Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge discussion

Happy Thursday! We're starting to get busy gearing up for the start of another school year at work. Wondering about adjusting the barriers at our desks or not. We all expect there may be a return to at least mandatory masking on campus and we're leaving our barriers at our desks intact for now. We figure perhaps by year's end if COVID seems to be somewhat controlled, we may consider removing some of them.

I had a rather disappointing experience this past Sunday. I had not attended the last 3 book club meetings (neither remotely nor in person) at my favorite used bookstore for various reasons but really wanted to attend this month. I LOVED the book AND I was anxious to reconnect with these people. But…I was so disappointed! Perhaps I’m just a bit more serious than most who attend book club meetings, but I want the majority of the conversation to focus on the book itself. I tend to become very frustrated when no one seems interested in discussing the book and the conversation devolves into many other subjects with little actual discussion about the book. When I was facilitating a book club, we eventually began meeting beforehand at a restaurant for lunch, and THEN we would conduct an actual meeting to discuss the book. That allowed us to get our ‘visiting’ out of the way so we could concentrate on the book later. I’m sure it’s just me, but I came away almost feeling as if I’d wasted my time. I’d rather be at home reading OR interacting with online book group members like you wonderful POPSUGAR people! I’ll make an effort to attend next month’s meeting, but if I feel the same way perhaps I’ll just stay home from now on. 😊

Edited to add:
Admin Stuff
The July Monthly Group Read discussion of The Guest List by Lucy Foley is ongoing!

WE STILL NEED DISCUSSION LEADERS FOR THESE TWO MONTHS:

October: #13 A locked-room mystery
(“Spooktober”/Halloween)
Anxious People by Fredrik Backman
Are you the "fascinating facilitator" needed to lead discussion of this book?

December: #1 A book published in 2021
(Because it’s the end of the year!)
Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid
There is need of a "gifted guide" to lead this discussion!

Message either Nadine or myself to volunteer!

QoTW:
It seems that every year I get caught up in wanting to read MORE THAN JUST ONE BOOK for certain (or all? LOL) Reading Challenge prompts. I notice books that others are considering to fulfill certain prompts and then I want to read those as well, in addition to any I may have already selected for those same prompts! Does this ever happen to you? Or are you much more disciplined than I and you simply stick to the books you have planned to fulfill prompts?

For example, I had never even heard the term dark academia until I read prompt #5 from the 2021 POPSUGAR Challenge listing. And now I have read two (both of which I already owned): The Secret Place (for a March buddy read) and The Secret History which I had already selected to fulfill the prompt and I was DETERMINED to finally read this year! This is not exactly my favorite reading category, but now by participating in the POPSUGAR August Monthly Group Read of Catherine House, I will have read three! And I’m thrilled with that. In all honesty, it would be much more practical and sensible of me to read a different book in August to fulfill a different prompt, but I really want to read this book and be able to discuss it with you-all!

Another example is prompt #16 A book by an indigenous author. I originally selected House Made of Dawn which I began reading several years ago and then for some reason never finished... Then I remembered I own several Louise Erdrich books which I want to read: specifically Love Medicine and The Antelope Wife, both of which would also fulfill RHC’s prompt #5 A genre novel by an indigenous, First Nations, or Native America author. But I also intend to finally complete reading There There by Tommy Orange. And based upon Lillith’s and others’ recommendations I now own a copy of The Right To Be Cold: One Woman's Story of Protecting Her Culture, the Arctic and the Whole Planet which I really really want to read yet this year. Then I realized that Plains of Promise, which I had listed as a possibility to fulfill Reading Women prompt #25 A book written by Alexis Wright, would also work for this prompt. But then…Firekeeper's Daughter was selected for our November Monthly Group Read and I REALLY REALLY want to read it as well! *sigh* I want to read them all…

Perhaps my real ‘problem’ is exactly that! I want to read ALL the books!! 😉

Popsugar: 39/50
ATY: 48/52
RHC: 11/24
Reading Women: 11/28
A few more prompts fulfilled!

FINISHED:
Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This was an absolutely amazing read, IMO! It felt so very accurate, genuine, and sincere! Lily and Kath are both struggling to identify their individual sexuality as well as their own identity as a “couple.” I could appreciate the ‘underground’ sense of their lives as women loving other women in a way that included sexual interaction, in the 1950s. Thank goodness our world has become more accepting and in some instances respectful of such feelings, if not exactly appreciative…yet! Each of us is an individual and unique in so many aspects. The way we understand the world. The way in which we think and learn. Why not diversity in sexuality?
POPSUGAR: NEW #1, #18-Acceptance, respect, and appreciation of all!, #21-Coming-of-Age, Contemporary Fiction, Family, Fiction, Historical Fiction, LGBTQ+, Race, Romance, Young Adult, #27, #30-California, #31, #33, #34-Equal rights for all!, #43, #47-My favorite queer female friends!
ATY: #6, #9-Chinese New Year, #16, #19-By not lying about the past, Lily guarantees a better future for herself, eventually on her terms, #23- Coming-of-Age, Contemporary Fiction, Family, Fiction, Historical Fiction, LGBTQ+, Race, Romance, Young Adult, #24, #27-The Lovers, Strength, Justice, Judgement, The World, #29, #36, #39, #41, #49, NEW #50, #52-In the end Lily and Kath get to determine their own futures.
RHC: #19
Reading Women: #16, NEW #19

I am rather speechless after finishing Speaker for the Dead (Ender’s Saga #2) by Orson Scott Card ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Card’s imagination and writing resonate so clearly with me! He includes so many social/psychological/philosophical conundrums without ever naming any one of them! Although this is SFF, it reflects humanity so accurately and in such detail, IMO! Can this negotiated peace last?
POPSUGAR: NEW #9, #18-Learning about and coexisting with others’ cultural practices, #21-Classic, Fantasy, Fiction, Science Fiction, Young Adult, #22, #27, #34-War vs. Peaceful Coexistence, #47-This is one of my all-time favorite series/writers!
ATY: #14, #19-There are covenant in place…but will they hold for a peaceful future?, #23-Classic, Fantasy, Fiction, Science Fiction, Young Adult, #27-Strength, Justice, Death, Judgement, #29, #31, #34, #39, #42, #44, #49, #51, #52-Ender achieved his main goals in the end, but will it all hold together for the future?

