Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge discussion
2022 Weekly Check-Ins
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Week 16: 4/14 - 4/21
I missed check-in last week. Oops. I blame the bank holiday weekend and not knowing what day of the week it is. That and work has been busy, I was hoping my last few weeks of work would be quiet since we're winding down the business, but just seems a big rush to get everything finished in time. We did have a discussion of staying on a bit longer but when you've been working towards an end date, it's a bit demotivating for it to move further away. I am good and ready for a break now.Finished:
The Stardust Thief by Chelsea Abdullah for ATY (Monopoly token on cover). I loved this 1001 Nights inspired fantasy, the references are woven through thoughtfully and it's not a straight retelling. The whole jinn mythology was fantastic.
Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield for sapphic book. A wonderful eerie, sad and intimate book about a marine biologist who comes back from the ocean changed. It's a very quiet book, half told by her wife just trying to deal with the change in their relationship, and the alternating chapters slowly show what happened in the depths of the ocean.
Four Aunties and a Wedding by Jesse Sutanto for ATY (Asian author). If you found the first book too ridiculous for your liking, this is more of the same, but that's why I loved it. I couldn't help laughing at the British slang the aunties learned off someone on Fiverr, going round calling everyone tossers and everything is the dog's b*llocks.
Currently reading Listen to Me by Tess Gerritsen for review and listening to The No-Show by Beth O'Leary.
QOTW:
I do have a book on my TBR which is a Buffyverse novel (Slayer) but I think it's just the slayer lore rather than any continuation of the show's story. I'm usually just content to leave a series be. I suppose I might read some of The Expanse novels that take place after the show finished, but they existed before the show. I don't always enjoy the same things I do in TV shows in books.
Though Nadine, I too recently rewatched Lost (loads I didn't remember at all) and I would like something that thoughtfully looks at the Dharma Initiative and what they were doing. So many unanswered questions. Though I don't think the showrunners knew where the story was going so I doubt anyone knows!
Mod
Yeah I'm pretty sure the writers had NO IDEA where they were headed when they started that show, and some characters were killed off just because actors wanted off the show. So there are a lot of things that SEEM like they are going to be important, but are not. There are so many fascinating parts of the show that could be expanded upon. I would love an entire series of novels just featuring Miles (the sarcastic guy who can talk to the dead).
One thing I did spot that I never noticed before: one of the writers for the last few seasons is Brian K. Vaughan!
Happy rainy Thursday! It's supposed to be in the 80* range this weekend. I'll believe it when I see it. Til then, I have Robert Fuller's Yorkshire wildlife livestreams, theatre, and plenty of books. Sunday begins tech week for our production of Earnest. I'm so glad I was able to work on this show, I love it so much. I'll try and post the show trailer once it's available so you guys can see the gorgeous costumes.I finished two things this week:
Wild Sign - 3.5 stars. I remember disliking the previous book (which I read several years ago) but this one felt better.
Sass & Sorcery - 4 stars. A band of ass-kicking ladies in a D&D-inspired world. I enjoyed this but after reading up on all the behind-the-scenes drama I'm not sure how many more I'll read. Apparently (view spoiler) So I don't know.
Skin of the Sea - DNF. I wanted to love this but it's not keeping my attention.
PS 27/50
Currently:
The Far Reaching Tentacles of N'rygoth - volume 2 of Rat Queens. I'm torn because I liked the first one but it feels weird to continue knowing what I know, if that makes sense? We'll see.
The Silmarillion - Making progress!
The City We Became - Loving this. Also, SO MANY unexpected tentacles this week! Book featuring a parallel reality
Foundryside - Starting my reread today
QOTW: If you were to read a book based off a TV show (either novelization or continuation) what show would you want to read about?
Firstly, ALL the hearts for Gail Carriger <33 Now, as for the QOTW... I just dove headfirst into the new CBS sitcom Ghosts over the weekend and fell in love (and am all caught up for the finale tonight, although I may have to wait and watch tomorrow instead). I would LOVE a novelization or continuation of this series. Or I may just get into fanfic again, bahahaha.
Also, Peaky Blinders PLEASE.
I do have a book or two on my TBR that are Supernatural-based, because I loved that show for so long... but I still haven't picked up the books! This question also reminds me of a brief time in high school when I was obsessed with novelizations and discovered an entire micro-section at the library specifically for them. I found a Mr & Mrs Smith novelization (the Brangelina movie!) that I ADORED.
Good morning, everyone!We’re just over a week away from the Dewey’s 24 Hour Readathon, and I am getting really excited! I’ve participated in this readathon a number of times over the past several years, and it’s always a lot of fun.
This week I started doing a little bit of readathon prep, and I’ve decided that I am going to try a different approach to next Saturday’s readathon.
Normally I try to select books from a wide range of genres for my Readathon TBR, but this time I want to choose books from a single section of my home library. I’m either going to focus on fantasy, nonfiction, or comic books/graphic novels/manga. I know that I’m going to be reading titles from my TBR Checklist, regardless of which genre (or medium) I choose, but I am having a hard time deciding which one sounds like the most fun.
Goodreads: 226/200
TBR checklist: 190/1099
Finished Reading:
~The Death of Jane Lawrence
~Cluster Dwarf
~Ice Planet Barbarians
~That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime, Vol. 10
~The Savior's Book Cafe Story in Another World (Manga) Vol. 2
~The Magicians and Mrs. Quent
Currently Reading:
~The House on Durrow Street
QOTW:
I’ve actually read quite a few books that are either novelizations of tv episodes, or continuations of favorite tv shows, most of which are science fiction. These include books from various Star Trek series, Babylon 5, Stargate SG-1, and Firefly.
