Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge discussion
2024 Weekly Check-Ins
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Week 6: 2/2 - 2/8
Good morning from an unseasonably warm and sunny Columbus! Other busy week, I’ve been taking my son to school (usually his grandma does) because his grandparents are on a cruise. He is *very* attached to his grandma and his routines so it’s been an experience lol. I’ve been making really cute valentines shaped like books for my clients, so that’s been fun. I’m very much looking forward to Saturday, my boyfriend is coming to visit and we’re celebrating Valentine’s Day at a great Spanish restaurant. Valentine’s Day falls on Ash Wednesday this year so that meant we couldn’t do anything on the actual day of, but happy beginning of Lent to those who celebrate 🥰Finished:
Eight Perfect Murders was for my friends recommendations challenge. This was really fun, but managed to spoil a lot of books I haven’t read yet 😅. The main character is a book seller, who wrote a blog about the top perfect murders from mystery novels. Things get out of hand quickly when it’s suspected that someone is copying the murders from those books based on his list, so the main plot points are discussed pretty directly. I was disappointed to find out this book being listed as part 1 of a series was a mistake because I really would have liked a follow up.
Damned for same challenge as above. Chuck Palahniuk books are always wild. I’d expect nothing less than a 13 year old taking over Hell from him. Weird and gross, just the way he likes it lol.
The House at Pooh Corner and When We Were Very Young neither for a challenge, me and my son have been listening to the Pooh audiobooks at bedtime. Very sweet, great narration. As someone who grew up on Winnie the Pooh cartoons this has been delightful.
Geek Love also the same challenge. This is a book I had on my tbr forever. I think with the font on the cover and just the title, I was under the impression this would be a love story about computer nerds but BOY was I wrong haha. It took me longer than usual to get through this book because there was just so much happening that I kept missing. Absolutely bonkers beginning to end, would recommend.
Currently Reading:
Catechism of the Catholic Church
The Great Adventure Catholic Bible
Taaqtumi: An Anthology of Arctic Horror Stories
The Snow Child
QOTW:
Unfortunately I don’t pay enough attention to know which books I read are by debut authors lol
Challenges:
Popsugar - 1/45; 1/5
Read Harder - 9/24
Classics - 1/12
European Tour - 4/10
12 Friends - 3/12
Yearly Goal - 30/150
Hello. Semi-fresh day today out here. It was freezing this morning (36 F but felt like 32). That didn't help me much since I was already cold.I got two shots yesterday, not cool, but I needed them. Ended up with the side effects unfortunately such as I can't move my arms that much (I got one on each side). I'm exhausted like crazy, the pain woke me up last night, and then I ended up with chills and a slight fever. Oh joy. LOL!
Other than that, the shots have been one of my highlights of my week. Although I say one, because I've 2 others.
Went out of town yesterday and since we don't go out in that direction that much, my parents reluctantly agreed to let me buy just one book.
Other highlight of the week is that tomorrow I'll be getting new copies of my Twilight books to annotate so I'm excited on that front, especially since some people on discord want to do a buddy read with the first book.
Also because of these new books I've been busy making stickers from the movies for them so that's been a lot of fun, not to mention a lot of work.
Book News:
Unfortunately, I do not have much to report on this end. The past week I hit kind of a reading slump. I just couldn't find a book that hit hard enough. I've wanted to read some books for Black History Month, but can't seem to find the drive to do so. And if I try it all feels forced so I'm not in that pleasure mode. I don't want it to come off fake and ingenuine as a result.
Yesterday though, I did pick up this book:
To Hell on a Fast Horse: Billy the Kid, Pat Garrett, and the Epic Chase to Justice in the Old West
Don't you love when a book just calls out at you like a siren's song and essentially chooses you? That's what happened with this book. I saw it in a quick second and it was one of those moments when I knew I had to get it.
It's actually worked out because I've been wanting to read books on Billy the Kid for a while so this is perfect.
I started reading the book and I'm currently at page 17 and this author, a historian, is already incredible. He has such a way with words to poet-like writing. It keeps me interested. And as he's describing the events, he really makes the history come alive. I can see it so clearly in my head like a movie and I love that. I haven't gotten that feel from a book in a very long time.
Happy Thursday! The fog finally lifted yesterday, and we saw bright blue skies and sunshine for the first time in weeks. It’s amazing how much the weather can affect my mood. I’m so happy to see the sun!Adventure of the Week: I tried to take Seth (my adult son who is profoundly affected by autism) to see “Argylle” Tuesday afternoon, but the sound wasn’t working in the theater. The manager gave everyone passes to see it some other time and told us we could go to any other show that afternoon if we wanted. “The Boys in the Boat” was one of our choices, and Seth enjoyed it! It could have been a real disaster. He really likes having a set schedule/itinerary… Even a small thing like changing movies can really throw him off.
2024 Reading Challenges: I’ve read 53 books so far this year with an average length of 309 pages.
52 Book Club: 16/52 (February Mini-Challenge: 0/3)
ATY: 12/52
Booklist Queen: 11/52
Diverse Baseline: 4/36
Popsugar: 14/50
Robot Librarian: 16/52
ICYMI Backlist: 1/12
Recently Completed:
Thirteen Ways to Kill Lulabelle Rock: I never would have picked this book up on my own. The cover is ugly, and the name “Lulabelle Rock” is ridiculous. But it was my SF/F book club’s pick for February, so, oh well, I guess I’ll read it… And I really enjoyed it! (Booklist Queen #31 – an ugly cover/Popsugar #14 – recommended by a bookseller) ★★★★
30 Things I Love About Myself: Kind of like a rom-com, but there’s no love interest… except the love that Nina discovers for herself. (ATY #32 – a number in the title) ★★★★
Opposable Thumbs: How Siskel & Ebert Changed Movies Forever: Not for a challenge, but I couldn’t resist. ★★★★
Whalefall: Jay, grieving for his father, is swallowed by a whale and has just a few hours to escape before his oxygen runs out. Lauded for being both scientifically accurate and a compelling thriller. (ATY #20 – single word title/Popsugar #24 – 24 hours) ★★★★
White Cat, Black Dog: Stories: Short story retellings of classic tales. A little too literary for my tastes. The tales were almost unrecognizable. (ATY #16 – “raining cats and dogs”) ★★★
Hold Fast: Open-door, medieval, Scottish romance. Although more sexually explicit than I usually prefer, Hold Fast had an interesting premise, and I ended up really liking this one. There were a few anachronisms and some of the characters felt a bit too modern, but it was written as an homage to (and a twist on) old-school ‘80s bodice rippers. As a girl who grew up reading Kathleen Woodiwiss and Rosemary Rogers, I forgave those faults. (Goodreads Giveaway) ★★★★
Mariam Sharma Hits the Road: Three Pakistani-American teens take a road trip through the American South. The ending was a bit abrupt, but it was a great story of self-discovery, friendship, and identity. (Diverse Baseline #6 – a found family by a BIPOC author) ★★★★
Late to the Party (52 Books #45 – about finding identity/Popsugar #2 – a bildungsroman) ★★★★
Feed Them Silence: One of NPR’s 2023 Books We Love. Futuristic technology… could be stretched to fit the prompt involving an animal’s POV. Weird but compelling. (Robot Librarian #10 – a novella) ★★★★
Veg-table: Recipes, Techniques, and Plant Science for Big-Flavored, Vegetable-Focused Meals: Another one of NPR’s 2023 Books We Love, and I loved it too! It’s got to go back to the library so someone else can enjoy it, but I’ve put it on my wish list. Last night we had Sesame Sweet Potatoes and Gojuchang Chicken. Yum! (ATY #45 – a book that is not a novel) ★★★★★
Currently Reading: A few of my current reads haven't been assigned a prompt, but I think I’m far enough along that I don’t have to worry about it.