CONTINUING:
My other July Buddy Read: Kiss the Girls (Alex Cross #2) by James Patterson. I’m about ½ way through it and Patterson has me enthralled, as usual! And I was thrilled that my Buddy with whom I am reading this admitted that the first chapter was too scary and she had to put the book down for a bit before continuing. Nice to know someone else is just as much of a wuss as I am! 😊
Made a bit more progress on each of these two:
How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi This book. It really makes me think and rethink!
Edith Wharton’s The Age of Innocence

I hope to finish The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates this weekend. I keep thinking about it and wondering how it all ends…

PLANNED:
I still just sigh when thinking of this next one…such a good friend! And I missed her birthday. I have been so stressed out lately, I just have immersed myself in books/imaginary lands! I must think of a way to make it up to her…
The Third Angel by Alice Hoffman
The Souls of Black Folk by W.E.B. Du Bois
Hidden Valley Road: Inside the Mind of an American Family by Robert Kolker
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.
Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi

It's the middle of the night and I'm waiting to go into work. I'm not feeling 100% and it's gonna be a physically tough shift. At least I should be home well before noon.

Back before the stuff and I was actually going to book club, we actually did talk about the book. It was an adult book club from a children's book store.


Finished:
Eighty Days: Nellie Bly and Elizabeth Bisland's History-Making Race Around the World - I'm all about these women but I'm not gonna lie, the most exciting part to me was Jules Verne. I mean, !!!

Voice Lessons: How a Couple of Ninja Turtles, Pinky, and an Animaniac Saved My Life - Rob is a lovely guy and my second favorite current cartoon voice actor, so it was nice to hear him talk about his life, work, and battle with throat cancer.

David Sedaris Diaries: A Visual Compendium - I love a good full color art book

Tuesday Mooney Talks to Ghosts - An adult scavenger hunt mystery! I love a scavenger hunt book.


Currently Reading:
So far just the stuff I've been dipping in and out of between other books. My days off were shuffled so I probably won't finish The Decagon House Murders before the library takes it back.


QOTW:
I rarely plan one specific book for a prompt. I usually gather a list of one or more that look the most interesting and then mood read from there. I'm happy to have a prompt point more to a bunch of interesting books.

Wow you posted this so early!!! I’m glad I took a looksee and found it. This way I can post before I’m in the office.

And Lynn, I agree, book clubs should be for book discussions. I used to be in a book club, and we always talked about the book. It was a MeetUp group and most members didn’t really know each other well, so maybe that cut down on chit chat.


It’s been a few years since I last went to my book club, I’m thinking once this pandemic is finally put to bed, I’ll see where they are meeting these days and join them. I’m sure it’s a completely new group of people now, that’s scary to have to be the outsider, but it’s BOOKS! I’ll be brave :-)

Happy Thursday! I'm checking in today from ungodly hot North Carolina. How do you all manage to survive down here in this heat?? I feel like I'm going to die just walking across the parking lot to get into the factory at lunchtime. Good thing I work for an air conditioning company :-)

So I’m posting on my phone, from my hotel room, before going down for breakfast. Which means I’m using the stupid app, so no book links right now, because the browser version on my phone is unbearably glitchy. I’ll be home tonight (yay!) and I’ll clean it up then.

To those of you talking about how productive you are back in the office last week … that’s a nope from me! I’m really enjoying connecting and reconnecting with my coworkers that I normally only talk to on Zoom calls and/or haven’t seen for a few years, but I’m not being productive at all. So many side conversations!!! (Is goat meat superior to lamb? Is male goat meat better than female? ) but I’m not getting half the work done that I’d planned. Apparently some of my coworkers think I’m really knowledgeable, so that’s a nice ego boost. I’ve got them all fooled bwahahaha!


I do enjoy the extra reading time while I’m on board the plane. This week I finished 3 books, and one of them is even for this Challenge! It’s been a while since I finished a Challenge category! (And I’ll be reading another Challenge book - for the dreaded magical realism* - on my plane ride home - hurrah! )

* I just started Nothing to See Here, and so far, one chapter in, it’s fantastic.

One to Watch by Kate Stayman-London- This was good (but not great). I'd originally put this on hold to read for "body positivity" but by the time the book came in, I'd filled that category.

Hard Reboot by Django Wexler- fantastic novella!!! If you like reading about robots fighting in an arena, read this book!! This book has it all: action, adventure, humor, romance. (Romance between two humans, not between robots. The robots are not sentient.)

Rainbirds by Clarissa Goenawan- my challenge read for “book on your TBR with the prettiest cover.” I still think the cover is super appealing, but I gave the book just three stars. It felt a bit pointless, with too many dream sequences.



QotW


Yes! Example: is the second body positive book I’ve read this year.


Every year I meticulously plan out all my ideas for each category, and I pick one book to read for most categories (except for the “gimme” categories that I know I’ll easily fill). In the course of read watching, I get so excited to read so many books, almost always more than one book per category. And reading about everyone else’s ideas gets me even more excited to read more books! And then I ended up accidentally/randomly reading a different t book that also fills the category, so I have the category checked off, but I still want to read the book I originally planned.


Sometimes reading a certain type of book whets my appetite for more of the same. And sometimes it makes me notice that type of book everywhere.



…. Okay! I’m off to breakfast! I hope they have grits today. Yesterday, they had no grits. In Charlotte!!! North Carolina!!! How can there be no grits????? If breakfast starts at 6am, I expected my grits at 6 am. Today I cleverly waited until 6:30 …

I can happily report that at 6:30 am, they have grits. And she remembered me from yesterday :-)

i finished Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe for my restaurant prompt. Meh.

I read The Dark Room as my book about forgetting. It was good, but i'm not sure I fully understood what happened at the end.

I started A Thousand Splendid Suns as my book by a Muslim American. I'm only about 50 pages in and so far so good, but I can tell it's going to be depressing as all get out.

QOTW: I'm not sure I fully the question. I'm not married to any book for a prompt until i actually go to read it. But, once a book is read and slotted into a category that's it. The only way I'll change after I've started reading is if I realize it doesn't really fit the category, and then hopefully it fits something else. I don't read any non-challenge books until I've completed the challenge (unless I started a book for a category, realize it doesn't fit and there's no other cat for it, but I don't know that I've actually had that happen).

Hello from Plague Island! Cases are rocketing in England, we've put so much faith in the vaccine, I can only hope it's as effective as they think it is. We're in the middle of a heatwave too, but since I work from home and don't really have to go out in the daytime heat, it hasn't seemed too bad. Though the bench in the garden gets too hot to sit on at lunchtime!

Finished:
Black Water Sister by Zen Cho for ATY (no A, T, or Y in author name) which I just loved! Jess starts hearing the voice of her dead grandmother shortly after her family moves back to Malaysia. She's soon dragged into the world of spirits, gods and shady business dealings. Full of heart and humour but with a dark side (trigger warning for rape).