I’ve also read a couple of books from the Murder, She Wrote series, which were quite fun.
I finished American Dirt as my book with 2 languages. I mostly liked it.i read Emerging Gender Identities: Understanding the Diverse Experiences of Today's Youth as my book about gender identity. I didn't really like it.
I'm currently reading The Lost Gate as my first book in a duology. Not very far in, but intrigued thus far.
QOTW: That's a good question. Maybe Highlander. I've been tempted to read one of the Castle books, which isn't exactly the same thing, but haven't done it yet.
Mod
I've wondered about those books, too!! Never did read one.
Happy Thursday!Registered for college classes this week. Excited but nervous to start this new chapter in my life. Hoping it goes well!
Books read this week:
Way Station -- for “a book about a secret.” Shortish but fascinating read, and would also work for the “Hugo award winner” prompt.
Sourdough -- for “your favorite prompt from 2016 (a book with a blue cover).” Man, I want sourdough bread now… and this is definitely a quirky read, but I still really enjoyed it.
SuperMutant Magic Academy -- graphic novel, not for the challenge. Series of one-shots that then try to have a story arc at the end. Didn’t like it nearly as much as I thought I would.
A Quick & Easy Guide to They/Them Pronouns -- comic/graphic novel, not for the challenge, though could count for the “book about gender identity” prompt. Short, funny, but also necessary read for better understanding people who use gender-neutral pronouns.
Regular Challenge -- 44/46
Advanced Challenge -- 6/10
Not for the challenge -- 18
Currently Reading:
Indistinguishable from Magic -- not for the challenge
The First Sister -- for “a sapphic book”
Interference -- for the advanced prompt “a duology (2)”
Light Years From Home -- not for the challenge
The Golem and the Jinni -- for the advanced prompt “two books set in twin towns/sister cities” (1)
QOTW:
I... really can't think of too many, to be honest. I tend to keep my reading and my TV watching separate. I wouldn't mind reading a Mandalorian spinoff novel, though...
Good Morning All, I read one book for the week.1. A Little Life. # 15 A book by a Pacific Islander author. I have wanted to read the book since it came out. It would also work for #8 A protagonist who uses a mobility aid. This book chewed up my heart & soul. I gave it 5 stars but I feel like nothing good came out of the book. It was hard to read. There were several times I thought about not finishing. If it wasn't an ebook I would of thrown it against a wall.
Current read: The Trees. I was afraid to start the book since my last read was so heavy. I'm only on page 92 but it's better than I thought. The dialogue can be down right funny.
QOTW: I'm glad you asked that question. I saw The Batman in March. I left the theater wanting to read one of the comics that was close to the movie. I know nothing about Batman comics so any recommendations are welcomed.
I decided at the beginning of the year to take a break from reading to focus on some other hobbies. I’m finally at the place where I want to read more again. That feels like a success to me, and I’m glad I took that break. I did slot the books I’ve read this year into the 2022 challenge. It was a reminder how specific and outside of my comfort zone some of the prompts are. I want to stick to comfort books while I ease back into reading. We’ll see if I’m up for a challenge in the next few months.Finished
An Offer From a Gentleman by Julia Quinn. This was soooo good!! I dropped everything to read this book and finished in a day. I adore Bridgerton the show. This is the first I’ve read in the series - I started here because I figured I knew what happens generally from season 1 and 2, and also Benedict is my favorite Bridgerton - but now I really want to read them all.
The Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi. This was a really fun, lighthearted book. I’m not a huge fan of kaiju movies, except for Pacific Rim, but it was enjoyable all the same.
The Dark Horse by Craig Johnson. The next book in the Longmire series that I picked because the audiobook was exactly the right length for a road trip. As I’ve watched the TV show, and this was adapted as an episode very faithfully, I already knew the ending.
Reading
The Duke and I by Julia Quinn. I decided to go back to the beginning after all!
QOTW
I think the answer for me has to be Stargate since they do have a few novel series and I’ve read so many of them! I plan to read more eventually. I’ve decided not to read anymore Stargate Atlantis books because I don’t like what they did with the “Season 6” series, but I’ll read more of the Stargate SG-1 books and the short story collections.
Nadine in NY wrote: "I'm currently really enjoying Bridgerton on Netflix, but I'm not a fan of the books - long before the show, I read at least three in the series, and one of them (the third book, Benedict's book) was one of the WORST romance novels I've ever read. So, not that show! "Heather wrote: "An Offer From a Gentleman by Julia Quinn. This was soooo good!! I dropped everything to read this book and finished in a day. I adore Bridgerton the show. This is the first I’ve read in the series - I started here because I figured I knew what happens generally from season 1 and 2, and also Benedict is my favorite Bridgerton - but now I really want to read them all."
What are the odds that you post about disliking a book in the same week I read it and fall in love with it? :D That did make me laugh a little bit.
Nadine in NY wrote: "One thing I did spot that I never noticed before: one of the writers for the last few seasons is Brian K. Vaughan!..."Yeah, I noticed him in the credits and my partner was all nonplussed. Doesn't he pay attention to my bookshelves?!
Mod
LOL that's funny!! I'm glad you fell in love with the book BEFORE seeing me moan about it.
