Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge discussion
2022 Weekly Check-Ins
>
Week 7: 2/11 - 2/17
I finished Buenos Aires: The Biography of a City as the first of my two sister city books. I read Answers to Your Questions about Heaven as my book about the afterlife.
I'm about halfway through 1812: A Novel as my book with blurbs on the cover. John Jakes AND James Michener. Two of my favorites. Frankly because of that, I was expecting a bit better.
QOTW: I haven't the foggiest clue. Just because I like someone's work output doesn't mean that we would be at all compatible. And i don't follow author's personal lives. Maybe JK Rowling.
Mod
I share the same concerns hahah! Finishing at the end of December last year was PAINFUL.
You're already at 20/50, so I'd say you're in excellent shape and in no danger of a last-minute finish!
Mod
This week I finished 4 books, none for this Challenge, so I remain 15/50.
A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry - this was on my personal challenge list of books I must read this year; it was phenomenal, just as several of you had said it would be. I have no idea why it took me so long to get around to reading it. My daughter had it assigned in high school English class. I think I was reading A Glass Menagerie or something assigned at that age; this play would have been more meaningful.
Blonde Faith by Walter Mosley - my annual Easy Rawlins audiobook, an excellent audiobook and an excellent mystery, but I got pretty annoyed with Easy in this one, he was very whiny. I suspect Mosley was tired of writing Easy (although he brought him back a few years after, so I still have several more books to listen to!!)
No One Is Talking About This by Patricia Lockwood - another Tournament of Books choice, this was very weird, and I gave it five stars (which makes it my highest rated ToB read). The audiobook was well done, and it was a quick listen because it was oddly compelling. CW, however, for death of an infant (which no one warned me about!! - I generally avoid books that involve missing, kidnapped, or dying children), and I finished this on a day when my college daughter made an impromptu overnight visit home, and the combination of a baby daughter dying and my own daughter leaving again was too much for me. This book made me cry, and I don't like crying when I read books.
Playlist for the Apocalypse: Poems by Rita Dove - I just finished this last night. I loved her previous book so much, I actually pre-ordered this one, but I was disappointed, most of the poems did not connect with me.
coming soon:
I put the audiobook for Moon Witch, Spider King on hold as soon as I could, and I guess I got in at the front of the line, because a copy is available to me NOW and I am very excited to start!! (And it's 30+ hours of audiobook so I need to start NOW if I'm going to finish within the borrowing term.) Sorry, Mona Awad, your book (which I have not started) is going back to the library for now. Move over, Klara, I'll have to finish you later!
QotW
LOL that is such a difficult question. I have no idea what these authors are really like in real life, but their characters are always very chill and their social media personas seem good, so I'm going to say Bryn Greenwood or Kristen Lepionka.
Hello! Happy Thursday. February is a big birthday month in my family so the celebrations continue. I'm sending out more cards today for those who don't live nearby, and we've had some nice outings this month with those who do.Good luck on your readathon Lynn!
Finished this week:
Jack & Jill by James Patterson - a reread, but it's been so long since the first time that I read it that it really felt new lol. I love the Alex Cross series although I have never read them in order (nor have I read the whole series). Used as a prompt for a few other challenges, including my 50(51) states challenge (for DC).
Back When We Were Grownups by Anne Tyler - this has been on my TBR for a long time, and I enjoyed it more than I expected to. Used for "a book featuring a party."
Alone in Rehoboth Beach by Susan Parker Rosen - did not care for this book (or the series), but I was struggling for a book set in Delaware so I gave it a try. Do not recommend. Used for "a book you can read in one sitting."
Missing On Hatteras Island by Susan Parker Rosen - this is the second book in the series, and only slightly better than book 1. Used it for another challenge.
I'm at 5/50 for the challenge, and now that Lynn is worried about picking up the pace (and is at 20) I'm super worried lol. But my goal this year was to complete the 50(+DC) states challenge first this year and I'm 8/51 there.
QOTW: Fun - and difficult - question! I think I would like to be roomies with Janet Evanovich, who was really down to earth and personable when we met her.
I promised myself I would do these check ins regularly but then it's been like 3 weeks...Book published in 2022
I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetys. YA historical. The best book I've read so far this year. Set during the Romanian Revolution. Highly recommend.
Victorian Age
A Lady's Formula For Love by Elizabeth Everett. Historical romance. This would seem right up my alley: women scientists in the Victorian age but it fell flat, the romance was ehh, plus there seemed to be a bit of internalized misogyny with looking down on other female characters in the book if they weren't like the lady scientists.
No prompts-from best to least liked
The Belle and the Beard by Kate Cantebary. Contemporary romance. I just picked a random book I had in my kindle app (either a twitter or tik tok recommendation I'm sure, I buy them and forget them) and I really loved it.
The Golden Couple by Greer Henricks and Sarah Pekkanen. Contemporary thriller. Seriously readable…kind of fell apart at the end for me but I enjoyed it the most out of their books
Love at First by Kate Clayborn. Contemporary romance. This was cute. I didn't enjoy it as much as Love Lettering but I'll read more of hers.
Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson. YA fantasy. I gave it 3 stars when I finished it a couple of weeks ago but I don't remember much of it now so….
Reaper of Souls by Rena Barron. YA fantasy. I hate the multiple POVs that pervade fantasy. If this was a straight 3rd person narration, I'd probably continue the series but I got lost among all the voices who didn't have distinctive enough voices.
Good morning, everyone!I've managed to come down with some sort of respiratory illness since my previous update, so it’s been kind of a lousy week. I don’t think I’ve been exposed to Covid, but as a precaution, I went and got tested yesterday morning. I’m currently waiting for the results.
I haven’t felt like doing very much this week, and I’ve spent most of my time lying on the couch in front of the television, alternating between re-watching Father Brown and sleeping.
As a result, my reading has slowed down considerably. I did decide to take a little break from reading manga to focus on Gail Carriger’s The Custard Protocol series, which has been fun. I’m currently on the final book in the series, and hope to finish it before the weekend.
Goodreads: 141/200
TBR checklist: 109/962
Finished Reading:
~Prudence
~Imprudence
~Competence
Currently Reading:
~The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien
~Reticence
~Cosy: The British Art of Comfort
QOTW:
I don’t know if I would choose to have a contemporary author as a roommate, but if I could choose an author from another time I would pick Agatha Christie.
Nadine in NY wrote: "Happy Thursday! It's another SUPER WINDY day here! This is the fourth or fifth major windstorm we've had this winter - I don't remember so much WIND in the past years, I have to assume this is a..."Ugh... for whatever reason I HATE windstorms. Super-glad I'm not where you are now...
K.L. wrote: "Good morning, everyone!I've managed to come down with some sort of respiratory illness since my previous update, so it’s been kind of a lousy week. I don’t think I’ve been exposed to Covid, but a..."
Oh dear... hope you feel better soon! And I hope it's not Covid!
Happy Thursday, y’all.Well, as of last weekend I am officially a college student! :D Enrolled at my local community college and aiming to get my Associate's Degree in English with a focus on creative writing. I take my placement tests tomorrow to determine what math and English courses I take.
It's been twenty years since I graduated high school (my last bit of schooling), and I'm nervous but excited. Wish me luck, y'all.
