Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge discussion
2023 Weekly Check-Ins
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Week 30: 7/20 - 7/27
Happy Thursday!What a week! We have a preview audience for Twelfth Night tonight and properly open tomorrow - I'm excited to finally have people see this show! It's been so much fun to work on, and the weather has certainly kept us on our toes; we had a thunderstorm on Sunday evening and then another downpour last night, and I had to sacrifice the first half-dozen pages of my script to appease the rain gods (i.e. I was a moron and left my script open backstage and it got drenched). Tech week means late nights, which means minimal reading, but I did manage to finish two books this week!
milk and honey - 3.5 stars. I definitely see what people mean when they call Rupi Kaur's work Instagram poetry, but for the most part I liked this! The illustrations were a lovely addition.
Pageboy - 5 stars. Just fantastic. A celebrity memoir
Mistress of the Art of Death - DNF. I want to try this again when I have more mental space! Not a good read for tech week lol
PS 33/50
ATY 41/52
Mount TBR 31/60
Summer Reading 9/50 +2
Currently:
The Silent Patient
Soccer in Sun and Shadow
The Irish Game: A True Story of Crime and Art
QOTW: How do you feel about open-ended endings?
I think it can work really well sometimes (I LOVE the ambiguous ending of Inception) but the majority of the time I prefer a firm ending because I NEED closure. If it's a series, by all means end on a cliffhanger, as long as the final book wraps everything up.
Happy Thursday everyone.Been fighting with my computer's microphone settings for the past several days -- apparently I can record my voice just fine, but when I try to voice chat over Discord or another app the people on the other end of the line can barely hear me. Dunno if this is an issue with my computer or theirs, or if I should just buckle down and buy a microphone instead of depending on my computer's built-in mic.
Books read this week:
Coyote America: A Natural and Supernatural History -- fantastic read about the coyote myth, the campaign to destroy them, and how they’ve still managed to spread to every corner of the United States despite humanity’s best efforts to eradicate them.
The Wicker Man Preservation Society -- I went into this expecting a thriller/horror about a doomsday cult -- or at least something akin to the Christopher Lee film The Wicker Man -- but instead it’s a rather rambling mystery novel. Which isn’t all bad, just not what I expected. And the main character is continually going off on tangents that detract from the story.
Fortune Favors the Dead -- mystery novel set in the 1940s that’s a homage to pulp detective fiction? Under most circumstances, no thanks… but mystery novel set in the 1940s that’s a homage to pulp detective fiction AND has a queer lead? Sign me up. Seriously, I liked this a lot more than I was expecting.
Camp Damascus -- and here I thought Chuck Tingle was just that guy who wrote all those weird gay erotica novels and went viral for (view spoiler) Turns out the man is actually a really good writer, and his horror novel about a gay-conversion camp is timely and terrifying.
DNF:
New World Rising -- got a few chapters in, but the holes in the worldbuilding and the fact that it was such a by-the-numbers YA dystopia made me drop it.
Currently Reading:
The Cruelest Miles: The Heroic Story of Dogs and Men in a Race Against an Epidemic
Kidnapped (the Robert Louis Stevenson book -- for some reason the search function won't pull it up)
Extraordinary Birds
An Elephant in the Garden
QOTW:
I don't mind a few loose plot threads in a book, but I don't like an ending that's left wide open. (Looking at you, (view spoiler)...) And I especially hate it when the ending is left gaping wide open just to force you to buy the next book in the series. I don't mind plot threads left open, but don't end on a cliffhanger...
I'll start with the QotW. It's funny how people can experience the same thing differently. I don't consider Kenya's example to be wide open. The main plot in the main setting of the book was concluded. What happens to the main character in the rest of their life, no matter what it is, could not help but be anticlimactic.A book I read last month, Five Survive, struck a pretty good balance. The thrilling situation concluded and was explained, but the final decision of the viewpoint character was left up to the reader.
An example that goes in the direction of too much closure/ending is when the investigator in an Agatha Christie book basically guilt tripped the culprit into committing suicide. The author may have seen it as a form of justice, but that part of the story rubbed me the wrong way, and I did not feel it was necessary.
Essentially, I want stories to end in a way that feels deliberate and satisfying, even if there are some threads left open. Don't make it seem like the writer just stopped writing at the end.
Finished:
Usagi Yojimbo Saga, Vol. 3 (4/5, reread)
Batman: The Long Halloween (3/5, reread)
One of Us Is Dead (3/5, read as part of Kindle 2023 Summer Reading Challenge)
It has a bit of the same feeling as Big Little Lies in its story type, characters, and construction, but it is not quite as well written as that book. This thriller with a bit of mystery keeps the pages turning, and it hangs together when all of the reveals have been made. There are some open door spicy moments, coarse language, and violence, so come into it prepared for that.
Currently reading:
Usagi Yojimbo Saga Volume 4
Inquisitor: Rise of the Red Blade (really good at the halfway point)
Star Trek: The Brave and the Bold, Book 2 (reread)
Batman: Dark Victory (after 5/13 chapters, this feels like a bit of a retread of The Long Halloween)
Happy Thursday.I have finished 3/4 July books and am almost done the last one. I have started my longest (almost 700 pages) August book.
Finished:
Dark Days
ATY prompt: A book set in a UNESCO City of Literature (Dublin)
Popsugar prompt:A book by an author with the same initials as you
Summer challenge: The next book in a series
Series - 10/15
Series Completed: - Lying Games, Bronwyn the Witch, Divergent, Millenium, Heather Wells
Nobel laureates - 4/7
Random books - 4/7
ATY - 28/40
PS - 26/30
Nadine's 23 challenge - 10/10 -Completed!
Summer challenge: 7/12
Around the year in 52 movies - 29/52
27. A movie by an author from continental Europe - The Parent Trap (based on a German book)
28. A movie that is dark - The Black Cauldron
Currently reading:
The Wandering Fire - 80% done
Eldest - Just started
Buddy Reads:
God in My Everything: How an Ancient Rhythm Helps Busy People Enjoy God - 12/15 chapters
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - 18/37 chapters
A Light in the Window - 6/21 chapters
QOTW: It depends. If it is general fiction and a problem is resolved and it's open ended about what might happen in the future - that's life.
I detest when a mystery/thriller doesn't wrap up. Turn of the Screw was terrible. It was apparently written because the author needed money. He deliberately left the ending ambiguous to try and play both sides (since it was a news paper serial). That kind of thing pleases no one.