I disliked that book so much that I can't really see Benedict objectively in the show. He must not be all that bad, because my daughter asked me why I dislike him so much. I really really hope they redeem him and fix all the things I didn't like about his book.
Katy wrote: "I've been tempted to read one of the Castle books, which isn't exactly the same thing, but haven't done it yet."I did read the first book, Heat Wave, when it first came out, and I thought it was pretty good. I never got around to continuing the series though. I may have to do that later this year...and re-watch the Castle tv series as well.
28/50Finished: The Way of Integrity: Finding the Path to Your True Self After reading this, I decided I really shouldn't read any more self-help books!
Say It Out Loud Predictable. Not as good as other books with the same theme. (Would recommend A Chance to Fly over this one.)
Tilly and the Lost Fairytales I liked this better than the first one, particularly her depiction of the familiar characters. Used for prompt a book set during a holiday.
Started: Doing History: Investigating with Children in Elementary and Middle School I've been meaning to read this book ever since I was in college.
Figuring Book about women in science. Beautiful and intriguing, so far.
Qotw: Lost, for sure! I read a book about Lost and Philosophy. It was very interesting. If I were to go back to my youth, I'd want to read a book about Quantum Leap, but it would have to be well-written. (There have been knock-offs of that series; don't know if that is true of Lost.)
Hi all, This has certainly been a year already. Had a decent Easter, visiting family. But Monday we noticed a funky plasticky burning smell, and then our CO2 alarm went off for a second, so we flung open a bunch of windows, herded cats into carriers and evacuated into garage, calling 911. I guess, luckily, it wasn't a gas leak. But it turned out our furnace motor had totally burned out, hence the bad smell, and the burning plastic must have triggered the alarm briefly. When we had the furnace repair guys out the next day, it was yet another broken motor, a different one from the part they replaced in February. We'd hoped we could make the furnace last another year or two because we're already in the middle of replacing our septic, but with the amount we already spent on repairs this year, plus what this repair would cost, it wouldn't make sense. Of course it was snowing while all this happened. They did drop off some space heaters, but running more than one started causing circuits to trip. So it was a cold few days. Luckily they were able to rearrange some schedules and squeeze us in yesterday, for at least a bare-bones furnace replacement. The rest of the job will be finished up on Monday.
Can we just skip to 2023 and see if it goes better? I'm over 2022.
Anyhow,
I only finished Star Mother. It was pretty good, if nothing amazing. I think there were some bits that never really came quite together for me, but it was interesting enough to keep me going. I might eventually read the next one, but it didn't leave me just begging for more.
Currently reading:
The Only Good Indians - still slogging through this. I cant' really tell if I really don't like it or i'm just 100% not in the mood for it. But I know if I put it down at this point I probably won't get back to it for years if ever. Finally around the 40% point it's starting to pick up a little. But it was very grim with lots of very disturbing imagery to start with.
Parachutes - I keep not wanting to read the other book so starting other books to read, this one is interesting so far.
Terminal Uprising - current audiobook, lot of fun still. Hoping i can find the new one when it comes out this summer.
QOTW:
I read a bunch of the graphic novel continuations/spin offs for various series, like Buffy, Firefly, Steven Universe, etc. Haven't done as much with the novelizations. I think for shows that got cancelled too soon it might be a good way to get some resolution. Like Vagrant Queen was a lot of fun on Sci Fi but it aired in 2020, so I think it just didn't have a chance to get a fan foothold and with covid shutdowns and such it just got canned. Ended on a cliffhanger, would be nice to get some sort of graphic novel or regular novel to wrap it up.
Mass Effect is my favorite video game franchise and I did read the three spin off novels that Drew Karpyshyn wrote. They were decent, and fleshed out the universe. The games actually had little nods to them, for those who had read them. I picked up the Andromeda novel too, because NK Jemisen wrote it, i just haven't read it yet. I will eventually, just haven't gotten to it.
Mod
This has certainly been a year already. Had a decent Easter, visiting family. But Monday we noticed a funky plasticky burning smell, and then our CO2 alarm went off for a second, so we fl..."
Ugh what a headache!!! I've been squeezing as much as I can out of my old furnace and I know I'm really on thin ice at this point.
Nadine, Yeah, it was one of those "we REALLY don't want to do it, we don't want to pay for it, but pouring more money into this thing absolutely does not make sense." Like next month it could be the circuit breaker or something else. And the AC unit was just as old, so we went ahead and are replacing that too, since the last thing we wanted was for that to bust and flood out the brand new furnace. At least now we have a high efficiency unit
Nadine, thank you so much for sharing that Marissa Meyer Choose Your Adventure. I'm a huge Meyer fan and somehow didn't know this existed and I'm fangirling out hard over here! Putting it on the TBR now. haha.Anyway, here's my update..
Finished:
Written in the Stars by Alexandria Bellefleur
I really enjoyed this one. Adorable little Rom-Com with Fake Dating and Enemies to Lovers troupes and a super easy read. I got pretty invested in the characters and their stories, even the side characters so I'm glad the author has written two other books in this series.
Prompt: A sapphic book
A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson
I loved this one too. I was glued to it trying to figure out what was going to happen next and where the story was going. I will say I was way more interested in Pippa's project logs and info about the murder than I was about what she was doing, but by the end it's all tied together nicely.
Prompt: A book with a misleading title
Currently Reading:
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt
Prompt: A book set in the 1980’s
Overall Progress:
12/50
QOTW:
This is a hard question. I love Jane the Virgin and seeing how her son grows up would be cute. I've been rewatching Once Upon A Time recently and would enjoy reading something from that world. I'm a fairytale retelling junkie. haha.