Books read this week:
Year of the Reaper -- for “a book by a Pacific Islander author.” I haven’t read a traditional fantasy book like this in awhile, and I really enjoyed this one. I liked that, though it hints at a grander history of the land it’s set in, it doesn’t get hugely weighty like some “epic” fantasies do but focuses on the characters and on its murdery-mystery-esque plot instead.
Sorry Please Thank You -- for “a book with the name of a board game in the title.” I usually enjoy at least one story in a short-story collection… but this one was just painful to read. Every story felt pretty pointless, and I got tired of so many of the protagonists being whiny guys whose problems revolve around their wives/girlfriends or lack thereof.
Light from Uncommon Stars -- for “a book about gender identity.” How the heck does a book that involves both deals with the devil and aliens from outer space manage to not only be good but wrench my heart to pieces in the process? This was so GOOD!
Unicorn Playlist -- graphic novel, not for the challenge. Still love Phoebe and her unicorn -- and bonus non-binary character in this collection!
Regular Challenge -- 19/46
Advanced Challenge -- 2/10
Not for the challenge -- 10
Currently Reading:
A Door Into Ocean -- for “book about a non-patriarchal society”
'Salem's Lot -- for “a book being made into a movie or TV series in 2022”
When You Trap a Tiger -- for “a book with a tiger on the cover or the word ‘tiger’ in the title”
The Dispossessed -- for “a Hugo Award winner”
From the Dust Returned -- not for the challenge
QOTW:
Probably Catherynne M. Valente. Not only do I love her writing, but I follow her on social media and her personality seems to align nicely with mine. And she's a delight to listen to. (If you happen to see this, Cath, I promise I'm not a creepy stalker...)
Happy Thursday! The past two weeks have been awful but things are slowly improving... I'll take it! I finished the following this past week:
Black Cake This was great! A lot of characters to track but I enjoyed it. 4.25 stars
Love in Color: Mythical Tales from Around the World, Retold I'm not big on romance but this was pretty cool; the author did an impressive job of retelling these stories. 4 stars
Sankofa Great story here! I want to read more by the author. 5 stars
I'm currently listening to Violeta and reading The Sentence in print.
QOTW: Oh, this is tough to answer. I'd be happy to (temporarily) live with most of the writers I admire since it would be fun to talk about books and writing, but I don't know if me enjoying their writing means they'd make good roommates. ;)
Kenya wrote: "Oh dear... hope you feel better soon! And I hope it's not Covid!"Thanks Kenya!
Not much new here! Texas weather is being ridiculous as usual. It froze a couple weeks ago, then it got up to the 70s, tonight it's supposed to be in the 20s, and by Monday it's supposed to be in the 80s. Yay climate change! We've made jokes for years that Texas is in menopause.Finished:
I don't think anything?
Currently Reading:
The True Saint Nicholas: Why He Matters to Christmas by William J. Bennett - I should finish this tomorrow. It's very short and easy to read. It's more about the saint and how he turned into this ubiquitous symbol of Christmas. A lot of it is conjecture, of course, but it's interesting.
The Real James Herriot: A Memoir of My Father
QOTW:
This is really hard because I don't necessarily know a lot about authors in their natural environment. I really like how Juliet Marillier responds to questions here on Goodreads (and I may get to meet her this year!), but I don't know that that means we'd be great roommates. I always overthink these kinds of questions lol.
If I don't have to choose someone alive, I'd love to room with Jane Austen. I think we'd get along, she'd be hilarious, and we could critique society together. And enjoy some tea! :)
Kenya wrote: "Happy Thursday, y’all.Well, as of last weekend I am officially a college student! :D Enrolled at my local community college and aiming to get my Associate's Degree in English with a focus on crea..."
Congrats on that, Kenya!
Tania wrote: "Hello! Happy Thursday. February is a big birthday month in my family so the celebrations continue. I'm sending out more cards today for those who don't live nearby, and we've had some nice outings ..."I haven't been on for a while, so I don't know which states you have done for your state challenge- but if you have not read for Montana may I suggest Blind Your Ponies? The title is from an old Native story.
I am from Montana and know most people would recommend Ivan Doig, but I cannot say enough about Blind Your Ponies.
Happy Thursday! I have the day off work today, so am not overwhelmed by the number of posts in this thread by the time I get to read it. I always enjoy seeing what you are reading and have found several of my favorite books through this chat.This week I read:
Cemetery Boys and liked it very much. I have recommended it to both my son and my daughter.
Artie and the Wolf Moon I don't usually read graphic novels, so I don't have much to compare this to, but I liked it a lot.
Get a Life, Chloe Brown which I did not enjoy. I think romance is not my thing. I keep trying, but... Maybe it is time for me to put this genre away.
The Gilded Ones which I liked a lot.
I will finish The Personal Librarian today.
Happy Reading, and have a great week!
Hello! Today we're back below zero, and naturally it's the day the electrician is here to install a charger for our new electric car. I feel bad for the guy, as he's out in the cold (at least out of the wind), and has to keep taking his gloves off. Work has gotten very busy, as it always does at this time of year. My big boss told me that she's never seen some of the situations we're seeing with one of my projects. So at least it's not just that I'm new to this process that makes me think it's worse than usual. It really is.
Finished This Week:
The Kaepernick Effect: Taking a Knee, Changing the World by Dave Zirin. A book about all the people the author could find and interview who took a knee during the anthem to protest. I knew about everyone in the professional chapter, but it was good to read about the high school and college kids who also participated, and what they went through, without the benefit of being an adult or a professional. Not for PS prompt (that I've found).
Raybearer / Redemptor by Jordan Ifueko. The Raybearer duology. The sequel finally became available from the library, so I had to reread the first one to remind myself of the world and the circumstances. I'm not sure I liked the second one as much as the first, because the side characters from the first one were sent offscreen fairly early and mostly stayed there. They handwove a reason for how they could all go away after the first book emphasized that they couldn't be separated, which I thought was a bit iffy. But very good series. I can't use it for books 1 and 2 of a duology, because I've already read book 1, so using book 2 for prompt 39, an #OwnVoices SFF book.
Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson. I finally finished it! My Kindle has been on airplane mode for a month as I tried to finish this, but the middle was such slow reading. Once I got to a certain point, I was able to finish it quickly. Glad I kept at it because there's some very good information here. Not for PS prompt that I've found.
Sweep with Me by Ilona Andrews. The physical copy finally arrived, and it completed my reread of the Innkeeper series. This one was much shorter than I remembered, made especially obvious with the paperback copy I just bought. Still very enjoyable with the space chickens who argue philosophy.
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. Watched the movie Tuesday night as an effort to not think about work, and then had to reread the book. Not sure if I'll reread the rest of the series. Probably not.
PS 7/50 ATY: 9/52 GR: 25/100
Currently Reading:
Never Say You Can't Survive: How to Get Through Hard Times by Making Up Stories by Charlie Jane Anders. About halfway through, and the library just renewed it, so I don't have to scramble to finish by Sunday. Very enjoyable book on writing that isn't just about craft, but also about the benefits the writer can get from the writing. Just finished the chapter about how adding conflict doesn't have to mean that things have to get worse. It could just mean that they now have fewer options remaining.
The Constant Princess by Philippa Gregory. The book that's been on my TBR shelf the second longest. Figured it was time I gave it a try.
A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik. Still listening to the audiobook.
Question of the Week:
If you could select one author as a flatmate/roommate, who would you choose? Why?
