Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge discussion
2021 Weekly Check-Ins
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Week 9: 2/26 - 3/4
Happy Thursday, y’all.The big fuss this week at work (I work at a library) is the announcement that Dr. Seuss' estate is ceasing publication of six of his books that were deemed to have racist images in them. It's started a HUGE discussion about censorship (which is weird because it's... not censorship? Just not printing the books anymore?). Our library's taken the books in question off the shelf for the moment -- not because of the images, but because these books are going for $800 or more on Amazon and eBay right now and the bosses are afraid people will steal our copies to sell them.
We're living in weird times, folks, when Dr. Seuss books are being sold for such big bucks...
Books read this week:
All the Names They Used for God -- for “book with something broken on the cover.” Short story collection, ranging from realistic fiction to science fiction to magical realism (so could also work for the “magical realism” prompt). It’s rare to find a short-story collection where all the stories work, and this one was one of those rare gems!
Quivers and Quills -- for “book whose title begins with Q, X, or Z.” Time-travel romance -- cute and fairly predictable, with a few too many contrived coincidences for my taste.
Axiom's End -- for “book on your TBR that you meant to read last year,” though it could also work for “book written by a YouTube content creator.” I really wanted to like this one, and the aliens were fascinating, but it just wasn’t as good as I hoped it would be.
The Left Bank Gang -- graphic novel, not for the challenge. Like all of Jason’s work, strange but fascinating.
DNF:
The Talented Mr. Ripley -- I picked this up thinking it would work for the “dark academia” prompt, but it doesn’t seem to be fitting. And since I’m seriously not enjoying this, I’m dropping it and moving on to something else.
Challenge stats:
Regular challenge books -- 17/45
Advanced challenge books -- 5/10
Not for the challenge -- 15
Currently Reading:
Bradbury Stories: 100 of His Most Celebrated Tales -- for “longest book on your TBR list”
Carolina Sunshower -- for “book with an oxymoron in the title”
We Have Always Lived in the Castle -- for “book with a black and white cover”
The Last -- not for the challenge
QOTW:
I... really hadn't planned on reading anything special for this month. Just my usual. There'll be plenty of women writers in the mix, I'm sure, there always are...
Oh gosh, it's Thursday again already! This week has flown. It warmed up quite nicely the last two days, but it's cold again today; spring always messes me up going back and forth like this. It's supposed to hit 60F next week though!Finished:
A Song Below Water - 3.5 stars. There's a lot of mythological beings mixed into this contemporary-set book, and I had a lot of fun with the main girls! There's a companion novel due out shortly that I'll probably read.
The Deep - 3.5 stars. Fantastic concept, not sure about the execution.
Beloved - DNF. I'll try this one again on audio, eventually.
All Systems Red - 3.5 stars. I didn't know light sci-fi could be a thing until I picked this up, and I like it! Excited for more Murderbot adventures. A book everyone seems to have read but you
PS 16/50
Currently:
Jade War - Loving this as much as the first one! Set in multiple countries
The Initial Insult - my life stops when a new Mindy McGinnis book drops. I blew through the first half in three hours before bed last night. Excited to finish today! Something broken on the cover
A Curious Beginning - more Deanna Raybourn! I still haven't finished her Lady Julia Grey series, but I like Veronica a lot already.
Soon:
An Extraordinary Union
Lore
The Wolf of Oren-Yaro
QOTW: March is Women’s History month in Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States! Are you planning to read any specific book(s) this month to honor women?
I'm reading all women authors in March for Women's History Month. It just feels right after reading all Black authors in February.
This Week's Highlights:
Second Grave on the Left started out my week of AMAZING reads! The action was fun (although I enjoyed the mystery in book one more) and the mystery surrounding Reyes really took off in this book...the ending has me nervous about what to expect in book 3. It is already on hold at the library. 4 stars.
Archangel's Sun Wow!! Archangel's Sun was...everything. This book deals with the aftermath of the atrocities and hardships of the last two books, specifically, cleaning up the reborn that have been unleashed on the world. A particularly virulent strain is infecting Africa and Titus needs all the support he can get in the clean up efforts - unfortunately, all of the Archangels are dealing with their own territories. Coupled with the massive losses of mortals, vampires, and angels alike, a severe shortage of help leaves the Hummingbird as the Cadre's choice to support Titus. Watching these two characters come together was the highlight of my week. Nobody writes like Nalini Singh - 5+ stars!
The Little White Horse This classic book was sweet...the meandering descriptions and characterizations really hit the right note for me this week. I am not sure that I would have enjoyed this book as much this time last year, which is often the magic of books...they often serendipitously fall into your life at just the right time.
Chaos Reigning Oh how I enjoyed returning to Jessie Mihalik's world! Catarina and Alex were superb together. This was action packed without ever skimping on the characterization - my favorite combination! Loved, loved, loved. 5 stars.
Rules of Redemption Wowza! This book was fantastic!! Fast-paced, strong characterizations, tension, clear world-building with lots of fun avenues still to explore, a not-quite-cliffy ending that nonetheless begs the reader to dive into book 2 ASAP...happy sigh. I sat down to read a chapter or two to see if I would like it - being a book by a new-to-me author made me cautious. Well, four and a half hours I closed the book having raced through the story. What a wild ride! And there are at least two more in the series that I can immediately glom, even better!! 5 enthusiastic stars!
I am on such a book high this week - THREE five star reads!
Upcoming Books:
no prompts this week
Of Courses and Kisses by Sandhya Menon. Contemporary YA romance. This was billed as a Beauty and the Beast homage and it really wasn’t anything like it. There was a rose necklace that was falling apart and the hero was described once as “feral” but he really wasn’t. Also, I wasn’t really into the characters. Meh.
I Wanna Be Where You Are by Kristina Forest. Contemporary YA romance. This is the book we are reading in book club at school. It was really cute. Enjoyable. Friends to enemies to lovers. I found it delightful.
Spring is not well underway here. I think it was 10 degrees the other day. It felt colder. Very windy.I finished Freedom's Way as my book with less than 1,000 reviews. Blech. Barf. Ugh. I'm pretty sure this book has been out of print for decades, but if you happen to stumble across it, I beg of you, don't read it.
I am now reading The Child from the Sea as my book with something broken on the cover. Much better, but very long. I'm 225 pages into a 600 page historical fiction about a woman's affair with a king and they've just had their first adult (15 years old) meeting. But, it's well written, beautifully described and I love the main character.
QOTW: No, I'll just read what I read. Although I'm reading a woman author now and I'm going to read Toni Morrison next, so, who knows, maybe I will coincidentally end up with all female authors for March.
I totally missed last week. (Then this Monday I walked around utterly convinced it was Tuesday for a while - clearly time has no meaning to my brain anymore!)We’re still dealing with a lot of stressors in our household, but things are generally trending better. And my daughter accepted an offer from Penn State, which is so exciting! It’s nice to see her having something to plan and look forward to!
Kenya wrote: "The big fuss this week at work (I work at a library) is the announcement that Dr. Seuss' estate is ceasing publication of six of his books that were deemed to have racist im..."