I agree with Nadine about inconsistent weather. It's nice, then it snows. Today we have rain, but it's supposed to be 17 on the weekend. I finished an anthology of short stories. (Didn't we have a QOTW recently about short stories?) The problem with an anthology is the quality of the writing is inconsistent.
I picked it for ATY, but had to invoke the Cabin 10 rule. (So named for a screw up with the Woman in Cabin 10.) The Cabin 10 rule is that if in good faith, I order, purchase, or borrow a book to fulfill a prompt, and I then discover it doesn't fit the prompt, I can still count it. Only 3.5 of the 15 stories were historical, but I'm still counting it for the historical book prompt.
Finished:
Toil & Trouble: 15 Tales of Women & Witchcraft
ATY prompt: A book from historical fiction genre
Popsugar prompt: A book with the name of a board game in the title (Trouble)
ATY - 17/52
PS- 14/35
Series - 6/13
Clearing my TBR list: 13/40
Currently reading:
Death by Water - Just started
QOTW: This is hard. I suppose Friends. (Which was my favourite in the day.) Watching them raise kids and be exhausted between work, housework, kids, aging parents, and marriage, would not have made a good sitcom. But it might make a good book.
Some of the shows I watch (iZombie, Riverdale, 13 Reasons Why, Bones, Sherlock, OUAT) literally came from books or comic books.
Heather wrote: "I decided at the beginning of the year to take a break from reading to focus on some other hobbies. I’m finally at the place where I want to read more again. That feels like a success to me, and I’..."i just finished the Duke and i this morning. I loved Kaiju also. so silly and fun. glad you enjoyed it!
Doing a very quick check-in between meetings. I'm so, so tired of back-to-back days. I actually cried in a meeting with my boss yesterday because I feel so overwhelmed and inadequate (went from a team of three who were all pretty experienced to...just me). She's super supportive, but we've been short-staffed for so long that, even though we've got new people hired on, the idea of also having to train them is just...a lot.Finished:
Everything Bad is Good for You - I sped through the last half of this on 1.5x speed on audiobook because I had to have it done for our quarterly goals at work. It was fine. Some of the arguments were very interesting, but a lot of it came off really anecdotal rather than scientific. But it was published in 2006 and he said at the end that he wanted to get the conversation started with this, so it makes sense.
Currently Reading:
Health at Every Size: The Surprising Truth About Your Weight
Daughter of the Forest
Blindspot: Hidden Biases of Good People
QOTW:
None that I can think of that I'd actually read. Someone mentioned Murder, She Wrote and I could see reading one of those, since I like a good cozy mystery.
Maybe Pushing Daisies since that ended way too soon and too quickly. I'd love to know what their actual storytelling arc was going to be--they wrapped it up as best they could, but it was obvious they didn't get to do all they wanted with it.
Sheri wrote: "Hi all, This has certainly been a year already. Had a decent Easter, visiting family. But Monday we noticed a funky plasticky burning smell, and then our CO2 alarm went off for a second, so we fl..."
I'm so sorry, Sheri--that's so much stress! It's basically the "when it rains, it pours" colloquialism come to life.
Nadine in NY wrote: "Happy Thursday!! We had a snowstorm, and then a sunny day, and who knows what season it is any more. Still no daffodils in my yard, but I've seen them blooming elsewhere. I took a few days of..."I love Buffy and Angel. I was sad when they left t.v. I am on my 3 rewatch of them.
This week I finished:Beach Read, 4 stars, not for the challenge. I really enjoyed this. It started off as just a cute, silly romcom, but it got into some serious topics before the end.
Comics and manga:
Queen's Quality, Vol. 14
Spy x Family, Vol. 7
Kaguya-sama: Love Is War, Vol. 22
I'm currently reading Fevered Star. Of course, work just picked up a bit so I'm not getting to read it as much as I want. I'm enjoying it so far. I didn't re-read Black Sun first, but it's coming back to me as I read the sequel.
QOTW:
I think that's what fanfiction is for! :D Although I don't actually read a lot of fanfic anymore, to be honest.
I do sometimes read media tie-ins or continuations. I read a lot of the Star Wars novels, and I've read some comics from other properties, like Dragon Age and Firefly. Before I quit WoW, I used to read a lot of the tie-in novels for the game, too.
Hello! Just got home from the vet for the follow-up appointment after my cat's 3 days at the Animal ER. She's much improved over when I took her in two weeks ago, and they were happy to hear she's got her appetite back. They're waiting on results of the lab work, but signs are we don't have to go back for three months, provided she continues with her medications and things remain as-in. They also gave me advice for how to better get her to take her pills, which has not gone well. She's currently hiding from me, downstairs on my office chair, after the indignity of having blood drawn. Thanks everyone for the well wishes, they helped.Finished This Week:
Fate's Edge / Steel's Edge by Ilona Andrews. Finished my reread of the On the Edge series. I had forgotten almost everything from Steel's Edge, except a bit about how a character's fashion was just a touch wrong, and the bit about the end where the MC does something that everyone thought wasn't possible. I didn't remember what she did, just that it wasn't supposed to be something that could be done. I enjoyed both books, probably Fate's Edge more, but enjoyed the parts of Steel's Edge about the Weird's high society.
Hunt the Stars by Jessie Mihalik. This came out in February, but I hadn't gotten the chance to read it until now. I'd read some of Jessie's other books and enjoyed them, but hadn't finished either series. This was a fun mystery and romance about soldiers from opposing armies having to work together ten years after the war ended. In space. Using for #32, as Ilona Andrews has recommended the author and has a quote on their Amazon page.
The Healer's Apprentice by Melanie Dickerson. Book club's pick for April. Using it for #36, a book you know nothing about, as I wasn't at March's book club meeting, and just knew it was the book they picked. Turns out it's Christian fiction set in the 1300s that's also a Sleeping Beauty retelling. There's a lot of prayer and trusting in God and quoting from the Bible. Not my thing.
PS: 14/50 ATY: 16/52 GR: 46/100
Currently Reading:
Spindle's End by Robin McKinley. After finishing The Healer's Apprentice, I went and got my preferred Sleeping Beauty retelling off the shelf. Gearing up for Rosie's 21st birthday and the final confrontation. Such a good book.
The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison. Listened to a good chunk of it this week with having to be in the office yesterday and going to the vet today, but realized on the way home from the vet that I missed the part with his sister, so need to relisten to Chapter 13.
QOTW: If you were to read a book based off a TV show (either novelization or continuation) what show would you want to read about?
I would love to read more Stargate Atlantis novelizations set seasons 1 or 2, which was my favorite era of the show. Anything pre-Michael. I don't want to read a continuation of the show, because I largely disliked the direction the show went post season 3, and still haven't watched most of season 5.
Blessed Holy Thursday for anyone in the Orthodox world! It's a very busy weekend for us, but good. As long as I can get rid of my cold, anyway!Finished 14/50
A Little Life for "book by a Pacific Islander". Honestly, despite how well it was written, I ended up not liking it. Too many triggers, graphic details of suicide attempts, and a pretty hopeless ending. Not my kind of book.
Currently Reading
The Lost Queen for "book about witches". This might be a stretch. These aren't necessarily witches but followers of the "Old Way', so basically kinda druid-y, more historically accurate witchcraft? Close enough. I'm going with it.
QotW
Babylon 5. Hands down. In fact, there ARE books about the series on my TBR! I want a continuation of the plot! There's so much left to wrap up.
We had wonderful days in Orlando. I really needed the time off and I feel re-energized again. PS: 10/40
Total 2022: 18
Finished
I did some good reading at the pool side last week. Too bad I couldn’t fit any of them in the challenge.
Twilight of Democracy: The Seductive Lure of Authoritarianism by Anne Applebaum ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Good essay on the temptations of authoritarism.
The Address by Fiona Davis ⭐⭐⭐
Nice reading snack, nothing special. Servant falls in love with master, scandal, blabla.
Grensland: Een geschiedenis van Oekraïne by Marc Jansen ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The History of Ukraine. Mandatory for anyone who wants more background information on the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Too bad the book has not been translated, it’s only available in Dutch.
Currently reading
The Governess of Highland Hall by Carrie Turansky. My airplane-read. Didn’t read anything: there was a nice lady sitting next to me who was going to visit the Netherlands. She was so curious! So I answered all her questions and I learned her some Dutch words (hello, thanks, etc.). And then I fell asleep (miracles do happen, I’ve never slept on an airplane before). So there was not much reading.
QOTW
I hardly watch TV, so this is a really difficult question. I have absolutely no idea...
Nadine in NY wrote: "Heather wrote: "What are the odds that you post about disliking a book in the same week I read it and fall in love with it? :D That did make me laugh a little bit. ..."LOL that's funny!! I'm gl..."
I'm firmly in the Benedict haters club! TV Benedict is okay but book Benedict is so awful it's made me hate them both.
Shannon wrote: "Doing a very quick check-in between meetings. I'm so, so tired of back-to-back days. I actually cried in a meeting with my boss yesterday because I feel so overwhelmed and inadequate (went from a t..."That sounds like my job! I hope things get better for you soon
Hi everyone. It sounds like we've got the monopoly on the good weather! My brother had a bbq at the weekend and I'm wondering whether to risk getting the paddling pool out of the garage. Probably too soon but a girl can dream.This week I finished Harrow the Ninth. This book super messed with my mind but I loved it. (view spoiler) So now the long wait for the sequel begins...
Currently reading: The Theft of Sunlight. I'm loving this so far. I genuinely can not tell where it is going which is a good thing.
QOTW: I read a lot of Dawson's Creek books when I was younger but I'm not sure I'd revisit them. I did read a lot of the Sookie Stackhouse books when True Blood was out but they got kind of repetitive.
I would love to read the Veronica Mars books (more to erase the memory of season 4 than anything else) and I do have a copy of Marvel's WandaVision that I bought just because I adored the TV show so much.
I'm not sure it exists but I'd love a book based on She-Ra and the Princesses of Power. Or just Seahawk and Swift Wind going on adventures :D
Mod
It was so much fun! It's like Marissa Meyer wrote fanfic about her own books! Don't expect any actual plot development, and don't expect anything to make sense, and you'll enjoy it immensely.
Mod
So stressful! Don't try to do the work of three people - some things just won't get done right now. At least your boss is supportive.
Mod
I read both books, and they were good! Especially the first one, in audiobook format, read by Kristen Bell. But I am so salty about season 4 that I couldn't bring myself to even mention that show.
Finally, done with grad school for the year, final essay turned in. Hooray! Now, I can pretty much read on my weekends for pleasure instead of mind-numbing academia. Love it, yet ... gagh. Flowers are blooming, spring seems to have settled in here. However, there is pollen ... everywhere. Everywhere. I sit outside for a few minutes and I'm dusted yellow. Switzerland in the spring has to be a nightmare for anyone with pollen allergies! The tulips, hyacinths, daffodils and others are gorgeous, though.
Finished
Where We Once Belonged for prompt #15 - book by a Pacific Islander. It was a tougher read to follow, but it gave a perspective of life that I wouldn't have known about otherwise, adding in the experience of a teenage girl growing up and heading into early womanhood in her island society.
The Hunting Party for prompt #38 - a book featuring a party. Atmospheric and creepy, yet sort of predictable. It became obvious really quickly who the antagonist was - I felt thrown right at it. I rather liked The Guest List more.
If Walls Could Talk: An intimate history of the home for prompt #14 - a book with cutlery on the cover or in the title. My copy had a fork on the cover. This is an interesting, entertaining, and informative domestic history of the home, such as how certain rooms and items in our homes came to be through time. If you liked Bryson's At Home: A Short History of Private Life or just generally like domestic histories, this is a good one to pick up.
Three Women and a Boat for prompt #2 - a book that takes place on a plane, train, or cruise ship. I took a few liberties with this book in terms of fitting it to the prompt - it mostly takes place on a canal narrowboat in England. So, not entirely a cruise ship, but they lived on it for several weeks, and their lives became intertwined because of the boat. The plot wasn't riveting, and nor were the characters, but it was gentle read about women's friendships and not being afraid to take that 'next step' in life.
Currently reading
The Dictator's Wife for prompt #20 - A book whose title begins with the last letter of your previous read. Well, my last read ended with a 'T' (see above), so I was liberal with using this one. I wanted to read it. Interesting premise, but I can't say I really like any of the characters. It makes you wonder about the women in the lives of these infamous dictators - what did they know? How complicit were they in such masculine-dominated societies? I'm curious to learn more.
I think I'll hit up Verity after that one for the #BookTok recommendation prompt.
QotW
If you were to read a book based off a TV show (either novelization or continuation) what show would you want to read about?
Hmm ... I was obsessed with Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel in high school, so that would've been cool to have a novelization/continuation of those series. Nowadays, I'm the least likely to get involved with a series (too emotional/heartbreaking/draining when it ends), so I tend to stick to Netflix series that mostly are adaptations from novels anyway ...
Happy Thursday! Finished Reading:
This Is Paradise: Stories ⭐⭐⭐⭐
This was great to read about the Hawaiian Islands while it was blizzarding out.
The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Super adorable graphic novel.
To Marry and to Meddle ⭐⭐⭐
Decent historical romance although the plot was a little weak. I like book two of this series the best.
F in Exams: The Best Test Paper Blunders ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I giggled through the whole book, while groaning for the teachers that saw these exams.
Obit ⭐⭐ (2022 Anisfield-Wolf poetry award)
This is a neat concept but I have no idea how this won the Anisfield-Wolf award. The middle section also is so confusing.
The Witch of Blackbird Pond ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (2015 a book your mom loves)
This was cute, why couldn't we have been made to read this in school instead of The Crucible. The lessons on discrimination and labeling people as other/witch are still prevalent while being an enjoyable book.
Shakespeare's Sonnets ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (2015 owned but never read before)
The format is very pleasant I'll just have to keep rereading to understand some of it.
PS 2022 31/50
PS 2015 31/50
Goodreads 95/200
Currently Reading:
Chaos Choreography
QOTW:
I read these for sure, Buffy first and foremost. I read some of the Angel ones but I didn't like them as much. Alias books were really good and I'm kicking myself now that I put mine in a garage sale years ago. I enjoyed a couple of Veronica Mars ones too.
Nadine in NY wrote: "Sarah wrote: "I would love to read the Veronica Mars books (more to erase the memory of season 4 than anything else)..."I read both books, and they were good! Especially the first one, in audiob..."
I get so mad whenever I remember season 4 exists! I'll never get over it
Mod
SAME!!!
Erica wrote: "Season 4 was so perfect until it wasn't. How are we supposed to [spoilers removed]"
Yeah I don't really want to see him in anything now, that's for sure, but I mostly hold a grudge against Rob Thomas. He just spit on his fans. There was no need for that.
Hi all! Count me in with the crazy weather. We didn't get snow the other day as feared, but my mom who lives an hour and a half away got a foot! By this weekend, it should be 80. Good thing I just bought some new shorts (and forgot to throw them in with my wash today...)Been life-busy lately and decided I would take today to get some cleaning done around the house and some reading done. Not as much of either as I would have liked... but so it goes.
I finished The Bluest Eye this week. It's one of those weird books that I loved and turned my stomach simultaneously.
I've decided I want to read more banned books this year. I read an article from PEN America that over 1,100 books have been banned in classroom and school libraries since July of last year. (https://pen.org/banned-in-the-usa/). I don't keep track of numbers usually, but that seems *high*. Anyway, I picked The Bluest Eye before deciding to embark on this plan (but knowing that it is regularly banned). Now I gotta decide what to go for next...
Before I make that pick, I'm currently reading Haldol and Hyacinths: A Bipolar Life for a book that starts with the last letter of my previous read. I also started The Schoolmaster's Daughter for a book I know nothing about. It was a random pick up last time I was at the library.
QOTW: My first thought was Firefly. I have a collection of graphic novels that I've never gotten around to reading. Thinking about it longer, my next thought was My So-Called Life. But that was a long time ago that I watched that show.
Greetings all! I had jury duty this week - only had to do one day too! I did get impanelled for a criminal trial but it was going to last 9 weeks and no way as a lawyer with a solo practice was I going to be able to do 9 weeks -- I'd lose all my clients. So I was excused and it was so late in the date, that meant I'd finished jury duty for the next 4 years. Oh, and the trial was involving an incident in 2017 that was front page news, so it will probably be in the news once it starts. I'm 31/50 in PS! I'm so pleased. I really don't have any particular concerns with completing any prompts, either.
Finished - I had a productive week though most were not for challenge!
Fatal Identity - I'm behind in this series which I've always enjoyed.
The Paris Architect- prompt - first sister city (Paris) - very enjoyable historical set in Paris in 1942, though too many torture scenes but fabulous interwoven architectural info about Bauhaus and classical Parisian architecture.
Love and Death Among the Cheetahs - Prompt - set during a Holiday - a honeymoon! Historical mystery in the Her Spyness series set mostly in the Happy Valley area of Kenya during 1935 - and a lot of real events and personages litter the pages and even inspired the murder mystery itself. Excellent.
Wired by Julie Garwood clearly author inspired by a love of Project Runway's Karlie Kloss - really loved the heroine Allison. A recent addition to the Buchanan series but worked well as a standalone - series new to me.
Destination Unknown - Set in early 1950s and more espionage from Dame Agatha than mystery, very reminiscent of the screen plays for North by Northwest and The Lady Vanishes.
Heartbreaker the first in the Buchanan series and far darker than I was expecting after reading Wired - involves a serial killer.
Currently reading:
The City of Brass - for my Feminerdy Book Club
A Clash of Kings - ongoing read along
The British Are Coming: The War for America, Lexington to Princeton, 1775-1777 - ongoing read along
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - a slow re-read.
QOTW: You know, I don't really watch tv series or cable series except ones that are based on books or are classics like Monk which I would not necessarily want to read because the actor portrayals are key to my enjoyment, not the plots. I mean Tony Shaloub IS Monk.
Nadine in NY wrote: "Sarah wrote: "I get so mad whenever I remember season 4 exists! I'll never get over it ..."SAME!!!
Erica wrote: "Season 4 was so perfect until it wasn't. How are we supposed to [spoilers rem..."
True. Rob Thomas is at fault!
Howdy all. What a strange week. I had my last day at work. I had a birthday. I just had a job interview on zoom. Wow, it's been over a decade since I've been on an interview and I forgot how awkward they can be. Tooting my own horn is not my jam in the first place so now I'm just here feeling increasingly awkward. I do hope they offer me something though because I really do think I'd be good there. Sigh. Finished:
Nothing. Between job transition and birthday and obsessing over pirates, I have completed nothing this week.
Currently Reading:
Portrait of a Thief
QOTW:
Well, right now I'm massively obsessed with Our Flag Means Death, but I'm not sure how well that would translate to a book. I generally not really enjoy novelizations. I have read a couple of books that existed within the show that were actually published. I'm thinking of Bad Twin from Lost and Heat Wave from Castle. They were OK.
Shannon wrote: re: QOTW: "Maybe Pushing Daisies " If Jim Dale doesn't read that audiobook I'm rioting. Ned the Piemaker is my biggest fictional crush ever.
I love the idea of spring, but the reality knocks me for a loop. Too many weather changes too quickly causing barometric headaches, allergies, and going back and forth from heat to AC make me cranky - but I love those brave flowers who dare peek their colorful faces out to see the world. They do give me hope of a better day.Finished
The Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi - 5 stars; PS #1 (2022 book)
I have only read one previous Scalzi, and since I have loved both of them now I'm half tempted to quit reading anything else but his backlog. Thanks to all who recommended this book on here - I wasn't even sure what it was about but decided to give it a try.
Cute story: I was telling my niece and nephew what I was reading, but I had to spell "kaiju" as I didn't know how it was pronounced. My 8-year-old nephew told me how to say it, proclaiming that it was what Godzilla is. That was referenced in the book but I figured it was made up by the author. Apparently it is a thing. Who knew? (probably everyone). I adore it when the littles can school me on something. It makes them feel smart and makes me feel proud.
Currently reading
Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel
The Murmur of Bees by Sofía Segovia
Call Us What We Carry by Amanda Gorman
America's Women: 400 Years of Dolls, Drudges, Helpmates, and Heroines by Gail Collins
Goodreads: 30/100
Popsugar: 13/40, 3/10
QOTW: My favorite TV series this century has been "White Collar" starring Matt Bomer and Tim DeKay. I would love a book series if it was as well written. I'm rewatching the series here and there.
Katy wrote: "I've been tempted to read one of the Castle books, which isn't exactly the same thing, but haven't done it yet."I've enjoyed the Castle books, although they are nothing like the series. But entertaining nonetheless.
Doni wrote: "The Way of Integrity: Finding the Path to Your True Self After reading this, I decided I really shouldn't read any more self-help books!"Not sure why you feel this way, but I tend to agree. Self-help books make me dislike myself. I'd rather stay oblivious to all my faults. Ignorance is bliss.