I don't know that much about the personalities of the authors I follow, but of the ones I do, I'd probably go with the writing team of Ilona Andrews. I wouldn't want to be their roommate, since they're a married couple, but I could see living in an garage apartment connected to their house. They seem cool.
Good Morning All, I'm doing exactly what Lynn is doing. Preparing for the ATY Read - A-Thon. I pick up Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James from the library today. That is a door stopper so my plan is to read as much as possible till Saturday morning. My shorter reads starting Saturday are: Passing by Nella Larsen. My Monticello by Jocelyn Nicole Johnson. The Secret Lives of Church Ladies by Deesha Philyaw. Then I will reassess the situation. For the week I read 3 books. The Impossible First : From Fire to Ice - Crossing Antarctica Alone by Colin O'Brady. Not for this challenge. Call Us What We Carry by Amanda Gorman. Not for this challenge. On Call In The Arctic: A Doctor's Pursuit of Life,Love and Miracles in the Alaskan Frontier by Dr. Thomas J. Sims. Not for this challenge.
If you could select one author as a flatmate/roommate, who would you choose? Why? Off the top of my head I would say Louise Penny. She seems calm. We could talk about Three Pines.
Today's been hectic. Was release day for a project and the client has been making changes right up until people were due to be using the site. Why is so hard to understand that every change runs the risk of breaking something? However I do have a four day weekend to recover now. We're due a big storm tomorrow, so my day off plans are hampered a bit. I'm not sure I should be wandering about in 70mph gusts.Finished:
Mata Oti: Eyes of Death by Lani Wendt Young for Pacific Islander author. Kinda tropey zombie story, set in Samoa. There's a covid type pandemic and the zombie virus is implied to be a lab-made variant of that. So they all think it's the usual pandemic, but it's actually zombies. They travel from place to place, thinking they've found sanctuary but lo and behold, it's not what it seems. This happened a few times too many, so the pace stumbled with explaining things again and again, but overall a decent read for this prompt.
Homicide and Halo-Halo by Mia P. Manansala for a book with a recipe. I really enjoy the audio narration of this series, it's a cosy mystery with a lot about food but this one also revolves around a beauty pageant. I guessed the murderer but not too soon, so worked all round. The dish of halo-halo sounds intriguing!
I'm currently reading House of Sky and Breath.
QOTW:
I'm too much of an introvert to enjoy sharing my living space with people I'm not super close with. I'd have to pick someone who lives in a mansion so we can live at opposite ends!
We're all stuck at home today because of snow. It's loud... and unproductive. My autistic son Seth has had a couple of little meltdowns, my grandson Eli is making more messes than usual, and my husband is grumbling under his breath as he tries to work from home. Sigh.Challenge Progress: 12/50 If I have any intention of finishing this challenge, I really need to start paying attention to the prompts instead of just reading whatever catches my fancy.
Completed:
Impostor Syndrome: A female Russian spy implanted as COO in a US tech giant... Sounds great, right? No. The characters were so boring and flat that I couldn't even decide who to root for. I just didn't care. You'd think a spy novel would be much more entertaining. (PS46: A book about someone leading a double life) ★★
The Sweetheart: What an interesting look at women's wrestling in the 1950s! This book stood out to me from all the other historical fiction out there because it's written as a second person narrative. ★★★★
The Anthropocene Reviewed: What a fascinating collection of essays/reviews! Some of it is silly. Some of it is poignant. It's all an insightful glimpse at the society we live in. John Green is a really fantastic writer. Bravo! ★★★★★
Mirrorland: Ridiculous plot twists. So many childhood fantasies (and traumas) continuing to play out in the characters' adult lives. Maybe I'm just tired of the unreliable narrator. It was endorsed by Stephen King. (PS41: A book with a reflected image on the cover or mirror in the title) ★★★
Gender Queer: I recommend this graphic memoir to anyone who's struggling with gender identity or know someone who is. Easy to read and understand. (PS37: A book about gender identity) ★★★★
Gold: Gorgeous novel centered around two female Olympic cyclists, both best friends and rivals. I actually cried at the end... I don't do that often. ★★★★★
Unthinkable: Trauma, Truth, and the Trials of American Democracy: Congressman Jamie Raskin's story of 45 days at the beginning of 2021: the loss of his son to suicide, the January 6th insurrection, and leading the second impeachment trial of Donald Trump. This isn't just a political memoir - it's personal and touching. (PS40: Previous Prompt - 2017 A book with a subtitle) ★★★★
Currently Reading:
The Death of Jane Lawrence
Harlem Shuffle
Bet on It
Remember: The Science of Memory and the Art of Forgetting
There There
The Husbands
Ignore Scott
QOTW: I have no idea. My fantasy is to live alone. Ah, peace and quiet!
Mod
Well, as of last weekend I am officially a college student! :D Enrolled at my local community college and aiming to get my Associate's Degree in English with a focus on crea..."
Wow! Congratulations on going for it!!
Good morning. February weather is always unpredictable here. It was above zero yesterday, but we're supposed to get 20 cm of snow tomorrow. We are going into the fourth weekend of protest or the occupation of our downtown core. The RCMP and OPP are supposed to be teaming up now to remove them. It would be nice for our city to just go back to complaining about winter.I finished Jelly Bean Summer, a middle school book set in 1968. Joyce is 11. Her sister only cares about her guinea pig and sees UFOs. Her brother is MIA in Vietnam. Her parents are busy. So Joyce moves to the roof (it's flat) for the summer to escape her family. Because it's 1968, no one uses words like "family trauma" , but it hangs there. It's a sweet story, despite the themes I just described.
The Yellow Wallpaper was also good, but in a horrific way.
Finished:
Jelly Bean Summer
ATY prompt: A book with an image of a source of light on the cover
Popsugar prompt: A book with a constellation on the cover or in the title
The Yellow Wallpaper
ATY prompt: A book related to psychology, neuroscience or the mind
Popsugar prompt: A social-horror book
ATY - 8/52
PS- 7/35
Series - 3/13
Clearing my TBR list: 6/40
Currently reading:
White Oleander- about 2/3 done
QOTW: I have no clue. I love certain writers for their writing, but don't follow their personal lives. Would JK Rowling and I get along? Or Ruth Ware? Paula Hawkins? It's also an odd question as they are mostly married with children, as am I. Who knows what they were like when they were 25 and could have used a roommate? I barely remember what I was like at 25.
Ellie wrote: "Today's been hectic. Was release day for a project and the client has been making changes right up until people were due to be using the site. Why is so hard to understand that every change runs th..."I am reading Homicide and Halo-Halo now too. Did you know there was a board game version of Halo? In case you wanted to use it for that prompt.
Hi all, Yesterday was in the high 40's, melted a bunch of snow. Then it started raining, melted even more. Still raining now but temps dropping again so that rain's starting to freeze and will eventually become snow. Yuck. The good news is the warm day meant our master suite finally reached a warm temperature! This was the first morning i didn't wake up to a 60F or colder room. I actually threw blankets off last night because i'd been adding more and more to compensate for how cold the room was getting. (the addition we put on is heated by a mini split heat pump, they get REALLY inefficient when it gets below 20, and if it gets down to negatives like it has been it just...barely functions. Most winters we only get that cold a day here or there, this winter has been so cold it's like that part of the house is unheated entirely)
This week I finished:
The Atlas Six- I liked this more than I expected. The plot had sounded interesting, but books going viral can be dubious (looking at you 50 Shades) so wasn't sure what to expect. The ending was a bit weird though, and was cliffhangery which isn't my favorite. But it was fun enough up to that point, i'll probably eventually pick up the next whenever it comes out.