This Poison Heart by Kalynn Bayron for ATY (greenery of cover) which I was really enjoying right up until the last few chapters which kind of ruined it for me. It's about a girl who has the power to make plants grow and wilt at will and she mysteriously inherits a big house in the countryside. The ending was rushed and threw in so many different elements that made it seem like a completely different story...

I'm currently listening to Pumpkin which is charming and plodding through Hamnet which is just not clicking with me but I have so few options for the Women's Prize winner prompt.

PS: 33/50 | ATY: 35/52 | GR: 73/100

QOTW:
I don't plan my challenge that strictly. I usually have a few options for each prompt and I just read whatever I feel like and slot them in, with a few exceptions for the more tricky prompts.

YAY! An early check-in this week. I had a wonderful weekend for reading, and as of 10PM last night I have officially completed all years of the PopSugar Challenge. I started in 2019 and have been trying to make it through all the years I missed, and I have finally finished, so I can read with no purpose now.

This week I finished:
Fallen: I love this series, but I will say I did not think this was one of the better ones. It was still worth reading and I'm sure I will reread it again at some point, but it didn't captivate me the way that some in this series have.

The Bromance Book Club: Maybe unpopular opinion, but I had a lot of problems with this book, just the whole concept of it was less than genuinely executed and the characters seemed like formulaic characters that lacked authenticity. BUT, I was reading 4 books at one time, and this is the one that I kept wanting to get back too. I also got some misty eyes at one point during the book, which is super rare in a romance, so I had a really hard time rating this one.

The Collected Poems of Emily Dickinson: This was not for me. I think I don't have the right mindset for poetry. I'm sure this is a me thing and not a book thing.

Survive the Night: I was really disappointed in this one. I am a loyal Riley Sager reader, but this one just didn't work for me. I thought the whole format of it was strange. It was unnecessarily convoluted and I figured out the twists with no problem.

Wake: The Hidden History of Women-Led Slave Revolts: I was really glad to find this book. It definitely made me look at graphic novels a different way, and I love the genre blending that happened here. Obviously, the subject matter was tough, and I would have liked more information still, but I think it speaks volumes about the issue that there was not more information to give. A very interesting approach.

Faceless Killers: This one started off strong for me, but then I lost a lot of my interest in it. I am really not sure why this main character warrants a whole series, as I am tired of reading about the drunk, chauvinist, inappropriate detective who has answers fall into his lap and gets treated like a genius.

Currently reading:

I haven't decided yet. I have an audiobook right now that I need to get to, but I just don't know.

QOTW:

That's one of my favorite things about the challenge. I find new areas, genres, topics to explore further based on my newfound interest after finishing a book I normally wouldn't read, or from seeing the awesome suggestions of others. I just don't record them for the challenge.

Nadine wrote: "I can happily report that at 6:30 am, they have grits. And she remembered me from yesterday :-)"

Yay!

Lynn wrote: "I LOVED the book AND I was anxious to reconnect with these people. But…I was so disappointed! Perhaps I’m just a bit more serious than most who attend book club meetings, but I want the majority of the conversation to focus on the book itself..."

I agree completely. I haven't actually ever attended a book club, because I can never find one that meets my interest, but I would want to discuss the book primarily. I feel like you probably aren't alone in that, but once people start discussing their personal lives, it can be hard to redirect back on topic. I love the idea of social time first and then book discussion.

I haven't been to a book club in years, but we used to have a set of standard questions that we'd discuss every month. If we wandered too far off topic we could bring it back with "OK shall we go onto the next question?".

If you wanted to have some personal chit chat you could hang around after the book talk had finished.

Lynn wrote, But…I was so disappointed! Perhaps I’m just a bit more serious than most who attend book club meetings, but I want the majority of the conversation to focus on the book itself. I belong to three face to face book clubs. One is moderated by librarians so we are on task the entire meeting. One is a neighborhood book club that was established long before I joined. They all know each other & visit for at least a hour before we discuss the book we read. This is annoying but we do get to the book eventually. Also I catch up on what is happening in the neighborhood. Also they are very generous in sharing their hard back books. The most annoying book club is the one I founded over 15 years ago. When founded we had a group of women different ages, professions & didn't know each other outside of book club. All except one original member is gone. The group has basically turned into a coffee klatch. They have been friends forever. They travel together. They go to the same church. They see each other all the time. They talk forever about what's going on in their church & lives. I have gotten to where I give them an hour of my time. I never discuss the book because time is up before they begin to get close to discussing the book. This isn't a problem because I'm moving in the fall out of the area & will no longer attend meetings anyway. I think you hit a nerve Lynn.

Happy Thursday, y’all.

One more week of summer programs left at the library... one more week... I can do this, I can do this...

Also between the rise of Covid cases here (and everyone's insistence that masks and vaccines are some kind of government mind control project) and the continued smoke from all the wildfires, it honestly feels like we're living in a post-apocalyptic novel here. Has anyone else's taste for apocalypse/post-apocalypse fiction gone down over the past couple years?

Books read this week:

A Psalm for the Wild-Built -- I think I just love everything Becky Chambers writes at this point. This was a short but surprisingly sweet and uplifting story about a monk and a robot, and the things they learn from one another. Glad to see this is the first in a series!

Love, Lattes and Mutants -- the cover on this one is misleading -- it looks like it should be an adult chick-lit novel (albeit one about a mutant girl with dolphin DNA -- long story), but it’s actually a YA novel, complete with love triangle. The genetic-experiment main character kept me reading, but most of the sci-fi elements are toned WAY down in favor of hormonal teenagers doing their thing. Probably won’t read the next one.

Guest: A Changeling Tale -- I’ve always been fascinated by changeling tales, and this one was a creepy yet ultimately heartwarming one. The author is better-known for writing kids’ horror novels, so it was nice seeing her branch out into dark-ish fantasy.

Stargazing -- graphic novel about two very different Asian-American girls and their unlikely friendship. Heartwarming and touching, as well as a celebration of how diverse people can be even within their own cultures and ethnic groups.

DNF:

Heir to the Empire -- maybe I’m just not as big into Star Wars as I used to be, or maybe the fact that this was written in the ‘90s, before the prequels came out, is making me nitpick the contents too much. But I just can’t get into this. Oh well… I was mostly just reading it for Grand Admiral Thrawn anyhow. Maybe I’ll go back and just read whatever bits he’s in...

Currently Reading:

Long After Midnight
Children of God
The Haunting of Hill House
Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void

QOTW:

I'm a planner when it comes to the challenge, but I have been known to shuffle books around and switch out something else for a prompt. Last year's "book about or by a journalist" prompt is an example -- I'd originally planned to read The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary, but ended up reading The Honey Bus: A Memoir of Loss, Courage and a Girl Saved by Bees on a whim and slotting it in for that prompt instead.

