Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge discussion
2022 Weekly Check-Ins
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Week 23: 6/3 - 6/9
I finished A Rose for Virtue as the book that starts with the last letter of previous read. Not bad.I read The Sound and the Fury as my book that takes place during a holiday (Easter, not that you would really know until the last few pages). Bad. Bad. All the bad.
I read The Guardians as my book by an author that I read last year. Really really good. Loved it.
I've just stared The White and the Gold: The French Regime in Canada as my book that I know nothing about. And I was right about that. My copy doesn't have the subtitle on it, so it was just The White and the Gold with a picture of a crown on the front with no description on the back. I thought it was historical fiction about the Wars of the Roses or something.
QOTW: the nonpatriarchal one. I'm hoping to just find a book about Amazons or something.
Mod
Glad to hear it! :-)
they spent as much time as needed to make sure I had all the information I wanted on her behalf!
That is so impressive.
Katy wrote: "I finished A Rose for Virtue as the book that starts with the last letter of previous read. Not bad.I read The Sound and the Fury as my book that takes place during a ..."
I dreaded that too, but I read vespertine and it was really good.
Mod
This week I finished five books. None of these count toward the Popsugar Challenge, so I remain 33/50. I am now 5/11 on my personal "must read in 2022 challenge."
Light Years From Home by Mike Chen- I finished this last Thursday and I don't think I listed it last week. This was framed as an alien abduction story but really it's a family drama. I like the way Chen writes, but I hated one of the characters and I had a hard time sympathizing with her.
Blue Is the Warmest Color by Julie Maroh - wow no, not for me. I know this is much beloved by many people, but I am not one of those people.
The Plotters by Kim Un-su- intricate and different with a nihilistic ending. I do wish things had ended differently, but there was really no way they could have. I look forward to more by this author! This book was on my "must read in 2022" list. Five stars!
Speak No Evil by Uzodinma Iweala - I loved the writing and I was very engaged, but I hated the way he ended things. I initially gave this five stars but I'm so angry about it, I think I have to go back and change my rating. I listened to the audiobook (which was well done) so I was blissfully ignorant of the egregious lack of dialogue marks or even paragraph breaks between dialogue - if I had read this with my eyes, I would have hated the writing.
Magnified by Minnie Bruce Pratt- these poems were good, but most of them didn't really affect me much.
My issue with the two LGBT books I finished this week is that (view spoiler) Thankfully the book I'm reading right now - The Falling in Love Montage - seems to be the perfect antidote.
QotW
Usually there are one or more categories that I just DREAD (and I've learned to tackle those categories early in the year or they LOOM and cause MORE DREAD). But this year is not too bad!! I wasn't exactly thrilled when I saw BookTok, onomatopoeia, or palindromic, but I accidentally read a BookTokked book with my book club a few months ago (The Maid), and I've got reasonable choices picked out for onomatopoeia and palindrome. I may end up hating my palindrome book, but I'm not dreading it. I like the quirkiness of choosing a book whose title is a palindrome, or includes onomatopoeia.
A few categories that I made sure to knock out early, since they weren't super enticing: set during a holiday, non-patriarchal, about witches, set in the 80s, man-made disaster.
I have 17 categories left to fill (including palindrome & onomatopoeia) and I have decent books selected for most of them. To my surprise, the two that I'm LEAST excited about are:
duology - just because I'm still not sure what to read - I had been planning a Scalzi duology, but I read another book by him last month and now I don't know if I want to read two more this year.
Hugo award winner - this one really surprises ME, because ... I LOVE SFF, so what is my problem here?? why can't I drum up excitement for this one? I think it's because I've already read the Hugo winners that I was excited about, so now what's left are books that I "should" read. I'm sure I'll end up enjoying whatever I choose, but right now I'm having a hard time drumming up some enthusiasm.
Happy Thursday! Yesterday was my busy day, out running errands and getting a bunch of stuff done at home. Hubby bought me a new memory foam mattress a few months ago, and I added a cooling pad a few weeks ago. I finally realized that the mattress needs its own fitted sheet (vs the regular fitted sheet for the old mattress), so I went ahead and bought that this morning. Excited for it to get here so I won't constantly be tugging it down anymore.No worries Lynn, we're glad to have you whenever you can be around!
As happens, I have/had a plan for June reading and then more library books showed up yesterday. Must fit them in somewhere! I'm staying fairly focused on my summer reading challenge, but I'm hoping to use a few of them for Popsugar prompts as well.
Finished this week:
Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith - 4 stars. I'm taking something of a hiatus from white male-centered nonfiction after this and Mediocre last week, it's a bit much just now. This was chilling and well-written, and we've started watching the miniseries.
Yu-Gi-Oh!: Millennium World, Vol. 6: The Name of the Pharaoh - 5 stars. Loved that fusion at the end.
Yu-Gi-Oh!: Millennium World, Vol. 7: Through The Last Door - 4 stars. Bit of an abrupt end, and not entirely to my taste, hence 4 instead of 5, but I do love this series very much.
Redemption Song - 5 stars. Excited for more of this series! The perfect combination of magic and snark (Harry Dresden can suck it)
Hopefully finishing tonight: Shorefall - This has been intense from p1 and I'm so afraid of the ending/what will come in book 3 😬😬
Currently:
The Silmarillion - I need to pick this up again, I haven't touched it in a week or so
Dismembering Lahui: A History of the Hawaiian Nation to 1887 - Need to finish this so it can go back to the library
The Invention of Wings - Listening to the audio. This is very good so far
Upcoming:
Base Notes - I grabbed this for my Kindle a week or so ago and I'm so excited! I loved the Amberlough trilogy and this sounds extremely promising
Wrath Goddess Sing - An Iliad retelling! This came from the library yesterday and I'm determined to make room for it because it sounds fantastic
The Last Rose of Shanghai - The other new library arrival. I'm hopeful but I remember Nadine not liking it, so we'll see what happens
Cemetery Dance - More Pendergast!
QOTW: Is there any one prompt from the 2022 Popsugar challenge that you are dreading/avoiding/putting off? If so, which one is that? Why does it seem so dreadful to you?
A Book With a Recipe In It; I'm not one for cookbooks or very many cozies, so I may get creative here. I'm also not psyched about A Book You Know Nothing About, because I'm always reading blurbs specifically so I know what they're about. Going into a book blind seeing dumb.
Hello! This week was hard. We had to say goodbye to my cat yesterday after the vet confirmed her heart medication had messed with her kidneys. She wasn't eating or drinking, and had no energy to do anything. I was carrying her around the house when she wanted to change places, making it clear it was time. She was 12, which is old, but not that old, so it's been very tough.Finished This Week:
Remote Control by Nnedi Okorafor. Book club's pick for this month. It's a novella, so it's short, but I'm not sure what to think about it. I think I'd like to see more in that world. Not for PS prompt.
