Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge discussion
2021 Weekly Check-Ins
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Week 11: 3/12 - 3/18
Hope your husband feels better soon.I finished Song of Solomon as my book from a BLM reading list. I think I liked it but it was kind of weird.
I read Hawaii's Story by Hawaii's Queen as my book by an indigenous author.
I have started Pompeii as my book that has the same title as a song.
Qotw: Lucy from Child from the Sea, maybe. She knew how to just roll with the punches. More or less. I feel like I haven't liked a lot of characters this year.
This week I finished: Genuine Fraud: Oxymoron; I read this one pretty quickly, but I would not say that I enjoyed it. It was very one-note to me and I really didn't feel like it took me anywhere. It could have been executed much better.
The Hidden Oracle: magical realism; I liked this one, but didn't love it. I got really invested in Percy Jackson and speed read all the books, so I wanted to engage with this the same way and didn't. It was still cute and entertaining, and it was fun to revisit old characters, places, and themes, but I was surprised by how little I remembered the plot of Percy Jackson.
Currently reading:
I think I'm going to reward myself and start reading Anxious People today, because there is no doubt in my mind that I will absolutely love it.
QOTW:
I find that I generally connect a lot with supporting characters. They really make or break stories sometimes. Some of my favorite characters in the Discovery of Witches trilogy were relatively small in their roles, but because I read so much and so fast, I often don't retain as much from books as I would like (such as character names). I focus on how the book makes me feel when reading it. The easiest example is Peaches from The Hidden Oracle, because I just finished the book this morning. Peaches brought so many fun, light moments and I enjoyed everything about that character.
So sorry to hear about your husband, Lynn! Sending good thoughts.It's safe to say my reading is out of control for 2021 -- we're not even through March and I've already read 40 books! I set my GR goal for 100 every year so I look at it and 😱 but it's a good 😱
I got a Kindle this week! Smartphones and a Kindle all in the span of a month. Is this the 21st century? Ha. We had a rather subdued St Patrick's Day yesterday -- over the past few years we've been known to make cottage pie, blast my Irish music playlist and host friends, which we can hopefully do again next year (come to think of it, we skipped 2020 as well because COVID). It's raining all day today so I'm looking forward to getting home and curling up with a book.
I finished 5 books this week!
Finding Freedom: Harry and Meghan and the Making of a Modern Royal Family - 5 stars, and a nice bookend to the recent H&M interview, even if the book was written a year ago. A book you think your best friend would like
The Rose Code - 4 stars. Some minor quibbles, but I love these characters and the way their stories intertwine. Kate Quinn is one of the best writing historical fiction right now. I stayed up entirely too late finishing this but I COULDN'T STOP. Free book from your TBR
We Who Will Destroy the Future - 3 stars, a short story read with another group. Definitely checking out more from Margaret Killjoy in the future.
Rogue Protocol - 3.5 stars. Not as funny as Artificial Condition, but another solid installment. I love Murderbot. Book with a heart, diamond, spade, or club on the cover
Jade War - 4.5 stars, another book I stayed up too late to finish. The finale releases in September and it's gonna wreck me Book set in multiple countries
22/50
Currently reading:
Exit Strategy - the Murderbot obsession continues
Granuaile: Grace O'Malley, Ireland's Pirate Queen - Pretty dry so far, but I'm not really surprised because finding information on someone from the 1500s is difficult, to say the least Book on a subject you are passionate about
A Curious Beginning - This one's taken a backseat lately, but since I've finished the more pressing books I'm hopeful I can get back to it this weekend
The Curious Case of the Werewolf That Wasn't - My first Kindle read! Curiouser and curiouser :D
Upcoming:
The Wolf of Oren-Yaro - Hoping to start this weekend, once I get Curious Case and Granuaile out of the way
Amberlough - Impatient for this audiobook to show up because the book sounds amazing
QOTW: Name at least one of your favorite characters from books you have read thus far in 2021. What did you specifically like about them?
I love Anden in the Green Bone Saga books (Jade City/War), because he's been raised in this family and knowing how to use jade and he still finds the courage to follow his own path and be his own person.
All three women featured in The Rose Code: Mab, Osla, and Beth -- they're totally different people who build a strong bond of friendship, are torn apart, and find their way back together again. Friendship seems like such an underrated relationship, and it gives me warm fuzzies every time I see strong friendships in books. Similarly, Tavia and Effie in A Song Below Water, because teenage friendships are just as important as adult ones.
Not a bad week for me! I finished a book and I got my first Moderna shot!Lynn wrote: "My husband had a catheter installed on Tuesday and we have spent the bulk of our time the past two days in the ER. Poor guy! "
Oh no! I’m so sorry to hear this. I hope he can get a cancellation appointment - it sucks to deal with that for so long!
Finished
Ted the Caver - A book that was published anonymously - This would be great for A book in a different format than what you normally read (audiobooks, ebooks, graphic novels) as well - it’s an old Angelfire site with click-through links between each “journal entry.” I’d read it in 2001 and found it really stuck with me - the combination of real-life claustrophobia triggers and the fictional creepiness, without too much explained, is a lot of fun! It’s also nice and short, if you’re dreading this prompt!
Currently Reading
House of Leaves - A book that has the same title as a song - It’s gonna take me a while to get through this. It doesn’t lend itself to my standard reading posture these days: curled up on my side under my covers. Works great for a Paperwhite, not so much for a chunky trade paperback!
The Complete Sherlock Holmes - The longest book (by pages) on your TBR list - still enjoying this!
Small Island - A book that has won the Women's Prize For Fiction - I like this quite a bit. I was dreading this prompt and I hated the first book I tried for it, but this is working for me!
QOTW
In The Haunting of Tram Car 015, I really love Onsi. From Hamed’s original point of view, he’s hopeless - not a fit, dashing agent, but an overly cheerful, well-padded, clumsly twit. However, Onsi turns out to be more capable than Hamed most of the time, due to his curiosity and his total self-confidence. Not the he-man self-confidence we tend to see in Hollywood action movies, but the ultimate strength of completely accepting himself. In fact, he reminds me (for more than one reason!) of this British man slaying in his skirts and heels.
Feeling a bit sorry for myself, have an on and off bladder infection (urinary problem solidarity with your husband Lynn, it can be so miserable to deal with), woke up with a sore neck this morning and everything in the news is terrible. At least I read some good books.Finished:
Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro for ATY (career over 21 years). This was a charming, bittersweet book, had a few things I didn't like about some minor characters but I thought Klara was lovely. I have probably read too much on the subject matter to find it as thought-provoking as many people have, but I liked it.
The Cousins by Karen M. McManus for a book with a family tree. This was so entertaining, I'm not sure if the whole situation was wholly believable buy I didn't care. Liked this a lot more than her last couple of books.
Brown Baby: A Memoir of Race, Family and Home by Nikesh Shukla for a book with three generations. This was such a warm and hopeful memoir, despite covering topics such as grief and racism. He said some things I needed to here this week, when everything feels a bit much, that you can only start with yourself and the things and people you have immediate influence over. You can't fix the world, but you can start making things better in small ways. It's written as if talking to his daughter, and Himesh Patel does a great job narrating the audiobook.
Currently reading The Mermaid of Black Conch and just deciding what audiobook to get next.
PS: 13/50 | ATY: 13/52 | RH: 5/24 | GR: 29/100
QOTW:
I loved Ouloo is The Galaxy, and the Ground Within, she was just so kind and considerate, as well as being an adorable alien species. Though really I adored all the characters in that books.
Mod
I am dealing with personal challenges right now. My husband had a catheter installed on Tuesday and we have spent the bulk of ..."
How upsetting that you can't get in to a doctor!!! I hope he's able to be comfortable while you wait.
A book about do overs or fresh starts
We Could be Heroes by Mike Chen. Contemporary sci-fi. Two people have been given powers and one uses them to rob banks and one uses them to be a vigilante and they team up to figure out what happened to them. I would read more set in this world.
