Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge discussion

Happy Thursday!! May the Fourth be with you!!

Somehow it's been a very busy week for me, but I'm not quite sure why, when I look back I haven't really done much. Cool and rainy spring weather continues here, which means my grass is sooo lush and sooo long and desperately needs to be mowed.

Tonight my daughter's high school orchestra has their spring concert, and I have it on good authority that they will be playing Star Wars music in honor of May 4th.



Admin stuff

It's May!! New month, new group read! The group is reading Bunny this month, join the discussion here:
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

There is no discussion leader for this one, so let's see how mass anarchy works out for our book discussions! There's a discussion guide on the Penguin site if anyone wants to mine that for discussion questions. I plan to read this book but I don't know if I'll get to it this month, so I'm no help.


Let us know if you would like to lead discussion for Bunny, or for the June or July picks! I think next week we'll start the nomination poll for August's group read.





This week I finished 4 books, and two of them filled categories in the Popsugar challenge, so I am now 24/50


Now Is Not the Time to Panic by Kevin Wilson - I really loved this book, just as much as (if not more than) the other book I read by Wilson (Nothing to See Here). I had been a little worried since reviews were a bit tepid on this one, but clearly he hits that sweet spot for me, and he's a new favorite author. I need to go read his full backlist now (which is only two other novels, plus some short story collections). Aspects of this book were semi-autobiographical, which often leads to a more intense story. I used this for "only text on the cover."

Two Wars and a Wedding by Lauren Willig - Willig is normally one of my favorite authors, but WOW did this book DRAG. I think perhaps during the pandemic she had nothing but time on her hands to research and write, and she did not have ready access to her editor, and this book ended up bloated. I used this for "published in spring 2023." This would also work for "a book with a map" and "historical fiction" and "alliteration." (not that I'm recommending it!)

The Collected Poems of Sara Teasdale - a wonderful collection!! She should be more recognized as one of our great American poets.

The Bandit Queens by Parini Shroff - I really really enjoyed this!! It was the perfect balance of dark humor, madcap antics, and serious fiction. Several holidays take place during the story, most notably Diwali at the big finale, so I used this for "a holiday that's not Christmas." It would also work for "pet character" and "debut author" (forgive me, I can't remember right now if that's a category this year or not!)


Pop: 24/50   
Winter:  3/10   
AtY: 18/52   
2023 must-reads: 4/12






Question of the Week

An old debate: read the book first, or watch the show first?




I used to be firmly Team Read the Book First. I would absolutely refuse to see a new movie if I had any interest in the book, I would insist on reading the book first. I insisted that my kids follow suit, as well.


But recently I've softened my stance. (Younger daughter's flat-out refusal to read the Hunger Games books or the rest of the Harry Potter books played a role in my change of heart - I got tired of waiting to see the movies!)

If it's a book I'm super eager to read and I for sure want no spoilers (I hate spoilers, they truly spoil the book for me), then yeah I read the book first. But for everything else, it's okay if I let myself see the movie first. It can be a different sort of enjoyable. And often the books include lots of stuff that the movies do not have, so I CAN be surprised all over again.

Phew!! Goodreads is being glitchy!!! when I posted this, I got the "your topic was posted" note in the yellow bar, but I also was shunted to a "page not found" page. But, here it is! it did not lose my post!! GR wasn't working so well yesterday either. BEWARE!!! :-)

Happy Thursday! I'm actually off today to take my mother out for an early Mother's Day outing, so I'm pretty excited.

I finished:

Hallowed Ground: Book published in Spring; I love this series and I like short stories, but this wasn't the best one of the bunch.

People We Meet on Vacation: I enjoyed this more than I expected, but I also thought it drug out a little too long.

Apples Never Fall: athlete/sport: NOPE! This one made me mad. What a waste of 18 hours (audiobook)! I actually rated this 3 stars, because of character development solely, but the plot was slow without the pay off I wanted.

Currently reading:
The Girl from Widow Hills: making almost no progress on this.

This Golden State: color in the title: I was really looking forward to this and it has great reviews, but I'm over 60% done and I feel like it is just finally starting to go somewhere and still way too slow. It must have an amazing end to have so many great reviews.

QOTW:

Almost always, book first. The only time I do it otherwise is if it is a genre that I don't typically read, but enjoy watching, like horror or historical fiction, or if I don't realize there is a book before I start watching.

Happy Thursday! It's been a busy week, and a rainy week. Itzhak Perlman's concert last Thursday evening was phenomenal; 3000 people filled the performance space to capacity. Then on Friday I saw the Tina Turner musical with friends. We went in not really knowing what to expect and walked out in awe. Definitely see this one if it comes through your area!

I did manage to finish a few things amid all the excitement and busyness:
The Autobiography of a Traitor and a Half-Savage - 4.5 stars. Available for free online (Tor.com, I think?). A suitably haunting piece.

Lioness Rampant - 4.5 stars. I love this ending so much. Debating taking a break before tackling Daine's series. A book published the year you were born.

Spirit Gate - DNF. Waiting 70 pages to introduce the main character in your synopsis, density + tiny font, inconsistent dialogue, and time skips = not for me.

PS - 24/50
ATY - 25/52
Mount TBR - 21/60

Currently:
The Three Musketeers
Jane Eyre Book with a love triangle


QOTW: An old debate: read the book first, or watch the show first?
Generally book first, and mainly because adaptations always cut things out. My most recent exception to this was Where the Crawdads Sing; we watched it and then I read it a few weeks later and I actually liked the film better.

HI everyone! It has been a rainy week here in NYC. Last weekend it was raining so heavy, the train station started to flood a bit. Today the new building of my job opens today and I am on edge because I know it is going to be extra busy today.

My boyfriend and I got our nightstands finally after living together for almost three months. We are going to assemble them on Sunday, I think. And the best part is that I got a lamp for my nightstand last week because there was a really good deal on Amazon about it. I have to buy a couple more house stuff we need as well so I think I will get to do it on Sunday as well.

This week I read two books. They were both short reads and they both completed prompts!

1) Imaginary Borders by Xiuhtexcatl Martinez: His essay on his involvement in environmental activism is very impressive. The fact he started doing it when he was only 6 years old really shocked me. I do believe it is something everyone should read or even listen to. This completed the "Shortest book in tbr" prompt.

2) Spinning by Tillie Walden: This had me feel so many emotions. There is a lot of internal plot in this book that after reading the author's note, I felt for the author more. This completed "a book about a sport or athlete" prompt.

QOTW: To be honest, I never cared much about reading the book first. I do remember when The Martian movie was coming out, I did want to read the book first but because the book sounded really cool. And I also remember when I saw Bullet Train and I didn't know it was a book until it said so in the credits..and then I DNF it lol.

I finished The Hidden Palace as my book with mythical creatures. It was OK. I didn't like it as well as the Golem and the Jinni and don't have much need to read the next book when it comes out.

I read Normal People as my booktok reccomendation. I didn't much like it.

QOtW: I was always a read first movie second type of person. But, I've come to find that if you watch the movie first it doesn't suffer from comparison. So, now, for me, it depends on the genre. I'm not going to watch a thriller or mystery and then read the book, because obviously the book takes longer and the suspense is part of the fun.

Happy Thursday, everyone! Happy Star Wars Day! May the Fourth be with you!

I was planning to spend this evening watching the original Star Wars trilogy, which is what I normally do on May 4th. However, the new Bridgerton spin-off series (Queen Charlotte) is supposed to be released on Netflix today, so I will be binge-watching that instead.

As a whole, it’s been a pretty laid back week….but that’s more due to laziness than a lack of household projects to tackle. I blame my allergies for my lack of energy.

Even though I haven’t accomplished very much in terms of housework, I have managed to do a considerable amount of reading this week.