My kid's school quickly yanked their original Read Across America announcement to update to the list, and I think it's good! I love Dr. Seuss and I'm not one for cancelling the whole artist (I'm a Lovecraft fan after all), so I liked the approach of "Some of his work is problematic, and that prompted us to diversify the reading list." People who get their panties in a bunch over it are probably the same set who are loudly insisting that a plastic potato toy who stores his eyes in his butt is a male potato - i.e., idiot ninnies. But interesting to think we might have a collector's item or two in the kids' old bookshelf!
Finished
The Haunting of Tram Car 015 - A genre hybrid - Would have been a solid 4-star read if I hadn’t had A dead djinn in cairo to compare it to! I love the world Clark has built, but this suffered from a less compelling story and no Fatma. Still gonna read the next one though!
Candide - A book set in multiple countries - HP Podcraft did a series on this, so I finally got around to reading it. I can see why it has had a lasting impact (and why it was considered scandalous and decidedly Not For Young Ladies to read!). Honestly the cycle of ridiculous misfortune got old for me, but I can’t deny how rightfully influential the book has been. Tending our gardens does seem like the best prescription, even to this day.
Currently Reading
House of Leaves - A book that has the same title as a song - Finally doing a re-read since Literally Dead is doing it in March. I doubt I’ll get through it in a month, but I’ll probably be faster this time around since I won’t bother with some of the puzzles & cryptography again. I must remember to read the bit where Johnny has you do a visualization experiment somewhere other than my bedroom, because I STILL get creepy feelings from that, years later!
The Complete Sherlock Holmes - The longest book (by pages) on your TBR list - I’m usually not super keen to get back to this, but when I pop it on for some mild, lazy entertainment, I often wind up entranced and wanting to hear the solution to the mystery!
Binti - A book about do-overs or fresh starts - Just getting started but like it so far. I’m glad I remember Himba fashion from the movie Babies because it’s really easy to visualize Binti and that’s making the experience much richer!
QOTW
Nope, I almost always let my current appetite for genre dictate my choices. But now I’m feeling a little bad that my current crop is almost all dudes! Maybe I’ll take a shot at the Women’s Prize prompt later this month.
Trying to kick-start my morning workouts, which I have not been doing lately, but I headed out the door at 5 this morning and it was much chillier than I expected considering this week has felt like borderline summer. I kept going, though - I always wear long sleeves and sweat pants for workouts even when it's warm out - and the brisk air felt good.I read a lot this week, but only finished 1 book:
Savage Sam by Fred Gipson - this is the sequel to Old Yeller and features his son, Sam, but really has a different feel than the first book. The bond between boy and dog (this time Travis' younger brother and Sam) is there and a focal point driving the story forward, but the main plot is that the children are kidnapped by Apache warriors. It's very intense.
QOTW: I'm currently reading:
The Moment of Lift: How Empowering Women Changes the World by Melinda Gates
Others I have planned are:
Tricky Twenty-Two by Janet Evanovich
Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder (a reread I've been planning)
It’s been several weeks since I finished a book, and I’m now at the point where I’m blaming Ninth House. It’s good, but it’s just not very fun to read. I should have known because I felt the same way about Six of Crows. I’m going to keep going, though, because I want to know what happens. I’ve finished my MCU movie rewatch. Having watched all these movies in a month (-ish), Endgame really packed a punch. It’s been 2 years. Do I need spoiler tags? Just in case ... (view spoiler) I’m surprised that who I thought were my favorites are not my favorites when I watch the moves back to back. Except for Loki. I’m starting WandaVision tonight.
Reading
Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo (a book with a black and white cover)
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
I don’t plan my reading based on heritage months. My reading is more dictated by library holds and due dates.
Hi everyone. We had a little bit on sunshine last week to trick us into thinking that spring was on its way but it is freezing again now.This week I finished Away with the Penguins. I'm a bit obsessed with Antarctica so I loved the bits set there but I could have done without the "tragic backstory."
I've had a LOT of DNFs this week!
Supernova I read the rest of the series a while ago and I realised I'd stopped caring about the characters in the interim.
The Gods of Tango I was so excited to read this but I couldn't connect to the main character and then the author made the bizarre decision to only have punctuation in every other chapter which was really distracting.
The Sisters of the Winter Wood I didn't realise that every other chapter was poetry when I picked it up. I might try this again when I'm in more of a poetic mood.
Currently reading: Piranesi I have no idea what is going on but I'm enjoying it so far
Also reading The Duke and I. I loved the TV series but I nearly skipped the book because I'd read it was cheesey but I've really liked the first few chapters.
QOTW: No. I don't pay attention to that kind of thing.
Happy World Book Day!The weather at the weekend was just beautiful, we sat outside for a bit in short sleeves! It was pretty chilly out of the sun still but was nice to see that spring is on its way. Back to grey and damp today though.
My dog has started stealing cauliflowers. She can usually be left with food and won't take it, her treats are left in easy reach, but she just has an obsession with cauliflowers. She was left alone maybe 90 minutes on Friday and took one off the table and ate all the leaves off it. Then when our groceries arrived on Tuesday and I was talking to the driver, she lifted one out of one of the bags! What a weird dog we have.
I've been playing Stardew Valley this week so not much reading done. I finished You Should See Me in a Crown for a book with the same title as a song. This was fun, I loved the crazy prom obsession and I liked that most of the kids were good kids. Also using for Book Riot's YA with a black main character that's not about black pain.
Still listening to The Relentless Moon (I didn't realise the audio was so long) and currently reading The Edge.
PS: 10/50 | ATY: 11/52 | RH: 5/24 | GR: 24/100
QOTW:
I've only read two books by men so far this year, so I don't feel the need to focus on women writers for a month, and I don't have anything on my immediate TBR that feels particularly relevant to women's history.
Mod
I read that back when I was in high school, and I liked it a lot, and I've been surprised at the recent backlash against this book. Where are all these haters coming from?
This week sure flew by. It's been overwhelming with how many ways our government in Texas keeps trying to kill us, so I'm glad I have books to help manage that stress. This week I finished:
The Leavers Some of this was a bit clunky, but there was also a powerful theme that I wasn't expecting. 3.5 stars
Tender Is the Flesh Ugh, definitely don't read this book if you don't have to (and my "have to" I mean if you're also a completist with the Tournament of Books). It is beyond disturbing. 2 stars
The Kindest Lie I enjoyed this new book. The writing wasn't as strong as The Vanishing Half, but it could have similar popularity as that one this year. 4 stars
Intimations I read this in one sitting. It was a great quick but meaningful read for pandemic times. 5 stars
The Rib King The idea here was brilliant, the execution of it decent... 4 stars
I'm currently listening to Detransition, Baby and reading The Remainder in print.
QOTW: I already naturally read mostly female authors, so this isn't one of the more exciting heritage month reads for me, but I might try to finally get to Hood Feminism: Notes from the Women That a Movement Forgot this month.