A book about art or an artist
The Meaning of Mariah Carey by Mariah Carey with Michaela Angela Davis. Memoir. Really good read. Would recommend. I came away really thinking that Tommy Mottola deserves nothing and I really need the mid-90s grunge album Mariah recorded.
Shortest book on my TBR
Helium by Rudy Francisco. Book of poetry by one of my favorite contemporary poets. Highly recommend.
don’t tick off prompts in order from favorite to least favorite
Patron Saints of Nothing by Randy Ribay. YA contemporary. A Filipino-American teen goes back to the Philippines to investigate the death of his cousin. Really good and sad.
Adorkable by Cookie O’Gorman. YA romance. Adorable. Fake dating which is my second favorite trope.
The Upside of Falling by Alex Light. YA romance. Cute. Would recommend to my students. Also fake dating.
Too Good to be True by Carola Levering. Contemporary suspense. Different perspectives. I hated the ending. Ehh.
Mr. Malcolm’s List by Suzanne Allain. Historical romance. Did not really like this at all. Hated all of the characters except from maybe one of the non-main characters. There really wasn’t any romantic tension and it was only 220 some odd pages but it felt way too long.
QOTW:
Jude and Reese from The Vanishing Half. I was super invested in their storyline and would’ve been happy to read more.
Mod
I thought it was Spring here, but looks like Spring has stalled. Usually my early crocuses are up and blooming by now, but ... only one or two have peeked out, the rest are still in bed. One possible conclusion of course is the voles ate all of them, but other spring flowers should be getting ready to bloom soon, and they are NOT. Only my snowdrops are up.
Tomorrow is my younger daughter's 15th birthday, so we are busy wrapping presents and decorating a cake in our spare time.
This week I finished five books (including a picture book), none for this Challenge, so I remain 16/50.
For some reason, in the last few weeks, audiobooks have been the only books that hold my attention. I listen to them while I drive the car, while I wash dishes, while I do logic puzzles on Saturday morning ... All of my other novels have been languishing. Why can't I focus?
finished:
The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History by Elizabeth Kolbert (audiobook) - this was great! She talks about the natural history of life on this planet, and the extinction events that have passed, and how climate change might be leading up to a sixth extinction event. Some parts were very sad, some parts were fascinating. The theory that an asteroid impact caused the dinosaur extinction was just an idea that not everyone believed when I was a kid, so it was interesting to realize that in my lifetime, while I was not paying attention, scientists have found further evidence to back this theory up, and it's now accepted as fact.
Remarkable Creatures by Tracy Chevalier (audiobook) - I just finished this, and it was real synchronicity to read it right after "Sixth Extinction" since several scientists mentioned are also characters in this novel (some just minor characters, like Cuvier).
Faithful and Virtuous Night poems by Louise Glück - This book didn't do anything for me. I've been having bad luck with every collection of poetry I choose this year. Is it me? have I lost the ability to enjoy poetry? or am I just choosing a series of books that don't work for me?
100 Boyfriends by Brontez Purnell - I won this book from the Goodreads First Reads program, so I guess I could use this for "free book" but all of my books are "free" since I use the library. I liked how irreverent it was, but after a while the stream-of-consciousness wore on me, it was lots of lewd sex and not a lot of character development or plot. After a while it didn't hold my interest any more, every story was the same, so I started skimming. I THINK this is a book of short stories. It's hard to say for sure.
and a picture book that I loved enough to mention here: Ocean: Waves for All written by Stacy McAnulty with art by David Litchfield - this is the second book I've read in McAnulty's "Universe" series and I loved this one even more than the first one (Moon)!! I am now committed to reading all of them. They are so cute!
QoTW
That's a hard question for me!! I went back through the list of sixteen books I've read so far for this Challenge (to help me narrow it down). Two characters stand out.
1. John Chu of the comic book series "Chew" - he's talented, skilled, persistent, funny and self-deprecating. But that doesn't seem fair, since it's a comic book I can SEE him as well as read his dialogue.
2. Ivy in White Ivy - she's a hot mess, really, and I would not want to be friends with her irl because she's pretty much a jerk. She's scheming, but not quite sure which scheme she wants to follow. She's cold and calculating, but can't always be bothered to put effort into the calculation. She's emotional AND emotionless. She's really interesting to read about but I wouldn't want to know her.
Sending positive vibes to you, Lynn. Hope your husband can get that appointment soon and start feeling better.I took today and tomorrow off work and it's going to rain pretty much the entire time, so that's frustrating. But, it will give me more reading time, and I'm trying to finish so many books. I did finally get out of my reading slump a bit this week and I finished 3 books.
First I finished Beowulf translated by Stephen Mitchell for the prompt of shortest book on my TBR. I had read his Gilgamesh and loved it. This was not as good as that, but I blame that on it being Beowulf. I think the translation was very good. I'm going to read his translation of The Iliad next. I also want to mention that I was turned on to Stephen Mitchell by a person who worked at the bookstore and now I'm completely hooked on his translations of classics. Although, apparently his sanskrit is not great. But, shout out to people who work at bookstores, because they have the best recs!
I also finished Timothy, or Notes of an Abject Reptile as a book that takes place outdoors. It was recommended through this group and I really enjoyed it. It was very poetic.
Finally, I finished The Lost Apothecary, which I'm sure a lot of you are also reading. I thought it was very readable, but the characters didn't really grab me. I have a hard time identifying with women who really want to give birth to a child. I have never had that feeling. I want to parent a child, but I am not interested in giving birth, so I don't understand the sorrow of not being able to do it. When I realized that I was never going to be pregnant, it felt like a relief. Anyway, it's normal for me to not get into books that have that as a storyline, so I imagine there will be a lot of people who really enjoy this, but it's not my thing. I used this one as a book that I've seen on someone's bookshelf, because it is everywhere right now and I've seen it on multiple bookshelves on the social medias.
QOTW: My favorite character so far this year was Dori from the story Richard of York Gave Battle in Vain, in The Office of Historical Corrections. That whole book was one great story after another, but I find myself going back to Dori all the time.
Hello! Work is still busy, and I'm not looking forward to next week. But today I should be able to focus on things, and tomorrow I'll let myself be terribly distracted by basketball. My team plays Saturday, so I won't be trying to pretend to work during a game I care about, and with the pandemic, I'm not tempted to take off tomorrow to spend all day at a bar like I have in years past. I should still get some work done tomorrow.Sorry to hear about your husband, Lynn. Hope he feels better and you can get an earlier appointment!
Finished this Week:
Ink in Water: An Illustrated Memoir by Lacy Davis. The subtitle is "Or, How I Kicked Anorexia's Ass and Embraced Body Positivity!" I found it last year when looking for a graphic memoir for Read Harder, and picked it as my body positivity prompt for this year. I quite enjoyed it. Using for #19, Body Positivity, but would also work for #30, Place You'd Like to Visit 2021 (San Francisco), #31, Online Personality Author (she has a blog), #35 Different Format (it's a graphic memoir), #36, Fewer than 1000 Reviews (it has 151) and #38, About an Artist (she's in college and then graduate school working with textiles).
The Great Beanie Baby Bubble: Mass Delusion and the Dark Side of Cute by Zac Bissonnette. I found this book last year when I discovered the 2018 PopSugar prompt A Microhistory, and knew I had to read it. It's about the Beanie Baby collecting craze, a history of the company and their creator, Ty Warner (who didn't give the author an interview), plus a bit of economics about bubbles and a history of stuffed toys in general. I didn't realize how much eBay owes their success to Beanie Babies - the website really took off as a place to sell them, and outlasted them. It was a fascinating read, and Ty (the man, but also the company) comes off pretty poorly. I'm using for #40, favorite past PopSugar Prompt (microhistory 2018), but would also work for #3, Heart on the Cover (Ty logo is a heart) and #36, Fewer than 1000 Reviews (it has 362).