Over the weekend I participated in the Dewey’s 24-Hour Readathon, and had a marvelous time. I decided to read only manga during this readathon, and since I read for a total of 14 hours on Saturday, I was able to finish 25 volumes of manga from my “New Books” list.

Here are my current challenge and TBR totals…

Goodreads Challenge: 328/400
Mount TBR Challenge: 150/150 (Challenge Complete!)

📚Physical TBR: 170/634
📱Ebook TBR: 7/236
🎧Audiobook TBR: 11/13
TBR Checklist Total: 188/883 (21.2% complete)

I did end up buying some more manga this week…and went completely overboard while doing so.

After looking at the series order for the Pokémon Adventures manga, I discovered that I was missing several story arcs. I really want to read the entire series in order, so I ordered the remaining volumes over the weekend. I’m still waiting on a couple of books to arrive, and I’ll be resuming my binge read of Pokémon Adventures as soon as they’re here.

I also picked up the complete series of Bleach, by Tite Kubo; as well as the first two volumes of Nights with a Cat, by Kyuryu Z.

I’m really excited to read all of these books, but I am going to be doing a self-imposed book buying ban until I have completed at least 95% of the books currently on my “New Books” list. I’ve got to take a break from buying books and read the ones I’ve already got!

“New” Books Bought in 2023: 277
“New” Books Read in 2023: 134/277 (48.3% complete)

Here are the books I finished this week…

Finished Reading (Fiction):
~Seven Deadly Shadows — I borrowed this book on Libby and really enjoyed it. The story was very interesting (and exciting), and I loved the characters.📱: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~The Iron Wyrm Affair — This is the first book in the Bannon and Clare series. I really enjoyed the story and characters, and I’m looking forward to reading the rest of the series. 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Finished Reading (Nonfiction):
None

Finished Reading (Manga, Comic Books, & Graphic Novels):
This week I continued reading the Pokémon Adventures series. I’ve really been enjoying the stories, and the characters and artwork are great! I’m currently taking a short break from this series, but will resume reading it as soon as my missing volumes arrive in the mail. The volumes I read this week include...
~Pokémon Adventures: Emerald, Vol. 28 — 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~Pokémon Adventures: Emerald, Vol. 29 — 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~Pokémon Adventures: Diamond and Pearl/Platinum, Vol. 1 — 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~Pokémon Adventures: Diamond and Pearl/Platinum, Vol. 2 — 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~Pokémon Adventures: Diamond and Pearl/Platinum, Vol. 3 — 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~Pokémon Adventures: Diamond and Pearl/Platinum, Vol. 4 — 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~Pokémon Adventures: Diamond and Pearl/Platinum, Vol. 5 — 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~Pokémon Adventures: Diamond and Pearl/Platinum, Vol. 6 — 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~Pokémon Adventures: Diamond and Pearl/Platinum, Vol. 7 — 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~Pokémon Adventures: Diamond and Pearl/Platinum, Vol. 8 — 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~Pokémon Adventures: Diamond and Pearl/Platinum, Vol. 9 — 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~Pokémon Adventures: Diamond and Pearl/Platinum, Vol. 10 — 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~Pokémon Adventures: Diamond and Pearl/Platinum, Vol. 11 — 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I was also able to read The Promised Neverland series this week. I thoroughly enjoyed this manga series! I was very impressed with the artwork and storytelling, and found the characters really interesting! The premise was both dark and intriguing, and I had a really hard time putting it down. In fact, I ended up reading the entire series during the Dewey’s 24-Hour Readathon. The volumes I read include...
~The Promised Neverland, Vol. 1 — 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~The Promised Neverland, Vol. 2 — 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~The Promised Neverland, Vol. 3 — 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~The Promised Neverland, Vol. 4 — 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~The Promised Neverland, Vol. 5 — 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~The Promised Neverland, Vol. 6 — 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~The Promised Neverland, Vol. 7 — 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~The Promised Neverland, Vol. 8 — 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~The Promised Neverland, Vol. 9 — 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~The Promised Neverland, Vol. 10 — 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~The Promised Neverland, Vol. 11 — 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~The Promised Neverland, Vol. 12 — 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~The Promised Neverland, Vol. 13 — 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~The Promised Neverland, Vol. 14 — 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~The Promised Neverland, Vol. 15 — 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~The Promised Neverland, Vol. 16 — 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~The Promised Neverland, Vol. 17 — 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~The Promised Neverland, Vol. 18 — 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~The Promised Neverland, Vol. 19 — 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~The Promised Neverland, Vol. 20 — 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I also had a chance to start reading the Young Ladies Don’t Play Fighting Games manga. This has been a fun series so far, and I really like the characters and art. I'm looking forward to the release of the next volume later this year. The volumes I read this week include...
~Young Ladies Don't Play Fighting Games Vol. 1 — 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~Young Ladies Don't Play Fighting Games Vol. 2 — 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~Young Ladies Don't Play Fighting Games Vol. 3 — 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~Young Ladies Don't Play Fighting Games Vol. 4 — 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

In addition to these series, I also read the following manga and comic books…
~Alice in Kyoto Forest, Volume 1 — The art in this series is gorgeous! I’m really looking forward to continuing it. 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~The Witcher Omnibus — I enjoyed this comic book collection, which included four Witcher stories. Both the art and stories were really good. 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~Black Widow, Vol. 1: S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Most Wanted — This is the first half of a two-book Black Widow story. I really enjoyed the art and story, as well as the characters! 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~Black Widow, Vol. 2: No More Secrets — This is the second half of a two-book Black Widow story that started with S.H.I.E.L.D.’s Most Wanted. I really enjoyed the conclusion of this story! 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~Black Widow: No Restraints Play (Black Widow — This was a really good story. Content Alert: (view spoiler)[This book includes graphic violence, including several scenes of torture, involving both adults and children. (hide spoiler)] 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
~The Web of Black Widow — I really enjoyed this Black Widow story. It had a really interesting plot. 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~Tales of Suspense: Featuring Hawkeye and the Winter Soldier — This was a fun comic book to read. I loved seeing a team-up between Barton and Barnes! 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~Old Man Hawkeye, Vol. 1: An Eye for an Eye — This is the first comic book in the Old Man Hawkeye series. I thought it was really interesting, and the artwork was great! 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
~Old Man Hawkeye, Vol. 2: The Whole World Blind — This is the second comic book in the Old Man Hawkeye series. I thought it did a nice job of concluding the story that was started in the first book. That being said, the ending seemed to indicate that the series would continue, but there don’t appear to be any other books being released. I’ll have to do some more research, but it appears that this series “ends” after this book. 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
~Nights with a Cat, Vol. 1 — This was such a cute book! I loved the artwork! 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~Nights with a Cat, Vol. 2 — This book was just as cute as the first one! I can’t wait for the next volume to be released in October! 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Finished Reading (Poetry and Drama):
None

DNFed:
None

Currently Reading:
~The Three Musketeers — I’m currently six chapters into this book, and really enjoying it so far! 📚
~Suicide Squad, Volume 1: Trial By Fire — This is the first book in the original Suicide Squad series. 📚
~The Red Plague Affair — I’m only a couple of chapters into the second Bannon and Clare book, but I think it’s going to be a good read. 📚

QOTW:
I usually prefer to read the book first, but there have been plenty of times when I’ve chosen to watch the television or movie adaptation first instead.

Happy Star Wars Day! May the Fourth be with you. ;)

Not much to report this week, except that it's almost finals week and I'm stressing a bit. I need to buckle down and study here...

One book left to go on my challenge! And thanks to being approved for an ARC on NetGalley, I can complete the "book published in the second half of 2023" early!

Books read this week:

Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith -- for the Extreme Book Nerd prompt “non-fiction book in the 200s section of the Dewey Decimal System.” A brutal but electrifying look at the history of the Mormon church, its fundamentalist spin-offs that still practice polygamy, and some of the horrific crimes committed by those fanatical sects.