Mod
oh that sounds fascinating!! I love coyotes, and I'm always excited when I see one, or even when I hear about one in the neighborhood. But based on the comments I see in nextdoor, 95% of my neighbors are terrified of coyotes and are convinced that the coyotes are cannily luring small children and dogs out of their homes and into the woods, like the clown from It or something?
Camp Damascus -- and here I thought Chuck Tingle was just that guy who wrote all those weird gay erotica novels and went viral for (view spoiler) Turns out the man is actually a really good writer, and his horror novel about a gay-conversion camp is timely and terrifying.
I read his free Tor short ABOUT the release of Damascus, and it was so soo wonderful!!! this guy really lives his slogan (and his slogan is "love is love").
https://www.tor.com/2023/07/11/short-...
Hi all, This weekend is our summerween party, and i'm excited! My costume bits should arrive soon (a summery version of the Bride of Frankenstein). I've got two "spooky" ice creams made. (earl grey lavendar that was supposed to be purple but I couldn't find food coloring and the butterfly pea flowers didn't tint it as much as I had hoped), orange, and tomorrow I'll whip up some toasted black sesame ice cream. Going to also carve a water melon into a jack-o-lantern (and use the innards in the fruit salad). Going to put out halloween stuff, but also have the inflatable pools and I got a glowing eyeball beach ball. Also going to have a Char-spookerie platter. Should be fun!
This week I finished:
Mistborn: The Final Empire - this is one of my tbr challenge books, I'd never gotten into sandarson in spite of me being big into fantasy reading. I liked it more than i expected. I'd kinda figured it was going to be a dearth of female characters, and while there weren't many, I did like Vin a lot.
The Gentleman's Book of Vices - for the vaginal fantasy book club. It was pretty good, funny. I liked the story a lot.
A Song Below Water - literally just finished the audio book. I liked it a lot. Interesting takes on mythology, good story of found sisters, family dynamics, while also breaking down race and police violence etc.
Currently reading:
Bad Feminist: Essays - been meaning to read this for a while, and kept not getting to it. Using for Read Harder's book in intersectional feminism. I'm liking it, i like Roxanne Gay's writing style.
All Boys Aren't Blue - current audio, was trying to bounce between two for a while, but that clearly doesn't work for me. So finished the other one, will now focus on this. I like it so far.
QOTW:
I guess it depends on the story and what kind of loose ends there are. I don't necessarily need everything to be wrapped up with a bow, and honestly sometimes when authors try to do that everything ends up feeling forced and weird. But I don't like ambiguous endings that are so open and vague that I end up feeling like "why did I read this? Nothing was finished". I also don't like endings that end, but it feels like the characters are NOT in a great state and nothing really addresses how they're supposed to go on. One i can think of is the netflix space movie Stowaway with Anna Kendrick and Daniel Dae Kim and Toni Collette. (view spoiler)
I also really hate cliffhangers, even if it's a series. I prefer each book/movie to be reasonably contained. Like obviously things can be open to continue, but I don't want to feel like I always HAVE to consume the whole thing at once or I'm never finished.
Back home and first full day back at work after a week split between my 50th HS Reunion in my very rural hometown, and a few days visiting a friend at her Lake House. Not a lot of reading happened but I did have a great time and a complete change of pace a scenery, sorely needed. I also made the pilgrimage to where Woodstock was held, honoring 2 friends who have regaled me with stories from it. It was held the week I turned 14 a mere 150 miles west, so too young and also unaware of the rock scene to attend myself. Traveling there on the country roads leading from the nearest highway through what is still mostly farming area made the whole idea of what happened there seem remarkable, even impossible. When I posted the photos I took on FB, one of the friends who attended said she didn't recogn8ze it without the people, mud, and rain. There is a Woodstock museum on the site that I did not visit this time and a concert venue. Next visit to the area.Finished - nothing for challenges:
Magic Bites
Evil Under the Sun
The Xmas Factor: The perfect festive treat!
Currently reading:
Merry Chick Lit Celebrate the Season with Six Sassy Shorts
Winter's Orbit
Lolita by Nabokov - can't do link because of the search engine problem Nadine described - I get pages of authors with that first name or literary criticisms. This is a new glitch.
QOTW: generally I dislike it, except of course when there is a series with a long story arc. There are exceptions of course, like Nadine's example of In the Woods where the dangling plot line was an unsolved mystery predating the events of the book and was a key element to the emotional and psychic reactions and actions of the narrator. It was something that needed to remain unsolved as so much in life does.
I don't need every little thing tied up in a neat bow, but there needs to be closure of main plot lines. Or at least a reason for them to remain dangling.
I completely forgot to check in last week. I started doing some Unity tutorials as a more fun way to improve my coding skills and then I got sucked in making a little bookish game. It's taken me two weeks to make a thing with a little character talking to themselves, picking up a frying pan and then squishing a bookworm! I have a whole new respect for game devs.Finished:
This Delicious Death by Kayla Cottingham for ATY (published 2023). The idea was good, what if someone found a treatment for "zombies" and they were reintroduced to society but they were fully aware of their actions. The flashbacks were great, but the story at the music festival didn't seem fully fleshed out. There were several things that didn't seem convincing and I don't think there was enough time elapsed between the trauma of the Hollowing and the present day for it to really work.
More Perfect by Temi Oh for ATY (geometric shape). Temi's degree in neuroscience feeds into this book so much as it explores the implications, good and bad, of a chip in our brains. How it can be used for helping mental health, connecting people, but also the chance for exploitation, the risks of using prediction algorithms on our private thoughts. What happens when someone decides your guilty before you've even thought about committing a crime? The space taken up by this means the plot can be a little slow but overall I enjoyed this thoughtful story.
Mister Magic by Kiersten White (I don't think this fits any prompts). The house and the TV show and the cape in the pitch black were all extremely creepy. The story is the author's exploration of her own religious upbringing, but I also think it works if you just think about the dodginess going on in children's TV in the last century.
I'm at 30/40 for Popsugar and 40/52 for ATY.
QOTW:
I don't like it when it feels like the story has just ended without anything resolved. A few loose ends or ambiguity is fine, but not if it's just like the author doesn't know what to do next so just stopped. Or they think they're being clever but they didn't leave enough clues for me to work it out for myself. But I don't like excessively long epilogues explaining what happened to everyone either.