Hi All, now that I have vented about book clubs I can check in for the week. I read 3 books for the week. 1 for Pop Sugar.
American Spy by Lauren Wilkinson. 4 stars. Historical Fiction,Mystery,Espionage. I enjoyed it.
Red,White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston. 4 stars. Romance,Lgbt,Contemporary. Worth the year long wait on my library holds.
The Art Of Theft (Lady Sherlock,#4) by Sherry Thomas. 4 stars. . Historical Fiction,Romance,Mystery. I used it for an advanced prompt for Pop Sugar. A book from your TBR list chosen at random. I don't know why but last week I started looking at my reading journals to see if I had read all the books in the Lady Sherlock series. I thought I had read all 5 books. I couldn't find where I had read the fourth book so I thought I hadn't recorded it after I finished it. I finally figured out I had pre-ordered the ebook & received it in 2019. I had never read the book but I owned it so things worked out perfectly. The book chose me.
QOTW: I do get ideas to fill prompts by seeing what books others used. Especially if the prompt is hard for me. I also do a lot of, "I read the perfect book for that prompt last year".

I was determined to check in early/on time this week and I'm making it happen!

This week I finished:

At the Edge of the Haight I can't believe there aren't more books by/about people experiencing homelessness since it's such an important issue affecting many people these days. There were a few questionable choices by the author and I'd prefer finding own voices books on this topic, but overall I think it was well done. 4 stars

Here for It; Or, How to Save Your Soul in America: Essays This was a very fun memoir. I laughed out loud and often wanted to reach through the story to hug the author. 5 stars

Tomorrow They Won't Dare to Murder Us I learned a lot of new things in this short novel about the Algerian War and a revolutionary who was executed for his actions. 4 stars

Bewilderness This was pretty sad overall, but still a good story. 4 stars

Skye Falling This was hilarious and the audio version was perfect. Loved it!! 5 stars

The Girl Who Smiled Beads: A Story of War and What Comes After I found this to be unique in style and content compared to other refugee stories/memoirs. It was excellent. 5 stars

I'm currently listening to Jesus and John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation on audio and reading Gold Diggers in print.

QOTW: There tend to be a few prompts each year that I struggle with choosing just one book for. I'll often just read the extras after I finish the challenge. The prompts I read more of this year were Indigenous author, published in 2021, subject I'm passionate about, social justice issues, and fewer than 1,000 reviews.

Sherri wrote: "Lynn wrote, But…I was so disappointed! Perhaps I’m just a bit more serious than most who attend book club meetings, but I want the majority of the conversation to focus on the book itself. I belong..."

Honestly, I hate any planned meeting where people don't stay on task. You made me come for a specific purpose but YOU ARE WASTING MY TIME! WHY ARE WE HERE IF YOU'RE NOT GOING TO STAY ON TASK??? *ahem*

I love socializing but I do not attend meetings to socialize (unless that's the point, like a party). A little here and there is fine, but yeah. I always feel bad at work because we're a tight-knit team, so most of our meetings have a ton of chit chat, and I just sit there growing more and more annoyed. It's odd because I love my coworkers and enjoy talking to them...but I guess my brain can't let go of feeling like I'm trapped and can't leave.

My boss recently gave me permission to bow out early when that happens, so that's really nice lol.

Mary wrote: "The Bromance Book Club: Maybe unpopular opinion, but I had a lot of problems with this book, just the whole concept of it was less than genuinely executed and the characters seemed like formulaic characters that lacked authenticity. BUT, I was reading 4 books at one time, and this is the one that I kept wanting to get back too. I also got some misty eyes at one point during the book, which is super rare in a romance, so I had a really hard time rating this one."

The second and third book are way better with plot and characterization! I don't really read romance, so I can't speak to whether they're cliche (they don't seem like they would be), but I personally really like how they develop.

My area is continuing with the "mild" summer temps (high of 95 today!). I really hope the temps stay this way through August (doubtful) because I'm moving August 19. I hate moving so much, but I'm also very ready to be out of this apartment.

Also, does anyone else struggle with "apartment living is too expensive, so I'd love to buy a house and make it my own, but I can't afford one because my apartment costs too much to be able to save enough, and also rent goes up every year and everything feels hopeless!"?

"But why don't you get a cheaper apartment?" you ask? Because even the crappy ones are super expensive! I love my city but people need to STOP MOVING HERE. THERE IS NOT ENOUGH ROOM. YOU ARE DRIVING UP RENT AND HOUSING PRICES.

*straightens dress* Anyway, on to books!

Finished:
A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik - dark academia. Loved it! Novik writes such strong, complex female characters. I've already pre-ordered the second book!

Currently Reading:
Heavy Words Lightly Thrown: The Reason Behind the Rhyme by Chris Roberts - a book with an oxymoron in the title. I'm enjoying this but it's not one to just sit down and read all the way through. It's a bunch of little history/etymology lessons, so it feels like I need to just read a couple at a time.

About to add:
The Silver Arrow by Lev Grossman - I'm fairly sure this will work for magical realism. If not, I may just pretend that silver is a mineral (since it can come from minerals) and use it for that prompt (because I can't afford to read things that aren't for the challenge).

QOTW:
I mostly stick with my planned list but I do swap a few out during the year. Sometimes because other people post books I'd like to read and sometimes because I just can't get myself in the mood for a book I put on the list. Since I try to start with books I already own, though, I try to stick with my plan.

Shannon wrote: "Also, does anyone else struggle with "apartment living is too expensive, so I'd love to buy a house and make it my own, but I can't afford one because my apartment costs too much to be able to save enough, and also rent goes up every year and everything feels hopeless!"?..."

This is basically the state of the UK housing market. We managed to buy a tiny house five years ago, so at least we're not throwing money away on rent any more but would love somewhere with a bit more room. The prices are just impossible, and we are both in well paid jobs, so I don't know what anyone on minimum wage is supposed to do.

Am on a well-deserved (if I do say so myself!) week off this week, which means more time (and motivation) to read, so I got through one of my finished books quicker than I was expecting.

Finished:

The Salt Path for Your favorite prompt from a past POPSUGAR Reading Challenge (A book with a map). I do like a travelogue memoir, especially one that involves walking! And my last holiday pre-pandemic having been to Cornwall, I really enjoyed this! I'll never do it, but it has made me daydream about walking the South-West Coast Path myself!