Unmask Alice: LSD, Satanic Panic, and the Imposter Behind the World's Most Notorious Diaries -- for the Extreme Book Nerd prompt “non-fiction book in the 800s section of the Dewey Decimal System.” An in-depth and devastating takedown of the books Go Ask Alice, Jay's Journal, and the author who lied and betrayed grieving families to make a buck… and kickstarted the Satanic Panic of the ‘80s in the process.

Still Just a Geek: An Annotated Memoir -- for the PopSugar prompt “celebrity memoir” and the Extreme Book Nerd prompt “biography.” Wil Wheaton is a very funny man, but he also takes time to seriously discuss things like geek culture, his complicated relationship with Star Trek, and the abuse he suffered at the hands of his parents. Child/teen actors really get the short end of the stick, it seems…

WereCage -- not for either challenge. A dumb, goofy, but wildly entertaining novella about a man who gets bitten by Nicholas Cage and ends up turning into Nicholas Cage. Yes, really.

DNF:

The Jinn-Bot of Shantiport (ARC) -- was going to be for “book published in the second half of 2023.” Dear author, maybe it was a mistake to have the entire story be from the point of view of the robot whose job is to merely record what’s going on. It drains all the emotion out of the story.

Currently Reading:

Thornhedge (ARC) -- for “published in the second half of 2023”
Good Morning, Monster: A Therapist Shares Five Heroic Stories of Emotional Recovery
Joyland
Paladin's Hope

QOTW:

I usually read the book first. Then I can be the obnoxious person who watches the show/movie and continuously point out how it's different from the book, haha...

Happy Thursday, y’all.

It has been a very quiet week for me, which is good.

My biggest issue yet to be solved is the number of tomato plants growing in my compost pile. I really want to find a way to save them, but I already have 10 plants of my own growing and 3 transplanted into pots for a friend. Yikes!

Weather here in southern South Carolina has varied from fall to spring with an occasion summer day thrown in. Right now we are in the 40s at night and 70s during the day. Just right in my view, but playing havoc with my wardrobe!

Finished:
Broken by Karin Fossum – PAS, RwS. This book was to be a mystery. In fact, that is the subtitle. In reality, it was about a painting named Broken, a writer who was broken, and her character, also broken. It was not a mystery at all. In that, I was disappointed. Overall, it was an interesting format for a story. The character jumps the line and asks the writer to write his story next and then has intervals of visiting the writer and querying her about the story she is writing as well as reflecting this own thoughts/concerns about it. I gave it 3*.

The Illustrated Man – PAS, RwS. Ray Bradbury’s writing is always captivating for me. This is the story of the circus’s illustrated man and the stories his skin tells. I was amazed at how many of those stories involved Martians. I love his writing as well as his imagination! 4*

If You Tell: A True Story of Murder, Family Secrets, and the Unbreakable Bond of Sisterhood – No prompts. Audiobook. This has turned out to be true crime book and very hard to listen to the tale. The mother is sadistic and just down right evil, not only to her children but to anyone who moves into the household. All kinds of content warning needed for this one! I am really not sure how to rate this book. It brought such real horror into my quiet world that I am disturbed. Although the family (three sisters and parents) are all still living (at least until 2022 when the epilogue was written), and the parents spent decades in jail on separate charges, still each parent has now been released…and the three sisters have survived to create loving homes. And, I am left wondering about the harm caused to the three girls and how they truly are doing. This book requires a hard stomach for evil, which I am not sure that I have. 3* primarily because the story was so horrific.

Broken by Karin Slaughter – PAS. Now this book truly was a mystery! Loved it! And, I have broken the rule of reading the series in order. This was the first of the Will Trent series that I have read and it is book #4. Definitely will need to catch up on this series about a GBI agent who is good at his job but has a well-guarded secret (which is revealed in this book). The other protagonist is Sara Linton, a physician. In this story, she has returned to her hometown and discovered not only memories of her deceased cop husband confronting her every way she turns, but also the actual woman cop who Sara believes led to his death. I read this story in only a couple of days. Engaging. 4*.

Top Secret: The Battle for the Pentagon Papers – no prompt. Audiobook. I got this book through the Audiofile Sync program for teens. This is not just for teens. It is a play that seeks to explain the decision around the Washington Post’s printing of the Pentagon Papers. I was amazed at the information it contained as well as the bravery of many of the people involved. It is narrated by an actor portraying Katherine Graham. 5*

Currently Reading:
Chasing Midnight – PAS current and old challenges, RwS, SRC old challenges. 23%. A continuation of the Doc Ford series that I have been working on filling in for years. Each book can stand alone as the continued characters are briefly re-introduced in each book, but only as much as is necessary. When reading in order, the characterization builds.

Dreams and Shadows – no prompt. Kindle. 13%. Weird book.

The Trembling Hills – RwS. 32%.

The Beginner's Photography Guide: The Ultimate Step-by-Step Manual for Getting the Most from Your Digital Camera – PS #2. 8%.

Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmaker – ATY, old challenge. 28%.

The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek – PAS, old challenge, ATY. 31%.

Buddy Read:
The Three Musketeers – Just starting.

On deck:
Lab Girl – ATY, PAS, old challenge.

In Like Flynn – ALCM

PS 15/50 and 6/10 for Nadine’s Challenge
ATY 14/52 and 11/12 for Q1 Challenge, 3/12 for Q2 Challenge
GR 90/200
RwS 10/30 (new seasonal challenge)

QotW: An old debate: read the book first, or watch the show first?

Almost always, read the book first. The only regret that I have with that rule? I missed seeing Les Miserables on Broadway due to the delay in reading the book.

K.L. wrote: "I was planning to spend this evening watching the original Star Wars trilogy, which is what I normally do on May 4th. However, the new Bridgerton spin-off series (Queen Charlotte) is supposed to be released on Netflix today, so I will be binge-watching that instead."

Thank you for this reminder! I might get through an episode or two between work and rehearsal this evening :D

Happy Thursday and May the 4th be with you!

I didn't complete any thing this week but I managed to start several books and I have a new Audible credit and I finally picked a book.
Next week I should have 3-4 books completed.

READING: Rain
Red Clocks
Grease Bats
and The City We Became

QotW: An old debate: read the book first, or watch the show first?
Oddly, I've read the books first, only because the shows/movies were books first, like The Power. I read that years ago for my book club and was pleasantly surprised to see that it was becoming a series. So far I'm enjoying the series.
I love talking about books that have become movies or television shows.

Happy Sunny Thursday, and May the 4th Be With You!

I wanna say 'what a week' but honestly it's just the past few days, haha! Tuesday night I sat up half the night with Mickey because I was convinced he was about to leave me and not make it 'til morning.

He did, but damn, that fear was super real.

And then yesterday I went to see the new Guardians of the Galaxy movie. Which turned out to be the worst possible timing. I nearly broke down sobbing, but I managed to keep myself together.

Which resulted in massive exhaustion today.

So I've been researching Walt Disney World trips again, haha! And I think it might actually happen this time around! ('this time around' being end of September-beginning of October next year xD) Fingers crossed!!

Save for that one night, Mickey has been doing really well given the circumstances. Once a day we comb/wash whatever we can, and bit by bit we're getting there. He can't wash himself due to his tilted head and wanky balance, so he's a mess down there and we're helping him out. Much to his annoyed gratitude. My poor baby. What a road we have to go! One week down, at least 7 more to go.

Luckily I also managed to read during Take 2 of my Game Weekender!

Read
Without You for song lyric in title
The way I sobbed. Jonathan Larson's death will forever get to me, and to hear how the cast honored him? Chills. Body wide (including face!!) chills. Second half wasn't as strong, but the fear of 'has my mother accepted my sexuality' is something I can easily imagine.

