Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge discussion
2021 Weekly Check-Ins
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Week 7: 2/12 - 2/18
I haven’t checked in for a while - life was really difficult and chaotic - my daughter got seriously ill (she’s doing better), we had to re-home our puppy, and life just generally sucked for a while.I’m feeling better and more able to get some reading time (and have the attention to absorb what I’m reading!), so here I am to report some progress!
I agree, it's so frustrating that the problems in Texas were foreseeable, but the powers that be just chose not to do any continuity and disaster recovery planning. I too wish everyone safety and warmth. Hopefully the weather will relent soon at least.
Finished
Ring Shout - A magical realism book - I liked this a lot, but it felt a little thin on the ground. I’d have loved to see more character and relationship development. Still, Black women fighting KKK and Lovecraftian monsters? Yeah - it was my jam.
The Heiress: The Revelations of Anne de Bourgh - A book set somewhere you'd like to visit in 2021 - This book is a stand-alone spinoff of Pride and Prejudice. Lady Catherine’s daughter is such a tepid non-entity in Austen’s book; well, this lets you see things from her side, and follow her beyond the end of P&P. I really liked it. So many elements that I love to see - I don’t want to give too much away. But it was emotionally captivating and satisfying. It has a much different tone from Austen - not terribly arch or humorous. But I loved the personal drama and coming of age story for itself.
A Dead Djinn in Cairo - An Afrofuturist book - More P. Djèlí Clark? Why not? This Tor short story had all the texture and character I felt was lacking from the much longer Ring Shout. Absolutely delightful!
Currently Reading
The Haunting of Tram Car 015 - A genre hybrid - Even more P. Djèlí Clark! I admit I’m hooked on Fatma, and I’m not ashamed.
The Complete Sherlock Holmes - The longest book (by pages) on your TBR list - I’m now on Part 3 of 6. Still loving it. Fry is a magnificent reader, and I’m often dying to know the solution of a mystery!
Candide - A book set in multiple countries - My favorite podcast is going over this, so I decided to read along. This is ridiculous and harrowingly true. Voltaire is scathing, in the best way!
QOTW
When I was 16, I read The Stand, and I couldn't put it down. I literally read it during French class, since I was able to follow along and answer questions when I needed to. Looking back, it was rude, but man, I was obsessed with that story!
This isn't a book, but when the final Mass Effect game came out, my husband kindly herded my kids into the kitchen and said, "This weekend, Mom doesn't exist!" I played so much my butt got sore. (And then I HATED the ending! 🤣 That should be a lesson in moderation!)
I do a variety of things: read, crochet, needlework, etc. so really do not get bogged down with one project. I like to finish one book at a time. I do remember my mother saying, "Leona, go to bed" and I would say "one more chapter" when I was a teenager. I loved the Nancy Drew books.
Mod
Oh that is awful, I'm so sorry. I had to re-home a puppy once, decades ago, and I'm still not over it. Glad your daughter is in recovery, though.
book about forgetting
Reverie by Ryan La Sala. YA contemporary fantasy. It was just okay. I feel like it was light on the world building so I felt like I was lost for some of it.
different format
Fair Play by Josh Lanyon. Contemporary romantic suspense. I enjoy this series. It’s not fantastic but it’s enjoyable
published in 2021
The Prophets by Robert Jones, Jr. Historical literary fiction. Differing POVs of slaves including two men who are in love. One of my book of the month picks. Really good but not the best one I picked in February.
no prompts
Infinite Country by Patricia Engel. My favorite book of the month pick. Contemporary literary fiction about an immigrant family from Colombia. Beautiful book. CW: sexual assault/rape
The Leaving by Tara Altebrando. Six kindergarten students go missing and then five return 11 years later. Could be used for the prompt about forgetting. Was it great literature…no. Did I speed through it…yes. Did I then go and look for her backlist…also yes.
Mod
This week I finished three books, one for this Challenge, so I am now 13/50
Go with the Flow by Lily Williams - super cute graphic novel about a group of friends who organize and demand the school provide period products in all school bathrooms. The girls are high school sophomores, but this book is aimed at the tween set.
Chew, Vol. 2: International Flavor written by John Layman - I decided this year that I'm going to finish this series - I read vol 1 a while back, enjoyed it, and ... never picked up the rest. Why? I don't know. But I'm fixing my mistake this year. My favorite past category is "graphic novel" so I checked that off with this one.
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald - this was a re-read, but I hadn't read it in almost 40 years, so it was like new again (and the things I thought I remembered, I had all wrong! (view spoiler)) It was even more wonderful this time around, 5 stars from adult-me. My cousin started a book-and-movie club via Zoom for all of the family. Last month it was my daughter's turn to choose, and she chose this book, because she had never read it for school, and so many people talk about it. We get together this weekend to discuss. Something tells me some of my cousins will have opted to watch the movie rather than read a book. (We're going to watch the DiCaprio movie next week. I've never seen it.)
QotW
I'm embarrassed by this, but I think you all are the one group who will understand: yes, there have been books that are so engaging that I kept reading at work even after my lunch break ended.
There are also books that are so good that I would keep reading instead of making dinner, but for the most part my kids will not allow that. Dinner is late sometimes, though. And there are books that are so good that I keep reading instead of sleeping - I have a special shelf for them, "stayed up too late."
Good morning from snowy Akron! It's coming down again and Lynn, all I can think about this week is Texas as well. I cried the other night bc here I am snug in my warm house in Ohio, and I have friends in Texas who haven't had power for days. And we can't really do anything or send them anything to help because everything is such a mess.In book news, I finished 3 books this week:
War Girls - 4 stars. Excellent audiobook narration, but I think for something as sci-fi as this I might have preferred the written words. Will look into an ebook or hardcover for the sequel! Africanfuturist book
The Black God's Drums - 3.5 stars. I think I'm all caught up on P Djeli Clark now until A Master of Djinn comes out! This was great, I just wish it was longer. Maybe we'll get a full-length steampunk New Orleans story next?
Cyborg, Volume 1: The Imitation Of Life - 3 stars. Apparently me and sci-fi stuff don't get along when it's a mishmash of art + dialogue, because then it feels like an overload. I've loved this character since I first watched Teen Titans, and the comic seems to be going in a good direction story-wise, but the art style did a complete 180 halfway through the volume and lost me.
14/50
Currently:
Beloved - Trying to finish this in February. Trying.
A Brief History of Fascist Lies - Reading with another group.
Stony the Road: Reconstruction, White Supremacy, and the Rise of Jim Crow - Excellent. I wish Dr Gates narrated, but Dominic Hoffman does a great job. Can't wait to get my hands on some Baldwin and Du Bois later this year. Black and white cover
Has there been a time that the book you are reading has consumed you to the point of totally overlooking a responsibility or commitment? What book was that? What did you neglect to do?
The first time I read Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, I inhaled it in a day and a half. Thank god it was the weekend. I think I barely ate or slept and I was completely useless around the house that weekend lmao
Happy Thursday, y’all.We got hit with 8 inches of snow this past weekend... but at least Idaho is used to snow and is prepared to deal with it. Hearing about what's going on in Texas is heartbreaking, and I hope everyone who most desperately needs it gets the aid they need. Stay warm, everyone.
