Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge discussion
2025 Weekly Check-Ins
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Week 12: 3/14 - 3/20
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Happy Thursday!2025 Reading Challenges:
52 Book Club: 27/52 (March Mini-Challenge: 2/3)
ATY: 20/52 (ATY Anniversary Challenge: 3/10, ATY Spring Challenge: 13/30)
The Book Girls’ Guide: 17/74
Booklist Queen: 27/52
Cover Lovers: 20/50
Popsugar: 23/50
My Ever-Growing TBR: 34/237 – 14.3% (My goal is 33.3%.)
Recently Completed:
What I Ate in One Year: Gentle and comforting. I could listen to Stanley Tucci all day. (ATY #40 – a comfort read) ★★★★
Defectors: The Rise of the Latino Far Right and What It Means for America: 2024 NPR Books We Love. (ATY Spring #11 – SPRING BREAK: Paola Ramos) ★★★★★
Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone (ATY Spring #5 - EGGS: Everyone/Cover Lovers #48 – outdated technology on the cover: typewriter) ★★★
Last House: Goodreads Giveaway. (ATY #28 – two books with opposites in their titles: “First Lie Wins”) ★★★
Project Hail Mary: Reasonable Doubt Book Club. (52 Books #42 – a nonhuman antagonist/ATY Spring #15 - PASTELS: Project) ★★★★★
Most Ardently: Jane Austen Book Club. 2024 NPR Books We Love. (ATY Spring #13 – GREEN: Gabe Cole Novoa) ★★★★
The Backyard Bird Chronicles: 2024 NPR Books We Love. What a beautifully illustrated book! (52 Books March Mini-Challenge #2 – last book you acquired but haven’t read/ATY Spring #3 - BABY ANIMALS: Backyard/Booklist Queen #31 – an illustrated book/Cover Lovers #22 – a bird on the cover) ★★★★
What Happened to the McCrays?: I wanted to read something hopeful, so I checked the last sentence… and it made me smile. (52 Books #33 – a standalone novel/Booklist Queen #19 – a heartwarming story/Popsugar #2 – want to read based on the last sentence) ★★★★★
Black Woods, Blue Sky: It pales in comparison to The Snow Child, but I still really liked it. (ATY Spring #2 – BLOOM: Black/BGG Book Lovers #3 – a modern retelling) ★★★★
Currently Reading:
My Life as a Villainess (ATY #39 – two books with a connection from different genres/Booklist Queen #5 – fiction and nonfiction by the same author)
The Girl with the Louding Voice (ATY Spring #13 – GREEN: Girl/BGG Book Voyage #3 – Africa/Booklist Queen #17 – author from Africa)
Rainbow Black (ATY Spring #8 – RAINSTORM: Maggie Thrash/Popsugar #35 – centered on LGBTQ+ but not about coming out)
The Last Tale of the Flower Bride: 2023 NPR Books We Love. (52 Books March Mini-Challenge #3 – book on TBR with the prettiest cover/ATY Spring #12 – RAINCOAT: Roshani Chokshi/Booklist Queen #3 – a romantasy)
Winning Fixes Everything: How Baseball's Brightest Minds Created Sports' Biggest Mess: 2023 NPR Books We Love. (ATY Spring #14 – EARTH DAY: Evan Drellich)
Julia (ATY Spring #7 – JELLYBEANS: Julia)
Hollow Kingdom (52 Books #18 – a character who can fly/ATY Anniversary #3 – an author’s debut)
Lady in the Lake (52 Books #16 – author has won an Edgar/ATY #38 – two books with a connection from different genres/Booklist Queen #4 – fiction and nonfiction by the same author)
Lore Olympus: Volume Seven (ATY #4 – set underground, undersea, or in an underworld)
The Duchess War (Popsugar #45 – a left-handed character)
The Last Bookstore on Earth (ATY Spring #4 – BABY ANIMALS: Lily Braun-Arnold/Booklist Queen #18 – a debut novel)
QOTW: If nonfiction books are no longer offered in a paperback version, I'll probably buy fewer of them. (I already tend to borrow them from the library.) I think publishers would do better to offer them only as paperbacks... except for a few exceptional titles.
Mod
My ex had a tree come down which took out his power, which meant his sump pump didn't rum and his entire lower floor flooded, so he's a stressed out mess right now dealing with tree removal and insurance and cleaning up, which means (yes let me make this all about MEEEE!) he can't come over and see if he can fix my dryer which just stopped working. I guess we are lucky temps are above freezing so we can hang our laundry outside on the line now while we wait for the dryer to be repaired.
This week I finished 4 books.
The Dream Hotel by Laila Lalami - this was a NetGalley book and I'd intended to use it for "married couple living apart" since it's speculative fiction about a woman who is detained under suspicion that she MIGHT harm her husband in the future, but I ended up using another book for that category. I decided to check off "dystopian with a happy ending" with this one. It fits well enough. It's definitely a dystopian world.
Last Chance to Save the World by Beth Revis- another NetGalley read, this novella is the conclusion to a trilogy that started last year, and it was indeed highly anticipated by me, I read it as soon as I was approved for it, so I checked off "highly anticipated in 2025." It ended the story in a satisfying way while also leaving the door open for more books with these characters.
James by Percival Everett- I didn't expect much from this book, even though I've loved other books from Everett, I'm not a fan of Huck Finn. I only read this because it was in ToB. It surprised me by feeling fresh and new and fierce. I checked off "unlikely friends" with this one.
Liars by Sarah Manguso - I never would have read this if not for ToB, and I enjoyed it. I didn't LOVE the writing style, but the story will probably stick with me. CORRECTION! I DID find a category for this one: adult who changes careers - throughout the book, Jane is frustrated because she has to keep leaving behind jobs to move across the country with her husband - she is at various times: a university professor (no tenure), an editor, a published author, and a tutor. (It would work for "chronic pain" but I already checked that off.)
Popsugar 42% 21 /50
Must Reads 20% 2 /10
AtY 42% 22 /52
AtY bonus 0% 0 /10
2025 pub 22% 11 /50
NetGalley ratio 78%
My NG ratio was getting really high, over 85% a few days ago!! And then I was approved for four books so it's dropped again. Must read more books!!!
QotW
Hah that's a funny question!!
I do not buy many books. Back before I was a Super Library User, I would usually wait for a book to come out in paperback before I bought it. If it never came out in paperback, I probably would have just forgotten about it and gotten distracted by all the OTHER books I could buy instead, UNLESS it was a highly anticipated new release for me.
Nowadays, in the rare instances when I buy a book for myself, I do not have a strong hardcover/softcover preference. Quite often now I notice that a book is more or less the same price on Amazon for hard or soft cover, which is always a surprise, because when I was younger the paperback was around $2 and the hardcover was around $20. (So I really doubt the profit margin is large on hardcovers nowadays.) If I'm bringing a book to the beach or on a trip, I'd prefer it to be lightweight and easy to hold, so then I prefer paperback. Otherwise, I don't really care.
(I often read e-books, and sometimes I even prefer the e-book format, because it takes up less space in my home, and for comics I can easily zoom in to read that teeny tiny print that comic book letterers seem to love ... but my kids dislike e-books!)
BUT ... MOST of the books that I buy these days are for gifts, primarily gifts for my daughters, and my daughters both prefer hardcover, so I seek out the hardcover versions whenever possible. I'm trying to buy a book right now for my older kid's birthday - the hardcover is no longer in print, I guess, because only used copies are available on Amazon. If publishers don't bother keeping a version in print, then it must not be a real moneymaker for them.
We've had the warmest day of the year so far today. It's been beautiful and all the cherry blossom is out on the trees around town. Finished:
The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst. After a run of depressing reads I was ready for a book where conflicts are solved quickly and everyone is nice. Usually these things irritate me in cosy fantasy, but I did enjoy this one. I thought some of the magic scenes were nicely done and it had the best sentient cactus character!
ATY: 40. A book you'd consider a comfort read
Watership Down: The Graphic Novel by Richard Adams, James Sturm + Joe Sutphin. Beautiful adaptation of a book I read to death as a kid. And there's a map in it which means I can probably work out how to get to Watership Down in real life! It's not that far away.
PS: 30. A book that reminds you of your childhood
BR: 2. Reread a childhood favorite book
Cover Lover: 6. an illustrated scene
The Sirens by Emilia Hart. I liked the mix of the modern cold case story of missing men, explored through the two sisters' narratives, and the story of the Irish women's convict ship in the past. I worked it all out well before the characters but it was gripping until the end.
PS: 16. A book set in or around a body of water
ATY: 31. A book with a coastal setting
Currently reading Oathbound and We'll Prescribe You a Cat and listening to The Martian Contingency.
QOTW:
I feel like we’re getting more straight to paperback releases in the UK these days, especially in certain genres for midlist authors. I prefer paperbacks since they take up less space and are easier to read. I do buy hardbacks because I want to support businesses that aren’t foreign corporations while reading new releases. If bookshop dot org offers their ebook platform in the UK, I’m much more likely to buy new releases as ebooks from indie bookshops and save the paper copies for fancy editions or books I really want a copy of.