Clap When You Land for banned book (disregarding the year bit)
Decided to suck it up and start from the beginning, but on audio, to stop being stubborn. Best decision ever. Great book, but I really struggled to keep the sisters apart, even with different narrators and different narration styles, especially when the switches stopped being announced. Also thought the ending was a bit rushed.

No idea for stats right now and too lazy to look them up oops

Currently Reading
The Three Musketeers for started as fanfiction
Going strong! Even had a day where I read two chapters already! Chapter 9 is up tonight. Much easier to read than Moby-Dick so far, though the way they talk is still ridiculous xD I'm having fun!

Thunderhead
Third time's the charm, right? Read Scythe, adored it, bought the other two the *next day*. Never read them. Reread Scythe, on audio this time, bought the second audio right after. Never listened xD But now I've picked up my physical copy! Sadly life hasn't let me read much yet, but I have hope this time, hahah!

QOTW
I was always very firmly in the BOOK FIRST category. But I've gotten a lot mellower on it. Frankly, I'm too exhausted and my reading is way too random (both in what I want to read and when I'm reading at all) to stick to this. Now I usually only stick to it if it was a book I meant to read already anyways, but also sometimes shrug when I can't manage but really want to see the movie. I appreciate being able to explore more after watching the movie, and to not hate the differences as much because the movie 'came first' xD

Carmen wrote: "Third time's the charm, right? Read Scythe, adored it, bought the other two the *next day*. Never read them. Reread Scythe, on audio this time, bought the second audio right after. Never listened xD But now I've picked up my physical copy! Sadly life hasn't let me read much yet, but I have hope this time, hahah!"

I need to get back to this trilogy because I never finished the final book!

May the 4th be with you, always!

I've got my Star Wars shirt on in honor of this very special holiday.
And yes, I consider it a holiday. It's a must. Even have my shirt ready for tomorrow since it will be Revenge of the 5th.

*****

Things are going to be changing in my family soon, personal stuff, but it will be an adjustment. Should be interesting to see what happens.

*****

Other than that, again not much. Wish I had news to report, but my life is a constant groundhog day. The weather is getting into the 90s now (F). So not liking it. We had a bad winter so I can only imagine how bad our summer is going to be, with temps possibly rising into 110 (F) or even 120 (F). Why can't I just go to Alaska or some place cold?

*****

For the month of April, I ended up reading 6 books. 1 of which I actually finished, 1 DNF, and the other 4 were sporadic because I'm in no rush to annotate my Twilight books.

*****

This week I have started:

The Rediscovery of America: Native Peoples and the Unmaking of U.S. History - Currently going to start page 104 and I started this book on the 1st of May. The book is going well so far though personally, I am getting bored with the colonialism. I can't wait for it to start picking up speed (okay so maybe that author of the NYT article had a point. LOL!) Still though, liking the book. My goal has been to read at least 10 pgs a day.

*****
Other books I'm reading are:

The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma

Every Brain Needs Music: The Neuroscience of Making and Listening to Music

*****

I am planning to go to the bookstore tomorrow. Finally a personal day for myself without having to rush. My plan is to get at least 3 books. I never can seem to come out of there with less than that. LOL. But I guess we'll see. Again, I finally don't feel the need to rush it. I can just enjoy my time leisurely.

*****

QOTW:

An old debate: read the book first, or watch the show first?

It's like the question of which came first, the chicken or the egg?

Gah, I go back and forth with this one. It all depends on the book and the movie. Back in the day when it came to the Twilight hype, I saw the first movie, but then read the book. When it came to the others I read the books before seeing the movies.

With 'Killers of The Flower Moon', I've read the book first and then plan to see the movie.

*****

In honor of May the 4th, back when Attack of the Clones came out I remember reading the book first and then saw the movie. I remember as cool as the movie was there were certain scenes in the novelization that I had hoped would be in the movie (they ended up as deleted scenes though so that was okay later.)

Again, it just all depends.

Well, April was an even slower reading month than March! Only four books finished, which is at least 50% fewer than usual. However, I am now reading something that I'm really enjoying, so I'm hoping that might launch me out of the current slump!

Finished:
Lessons in Chemistry for A book your friend recommended
The Silmarillion Illustrated Edition : Illustrated by J.R.R. Tolkien for A book with a map
The Clocks - not for the challenge
Homecoming for A book published in spring 2023

Currently reading:
Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda for A book that's been banned or challenged in any state in 2022

QOTW:
By and large, book before show/film - however, I have become more relaxed about that over the years, and now it depends on what the book/show/film is, and how much I want to go to the effort of reading the book! Sometimes, you just want the less effort of watching the show/film!

Nadine in NY wrote: "Phew!! Goodreads is being glitchy!!! when I posted this, I got the "your topic was posted" note in the yellow bar, but I also was shunted to a "page not found" page. But, here it is! it did not los..."

That issue with posting has gone on all week. If you don't happen to see that tiny yellow message because of the giant not found bit, and page back to repost, you will have multiples of same post.

Happy Thursday! And May the Fourth be with you!

Hi, I've been so busy this week. Summer Reading Program is only 5 weeks away and I'm not even close to being ready! AAAHHH!!!!!

Also, we had some kitten excitement. I've had some cats come to wander around my house. They are feral, i think. Anyway, there were 2 fluffy black kittens that came out at 9:30 at night. Corralling two dogs away from the kittens was a pain.

I couldn't get them that night, but I put out a box with a towel over it with some wet dog food. (only thing i had). that morning I caught one with the box. Had both but one jumped out before I could get the third flap closed. This was at 5:55 am.

After an hour of pathetic mewls from both inside the shower and outside, I finally got the second kitten. I placed a second box on it's side with a towel. Wet food in the back. I walked up to the box, gently lifted the top flap, saw kitten butt, and quickly closed the two side flaps as i lifted the box upright.

I placed the sibling with the other. Animal control came and took the kittens (blue eyes, completely black, and sooooo damn fluffy!!) to their mom, which had been caught earlier with the runt under the house. Mom was just as fluffy and gorgeous.

It is now early spring again. It's dropped from the lower 80s to the 60s and 50s this week.

Other than that, I've been so tired that I haven't read a lot of books. August will be better reading month. I'm going on a stay-cation for a week at least.

Popsugar:9/50
Finished: None

Reading:

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone ps 4

Aty:10/52
Finished:None

Reading: None

Goodreads Challenge 272/400
Finished:

Big Shark, Little Shark, and the Spooky Cave
The World's Fastest Level Up (Light Novel) Vol. 3
The White Cat's Revenge as Plotted from the Dragon King's Lap: Volume 6
The Unwanted Undead Adventurer: Volume 5
Hell Mode: Volume 1
The Loner: A Novel
Dad Bod Dreams
Auctioned to the Pack Alpha

Reading:

The Unwanted Undead Adventurer: Volume 6


Nadine's Mini Challenge 7/10
Finished:None

Reading: None

Mount TBR:
30/150 Ebook
22/150 Physical

QOTW:

It depends. I've done both. I watched Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody, Vol. 1 before reading the books and I NEEEDED the books so bad after that I ordered the first 5 less than 10 minutes later.

I also watched A Walk to Remember before I read the book and liked the movie so much better than the book. (One of the few exceptions of movie over book)

I've read a ton of books before the show/movie. I read Why Raeliana Ended Up at the Duke's Mansion, Vol. 1, Campfire Cooking in Another World with My Absurd Skill, Vol. 1, I Got a Cheat Skill in Another World and Became Unrivaled in The Real World, Too, (Light Novel) Vol. 1.

I'm enjoying the shows now just as much as I did the books.

Hi, everyone! Happy Star Wars Day!

Finished:
In the Lives of Puppets by T.J. Klune - 4.5 stars - for a modern retelling of a classic. This is a sci-fi retelling of Pinocchio, and I liked it a lot, although not as much as The House in the Cerulean Sea or Under the Whispering Door.