I missed last week's check-in, so this update will cover both weeks. I finished four books (woo-hoo!), two of which I used for open prompts. I'm now at 7/40 and 1/10 for this challenge, and am at 18/75 for my overall Goodreads Reading Challenge.Finished:
* My Broken Language: A Memoir by Quiara Alegría Hudes, which I used for "a book that fulfills your favorite prompt from a past POPSUGAR Reading Challenge." The prompt was from 2017 -- "a book about an interesting woman" -- since the author and her mother were equally fascinating to me!;
* My Evil Mother: A Short Story by Margaret Atwood, which was delightful;
* Fresh Water for Flowers by Valérie Perrin and translated by Hildegarde Serle, which was one of my book club's picks. We'll be discussing it on Saturday; and,
* Oil and Marble: A Novel of Leonardo and Michelangelo by Stephanie Storey, which I used for "a different book by an author you read in 2021." I won a copy of Raphael, Painter in Rome in the fall and highly recommend both, especially if you love Italian Renaissance art (like I do!).
Currently Reading:
* The Chiffon Trenches by André Leon Talley, which one of my book clubs is reading for its May pick;
* Lost and Found in Paris by Lian Dolan, which is a NetGalley read; and,
* The Labyrinth of the Spirits by Carlos Ruiz Zafón, which I have not made any progress on yet.
QotW:
If you were to read a book based off a TV show (either novelization or continuation) what show would you want to read about? I've read a few books based on TV shows that I've enjoyed -- a few of the Monk and Castle books (which I found enjoyable), and an Orphan Black graphic novel (and I would definitely read more!!). I think a book based on The Good Place would be a lot of fun and definitely something I'd want to read.
Nadine in NY wrote: "I read both books, and they were good! Especially the first one, in audiobook format, read by Kristen Bell. But I am so salty about season 4 that I couldn't bring myself to even mention that show."I have not watched Season 4 for this reason - it makes people angry, and I don't want to ruin a favorite show.
Happy Thursday everybody! We're visiting my parents this weekend, so I will have a lot of time in the car to read a bit, or more likely play on my phone for several hours on end. Finished:
The Worst Journey in the World: such a good book, but obviously not a happy ending
Trixie and Katya's Guide to Modern Womanhood: I needed something light and fluffy to rebound off of Worst Journey
Ariel: I decided to give this one another go and I liked it better on reread
In progress:
Tears of the Giraffe: just haven't had the time to sit down and read
The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt's Darkest Journey: is my kindle on airplane mode so I don't lose this? yes yes it is. have i read more than a chapter? no I have not.
QOTW: I've read a few books based on tv shows, and I'd say generally not a recipe for success for me, but the Murder She Wrote books aren't bad. If I had to pick a something more current, I've enjoyed the recent trend of books using reality competition shows as the background for cozy mysteries or romances.
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Our monthly group read of A Good Girl's Guide to Murder is on-going - you can join the discussion here: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
If anyone is interested in leading the group discussion of Beloved for June or Piranesi for July, or any future book yet unchosen, let us know!
This week I finished three books, two for this challenge (and they were both memoirs!), so I am now 28/50.
Memorial Drive: A Daughter's Memoir by Natasha Trethewey- this was really powerful and sad. I picked it up because I love the author, and I didn't realize it was going to be a memoir about how her stepfather beat her mother and eventually killed her. That was rough to read. This was my Anisfield-Wolf award winner.
Violence Girl: East L.A. Rage to Hollywood Stage, a Chicana Punk Story by Alice Bag - I've been wanting to read this for years, and I'm glad that Popsugar had the "about a band" category to finally push me to pick it up. I don't usually like reading about musicians, and I'm often disappointed by the books, they rely more on the popularity of the musician than on the actual quality of the book. But this book was a refreshing surprise! (Maybe because "Alice Bag" isn't exactly a household name, so she's writing because she's got something to say, not because her fame will sell books.) It's not that the writing is amazing (although it's good), but it's the subject matter that grabbed me. Her story was really interesting, starting from a lower-middle-class Chicana girl growing up in East LA to a punk singer at the forefront of the LA punk movement in the mid-late 1970s, she was right there in the middle of it all. I mean, what other singer has had both Darby Crash and Sid Vicious jump onstage from the audience to try to sing with her (at different shows), and opened for Fear and Iggy Pop (again, different shows)?? No other singer that I know of. Two thumbs up. This was my book about a band (this would also fit in "book by a Latinx author").
Cinder's Adventure: Get Me To the Wedding! by Marissa Meyer - a Choose Your Own Adventure sort-of-sequel to the Lunar Chronicles!! This includes characters from all of Meyers' books, so it will be MOST fun for fans who have read all of her stuff. Do you want to see Cinder interact with Jest, Hatta, Magpie, Sketch, Pru, & Gerdrut? Then this is your book!! I really enjoyed it. Since Cinder ends up in a variety of worlds with the different characters, including Wonderland, I think this would count for "parallel reality."
Question of the Week
I saw this on Gail Carriger's FB page ...
If you were to read a book based off a TV show (either novelization or continuation) what show would you want to read about?
Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel (the Series) are two of my favorite shows, and I love reading books and graphic novels and fanfic based on those shows. I've read a bunch, and this will always be my #1 choice. I've got the "season 8" graphic novel, and someday I'll read "season 9" and the Angel graphic novels. (Feel free to recommend any good novels or fanfic where Buffy and Angel finally get their happy ending together!)
I'm currently really enjoying Bridgerton on Netflix, but I'm not a fan of the books - long before the show, I read at least three in the series, and one of them (the third book, Benedict's book) was one of the WORST romance novels I've ever read. So, not that show!
I've been re-watching LOST on Hulu, and I think I would enjoy reading a book based on that show. There must be some, but I've never seen any books based on Lost!