Women at the Beginning: Origin Myths from the Amazons to the Virgin Mary by Patrick Geary. I got this book a few years ago because it was one of the works cited for the Wikipedia page of Judith of Flanders, who I had adored after learning about her on the British History Podcast. At the time, I did not realize the book was only 104 pages, and felt it was far too expensive. I read Judith's section and moved on. But when PS had the shortest book on your TBR shelf, this one jumped out at me, and I sat down to read it last night. It's a series of essays that were lectures given by a (male) professor at Princeton, all about how women are treated in origin myths and stories, and how those stories change as the years pass to marginalize them. And then he contrasts it with how Christianity did the opposite with Mary, mother of Jesus, going to great lengths to emphasize her role, while marginalizing Joseph. While I got it for Judith, her section was not very big, mostly as a contrast to her grandmother (also named Judith), but the footnotes gave me some suggested further reading if I can find them. (They're mostly in French.) Using for #42, Shortest Book on TBR, but would also work for #36, Fewer than 1000 Reviews (It has 1!), and #18, a Subject You Are Passionate About (I do love Judith).
PS: 17/50 RH: 3/24 RW: 5/28 ATY: 22/52 GR: 34/100
Currently Reading:
Lead from the Outside: How to Build Your Future and Make Real Change by Stacey Abrams. Just need to finish
Joe Rochefort's War: The Odyssey of the Codebreaker Who Outwitted Yamamoto at Midway by Elliot Carlson. Joe Rochefort is credited with the US Navy's victory at Midway in World War II, and the Battle of Midway is seen as the turning point of the war, when the US was not crushed but sank the Japanese ships instead. But after Midway, Rochefort is transferred from Hawaii and doesn't receive the awards he was nominated for. He doesn't speak of it after the war and even burns his papers. This book is one of the only biographies of him, supposedly with answers about what happened after Midway and why. I'm fairly early in, having just completed his stint in Japan to learn the language with fellow US Navy sailor Edwin Layton. Using for #18, subject you're passionate about, as I love Pearl Harbor and anything about the US Navy in World War II.
QOTW: Name at least one of your favorite characters from books you have read thus far in 2021. What did you specifically like about them?
I really liked Hanima from A Blight of Blackwings. In the first book, she seeks a kenning, knowing it'll probably kill her, because there is no hope left for her. But she's one of the four to succeed, and when she finds herself alive and able to talk to bees, she embraces that and becomes a leader. She comes into her own in the second book, working with the other Beastcallers to take their city from the magistrate and giving hope to others who are in the same situation she was.
My other favorite character was Sybella from Dark Triumph and Courting Darkness. Another person who was so broken by circumstances and her family, but was able to find love and purpose by embracing what that had made her into, rather than dwelling on what it had cost her. Sybella is so strong, you forget just how terrible a life she had prior to the convent. That strength is hard-earned, but earned it is.
Here we are...another Thursday. All this hate has really got me down. I was at the dog beach with my dog yesterday and we should be more like dogs - they just play with each other and some get along and some don't but there is no bias because one dog is brown, or white, or spotted. They just are happy to be around other dogs. Spread love and celebrate races, genders, religions. Ok that felt good. Finished:
The Guest List by Lucy Foley - no PS prompt. ATY: A book with an ensemble cast.
This book hooked me from the start! Her writing is similar to Ruth Ware and I like that. Some parts were predictable but I think authors like this do that so you feel confident that you solved the puzzle then WHAM! They get you. Highly recommend.
Still Reading:
A Little Life - I think I mentioned this before but this book is a lot. I am half-way into the 800+ page saga of a group of young men as they go through life in NYC. One character in particular suffers so much physical and emotional abuse and hate all through his life (well, up until his 40's at least) and he remains so good natured. I was surprised at first why Netflix or Amazon hadn't swooped this up to make a series but I don't even know how you would go about that with a book like this.
Started:
Queenie - just picked this up this morning. I had been wanting to read this book for awhile but kept putting it off. I picked it up and didn't want to stop (but of course I had to). I think I am going to like this one.
QOTW:
The last character I really liked was Addie from The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue. She was tough and smart. I liked that.
Lynn wrote: "This is a bare-bones version of my posting to be updated later today.I am dealing with personal challenges right now. My husband had a catheter installed on Tuesday and we have spent the bulk of ..."
So sorry to hear about your husband, Lynn. Hope it gets sorted soon.
Hi everyone. We're back to cold weather again here. Brrrr! The daffodils are sprouting up though so there should be some more signs of spring popping up soon.This week I feel like I've read a lot but I haven't finished anything. D'oh! I started The Angel of the Crows even though it didn't sound like my kind of book because I absolutely loved The Goblin Emperor. Instead of the urban fantasy which was described on the blurb, it is an almost word for word Sherlock Holmes retelling except with supernatural creatures. I just find it bizarre that there's zero mention of Sherlock etc. on the back of the book or on Goodreads. It is weird, right?
I also started Elsewhere: One Woman, One Rucksack, One Lifetime of Travel. Probably a bad choice for someone with perpetually itchy feet when I can't travel anywhere lol
QOTW: I remember best Peppercorn and Andersen from Poison. They deserve their own books!
This Week's Highlights:
Of Secrets and Wolves I like Alice Winter's writing as she does a great job of blending humor, action and fun paranormal shenanigans. This is the first in a new series and ends with lots of issues unresolved. I enjoyed this book quite a bit but am less sure that I will like where the series is going...the second book sounds like it will be quite angsty (based on events from book 1) but the author is always quite humorous so I don't really know what to expect. Book 2 just came out and may wrap up the big questions I still have but if they roll over into a third book, the wait might end up being painful.
Driven Another delightful entry in Zanetti's Deep Ops series. I loved Angus and Nari; watching their relationship evolve was fun. I also enjoyed Nari's predicament involving her father and ex-boyfriend. This main case with the serial killer was tense and fraught with suspense for most of the book. There was one bit that I thought missed the mark at the end but overall I enjoyed this one.
Midnight Promises I listened to this one on audiobook and it was a delightful way to spend a rainy, lazy day. As the story filled my ears, I engaged in some quality crochet time and emerged from both book and blanket in a relaxed, mentally healthier state. One thing I noticed was that as the tension in the story increased, so did my crocheting speed - I was really whizzing through some rows during the beginning and ending of this one! A delight!
Upcoming Reads:
Mod
You are reading very interesting books! I did not realize that the company Ty was founded by a guy named Ty.
I never knew that about Ty either - I assumed the company name was initials, "T.Y."
I completed two books for the week. I used both for this challenge. My Name is Red by Orhan Pamuk, Erdag M. Goknar (Translator). A book about art or an artist. It was set in Istanbul, Turkey in the sixteenth century. It’s about the art of illumination & miniaturist. It is also a murder mystery. As exciting as this sounds I didn’t like the book. 2 stars.
What’s Mine And Yours by Naima Coster. Your favorite prompt from a past Popsugar Challenge,(A book by a WOC). I gave it 3 stars. I had trouble staying connected to the story.
QOTW: Favorite characters I have read in 2021 & why.
I love Chief Inspector Armand Gamache from the series of the same name by Louise Penny. I love his sense of right & wrong. I love the way he is dedicated to his family, friends,job, & community.
I love the Owens family from the Practical Magic series by Alice Hoffman. I love the magical realism element of the stories.
I love Joe Pickett from the series of the same name by C.J.Box. I love his dedication to his family & job. Again I love his strength to do the right thing.
I just realized I picked characters from series. I must feel strongly about the characters in these stories or I wouldn’t keep going back to them.
