Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge discussion
2021 Weekly Check-Ins
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Week 16: 4/15 - 4/22
Nadine,No leaves yet? Not even started? the maple across the street has that half naked look.
I finished Keep Australia On Your Left: A True Story of an Attempt to Circumnavigate Australia by Kayak as my book that takes place outside. I didn't hate, but I definitely didn't love it either.
I read Killing Christians: Living the Faith Where It's Not Safe to Believe as a book about a subject I'm passionate about. Lest anyone think what my mom asked, no, I'm not passionate about killing Christians. I'm passionate about everyone having freedom of thought, religion, and speech. And, though I'm a Christian, I'm highly against killing or persecuting people for any religion. You may be able to force people to follow relgious laws and even frighten them into claiming belief in something, but not what actually goes on in their head and hearts.
Now I'm reading Kingdom Come: The Final Victory as my book associated with a favorite person place or thing. Not enjoying this one as much as the rest of the series, but I finished the last book over 15 years ago, so maybe that's why. Or maybe it's because I can't relate as well since it takes place after Jesus comes back and half the characters are perfect sinless creatures.
QOtW: Winds of Winter Ha. Ha. Just kidding. I'll roll around on the floor laughing now.
I keep telling myself that all we can do is keep moving forward, do more and do better. Crossing my fingers that this late snow doesn't kill my clematis and hostas, but we'll see what happens. Our Japanese maple has mostly opened up, and we've realized that the tree in the front yard isn't a crab apple but some kind of Chinese cherry tree. Only took us five years :D
Books!
Finished:
A Curious Beginning - 3.5 stars, a good start but a little inconsistent in places
Then a bunch of Johannes Cabal short stories, all found in the collection Johannes Cabal and the Blustery Day:
The House of Gears - 3 stars
The Death of Me - 4 stars
Ouroboros Ouzo - 4 stars
PS 29/50
Currently:
The City of Brass Muslim-American author
Shadows Linger
Last Night at the Telegraph Club
Upcoming:
The Instruments of Control
The Complete Persepolis
Possibly The Scarlet Letter
QOTW: Which 2021 publications are you still eagerly anticipating? (or has your most anticipated 2021 book already been published?)
A Master of Djinn
Dead Dead Girls
The Chosen and the Beautiful
Jade Legacy
Mod
No leaves yet? Not even started? the maple across the street has that half naked look.
..."
Some trees have started to leaf out, but not my maple, not yet. It's got buds, it's ready. Now that we got all this snow, the maple looks wise to have waited haha!!
Spring has been later than usual here, we are several weeks behind our usual schedule. I can go back to past years and see in my photos, so it's not that thing where people say Spring is late every year! I have proof!
This snow isn't hurting anything here, because the only plants that are up are daffodils & hyacinths, and they get snowed on every year.
Mod
But it's so hard to tell those apart, I can understand your confusion!!! Similar bark, similar growth habit, similar bloom time, and so many hybrids of each that there is no one defining color or size to go by.
I've only just now realized that A Master of Djinn is listed as "Fatma #1" - so this will be her backstory!! I'm excited to spend more time with Fatma, I was disappointed that she wasn't in "Tram Car" much.
Wow! What a week! I said a few weeks ago that I was interviewing for a new job, and ... I got the job! I’ve only ever worked in academia, and this job is in business. One of my librarian friends told me I’ve gone over to the dark side by accepting this offer. I decided to shut my brain down for a rest this weekend and, by the power of suggestion, chose to watch Star Wars instead of reading. I didn’t think I liked Star Wars, but I do! I’m getting my second dose of the vaccine today too. I hope I don’t feel too terrible afterwards. This weekend is Dewey’s Readathon, and I’d love to spend all day reading since I didn’t have much time to read this week. I don’t think things will slow down anytime soon either. I have a lot to hand off at my current job, and I need to start hunting for a place to live in Michigan for when my new job goes back into the office.
Reading
Watership Down by Richard Adams (a book set mostly or entirely outdoors)
Breath The New Science of a Lost Art, Just Breathe, The Oxygen Advantage, What Doesn't Kill Us 4 Books Collection Set by James Nestor (a book about a subject you are passionate about)
QOTW
I’m most excited for Leviathan Falls. It’s the last book in The Expanse series, and I have to wait until October for it! I’m also really looking forward to The Galaxy, and the Ground Within and Project Hail Mary. Those are being released sooner.
Nadine wrote: "I've only just now realized that A Master of Djinn is listed as "Fatma #1" - so this will be her backstory!! I'm excited to spend more time with Fatma, I was disappointed that she wasn't in "Tram Car" much."It appears that Dead Djinn and Tram Car are the prequels (according to GR's series list), since this is the first full-length novel. I'm so excited!!
Mod
Oh, I see, they are 0.5 and 0.6 in the series. Okay, not a backstory, but a full-fledged full-length novel about an experienced detective!
Mod
Congratulations on your new job!!!! Your comment about academia reminded me of this scene from Ghostbusters (which I always mis-quote as "you've never worked in the private sector")
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjzC1...
Two week check-inI really don’t think any of them fit any prompts so I’m going to go in order from most to least enjoyable.
book that everyone has read but you
The Push by Ashley Audrain. I swear everyone on popsugar and botm facebook groups has read this. So, I got it as an add on in this month's BOTM and I'm not upset that I read it. Would recommend and watch the heck out of a Netflix series. Thriller.
books in order from most to least enjoyable
People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry. I liked Beach Read more and it took about a third of the way in before I was really into it but I enjoyed this one. Contemporary romance.
The Black by Paul Elard Cooley. Oil rig in the middle of the ocean drills deep and comes up with something that attacks the rig. Predictable but enjoyable. Another kindle read I'm trying to get through. Would watch the movie.
Stone Cold Touch by Jennifer Armentrout. Second in a YA series about demons and the such. It's an okay series.
Getting What You Want by Kathy Love. Contemporary romance. One of my kindle books that I'm slowly going through because I’m determined to read them all before downloading any new ones. It was okay. The heroine was bullied pretty badly in high school and returns home and her love interest (who she went to high school with) doesn't seem to get why she doesn't want to hang out with the people from high school and that truly annoyed me.
When Katie Met Cassidy by Camille Perri. Contemporary romance f/f. I was in a romance mood when I picked my BOTM this month and added this as an add on. I prefer slow burn and this was definitely not it. Meh.
QOTW:
This week has been super intense for me at work, and I know I'm about to have another long day, so I wanted to take a minute to myself to do a check-in while I eat my breakfast. I am 49/50!!!!!!!!!!! I have to admit, I am very excited to finish the challenge and move on to other things. (I am still working on previous challenges, because I didn't start participating until 2019, but mostly I just want to read whatever catches my attention for a while.)
This week I finished:
Cross Her Heart - Past Prompt - This one was good, but not great. It started with what I thought was going to be some really fascinating characters, but they stalled out a little for me as the book went on. Some good action and a good twist (I figured it out pretty early, but it was still a good twist.)
Percy Jackson's Greek Gods - Ugly cover - I'm a sucker for some Percy Jackson and I needed an enjoyable audiobook for nighttime and this was certainly that. It may have contributed to some very strange dreams though.
Don't Turn Around - Song lyrics - This one was a surprise. I thought I would like it, but I REALLY liked it. It sucked me right in, and I always love a book that is so tense that it feels like one of my own nightmares. Nothing is safe. Danger is everywhere, and the characters are going to fight like hell and try to think their way to the other side. I have a pretty significant issues with lucid dreaming through nightmares, so I am very familiar with this concept. Also this was a bit like an adult, thriller version of a great young adult book I read earlier in the year Girls on the Verge. Similar subject matter. Very different story. I loved both.
One Night at the Lake - Longest on my TBR - For the book that had been on my TBR the longest, and a book that I paid actual money for because I couldn't find it anywhere else, this one let me down a bit. There was good character development, but the story just didn't go enough places for me. It felt pretty one note to me. I gave it 3 stars, but I was bummed that it wasn't better.