I am 32/50! The challenge is flying by for me. Thank goodness for audiobooks. I have such a hard time concentrating to sit down and read right now, but I still need the mental stimulation of a good story, so audiobooks have become a sanity saver for me this year. This week I finished:
That Night: set in a place I want to visit (Canada): I'm a pretty big Chevy Stevens fan and I enjoyed this one a lot, as I'd expected to. The only thing that keeps it from being a five star review is that one of the twists wasn't explained enough to be realistic for me, but I found the book compelling.
I've Got My Eyes on You: prettiest cover (side note - I had a horrible time selecting a book for this prompt): I love MHC, but this didn't seem up to her usual caliber of writing. It didn't feel like her at all to me. Decent book, but not great.
Ms. Marvel, Vol. 1: No Normal: Muslim American author - This was okay, but I think I should've chosen more carefully for this important prompt, because I'm sure that there are a lot of selections I would have found a lot more impactful than this.
The Whisper Man: anonymously: I loved so much about this book. I generally avoid anything involving crime against children, because I just don't have the stomach for it anymore, but I thought this book was much more about relationships than about the case. I also found it delightfully creepy (the audiobook voice gave me the chills a few times). There were a few things I wished were different, but it surpassed my expectations so much that this was a 5 star book for me.
Currently reading:
Broken Things: I only just started this one, so it is too soon to tell, but it fits a prompt that I was having a lot of trouble with (Scorpio author), so I'm hopeful.
QOTW:
I don't really think about things like that when choosing what to read, but maybe I should. I really feel like it would be great to read nothing but books by women for a whole year, but the challenge makes that too hard for me. I understand it can be done, but there are some books that just fit prompts so perfectly that it would be a shame not to use them because of an author characteristic.
Nadine wrote: "I read that back when I was in high school, and I liked it a lot, and I've been surprised at the recent backlash against this book. Where are all these haters coming from? ......"I read Catcher in the Rye back in high school, also, and I hated it. I thought Holden Caulfield was a big baby. I was uncomfortable with all the swearing. And, while I understood that the book was about the tragedy of loss of innocence, I really didn't get it, possibly because I hadn't lost my innocence yet. Maybe I wold like it better as a jaded adult, but I'm in no hurry to find out.
Hello! The project I was working 12+ hour days for a week is now in the hands of the developer, so I get to breathe for like a week before it's my problem again. Of course, March is my busiest month for work, and yesterday and today are likely the only chances for that breathing until April because of other tasks. But fingers crossed I won't need to work weekends. Outside of work, my mom finally got her first vaccine shot, and my dad's second shot is this weekend, so I can stop worrying about them. Finished This Week:
Calculated Risks by Seanan McGuire. My physical copy of the book arrived Saturday, when I absolutely could not read it, so I designated it as my reward for finishing the work project. Once I handed the project off, I got to read my book. It was the perfect reward. Finished it Tuesday night. Using for #9, with a family tree, but also fits for #1, Published in 2021, #11, book about forgetting, #23, Something Broken on the Cover, #30, Place to Visit in 2021 (if that place is Ames, Iowa), and #36, fewer than 1000 reviews (since it's a new release).
Best Friends Forever by Jennifer Weiner. This was the oldest book on my TBR shelf here on Goodreads. I don't have it anymore, so I got it from the library. And then I realized why I didn't have it anymore. It's not a good story. I've heard Jennifer Weiner has done some great body positivity romances, but in this one, the fat girl loses all the weight and then gets the guy. There's zero body positivity in this. The plot was inane and the love interest was annoying, and I hated where the author chose to end it. Using for #45, book on TBR shelf the longest, but can also be used for #17, Same title as a Song, #30, Place to Visit in 2021 (if that place is Chicago or Key West), or #38, About an Artist (she paints pictures for greeting cards).
PS: 14/50, RH: 3/24, RW: 5/28, ATY: 19/52, GR: 30/100
Currently Reading:
Lead from the Outside: How to Build Your Future and Make Real Change by Stacey Abrams. The library took it back Sunday at 3am, while I thought I had until that evening, so I didn't finish it. On hold again, without that long a wait. Should get it back soon.
Courting Darkness by Robin LaFevers. Haven't started yet, but thinking this one's next.
QotW: March is Women’s History month in Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States! Are you planning to read any specific book(s) this month to honor women?
As previously mentioned, March is my busiest month for work, and I mostly reread comfort books than venture into new things. I did buy The Song of Achilles, so I'll probably read that, but no specific plans to honor women or women authors this month.
My allergies are back in full force so it must be Spring! I am glad we are past the threat of 14" of snow, but on the flip side I can't breathe. Finished: Nothing
Still Reading:
Migrations by Charlotte McConaghy - I have never had such a short book take me this long to read. I am almost done (about 40 pages). I am really into the story but work has been exhausting. I will finish this weekend for sure!
Started:
A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara. I had no idea what an "epic" this story was. I am 100 pages in and haven't formed an opinion yet. The writing is really good for sure, but it seems like Yanagihara used the 4 main characters as a way to write about humanity. The main characters come from such different backgrounds that it seems hard to believe they would all be friends.
QOTW:
I try to be conscious of women writers this month (I think my next few books are female writers) but also I don't try too hard. If there is a book that I want to read, I will just read it.
Kenya wrote: "Happy Thursday, y’all.The big fuss this week at work (I work at a library) is the announcement that Dr. Seuss' estate is ceasing publication of six of his books that were deemed to have racist im..."
I heard about this and as a kid who grew up on Dr. Seuss I never really saw race either way (is that a bad thing?). I pictured all the characters as animals (ie: the cat in the hat) and the kids in the story as "not human" if that makes sense. It never occurred to me that the characters were white or black or both or neither. Is that problematic in itself?
Mod
This week I finished 3 books, 2 for this Challenge, bringing me to 16/50
Voyage of the Sable Venus and Other Poems by Robin Coste Lewis - a lot of these are really long poems, and I don't like long poems. (By "long" I mean: one of them is 80 pages long.) The shorter ones were good, though. I've been having bad luck with the books of poetry I choose this year - I haven't truly loved any of them yet.
You Have a Match by Emma Lord- this started off kind of slow, but once it got rolling, I did NOT want to put it down! If you like "will they / won't they" YA romances with a bit of coming-of-age folded into the story, read this! This was my book published in 2021.
A Blade So Black by L.L. McKinney - I'd been looking forward to reading this since it was published - I mean, cool cover, Black Alice, with Buffy overtones? yes, please! But ... nope. I did not like this book one bit. The writing was absolutely not my style. The ending was a complete cliffhanger, but I don't even care what happens next. I used this for "book with a heart, diamond, club, or spade on the cover."
I am REALLY enjoying my current audiobook, The Sirens of Mars: Searching for Life on Another World. The last time Ioved an audiobook this much was I Contain Multitudes: The Microbes Within Us and a Grander View of Life, which is making me think I should listen to more non-fiction audiobooks, especially pop-science. I went through my TBR and put several on my list to prioritize for audio. Let me know if you've got any good recommendations.