Morning all! Earlier this week there was sleet caked on the balcony and I couldn't take my daily walk. Now it's been raining for the past couple days. Feels like a proper March, kinda? Hard to believe it's been over a year of sheltering in place.Finished reading (5/50):
Harrow the Ninth (a book about forgetting, meant to read in 2020) - This was incredible, mindblowing, all the superlatives. Gideon the Ninth was easily my book of 2020, and so far this is easily my book of 2021. I feel like re-reading it immediately now that I have context/explanations for the events.
Also this is the third book in a row I've tagged as "meant to read in 2020"... I got kinda behind on my reading last year haha
QotW:
Unsurprisingly, Harrow is the standout character of the year. I already loved her in book 1 for her paranoiac plotting and her singlemindedness. Book 2 adds a new dimension to things because she is trying so hard to keep her shit together, and just as clearly does not have her shit together, which is at once relatable and also admirable for how well she does with how little she's got. And (view spoiler) so brilliant, so devious, really I can't express how much I like her.
I also gotta give a shout-out to Ianthe for being the biggest troll in the known universe. (view spoiler)
In terms of characters new to me in 2021, I liked Chiemi Serizawa from Raging Loop; she was just really charming and fun.
It's a rainy Thursday here in PA. Blessed Lent to my Eastern friends! We've only just started while my Western friends are near the end! Ha! Oh calendars....I finished nothing, but I'm so very close!
Currently Reading
The Philokalia, Volume 3: The Complete Text for "longest book on your TBR". I should finish this volume this week. Then onto volume four and then DONE. Wow, what a journey it's been!
Darkness Is As Light for "DNF on TBR". Perfect Lenten reading. I love this book so much, and am so honoured to have been part of it. Some of these stories are just so raw. It's fantastic.
QotW
I've only read 6 books! Gah! I blame the Philokalia. That thing is SO LONG. Good, but loooooooong.
So, of the 6 books I finished so far, lol, my favourite character would have to be Martin from Pearls of Lutra. He's a warrior mouse with all the honour, nobility, and ferocity you'd want in a champion of olde. Reepicheep would be proud. ;)
Lynn, I hope your husband can get in to see the doctor sooner than the 29th. That situation does not sound pleasant.I hope everyone who celebrated had a great and safe St. Patrick's Day. If any of you have big successes in your NCAA picks for the first two rounds, please share your good fortunes in next week's thread.
Finished:
Here, There Be Dragons by James A. Owen (4/5)
For ideas alone, this would get a 5 star rating. I love crossovers, and this story takes things from many different sources of literature and mythology. It's also got a very good sense of pacing, and the actions taken by the characters do have consequences.
This book is also setting up the series, so I reserve the right to revise my rating after making my way through the other six books.
The Tears of the Singers by Melinda Snodgrass (4/5)
The solution to the main problem was very much in line with the ethos of Star Trek, and I love it when Uhura gets a bigger role in events.
Vision of the Future by Timothy Zahn (4/5)
I still love a lot of what happens in this book and duology, but this last book still did not need to be as long as it was.
Scourge by Jeff Grubb (3/5)
The book is just average for me, but it does bring in a lot of alien species like Hutts, Bothans, and Rodians.
Currently reading:
Bloodline by Claudia Gray
The Automatic Detective by A. Lee Martinez (for a book club)
Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow (PS: A book with the same title as a song, reading about a section a day to avoid burnout)
The Search for the Red Dragon by James A. Owen
Question of the Week:
I'm going to go with Admiral Pellaeon from Specter of the Past for this one. The system he is serving (the Empire) is flawed, to say the least, but he always does what he can to protect his people and uphold his ideals. His honor and loyalty, while a bit misplaced, are admirable, and he seems like he would be a good boss or friend.
Happy Thursday, y’all.Lynn, I'm sorry about your husband. :( It sounds like a rough situation. I hope things work out!
Books read this week:
Bunny -- for “dark academia.” Boy, this was bonkers! And all in all I’m not sure I enjoyed it very much. Props to the author for creativity, at least…
Mr. Adam -- for the advanced prompt “book chosen from your TBR list at random.” Somewhat dated (it was published in the late ‘40s) semi-apocalyptic story, but a lot of it was surprisingly relevant today, especially in the government and society’s reaction to the threat to humanity.
Julie of the Wolves -- for “book set mostly or entirely outdoors.” I really wanted to like this… but the writing was flat, and the main character would NOT shut up about how she was an Eskimo (the book was written in the ‘70s, perhaps the term was more accepted then?). We get it, you’re Inuit/First Nations, move on with the story...
Joe the Barbarian -- graphic novel, not for the challenge. Fascinating premise, but it felt like the execution was sloppy. Nice art though.
Challenge stats:
Regular challenge books -- 21/45
Advanced challenge books -- 7/10
Not for the challenge -- 18
Currently Reading:
Bradbury Stories: 100 of His Most Celebrated Tales -- for “longest book on your TBR list”
American Gods -- for “book everyone has read but you”
Station Eleven -- for “book set somewhere you want to visit in 2021”
Differently Morphous -- for “book written by a blogger, vlogger, YouTube content creator, or other online personality”
QOTW:
So far either Melanie from The Girl With All the Gifts, or Byx from The Last. Both are good female leads, strong without being "strong" (too often authors think that to have a "strong" female lead the character needs to be a cold, emotionless, stoic woman with no personality), and doing their best to power through a difficult situation while not losing the ability to be kind to others.
Yay! I've finally got over my reading slump! I finished 5 books this week.Finished: The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains same title as a song I thought this one was really good. 4 stars.
The Mark of Athena A re-read. This is the one that stands out best in my memory from first reading the series, so I bumped it up from a 4 to a 5.
The Source of Self-Regard: Selected Essays, Speeches, and Meditations Toni Morrison's language is so rich and evocative. Reading this made me want to read more of her fiction.
The Remarkable Inventions of Walter Mortinson This one was fun. It didn't go where I expected to and that was okay. Themes of the meaning of life and death rampant throughout.
Mutual Aid: Building Solidarity in This Crisis Quick, helpful read.
Started: The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue Book about do-overs I've been waiting on hold for this for quite some time. Enjoying it!
Qotw: I would have to say both Meg and Reid from Love Lettering are people I'd want to be with, Meg with passionate obsession with lettering and NYC, Reid for being so good and strait-laced.
Good afternoon! It's very windy here today but the sky is blue. It's nice to see the sun even if it's cold outside..we had snow the other day but it's all melted and the grass is turning a bit green.Popsugar challenge: 61/100 (double challenge)
March spelling: finished!
March scavenger: 4/10
Giant panda: 11/20
The Outside
- mixed genre. This is a grand mix of sci-fi and horror! It's the most original thing I've read in a long, long time and I absolutely LOVED it! The main character has autism so I could relate to her too. And now I'm looking forward to the sequel in July.The Catcher in the Rye
- banned book - I've heard that either you love or hate this book and luckily I liked it. I guess I felt I could understand the issues the main character had. Riders of the Purple Sage
- a book my best friend would like - I really don't like this one. I thought it was too slow... Parts were more romance than an action adventure story that a western should be! And I couldn't approve of how Venters treated poor Wrangle..if you have a horse you need to care for the horse and not abondon it inside a cañon for weeks so it gets a horribly tangled maine and tail! That's just wrong!! I also read this week:
The I Inside
I enjoyed this story about an AI and a bit of a murder mystery too! Skyhunter
this was ok but I had problems with the ending..The Six-Gun Tarot
this book would work for mixed genre of you need one...and I'm shocked how much I enjoyed this book! It's westerns and horror (although some say it's fantasy)...the story has many similarities with King's The Tommyknockers. A little western town where the sheriff keeps silver bullets in stock and tons of weird stuff going on! Great characters too.The Golden West
I really loved this anthology of 3 western stories. My favorite was the first one, Tappan's Burro. My least favorite was the story in the middle...it just didn't seem like a western to me. So all together I read 7 books this week and I'm making good progress on my giant panda 🐼 challenge..plus I crossed off 3 for the popsugar challenge too.