The Boleyn King (Robot Librarian Advanced #5 – a historical fantasy/alternate history book)
The Autobiography of Mrs. Tom Thumb
Tired of Winning: Donald Trump and the End of the Grand Old Party
The Frozen River (Booklist Queen #16 – a historical mystery/Popsugar #27 – someone dies in the first chapter)
Oath and Honor: A Memoir and a Warning (52 Books #50 – a book published in 2024)
The Fisherman (ATY #47 – two-word title starting with The/Popsugar #15 – recommended by a librarian)
Zora Books Her Happy Ever After
Hey, Hun: Sales, Sisterhood, Supremacy, and the Other Lies Behind Multilevel Marketing (52 Books #30 – picked without reading the blurb/Robot Librarian #28 – title contains the word true, truth(s), lie(s), liar, or lying)
Goodbye Earl (52 Books #20 – a revenge story)
Eagle Drums (Robot Librarian #8 – a Newbery Award winner)
QOTW: I think the latest debut I've read that I really enjoyed was Maame by Jessica George. The central protagonist Maddie Wright, the 25-year-old daughter of Ghanaian immigrants living in London, is an irresistible twenty-something that you just can't stop rooting for. Vibrant and witty storytelling about the complexities of families, race, culture, being a woman, growing up, and becoming secure in your identity.
Laura wrote:Oath and Honor: A Memoir and a Warning (52 Books #50 – a book published in 2024)
Nice. I have this book and read the first several pages, but haven't finished it.
What are your thoughts on it so far?
Mod
Our weather has been unusually mild, it might reach 50F today (and close to 60F tomorrow!! but then it's going to get cold and snow), and the SUN even came out! My snowdrops are well and truly up and blooming. I took pictures. (If you follow me on instagram, you saw one. If you don't follow me, don't worry, you're not missing anything, I rarely post.)
This week I finished 3 books, 2 for this Challenge, and I DNFed one book. I feel like I've been DNFing a lot this year!!
A Girl Like Her by Talia Hibbert - I read this for "main character is neurodivergent" - this book was a lot of fun to read and I really enjoyed it, but it also was not anything special. If you like contemporary romance and enjoy a neurodivergent heroine, read this. After reading and loving the Brown sisters trilogy, I knew I wanted to read more by Hibbert but I was afraid her older stuff would be even MORE sexually explicit (I'm usually fine with sex scenes, but a few in Eve Brown were pushing my limits). But this was not, this was an average amount of sex, nothing outrageous. (I mean, it IS explicit, but it is not MORE explicit than the Brown sisters books.) So if you've been enjoying Talia Hibbert, too, don't hesitate to try her backlist! I also checked off "pronoun in the title" in AtY.
Rose Gold by Walter Mosley - I love listening to the Easy Rawlins books, and this one was one of the better ones. I checked off "going for the gold" in AtY, I couldn't find a Popsugar category for this one (this year's Challenge does NOT lend itself to unplanned reading!!).
People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry - this was my "recommended by a bookseller" book! Last month I walked into a small local bookstore that I'd never even visited before, told her what I like to read, and she pointed at this book, so I bought it. That was fun! I really enjoyed reading this, but it wasn't as good as some of Henry's other books. The protagonist is a travel writer, so this would also work for "about a writer" and I checked off "a book involving travel" in AtY, this was perfect for that category! They travel to: Vancouver Island, Palm Springs, Sanibel Island (Florida), Nashville, San Francisco, Vail (Colorado), New Orleans, Tuscany, and Croatia, as well as NYC of course (since Poppy lives there).
And I DNFed
A Spell of Good Things by Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀ - I loved Adebayo's first book (Stay with Me), I had a deep emotional response to it, and I was so eager to see what she wrote next. But I guess she hit a sophomore slump or something, because this book did not connect with me AT ALL. I didn't care about the characters and my attention kept wandering, and finally I gave up.
Popsugar 24% 12 /50
Must Reads 50% 5 /10
AtY 29% 15 /52
(8 of these 12 for Popsugar have been unplanned reads that just happened to fit, but that's not going to go on much longer! 12 out of the 15 AtY books have been unplanned, and I think I'll get a lot more - I wasn't even seriously planning to finish the AtY challenge this year and look how well I'm doing LOL)
QotW
I love discovering great new debut authors!! (Of course, Adebayo was one of my favorite debut authors ... until I read her second book LOL) A few of the recent debuts I've enjoyed by authors who have not yet published a second:
The Bandit Queens by Parini Shroff- this was a lot of fun and off-kilter and balanced perfectly on a see-saw between humorous and serious, and I really felt a strong sense of place.
How to Fake It in Hollywood by Ava Wilder - a great contemporary romance, with excellent dialogue, which is surprisingly hard to find in romance - I look forward to her next book.
Flux by Jinwoo Chong- this was so weird. Every other page had me thinking "wait, what?" I didn't give it five stars, but I definitely can't wait to see what he publishes next!!!
Night of the Living Rez by Morgan Talty - this book really surprised me!! (not least because at first I thought both the author and the protagonist "Dee" were women, and after a while I realized they were men, and Dee was short for David). This was sort of a series of interconnected short stories, or it's a novel with non-chronological chapters, however you want to look at it. It was powerful, and the writing was so good it felt effortless, I just sank right into it and forgot I was even reading. Talty had some short stories published before this, but this was his first full length book, so I'm counting it as a debut. He's got a new book coming this year and I am super excited!!
Happy Thursday!Finished:
XOXO by Axie Oh - 3.5 stars - reread for a book starting with 'X'. This is just a cute, fluffy YA romance. I also really liked the friends group Jenny made at her new school.
Seven Days in June by Tia Williams - 3.5 stars - for a second-chance romance. I enjoyed this overall. The depiction of Eva's disability felt pretty real, too. I wasn't a big fan of their past relationship, but I liked their current one.
Comics & manga:
Frieren: Beyond Journey's End, Vol. 7
Oshi No Ko , Vol. 2
Toilet-bound Hanako-kun, Vol. 19
How Do We Relationship?, Vol. 10
I am currently at 11/50 prompts filled for PopSugar (10/45 and 1/5).
Currently reading:
Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson - for a bildungsroman
Call Us What We Carry: Poems by Amanda Gorman for a collection of at least 24 poems - I started listening to this on audio, but I think I may put this back on hold and wait for the ebook to come in. I normally don't have any issue with audio, but I think because this is poetry, I'm having a hard time with it. Even though it's really interesting to hear how the poet herself reads the poems, I wish I had a print copy to follow along with.
Upcoming/Planned:
ASAP by Axie Oh - for a book about K-pop
QOTW:
The sequel is coming out in April, but until it does: Brittany N. Williams (wife of author Daniel José Older) and her YA historical fantasy, That Self-Same Metal. The short version: a sword-wielding Black girl with powers over metal fights a fae uprising in Shakespearean London. The story combines faerie mythology and Shakespeare's plays with African mythology, with a little romance and family drama thrown in.
Happy Thursday!The weather has been a doozy lately. Tuesday was both rain and snow almost all day. Wednesday morning the fog was so thick you couldn’t see to the end of the block. It was awesome. It burned off before 11 though. Sadly, people forget to turn on their lights so the taillights are lit as well as the day lights that come on automatically. There were two cars in front of us that had no lights on. We stayed 8 feet behind them.
I’ve dropped my NetGalley book count down to 14. I’m reading Kindling by Traci Chee. It’s weird. The pov is second person. It’s as if a spirit is talking. ‘You didn’t want a dog, but you got one anyway’ sort of thing. I’m kind of put off by it and intrigued since it’s not my usual thing. Also, it’s Seven Samurai/Magnificent Seven retelling with young women, which is gives it another strike against it. I’m not a fan of Mag 7.
It can work for Prompt – More than 3 POV. I can’t remember if it’s Popsugar or ATY. Each chapter has a name on it and there are more than 3 names.
Popsugar: 7/50
Finished:
I did finish one and may have moved something but too tired to figure out what and where.
Reading:
Trickster: Native American Tales, A Graphic Collection ps 42
The Book of Doors ps 27, ps 35
Aty: 9/52
Finished:
I did finish one and may have moved something but too tired to figure out what and where.
Reading:
Miss Morton and the English House Party Murder aty 52
Goodreads Challenge 79/400
Finished:
Good Night, Little Blue Truck
Paper Dragons: The Fight for the Hidden Realm
Heartless Hunter
A Kiss with a Cat, Vol. 1
A Kiss with a Cat, Vol. 2
A Kiss with a Cat, Vol. 3
A Kiss with a Cat Vol. 4
A Kiss with a Cat Vol. 5
A Kiss with a Cat, Vol. 6
I'm Only A Substitute Consort, but the Emperor Won't Let Me Leave Vol. 3
Reading:
Trickster: Native American Tales, A Graphic Collection
Miss Morton and the English House Party Murder
I Shall Survive Using Potions! Volume 1
The Book of Doors
QOTW:
Paper Dragons: The Fight for the Hidden Realm and Rebel Skies were both 4 stars for me.