Happy Thursday!Not much going on with me this week. We've started planning our September trip already. I think we both just want to go on vacation already!
Finished:
It Goes Like This by Miel Moreland - 3.5 stars - for a book where music plays an integral part of the storyline. Overall I enjoyed it. The characters were fun but I felt like it needed a few more chapters to breathe and develop the relationships outside of the main romance pair.
The In-Between Bookstore by Edward Underhill - 3.5 stars - for the 2024 prompt redo, a fiction book by a trans or nonbinary author. This was a slow, introspective book about a trans man named Darby going home to the small town he couldn't wait to escape as a teen and reevaluating his life. This one adds in a former best friend turned romantic interest and a dose of magical realism in the form of the old bookstore where Darby used to work, where he gets thrown back in time whenever he enters the store and meets himself as a teenager.
A Sorceress Comes to Call by T. Kingfisher - 5 stars - for a book about chosen family. You know who the villain is from the very start of this book, and she's so evil, I spent my whole time with the book rooting for her downfall. Excellent retelling. (view spoiler)
Comics & manga:
Honey Lemon Soda, Vol. 5
Witch Hat Atelier, Vol. 13
Komi Can’t Communicate, Vol. 33
I am currently at 16/50 for Popsugar (14/40 and 2/10).
Currently reading:
Murder by Memory by Olivia Waite - not currently for a prompt.
Upcoming/Planned:
Reread Little Thieves by Margaret Owen for a book with a great last line, and the sequel Painted Devils for a book about a cult.
QOTW:
What about paperbacks? If I'm reading a physical book, I prefer a paperback. But they are less durable than hardbacks, and more prone to damage. I have an ancient paperback somewhere of Villains by Necessity by Eve Forward that I literally read the cover off of — the glue on the spine just gave way and the entire cover came off. I also still have one of my oldest books, a well-loved and well-used paperback of The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley.
My current buying habits are, if it's a book I know I want to own in a physical format, I will usually buy a nice hardcover copy. I usually read the ebook copy from the library or my own collection, since I also buy ebooks on sale frequently, to avoid wear on the book. The exception is if I already have other books in the series in paperback, in which case I prefer them to match.
Happy Thursday, all! Can't believe it's almost the end of the week. It sure went by quick this time around.
Weather around here has been crazy. Our dust storms are no joke. Last year we only had 20 dust storms in the whole year. Now we're in March and we're like up to 22 or 23 and spring is only beginning.
My dad and I were nuts, we went out to the desert to check out the winds and dust. Had our masks on because you could taste the dirt in the car. No filters needed for the camera/photos. Some people weren't so lucky. There were a few accidents.
Things are getting better mentally. I'm taking two meds and they are helping in a way nothing else has before. I'm sleeping better, no longer tired physically or mentally in the day. I can think and focus on one task at a time. If this is what regular feels like, I'm finally starting to understand what I was missing even though I didn't know what it felt like.
******
Book News:
Went to the Sunrise on the Reaping (Suzanne Collins) release party at my local bookstore so that's been one of my major book highlights of the year so far. It was awesome. Played games. I won some Hunger Games stickers.
I don't know whether to take my time with the book or read it fast because at the same time I want to savor it. I'm only on chapter 8, but already I can tell this is going to be my favorite HG book.
*****
I've got a new release I'm excited for next week so that will be cool. Then I've got 5 pre-orders for April that I can't wait for either.
*****
In terms of reading challenges:
I finished my 25 in '25 reading challenge.
For my A to Z Reading Challenge I only need 10 more books. Should get in a couple come April.
As for the Pop Sugar Reading Challenge, I am loving this one so far. I'm doing a lot better this time around than in the past. So far I have completed 25 of the prompts so I'm about halfway done. That's the most I've ever completed in any of the previous years.
******
QUESTION OF THE WEEK:
What about paperbacks?
I love paperbacks. I wish they were released that way first instead. I find them to fit so much better on my shelves, they're easier to carry around, and it makes annotating so much easier as well. Paperbacks are a matter of convenience for me (aside from the cheaper prices.)
I've had to wait up to 4 years for certain paperbacks to be released (seriously, check out the dates between the hardback and the paperback for the The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story )
It bugs me that I have to wait so long for some of them. And the idea that they could do away with them is just crazy.
Purchased TBR: 12/14Library TBR: 14/28
PS Challenge: 46/50
Finished: The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek used for married couple who doesn't live together.
Started: I started so many books this past week and barely finished any!
How Hitler Was Made: Germany and the Rise of the Perfect Nazi The first half of this book was about how people OTHER than Hitler came to power.
Doughnut Economics: Seven Ways to Think Like a 21st-Century Economist Third time re-read!
A Theory of Justice
The Tyranny of Experts: Economists, Dictators, and the Forgotten Rights of the Poor
The Pushcart War using for book about a food truck. I'm enjoying it. I've been chuckling to myself. It's a quick read too.
Anarchy, State, and Utopia uugh, it is poorly written
Moving Forward: Program for a Participatory Economy
What Money Can't Buy: The Moral Limits of Markets redundant but fascinating
Qotw: Here's the thing: I rarely pay attention to the format of the book. I'm looking for a clean copy that hasn't been marked up too much. I can get books for $1 paperback and $1.50 for hardback because I work at a library/bookstore, so it doesn't make much of a difference to me what format it is.
Mod
Definitely a mixed bag!
"My ex had a tree come down which took out his power, which meant his sump pump didn't rum and his entire lower floor flooded, so he's a stressed out mess right now dealing with tree removal and insurance and cleaning up, which means (yes let me make this all about MEEEE!) he can't come over and see if he can fix my dryer which just stopped working. I guess we are lucky temps are above freezing so we can hang our laundry outside on the line now while we wait for the dryer to be repaired."
You make me laugh! I still cannot imagine having such an amicable relationship with my ex! Glad that can work for others though!
"James by Percival Everett- I didn't expect much from this book, even though I've loved other books from Everett, I'm not a fan of Huck Finn. I only read this because it was in ToB. It surprised me by feeling fresh and new and fierce. I checked off "unlikely friends" with this one."
I am anxious to read this, but only after rereading HF. I listened to a portion of an interview with Everett about this book and he was emphatic that this book is not just a reworking of the original or a retelling from a different character's perspective or a response to the original, but rather, just as Twain was uniquely equipped to write the book from HF's perspective, so is he uniquely qualified to write the story from Jim's perspective. He literally read HF 15 times until it became "nonsense" to him as preparation for writing James. Everett is quite a unique entity among authors, IMO. 🙂 I find him to be fascinating, perhaps because we are the same age...
"Liars by Sarah Manguso - I never would have read this if not for ToB, and I enjoyed it. I didn't LOVE the writing style, but the story will probably stick with me. I could not find a challenge category for this one."
Ooof! This book seriously hit too close to home for me. I enjoyed it enough I would definitely read others written by her. Want to know how my first marriage ended? Read my review! LOL I'd forgotten just how forthcoming I was in writing it in the immediate aftermath of reading the book! LOL
"Nowadays, in the rare instances when I buy a book for myself, I do not have a strong hardcover/softcover preference. Quite often now I notice that a book is more or less the same price on Amazon for hard or soft cover, which is always a surprise, because when I was younger the paperback was around $2 and the hardcover was around $20."
I suspect that may be more related to the fact that Bezos forces publishers to sell at lower prices than the hardcover real prices being that low.
"(I often read e-books, and sometimes I even prefer the e-book format, because it takes up less space in my home, and for comics I can easily zoom in to read that teeny tiny print that comic book letterers seem to love ... but my kids dislike e-books!)"
Hah! The exact opposite of what I would expect! LOL
"BUT ... MOST of the books that I buy these days are for gifts, primarily gifts for my daughters, and my daughters both prefer hardcover, so I seek out the hardcover versions whenever possible. I'm trying to buy a book right now for my older kid's birthday - the hardcover is no longer in print, I guess, because only used copies are available on Amazon. If publishers don't bother keeping a version in print, then it must not be a real moneymaker for them."
Just curious. What book?
Happy first day of spring! Although I am still grumpy because I feel like we did not have a proper winter in this part of New York. I apologize to those of you who did have a proper winter and are still dealing with snow. I have some daffodils that look almost ready to open. I do love spring. I love walking around the neighborhood and looking at everyone's flowers.Finished:
I only finished one book this week. It's been a while since that's happened.
Here One Moment This had strong Backman vibes for me. I have never thought that about a Liane Moriarty book before. Maybe they are similar? Or maybe it's Backman that has Liane Moriarty vibes?
Currently reading:
When the World Tips Over This one is long for YA.
Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage
QOTW:
I don't buy books. I read from the library and mostly Kindle and audiobooks.
My mom only reads paperbacks because she reads in bed and hardcovers are too heavy for her to hold in bed. I have tried to talk her into Kindle, even offering to load one of my older ones with books for her. It would be so much easier for her to hold in bed. But she does not want to deal with technology. Since she does not need to have the latest release, she should be fine though and be able to find plenty of paperbacks.