Now all together I have 26 categories crossed off even doing a double challenge.
Currently Reading:
The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake
I'm about halfway through this and loving it so far. I think it would work for magic Realism but I'm going to use it for my second oxymoron title. Question:
Well I really loved Tappan in the short story Tappan's Burro which is in The Golden West because he really loved his burro and went the extra miles at the end to care for her. She had saved his life so he saved hers. And nobody and nothing was going to get in his way... Another character I really liked was Yasira from The Outside because I appreciate seeing someone with autism in a leadership role. I could relate to her, her anxiety and how she managed to deal with everything that was going on. She's much braver than I am. She actually managed to face her fears but she also stands her ground. She doesn't cave in to other people especially when she knows they are wrong and they want her to do the wrong things.
Sorry to hear about your husband Lynn! Hopefully you guys get an open appointment soon!Last week I got my second vaccine shot, which I was really excited about. I drank tons of water, cause I heard some people got a really bad headache, and for the most part I think it helped. I had a slight fever the next day and some aches in my muscles, but my main side effect was that my arm hurt like crazy. It woke me up in the middle of the night, and I had to take pain pills all day. So make sure you have plenty of Tylenol, just in case!
Finished:
The Refugees- This was a really great short story collection. I loved a couple of the stories, and really liked the rest. Most of the time, I wished we got to know the characters for longer, so I'm looking forward to picking up one of the author's full length novels.
Act Your Age, Eve Brown- this was fun enough, but it was my least favorite of the three books.
Currently reading:
The Count of Monte Cristo- still working on it. Might take me a month or two.
Rogue Protocol- I love Murderbot, this is great
Disability Visibility: First-Person Stories from the Twenty-first Century- this is a great collection that is introducing me to a lot of new authors I'll be adding to my tbr
QotW
This question made me realize I haven't read many books with characters I love this year- which is probably why I have rated so few books 5-stars. I think my favorite is Gifty from Transcendent Kingdom. She just feels very real, and the way she deals with grief, and how she tries so hard to be "good" so she doesn't add to the difficulties at home kind of breaks my heart.
Happy Thursday all! It really feels like March here – one day is pure summer, and the next is barely above 0 Fahrenheit. At least this is perfect for maple sap running and sugaring-off season.
Oh, Lynn!! Big hugs to you and your husband. The poor guy – that sounds so uncomfortable – and I can only imagine how stressful it is for you both. I hope an appointment comes through much more quickly. Keeping you both in my thoughts and sending positive energy.
Finished:
Genuine Fraud A book with a real oxymoron in the title! My favorite part of the book. Lol. TBH, I liked structural elements, too, especially telling the story backwards in time – that really held my interest. Great pacing, great settings. Yet, I liked it but didn’t love it. It was basically a retelling of The Talented Mr. Ripley. I don’t like retellings, for the same reason I don’t like the movie as much as the book. I liked the original by Patricia Highsmith much better. Maybe 3 1/2 stars. I've read worse.
Book with an oxymoron or a book set in multiple countries.
QOTW:
I really liked the unnamed housekeeper, her son, and the Professor in The Housekeeper and the Professorby Yōko Ogawa. She had such compassion, patience and emotional insights, especially into the mind of the Professor who only had 80 minutes of memory. Her son, Root, named by the Professor because "the boy’s head was shaped like a square root symbol", had such maturity and compassion. Well, he had an amazing mother, but still! The Professor was so caring, despite memory loss. I loved all three characters; they showed how to build a real family, not one dependent upon blood and law.
I also liked Don McGahn in The Mueller Report . He was pure comedic relief. I doubt he meant to be IRL, but I really felt for him trying to herd cats and toddlers. He must have had migraines by the end of each day. I also felt for the battered Jeff Sessions, trying so hard to adhere to the law and carrying around his resignation letter each day. Kudos toRobert S. Mueller III – you have to be a great writer to render characters in a legal document, even those of people I might not enjoy IRL.
@Lynn: hope your husband gets an appointment soon. Waiting sucks. Booked a shopping hour at a clothes store for tomorrow! So excited, I haven’t done shopping since, well, December 2019.
Had a reading slump this week. Too busy at work, major headache (a.k.a. pms) last weekend, it just wasn’t my week. Well, elections done and work is back to normal, so I think I will pick up my reading again.
9/40
Finished
Nothing
Currently reading
The Patriots
QOTW
I loved the school principal Ahrundi in Dear Edward. He acted like a silent angel, did just do the right thing for Edward.
Also Ron Weasley from the Harry Potter books. I love his down-to-earth approach.
And I loved Kunta Kinte from Roots: The Saga of an American Family. His curiosity, his rebellion and the way he passed on his roots to the next generations until Alex wrote it down.
Sherri wrote: "I completed two books for the week. I used both for this challenge. My Name is Red by Orhan Pamuk, Erdag M. Goknar (Translator). A book about art or an artist. It was set in Istanbul, Turkey in th..."
I didn’t like the book either when I read it with my book club. But, after the discussion I learned there was so much more to this book! I appreciated the book better after the discussion. I still need to re-read it, by the way.
Sarah wrote: "Good afternoon! It's very windy here today but the sky is blue. It's nice to see the sun even if it's cold outside..we had snow the other day but it's all melted and the grass is turning a bit gree..."I need to ask, what's the giant panda challenge?
Sarah wrote: "Sarah wrote: "Good afternoon! It's very windy here today but the sky is blue. It's nice to see the sun even if it's cold outside..we had snow the other day but it's all melted and the grass is turn...I need to ask, what's the giant panda challenge?
Here you go! There's lots of challenges here on this group and new ones come out every month. These are great for anyone who loves the popsugar challenge.
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Hi everyone, Lynn, sorry to hear about your husband, hope you can get an appointment!
This week I finished:
The Haunting of Tram Car 015 - I got this on Amazon First Reads, didn't really realize it was part of a series until after I picked it. I decided to read it first anyhow, since most people I saw who read it were disappointed that another character wasn't in it enough, so I figured if I read it first, I wouldn't be disappointed because I don't know who that character is. I did like it, thought it stood alone enough that I wasn't confused. Counting as my tbr that I got for free, also ATY set in a country I've never been to, since it's set in Cairo, and book nerds book I got for free.
Network Effect - Finally got to this, liked it a lot! Gotta love a Murderbot, was nice getting a longer adventure. Counting it as my tbr I meant to read last year. I'd gotten all the murderbots last year when Tor gave them away before the release of this one. I'd grabbed this at the end of the year on sale, and meant to read right away, but got a ton of end of year library holds so didn't get to it. Also counting as book nerds book set in space, and ATY winner or nominee for Goodreads choice awards.
Currently reading:
Detransition, Baby - Reading as part of Roxanne Gay's book club, was the February pick but my hold only just now came up. I like it, but it's very intense.
1Q84 - didn't make much progress, still in theory working on it.
QOTW:
For books this year? Not entirely sure...maybe El from A Deadly Education? From a practical sense, girl who is potentially devastating seems like a good ally, and in general I tend to get along with the weirdos better than the popular kids. (Because i'm also one of the weirdos).
In a House in the Cerulean Sea I went from finding Linus kind of sad to really finding him endearing and and lovable by the end. I also liked Luci, the idea of the child of the devil just being a boy who needs love.
Hello fellow readers! On the positive side, I had a pretty good reading week, my performance review went well, and I get to volunteer today so I feel like a Useful Person. However, I'm really concerned about AAPI members of my community! It's misery-making how little solidarity and concern is being shown for them.Finished this week:
The Conductors: I enjoyed this a lot! I loved the twist of a love story taking place between people who were already married, the counterfactual (magic) in Reconstruction-era USA was well handled, and the mystery was mysterious.