QoTW
Yes!! There are six months in the year when I indulge in some focused reading for heritage & cultural appreciation months.
join our discussion over here: 2021 Women's History Month Reading
here's my crazylong list that I know is too long and I won't possibly be able to get to all of them:
currently reading
Hood Feminism: Notes from the Women That a Movement Forgot by Mikki Kendall
The Black Kids by Christina Hammonds Reed
When No One is Watching by Alyssa Cole
Faithful and Virtuous Night poems by Louise Glück
The Sirens of Mars: Searching for Life on Another World by Sarah Stewart Johnson
Others I'm planning:
romance:
How to Catch a Queen by Alyssa Cole - I've got this on hold at the library, no Challenge category
The Boyfriend Project by Farrah Rochon - I've got this on hold at the library, no Challenge category
Shipped by Angie Hockman
general fiction
How to Be Both by Ali Smith -this will be my Womens Prize winner
The Street by Ann Petry - this is my "BLM reading list" book
The Searcher by Tana French - I keep trying to read this, but it's long, and there are so many other holds on it, so I can't seem to finish it during my loan period. I've got it borrowed ... again
Good Morning, Midnight by Jean Rhys - I read this back in the 80s - it's time for a re-read!
The Price of Salt by Patricia Highsmith - this was on my list of books I MUST read ... in 2020. I didn't get to it.
Remarkable Creatures by Tracy Chevalier - I've got the audiobook on hold, hopefully I can get to it after Sirens of Mars
Orlando by Virginia Woolf - I think it's time to start reading all the Woolf books I haven't read yet
Untamed Shore by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson
The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins
The Cousins by Karen M. McManus - I've heard this book has a family tree
Outlawed by Anna North
Igniting Darkness by Robin LaFevers
Kushiel's Dart by Jacqueline Carey - this will be my "longest book on my TBR" - I had it borrowed last month, read one page, then set it aside and read a bunch of other books, until finally I was out of renewals and had to return it.
essays / memoir
Just Us: An American Conversation by Claudia Rankine
Recollections of My Nonexistence: A Memoir by Rebecca Solnit
Speaking Truth to Power by Anita Hill - ok, I know I'm not actually going to get to this book this month, but with Biden as President, Anita Hill has been on my mind, and I feel like I owe it to her to read her book. Some of us have not forgotten Anita Hill!
Women, Race & Class by Angela Y. Davis - I keep telling myself I should read a book by Angela Davis.
Dust Tracks on a Road by Zora Neale Hurston
non-fiction
Code Girls: The Untold Story of the American Women Code Breakers Who Helped Win World War II by Liza Mundy - the engineering moms group I'm in gave this high marks
The Madame Curie Complex: The Hidden History of Women in Science by Julie Des Jardins - this was supposed to be my "women in STEM" book for last year, but I ended up reading something else. I'm still hoping to get to this!
graphic novels
The Customer is Always Wrong by Mimi Pond
Cruddy by Lynda Barry - back in the 80s when I first started reading comic books, I LOVED Lynda Barry - her books bring me right back to my childhood.
poetry
The Awful Rowing Toward God poems by Anne Sexton
Naming Our Destiny: New and Selected Poems by June Jordan
and picture books!
Grace Hopper: Queen of Computer Code
Nadine wrote: "I read that back when I was in high school, and I liked it a lot, and I've been surprised at the recent backlash against this book. Where are all these haters coming from?"You can count me among the haters! I read it in early college and absolutely DESPISED Holden Caulfield. Sometimes I wonder about re-reading; then I think about having to listen to his pretentious judgement of everyone and I change my mind...
But who knows. Maybe I'd have a different view now, especially since I do know a lot more about mental health and defense mechanisms and the like. We'll see.
Hi everyone, Had some lovely weather this week, unfortunately cold and grey again today. Been a stressful work week, hopefully can get this squeezed in haha.
This week I finished:
Fables Compendium One - Finally finished this beast, so long and so HEAVY. I think it weighed around 10 lbs, or felt like it anyhow. I really like the compendiums in the sense of "i can sit down and plow through a huge swath at once", which makes it more likely that i'll finish quickly enough to actually remember what happens from volume to volume. But man are they cumbersome to carry around the house haha. Counted for Book Nerds graphic novel. I'm somewhat tempted to count it as longest on my tbr just because it's long, and I enjoyed it and it's finished. I'm not super loving 1Q84. But I haven't officially dnfed yet so we'll see haha.
The Testaments - my books & brew selection for March. Like most Atwood, many mixed feelings. Well written, I had trouble putting it down, but also just kind of knocked my emotions for a loop. It's rather soon after living through an attempted coup to reading about a successful one, perpetuated by a similar group of people. It doesn't feel like dystopia warning when it's that close to home. I don't think it works for popsugar, but counted it for ATY book that features siblings as main characters, Reading Women book with a female protagonist over 50, book nerds author from a neighboring country.
went on a comics binge, catching up on titles.
Big Girls, Vol. 1 - I really like this series. It's very pacific rim, but with more of a look on social issues than just giant monsters (and women).
We Only Find Them When They're Dead Vol. 1 - this also gives me Pacific Rim vibe, but more the black market scene with all of Ron Peralman's crew is stripping the dead Kaiju down for sale. I like it, enjoy the art, but I admit that after reading a whole volume, the plot still feels a little thin.
An Unkindness of Ravens - This has a very Sabrina vibe so far. I like it, but the volume ended just as it really got interesting.
Seven Secrets Vol. 1- cool story so far, interesting concept. Lots of action and secrets.
Ascender, Vol. 2: The Dead Sea & Ascender, Vol. 3: The Digital Mage - Last week we went into Detroit for the first time in a year to walk around and enjoy the weather, and I popped into my fav comic store to pick up a couple volumes. I LOVE the art in this series so much, I make a point of getting these in print and not digital. Lovely water colors, great palette. I don't love the series as much as I did Descender, but it's still pretty good. I do love some space magic, so it definitely has that in it's favor. Mostly it's just a very jarring jump in a 10 year gap or so. Kinda feels like it would take longer for such wide sweeping changes when you're talking about covering the length between planets. Even with FTL travel, the distances would be SO VAST. And as far as I've seen, I don't think there's instant warp tunnels or anything. Maybe I missed something!
Currently reading:
The Leavers - been trying to get into this, not really loving it so far. Just not really grabbing my attention. I think I'd requested it a couple years ago for a prompt and it didn't get bought, so just came up in my library queue now. I was going to use it for set in multiple countries, but i'm 45 pages in and so far it's been just in New York with references to living in China a few years. Not sure if it's just taking a while to get there or what. I'll give it a little more time.
1Q84 - didn't actually make more progress, but haven't dnfed yet.
QOTW:
I actually read a lot of women, in general. I don't really feel like I need special effort to read ONLY women in March. 16 of my 31 books this year have been female authors, and if you remove comics (which are still pretty male dominated), it's 16 out of 19 novels were female authors.
Mod
The big fuss this week at work (I work at a library) is the announcement that Dr. Seuss' estate is ceasing publication of six of his books that were deemed to have racist im..."