My daughter also does not like ereaders. She only reads physical books or listens to audiobooks. But she exclusively gets her books from little free libraries, and I don't think she cares if they are paperbacks or hardcovers.
Mod
Project Hail Mary: Reasonable Doubt Book Club. (52 Books #42 – a nonhuman antagonist/ATY Spring #15 - PASTELS: Project) ★★★★★"
I loved this book!
"What Happened to the McCrays?: I wanted to read something hopeful, so I checked the last sentence… and it made me smile. (52 Books #33 – a standalone novel/Booklist Queen #19 – a heartwarming story/Popsugar #2 – want to read based on the last sentence) ★★★★★"
Oohhh...this looks like one I would enjoy!
"Black Woods, Blue Sky: It pales in comparison to The Snow Child, but I still really liked it. (ATY Spring #2 – BLOOM: Black/BGG Book Lovers #3 – a modern retelling) ★★★★"
I loved The Snow Child and wondered about this one...
"Julia (ATY Spring #7 – JELLYBEANS: Julia)"
I keep meaning to get to this one!
"The Last Bookstore on Earth (ATY Spring #4 – BABY ANIMALS: Lily Braun-Arnold/Booklist Queen #18 – a debut novel)"
Interesting premise, especially given that I'm reading Station Eleven now.
"QOTW: If nonfiction books are no longer offered in a paperback version, I'll probably buy fewer of them. (I already tend to borrow them from the library.) I think publishers would do better to offer them only as paperbacks... except for a few exceptional titles."
That's an idea!
L Y N N wrote: "Laura Z wrote: Project Hail Mary: Reasonable Doubt Book Club. (52 Books #42 – a nonhuman antagonist/ATY Spring #15 - PASTELS: Project) ★★★★★"
I loved this book!
"What Happened to the McCrays?: I..."
I also loved The Snow Child. I gave Black Woods Blue Sky 3 stars.
Mod
That was us just last week!
"The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst. After a run of depressing reads I was ready for a book where conflicts are solved quickly and everyone is nice. Usually these things irritate me in cosy fantasy, but I did enjoy this one. I thought some of the magic scenes were nicely done and it had the best sentient cactus character!"
I assume I will enjoy this one as well!
"Watership Down: The Graphic Novel by Richard Adams, James Sturm + Joe Sutphin. Beautiful adaptation of a book I read to death as a kid. And there's a map in it which means I can probably work out how to get to Watership Down in real life! It's not that far away."
Interesting adaptation!
"QOTW:
I feel like we’re getting more straight to paperback releases in the UK these days, especially in certain genres for midlist authors. I prefer paperbacks since they take up less space and are easier to read. I do buy hardbacks because I want to support businesses that aren’t foreign corporations while reading new releases. If bookshop dot org offers their ebook platform in the UK, I’m much more likely to buy new releases as ebooks from indie bookshops and save the paper copies for fancy editions or books I really want a copy of."
I like your logic!
Hello everyone!It is Spring Break here and it has been a crazy up and down week. But, miracle of miracles my dad decided to take my nephew to work with him this morning. (My dad has his own construction co.) I wouldn't be surprised if it was so I could go clean his house, LOL. I do clean it every week but, is hard to do with the child running around.
I had a healthy book week. A lot of these were read last weekend when the child wasn't home but still lots of progress.
2025 Challenges:
Popsugar: 20/50
ATY: 23/52 & 5/10
A to Z (Kindle edition): 1/26
Goodreads: 32/150
Physical TBR: 1/102
Kindle TBR: 0/123
TBR Goal: 1/225
Book Clubs:
PS Monthly: 27/61
Reese: 35/102
Oprah: 14/103
Jenna: 10/71
OSS: 7/39
Finished:
7 finished, 3 Completed Popsugar
Karma: My Autobiography
PS#31, ATY#41
The New Girl: A Graphic Novel
PS#25
The Squad
ATY#59
Homebody
ATY#55
I thought this was gonna be a story about a trans person or featuring a trans person. But, it is more about how/why I am a trans person and how I came to this conclusion. And also about how they are just another human struggling to find themselves in the world.
In and Out the Window
ATY#28
A children’s collection of poems by Jane Yolen.
Nobody Wants Your Sh*t: The Art of Decluttering Before You Die
PS#33
I decided to use this for my Bucket List prompt after a few of you inspired me and reminded me that I too have decluttering/cleaning aspirations.
This is another book about Death Cleaning.
Some things that stuck with me…
*Goal=Progress not Perfection.
*Start with the stuff that’s been pissing you off.
*Remember that you will never really be done. But you can just chip away at it and stop stressing about getting to the “finish line.”
I also liked how she kept reiterating that we need to find places/people that can take our stuff before throwing it away.
Tangled Up in You
PS#12, ATY#60
I’m gonna be honest, I have never seen Tangled. But I do know the story of Rapunzel. This book took until almost the end to tell you (view spoiler) even though I already figured it out almost immediately. Compared to their Beautiful series this was practically a children’s novel. Which I was fine with, doesn’t ruin it, and you’re not missing anything.
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Currently Reading
While We Were Dating
Encanto: Nightmares and Sueños
Cher: The Memoir, Part 1
On the Backburner
Libby
Physical Library Rentals
Pucking Around
My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry
Lunar New Year Love Story
In the Beautiful Country
The Door of No Return
Tooth and Claw
Magazines: (3/146)
Read since last check-in: 1
Question of the Week:
I think for a lot of Non Fiction although they are heavier I like to read the hard cover books. Plus I think they are maybe getting at the fact that non-fiction are often kept around as reference items and a hard cover can stay in a nicer condition longer.
As for me I am not too much of a stickler. I read primarily from the library so a lot of the books are hardcover. I also live in a very damp/wet climate so when I want to keep a book I would rather it be a hardcover because you don't get that curled cover you get with a paperback. I'm not a real fan of ebooks which is why I have so many on my TBR. When I use Libby I prefer to get audiobooks and have begun to use it primarily for audiobooks. Since I will just go get the physical version at the library if I would rather read it.
Also, I prefer to listen to non-fiction books because I tend too get bored or to lost when I try to read them.
Spring is in the air though not much budding yet. But temps are staying in the 40s and 50s, and rain is starting to visit more frequently. As too is the sun. We had some really lovely clear days this last week. PS 18/60 ATY 25/52
Finished:
Cake on a Hot Tin Roof- only fit an ATY prompt - matches season - it's a Mardi Gras New Orleans set cozy and I read it at Mardi Gras.
The Odyssey - Emily Wilson translation - fit a whole lot of PS prompts but I used it for the on water prompt. A friend used it for married couple living apart - Penelope & Odysseus are married and he's away at war then getting home for 20 years - might say they are the definition of a married couple living apart! I'd already filled that prompt so used for another. BTW this was a 10 star and heart read for me. Fabulous adventure story, and this translation is superb - read like prose, entertaining, even a cliffhanger or two.
The Lioness by Chris Bohjalian - PS prompt bucket list activity - a safari - although I would not want one that ended as this one did!
Razor Girl - no ps prompt but a whole lot of fun and quirkiness.
Currently reading:
Double Play by Jill Shalvis
Scrublands
Murder at the Mena House
Death of an Avid Reader
A Treacherous Curse
QOTW: Very interesting question and one with a lot of variables.
For me, it's unlikely that my purchasing habits will change. I only buy print books when I want to keep it (ebook licenses expire, publishers stop publishing those as well as print, and some books I want forever) and those usually are in hardcover - even if it's been published for a while. I also like perusing used books stores and book stores in general and will pick up books that interest me - usually in paperback. Basically, I continue to read all 3 formats - ebook, paperbacks and print books. If audiobooks disappeared tomorrow, I'd not miss them at all.
That last might change should my vision deteriorate as I age to the point I can't get correction sufficient to read print.
I think more people who read print books prefer paperback as it's usually an affordable price. Plus there are many genre books that are not first published in hardcover. Libraries want hardcovers -- they hold up better.
In truth there's a steady market for all. The whole idea of a publisher making all formats available on the same release date to me makes abundant sense. People who buy hardcovers will buy them, those who wait for the paperback will just buy it earlier, and those that are on a long hold list at the library might just succumb to a reasonably priced paperback rather than wait.
Also, I know from my own habits that I am buying or borrowing more and more books in ebook and reading those than print. Between problems with holding books due to arthritis in my hands, aging eyes, and liking being able to read anything at any time in any lighting with ease, I'm shifting more and more to ebook for most of my reading.
Theresa wrote: "Spring is in the air though not much budding yet. But temps are staying in the 40s and 50s, and rain is starting to visit more frequently. As too is the sun. We had some really lovely clear days th..."I keep pointing out all these pros of ebooks to my mom, but she just refuses to learn the technology.
Mod
Jealous of but happy for those who get to escape everyday life for a bit! Hope it proves to be immense fun!
"The In-Between Bookstore by Edward Underhill - 3.5 stars - for the 2024 prompt redo, a fiction book by a trans or nonbinary author. This was a slow, introspective book about a trans man named Darby going home to the small town he couldn't wait to escape as a teen and reevaluating his life. This one adds in a former best friend turned romantic interest and a dose of magical realism in the form of the old bookstore where Darby used to work, where he gets thrown back in time whenever he enters the store and meets himself as a teenager."