The Secret History for A dark academia book. This wasn't my first choice for this prompt, but when that first choice had its publication date pushed, I figured that maybe it was time to try this modern classic. It wasn't at all what I was expecting, based on the blurb, but I really enjoyed it, and found it much more of a page-turner than I'd anticipated.

Started:

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue for A book about forgetting. I'm not very far through this, but I'm already really enjoying it!

QOTW:

I do only read one book for each prompt, and for a lot of prompts, so only find/allocate one book that I want to read for it. If I do come across something else that fits the prompt that I want to read, and I can't make it fit another prompt I don't yet have anything allocated to, then I just add it to my TBR list to be read at a later date!

I went on vacation up in the mountains to escape the heat in Utah. I expected to get a lot of reading done...but it turns out I decided to hike instead. I seemed to have timed it right to see a lot baby animals. Yeah! The vacation was exactly what I needed and I am ready for at a least a few more weeks of this crazy time. I did manage to finish a couple books. However, neither filled any of my remaining PopSugar prompts.

Challenge Progress:
PopSugar Regular: 28/40
PopSugar Advanced: 6/10
Around the Year in 52 Weeks: 47/52
Salt Lake County Library Monthly Reading Challenge 9/14


Finished Books
The Wicked King by Holly Black
It seems everyone likes this series. I am in the minority that I don't really care for it all. I find that none of the characters are relatable and the plot just moves super slow. I am going to finish the series...but I don't have high hopes for the remaining books. We'll see.

The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame
Nostalgic visit back to my childhood that I read to fufill a challenge for my local Library. Definitely glad I decided to re-read this book.

Books I am currently reading
The Queen of Nothing
The Midnight Library
All Creatures Great and Small
The Complete Works
Doctrine and Covenants

QOTW:
I actually did plan out what I was going to read this year, but I have found that I have only stuck to those plans about half of the time. When I decided to to this challenge I made that goal to make a plan but still have the flexibility to change that plan if I found a book that fit better, I wanted to read more, or whatever reason. It has made this challenge more enjoyable because I don't feel locked into reading specific books.

Hi all! I'm a bit out of sorts this morning. I've had a low level migraine most of the week- not bad enough that I *can't* do anything, but bad enough that I don't *want* to do anything. Especially work. Which also is contributing to my funk this morning because a client called me lazy! lol I've been called *much* worse, but being called lazy is apparently a trigger for me, because it's got me steamed! And now that I think about it, if my partner wants to pick a fight, "lazy" is usually a good way to do it.... Tada! new self-awareness! lol

On the plus side, that bright warm ball in the sky has reappeared- I think it's called the sun? I haven't seen it in so long that it's a little scary, but I think it will be OK. I hope my garden likes it because things have taken off with all the rain we've had, I can't wait to see what this new ingredient brings to the party!

I haven't finished reading anything this week. I've made some slight progress in The Perfect Horse: the Daring U.S. Mission to Rescue the Priceless Stallions Kidnapped by the Nazis. It's fascinating. Also, by adding in the audiobook and listening at night, I've made some progress on Les Miserables. I started To Be Sung Underwater for the prettiest cover book. I can't even figure why I would have added this one to my TBR, it's not my usual fare, so we'll see how it goes.

I'm going to return Erosion: Essays of Undoing to the library. I really want to read it, I've loved her other books, and I can tell I would love this one, too, but my brain just can't compute a current events book that came out just before covid right now. It's too disorienting to talk about all this other crap and "leave out" covid (not that she's leaving it out, it hadn't happened when she wrote the book). It's melting my poor brain. So maybe in a few months I can go back to it.

QOTW: I'm not a planner, I'm a mood reader, so I don't get too bothered by this. There are books I would like to read for certain prompts, but I might not be feeling it when I get to it. I also know I'm not going to finish the challenge, so if another book I pick up happens to fill a prompt, then that's what fills it!
That said, I have some hangovers? lingerers? stragglers? (I wish my head didn't hurt so I could come up with a more creative term!) from past challenges that are still on my radar that need to get read because I've been eyeing them for so long.

But Lynn, I definitely feel for your compulsion to read ALL the books!

46/50

Lynn wrote: "Happy Thursday! We're starting to get busy gearing up for the start of another school year at work. Wondering about adjusting the barriers at our desks or not. We all expect there may be a return t..."

I prefer to focus on the book too. However, I feel like this is a failing on my part, because I'm usually not very good or comfortable with chit-chat. I recently attended a group that had formerly been over Zoom. Zoom actually seemed easier because it couldn't devolve into individual conversations, so the facilitator could keep it more structured. I left, feeling like I'm even less adept at this post-pandemic socializing than I was before. Ah well.

Finished: Eating Animals This one was just okay. I didn't find it as persuasive as Peter Singer even though I've read about several famous people converting to veganism because of this book.

The Final Revival of Opal & Nev Read for Book with gem in the title. I really didn't like this one. I found the format (fake interviews) off-putting. I thought maybe I wasn't giving it enough of a chance, so I slogged through it. But it never really got any better. Had it been a biography of someone real, I probably would have enjoyed it. But fictional characters pretending to be a biography just annoyed me.

Real This was so good, guys! It is co-authored by someone who works in special education and her friend with severe autism. Unlike the book mentioned before, this is a fictional book based on a true story, of a girl who is finally able to communicate by typing one finger at a time on a predictive text program. The character is so amazing and the story so empowering!

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince So Snape really is a creep after all! (Hopefully, that isn't too much of a spoiler, but I'm probably the only person left on the planet reading through Harry Potter for the first time!)

Started: Neither Snow nor Rain: A History of the United States Postal Service reading for dream job. Finding it kind of dull, but maybe that's just because I'm getting down to the wire on these last challenge prompts.

Qotw: I don't always end up using the prompts I have planned as the ones I use to fulfill the challenge. I love when I'm pleasantly surprised that something I've read happens to fulfill a challenge prompt. I bought The Body is Not an Apology for the body positivity prompt, but then ended up using Love is a Revolution.

For title with gem, I had Nickeled and Dimed picked out for it, but then I won Gods of Jade and Shadow and was going go use that, but ended up using The Final Revival of Opal and Nev. So there are definitely times when I have more than one selection for a prompt to choose from. I end up sticking to one to count it though.

Happy Thursday! I took time out of the middle of my day for a dentist appointment and everything looked good. Please send strength and patience vibes to my husband, he's having a rough go of it with business and medical bills right now. My weekends are full of Shakespeare from now til the end of August, and I wouldn't have it any other way. I missed theatre so much!