Happy Place by Emily Henry - 4 stars - not for a prompt (but it would fit several that I've already filled). I really enjoyed this book. It's pretty typical of Henry's books, and it made me tear up at a couple of points. It also made me wish I had a friends group like theirs.

Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes by Eleanor Coerr - 3 stars - for a book published the year I was born. I listened to the audio and it was a nice, if sad, children's book about a Japanese girl who got leukemia after the bombing of Hiroshima and died. Her legend is that she folded a thousand paper cranes before her death in an attempt to ask the gods to help her get better.

Love in the Library by Maggie Tokuda-Hall - 5 stars - not for a prompt. This is a beautiful picture book telling the story of the the author's grandparents and how they fell in love in one of the Japanese concentration camps in the US during WWII. There was a bit of controversy around this book, where Scholastic wanted to reprint it, but tried to make the author censor her language about racism in the US.

Comics & manga:
Kaguya-sama: Love Is War, Vol. 25
Witch Hat Atelier, Vol. 8
Witch Hat Atelier, Vol. 9
Witch Hat Atelier, Vol. 10
Rainbow Days, Vol. 3
Persona 5, Vol. 5

I am currently at 24/50 for Popsugar (18/40 and 6/10).

Currently reading:
Tsalmoth by Steven Brust - not currently for a prompt.

Upcoming/Planned:
That Self-Same Metal by Brittany N. Williams
Little Thieves by Margaret Owen
Painted Devils by Margaret Owen

QOTW:
It depends on the medium and genre. For anime, I tend to watch the show first, then seek out the book (or manga series) if I enjoyed it and want more. For western media, I usually prefer to read the book first.

honeyfolds wrote: "And I also remember when I saw Bullet Train and I didn't know it was a book until it said so in the credits..and then I DNF it lol...."



Yes quite a few movies I saw long before I knew they were books!! (Psycho, American Psycho, Fight Club, L.A. Confidential, Let the Right One In, Breakfast at Tiffany's, Rosemary's Baby, The Bourne Identity ...

I LOVED the movie version of Let the Right One in - soooooo cold and creepy!! I enjoyed the American movie version, too. Years later, I learned it was a book! I tried to read the book. Hell no, DNF. I DNF'ed American Psycho, too! Fight Club was a good book though.

I saw Return of the Jedi on the big screen this weekend. It's just such a great movie, and I love it from start to finish.

Finished:

The Do-Over by Lynn Painter (3/5, a book set on a holiday other than Christmas)

This was a story that kept me involved, and the romance is done in mostly satisfying ways. If I had to make one change to improve it to four-star level, it would be to have the male lead also somehow remembering the time loop interactions. It felt like the author was taking it in that direction, but no such revelation happened at the end.

The Ride of a Lifetime: Lessons Learned from 15 Years as CEO of the Walt Disney Company by Robert Iger (3/5, a book about or set in Hollywood)

There were some interesting bits of Disney history and a few mildly useful lessons for the corporate workplace. Beyond that, there was nothing too surprising or eye-opening to be found. Like Statler and Waldorf in A Muppet Christmas Carol, I found a lot of joy that what I was experiencing was short.

Quest for the Hidden City by George Mann (3/5, not for a prompt)

The plot takes a long time to get into gear. A lot of my reading of The High Republic has been more about creating hero characters and settings that people like than crafting excellent plots around them. Overall, this book is an average story.

Diplomatic Implausibility by Keith R.A. DeCandido (4/5, reread, not for a prompt)

This book has diplomacy and some wonderful Klingon action and characters. The author does a lot that I like within a short page count.

PS Progress: 40/50

Currently Reading:

Star Wars: Convergence by Zoraida Córdova
Cinder by Marissa Meyer (a book that was written during NaNoWriMo)
Aircraft: The Definitive Visual History

Question of the Week:

I will always say to prioritize whichever one seems most appealing to you. If you like one version, then check out the adaptation or original later. For cases where the adaptation is considered wildly different from the original, then maybe still give the other version a chance later.

Personal: 38/50
Nadine's: 10/10!
Mount TBR: 16/31

I participated in the Dewey Readathon for the first time this past weekend, so I got a lot of books read! (5 books in one day!!!) It was super fun. I got to focus on reading without any guilt AND get to answer a QotW every hour.

Finished: Radical Cataloging: Essays at the Front This was such a fun, niche read!

Thoughtful Images: Illustrating Philosophy Through Art This wasn't what I hoped it would be about. I hoped it would be about doing philosophy with kids through art. Instead, it was a survey of famous artwork that have something to do with philosophy.

Parenting on Earth: A Philosopher's Guide to Doing Right by Your Kids and Everyone Else I wanted to buy this at the MIT bookstore, but found it at the library instead. Yes, thank you!

Justice for Animals: Our Collective Responsibility Martha Nussbaum is always worth reading. Used for personal prompt book about animal rights.

Alien Phenomenology, or What It’s Like to Be a Thing re-read. Broadening the scope of compassion to inanimate objects! I don't like it as much as Play Anything, but I still enjoyed it. Used for prompt got from a Little Free Library!

On the Plurality of Worlds re-read from a couple of years ago. Used for prompt written by a David as an alternative for Nadine's mini-challenge. He believes in multiple universes but that they are inaccessible from one another. I think that's a waste of theoretical explanations. I think multiple universes branch from our choices and we're moving in and out of them all the time. They're usually just so similar to each other that we don't notice. This makes room for both free agency and determinism to co-exist.

Bea Wolf Graphic novel reinterpretation of Beuwolf. I did not like this at all! But it counted for reinterpration of a classic.

The Firekeeper’s Daughter OMG, I think you warned me against this, Nadine. I did not like it at all! Not only were terrible things happening to the characters all the time, but their response was so emotionally flat that I didn't CARE that bad things were happening. BUT it fulfilled both the fire on the cover prompt for Nadine's challenge and a book about a sport for my personal challenge.

Started: Constructivist Instruction: Success or Failure? Boy, am I glad I'm reading this. This was cited as a source for a newsletter, whose author claimed that it supported the claim that direct instruction is superior to constructivist instruction. Instead, this book leaves the question wide open, arguing that even the definition of what learning constitutes varies drastically between direct instruction and constructivist instruction, making it really hard to compare.

Preventing Bipolar Relapse: A Lifestyle Program to Help You Maintain a Balanced Mood and Live Well Seems pretty helpful so far.

The Hidden Art of Homemaking This is very heavy on God, which doesn't bother me, but might bother others.

QotW: Ahhh! Goodreads was down when I first checked this morning and I was like, "Nooooo! I can't do the questionof the week!" I am usually in team read the book, never watch the movie. The exception has been the HBO series for His Dark Materials. So good! With this I capstoned it with the books (read the books, watched the series, read the books.) I might even watch the series again after I finish re-reading the series. This is definitely one where both mediums support each other. There's little parts in the show, though, that they included for accuracy, but you wouldn't even know how significant they are if you hadn't read the books!

Hi all! May the 4th be with you! I imagine I've mentioned this here before, but I've never seen the original 3 Star Wars. I've seen bits and pieces to know what's going on (Obi Wan is our only hope, These are not the droids you're looking for, Han shoots first, the Death star explodes, and of course, "Luke I am you're father."). I saw the prequels in the theaters, and I saw 1 or 2 of the newer ones in theaters (Covid interrupted that). I decided after seeing the prequels in theaters that I needed to see the originals in theaters, and so far, they haven't shown up around here. I know they've gone back to theaters before, I haven't caught them. Someday.

Anyway, not too much going on around here. Rainy and cool. Kiddo was supposed to start t-ball on Tuesday, but rained out. Maybe tonight. We're getting our dumpster tomorrow and cleaning out the garage this weekend! I can't wait, but it'll be exhausting, I'm sure.