This sounds rather fascinating!
"QOTW:
What about paperbacks? If I'm reading a physical book, I prefer a paperback. But they are less durable than hardbacks, and more prone to damage. I have an ancient paperback somewhere of Villains by Necessity by Eve Forward that I literally read the cover off of — the glue on the spine just gave way and the entire cover came off. I also still have one of my oldest books, a well-loved and well-used paperback of The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley.
My current buying habits are, if it's a book I know I want to own in a physical format, I will usually buy a nice hardcover copy. I usually read the ebook copy from the library or my own collection, since I also buy ebooks on sale frequently, to avoid wear on the book. The exception is if I already have other books in the series in paperback, in which case I prefer them to match."
You use quite a mix of formats! I can relate to books literally falling apart!
Milena wrote: "Theresa wrote: "Spring is in the air though not much budding yet. But temps are staying in the 40s and 50s, and rain is starting to visit more frequently. As too is the sun. We had some really love..."I have 2 friends who are the same way, and one is constantly complaining about lighting, print issues and holding book issues.
Meanwhile, when I have finally convinced friends to try ebooks - they never look back, LOL.
I finished Empire of the Summer Moon as my book that AI recommended based on my favorite book. it was good.I just started Silver by Andrew Motion as my book with silver in the title. Only about 50 pages in and not much has happened yet. I like the writing style and descriptions. Not sure I like any of the characters, yet. We shall see.
QOTW: This is the first I'm hearing of this. I love paperbacks and can't usually really justify buying hard covers. I mean it's like 2 hours of work, if not more. So, hope they don't go anywhere.
And on another note, yay, my alerts are back.
Happy Thursday! I missed last week but I'm here this week!Finished 11/50
Runaway Amish Girl: The Great Escape for "book about a cult". WOW what this girl endured! Oh my goodness! Totally a cult.
Facing East: A Pilgrim's Journey into the Mysteries of Orthodoxy for "book less than 250 pages". If you don't count the appendix, it works! This book was ok, but not my fave by this author.
Currently Reading
Tending the Garden of Our Hearts: Daily Lenten Meditations for Families for "book you got for free". We're doing this as a family for Lent and it's great so far!
First Fruits of Prayer: A Forty-Day Journey Through the Canon of St. Andrew (not for the challenge): I'm re-reading this for our church book club. Still good!
How to Age Disgracefully for "book that features a character going through menopause." This book is so cute so far! I'm really liking it.
QotW
Personally, I'll take any print book. I'm not a big e-book or audible person. I like physical things in front of me. But if I have to choose, I do prefer a hardback. But I'm not gonna be too picky about it.
Happy Thursday, all.Not a lot to report this week. Just work, school, and life. Spring break is next week, so hopefully I'll have some extra time to read. Or game, or watch JoJo all over again, haha...
Books read this week:
The Fox Wife -- for “a book about a married couple who don’t live together.” A little slow-moving and repetitive but still a lovely read. Also a fascinating look at relations between China and Japan at the beginning of the 20th century.
Jedi Twilight -- for “a book that reminds you of your childhood.” I read a lot of Star Wars books as a kid and young teen, so it was fun revisiting the Star Wars “Expanded Universe.”
Bygone Badass Broads: 52 Forgotten Women Who Changed the World -- for “a book about an overlooked woman from history.” This book doesn’t have just one forgotten woman in history -- it has brief biographies of over fifty kickass women across history. Women have been making history since the very beginning… we just don’t tell their stories.
DNF:
The Revenant -- …oh right, this is a Western. I’m not a big fan of Westerns unless they have some kind of twist to them…
500 Essential Cult Books: The Ultimate Guide -- got super-repetitive. Basically Goodreads in book form.
Currently reading:
Not Good for Maidens -- for “a book about fantasy creatures that aren’t dragons”
Lolita -- for “a book you have avoided reading”
Armageddon Summer -- for “a book about a non-traditional education”
Citadel -- for “a book that includes a nonverbal character”
QOTW: I don't care what format my books are in. I still read 'em
The weather has been mild lately, though other than that it's been all over the place, with drizzle one day, blue skies the next, and a thoroughly overcast day today. Better than snow and ice, I suppose.Finished:
Drawing Deena - The goodreads summary makes it sound like an entirely different book. Still, this was a fine read, a good exploration of art and anxiety.
A Bit of Earth - I was iffy going into this, but I enjoyed it quite a bit. I mostly listened to the audiobook, but had the print for verse portions (the formatting is as much a part of it as the actual words IMO).
Currently reading:
To & Fro
Aniana del Mar Jumps In
Hope in the Valley
QOTW: I very rarely buy books, so I don't have a preference one way or the other.
Happy Sunny Thursday!Yesterday and today have been wonderful, and I've let Mickey outside for the first time since August 2023, so he could enjoy the sun again. It's only for like 30-45 minutes at a time, but I'm glad to know he's felt the sun again!
I managed to get over 200km done and under 600km to go for my Scotland challenge! I also managed to turn a supermarket trip into an accidental 15km bike ride xD I was trying out my mom's bike after adjusting the handlebar and saddle (before the adjustments it wasn't safe for me at all; I couldn't turn without the handlebar hitting my thigh), and it went pretty well so I figured I'd try to turn it into an 8km ride (I wasn't feeling super well, so didn't dare try 10km). But then I took a wrong turn which added 4km, and by the time I was almost home I was at 13km and I knew I couldn't come home having done 14, when 15 is SO close by. So I pushed myself, and did it! Luckily the weather was nice, so it wasn't a total hardship getting a bit 'lost'. The lake I found was lovely, though I got flashbacks to high school when we had to do our Cooper's test out there.
Tomorrow is the Disney annual pass party and I am very excited. Sad that there's a bunch of rain predicted, though. Packing for this day trip was fun. My bag has sunglasses, sunscreen, a poncho, and plastic bags to keep my stuff dry xD I'm so exhausted, but know I won't sleep much before we leave at 5am. And then on Saturday (yes, the day after) I have the Snollebollekes concert, so wish me luck! I will need proper recovery after that, haha!
OH, my mom and I have caught up on The White Lotus, and I have started season 3 of Sex Education. We also watched Champions and (re)watched Un P'tit Truc En Plus. Wonderful movies!
Read
Sentinel
I don't remember what I put it for from the top of my head, but I can't wait to continue! (i may have mentioned this last week tbf)
The Wild Robot Escapes
Server challenge: Listen to an audiobook (the audios of this trilogy are amazing and I would 100/10 recommend)
Popsugar: Book you got for free (Libby)
Wonderful sequel, can't wait to read book 3!
Currently Reading
Crier's War
Finally getting to this book that I got for my birthday either right in 2019 or in 2020. It was February's random pick where I roll a 20-die twice (once for shelf, once for book), and it came through on Libby as well as the sequel, so here we go! 52 pages in and I am intrigued, though I fear this being YA (and how that usually means things will go) will put me off. Fingers crossed it won't!
QOTW
The whole 'year wait until the paperback' has always pissed me off. Because it means for series you have to avoid spoilers for a Whole Year, and if you're unlucky, by the time the paperback of book 3 comes out, the hardback of book 4 is just around the corner. I've never understood it. People who want to buy the hardback, will buy the hardback, whether a paperback copy is available or not, and vice versa. The people who buy a paperback for purely economical reasons, are still buying the book, instead of not buying the book (in my personal experience, by the time a paperback comes out, I've forgotten already), or only 6-12 months later. So yeah, limited options piss me off, too. I also can't spend money on an ebook. I've done it once years ago, because it was genuinely the only way to get my hands on it, and I know I should still have access to it, but I have no idea how so I guess that money's lost now?
It's really funny how I'm so awful at reading books on my phone, why I struggle so much, even when I manage to pull it up on my laptop. I read millions of words of fanfic on my laptop yearly, and that's fine, but a book? Impossible. It's just not the same. And I'm 30. I am very much old fashioned here, though I do love audiobooks.
As for personal preference between hardcover/paperback: I'm not too picky. Hardcovers tend to be prettier, and given I detest breaking spines, easier to read. However, paperbacks are cheaper and usually less heavy, meaning less weight on my wrists. HOWEVER, given the 'no break spines', a non-floppy 450+ paperback can really hurt my wrists as well. So at the end of the day, it depends on my funds at that moment and at what's available, and if a series, what I already own. Can't have books 1-4 in one format and book 5 in another!
But yeah, from a disabled POV, I'd hate for paperbacks to disappear. I know several people who can't hold up hardcovers.
Happy Thursday!I reached my reading goals this week! 1. I wanted to finish off 3 books, which I did the same day as last check-in. 2. I wanted to read enough in 2 books to move them from starting to reading, which means that I have reached double digits in percentage completed. I did that for Erasure and Go by Friday.
Finishing both goals so quickly inspired me to READ. I am so proud of myself. It also helped that I had nothing scheduled for most of the weekend other than brunch with some friends on Saturday.