As last week was tech week, I had zero reading time at home and only finished Hamnet since last Thursday, but what a book!! This one might be my favorite book of the year, it absolutely knocked me out. The writing is gorgeous, and my love of Shakespeare only helped. And it counted for Women's Prize in Fiction!

PS 41/50

Currently reading:
The Unbroken - Hoping I can finish this before I have to renew or return it again, having already renewed it twice.
Terms of Surrender - Loving this as much as the first two installments!
Shōgun - Sexism abounds, but I'm trying to stay optimistic!
Preludes & Nocturnes - Planning on picking this up over the weekend. Excited!!
Open Veins of Latin America: Five Centuries of the Pillage of a Continent - Back burner, hopefully I'll get back to it after I knock out The Unbroken and Terms of Surrender.

QOTW: I tend to be flexible with my challenge goals. I jot down ideas and may or may not stick to them, but it's not a big deal to me if I don't.

Lynn — Sorry to hear about your negative book club experience. If a book group is sponsored by a library or bookstore, I would expect the facilitator to keep conversation on topic. If people want to chitchat they can meet before or after the book discussion. Is it possible to say something about your feelings to the person in charge of the book club?

Nadine — LOL...it takes so little to make us happy some days. Doesn’t it make you wish more days were like that?

Shannon — “Affordable housing” is one of the biggest oxymorons of our time. 😐

QOTW — Like poshpenny, I make flexible lists. As soon as the list of prompts is posted, I comb through Mount TBR to see what books I have that will fit different prompts. Some books make it onto multiple lists, which definitely helps you work in a title you really want to get to. Like many here, I participate in other challenges or reading groups, so I will try to combine as many challenge books as I can. There is only one category this year for which I have only one book, and only one category for which I still have no book. It also depends what I am in the mood to read.

Sometimes I will acquire a book during the year that fits a prompt and interests me more than the books already on my list. For example, I was going to read Watership Down last year, recommended by this group for a “book with a made-up language,” but then I found Ella Enchanted in a neighborhood Little Free Library and decided that interested me more. This year I had half a dozen titles that fit “black and white cover,” but a friend sent me a book for Christmas that fit that category, so I read that instead. Sometimes I read a book for one prompt, then discover it also fits a “harder” prompt and use it for that instead. The book I am currently reading for “family tree” also fits “a book about forgetting,” but I have more books for the latter category so won’t change my mind on that.

Progress — 27/50. Did not tick off any prompts so far this month.

Currently reading — Affaire Royale by Nora Roberts, for a book with a family tree.

Happy Thursday! Nothing new going on here, which is nice. A quiet week can be a good thing. :)

Finished 31/50

Cress for "magical realism book". I didn't like this one as much as I liked the first two, but I still enjoyed it!

Currently Reading

The Arabian Nights: Tales of 1001 Nights, Volume 1 - 3 complete for "book published anonymously". I DIDN"T REALIZE THIS WAS SO HUGE. I also though 1001 was an exaggeration! NO SIR. So...we'll be here for awhile. XD

QotW

I WISH I had the time to do more than one book, but doing the 50 is about as much as I can handle in a year plus being a full time mother. My daughter starts preschool this fall though, so maybe I'll gain more time? We'll see.

I've missed the last couple weeks between doctors appointments and other concerns. That said I haven't been reading too much either.

For the prompt A book where the main character works at your current or dream job I read Red Gold by Robert D. Kidera Honestly this wasn't what I planned to read and I was disappointed in it. I had planned to read more of the dream job but when I picked up this mystery for another challenge the protagonist was not only a professor he was my exact age (so imagine my disappointed when 30 year olds were calling a 50 year old 'old man' constantly) I just hope I'm smarter than this dude.

all my other reads were for other challenges

Flying Too High by Kerry Greenwood I love the Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries show but this book was a stinker

The Death Collector by Justin Richards sort of a steampunk/alt history YA that I enjoyed.

Of Murders and Mages by Nikki Haverstock this might get circled back to for a prompt if my other magic realism doesn't pan out. It was a freebie paranormal mystery that was worth what I paid for it.

QOTW Honestly, not so much. For me I am trying to clear out and donate the absolutely insane amount of books I have in my place. To that end I try to stick to the books I select for prompts

That said if I'm on the fence about what to read or can't find anything that fits in the first few boxes I try looking in, then I go to what others are reading and see if anything moves me.

Hi everyone. I haven't checked in for a few weeks, partly because I hadn't finished anything and partly because I have been so stressed at work I don't feel like "socialising," even online! I have been lurking around still.

This week I finished Captain Corelli's Mandolin FINALLY. It took maybe three weeks to get through but it felt like three years. It took over 100 pages for the title character to appear. I was about to DNF but a friend convinced me to keep going because it got better. And it did...but then the last 150 pages were terrible. I was so frustrated waiting for the conclusion that never came. I didn't even rate the book on Goodreads I was so mad at it.

I also finished Malibu Rising, which I read in one day, enjoying the sunshine in my back garden. The complete opposite of my other finish! This was a nice little bit of escapism but now I have a longing to be by the sea

Currently reading: I started both Black Water Sister and Rebel Rose today. I haven't read enough of either to form an opinion but I think I'll enjoy them.

QOTW: If a library hold is taking too long, I'll sometimes pick something else up and then struggle when the original book finally comes in. I'm not sure I can fit either of my current reads into the challenge any more because I've already filled the categories.

Is anyone else finding this year less flexible to stick random books into prompts or is it just me?

Nadine wrote: "I can happily report that at 6:30 am, they have grits. And she remembered me from yesterday :-)"

I guess I should know this, but what are grits?

Sarah wrote: "Is anyone else finding this year less flexible to stick random books into prompts or is it just me?..."

I'd say about 15 of the prompts were ones I was able to fill with books I was reading anyway. I feel like the TBR prompts are much easier to fill than last year's advanced challenge.

Happy Thursday! I've been enjoying my week off from work- took a miniroad trip with my mom, and had a big birthday lunch for my dad with a lot of the family I haven't seen since 2019. Not a lot of reading happened, but it was still a pretty great week!

Finished:
Of Things Gone Astray- I really liked this one! Magical realism set in London, where random things go missing- the front wall of a person's house, a woman's sense of direction, a man's entire office building, the black keys of a piano. It follows a bunch of different characters whose stories are interconnected. I read it for "random pick from tbr", but it could work for the magical realism prompt too.

Currently reading
I'm Waiting for You and Other Stories- I started this a few weeks ago, and then my loan from the library ended. I was waiting to check it out again, but the line was too long, so I went and bought a copy. It was too good, I didn't want to wait!