Memento Mori: Really great, wry look at the ways different elderly people approach life and death. I particularly love when people who have dementia are presented as humans with thoughts and attributes rather than everything being about the illness.
Currently reading:
My Year Abroad: This is the kind of big, messy, Bildungsroman about a privileged young man on An Adventure that usually drives me up a wall, but something about it hits me just right, and I'm enjoying the ride so much. Maybe it's more self aware? Maybe it's the fact that a non-white person wrote it? I don't know, but I definitely do want to know what happens next.
The Winter of the Witch: I'm giving myself the special treat of finishing this series, and it does feel like such a treat. I'll be sad to say goodbye to the characters.
Up next: White Teeth, Passing, Get a Life, Chloe Brown
QOTW: Ooh, I like this question! I love Vasilisa Petrovna because she uses a lot of different skills to solve different problems. Sometimes she bulls her way through, but frequently with the cherti (sp?) she uses etiquette and respect to more effect. Sometimes she uses magic, sometimes prosaic solutions. It all fits with her character, but I love that she has a whole repertoire of options. It shows her intelligence without having to explicitly state it.
I also really liked Vargo in The Mask of Mirrors because even though parts of the book are from his perspective, and everything about that seemed true, I was never sure what it all added up to. Like, is he a bad guy with a sad past, or a sad guy with a bad past? Is he lying to everyone, including himself, or is he lying to nobody? Is he friend or foe to the MC?
Katelyn wrote: "Still Reading:A Little Life - I think I mentioned this before but this book is a lot. I am half-way into the 800+ page saga of a group of young men as they go through life in NYC. One character in particular suffers so much physical and emotional abuse and hate all through his life (well, up until his 40's at least) and he remains so good natured. I was surprised at first why Netflix or Amazon hadn't swooped this up to make a series but I don't even know how you would go about that with a book like this.
"
This was maybe the most emotionally devastating book I've ever read. It has been optioned to be turned into a limited series but that was a few years ago and I haven't heard anything since.
Mod
Uh-oh. I hate big messy bildungsromans. But I love Lee, I've loved everything I've read by him, and I have this book on hold at my library right now, I've been looking forward to it. I'm still going to read it. Because there's something about his writing that can make a book fantastic even if it's not my type of book.
So sorry to hear about your husband, Lynn. Hope he gets the help he needs and recovers quickly.I've been having my own set of health issues this week, and am grateful that today I feel okay'ish. I'll take it. I only finished one book this week as sleeping 14-16 days took up my reading time.
Finished
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab - 5 stars; PS #11 (book about forgetting)
This is only my 2nd 5-star book this year so far. I love books about someone who decides not to do whatever they are "supposed" to do and finds a different way to live. Granted, she picked a pretty tough way to rebel as deals with a devil rarely turn out as well as one could hope. This book really made me reflect on what is important to me.
Currently reading
The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan
Concrete Rose by Angie Thomas
The Ship of Brides by Jojo Moyes
Goodreads: 15/100
Popsugar: 13/50
QOTW:
My favorite characters are from my favorite book this year - all of the people that live in The House in the Cerulean Sea. Linus, Arthur, Lucy, Talia, and all the rest (whose names I cannot remember right now, which means I need to re-read it. Yay!)
Sarah wrote: "Sarah wrote: "Sarah wrote: "Good afternoon! It's very windy here today but the sky is blue. It's nice to see the sun even if it's cold outside..we had snow the other day but it's all melted and the..."Aaaww, that's so cute! I love all the panda info <3
Hi everyone!Sorry to hear about your husband, Lynn! Hope all goes well and an appointment comes through soon. Medical stuff is so stressful!
Finished
The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins (current job, dogwalker). This was really good! Okay, so the plot was a little predictable, but I really enjoyed the characters in this one. I definitely related to Jane.
Currently Reading
The Hot Zone: The Terrifying True Story of the Origins of the Ebola Virus by Richard Preston (90's bestseller). Oh, yikes. This one is rough. It's really well written, but um. Ebola is...horrifying. It makes me so sad that there's no vaccine.
All the Birds in the Sky by Charlie Jane Anders (cross-genre novel). This is weird, but also awesome.
This Book Is Anti-Racist: 20 Lessons on How to Wake Up, Take Action, and Do the Work by Tiffany Jewell. This is for middle-grade/YA readers, but I'm still learning a lot from it.
Spare and Found Parts by Sarah Maria Griffin. Griffin is an Irish author, and I try to read an Irish author every March for St. Patrick's.
The Queens' English: The LGBTQIA+ Dictionary of Lingo and Colloquial Phrases by Chloe O. Davis. A delightful dictionary of queer terms and lingo. I'm familiar with a lot, but learning a bunch of new terms too!
QotW
I really liked and related to Evelyn from The Echo Wife. Jazz from The Kill Club. Also Jane from The Wife Upstairs
Happy check-in.The news has been quite sad this week locally and otherwise. St. Patricks Day was one year from when we went in to lockdown and we need it again more so but it's not going to happen.
@Lynn that sounds quite an unpleasant situation for you and your husband. Fingers crossed that you get an appointment sooner.
Finished Reading:
Hot and Badgered ⭐⭐⭐ (2021 #40 pun in the title)
So I succumbed to Mirandareads reposting of her review of this book. The review is good and it keeps popping up in my feed. This is about three sisters who are constantly surviving problems created by their father. Their honey-badger shifting family does no accept them because of their parents. They have mental health issues to contend with as well. This was entertaining enough and there were some funny lines especially from bickering sisters.
The Song of Achilles ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (2021 Women's Prize for Fiction)
I loved this so much. I need to get my own copy to reread it. Why did I let Circe put me off reading this? I might have read it again when I finished had the library not clawed it back minutes later. So I watched Troy instead and I had forgotten how much I loved that movie.
The Tea Dragon Festival ⭐⭐⭐
This is a cute series but this book didn't focus on the tea dragons so I just couldn't care about the plot. It was interesting to see a graphic novel that incorporated sign language.
The Viscount Who Loved Me ⭐⭐⭐ (2021 Family Tree)
This wasn't very different from the first book but it's still enjoyable. I'll be reading the next one.
PS 2021 16/50
PS 2017 15/52
Goodreads 60/200
Currently Reading:
Dune
A Court of Thorns and Roses
Big Little Lies
She Came to Slay: The Life and Times of Harriet Tubman
QOTW
So for sure Patroclus from The Song of Achilles he's a lover not a fighter.
Evelyn from The Echo Wife is intelligent and self aware.
It has been a really hard couple of weeks. I think many of you know that my mum was admitted to hospice about two weeks ago… Her doctor and nurses were able to regulate her medication so that she was not experiencing any pain or discomfort, and my dad and I were able to visit every day. At about 1 AM on St. Patrick’s Day, Mum passed away. According to the hospice staff, her passing was very quick and without pain.
Even though I knew that this was coming, and tried to prepare myself mentally, it really isn’t possible to be ready for a loss like this. I am grateful for the assurance I have that we will see each other again in heaven, and I am relieved that she is no longer in pain, but I'm missing her terribly.
I am going to be taking some time away from posting on my website, as well as here on Goodreads, so that I can focus on my family and my own emotional needs…but before I do, I wanted to thank everyone who reached out to me after my update last week. I’m sorry that I didn’t have any opportunity to respond to you all personally, but your words of encouragement, virtual hugs, and willingness to keep my family in your thoughts and prayers really mean so much to me.
Happy Thursday. Lynn, I'm sorry to hear about your husbands troubles and I hope everything gets resolved soon. This week, I had fun celebrating Pi day - I made a flapper pie and it turned out well.
Books I finished:
Salt to the Sea ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - This was really good. I hadn't really heard about the sinking of the Wilhelm Gustloff, but now I'm waiting for a nonfiction take on it from the library. I used it for A rock, gem or mineral in the title because salt is a mineral...