Oh, and I fell over the draft block thing on the doorsill coming into my home pm Saturday. I was in a hurry to get to the bathroom with my hands full of stuff from the car…tripped, and hit both the floor with my knee and the credenza with my booby. Bruised but nothing broken. And, felt really foolish, too.
My kickstart at the gym is nearly over. I will finish it next Wednesday and will need to decide what further membership combination I want to continue, Since I will be on vacation next month, I may wait until I return to make the decision.
Plus, I need to start reviewing my trip and make sure all pieces are in place and decide on what clothing I will be taking with me.
MD appt (annual physical) went well. LDL is elevated, but HDL is great so MD is NOT going to put me back on Cholesterol meds! So excited. The only scripts that I use are for my psoriasis and that is nearly in remission!
Finished:
Firestorm – ATY #32 (mystery), PAS, PS #46 (nature as antagonist). 4*. Continuation of a series. I enjoy these stories set in the National Parks.
Key of Knowledge – no prompts. Continuation of a series. Audiobook. 4*. I thought I was finishing up a trilogy, when I picked this book from Audible, but it turned out to be book #2. I plan to move on to book #3 soon, as it had been awhile since book #1 and I had a bit of challenge trying to remember the characters. Now that I know them…well, it is time to move to book #3.
The Devil's Feather - PAS. 4*. Owned. When I started this book, I thought it was non-fiction about a war journalist. So…I made the decision to put it aside and read my library novels. However, this year I am trying very hard to read books I own as well as completing those I have started and then left thinking I would come back to them. Well, my surprise was that, when I came back, I discovered it was fiction! And, I did enjoy the story.
The Bookstore Keepers – Short Story. Audible. 4*. I don’t usually like short stories as most of the time the characters do not get fully developed. This one felt more like a cozy mystery series. I will definitely look for the next one, of there is one.
Home Front – PAS. 5*. This book pulled me in and held me the total way through. It is one of the few times I ha. ve gotten so lost emotionally and psychically in a novel in a while. It is the story of PTSD and war, of being vulnerable and trusting life.
The Deep Dark: A Graphic Novel - 4*. Well-drawn and told story of self-acceptance and love. A hopeful story.
Go – PAS. 3%. Korean-Japanese based story. Some violence as part of the anger of the Korean-Japanese students. Interesting idea floated regarding the origins of races.
Key of Valor – Audiobook. Continuation of trilogy (book #3). Favorite author. 4*. Fun read and wonderful ending.
Currently Reading:
The Beginner's Photography Guide: The Ultimate Step-by-Step Manual for Getting the Most from Your Digital Camera – 27%. My goal is to accomplish 8 of those applications by next check-in.
A People's History of the American Revolution: How Common People Shaped the Fight for Independence - Kindle. 13%.
Scraps of Paper – PAS. Kindle. 2%
Erasure – no prompt. Library Movie/Discussion group. 22%
Vengeance in Death – PAS. Audiobook. 4%
On Deck: (owned)
Kate: The Journal of A Confederate Nurse – PAS.
The Pony Wife – PAS
The Brass Verdict – PAS
Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All - ATY #30 (monster), PAS, PS #44 (book I have avoided)
PS 15/50
ATY 11/52, Anniversary 7/10, Winter 11/15
GR 54/200
QotW:
I am primarily a library - Kindle - Audible user. However, many of the owned books I have were obtained in CT from used book sources and are in both paperback and hardcover.
Books obtained from both library systems I use can be paperback or hardcover, although as previously said, most are hardcovers. I have found a Kindle best for reading on the go (appt waiting, etc.), traveling, and bedtime. I primarily listen to audiobooks in the car running errands or getting in my daily walk.
I seldom buy books anymore unless I cannot get it any other way.
Happy Thursday, everyone! My electricity has finally come back on after being off for several hours with no explanation, so I can finally post this week's update!
Apart from going to a couple of appointments and doing a few loads of laundry, I accomplished very few of the tasks that were on my “to do” list this week.
What I did do was read. I decided to split my time fairly evenly between reading titles from my TBR and “New Books” lists, and ended up finishing a total of 9 books. I really enjoyed the majority of the books I had a chance to read this week, especially the newest Hunger Games book.
I am continuing to participate in the March Mystery Madness readathon, and I’m having a lot of fun. I will definitely be able to finish my current mystery series before the end of the readathon, but I’m hoping to finish a couple other mystery novels as well. I have several mysteries on my Kindle app that look really promising.
Here are my current challenge and TBR totals…
Goodreads Challenge: 103/250
Mount TBR Challenge: 077/150
📚Physical TBR: 70/731
📱Ebook TBR: 3/218
🎧Audiobook TBR: 4/12
TBR Checklist Total: 77/961
TBR Books DNFed in 2025: 2
I went completely overboard on book purchases this week! I was only planning to get a couple of new releases, but ended up buying copies of The Lathe of Heaven, by Ursula K. LeGuin; Homicide at the Haunted House, by Beth Dolgner; Dragonlance Chronicles, by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman; Memoirs of a Geisha, by Arthur Golden; Geisha, a Life, by Minako Iwasaki; Sunrise on the Reaping, by Suzanne Collins; The Way of the Househusband, Vol. 13, by Kousuke Oono; The Au Pair Affair and Dream Girl Drama, by Tessa Bailey; and books 1-29 of the Hannah Swensen Mystery series, by Joanne Fluke.
“New” Books Bought in 2024: 66
“New” Books Read in 2024: 26
“New” Books DNFed in 2024: 0
Here are the books I finished this week…
Finished Reading (Fiction):
~Kills Well with Others — This is the sequel to Killers of a Certain Age. This book was a tremendous amount of fun to read! I absolutely loved it! 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~Brownies and Broomsticks — This is the first book in the Magical Bakery Mystery series. While this was a re-read for me, it had been so long since I read it that I felt like I needed a refresh before diving into the rest of the series. I thought this was a good mystery, and really like the main character. 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
~Parable of the Sower — This is the first book in the Earthseed duology. I thought it was an incredibly well-written, and terrifyingly relevant book. I’m glad that I finally took the time to read it, but I don’t currently have any plans to read the sequel. This is a heavy book, content-wise, and I found myself frequently alternating between depression and anxiety while I was reading. That being said, I think Parable is one of those books that people need to be reading right now, because it is so relevant. Content Alert: (view spoiler) 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~The Man in the Brown Suit — While I was originally planning to read this after finishing the Magical Bakery Mystery series, I found myself in an Agatha Christie kind of mood after watching the first episode of “Travels with Agatha with Sir David Suchet” on BritBox. This book is frequently mentioned in the first episode, so I just had to read it next. I thought it was a good mystery. 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
~Onyx Storm — This is the third book in the Empyrean series. If I am being honest, I was a bit nervous to read this one after being disappointed in the previous installment. As it turned out, this is my favorite book in the series so far. I really liked that (view spoiler) 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~Sunrise on the Reaping — This is the second prequel to The Hunger Games trilogy. I thought this was a fantastic book, and actually read the majority of it in a single day. I’m looking forward to seeing how they approach the movie adaptation when it’s released next year. Content Alert: (view spoiler) 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~Bewitched, Bothered, and Biscotti — This is the second book in the Magical Bakery Mystery series. I thought this was a fun mystery, and really liked that it took place around Halloween. 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
~The Return of the King — This is the final book in The Lord of the Rings trilogy. While this was a re-read for me, it was the first time I’ve had a chance to listen to the audiobook. I really enjoyed listening to it every night before bed. Andy Serkis is a fantastic narrator! 🎧: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Finished Reading (Nonfiction):
None
Finished Reading (Manga, Comic Books, & Graphic Novels):
~The Way of the Househusband, Vol. 13 — I thought this was a good continuation of the series, but would have enjoyed seeing more focus on Miku and Tatsu’s relationship. 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Finished Reading (Poetry and Drama):
None
DNFed:
None
Currently Reading:
~The Arabian Nights: Tales of 1001 Nights, Volume 2 — I have not made any additional progress on this book during the past week. My plan to read it while using the exercise bike is not working particularly well. 📚
~Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone — This is the first book in the British edition of the Harry Potter series. I’m really enjoying listening to this book before bed. Stephen Fry is a really good narrator. 🎧
~Charms and Chocolate Chips — This is the third book in the Magical Bakery Mystery series. I currently have five chapters left, so I will definitely finish it tonight. 📚
QOTW:
I don’t think I’d really be bothered by the idea of publishers releasing books exclusively in hardback format, especially if they continue to release the pretty special edition books I’ve fallen in love with, but I suppose I would miss the portability of mass market paperbacks. I can usually fit one of those into even the smallest of my purses, which is really convenient.