Books read this week:
Pet -- for “book about a social justice issue.” WOW… a timely book and a frank reminder that a lot can go wrong if we consider all our social problems “solved” and think we never have to worry about them again. Also I really loved the names for all the characters (Pet, Jam, Redemption, Aloe, Moss, etc.). I like unique names okay…
Generation Robot: A Century of Science Fiction, Fact, and Speculation -- for “book on a subject you’re passionate about”... and yes, I picked robots. I’m predictable. An interesting look at the history of robotics, though the author tends to wander off on tangents from time to time…
Hamnet -- for “book that won the Women’s Prize for Fiction.” Parts of this were very lovely and/or very sad… but overall I just didn’t feel like I connected with this book much. Am I missing something?
Silver in the Wood-- not for the challenge, though could work for “book set mostly outdoors.” A Green Man legend mixed with a surprisingly sweet love story. I got some Supernatural vibes from it, though given that it seems to have started life as a fanfic of some sort, that doesn’t surprise me…
Challenge stats:
Regular challenge books -- 13/45
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”
The Girl With All the Gifts -- for “book you saw on someone else’s bookshelf”
Anne of Green Gables -- for “book about do-overs or fresh starts”
The Witch's Heart -- not for the challenge
QOTW:
I've gotten so wrapped up in a book before that I've ended up late for work. XD And I was so invested in The Priory of the Orange Tree that I lugged it along on vacation and read it obsessively even when we were supposed to be enjoying the cabin. (To be fair, what's the point of a cozy cabin if you can't snuggle in with a book?)
I read Half of a Yellow Sun as my book that won the Women's Lit award. If anyone is still deciding what to read for this I highly highly recommend it.I read Dead Poets Society as my dark academia book. I do not highly reommend it.
I just started With a Tangled Skein as my magical realism book. So far, so good, but I'm only on page 18.
QOTW: I don't know. I'm pretty irresponsible in the first place.
Nadine wrote: "Oh that is awful, I'm so sorry. I had to re-home a puppy once, decades ago, and I'm still not over it. Glad your daughter is in recovery, though."Thanks! 💜
Hellohello!I had no idea it was so bad in Texas- I knew power was out and such but I had no idea it was due to neglect and ignoring of warning!
Over here we've been having rain, and all the snow and ice is gone, luckily. Going into the backyard to feed the bunnies was dangerous near the end, everything iced over.
I found out yesterday Bridget Collins (the author of my favorite book The Binding) has been liking transphobic tweets on Twitter for months now and I was not yet ready to have another book so dear to me tarnished. *deep sighs* Why is being a decent human being so hard these days?
Luckily Ferb has been doing better, and while she was supposed to go into the shed today, we are postponing it to tomorrow, because my help is sick and my dad is putting together my sister's room. I did promise her no more meds after this morning, so I'll stick to that ;)
Read
Last Dance (same title as a song for PS, female villain for ATY). Got this as an eARC, a middle grade horror graphic novel based around ballet. I was ready for it! Sadly it fell flat for me. I didn't like the art, save for the differences when the spirit was involved. The characters were all YA age, if not older (it wasn't clear, but it *definitely* wasn't MG age), so it never actually felt like a MG novel. The horror was barely there, the MC was awful, and it just left me disappointed.
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue (book about forgetting for PS, title contains a negative for ATY). I am very glad I saw some people talk about not liking it, because it killed the hype enough for me to not be completely devastated of disappointment. My review is a mess, but in the buddy read I did we talked plenty about the things we didn't like. I still enjoyed the read, and want to reread it on audio, because the feeling of the book was wonderful, and save for the one night I had to put it away out of frustration I wanted to keep reading. The editing (in my edition) was just horrendous and the factual mistakes were embarrassing. (The Girl With a Pearl Earring is NOT a Rembrandt, thank you very much. *Dutch feathers ruffle*) So yeah. Very conflicted, and sad about not loving it as much as I had expected to. Great potential, poor execution. (How can you have such a flat, static, character with 300+ years of history???) It was also another case of 'this is why epilogues are important' because the final chapter needed to not exist, or be an epilogue, because right now another perfect final line was wasted.
My emotions are still high, if it wasn't obvious xD
Exile (fave prompt from past for PS, random word generator (tear) for ATY). Another disappointment, sadly. Enjoyed it still, but it was so obviously a filler. To me, it dragged immensely, and almost 600 pages of the same thing over and over again with a rushed ending that kinda undid the emotions of the entire book. After the awesomeness of the first book, this was a bit of a let down, but I am still excited for the third book next month because I still have questions!
Currently Reading
Clap When You Land I can say this again because I just read 51 pages of it, haha! It's just such a struggle. I can read Yahaira's pages pretty easily, but Camino's take me forever. The story is great, though!
Technically (besides my daily Gmorning, Gnight) that's it right now. I read the intro of City of the Plague God a few days ago, meaning to start it, but I haven't yet. Starting The House in the Cerulean Sea on Saturday, and hope to finally start Outlander soon, too.
The Ship of Shadows is currently free on audio until World Book Day UK but you can't speed it up so I am very sad, haha!
QOTW
Most definitely! I can't really remember a specific occasion, as I haven't had school or work in forever, but yeah, getting in those pages even though you should be leaving has happened to me plenty of times! Also staying up until 6am to finish a fic. Or 3am for a book. Woops. My sleeping schedule is still not great, so 3am for a book wasn't so weird, but foregoing sleep to read is still a common occurrence!
Carmen wrote: "(The Girl With a Pearl Earring is NOT a Rembrandt, thank you very much. *Dutch feathers ruffle*)"Whattttt? It's a VERMEER. That's... pretty basic, IMO. Noted, for when I eventually pick it up. I couldn't get into her Darker Shade of Magic no matter how badly I wanted to; it kept putting me to sleep! I had higher hopes for Addie, but now I'm a little worried lol
Ashley Marie wrote: "Whattttt? It's a VERMEER. That's... pretty basic, IMO. Noted, for when I eventually pick it up. I couldn't get into her Darker Shade of Magic no matter how badly I wanted to; it kept putting me to sleep! I had higher hopes for Addie, but now I'm a little worried lol"I even googled it to be sure, and yepp. There it was, haha! One mistake she got told and it got fixed for later editions, but all special editions still have it. I wonder if she's been made aware of the painting and fixed that, too. Same for the editing- part of wanting to listen to the audio is to see if things got fixed, haha!
I heard with the ADSOM series there was a map of Britain and it was called a map of England which is just .. yikes. I haven't yet read ADSOM, but hated the graphic novels- hated the art, woops.
Addie starts really slow, so it's a tough beginning, but I did like it overall. Just, so many little things stacking up.. It feels very rushed. We think because it's gonna be a movie, Schwab wanted to get her version of the story out there before the movie. I hope they do the movie justice, because I really want to see it! (Hopefully they'll do better research for that, though xD)
I found myself wide awake at 4am today so I got up and read a book. I don’t normally do that. I’m more of a counting sheep person. But I really wanted to be able to post about a finish in this week’s check-in! I said I’d give updates on my MCU timeline order rewatch. I watched The Winter Soldier, and sadly, Captain America isn’t as interesting as I remember. Lawful Good isn’t as fun as Chaotic anything. Guardians of the Galaxy 1 & 2 and Ant Man made up for it in spades, though. I’m watching during my normal reading time, but they’re just so enjoyable!
Finished
Binti by Nnedi Okorafor (an Afrofuturist book). I liked the characters, story, and world-building. But there was too much story for a novella. I think it would have been better as a novel.
Reading
Watership Down by Richard Adams (a book set mostly or entirely outdoors)
The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary by Simon Winchester (a bestseller from the 1990s)
QOTW
Oh, yes, I’ve done this. There are some books and series just so captivating that I don’t want to stop reading them. Many impromptu vacation days have been taken so I could stay home and read a book.