Currently reading:
The Nothing Man - published in 2021 - This has by far been the hardest prompt for me, I think just because of my mood this week. I must've tried 5 different books before I settled on this one, even reading up to 100 pages of other books and then deeming them unworthy haha. I am still pretty new to this one, but it is pretty short and I can already sense that it is going to keep my attention. I am currently listeningFallen to the audiobook, but I might download the e-book version to read along, because I sometimes have trouble concentrating when narrators have noticeable accents (Love that though).
QOTW:
I'm not sure that I know when books come out. I just put them on my list and wait until I see them somewhere. The only exceptions are the next book in a series that I love, so I know Linda Castillo has a new Kate Burkholder book coming out this summer. I'm hoping that Karin Slaughter and Alex Kava will have new books as well, but I haven't checked.
Nadine wrote: I've only just now realized that A Master of Djinn is listed as "Fatma #1" - so this will be her backstory!! I'm excited to spend more time with Fatma, I was disappointed that she wasn't in "Tram Car" much.reply | flag *
..."
Yes!!! I am so glad we are back to Fatma. I liked Tram Car a lot but I am here to read about Fatma.
I haven't checked in ages, but I've still been keeping up with the challenge. I'm at 31/50, and I feel pretty good about that. I was excited this morning to see that I'd won a copy of Face: One Square Foot of Skin by Justine Bateman! (That's my third Goodreads win this year.)
New Mexico is slowly opening up (even though we're all still masking) and warming up (yay!). Looks like we'll have movie theaters open this time next month, and restaurants are adding indoor dining. I got my first vaccine dose about three weeks ago without any uncomfortable side effects.
One independent movie theater is now open for private group showings, and I'm excited that one of my local Meetup groups has booked a showing of "Minari" on Sunday afternoon. I've got my ticket!
Challenge Progress: 31/50
Currently Reading: I have no idea if I'll use any of these for the challenge. I've just been reading and then checking later... I'll probably have to start planning a little better toward the end of the year.
You're Leaving When?: Adventures in Downward Mobility
The Last to See Me
Into the Beautiful North
If I Had Your Face
The Magician King
The Ice Twins
Layla
QOTW: I'm really looking forward to Bridget Collins's The Betrayals, Grady Hendrix's The Final Girl Support Group, and Naomi Novik's The Last Graduate. I've pre-ordered all of them!
Completed: The Cousins by Karen M. McManuswhich was fine. I liked One of us is Next/One of us is Lying better but it was a quick read while I was in a slump and I'm not mad at it.
Captain Marvel, Vol. 1: Re-Entry by Kelly Thompson Which I am a little mad at but only because I found it on a listopia for character that signs and literally there are 3 signs in the comic and they occur in 3 consecutive panels where a character is all like, "since i wear a mask and echo can't read my lips I'll sign ot her)" and I'm like, "Hey! that is how it works... yay for aknowledging this actual thing about lip reading" and then it is never brought up again and in all the next panels echo can read lips just fine no matter which direction she's pointing and even the character who was conscious of it just drops her mask a bit to talk... and I dont' feel 3 signs honors the spirt of the prompt I'm doing... so back to the drawing board on sign language prompt... but aside from that I liked Re-entry Vol 1 fine.
Delicates by Brenna Thummler Which I liked more thana Sheets! I
Currently Reading:
The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune which I'm reading entirely because so many people have reccomended it... and I should honestly be done already but I stopped reading it last night because I wasn't ready to leave that world yet.
Big Sur- Which is Kerouac which is fine. He has his moments but this one is towards the end of his drinking himself to death (and his drinking and the idea that maybe he should stop is totally akwnowledged) but it is a bit sad. It is all the things that bug you about On The Road/Darmah Bums but the joy seems so forced... exceptyou kind of think that's something he knows. He's fatigued by the fame On The Road brought him here and his aknowledgement of that is both "OMG get over your privledge already" but also very much the most powerful parts of the book.
QOTW:
I don't usually pay that much attention to what's coming up. I already have so many things on the list but the 3rd Carry on book, the 3rd Fatma book and some others by authors I particularly like.. but I more like when all of a sudden I notice they are out rather than being all like, "Hey, when does that come out!!?!?!?
Katy wrote: Winds of Winter Ha. Ha. Just kidding. I'll roll around on the floor laughing now.Hahaha... honestly, though, I feel bad for fans of that series. Or for the Kingkiller Chronicles. I get that it takes a long time to write a book, especially a doorstopper like that, but come on...
Heather wrote: "Wow! What a week! I said a few weeks ago that I was interviewing for a new job, and ... I got the job! I’ve only ever worked in academia, and this job is in business. One of my librarian friends to..."Congratulations! *happy dances*
Hi everyone Our maple has half-leaves, but we also got snow this week so hope all the plants are ok. Wondering if fruit harvest will be off this year, with the late snow.
Got my first shot over the weekend, so kind of a slow reading week because it triggered a migraine as well as feeling generally really run down and hard to concentrate.
Finished:
Dawn - my Afrofuturism book. I'd planned on trying a new author, but after I read Nnedi Okorafor's article making the differentiation between Afrofuturism and Africanfuturism, I realized all the ones I was considering were more Africanfuturism. I know I can just stretch the prompt, but I figured I have a bunch of Octavia Butler books that I got and haven't read yet so might as well use one that fits better. I liked it, didn't LOVE it. I'll still continue the series, since they're short.
currently reading:
The Once and Future Witches - my virtual book club is reading this now, so trying to get it done so I can write up discussion questions. Not sure it'll fit a prompt. I like it, but just been having a lot of trouble focusing this week.
To Sleep in a Sea of Stars - doing the audio book of this one, mainly because Jennifer Hale is narrating and I want Commander Shepard to read me a story. A very long 33 hour story. I wasn't a huge Eragon fan, I liked the first one ok, didn't like the second and didn't bother with the rest of the series. So I honestly didn't care at all when this was announced, until I heard Jennifer was doing the audio. I'm surprised I'm liking it pretty well though, I can tell he's a Mass Effect fan. Not like "oh this is just fan fiction" way, but i can feel the sci fi references.
1Q84 - no further progress, but i will eventually
QOTW:
I'm looking forward to Alecto the Ninth, I think that's supposed to be out later this year. I also think the second Deadly Education is supposed to be out later this year too. Murderbot's always fun, so looking forward to that. I don't generally preorder books, so most of them i'll probably wait for deals or the library to get them. So in some cases might not actually read them until next year.
Kenya wrote: "Katy wrote: Winds of Winter Ha. Ha. Just kidding. I'll roll around on the floor laughing now.Hahaha... honestly, though, I feel bad for fans of that series. Or for the Kingkiller Chronicles. I ge..."
Add Gentleman Bastards to this list as well. We've been waiting for the 4th book for years now. Supposedly it's releasing later this year, but I'll believe it when I see it.
Happy Thursday, y’all.So.... this week I went to go to work and discovered I had a flat tire. Good news -- I know how to change a tire. Bad news -- my spare tire was flat too. Ugh! Ended up having to take the day off work and call a family member to get the flat in to a tire shop and fixed. At least my tire store has a deal where, if you buy your tires there, they'll fix your flats for free, so the only thing I really spent was one of my PTO days.
Guess I should get the spare fixed so I don't have this happen again, huh?
Books read this week:
Providence -- for “favorite prompt from 2019 (book set in space).” How do you make a book about a crew of an AI-governed spaceship fighting alien salamanders that spit mini black holes BORING? I guess by making the characters unlikable or boring, raising interesting questions about AI and the military industry complex but never answering them, and having the bulk of the action take place offscreen.
Dear Fahrenheit 451: Love and Heartbreak in the Stacks -- for “book where the main character works at your current or dream job,” in my case a librarian. The gimmick of a librarian writing letters to books she encounters/loves/hates gets a bit old after awhile, but this is still a delightful book for book lovers. And has quite a few book recommendations, even if her taste in reading is different from mine.