Ugh the Dr Seuss fake outrage is just insanity. People are talking about how great Seuss books are and how dare anyone censor them and slippery slope blah blah blah ... but books go out of print ALL THE TIME. And of all the Seuss books people are mentioning, NONE of them are the six books chosen to go out of print. There is no slope, slippery or otherwise.
I mean, Certain Dark Things is a recent publication that has been out of print, and my library didn't have a copy either. I didn't see anyone standing up in Congress crying censorship. (It's finally going to be available again.)
I LOVE Trina Schart Hyman's picture books, but most of them were out of print when my kids were young, and I couldn't even find used copies (probably because no one wants to get rid of them!)
Same for the completely gorgeous The Merbaby - I'm pretty sure this has been out of print for almost 20 years. I was able to find a used copy.
I looked at the list of Seuss books out of print, and none of them were ones I fondly remembered from childhood. I vaguely think I read the Zoo one, I can't remember why it'd be problematic but i also don't really remember what that was about. I stuck mostly to the more obviously popular ones, I think.
Mod
LOL!!! My dogs like cabbage and will LEAP on it if a piece drops from my cutting board. They haven't expressed a passion for cauliflower. Yet.
what is World Book Day and why does Google list two different dates for it?
Hi All! I haven't checked in in a couple of weeks, which makes me really sad. I have no doubt others have brought up the winter storms in Texas, which is why I didn't check in that week, and then last week I had been given a challenge of "reading deprivation," which meant not reading anything, including social media. I missed Goodreads a lot! And I still think it was a silly challenge (for me, personally--I can see how it could be helpful for people who read a TON, but reading is a treat for me, so it just felt like taking away one of my self-care things).And I won't say anything about the ending of the mask-mandate here other than I'm angry and fearful.
I haven't finished a book since January. It's been an interesting time.
Currently Reading:
Disability Visibility: First-Person Stories from the Twenty-first Century - a book about a social justice issue. We're discussing the second section this week at work and it's very eye-opening.
The Artist's Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity - a book about art or an artist. We're in week 5. It's been good and forcing me to confront a LOT of things about myself and who I've become.
Botanical Folk Tales of Britain and Ireland: a book that takes place in multiple countries. I'm liking it so far! It gives information about the flora behind the tales, which is really interesting.
On Pause:
Eragon: I'm just not emotionally in the right place for this.
QOTW:
I'll probably read books by women authors, but not on purpose. Like a couple of others, I don't match my reading up with particular months (although I do match them up with seasons, sometimes) but read a variety throughout the year. If I force my reading too much, I won't read.
I finished one book for the week. Not for this challenge. All The Devils Are Here ( Chief Inspector Armand Gamache #16) by Louise Penny. I have read this series for at least 5 years. I never want it to finish. 5 stars.
QOTW: l love heritage months. Some months are easier for me than others. I have discovered I read more female authors than male so this month is status quo in a way. I’m currently reading Magic Lessons by Alice Hoffman. I didn’t pick it on purpose.
Nadine wrote: "Code Girls: The Untold Story of the American Women Code Breakers Who Helped Win World War II by Liza Mundy - the engineering moms group I'm in gave this high marks"I read this two years ago because my grandmother was a WAVE and I try to read anything I can find on women in the Navy in World War II. I loved it so much. I really wanted my grandmother to have secretly been in that code breaker group, but I know it's unlikely. (They did recruit from colleges in Iowa, and Grandma had gone to college, so it's possible?) A few months after I read it, my best friend was at a conference for Tableau (data analytics software) and Liza Mundy gave a presentation titled "How Data Management Saved the World." I never wanted to attend a Tableau conference as badly as I did at that moment.
Long way of saying, yes, read Code Girls. It's such a good book. I learned more about the WAVEs (the woman's division of the Navy) here than I had anywhere else. There are parts about the women codebreakers in the Army too, but I focused on the Navy parts because of my familial connection. And now I want to read it again.
Got my car back from the mechanics fairly quickly! And it wasn't as expensive as it could have been. Now let's hope for one week where there's not some new huge disaster!Finished
You Should See Me in a Crown- I loved this! I really needed to read something a little softer this last week, and this perfect.
The Down Days- another pandemic book. Picked this up for the cover, and for tournament of books. I think it was an interesting concept, but I didn't love it. It was fine.
I thought I hadn't read anything for the the challenge this week, but then saw a comment in the thread that You Should See Me in a Crown works for same title as a song, so I'm at 11/50 now!
Currently reading
Transcendent Kingdom- I'm only about 30 pages into this one, but I love her writing so much!
The Refugees- I've been meaning to read more short story collections, and I've heard good things about this one
QotW
Most of the books I read are already written by women, so I'm not doing anything special for the month. Also, I'm terrible at sticking to reading plans, I always just wind up reading whatever shows up from the library.
Good morning. I'm having a bit of a bad week really and my visit to the allergist on Monday didn't go so well at all so it was frustrating. I just hope the blood tests show something. I've also had a few books this week that I struggled through...which of course slowed down my reading rate. Last week I had finished 6 books for the popsugar and the week before that it was 7 books, but this week it was only 4 that qualify. I guess even with doing the double challenge I'm getting into books that are harder to count towards the popsugar challenge.
Popsugar: 57/100
Finished this week:
The Lantern Men random book.. this is my second random book and one I had struggled through. I just found it rather dull and not interesting at all. The cover is rather pretty on this edition but the story was blah to me.
Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead book you saw on someone's shelf. I saw this one on my friend's shelf and the unusual title made me curious so I read it. And I ended up loving it! The main character in here is very unusual indeed and I could relate to her love of wildlife. The story has a big twist that I never saw coming! 
The Sky at Our Feet book by a muslim author. This is my second book by this author and just like the first one I loved it! It's a rather old fashioned adventure of two kids who are exploring New York City on their own and trying to get to the boy's aunt's house. Of course they have some little incidents along the way. 😁 Highly recommend! 
Rain Reign oxymoron in the title. This is my first book for this category and I found it while surfing the library's website. And I ended up loving this one too! It's the story of a child who has Asperger's and her dog she named Rain. She loves homonyms and of course had some people problems. 
Gravity is Heartless not for any popsugar challenge but this was my "pretty cover" book on another group. Unfortunately the story itself wasn't that great....
Lustlocked not for any challenges but just something I read that turned out to be another dull book..I do like the Cyclura on the cover though. The story itself was very weird. 
The Price Guide to the Occult once again not for any challenges really but I did need to read a book that started with a P for a spelling challenge so I picked this one. Unfortunately another dull book! I've had a string of them this week! Oh this book would work for the 3 generations challenge! Currently Reading:
Catacombs I'm going to start this, which is the sequel to a book I read 2 weeks ago..this series about the Barque Cats is actually written by 2 female authors: Anne McCaffrey & Elizabeth Ann ScarboroughQuestion:
I'm really not planning on doing anything special for the month but I already do read lots of female authors. I've never actually counted how many were girls versus boys. I already have lots of books planned for the month what I'm going to read based on group reads or on various challenges I'm doing so I can't read only female authors. It wouldn't work.