Heather wrote: "I said I’d give updates on my MCU timeline order rewatch. I watched The Winter Soldier, and sadly, Captain America isn’t as interesting as I remember. Lawful Good isn’t as fun as Chaotic anything. Guardians of the Galaxy 1 & 2 and Ant Man made up for it in spades, though. I’m watching during my normal reading time, but they’re just so enjoyable!"I just started an MCU rewatch last night with the first Iron Man. Still as good as I remember it <33
Heather wrote: "I said I’d give updates on my MCU timeline order rewatch. I watched The Winter Soldier, and sadly, Captain America isn’t as interesting as I remember. Lawful Good isn’t as fun as Chaotic anything. Guardians of the Galaxy 1 & 2 and Ant Man made up for it in spades, though. I’m watching during my normal reading time, but they’re just so enjoyable!"I liked The First Avenger, I love tiny Steve! But while The Winter Soldier gets hailed as the best movie by many, I don't entirely agree. Sebastian Stan is the best part of it and I make no excuses, haha! Lawful Good Steve is why I prefer fanon Steve :D (especially after Civil War hahaha)
Mod
Haha I'm so conflicted there, because ... CHRIS EVANS!! I love Chris Evans!!! But Captain America is a snoozefest. But Chris Evans!!!
I just watched the first six eps of Wandavision and I enjoyed it - I liked the mystery of "what is happening and why???" and I'm finding that now that the mystery is being solved, I'm less interested. I've never been much of a TV viewer, but I was able to correctly guess three of the classic sitcoms they were modelling the sets on, so that was fun for me. I guess in the 70s I watched a lot of syndicated TV ...
If anyone is wondering (NO spoilers for the show, but I'm spoiler-tagging anyway, because sometimes it's more fun to just find out for yourself):(view spoiler)
What a mood on Chris Evans, hahah!I am loving WandaVision, but with only a few more eps to go I am very curious to see if it gets resolved completely, and how it will tie into the coming movies! I also love the nods to the TV shows in the intros, and hope to recognize more! (I'm a '94 kid, but the internet can be very educational, haha!)
Nadine wrote: "Heather wrote: "I said I’d give updates on my MCU timeline order rewatch. I watched The Winter Soldier, and sadly, Captain America isn’t as interesting as I remember. Lawful Good isn’t as fun as Ch..."Thanks for the list, Nadine! (view spoiler) Excited to see what they do next!
It's definitely so sad what's going on in TX. I have a lot of friends that live there, and I feel awful for them. My heart goes out to everyone with no heat, electricity, and water. We are expecting more snow in MA today, but we are better prepared for it since it's normal this time of year. Finished:
Wild at Heart - I know a lot of people love this series, but I had a hard time with this book. I love Jonah as a character, but found Calla so whiny. The book was very repetitive and dragged on for me. I did like the other characters in the book especially the cantankerous, old neighbor, Roy. 3 stars
The Dating Plan - I finally finished this book. It took me a long time to get through, but once they started the pretend engagement and began to understand their actual feelings it got better. 3 stars
In Five Years - I really enjoyed this book. I went back and forth on my rating for it, but eventually ended up giving it 4 stars. I used this for prompt #28 - a magical realism book.
A Curse So Dark and Lonely and A Heart So Fierce and Broken - these were rereads for me so I could get caught up before starting the last book. I love this series so much! Grey is one of my all time favorite characters! 5 stars for both
The Grace Year - I just finished this today. I used it for prompt #22 - a book set mostly or entirely outdoors. I really enjoyed this dystopian story and liked Tierney as a character.
Challenge Progress:
Regular Challenge - 13/40
Advanced Challenge - 1/10
Total - 14/50
Currently Reading:
The Burning Girls - I really like C.J. Tudor's books, and I'm enjoying this one so far.
A Vow So Bold and Deadly - I started this last night. As I mentioned above, I love this series. I'm looking forward to seeing where Brigid Kemmerer takes it. I'm using this for prompt #1 - a book published in 2021.
Get a Life, Chloe Brown - I will be starting this either today or tomorrow. I'm using it for prompt #19 - a book that discusses body positivity.
QOTW - Has there been a time that the book you are reading has consumed you to the point of totally overlooking a responsibility or commitment? What book was that? What did you neglect to do?
The day Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows came out I was living in Seattle. My parents came to visit me which was bad timing. I got up super early to head to the bookstore to buy it and was surprised my Dad wanted to wait online with me. I couldn't put the book down that day though. We went to a museum, and I actually didn't go in, but instead stayed in the car to read. Needless to say, my parents did not see much of me until I finished the book!
QOTW The one that stands out to me is also Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. We bought it on the Saturday but because my mum paid she got to read it first (at 14 I thought this was incredibly unfair) so it was handed to me when I got up on Sunday. Sunday was always the day I spent at my dads with my brothers who were 10 and 4 at the time. Normal Sundays were spent at the park or watching a film so I thought there would be plenty of time for reading. For some reason my dad had picked this exact Sunday to plan an actual outing. We drove over an hour to York (yay reading time) and went to the Transport Museum (lots of old trains) on a ferris wheel and to a nice restaurant. I spent the entire day walking around while reading the book and didn't put it down all day. I finished it on the way home and just sat in the car crying. I wasn't the best big sister that day.
Carmen wrote: "What a mood on Chris Evans, hahah!"That's exactly what I was going to say!
I meant no disrespect to Chris Evans at all. I read an interview with Jamie Bamber, who played Lee on Battlestar Galactica, where he talked about how difficult it was to play the morally upright hero without boring himself much less the audience. I think about that every time I watch a character like Cap. The fact that he's a little boring rather than completely insufferable is a credit to Chris Evans.
Hi everyone. Hope everybody is staying safe from both weather and viruses (and anything else going on in the world right now). My parents both had their first vaccines this week so I feel like there is a bit of a glimmer of hope for the future right now.This week I finished Poison. There used to be a £1 book shop near me where I used to pick up the most random selection of books and then forget to read them for ages. This was one of them and I so wish I had read it sooner. I loved it! It started out with a cookie cutter fairy tale/fantasy quest set up but then it took an unexpected turn and completely changed into a different story, but it was so seamlessly done that it felt completely right and organic. I wish there were companion books about all of the side characters because I would love to read more about Andersen, Bram, Peppercorn and Azalea.
Currently reading: Unbirthday. Confession time: as much as I love Disney, Alice in Wonderland was never one of my favourite's and it is really showing with how this book is dragging. I just don't buy so much about it (like the fact that 18-year-old Alice would be stamping her foot like she did as a 7-year-old?!). I can only suspend my disbelief so far :D
QOTW: So many times! The one which sticks out would be when I read The Hunger Games instead of packing for a flight. I'd sent my partner at the time off on some errands whilst I packed but when he got back I hadn't moved. Whoops! Luckily I still had plenty of time to stick everything in a suitcase before we left.
Early check-in for me today -- looks like the sleet, ice, freezing rain, and snow keeping me home today had a bonus benefit. I finished two more audiobooks and my book club read (which I used for an open prompt). I'm now at 4/10 and 1/10 for this challenge and 12/100 for my overall Goodreads Reading Challenge. Finished:
* The Gift by Alison Gaylin and narrated by Cassandra Campbell;
* Let Her Be by Lisa Unger and narrated by Chris Andrew Ciulla; and,
* Walking with the Wind: A Memoir of the Movement by John Lewis with Michael D'Orso, which I used for "a book about a social justice issue." I'm looking forward to discussing it with my book club on Saturday.