The Sparrow -- for “book you think your best friend would like.” This was a tragic yet gorgeous read! The premise, the world, and the characters were fantastic, and I can’t wait to leap into the sequel once the challenge is done.
The First -- not for the challenge. Just as good as the first book in the series, and I’m eager to move on to the third and final (so far) book!
DNF:
Willful Machines -- was going to be for “favorite prompt from the 2018 challenge (book with an LGBTQ protagonist).” The characters were obnoxious, and I wanted less focus on him ogling the new kid at school and more focus on the plot involving a rogue artificial intelligence. There are books with LGBTQ characters that don’t revolve around romance, right?
Challenge stats:
Regular challenge books -- 31/45
Advanced challenge books -- 9/10
Not for the challenge -- 25
Currently Reading:
Bradbury Stories: 100 of His Most Celebrated Tales -- for “longest book on your TBR list”
We Are Legion (We Are Bob) -- for “favorite prompt from the 2020 challenge (book with a robot, AI, or cyborg)”
The Rook-- for “book about forgetting”
The Only -- not for the challenge
QOTW:
Wow, when I stopped and thought about it, I've got quite a few new releases I'm looking forward to still! Below's a by-no-means-complete list:
Fugitive Telemetry
A Master of Djinn
Project Hail Mary
Survive the Night
The Past Is Red
Comfort Me with Apples
Hi everyone. I think Apollo or Ra or some sort of sun god is messing with me. Every time I have a day off, the sun is nowhere to be found, when I'm stuck inside at work, it's glorious weather. Typical!This week I finished Puddin' which was a pretty cute celebration of female friendships. I found both Callie and Millie more relatable than Willowdean, even though they're both complete opposites.
I also finished To Be Taught, If Fortunate which was just okay. I LOVED the Wayfarers series so perhaps my expectations were too high going in.
DNF Grasshopper Jungle - I just can't relate to a fifteen year old boy getting horny over climbing on a dumpster?!?!
Also finally gave up on The Angel of the Crows. Other than retelling Sherlock stories with supernatural creatures, nothing seemed to be happening to progress the novel. If it had been broken down into short stories like Sherlock Holmes' books mostly are, it wouldn't have felt like such a slog with nothing ever happening.
A third DNF! (I'm being picky!) An Orc on the Wild Side. I'd put it on old for the pun in the title prompt last year and it only just came through. I will probably try it again some other time but I wasn't in the mood for this brand of humour this week.
Currently reading: Gods Behaving Badly which I'm on the fence about so far but I need a book by a blogger/vlogger/whatever so I'll persevere for now.
Also started Children of Virtue and Vengeance and realised I'd forgotten 90% of the characters from the first book. It's slowly coming back to me.
QOTW: I don't want to jinx it but I think The Thorn of Emberlain should finally be here this year. *Excited squee!*
Other ones I'm looking forward to:
Empress of Flames
Go the Distance
The Galaxy, and the Ground Within
The Witness for the Dead
Mary Jane
Terciel and Elinor
The Nobleman's Guide to Scandal and Shipwrecks
Ariadne
Hello, Cruel Heart
That's more than I thought!
Busy day so let's see if I can make this quick... I'm at 49/50 for the challenge... Just have On Beauty left on my spreadsheet. This week I finished:
Libertie 3.5 stars
Afterlife 3 stars
It Didn't Start with You: How Inherited Family Trauma Shapes Who We Are and How to End the Cycle no rating
HoodWitch 4 stars
The Wangs vs. the World 4 stars
I'm currently reading How to Order the Universe (loooving it!) in print and listening to Four Hundred Souls: A Community History of African America, 1619-2019 which is also excellent.
QOTW: Yes, I looked ahead for the year and there were tons of books I was anticipating, some of which I've already read and loved like Infinite Country. I also have 100 Boyfriends, The Arsonists' City, Klara and the Sun, Gold Diggers, Of Women and Salt, and Whereabouts (and about 100 others) on my list. So many great books this year!
Good Morning All, It was 32 degrees this morning when I got up. Harper Lee (my dog) had to wear her coat on our walk. I finished two books for the week. The Book of Two Ways by Jodi Picoult. 3 stars. The stars don't reflect that I loved certain parts of the story but the protagonist drove me crazy. I hated the way it ended. I can be very oblivious at times. It wasn't until I finished the book that I thought maybe the timeline flow was suppose to represent the 2 paths to the afterlife. Then again maybe not & I read too much into it. I used it for a book you think your best friend would like like. we discussed it & she likes Jodi Picoult.
Anxious People by Fredrik Backman. 3 stars because I felt it was drawn out at the end. I couldn't find a prompt to use for it.
Question of the Week
Which 2021 publications are you still eagerly anticipating? Those Who Run Toward Fire (Beartown #3) by Fredrik Backman. I can't find an exact date. It just says 2021.
Spring is definitely late this year, I had "a year ago today" photo thing last week where the bluebells were in full force and they have only just started appearing now. We did have some early mild weather so a lot of plants have had a bit of a shock when it went below freezing again. My fig has a bit of frost damage but at least still seems to be growing.I'm looking forward to Dewey's 24 Hour Readathon this weekend and maybe sitting outside to read. It will be a nice break from endlessly painting our fence, we only have a small garden, why is there so much fence?!
Finished:
A History of What Comes Next by Sylvain Neuvel for oxymoron in the title. I loved that this alt-history turned out to be actual history, just what actually happened was socially engineered by a mother and daughter tag team who appear to be clones of the ones that came before them. They have one goal, to take us to the stars, before something bad happens to the human race. Was a bit hesitant about yet another WWII alt history but this spends much more time on the space race, just happens to start with them trying to get Von Braun out of Germany at the end of the war.
Lumberjanes, Vol. 4: Out of Time just to try out my new tablet, but was loads of fun as they always are.
Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo for a format I don't usually read. First time listening to a novel in verse on audio and it didn't really work for me. The bits that were more pure poetry was great but the rest just sounded like prose being read weirdly. I liked the story though and I guess the prompt at least got me to try something different. Will probably continue reading novels in verse in text formats though.
Currently reading The Rules and listening to The Library of the Dead.
PS: 18/50 | ATY: 18/52 | RH: 7/24 | GR: 40/100
QOTW:
I too am excited about A Master of Djinn! The Galaxy, and the Ground Within, The Gilded Ones and the UK release of Black Sun were all up there and I've read and loved them, so yay. I'm also looking forward to Rule of Wolves which I have ready to read, the next Holly Jackson book, As Good As Dead and A Psalm for the Wild-Built.
There are probably more, I pre-order a lot so I get nice surprises throughout the year!
Happy Thursday! I finished a few books this week...Hooray!
Finished:
Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart (A book with a black and white cover). 3 Stars. It wasn't my favorite but I think after people compared it to the sadness of A Little Life (I wholeheartedly believe that A Little Life was more of a heartbreaker by far) it didn't seem to "shock" me as much as it did others. It was well written though and I loved visiting Scotland so it was nice to read about life in the 80s (even though it was kind of horrible).
Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson (A book about do-overs or fresh starts). 4 stars. This book was good. It was well written and I liked the story about the kids catching on fire. I sympathized with Lillian because I am not great with most kids but when you find a couple kids that you get along with it makes it easier.
Cinderella Is Dead by Kalynn Bayron (A genre hybrid book). 4 stars. It was good - definitely for the middle grade audience. I love a good retelling but this one was a little convoluted. I could figure it out and some stuff was obvious but I think I missed a couple significant reveals.
Started:
The Book of Longings by Sue Monk Kidd. I am only 30-ish pages in and it was a little slow at the beginning but now that it is picking up it is nice. Also - my mom ordered this book on Amazon and accidentally bought it in Large Print format which is hard to read when you don't need large print.
QOTW:
I am very excited for Casey McQuiston's new book One Last Stop, and (thanks to Laura's comment above) The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix (I loved The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires and Horrorstör).