Despite my best efforts, I didn't finish anything. I was trying to get throughSurrender: 40 Songs, One Story and The End of the Affair, but I had to return them today. Oddly, there was an extra copy of Surrender that I could check right out, but the other copy of Affair was already out.
I went back to The Song of the Jade Lily last night. I really wanted to listen to Top Secret: The Battle for the Pentagon Papers since it's short, but I didn't get to it.

QOTW: I always try to read the book first. There are 2 exceptions. 1) I didn't know it was a book first! 2) if I'm not sure if I want to read the book at all. I waffled on Empire Falls for ages and eventually checked out the mini series. The show was great and I went back and read the book, but I really didn't need to, almost everything from the book made it into the show.

Nadine in NY wrote: "Cool and rainy spring weather continues here, which means my grass is sooo lush and sooo long and desperately needs to be mowed."

No Mow May! It’s good for bees and biodiversity and everything. And you get so many free flowers in your garden. I always cry when my boyfriend mows the lawn… bye bye dandelions, daisies, poppies and other flowers.

Happy Thursday. May the Fourth be with you too. Nadine.

I finished no books this week. I barely watched TV. What I did do was finish Camp NaNo - so I was writing instead of reading. And my city finally settled two ongoing strikes which is great for everyone involved.

This should be a calmer weekend of more reading. I also have 3 new books to start for May. New month, new books.

Series - 5/15
Series Completed: - Lying Games, Bronwyn the Witch, Divergent

Nobel laureates - 1/7
Random books - 2/7

ATY - 16/40
PS - 15/30
Nadine's 23 challenge - 10/10 -Completed!
Around the year in 52 movies - 18/52

Currently reading:

Penguin Island - 45% done
The Silver Chalice - Just started
Something Rotten - Just started
The Arm of the Starfish - Just started

Buddy Reads:
God in My Everything: How an Ancient Rhythm Helps Busy People Enjoy God - 2/15 chapters
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - 0/37 chapters
A Light in the Window - 0/21 chapters

QOTW: I like reading the book first. Sometimes I notice things in movies that are explained in the books, but are not explained in the movies. (It's just an object in the background.) I've also sometimes given up on movies or TV shows because they changed things and not for time-condensing purposes, but for no discernable reason.

Woohoo! Half way Popsugar and it’s only May! I want to do 40 prompts out of 50.

PS: 20/50
Total 2023: 22

Finished
Unorthodox: The Scandalous Rejection of My Hasidic Roots byDeborah Feldman ⭐⭐⭐⭐
PS #35, a book about divorce (from her husband and hasidism)
I’ve seen the Netflix-series. The series is different from the book.
The book is more about hasidism and the rites and rules that especially imprison women.The series is more about adapting to the ‘normal’ world when you leave a sect. The book reads like fiction and reads easy.


Currently reading
De eigenzinnige erfdochter van Middachten: Ursula Philippota van Raesfelt by Hermine Manschot-Tijdink
A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman

QOTW
Hmm.. I just told you about the Netflix-series and book Unorthodox… I typically prefer to read or watch the ‘original’ first. But since I had covid last September and I thought Downton Abbey wasn’t on Netflix anymore (I was sooooo wrong and I only found out when I was sort of recovered) I was looking for another show and bumped into this one. You can read and watch, the book and show are totally different.

*Sigh*. I've been trying to post here for hours - this is my 3rd attempt to write and post. First it was a GR glitch of 'page not found' when I clicked on post - and after that could not log in to GR.
Just now I did something stupid and it disappeared. Here we go again. I'm eliminating the chit chat and presenting just the facts.

PS - 30/50. ATY - 41/52

Finished:
A Study in Scarlet Women - PS prompt fan fiction, aty prompt - NPR 2016 book list
The Lions of Fifth Avenue - ATY route of travel in title - Fifth Avneue of course
Her Majesty's Royal Coven

Current Reading:
My One and Only Duke
Crucible of War: The Seven Years' War and the Fate of Empire in British North America, 1754 - 1766
The Summer Before the War

QOTW: I have no hard and fast rule. Obviously I've discovered many books due to film or series adaptation - mostly classic movies but also The Hunger Games.

I generally prefer to read the book before seeing a movie if it's a book I intend to read - such as Women Talking.

But then there are the movies and series that will have a book but don't yet or I can't get my hands on it and I really want to see it -- GOT definitely fits that since I watched the full series and yet we all still await those final 2 books in the series.

What I generally need though is distance between watching and reading so that each can be judged independently - or as independently as possible. As it is, the movie versions can supplant the books in ones mind -- take the HP movies - Snapes will always and forever be Alan Rickman - he's who I saw when I re-read the books last year. Ditto on so many of the characters.

But I have exceptions even to that 'rule'. I've been rereading Agatha Christie, most of which I read in my teens and have totally forgotten. As I read each one, I look up and stream every single adaptation of it I can find, most of which I've already seen. I'm having a ball.

Nadine in NY wrote: "Cool and rainy spring weather continues here, which means my grass is sooo lush and sooo long and desperately needs to be mowed...."

You have a teenager. In my day it was the job of the teenager (unfortunately me for too long) to mow the lawn. In fact that was true of every single friend I had -- that is until riding lawn mowers came into use and all the dads decided they liked mowing the lawn. Men and their toys. I hated it but it was one of my jobs and I did it, as did both my younger sisters and my brother before me. Dad might have to get the mower started as I couldn't seem to yank the cord hard or sharply enough, but the job was mine.

I've been enjoying this cool rainy weather here in NYC. But then I have no mowing or gardening to do, no driving in it. In fact, since I WFH I can arrange my outings around it. Sun just came out and is here to stay until Monday. I'm glad actually as my IRL Feminerdy book club is meeting outside in Bryant Park on Sunday to discuss May's book. We want to take advantage before it gets so hot and humid we all repair to the nearest air conditioned eatery. Everything should be dried out and lovely by then.

WOW! It has been 3 weeks since I have checked in. We are wrapping up the school year. I am preparing to say goodbye to my Seniors. This is the first year in a long time that I truly feel sad about saying goodbye to my students. I have been in a really weird headspace for the past few years about education and my place in it. Maybe now I am coming out of the funk.

Completed
We Can Be Heroes by Kyrie McCauley ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Dead to the World by Charlaine Harris⭐⭐⭐ ((#19)
Hallowed Oblivion by Katherine Silva⭐⭐⭐
Dear Diary: Run Like Hell by James A. Moore⭐⭐⭐⭐
Garvey's Choice by Nikki Grimes⭐⭐⭐
The Hollow Inside by Brooke Lauren Davis⭐⭐⭐
29 Without You: a collection of poems and essays (mostly) chronicling my 28th trip around the sun by Margo Lane



Currently Reading

The Witching Hour ~ Got 80% through and my library loan of the audiobook self-returned and now I am #15 on the hold list. (#20, 49)
The Gunslinger
Friday I'm in Love
Legendborn (#4)

Question of the Week:
An old debate: read the book first, or watch the show first?

I typically find that if I like the book, I don't like the movie or t.v. show. I find that if I get attached to the characters and the story, it really ticks me off when the story is changed to fit the visuals. For example, I had a really hard time with the new "Interview with the Vampire" series. I really like those books and I had a hard time reconciling the change in Louis and Lestat. I had to look at what they were trying to do with updating the story to make it more relevant to today and keep in mind that Anne Rice was working on this project when she died. Therefore, the changes are with the author's approval and her son is still overseeing the project. On the other hand, I waited to watch "The Mayfair Witches" until I had read the book. If I had to do it over again, I think I might have watched the movie first because the book has so much detail that it is really hard to keep everything straight. A connection with the characters might have helped.

May the Fourth be with you all! And may goodreads get its sh*t together...It was down for me all morning and it seems like that was a widespread issue.

Finished:
Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup: Such a good book, so glad she got convicted, but would really appreciate it if they would put a stop to all these appeals and pack her off to prison already.