Paper Dragons is Middle Grade, Asian inspired fantasy. It reminded me of a Xianxia C-Drama with similar fantasy elements throughout the book.
It comes out this month, I beileve.
Rebel Skies is a Young Adult, Asian inspired fantasy. This one has ofuda and paper folding as a main magical theme. There's a twist in the book that I didn't see coming. It comes out this month.
I can't wait to read the next book, Rebel Fire. Oh, wait! I don't have to wait! I got it from NetGalley!
And another cold is hitting my throat and nose… I guess work is a bit too crazy. At least I’ve got a weekend + 2 quiet days at work ahead. It's carnival, so almost all colleagues have taken time off to party. I don’t participate (I hate big crowds and loud music), so I’m guarding the office by myself Monday and Tuesday.I’m very pleased with my reading until now. Reading turns out to be very relaxing at the moment, I didn’t expect that. I thought my head would be too busy to read.
PS: 3/50
FNL: 4/40
Total: 7/52
Finished
Eigen welzijn eerst by Roxane van Iperen⭐⭐⭐
Essay on why the middle class is turning more open for extreme right wing ideologies. Good analysis on culture (why yoga mums are spreading antisemitic nationalist humbug), but there’s missing a lot on how politics and culture interact and thus reinforce each other.
The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath⭐⭐⭐
FNL, a book written by Simone de Beauvoir, Octavia E. Butler or Sylvia Plath
Great writing, you feel the oxygen getting short in the bell jar. I don’t know if I liked the story as well.
Currently reading
Engel en kinnari by Dido Michielsen
QOTW
I can't think of debut author I like at the moment.
Ron wrote: "Laura wrote:Oath and Honor: A Memoir and a Warning (52 Books #50 – a book published in 2024)Nice. I have this book and read the first several pages, but haven't finished it. What are your thoughts so far?"
I disagree with Liz Cheney on almost every political position, but I admire her backbone and unwillingness to back down on her stance concerning January 6. I've read a lot about the insurrection, and it's nice to read one from "the other side of the aisle." It's too bad that the people who really need to read this book won't.
PS: 31/50RL: 26/52
Read: Bridge for prompt character that is 24 years old. This book was disturbing. It was a tangle of multiverses, drug addiction, parasites, and serial killers. It definitely pushed me out of my comfort zone.
QotW: I might come back and try to answer this later, but I feel like right now, it takes too much research to figure out which authors are debut or not.
I'm surprised I have so little to report this week!
Horrid wet weather again here. I think some of the UK are getting snow instead. No fair! Been making good progress on my novel this week, so much so I started doing a bit of research on self publishing. Considering I'll have read parts of this book about 100 times I feel like I should just use it for the nanowrimo prompt 🤣 I did start it then...Finished:
House of Flame and Shadow by Sara J. Maas for ATY (going for gold). Oomph this was a brick, and I liked it enough to read all of it, but what was up with all the chopping and changing POVs? Like mid chapter, mid scene, almost mid conversation it seemed. Her books always seem to get out of hand towards the end of a series! Not my favourite.
QOTW:
Most my favourite debut authors have gone and carried on writing so they don't count any more. Um I loved Ink Blood Sister Scribe by Emma Törzs last year.
Hey there friends and readers. It's a semi-gloomy and chilly day in Vegas. My daughter has a psych project this week where she is parenting a pair of eggs. I will be egg sitting this weekend while she has a date and a job interview. It's kind of fun. My husband is usually gone this week. Him and his buddies from out of state all hang out on the strip for the superb owl. Since it is here this year he is staying home, I don't like football (although I'm fully invested in the Kelce's thanks to Taylor) but we have ordered some Italian and Nothing Bundt so that's fun. I will probably just play on my switch while he screams at the tv. Good stuff.Currently Reading
(had to wait for my 15 hours of spotify to reset for this one)Next
Finished
⭐⭐⭐
⭐⭐⭐DNF's
New Movies Seen
Argylle.
Well kind of. We left the theatre after an hour because all three of us agreed it was basically the worst movie we had ever seen and we did not have the willpower to suffer through another hour and 20 minutes. (Tying to QOTW, the book was marketed as a "debut" but the "authors" are both well established screenwriters. The whole thing was a scheme. I feel bamboozled) I've only left a movie theatre twice in my life because the movie was so unwatchable, for reference.
QT TV Show
Hubs and I watch our show on Thursday so I feel a week behind on this. I'm gonna try to find something to watch with my daughter this week and might start a show on my own.
Question of the Week
Who is one of your current favorite debut authors? Sell their book to us!
Oh Man this is tricky. I really don't pay that much attention. I have found "debut" to be a confusing word in publishing tbh. Like someone has written 82 novels but then they move to another genre and are a "debut" again. That doesn't work inside my head so I largely just ignore that particular tag. It's like cage-free, does it actually mean anything or is it a marketing ploy.
Read:13
PS:12/50
ATY:13/52
Mod
LOL I was prone to migraines before menopause, and the descriptions of her headaches drove me OVER THE EDGE, they were so ridiculous. Like, no, if you have a debilitating headache today, you are NOT going to just casually stroll around the loud and hot city streets in summer. It's NOT HAPPENING.
Other than that, I liked the book. I liked the romance. But it was so dramatic with the dumb headaches and the daughter's dumb art projects that I am not sure if I'll read Williams' new book.
Happy Thursdaayyy!!I had the weekly discussions open since 3pm, messaged about it at 6:30pm, saying it was gonna go up while I was away. And turns out ... it was posted mere minutes after that message xD At least I caught it early, and didn't forget until 2am!
It's been a week; I'm exhausted, haha! At least not as much drama this time around. I had a psychiatrist appointment, where even she stared at me, baffled, at my mom's comment, and she made sure I knew it wasn't my fault. I did know, I've come far enough for that, but it was nice to have it confirmed, you know?
Other than that I've been hard at work with the cats; playing intensively a few times a day, giving them cooldown toys, distracting Crowley from Zira whenever she's downstairs to try and wean him off from seeing her as easy prey, and for her to become more confident downstairs because Crowley isn't constantly after her. It's a lot, honestly. But also fun to see small changes (for the better) already! Yesterday I spent almost €100 on new toys (behavioral therapist approved toys, which are same price as store toys, but not available in regular stores haha), and in two days alone the ones I've tried have already more than proven their worth. The new fishing pole toy is actually (more) Thor proof, making it more fun to play with, because I don't have to rush to take it from him whenever he catches it because he'll chew off the toy. He can't with this new one, so score!
Biggest challenge will be rotating the toys to keep them fresh and interesting. But honestly, it fills me with so much joy to see them happy and playing like this. It's worth the disrupted lunches and being on my feet more than I would maybe sign up for on some days.
We also found out why Zira was losing weight so drastically. She lost another 300grams in 2 weeks! Turns out, she either wasn't eating enough of the new kibble, or couldn't get what she needed out of it, or both. We put her back on her old kibble, and after only a few days she'd already gained weight back, so fingers crossed it's truly this simple!
On Monday I had a Simple Plan concert, which was amazing, though of course I couldn't jump. Didn't want to risk it, as I still regularly almost go through my knee. Once I did, but I could catch myself luckily before I went down. I could feel my ligament being stronger already, though; it hurt a lot more now, hahah!
Read
From Ant to Eagle
Another eARC from 2019 off the list! Counting this for 'full sentence' at a stretch, but we'll see if it stays there. Good, but would have liked to have a 'detailed child cancer' warning in the summary.
Vox
Finally got to this after having a copy for years. For the one word dictionary title, though if needed I might move it to 'starts with x' because honestly, good enough, haha! I feel like 'enjoyed' is the wrong word here, but it got my emotions up for sure. Thought the ending was very rushed, however. Could make a good movie, even if it would cause the angry mob meltdowns.