Hello! With the guilty on all counts verdict, the Cities didn't burn, the protests were celebrations, and the military presence is going away. The barricades and fencing are coming down, and here's hoping the boards are as well. The curfews are also ending. Sentencing is in eight weeks, and August will have the trials for the other three officers, so there's still more to come, but the relief is palpable. Now let's see if all the politician promises come to fruition.I got my first shot on Sunday night, and get my second in a few weeks. My book club is making noises about meeting in person again, and my parents have moved past the subtle hints to practically saying "come visit now." My mother-in-law is starting that as well, asking my husband yesterday if he wanted to "meet her halfway from Sioux Falls" this Friday. (He did not. That's still a long way.) But those are better problems to have than not having these people still around, so I won't complain (much). Work, thankfully, has not yet made noises about going back.
Finished This Week:
The Perfection Deception: Why Trying to Be Perfect is Sabotaging Your Relationships, Making You Sick, and Holding Your Happiness Hostage by Jane Bluestein. The first part of the book establishes that perfectionism is a problem, the middle makes you hate your parents and be terrified of how you're going to screw up your kids, and the end tells you to get professional help instead of offering tangible steps for how to work through your perfectionism. Very disappointed.
We Ride Upon Sticks by Quan Barry. My third time getting it from the library, and I finally read it this time. This was a delight. The narration being in the plural was weird at first, but I got used to it, and understood why it was done that way. I also really enjoyed the way the story was told through each member of the team's focus as they moved through the hockey season, letting you really get to know each of them. Using for #5, Dark Academia, since they're high schoolers doing witchcraft. Kinda. Still counts.
Come as You Are: The Surprising New Science that Will Transform Your Sex Life by Emily Nagoski. My song title prompt, #17. The disjointed way I read it (with lots of big pauses), and that I was reading the author's other book at the same time, made the experience odd. It was a good book, and I'm glad I read it, but some of the parts are blurry. Upon finishing, it felt like I needed to read it again. Not sure how to rate it.
The War That Killed Achilles: The True Story of Homer's Iliad and the Trojan War by Caroline Alexander. I have 3 books I'm actively reading, 7 more checked out from the library, and plenty of books I could read for the challenge. So naturally, I picked this book off my shelves. I bought it years ago, thinking it was about the actual Trojan War, not the one told by the myth. Wrong. So Very Wrong. This book is a literary analysis of The Iliad, almost stanza by stanza. The author uses a specific translation throughout, one that doesn't match the spellings I'm used to (Ajax is Aias, Aeneas is Aineias, and all c's are k's - Patroklos, Hektor, Hekabe - except when they're not - Achilles). The author's main argument is that The Iliad is not an epic glorifying war, but about the futility of it. The Trojan War was not fought for territory, or plunder, but to get someone's wife back, which is a hard motivation to sustain for ten long years. By the time the Iliad starts, neither side wanted to keep fighting and everyone wanted to go home. It shouldn't be taught as War is Great, but as War Sucks. The author's argument is convincing, and the book is good for what it is, but absolutely not what I expected. Going in the donation pile. Using for #49, DNF book from TBR.
PS: 23/50, RH: 4/24 RW: 6/28 ATY: 26/52 GR: 49/100
Currently Reading:
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte. Made it to chapter three with his weird dream. Knowing the actual story is soon should get me motivated to pick it back up.
Joe Rochefort's War: The Odyssey of the Codebreaker Who Outwitted Yamamoto at Midway by Elliot Carlson. Will probably need to start over, since it's been like two months since I did any reading.
Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle by Emily Nagoski. Reading a chapter a week is slow and annoying. Feel like I should just finish it and go back to review the chapter when the podcast gets there.
Also soon: A Closed and Common Orbit by Becky Chalmers, Rebel Sisters by Tochi Onyebuchi, Igniting Darkness by Robin LaFevers, and Escape from Aleppo by N.H. Senzai.
QOTW: Which 2021 publications are you still eagerly anticipating? (or has your most anticipated 2021 book already been published?)
Well, Blood Heir, Calculated Risks and Across the Green Grass Fields are already out, and they were among my most anticipated.
But still to come are
Yours Cheerfully, the sequel to Dear Mrs. Bird
The Witness for the Dead, sequel-ish of The Goblin Emperor
When Sorrows Come, book 15 of the October Daye series, finally the wedding!
Daughter of Sparta, which just looks awesome.
Yours Cheerfully, Daughter of Sparta and Witness for the Dead are all in June, and then Toby's book in September.
Didn't manage to check in last week, so I have a few books to log this week!Finished:
Wild by Nature: One Woman, One Trek, One Thousand Nights for A book set in multiple countries. Was really quite disappointed by this one - I'm still looking for something in this genre as good as Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail!
Garden Spells for A magical realism book. Liked this enough to add the sequel to my TBR list.
Eight Detectives for A book you have seen on someone’s bookshelf. This was not as clever at it wanted to be...
The Conjurer for A book that's published in 2021. Considering I picked the first book in this series on a whim from a collection of freebies, the whole series, including this last book, has been a very pleasant read!
Started:
Trail of Lightning for A book by an indigenous author. I was slightly dreading this prompt, as I've really been struggling to fine something that appeals to me. So in the end I kind of went with a 'best of a bad bunch' approach, but am turning out to be pleasantly surprised by my choice!
QOTW:
Because is was just announced last week: Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone - and I am beyond excited!
Also really looking forward to The Last Graduate, although slightly annoyed that its publication has been pushed back to September, given that it's quite likely I'll have finished the challenge by then, meaning that I'll probably have had to find something else for the 'dark academia' prompt...
Happy Thursday, everyone! My husband is having surgery tomorrow. I will not be able to be in the hospital or see him in recovery. He will be in recovery probably until Saturday morning. I know a lot of people have been through this surgery or hospitalization in the time of Covid, but it's tough.
Finished:
First Comes Like which is the first book I ever won in a Goodreads give away. It wasn't bad.
Midnight at the Blackbird Café which would fit for magical realism, set in a restaurant. I don't even remember that I requested the library get this book, and then it showed up in my loans. I really liked it.
Currently reading:
Palace Walk
War and Peace
White Ivy
The Secret Lives of Church Ladies
QOTW:
I love seeing what everyone is looking forward to. I am looking forward to so many, but these are the ones I can think of off the top of my head:
One Last Stop
The Heart Principle
Malibu Rising
The Hidden Palace
It's been a crazy week here. I'm spending this year at my parents' for kids' schooling reasons, and my husband was in for about three weeks visiting but left Monday. So that was sad. I also started the Arbonne "Cleanse". Basically things have gotten way out of control in clothes being able to fit my body related ways and I wanted to do something "drastic" to reset. It's going mostly OK, but one of the things we're meant to give up is Coffee. So, I've had a headache and been exhausted all week. I love coffee. Anyway. Since I've been going to bed a like 9:30 all week, I've only managed to finish two books. 
. This i did for my nineties prompt. What a fun book! Super sarcastic and I even started watching the series on Amazon Prime, which is also super fun. Sidenote- has anyone watched it? David Tennant reminds me so much of Bill Nyhie. Anyway, lots of fun, all around.I also finished
which was recommended by the librarian. It's more of a YA, kind of hunger games meets witchy fantasy. It was good too. First in a five book series. Didn't fill any prompts. Currently reading:
Got a good chunk of the way through
. It's hard to read too much of at once, very dense, very intense, obviously. It is extremely well written, but I really feel like I don't get enough out of it if I read more than a chapter or two at a time. 
just started. Seems fun. Great author. No prompt.
. I just don't like this. I keep trying because I should like it, it clicks all of my boxes. But, I'm struggling. I'm about halfway through, so I'm trying to decide whether I just power forward or let it go. It's for Prompt 6 (I think- gem, mineral, or rock.). Anyway, I'm at 37 on the challenge.
QOTW: The third in the Orisha trilogy is meant to come out this year, and I'm really looking forward to it. Being that it remains unnamed and it's the end of April, I'm not sure whether it's going to happen though.