Happy Thursday! This week is turning out to be pretty busy- I feel like I've been a bit of a hermit this year, and then this week is forcing me back into actually doing stuff. Haven't got much reading done though- started a bunch of books this weekend, then pretty much put them all down and stopped reading. So hopefully I can get to them this weekend.Finished:
The Passengers on the Hankyu Line- a sweet story about passangers on a train who influence each others lives. But the author of The Travelling Cat Chronicles
-23 A book that is considered healing fiction
Currently reading:
The Family Recipe- I like this, but keep forgetting to pick it up
Leslie F*cking Jones- was switching between listening and reading this, but the audiobook is completely different then the actual book, so might stick to reading it
Slow Noodles: A Cambodian Memoir of Love, Loss, and Family Recipes- was listening to this, but switched to physical book, the words were not sinking into my head when I was listening to it
QotW:
I am definitely more of a paperback reader/buyer. The only hardbacks I've bought recently are either from author events when I want to support the author, or from a series where I'm impatient and want the book right away. Even if they're used books, I never really want a hardback.
Happy Thursday!I finished two books this week. And I got started on my SK book for my reading across Canada.
I said not for now for the prompt for Doppelganger, because there are so many books with this title, that I might use it for the two books with the same title. It's also a book that changed my vocabulary. The idea of a mirror world where everything is backwards is more relevant now that when she wrote it in 2022.
Finished:
Middle of the Night
Popsugar prompt: can't find one
ATY prompt: A mystery or true crime book
Anniversary prompt:
Doppelganger: A Trip into the Mirror World
Popsugar prompt: none, at the moment
ATY prompt:
Anniversary prompt: A book with an emotion in the title (anger)
Series - 1/10
Reading Across Canada - 2/10
Nobel laureates - 1/5
PS - 10/40
Regular ATY - 8/40
Anniversary ATY - 4/10
Currently reading:
Ulysses -25%
Who Has Seen the Wind -10%
Lent:
Interior Castle - 5%
QotW: I usually get most of my books from the library, so I'm pretty thrilled to get a book for free - hardcover, paperback, ebook. I tend to purchase paperbacks because they're cheaper, but if I can't wait, I'll do hardcover.
Hi all! I worked today, first time since... early January? Late December? I dunno, ages. I feel like I was hit by a truck, everything hurts. I dozed off after I got home and now can't fall asleep again. So I suppose I will update. Weather has been well above average this week, and it's been nice to open windows a bit. Tomorrow, kiddo is off school for a conference day, and I told her we would go shoe shopping... I just hope I can move in the morning.
Anyone watching March Madness? I love it, although my bracket it already looking shabby... I also had my kiddo pick. She knows nothing about sports, but the chance to beat Mama is highly motivating! ;)
I finished Lula Dean's Little Library of Banned Books. I really enjoyed this book. Is it all that realistic? No. But it was fun, and I can't hardly believe I was smiling almost the whole way through a book about book banning. Lots of books mentioned in this book, I put a list in that help thread. Was there a book in the title prompt? Or was that ATY? I can't remember and I'm too tired to look. If so, that's where I'm using it.
Still listening to King: A Life and really liking it.
Re-picked up Hanging Mary. I took it with me to school cause I suspected I would be monitoring a study hall again, and I did. Also, it was one of the few paperbacks I had from the library- which leads to...
QOTW: I prefer paperbacks. If I go to the library and they have a book in hardback and paper, I always get the paperback. They're lighter and I prefer how they feel in my hands. My mom can no longer read paperbacks, she has to have hardcovers. I almost never buy books these days, unless I can't get them from the library.
Nothing finished since the last check in, but I had movement on my reading challenge totals anyway! Thanks to encouragement from Jennifer W & Joanna G (thank you both for reading and responding to my post in last week's thread 😊), I decided to use the non-fiction title I was the fence about using (The Secret Lives of Booksellers and Librarians: True Stories of the Magic of Reading) for "a book where an adult character changes careers." So I'm up to 6/40 and 0/10 for this challenge now.Finished:
* nothing...yet!
Currently Reading:
* The Penguin Book of Murder Mysteries edited by Michael Sims;
* Black Buck by Mateo Askaripour, which I set aside temporarily to focus on my book club read since we meet on Saturday and the Libby Lucky Day read since it's due in 3 days;
* My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry written by Fredrik Backman and translated by Henning Koch, which is the book club pick that will be discussed on Saturday;
* The New Menopause: Navigating Your Path Through Hormonal Change with Purpose, Power, and Facts by Mary Claire Haver, which is the Libby Lucky Day book that is due in 3 days. I'm still fairly lukewarm on it and would recommend The Menopause Manifesto: Own Your Health with Facts and Feminism by Jen Gunter instead; and,
* A Rising Man written by Abir Mukherjee and narrated by Malk Williams, which is one of my book clubs picks for April. Really enjoying the narrator!
QotW:
While it would be a bummer to not have the option to buy a new paperback, I don't think it would change my decision to purchase a book if I really wanted a physical copy of it. The biggest impact would be on my beach reading routine because I always bring paperbacks with me. It's easier to tote three paperbacks than three hardbacks in my beach bag (and keeps my Kindle sand-free). I take the Kindle and at least one really long hardback with me to read on the drive to/from and at the house (plus whatever audiobooks are loaded onto my phone at the time)...I need all the book formats on vacation! 🤣🏖📚
I did not get one of my library’s copies of Sunrise on the Reaping this week, sadly. I’ve decided to use this time on the waitlist to reread The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. It’s helping to keep me patient and from just buying the book for myself.I’m still healing from the oral surgery a few weeks ago and starting to get emotional about it. It looks terrible, there’s still pain around the sutures, and I’m so tired of eating only soft foods. I go back next Thursday, and I’m really hoping for the all clear to resume a normal diet and that the pain goes away when the sutures aren’t pulling anymore.
Finished
Allegiance (a book about an immigrant or refugee). I have no memory of reading this book before, but apparently I liked it better the second time around because I gave it an extra star. Maybe it’s the knowledge that this is probably all of the Stargate we’ll ever get, but I’m willing to overlook a few things I dislike about this series now.
Reading
Beautiful Ugly
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
QOTW
I don’t buy many books, especially nonfiction. But if I’m going to buy a print book, it will be a paperback. Since I’ve developed arthritis in my hands, I just can’t hold most hardbacks and enjoy the reading experience anymore.
I finished The Fellowship of Puzzlemakers Samuel Burr but didn't use it for a promptCurrent:
Walden
How To Age Disgracefully
QOTW: I would probably buy e-books. I don't do audio and I would run out of space for hardcover, plus its going to get hard to hold hardcovers soon as my fingers get more arthritic
I missed last week. I was on vacation and I did get a fair amount of reading done.Hormones, Hexes, & Exes by J.C. Blake (p.s 9. A book that features a character going through menopause) I got this one from the list for this prompt. It's a cute, forgettable paranormal mystery that needed worldbuilding help
Murder by Cheesecake by Rachel Ekstrom Courage for P.S. 15. A book that an AI chatbot recommends based on your favorite book. I wasn't going to do this one on principle. Then it occurred to me when Netgalley promotes a book to me it's probably an AI chatbot. That's where I got this one. Sadly it's not nearly as funny as you'd want for the Golden Girls but it was an okay mystery.
The Tomb of Zeus by Barbara Cleverly for p.s. 33. A book featuring an activity on your bucket list. This is a historic mystery set at an archaeology dig in Crete. While I can't go back in time, I would love to do archaeology in Crete.
And not for a prompt (yet because it might fit one) The Ten Worst People in New York by Matthew Plass I won an arc of this from Goodreads and it was decent
QOTW
I am annoyed. If I'm honest I could live the rest of my life and never buy another book and still not run out. But yearly I do go to book festivals and it would decrease my spending to buy only hard covers.
What it will do is make me get even more from libraries
Life update: My husband has been away this week, but I've had several visitors to keep me company and stop our dog from going out of her mind with boredom. Unfortunately one of those visitors brought drama with him, some of which isn't his fault but has me worried, and some of which is deeply annoying. I can't really talk about the details because they're private to other people. I'm hopeful I won't have to be involved in it any further, so at least there's that. Reading update: My symptoms have been worse this week, so I've made less progress than I'd like. But less progress is at least some progress! I finished three books:
The Vanishing People: Fairy Lore and Legends for a book mentioned in another book (The Folklore of Discworld). It was a little disappointing, with little of the analysis I'd been hoping for.
West With Giraffes, for a 2024 prompt (bildungsroman or coming-of-age novel) and for the GR Era Explorer bookmark. I loved this one.
Imzadi for the Star Trek Series Challenge. This has a reputation as one of the best Next Generation novels, if not one of the best Star Trek novels ever, and having read it, I have no idea why. Still, I finished it and ticked off the prompt.
I also DNF'd Bibliolepsy at 44%. I was going to use it for the "book in the title or multiple books on the cover" prompt, but I absolutely detested it. I didn't like the POV character at all and was uncomfortable with the way her sexuality and that of those around her were handled. I will read The Secret Book of Flora Lea for the prompt instead.