Currently Reading:
* The Conjure-Man Dies: A Harlem Mystery: The first ever African-American crime novel by Rudolph Fisher, which I may use for "a book that's published in 2021" prompt (debating this since it was originally published in 1932); and,
* Buried by Jeffery Deaver and narrated by J.D. Jackson. This is the last short story in the Hush collection. Once I finish listening to this one, I'll use the whole collection for the "book in a different format than you normally read" prompt since I don't normally do audiobooks.
QotW:
Has there been a time that the book you are reading has consumed you to the point of totally overlooking a responsibility or commitment? What book was that? What did you neglect to do? While I can't think of a specific example for this, I routinely read longer than I probably should right before bed and end up getting less sleep than I should during the work week. It's (almost) always worth the next-day grogginess 🙃
Carmen wrote: "Heather wrote: "I said I’d give updates on my MCU timeline order rewatch. I watched The Winter Soldier, and sadly, Captain America isn’t as interesting as I remember. Lawful Good isn’t as fun as Ch..."Even in The First Avenger, Bucky and Peggy steal the show IMO. But I like Steve in Civil War.
Busy week at work, I volunteered to redo my work's incredibly outdated website, so that's been a fun change my usual stuff. I haven't really read much on what's happening in Texas, but I did see people saying that lots of houses have no insulation because they don't expect it to be cold enough. I can't imagine how bad it much be, my house feels cold enough insulated and it's only 6C out.It's an ATY readathon week so I've read a handful of shorter books.
The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna for ATY (new to me BIPOC author). This was great, some quite gruesome bits for YA, but at its heart is a story about a patriarchy that does horrible things to keep control.
Fireheart Tiger by Aliette de Bodard for a book seen on someone else's shelf. Two princesses in love and an elemental spirit, I always enjoy her world building, short and sweet.
Fangirl, Vol. 1: The Manga for no reason other than it was cute. I like this more than the novel, as it spent a lot less time telling the fanfic stories which I just didn't click with. Love the manga style art.
The Project by Courtney Summers for ATY (siblings). This was a disappointment after Sadie, I think it was marketed as one thing, then the story spent ages trying to convince you it wasn't that thing and then, oh it was after all. I listened on audio because the Sadie production was so good, but the narrators felt miscast, which didn't help.
Currently reading A Stranger in Town and listening to The Relentless Moon.
PS: 9/50 | ATY: 9/52 | RH: 3/24 | GR: 20/100
QOTW:
It's been a while, I usually just fall asleep these days. I guess I might read a few pages here and there in quiet bits of work if I'm really into a book, but that would run the risk of getting completely sucked in and not doing any work at all. Other chores can wait though!
Finished The Toynbee Convector - Ray Bradbury just edges out as a Leo so that's my zodiac one. Not his best collection, but it's hard not to enjoy Bradbury short stories in any regard.
Wuthering Heights - Reread for "Family Tree". Thought I would enjoy it more the second time around and I did not.
Time Enough for Love - For my DNF book in the advanced section. This is a very weird science fiction novel with a lot of themes that, if simply stated, would raise a lot of eyebrows. I'm glad I got through it, but Stranger in a Strange Land remains a much better representation of Heinelin's ability.
Currently Reading
The Plague -Black and White cover. Fun times! Definitely not a dreary book at all to read during the winter. During a pandemic. At all.
Shades of Milk and Honey - This be my genre hybrid fusing romance/regency with fantasy. Definitely not Jane Austen level, but its a light read with an interesting magic system. Shrug.
QOTW
My foray into the Wheel of Time series consumed most of my scheduled when I got really into it. I was audiobooking during work and reading it on my commute, because thats the only way you get through a fantasy saga spanning 14 books and thousands upon thousands of pages. Made it up to book 5 before interest sputtered out.
It's snowing here in Manhattan! Woot! And I have to go out in it in a few minutes because I'm getting my 2nd Dose Vaccine today! Fortunately I only need to go about 10 blocks and can even take the bus door to door. I've cleared today and tomorrow of work in order to deal with any potential side effects. I had very mild, for me, ones after first but I expect stronger after this. PS 2021 - 17/50
Finished:
Tell Me Again How a Crush Should Feel - book by a Muslim American - excellent enjoyable coming of age/coming out teenager story. I laughed out loud when Leila expressed her disdain and aversion to exercise, gym and soccer in particular. So familiar!
Christmas Cow Bells - cute cozy
Swine and Punishment - prompt set mostly outdoors - another cute farm cozy. Yes, I was feeling bucolic.
Empire of Sand - good not great and not really YA as touted. Alternative history fantasy set in Mughal Empire India. Actually used it for a PS Summer 2020 prompt - which I am attempting to complete as part of a Winter Vacay personal challenge -- book with sand in title. I think I just have 2 more prompts to fill - and it might be spring before I get to them.
Miss Grimsley's Oxford Career - book set somewhere I want to visit in 2021 - Oxford - 19th Century historical romance - I needed a book for another challenge with an O and an X in the title, and this was available on Kindle Unlimited. I was totally charmed! Great scenes of Oxford University, lots of Shakespeare references including gender bending, extremely likeable protagonists who absolutely are meant for each other. I will read more of this author for sure.
Currently reading (you'll see why I took a romance and cozy break!):
A Brief History of Seven Killings
East of Hounslow
This Cold Heaven: Seven Seasons in Greenland
Provence, 1970: M.F.K. Fisher, Julia Child, James Beard, and the Reinvention of American Taste (which will be the relief reading from the rest over the next week)
QOTW: What have I neglected to do? Get off the bus or subway at my stop! I'm sure there are other things, but those for a New Yorker are classic. I can't remember what the last book(s) were that this happened with --- Pandemic Quarantine has kept me out of the subways and off the buses for the last almost year --- but it definitely has happened rather frequently - at least once a year! The worst is when that happens on the subway because I live pretty far uptown and some neighborhoods above me late at night have really deserted subway platforms that do not seem that safe. Plus the opportunities to switch back to go downtown can mean not only paying a second fare, but also a long wait for a train or bus. Not a happy time when you are tired and hungry from a long day at work.
Of course, any book that causes me to do that gets a very high rating and is recommended to all with the caveat 'it will make you miss your subway stop!"
Hello from snowy Cleveland, Ohio. I feel really bad for all of my friends in Texas! I wish I could transport you all here and feed you homemade soup. I haven't posted in a few weeks because...of just life so this will be a long post. Oddly, most of my books have not been for the challenge. Finished:
Death Wins a Goldfish: Reflections from a Grim Reaper's Yearlong Sabbatical I gave this 5 stars!!! I was laughing sooo hard at this graphic novel. Death has to take all his accrued vacation days and he has so many adventures. This book really reminds us that we need to slow down and take time for ourselves and not work ourselves to DEATH.
Akame ga kill zero 1#35 A book in a different format than what you normally read. I normally don't read manga and my son is a huge manga fan and he's been telling about this series for awhile and since I normally read graphic novels, ebooks, and audiobooks I chose manga because I rarely read it.
B.P.R.D.: Vampire Not for the challenge. I really love graphic novels about vampires and this story was okay. Surprisingly, it's apart of the same universe that Hellboy is in.
Chu, Vol. 1: First Course This is a spinoff of the Chew series. It's written from Tony's sister's perspective who's a master thief and criminal.