Well, it has been a busy week - productive, though. I didn't read at all, but that's ok because we had so much going on that was definitely priority with my niece's 15th birthday (which came off brilliantly considering having to scale back for gathering restrictions, safety, etc.) and an upcoming fundraising event I'm involved in.QOTW: I can't think of anything I'm waiting on - I was waiting on the John Cena book, and was a bit disappointed with how... light? it was. But he loves BTS and gives them credit for putting it out there, so I'm giving him a pass. I gave the copy I preordered as a gift.
It's snowing here too! Then it'll be in the 70s later next week. Spring is so weird. We're gearing up for Orthodox Holy Week. All y'all Western folks already did the Easter thing, I know. XD We're almost there!
I lost a day of reading because I got sick off my second vaccine and spent an entire day in bed. BUT next morning it was like someone flipped a switch, and I was totally fine! So strange.
Finished 10/50
The Lost Gospel of Mary: The Mother of Jesus in Three Ancient Texts for "book where the main character works at your current job" (stay-at-home mom, haha!). This was actually really good. Short book, easy read, very informative! Highly recommend to anyone interested in ancient perspectives on the Virgin Mary.
Currently Reading
A Long Walk with Mary: A Personal Search for the Mother of God for "book released in 2021". It's not what I was expecting, but I'm still enjoying it so far! Very personal.
Schindler's List for "bestseller from the 90's". Can you believe I never saw the movie? I remember everyone making a big stink out of it when it came out. I didn't even know it was a Nazi story until a couple years ago! Talk about living under a rock. Anyway, I'm reading it now!
Darkness Is As Light for "DNF on TBR". This will take me through Holy Week. I love it. Shameless plug is shameless.
QotW
Well, personally for me, my most anticipated release was Letters for Pilgrimage: Lenten Meditations for Teen Girls that came out in February...because I'm one of the authors, ha! The anxiety there is real though, let me tell you.
BUT, putting that aside, I was also looking forward to A Long Walk with Mary: A Personal Search for the Mother of God and that just came out, so I'm glad to be reading it!
Now if Patrick could please release The Doors of Stone.....I'm anticipating the heck out of this.
Natasha wrote: "It's been a crazy week here. I'm spending this year at my parents' for kids' schooling reasons, and my husband was in for about three weeks visiting but left Monday. So that was sad. I also started..."Good Omens was such a good book and a great miniseries! David Tennant, Michael Sheen, and the entire cast were fantastic.
It's remarkably chilly for late April, but I guess this is Texas winter's last hurrah before it's suddenly 95+ every day.I worked all day from my office on campus yesterday--people kept asking if it felt weird and...it weirdly DIDN'T feel weird lol. I actually really enjoyed it and (I hate to say it) loved that I was the only one there! I love my team and can't wait to work with them again, but I felt so productive.
My cats were less pleased about me being in the office yesterday...
Finished:
Boy: Tales of Childhood by Roald Dahl - A book with a family tree. I love Dahl.
The Artist's Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity by Julia Cameron - A book about art or an artist. I'm sad it's over--my group will have our last meeting next Monday, and we're doing a socially distanced picnic this Sunday so we can actually meet in person! But I got a lot more out of this than I expected (since I really don't consider myself to be an artist). Really, a lot of the things she talks about are just good for mental health, not just nurturing your inner artist.
Currently Reading:
Alice's Farm: A Rabbit's Tale by Maryrose Wood - A book with fewer than 1000 reviews. I'm still really loving this. I hope to finish it this week!
Up Next:
The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart - this will be a re-read to prep for the upcoming Disney+ show. I'm excited and nervous about it--I hope they handle it as well as Netflix handled A Series of Unfortunate Events!
QOTW:
I was going to say I don't know of any but HOW COULD I FORGET LEMONY SNICKET HAS A NEW BOOK COMING??? Poison for Breakfast. I can't wait. But I must--it doesn't release until August *sobs*
Milena wrote: "I know a lot of people have been through this surgery or hospitalization in the time of Covid, but it's tough."Other people going through it doesn't mean it should be easy--it's scary when a loved one is going through a procedure, and even more-so when you can't be there with them!
*Pulls out soap box and steps upon it*
We spend far too much time trying to defend against negative emotions by saying "other people have been through this" or "other people have it worse," but we all have our own unique lives and must experience things in our own ways. And that's okay. Telling yourself it shouldn't be a big deal really just makes things worse.
And I don't mean that solely directed at you, Milena--I fully realize you may already know that. It's just something that upsets me in general--people shouldn't be made to feel guilty or told their feelings are invalid simply because of others' experiences.
*Steps off soap box*
Gemma wrote: "Because is was just announced last week: Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone - and I am beyond excited!..."I am so glad you mentioned this because I had no idea a release date was scheduled! I just pre-ordered my copy. Thank you!
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y = 0.8*x where y = number of words in the title and x = sequel number (this is of course just a rough linear curve fit and does not exactly match each title)
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The recent jury decision in the US is quite a relief to me and IMO way past due. I hope this encourages systemic change to finally occur. Sooner rather than later… It can't come too quickly.
Let’s see…what’s new for us? Oh, yeah…so now we are in the process of having a new central air conditioning system installed before hot weather hits. We had to replace the furnace a couple of years ago, then the car engine last year, and now this. (Savings? What savings? 🙁) Sheesh! When it rains… LOL 😉 But I really must have A/C any more. With my allergies I wouldn’t be able to breathe without it now that I’m “OLD”! LOL
I drove through near blizzard-like conditions Tuesday afternoon to doctor appointments. Awoke Wednesday morning to a 2-inch snow cover over everything, which was gone by 4PM. At 5:40PM thunder sounded and the sky darkened and Mini, our “fraidy-cat” (Both literally and figuratively!) when it comes to storms got under our bed per her normal reaction! Unbelievable! We never got rain, but it sure sounded like it was going to…
Oh, remember the night last week we spent in ER? At 2:30AM we pass the fire station coming into town, and I notice there must be a fire as all trucks are out of the building and cars parked around it. I mention it to my husband, and do not have time to add my next snarky thought, “Gee, I hope it’s not ours!” When on the next block I glimpse the flashing lights, and…they’re in our street, which is only one block long! I drove those last two blocks like a race car driver, even though I kept telling myself our neighbors would have texted me if it was our house on fire. Plus they know to try to rescue our four feline babies first and foremost, if at all possible. But still… And lo and behold, our neighbor’s house across the street burned while we were gone. Not all the way to the ground, but they heat with a wood stove and evidently enough creosote had built up in the chimney to ignite. I feel so sorry for them! I sure hope their insurance will cover whatever will need to be done to hopefully make the house habitable again There is much damage as the firefighters had to demolish the whole chimney inside the house to extinguish the fire. That brought back memories. When my children were young my ex-husband and I heated with a wood stove, just as these neighbors do. We had been gone visiting relatives one weekend and pulled up to our house late Sunday afternoon and noticed a wisp of smoke escaping from the chimney. Huh. We were wondering how that was possible, ‘cause we had purposefully removed any wood/ashes from the stove before leaving the house… Upon investigation we discovered enough creosote buildup that it was smoldering inside the chimney and eventually would have ignited into flames. Fortunately, we were able to remove the “glowing”/smoldering material to prevent a fire. (It looked how I would imagine lava looks.) That was a very strong, intense, and obviously much-needed lesson learned. I checked it every single week from then on. And now I am ever more appreciative of having a house in which to live that is not partially burned out and/or smoke and water damaged. Sometimes you just need a reminder to be grateful for some of the most basic things!
Question of the Week: Which 2021 publications are you still eagerly anticipating? (Or has your most anticipated 2021 book already been published?)
Such a great question! This fits in perfectly with my booklist-making obsession!
Oh, my, I even put the release date for Becky Chambers’ recent release, The Galaxy, and the Ground Within, on my calendar! (I never do that! LOL) That date was April 20th! I will probably break down and purchase it in May.