Happy Thursday! I have only have until Friday 5 pm for my vacation to start! I’m chomping at the bit for it to happen. I can’t wait to veg in jammies for the week. On the plus side, Frontiers’ Days is this weekend as well. There will be some booths with food and things and the Pièce de résistance: the O.L.LE stand!! I really want an O.L.LE. Orange, lime, lemon juice with sugar water and some maraschino cherry juice. Yum!!!
There will be a parade and they throw candy and things at kids lined up on the street. If ever you want to see vicious ravenous behavior, this is the time. It was so much fun!
On a cruddy note, there are these nasty bugs all over that are invading my house through closed windows. They are so tiny they look like coffee grounds or crumbs. That is until they move! I had to hose down the house 4 times on Sunday because they covered the house! I have my bug spray ready to put on the doors and windows. It’s just been to dang hot at night, and I don’t have time in the morning because of work.
Other than that, I’ve been doing art and watching tv instead of reading.
Popsugar: 25/50
Finished: None
Reading:
Prince of Thorns & Nightmares ps 32 This book is in the perspective of Prince Philip from Sleeping Beauty.
Zhara also ps 32
Aty:31/52
Finished:
The Most Heretical Last Boss Queen: From Villainess to Savior (Light Novel) Vol. 1 aty 26
Reading: None that I’m aware of
Goodreads Challenge 453/400
Finished:
The Most Heretical Last Boss Queen: From Villainess to Savior (Light Novel) Vol. 1
Rock God
Scorching Hot
Reading:
Fourth Wing
Zhara
Prince of Thorns & Nightmares
Nadine's Mini Challenge 8/10
Finished:
Reading: None
Mount TBR:
33/150 Ebook
22/150 Physical
QOTW:
Depends on how open the ending is. Is it: Oh, we are doing another book, so we are going to give you a minor cliffhanger? Or is it: We are evil and don’t want to give you the satisfaction of having a tied-up ending?
I can pretty much handle a minor cliffhanger (and I mean minor!) Taran Matharu was pure evil when he wrote the ending of The Inquisition! I had to wait forever to find out what happened.
I like my standalones to have closure. Maybe with a bit of leeway for a second book or companion novel.
Happy Thursday, everyone!What a week!
We had an absolutely horrendous thunderstorm over the weekend, which flooded about 25% of my kitchen/dining area. I managed to get the flooding contained and everything dried, but there was definitely
Sigh.
In other news, I did a little Halloween decor shopping this morning, and I can officially report that Halloween merchandise has made it to At Home, as well as Bath and Body Works. I was especially impressed with the Bath and Body Works merchandise. They kind of went for a glamorous gothic vibe this year, and I’m loving it.
As far as reading is concerned, I’ve had a little less reading time than normal this week since it is Shark Week on the Discovery Channel. I’ve been doing most of my reading during commercials, and I’ve still managed to read a decent amount, but I haven’t finished quite as many books as I would have if I wasn’t watching television all evening.
That being said, I am continuing to balance my reading between my TBR and “New Books” lists, and I’m making pretty good progress on both.
Here are my current challenge and TBR totals…
Goodreads Challenge: 630/400 (Challenge Complete!)
Mount TBR Challenge: 150/150 (Challenge Complete!)
📚Physical TBR: 263/634
📱Ebook TBR: 8/236
🎧Audiobook TBR: 12/13
TBR Checklist Total: 283/883 (32.0% complete)
I did pick up a few books this week…
My most exciting purchase was the Hellsing manga, by Kohta Hirano. I was a big fan of the anime, and I’ve always been interested in reading the manga. I’m really looking forward to diving into the first volume over the weekend.
I also got a brand new release, which was That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime 22, by Fuse. This is the last new release that I’m planning to pick up this month, so I should be taking a little break from buying books until the second week of August.
“New” Books Bought in 2023: 359
“New” Books Read in 2023: 340/359 (94.7% complete)
Here are the books I finished this week…
Finished Reading (Fiction):
~As Death Draws Near — This is the fifth book in the Lady Darby series. I really enjoyed this story, and I thought it was interesting to see the main characters conduct an investigation in Ireland. Content Alert: (view spoiler) 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~The Cradle of Ice — This is the second book in the Moonfall series, and I thought it was a great continuation of the story. I’ll be really interested to see where James Rollins will take the series from here, and I’m definitely going to have a hard time waiting until he releases the next book. Content Alert: (view spoiler) 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~A Brush with Shadows — This is the sixth book in the Lady Darby series. I really enjoyed this book, and liked seeing the main characters tackle a missing persons case. 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~Roverandom — This was a very cute story! 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~An Artless Demise — This is the seventh book in the Lady Darby series. It was a great continuation of the series. Content Alert: (view spoiler) 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~An English Bride in Scotland — This is the first book in the Highland Brides series, by Lynsay Sands. The story was really good, and I loved how the main characters’ relationship developed over the course of the book. Content Alert: (view spoiler) 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~Smith of Wootton Major — I did enjoy this story, but I think it’s important to know that the story is only a very small portion of the book. Among other things, the rest of the book is comprised of a picture gallery, an essay about the story, and reproductions of Tolkien’s typed and handwritten drafts (with transcriptions). 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Finished Reading (Nonfiction):
~The Tolkien Family Album — This was a really neat book, which included both pictures and a biography of J.R.R. Tolkien and his family, written by his daughter and eldest son. I really enjoyed the book, and found it to be a very quick read. 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Finished Reading (Manga, Comic Books, & Graphic Novels):
This week I finished reading the Fruits Basket manga. I’m so glad that I finally had a chance to read it! There’s so much that happens in the manga that didn’t make it into the anime adaptation, so there were a lot of moments that were brand new to me. Content Alert: (view spoiler) The volumes I read this week include…
~Fruits Basket Collector's Edition, Vol. 8 — 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~Fruits Basket Collector's Edition, Vol. 9 — 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~Fruits Basket Collector's Edition, Vol. 10 — 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~Fruits Basket Collector's Edition, Vol. 11 — 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~Fruits Basket Collector's Edition, Vol. 12 — 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I also read…
~That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime 22 — This was a great continuation of the series! I”m really looking forward to the release of the next volume. Content Alert: (view spoiler) 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Finished Reading (Poetry and Drama):
None
DNFed:
None
Currently Reading:
~On a Sea of Glass: The Life and Loss of the RMS Titanic — Progress through this book continues to be slow, but I am still making progress. 📚
~The Vicomte de Bragelonne — This book is the sequel to Twenty Years After. I am currently on chapter 73, and moving through the book at a pretty good pace. I think I will actually be able to finish this one over the weekend! 📚
~The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl Omnibus — I’m currently about 10% of the way through this book, and enjoying it so far. This is a big book, however, so I think it’s going to take quite a while to get through. 📚
~Final Girls — This is actually a re-read for me, but since the last time I read this was as a library loan, I am counting it toward my “New Books” list total. I really enjoyed this book the first time I read it, and I’ve been enjoying it just as much this time around. I’ve read about 40% of the book so far. 📚
~A Stroke of Malice — This is the eighth book in the Lady Darby series. I’m currently about a third of the way through this book, and loving it so far! 📚
QOTW:
I'm not a fan of open-ended endings. Unless the author has a specific purpose for leaving things open-ended (like in Inception, which was awesome), it just makes the story seem unfinished.