QotW
I never really plan a specific book, but I find once I read a book for a prompt, suddenly I have a bunch more that would work that I want to read. Like with magical realism- I never really read that genre, but now there are so many books I'm picking up that fit the prompt. And every time someone mentions a book they like, I add it to my tbr- which is extra out of control these days!

Shannon wrote: "The second and third book are way better with plot and characterization! I don't really read romance, so I can't speak to whether they're cliche (they don't seem like they would be), but I personally really like how they develop."

I think it is very likely that I will eventually check out the second book. It is unusual for me not to have a clear opinion on a book after I finish, so I will probably give the series another chance.

Shannon wrote: "My area is continuing with the "mild" summer temps (high of 95 today!). I really hope the temps stay this way through August (doubtful) because I'm moving August 19. I hate moving so much, but I'm ..."

YES! Seattle Housing prices are INSANE. Houses go on the market for $600k (but sold a few years prior for $200k, mind you) but after 20+ offers end up selling for about $800k (seriously). Crime is also on the rise here so sometimes I feel ok about renting.

Happy Thursday! I have been working 10+ hour days at work then going home and working another 1-2 hours - I am exhausted. BUT tomorrow the owner of the company is taking our division fishing out on his boat so that will be a nice Friday break.

My library opened back up finally! Between COVID and renovations I was very excited to actually go back into the library.

Finished:
NOTHING, ugh. But according to Goodreads I am ahead so whatever.

Currently Reading:

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie. No Prompt - I have been wanting to read a Christie a book (this is my first!) and this one came in at the library so I took a break from the challenge to add this one in. I can't put it down! I love her writing style and I am so curious as to "whodunnit" LOL

Baby Teeth by Zoje Stage (Book with something broken on the cover). Umm, what is wrong with this child?! I am listening to this on audio and I am loving it so far. But seriously, what is wrong with this child?!

Arsenic and Adobo - I kind of put this on the back burner. Agatha Christie is calling my name - but once I finish that one I will sit down and get through this one!

QOTW:
I am totally guilty of changing my books at least once a month. I am definitely a mood reader so I jump around a lot. Also if I DNF a book (which is rare) I will find another one to put for that category.

Last week, I hated half the books I read but this was a much better week.

Fave past prompt (retelling)

Frankenstein in Baghdad by Ahmed Saadawi. Exactly what the title says. I picked it up to maybe use as a companion piece to Frankenstein which we read in my AP Lit class but I'm teaching Lang next year. Still, an enjoyable read.

Rest of prompts from fave to least fave although I enjoyed them all

Flying Lessons and Other Stories a collection of short stories. I picked this up to find some new stories for my middle school English class but those classes have been broken up (ELA and Reading) and I’m only teaching one middle school section and it's grammar and writing. However, still a good read. Lots of contemporary authors from diverse backgrounds. Reads very middle grade but worth the read.

The Worst Wonderful Time by Evie Browning. Contemporary romance novella. Lovely…wish it were novel length.

Waiting for a Scot Like You by Eva Leigh. Historical romance. Reverse age gap. Heroine doesn't want to get married. Road trip/Just One Bed trope. Thoroughly enjoyed it.

A Cuban Girl's Guide to Tea and Tomorrow by Laura Taylor Namey. YA. Her best friend leaves, her grandma dies, her boyfriend breaks up with her, she isn't handling it so she gets to spend the summer in England. Honestly, if the romance had been taken out (because it was a nothing burger), this would've been great…she met a new group of friends and realized her goal is the same but the path will be different.

Roommaid by Sariah Wilson. Contemporary romance. Rich girl has been disowned by her family (for being a teacher-eye roll) she accepts a room in exchange for maid service and dog watching. It was okay. I'm not mad I read it.

Fair Chance by Josh Lanyon. This book kind of drove me crazy. One of the main characters (a former FBI/current professor) is investigating whether a serial killer he caught has an accomplice. (view spoiler)[His boyfriend (current FBI) goes to visit family. He doesn't hear from him for days and just shrugs it off. He gets a letter saying I'll get my revenge. His boyfriend doesn't show up when he is supposed to and he just goes about his day instead of calling the FBI (hide spoiler)] and I just can't….

QOTW: I don't really plan. I just read what's on my shelf and try to fit it in a prompt until like October and then I usually have a few prompts left that i actually need to fill.

@Sarah - grits are a Southern specialty (but I, a northerner, love them); they are a porridge made from a cornmeal, usually the cornmeal is made from hominy which is corn treated with lye. Grits, like polenta or corn mush, can be served for breakfast or dinner. They are not gritty so I don’t know why they are called grits.

*”grits” is from the Old English “grytt “ meaning “coarse meal”

Ellie wrote: "Shannon wrote: "Also, does anyone else struggle with "apartment living is too expensive, so I'd love to buy a house and make it my own, but I can't afford one because my apartment costs too much to..."

We were fortunate when my partner and I bought our house that the bank had a no money down program for first time homebuyers. We just had to come up with closing costs, which we pulled (and then repaid) from our retirement accounts. Might be worth looking at creative options for home buying?? Cause I can tell you, I do NOT miss renting!!

Sherri wrote: ""I read the perfect book for that prompt last year."

Me too! Or even more likely, once the list comes out, I keep finding books that would be perfect, but because I won't let myself start counting books until Jan. 1st, I either can't use them or have to put off reading them for a couple of months.....

Lynn wrote: "I am rather speechless after finishing Speaker for the Dead (Ender’s Saga #2) by Orson Scott Card ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Card’s imagination and writing resonate so clearly with me! He includes so many social/psychological/philosophical conundrums without ever naming any one of them! Although this is SFF, it reflects humanity so accurately and in such detail, IMO! Can this negotiated peace last?"

I loved Ender's Game and Speaker for the Dead as much as you do, but the series really disappointed me after those two. I read a few more, but didn't finish it or all the surrounding books. Can't wait to see what you think as you go further.

Sherri said: “I do get ideas to fill prompts by seeing what books others used. Especially if the prompt is hard for me.”

The sharing of titles for difficult prompts is what makes this group a valuable resource.

I also do a lot of, "I read the perfect book for that prompt last year".

Which is why I hope they always include “a favorite prompt from a past challenge”! 🙂

I'm sooooooo glad this work week is coming to an end. It's been a week of Mondays and I *hope* tomorrow is a Friday and not Monday #5. Either way, the week will be over and I've got two book club meetings to enjoy this weekend. I am very much looking forward to both meetings since both books should make for very interesting discussions.

I finished one book and was able to find an open prompt for it (hooray!). I'm now at 19/40 and 2/10 for this challenge, and 38/100 for my overall Goodreads Reading Challenge total.