I inadvertently discovered a release scheduled for October 21, 2021: State of Terror by Hillary Rodham Clinton and Louise Penny. It is about a novice Secretary of State! 😉 I admit that I have been interested in reading The President Is Missing by Bill Clinton and James Patterson, but just now ordered a used copy from my favorite local used bookstore. I guess I’m not interested enough to pay full price and it was easy to wait. I will probably do the same for State of Terror. I’ve never read a Louise Penny and have always rather assumed I may not enjoy her books all that much…
Other than that, here are some of which I am aware I would love to read the day they are published! LOL
*Denotes a "tried and true" author for me!
*1) The Martian Contingency (Lady Astronaut #4) by Mary Robinette Kowal (Thinking of you, Poshpenny!)
Technically not due for release until 2022, but that is one I will definitely preorder!
*2) Game On: Tempting Twenty-Eight (Stephanie Plum #28) by Janet Evanovich on November 2
*3) Death at Greenway by Lori Rader-Day on October 12
4) The Hill We Climb and Other Poems by Amanda Gorman on September 21
*5) Harlem Shuffle by Colson Whitehead on September 14
*6) A Slow Fire Burning by Paula Hawkins on August 31
*7) The Heart Principle (The Kiss Quotient #3) by Helen Hoang on August 31
8) The Women of Troy by Pat Barker on August 24
*9) A Psalm for the Wild-Built (Monk & Robot #1) by Becky Chambers on July 13 (Oooohhh...a new series! And what a title!)
10) The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict on June 29
*11) Count the Ways by Joyce Maynard on June 29
*12) One Two Three by Laurie Frankel
*13) Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid on June 1
*14) Our Woman in Moscow by Beatriz Williams on June 1
15) Dead Dead Girls (Harlem Renaissance #1) by Nekesa Afia on June 1
16) How the Word Is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America by Clint Smith on June 1
*17) A Dog's Courage: A Dog's Way Home Novel by W. Bruce Cameron on May 4
*18) Whereabouts by Jhumpa Lahiri on April 27 (I still need to read her current release, The Lowland!)
*19) Fugitive Telemetry (The Murderbot Diaries #6) by Martha Wells (I need to read #2-5!)
And at least 10 more that have already been released! So many!! I’ll go ahead and list those as well…(Though only through March, ‘cause there are at least 20-25 more in January and February.)
*1) When the Stars Go Dark by Paula McLain on April 13
*2) Broken by Jenny Lawson on April 6
3) Gold Diggers by Sanjena Sathian on April 6
4) The Elephant of Belfast by S. Kirk Walsh on April 6
*5) Hummingbird Lane by Carolyn Brown on April 6
6) What White People Can Do Next: From Allyship to Coalition by Emma Dabiri on April 1
7) The Final Revival of Opal & Nev by Dawnie Walton on March 30
8) Sunflower Sisters (Lilac Girls #3) by Martha Hall Kelly on March 30 (I need to read the first 2!)
9) Eternal by Lisa Scottoline on March 23 (I typically do not read her mysteries, but this is historical fiction)
*10) The Consequences of Fear (Maisie Dobbs #16) by Jacqueline Winspear on March 23
11) Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley on March 16
12) Float Plan by Trish Doller on March 16
13) The Rose Code by Kate Quinn on March 9
14) The Recent East by Thomas Grattan on March 9
15) The Conductors by Nicole Glover on March 2
16) The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner on March 2
17) The Restoration of Celia Fairchild by Marie Bostwick on March 2
18) Amoralman: A True Story and Other Lies by Derek Delgaudio on March 2
19) The Empathy Diaries: A Memoir by Sherry Turkle on March 2
20) Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro on March 2
21) Vera by Carl Edgarian on March 2
22) Infinite Country by Patricia Engel on March 2
23) A History of Scars: A Memoir by Laura Lee on March 2
24) The Barbizon: The Hotel That Set Women Free by Paulina Bren on March 2
25) What's Mine and Yours by Naima Coster on March 2
I missed last week, so here's a little two week update.Finished:
A Discovery of Witches for a book with a family tree. I listened to this on audio and really enjoyed it. I've heard mixed reviews about the next book in the series but I do want to continue and I think I'll end up doing it via audio.
The Darkness Outside Us - I had the eARC of this one. It's a YA space mystery with a bit of m/m romance thrown in. I didn't kind of figure out the twist but I still I loved it. I need everyone to read it when it comes out.
On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous - I've been hearing about this one for awhile and decided to finally pick it up from the library. I thought it was beautiful and ended up bumping the four star rating to a five star rating after I let it set with me for a bit.
Stowaway - I had the audioARC of this one and it was fine. I thought the ending was pretty good but not sure if I'll continue the series.
This Wound Is a World - I saw booktuber Booksandlala talk about this authors/poets new memoir that came out last year. I decided to pick up this book of poetry first. It was fantastic and I plan on ordering his book soon.
Currently Reading:
Anna Karenina for the book that’s been on your TBR list for the longest amount of time. Still doing this one on Reddit with r/yearofannakarenina. There are parts that I really love and parts that I'm just meh about but still really enjoying it overall.
Leviathan Wakes - Still working my way through this one. I'd love to get this one done during Dewy's this weekend. It's fine but so far I'm not interested enough to continue the series.
In the Woods - This is a reread for the book club I help run. I loved it the first time around when I read it like 10/11 years ago but I'm finding some issues this time. I've also been distracted by Top Chef All Stars LA on Hulu and all I wanna do is watch that (Team Bryan Voltaggio!...no spoilers!).
QOTW:
I have done some preordering this year, which I've never done in the past. Here's what I'm most excited for.
Under the Whispering Door & Flash Fire both by TJ Klune (I'm all in for Klune. I adore him.)
One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston
The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix (I'm also all in on Hendrix, he's become an autobuy for me.)
My Heart Is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones (He's becoming an autobuy. He's such an interesting writer.)
Velvet Was the Night by Silvia Moreno-Garcia (I've actually also pre-ordered her two books that are being rereleased too. I really love her writing.)
O
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ATY: 45/52
RHC: 7/24
Reading Women: 7/28
FINISHED:
*Note: Both of these first two books contained quite a few philosophical references, but they were entirely different books!*
Olga Tokarszuk’s Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead ⭐⭐⭐⭐ was a good read overall. Not great. Not horrible. It was okay. A great example of an unreliable narrator for sure! I appreciated most of the philosophical references made, but this was depressing overall, IMO. This would have been only a 3-star read for me (a low rating from me…) except that I did like Tokarszuk’s writing, just not this particular book. Although I could relate to Janina’s anger…if not the way in which she exacted revenge…
POPSUGAR: #18-The indiscriminate killing of domestic pets, #21-Contemporary Fiction, Fiction, Mystery, #27-Thanks to her friends who smuggled her out of the country…Janina has a fresh start!, #29-Poland and Czech Republic, #30-Poland and Czech Republic, #34-Killing animals just to kill animals, including domestic pets, #40-From 2015 POPSUGAR Challenge-prompt #44 Originally written in another language from my own, #44
ATY: #7-A book written by a Nobel Prize winning author, #8-Poland, Czech Republic, #10-Janina, #14, #18-Janina’s past actions have determined her future…, #23-Contemporary Fiction, Fiction, Mystery, #27-Death, Judgement, #28-Janina’s murder weapon was frozen in ice, #31, #36, #42, #51, #52-The end of 4 lives and Janina’s freedom.
RHC: #13
Reading Women: NEW #2, #5, NEW #10, #18
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ for our monthly group read. After reading several comments you-all have made about this one I was really anxious to dig in, though initially I had been a bit hesitant! This proved to be an absolutely delightful read for me! Can’t wait to see what others thought/are thinking on the April Monthly Group Read discussion thread! And the cover is one that makes much more sense and ties in directly with the book once you've read it! (I always appreciate that.) Highly highly recommended! It is indeed the little things that count and make life worth living.
