on some of it. 4 stars

Stephen Florida This was pretty good, although I had a huge source of confusion mixing up the characters Linus and Silas, which seemed to be interchangeable with the audio version. 3.5 stars

Leave the World Behind I didn't know I would enjoy a pre-apocalypse story during a time when I mainly just want realistic fiction, but this worked really well. 4.5 stars

Crooked Hallelujah This didn't quite meet my expectations through most of the book (the shifting POV was a little confusing) but the ending was really strong. 4 stars

Punching the Air Very moving. It worked well on audio. 5 stars

My Own Words It might have just been the timing, but I didn't find this engaging at all, unfortunately. There was pretty much no narrative, just recordings of her opinions (mostly dissenting) that I was already familiar with. No rating

I'm currently listening to Ain't I a Woman: Black Women and Feminism and reading Felon: Poems in print.

QOTW: Great question! I saw that article last night. Parts of my list have already been mentioned either in the article or above, but I'll still include them here:

The Hate U Give
The Vanishing Half
The Book Thief
The Kite Runner
A Man Called Ove -or- Beartown
The House of Broken Angels
The Hunger Games
Pachinko

And it looks like the list includes nonfiction, so I'll add:
Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood
Educated
Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption

Hi everyone, the snow continues here but the sun is out today so it will probably all be slush tomorrow!

This week I finished Half a King which I didn't really like for the first few chapters but ended up loving it when I finished. I figured out 2 out of 3 plot twists but the other one absolutely came out of nowhere but made perfect sense at the same time.

DNF The Bedlam Stacks. Why do I not like all the books I pick up for the pretty cover prompt? This is the fourth book I've tried and I just couldn't get on board with the writing style. (It took three pages to describe someone going down the stairs and they weren't even interesting stairs!) This one sounded like something I would love too

Currently reading: Poison. I decided to go for the ugly cover prompt instead and so far I am enjoying it, but the authors choice to spell fairy as phaerie is really grating on me every time I see it. I mean, why?

QOTW: This is hard! The ones I love and hope stand the test of time would be Daisy Jones & The Six and The Song of Achilles. I think they both made me cry which is a good sign!

I'm a little surprised about Fingersmith being picked by a few of you. For me it was just okay but quite forgettable. The only other Sarah Waters book I've read was Tipping the Velvet which I much preferred. (I think that was released in the 90's though so won't count)

Happy Thursday! I've been struggling with my reading this and trying to get into a book to help me get back into my groove.

Finished:
Concrete Rose - I really loved The Hate U Give when I read it so this was one of my most anticipated books coming out this year. I enjoyed it, but not as much as THUG. I used it for prompt #34 - a book about a social justice issue. 4 stars

Challenge Progress:
Regular Challenge - 11/40
Advanced Challenge - 1/10
Total - 12/50

Currently Reading:
The Dating Plan - am I ever going to finish this book? I honestly hope I will today. It's taking me forever to get through it.

Wild at Heart - still trying to finish this one too.

A Curse So Dark and Lonely - I was supposed to finish this on Sunday, but life got in the way. I'm behind on a buddy read with friends so really need to get caught up.

In Five Years - this is the only book new to my list this week. I'm enjoying it and should finish it tomorrow. I'm using it for prompt #28 - a magical realism book.

QOTW - Which 21st century novels do you think will become classics?

I'm really not sure which will become classics, but here are some I think that could:

The Book Thief
The Hunger Games
The Nightingale
Where the Crawdads Sing
The Hate U Give

We got a message that our campus was closed and everything was canceled early this morning because of ice. An hour later, they sent another message saying "j/k, everyone can work remotely!" I had already gone back to bed, so this morning was full of a lot of mixed emotions.

Next week we have lows in the 0-15 degree range. I honestly couldn't say the last time it was this cold in this part of Texas! We're also supposed to get a decent snow, which I'm SO excited about, except now I know they'll make me work through it. Snow days are one of the few benefits of snow in the south!

But I digress.

Currently Reading (making progress):
The Artist's Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity - this will be on here for a long time since it's a chapter a week and there are 12 chapters.

Disability Visibility: First-Person Stories from the Twenty-first Century - we'll be discussing the second section next week. I've really appreciated the discussions that have come up at work around these stories.

Currently Stalled:
Eragon - The stall-out is no fault of Eragon's, just where my mental health is. I am sort of starting to get the reading bug, though, so that's encouraging. I may not jump back in with Eragon until my head is more stable, though, just because I do get emotionally involved with this series.