Happy Thursday! Yes, spring is in the air! I'm very excited to get outdoors again. My grandparents get vaccinated today, which is a huge relief for me. I've been so worried about passing anything on to them. Thankful that now I can relax a little!Finished 5.5/50
The Philokalia, Volume 2: The Complete Text for "longest book on TBR". Again, this is technically all one book broken up into volumes. I've got two more to go!
Currently Reading
Half of a Yellow Sun for "book that won the Women's Prize for Fiction". I'm actually really enjoying this so far!
QotW
You know, I wasn't specifically planning anything, but the book I'm currently reading does fit in nicely! Happy coincidence.
Mod
Good to know you liked it!!! I keep putting that book on my TBR and then taking it off again. It's back on now :-)
Sheri wrote: "I looked at the list of Seuss books out of print, and none of them were ones I fondly remembered from childhood. I vaguely think I read the Zoo one, I can't remember why it'd be problematic but i a..."I think, from the comments I've heard, it's the illustrations more than the story.
Hi! I keep forgetting to post and then I put it off until it’s almost Thursday again so here’s 3 weeks worth of books 😅The Jungle Book and The Second Jungle Book for an author with the same zodiac sign. A reread from childhood. Rudyard Kipling is one of my favorite authors so I always enjoy revisiting his work.
Memoirs of a Geisha for a best seller from the 90s. I liked this a lot more than I imagined I would. I’ve seen the movie several times and this gave a lot more background information.
The Phantom of the Opera for a back to the classics prompt. I’ve actually never seen the musical or movie or anything so this was a brand new experience for me. So dramatic, so French.
Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents for a book riot prompt. I thought this was going to focus more on the Indian caste system (because I picked this based on the title alone) and while it kind of cover it, this is more about how American racial relations share many similarities to caste. A good read with a lot of personal stories that make it less an essay of history and sociology.
House of Salt and Sorrows for the gem, mineral or rock prompt. Very enjoyable!
Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage for a book riot prompt. Very weird, and too many graphic casual descriptions of sex acts for my taste, but also enjoyable.
Popsugar: 10/40; 0/10
Book Riot: 3/24
Back to the Classics: 2/12
31 books read this year
Also, I’m reading War and Peace so if if looks like I’m not getting through many books, that’s why 😅
Mod
Duh! I heard about this and then didn't even mention it for the weekly check-in, so thank you for doing so! I admit to mixed emotions about this. I'm still in quandary about it. I hadn't even considered the fact that those will now command collector pricing! Ugh.
"Books read this week:
All the Names They Used for God -- for “book with something broken on the cover.” Short story collection, ranging from realistic fiction to science fiction to magical realism (so could also work for the “magical realism” prompt). It’s rare to find a short-story collection where all the stories work, and this one was one of those rare gems!"
Huh. This looks interesting. And Roxane Gay and Jennie Shortridge were both impressed with it as well as you!
"DNF:
The Talented Mr. Ripley -- I picked this up thinking it would work for the “dark academia” prompt, but it doesn’t seem to be fitting. And since I’m seriously not enjoying this, I’m dropping it and moving on to something else.">
I just read this not too long ago. Unfortunately, as you discovered, it is definitely NOT for the dark academia prompt! I was not over thrilled simply because I do not want or need to know the inner workings of a criminal's mind. I won't continue with the series but I do intend to read her novel Strangers on a Train because it is considered such a classic and I did like her writing style, just not the Ripley character...
"QOTW:
I... really hadn't planned on reading anything special for this month. Just my usual. There'll be plenty of women writers in the mix, I'm sure, there always are..."
That's kinda how I feel. I made a special effort to include female writers about 7-8 years ago and have found that now the books I read are a majority of female writers which is a good thing, IMO! :)
Finished:Have I really not finished anything since Feb. 19? I've been trying to finish Caste, but it got to be too much so I returned it to the library. I don't understand how so many people can read this, it's brutal.Started: The Power of Meaning: Crafting a Life That Matters So far, pretty enjoyable. The stories she curates are pretty unique. Will probably give it a 3.
Qotw: No, I don't like choose my reading by identity politics. I plan to read The source of self-regard by Toni Morrison, but not because of the themed month.
Mod
I just looked at our forecast and see that we will supposedly have 30 days above 60F here as well! YAY!!
"Finished:
Beloved - DNF. I'll try this one again on audio, eventually."
I reread this about 1 1/2 years ago about 20 years after having read it the first time and feeling as if I had not "gotten it." I was so glad I reread it because for whatever reason, I did "get it" this time and truly appreciated it. However, it is very intense and dark, IMO.
"All Systems Red - 3.5 stars. I didn't know light sci-fi could be a thing until I picked this up, and I like it! Excited for more Murderbot adventures. A book everyone seems to have read but you"
I loved this book. I was shocked by the ending, though! I purchased Artificial Condition, the second installment, but have yet to read it.
"QOTW: March is Women’s History month in Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States! Are you planning to read any specific book(s) this month to honor women?
I'm reading all women authors in March for Women's History Month. It just feels right after reading all Black authors in February."
Good for you!
I applaud the action taken by the Seuss company and only wish it could have come sooner. Celebrate the great stuff that he wrote like The Sneetches and Green Eggs and Ham, and let the terrible stuff sit at the bottom of history's garbage can. There is a ton of great children's literature being published every year, and I highly recommend that people try some of it at their local library or bookstore.Finished:
Big Lies in a Small Town by Diane Chamberlain (PS: A book about art or an artist) 3/5
The character in the past has some awful stuff happen to her that puts me off of wanting to reread this. Putting that aside, the book is well-written, and everything gets wrapped up and tied in a nice bow by the end.
Solo Command by Aaron Allston 5/5
This book holds up well. The author's approach to characters, conversation, and action is very appealing to me.
Savage Trade by Tony Daniel 3/5
The parts are better than the whole here, and the ending does not relate very much to the beginning. Read this one if you are crazy about the Excalbians or historical figures.
Currently reading:
Specter of the Past by Timothy Zahn
When it came out, this duology was one that I considered to be a satisfying capstone of the saga. We have had some good stuff taking place after 19 ABY in both Legends and canon, so that concept applies a little less. I admire that Zahn can pack so many cool concepts, characters, and memorable bits of dialogue into a relatively small amount of page space. He uses the "tip of the iceberg" storytelling concept used in the Star Wars movies to great effect in his own contributions to the universe.
Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow (PS: A book with the same title as a song, also one of the longer books on my TBR)
Chernow uses the same skills at research and writing that made his Washington book so great in his Hamilton biography. Hamilton is barely off the boat to Boston in my reading so far, but I am finding out some fascinating parts of his life that the musical did not have time for.
Demons by J.M. Dillard
The alien possession story in this book is pretty tense. I love seeing more of Spock's family, and I wonder how they will overcome the mental parasites.
DNF:
Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie
I know the story, and I was curious to see how the written version would be. I read 60 pages out of 160 in my version, and I feel like I have gotten the flavor of it. It's about a three-star story with some brilliant bits and some awful bits.
Question of the week:
I am not seeking out anything for this month of celebrating women. I will end up reading at least one female author, and my next Star Trek read will also be by a woman (Melinda Snodgrass).