Finished:
* You're Not Listening: What You're Missing and Why It Matters by Kate Murphy, which is one of my book club's picks for July -- should be a good discussion this weekend! I used this for "a book you think your best friend would like" since she's a counselor and listens for a living :) (The other book club will be discussing The Paris Library.)

Currently Reading:
* Shell Game by Sara Paretsky, which I'm just reading for pleasure. I don't think it fits any of my open prompts, but we'll see!

QoTW:
It seems that every year I get caught up in wanting to read MORE THAN JUST ONE BOOK for certain (or all? LOL) Reading Challenge prompts. I notice books that others are considering to fulfill certain prompts and then I want to read those as well, in addition to any I may have already selected for those same prompts! Does this ever happen to you? Or are you much more disciplined than I and you simply stick to the books you have planned to fulfill prompts? I actually don't plan my prompts out very much (mood reader here! :)) and look through the prompt threads for ideas all the time. I often get leads in this main thread, too! If I have a prompt in mind while I'm reading a book and I see someone talk about a different title for the same prompt that sounds interesting, I'll just add to my TBR list and check it out when the mood strikes me :)

Nadine wrote: "Wow you posted this so early!!! I’m glad I took a looksee and found it. This way I can post before I’m in the office."
I was so exhausted and stressed that I just went ahead and posted before going to bed last night. And I was right, I would have never gotten it done this morning!

My book club has become some of my closest friends, which means less specific book talk and lots of life talk. But I don't mind as we often discuss whatever other books we've been reading as part of the life talk. And we get enough of the specific book talk to justify the whole thing.

Although this was all pre-pandemic. We haven't tried to start back up again yet. We have a Facebook group that we will recommend our favorite books in and discuss a bit, but that's as far as we've gone.

I've thought about participating in the library one or others I run across, but ultimately realize I don't want other people picking out my books.

Happy Thursday.

Popsugar: 37/50
ATY: 44/52

Books I finished:

Convenience Store Woman ⭐⭐ - This had moments, but overall it was just depressing. I would have DNFd this if it hadn't been so short, but now I've got a book for ATY: A book eligible for the Warwick Prize for Women in Translation.

Allegiant ⭐⭐ - I finally finished this!!!! It's been sitting on my nightstand for 2 years now. But I'm done. I still love the movies, but I'll never reread this series! I used it for my DNF book.

Biting the Bullet ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Continuing the reread of the series.

Take a Hint, Dani Brown ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - I really liked the first book in the series, but this was even better. Still not quiet a 5 star read, but this was so fun and was perfect for my mood. I moved the first book over to my Body positivity prompt and then used this for ATY: A book by an author on USA Today's list of 100 Black Novelists You Should Read.

Books I made progress on:

The Tenant of Wildfell Hall - Still pluging away at this. It started so good, but now it just wont end.....

Black Sun - Just at the beginning. It hasn't managed to hook me yet, and given it's due back at the library soon we'll have to see if I actually finish it...

Mr. Kiss and Tell - I've been promised that Logan actually shows up in this one....

Across the Green Grass Fields - I decided to do a reread of this series but in chronological order instead of series order. And then as it's unclear where in the timeline this one happens, I decided to just read it first.

QOTW

I don't really plan ahead because that turns this into a homework assignment instead of a fun game. So I read a book, then find a prompt for it. But I don't feel like I have to keep it there - I move things around and around. So far this year, I've had a surprising number of reads that would work for the forgetting prompt, and yet I haven't actually filled that slot yet...

I'd better check in before I read any further in this thread. My health has been improving slowly and I've been able to read more, which makes everything better. The Bucks beat the Suns for the NBA championship, which made me inexplicably happy. I had a massage this morning, so I'm a happy puddle of goo. And it is a three day weekend for me (state holiday tomorrow - Pioneer Day)! I plan to watch lots of Olympics.

Finished
Sooley by John Grisham - 4 stars; PS #29 (multiple countries)
I wasn't planning to use this for the challenge, but it fit the category well. It is a novel about a teenage Sudanese basketball player who gets the chance to play in the USA, while his village is destroyed and his family ends up in a Ugandan refugee camp. Every once in a while Grisham writes a sports novel instead of his usual legal thrillers, and I really like them.

Moby-Dick or, the Whale by Herman Melville - 3 stars; PS #45 (longest on TBR list)
I did it. I finished this audiobook. I now know more about whales than I ever want to know. I did like the book quite a bit, but an abridged version would be much better. I've put off reading this book for decades and am pleased it is done.

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid - 5 stars; re-read, not for challenge
After reading Malibu Rising last week, I got the urge to read this one again. Loved it just as much as the first time.

Currently reading:
The Book of Longings by Sue Monk Kidd
A Promised Land by Barack Obama

Goodreads: 63/100
Popsugar: 38/45, 5/10

QOTW:
I create a suggestions list at the beginning of the year for each prompt, and add to it as you all give me ideas. I usually select something from the list as I go, but not always if something else strikes my fancy (which is what happened with Sooley above). After I finish the challenge, I will often go through the suggestion list and see if there is anything I still really want to read - which of course there always is.

I think that book clubs should have as much discussion of the book as people want and also have time for socializing. If all I wanted was discussion and opinions about books, then I could do that on Goodreads or other places online.

Finished:

Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan by Vonda N. McIntyre (4/5, reread)
Legacy of the Force: Bloodlines by Karen Traviss (3/5, reread)

Currently reading:

Star Trek III: The Search for Spock by Vonda N. McIntyre
Legacy of the Force: Tempest by Troy Denning
Rome 1960: The Olympics That Changed the World by David Maraniss

Question of the Week:

When the prompts list is released, I use my knowledge and people's suggestions to put at least one book for every slot. The extras are books that I can read anytime I feel like it. This year, I got quite a few possibilities for genre hybrid and book with a diamond/heart/spade/club on the cover.

Lynn wrote: "Perhaps I’m just a bit more serious than most who attend book club meetings, but I want the majority of the conversation to focus on the book itself. I tend to become very frustrated when no one seems interested in discussing the book and the conversation devolves into many other subjects with little actual discussion about the book. ..."

I am totally with you in this! You are experiencing what I call the difference between a 'real' book club and one where the book is an excuse the members seem to need to justify a social get together. I have no need to justify a casual social gathering....which often do include some passing mention of books. Thus I want my book clubs to be about discussing the book.

I only belong to one IRL book club - Feminerdy Book Club. We deeply discuss books and actually discuss little else. It is delightful even though virtual these days. Started in a book store.

Nadine wrote: "*”grits” is from the Old English “grytt “ meaning “coarse meal”"

Learned something new. Still don't like them. :D