QOTW:
I feel so unqualified to make any statements about such things. I think I'll agree with A Gentleman in Moscow. And a lot of the other titles sound like they could be, but I haven't read any of them lol.

I'll fess up to being one of those who doesn't go out of my way to read books that everyone's talking about. I could definitely see The Hate U Give becoming a classic YA novel. It was so well done and definitely one that has an important story to tell.

Snowy week this week! Although despite having another load down last night, today it does look like it might be starting to melt...

Finished:

The Bookseller's Tale for A book with a black-and-white cover. I was a bit disappointed in this - it wasn't quite what I wanted it to be.

Twelve Motives for Murder for The longest book (by pages) on your TBR list. Do Not Recommend! Terribly written and weirdly structured!

Haven't started anything new yet, but I'm thinking that next is going to be The Obelisk Gate for An Afrofuturist book

QOTW:

I would probably say The Time Traveler's Wife - that became an instant favourite of mine when I first read it, and every time I've read it since it just make such an impact on me!

Also, A Gentleman in Moscow - I had the opposite reaction to Nadine (and my husband loved it too!)

McKenzie wrote: "This is the one that others have listed that I ADORE but don't think will stand the test of time. I gushed about it constantly after reading but didn't manage to convince a single person to pick it up. I've never seen it discussed outside of settings like these full of very avid readers who want to explore outside their normal reading zones..."

Sarah Waters gets fancy anniversary editions in the UK, so I think here at least I could see her books being considered a classics in the future. I think both Tipping the Velvet and Fingersmith had BBC adaptations, so they are a bit better known.

Lauren wrote: "Wow, February is already flying by somehow. We getting a cold front here in Central Texas, so I might not be able to get many walks in. How do people up north deal with freezing temperatures for mo..."


When it's below 15 F, I won't go out on a walk. Same for heavy precipitation, blizzard conditions, or extremely slushy roads. The slush and road salt is bad for my dogs' paws (we tried booties, but ... that was a NO), and my older dog has no undercoat so she can't handle temps below 20F, even with a coat on.

Some people will go out no matter the weather - there is a guy in my neighborhood who jogs EVERY day no matter the weather, and I don't know how he does it. I had a bad fall on ice on my driveway a few years back, so I'm extremely cautious now.

It's almost 25F and sunny right now, so I COULD go out for a walk, but ... I'm working!

This is the worst part of winter, because everyone else is saying "It's SPRING!" but we are still in winter.


UPDATE: oops! now it's not sunny! that didn't last very long. I guess it's going to snow again soon ...

Finished:

The Dark Veil by James Swallow (3/5) (not for a prompt)

For the most part, this is a fine Titan novel that connects to the Picard setting. There's an abundance of great characters and concepts here. What brings it down for me is a section of torture and violence that was on the same level as what was shown in "Stardust City Rag." I was not happy to see it on that show, and it's still disturbing here. If that sort of thing does not bother you, then add a star to my rating.

Did not finish:

The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson

This was the longest book on my TBR, and I gave it about 200 pages. The prologue with the Stormlight-enhanced fighting was great, and certain parts of the story and world-building were appealing. Unfortunately, the stuff with Kaladin felt to me like an extremely long version of Spartacus, and everything that was happening on the Shattered Plains was unappealing.

I feel like I gave this one a fair shot, and other reviews and articles have not made me feel like I'm missing out on anything by giving the rest of the book and series a miss.

Currently reading:

Lost Stars by Claudia Gray (reread)

There's a lot I like here, and once it gets going, it is a fine meditation on the original trilogy through a variety of viewpoints in the Empire and Rebellion. If you're going to choose one Claudia Gray Star Wars book, though, make it Bloodline or Leia: Princess of Alderaan, as those are a step above this one.

The Rise and Fall of Khan Noonien Singh by Greg Cox (reread)

If you love the episode "Assignment: Earth," then you will love this duology. The protagonists are Roberta Lincoln, Gary Seven, and Isis, who were introduced in that episode. It's also great if you want a Trek story set primarily in Earth's past (specifically, 1974-1996). The first part is more focused on efforts to stop Khan's mother and her team, so you have to be patient if Khan in his prime is what you are wanting.

Timekeeper by Tara Sim (a book you meant to read in 2020)

I am only 2 chapters into this, but I am intrigued by the world that is being introduced. I have so many questions! Unlike The Way of Kings, I am actually looking forward to reading the next chapter, so that's a good sign.