Hi all! I am SORE. I started PT the other day and my legs have threatened to up and leave if I try to make them do another squat! So I've been mostly laying around for a couple of days. Which is fine, it's hot and humid around here. Supposed to be 90 tomorrow, if I can make my legs work, I might take the kiddo to a state park to swim. Her summer program at the school is over, so for the rest of the summer, I have to figure out ways to keep her occupied... (send help!! lol) Actually, I'm going to sign her up for 2 weeks of swimming lessons. So just 3 1/2 other weeks to figure out. I finished zip. I'm still bouncing around. Listened to a few minutes of Out of the Blue, but I'm already over the "fish out of water" (pun intended) of the mermaid who doesn't get land life.
Started The Bonfire of the Vanities as a free audiobook from Audible (got a good deal for 3 months), not convinced about that one, either.
Read another chapter of The Bandit Queens, I think that has possibilities, but I'm not sure if I'll have it long enough from the library to get very far.
Read a few chapters in The Ghosts of Medgar Evers: A Tale of Race, Murder, Mississippi, and Hollywood. The first chapter was very clunky, so either the writing got better or I got used to it. I love the movie, so the behind the scenes is fun. The author was a local when Evers was assassinated and attended the final trial of his killer, and then some parts of filming the movie, so it's an interesting mix of the backstory of the movie along with the backstory of the real-life events.
QOTW: I almost always hate loose ends and insinuations (it's why I can't stand Joyce Carol Oates' books). Every once in a while, an author pulls it off and I love it, but I can't even think of an example, so it's pretty rare.
K.L. wrote: "Happy Thursday, everyone!What a week!
We had an absolutely horrendous thunderstorm over the weekend, which flooded about 25% of my kitchen/dining area. I managed to get the flooding contained an..."
Oh my gosh!! I'm sorry about the flooding! I have a skylight that does a bit of leaking during heavy rain so I feel you!
Are you only reading the manga of Slime or will you plan to read the light novels too? I loved the Hellsing anime series as well. Alucard is definitely in jam of cute but psycho column of anime crushes! I have the manga but I haven't read it yet. I haven't watched most of the new Hellsing series either. it follows the the manga more faithfully.
Fruits Basket is a nostalgic favorite. I borrowed it from a friend and it was one of my first anime purchases. I haven't watched the new anime series yet either. It animates the whole manga series and all the original v.a.s reprise their rolls except for a couple. They even made a prequel movie about the Touru's mom and dad.
Hatori is my favorite from this series.
I think i just have a thing for tortured or off kilter characters. Or demons like Sesshomaru and Sebastian Michaelis. Or Lin from Ghost Hunt the anime.
Happy Thursday! Not too much to report here. Things have been a little busy at work but otherwise nothing exciting is going on.Finished:
A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik - 4 stars - for a book I meant to read in 2022. I'm glad I finally got around to this series.
The Last Graduate by Naomi Novik - 4 stars - for a book with a map. That cliffhanger! I'm glad I didn't have to wait for the next book to come out to continue!
Comics & manga:
Himawari House
Currently reading:
The Golden Enclaves by Naomi Novik - for a book with a color in the title.
I am currently at 42/50 for Popsugar (35/40 and 7/10)
Upcoming/Planned:
Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli - for banned/challenged book
Thornhedge by T. Kingfisher - for a book that comes out in the second half of 2023
QOTW:
I prefer endings that wrap up the core threads of the story, while still leaving some ambiguity/openings, whether that's for a sequel or room for fanfic writers to play. I'm so-so on cliffhangers; if the next book is already out, then they're not so bad, but when I have to wait a year or two for the next book, then I get annoyed (i.e. my comments on the second Scholomance book).
Nadine, I saw there was a tie dye competition/festival in Virginia this week. That seems like it would be a lot of fun! Theresa, I used to work a few miles from Woodstock and would go into the town to go to the closest library and also a pretty good burrito place. Both had lots of pictures from the festival. I never went to the festival site because all the locals said it was just a field and nothing really to see!
Oh no! I was halfway through my post and then I hit the back button!!!!
Personal: 49/50Nadine's: 10/10
Library: 51/51
Summer: 30/30
I just have more prompt for finishing my challenges! Waiting on a book to come in the mail for it.
Read: I participated in the Dewey Readathon and finished 11 books, so I have a bunch to report!
Babel: An Arcane History I really enjoyed how this author used her PhD work in etymology to create a world hinged on the magic of language!
Against Happiness My old LD self loved this!
Not Too Late: Changing the Climate Story from Despair to Possibility Meh.
The Sun and the Star: A Nico di Angelo Adventure Rick Riordan and Mark Oshiro at their best! I really enjoyed the fleshing out of Nico's character.
LIS Interrupted: Intersections of Mental Illness and Library Work This isn't what I thought it was going to be. I thought it would be about how to deal with patrons with mental illness. Instead, it was about how to BE a librarian with mental illness. A respectful treatment, if that's what you're looking for.
The Order of Time Doesn't take much time to read. Didn't remember much from it either.
The Many Worlds of Hugh Everett III: Multiple Universes, Mutual Assured Destruction, and the Meltdown of a Nuclear Family Main take away was that Everett wasn't so much kicked out of academia as that he chose to work for the military.
Dancing With God Through the Storm
The Divine Comedy
Developing and Maintaining Practical Archives (How-To-Do-It Manuals for Librarians) 12/30/1997 Gregory S. Hunter
Archives and Special Collections as Sites of Contestation
Started: From Eternity to Here: The Quest for the Ultimate Theory of Time
The Feynman Lectures on Physics Vol 1
Big Bang: The Origin of the Universe
The Bookseller's Notebooks
QotW: I don't mind open endings but I HATE when a book doesn't follow a narrative arc. Phillip Pullman's last book ended right in the middle of the plot and I'll have to wait for his new book to come out for any sense of closure. Pages and Co's last book in the series also did that. A book needs to be a book even if it's part of a series!
Hey guys, hope you're staying cool.Heat is still in the 100s out here. We're supposed to have a "cold-front" if you consider 98 (F) to be as such.
Unfortunately I did not do any reading. I have hit a reading slump this month. I'm chalking it up to the heat. It makes it so hard to do anything.
I've managed at least 3 books this month, but that's about it.
*****
QotW:
Don't know how to really answer this one. Because so many of my books are nonfiction, they usually have a resolution to the end unless you want to continue with the added history and knowledge by looking at other sources.
I finished the songs of the kings. I was going to use it as a book with a map but changed it to retelling of a myth.I red the bookseller as a first time author.
I've started brazzaville beach as my book with alliteration
Qotw: I generally don't like them but sometimes they are ok as long as it's not a mystery or thriller. I'm also not crazy about cliffhangers in series
Sheri wrote: "Hi all, This weekend is our summerween party, and i'm excited! My costume bits should arrive soon (a summery version of the Bride of Frankenstein). I've got two "spooky" ice creams made. (earl gr..."
Sheri your summerween party sounds so fun!
I'm struggling to prep things for the fall semester. I just don't want to go back. Ah well. I did manage to get in some reading time though. However, neither were for the challenge.Queen of the Night by J.A. Jance. It was a slow starter with multiple pov scenes per chapter but it turned out fairly well.
Case of the Bleus by Korina Moss. I have an arc of this mystery set around a cheese shop. (This would work for someone looking for a book in the second half of 2023) It was pretty enjoyable.
QOTW In general open endings irritating me thoroughly. It's not so bad if it's a series and I know it'll be picked up next book but on the whole, I'd prefer to have things wrapped up
Sheri wrote: "Hi all, This weekend is our summerween party, and i'm excited! My costume bits should arrive soon (a summery version of the Bride of Frankenstein). I've got two "spooky" ice creams made. (earl gr..."
You are the Queen of Awesome! I love this idea!!!
I didn’t notice troubles with the search engine but I did try and look through all my books sorted by most number of ratings and it is not accurate. Are they purposely changing things to push/sell new books. I was sad to see the staff summer reading got changed from the three books they plan to read this summer to new releases. Books don’t become unreadable after three years Goodreads!
Yesterday the high was in the 80s, and it was glorious! I took a book out to the patio and thoroughly enjoyed the sun, the breeze, and the story. We're back to the 90s today, but I don't see any 100s in the forecast, so I'm satisfied. I mean, it's still summer!Seth (30 year old son with profound autism) and I went to see "Barbie" this week, and we both really enjoyed it. Seth gets impatient with movies he's not enjoying and takes multiple trips to the restroom... but not this time!
Challenge Progress:
52 Book Club: 48/52 (Summer Challenge: 7/8)
ATY: 45/52 (Summer Challenge: 11/12)
Popsugar: 42/50 (Nadine's Challenge: 10/10)
Completed:
The Menopause Manifesto: Own Your Health with Facts and Feminism ★★★★
The Trackers: Charles Frazier writes beautifully, but I never really cared about the characters. (52 SC6 - a book with mountains on the cover) ★★★
Christine: It's a classic. (52 SC3 - a book published in the 80s/PS38 - a book you read more than 10 years ago) ★★★★★
I'm Your Huckleberry: A Memoir: Val Kilmer's memoir. This is my second attempt - I DNF'd it the first time, and I still can't recommend this weird ramble of a book. ★★
Buffy the Last Vampire Slayer: 50 year old Buffy? Yes, please! (PS21 - the shortest book on your TBR) ★★★★★
The Second Ending ★★★
Nomad Century: How Climate Migration Will Reshape Our World ★★★★
Currently Reading:
The Secret Book of Flora Lea
Trust
The Starless Crown
Mobituaries: Great Lives Worth Reliving
The Second Life of Mirielle West (PS16 - a book with the main character's name in the title)
Eight Perfect Murders (ATY31 - a book found by inputting a favorite author on www.literature-map.com)
All the Sinners Bleed
Dreaming Beauty (PS44 - a book that was self-published)
QOTW: Do NOT leave a book wide open. I don't mind some ambiguity, but every book needs an ending that wraps up major plot lines... even in a series.
Just a normal week, nothing special, nothing particular. PS: 31/50 (goal: 40/50)
Total 2023: 37/52
Finished
Nothing
Currently reading
The Water Rituals by Eva García Sáenz de Urturi
The World: A Family History of Humanity by Simon Sebag Montefiore Longest on TBR. And OMG, how many chopped off human limbs (especially male) on the first 200 pages..!
QOTW
Open-endings are insane! I mean: you set up a whole story with characters and problems and events and then you just refuse to tell how it all ends???!! Why??
There’s just 1 kind of open end that’s ok: when the main character resolves the main past problems and enters a new future.
Only finished Fayne this week, which I'll use for historical fiction here. It's the story of a young girl being raised on a Scottish estate with very limited interaction with the outside world, due to her Condition. Although it's slow and descriptive of everything (so many lengthy passages about walking through the bog!) it initially sucked me right in. Then through the rest of it, I went back and forth between being super engaged and not, depending on who the focus was on - I was very into Charlotte's sections, not so much her parents' - until I started getting ragey about those. And then right at the end it lost me again, for reasons that tie into the Q of t W, so I'll talk about it there.Currently Reading
The Song of Achilles for Nadine's set in an ancient civilization prompt. Enjoyable, but very surface level so far.
Natural Beauty for Spring 2023. This one has sucked me right in, to the point where I'm forcing myself to slow my reading because I don't want it to be over too fast.
Hell Bent, which I just picked up from the library and started in a line-up. I have a rabbit book already, so this one may be a non-challenge read.
QotW
Great timing with the question, because I just had an interesting experience with Fayne! So I had about a hundred pages to go, and based on the pace of the book to that point, I was sure it was going to finish open ended - get Charlotte to a point where she went off on her own, and not tell us about further experiences. And I was sad because I wanted to know what happened. But then in fact, it went from quite slow paced to racing through almost a century in a few pages and tied up every single thing. We found out when every character died. Even characters who seemed to have exited the story earlier were brought back in in various ways. It just got way too neat and wrapped up in a way that felt wildly unrealistic. And in the end, I found myself wishing it had the way more open-ended "who knows where Charlotte goes from here?" ending I was initially fearing!
In generally, I think it depends on the tone of the book whether open-ended works or not. For instance, I recently read Really Good, Actually, which I would say is open ended, but the whole point of the book is that she's learning how to cope, and it's a process / journey without a defined endpoint.
But I definitely hate when it's a series with a completely open endpoint just to make you have to move to the next one. As Doni said above, even a series book still needs to be a book!
Mod
I am always interested in a new zombie story, especially one that plays with the rules like this!!!
Jennifer W wrote: "Nadine, I saw there was a tie dye competition/festival in Virginia this week. That seems like it would be a lot of fun! Theresa, I used to work a few miles from Woodstock and would go into the to..."
It is a field - and tiny country roads through farmland to get there but there is now a small monument and historic marker, and the Bethel Woods Concert Hall and Woodstock Museum - here's a link:
https://www.bethelwoodscenter.org/.
One of the things that is so impressive is just how remote and rural it still is, let alone back in 1969 and to think of how it all happened - it is unbelievable as you stand there.
I did not go to the museum because the parking is on grass (extensive areas across the road from it, needed for concerts) and a big thinderstorm was rolling in. All I could think of was muddy field and being soaked. It is close enough to NYC - just 2 hours - I can make a day trip in better weather. I was staying at a friend's lake house which is why I stopped this time.
Sheri wrote: "Hi all, This weekend is our summerween party, and i'm excited! My costume bits should arrive soon (a summery version of the Bride of Frankenstein). I've got two "spooky" ice creams made. (earl gr..."
This sounds like so much fun!
K.L. wrote: "In other news, I did a little Halloween decor shopping this morning, and I can officially report that Halloween merchandise has made it to At Home, as well as Bath and Body Works. I was especially impressed with the Bath and Body Works merchandise. They kind of went for a glamorous gothic vibe this year, and I’m loving it...
I thought I was jumping the gun when I started looking for Halloween costumes the past couple days, but apparently not. And as soon as Halloween is over, it's Christmas time!
Nadine in NY wrote: "Has anyone noticed that the book search feature and the add book link search feature both SUCK lately??? For brand new books, it still works well, but for a book that's been around a few years, it's AWFUL. I have to page through endless lists of books ABOUT the book I'm looking for, or fake entries, or foreign language entries, etc. They've clearly changed something about the search algorithm..."I've been having problems with it too, though it didn't seem as bad when I was posting the QotW. Hopefully, it's just temporary?!
haha thanks Jackie and Mandy :) we love halloween but we always are battling the time change/season change around then. So its hard for us to get into proper "lets throw a party" attitudes. So we decided to throw one in summer when there's lots of daylight and we don't have to worry about it being potentially snowed on :D
Hello Hello!! Yes, I am still around LOL! I haven't been getting much reading done this year and don't seem to find the time, when I do have it, to come on my computer.I just looked at the counter on the group homepage and it says I am 17 books behind! I'll never be able to catch up to that but, I am ok with it this year because I know I have been having life experiences instead.
It has been so long since I posted an update...I have finished quite a few and I'll just post those here (there may be repeats since I'm not sure what was the last one I told you all about).
2023 Challenges:
Popsugar: 11/50
ATY: 14/52
A to Z: 10/26
50 States: 10/54
Goodreads: 21/50
Past Challenges Still Working On:
2022 ATY: 51/52
2022 A to Z: 25/26 (Only letter left is Q)
50 States 2021…44/54
50 States 2022…23/54
Finished: (nothing this week!)
7 finished, 3 Completed Popsugar
Wyoming Rugged – Diana Palmer
Continuing the series.
Chloe Flavor: Saucy, Crispy, Spicy, Vegan: A Cookbook – Chloe Coscarelli
A vegan recipe book that I got maybe a handful of recipes out of. Which I may or may not try at some point.
Bunny – Mona Awad
(DNF) PS#24, ATY#12
I got about halfway through this, even after renewing it from the library, and I just didn’t want to keep reading so, I returned it unfinished. It was just getting too weird.
For now I’m leaving it on PS#24 & ATY #12 until I either decide to finish it or find another book with a bunny.
Taste: My Life through Food – Stanley Tucci
I really enjoyed this novel, which was part recipe book and part memoir.
Happy Place – Emily Henry
PS#12, ATY#51
Another great one from Emily Henry. After I finished it I was like I wish I could read it again already.
The Five-Star Weekend - Elin Hilderbrand
ATY #17
Another great one. I just love how she writes.
You Shouldn't Have Come Here – Jeneva Rose
PS #40, ATY#28
This was interesting… a little off here and there but, still had a good twist at the end.
Currently Reading
The Secret History
The Quarter Storm (’22 AtoZ)
How to Not Die Alone – Logan Ury
The Best American Short Stories 2018 - Roxane Gay
On the Backburner
Libby
All the Missing Girls
Physical Library Rentals
The tale of Despereaux
Magazines: (45/190)
Read since last check-in: 19
Question of the Week: How do you feel about Open-ended endings?
Generally I hate them! I don't like not knowing what happens to them (unless of course it's just them going on to live life) or concluding a major plot point.
To quote Brandon: "Essentially, I want stories to end in a way that feels deliberate and satisfying... Don't make it seem like the writer just stopped writing at the end."
JessicaMHR,I see that your 50 state challenges have 54 entries in them. Is that including Guam, Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands, and American Samoa, or is there some other reason for the additional four?
Hey look! I'm checking in on time for a change! Miraculous. Finished 25/50
Finally halfway. I need to pick up the pace!
Lord of Chaos for "book with a map". Loved it. I love WoT so much. STOKED for season 2 coming out in September!