Stats:
Finished for the PopSugar Challenge: 2 this week, 16/50 total
Finished for the Star Trek Series Challenge: 1 this week, 5/18 total
Finished for the GR Bookmarks Challenge: 1 this week, 4/6 total
Finished outside the challenges: 0 this week, 3 total
All books finished this year: 3 this week, 23 total
DNF or paused: 1 this week, 5 total
Currently reading:
Wake: The Hidden History of Women-Led Slave Revolts for the GR Her Story bookmark
Distant Shores: A Tenth-Anniversary Celebration for the Star Trek Series Challenge
The New Moon's Arms for a character going through menopause
The Valmiki Ramayana Vol. 2 for bedtime spiritual reading and a classic I've never read
Was tun, wenn jemand stirbt: Handbuch für den Trauerfall to be prepared in case my mother's health deteriorates
QOTW: I prefer e-books for most things and usually only buy physical copies if I really want to read a book as soon as it comes out, if it's something like a field guide for birdspotting where a hard copy is still more practical, or it's an old book that doesn't exist as an e-book. If I'm eager enough to want to buy the book on release date, I generally don't mind spending the extra for a hardback. They're usually more aesthetically attractive than the paperbacks anyway. And if it's an old book, I'll read whatever I can find second-hand. I would be annoyed if my field guides stopped being available in paperback, though; they add enough weight to a backpack as it is.
Went to BN yesterday. It was time for my automatic membership renewal so I got my free tote bag. Picked up a few books while I was there.They had a by one/get one 50% off sale for their DC graphic novels so I got those.
Then I also picked up two books by Garrett M. Graff:
UFO: The Inside Story of the U.S. Government's Search for Alien Life Here―and Out There - I've read this book before, but it's now in paperback. While I do not agree with his take on it because I do believe in UFOs, he's nonetheless an excellent writer and journalist.
Raven Rock: The Story of the U.S. Government’s Secret Plan to Save Itself — While the Rest of Us Die - I don't know what this book is about, but that didn't matter. Seeing Garrett's name on the cover was enough for me to pick it up.
*****
I've been a fan of Garrett's work since his book The Only Plane in the Sky: An Oral History of 9/11 . He's an excellent journalist and he's become one of my favorite's so at this point I'll pick up any book by him.
I do have his book When the Sea Came Alive: An Oral History of D-Day in hardcover, but it's being released in paperback this summer so I'm excited to get it.
He also has a new release in August called The Devil Reached Toward the Sky: An Oral History of the Making and Unleashing of the Atomic Bomb which I'm excited for and pre-ordered. I don't know how many books we need about Openheimer and the Atomic Bomb, but I don't care. Like I said, if Graff's name is on it, then I'm getting it.
Mod
I mean, I would call it a retelling. If he didn't intend for it to be read as a retelling or a reworking, then what DOES he call it? It's been over 40 years since I last read Huck Finn, but a lot of it came back to me as I read James. I'd say the first half of James follows the HF plot very closely, and then the second half veers off sharply into new territory.
Ooof! This book seriously hit too close to home for me.
Her story (and your story) isn't really all that different from mine, and I SHOULD have felt like I really identified with the book, but I just did not. I think because I did not have to let go of so many things - I didn't give up a job, or move, or give up on anything really, except for that dream of growing old together. I had to let go of that one, and that did hurt a lot. I'm over it now.
Just curious. What book?
Vampires of El Norte! I really loved that and I feel like my daughter will as well. But you've marked that one as "do not read" - why?
Mod
You'd mentioned that before, and it's so funny, because we definitely had a normal winter, with more snow and more cold temps than we've had in years. (We did not have a remarkable winter - the last few years were extremely mild.)
Spring came a few weeks late this year - normally, the earliest crocuses bloom in the first week of March, but this year they only just came up this week.
Nadine in NY wrote: "Milena wrote: "Happy first day of spring! Although I am still grumpy because I feel like we did not have a proper winter in this part of New York. I apologize to those of you who did have a proper ..."It was colder than previous few years, but that's not saying much since previous years were so mild. There were only a few of what I would consider truly cold days. And then winter just ended so abruptly.
OK, y'all. I know that I posted yesterday that I don't buy books. And, I don't. That is, until today, I don't.After exercise I decided to drive to Academy Sports looking for a stretch band to do some exercises at home. And, of course, I got one...as well as Blu Tooth ear buds (for listening to books while travelling, of course).
And, when I left the store I looked around and decided to check out the shoe store to see if they covered Skechers (I have a pair that I have worn over a year and never once did they hurt my strange wide feet(. Then I went to the Blood Center to ask questions and then decided to check out more stores since my 1.7 mile needed walk (to make up my weekly quota was partially accomplished). Upshot is that the last store I went to was Books-a-Million...a new store in that shopping area.
And, I bought two books and joined the club for discounts! I ended up with Sipsworth by Simon Van Booy and with Sandwich by Catherine Newman. Both hardcovers.
I have no idea if they will fit any prompts at this time.
Milena wrote: "Nadine in NY wrote: "Milena wrote: "Happy first day of spring! Although I am still grumpy because I feel like we did not have a proper winter in this part of New York. I apologize to those of you w..."Totally agree with Milena. Even though we technically had snow on 3 or 4 different occasions, it was never more than a couple of inches - no one had to get the snow blowers out in NYC or dig out their parked cars. I call that a dusting.
'
Bea wrote: "OK, y'all. I know that I posted yesterday that I don't buy books. And, I don't. That is, until today, I don't.After exercise I decided to drive to Academy Sports looking for a stretch band to do ..."
Sandwich fits the menopause prompt.
Theresa wrote: "Milena wrote: "Nadine in NY wrote: "Milena wrote: "Happy first day of spring! Although I am still grumpy because I feel like we did not have a proper winter in this part of New York. I apologize to..."We did break out the snow blower twice in the suburbs. But it was pretty minimal still.
Not a great reading week for me. Two books finished, neither a real winner.Finished
The Woman Who Stole My Life A friend recommend Marian Keyes as one of her immediate buys. I decided to give it a shot - although, to be fair, this was not one of the books she recommended, it was just what my library had. Ugh. The MC is paralyzed and in hospital for almost a year due to a rare medical issue. And yet so much of the narrative is about the weight she needs to lose and the men in her life rather than that. It just felt shallow, and also mean-spirited at times in the way she deals with people around her. So not a success, although given my friend's rec, I will try something else by Keyes at some point. I used it for ATY Irish author, and nothing for PS, though it fits perfectly for career change - I just already filled something in there.
Unholy Land The rare book that I think should have been longer. A man returns to a Jewish state that was created in Africa, but doesn't realize that's he's actually travelling through alternate universes. I needed more character development, and more explanations - the entire thing ended up feeling like dream-like and insubstantial, and has left my brain about as quickly as a dream.
Currently Reading
Dataclysm: Who We Are
Dare I Say It: Everything I Wish I'd Known About Menopause
Harlem Shuffle
QotW
I'm pretty agnostic about book format. I feel like I tend to buy more hardcovers because I see them more. I also try not to buy that many but library-read. So neither a lack of paperbacks or a mutual release date for paperback and hardcover won't really change what I buy.
What might though are the harcover special editions (sprayed edges, different cover art, colour coordinated series) that I'm increasingly seeing when I go to the bookstore! Those can be very hard to resist.
Mod
Many years ago I had all four wisdom teeth out at once, and I could not eat solid food until the sutures were OUT, it was too uncomfortable. And I remember crying about it on day 4 or 5. It's difficult!!
Happy Friday! Boy what a week. My little guy has a cold and double-ear infection which has meant no one is sleeping well. I caught the cold too, though blessedly my husband is still healthy. My dog is going through a regression with his separation anxiety, so I had to go get some meds from the vet to try and calm him back down to a baseline so that we can in fact leave the house. On the plus side, we've scheduled a couple long weekends off work coming up so we can get some actual R&R. Finished:
The Witch's Hand: this was a random grab at the library - just one of those serendipitous moments of seeing an interesting looking spine while looking for something else. Very fun mystery story set in the 60s with some paranormal and magic goings-on.
QOTW: I love me a paperback for travelling. As much as I adore my ereader, there's just nothing quite like sitting by the pool with a paperback. That said, I can easily see how paperback sales would be very genre dependent. Romance, mystery, thriller, and their compatriots are probably pretty good sellers in paperback. A thick volume on the history of basket weaving? Less likely. And of course loads of books never come out in paperback as it is, so it might not even be a noticeable change. Personally, if I got to have it my way, every book would come out in hardback, paperback, ebook (multiple formats), and audiobook all on initial release, profit margins be damned.
Mod
I'm grateful to have a day nice enough to hang laundry, at any rate.
Mod
well that got my attention, it sounds weird and fascinating! I've really enjoyed the short stories I've read by Lavie Tidhar and I've been wanting to try a novel from him.
Mod
I mean, I would call it a retelling. If he didn't intend for it to be read as a retelling or a reworking, then what DOES he call it? It's been over 40 years since I last read Huck Finn, but a lot of it came back to me as I read James. I'd say the first half of James follows the HF plot very closely, and then the second half veers off sharply into new territory."
Ha! Well, I do contend that Everett is quite unique among authors I've met and spoken with. He claims it is rare that he ever remembers much about a book once it is released. He's just unique in many ways. I got the impression he didn't want it to fall into a "retelling" categorization. Who knows why? 😊 I think he likes to feel as if his work in unique.
"Ooof! This book seriously hit too close to home for me.