Question of the Week:

My first thought was A Gentleman in Moscow. It's a five-star read for me, highly memorable, and appealing to a large chunk of the population.

Here are some others from my list of 21st century books I've read that I think could be or deserve to be classics:

Bloodline by Claudia Gray
Full Circle by Kirsten Beyer
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer
The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart (It's getting an adaptation more than 10 years after its publication, so it's still remembered)
A Stitch in Time by Andrew J. Robinson

Hi everyone! I'm extremely disappointed today, because I was supposed to have my first shift volunteering at the food bank, but I woke up with a slight sore throat and sniffle, so I had to cancel. I was so looking forward to doing something useful for other people today! (But of course handling their food while ill would in fact be the opposite of useful, sigh.)

Read this week:
The Deep
Black Panther, Vol. 2: A Nation Under Our Feet, Book 2
Children of Virtue and Vengeance: I was so annoyed by the plot structure of this book! "I have an idea!" Immediately doesn't work. "I have another idea!" Immediately doesn't work. And so on, for hundreds of pages. Like, can we string a few things together for a narrative arc? This is such an interesting series, but I dunno, maybe I'm done.

Currently reading:
Party of Two: I do enjoy Jasmine Guillory and this book is no exception.
The Mask of Mirrors: This book came in my Unplugged Book Box and I'm loving it so far! It's got that combo of fantasy worldbuilding, class consciousness, and heist vibes that I enjoy so much. I will be curling up with this book and a cup of tea tonight.

QOTW:
Cloud Atlas
Her Body and Other Parties
Secondhand Time: The Last of the Soviets: this book in particular blew my mind and has stayed with me for a long time. It's a tough read but I so highly recommend it.
Bel Canto
Sing, Unburied, Sing

Good morning everyone from the frozen north. Driving to work this morning the truck was registering -35 Celsius (which surprisingly is very close to Fahrenheit at -31) This is our coldest day so far this winter but it supposed to ease off this weekend and be around -15 on Monday yay (kind of sad when we look forward to that). But you bundle up and carry on.

I am so happy, as I have finally finished my first book this year. I don't think I have had this bad of a reading drought since I had small kids.

Finished The Wedding Dress Danielle Steele's newest, I haven't read a Danielle Steele novel in a long time and I probably won't for another long time. I am just not a fan of the long drawn out novel and I found she felt the need to constantly remind us of stuff that happened earlier (view spoiler)[ like Alex lost his legs in the war (hide spoiler)] only heard that about 50 times. Guess I am more of an action novel reader instead of a Drama fan. Same as my life, not much for the drama.

Still plugging through Becoming enjoying it. I liked the Obama administration and always admired Michelle. it is interesting to hear her back story.

QOTW
I haven't really though about it. I do agree with Hunger games and The hate U give.

Good morning! It's sunny here but bitterly cold! And there's no warmup in sight until Saturday...not this coming Saturday but the following one! Otherwise we are stuck in the deep freeze over here by beautiful Lake Michigan!

I've had a very productive week and I read 9 books that fit the popsugar challenge! So that brings me up to:

Popsugar: 40/100 (double challenge)
Bingo: 21/25
Feb scavenger: 1/10

READ:

Death by Dumpling restaurant. This was a fun murder mystery set inside an Asian mall in the USA and it's the first book in a series. It was lots of fun and a quick read. I did not guess the killer but I did guess how the switch was made, to my surprise!

Pegasus Fresh start. This is my second fresh start book so I'm now done with this category! Now all together I have 11 categories totally done with. This book is a fresh start because the main character in here is starting something new in her society, the ability to totally communicate with the pegasus that are also part of their culture. They can talk mentally. I had really hoped there would be a sequel but the author never wrote it, although the sequel has a name. It's my horse book of the week too. 🐎

Quantum Letter Q. This was a fast moving story about a woman working at NASA who does security. There were deaths and quite the mystery going on. I enjoyed it but I actually didn't realize it had fit a challenge until after I read it! Haha. Silly huh? This book did hook me and it continues in Spin. This one is very popular right now.

The Cannibal Galaxy random book. This was also my Ugly book cover on another group this month, but on here it's the totally random book. This story was slow and not much at all happened. It's about a man who is a principal at a school.

Night of the Werecat Pretty Cover. Yes, I think this cover is pretty! Totally fun, quick read. Who doesn't love Stine? I could guess the plot easily but I didn't care because it was fun.