Ludicrous: The Unvarnished Story of Tesla Motors by Edward Niedermeyer. With all the Elon Musk and Twitter stuff going on, I saw a thread from this author talking about the stuff he found out about Tesla that resulted in this book. I got a copy from my library and read it over the weekend. As someone who already disliked Elon and distrusted Tesla, this confirmed my beliefs. The book has a lot about how Tesla would promise something, stage a press event or issue a press release, and it would turn out months or years later that nothing in the press material was true. This would happen where features promised were used once and discontinued due to lack of consumer interest, even though they never had the chance to use/request them. Or Elon would claim they'd secured funding months before it had happened (once he said it was done before they'd even applied). Very interesting and enlightening, but again, I wasn't an Elon fan going in. Using for PS#20, title beginning with last letter of previous read (Remote Control -> Ludicrous).
Trust Me on This by Jennifer Crusie. I was scrolling recommendation posts for Read Harder categories when I saw this was mentioned for RH#7, romance where protagonist is over 40. I'd bought it as an ebook years ago but hadn't read it, so knocked it out Sunday night. It was a very quick read, and featured two romances. The main one involved people in their 30s, but the secondary one was two people in their 60s. All four were POV characters, so I'm still counting it. It was also marketed by the author as a screwball comedy, but I don't think I laughed once.
PS: 26/50 RH: 6/24 ATY: 31/52 GR: 74/100
Currently Reading:
The Witness for the Dead by Katherine Addison. Listening to the audiobook for a refresher before the next one comes out next week. I did a lot of driving this weekend with my college reunion and the vet visits, so I've only got about 40 minutes to go. It is dreadfully difficult keeping all the characters straight via audio. I have to keep stopping myself from going to a bookstore to buy a physical copy.
Malice by Heather Walter. Picked this up from the library for a "from the villain's perspective" prompt from a different challenge, and intended to use for PS#5, a Sapphic Book. I've also realized it could work for duology, since the second book is out now, or a non-patriarchal society. Ran out of time last night to finish, but am very close. It was not what I was expecting, but I'm enjoying it.
Prairie Fires: The American Dreams of Laura Ingalls Wilder by Caroline Fraser. No progress made.
QotW: Is there any one prompt from the 2022 Popsugar challenge that you are dreading/avoiding/putting off? If so, which one is that? Why does it seem so dreadful to you?
I was going to say Palindromic title, but I see that the St. Paul library has Go Hang a Salami! I'm a Lasagna Hog!: and Other Palindromes. Now to figure out how to convince my library to get it from St. Paul for me.
Otherwise for PopSugar, I'm avoiding Social Horror (#33) because I don't like horror.
Finished:Dawn of the Eagles by S.D. Perry and Britta Dennison (reread, 4/5)
This chronicles some stories from the end of the Cardassian Occupation of Bajor and leads almost to the first instants of the DS9 pilot episode "Emissary." Now, I am ready to begin my DS9 rewatch!
Question of the Week:
I am not planning on finishing all the prompts this year, so this does not really apply. Since I read a lot of SFF books, the twin cities prompt is a lot harder.
Mod
I am so sorry for your loss. It's NEVER a good time to have to say goodbye.
Melissa wrote: "Hello! This week was hard. We had to say goodbye to my cat yesterday after the vet confirmed her heart medication had messed with her kidneys. She wasn't eating or drinking, and had no energy to do..."Deeply sorry to hear this, Melissa. Sending you all our love <333
Not the best of reading weeks for me. I did manage to finally finish one I've been working on for months because I kept setting it aside. It would have been easy to find another NYC setting book but I've had this one on my shelves for years and I wanted it gone (also it fulfilled the Q prompt on my alphabet challenge) so for the prompt Two books set in twin towns, aka "sister cities" (2) (I used London for the first twinned city aka softballing this in) I read Queen of Thieves: The True Story of "Marm" Mandelbaum and Her Gangs of New York by J. North Conway It was poorly written but at least it's over with and I can donate the book.QOTW There were a couple A book featuring a man-made disaster is one because life's depressing enough without reading about more disasters. Oddly enough A book about or set in a nonpatriarchal society also bothered me because it's such a reminder that in my favored genre of SFF we STILL don't write many of these. We still persist in writing misogynistic tales (maybe to show we can rise above them? I don't know. I'd just like to see something different, like oh I don't know, equality) I just tossed in a Wonder Woman story for this.
A book you can read in one sittingGoodbye Again: Essays, Reflections and Illustrations by Jonny Sun. Book of essays. The succulent essay really spoke to me.
Begins with last letter of previous read
Shadow of the Fox and Soul of the Sword by Julie Kawaga. YA fantasy. Just okay for me. Probably won't read more.
A book you can read in one setting
Goodbye, Again by Jonny Sun. Book of essays. Very sweet and calming and the essay about succulents is lovely.
Book with a misleading title
by Kiley Reid. Contemporary about a black woman who is babysitting a white kid and is stopped in a grocery store. Really enjoyed it and was avoiding it because it was so hyped.
no prompts from fave to least fave
Things We Do in the Dark by Jennifer Hillier. Thriller. I called the twist but it was still enjoyable. Content warning: sexual assault and child abuse.
The Truants by Kate Weinberg. Everyone has secrets and it was very meh. Like it aspired to high literary aspirations but it did not get there.
Fated Blades by Ilona Andrews. Sci-fi. It was okay. It really fell flat on the romance aspect which is usually really good in their books.
QOTW
The palindromic title. I set down earlier this week and figured out which books I have on my TBR shelf that fit prompts and what books I need to get to finish off the prompts. And I don't have a book with a palindromic title and nothing on the lists jumps out at me or I've already read them.
Happy Thursday, everyone! This week I finally got started on a household project that I’ve been putting off for a long time…cleaning out and reorganizing my office. I’ve spent the past couple of days working in my office, while listening to the My Favorite Murder podcast. It’s been a lot of work, but the results are totally going to be worth it.
I also managed to do a considerable amount of reading this week as part of the SciFi Summer Readathon. I’ve been having a lot of fun working my way through my backlog of SciFi titles, and I’m thrilled that I’ve made it past the 20% mark on both my TBR Checklist and the SciFi portion of that list.
During the coming week, my plan is to (hopefully) finish up my office, and continue my reading for SciFi Summer. I probably won’t be able to get through quite as many titles as I did this week, but that’s okay.