Look Out For The Little Guy!
A fun fictional non-fiction, written by Scott Lang, aka Ant-Man. (Thanks Roy Kutner!) It was a lot more emotional than I had expected, and not because of the Tony and Nat stories. It was almost a self help book, but because it wasn't, it just felt genuine. Really enjoyed this.
Currently Reading
Nothing yet. I started The Worldship Humility back in January on audio (Colin Morgan narrates it) but I haven't been in an audio mood. Hoping to pick up The Color Purple next.
Watched
We finished House season 7 and started season 8. Still enjoying it, but having some serious beef with the writers for certain choices.
QOTW
I honestly couldn't tell you. I adored The Binding by Bridget Collins but then she turned out to be an author with views I couldn't support personally so that was fun. It's still one of my favorite books, but I haven't been able to pick it back up for another reread sadly.
Happy Thursday!Not much new to report here besides work and school. I'm enjoying having an in-person class more than I expected to -- before this class all my classes have been online. Kind of wish I could take more in-person classes, but I'm not sure how I'd work my work schedule around it.
Books read this week:
Rabbit-Proof Fence -- for “non-fiction book about Indigenous People.” Not the best writing, but still a powerful story about the colonial takeover of the Aboriginal people of Australia, and three young girls fleeing a residential school to go home.
Orbital -- for “a book that takes place over the course of 24 hours.” Oddly poetic book about a day in the life of six astronauts aboard a space station.
Farewell to Manzanar: A True Story of Japanese American Experience During and After the World War II Internment -- for “a books written by an incarcerated or formerly incarcerated author.” An account of the author’s time spent in an incarceration camp during WWII, and a brutal reminder of how Japanese-Americans were treated during the war.
Illuminations -- for “a book by a self-published author.” Kingfisher’s books are always witty and creative, with great characters, and this one’s no exception.
PopSugar Challenge -- 21/45
PopSugar Advanced Challenge -- 2/5
Robot Librarian Challenge -- 11/32
Robot Librarian Advanced Challenge -- 3/10
Robot Librarian Non-Fiction Challenge -- 1/10
Extreme Book Nerd Challenge -- 14/50
Extreme Book Nerd Advanced Challenge -- 3/10
Extreme Book Nerd Non-Fiction Challenge -- 1/10
DNF:
Microserfs -- for “a bildungsroman or coming-of-age novel.” Fairly boring, and despite being something of a nerd myself I didn’t get a lot of the tech-based humor.
Currently reading:
The Deep Sky -- for “book set in space”
The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches -- for “enemies-to-lovers romance”
Mutant Message Down Under -- for “book set in a travel destination on your bucket list”
Dying with Her Cheer Pants On -- for “a book about women’s sports and/or by a woman athlete”
QOTW:
I haven't read a lot of debut authors lately, but I'm sure looking forward to So Let Them Burn. Dragons and LGBTQ rep, yay! Plus I get to support an author who got burned during the controversial "Crown of Starlight" review-bombing campaign...
Mod
My grandmother served as my main caregiver. Her death is the one most poignant for me of all my deceased family members. I can relate to your son! 😋 Happy Valentine's Day a bit early! Sounds like fun! Thank you for mentioning the religious holiday. I don't do religion and was trying to mention many of those, but just gave up! LOL Too many! 😯
"Finished:
Eight Perfect Murders was for my friends recommendations challenge. This was really fun, but managed to spoil a lot of books I haven’t read yet 😅"
I made a note not to read that one until I had read the other 8 books first! I've read two of them...
"The House at Pooh Corner and When We Were Very Young neither for a challenge, me and my son have been listening to the Pooh audiobooks at bedtime. Very sweet, great narration. As someone who grew up on Winnie the Pooh cartoons this has been delightful."
Awwww...I love Pooh and friends!!
"Currently Reading:
The Snow Child"
Ooohhh...I liked that one! Definitely atmospheric...
"QOTW:
Unfortunately I don’t pay enough attention to know which books I read are by debut authors lol"
Ha! Ha! Fair enough!
Kenya wrote: "Microserfs -- for “a bildungsroman or coming-of-age novel.” Fairly boring, and despite being something of a nerd myself I didn’t get a lot of the tech-based humor.."This was pretty outdated when I read it, which I guess was over 10 years ago now, so I can imagine it doesn't hold up well. It's always my example of why I don't want prompts related to my profession, it's the only software tester novel I know of and I do not want to read it again!
Happy Thursday! There's finally a break in the rain, but I'm still so cold!! I know I'll be complaining once we get to summer, but if it could just warm up just a little that would be great. But after the huge storm this weekend, I'm just happy that it's not raining. At least with all the rain, I had a lot of reading time this last weekFinished:
House of Flame and Shadow- I love the characters in this series, and I liked this book, but I kind of think it should have been split into two books. So much happened, and there wasn't enough time to really explore it all. I think it needed room to breathe more
-21 A book that came out in a year that ends with "24"
Lunar New Year Love Story- I loved this graphic novel, the art is so pretty, and the way it shows grief and depression is really affecting.
-no prompt
Everything I Learned, I Learned in a Chinese Restaurant- this was an interesting memoir, but not my favorite. Also there's a part where he tells his mom he doesn't want to listen to her stories about growing up- and then feels bad- but like, her stories would make a fascinating memoir. That should be his next book. Or she should write it, she lived through so much.
-41 A memoir that explores queerness
The Gentleman's Gambit- I really liked this historical romance. The last in a series, and I really liked the way it was wrapped up
-4 A book about a writer
Here Be Icebergs- a short story collection by a Peruvian author. I liked the style of writing, but the actual stories not so much
- no prompt
Up Next
Lucky Leap Day- for the group read
Counterfeit- seems like a quick, fun read
Please Don't Sit on My Bed in Your Outside Clothes: Essays- I haven't been keeping up with my audiobooks, but I think this funny essay collection could get me on track again
QotW:
I feel like I'm always way behind on authors, so when I finally get to them they've been around for a while. A lot of times I think I'm reading a debut author and it turns out the have a huge back catalog and I've just haven't heard of them yet
Happy Thursday, everyone! It has been a very busy week. I am continuing the post-renovation clean up, and I while I did get a decent amount done this week, I still have a lot left to accomplish.
I also had a couple of doctors appointments this week, including a much-needed trip to the eye doctor. I’ve been noticing a little blurred vision when I read for long stretches of time, as well as an increase in headache frequency, so I thought I should probably go in (even though it had been less than a year since my last exam). The appointment went great, and my eyes are healthy, but I am officially at the point where I need bifocals.
I’m currently waiting on my new lenses to come in, and I’m sure that once I make the transition, they will prove to be very helpful. Still…who would’ve thought that I would go from not needing glasses to needing bifocals in less than three years?
Although the week was busy, I did manage to get in a significant amount of reading time. I was able to finish several books, and I’m actually very close to finishing a couple more.
Here are my current challenge and TBR totals…
Goodreads Challenge: 60/400 (15.0% complete)
Mount TBR Challenge: 42/150 (28.0% complete)
📚Physical TBR: 28/402
📱Ebook TBR: 14/233
🎧Audiobook TBR: 0/0
TBR Checklist Total: 42/635 (6.6% complete)
Total Progress Toward 50% TBR List Completion: 42/318 (13.2% complete)
I did not purchase any new books this week.
While there are a couple of anticipated new releases coming out over the next couple of weeks that I’m looking forward to getting, I will be waiting to purchase them until I’ve finished all of the titles currently on my “New Books” list. I only have three remaining, so it shouldn’t take me too terribly long to get caught up.