One Half from the East muslim author. I really enjoyed this children's book that was set in Afghanistan and was about a tradition they gave there were a girl is asked to pretend and live as a boy. I just found the many little details about life there so fascinating! And it was explained in an easy to understand way too. I could also relate to the nervousness, fear, anxiety and uncertainty the main character felt when she was suddenly faced with this unexpected request from her parents (her mother and aunt). It just feels so weird to have to go to school and suddenly be a boy! I have also now ordered another book from this author from the library.

The Dark Matter of Mona Starr positive Body. A huge chunk of seeing your body as positive is how you see yourself...how you think. And the main character in this wonderful graphic novel deals with that plus lots of other types of anxiety too. It's like a self help book that gives one simple ideas of what you can do while telling a fun story. Lots of neat ideas in here and great artwork. A part of body positive thinking is actually accepting yourself. And that's what this book is about. It's ok to be different. I'm a nerd and I like being one. In fact I have a t-shirt that says NERD in big lettering! And maybe some of you out there knows what NERD 🐍 stands for? 😁 But yes I'm a nerd in more than one way. Yeah, I have a Snarfles one too...

The Obsidian Tower gem, mineral or rock in the title - obsidian is a type of volcanic rock. I finished this long fantasy book last night. Great story! It's about a young woman who is disabled as her magic doesn't work the way it's supposed to and anything she touches dies: people, plants, flowers, etc. Yet she's in charge of a huge castle and is supposed to host peace talks. A murder happens and then the door to this mysterious tower is opened and what's inside could doom the world! Although I did correctly guess the truth about the thing in the tower I still greatly enjoyed this story and I could also relate to Ryx the main character. She's surrounded by people yet cut off. I also liked Whisper the Chimera.

The Lost City of Terror different format. This is the very first book I read on my new Kindle! And I never had a kindle before either so I'm still learning how to use it. Great adventure story about the jungle, searching for a hidden city and those giant bugs! If you love those giant bug movies you'll love this! Giant spiders and other creepy crawly things!

I think I'll have a lot of fun with the Kindle. 😁 And it comes with Alexa too!

So here is a little breakdown of my progress:

11 categories totally finished (read 2 books each)
15 categories half finished (read 1 book each)

Currently Reading:

Mosquito Man different format. Another kindle fire book! This is a thriller set in Canada and about people who just vanish under mysterious circumstances. There might be a creature in the story later I'm thinking.

Question:

I really don't know what books might end up as modern classics but since I love fantasy and sci-fi here are a few maybe candidates:



Hmmm...I guess those all turned out to be sci-fi!

Well I have just managed to write this in between my meetings today. My next one will be starting soon in about 10 minutes so I have to go. I will be back later...

Sherry wrote: "Good morning everyone from the frozen north. Driving to work this morning the truck was registering -35 Celsius (which surprisingly is very close to Fahrenheit at -31) This is our coldest day so fa..."



Now THAT is the kind of cold we do not get in NY!!! We usually get one or two nights near -20C, and I become very nervous at that temp, like some reptilian part of my brain thinks I'm going to die just from breathing in the cold. This probably goes back to when I was in college, I had an old Chevy that would not start if the temp dipped below -15C. So I always worry that my car won't start, and I'll be stranded, huddled under my coat ... (So far it's only been that old Chevy that gave me trouble! All my other cars have handled the cold like champs!)



and I found she felt the need to constantly remind us of stuff that happened earlier
That sort of thing drives me nuts!!!! It seems especially prevalent in contemporary romances. Like, enough already, I read it the first time, and the second, and the third, you can stop reminding me now!!!

Lauren wrote: "Wow, February is already flying by somehow. We getting a cold front here in Central Texas, so I might not be able to get many walks in. How do people up north deal with freezing temperatures for months on end? Do you just bundle up and still go on walks, or stay inside pretty much all winter?"

I'm in Minnesota, where it is currently -4F, and we're supposed to get back to -20F this weekend. I mostly stay indoors from November to March (especially now with pandemic working from home), but the rest of this state loves their outdoor winter sports. Our neighbor built a hockey rink in his backyard this winter because the local indoor rink was closed/had severely limited hours due to COVID, and he wanted a place for his daughter to skate. My husband, who I made move here from North Texas, wants to try skiing and ice-skating, and I'm sure, once we can socialize again, our neighbor is going to invite him to go snowmobiling or ice fishing. I'm content to stay inside wrapped in a blanket.

While I vastly miss the 70s in February we had in Texas, and our Valentines Day mini golf dates, I'm still happy I traded it for reasonable temperatures in the summer. I couldn't do the 110 degree days in July.