The Book Itch: Freedom, Truth & Harlem's Greatest Bookstore #42 The shortest book (by pages) on your TBR list . I'm so happy I found this book. I definitely learned so much. I never knew there was a black owned bookstore in NYC for 30 years. I definitely learned something for Black History Month.
Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe14. A book set in a restaurant. I read this and watched the movie for my books to movie book club. When I realized it fit into PS prompt I was even happier. I enjoyed the book more than the movie even though there were alot of themes in the book that would be considered heavy to most people like racism and domestic violence.
QOTW Recently I was listening to The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires and I could not stop listening to it even though it was 3 am and I needed to sleep. I was engrossed in the story and yelling and screaming to the point that I scared my son lol.
Nadine wrote: "Heather wrote: "I said I’d give updates on my MCU timeline order rewatch. I watched The Winter Soldier, and sadly, Captain America isn’t as interesting as I remember. Lawful Good isn’t as fun as Ch..."I've never heard of the 80's one! I guess it isn't as famous as the older ones and I was around for the 90's one.
My husband grew up in Texas, and I only made him move away two years ago. We still have many friends and family in Texas and it's been so hard not being able to do anything for them. We found our old favorite tv station is putting their broadcasts on YouTube, so we've been able to "watch" their news in the evenings to stay updated. (WFAA, if anyone else is interested.)Work has picked up, like I knew it would, and I don't have the energy in the evenings to read heavy (literally or figuratively) books, so the history books will have to wait. I've also put all of my holds on ebooks at the library on pause until mid-April.
Finished This Week: Accused by Lisa Scottoline. I had this paperback from a used book fair a few years ago, and figured why not read it now? It's part of the Rosato law firm series, the first one after Mary DiNunzio becomes a partner. I did not enjoy it. I disliked Mary and found the part where the bad guy tries to kill her completely illogical. And then everything is magically solved and it's on the news? No. Only prompt it fits is a DNF book from my TBR shelf.
Tricks for Free by Seanan McGuire. The next Incryptid book comes out next week, the conclusion to Sarah's story, so I figured I needed to read last year's to get caught up. Then I remembered how I didn't fully remember Antimony's final story when I read Sarah's last year, so I'd just read that one. But when I picked it up, I really wanted to reread about Annie at the amusement park. So I reread Tricks for Free first. Not for a prompt.
PS: 11/50 RH: 2/24 RW: 4/28 ATY: 16/52 GR: 24/100
Currently Reading: Lead from the Outside: How to Build Your Future and Make Real Change by Stacey Abrams. Book club wanted to read it, but I feel like I'm the wrong target audience for it, not being a person of color. About a third of the way through.
That Ain’t Witchcraft by Seanan McGuire. Annie's last story in the Incryptid series, reread to prepare for Calculated Risks.
Come as You Are: The Surprising New Science that Will Transform Your Sex Life by Emily Nagoski. Reading this one over lunch breaks. Only in chapter two.
QOTW: Has there been a time that the book you are reading has consumed you to the point of totally overlooking a responsibility or commitment?
All the time. I would routinely stay up until 3 or 4 (or 7) in the morning to finish a book. It was easier as a teenager and in my twenties, but it's much harder now that I'm older. There's a book I still associate as the one I stayed up until 4 to read the night before I had a six hour road trip. (Note: not recommended.) Other memorable ones were when I read the first four Harry Potter books in a single day. (Also not recommended.)
When I started dating my husband, he tried to encourage me with a "stop reading at 11" rule that mostly worked. (I think he forgot about it when we moved and lost the security light setting that turned the lights off at 11.) I don't stay up all night reading anymore, mostly because I like to go to bed at the same time as my husband. These days, working from home, it's far too easy to bring my lunch book back to my desk with me and keep reading instead of getting back working. In fact, I did that yesterday with Tricks for Free, because I was at the point when they were figuring out what was going on.
Ashley Marie wrote: "Heather wrote: "I said I’d give updates on my MCU timeline order rewatch. I watched The Winter Soldier, and sadly, Captain America isn’t as interesting as I remember. Lawful Good isn’t as fun as Ch..."Eek! Iron Man's trilogy is my least favourite. I skipped all three when I did a MCU-a-thon.
Hope everyone is doing ok with the crazy weather! I can't imagine what I'd do if we suddenly had a snow storm- my apartment building is so old there's basically no insulation between us and outside. Stay safe!Finished:
Binti- for "afrofuturism." I really liked this one, but it was so short it was over too quick! Will definitely have to pick up the next books.
Parable of the Sower- for "bestseller from the 90s." This was another really good one, but way more brutal than I was expecting. I've been trying to read before I go to sleep-instead of being on my phone. But with this book I had to stop, because all the terrible things that happen or are described would have given me some pretty terrible dreams
I think I'm at 9/50 for the challenge
Currently Reading:
Shadow and Bone- for "author shares zodiac sign." I've had this book since it came out and always meant to read it, but never got around to it. Now that the shows about to come out, I thought I'd finally pick it up. I've already heard all the spoilers, but I'm still enjoying it
QotW:
The one that sticks out the most was when I was reading Sadie. I was at the airport flying home after a trip, and I was at a really intense part of the book, and looked up and realized I was one of the only people in the waiting area. Hadn't heard them announce that they were boarding the flight at all. So I nearly missed my flight after showing up 3 hours early.
Finished:The Rise and Fall of Khan Noonien Singh by Greg Cox (reread for fun) (3/5 stars)
I like the main characters and storyline here, but the Chrysalis mission takes a lot more page time than I think it needs. The Kirk storyline is functional and triggers the flashbacks, but it is not that interesting.
DNF:
Timekeeper by Tara Sim (PS: A book you meant to read last year but didn't)
I stopped at about 20%. It just wasn't clicking for me, and I was dreading more than anticipating reading the next chapter. If a book becomes a chore, it's time to move on to the next one.
Currently reading:
Lost Stars by Claudia Gray (reread for fun)
This is on pace to be 4 stars this time around. The writing talent is evident here, but Gray's next couple of Star Wars books raised the bar so high that this is a bit of a letdown in comparison.
Big Lies in a Small Town by Diane Chamberlain (PS: A book about art or an artist)
I am through Chapter 3, and I am intrigued by what is going to happen and what already did happen to Anna.
Question of the Week:
I mostly remember a couple of books that grabbed my attention so much that I chose to stay up and finish them, even though it meant less sleep. The books were Vision of the Future and Big Little Lies.
Hello everyone! I've been checking in on my people who live in Texas and so far they're all ok, which is a big relief. Sadly, I know that's not true for so many people. We need a more structured and effective approach to infrastructure and safety in this country. Badly. Aaaand let's just pretend there's a smooth transition here to talking about books...Finished this week:
The Mask of Mirrors (a book about an artist--a CON artist, get it??): I got this book in a book subscription box, so I wasn't sure what to expect, but I so thoroughly enjoyed it! Loved the complicated con, the complex worldbuilding, the mysterious evil plot. I'm looking forward to where they go with the next book in the series, though it'll be a bit of a wait since this book just came out.
Currently reading:
Party of Two: the conflicts are very minor, but that's comforting, and it's nice to hear about a relationship where the two people like each other so much.
The Spy Who Came In from the Cold: I'm loving this so far!
QOTW: I vividly remembering receiving Relic in my Christmas stocking one year, and staying up until 3 a.m. reading it. I was sitting in a beloved comfy wing chair in my mom's house, and I knew I had to go to bed when I leaned forward to peer around the wings to see if monsters were lurking.