“New” Books Bought in 2024: 20
“New” Books Read in 2024: 17/20 (85.0% complete)
Here are the books I finished this week…
Finished Reading (Fiction):
~The Secret Chapter — This is the sixth book in the Invisible Library series. I thoroughly enjoyed this book! The story was a lot of fun to read, and ended up being one of my favorites of the series. I do love a good heist plot! Content Alert: (view spoiler) 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~Carnival — This is the sixth book in the Firefly series. I really enjoyed this story, and felt like the author had a good grasp of the characters and universe. My only complaint is that there were a surprising number of typos. Content Alert: (view spoiler) 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~The Dark Archive — I thoroughly enjoyed the seventh book in the Invisible Library series! The story was fantastic, and I really liked the main character’s new apprentice. 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~The Untold Story — This is the eighth (and final) book in the Invisible Library series. I really enjoyed this story, and thought the series as a whole was fantastic. If you are a fan of fantasy novels, then I definitely recommend reading this entire series from the beginning. It is so good! Content Alert: (view spoiler) 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Finished Reading (Nonfiction):
~Jane Austen: An Illustrated Treasury — This book is a great look at the life and work of Jane Austen. It’s filled with beautiful artwork and artifacts, and is an interesting read. The book does include a massive amount of spoilers for all of Austen’s novels though, so I do recommend reading all of those before you consider checking out this book. 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Finished Reading (Manga, Comic Books, & Graphic Novels):
~Essential Doctor Strange, Vol. 4 — This was a great collection of classic Doctor Strange comic books. I enjoyed the vast majority of the stories, and it was interesting to see how the art and character designs had changed since the beginning of the series. Content Alert: (view spoiler) 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Finished Reading (Poetry and Drama):
None
DNFed:
None
Currently Reading:
~The Arabian Nights: Tales of 1001 Nights, Volume 1 — I am continuing to make really good progress on this book. I am currently on Night 100, and reading around 10 pages per night. 📚
~The Complete Works of William Shakespeare — This week I finished reading a couple of plays, including Much Ado About Nothing and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. I’m currently in the middle of Love’s Labour’s Lost, and will be finishing it tomorrow. I also read sonnets 71-154, and a poem called "Lover's Complaint". I am continuing to enjoy my Shakespeare reading, but reading 2-3 acts per day has become difficult to sustain in combination with all of my other reading. For now, I have slowed down my reading to a single act per day. That may change at some point, but I need to be reading fewer books at a time before returning to my original pace. 📚
~The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood — This has been a fun read so far. I’m currently a little over one-quarter of the way through this book, and continuing to read one chapter per night. 📚
~No Country for Old Gnomes — This is the second book in the Tales of Pell trilogy, and it has been hilarious so far. I’ve found myself laughing out loud on more than one occasion. I’m really close to finishing this book, and will definitely finish it later today. Content Alert: (view spoiler) 📚
~Doctor No — This is the sixth book in the James Bond series. I’m currently five chapters away from finishing this book, and I’m finding it very similar to the movie adaptation. Content Alert: (view spoiler) 📚
~Scarlet — This is a paranormal retelling of The Scarlet Pimpernel. I just started it last night, so I’m not very far into it yet, but I think it's going to be really good. 📚
QOTW:
I don’t think I’ve read any debut authors since the start of the year, so I don’t have anyone to recommend.
Fourth Wing watch: My spot in line at the library is at #36.Finished:
The Mystery Guest (3/5, a book with a neurodivergent character, a book where someone dies in the first chapter)
This was enjoyable enough and very fast paced, but the original book had more charm to it.
The Farther Shore (3/5, reread, a book set in the future)
It was a little better in the abusive past department, but there was still some unpleasantness at the end of the B'Elanna storyline that kept me from giving it a higher rating.
Brotherhood (4/5)
This was the jewel of my reading this past week. For anyone who loves any part of the prequels, you will find something to love here, too. It's worth it just for the section of Anakin and Padme on Coruscant.
DNF:
William Shakespeare's Much Ado About Mean Girls
My enjoyment level was hovering at about two stars, so I skipped out during Act III. This was recommended as a second chance romance for those who may enjoy it more.
Question of the Week:
I think any author I've read has published at least two books by now. I'll put in a recommendation for a newer author, Kristin Baver. Her Skywalker: A Family at War is an outstanding history/biography style of approaching the Star Wars galaxy.
Greetings! Feels like spring this week. Not expecting it to last. PS 10/50 ATY - 19/52 - I actually have a few books in my monthly pile for other challenges that will fit some PS prompts.
Finished:
The Lost Girls: Three Friends. Four Continents. One Unconventional Detour Around the World. - for PS book written by an athlete - one of 3 authors runs marathons and triathlons and is a runner. ATY - Wonderful World lyrics. FYI I don't recommend this unless you want to read lots of millenial angst. It was so disappointing.
Grumpy Monkey Valentine Gross-Out - adorable - ATY furry animal on cover, in book, and in title
Murder Casts a Shadow - PS title a complete sentence, ATY senior citizen character - set on Groundhog Day in Punxsutawny PA - thin plot but still fun, very light read.
The Cybernetic Tea Shop - PS cozy fantasy ATY - character POC - short novella about AI and future. Loved it.
The Mimicking of Known Successes - despite the title I can never remember and the blah cover, I really liked this SciFi detective story and will read the next. It's also a novella size. PS - scifi prompt and ATY - Set in future although also fits set in space and at least one other - which challenge has second chance at love? Fits that too.
Currently Reading:
The Unlikely Adventures of the Shergill Sisters
All the Sinners Bleed
QOTW: I so rarely read books as they are published, by the time I read someone's debut book, they have at least one more if not 2 or more out! However, here are some 'debuts' I have read and loved recently -- and some are starts of series so maybe only a debut as a series...some of these have been out for decades!
A Free Man of Color - debut of Barbara Hambly's fantastic historical detective mystery series.
The Time in Between - in translation, an HF set in Spain and Morocco in the 1930s.
Dear Mrs. Bird - another HF set during the Blitz
The Women in Black - Set in a Sidney Dept Store in late 1950s. Author I believe only wrote 4 books and this was her first and unique.
The Bells of Old Tokyo: Meditations on Time and a City - so far first and only
Dissolution - I just discovered this Historical Mystery series by C.J. Sansom
Bruno, Chief of Police - contemporary detective set in Perigord region of France. If you have not discovered and fallen in love with Bruno - what are you waiting for? I must have been living under a rock only to have just discovered this series.
Where the Crawdads Sing
The Marlow Murder Club - contemporary
Legends & Lattes
Murder in the Marais - first in Cara Black's Aimee LeDuc detective series set in Paris in the 90s.
K.L. wrote: "Happy Thursday, everyone! It has been a very busy week. I am continuing the post-renovation clean up, and I while I did get a decent amount done this week, I still have a lot left to accomplish. ..."
i don't think i could do bifocals. i think it would drive me nuts to have two different prescriptions in one lens.
i've been in glasses since 4th grade. I just get worse each year.
Happy Thursday! I'm currently eye-to-eye with a squirrel who is quite content to munch peanuts on the porch while I type on my laptop. 60F in early February, I'll take it! And this after several days' warring with the squirrels when they found a gap in the house and got inside the walls. And then proceeded to chew their way back out elsewhere. Yeah that was fun. Not again anytime soon, please.Just a few things finished this week:
Red Seas Under Red Skies - reread, 5 stars. Crossing my fingers for a definitive Thorn of Emberlain announcement soon! I love this series so much.
Thicket: The Art of Lily Seika Jones - 5 stars. It's not listed on GR but this came in the mail last week and Lily's artwork is just lovely. You can follow her on Instagram @rivuletpaper - her stuff reminds me of Redwall (and how I ought to continue with that series!), little critters in battle armor and witchy garb. Utterly charming. And watercolors to boot!
My Name is Rachel Corrie - 4.5 stars. A staggering 50p solo play edited by Alan Rickman and Katharine Viner, based on Rachel's diaries before and during her time in the occupied Palestinian territories in 2003. She was there for three months and was ultimately run down by an Israeli bulldozer while she stood in front of a Palestinian home to protect it and civilians from illegal demolition. Title is a complete sentence
PS 6/50
ATY 8/52
Mount TBR 4/48
Currently:
The Tainted Cup - just came from the library and I'm thrilled to finally start!
Escaping Mr. Rochester - not in love with the audiobook but the story is good!
The Water Outlaws - conversely, in LOVE with this audio. Emily Woo Zeller is phenomenal and the story grabbed me from the first line.
She Who Became the Sun - of course I would end up reading two queer Chinese historical fantasies at once. Again, excellent.
Madly, Deeply: The Diaries of Alan Rickman - back burner, but also must be credited for me doing a deep dive into Alan's work and even finding the Rachel Corrie play to begin with.