Concrete Rose - This was really good, but it did stress me out a lot. I'm sure I'm not alone here that characters making bad decisions stress you out. It's a prequel, so I KNEW things would turn out ok eventually, but it still stressed me out reading it. Still liked it a lot overall. Also, this really shook me to realize that Mav is like...two years older than me. I never had kids, so I guess still associate parents of teenagers as "older". I went in expecting it to be set in the 70's or 80's and suddenly realized it was set in 99 and withered a bit inside. I graduated in 2001, so I would have been in high school the same time Mav was. It's been a while since I read The Hate U Give, so I might be forgetting details.
Currently reading:
The Worst Best Man - randomly saw a bookperk for this, but checked library and it was available so just checked it out instead. It's cute so far.
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe - still doing audio re-read. Not been in an audio groove lately.
QOTW:
No one. Doesn't matter how cool they are, I don't like living with roommates. I barely deal with living with my husband haha. I mean that in a loving way. Especially with pandemic, I just am dying for some ALONE time, with no one else in the house. I always used to work from home, and he'd go into the office. Going on 2 years of both of us working from home, I miss having days to myself. There's many reasons I don't want kids, but part of it is just the exhaustion at the idea of having to share space with EVEN MORE people. People who don't get the concept of personal space. Husband at least is good if i am like "look i'm going to camp out in the library" and giving me space. And he knows bath time is "door locked, don't bother me unless the house is burning down". Even when it comes to guests, i'm always ok with the idea until i wake up in the morning and realize THEY ARE STILL HERE and i have to interact with people first thing in the morning. Husband knows i spend most the morning with my nose buried in my book and i'll mostly respond with monosyllables until i've been up for at least an hour.
I'm definitely out of sorts this week, but I did finish a book so I'll take that win.Finished:
Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert for the Monthly Group Read (4 out of 5 Stars)
I really liked this one. I do normally really enjoy contemporary romances like this, but there was something unique about this one for me. I liked the way it tackled the issues both of the main characters had and I was very invested in both of them. Also, as a cat person I have to shout out to good ol' Smudge, I loved him!
Prompt: A romance novel by a BIPOC author
Currently Reading:
The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna
Prompt: An #OwnVoices Science Fiction and Fantasy Book
Overall Progress:
4/50
QOTW:
This is a tough one. John Green and Hank Green would be interesting to be around often. I love the things I've learned from their books and videos. Kiera Cass would be a fun option as well. I've been following her since her TwiCurls on YouTube days and always thought our personalities seem like they would mesh well.
Hello everyone! Clearly my year's started great by already missing two check ins in February.For the first miss I have the valid excuse of Disneyland Paris, as we came home Friday evening, and then spent the rest of the night showing my carer all the photos and videos, haha! Ironically this was the week I would have had something to share as finished xD
Disney was great, but I needed a wheelchair on day 2 which was Not Fun. I spent a good few minutes sobbing. I'm sure Mickey thought I was overwhelmed by being at Disney while instead I was sobbing at having to be in a wheelchair. I always 'joked' that if we went to a theme park for longer I might need a wheelchair by the end of it. Turns out, reality (and on day 2!!! somehow my right foot decided to burn like a mf-er for no reason making walking hell) is not as easy. Add to that my weight and the crappy rental chairs, and I was also crying at my mom having to push me. Which she couldn't really do. So I still walked for most of it, but I could always sit down for a break even if all benches were taken so that definitely helped. So yeah day 2 had a rough start but we made it work and ended up having a great day still.
The week after, I gotta be honest, I forgot until it was Saturday. Reasons for that were:
Tuesday: Shanti and Ferb both stopped eating, so my night was spent trying to get them to eat again. Shanti recovered first (and had to pee so she just ... jumped out of the carrier, off the couch, hopped to the cage, and peed xD). Ferb after, but it was slow going. But good enough.
Friday: Ferb stopped eating again. I swear these bunnies have calendars for when they get sick enough to need the vet. "Ah yes, it's Friday after 6pm, it's time". Her temp was even lower than before and I couldn't get it up no matter what I tried, so at 1am, guess who was at the vet's. Got to pick her up on Tuesday, and she's been okay so far (though I did go downstairs and outside at 3:40am because I had a bad feeling ha) but the current storm (Dudley, Eunice tomorrow) have her huddling again so guess who's worried again.
Add to that doctor's appointments, a fight with my mom (apparently I'm not allowed to be angry at her for once again not feeding the bunnies lunch when I am asleep Sunday afternoons and Dad's at work even though she gets paid to help me with this stuff), the stress of booking flights and trains with all the covid measures, but also fun things like your best friend getting us and my sister tickets for Ed Sheeran in Glasgow, watching a movie with said best friend even though you don't press play until 6 hours into the video call and it's 6am by the time you go to bed xD, and you're glad you didn't miss *this* check in, haha!
Finished
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe in the popsugar discord we started a 'book club' and the prompt pick was 'Latinx Author' and we voted on this book. I ended up putting it for set in the 80s, though. Listened to this on audio and adored it, though I am fully aware if I read this in print I would have struggled with it a lot more. Lin Manuel Miranda just makes it magical! I intended to continue straight on with the sequel (I even brought my word search book to Disney) but haven't managed as of yet.
Currently Reading
The Thursday Murder Club I really need to continue this but damn is the audio a terrible fit. I spent a credit on it though so I don't just want to waste it but *sighs* It's hard to pick back up when you have absolutely no clue who's who and barely know what's going on. Hopefully I'll be in a mindset soon where I can give it another go, and if it doesn't work, I'll just email audible to return it.
Marvel Masterworks: The Amazing Spider-Man, Vol. 4 I suppose technically I started this kjshdasgd I'm about 15 pages into the first comic of this collection, and I'm really enjoying it actually, but my brain is refusing to let me actually read anything. Even fics is a struggle these days, so I'm counting every page and every fic as a win.
I have also been very active on Duolingo, if anyone's on there and wants to be friends! My username is ReadingTrash and my pfp is me with purple hair, haha! I'm learning Italian, though hope to also start French soon so Disney will hopefully become a little bit easier xD
QOTW
First of all I'm really sad that I missed the last two weeks' questions. I know I could go back and answer them but I honestly can't get my brain to soooo. Rip me I guess.
As for this week's, I suck at these kinds of questions cuz I don't tend to know authors well enough for this! Actors I could give you a whole list of answers, but authors? I think I'll go with TJ Klune (even though he has a dog) just because this man makes me so happy and it seems like we have the same kind of humor which is of course very important.
I can however tell you a bunch of authors I would NOT like to live with, because we'd be constantly fighting over our views *coughs* Rowling *coughs*.
Well, this is my first check-in for the year...I do lurk and stalk every week and had promised myself to check-in more often this year! Best Laid Plans, they say :)It snowed in Santa Fe last night but is expected to be up to about 50 degrees by the weekend...typical Santa Fe spring weather!!