Hi everyone, Another migraine day today, boo. Cold and snowy here, but at lest the temp is back up into the 20s today, unlike yesterday's -14. New addition mini-split heater couldn't keep up with that kind of cold, woke up very cold yesterday morning. Today was much more pleasant.
This week I finished:
Empire of Wild - this is my book by an Indigenous author, also my read harder book of genre fiction by an Indigenous author, ATY cross genre novel, Booknerds book with a nonhuman character. I liked it for the most part, but the ending was weird and abrupt for me. Couldn't tell if there's supposed to be a sequel or if I was supposed to "get something" about the ending that I just...didn't.
The House in the Cerulean Sea - anyone else bad about making time for audio books because of the limited ways that you can listen without tuning out and missing something? so you end up having to marathon the last few hours before your checkout is over, because turning wifi off doesn't work for audio books? No? Just me? Anyhow, this was so good, but I'm 100% going to get a print version before my book club discusses it. They didn't have it when I put it on hold, got it right after I already started the audio. The audio presentation was good, I liked the authors voices. I just prefer audios to be re-reads or nonfiction. I have a hard time following a plot, my brain tends to space out a bit and I miss stuff. It was still really charming, and I did really love it. Counting it for my book about fresh starts, plus read harder book where a beloved pet doesn't die, ATY book set on an Island, booknerds book with a title containing N,C,S in the title.
currently reading:
Pushout: The Criminalization of Black Girls in Schools - will be my read harder work of investigative nonfiction by an author of color, possibly my popsugar social justice book. It's well written though obviously upsetting to read
Plain Bad Heroines - will possibly be my book that my best friend will like, plus book nerds book with illustrations, possibly others. Would work for dark academia if anyone still is looking for that. I like it, interesting story so far, creepy.
1Q84 - read another chapter or so, still plugging away, will put more time in once library holds are caught up on.
QOTW:
I can't think of a specific time where reading made me forget to do something important. I obviously sometimes (often) read when I "should" be doing something else like sleeping or cleaning (or sometimes work if it's really slow and I'm dragging my feet looking for busywork). But I don't think I've ever missed something with a deadline or that NEEDED to be done because of reading something too engrossing.
My heart goes out to all those in Texas. We had 14" of snow drop in the PNW just last weekend and it is mostly melted now. I saw that our storm was moving south but didn't realize how hard Texas was going to be hit. Finished:
Shit, Actually: The Definitive, 100% Objective Guide to Modern Cinema by Lindy West (PS: A book by a blogger, vlogger, or other online personality. ATY: A collection of short stories, essays, or poetry). I have read all of Lindy West's books and so far have not been disappointed. My favorite movie growing up was The Fugitive (who am I kidding it probably still is) - Tommy Lee Jones does not get enough credit for his humor in this movie. Apparently West wanted to name the book "The Fugitive is the Only Good Movie" but her agent suggested she change the name and I agree with West because The Fugitive is an excellent movie.
Continuing:
Migrations by Charlotte McConaghy. I thought the snowfall over the weekend was a good time to pick up this book. It takes place on a shipping boat sailing from Greenland down to Antarctica. Pretty good so far - the writing is excellent.
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller. I started this one early (was going to read in March for the Women's Prize for Fiction). I am struggling through it. Circe is such an amazing book (I read it twice) but I am struggling with this one. It's slow but I am hopeful it will pick up.
QOTW:
Just recently I was reading The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue and I ended up ordering dinner in because I didn't want to "waste" time cooking when I could have been reading! I fell deep into that book and I loved it! This is basically true for most books that I really love. I just forget about the world and focus on reading. Once the book is finished and I emerge from my cocoon I realize all the stuff I have been putting off (cleaning, laundry, showering...)
Sarah wrote: "Eek! Iron Man's trilogy is my least favourite. I skipped all three when I did a MCU-a-thon."Oh dear! To each their own ;)
Mod
It was Michael J Fox's first big role!!
Happy check-in. Had a furnace scare myself this morning. It was human error in reading the thermostat. Life before coffee is hard. ;) With that said I am definitely concerned about Texas especially our bookclub members. Ilona Andrews live outside of Austin and have shared a few updates through their blog. It's saddening to hear that people have to burn furniture to stay warm.Hopefully the weather warms up down south asap.
Finished reading:
Shadowshaper ⭐⭐⭐
Interesting ya urban fantasy set in Brooklyn New York City. The author used ancestry as the super power. This was apparently a notable book on the New York Times list and on NPR's a few years back.
Grave Witch ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Starting to reread this series because I got the final book for Christmas. I had forgotten just how much I loved it.
Burke's Law: A Life in Hockey ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (2021 subject your passionate about)
So Brian Burke literally got hired with my team while I read his memoir. His last chapter was about him taking a job with hockey media and being done working for a team lol.
A Court of Silver Flames ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (2021 a book about fresh starts or do-overs)
This was published Tuesday and I had to stop halfway through rereading a different and equally long SJM book to start this one. I have spent the past couple nights staying up late to read, and then trying to sleep but wanting to read. The couple years wait and sleep deprivation was worth it.
PS 2021 10/50
PS 2017 11/52
goodreads 39/200
Currently reading:
House of Earth and Blood
She Came to Slay: The Life and Times of Harriet Tubman
QOTW:
I can't think of an instance at the moment other than choosing to read instead of sleeping. Most of the time I can say to myself the book is not going anywhere and I can make myself go to bed. Some books just won't let you. I too recall being useless because of reading Harry Potters immediately upon attaining a copy.
🗓Week 7: Sending love to all those in cold weather still with no power and water. Its just heartbreaking that something like this happens, and it’s so scary, and living in North Carolina, I still remember the times this happened to our state too, and not having proper systems in place for that type of weather.✔️Prompt #7 (dream job) The Last Garden in England ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📚Books read this week: 7
❤️Favorite Book this week: I can’t decide! So many good ones
Popsugar: 17/50
ATY: 17/52
goodreads: 40/100
📚Reading Goals: mood read, read 100 books, read diverse
✔️Week 7 Finished: (2/11-2/17)
1. The Fifth Season ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
2. The Nature of Fragile Things ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
3. House of Earth and Blood ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
4. Real Men Knit ⭐️⭐️⭐️
5. Blueberry Muffin Murder ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
6. Ruin and Rising ⭐️⭐️⭐️
7. Ties That Tether ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📖Currently Reading:
You Had Me at Hola
📚Further Reading Plans: (Week 8)
How the One-Armed Sister Sweeps Her House
Heart Bones
The Four Winds
The Prophets
This Close to Okay
❓Question of the Week:
Has there been a time that the book you are reading has consumed you to the point of totally overlooking a responsibility or commitment? What book was that? What did you neglect to do?
💬AOTW:
Definitely! I could not put Finlay Donovan Is Killing It down and it completely consumed me.
Christine wrote: "I haven’t checked in for a while - life was really difficult and chaotic - my daughter got seriously ill (she’s doing better), we had to re-home our puppy, and life just generally sucked for a whil..."Scary. Glad to hear that your daughter is making progress.
Thanks to a read-a-thon I have read a lot this week. (Although most of it occurred on Sunday and Monday.)Popsugar: 14/50
ATY: 18/52
Side Reads: 2
Finished Books:
Way to Be!: 9 Ways To Be Happy And Make Something Of Your Life by Gordon B. Hinckley - completes a prompt for ATY
Follow My Leader by James Garfield - #27 A book about Do Overs and Fresh starts. This book is about a young boy who is blinded in an accident and essentially has to learn how to redo everything in his life.