POPSUGAR: #18-Living your best life, #21-Contemporary Fiction, Fantasy, Fiction, Health, Science Fiction, #23, #27, #29, #29-UK, Brazil, France, Antarctica, #30-Brazil, France, #33, #37, #38-Nora was a singer/songwriter and writer, #40-From the Summer 2020 POPSUGAR Challenge-prompt #9 A book with a release date in June, July, or August of any year (August 2020), #43, #47-One of my favorite life philosophies: Live in the moment and be kind
ATY: #3-“When the dog bites (Plato), When I’m feeling sad (suicidal)/I simply remember my favorite things (new life philosophy)/And then I don’t feel so bad, …whiskers on kittens (Voltaire), #6-Nora has learned to love herself, #7-A book related to the Year of the Ox: diligence, dependability, strength, determination, #8-UK, France, Antarctica, #14, #15, #16, #20-Nora has a much brighter future ahead, #23-Contemporary Fiction, Fantasy, Fiction, Health, Science Fiction, #27-Death, Temperance, #28-glaciologist, #29, #32, #34, #35-Bazil, #38-VISIT: Nora visits many of her infinite lives, #43, #52-In the end Nora realized what made her life worth living.
RHC: #1-the title initially sounded rather ominous to me,
CONTINUING:
Just 25 pages into Yes No Maybe So by Becky Albertalli and I think I’m going to enjoy it!
I’ve only read 10 pages in Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line by Deepa Anappara and am wondering exactly what this will be…
Edith Wharton’s The Age of Innocence is still here. I read a few more pages. Again. LOL
PLANNED:
For April Buddy Reads:
Anxious People by Fredrik Backman. My best friend is loaning me her copy to read and I just picked it up yesterday. This is one of my upcoming weekend reads!
For May-the POPSUGAR Monthly Group Read:
Ayesha at Last by Uzma Jalaluddin
REMEMBER--WE STILL NEED A DISCUSSION LEADER! 😝
And I still keep looking anxiously at The Third Angel by Alice Hoffman. My very special gift that makes me smile every time I see it or think about it! 😊
I am so hoping to finish at least 2-3 of these soon!!!
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
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.
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
Lynn wrote: "Welcome to another Thursday! Can’t believe we’re over halfway through April…actually only 8 days left in this shorter month! Everything is green and growing in my neck of the woods. I’m trying to g..."WOW! I thought I had a lot on my list! Happy reading :D
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Our maples are leafing out. I remember those days of school projects!
"It's snowing again."
Ugh. 😞
"There has been a lot going on in the world, a lot of sadness, relief, anger, exhaustion, and plain old annoyance."
That pretty well sums it up! LOL
"Admin stuff:
Last week we chose our Q3 group reads! This week you can all come volunteer to lead group discussions!! We also still have an opening for the May group read, if anyone wants to jump in right away."
...Just send a note to me or Lynn if you're interested. You can even just sort of pencil yourself in as a "I'll do it if no one else wants to." No pressure! Low commitment! Possible fun!
You should write for a PR/advertising firm, Nadine!! This is great!
"This week I finished ONE book. Wow. I thought it was more than that LOL!"
It is strange how some weeks you feel as if you've read a ton, but completed fewer books than you thought and other weeks it doesn't feel as if you've read much but you've completed at least several books.
"The Searcher - I love almost everything Tana French writes, but I didn't love this!
I had to set it aside several times as my library loans expired, so I've been sawing away at this one for quite a while, and finishing feels like an accomplishment."
Oh, now I'm really motivated to read this one! 😁 I imagine it feels like an accomplishment because it is! YAY YOU!!
"Question of the Week:
Which 2021 publications are you still eagerly anticipating? (or has your most anticipated 2021 book already been published?)"
So this time I'm the one with interminable lists!! LOL
"This week's QotW was inspired because I'm getting revved up for the NEW MURDERBOT book coming out next week, Fugitive Telemetry!!! I've got it pre-ordered, which I almost never do, and I'm going to drop everything and read it when it arrives."
If I was further along in the series, I probably would have pre-ordered as well! I'm just so grateful that you-all kept posting about this series!
Still at 29/50Finished: The House of Hades Re-read.
Started: The Blood of Olympus
Antkind This book is so funny so far! Could be used for black and white cover prompt.
Opening Minds: Using Language to Change Lives Focuses on shifting teacher language from person to process (i.e. You're so smart to you tried so hard!)
What Is the Bible?: How an Ancient Library of Poems, Letters, and Stories Can Transform the Way You Think and Feel About Everything Written by a podcaster, it's a quick, easy read.
Qotw: I'm still looking forward to Noise: A Flaw in Human Judgment and The Premonition: A Pandemic Story coming out.
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I hope you meant that to be humorous, 'cause it made me laugh!
"I'm passionate about everyone having freedom of thought, religion, and speech. And, though I'm a Christian, I'm highly against killing or persecuting people for any religion. You may be able to force people to follow religious laws and even frighten them into claiming belief in something, but not what actually goes on in their head and hearts."
Ack! So very true! We should all be able to hold our own spiritual belief system in peace...
"Now I'm reading Kingdom Come: The Final Victory as my book associated with a favorite person place or thing. Not enjoying this one as much as the rest of the series, but I finished the last book over 15 years ago, so maybe that's why. Or maybe it's because I can't relate as well since it takes place after Jesus comes back and half the characters are perfect sinless creatures".
But...that's impossible! No human is perfect. And I doubt any human could be "sinless," depending upon your definition of "sin."
"QOtW: Winds of Winter Ha. Ha. Just kidding. I'll roll around on the floor laughing now."
Oh, my! 🤣
Hi everyone! Long time no see! Guess what - it's hard living in a household with three depressed people in it (especially when one of them is yourself). I feel like every day is so long, but also I don't have enough time to get things done. I'm emphatically not on top of things these days. But I think we're all trending better. Get this: I'm currently ALL ALONE in my house, which hasn't happened since March of 2020 I think! One child on a college trip with her dad, and the other at school in person (and my now-vaccinated mom is picking her up). I am enjoying the quiet!
Many updates since I haven't checked in for a while!
Finished:
House of Leaves - didn't blow me away like the first time, but the Navidson story is still good and creepy
A Memory Called Empire - took a while for me to get into, but now I'm keen to read the next one!
You'll Never Believe What Happened to Lacey: Crazy Stories about Racism - worth buying in book and audio format. Simultaneously hilarious and horrifying. This would be a great book for any white person who gets defensive about unpacking racism, because it's truly very funny and friendly, but also doesn't pull punches, if that makes sense.
Night Shoot - I need to start reading more about horror novels before starting them to see if they're creepy horror (yes please) or slasher horror (no thank you).
Press Enter - this was sure a unique experience. Definitely fits into the Weird Fiction category. Has off-putting racist and sexist vibes early on, but in my opinion does some interesting character work that redeems a lot of it.
The Sea of Ash - I loved this! It's so delectably WEIRD. Very inventive, with equal parts creepiness and wonder.
Currently Reading
The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet - I'm very intrigued already!
QOTW
Fugitive Telemetry of course! I will also be stopping my whole life to read my pre-ordered ebook and audiobook editions.
Island Queen looks so dang pretty, and I feel like it's going to scratch the itch left by Miss Lambe never getting to show up in the unfinished Jane Austen novel Sanditon: Jane Austen's Last Novel Completed
Mod
Realistically that is all we can do, isn't it?
"Crossing my fingers that this late snow doesn't kill my clematis and hostas, but we'll see what happens. Our Japanese maple has mostly opened up, and we've realized that the tree in the front yard isn't a crab apple but some kind of Chinese cherry tree. Only took us five years :D"
LOL In fairness, trees can be difficult to identify, IMO! I suspect the hostas will be fine. Not sure about the clematis though...
"Finished:
A Curious Beginning - 3.5 stars, a good start but a little inconsistent in places"
I'll be getting a copy of this in about 2 weeks. Anxious to read it.