Qotw: Ooh! I like this question! It's making me stretch my thinking. My picks are:

There but for the
Fish in a Tree
and Ducks, Newburyport

Finished: Make It Stick: The Science of Successful Learning This book was just so-so. I recommend Ultralearning: Master Hard Skills, Outsmart the Competition, and Accelerate Your Career over it.

Hearing God: Developing a Conversational Relationship with God I really enjoyed this book. Gave good, definitive guidance.

Started: Focus: The Hidden Driver of Excellence Started this one kind of on a whim. I was looking for evidence that multi-tasking pulls our attention away and there's a delay before our focus returns. Other people have complained that this book is all over the place. But I'm enjoying it. The places it goes are interesting ones!

Happy Thursday everyone!

I am halfway done with the challenge, and I am starting to hit a wall I think. I have so many good books from the library right now and I am just struggling to get going with them.

This week I finished:

I Will Judge You by Your Bookshelf - a format you don't normally read - I read comics and graphic novels sometimes, but only for the challenge, so I felt like that worked. This was cute, but nothing too incredible.

Smoke Gets in Your Eyes & Other Lessons from the Crematory: - a book by an internet celebrity - This was my second book by this author and I like the other one better, but it was still enjoyable, and the narration on the audiobooks is good.

Girls on the Verge: social justice issue - This one was a good choice for me. I gave it the full 5 stars, mostly because of the honest depiction of a topic that is seldom fully explored and discussed in fiction, from my experience. This book made me sad, but also hopeful. To me, it was a brave subject choice for a young adult book, but also very necessary. Please, no political related comments.

Sapphire: gem in the title - This was short and steamy (I guess), but not my cup of tea.

Currently reading:

Quackery: A Brief History of the Worst Ways to Cure Everything: This book is pretty gross at times and the humor is starting to fall flat for me. I continue to think I would enjoy it more in audiobook form.

No Visible Bruises: What We Don’t Know About Domestic Violence Can Kill Us: This book has been well done so far, but I'm having a hard time wanting to invest time in such a tough subject right now. It wasn't a great choice for me to choose two nonfiction books at the same time, but they both came in from the library together.

Books on deck:
The Vanishing Half, The Whisper Man, and Cross Her Heart.

QOTW:
I don't really think about things that way, but I liked some of the other answers I saw. Educated, The Hunger Games, A Man Called Ove. All were really impactful for me, and I feel like they can stand the test of time.

More snow today! No complaints here, I love it!

Finished 5.25/50

Pearls of Lutra for "book with a rock, gem, or mineral in the title". Oh I loooved getting back to Redwall. I haven't read a Redwall book since I was a kid! This was such a feel-good adventure. I want to read the whole series now!

The Philokalia, Volume 1: The Complete Text for "longest book on your TBR". This is one book split into four volumes. So, I finished volume one! Three more to go. This is heavy stuff. Not for the faint of heart.

Currently Reading

The Philokalia, Volume 2: The Complete Text for "longest book on TBR". We're gonna be here for awhile.

QotW

Probably Harry Potter. It had such an impact on an entire generation, I'm sure it'll be studied in some fashion or another.

Nadine wrote: "Another week of winter here. Winter lasts forever, but I remind myself that winter is the relaxing season because I don't have to mow."
True. But...winter! Ugh. I really need to move...

"Admin stuff:
We have all our 1Q & 2Q group reads chosen, now we need discussion leaders for these books!!"
Yes! Yes we do! ;)

"Send a note to me or Lynn if you're interested in leading a group discussion. Don't be shy! It's fun and informal!"
It is all that...and more! :)

"This week I finished 5 books, all for this Challenge, so I am now 12/50."
Jealous. I'm just jealous! :)

"It's that easy time of year when you can find a category for ALL the books you're reading, whether or not you chose them for the Challenge! Do you ever get annoyed with yourself, because you were hoping that a particular Challenge category would finally push you to read that book you've been meaning to get to for a while, but then you fill that category with a different book? That's me, right now."
And me as well! I was just looking (longingly, I must admit!) at the (admittedly) rather small stack of books from the last two years' challenges that I had selected for specific prompts but then filled those prompts with other books I'd read (for book clubs, group reads, buddy reads, etc.). I just need more reading time!! Like all 24 hours 7 days a week! LOL

"Bluebird, Bluebird by Attica Locke - this was fantastic!"
Wow. So glad you loved this one! I adored Black Water Rising but then haven't read any others written by her! I really need to remedy that!