Dicey's Song by Cynthia Voigt #37 A book you think your Best friend would like. My best friend is really into books that are based on real life situations and the drama associated with it. This book qualifies.
Come a Stranger by Cynthia Voigt - Completes a prompt for ATY.
Currently Reading:
God Wants A Powerful People by Sheri Dew
The Secret Prophecy by Herbie Brennan
QOTW:
Has there been a time that the book you are reading has consumed you to the point of totally overlooking a responsibility or commitment? What book was that? What did you neglect to do?
Sort of...I have read a lot of books instead of doing house work, but I have never been so engrossed in a book that I missed anything important. (Unless you count sleep. I have been known to keep reading to the wee hours of the morning.)
Finished: Love Lettering This was a United We Read selection and a surprising delight! I don't usually read romance, but I LOVED this one! 5 stars.Love in English This one was also good and I cried at the end. Her bilingual poems scattered throughout the book were pretty amazing, a commentary on learning different languages and trying to understand social situations in a foreign country.
And... my search bar just died. The Son of Neptune, a re-read, not as good as the first or third in the series, but still enjoyable.
Started: Homelessness, Housing, and Mental Illness;The Mark of Athena;Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix ; and How to Write One Song: Loving the Things We Create and How They Love Us Back
QotW: I read Love Lettering in two days across Valentine's Day and President's Day. So I sorta/kinda neglected some responsibilities such as cleaning out the fridge, but nothing with a deadline!
Heather wrote: "I meant no disrespect to Chris Evans at all. I read an interview with Jamie Bamber, who played Lee on Battlestar Galactica, where he talked about how difficult it was to play the morally upright hero without boring himself much less the audience. I think about that every time I watch a character like Cap. The fact that he's a little boring rather than completely insufferable is a credit to Chris Evans."100% agree! He is entirely too precious for this world and I'm glad he gave us the best Cap we could have asked for (although fanon remains better and I think Chris would love fanon Steve as well haha!)
Overall I prefer the three Captain America movies over the Iron Man ones, but I prefer Iron Man as a character- Tony is my favorite!Besides the first Iron Man, the movies just aren't very good. Add Civil War on top of that, basically being an ensemble movie (which I prefer) and voila, my preference is explained, hahah!
I agree that Bucky and Peggy steal the show in First Avenger, hehe!
Really feeling for so many parts of the country with this terrible weather, particularly those in areas unprepared to manage it.I finished two books this week, both in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series:
The Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan
The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan
One more book to go to wrap up this series, and I'm both excited and nervous. I didn't find a prompt to fit either of these books into, so I'm still 9/50.
QOTW: This happens to me a lot - not necessarily missing a commitment or appointment, but definitely not getting stuff done that I was supposed to do. Mostly I forget to sleep, I'll finish the book and look at the clock and think "shoot, I have to get up in 3 hours..." But recently I also forgot to go to the grocery store and post office because I was so wrapped up in the book I was reading. I saw someone mention they almost missed a flight, and that's actually something I worry about - that I'll be reading a book in a waiting area and not hear my name called or an important announcement. That could definitely happen.
So sorry to read about people in Texas in the cold with no electricity. Hope the cold will be over soon or the electricity will be back soon. Having said that, I really enjoyed the cold over here last weekend. I was in skating paradise 😍. Just 2 kilometers from our house there’s a fen lake. And the ice was perfect after a week of freezing cold! Black, with the sound of cracks (the ice sings, we call it), a bit of sunshine, enough space to make some speed, just perfect-perfect-perfect. I went early morning, before the crowds. So happy, it’s such a special feeling gliding over the ice. It was 9 years ago since the last time we could skate on our lakes and canals. And yes, the whole country went crazy too (okay, half of it). Happy faces everywhere, one weekend of national happiness during the pandemic.Finished
7/40
Roots: The Saga of an American Family by Alex Haley ⭐⭐⭐
Prompt #20, a book on a Black Lives Matter reading list. Also fits #29, a book set in multiple countries, #33, a book featuring three generations, #34, a book about a social justice issue
A universal story about finding your roots, the power of oral history and telling stories and the pursuit of freedom and happiness. And a story about slavery: the inhumane actions, the racism and the effects on nowadays offspring of former slaves.
Currently reading
Secrets of a Charmed Life. A kind of a ‘have I read this before’-experience. It was a QOTW last year. I couldn't remember one, but here it is.
QOTW
The last time I was totally consumed by a book was The Labyrinth of the Spirits, about 3 years ago. I completely lost track of the world outside the book, it was a shock closing the book. I don’t remember if I forgot anything, but oh, I was completely absorbed by it.
Well happy Thursday. Thoughts go out to anyone dealing with power outages and extreme weather.Books I finished:
Uncrowned Queen: The Fateful Life of Margaret Beaufort, Tudor Matriarch - ⭐️⭐️⭐️This was fine. I've read a lot about Henry the 8th and onward, so this was stuff I didn't know that much about, but it was a little dry, and occasionally would detour into giving lists of what Margaret owned/bought/donated. PS - A book with a family tree. (I had to flip back to it a bunch to keep everyone straight. ATY - A book set in a state, province, or country you have never visited.
Sailor Moon Eternal Edition 3 - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️I'm finally into parts that I don't remember from the TV show (I mostly just watched the first season over and over).
Inside Out & Back Again - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (May get bumped up to a 5 star later)My sister told me I need to read this and I'm so glad I listened. I joked that it lost a star for ending. It was so sweet and it really came alive for me. PS - A book with an oxymoron in the title. (Inside Out) & ATY - A book involving an immigrant.
The Dirty Streets of Heaven - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Tad Williams is one of my favorite authors, but I've tried to read this one multiple times and I've always given up before. It has wonderful world building as usual, but it is a noir take on urban fantasy, and I don't like noir. Still I'm glad I finally made it through. PS - A DNF book from your TBR list. & A book by an author whose career spanned more than 21 years.
A Stranger in Town - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️I still prefer Kelley Armstrong's fantasy to her mysteries, but I still love these books too. But now I want the next book NOW😋 PS - A book set mostly or entirely outdoors. & ATY - A mystery or thriller.
The Martian - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️I'd forgotten just how much I loved this book. I know I love the movie too. I've been meaning to reread this, and I needed a physical book to read, so I picked it up, and then couldn't put it down.
Before the Coffee Gets Cold - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (Another one that might get bumped up to 5 stars)I'd seen this mentioned for a couple of prompts here, and it looked okay, so I borrowed it and figured I'd give it a try (I'm usually not that big on things that get the magical realism tag). It blew me away. It did take a little to get into the story, but once I did, I really couldn't stop. It left me in tears. PS - A book set in a restaurant. & ATY - A book with an ensemble cast.
Books I made progress on:
Austenland
What If It's UsQOTW
When I get really into a book, I ignore everything, including my own body, So sometimes I'll finish up and realize I've been sitting in a bad position and my back is screaming at me. Or I'll have a head ache because I've forgotten to eat.... And I have learned that pulling an all nighter to finish a book takes a lot longer to recover from then when I did it as a teen. Getting older sucks!
Oh I wanted to add to my QOTW answer that when I was reading One of Us: The Story of Anders Breivik and the Massacre in Norway I had a hard time eating for about a week. It's a really good book and conveys the horror of a killing spree with its bullet-by-bullet reconstruction, but oh my goodness I found it so upsetting. I couldn't stop reading but it killed my appetite. A friend finally picked me up and took me to see a silly movie in the theater and then out to dinner. I was more disciplined about taking breaks after that.
Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge
Books mentioned in this topic
The F*ck It Diet: Eating Should Be Easy (other topics)How Long 'til Black Future Month? (other topics)
Terra Nullius (other topics)
Robert Moses: The Master Builder of New York City (other topics)
How to Find Fulfilling Work (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
William W. Li (other topics)Alfred F. Young (other topics)
S.A. Chakraborty (other topics)
Ken Follett (other topics)
Bill Bryson (other topics)
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I just want everyone to be safe and secure. In Texas. In the US. In the world… Why is that so difficult?!? Sending out positive energy to all who need it! Especially in the “lone star state.”
Admin Stuff:
The February Monthly Group Read Discussion of Binti (Binti #1) by Nnedi Okorafor is well underway! A huge thank you to Jessica for leading this one!
You can always post information regarding a different book you have read that fulfills 2021 POPSUGAR prompt #2 An afrofuturist book here.
And...we are still in need of discussion leaders for March-June! Please message either Nadine or myself if you are interested!
March: #8 A book that has won the Women’s Prize for Fiction
(Women’s History month in Australia, UK, US)
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
Waiting for a 'ravishing reader' to volunteer to lead this discussion!
April: #28 A magical realism book
(#1 in selection poll)
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
We will need a "leading librarian" to lead this discussion!
May: #24 A book by a Muslim American author
(Islamic holiday Eid al-Fitr on May 13, 2021)
Ayesha at Last by Uzma Jalaluddin
We will need an "adorable analyzer" to lead this discussion!
June: #20 A book on a Black Lives Matter reading list
(Juneteenth on June 19, 2021 - aka African American Freedom Day or Emancipation Day)
Dear Martin by Nic Stone
We are searching for a "bookish bookworm" to lead this discussion!
Popsugar: 27/50
ATY: 39/52
RHC: 4/24
Reading Women: 2/28
FINISHED:
Ghost Talkers by Mary Robinette Kowal ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ is a standalone novel and is an absolutely excellent read, IMO! I loved the Lady Astronaut series and this one. I may even venture into one of her romance novels, I enjoy her writing so much! She puts me right there, in the setting, with the characters, experiencing the action… This woman has it all! One of my all-time favorite authors!
POPSUGAR: #18-I do believe there are other dimensions of "being" that some of us humans can access or could access with a bit of practice, #21-Historical Fiction, Historical Nonfiction, Mystery, Fantasy, Paranormal, #22, #27, #30-France, #36-807 reviews on Goodreads, #37, #40-From 2016 POPSUGAR Challenge-prompt #8 Set in Europe, #43, #46, #47-Mary Robinette Kowal is one of my all-time favorite authors, #48
ATY: #3-A lot of “feeling sad” in this novel, #6, #7-A book related to the Year of the Ox: Ginger perfectly fits the description of someone born in the Year of the Ox, #8-France, #13, #18-Historical Fiction set during WWI, #23- Historical Fiction, Historical Nonfiction, Mystery, Fantasy, Paranormal, #27-Death, Strength, Judgement, #29, #34, #38-LINEAGE: A consideration when searching for traitors, #42, #47-A regiment from India helped them, #49, #51, #52
RHC:
Reading Women:
The Wall of Storms (Dandelion Dynasty #2) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ by Ken Liu. I am thrilled I persevered to read the second installment in this series. Liu surprises me with the complexities of characterization and interactions as well as plot. He doesn’t hesitate to kill off characters and his attention to technological detail is fascinating! While my initial reaction to the cover image was “Ugh. How ugly.” I now get the image and it’s connection to the story overall. I love it when the cover aptly represents the book and I can connect to it in a much more comprehensive way after reading the book!
POPSUGAR: #21-Fantasy, Science Fiction, “Silkpunk”, #27, #33, #34-acceptance of female leaders, #36-432 reviews on Goodreads, #40-From 2015 POPSUGAR Challenge-prompt #7 A book with nonhuman characters, NEW #41, #44, #46
ATY: #2, #7-A book that deals with second chances, #10-I would definitely label Jia and Tanvanaki as villains and/or criminals, #14-Lots of them! All of them!, #15, #23-Fantasy, Science Fiction, “Silkpunk”, NEW #25, #27-Queen, King, The Empress, The Emporer, The Lovers, Strength, Justice, The Hanged Man, Death, The Tower, Judgement, NEW #30, #35, #38-VETERAN: There were many veterans in many areas: warfare, tyranny, betrayal, scholarship, #47-the Dara army had dignified uniforms, #49, #52-the end of many lives
Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ by Gail Honeymanwas an excellent read! No wonder one of my best friends and a fellow book club member loved it so much and recommended it so highly!
I will fill in the reading prompts later since it is already 8:04AM my time and I have yet to post this check-in! 😊 I will complete the grid of prompts it fulfills later so I can get this posted to you all!
Edited at 10:19AM-DONE! :)
POPSUGAR: #18- Each human needs others who will accept them and treat them with "unconditional positive regard", #27, #30-Glasgow, Scotland, #34- child abuse, #37-I know she would because she is the one who recommended it to me!, #39, #40-From 2017 POPSUGAR Challenge-prompt #51 A book about a difficult topic, #46, #47-Gal Honeyman is a new favorite author!
ATY: #3-“whiskers on kittens"—Glen & “feeling sad”—clinical depression, #6-Eleanor learns to love herself and life, #7-A book related to mental health, #8—Scotland, #10, #15, #19-Eleanor must overcome her past to live as a healthy person in the present, #27-Strength, The Hermit, Death, Temperance, #34, #38-WILL: Eleanor must have the will to recover, #52-The end of Eleanor’s mental illness
RHC: NEW #24
CONTINUING:
Eva Luna by Isabel Allende to fulfill the 2020 Reading Women prompt #26 A book written by Isabel Allende.
Paradise by Toni Morrison to fulfill the 2020 Reading Women prompt #25 A book written by Toni Morrison.
Edith Wharton’s The Age of Innocence (Classsics, Literature) Annotated |56605996]. Still…
Hidden Valley Road: Inside the Mind of an American Family by Robert Kolker
The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates. Excellent writing! It really flows.
How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi.
Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi. Excellent so far! I love Reynolds' humor!
Learning Race, Learning Place: Shaping Racial Identities and Ideas in African American Childhoods by Erin N. Winkler
White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism by Robin DiAngelo
The Souls of Black Folk by W.E.B. Du Bois
PLANNED:
Four February Buddy Reads:
The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
Ready Player Two by Ernest Cline
The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey for the 2021 Reading Challenge February Monthly Group Read.
You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson for my favorite used bookstore’s book club. I’ll participate remotely this month.
Every Note Played by Lisa Genova for Literary Wives in March.
The Third Angel by Alice Hoffman. My very special gift!!
Question of the Week:
Has there been a time that the book you are reading has consumed you to the point of totally overlooking a responsibility or commitment? What book was that? What did you neglect to do?
Firstly, this is the exact reason I awoke this morning and my first thought was, “Oh, no! This is Thursday! You are responsible for the Weekly Check-In posting and you didn’t even think about that last night!"
Why? Because I was so determined to finish reading Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine last night that everything else just fell off my radar. This is the first time in a long time that I didn’t just purposefully reschedule something to accommodate my reading, but literally totally forgot about something… So that’s my question to you now. (And yes, I am very hopeful I am not alone!!! So if you don’t have a similar true-life story, feel free to make something up just to make me feel better!) LOL 😉