Mod
Yes! It is so amazing how that can happen!
"I am on such a book high this week - THREE five star reads!"
That is way cool! Glad for you!
"Upcoming Books:
Magpie Murders (Susan Ryeland, #1) by Anthony Horowitz"
Oohhh, I'm reading this one in March as well!
Mod
I Wanna Be Where You Are by Kristina Forest. Contemporary YA romance. This is the book we are reading in book club at school. It was really cute. Enjoyable. Friends to enemies to lovers. I found it delightful."
This looks adorable! Thanks for mentioning it!
Hello all! I picked out new glasses and my very first prescription sunglasses today, which was very exciting. I feel so fancy pants when I get new glasses, like a whole new glamorous person!Just finished the one book this week: One to Watch. I enjoyed it a lot. I texted my sister to tell her to read it because she's very into body positivity and The Bachelorette, and she was like you know I read that as soon as it came out and loved it. So we both recommend it!
Currently reading:
Anil's Ghost (Sri Lanka): The book is losing a lot of its focus in the last third, and I am dissatisfied. Hopefully it'll pull everything together at the end.
Etiquette & Espionage: This audiobook is really fun.
A Court of Silver Flames: Honestly, Sarah Maas really had her work cut out for her trying to get me to root for Nesta, but she's done it! Side note: I now wish to make friends with a sentient house.
Upcoming for Women's History Month: finishing a bunch of books I've already started and liked, but put down because they required too much thinking.
Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead (Poland)
A Girl Is a Body of Water (Uganda)
The House of the Spirits (Chile; 1001 books)
Memento Mori (1001 books)
Mod
Sorry about the weather. Maybe it'll warm up somewhat very soon!
"I finished Freedom's Way as my book with less than 1,000 reviews. Blech. Barf. Ugh. I'm pretty sure this book has been out of print for decades, but if you happen to stumble across it, I beg of you, don't read it."
OMG! I laughed and laughed at this!
"I am now reading The Child from the Sea as my book with something broken on the cover. Much better, but very long. I'm 225 pages into a 600 page historical fiction about a woman's affair with a king and they've just had their first adult (15 years old) meeting. But, it's well written, beautifully described and I love the main character."
It sounds as if you are enjoying this one. I would say you deserve it after the previous book! :)
"QOTW: No, I'll just read what I read. Although I'm reading a woman author now and I'm going to read Toni Morrison next, so, who knows, maybe I will coincidentally end up with all female authors for March."
I just realized that of the 8 books I definitely plan to read in March only 2 are written by males.
Happy check in! Spring seems possible now. There I've jinxed it. ;)Finished Reading:
The Wicked + The Divine, Vol. 3: Commercial Suicide ⭐⭐ (2021 Something broken on the cover)
So this has been the best so far but the very last section used an artist who's take/style I really did not enjoy. This had a bunch of origin stories for various characters which is always entertaining to me.
A Stranger in Town ⭐⭐ (2017 set in the wilderness)
So I feel disloyal to my favourite author giving this a two but I got so bored that when the main character encounters a family of bears I was cheering for the bears to eat her so the book would be done...
Grave Dance ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Next in the series for rereading.
Descender, Vol. 2: Machine Moon ⭐⭐⭐⭐
I'm hooked on this series for sure.
Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Short Stories, Vol. 2 ⭐⭐⭐
This was way better than the first short stories collection. Also the main story in this stems from the Japanese folklore that inspired Sailor Moon.
PS 2021 12/50
PS 2017 14/52
goodreads 49/200
Currently Reading:
The Song of Achilles (BOTM discussion is up)
She Came to Slay: The Life and Times of Harriet Tubman
You'll Never Believe What Happened to Lacey: Crazy Stories about Racism
The Echo Wife
QOTW:
Other than accomplishing The Song of Achilles I don't intend to focus on the heritage month. Most of what I read seems to be authored by women. Although graphic novels/comics not so much.
Covid-19’s visit to our house turned out to be very short. My boyfriend only had very mild symptoms (a slight headache) and I stayed free of it (tested negative twice). The hardest part was to stay at home for 6 days. I was so happy and grateful when I could go out again. Felt like a cow returning to the meadows in spring *smile*. But folks, please, keep practicing those ‘big three’: wash your hands, wear a mask and keep a safe distance to other people. You never know what you’re gonna get.
8/40
Finished
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling ⭐⭐⭐
Prompt: #5 A dark academia book
Another fun read. The first book was better, but this one was also enjoyable. I would have rated it 4 stars if there was a new plot in this book.
Currently reading
De opgang
QOTW
No, I never keep up all of those ‘Months of’. I rely on my library holds which I have to plan quite early.
Nadine wrote: "Ellie wrote: "My dog has started stealing cauliflowers. She can usually be left with food and won't take it, her treats are left in easy reach, but she just has an obsession with cauliflowers. She ..."World Book Day is for kids and World Book Night is for adults. Kids get a free voucher and dress up as book characters at school in the UK. Don't know how much is done worldwide...
Mod
LOL There are those days!
"We’re still dealing with a lot of stressors in our household, but things are generally trending better. And my daughter accepted an offer from Penn State, which is so exciting! It’s nice to see her having something to plan and look forward to!"
That's great! Congratulations to her!
"Kenya wrote: "The big fuss this week at work (I work at a library) is the announcement that Dr. Seuss' estate is ceasing publication of six of his books that were deemed to have racist im..."
My kid's school quickly yanked their original Read Across America announcement to update to the list, and I think it's good! I love Dr. Seuss and I'm not one for cancelling the whole artist (I'm a Lovecraft fan after all), so I liked the approach of "Some of his work is problematic, and that prompted us to diversify the reading list." People who get their panties in a bunch over it are probably the same set who are loudly insisting that a plastic potato toy who stores his eyes in his butt is a male potato - i.e., idiot ninnies. But interesting to think we might have a collector's item or two in the kids' old bookshelf!"
OMG! I had never heard that about Mr. Potato Head! LOL
"Finished
Candide - A book set in multiple countries - HP Podcraft did a series on this, so I finally got around to reading it. I can see why it has had a lasting impact (and why it was considered scandalous and decidedly Not For Young Ladies to read!). Honestly the cycle of ridiculous misfortune got old for me, but I can’t deny how rightfully influential the book has been. Tending our gardens does seem like the best prescription, even to this day."
I have a copy of this and plan to read it this year. Nice to have your thoughts about it.
"Currently Reading
The Complete Sherlock Holmes - The longest book (by pages) on your TBR list - I’m usually not super keen to get back to this, but when I pop it on for some mild, lazy entertainment, I often wind up entranced and wanting to hear the solution to the mystery!"
That's cool!
"QOTW
Nope, I almost always let my current appetite for genre dictate my choices. But now I’m feeling a little bad that my current crop is almost all dudes! Maybe I’ll take a shot at the Women’s Prize prompt later this month."
Ha! Ha! Perhaps this reminder will encourage you to read more female authors later on... :)
Mod
Good for you!