"Catherine House by Elisabeth Thomas...One of my all-time favorite books!! It was so dark and dreamy and weird! Five stars!"
Dark. Dreamy. Weird. I don't know... :)

"Question of the Week
Which 21st century novels do you think will become classics?"
You must read my mind. I have been wondering about several books lately...whether they'll be considered classics in the future!

"A Gentleman in Moscow - I HATED that book"
I loved it and assume it will be a classic as well. :)

"Half of a Yellow Sun - with four POVs, almost anyone will be able to find someone they identify with in this wartime story. I found it emotionally moving and eye-opening."
Definitely need to get to this one!

"The Underground Railroad"
In the aftermath I have mixed emotions about this one...

"The Vanishing Half - full of complex and relatable characters, this book had layers on top of layers."
Agreed!

"Circe - I know The Song of Achilles is the one that won the Women's Prize, but I found this book stayed with me longer, it was full of surprise and mystery, and it was a real spin on the classic tale."
I always remind myself that any prize-awarding committee may select any one book. That doesn't mean any other committee would agree! :) Just depends upon the make-up of that specific committee. I agree with you that between the two books my favorite was definitely Circe and I can't imagine it won't be considered a classic in the future.

"Homegoing - this debut was a masterpiece of structure."
Definitely! That book will stay with me forever! And the structure was so powerful, in my opinion!

"And the two books I just finished, White Ivy & Catherine House, might make it on my list. I'll have to see if I still think about them months from now."
I find it very interesting how my attitude toward some books changes over time...

"I didn't mean for my list to be so long! Once I started thinking of titles, more and more popped into my head!!"
But that's what makes it fun, IMO! :)

Lynn wrote: ""Bluebird, Bluebird by Attica Locke - this was fantastic!"
Wow. So glad you loved this one! I adored Black Water Rising but then haven't read any others written by her! I really need to remedy that!..."


Black Water Rising is the other book I've read by her! They are very similar, but I was so-so on Black Water and I loved Bluebird!

Hello - I finished 2 books this week, 1 for the challenge. I'm at 9/50.

Great Food, All Day Long: Cook Splendidly, Eat Smart: A Cookbook by Maya Angelou - this is a great food memoir/cookbook, and I really enjoyed Angelou's take on good food and how to best enjoy it. She gives some good tips on portion control. Used for another challenge (BR, food memoir by a person of color)

Yes Please by Amy Poehler - used for 35, in a format you don't normally read. I took out the audiobook from the library for this. I enjoyed Poehler's narration, her voice is soothing but lively enough that I only had to rewind a few times (I am notoriously bad about remembering to listen while I'm listening to an audiobook... usually requiring many rewinds, which is why I rarely choose this format).

QOTW: Good question!

I agree the Harry Potter series has to be considered here, as well as The Hunger Games.

A few other contenders:
Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience and Redemption

Sold

Beartown

The Hate U Give

The Murmur of Bees

It’s frosty over here. We have snow and ice and sunshine. It’s really beautiful. We had a snowstorm on Sunday. The snowstorm started with freezing rain. Our window was completely covered with ice on the outside when we woke up Sunday morning. So now we have a layer of ice and snow as a topping. Pretty dangerous.
I doubt if we can skate this time. Because of the snow the ice is either very thin or very very bad. Too bad, it's 9 years ago since last time...

Finished
Content Design by Sarah Richards ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Prompt: 7, a book where the main character works at your current or dream job. It also fits prompt 15, a book with a black and white cover.

Content design is my job. Sarah Richards has written down all the obvious wisdom of our job. I knew a lot already, but it’s a pleasure to have someone else agreeing with you or giving me good arguments I can use.

Currently reading
Roots: The Saga of an American Family - Almost finished and I’m already sad…

QOTW
The complete trilogy of The Cemetery of Forgotten Books:
The Shadow of the Wind
The Angel's Game
The Prisoner of Heaven
The Labyrinth of the Spirits

Nadine wrote: "My daughter feels the same way about Iron Man!! I love RDJ in all things, so I love Iron Man movies. It's The Hulk that bores me - I love the actors who have portrayed The Hulk, and I used to love the old TV show w/ Bill Bixby, but the movies all just bore me."

Yeah, Hulk movies have never been good even though their casts are great.

I like the quieter parts of Iron Man 3. I think the story is silly, but Tony's character development is interesting to watch. My friend says I don't have a Tony/Iron Man problem. I have a Jon Favreau problem. She's probably right.