Animal Attraction ⭐⭐⭐ - It was fine, but I took off a star because the book kept using the word sneaked (instead of snuck). I know it doesn't matter, but it drove me nuts. And it KEPT using it.
History Matters Stories from Saskatchewan ⭐⭐⭐ (Well, 2 3/4 stars) - This was only ok. It was a collection of stories that had originally been written for the Star Phoenix and some where better then others. Some just meandered around, never giving much information.
Blood in the Water: A True Story of Revenge in the Maritimes ⭐⭐⭐ - This was interesting. I hadn't been familiar with the case, but it was really well written. It was more then just a true crime book - it looked at the history of the area, and picked apart how the failures of the current justice system led to the crime. I used it for the social justice prompt.
Wild Sign ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - I've been waiting for this, so I sped right through it. I love this series.
Books I made progress on:
Akata Witch
Princesses Behaving Badly: Real Stories from History Without the Fairy-Tale Endings
QOTW
Well, not counting characters from books/ book series I had already read before, I really loved Kaz from Six of Crows, Xander from The Inheritance Games and the Shoe Poet from Salt to the Sea.
It was sunny and high of 60 degrees over the weekend and then snowed Monday. It's been raining, windy and cold this week. I guess this is what they mean when they say the weather changes from one minute to the next. Really ready for the weekend- need to get motivated to get healthy and get this extra weight off.9/40 PopSugar
1/10 Advanced PopSugar
10/80 GoodReads
Finished Reading:
1.) Leonora in the Morning Light by Michaela Carter (#38 Art) ⭐- This did not work for me, historical fiction about a group of surrealistic artists in the 1940s during WWII, just didn't connect for me.
2.) The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller (#8 Womens Prize) ⭐⭐⭐⭐- Loved this one, Miller has such a gifted way of making even the most mundane of topics interesting for almost any reader. I enjoyed this take on Achilles and Patroclus' relationship.
Currently Reading:
1.) Les Miserables
2.) When the Stars Go Dark
QOTW: Name at least one of your favorite characters from books you have read thus far in 2021. What did you specifically like about them?
So far this year, I really appreciated Zara from Anxious People, I think she had depth and she grew she much over the course of a 24 hour novel.
Nora Seed from The Midnight Library also resonated with me. I think every person is battling something, and you never really know what is going on inside. I loved the idea of every action and reaction could cause a different outcome in a person's life.
Lynn wrote: "I am dealing with personal challenges right now. My husband had a catheter installed on Tuesday and we have spent the bulk of ..."SO sorry to hear everything that you and your poor husband is going through, hope you get an appointment soon. Sending hugs your way!
I'm so sorry to hear about your husband, best wishes to you and him for his speedy recovery.I don't think I checked in last week, so here's what I read the last two weeks:
The Moment of Lift: How Empowering Women Changes the World by Melinda Gates - well-written and inspiring, I learned a lot about Melinda Gates, the Gates foundation, and the women's issues/rights that she champions. It's a very powerful read. Used as A book about a subject you are passionate about.
Mr. Lemoncello's Library Olympics by Chris Grabenstein - loved the second novel in this series, and the twist it took. Grabenstein is a Virgo, for those who need that for the zodiac prompt.
The Last Kids on Earth and the Skeleton Road by Max Brallier - another great installment of The Last Kids on Earth series! These kids are not sitting on their laurels, they gain confidence and survival skills in each book.
Know My Name by Chanel Miller - I remember this case when it was unfolding, but as mad as I was at the time, that pales in comparison to my outrage after hearing Chanel Miller's side of the story. This is a must read, and a call to action. Although some will say we make strides in the right direction every day, you will then hear a news story about yet another case of a woman being assaulted, and/or a victim being blamed, and you will realize we're not moving nearly as fast as we need to towards the right side of this issue. I highly recommend this book, even though my warning is that it has what could be triggers for victims of sexual assault and is very graphic in telling the details of her traumatic experience. Used as A book about a social justice issue. Miller takes us deep into the inner-workings of the justice system and the challenges presented to women, people of color, and rape victims within that system.
Mr. Popper's Penguins by Richard and Florence Atwater - I did not care for the ending, but I enjoyed the story.
Those Shoes by Maribeth Boelts - an absolutely charming way to teach an important lesson to children.
Question of the Week
Name at least one of your favorite characters from books you have read thus far in 2021. What did you specifically like about them?
nonfiction - I have a great deal of respect for Chanel Miller - her strength of character, and her perseverance.
fiction - Percy Jackson, because he was able to grow and learn from his experiences, and showed a great deal of strength, determination, intelligence, loyalty, and kindness when it mattered most.
Hello one and all. Forcing myself to check in. My allergies are brutal today and like a lot of you have said, the world sucks, I mean everything on the news is bad.I am is a semi-reading funk. I did finish one book but I don't really want to touch anything else and even cancelled my book club for the month (only one member besides myself ever reads the book and I checked with her first, she hadn't picked it up yet).
15/40 Regular
6/10 Advanced
33/75 Year
Finished
So cute. I absolutely loved this so much
Currently Reading
QotW:
Name at least one of your favorite characters from books you have read thus far in 2021. What did you specifically like about them?
Mary from Jamaica Inn. She is bold and brave and incredibly intelligent.
Honey-Belle for She Drives Me Crazy. She is sweet, loyal, and incredibly emotionally intelligent for a teenager.
K.L. wrote: "It has been a really hard couple of weeks. I think many of you know that my mum was admitted to hospice about two weeks ago… "I'm so sorry for your loss! I'll be keeping you in my thoughts
I've been hospitalized for weeks so I haven't been able to update. Also having to change up some of my books due to lack of access to my TBR pile.definitely not the book I planned on for this prompt but it was on my ereader - An Afrofuturist book Black Panther: A Nation Under Our Feet Vol. 1 by Ta-Nehisi Coates. Honestly this was just bad.
I had planned to use this for a different category until I realized it fit this one A book with a family tree Legendborn by Tracy Deonn This was absolutely fantastic
For the prompt A book on a Black Lives Matter reading list I went with fiction The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin which was weird and wonderful
QOTW I love this question and even though it's early I have found some wonderful characters.
Legendborn's Bree, she's intelligent, tough and beautiful and also a PoC lead in a YA book which was great.
Elatsoe Ellie is an Apache girl who can call the ghosts of animals (and is asexual so nice rep there)
Who Speaks for the Damned I have been in love with Sebastian St Cyr and his wife Hero for years now
Lynn wrote: "This is a bare-bones version of my posting to be updated later today.I am dealing with personal challenges right now. My husband had a catheter installed on Tuesday and we have spent the bulk of ..."
Lynn - sending you and your husband warnth and zupport and virtual hugs to help you through. You guys got this!
Where did Thursday go? Had a particularly crazy busy work week...3rd in row. Then DST spring ahead on Sunday.... But it is now Friday! Yay!
PS - 22/50!
Finished:
The Penelopiad -retelling the story of Penelope and her murdered maids. Interesting experiment in a retelling but ultimately a failure. Used for genre hybrid as mixes contemporary literary fiction with greek plays and myth.
Cold Wind by Paige Shelton - even better than first in series, an Edgar nominee - mystery set in Alaska.
Cheetah Chase - 3rd in mystery series set in Kenya on a Cheetah Preserve. Superb 5 star read - first in series led my sister and I to put African safari on our travel musts. She managed it a couple years ago, still in my future. This book reinforced that need. Used for book on my TBR longest - since published in 1994. 🤓
Currently Reading:
Died in the Wool by Ngaio Marsh
A Brief History of Seven Killings
Still Life by Louise Penny
Rebecca
QOTW:
Addie LaRue The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue - her invincible spirit and sense of adventure.