The Disappearing Spoon: And Other True Tales of Madness, Love, and the History of the World from the Periodic Table of the Elements: nice pop history of science book

The Prophet: really pretty poetry/philosophy

Bite Me! A Vampire Farce: this is a webcomic about a barwench who accidentally gets turned into a vampire during the French Revolution. hilarity ensues. You can read the whole thing online for free, and you should. very funny!

Flung Out of Space: Inspired by the Indecent Adventures of Patricia Highsmith: historical fiction graphic novel about the author of Strangers on a Train and Carol, among other works. loved it (even if Highsmith was an a**)

Currently reading:
Squeeze Me: A novel: my aunt got me this and says that it's very funny but so far I'm giving it some serious side-eye

QOTW:
When I was a kid, my mom had a rule that we couldn't see a movie if we hadn't read the book first, but that was literally never an issue. We pretty rarely went to the movies and read like velociraptors so I don't think it ever came up. These days I don't really watch that many movies and my preferred shows aren't based on books so its kind of a moot point.

I keep falling asleep while reading so nothing finished this week. We did try and make the most of the bank holiday weekend by going out and doing stuff, so I guess that's where my reading time went. The woods are full of bluebells and the sun has been shining, so yay that winter is over.

I'm currently reading Mortal Follies by Alexis Hall and listening to Death of a Bookseller by Alice Slater.

QOTW:
I think I like different things in films than I do in books, so often it's not really an issue. If I really want to read a book I will try and read it first, but usually I'm reading books that don't get adapted anyway.

Oh! I would like to add that I read Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom a few years ago, enjoyed them (especially CK), but didn't LOVE SoC.

Now I've seen the show, and have faces and voices, I adored them on my reread!

So excited about going to the bookstore tomorrow. I have maybe one book in mind and that's a possibility ( Origin: A Genetic History of the Americas ) , but I'm not 100% on board with that yet, we'll see.

Odds are I'll end up spending over an hour which will be great. I'm always indecisive when it comes to what book to pick. I go based on instinct rather than generalized.

To top it off I'll be making beef jerky this weekend and my mom has already called for a pizza night tomorrow which will be great.

Fun day tomorrow. I can't wait to get the rest of today over with.

Ron wrote: "So excited about going to the bookstore tomorrow. I have maybe one book in mind and that's a possibility ( Origin: A Genetic History of the Americas ) , but I'm not 100% on board wi..."

Enjoy that frisson of anticipation! At my advanced age, I have learned that the build-up adds to the fun.

I know just what you mean about lingering over books making a decision on which to buy. I'm often in the end seduced by a beautiful cover. I also let myself go back and look at a book again. Often the book still in my mind and one I keep going back to look at by the end of my time in the bookstore is the one I buy.

I've never made jerky of any kind but I do cook and bake. It's a wonderful thing to do - and reading about food and cooking, including chef autobiographies, adds a lot. I don't really 'read' cookbooks cover to cover - I own a lot and look up and try recipes all the time that use new or different ingredients (right now I'm looking at pickling some ramps I bought). But I read the books that may have recipes in them but also a lot more - i.e. Marcus Samuelsson's New American Table isn't just a cookbook but is filled with essays and photographs worthy of a coffee table book, and is a discussion of what a melting pot modern American cuisine is.

I highly recommend reading cover to cover Hot Sour Salty Sweet: A Culinary Journey Through Southeast Asia which is as much a travel essay and cultural examination of southeast asia as it is a cookbook.

Theresa wrote: "Nadine in NY wrote: "Cool and rainy spring weather continues here, which means my grass is sooo lush and sooo long and desperately needs to be mowed...."

You have a teenager. In my day it was the job of the teenager (unfortunately me for too long) to mow the lawn. I hated it but it was one of my jobs and I did it, as did both my younger sisters and my brother before me. Dad might have to get the mower started as I couldn't seem to yank the cord hard or sharply enough, but the job was mine.

OMG, you just described my youth to a tee! I actually love mowing the lawn, I haven't been able to do it since my transplant/covid. I really miss it. I find it therapeutic. I remember having a bad day at work and coming home and started mowing, I finished half the yard before I sweated out all my frustration!

May the Fourth Be With All of You, I read 3 books for the week.
1. The Reunion. 3 stars. I liked it. A friend lent it to me. Not for any challenge.
2. The Empress of Salt and Fortune. 3 stars. I liked it but will probably not finish the series. PS # 24 A book with a rabbit on the cover. Very glad I finished this prompt. I had a hard time finding a book.
3. Second Sister. 5 stars. I loved the book. My favorite of 2023 so far. PS # 19 A book that fulfills your favorite prompt from a past challenge. 2015 #44 Originally written in another language.
QOTW: I always try to read the book first.

Jennifer W wrote: "Theresa wrote: "Nadine in NY wrote: "Cool and rainy spring weather continues here, which means my grass is sooo lush and sooo long and desperately needs to be mowed...."

You have a teenager. In my..."

You know, if I had a yard as an adult, that might actually appeal to me. I am not into grubbing in the dirt - more an admirer of gardens. And I always said if I had a yard I'd turn it wild or into some kind of ground cover like myrtel so I would not have to mow it!

You also remind me of a friend who all through law school talked about how pruning the shrubs around her house was therapeutic - and sometimes she volunteered at her neighbors because she'd over-pruned her shrubs!

Ron wrote: "The Rediscovery of America: Native Peoples and the Unmaking of U.S. History ... I am getting bored with the colonialism. I can't wait for it to start picking up speed (okay so maybe that author of the NYT article had a point. LOL!) ..."



LOL!!!

Mandy wrote: "Happy Thursday! And May the Fourth be with you!

Hi, I've been so busy this week. Summer Reading Program is only 5 weeks away and I'm not even close to being ready! AAAHHH!!!!!

Also, we had some k..."




those kittens sound adorable!!! well done on catching all of them so the family could stay together (for now)

Brandon wrote: "... Like Statler and Waldorf in A Muppet Christmas Carol, I found a lot of joy that what I was experiencing was short. ..."


LOL!

Harmke wrote: "Nadine in NY wrote: "Cool and rainy spring weather continues here, which means my grass is sooo lush and sooo long and desperately needs to be mowed."

No Mow May! It’s good for bees and biodiversi..."




I can NOT imagine going all of May without mowing!! It would be so high, I don't know how I would mow it. (As it is now, I'm getting a little worried!) Plus, long grass is a happy home for TICKS which I do not want, not to mention other vermin like voles and groundhogs which can all stay out of my yard thank you. I do get dandelions, veronica, lamium, clover, etc, blooming even with a weekly mow. My lawn is biodiverse, never treated with pesticides, and there are lots of messy corners that are never mowed.

Jackie wrote: "read like velociraptors"

My new favorite phrase.

Several week check-in. I am doing a terrible job at keeping up with everything in my life, Goodreads included. Everything has gotten better for me now that our winter finally seems to be over.

I'm not sure where I last checked in, and I'm not going to look it up. I'll guess.

Mrs Harris Goes to Paris by Paul Gallico - 4 stars; PS #16 (name in title)
Such a fun, cute story. I really enjoyed this.

The Last Word by Taylor Adams - 4 stars; PS #12 (published in spring 2023)
This is my second book by him, and I like how his thrillers are almost too much for me, but not quite. Being a little disturbed in mind on occasion is good for one, right?

Ordeal by Innocence by Agatha Christie - 4 stars; PS #17 (love triangle)
My April monthly Christie. Entertaining as always.

Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree - 4 stars; PS #44 (self-published)
I set this down after reading the Prologue as it didn't grab me right away. Got back to it the other night and finished it by the next night. Very fun!

Goodreads: 34/90
Popsugar: 27/50

QOTW:
This is a timely question for me. I usually prefer to read the book first, but it isn't a hard-and-fast rule. My memory is so bad these days that usually if there is enough distance between the two that both are enjoyable and I don't mind the changes. However, I watched the movie of Mrs. Harris and the mini-series of Ordeal by Innocence not long before reading these books. I wish I had the read the books first in both cases.