"Currently:
The City of Brass Muslim-American author"
I just think this must be one I would enjoy!
"The Complete Persepolis"
Though this is not a format I typically read, I thought this was powerful!
"Possibly The Scarlet Letter"
I reread this after 50+ years and wasn't nearly as impressed as I was in high school. I think because now I am much more aware of prejudice and discrimination that should be replaced with sympathy/empathy and compassion.
"QOTW: Which 2021 publications are you still eagerly anticipating? (or has your most anticipated 2021 book already been published?)
A Master of Djinn"
I'm wondering about this one...
Lynn wrote: "Katy wrote: "I read Killing Christians: Living the Faith Where It's Not Safe to Believe as a book about a subject I'm passionate about. Lest anyone think what my mom asked, no, I'm not passionate about killing Christians."I hope you meant that to be humorous, 'cause it made me laugh!
"
I pretty much did. But, my mom asked me what I was reading and since she knew I was doing the challenge asked me what category that was for. And then she said "You're passionate about killing Christians?" I'm a little worried about myself if that's what my own mother thinks of me
"Now I'm reading Kingdom Come: The Final Victory as my book associated with a favorite person place or thing. Not enjoying this one as much as the rest of the series, but I finished the last book over 15 years ago, so maybe that's why. Or maybe it's because I can't relate as well since it takes place after Jesus comes back and half the characters are perfect sinless creatures".
But...that's impossible! No human is perfect. And I doubt any human could be "sinless," depending upon your definition of "sin."
That's the thing. They're not technically human any more. Or at least not fully human. Because these are the people that died either before the rapture or during the tribulation and have returned in a glorified state. So, while not angels, sort of angelic? I don't know. It's too hard for my fully human mind to grasp, and to be honest, I think it's too much for the authors' fully human minds to grasp. But, I do appreciate the effort.
I don't actually have much to report, I just want to get back in the habit of posting every week so I will hopefully also get back in the habit of finishing a book every week. I finished one book, not for the challenge, called Tap Dance Troubles. It's an early reader chapter book about a little girl who is deaf and practicing for her first tap dance recital. I like that it includes a visual ASL alphabet and some other terms that kids can learn to sign. It also has a glossary of terms like cochlear implant to help kids learn more about deafness.
I'm working on another book that I'll hopefully finish tonight that's for my school reading challenge, but I'm not sure if I'll be able to fit into the Popsugar challenge. We'll see.
QOTW: Well I was originally going to say I'd most been looking forward to Concrete Rose to come out and I have already read that. But now I've learned that Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone is releasing this year and I'm ecstatic. I can't wait!
I'd also like to go on record that every year I fully expect The Winds of Winter or The Doors of Stone to release, and every year I'm fully disappointed that no date has been set. Le sigh.
Mod
YAY YOU!! Congratulations! 🎆🎆🎇🎇🧨🧨👍
"I’ve only ever worked in academia, and this job is in business. One of my librarian friends told me I’ve gone over to the dark side by accepting this offer."
Ha! Ha!
"I decided to shut my brain down for a rest this weekend and, by the power of suggestion, chose to watch Star Wars instead of reading. I didn’t think I liked Star Wars, but I do!"
I guess I don't know anyone who has watched Star Wars and didn't like it! But then, I can't imagine NOT liking it!
"This weekend is Dewey’s Readathon, and I’d love to spend all day reading since I didn’t have much time to read this week."
I didn't realize their readathon was this weekend!
"I don’t think things will slow down anytime soon either. I have a lot to hand off at my current job, and I need to start hunting for a place to live in Michigan for when my new job goes back into the office."
Is this going to be a long move for you or just a "hop, skip, and a jump"? And that is so exciting!
"QOTW
...and Project Hail Mary."
Ack! I had no idea Weir had a new book coming out! Thanks!
Mod
I really don’t think any of them fit any prompts so I’m going to go in order from most to least enjoyable."
That makes perfect sense to me! Glad you stopped by!
"book that everyone has read but you
The Push by Ashley Audrain. I swear everyone on popsugar and botm facebook groups has read this. So, I got it as an add on in this month's BOTM and I'm not upset that I read it. Would recommend and watch the heck out of a Netflix series. Thriller."
I haven't read this one. But it sounds pretty good! And a debut!
books in order from most to least enjoyable
"People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry. I liked Beach Read more and it took about a third of the way in before I was really into it but I enjoyed this one. Contemporary romance."
I haven't read Beach Read, but it and this both look interesting to me. Thanks!
"Getting What You Want by Kathy Love. Contemporary romance. One of my kindle books that I'm slowly going through because I’m determined to read them all before downloading any new ones."
That is impressive determination!! Good for you! (I don't have even an inkling of your willpower when it comes to books! LOL)
Heather wrote: "Wow! What a week! I said a few weeks ago that I was interviewing for a new job, and ... I got the job! I’ve only ever worked in academia, and this job is in business. One of my librarian friends to..."Congratulations on your new job!! Well done!
Happy Thursday! I actually didn't manage to finish any of my books this week- it feels like the week flew by. I was a good way through a couple books, and then realize my loan of The Final Revival of Opal & Nev was about to be up so I put everything on hold to start that up. (Also work hasn't been the best, so when I get home from work, I just want to zone out watching netflix. Not a lot of reading going on over here.)Currently reading:
The Final Revival of Opal & Nev- so far I really like this one, but I can't tell which direction the last part of the book is going to take.
The Husband's Secret- pretty entertaining, I'm interested to see how all the lives are going to tie together
Letters from Iceland
The Count of Monte Cristo
QotW:
Honestly, Opal and Nev was my most anticipated book of 2021, so I hope I wind up loving it! I like seeing all the books you guys are listing though- I'm going to have to add a lot of books to my tbr!
Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge
Books mentioned in this topic
Fugitive Telemetry (other topics)Network Effect (other topics)
Exit Strategy (other topics)
Fugitive Telemetry (other topics)
Fugitive Telemetry (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Liane Moriarty (other topics)Amor Towles (other topics)
Patrick Rothfuss (other topics)
Anthony Horowitz (other topics)
Matt Haig (other topics)
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There has been a lot going on in the world, a lot of sadness, relief, anger, exhaustion, and plain old annoyance.
Admin stuff:
Last week we chose our Q3 group reads! This week you can all come volunteer to lead group discussions!! We also still have an opening for the May group read, if anyone wants to jump in right away.
May: Ayesha at Last - Brandy has volunteered to lead this month's group read!
(June: we have a discussion leader for June, too!)
July: The Guest List
August: Catherine House
September: The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
Just send a note to me or Lynn if you're interested. You can even just sort of pencil yourself in as a "I'll do it if no one else wants to." No pressure! Low commitment! Possible fun!
This week I finished ONE book. Wow. I thought it was more than that LOL! (I'd been reading My Year Abroad for the last two weeks but it was due back at the library, so I have to wait for another copy to get back to that. Update! I just got a note from the library that a copy is waiting for me - haha it's probably the same copy I returned that was then quarantined for ten days, because of the way that some library holds are prioritized for members of the branch that owns the copy.) I finished nothing for this Challenge, so I remain 20/50. Hopefully I'll have some progress to show soon!!
The Searcher - I love almost everything Tana French writes, but I didn't love this! I am just so over the same old story of a middle-aged guy finding himself adrift in life, mourning his failed marriage. Some aspects of the mystery reminded me quite strongly of other books I've read, so it felt a bit derivative, too. (But I guess almost all books are derivative, in one way or another.) I actually started this book last year, and I had to set it aside several times as my library loans expired, so I've been sawing away at this one for quite a while, and finishing feels like an accomplishment.
Question of the Week
Which 2021 publications are you still eagerly anticipating? (or has your most anticipated 2021 book already been published?)
This week's QotW was inspired because I'm getting revved up for the NEW MURDERBOT book coming out next week, Fugitive Telemetry!!! I've got it pre-ordered, which I almost never do, and I'm going to drop everything and read it when it arrives.