Goodreads: 294/200
TBR Checklist: 253/1140
TBR Checklist (SciFi only): 23/100
Finished Reading:
~Shards of Alderaan
~Diversity Alliance
~Delusions of Grandeur
~Jedi Bounty
~The Emperor's Plague
~Return to Ord Mantell
~Trouble on Cloud City
~Crisis at Crystal Reef
~The Left Hand of Darkness
~Firefly: The Unification War Vol. 1
~Firefly: The Unification War Vol. 2
~Firefly: The Unification War Vol. 3
~Those Left Behind
~Better Days and Other Stories
~The Shepherd's Tale
~Leaves on the Wind
~Predator: The Essential Comics Volume 1
Currently Reading:
~The Complete Predator Omnibus -- Until I started this book, I didn’t realize that it included two of the same stories as the Predator comic book collection I just finished. I’m finding that I actually like the novelizations better than the original comic books, but I would’ve waited a bit longer to read this one had I known.
QOTW:
I’m not actively participating in the challenge this year, so this question doesn’t really apply to me. However, the prompts I would have dreaded are “an Anisfield-Wolf Book Award Winner” and “a book by a Pacific Islander author,” simply because I am trying to complete as much of my physical TBR as possible in 2022, and these prompts would have required me to go in search of a book that I don’t already own.
31/50Finished: The Stars and the Blackness Between Them for prompt BIPOC romance. Would also work for sapphic novel.
Started: Wondrous Words: Writers and Writing in the Elementary Classroom Reading books as a writer. Worth the re-read.
I know it doesn't look like I'm reading a lot, but I'm cycling through several books a chapter a day, so I'm making slow progress in a lot of books! I'm enjoying doing that way.
Qotw: I know this is kinda stupid because it is the most flexible prompt, but I'm kinda dreading book that fulfills your favorite prompt from a past POPSUGAR Reading challenge because I picked dark academia book, but now I'm not as excited about reading it anymore. I should probably cull through former challenges and find one I AM excited about. For another challenge, I'm reading a book that I disagree with and that is my favorite prompt. Too bad it's not a popsugar prompt!
I finally finished Death by Water which I started in April. It was written by the Nobel Laureate for 1994. It had good themes, but was 528 pages and should have been under 400. It does nothing to dispel the impression that the works of Nobel Laureates are often boring AF. I'm struggling now with the non-fiction book I'm reading. I thought my YA books would have come in through inter-library loans by now. I'm scared to start reading another book because I know that as soon as I do, my book will come in and I'll have 3 to juggle. (first world reading problems.)
Finished:
Death by Water
ATY prompt: A book by an Asian or Pacific Islander author
Popsugar prompt: Two books set in twin towns, aka "sister cities"
It took place in part in Tokyo and a tiny remote town. I previously read City of Fallen Angels in January, but found no PS prompt for it. Since that book is very NYC (there is a High Warlock of Brooklyn), I'm counting it and Death by Water as my sister cities books.
ATY - 24/52
PS- 21/35
Series - 9/13
Clearing my TBR list: 18/40
Currently reading:
How the Irish Saved Civilization: The Untold Story of Ireland's Heroic Role from the Fall of Rome to the Rise of Medieval Europe - About 20% done
QOTW: I only signed on to do 35 PS prompts, which is good because I found the prompts this year so much more restrictive than last year. There are some that even if I was trying to do them all that I'd struggle to find a book I'd find the least bit interesting to read.
Oddly enough, I find the Advanced Prompts easier to do than the regular ones. Not sure what that says about me.
Happy Thursday! It's been so nice and summery here lately. I'm hoping to take my daughter to the park soon to enjoy the nice weather!Finished 20/50
Save Me from Myself: How I Found God, Quit Korn, Kicked Drugs, and Lived to Tell My Story for "book about a band or musical group". Wow, really powerful book. This guy lived such an insane life, but tells it so humbly. I was happy to finally get more of Korn's story too!
Currently Reading
Welcoming Gifts: Sacrifice in the Bible and Christian Life for "book released in 2022". This book is MIND BLOWING. Worldview shattering stuff. Basically, "take everything you know about Christianity and religion and throw it in the trash". I'm beyond loving this right now. If you're religious, you NEED this book.
QotW
The "romance novel by a BIPOC author" because I cannot stand that genre. And Real Men Knit did not help. So glad to be done with that, although "social-horror" isn't high on my list either!
I remembered it's Thursday for once! Finished:
The Windsor Knot by S.J. Bennett for a Jubilee themed read that doesn't fit any prompts. Not the biggest fan of cosy mysteries but this was enjoyable enough.
Book Lovers by Emily Henry for a book set during a holiday and ATY (second book title sharing a word). My first book by her and I super enjoyed it. I loved the editor/agent angle.
QOTW:
The Anisfield-Wolf award isn't really exciting me. I only had one TBR book on the list and it's one I'm not that interested in reading any more. I did notice The Trees won this year so maybe I'll give that a go.
I thought non-patriarchal might be hard but I read Fevered Star and realised that fit.
Happy Thursday!The Weird Al concert was a blast. It was fun getting to hear him perform some of his lesser-known songs -- he's best-known for his parodies but has plenty of great original songs as well.
Also bought a new car this week -- the insurance company declared my old one a total loss. I've spent too much this week...
Books read this week:
Rune Scale -- most of the book is taken up with explaining the magic system, and the main female character gets grating. But it was still enjoyable.
When Women Were Dragons -- THIS WAS AMAZING! A powerful statement on feminism, gender identity, sexual orientation, and how patriarchy suppresses and erases all of the above. Plus, dragons!
I Am an Executioner: Love Stories -- rather weird short stories that all seem to stop right before any kind of resolution can happen. There were some creative concepts here… they just didn’t seem to be finished.
Deep Roots -- sequel to Winter Tide. It helps to have some familiarity with the Cthulhu mythos before reading these books, but they’re very worth it. The author goes a long way towards making the monsters and creatures of Lovecraft’s stories, well, human.
DNF:
Klara and the Sun -- I know, I should love this one because it’s about robots. But… I didn’t. Just could not make myself keep reading.
Wizard for Hire -- for claiming to be a fantasy book, there’s precious little magic in this one. And I kept questioning the logic of the story (how does a kid survive for seven years by himself without any adults to look after him?), which means it didn’t suck me in enough to make me suspend my disbelief. Moving on…
Currently Reading:
Indistinguishable from Magic
Medicine Men: Extreme Appalachian Doctoring
Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures
The Boneless Mercies
The Secret Zoo
QOTW:
I don't think I really dreaded or put off any prompts from the challenge. There were books I was "meh" about, but for the most part I progressed pretty well.
Kenya wrote: "Happy Thursday!The Weird Al concert was a blast. It was fun getting to hear him perform some of his lesser-known songs -- he's best-known for his parodies but has plenty of great original songs a..."
I saw someone online mention wanting a collab between Weird Al and Lizzo that wasn't a parody, just a proper song and solid accordion/flute jam, and now it's all I dream about.
Kenya wrote: "Happy Thursday!The Weird Al concert was a blast. It was fun getting to hear him perform some of his lesser-known songs -- he's best-known for his parodies but has plenty of great original songs as well."
So glad you enjoyed it! I agree, my favorite Weird Al songs aren't usually the straight parodies, but the original tunes. The Night Santa Went Crazy is still one of my all time favorite songs.
I've seen Weird Al in concert twice, first during the Bad Hair Day tour and the second time was probably a decade later, while he was promoting Straight Outta Lynwood. Both were amazing shows. I remember loving his extended live version of Canadian Idiot that involved sound effects from Bob & Doug Mckenzie's Great White North, which are sadly missing from the released version of the song. (It's such a nerdy deep cut that I was ecstatic I understood it, and devastated when I bought the song and they weren't there. This concert was at the Minnesota State Fair, so I'm sure the Canadian slander was an intentional choice.) I believe he did a live version of Albuquerque, with an ever increasing list of things the donut shop was sold out of. After those two things, my biggest memory is of all the costume changes.
Happy check-in! It's been lovely weather here too even though it's rainy today. Finished Reading:
The Mortal Instruments: The Graphic Novel, Vol. 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I really enjoy that all these graphic novels are done by the same artist for continuity. Now all I have to do is reread the third book so I can finish the series.
That Can Be Arranged: A Muslim Love Story ⭐⭐⭐
This wasn't as funny as her other book I read but it still was interesting.
Six Crimson Cranes ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (2015 colour in the title)
This was amazing. With a bunch of you guys reading Daughter of the Forest I was feeling like rereading that and I ended up reading this without realizing it was very similar. The mc is a princess who is cursed and can't speak while her brothers are turned into cranes. This is much cheerier and easier to read than Daughter.
The Family You Make ⭐⭐
This was a dud. I loved Shalvis' wildstone series but this book felt like cut and paste from previous books.
Spy x Family, Vol. 3 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Love this found family.
Death Wins a Goldfish: Reflections from a Grim Reaper's Yearlong Sabbatical ⭐⭐
Another disappointment. I thought this would be funny but the author's introduction just killed it and then the artwork looked like something I would draw and that's not a compliment.
Magic Binds ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Three more to go in this series reread.
PS 2022 41/50
PS 2015 38/50
Goodreads 140/250
Currently Reading:
Something Wilder I mostly do not like westerns, treasure hunts and desert settings.
QOTW:
I have a bunch of the prompts I was dreading done now but the duology one is still left. Also the twin city, I haven't read a book set in New York yet despite lots of characters living in New York.
Greetings! Another insanely busy work week but I'm actually spending a long weekend at my 45th College Reunion -- it's only 20 blocks from where I live -- Barnard College in NYC. First in-person reunion held since 2019. Barnard is actually doing a hybrid virtual/livestream/in person. I think it fabulous to keep some virtual for those who can't make it in person and even those who were planning to be in person for some panel or whatever, but something came up at work...that's me today. However I'm not missing the class dinner tomorrow evening!I'm 37/50 for PS.
Finished:
Razorblade Tears - brutal and beautiful. Not for the faint of heart. Total 5 star.
Breadfruit - Prompt: Pacific Islander - low key enjoyable collection of stories centered on one character with a loose connecting thread.
Year's Happy Ending - total silly froth
Off the Leash - wonderfully entertaining studly-men-&-hunky-dog romantic suspense. OK dog not so hunky but cute as can be. And our stud - a master chocalitier who knits and is totally studly! Buchman is such a fun romantic supsense in the spec ops genre, finding this K-9 series is a fun change-up. However, Buchman needs to get better covers for his books.
Currently Reading:
Ulysses
A Clash of Kings
On Your Mark
The Probable Future
Gideon the Ninth
QOTW: The one I dread and loathe is the prompt linked to movie or tv show/series. I wish they'd just drop it but every year there's a prompt incorporating books/film/show. I really have problems finding a book I both have not already read and still want to read for this prompt every single time. This year in January I decided to look at Hallmark movies as many of them are based on either romance or mystery novels, both of which I read. Bingo! I found that a movie was released in Janaury based on a Lori Wilde romance about a bridal veil. Movie ultimately seems to have strayed far from the book plot but it says right in the credits it was adapted from the book. I made a point of getting it out of the way very early so the prompt didn't glare at me. The other I dreaded was Pacific Islander author because I was just not finding anything I could bear to read. Fortunately I have resolved that dilemma with Breadfruit.
Happy Thursday. I read 3 for the week. All 5 stars. All for Pop Sugar. 1. Writers & Lovers for # 14 A Book With Cutlery on the Cover. I didn't know anything about the book & ended up really enjoying it.
2. The Great Believers for # 13 A book set in the 1980's.
3.Malibu Risingn for #19 A book that takes place during your favorite season. I stayed up to midnight to finish it.
QOTW: # 19 A book that takes place during your favorite season.
#14 A book with cutlery on the cover.
# A book with a protagonist that uses a mobility aid. I have no idea what I'm reading for this.
Mod
This was a dud. I loved Shalvis' wildstone series but this book felt like cut and paste from previous books. ..."
thank you! I was so bored by this book, it left me wondering if I should just stop reading Shalvis's new books.
Melissa, I'm so sorry about your cat. Hugs to you.We both tested positive still as of Tuesday, so we're spending another week or so in quarantine. My company is still working at home, at least, so grateful for that.
Since the last check-in, I've read:
The Queer Principles of Kit Webb - 4 stars, not for a prompt. This was a lot of fun, and I'm actually really looking forward to reading the sequel.
Some comics and manga:
The Ancient Magus' Bride: Wizard's Blue, Vol. 4
Yona of the Dawn, Vol. 36
I am currently reading The Kaiju Preservation Society for the parallel reality prompt. I'm enjoying it so far. It's just the sort of fun I needed right now.
I'm now at 35/50 (31/40 and 4/10) for Popsugar.
QOTW: I'm not looking forward to social horror, because I don't enjoy horror very much. I do have some decent options for the prompt, though.
Hi everyone. Yesterday was my last day in the hotel. I worked there for almost nine years so I feel a bit strange today. I go on holiday with my family next week so I have a little time before I start my new job. This week I finished Terciel and Elinor. It was enjoyable but not fantastic. Terciel really let down the side. He didn't have much in way of personality (other than a strong dislike for salt fish) and his chemistry with Elinor was non-existent.
Currently reading: Payback's a Witch which is fluffy and fun, but very over-dramatic. I'm excited to see how things pan out.
QOTW: I'm having a year off of the challenge but there are a lot of tricky ones this year I think.
Hi all! Battling a head cold. The symptoms haven't been too bad, but I've been extra tired. I haven't read too much as a result. I'm behind in baseball, too! I've also had 2 doctors' appointments this week that haven't helped, either. I didn't finish anything. Almost done with City of Incurable Women. Not sure where I might use it. It has French in it, so I could use it as 2 languages.
I'm halfway through Mexican Whiteboy, nothing is still happening...
I'm not quite halfway through Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, but it's hard to read, I need to focus only on that, and I haven't had the mental energy.
QOTW: I was most dreading the Booktok prompt (Goodreads is my only social media, so, like Lynn said, you're all stuck with me!), but I saw most of Colleen Hoover's recent books were on there and I had intended to read Verity, so that's my plan for that one. I won't get to all the prompts anyway, so any that I don't like, I just don't get around to!
Not doing the challenge this year, so not really applicable. In general, I wish prompt writers would word prompts to be more open ended, not less so. I know there's the whole "your challenge, your rules", but I don't like to feel like I have to stretch half the prompts to make them work for something I want to read. So things like why did the plane, train, cruise ship have to be a cruise ship and not just boat? i would just do it as a boat, but if you're being strict, most the books I would think to use wouldn't technically fit. Or the palindrome one says a "palindromic title" not a "palindrome IN the title" which implies the whole title should be one, which is MUCH harder and more limiting.
Yep, still jealous about the Weird Al concert.Whenever I have a cold (like now), the song that comes to mind is Gotta Boogie... lol, yep, I'm 10 years old... ;D
ugh just realized that when it posted it ate almost my entire post except part of the question of the week. i'll have to re-write it tomorrow
Mod
I get really attached to places, so I would feel so sad, even though the new job is a happy thing.
Happy Thursday. I’m in the middle of my OMG-SRP-IS-MONDAY!! Freak out. It’s also going to probably hit 100 degrees tomorrow. Blech! I did find a mama chukar roosting in some weeds in our back yard! She has 13 or so eggs in the nest. I’m keeping my two little demon spawn away from her and the nest. I can’t wait until I can see the babies!
Other than that I’ve been reading pretty regularly. Although, I must admit, I’m having commitment issues with my books. It’s definitely not the book. It’s me.
Finished:
Full Moon O Sagashite, Vol. 2
Full Moon O Sagashite, Vol. 3
Full Moon O Sagashite, Vol. 4
Full Moon O Sagashite, Vol. 5
Full Moon O Sagashite, Vol. 6
Full Moon O Sagashite, Vol. 7 random characters show up in the series. I got super confused so I had to look up a particular character cuz I didn’t remember him. Reason: he magically showed up in that chapter. Yay! not that crazy yet!
Stuck with You stuck in an elevator! Love this trope!
The Dragon Knight's Beloved (Manga) Vol. 1 yes, a reread to remember what happened.
The Dragon Knight's Beloved, Vol. 2
Currently reading:
A Curse So Dark and Lonely
The Savior's Book Cafe Story in Another World (Manga) Vol. 1
The Luminaries The main character’s name is so cheesy! Winnie Wednesday. I can’t take the book seriously with a name like that.
Aria: The Masterpiece Volume 1
Planning:
The Savior's Book Cafe Story in Another World (Manga) Vol. 2
Aria: The Masterpiece, Volume 2
Aria: The Masterpiece Volume 3
Aria: The Masterpiece, Volume 4
Aria: The Masterpiece
Aria: The Masterpiece, Volume 6
Aria: The Masterpiece, Volume 7
Run on Your New Legs, Vol. 1 maybe for PS 8.
Shad Hadid and the Alchemists of Alexandria
QOTW:
Anisfield-wolf because I’m not a fan of biographies or ‘serious’ books, which most of them seemed like it to me.
Quite a few of the others as well because there’s too much choice and I still can’t make up my mind about which book to read.
Happy Thursday. Stats:
Popsugar: 31/50
ATY: 54/75
ATY Reread: 20/52
Books I Finished:
Where the Drowned Girls Go ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Prompt: ATY Reread: A book published in 2022.
So now I'm finished my reread of this series.
Bone Crossed ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Prompt: ATY Reread: A book with a touch of gothic.
Continuing my reread of this series, but I'm not going to let myself read the next one until after I finish a few of my library books first.
Some Things I Still Can't Tell You: Poems ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Prompt: ATY: A book less than 220 pages.
I enjoyed these even as they broke my heart.
Death Wins a Goldfish: Reflections from a Grim Reaper's Yearlong Sabbatical ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Prompt: None
It wasn't super laugh out loud funny, but I did quietly chuckle to myself throughout. But as Erica said, the art work looks like a small child's work....
The Emma Project ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Prompt: Popsugar: A romance novel by a BIPOC author.
I really liked how Sonali Dev translated Emma into a modern story, but unlike the previous books in the series, this was not a closed door romance, and it felt like the sex scenes had been added to pad out the story.
Books I made Progress on:
Fevered Star
I Must Betray You
Part of Your World - I ran out of time and my library took it back before I finished, so now I have to wait for it to come back before I can finish.
QotW:
Social Horror. I normally try to get 'hard' prompts out of the way early on in the year, but I have yet to force myself to read one of these. I'm also slightly worried about the palindrome one. I picked my book right away and put in a library hold, but I'm STILL waiting, and I'm worried because if I don't like it, I won't have much time to find a replacement book, and there aren't all that many books to choose from....
Welcome back Lynn! And so sorry you have to say goodbye to your cat Melissa.
It’s Fridaymorning and I’m checking in quickly before I’m going to pick up my new e-bike! It’s finally there, the chips for the battery came in. Starting Monday, I’m going to work by bike and do my little share for a better world by leaving the car on our driveway. No, the actual reason is I just like to be outdoors and riding an e-bike is an excellent way in doing some relaxed outdoor exercise. One tiny little problem: last weekend I had hay fever from hell. Grass blooms everywhere and I couldn’t stop sneezing and sniffing and my eyes were itchy and swollen. I can’t remember ever having it this bad. So not much reading done, since reading with swollen eyes is not that comfortable. It has rained the last few days, so I hope things will be better now.
PS: 14/40
Total 2022: 25
Finished
Us Against You by Fredrik Backman ⭐⭐⭐⭐
PS #29, a different book by an author you read in 2021
I love Backman’s writing! This one is also spot on. It reflects on friendship, ‘noaberschap’ (don’t know the English equivalent, it means that you help people living close to you in the same village even though you are not friends), children and parents, being different, guilt, victims and perpetrators.
Currently reading
Prairie Fires: The American Dreams of Laura Ingalls Wilder
The Book of Lost Friends
QOTW
This year I’m not reading for the challenge. I try to fit in as much books as I can while reading just what I like. That said, I notice myself looking into the challenges and trying to fill in some blanks with books already on my TBR…
Finished:Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo (#7). I truly love Acevedo's writing.
Container Gardening: A Quick Start Guide by Martha Green
Still working on:
Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler
A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson
Beloved by Toni Morrison
Started:
Honey Girl by Morgan Rogers
QUESTION OF THE WEEK:
Is there any one prompt from the 2022 Popsugar challenge that you are dreading/avoiding/putting off? If so, which one is that? Why does it seem so dreadful to you?
32. Book w/a quote from ur fav author on cover on Amazon ~ It is just hard to search books with quotes from authors. This makes this choice completely frustrating.
44/45. Duology 1 & 2 ~ this is a hard one because "What if you don't like the 1st book?" I am struggling with that now. I was intending to use Parable of the Sower for this but I am almost halfway through it and not particularly interesting in reading the next book. It's not really a bad book. It is just not my thing.
So few posts. Hope this means everyone is out enjoying summer. It's gorgeous here in downstate NY today.Finished:
The Book Woman's Daughter
The Call of the Wild I have never read this classic, and it was surprisingly really good.
Anatomy: A Love Story
The Left-Handed Booksellers of London for book set in the 1980s. It was very meh.
Currently reading:
The Good Life Elsewhere This book is set in Moldova. That is a first for me.
Book Lovers on audio
QOTW:
Palindrome, non-patriarchal society. I guess I wasn't dreading that many, but the list is more restrictive than in past years.
Has anyone else thought about reading book 1 and book 2 from different duologies? I wasn't originally dreading duology, but the second book of the one I picked, Life and Fate, is over 800 pages. I also just have no desire to read about Russia at war right now. I read the first book in January when the current war hadn't started yet. I just don't have the energy this year with everything in the world and personal.
Milena wrote: "Has anyone else thought about reading book 1 and book 2 from different duologies?"I did this! I wasn't enthused with Parable of the Sower enough to read Parable of the Talents (at least not this year) and Mindy McGinnis's The Last Laugh covered the second duology book.
Ashley Marie wrote: "Milena wrote: "Has anyone else thought about reading book 1 and book 2 from different duologies?"I did this! I wasn't enthused with Parable of the Sower enough to read Parable of the Talents (at ..."
Oh, thank you! So glad I am not the only one considering this.
Mod
Yes it gets so quiet at this time of year!!! Not just here but my entire GR newsfeed is slow. I feel like I'm hearing just the sound of a pin dropping when I log into Goodreads. Maybe this is why some groups create Summer Challenges, just to keep everyone talking.
I had an awful migraine attack on Wednesday with the migraine lasting until yesterday. Usually it only lasts for a day and now I still feel really tired. Reading was impossible, but I was able to listen to audiobooks once I was able to focus a bit more. It was bad, but at least I was able to catch up on some rest I really needed. QOTW
Actually most of the books I finished below were for prompts I was dreading to read (award, recipe, onomapoteia). The reason is that my choice feels really limited for these prompts, but I'm glad with my choices (and I actually loved Howl's Moving Castle). I'm glad the other award book is the book of the month here, makes it easier to finish that one as well. Usually I postpone the prompts until the end of the year and get in a slump. I'm glad I didn't procrastinate this year :)
Finished
- Coraline by Neil Gaiman - #27. A Hugo Award winner - ⭐⭐⭐
- Swedish Traditions by Jan-Öjvind Swahn - #23. A book with a recipe in it - ⭐⭐
- Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones - #7. A book with an onomatopoeia in its title - ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ½
- Book Lovers by Emily Henry - #32. A book with a quote from your favorite author on the cover or Amazon page (V.E. Schwab) - ⭐⭐⭐½
GR: 28/52
PS: 28/50
ATY: 20/52
Currently reading
The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood for #46. A book about someone leading a double life
Planning
Mem by Bethany C. Morrow - 43. A book with a palindromic title
Beloved by Toni Morrison - 10. An Anisfield-Wolf Book Award winner
Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston - 38. A book featuring a party
The Push by Ashley Audrain - 41. A book with a reflected image on the cover or "mirror" in the title
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig - 12. A book about the afterlife
I missed an update, but our Summer Reading Program at work has started off with a bang and I'm wiped. I haven't had more that 15 people attend a program since 2019 and had a program with 82 attendees and one with 65 this week. I've also done 5 outreaches in the past two weeks. This librarian is wiped, but happy to see our community finally coming back. Finished:
Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen
This was a reread since it’s been over 10 years since I read it and it has the movie that just came out. I don't normally allow rereads to tick of prompts but since it's been so long I did. I’m going to be honest and say after diving into quite a few of Dessen’s books a few years ago they had started to feel very formulaic and I got kind of burnt out on her. This was one of the first books of hers I read back in the day and I can see why she was a top author of mine for a while. There is just something about this one that connects with me and it is definitely one of my favorites by her. If your going to read a Sarah Dessen book, pick this one up.
Prompt: A book becoming a becoming a TV series or movie in 2022
Beloved by Toni Morrison
This one was a hard read, but I expected that. The writing is dense, but very very well done and the topic is also very emotionally heavy. I did really enjoy though and the last parts read smoother for me as I got used to the writing style. Definitely a classic and important read.
Prompt: An Anisfield-Wolf Book Award winner
Currently Reading:
Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Prompt: A book whose title begins with the last letter of your previous read
Overall Progress:
19/50
QOTW:
Honestly, like many other I recoiled a bit at the Booktok recommendation. I know it's addictive as I can easily get sucked into Instagram's reels (their version of TikTok) and I did not want to download it nor try and figure out how it get it's algorithm to even show Booktok's in the first place. I was just planning on going with a book I know has a lot of Social Media buzz at the time before the group read, so the group read was helpful for me so I didn't have to hunt for it.
Nadine in NY wrote: "Milena wrote: "So few posts. Hope this means everyone is out enjoying summer. It's gorgeous here in downstate NY today. ..."Yes it gets so quiet at this time of year!!! Not just here but my ent..."
I see same thing across my GR Groups. I think we are all busy.
Happy check-in.I calculated it and I think I have about 83 books (not counting potential overlap) left to read to meet all my challenges for the year. I know I will NOT read that many by the end of the month so, I am gonna aim for AT LEAST finishing ONE of the challenges this month (fingers-crossed). This could be hard because the one I am closest to finishing is Popsugar, and I have a book (#Ownvoices SFF) I have been waiting for months to receive and I still have about 6 weeks to wait Overdrive says, UGH! I should be finishing the 2021 50 States challenge but, I am not sure I can manage the remaining 15 books I still need, esp. since some of them I am waiting for. Also, there were a few states that are/were HARD to find books for. Ooh, I just realized I can actually finish the AtoZ challenge faster since I only need 4 books and I have all of them.
I guess it might seem weird to some as to why I am trying to push thru these challenges but, it has to do with getting it out of the way so that I can tackle other To-do’s I have waiting for me. Mostly that I have a hard time tackling my book TBR as well as my magazine TBR (currently sitting at 90) pile at the same time. I am proud of the fact that I am so far ahead this early in the year so, there’s that.
As far as the books I did read… I felt like I had a bad week again mostly because I haven’t finished a book since Monday even though I did finish four books this week. I know, I know that is still a good week and this is just my own personal expectation problem.
2022 Challenges:
Popsugar: 43/50
ATY: 41/52
A to Z: 22/26
50 States:
2021.....35/50 & 2/4 Bonus (Have until end of June)
2022.....13/50 & 1/4 Bonus
Read Harder: 14/24
Goodreads: 96/150 (raised it from 100)
Finished:
4 finished this week, 2 for Popsugar
The Wife Upstairs
Not for a Challenge
Picked this out while looking for a book for the ATY Read-A-Thon the other week. And well… it was pretty good, not fabulous edge of your seat, OMG what is going to happen but, still good. And that plot twist at the end was a bit unexpected. However, I do wish there was a little more development and explanation of why Eddie (view spoiler) and how he thought it would help/fix IT.
Heart and Seoul
PS #44 Duology
I liked this. It was a little different than the average boy-meets-girl on vacation romance. Liked it enough to read the sequel.
Shiloh Season
’22 50 States
Just had to continue this series after reading the first one last month.
The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise
PS #9 Found Family
This was a fabulous children’s novel.
Currently Reading
At First Light
This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. The Climate
Aesop's Fables
Seoulmates
Question of the Week:
Is there any one prompt from the 2022 Popsugar challenge that you are dreading/avoiding/putting off? If so, which one is that? Why does it seem so dreadful to you?
I think I was most afraid of the onomatopoeia and palindromic prompts. But for both I got lucky and managed to happen upon a book without even trying. The palindromic one was because I had it in my head that the entire title had to be a palindrome not that you move the words about to get a palindrome but you had to read it forward and back as a palindrome. Of course after seeing someone else use Sing, Unburied, Sing I realized that I was over thinking it and that I in fact had just read that book, so I used it.
I also was a little wary about the Sapphic book. This was because I saw that and immediately went "what the heck is that?" I had to look it up to figure out what they wanted. Even then I was a little worried I'd have a hard time finding a book I would like. But, after asking a librarian for some suggestions I found a great YA book to use for this.
Surprisingly, the one that ended up giving me the most issues was Found Family. I only had one book in mind and I would've had to request it from a different library across the state. After checking the thread for this book I was ecstatic that I could use a book sitting on my nightstand just waiting to be read.
My week 2nd June to 9th June:Books read
1. Persuasion by Jane Austen 9 Jun 2022 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ my review I enjoyed rereading Jane Austen’s classic Regency second-chance romance. This met the “book being made into a TV series or movie in 2022” prompt for ATY52 and my “reread a favourite” for Dymock’s 2022 challenge.
2. The Jam Queens by Josephine Moon AA 9 Jun 2022 ⭐⭐⭐ my review. An Australian fiction featuring four generations of women who take a trip together on the Ghan railway down the red centre of Australia. This met the “book set on a train, plane or cruise ship” prompt and made me want to do the Ghan! It also could have met the ATY52 food or drink theme prompt.
3. The Glass Woman by Caroline Lea (Iceland) 4 Jun 2022 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ my review. An atmospheric mystery thriller set in Iceland by Jersey Island author Caroline Lea. This met the “book related to glass” prompt for my ATY52 challenge.
Progress
Popsugar: 41/50
ATY52: 42/52
Dymocks: 24/26
ATW80 magic grid: one to go
Aussie Readers Group Winter Challenge: 4/12
Aussie Readers Group June Challenge: 4/10
Question of the Week
My most dreaded prompt is the palindrome one: depending on how literal you are it’s quite restrictive.
I haven't checked in a few weeks so I am listing the books I have finished lately.Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid - liked it but not as much as The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo or Malibu Rising. Maybe it was the interview style of the writing. (a book about a band)
The Duke and I by Julia Quinn - Loved this so much more than I was expecting! I'm such a sap! (romance book for 2015 PS)
Awkward by Svetlana Chmakova - Cute but not memorable. (a book I read in one sitting)
The Essay by Robin Yocum - If you haven't read this book yet, please do. So good! (a book my mom loves for 2015 PS)
Parable of the Sower: A Graphic Novel Adaptation by Damian Duffy and Octavia E Butler - I cheated and read the graphic novel version otherwise I don't think I could have read this. (Hugo Award winner)
November 9 by Colleen Hoover - This book was a cute premise and I loved it! (book with a number in the title for 2015 PS) I have a new favorite author...
The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn - I liked this book, but I had watched The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window so I kept comparing the two. I love Kristin Bell and I kept picturing her as Anna Fox in the book. (quote on the cover from a favorite author (Gillian Flynn))
Slammed by Colleen Hoover - ....and then I read this book, which I didn't like as much as I enjoyed November 9. I'll give her another try. This was her first book so who knows... (a popular author's first book for 2015 PS)
I have five school days left and then I will be able to read a bunch more. Can't wait!!
QotW:
I dreaded both the man-made disaster book, which I will be reading very soon (but I bought in the "young reader edition") and the Hugo Award winner, which I read as a graphic novel. I do/did what I had to do!
AF wrote: "I haven't checked in a few weeks so I am listing the books I have finished lately.Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid - liked it but not as much as The Seven Husbands of ..."
I did the same for the hugo winner and going YA for the disaster too (so not looking forward to it)
Hey everyone, I never really thought to check these threads. Just never crossed my mind so here goes my shot at it.QUESTION OF THE WEEK:
Is there anyone prompt from the 2022 Popsugar challenge that you are dreading/avoiding/putting off? If so, which one is that? Why does it seem so dreadful to you?
I still have about halfway done on my list. My issue, if you want to call it one, is that I'm a mood reader. There are some times I can focus on one book while other times when I just jump around. Sometimes it's just not consistent enough, making this challenge a lot harder than I anticipated it to be.
That being said, to answer this particular question: The one topic I keep putting off and/or dreading is the onomatopoeia topic. I think I have a book in mind for it because I've seen it on lists but I'm still hesitant. It's challenging to come up with a nonfiction book for this one.
Same can be said for the palindromic topic.
*****
As some of you probably know from my postings, I'm a huge nonfiction reader. So far, while they're evenly matched in terms of percentage when it comes to the books I've currently read (48% NF, 52% F, but this is if I include my doubles. If I exclude those I've got 75% NF, 25% F), I still aim to read more NF. Sometimes it makes me having to think harder.