The Frugal Wizard’s Handbook for Surviving Medieval England for "book published in spring 2023". This was cute. Nice, easy read. I enjoyed it a lot.
Currently Reading
The Magician's Assistant for "book with a rabbit on the cover". I mean, MY copy doesn't, but others do, so I figure this counts. I thought this would be a fantasy book but it's not. I'm a little disappointed, but I'll see it through.
QotW
It really depends on how it's done. If it's too open ended (like Everworld) then I'm just frustrated wanting to know what happens, but leaving a little to the imagination can be fun.
It includes Washington DC, Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands and Guam.I've only read Us Virgin Islands ones so far. It is actually hard to find a Guam book and Puerto Rico. It is easier to find one written by someone from there than one set in these locations.
The DC ones all seem to be mystery, or political thriller kind of books which are ok but not my jam usually.
I would have included American Samoa too but, wasn't sure I could find books for it. If I do I'll add them.
Any recommendations are welcomed.
JessicaMHR wrote: "It includes Washington DC, Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands and Guam.I've only read Us Virgin Islands ones so far. It is actually hard to find a Guam book and Puerto Rico. It is easier to find one ..."
Puerto Rico
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...
American Samoa
https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/...
Guam
https://www.mappit.net/bookmap/countr...
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Washington D.C.
https://www.goodreads.com/places/1098...
Good morning! I've been pretty flaky about checking in this year, but my reading is moving forward. I've taken my dog to a housesit for the first time, so she's been hanging around with a golden retriever. Both of them seem happy to mostly ignore each other, but at least there aren't any fights. PopSugar: 30/50
Finished
Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI Fascinating stuff about a period of history I didn't know much about. Prompt: Becoming a movie
Miss Memory Lane: A Memoir This was a tough, but excellent, read. Colton had a rough childhood and seemed to experience a dark side of Hollywood. Prompt: Book about Hollywood
Currently Reading
I only finished Killers of the Flower Moon at 11 last night, so haven't started anything new. But I have Daisy Jones & The Six from the library and that's probably what I'll read next.
QOTW
Open-ended endings work sometimes, but I prefer a book that ties up all (or most) of the loose ends.
JessicaMHR wrote: "It includes Washington DC, Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands and Guam.I've only read Us Virgin Islands ones so far. It is actually hard to find a Guam book and Puerto Rico. It is easier to find one ..."
Some DC non-fiction
The Presidents Club: Inside the World's Most Exclusive Fraternity
Why Presidents Fail: White House Decision Making from Eisenhower to Bush II - written by my superb poli-sci prof - he was just starting his teaching career back then, became a noted scholar on the American Presidency, and is now retired.
The Residence: Inside the Private World of the White House
The book I most recommend is the autobiography Personal History by Katherine Graham - publisher of the Washington Post during Vietnam and Nixon years. It is a page turner.
Mod
I've only read Us Virgin Islands ones so far. It is actually hard to find a Guam book and Puerto Rico. It is easier to find one ..."
Olga Dies Dreaming is set in NYC and Puerto Rico. It's primarily in NYC, about a Puerto Rican family, but a good chunk of it is in PR.
other books:
Cuando era puertorriqueña: When I was Puerto Rican (this one seems obvious so I assume you've read it?)
The House on the Lagoon by Ferre, Rosario (October 1, 1996) Paperback (the search function is not working right, sorry! I can't find a better link)
The Taste of Sugar: A Novel
Velorio
Simone: A Novel
Daughters of the Stone starts in PR. I've never finished reading it, but I liked what I read.Doesn't one of Dan Brown's books take place in DC? If that's more your thing than the politics.
Kenya wrote: "Happy Thursday everyone.Currently Reading:
The Cruelest Miles: The Heroic Story of Dogs and Men in a Race Against an Epidemic..."
That book has stayed with me for years. Never have I been so grateful for modern medicine as I was when reading about diphtheria! Also, Alaska is flippin' cold!! I don't know how people live up there!
Jennifer W wrote: "Daughters of the Stone starts in PR. I've never finished reading it, but I liked what I read.Doesn't one of Dan Brown's books take place in DC? If that's more your thing than the ..."
Yes. Lost symbol
Happy Thursday! Another week of thunderstorms and ridiculous heat. I did get to see a pretty awesome rainbow on the way home from work today! Finished:
The Measure (ATY title with word found in recipe) 3 stars. One day every person over age 22 gets a mysterious box with a string that measures the length of their life. Soon having a short string (an upcoming death that will arrive sooner) becomes another thing people will you to discriminate against you (jobs, insurance, loans etc.) It was a pretty cool concept for a book. I do wish that they had dug a little more into the characters.
Currently reading:
Siren Queen (PS Hollywood)
Cinder (PS meant to read in 2022)
Network Effect (no prompt)
QOTW: It really depends on the book. In general I like at least the major plots wrapped up. But if every single small plot thread gets a conclusion it feels very unrealistic. For a series of books, I want the main plot of that particular book to have some conclusion and then they can introduce a new plot at the end of the book to make you want to read the next book. Re: The Giver (view spoiler)
Jennifer W wrote: "Kenya wrote: "Happy Thursday everyone.Currently Reading:
The Cruelest Miles: The Heroic Story of Dogs and Men in a Race Against an Epidemic..."
That book has stayed with me for years. Never ha..."
Lived in Fairbanks for a year. I loved it. No bugs for six months. The aurora, moose, walking on lakes, woods, almost 24 hours of sunlight to 4 hours of sunlight. Came home at Christmas and 40 degrees was a heatwave! It was 30 below when I left.
Mandy wrote: "Jennifer W wrote: "Kenya wrote: "Happy Thursday everyone.Currently Reading:
The Cruelest Miles: The Heroic Story of Dogs and Men in a Race Against an Epidemic..."
That book has stayed with me ...
It was 30 below when I left."
Lol, NOPE!
I've had an up and down week. Ups were visiting a friend and seeing "The Barbie Movie" with her. So good! I also had lunch with my mom, sister, and my sister's entire family (I don't get to see them a lot as they live in different towns). The downs were trying to get refills for prescriptions that I desperately needed, but the doctors and the pharmacy were not on the same page. Dozens of phone calls and messages later, I have my prescriptions. That was entirely too difficult!Finished
Earth's the Right Place for Love by Elizabeth Berg - 4 stars
This is a prequel to the prior Mason books (a cute series about a town called Mason). Just as entertaining as the others. Good old small town life and characters.
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus - 4 stars; PS #27 (#booktok recommendation)
I'm taking the internet's word that this is a #booktok recommendation. I finished this book the day after seeing The Barbie Movie and I loved all the women empowerment. This was a fun book to read. Lots of crazy characters and situations. Wish I could see the series when it comes out, but don't have the streaming service.
Currently Reading
Wool by Hugh Howey - I can't find the correct edition and don't know how to add it. Apparently there were originally different small books, and this book I'm reading combines them. But the small books are all I find.
Year of the Tiger: An Activist's Life by Alice Wong
DNF
Witch King by Martha Wells - I couldn't get into it. I'll try another time.
Goodreads: 51/90
Popsugar: 40/50
QOTW: It depends on the book as to whether I like open-ended endings. I remember reading a few books in my life where I was delighted that it was open-ended (not that I can remember what they are).
JessicaMHR wrote: "It includes Washington DC, Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands and Guam.I've only read Us Virgin Islands ones so far. It is actually hard to find a Guam book and Puerto Rico. It is easier to find one ..."
Can I ask where you got your 50 States Challenge? I've been looking into it and there are quite a few places for them in terms of sites.
Alex wrote: Lord of Chaos for "book with a map". Loved it. I love WoT so much. STOKED for season 2 coming out in September!That's awesome! I'm barely working on book 1. I'm trying to follow along with the audiobook version which is something I rarely do. But Rosamund Pike does the narration for it so I just have to. Her character Moiraine is my favorite on the show.
Really excited for season 2 also!
I know a lot of people complain that the show doesn't follow the books, but given that I have never read them I'm impartial so I can enjoy both without comparing them.
Kaia wrote: FinishedKillers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI Fascinating stuff about a period of history I didn't know much about. Prompt: Becoming a movie
Nice! I read that a while back. I really enjoyed it. I'm hoping to get to the YA version of it come August. Then from there I'll go back and do a reread of the original.
*****
Kaia wrote: Miss Memory Lane: A Memoir This was a tough, but excellent, read. Colton had a rough childhood and seemed to experience a dark side of Hollywood. Prompt: Book about Hollywood
I love Colton on Arrow. I read his memoir when it first came out and it was really good. This one might require a reread though too because I enjoyed it too.
Wahoo, happy Friday everyone!I've been waiting for this day all week because I set my sights on going to B&N. Still hoping to go should plans not change. They are having a $10 rewards if you spend $50 or more plus your regular points.
That should be easy. All it requires is a new release (which usually run like $30 especially if they're nonfiction) plus a regular $20. Or I can shorten it somehow. Either way, my goal is at least 3 books.
I already have my sights set on this one:
This is the YA version of 'Caste' by Isabel Wilkerson. I've read the original, but I've always been curious about the YA.
I love how so many authors are writing and publishing YA versions of their books. I've come across 5 others (which I have) that have done the same thing.
*****
Then there are a couple of books that BN doesn't have which I'll be ordering online, one of which is this one:
Our History Has Always Been Contraband: In Defense of Black Studies
Heard someone talk about this on TikTok. And given the state of our country right now, especially Florida, where they are trying to censor a lot of African history, the timing of this book could not be more fitting.
I still remember in school when we learned about African history, it was only about slavery, and even that was often depicted as inaccurate. We learned about the Civil Rights movement, but barely touched on it, with only Martin Luther King Jr.
*****
It's not just African American history though.
When we learned about Indigenous history it was often that they were vilified and maybe a paragraph or two in a history textbook.
It wasn't until my English class that we had to read a couple of chapters from a book about Indigenous people that I got a wider view of things.
I could go on about other races and cultures I did not learn about in school which is pretty sad, and probably too long even though I've made this post long enough.
*****
Ugh, this heat though. Today is supposed to be the hottest it's been all week, 104 (F). Just had to pick a day to go out when it's super hot. LOL! No, but I've been looking forward to this so I don't mind.
Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge
Books mentioned in this topic
So, You're One of Those: A Collection of Poems and Short Essays (other topics)Trick or Treat: A History of Halloween (other topics)
The Secret Book of Flora Lea (other topics)
Wrong Place Wrong Time (other topics)
The Hunting Party (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Gillian McAllister (other topics)Lucy Foley (other topics)
Osamu Dazai (other topics)
James Patterson (other topics)
Sarah Gailey (other topics)
More...
This week seems to have flown by! And somehow I have not finished ANY books this week! I'm currently reading several books, and I have a Big Bag of books ready to go on vacation with me. (Actually, I still have to pack - I WILL have a big bag of books ...) We went to see the Barbie Movie on Monday afternoon and we enjoyed it a lot.
I'm getting ready to go visit my mom for two weeks, so I'll add the August group read book to show as "currently reading" now, just in case I have trouble doing it from her house, where I'll be on my phone only. Since I know I'll be away, I haven't started any tie dye projects in a week! It feels weird!! Now I have two weeks to plan what I want to do next.
Has anyone noticed that the book search feature and the add book link search feature both SUCK lately??? For brand new books, it still works well, but for a book that's been around a few years, it's AWFUL. I have to page through endless lists of books ABOUT the book I'm looking for, or fake entries, or foreign language entries, etc. They've clearly changed something about the search algorithm.
Admin stuff:
Not much going on!! It's the sleepy summer time.
July group read is The Hunting Party
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
I think we have volunteers lined up for the three upcoming months.
Books finished: none.
Currently reading:
Witch King - this has been GREAT but also I'm moving very slowly.
Translation State - I'll finish this one today, I think, so I'll have at least one book finished for next week's check-in!!!
The Claw of the Conciliator - this book is BANANAS and I forgot so much of it, I'm really enjoying my re-read!
Near Changes
On deck to read next (this is always subject to change LOL):
The Lies of the Ajungo
Look Back
The Silver Pigs
Popsugar: 39/50
Winter mini-challenge: 7/10
AtY: 37/52
2023 must-reads: 6/12
Question of the Week
How do you feel about open-ended endings?
In general, I hate it! If I want to daydream what happens, I can do the whole damned daydream myself. I'm reading a book to read someone else's ideas of what happened, so please finish the idea, thank you!
There are some rare occasions when I can still enjoy a book despite an open-ended ending. The only example I can think of right now is In the Woods. MOST of that story was tied up nicely, only one thread was left dangling.