Her story (and your story) isn't really all that different from mine, and I SHOULD have felt like I really identified with the book, but I just did not. I think because I did not have to let go of so many things - I didn't give up a job, or move, or give up on anything really, except for that dream of growing old together. I had to let go of that one, and that did hurt a lot. I'm over it now."
I am not over it. And honestly, I have given myself space to not be over it if I'm not... I admire those of you who do retain a decent relationship with your ex(es). I just don't see that ever happening for me. And that's okay. 😬 My preference is to never have to see or speak to him again. I'm done.
"Just curious. What book?
Vampires of El Norte! I really loved that and I feel like my daughter will as well. But you've marked that one as "do not read" - why?"
HORROR, m'dear! I did start reading Everett's The Trees last year and don't know that I'll continue with it. Perhaps in small doses. Only because that was his new release at the time of the author event I attended, so had him sign it. But that is my exception to "horror"/"do not read"! 😁
Milena wrote: "Bea wrote: "OK, y'all. I know that I posted yesterday that I don't buy books. And, I don't. That is, until today, I don't.After exercise I decided to drive to Academy Sports looking for a stretch..."
From having no idea how to fill that menopause prompt, I now have multiple choices!
Happy Stats:
GR: 57/250
PS: 12/50
ATY: 17/52
ATY Anniversary: 2/10
ATY Rejects: 7/28
ATY Rewind: 1/10
GR Choice: 5/30
TBR: 1/10
Books I finished:
The Wren in the Holly Library ⭐⭐⭐⭐
ATY: Animal, Vegetable or Mineral in title.
The Tomb of Dragons ⭐⭐⭐⭐
ATY: MC deals with death.
In Progress
The Mark of Athena
Installment Immortality
QotW
I prefer hardcover, but if I really want to own book, I will take whatever I can get my hands on. I have so many series where they don't all match, and it bugs me, but not as much as if I didn't have every book.
I remember Ilona Andrews had a blog post about this issue. It said that the paperback format was created to be the budget friendly option, but nowadays, most people looking for a bargain buy ebooks. So hardcovers still sell, but paperbacks don't as much, and they take up shelf space for stores (or warehouse space). So the retailers don't like them. That's why there's been a rise in trade paperbacks - because they take up less space, and they can charge almost as much as a hardcover.
It is def the stress at work that is giving me a reading slump. I have to deal with a move and a coworker who won't listen to anything I say and it takes a toll on me. But anyway...I just did my taxes! I get annoyed when people talk about how low they get from their refund when the lower it is, the more correct your payroll has been? IDK people wanna complain. I am currently following a new recipe! It is stuffed shells. It actually was a receipt I have been wanting to do since i started my Pinterest account. My boyfriend loved the ricotta cheese I did in a previous pasta dish I made so I'm excited to do it again.I have been working on my Depop store again. I want to revamp it because a lot of stuff is not selling. I told a few coworkers that if they are interested in anything on my shop that I might get rid of to tell me. I am looking forward to do it again. I even mentioned it to my boyfriend that if he wants to sell anything on my shop that I will give him all the money it was sold for.
Reading has been slumpy as I previously mentioned. Sometimes the downside of audiobooks is having the mental comprehension of what is going on and silencing the stress the day just weighed on you.
Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge
Books mentioned in this topic
The Tomb of Dragons (other topics)Installment Immortality (other topics)
The Mark of Athena (other topics)
The Wren in the Holly Library (other topics)
The Trees (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Ilona Andrews (other topics)Catherine Newman (other topics)
Simon Van Booy (other topics)
Samuel Burr (other topics)
Fredrik Backman (other topics)
More...
In case you missed it, here is a listing of the 84 Most Anticipated Books of Spring as listed by Goodreads readers: https://www.goodreads.com/blog/show/2...
I’m uncertain how they compile this…it would be interesting to know.
ADMIN STUFF:
THE FINAL SELECTION POLL TO SELECT THE MAY MONTHLY GROUP READ IS LIVE! This book could be used to fulfill Prompt #3 A book about space tourism. National Space Day is May 2, 2025! https://www.calendarr.com/united-stat...
There are 4 titles under consideration:
Floating Hotel
Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void
Red Rising (Red Rising #1)
The Spare Man
VOTE HERE! This poll will be open through March 25. Just 19 members have voted thus far!
THE APRIL MONTHLY GROUP READ SELECTION IS Before the Coffee Gets Cold (Before the Coffee Gets Cold, #1) by Toshikazu Kwaguchi, translated by Geoffrey Trousselot!
This book could be used to fulfill Prompt #23 A book that is considered healing fiction
World Health Day is April 7, 2025: https://www.calendarr.com/united-stat...
Which of you is the "humble hero" to lead this discussion? Message either Nadine or myself to volunteer!
I adore this book and series and have been telling myself I want to sit down and read all of them and take some notes. These are interconnected stories and some of the characters recur throughout the series… I and all the members of my book club found it to be fascinating!
THE MARCH 2025 MONTHLY GROUP READ IS…Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel. This book could be used to fulfill prompt #31 A book where music plays an integral part of the storyline. World Music Therapy Day is March 1, 2025! No one has volunteered and I am leading a discussion HERE. I am over halfway through and enthralled to uncover all the suspected connections!
THE LISTING OF 2025 MONTHLY GROUP READ TOPICS IS HERE!
***
QUESTION OF THE WEEK:
What about paperbacks?
Short question but a long paragraph of details! 😊
https://103gbfrocks.com/indiana-reade...
https://www.texasstandard.org/stories...
Following up on last week’s posting with Audie Award winners, I discovered a couple of articles regarding some publishers supposedly considering no longer releasing some nonfiction books in a paperback format. Traditionally, publishers make much more profit from hardcover sales. Hence the 6-month to one-year wait for a paperback edition to be released. However, I wondered if this first article was just one independent bookstore owner over-emphasizing a threat to paperback publication. But the second article is an interview with Jeffrey Trachtenberg, a reporter for the Wall Street Journal who covers book publishing and media. Interestingly, he specifically mentions Turner Publishing in Nashville, Tennessee, which is releasing everything (hardcover, paperpack, ebook, and audiobook) simultaneously on the official release date. Their strategy? The best window for marketing a book is within the first four weeks following its release. They believe the loss they may experience in hardcover sales will be more than made up in increased paperback/ebook/audiobook sales. And this article mentions the increase in audiobook sales.
What do you think? If only hardcover, ebook, and audiobook formats were available, would that force you to change your purchasing habits? I have seen several members state they tend to read a paperback and then perhaps purchase a hardcover to keep on their shelves.
Of course, I realize this may change very little for those of you who use libraries to borrow books. (Of course, here in the U.S., library funding from the federal government is now under threat…)
***
My answer: Honestly, any time my options are limited, I am angry. I rarely ever purchase brand-new books and am always thrilled to obtain a paperback for $3-$5! Though I believe I am in the minority regarding my love of reading hardcover books as well. I strictly avoid digital format, probably mostly due to my age and having only become accustomed to computers, etc., as a young adult. I may well have felt differently if I had been exposed to the electronics as a young child onward. But I wasn't, so I still much much much prefer a book in my hand. While I have listened to a few audiobooks and enjoyed them, I am not an aural learner and find I retain much less in the aftermath, compared to reading an actual book. My learning preference is tactile and hands-on, hence my preference for the physical book. I would be sad to lose the option of paperbacks. Definitely. But publishers and the world will do what it does and I will somehow adjust! 🙄😃😉
2025 READING CHALLENGES:
Popsugar: 33/50
Around the Year (AtY): 50/52
AtY 2025 Anniversary List: 10/10 FINISHED
Read Harder: 15/24
52 Book Club: 42/52
2024 Popsugar: 47/50
FINISHED:
None. A very frustrating week for me.
CONTINUING:
*Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel is absolutely fascinating thus far!
*Hope in the Dark: The Untold History of People Power by RebeccaSolnit
*Personal Days by Ed Park is entertaining, yet seemingly rather pointless overall.
*Same Bed Different Dreams by Ed Park is a very uniquely formatted book a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.
*Parable of the Talents (Earthseed #2) by Octavia E. Butler
*Shift (Silo #2) by Hugh Howey
*Somewhere Beyond the Sea by T.J. Klune
*The Trees by Percival Everett (#40)
*Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer (#42)
*Labyrinth by Kate Mosse
*The Lost Story by Meg Shaffer
*Brief Answers to the Big Questions by Stephen Hawking has me thinking so very much that I have delayed reviewing it until I can finalize my thoughts…
*The Birthing House by Kathy Taylor
*...And Ladies of the Club by Helen Hooven Santmyer
PLANNED:
*21st Birthday (Women’s Murder Club #21) by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro
*22 Seconds (Women’s Murder Club #22) by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro
*23rd Midnight (Women’s Murder Club #23) by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro
*23 1/2 Lies (Women’s Murder Club #23.5) by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro
*The 24th Hour (Women’s Murder Club #24) by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro
*Fear No Evil (Alex Cross #29) by James Patterson
*Riders of the Purple Sage by Zane Grey
*The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin