Week 20: 5/14 - 5/21 > Likes and Comments
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Good morning, everyone! Happy Thursday! I don’t know about anyone else, but I’ve reached the point where I need the weather to make a decision about what the temperature is going to be and just stick with it. I’ve been going back and forth between using the AC and the heater for the past week, and it’s getting really old. I’m not a huge fan of spring and summer because of seasonal allergies, but I’m ready for the weather to be consistently nice…or at least consistently warm.
Apart from the weather, it’s been a pretty decent week. I haven’t accomplished a whole lot, but I’m getting pretty close to finishing up my office and getting started on cleaning out/reorganizing the kitchen. The kitchen is going to be a huge job, so I have been dragging my feet on that. But I know it’s going to be awesome when I get it done, so I’m going to force myself to at least get started on it this weekend.
Despite adding yet another DNF to my total for the month, this was an excellent reading week. I had a chance to read a pretty good mix of titles from my TBR and New Books lists, including the newest book in the Dungeon Crawler Carl series, which was fantastic. I also found a couple of thrillers on my TBR shelves that were so exciting I just blasted through them.
If next week’s reading goes the same way, I think I’ll be able to meet both of my May reading goals before the end of the month without any problems. Fingers crossed.
Here are my current challenge and TBR totals…
Goodreads Challenge: 99/250
Mount TBR Challenge: 55/150
📚Physical TBR: 52/462
📱Ebook TBR: 3/161
🎧Audiobook TBR: 0/1
TBR Checklist Total: 55/624 (7% complete)
TBR Books DNFed in 2026: 4
TBR Books Soft DNFed in 2026: 1
I picked up a few more new releases this week, including Dungeon Crawler Carl, Vol. 1, by Matt Dinniman; Otaku Elf Vol. 11, by Akihiko Higuchi; and Startup Hell, by Caitlin Rozakis.
“New” Books Bought in 2026: 51
“New” Books Read in 2026: 43
“New” Books DNFed in 2026: 0
“New” Books Checklist Total: 43/51 (84% complete)
Here are the books I finished this week…
Finished Reading (Fiction):
~Drowning — This is the second of T.J. Newman’s airplane thrillers. I thought this was a fantastic book, and actually ended up finishing it in a single sitting because I could not put it down. I’m not sure I ever want to get back on a airplane again though… Content Alert: (view spoiler) 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~Worst Case Scenario — This is T.J. Newman’s third airplane thriller. I thought this was an incredible book! Not only was it an exciting read, but the premise was legitimately terrifying…and all too plausible. This one even made me cry a couple of times, which is not easy for a book to accomplish. Content Alert: (view spoiler) 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~A Parade of Horribles — This is the eighth book in the Dungeon Crawler Carl series. I had a fabulous time reading this book! It’s going to be so hard to wait for the next one to be released. Content Alert: (view spoiler) 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Finished Reading (Nonfiction):
None
Finished Reading (Manga, Comic Books, & Graphic Novels):
Over the past weekend, I had a chance to finish the last 3 remaining Deadpool comic books in my collection. Overall, I thought the stories were fun and the artwork was good, but I did enjoy the Daniel Way stories more than the ones in the Classic Companion collection. The stories in Classic Companion were taken from so many different Marvel series that the collection felt somewhat disjointed, and many were left unfinished once Deadpool’s cameo ended. Content Alert: (view spoiler) The books I read this week include…
~Deadpool by Daniel Way: The Complete Collection, Volume 3 — 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
~Deadpool by Daniel Way: The Complete Collection, Volume 4 — 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
~Deadpool Classic Companion — 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
I also had a chance to read…
~Otaku Elf Vol. 11 — I thought the eleventh volume was a great continuation of the series. It was fun to see Elda so far outside of her comfort zone, especially since that involved travel outside of Tokyo. I’m really looking forward to seeing where the story goes from here. 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~Dungeon Crawler Carl, Vol. 1 — I thoroughly enjoyed having a chance to finally read the fist volume of the graphic novel adaptation of DCC! I thought the art was very well done, and I loved that it was in full color. I was surprised to find that this graphic novel is not printed in the oversized format that is used for most comic books though. Instead, it’s about the size of a typical trade paperback, which meant that I did need to wear my glasses to read some of the smaller text, but it will be so much easier to find space for it on my bookshelves. I will definitely be picking up the next volume as soon as it is released! 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Finished Reading (Poetry and Drama):
None
DNFed:
~Spellslinger — I only got about 10 pages into this book before deciding that it was not for me. I just wasn’t interested in the characters or story. I do currently own all 6 books, and I will be selling the entire series the next time I’m at Half Price Books. 📚
Currently Reading:
~NIV Audio Bible — This audiobook edition of The Bible is read by David Suchet. I currently have just under 10 hours remaining. 🎧
~All Creatures Great and Small — This is the first book in James Herriot’s series of memoirs. I have made very little progress on this book since my previous update, and I’m currently considering the possibility of doing a soft DNF until I’m in a better mood for it. 📚
~One Dark Window — This is the first book in The Shepherd King duology. I’m currently about halfway through this book, and I am enjoying it so far. I think the story and characters are interesting, and I’m especially intrigued by the Nightmare. 📚
~My Big Goblin Space Program: An Astronaut Reincarnation LitRPG — I picked this book up on a whim after reading the title, and I am very glad I did. I’m currently about halfway through, and I’m really enjoying the story and characters. I will probably finish it later today. 📚
QOTW:
I have done this a few times in the past, but I created a list of all the books I own, which has been really helpful in avoiding accidental duplications. Now when I buy multiple copies of a book, it’s because of my lack of self-control when it comes to pretty special editions and alternate covers…
Happy Thursday! Reading Challenges:
52 Book Club: 44/52 (May Mini-Challenge: 1/3)
52 Books Read It, Watch It: 5/12
ATY: 48/52 (ATY Spring: 15/15 + Bonus)
Booklist Queen: 44/52
Popsugar: 39/50
Goodreads Spring Bookmarks: 8/12
52 Books Mystery Challenge: 17/50
My Ever-Growing TBR: 54/256 – 21.1% (My goal is 33.3%.)
Recently Completed:
🌺 My Next Breath ★★★★
🌺 Frothing with Desire, Fairy-Touched Fiascos (ATY #24 - frothy or gothy) ★★★
🌺 The Woman in the Library: Page Turners Book Club. (Mystery #44 – a surprising ending) ★★★
🌺 The Art Thief: A True Story of Love, Crime, and a Dangerous Obsession: Page Turners Book Club. ★★★★★
🌺 All This & More: Reasonable Doubt Book Club. ★★★
🌺 Until Friday Night, The Field Party #1 (52 Weeks #20 – a day of the week in the title) ★★★★
🌺 Our Hideous Progeny ★★★★
🌺 Buy a Bullet, Orphan X #1.5 ★★★
🌺 The Last Graduate, The Scholomance #2 (Booklist Queen #36 – the next book in a series) ★★★★
🌺 Tools of Engagement, Hot & Hammered #3 ★★★
🌺 Abundance ★★★★
🌺 In Every Generation, In Every Generation #1 ★★★★
QOTW: Oh my gosh, yes! I usually give away a copy or donate it to the library. Now I have a Little Free Library in front of my house, so duplicates will go there.
Morning all! I think we may actually get some sunshine. After not reading much last week, I definitely made up for it this week. Also did more writing. The downside of sending more writing out is sometimes getting more than one rejection in a day. Feh.58 books so far!
Popsugar 38/50.
52 Book Club 43/52.
Booklist Queen 42/52.
This Challenge Killed the Bookworm 18/25.
Finished:
When the Moon Hits Your Eye by John Scalzi, for "inspired by a song, band or singer" (PS), "Deus ex machina" (52 BC), "meant to read in 2025" (BLQ), and "set far, far away" (TCKTBW). Less a novel than a series of vignettes, in which the moon has turned to actual cheese. There's a spoiled brat billionaire determined to be the first to land on it.
The #MeToo Reckoning: Facing the Church's Complicity in Sexual Abuse and Misconduct by Rev. Ruth Everhart. No prompt.
You Better Be Lightning, poetry by Andrea Gibson, for "the great English pastime of talking about the weather" (TCKTBW).
You're Married to Her? by Ira Wood for "married/partnered authors" (PS), "related authors" (52BC), and "odd cover" (BLQ). "Her" refers to Marge Piercy, and I paired it with her book The Hunger Moon: New and Selected Poems, 1980-2010. Wood's style of humor is very self deprecating, and he seems to delight in recounting tales of humiliations and making a fool of himself. His description of cutthroat small town politics rings very true.
The Sirens by Emilia Hart didn't exactly fit "underwater society," and while there was a single father, he was very minor in the story. I used it for "2025 best seller" (BLQ) and "water works" (TCKTBW). This book is all mood: the sea is on every page, simultaneously beckoning and predatory, like the siren's call.
Currently reading:
The Clock House Murders by Yukito Ayatsuji for "locked room mystery " (BLQ). This was written in Japanese around 1990, recently translated into English. There are a LOT of characters to keep track of (but I suspect there will be far fewer by the end of the book).
QOTW: Don't think I've bought multiple copies myself, but I've lost self control and bought books close to my birthday or Christmas,, only to find someone else already bought it for me off my wish list. Now that I have a little free library, I can pass the duplicates along.
Happy Thursday!I agree about the weather, K.L. It's been wavering between warm and cold here, and we've had to turn the heat and off all week.
Finished:
No new finishes this week, but I'm expecting to finish my current read by tomorrow.
I am currently at 26/50 for the Popsugar reading challenge (22/40 and 4/10).
Currently reading:
Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr - Not sure what prompt yet; possibly a book you were hoping would fit into a prompt but doesn't. So far it's okay.
Upcoming/Planned:
A Long and Speaking Silence by Nghi Vo - Not sure what prompt yet.
The Everlasting by Alix E. Harrow - Not sure what prompt yet.
QOTW:
Yes, usually when I get a collector's edition or something like that. I'll normally give the original copy away either as a gift or take it to the used book store/library.
Hello, y’all.I agree with Nadine’s sentiment. Thursday seems to come around awfully fast each week!
Our cooler dry weather is passing now for warmer and hopefully wetter weather. Rain is predicted for much of this coming week starting tomorrow. The benefits (if the rain comes as predicted) will be that I can stop watering my lawns for awhile, saving money, and lessening of our drought deficit. The negative will be trying to find space between rain showers to get Darla outside!
I am adding to my sprinkler system in the front yard, while it is just dirt and dissolving fertilizer…at least I will be once the predicted rain passes. And the new sprinkler heads will be automated/programmable, eliminating the need for manual watering.
In the backyard, I am finding little sprigs of grass starting to grow. Not a lot…but it is exciting anyway!
Finished:
The Secrets We Left Behind – Kindle. PAS. 4* This is a story of a nurse and a couple of British soldiers left behind in France when the British withdrew before the Nazis in WW II.
A Room Full of Bones – ATY #39 (Agatha Christie – archaeology), PAS. 4*. This story centered less on the actual archaeology and more on the collection of indigenous bones from New Zealand that were brought home to England and kept in a personal museum by a family who revered the explorer ancestor. I felt this was representative of the behaviour exhibited by explorers in Christie’s time.
The Last Sister – Kindle. PAS. 4* KKK and racist feelings in Oregon exposed as one family tried to understand why a sister had left and never got in touch with the family after the parents died.
Currently Reading:
Wild Dark Shore – GR Bookmark, ATY #42 (isolated place)
The Book of Memory - No prompts.
The Art of Burning Heather – Audible.
On Deck:
(library)
This Is Your Brain on Music
Warrior Girl Unearthed
Foundation and Empire
Murder Takes a Vacation
The House of Doors
The Apology
The Cruel Prince
(owned)
True Detectives – ATY# 52 (sunset vibes - 2025)
PS 22/50 (6 on desk waiting)
ATY 38/52 (8 waiting), Seasonal Winter 9/14 (1 waiting), Seasonal Spring 6/15 (1 waiting)
GR 83/200
QotW:?
I have been known to buy books that I already have in the past, but it seldom happens now, primarily due to the fact that I no longer buy books. However, I did recently (this year) read a library book and then found a duplicate already on my shelves. Donated the duplicate to the free library that I visit.
Question of the Week:I am most apt to do this with books that were published under multiple titles or that I have in a collection. Otherwise, Amazon telling me "You own this item" in the search results prevents a lot of this.
Currently reading:
The Spellshop
The Witness for the Prosecution and Other Stories
The Fellowship of the Ring
The Caves of Steel
Finished reading:
The Correspondent (3 out of 5 stars, a book told entirely through letters)
The writing and main message here are good. It veers a bit too much into tragedy and cheating for my tastes, though. For a similar but better read, I recommend people check out Dear Committee Members.
Robot Visions
The Rest of the Robots (both rereads for the Space Opera Fans group, both 3 out of 5 stars)
Lord Edgware Dies (3 out of 5 stars, Agatha Christie Challenge)
When a character is introduced because they can impersonate another person well, you can guess that that is going to be a major plot point in the mystery. This book was worth the reread but is not a sparkling jewel in the Christie collection.
Double Sin and Other Stories (3 out of 5 stars, Agatha Christie Challenge)
The stories in The Hound of Death and Other Stories are scattered through three US publications. "The Last Seance" comes from here, and I am not a fan of that story. "Double Sin," "The Theft of the Royal Ruby," and "The Double Clue" are good Poirot stories included here.
Happy Mandalorian and Grogu weekend to all who celebrate, and I hope anyone who gets Monday off also gets to do something enjoyable this weekend.
PS: 34/4052: 42/52
52 Connections: 11/21
Finished: The Edge of Space-Time: Particles, Poetry, and the Cosmic Dream Boogie Used for afro-futurism.
Dog Show: Poems So fun!
The Moon by Whale Light and Other Adventures Among Bats, Penguins, Crocodilians and Whales for set in Antarctica.
The Astral Library for overweight character that's not about being overweight.
Started: The Bluest Eye This has been banned state-wide so I'm re-reading it so I can defend it!
How to Defend Books and Why: Book Bans and How We Fight Them
Wild Mind: A Field Guide to the Human Psyche
The Animal Mind: An Introduction to the Philosophy of Animal Cognition for 52 Connections, mentioned in previous book.
QotW: This has only happened to me once. I couldn't find my copy of The Glass Bead Game so I bought another one. Then my old copy turned up so I put the new copy in my Little Free Library.
Greetings from a suddenly cool and rainy NYC! After days of temps in the 90s and awful humidity - yesterday was the coolest at a mere 92F -- we are in for a prolonged period of low temps. Fine with me! PS - 31/52 ATY- 39/52 💃🏻🥳 End in sight for that one! I should finish it be end of June...fingers crossed.
Finished - yes I had finishes finally!
The Gabriel Hounds - read for book set in harvesting season - turned out that the harvest of a certain crop in the remote areas of Lebanon in the mid-1960s is critical to the plot. Love when a random read fits a prompt.
Murder on Ice by Alina Adams - prompt favorite winter olympic's sport - figure skating.
Currently reading:
While Still We Live
Blue Fire
QOTW: Lordy, yes, especially years ago when I was moving around a lot after law school and had my books stored in various places. I own a lot of books, now both print and ebook, and have a massive TBR. I also have deliberately bought a number of ebooks that duplicate print books I have. I tend not to read books immediately on publication or acquisition - like my books to be mature - and I'm finding now that I've reached a certain age with arthritis in my hands and aging eyesight, books are too heavy for me to hold for long periods or poor light coupled with small print makes ebook preferable. I try whenever possible to borrow those in ebook so they do not add to my owned collections.
I give duplicates mostly away as gifts -- to siblings and friends mostly. Others I donate places that take used books (which is not NYPL system any longer - at least last time I checked). In NYC Housing Works has a used bookstore in Tribeca area of Manhattan where you can donate and they give future store credit.
Happy Thursday all!Well, I'm officially a college graduate -- I got my Associates Degree in English (Creative Writing focus) this Tuesday. Feels rather unreal still... Also glad I got to celebrate the day with family.
Books read this week:
Novelist as a Vocation -- a collection of essays by Haruki Murakami about the craft of writing and how he got his start. Fascinating and makes me want to read more of his work.
Pearly Everlasting -- strangely gorgeous story with the feel of a fairy tale or myth, about a girl and the bear she regards as a member of her family in a 1930s lumber camp.
Leaving the Beach -- contains some heavy topics (mental illness, addiction, eating disorders, etc.), but still a striking read about how a woman uses her fixation on rock music and rock stars to cope with her demons.
En attendant Bojangles -- short, eccentric, and quietly devastating read about how mental illness affects a family.
Rooster Fighter, Vol. 1 -- a manga about a chicken who fights demons has no right being this entertaining.
DNF:
The Mystery of the Blue Train -- I got almost halfway through it and realized I was thoroughly bored… which is a shame because I’ve enjoyed Agatha Christie in the past. This is supposedly a Hercule Poirot mystery, but he barely shows up in it!
Currently reading:
Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania
Lost Souls Meet Under a Full Moon
The Collapsing Empire
Sharp Teeth
QOTW:
The only time I've bought a duplicate book is when I purchased a "Blind Date with a Book" package from a table at a comic convention. The description on the wrapping looked fun... but the book was one I already owned. The vendor running the table allowed me to swap, at least...
Kenya wrote: "Happy Thursday all!Well, I'm officially a college graduate -- I got my Associates Degree in English (Creative Writing focus) this Tuesday. Feels rather unreal still... Also glad I got to celebrat..."
Congratulations, Kenya! That's so awesome!
Road trip is over so I can get back to reading, hopefully. My computer game(s) are upgrading from 32 bit to 64, so that's taking some time, also.Road trip was good, with the exception of Day 1. We drove our electric vehicle (Chev Equinox) 100 miles through the mountains where we found that our Tesla app wouldn't communicate with the Supercharger we were right in front of. We've done this before with no problem but what can you do? There's no way we were going to miss the twins' graduation, so we drove home and rented a car, and started all over again, 2 chihuahuas on the passenger's lap the whole way there. One fat little chi needed to be drugged for the drive, the skinny one needed to be drugged in noisy hotels.
It was good practice for July, when we'll fly to Minnesota and rent a car to drive to the Canadian border where my family (7 siblings) own a cabin on an island, left to us by our parents.
I am so glad that we are able to do all this. Many years we couldn't do any of it, this year we can.
PopSugar 40 /50
AtY 33/52
Curiosity Killed the Bookworm: 18/25
Finished:
Nada, nichts, nothing
Currently Reading
Der Tote im Strandkorb by Anna Johannsen; 93% -- because I like a challenge.
1916: A Novel of the Irish Rebellion by Louise Erdrich, for AtY
On Hiatus I am just so tired of some of my books ☹ and so out of time.
Gerry Rafferty: Renegade Heart for #37 a book about a pop star.
Wolves of the Calla by Stephen King Book 5 of the Dark Tower series uhh I like the characters but this book is gross. I need a break.
QOTW
Many, many times. I can't think of how many copies of some books I've had. Same with music. Also, most of my physical books went when we moved from Minnesota to Arizona. I donate to the library.
Nadine in NY wrote: "Happy Thursday! How is it Thursday already???We got some HEAT after the cold, I had to run the a/c for several days. The weather is back to cool and cloudy now. I think frost danger is past, b..."
I am so sorry about your kitchen mouse. We had many many everywhere mice in our old house and never solved the problem of where they were coming in. I hated it, it drove me nuts but the worst was when one got upstairs in my bedroom, the little jerk running across the headboard all night.
I hope you have one male mouse and that the situation resolves itself quickly.
Kenya wrote: "Happy Thursday all!Well, I'm officially a college graduate -- I got my Associates Degree in English (Creative Writing focus) this Tuesday. Feels rather unreal still... Also glad I got to celebrat..."
Congratulations! 🥳🎓🎈🎈🎈
Hi all! I was loving the natural heat, and then last night had to turn the heat back on. Should be back around 70 by Monday. We only have window ACs, and an irony is that 90 is too hot to install them... lol. I was good with some fans, and mostly enjoyed the heat. Did I tell you all that I lost my shorts?? A couple of months ago, I got an itch to clean out my dressers. My weight has changed a lot in the last couple of years, so some clothes are now way to small while others are way too big. As I was sorting, I put my shorts in a tote and labeled it "Jen summer clothes". When I pulled that tote out and opened it, it was now full of my boyfriend's hats! Neither of us remember removing the shorts from the tote, but darned if we can find them! I ended up going to Walmart this week and buying 2 new pairs. They only had a couple of racks of shorts, it was ridiculous. Rows and rows of jeans... Lots of cute summer tops, almost no shorts.
Monday kiddo has a Girl Scout Memorial Day parade. Then she'll have a couple more in June. And then school will be over! Yikes! She's signed up for weekly gymnastics' lessons, and swim lesson sign ups open tomorrow, but other than that, I dunno what she'll do all summer.
I've gotten a little bit of reading mojo back. Read several chapters of Inferno, it's finally getting exciting.
Also back to listening to The Bonfire of the Vanities. It's a book I can easily put down, but when I'm listening, I want to know what's going to happen. It's just very long and wordy. I'm doing a buddy read of This America Of Ours: Bernard and Avis DeVoto and the Forgotten Fight to Save the Wild starting this weekend. I read the prologue, and these are going to be some interesting people.
QOTW: I don't *think* I've bought duplicates, but I've definitely brought home library books only to take a glance at my shelves and see my own copy sitting there! D'oh! I just return the library book and still don't read my own! lol
Somehow I managed to knock a few books out this week before I have to leave for my work conference.Hooked on Murder by Betty Hechtman for PS7 A book about a granny hobby. Boy I hate that term probably more than I should. This one is about crochet and it was barely okay. I wouldn't bother with this old mystery series.
I'm still not 100% sure what they meant by A travel ghost story. Did the main character go in search of ghosts (like I'll be doing after the whole work con thing) or just run into ghosts somewhere? Anyhow, That Which Feeds Us by Keala Kendall has the protagonist traveling to Hawai'i and gets mixed up with ghosts so I'm counting it. This was amazing gothic horror, one of the best books of the first half of the year for me.
Death al Dente by Peter King did NOT really make me want to travel to Italy but it's the only Italian book I could find on my shelves. I have more I just can't find them. Pity because this mystery sucked. Within the first two chapters the main character (the gourmet detective who is much better in the tv series than here) is hooked up with a guide to take him around Italy. Her boss asked her to pretend to be a prostitute to prank him and she does and then a few paragraphs later he's surprised she, as a woman, knew how to work a computer (this is from the 90s). It does NOT get better.
I'm at 31/50 for the challenge
QOTW
Ha, yes I have. Luckily mostly it's been from library sales so not much is lost (and I just give it back to the library to sell again). I end up doing this much more with manga and comic books. I sell the comics back to the store for a loss. The manga I donate.
Kenya wrote: "Happy Thursday all!Well, I'm officially a college graduate -- I got my Associates Degree in English (Creative Writing focus) this Tuesday. Feels rather unreal still... Also glad I got to celebrat..."
congrats on your new degree!
Nadine in NY wrote: "Happy Thursday! How is it Thursday already???We got some HEAT after the cold, I had to run the a/c for several days. The weather is back to cool and cloudy now. I think frost danger is past, b..."
Nadine, I bought some storage containers from Walmart that have snap down flaps on the side. Looking on Amazon, they're called Chefstory or just Airtight containers. Be careful with the sizes, though. The first set I bought did not have containers big enough for a bag of flour. I think 5L ended up being big enough for a bag of flour. I don't have problems with mice getting into stuff, but we have these stupid moths that get into everything....
Kenya wrote: "Happy Thursday all!Well, I'm officially a college graduate -- I got my Associates Degree in English (Creative Writing focus) this Tuesday. Feels rather unreal still... Also glad I got to celebrat..."
Yay! Congrats!!
I have one piece of good new for you Nadine - I went out with my BFF who has a degree in microbiology and was complaining about mice in offices and mice in my Victorian house and she assured me that the mice that carry the hanta virus do not live in Ontario or Quebec (and presumably where you live as you have a similar climate)On to books - I finished 2 this week since it was a three day weekend. I started my May series book and May number 1 book, so I'm pretty on track.
Finished:
The Mermaid of Brooklyn
Popsugar prompt: A book about a granny hobby
ATY prompt: A book with a primarily red, green or blue cover
One for the Rock
Popsugar prompt: can't find one
ATY prompt: A book set in an isolated location
Series - 4/12
Number 1s - 4/10
Nobel laureates - 2/5
Rocky Horror challenge: 5/12
PS - 17/30
ATY - 21/45
PS movies - 17/50
Currently reading:
The Future - 65%
Hard Luck - 35%
Artemis: The Indomitable Spirit in Everywoman - 25%
PopSugar movies
16 A short movie - The Cult of American Apparel (54 minutes)
QOTW: I did this once with a book in a YA series. I think I just kept both copies. I intentionally bought my own copy of The Silmarillion as my husband couldn't find his and in fact didn't find it until a few years after I read it, so now we have two.
Jennifer W wrote: "Nadine in NY wrote: "Happy Thursday! How is it Thursday already???We got some HEAT after the cold, I had to run the a/c for several days. The weather is back to cool and cloudy now. I think fr..."
My suggestion is to go to Walmart, Target, big store of choice, and see what the options are. You want containers that seal well and the plastic is thick. It will give you an idea of size range -- I'd go for a variety of sizes because you are not wanting to haul out a large bin every time you need a fresh sleeve of crackers.
And you no longer have a Kitchen Mouse. You have a House Mouse! Sounds like there is an upsurge this year.
A short update from me this week. Nothing finished, so no movement on my prompt totals. I'm at 11/40 and 1/10 for this challenge, and 24/75 for my overall Goodreads Reading Challenge. Finished:
* nada
Currently Reading:
* The Penguin Book of Murder Mysteries edited by Michael Sims;
* All Fours by Miranda July; and,
* The Song Is You by Megan Abbott.
QotW:
This week's question is from Jennifer: Have you ever bought duplicates of a book because you forgot you already owned it? What did you do with the extra copy? While it wasn't because I forgot I already owned a copy, I've bought duplicates twice unintentionally. The first was when I used a gift card I'd received from coworkers to buy a book that I didn't know that my Mom had bought for me...and had gotten personalized by the author! 🫣 Needless to say, I didn't keep the copy I'd used the gift card on (and can't remember if I sold, donated, or gifted it to someone). The second time was when I bought a book for my partner as a Christmas present...and then bought it again the following year. He did like the book. But not enough to own two copies. Luckily, I got a gift receipt so he was able to exchange it for a non-duplicate title 🤣
Happy Thursday, everyone! I read 5 books this past week, 3 of which were my BOTM picks. The funny thing is that the books with the lowest average rating received a higher rating from me, while the one with a 4.5+ average rating was my lowest rated this week. I finished the ATY Spring challenge, and now I added the Asian read-a-thon to my reading challenges because I have no self-control. 2025 Reading Challenges
PopSugar- 31/50
52 Book Club- TBA; Monthly Mini-Challenges- 11/12
Asian Read-a-Thon- 2/5
Buzzword- 10/12; Cover- 11/12
GR Bookmarks-
BOTM- 11/15; Omnivoreader- 6/6; Long Hauler- 3/4; Debut Darling- 3/5
1001 Books- 10/20
TBR- 21/50
Finished
The Natural Way of Things- this was my BOTM pick two months ago since the synopsis was right up my alley. It's one of the better written feminist dystopian novels I've read, and I was okay with the open-ended ending. ☆☆☆☆
PS #10- a book about a horse or with a horse on the cover
ATY Spring #14- a book where all the letters of FLOWERS can be found in the title/subtitle
BOTM #10
TBR #19
Superfan- read this for the popstar prompt, which I wasn't looking forward to since books about celebrities are hard for me to like, but this one was actually great! Also, this book takes place at my Alma Mater, so it was cool hearing all the names of buildings and dorms and going I know where that is! I was there!. ☆☆☆☆
PS #37- a book about a pop star
Asian Read-a-thon #2- a book about a character chasing a dream
GR Bookmark- AAPI Heritage
Molka- I saw the movie Send Help this weekend (very cathartic; I recommend, haha!), and I guess I was in the mood for a female rage/revenge story. Overall, this was solid, I think I just would have liked the revenge plotline to develop sooner. ☆☆☆ 1/2
52BC May Mini #1- a coffee shop scene
Asian Read-a-thon #5- a book that has dark themes
TBR #20
The Burning Side- read this because I needed to read a May release for two separate challenges. I thought this was okay, but kind of trite. ☆☆☆
ATY Spring #15- a book first published in May of any year
Buzzword Cover #9- fire or smoke
BOTM #11
TBR #21
Dead Air- one of the two prompts I have left for HRCYED 2.0 is to read a book with "air" in the title, so I just searched through the 1001 books list and this was one of the options. I could not tell what this book was even about because the synopsis is so vague and only covers the first chapter of the book. At first, I thought the book was kinda meh. The main character is a serial cheater, a drug user, a shock jock, overall not likable. However, the plot took several turns, and I did not expect it to become a comedic thriller. The last few chapters were particularly tense and funny. It surprised me, and I'm glad I went into the book blind. ☆☆☆☆
1001 Books #10
Currently Reading
For the Sun After Long Nights: The Story of Iran's Women-Led Uprising
QOTW
I've never bought duplicate books.
So close to summer...90 at work this week. 10 more days of class til summer breakI read one book this week that I got to use for 3 of the 4 main challenges I'm doing (meaning the ones I want to finish on time)
Quintana & Friends
PS and 52: Both have prompts asking for books by partners/family members so I used it for that
ATY: nonfiction book
QOTW:
Yes, but fortunately the vast majority of books I buy come from a $1 bookstore so it means I spent $2 total for both copies. I DID once buy a book full price in bookshop that I had already bought for $2 on kindle but that is because I was being rushed and didn't check my GR shelves. Except that one exception I don't do it anymore because I made GR shelves with all the books I own so in the bookshop I can quickly type in the title and see if I own it
I either donated the duplicates or put them in Little Free Libraries
Life update: I'm still really busy sorting out my mum's affairs. This week has involved meetings with two social workers, an administrator, an insurance broker, a lawyer and a potential court deputy who would look after my mum's finances once I return to the UK. I would struggle to run them myself without being here in person (and to be honest, I'm struggling here too, albeit for different reasons). I think we're making good progress, but I will probably have to stay on longer than I initially planned.Reading update: Still making good progress on audiobooks and slow progress on other formats. I finished Der letzte Tag des Fährmanns, which was a 3-star read for me and fulfils the r/fantasy Bingo prompt "The Afterlife".
Stats:
Popsugar: 0 this week, 26/50 total
Diversity Challenge: 0 this week, 4/14 total
Touch the Rainbow, Read the Rainbow: 0 this week, 10/13 total
Queer Reads Bracket Challenge: 0 this week, 4/7 total
Flowers for Your Shelves: 0 this week, 3/22 total
r/Fantasy Bingo: 1 this week, 6/25 total
German Challenge: 0 this week, 8/10 total
Spanish Titles ABC: 0 this week, 1/26 total
French TBR: 0 this week, 1/20 total
Great Big Jewish Literature Challenge: 0 this week, 6/21 total
Anti-Capitalist Inspiration: 0 this week, 16/30 total
Reading About Writing: 0 this week, 4/40 total
All books finished this year: 1 this week, 59 total
DNF or paused this year: 0 this week, 15 total
Challenges completed this year: 0
Challenges in progress (end date in 2026): 4
Challenges in progress (no end date or end date in 2027): 8
Currently reading:
Der Schlaf der Anderen - Diversity Challenge: mental health. I should finish this today or tomorrow.
Raumpatrouille - semi-autobiographical childhood stories by one of the sons of former German Chancellor Willy Brandt. It's pretty interesting so far, but I don't think it fits any prompts.
Die unerträgliche Leichtigkeit des Seins. This was one of my favourite books as a teenager. I found a copy (not my original one, I don't think) in my mother's flat, so I thought I would reread it when I can't sleep at night, rather than turning to screens. I'm interested to see how it holds up, especially as I remember reading the English translation in my 20s and not liking it as much. I don't think it fits any prompts.
The Complete Mahabharata Volume - 3 Vana Parva & Virat Parva - spiritual reading, no prompt.
QOTW: I suppose in over 5 decades of reading, I must have done, but I don't recall a specific instance. What has definitely happened is that I've bought a book and then discovered my father owned it and would have been happy to lend it to me or give it to me outright. I just lacked the executive function to check my TBR against his large library every time I visited lol.
I finished Voices in the Ocean: A Journey into the Wild and Haunting World of Dolphins as my underwater civilization book. I did not care for it.I'm about halfway through Breakdown as my second book by a married couple. So far, so good.
QOTW: I don't own that many books, so no. I have accidentally bought a book I've already read. I read it again. The one that I'm thinking of, I didn't like it either time, but it was a mystery and by the time I realized I'd read it, I wanted to know who did it, because I didn't remember.
Happy Friday! Weather changed yesterday from autumn (rain, thunderstorms, hail) to summer: lots of sun, 25 to 30 degrees (Celsius). Quite a change. I was hoping to put some new plants in our garden this weekend, but this is too hot for me to do any physical activity. Better luck next week. This weekend is a pretty good excuse to read in our garden under the wooden canopy. In Europe, the Monday after Pentecost is an official holiday, so I have an extended weekend. Read this year: 23
PS: 12/40
Finished this week: Met hart en ziel by Katarina Widholm⭐⭐⭐Just another feelgood-historical-romance-trilogy.
QOTW
Nope. I only buy books I really-really want to have. Most books I read are from the library.
Kenya wrote: "Happy Thursday all!Well, I'm officially a college graduate -- I got my Associates Degree in English (Creative Writing focus) this Tuesday. Feels rather unreal still... Also glad I got to celebrat..."
Congrats on graduating!
Rooster Fighter, Vol. 1 -- a manga about a chicken who fights demons has no right being this entertaining.
LOL that reminds me of the character Poyo from the Chew comics. He's a rooster who was formerly a cockfighting champion, he's sort of semi-bionic and all sorts of suped up and crazy. It's not manga, of course. He's got three one-shots. Chew: Secret Agent Poyo #1, Chew: Warrior Chicken Poyo, & Chew: Demon Chicken Poyo #1. The whole thing is completely ludicrous, the artwork is weird, and probably best appreciated if you read the entire series starting with Chew, Vol. 1: Taster's Choice. It won't appeal to everyone.
Happy Friday! Yesterday I was talking to a coworker about how the weeks keep seeming to pass quicker and quicker, and how I keep almost forgetting it's Thursday and I should check in- then got home and forgot to check in...Last weekend we has a joint birthday lunch for my brother and mom, which was really nice! On the way home I dropped off some books at a thrift store, and decided to check out their book selection. Usually I can't find anything at this store because they organize their books by color, and my eyes can never focus on the individual books- but I wound up with small stack for $8! Well, technically $9, since they ask if you want to round up a dollar for charity, but still a good deal!
Finished:
Slasher Summer- if you used to read Lois Duncan or watch shlocky 2000s teen slasher flicks, you might like this one. Over the top but a fun read
-no prompt, netgalley read
Game Changer- such a quick read! Picked it up because of the show and because all my friends were reading it. It was fun, will pick up the next book soon
-FOMO prompt
Currently reading:
Restaurant Kid: A Memoir of Family and Belonging- I like this so far, it's written in present tense which is unusual for a memoir
Better Living Through Birding: Notes from a Black Man in the Natural World- I started listening to this when Restaurant Kid became non-PG while I was listening at work which felt like a potential hr violation... so far I like this one!
QotW:
One I can think of it Sweetness #9- I picked up a copy when it came out and then moved, forgot I had it and then bought a used copy at the library
And then there was Night Watch- I lent it to me friend, forgot I'd lent it to her, and figured it got lost in the move, so when a cheap version was available at the library store I picked it up. Then my friend returned it to me
I think for both I donated them to either the library store or the charity thrift store
Weather in the midwestern U.S. is still pretty mild. We've actually had a couple of freeze warnings in the past 2 weeks! A list! Penguin Random House “New Books To Read This Summer”!
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/th...
ADMIN STUFF:
THE MAY MONTHLY GROUP READ IS Birding with Benefits by Sarah T. Dubb!
This book could be used to fulfill prompt #45 A book that features birding
World Migratory Bird Day is May 9
https://www.migratorybirdday.org/
Looks as if you are stuck with me again. Questions are posted and I will check every few days for responses!
THE JUNE MONTHLY GROUP READ IS Julie Chan Is Dead by Liann Zhang
This book could be used to fulfill prompt #25 A book that explores influencer culture
World Social Media Day is June 30
https://nationaltoday.com/social-medi...
Post to let us know if you are the “influential influencer” willing to lead this discussion!
I won a free copy from a Goodreads Giveaway and it is on my shelf!! Excellent timing!!
THE JULY MONTHLY GROUP READ SELECTION IS A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking by T. Kingfisher
This book could be used to fulfill prompt #7 A book about a granny hobby
National Gorgeous Grandma Day is July 23
https://nationaltoday.com/national-go...
Let us know if you are the "bountiful baker" who will facilitate this discussion!
THE AUGUST MONTHLY GROUP READ IS Death of the Author by Nnedi Okorafor!
This book could be used to fulfill prompt #50 A book about Afrofuturism
International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition is August 23
https://www.unesco.org/en/days/slave-...
Feel free to volunteer as the “future foreteller” to lead this discussion!
THE SEPTEMBER MONTHLY GROUP READ SELECTION IS The Correspondent by Virginia Evans
This book could be used to fulfill prompt #47 A book told entirely through letters
World Letter Writing Day is September 1
https://nationaltoday.com/world-lette...
Are you the “literary luminary” who would graciously guide this discussion?!?
I managed to score a cheap copy of this one!! I've been wanting to read it!
THE OCTOBER MONTHLY GROUP READ IS *The House in the Cerulean Sea (Cerulean Chronicles #1) by T.J. Klune
This book could be used to fulfill prompt #6 A book with an overweight main character whose story isn't about losing weight
National Plus Size Appreciation Day is October 6
https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/na...
Who among you is the “rambunctious rule-minder" to lead this discussion?
I recently reread this and I swear it is a book I believe I would immensely enjoy after reading it 10 times!!
*****
DOUBLE THE POLLS AND DOUBLE THE FUN!!
THE NOVEMBER MONTHLY GROUP READ FINAL SELECTION POLL IS HERE!
This book could be used to fulfill prompt #28 A book about debt
Buy Nothing Day is November 27
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buy_Not...
There are four books from which to select:
*The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton
*Margo's Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe
*The Payback by Kashana Cauley
*Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik
***This poll will run from May 14th through May 26th!***
THE DECEMBER MONTHLY GROUP READ NOMINATION POLL IS HERE!
This book could be used to fulfill prompt #10 A book about a horse or with a horse on the cover
National Horse Day is December 13
https://www.nationaldaycalendar.com/n...
If you do not see the title you would like to nominate, please write it in. Please check the book's eligibility first! Only books that have NOT been discussed within the past two years (2024-present) are eligible. Remember to consult the listing of these books that are NOT eligible for this month HERE before nominating! :) There is an alphabetized listing by title as well as a chronological listing.
NOTE: This is the NOMINATION round, which is step one. We will select the top results from this round to create a new poll for a Final Vote to select ONE book for the November 2026 group read.
***This poll will run from May 14th through May 26th!***
THE LISTING OF 2026 MONTHLY GROUP READ TOPICS IS HERE!
***
QUESTION OF THE WEEK:
This week's question is from Jennifer:
Have you ever bought duplicates of a book because you forgot you already owned it? What did you do with the extra copy?
I always check Goodreads first, but sometimes that app isn’t accurate! So I have unknowingly purchased a second copy! Ugh. I give the extra copy to a friend who lives in a retirement community and she donates it to their library after she reads it or I donate it to Goodwill. 😊
2026 READING CHALLENGES:
Popsugar: 33/50
52 Book Club: 43/52
FINISHED:
*We Were Liars by E. Lockhart ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ was intense! Definitely an adventure in teen angst! Though that proved to be deadly. If only these adults had been halfway decent people, a tragedy may well have been prevented…though perhaps not… This was well written and quite moving. Great for book club discussion, I imagine!
POPSUGAR: #3, #11, #13, #15, #18, #19
52 Book Club: #5, #16, #18, #24, #35, #38, #42, #49, #51
*One & Only by Maurene Goo ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ is not, IMO, a typical “romance” novel! I especially appreciated Goo’s characterization skills—I felt as if I personally knew each character! And…there were virtually no ‘sexual details’ which is what I tend to dislike in books classified as “romance”! So a win-win for me! Loved this exploration of ‘fate’ vs. ‘free will’!
POPSUGAR: #9, #13, #15
52 Book Club: #4, #5, #6, #13, #19, #24, #49, NEW #52
*Somewhere Beyond the Sea (Cerulean Chronicles #2) by T.J. Klune ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ was one of the best books I’ve ever read! Each member of the book club I facilitate feel the two books in the Cerulean Chronicles series are absolute favorite reads and we hope for more to come! We adore this family and their close friends and allies!
POPSUGAR: #1, #3, #6, #11, #13, #15, #27, NEW #36
52 Book Club: #4, #5, #12, #16, #17, #18, #24, #25, #35, #38, #48, #49
*The Middle Moffat (Moffats #2) by Eleanor Estes, illustrated by Louis Slobodkin ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ was so poignant and humorous! Just such a heartwarming read! Love this series!
POPSUGAR: #27, #31
52 Book Club: #12, #13, #24, #26, #38, #40, #49
CONTINUING:
*The In-Between Bookstore by Edward Underhill for an IRL book club meeting on Sunday. Really enjoyable thus far!
*Woman of Light by Kali Fajardo-Anstine for an author event
*A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki
*Salvation City by Sigrid Nunez is rather fascinating. I keep wondering exactly where/how this will end…
*Hope on the Inside by Marie Bostwick is not what I was expecting! Bostwick is so savvy at connecting titles…
*Hope in the Dark: The Untold History of People Power by RebeccaSolnit
*East of Eden by John Steinbeck
*The Guncle Abroad by Steven Rowley
*The Double Life of Benson Yu by Kevin Chong for an IRL book club meeting
*The Rabbit Hutch by Tess Gunty
PLANNED:
*Somewhere Beyond the Sea (Cerulean Chronicles #2) by T.J. Klune
*The Last of Her Kind by Sigrid Nunez
*What Are You Going Through by Sigrid Nunez
*For Rouenna by Sigrid Nunez
*Her Hidden Genius by Marie Benedict
*The Invisible Husband of Frick Island by Colleen Oakley
*The First Ladies by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray
*The Mitford Affair by Marie Benedict
L Y N N wrote: "Weather in the midwestern U.S. is still pretty mild. We've actually had a couple of freeze warnings in the past 2 weeks!..."This afternoon, I made the executive decision to put away my winter coats.... I hope I don't regret it!
Haha, so related to the QOTW, I went to the big local library book sale 2 weekends ago. I found 2 books that my mom wanted, but while I was browsing, I saw another book by an author she had liked. So I grabbed it. I told her I had picked it up... she already has a copy! Rats! So I guess now I have a copy, too! lol
Erin wrote: "Happy Friday! Yesterday I was talking to a coworker about how the weeks keep seeming to pass quicker and quicker, and how I keep almost forgetting it's Thursday and I should check in- then got home..."My local thrift shop does the same thing, organizing the books by color instead of genre, which makes it difficult to find anything I want! I've seen thrift shops do this with clothes too - it doesn't matter if I like the color when I have to look through a zillion items to find one in my size!
3 week check-in for me. Stats:
PS: 27/50
ATY: 25/52
ATY Rejects: 6/25
TCKTBW: 19/25
GR Spring Bookmarks: 8/12
GR Choice: 12/20
TBR: 4/10
Finished
Queen Charlotte ⭐⭐⭐
PS: Love story that defies social boundaries.
Castle Swimmer: Volume 3 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Taylor Swift Is Life: A Superfan’s Guide to All Things We Love About Taylor Swift ⭐⭐⭐
PS: About a pop star (Also works for the zodiac prompt)
The title made me laugh, and the book ended up being fun.
A Midnight Pastry Shop Called Hwawoldang ⭐⭐⭐
ATY: Korean author
GR AAPI Heritage Bookmark
The Space Cat: A Graphic Novel ⭐⭐⭐⭐
ATY: Set in Africa
The Dragonbone Chair (Part 1 of 3) Dramatized Adaptation ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Platform Decay ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
PS: Type C character
Angelica and the Bear Prince ⭐⭐⭐⭐
ATY: Author's second book.
Slaying the Vampire Conqueror ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Infinity Particle: A Graphic Novel ⭐⭐⭐⭐
ATY: Science topic
If the Shoe Fits ⭐⭐⭐
PS: Overweight MC not about losing weight
In Progress
Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil
The Dragonbone Chair (Part 2 of 3) (Dramatized Adaptation)
QotW
I keep pretty good track of what books I have, but I have accidently slipped up when I'm in the middle of buying every book in a series and ended up forgetting which books I still needed and ended up with 2 book 4s and no book 5 for example. But that was pre Goodreads. I also ended up with 2 copies of The Night Circus, because I thought I'd accidently donated my copy, only to immediately find it when I brought when I brought the new (to-me) copy home. And I just end up donating them to the local book sale.
Laura Ruth wrote: "I've seen thrift shops do this with clothes too - it doesn't matter if I like the color when I have to look through a zillion items to find one in my size! ..."Oh having the clothes sorted by color would be impossible for me!
Dubhease wrote: "I have one piece of good new for you Nadine - I went out with my BFF who has a degree in microbiology and was complaining about mice in offices and mice in my Victorian house and she assured me tha..."thank you - I thought I'd read that somewhere before, but it's good to have professional confirmation!
Sasha wrote: "Life update: I'm still really busy sorting out my mum's affairs. This week has involved meetings with two social workers, an administrator, an insurance broker, a lawyer and a potential court deput..."Whew! There is so much to know and learn in this process!!! How did you even get started? Did you find a social worker first?
REMINDER!Just two more days to vote in our polls! :)
Nadine in NY wrote: "Whew! There is so much to know and learn in this process!!! How did you even get started? Did you find a social worker first?"More or less, yes. Since this all happened so suddenly, my mum's pastor (who used to be the chaplain at the care home) kindly made the most urgent arrangements on her behalf, including pulling some strings to get her into this care home rather than one further away. He introduced me by email to the administrator of the home, and at our first in-person meeting she turned up with a social worker in tow, who has been extremely helpful in helping me navigate the whole process.
We got some HEAT after the cold, I had to run the a/c for several days. The weather is back to cool and cloudy now. I think frost danger is past, but it might get cold enough this weekend to want the heat on again. I'm already wearing my sweatshirt again.
Kitchen Mouse MAY have moved into the dining room. I have a lot of food stored on shelves there, so it's a cornucopia. I guess I will need to throw a lot of stuff out, and get some solid plastic containers for other things (yes they can chew through plastic, I know, but usually they give up). NOT looking forward to this. I don't understand why my upstairs home is being overrun by mice this spring. I'm on edge all the time now.
I'm looking for containers that I can use to store packages of cookies, boxes of crackers and pasta, bags of flour, etc. Something big enough to let us just put the entire package inside. If anyone has any sources or brands to recommend, let me know!
***** Admin stuff *****
The May group read (birding) is: Birding with Benefits You can join the discussion here: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
The June group read (influencer) will be: Julie Chan Is Dead
The July group read (granny hobby) will be: A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking (Kingfisher has been popular this year in group reads!)
The August group read (Afrofuturism) will be: Death of the Author
The September group read (a book told in letters) will be: The Correspondent
The October group read (overweight character) will be: The House in the Cerulean Sea
The final poll for November (debt) is here:
https://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/3...
The nomination poll for December (horses) is here:
https://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/3...
Let us know if you'd like to lead any discussions!
This week I finished 3 books, 2 for this Challenge & DNF'ed one, so I am now 36/50:
Plant Lady by Minyoung Kang- this was fantastic!! this is a NetGalley book, it will be published in English in August, but I decided to read it this month for APPI month. I checked off "less than 260 pages" with this book, but it would also work for "gardening" (but you have to wait until August to read it).
Lies and Weddings by Kevin Kwan - I read this for "debt" and it fit perfectly (it also has characters with hidden pasts), I took my time reading it (well, listening to it) and I enjoyed it so much, it was like a silly soap opera I dipped into every now and then.
The Social Circle by Sophie Wan - I read this because I really loved Wan's first book (Women of Good Fortune) but this one is not as great. The writing is still wonderful, but the story & characters are not. I started to get really annoyed with the characters. No challenge category.
and I DNFed:
The Boy Next Door by Meg Cabot- this was going to be my "book told in letters" but it was dreadful. There's a character named Nadine who keeps signing off as "Nad" and that is THE most god awful nickname for Nadine. I couldn't take it.
Popsugar 72% 36 /50
Must Reads 0% 0 /1
2026 pub 64% 32 /50
NetGalley ratio 83% because I stupidly downloaded another book. Why do I do that??
Question of the Week
This week's question is from Jennifer:
Have you ever bought duplicates of a book because you forgot you already owned it? What did you do with the extra copy?
LOL at this question!
I've purchased books because I could not find my old copy, and I've taken home books from the free shelf at the library only to find that I already had that book, and I've come CLOSE to buying books that I already own, but I was saved by Amazon telling me I'd already bought that book.