My daughter and husband just tested positive for Covid and are enduring fever/chills/nausea...I hope that this is just like a flu like illness for them and they get better quickly! They are vaccinated so that is a blessing...
I am also planning on participating in the ATY Readathon next week and am listing titles that are possible to read for it!
I am 14/50 for GoodReads
15/52 for ATY
Participating in Buddy Reads and several yearly challenges in the 2022 Reading Challenge Group
This week I read:
From Lukov with Love...this was for ATY #37 (a book that uses all five vowels in the title/author's name). This was a reread for me but I didn't remember much of the book...I just had to read this after watching the Olympic pairs ice skating!
Murder at Kensington Palace...a Buddy Read in the 2022 Reading Challenge group (here's looking at you, Lynn! :D) I used this for Popsugar #9 (a book about a found family) / ATY #12 (a book related to glass...there is a lantern and a window with a light in it on the cover). I am really enjoying this series!!
Kindred...for Popsugar #39 (an #ownvoices SFF) / ATY #7 (related to psychology, neuroscience or the mind)...what an impactful read!
Later...for Popsugar #12 (a book about the afterlife) / ATY #40 (a book related to the 22 Tarot Major Arcana Cards...for the "Death" card). OK, after reading the entire Dark Tower series + The Talisman, Black House, and Insomnia in Buddy Reads last year, I SWORE I would not touch a Stephen King book this year! HA! My husband talked me into this one...it was short and a very enjoyable read (the premise is a boy/teenager sees dead people and is able to interact with them).
I am currently reading:
Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe
Cold Wind
QOTW: I don't know who I would choose...Maybe Diana Galbaldon so she could possibly take me on her research trips to Scotland and other places! :)
Milena wrote: "Ellie wrote: "I am reading Homicide and Halo-Halo now too. Did you know there was a board game version of Halo? In case you wanted to use it for that prompt..."I didn't, but this is likely the only book I'll read with a recipe in and board game was easy due to "Go".
Good Morning Everyone!It's my Friday and I am looking forward to a 4 day weekend. Today I have some people coming to mark utilities in my yard so we can start putting up a fence and I cant wait. Yesterday my husband turned 31 and I made a cake and officially changed my last name so that was his birthday present. :)
This week in reading:
Finished: The People We Keep Very fast and very good! It'll frustrate you and upset you but that means the author did a good job. Prompt: A book about a found family
Currently Reading: The Ex Hex - I'm currently on a BOTM kick. I have about 15 of them and until this year hadn't read more than 2. But I'm planning to fit a lot of them into my challenge this year. Prompt: A book set during a holiday (Halloween)
QOTW: If you could select one author as a flatmate/roommate, who would you choose? Why?
Can I say no one.... I don't like roommates. I had enough of those in college and after college. I like my space and my husband is really the only person I can stand living with anymore.
Mod
Yesterday was in the high 40's, melted a bunch of snow. Then it started raining, melted even more. Still raining now but temps dropping again so that rain's starting to freeze and will ev..."
Your weather yesterday is my weather today.
Concrete Rose - This was really good, but it did stress me out a lot. I'm sure I'm not alone here that characters making bad decisions stress you out. It's a prequel, so I KNEW things would turn out ok eventually, but it still stressed me out reading it. Still liked it a lot overall. Also, this really shook me to realize that Mav is like...two years older than me. I never had kids, so I guess still associate parents of teenagers as "older". I went in expecting it to be set in the 70's or 80's and suddenly realized it was set in 99 and withered a bit inside. I graduated in 2001, so I would have been in high school the same time Mav was. It's been a while since I read The Hate U Give, so I might be forgetting details.
Yeah Mav was really young when his son was born.
I'm always startled when parents are YOUNGER than me. I'M the parent of teens, so when a character is a parent, I assume they are my age. That threw me in the book I'm reading right now (Seven Days in June). She's a single parent, I'm a single parent. Okay. Her daughter is a bit younger than my younger daughter, so okay she's a bit younger than me, fine. But then the book jumps back to 2004. In 2004 I was a full-on adult and parent. I was not a child! But this character is a CHILD in 2004! (Okay, a senior in high school. Which is still a child.) That confused me for a bit. I think the author must be pretty young, too, because I could tell by the way it was written that she did not expect readers to be confused. For the author, 2004 must be sooooooo long ago. In my mind, it was yesterday.
PS: 18/50Library: 8/25
Finished: Real Re-read. Such a good book! Harder to read the second time though, lots of triggers.
On These Magic Shores Read this in order to write a negative review. The protagonist is just so angry throughout it and there isn't much emotional payoff for getting through the story with her.
Lost & Found: A Memoir This came recommended by two booksellers. I thought it was excellent.
Would Like to Meet read for local library prompt romance with single parent. This was the only one I could find that I could stand and even so, it was still completely demeaning both to women and men!
Started: Rebellion of the Lost This is a sequel to a book I enjoyed very much. Looking forward to getting further into this one!
The Joy of Leaving Your Sh*t All Over the Place: The Art of Being Messy This one's silly,
Slam I'm liking the tone so far...
Qotw: It would be weird at this stage in my life to go back to living with roommates. I enjoy living with my family. Maybe someone with a cat so I can mooch off of them!
Ellie wrote: "Milena wrote: "Ellie wrote: "I am reading Homicide and Halo-Halo now too. Did you know there was a board game version of Halo? In case you wanted to use it for that prompt..."I didn't, but this i..."
I get it. I have the opposite problem. I think I've already read 3 books with recipes in them.
It's really Thursday! When you believe Tuesday is Thursday....it's a very long week!PS - 17/50 - and it's all just fitting what I read into prompts!
Finished:
Long, Tall Texan by Lori Wilde - prompt - book being made into a movie released in 2022 - adapted by Hallmark into the Wedding Veil movie trilogy released in Janaury/February (first 2). I suspect it is a very loose adaptation - more merely an inspiration but I haven't seen the movie. This was a 2 star read and I like cowboy romances. Oh and the cover has NOTHING to do with the book
- No Cowboy Hats or fields of green or flannel plaid make an appearance in a book set in Houston and Galveston among the oil rich and a injured undercover cop. Jeans of course are ubiquitous but the cowboy boots only show up in the last couple of pages. I hate covers that deceive. Chapter and Curse Lib/E by Elizabeth Penney Prompt - cutlery on cover - there is a teaspoon on that tea tray
- Edgar nominee this year for the Mary Higgins Clark award - Setting in Cambridge England has you wanting to get on a plane now, but the murdered is identifiable the minute introduced including motive and the writing is dumbed down too often. First in a new series and not sure I'll read another though the setting is a main character and fabulously done. The Hangman's Beautiful Daughter - one of McCrumb's Ballad Series set in Appalachia - superb but not really crime fiction more literary fiction with murder - prompt - afterlife - there are lots of ghosts in this story, starting with those appearing in Nora Bonesteeler's visions, and they are material to the story. I want to show the cover of the ebook edition which is a gorgeous quilt that looks exactly like the one described being made by Nora in the book. Alas there is no attribution for this work of art to be found in the book.
Currently reading - 2 slow read alongs:
The British Are Coming: The War for America, Lexington to Princeton, 1775-1777
A Game of Thrones
Up next:
Longbourn: Dragon Entail
My Name Is Lucy Barton
Zen in the Art of Writing
QOTW: You know there are many authors I'd love to hang out with - go to dinner, do bar crawls, take walking tours like Erin Morgenstern and N.K. Jemisin. I've also met a lot of authors, even had dinner with a few, but not one is someone I would ever consider as a roommate or housemate.
Anne wrote: "Tania wrote: "Hello! Happy Thursday. February is a big birthday month in my family so the celebrations continue. I'm sending out more cards today for those who don't live nearby, and we've had some..."That's actually the one I have planned for it - thanks! It's already loaded on my Kindle. I'm going in order starting in Florida as if I were driving the route, so it will be a little before I get to Montana, but I'm looking forward to reading that one.
I didn't realize how much reading I got done this week until I went to write this post. I also did a massive reorganization of my list, because I realized that I wasn't feeling excited for a lot of what I had left, and it was starting to feel too much like work, so I reworked my remaining list, and switched around some already completed prompts and I feel reengaged, but also like I'm cheating a little bit. (I know, my challenge, so do what I want).I am 32/50.
This week I finished:
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire: A Hugo Award winner; I got a really nice journal for Christmas, but have never been one to keep up with that sort of thing, so I decided to use it to write out great quotes from books that I'm reading. I have been enjoying that. Well as I was listening to this book, I realized I was not keeping up with writing out my favorite quotes/moments, so I decided I should reread all the HPs in my hardback form so that I can relax a little and record my favorites.
Her Second Death: Not for the challenge and also not worth the short time it took to listen to it.
Mexican Gothic: A book by a Latinx author: Finally I finished this!!!! This is a hard book to review because I really didn't like it, but there were definitely good things about it. The last 40 pages. The writing itself. The atmosphere. Overall the book was too slow and not very engaging. I also thought it was just gross.
The Truth and Other Hidden Things: A book about someone leading a double life: It seems like my selection was a little less serious than others, but I was surprised by how much I liked this. It was cozy and funny and gave me anxiety. It got a little slow and aggravating for a bit, but it was a nice surprise.
The Perfect Getaway: A book with a misleading title: I am a sucker for a locked room mystery, but I didn't really feel like that's what this was. There was no real suspense. No suspicion on every character. There were pacing problems, and the character development wasn't strong enough to change narrators so frequently. If I didn't make a mental note of who each chapter was, I couldn't easily tell by reading it. It was overall okay. There was one twist that I wasn't expecting, but several others that I was.
The Overnight Guest: A book published in 2022: With the synopsis offered for this book, and the three separate storylines, I was expecting this book to be engaging and suspenseful, but I found it to be neither. Any one of the three storylines could have been a story to invest in, but the atmosphere and character development fell flat to me. I didn't get emotional vibes from any of them. The whodunit aspect was poorly executed, and most of the big reveals were pretty obvious. I did enjoy the ending, but I spent most of the book wanting the story to be more and wondering why the characters made such dumb decisions. I think maybe this author is not for me.
Currently reading:
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone: reread for calming purposes
Malibu Rising: I am over 100 pages in and still feel like I don't really know what the point of this is yet. I didn't read the description first, but I loved two other books by this author already this year, so I thought I would give it a go. It's not that it's bad. I just think maybe there are some pacing issues.
Hidden Figures: There are some really poor reviews for this book, but so far, I'm finding it pretty interesting. The reviews almost scared me away, but I'm glad I picked it.
QOTW:
I really don't think I would want to live with an author. Maybe it's just the kind of books I read, but I feel like they must be really intense, and I just want to chill at home. Plus I feel like all my authors probably think about murder a little too much to make a suitable roommate.
Hi everyone. The wind here has been crazy recently. It's dropped today but there's another storm set to hit tomorrow. I'm silently hoping my trains get cancelled so I can stay home and not go out in it. This week I finished Less. It was okay but I really got bored of the protagonist. I really didn't care about what happened to him by the end but I liked a lot of the side characters
Currently reading: An Offer From a Gentleman which surprisingly kicks off as a Cinderella retelling. I'm a little confused trying to reconcile this version of Benedict with the TV version but I'm interested in where it's going
QOTW: I don't know much about author's personal lives to see who I'd be compatible with. I could probably pick a character easier.
Actually, can I be roomies with all those fantasy writers who paused mid series so I can pester them into writing? (I would be a terrible roommate lol)
Happy Thursday! I'm not ready for spring weather. The cold needs to return.Currently Reading
Rhythm of War for "book about a found family". I'm over halfway and waiting for the shoe to drop...
QotW
Sarah Lenora Gingrich because she's my friend and coauthor, and I already know we'd get along. ;) She'd cook for me too. It'd be fabulous.
Mod
That's SO annoying when they do that!!
Hello from columbus! The weather was so nice yesterday I tricked myself into think it was April. Today is still warm but rainy, still a nice change from the snow and frigid temperatures. Kiki's Delivery Service For a book riot prompt. Miyazaki/Ghibli movies are my absolute most favorite pieces of media ever. I thought I had read all the books that inspired the movies so I was surprised to find out in the last year or so that Kiki’s Delivery Service was also a book. This was so adorable, I really hope I can find the other books in the series in English translation!
The Storyteller: Tales of Life and Music for the band or musician prompt. I don’t want to be hyperbolic and say Nirvana or The Foo Fighters have been particularly impactful on my life, but I’ve always enjoyed Dave Grohl as a human. This book was lovely. Beautiful and heartfelt, I actually found myself going from smiling while sharing in his joy to chuckling to tearing up when he writes about loss and grief. The audiobook is narrated by him so it adds that nice touch. 10/10 recommend for anyone.
The Grip of It not for a prompt, a reread from a few years ago. I remembered this being unsettling in a subtle way but I didn’t really remember the details. I think if you liked House of Leaves you’d probably like this. It’s a book about a couple who moved into a house where things just aren’t right. Hidden rooms, strange children in the neighborhood, a missing neighbor. Very creepy without and cheap scares.
19/150 books for 2022
9/40; 0/10 Popsugar
2/24 Book Riot
1/12 Back to the Classics
Lauren wrote: "Happy Thursday! The past two weeks have been awful but things are slowly improving... I'll take it! I finished the following this past week:
Black Cake This was great! A lot of..."
I hope things get better for you soon.
Mod
LOL!! Valid
Hello everyone! We're back to bitter cold over here (not as bitter as it had been, but definitely not even remotely enjoyable). It's still very slippery so I keep fearing that I might slip and crash. Hopefully things start warming up soon for my little staycation so I can at least get out a bit. But that's that for that. Hope everyone's doing well as we close in on the end of February!Completed
Every Heart a Doorway - for a Character on the Ace Spectrum. 5 Stars. What an absolute delight this was to read. It had so many great things in it and I just loved the pace and the ending was very beautiful. I'm eager to dive into the rest of the series soon.
QOTW
My best friend is an author, so I'd probably do well to room with her. Barring that, I'd probably work well with Rick Riordan because he seems like a cool dude.
Mod
I read the first three Bridgertons books long before there was a Netflix show, and I hated Benedict SOOOOO much that it basically soured me on reading Julia Quinn. I did read a few more books by her, but after a while I just lost interest.
I'm really curious to see how they attempt to redeem his character in the show and make him likeable, but I guess that won't be until next year.
Kenya wrote: "Happy Thursday, y’all.Well, as of last weekend I am officially a college student! :D Enrolled at my local community college and aiming to get my Associate's Degree in English with a focus on crea..."
Congrats!! I went to college in my early 30's and loved it! It is so rewarding!
Mod
This looks very informative.
I'm about halfway through 1812: A Novel as my book with blurbs on the cover. John Jakes AND James Michener. Two of my favorites. Frankly because of that, I was expecting a bit better.
Nonfiction can read rather blandly a lot of times... Hope this picks up for you!
"QOTW: I haven't the foggiest clue. Just because I like someone's work output doesn't mean that we would be at all compatible. And i don't follow author's personal lives. Maybe JK Rowling."
Fair enough. Rowling certainly has a unique life experience! And boy, is she ever prolific and talented as a writer!
Mod
I share the same concerns hahah! Finishing at the end of December last year was PAINFUL.
You're already at 20/50, so I'd say you're in excellent shape and in no danger of a last-minute finish!"
Fingers crossed! 🤞😁
Happy Thursday! I had every intention of checking in this morning when I got to work, but then I looked at my desk and emails and that was a mistake! Somehow the morning just got away from me.Finished:
Dread Nation by Justina Ireland (A book with a character on the ace spectrum). I really liked this book a lot! As soon as I finished I tried to find a spot for the sequel for the challenge (but there are so many other books I need to read too!) I am sure I can fit it in somewhere.
Continuing:
The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang. Really slow going on this one. Romance just isn't my thing.
Sharks in the Time of Saviors by Kawai Strong Washburn. I just started the audiobook of this one yesterday. I don't know what it is but maybe I am just not in the mood for audiobooks right now? I started Black Leopard, Red Wolf and abandoned it immediately. Then I picked up this one and just don't tune in as much as I have with other audiobooks. sigh.
QOTW:
I am in the same "I don't want to live with roommates" boat as most people, BUT I would totally live with Ruth Ware! I love her books (she would always have an idea or story that would give me chills), she would probably make a good cup of tea (for some reason my tea never tastes good), and she seems pretty chill.
Mod
Oh, yeah. Yet another advantage of felines! I do not allow my kitties outside... They entertain themselves quite well inside. 😊
"A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry - this was on my personal challenge list of books I must read this year; it was phenomenal, just as several of you had said it would be. I have no idea why it took me so long to get around to reading it. My daughter had it assigned in high school English class. I think I was reading A Glass Menagerie or something assigned at that age; this play would have been more meaningful."
Isn't it just great?!? I thought it was just about perfect!
"No One Is Talking About This by Patricia Lockwood - another Tournament of Books choice, this was very weird, and I gave it five stars (which makes it my highest rated ToB read). The audiobook was well done, and it was a quick listen because it was oddly compelling. CW, however, for death of an infant (which no one warned me about!! - I generally avoid books that involve missing, kidnapped, or dying children), and I finished this on a day when my college daughter made an impromptu overnight visit home, and the combination of a baby daughter dying and my own daughter leaving again was too much for me. This book made me cry, and I don't like crying when I read books."
Ooohhh...wrong book, wrong time! But at least you felt it to be a worthwhile read!
"Playlist for the Apocalypse: Poems by Rita Dove - I just finished this last night. I loved her previous book so much, I actually pre-ordered this one, but I was disappointed, most of the poems did not connect with me."
Poetry is so hit and miss IMO.
"coming soon:
I put the audiobook for Moon Witch, Spider King on hold as soon as I could, and I guess I got in at the front of the line, because a copy is available to me NOW and I am very excited to start!! (And it's 30+ hours of audiobook so I need to start NOW if I'm going to finish within the borrowing term.) Sorry, Mona Awad, your book (which I have not started) is going back to the library for now. Move over, Klara, I'll have to finish you later!"
How exciting!
"QotW
LOL that is such a difficult question. I have no idea what these authors are really like in real life, but their characters are always very chill and their social media personas seem good, so I'm going to say Bryn Greenwood or Kristen Lepionka"
I have not read any of their books...
This is a short week for me! Our office is closed tomorrow and Monday for the US holiday. It'll be nice to have a little extra relaxation time. Other than that, things have been OK with me.Finishes:
Hollywood Heroine - 4 stars - I read this for the book whose title begins with the last letter of your previous read. It is another solid entry in this series, but not a good entry point, as it builds on the previous 4 books.
Clap When You Land- 4 stars - I read this for the onomatopoeia prompt, for the word "clap". I loved this book. Acevedo has cemented her place on my must-read list. I am not usually much of a poetry reader, but something about her novels in verse suck me in completely. This was such a moving, powerful story.
Manga: Kiss Me at the Stroke of Midnight, Vol. 12 and Magus of the Library, Vol. 5
I am currently at 16/50 for Popsugar 2022.
Currently reading:
Bluebird - I'm reading this for the Sapphic book prompt. So far, this is a pretty fun sci-fi adventure. Definitely a popcorn book.
QOTW: I'm kind of an introvert and I've only ever had my partner for a roommate. If I had to choose someone, I think I'd have fun being roomies with Margaret Owen. From what I know about her from social media and author events, it seems like we have a lot of similar interests.
Mod
Sounds fun!
"Good luck on your readathon Lynn!"
Thank you!
"Finished this week:
Jack & Jill by James Patterson - a reread, but it's been so long since the first time that I read it that it really felt new lol. I love the Alex Cross series although I have never read them in order (nor have I read the whole series). Used as a prompt for a few other challenges, including my 50(51) states challenge (for DC)."
That was not my favorite thus far... I am just finishing #9 in the series.
"Back When We Were Grownups by Anne Tyler - this has been on my TBR for a long time, and I enjoyed it more than I expected to. Used for "a book featuring a party.""
I've had it on my TBR forever as well! LOL
"Alone in Rehoboth Beach by Susan Parker Rosen - did not care for this book (or the series), but I was struggling for a book set in Delaware so I gave it a try. Do not recommend. Used for "a book you can read in one sitting.""
At least it was short! 😋
"I'm at 5/50 for the challenge, and now that Lynn is worried about picking up the pace (and is at 20) I'm super worried lol. But my goal this year was to complete the 50(+DC) states challenge first this year and I'm 8/51 there."
LOL If not for that Women's Prize prompt last year I probably would have finished much earlier. I simply put off (and kept putting off) Bel Canto which I ended up enjoying much more than I thought I would...but that ending proved to be just as tragic as I had feared from the beginning... *sigh*
"QOTW: Fun - and difficult - question! I think I would like to be roomies with Janet Evanovich, who was really down to earth and personable when we met her."
I can't imagine that she wouldn't have an excellent sense of humor and be fun!
Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge
Books mentioned in this topic
The Unhoneymooners (other topics)Magus of the Library, Vol. 5 (other topics)
Kiss Me at the Stroke of Midnight, Vol. 12 (other topics)
Bewilderment (other topics)
A Thousand Pieces of You (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Christina Lauren (other topics)Maya Angelou (other topics)
Elizabeth Acevedo (other topics)
Kevin J. Anderson (other topics)
Brian Herbert (other topics)
More...
We've gone from close to 0 temperatures with ice and snow to near 60 degrees and LOTS of rain! Weather! You just never know what to expect...