Jenwrote: Otherwise for PopSugar, I'm avoiding Social Horror (#33) because I don't like horrorWell, this one might be a bit easier if you look into it. I don't know if I'm stretching it but from what I've come to research, horror can be seen as an umbrella term. Therefore there are other subgenres that could fit into it: post-apocalyptic, psychological, and supernatural, among others.
Horror doesn't also have to be defined as something scary, it can be defined as something repulsive or loathsome.
When it comes to social horror, it doesn't have to be scary. One of the definitions of it is that it, "highlight instances of oppression in society".
Hope this helps.
Kenya wrote: "Happy Thursday!The Weird Al concert was a blast. It was fun getting to hear him perform some of his lesser-known songs -- he's best-known for his parodies but has plenty of great original songs a..."
I had a hard time getting through Klara and the Sun and almost DNF'd a bunch of times. I finished it and you didn't miss much.
Super late check-in but I made it!Melissa - so sorry about your cat.
Lynn - I hope everyone has a friend like you! My best friend is a nurse at Memorial Sloane Kettering and her husband is an oncologist there. I call her about everything!
I managed to completely re-do my reading list for 2022 for PS and ATY since it was such a mess! I am further along than I thought since some of the books I thought didn't fit anything actually do!
Finished:
No Exit by Taylor Adams. I have been seeing this all over Instagram/BookTok so I finally read it. Finished it in a couple days. It is really fast paced - like reading an action movie. Bonus! The author is from my home state.
Currently Reading:
A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Bridgid Kemmerer. I started this on audio thinking I was going to DNF it, but I actually really like it. It is sort-of a retelling of Beauty and the Beast, kinda. I don't know.
Run Rose Run by Dolly Parton and James Patterson. I have never read James Patterson so I can't tell whose voice is more dominant but I love it! I hear Dolly Parton's voice like she is reading me the story. It is definitely a fluff-book with very little mystery, or maybe I just don't care about the mystery LOL.
QOTW:
I was dreading the Palindrome prompt, but I found a book Madam then I was worried because of the horrible reviews about it. I was wondering if I should even read it and if I DNF'd what book would I read instead? So I just read it and it was actually good. Not the best but I finished it and checked it off my list.
I am also never a fan of any of the SFF prompts, so this year's #OwnVoices SFF prompt left me dreading it. I chose Klara and the Sun and managed to finish it only to realize that I don't think it fits the prompt. So now I am on the search for another option.
Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge
Books mentioned in this topic
Sing, Unburied, Sing (other topics)Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals (other topics)
The Glass Devil (other topics)
Midlife Bites: Anyone Else Falling Apart, Or Is It Just Me? (other topics)
Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Jesmyn Ward (other topics)Beverly Daniel Tatum (other topics)
Oliver Burkeman (other topics)
Helene Tursten (other topics)
Jen Mann (other topics)
More...
This week has been jam-packed with complications and repeated attempts to communicate with providers on behalf of my good friend. Fortunately, none of this had to do with impaired health for her, but just getting appointments scheduled and kept and paperwork completed and submitted…and… It just seems to never end right now. Every spare moment I’ve had I’ve tried to devote to reading for the 2022 Reading Challenge’s Summer Team Readathon. Go Team Holy Grail! I’m truly hopeful that as of next Wednesday all will have been accomplished and she will be well on her way to recovery from this final procedure. I must admit, I was amazed at the fact that the surgeon and scheduler spent an hour and 15 minutes with us showing videos of the TAVR procedure, making sure we (okay, I…) understood everything. You have to understand that my friend’s attitude is she is petrified until she meets the provider and once she feels comfortable with them, she tunes everything out. That is why she has me there. I want to know the risks, the benefits, details of the proposed procedure, etc., and they spent as much time as needed to make sure I had all the information I wanted on her behalf! Since this is a procedure that could possibly be in my own future due to a heart murmur having been detected last year, I was all over it! While my friend just kinda sat there, stating this is why she has me with her! LOL I was just so impressed with the providers! If all goes according to plan, they will go through the groin to insert a brand new aortic valve. Hopefully the valve will seat well without any complications, otherwise they may have to open her up and manually stitch the valve in place as they used to do. A tech from the company that developed this procedure and tools will be in the operating room along with the surgeon and her cardiologist. Anyway, it is fascinating what they can do and just how far they have come in further developing such literally “life-saving” procedures!
I apologize for my lack of participation here, but that should finally end next week and I’ll be back to “normal,” whatever that might be! LOL
Our weather in central Indiana has been rather pleasant lately. More like spring than summer. Along with a tornado watch last night, but those just come with the territory. (Literally and figuratively! LOL)
ADMIN STUFF:
First and foremost, 23 members voted to select Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas as our September Monthly Group Read to fulfill prompt #6 A book written by a LatinX author in honor of National Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15-October 15) in the US! We will need a “savvy superstar” to lead that month’s discussion. Please message Nadine or me to volunteer!
Speaking of which, we still need a "marvelous manager" to lead the August discussion of The Dog Stars! Please message either Nadine or myself to volunteer!
Our discussion of Beloved by Toni Morrison is ongoing. I will be reading more in it this weekend and posting more questions/topics for anyone interested. I have neglected that this past week but will pick it up again and we will persevere! You can find that discussion here. And the place to post any book you’ve read to complete prompt #10 An Anisfield-Wolf Book Award winner is here. This is in honor of the United States' most recently added holiday--Juneteenth on June 19, 2022! (aka African American Freedom Day or Emancipation Day) This award "recognizes books that have made important contributions to our understanding of racism and human diversity."
The comprehensive listing of Monthly Group Reads for 2022 is here.
QUESTION OF THE WEEK:
Is there any one prompt from the 2022 Popsugar challenge that you are dreading/avoiding/putting off? If so, which one is that? Why does it seem so dreadful to you?
Fortunately, I really dreaded prompt #11 A #BookTok recommendation, but I read People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry for our January monthly group read and got it done.
Why did I dread it so much? I just can’t face downloading yet another app or accessing yet another ‘thing” on social media. Seriously, Goodreads is the only social media app I use consistently. So you should feel either honored or annoyed! LOL
****
I’ll just list the books I am currently reading and then some I have planned. I will hopefully find time to complete this more comprehensively over the weekend…
CONTINUING:
Beloved by Toni Morrison
Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan
The Heron's Cry (Two Rivers #2) by Ann Cleeves
Inspector Imanishi Investigates by Seichō Matsumoto, translated by Beth Cary
PLANNED:
The Sentence by Louise Erdrich
The Comforts of a Muddy Saturday (Isabel Dalhousie #5) by Alexander McCall Smith
The House of Unexpected Sisters (No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency #18 by Alexander McCall Smith
Silent in the Grave (Lady Julie Grey #1) by Deanna Raybourn