Beth Page from Paige Shelton's Alaskan Wildlife mystery series - courage and strength while coping with trauma induced amnesia and PTSD
Lady Cecily Kay in The Cabinets of Barnaby Mayne - not your typical woman in 1703 London.
James Gatewood, Lord Chesney from Miss Grimsley's Oxford Career - young 18th century nobleman with scholarly insterests, great humor, and desire for an equally scholarly forward thinking wife.
Jasper - ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤ from the otherwise poor romance Wrapped in Ink,
I absolutely fell in love at first sight with Jasper: his beauty, size, smile, humor, stoicism, strength. Jasper was there always for Arden through all her trauma and fear and fight to live as normally as possible with a chronic autoimmuno disease. Jasper is so smart but also knows how to be goofy and have fun. Oh Jasper, if only you were sunning yourself in my backyard!
Did I forget to mention that Jasper is a white Siberian Husky? *sigh* I am in LOVE!
Oh, Jasper! 💘💘💘💘💘💘
K.L. wrote: "It has been a really hard couple of weeks. I think many of you know that my mum was admitted to hospice about two weeks ago… Her doctor and nurses were able to regulate her medication so that she w..."I'm so sorry for your loss, K.L. Thinking of you in this difficult time and sending lots of love!
Only finished one book this week...Finished:
The Once and Future Witches for A book from your TBR list you meant to read last year but didn’t. Liked this a lot in the end - not quite as much as The Ten Thousand Doors of January, but still a lot :)
Started:
A Thousand Ships for A book that has won the Women’s Prize for Fiction. I'm spinning this prompt a bit, as obviously this didn't win. But it was shortlisted, and the only book that really would have interested me from the winners is one that I've already read!
QOTW:
Not sure there have been any characters yet who have stepped out of the book and sat down beside me, as it were - but I did like the Mace, in The Queen of the Tearling, and the fact that he didn't take crap from anyone, not even the young queen!
Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge
Books mentioned in this topic
The Magic Finger (other topics)Disability Visibility: First-Person Stories from the Twenty-first Century (other topics)
The Artist's Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity (other topics)
Small Steps (other topics)
Holes (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Barbara Linn Probst (other topics)Ellie Marney (other topics)
Ta-Nehisi Coates (other topics)
Susan Elia MacNeal (other topics)
Alexandra Andrews (other topics)
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I am dealing with personal challenges right now. My husband had a catheter installed on Tuesday and we have spent the bulk of our time the past two days in the ER. Poor guy! His birthday was Tuesday. Needless to say this was not the present for which he was hoping… So I am home caring for him right now and we couldn’t obtain an appointment with a urologist until March 29. We’re on the cancellation list and I am hopeful to obtain an appointment that is much sooner than almost 2 weeks out!
Admin Stuff:
Here is the link to the monthly group read discussion for The Song of Achilles. Erica has posted some questions to get the discussion started!
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. I have been putting off reading this book for several years. I’m just not sure I’ll enjoy it…but it I time to “get over it” and “just do it”! LOL
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. Please message either Nadine or myself to volunteer!
Question of the Week
Name at least one of your favorite characters from books you have read thus far in 2021. What did you specifically like about them?
One of my favorite characters ever is Shay from Dear Edward. She was able to love Edward unconditionally and help provide him with the emotional support he needed to deal with the various challenges resulting in his sole survivorship from that ill-fated flight.
Phoebe Caulfield from The Catcher in the Rye is another recent favorite for much the same reasons. She loves Holden unconditionally, although I suspect she is well aware of his emotional challenges, or at least the erratic thoughts and behaviors resulting from them. I cried a bit when she met Holden with packed suitcase in hand, ready to run away with him. Though I admit thinking that may have been at least partially a self-serving tactic since I doubt their parents were kind and loving people…though I may be misjudging them since we know virtually nothing or little about them.
I loved Levi from Fangirl!! While I meant to further detail his character’s kind and generous actions, I’ll need to do that later… Suffice it to say, I want a Levi of my own! 😊
I am drawn to and admire those who can retain unconditional positive regard for others, no matter how challenging it becomes.
Popsugar: 30/50
ATY: 42/52
RHC: 5/24
Reading Women: 4/28
A few more completed this week!
FINISHED:
Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World's Most Dangerous Man by Mary Trump illuminated what made DJT the ‘adult’ he is today. At the age of 2 ½ (And Robert, the youngest, was only 9 months old!) his mother was rushed to the hospital and remained there for quite awhile. Once she returned home she was hospitalized off and on throughout the remainder of her life and therefore not fully available to her children, neither physically nor emotionally. There is no mention of household help other than a sole housekeeper which I found to be an astounding oversight. Fred Trump was father of the five siblings: Fred, Jr., Maryanne, Elizabeth, DJT, and Robert. He was truly an unfeeling sociopath who was never available emotionally for anyone else and his only gauge of success was wealth accumulation—'unbridled greed”. His real estate/development ‘financial success’ was mostly due to accessing governmental funding to purchase and/or build housing units. Unlike DJT, he did have a good work ethic and was sole administrator of his company, even after appointing DJT as “President,” he remained as “CEO” and ran the company while DJT spent millions doing as he pleased with Daddy bailing him out every time. I believe Fred was incapable of feeling anything for anyone and was just as abusive, petty, and vengeful as is DJT. DJT was an uncontrollable bully as a child and was eventually sent to military school at age 12 where a bully could easily thrive, IMO! As someone who has worked in the mental health field, this book just confirmed my suspicions after reading some information throughout the years about DJT, as well as provided other details of which I was unaware. Perhaps most importantly, while I can sympathize with DJT’s psychoses and recognize it’s origins, I cannot excuse a political party for enabling him to project his psychotic behaviors upon the population of a nation and the world. I do not foresee the day I would ever again support a Republican for office as a result.
POPSUGAR: #18-Mental Health and Politics, #27, #33, #37, #40-From 2015 POPSUGAR Challenge-prompt #28 A book with antonyms in the title—“too much” and “enough,” #46
ATY: #1-In the beginning of DJT’s life, #7-A book related to something good that happened in 2020, #8-New York City, #9-U.S. Presidential election, #10-the two female Trump siblings: Maryanne and Elizabeth, #15, #18-DJT’s past, NEW #21, #24, #36, #38-HE: Yes, it is all about “HE”/HIM!, #44-Dangerous is a negative adjective, #47-GOLF and HOTEL, #49, #51, #52-Hopefully the end of DJT ever running for or holding political office in the future.
The Secret Place (Dublin Murder Squad #5) by Tana French was yet another excellent book by one of my all-time favorite authors. This actual had magical realism aspects to it and the twisted relationships of these four girls and how they tried to “protect” and “help” each other was so well-written, IMO. I felt sorry for all of them. This was a 2021 Reading Challenge March Buddy Read and the next Dublin Murder Squad book, The Trespasser is scheduled for April.
POPSUGAR: NEW #5, #21-Coming of Age, Dark Academia, Fiction, Mystery, #22, #27-A “do-over” of Antionette Conway’s initial investigation, #34-Feminism—the right of females not to be sexually abused or exploited, #37, #40-From 2015 POPSUGAR-prompt #36 A book set in high school, #46, #47-Tana French is one of my all-time favorite authors
ATY: #1-In the beginning Conway just wanted to solve a murder and Holly just wanted to have her own family, #6-This was definitely a love story among four girls who would each do virtually anything they felt was necessary for the other(s), #7-A book about or involving a team or organization-St. Kilda’s, #10-Becca, #14, #20-It is the future that will test their relationships the most, #27-Justice, Judgement, #42, #43, #49
CONTINUING:
The House in the Cerulean Seaby T.J. Klune for my favorite local used bookstore’s book club meeting this coming Sunday. I am 55 pages in and this is a delightful read so far. I am reminded of Fredrik Backman’s writing style and that would be a very good thing!
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:
March Buddy Reads:
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!!