An ATY Team Readathon begins this Saturday, February 19 and runs through Sunday, February 27. The 27th just happens to be my middle son’s 42nd birthday! Gee! He’s getting to be middle-aged! LOL I’ve been pulling some shorter books aside to consider once I see what the prompts are, and now am trying to determine which of these shorter books are written by black authors so I can hopefully fit them into the Readathon prompts! My list thus far:
1) Beasts of No Nation by Uzodinma Iweala
2) The Butler: A Witness to History by Wil Haygood
3) Quicksand by Nella Larsen A Harlem Renaissance book!
4) Twelve Years a Slave by Solomon Northup
5) The Chase (Lionboy #2) by Zizou Corder
6) The Truth (Lionboy #3) by Zizou Corder
(Zizou Corder is a pseudonym for a mother-daughter duo, one of whom is black.)
7) Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates I've wanted to read for forever!
8) Granta 148: Summer Fiction edited by Sigrid Rausing
A collection of short stories from diverse authors:
Nuar Alsadir (poetry)
Julia Armfield
Jem Calder
Te-Ping Chen
Matthieu Gafsou (photoessay on transhumanism with introduction by Daisy Hildyard)
Ben Lerner
Sara Majika
Magogodi oa Mphela Makhene
David Means
Haruki Murakami
Thomas Pierce
Adam O’Fallon Price
Amor Towles
9) Our Time Is Now: Power, Purpose, and the Fight for a Fair America by Stacey Abrams
10) So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo
(the last 100 pages)
11) Get a Life, Chloe Brown (Brown Sisters #1) by Talia Hibbert
(last 100 pages)
Admin Stuff:
It’s a final selection poll for May’s monthly group read! Please vote here! This can be used to fulfill prompt #15 A book written by a Pacific Islander author. The four top vote-getters were:
The Whale Rider by Witi Ihimaera
The Bone People by Keri Hulme
Breadfruit by Célestine Hitiura Vaite
Year of the Reaper by Makiia Lucier
You can find the ongoing February discussion thread for Get a Life, Chloe Brown (Brown Sisters #1) by Talia Hibbert here. You can post the book(s) you have read to fulfill prompt #18 A romance novel written by a BIPOC author here. Sherri is doing an amazing job of providing questions and prompting discussion! Thank you, Sherri! I am leaving a bit over 100 pages to finish it this weekend for the ATY Readathon.
Question of the Week:
If you could select one author as a flatmate/roommate, who would you choose? Why?
I have met quite a few authors and the one who probably impressed me as possibly being a compatible personality with mine was Laurie R. King. She is just who she is. She isn’t all fancy and dressed up, no matter the location or event. And she strikes me as being a very straightforward, approachable, and honest person. She is one of the few authors I felt I would like to be friends with just for her personality…
Popsugar: 20/50
ATY: 38/52
RHC: 6/24
I keep reminding myself I really do NOT want to be finishing the 2022 POPSUGAR challenge at 11:30PM on December 31! (As happened in 2021!) Planning to work on Popsugar prompts more in March as a result!
FINISHED:
*The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ was a great read! Perhaps Amy’s life wasn’t as perfect as it seemed... And in the end, Ethan and Olivia become a couple and I can only hope for a “happily ever after” ending for them!
POPSUGAR: #25, #28-“holiday” as “vacation,” #38, #40-2019: prompt #21 A book written by two female authors, #46-Ethan and Olivia, #47
ATY: #1-Amelia/Amy, #4-A book relating to Catch-22, #7, #15, #19, #29, #35, #40-The Lovers, Strength, Justice, Judgment, The World, #41-food poisoning, #49
RHC: #24-2019: prompt #4 Read a humor(ous) book
I was so impressed with Bluebird, Bluebird (Highway 59 #1) by Attica Locke ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ that I ordered the second installment, Heaven, My Home, after having read only 47 pages of this book! And boy, do I wish I had that book right now! What an ending! I want to see what's next for Darren!
POPSUGAR: #25, #26, #38-honoring his friend’s ‘innocence’, #40-2017: prompt #51 A book about a difficult subject—ethics
ATY: #4-A book whose author is younger than you (born the year I graduated from high school!, #29-the bayou, #36, #40-The Lovers, Strength, Death, Justice, Judgment, The World, #41-Geneva Sweet’s Sweets served food and was one of the few places serving people of color over a large area when established, #43, NEW #48, #49
RHC: NEW #19, #24-2018: prompt #21 A mystery written by a person of color or LGBTQ+ author
I read Black Water Rising (Jay Porter #1) 9 years ago and although I remember much of it, as time allows in 2022, I am going to reread it before launching into Pleasantville, the second installment in Attica Locke's Jay Porter series. She is one of my all-time favorite authors!
Murder at Kensington Palace (Wrexford & Sloane #3) by Andrea Penrose ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for a February buddy read. Another absolutely excellent and enjoyable installment in this series!! Can’t wait for next month and the fourth book! We all agree that watching these two young boys grow and develop is one of the most enjoyable aspects of this series!
POPSUGAR: #9, #25, #40-2020: prompt #27 A book featuring one of the seven deadly sins: PRIDE, #46-Both Julianna and her father as well as others!
ATY: #3, #6, #11, #14-3,935 ratings, #21-Top hat, #26/#27, #33, #35-A very rare plant was used as a snuff ingredient which helped identify the murderer(s), #37, #40-Justice, Death, Judgment, The World, #44, #49
RHC: #24-2016: A book of historical fiction set before 1900
CONTINUING:
*The Big Bad Wolf (Alex Cross #9) by James Patterson I am almost done with this one. More surprises for Alex and crew!
*Raybearer (Raybearer #1) by Jordan Ifueko for my favorite used bookstore’s book club meeting this Sunday.
*So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo for my University’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion group read. The discussion group meets again next week but I plan to go ahead and finish this, hopefully this weekend.
*Get a Life, Chloe Brown (Brown Sisters #1) by Talia Hibbert for our February Group Read! I am going to finish this since it is our monthly group read AND I have it listed on quite a few challenges, but overall, WTMI with the sexual details for me. I won’t be continuing the series…
***I am leaving at least 100 pages in each of these three above so I can finish them this weekend and use them for the readathon! (I've never strategized so much in advance of readathon!)
*Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston. Really want to get back to this one, but assume that probably won’t happen until March given the team readathon and my emphasis on black authors for February.
*Yes, Chef by Marcus Samuelsson to complete two 2021 challenges! And I want to finish in February, if possible!
*Hidden Valley Road: Inside the Mind of an American Family by Robert Kolker
*Paradise by Toni Morrison to fulfill the 2020 Reading Women prompt #25 A book written by Toni Morrison
PLANNED:
4 for March Buddy Reads:
*Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt
Daddy-Long-Legs (Daddy-Long-Legs #1) by Jean Webster
Murder at Queen's Landing (Wrexford & Sloane #4) by Andrea Penrose
*London Bridges (Alex Cross #10) by James Patterson
*The Comforts of a Muddy Saturday (Isabel Dalhousie #5) by Alexander McCall Smith
*The Lost Art of Gratitude (Isabel Dalhousie #6) by Alexander McCall Smith
To complete some 2021 year-long challenges:
1) *Marjorie Morningstar by Herman Wouk
2) *The Beautiful and Damned by F. Scott Fitzgerald
To complete the 2021 Read Harder Challenge:
*Ordinary Girls by Jaquira Díaz
*Death Comes to Pemberley by P.D. James
*Cleopatra: A Life by Stacy Schiff