"I read a lot this week, but only finished 1 book:
Savage Sam by Fred Gipson - this is the sequel to Old Yeller and features his son, Sam, but really has a different feel than the first book. The bond between boy and dog (this time Travis' younger brother and Sam) is there and a focal point driving the story forward, but the main plot is that the children are kidnapped by Apache warriors. It's very intense."
I actually had no idea there was a sequel to Old Yeller! Where have I been? LOL
"Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder (a reread I've been planning)"
This series is so interesting! I love the historical details!
Mod
Ooohhh...fingers crossed that you make it through!
"I’ve finished my MCU movie rewatch. Having watched all these movies in a month (-ish), Endgame really packed a punch. It’s been 2 years. Do I need spoiler tags? Just in case ... (view spoiler) I’m surprised that who I thought were my favorites are not my favorites when I watch the moves back to back. Except for Loki."
Interesting!
"QOTW
I don’t plan my reading based on heritage months. My reading is more dictated by library holds and due dates."
I totally get that!
Mod
Oh, boo, hiss! Ugh. Hopefully it warms up again real soon! :)
"This week I finished Away with the Penguins. I'm a bit obsessed with Antarctica so I loved the bits set there but I could have done without the "tragic backstory."
The copy I ordered of this has shipped. Anxious to read it!
"I've had a LOT of DNFs this week!"
I tend to be bad about not DNFing when I probably should, so good for you!
"The Gods of Tango I was so excited to read this but I couldn't connect to the main character and then the author made the bizarre decision to only have punctuation in every other chapter which was really distracting."
WHAT?!?
"Currently reading: Piranesi I have no idea what is going on but I'm enjoying it so far"
That made me laugh!
"QOTW: No. I don't pay attention to that kind of thing."
I'm kinda glad to know that I'm not the only one who doesn't pay much attention to these things...
Mod
Thank you for mentioning that! It totally slipped my mind! :)
"The weather at the weekend was just beautiful, we sat outside for a bit in short sleeves! It was pretty chilly out of the sun still but was nice to see that spring is on its way. Back to grey and damp today though."
Ah, well...it will return! Hopefully sooner rather than later!
"My dog has started stealing cauliflowers. She can usually be left with food and won't take it, her treats are left in easy reach, but she just has an obsession with cauliflowers. She was left alone maybe 90 minutes on Friday and took one off the table and ate all the leaves off it. Then when our groceries arrived on Tuesday and I was talking to the driver, she lifted one out of one of the bags! What a weird dog we have."
Oh, my! That is hysterical!
"I finished You Should See Me in a Crown for a book with the same title as a song. This was fun, I loved the crazy prom obsession and I liked that most of the kids were good kids. Also using for Book Riot's YA with a black main character that's not about black pain."
I used it for that same Read Harder prompt!
"Still listening to The Relentless Moon (I didn't realise the audio was so long)"
Yes, but I love the voices she does!
"QOTW:
I've only read two books by men so far this year, so I don't feel the need to focus on women writers for a month, and I don't have anything on my immediate TBR that feels particularly relevant to women's history."
Cool!
Mod
I read that back when I was in high school, and I liked it a lot, and I've been surprised at the recent backlash against this book. Where are all these haters coming from?"
I don't know. What are their complaints? :)
Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge
Books mentioned in this topic
The Secret Lives of Church Ladies (other topics)The Lost Apothecary (other topics)
You Should See Me in a Crown (other topics)
African Europeans: An Untold History (other topics)
Women Warriors: An Unexpected History (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Erin Morgenstern (other topics)Erica Ferencik (other topics)
Sujata Massey (other topics)
Malcolm Gladwell (other topics)
Sonia Purnell (other topics)
More...
Admin Stuff:
Here is the link to the monthly group read discussion for The Song of Achilles. A huge thank you to Erica for volunteering to lead the discussion. I was very surprised by how much I enjoyed this book when I read it last year.
And here is the link to list the book you read to fulfill prompt #8 A book that won the Women’s Prize for Fiction. I think I’ll be tackling Bel Canto for this one.
We are still looking for a discussion leader for May:
#24 A book by a Muslim American author
(Islamic holiday Eid al-Fitr on May 13, 2021)
Ayesha at Last by Uzma Jalaluddin
This is one I am very excited to read. I already have my copy! 😊
Please message either Nadine or me to volunteer!
Popsugar: 29/50
ATY: 39/52
RHC: 5/24
Reading Women: 4/28
No new ones this week!
Question of the Week:
March is Women’s History month in Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States! Are you planning to read any specific book(s) this month to honor women?
If I had not already read Madeline Miller’s The Song of Achilles, I would certainly join in this month’s group read. I am planning to finish Eva Luna and Paradise since I have yet to read one of Isabel Allende’s books and I realize Morrison can be a difficult read for me, but I so admire her writing skill and the intense story lines.
FINISHED:
The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for a 2021 Reading Challenge February Buddy Read. While I did consider this to be a good read, I certainly wasn’t blown away by it. However, I can understand that it may have been one of the first books to adequately depict mental health challenges without describing or labeling them. At least now I know what everyone is referring to!! 😊
POPSUGAR: #18-mental health, #27, #39, #40-From 2015 POPSUGAR Challenge-prompt #48 A banned book
ATY: #1-In the beginning I believed Holden when he stated he was not “a madman”, #8-NYC, #9-Winter/Christmas, #15, #31, #39-POSSIBILITY: About halfway through I felt there was a strong possibility Holden was indeed “a madman”, #47-Holden stayed in a hotel in NYC, #51
Every Note Played by Lisa Genova ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for Literary Wives in March. My big news about this one is that I finally restarted my blog with this review. I am trying to set a realistic goal of 2 more reviews in March. I love creating the posts but it is a very time-consuming process for me. I can highly recommend all 5 of Genova’s books. She explores many of the issues associated with a disease, not only depicting the symptoms of the disease, but other aspects as well: end-of-life decisions, forgiveness, resentment, guilt, grief, etc. The characters are complex and yet very real to life, IMO. Karina and Richard managed to hurt each other over the course of their marriage just as much if not more so than they loved each other in the beginning. That can definitely happen and if Genova has never endured a breakup or divorce, she certainly, IMO, did an excellent job with that theme. An amazing read!
POPSUGAR: #7-Professional pianist, #18-End-of-life decisions, #27, #30-Boston, MA, #38-Professional pianist, #47-Genova is one of my all-time favorite authors
ATY: #3-There was a lot of feeling sad, #7-A book with a major life-altering event in the plot, #8-Boston, MA, #27-Death, Judgement, #52-the end of Richard’s life
CONTINUING:
Ready Player Two by Ernest Cline. At 50 pages and loving this one! I thought I would…
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. 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:
March Buddy Reads:
Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell. Technically from February’s Buddy Reads. ☹
Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World's Most Dangerous Man by Mary Trump
The Secret Place (Dublin Murder Squad #5) by Tana French
The Secret History by Donna Tartt
Magpie Murders (Susan Ryeland #1) by Anthony Horowitz
And always lurking in the background for me--The Third Angel by Alice Hoffman. My very special gift!!