I preferred the movie of Mrs Harris more than the book, although the book was quite good. It didn't bother me that they didn't follow the book all that closely because the characters and plot were even more delightful than the book storyline.

I watched the mini-series on Ordeal by Innocence without looking up when I was going to be reading it (I'm reading in publication order). Surprisingly, it was the next month. The whole time I was watching the mini-series, I kept saying "there's no way she wrote that." They used the basic plotline and main characters, but changed the motivations and personalities to a great degree. The book was a typical Christie, nothing too gory or outlandish, and felt very tame after watching the show. Still, I enjoyed both. Wonder what Agatha would have thought of the mini-series?

QOTW: I always try to read the book first as I want to "see" the story in my head without anyone else's interpretation first. Once I see the movie it is harder to read the book and not see the actors or movie scenes in my head. If I read first, then the movie - I am able and like to see how someone else saw it, interpreted it or adapted it to the screen. Sometimes I like the book better, sometimes the movie better, sometimes can appreciate both options. No hard/fast rule - but I like my imagination to put the book together in my mind first.

Nadine in NY wrote: "Mandy wrote: "Happy Thursday! And May the Fourth be with you!

Hi, I've been so busy this week. Summer Reading Program is only 5 weeks away and I'm not even close to being ready! AAAHHH!!!!!

Also,..."

It was a long drawn out thing where Reba, the chihuahua, is the size of a lion in her mind. Everything she chases runs from her mighty bark. Not the 🐈‍⬛ 🐈. So being swatted by a cat twice, she became a drama Queen both times and literally screamed in fright the entire time as she ran to the back door. There were no injuries (I checked).

I met up with animal control when they came and got a cutie of a small dog that was at the court house. I kept it cornered as I flagged them down. And they put down traps because they were getting under the house.

I don’t mind feral cats as long as they don’t try to hurt my fur-tators. They keep the nasty field mice down. Although mice are cute too but not in my house.

Good morning! I had a 3-day migraine this week, so didn't get much reading done. Feeling much better today, thankfully!

PopSugar: 16/50
ATY: 16/50

Finished
The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman Such a great story with lots of laughs and wonderful characters. I used this for first-time author/debut novel.

Currently Reading
Just picked up The Whispered Word from the library, so that's next on my list. I also have The White Album, which I'm reading one essay at a time.

Coming Up
I was given March by Geraldine Brooks for my birthday, so that's going to be my fanfiction novel, I think. I also had Anthony Trollope recommended to me, so I've downloaded some of his works to my kindle.

QOTW
This is usually a controversial take, but I prefer seeing the movie first whenever possible. If I read the book first, I spend my time thinking about what's been cut out and how the storyline got changed. If I see the movie first, I can judge it on its own merits and reading the book allows me to fill in details.

Happy Thursday! This weekend the bay area is having a book festival with a bunch of authors coming to do panels on different topics. I meant to try to read some of the authors books before hand, but completely lost track of time- how is it already May?? I'm still really excited for it- managed to convince some friends to go to, so it should be a good weekend. As long as it doesn't start storming!

Finished:
Bliss Montage- a short story collection. I really like Ling Ma's writing, but I definitely prefer her novel Severance.
-no prompt

Bea Wolf- an adorable graphic novel adaptation of Beowulf where it's kids as the main characters. I really enjoyed this!
-14 A modern retelling of a classic

The Decagon House Murders- this mystery has the feel of the old classic whodunits. A bunch of mystery junkies get caught up in their own version of "and then there were none"
-3 A book about a vacation

We Were Dreamers: An Immigrant Superhero Origin Story- this was a really good memoir. I didn't go in with many expectations, but Simu Liu is a natural storyteller. Celebrity memoirs are pretty hit or miss, but this one I would definitely recommend.
-no prompt for me, but could be used for "celebrity memoir"

Potentially Up Next:
I'm going to try to read from one of the authors coming to the event this weekend- so these are the books I'm considering. Hopefully I can get one done in time!
Bestiary- K-ming Chang
The Removed- Brandon Hobson
Woman of Light- Kali Fajardo Anstine

Qotw:
It depends. If it's a book that I've been meaning to read for a while, then I'll make sure to pick it up first. But if it hasn't really been on my radar, I don't feel bad watching the movie or show first. I used to be way more one the book first side of things. But if it's a book I'm not sure about, I'd rather waste a few hours on the movie than a few days on the book.

Happy check-in. May the fourth be with you too!
I've seen the No Mow May thing and we'll see if it's feasible here. Although there is a neighbourhood rabbit here that's been eating the lawn so we'll see what happens after it rains this weekend. I did spend time doing yard work this week and am paying for it today. Minor allegeries. :( I agree that mowing the lawn can be a good way to clear your brain from the day.

Finished Reading:

Northanger Abbey ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (ATY reject prompt Rory Gilmore's book list)
I was surprised at how different this book was to Austen's other books.

Fool's Gold ⭐⭐⭐
Violet Tendencies ⭐⭐
Rusted Veins ⭐⭐⭐
These are all short stories/novellas from an urban fantasy series. The second one was too short so it barely had a plot.

The Call of the Wild ⭐⭐⭐ (PS friend recommended)
I liked the writing style, the violence towards animals not at all. I debated using this for the banned book prompt.

The Bridge Kingdom ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (PS meant to read in 2022)
Finally. I waited for over a year on hold with my library for this. The hold expired after a year and I had to rerequest it. Anyway I thought this was a fantasy series but not so much. It's just a made up world but no magic stuff at all.

Tropic of the Sea ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (ATY tropical setting)
A town in Japan that has a family that are keepers of the mermaids egg. This manga has great artwork and a good female character written by a guy in the early 90s.

PS 31/50
ATY 34/52
Nadine's 10/10
Goodreads 108/200

Currently Reading:
A Promise of Fire

QOTW:
Perfect timing. I'm currently watch Where The Crawdads Sing after holding off until I had read the book, which I did a month or so ago. I just read the books I want and watch the movies I want most of the time.

It's the last 2 weeks of the semester so very little reading time. All I finished was Isola, Vol. 1 by Brenden Fletcher and was underwhelmed by this fantasy graphic novel

QOTW

I don't honestly care much which I see first. However I will say if I see the movie/tv show first and then read the book I tend to enjoy both. On the other hand, if I read the book first I often don't enjoy the movie.

Happy Friday! Nothing much happening this week. I did buy a cast iron skillet and it makes me feel like I've graduated from amateur to professional chef (though I'm definitely still an amateur ha)

Challenge progress:
ATY 16/52
PS 18/50

Finished:
Cloud Cuckoo Land (ATY best book of the month thread) 4 stars. This was a great book. Set in 3 different time periods with a single story tying them all together. It was longer than I usually like to read but the story moved at a fast pace. Anthony Doerr is such a talented writer. I will have to check out more of his work.

The Christie Affair (ATY 3 books each set in different century book 2) 3 stars. I don't always enjoy historical fiction but this one was good. Set during Agatha Christie's missing 11 days but mostly from the perspective of her husband's mistress.

Currently reading:

Arsenic and Adobo (no prompt)

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow (PS song lyric)

Upcoming:

The Travelling Cat Chronicles (ATY translated from another language)

QOTW: It depends on what it is. I'm not really that picky on if I read the book first or watch the movie. It only depends on which I get my hands on first. I would really only insist on reading the book first if it has been a book I have been waiting to read for a while.

Teri wrote: "I preferred the movie of Mrs Harris more than the book, although the book was quite good. It didn't bother me that they didn't follow the book all that closely because the characters and plot were even more delightful than the book storyline."

I haven't read the book but thought the movie was so charming and wonderful! I don't think I should pick up the book and have it 'tarnish' it.