The Ninth Rain - back burner
QOTW: Who is one of your current favorite debut authors? Sell their book to us!
Agh I can't come up with any offhand! If ML Rio ever decided to write something else I would absolutely read it because I adored If We Were Villains so much!
Mod
I only wear reading glasses, so I'm not sure if I'll ever need bifocals. My mom got the kind where the transition is gradual and she said it took her a while to get used to them, at first she was very dizzy and was tripping on things, etc. But now she loves them.
Mod
The Tainted Cup - just came from the library and I'm thrilled to finally start!..."
Exciting!! I've got that on hold. My library doesn't seem to have most of their copies in yet, there's only one in circulation and someone else has it out.
CompletedCrying in H Mart - for this challenge
A Town Like Alice - not for this challenge
A Brotherhood of Spies: The U-2 and the CIA's Secret War - for this challenge
Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine - for this challenge
Currently Reading
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind: Creating Currents of Electricity and Hope
Lily and the Octopus
still slogging through the 1999 US Women's World Cup book
still using Pushkin's stories as a buffer/mind break after completing books
QOTW
Unfortunately, I don't pay enough attention to know if I pick up a book by a debut author.
Good afternoon.Haven't seen this much rain in Los Angeles in forever. Still walking and driving through puddles. But that means time indoors and finishing some books;
The Echo of Old Books by Barbara Davis (1 star. Hated it)
Pop sugar: second chance romance
ATY: sound related word (echo)
52: Bibliosmia (also romance mini)
Beowulf translated by Seamus Heaney (3 stars)
PS: contains dragons
ATY: n/a
52: revenge story
The Restaurant At the End of the Universe by Douglas Adams:
PS: takes place in space
ATY: n/a
52: futuristic technology
Currently reading a lot of books (at least for me):
The Girl Who Reads On the Metro (almost done)
The Secret Adversary
Dear California
The Nickel Boys
West With Giraffes
There, There
Demon Copperhead
Before We Were Yours
The Mists of Avalon
X Saves the Day
Expect to finish Girl, Adversary, and Nickel boys. Rest may continue into next month
QOTW:
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini: Lovely writers, great characters, introduces you to a less familiar culture but also devastating
There, There by Tommy Orange: I'm nit finished yet but I love how his different characters telling the story actually have different voices. Some authors can't pull this off.
A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman: You will love Ove. Keeps the twists surprising throughout the novel even as you know there is "reason" why Ove is as crochet as he is
the Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams: everything is tied up a little too neatly at the end but I loved the characters and the story and so has everyone else I've discussed out with
I own and am interesting in reading A Woman is No Man by Etaf Rum, didn't really know it was a debut
Mandy wrote: "i don't think i could do bifocals. i think it would drive me nuts to have two different prescriptions in one lens.i've been in glasses since 4th grade. I just get worse each year."
I've been really surprised at how quickly my eyesight has deteriorated in the last three years. I figured I'd be headed down this road at some point, but I didn't think it would be this soon. My eye doctor said that it's not abnormal for someone who is farsighted to end up needing bifocals at younger age though, so that did make me feel better. It's just happened so fast!
I'm really hoping that the transition will be easy. Pretty much every adult in my family has bifocals, and they all keep telling me that it will take a little time to adjust. I guess we'll see how it goes in a couple of weeks.
Happy Thursday.I am exhausted. My husband had really minor day surgery last week. If you ever want to appreciate your spouse more having to do your stuff and their stuff for a week is a good wake up call to be more grateful.
Because I only finished 2 books in January, I joked that I'd have to finish 6 in February. But, I've already finished 1 and I'm in the middle of 4 others. I could get caught up to my yearly goal.
Finished:
The Name of the Rose
ATY prompt: A book related to something mentioned in the lyrics of What a Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong (red roses)
Popsugar prompt A book from a genre you typically avoid (historical fiction)
Series - 0/12
Nobel laureates - 0/5
Mysteries/Thrillers - 2/13
ATY - 3/45
PS - 3/30
Currently reading:
The Fisher Maiden - 55% done
The End of Her - 40% done
Dragons in the Waters - 65% done
First Among Sequels - 5% done
Buddy Reads:
This Present Darkness - 40% done
QOTW: I can't think of one now, but I look forward to hearing what everyone else thinks.
K.L. wrote: "Mandy wrote: "i don't think i could do bifocals. i think it would drive me nuts to have two different prescriptions in one lens.i've been in glasses since 4th grade. I just get worse each year."
..."
I'm near sighted. Right now i'm blind enough that i can't see clearly passed the end of my nose.
The sun stayed away just long enough to ensure the groundhog didn't see his shadow, and has been out in full force ever since. Makes the chilly temps a little more bearable, although today was a mild 50 degrees. Finished:
Dayswork - I listened to the audiobook, and it felt a lot like listening to a podcast. I enjoyed learning about Hemingway and the other literary folks mentioned, but I don't really understand why this book was written the way it was. The various insights into the author's homelife were not as illuminating as I had been lead to believe.
Robot Dreams - The animated adaptation of this is nominated for Best Animated Feature at this year's oscars, but since it isn't streaming anywhere yet, I opted to read the source material. It was a cute story, but not Sara Varon's best IMO.
Open Throat - (A book from an animal's POV) Definitely an interesting read. Things got a little odd at the end, but overall I enjoyed this. Being a quick read helped.
DNF: The Bee Sting - I gave it a good effort, but Imelda's section was the nail in the coffin. I just could not stand her stream of consciousness no punctuation style, especially not for over 100 pages.
Currently reading:
Pandora's Jar: Women in the Greek Myths
The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store
The Tale of Despereaux
American Mermaid
Blank
Brainwyrms
QOTW: Like a lot of folks, I don't really pay attention to whether a book is an author's debut or not.
Hi all! Quiet week here. I did a couple of Door Dashes, it was fun. Not sure if it's worth it for the money I make, but I'll keep trying it for now.Been bouncing all over with my reading this week. I've read at least a little in:
Schindler’s List
Prequel: An American Fight Against Fascism (got my other copy from the other library)
1919
The Brothers Karamazov
Burying Water
QOTW: No idea. I don't pay attention, either.
I thought about delaying my check-in because I should finish up a book tonight, but here I am checking in now 🤓 I finished one book that checked off a prompt and am about to finish another that will do the same. I'm at 2/45 and 1/5 for this challenge and 7/100 for my overall Goodreads Reading Challenge.Finished:
* Ayesha at Last by Uzma Jalaluddin, which I used for "a book with an enemies-to-lovers plot." SPOILER ALERT: You will see this debut author mentioned later in my post! 🤩
About-to-be-Finished:
* Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt, which I'll use for "a book from an animal's POV" (though, the octopus chapters are few and far between but I'm going to say that's close enough). Both of my book clubs picked it as our February read, so it's serving many purposes for me! 🤣
Currently Reading:
* The Stone Home by Crystal Hana Kim, which is my Giveaways win; and,
* An Unlikely Journey: Waking Up from My American Dream by Julian Castro, which is my surprise Libby request from 4 years ago 🙃
QotW:
Who is one of your current favorite debut authors? Sell their book to us! So, the book I'm about to finish and the book I just finished are both by debut authors. I'd say that Uzma Jalaluddin was my favorite of the two and would highly recommend Ayesha at Last. This fresh, modern retelling of Pride and Prejudice is set in Canada and features Indian Muslims in the starring roles. It was utterly delightful from start to finish and a feel-good, wholesome read.
Work has been stressful for incredibly stupid reasons and I’m trying not to spend money on stress relief because I have a root canal and crown coming up soon. I made a trip to the library and checked out more books than I could possibly read in the next month. I’m hoping this weekend is going to be a stress-free reading weekend.Finished
Across the Green Grass Fields (a book with 24 letters in the title). I love this series more with every book I read. I would have started the next book immediately if I didn’t have plans Saturday evening.
Reading
The Winter Spirits: Ghostly Tales for Frosty Nights (a book set in the snow). I’m assuming there will be snow in at least one of these stories.
Wrong Place Wrong Time (a book with a main character who is 42-years-old). The narrator’s husband is 43 when the book begins. According to the summary, the narrator will be traveling back in time to the previous year at some point.
The Body in the Library (a book where someone dies in the first chapter).
Homeworlds (tbd - prompt unknown for now).
QOTW
I don’t pay attention enough to know if I’ve read any debut novels I could recommend.
Kenya wrote: "Rabbit-Proof Fence -- for “non-fiction book about Indigenous People.” Not the best writing, but still a powerful story about the colonial takeover of the Aboriginal people of Australia, and three young girls fleeing a residential school to go home..."I had to watch the movie in college for a class, it was devastating. I might keep the book in mind for that same prompt.
Sorry about your friend, LynnHere, serious illness and death is still all around me as a friend lost her adult son yesterday. My reading has slowed down a bit this week.
Crouching Buzzard, Leaping Loon by Donna Andrews (PS 1. A book with the word "leap" in the title) This one was actually kinda wacky fun
K-pop Confidential by Stephan Lee (PS5. A book about K-pop), it ultimately is a book about young people being bullied, exposed to fatphobia and gas lighting to be an idol. I did not feel good after reading this
LOVE IS LOVE Poetry Anthology: In aid of Orlando's Pulse victims and survivors edited by Lily Blunt (48. A collection of at least 24 poems) Not what I planned to read for this. I found this cleaning out a box last week. I had forgotten I had this. I'm IN this. It's your usual mixed bag in an anthology.
QOTW
I almost never pay attention to this so I went through my netgalley list to see what was a debut
Together We Rot by Skyla Arndt fantastic YA horror story
Blood Debts by Terry J. Benton-Walker also a good YA horror story
Hello everyone,So this week I took a little break from reading. You know that feeling where you read a good book and you can't read any other book for quite some time. Well that's exactly the state I'm in right now.
In case if you are wondering what that book is.. It is The Paper Swan by leylah attar. Can't believe I've never heard about it till now. I came across this book on audible while I was looking for something to listen while I was cleaning my closet. The description mentioned that the MC got kidnapped just a day before her 24th bday. So I was like Oh cool, I can use it for a popsugar prompt. But I ended up falling in love with the book.
QOTW: I don't know.. like many people here, even I don't pay much attention if it is a debut author or not.
Ok, I found a debut author I recently enjoyed. Good Different by Meg Eden Kuyatt.Oh, and I'm supposed to sell it. It's about a neurodivergent character in verse, which is a medium that is difficult to pull off. I feel like the author pulled it off successfully in this case.
Sweet, my Twilight books arrive today so I'll be starting with the first book.I wanted to read yesterday, but the side effects from my shots hit too hard to the point where I could barely keep my eyes open and focus because I was so tired.
Hoping to catch up on my reading today though.
Ron wrote: "Sweet, my Twilight books arrive today so I'll be starting with the first book.I wanted to read yesterday, but the side effects from my shots hit too hard to the point where I could barely keep my..."
You plan on using them for PS challenge?
I finished A Dangerous Mourning.I've started My Gun Is Quick.
QOTW: As illustrataed by my reading this week, I don't read a lot of new stuff, so I don't really know.
Mod
Been bouncing all over with my reading this wee..."
are you able to listen to audiobooks while you drive
Vaish wrote:You plan on using them for PS challenge?
Yes, that's the plan. I'll most likely use them for these prompts:
Travel destination on your bucket list- Midnight Sun
Magical Realism- New Moon
Cozy Fantasy- Twilight
Wow! February already!I spent the past week visiting my brother and sister-in-law in TN. I had planned to read several short books, continue my language course and generally chill like at home. Nope. First, their house is small with only the essential rooms. That meant that we all three plus to fur babies gathered in the main room with the TV going, animals jumping on everyone (including me) for attention, conversation and me trying to read! Didn’t happen.
Language course got interrupted and the short books I took with me were never opened. BUT, I did finish the audiobook during the 5 hr. trip home. And the ebook got finished after I figured out how to load Hoopla on my tablet (app). I also finished one physical book upon my return home yesterday. So not a total waste. [Oh, and I was able to salvage my over 400 day language course streak!]
Finished
The Big Gold Dream: The Classic Crime Thriller – PS #36 (formerly incarcerated author). Ebook. Old style hardboiled detective story. 3*. Not a fan of the detectives nor the time the story was set in.
The Revolt of the Animals – No challenge. I found this story bleak. It may have represented the events at the time of writing during pre-WWII Russia; but since I skipped the historical preface due to short time to read, it just felt too bleak. 3*
Red Lily – Audiobook. Well this ending to the Nora Roberts Trilogy was pleasing and fun, if a bit too much of the sexy for me. I listened while I drove to TN and missed my turn twice, once each way! 4* Finished a trilogy for another challenge.
Lord of the Wings – A substitute for a book that I had planned to read for ATY, which is still on hold. I am doing the reading in order for the challenge and (due to my planned Scotland trip) I really couldn’t wait on it. So…ATY #6 – wings on cover. Delightful read. 4*
Currently Reading:
Indian Givers: How the Indians of the Americas Transformed the World – PS #42. 29%. Taking this one with me. Didn’t open it.
Tea with Hezbollah: Sitting at the Enemies' Table Our Journey Through the Middle East – Other challenge. 21%. I was able to renew it and will hopefully get it done before due (Valentine’s day). Will focus on this one as no renewal and 5 days to finish it!
Blood Cries – Other challenges. 1%. I own this one; but it is for a challenge that ended in January, so I will try hard to get it read in the next week or so.
Ragman and Other Cries of Faith – Other challenges. 2%. Will start working on this one again today and will take it with me. Did not open it!
The Wife Between Us – ATY #7 (pronoun in title)
On Deck:
The Book of Cold Cases – Other challenges.
The Last Chance Olive Ranch
The Lightkeeper's Daughters
On Back Burner for now
The Beginner's Photography Guide: The Ultimate Step-by-Step Manual for Getting the Most from Your Digital Camera – 27%.
Dreams and Shadows –Kindle. 14%.
PS 3/50
ATY 6/52
GR 27/200
QotW: Who is one of your current favorite debut authors? Sell their book to us!
I read two debut books in January that I was truly impressed by, but the authors have gone on to write others…so they do not count for this question.
Like others, most of the books I read have been out long enough that the authors will have written other books, so I seldom realize if a book is a debut for a particular author.
I did like the member (sorry, not sure who posted) that listed debut series for an author. I love that idea!
Nadine in NY wrote: "Jennifer W wrote: "Hi all! Quiet week here. I did a couple of Door Dashes, it was fun. Not sure if it's worth it for the money I make, but I'll keep trying it for now.Been bouncing all over with ..."
Technically yes, BUT if I need GPS to get me to my delivery spot....
Yesterday I didn't have any deliveries for almost 45 minutes, so I sat in a McDonald's parking lot and listened to my audiobook while waiting.
Hi all, Got busy yesterday and didn't have a chance to post. The weather has been weirdly beautiful this week! so sunny, and it's 55 out! going to need to go for a walk at lunch, for sure. Might even do a run tonight.
I've been in a reading slump still, i keep picking stuff up and putting it down and can't figure out what I'm in the mood for.
I think i'm calling it officially quits on Womb City, maybe i'll try later if i feel more inspired. I've tried it again 4 times in between murderbot books and I keep putting it down mid sentence even. I just...don't care. I don't like the main character, the world building is confusing. I'm tired of books focusing around procreation as the be-all end-all goal of the protagonist's life. I don't get the whole criminal body thing, i don't care enough to keep reading to figure it out more.
I think i'm also returning two more books out from the library because while i do want to read them eventually, nonfiction is just not sparking joy right now.
I did manage to finish:
Killers of a Certain Age - for an online book club, and it also works for someone dies in the first chapter. I liked this quite a bit, it was fun and did help a bit with the reading slump. Nice brisk read.
Fugitive Telemetry - i then re-slumped back into more murderbot as my attempts to read any of my library books just kind of sputtered into nothing.
Currently reading:
A Thousand Ships - I tried to get out of my slump with this, but while it's really interesting and also my jam, it's a bit darker than suits my mood. But I own this one so I can set it aside a bit without worrying about my holds.
The Leftover Woman - current audiobook. Might get some time in as I do some walks today.
Heir of Uncertain Magic - decided that since i ran out of accessible murderbot, my next best bet for un-slumping was cozy fantasy. It's not quite murderbot, but it's going better than anything else I've tried. I think I enjoyed the first book better, but it could also just be my slumpy mood talking. Or maybe it just needs to pick up a bit, I don't know.
QOTW:
I don't know, I don't tend to pay a lot of attention to what is a debut author vs what is an author i just hadn't heard of until I read the book. Usually I don't figure out until goodreads choice awards and I see something I read and liked was up for a best debut award.
Mod
yeah when the audio has to pause every other minute to tell you "in 800 feet, turn right" then it makes it tough
Happy check-in! I've missed a few weeks and I only have one new book and a couple of rereads in all that time.I'm really looking forward to the ATY read-a-thon this weekend to get back into reading.
Finished Reading:
Bride ⭐⭐⭐ (PS enemies to lovers)
Like always, I can't put her books down but there were things I loved and hated in this one.
PS 12/50
ATY 7/52
Goodreads 28/150
Currently Reading:
House of Flame and Shadow %33
QOTW:
I don't pay attention to this it's always new to me authors. Discovering/finally reading Kwame Alexander,T. Kingfisher and Heather Fawcett last year are my recommendations.
Ron wrote: "Vaish wrote:You plan on using them for PS challenge?
Yes, that's the plan. I'll most likely use them for these prompts:
Travel destination on your bucket list- Midnight Sun
Ma..."
breaking dawn might work better for magical realism. it has those elements in it. just fyi.
Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge
Books mentioned in this topic
Stamped from the Beginning: A Graphic History of Racist Ideas in America (other topics)Blue Book Volume 1: 1961 (other topics)
I Don't Want to Be a Mom (other topics)
In the Shadow of the Fallen Towers: The Seconds, Minutes, Hours, Days, Weeks, Months, and Years after the 9/11 Attacks: A Graphic Novel (other topics)
Going Remote: A Teacher's Journey (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
David Grann (other topics)Katrine Engberg (other topics)
Holly James (other topics)
James Scott Bell (other topics)
Lillie Lainoff (other topics)
More...
I accompanied my good friend to her cardiac appointment last week and the echocardiogram and EKG results were NOT good… She has agreed to undergo surgery to insert a combination pacemaker/defibrillator as soon as it can be scheduled. Two valves are leaking pretty badly and her heart is only functioning at 34%. And once she has recovered from that, she will undergo surgery to clear her right carotid artery which was 85% occluded as of last July. They believe that blockage may well be causing her vertigo-like symptoms once she described them to her cardiologist. I adore her cardiologist. If I had to undergo everything she has in the past few years, I sure would want him by my side!
A LIST! Penguin Random House “New Books to Read in February”: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/th... I am not advocating for any specific book publisher but just skimming through this listing I decided I would need to give it a thorough perusal since many of these titles/authors looked intriguing! I thought some others might also find it interesting! 😊
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ADMIN STUFF:
The February Monthly Group Read is Lucky Leap Day by Ann Marie Walker!! This book could be used to fulfill 2024 prompt #1 A book with the word "leap" in the title. (Since “Leap Day”/February 29 does occur in February!) 😊 The discussion thread is HERE! Hooray for Kimberly Barker, the “leaping literary luminar” who has volunteered to lead this discussion! Standing ovation!! 👏👏👏👏👏👏 You will find the thread to list the book you read for prompt #1 HERE!
The March Monthly Group Read is Call Us What We Carry: Poems by Amanda Gorman! This book could be used to fulfill 2024 prompt #48 A collection of at least 24 poems. World Poetry Day is celebrated on March 21!
The search is on for a "marvelous manager" to lead the discussion! Please message either Nadine or myself to volunteer! I am looking forward to this one! And I’m not even a huge fan of poetry!
APRIL FINAL SELECTION POLL!
The April Final Selection poll for the Monthly Group Read is live HERE!
This book could be used to fulfill prompt #29 A book with a neurodivergent main character. April is Autism Awareness Month!
These are the books to be considered:
The Mystery Guest (Molly the Maid #2) by Nita Prose
The Rosie Project (Don Tillman #1) by Graeme Simsion
The Reason I Jump by Naoki Higashida
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians #1) by Rick Riordan
This poll will be open through Tuesday, February 13!
Nadine and I have noted that keeping these polls open for two weeks, rather than only one week, does appear to encourage and/or enable more members to participate and vote. We will plan to continue the two-week voting period for the future. And thank you to those who do participate!
The comprehensive listing of 2024 Monthly Group Reads resides HERE for your perusal and reference throughout 2024!
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Question of the Week:
Who is one of your current favorite debut authors? Sell their book to us!
Zoulfa Katouh! I just finished *As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow at the end of January and feel as if everyone should read it! Although it is a YA novel, as an adult I was perfectly comfortable reading it! (Though I know some people purposefully steer away from “YA”)
If you have ever wondered why someone/anyone would risk their life in an overcrowded rickety barely-held-together fishing boat to cross the Mediterranean Sea, this book is for you! Katouh depicts and demonstrates the roller-coaster type feelings and emotions of these characters as they weigh their few options and decide what to do with themselves and their families… So many people around our world are in such war zones and experiencing these same and/or very similar challenges. Through no fault of their own they are forced to risk their lives to stay or leave. Either way it is an unbelievably fraught situation, and those of us not in such situations (living in “peace”) are unable to realize just how helpless, hopeless, and desperate life is for such people.
2024 READING CHALLENGES:
Popsugar: 14/50
Around the Year (AtY): 36/52
Read Harder: 6/24
52 Book Club: 23/52
FINISHED:
*Quicksand by Nella Larsen ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ for my Harlem Renaissance challenge. I adore Larsen’s writing! She depicted Helga’s vacillating emotions excellently, IMO! Although the ending may not be at all what I had hoped for Helga, it is reflective of the title, IMO!
POPSUGAR: #2
ATY: #3-A book shelved as literary fiction, #10-Historical Fiction, #12, #14, #16, #17, NEW #20, #23-Helga crosses the ocean to and from the U.S. and Denmark, #28-Helga crosses the ocean to and from the U.S. and Denmark, #33, #36-Helga was a teacher, #38/#39-Female face on the cover, #48-favorite prompt: #3 A book that fits a suggestion that didn’t make the final list--A book related to “civil rights” or “human rights”
RHC: #24-2017: prompt #7-A book published 1900-1950
52 Book Club: #9, #43, #44
*Passing by Nella Larsen ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ was an amazingly dense text with a myriad of thought-provoking incidents and themes! And with all that, still extremely readable and relatable! The reader is left to surmise the truth of what really happened…and/or didn’t happen! And, predictably, our book club members’ reactions were quite diverse! That always makes for great discussion, IMO! We were all truly sorry that Larsen only wrote these two novels. Everyone felt her writing was quite good and that we actually ‘felt’ the characters’ feelings as we read!
POPSUGAR: #14, #17-Denmark & Harlem
ATY: #3-A book with a bilingual character, #10-Historical Fiction, #14, #17-Claire has little to no emotional intelligence, #20, #34-DOC, Irene’s husband is a doctor, #38/#39-Female face on the cover, #48-FAVORITE PROMPT: #3 A book that fits a suggestion that didn’t make the final list-A book related to “civil rights” or “human rights”
RHC: #24-2018: prompt #20 Read a book with a cover image you hate
52 Book Club: #9, #24, #29-1929, #30, #33, #43
I am currently reading up to 100 pages in several different books in preparation for the AtY Team Challenge that begins on the 10th. These books will fulfill some of the Individual Challenge prompts, so even if they don’t fulfill Team Challenge prompts, at least they will count! 😊
CONTINUING:
*...And Ladies of the Club by Helen Hooven Santmyer
A priority for February!
*Emily Climbs (Emily #2) by L.M. Montgomery
*I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy for an IRL book club meeting this next week
*With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo
*The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo
PLANNED:
*Dirty Thirty (Stephanie Plum #30) by Janet Evanovich
*10th Anniversary (Women’s Murder Club #9) by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro
*Fear No Evil (Alex Cross #29) by James Patterson
11th Hour (Women’s Murder Club #11) by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro
*Riders of the Purple Sage by Zane Grey
*The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin