Elizabeth’s Comments (group member since Nov 14, 2017)

Elizabeth’s comments from the Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge group.

Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors, and the Drug Company that Addicted America is an awesome non-fiction book about the greed of big pharma and how it contributed to the opioid crisis. So informative, but riveting and personal at the same time. Highly recommend!

Nadine wrote: "Marie-eve wrote: "Nadine wrote: "I'm a little surprised at how few books on my TBR fit this! I might fudge this a bit and use "salt" instead of "salty" and then I can read:
[book:The Price of Salt..." Great book!

I've been so bad about updating here! Rather than update for the whole month, I'll just update for this week:

Finished:

A7: A book by an author with the same first or last name as you - I read Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein. I really liked it and hope to add a copy to my class library next year! It reminded me of the YA version of The Alice Network, which I also read this year and loved.

The Female Persuasion by Meg Wolitzer. You could definitely read this for the feminist prompt, but I filled that one in ages ago. I really liked this one as well! Very character driven, but I found it thought-provoking and interesting to read.

When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon. This is a fluffy YA love story about Dimple, a non-traditional Americanized only daughter of traditional Indian parents, and Rishi, a much more tradition oriented young Indian-American man. There parents want to arrange a marriage between them, but they mess it all up by actually falling for each other. I thought it started strong, but by the final 1/3 was all over the place and felt random. I wish it had ended as well as it started!

Challenge Update:
31/40 and 6/10 for a total of 37/50

Currently Reading:
I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer by Michelle McNamara. Again, I could use this for the True Crime prompt, but I already have that one filled. It's really good but definitely not for the faint of heart / easily scared!

An American Marriage by Tayari Jones - could be used for celebrity book club prompt. Very good so far! I'm about 60% done and enjoying it.

QOTW:
Well, I tend to like "trendy" books. I follow a lot of reader accounts on Instagram, so I feel they're always promoting current and popular books that inevitably get added onto my TBR list. I follow a lot of celebrity book clubs - Oprah, Reese Witherspoon - so that inevitably leads me to things that are or shortly become popular/trendy. I also love fluffy, chick lit for summer reads or just easy reads between all of the dark, gruesome, depressing, thought provoking stuff, so I love Sophie Kinsella and Jane Green for that. I also love Liane Moriarty, Jodi Picoult for toeing the line between quick read and actual thought provoking content - even if it is in the more "mainstream" category.

I feel like people think that "trendy" reads are automatically shallow or bad, but I tend to subscribe to the mindset that if a lot of people like them or relate to them, there is usually something there! It may or may not be my exact taste, but it is interesting , in and of itself, to read something that is being read by millions of other people.

So, back to the actual question - one "trendy" book that surprised me was Ready Player One by Ernest Cline. It is NOT my genre at all and I figured it was going to be one of those YA sci-fi same story with different names situations, but I loved it! I put it in my class library like a month ago and 5 of my students have devoured it already. I haven't seen the movie yet - don't even know if I want to - but I really enjoyed the book!

It's been beautiful in Upstate NY this week! I am doing a lot of listening/reading while outside walking or doing yardwork. I didn't check in last week, so I have two weeks worth of books to update here!

Finished:

#26 - Book with animal in the title - The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden. This was out of my comfort zone. I don't usually do YA fantasy, but I loved how much I learned about Russian culture and folklore in this novel. Excited to read the next in the trilogy!

Dear Martin by Nic Stone. I loved this one and read it in a day! It would work great for a book about an issue facing society as it talks about police brutality, racism, etc. It goes hand in hand with other popular titles like The Hate U Give and All American Boys.

If I Was Your Girl by Meredith Russo. This would work as a book by an LGBT+ author. Another quick but thought provoking read about a trans girl trying to navigate through a new high school and love interest, all while battling the fear of being "discovered."

Leah on the Offbeat by Becky Albertalli. This would work as a book by an LGBT+ author as well. This book is the sequel to Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda, so we get to see some of those beloved characters a year later at the end of their senior year. I recommend it if you loved Simon!

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell. A cute read about a girl adjusting to "adult life" as a college freshman. It is a bit long, in my opinion, but I enjoyed it.

Currently Reading:

Trying to get more challenge prompts taken care of so...

#13 - Book that is also a stage play or musical - The Color Purple by Alice Walker. This has been on my TBR forever. I'm listening to it AND reading it simultaneously, so I'm flying through it. Riveting read. Definitely recommend! I want to watch the movie so badly now.

A#2 - A cyberpunk book - Ready Player One by Ernest Cline. My husband and I are actually listening to this together, which is awesome since we have very different tastes and seldom read/listen to the same stuff. We're both enjoying it, at about 30% in. It's not my usual genre, but I am getting into it and excited to recommend it to my students!

Current Challenge Progress:
29/40 regular
4/10 advanced
33/50 overall :)

As you can see I've been on a YA rampage lately!! Trying to get some new books into my kiddos hands before summer break sneaks up on us. I am hoping to have more free time this summer (as a teacher) to read longer, more complex adult reads. With that being said, I'm a huge advocate of YA fiction. I think a lot of the texts I've mentioned above tackle VERY complex topics in a thought provoking and respectful way.

QOTW:
It is so hard for me to narrow down just ONE terrible mother in literature. Isn't that so sad?! I feel like I've been so blessed with the best mom and mother figures EVER that it is hard for me to even fathom having a terrible mother.

Ummm... I guess I would have to point out the horrible mother/grandmother in The Roanoke Girls. I read that this year, and she's definitely one for the record books. Without spoilers, let's just say she did the opposite of protect, cherish, and support her daughters and granddaughters. (Didn't love this book because I felt like it was almost unrealistic how terrible this woman was.)

The mother in Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine also gets a huge nomination. She's terrible and root of all of Eleanor's issues. (Great read!)

I've been doing a lot of off challenge reading lately. This week I finished 3 books:

#21 - Book with my fave color in the title - Purple Hibiscus - I enjoyed this YA novel about a young girl growing up in Nigeria. This is the second book I've read this year that is told from the perspective of females growing up and living in Nigeria during their years of political unrest in the 1990s. I enjoyed it.

The Age of Miracles -- not for the challenge. Kind of depressing, but I still enjoyed it.

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo Also not for the challenge - this was a really engaging, beachy type read.

Progress:
28/40 challenge
4/10 advanced prompts
46 books reads for the year overall

Currently Reading:

The Summer of Jordi Perez

Fangirl

Just trying to preview some things for my class library. Not for the challenge. Hoping to tackle at least one challenge book in the week to come!

QOTW:
I don't follow authors but I follow a lot of book clubs/avid readers/fellow English teachers for book ideas.

I used to be a strictly one-book-at-a-time kinda girl, but since discovering audio books about a year ago, I now have two going at all times. Audio is strictly for the car, walking my dog, and doing chores around the house when everyone else is sleeping/gone/busy. My other is a either a real deal book OR digital, but I don't usually have one of each going simultaneously.

Every once in awhile I'll forget a book on the go and start a third, but I will try to finish one of the real books ASAP to get back to my norm of one-and-one! I have been going through books WAY quicker since getting into audio books, so I like being a two-at-once kinda girl now. Isn't reading (and being read to) grand?

I forgot to post this week, so I am going to double up for the last two weeks! It is cold and snowy in upstate New York, so that's a big fat boo from me since I am on spring break from work. Only good thing is that there is no reason not to sit inside and read, I guess...

Finished:

A-10 - Recommended by someone doing the challenge - The Alice Network by Kate Quinn. I loved it! Would also work as a book about a real person or a book about feminism (since it has feminist themes)

#39 - Book that involves a library or a bookstore - The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin. Cute story, easy read.

#25 - A book set at sea - Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepatys. This was recommended to me by one of my students. Gosh, this book broke my heart! Very heart wrenching story about the end of WWII as the Russians were taking over areas formerly occupied by Germany and everyone was trying to escape. Heartbreaking story about an event that gets lost in all the other horrors of WWII.

#17 - A book borrowed or given as a gift - Allie and Bea by Catherine Ryan Hyde. This was another cute story about a teenage girl and an older woman who find each other on the road during low points in their lives. I thought it wrapped up too conveniently and left me a little bit wanting, but it was a quick read. Would be nice for a vacation book or beachside read.

Not for the challenge:
Mrs. Fletcher
The Queen of Hearts

Total:
27/40 & 4/10

Currently Reading:
How to Save a Life - not for the challenge (that I can figure out at this point)
The Wedding Date - also not for the challenge.

I am on break from work for the week, so I am just reading leisurely!

QOTW:
My reading changes have both changed AND stayed the same. I still enjoy a lot of the same genres and even authors that I always liked. However, now that I am reading more than EVER, I challenge my tastes and try to read outside my comfort zone - even by doing this challenge! I look for books that take place in different countries or books by brand new authors. I am willing to try out new genres (cyberpunk, anyone? nordic noir?) and often seek out texts with diverse narrators. I'm also WAY more open to anything non-fiction, and I'm trying to read more of the classics. So, I guess the big difference now is that I'm a more well-rounded reader, even if I do still love some of my old go-tos.

A book with plant life in the title (or on the cover)

A book written by a pop culture icon (reality tv star, comedian, actress, musician, etc.)

loved The Alice Network! highly recommend. would fit this prompt, celebrity book club, and recommended by fellow challenger (among other potentially)

a book recommended by someone at least 15 years older or younger than you

the first book in a new series

reread a favorite from your childhood

a book with a proper first name in the title

I finished up some things that I had been reading/listening to for awhile, which felt good! I get antsy if it takes me weeks vs. days to finish a book - even if I am really enjoying it. Does anyone else feel that way? Maybe I need to retrain myself.

#11 - Female author using male pseudonym - Finally finished The Cuckoo's Calling on audio. It was okay. I think maybe I have an audio book limit of 12 hours or so. The last few hours of this one felt like such a chore, but I don't know if it was the book itself (very very dialogue heavy, very in your face who-dunnit) or the audio format.

#7 - Set in a country that fascinates you - I read Stay with Me. This novel was set in Nigeria during the tumult of the 1980s. It was fascinating to learn about the cultural expectations and how those so painfully shaped the characters and relationships. It was a quick but deep read. I recommend it!

Book Challenge:
Regular - 24/40
Advanced - 3/10


Currently reading:

Just started listening to Salt to the Sea. I might use it for the "book at sea" prompt, but I am really reading it because one of my beloved students read it and raved about it. I love getting my recommendations from my 8th graders (even if I do not always agree with their assessment).

I am also reading The Alice Network for my ladies book club at work and it should also cover the prompt A#10 since I know at least one person recommended it from this group on the feed. :)

Happy spring and happy reading, ya'll!

QOTW:
Honestly I have been trying to read books taking place in OTHER locations lately. I feel like I learn so much about different places, cultures, religions, lifestyles this way. I have major wanderlust after reading a few books that take place in London and Paris! Plus, central New York doesn't make for the most riveting of settings...

A book with the name of a chemical element in it (oxygen, iron, gold, silver, neon, etc.)

A coming of age story

I am also in NY, so snow, cold, and illness have not been the best for my mood, but great for my challenge.

This week I finished off a few prompts:

#1 - Book of a movie you've already seen - Breakfast at Tiffany's by Truman Capote. Let myself off the hook a little bit here since this is really a novella and I read it in one sitting. I enjoyed it, but I couldn't NOT see Audrey Hepburn as Holly Golightly. This prompt basically reinforced, for me, why I always read the book first.

#15 - Book about feminism - Moxie by Jennifer Mathieu. I am always looking for empowering reads for my middle school girls, so I chose this one. I have a lot more "adult" feminism reads on my TBR list, but I am glad I picked this one up. I will definitely be buying a copy for my classroom library!

#18 - Book by two authors - Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan. This was HUGE letdown. I hated it. If it hadn't been an audio book, I definitely would have DNF-ed it. Oh well. Checked one off the prompt list.

#32 - A book from a celebrity book club - The Light We Lost by Jill Santopolo was Reese Witherspoon's book club choice for February. It was a quick read, kept my attention, not life changing by any means.

A#4 - Book tied to your ancestry - The Wonder by Emma Donoghue. This book takes place in Ireland and deals with Catholicism, so it connected to my ancestry on two fronts. Engaging read.

A#9 - Book about problem facing society - I feel like I will read twenty books that could fit this prompt, so I might be moving this out of here eventually, but for now I put Dumplin' by Julie Murphy in there. The book is YA and deals with obesity, fat shaming, bullying, etc.

Challenge Update:
Regular - 22/40
Advanced - 3/10

When I first started this challenge, I thought that I would NEVER be able to finish it. Now it is seeming quite possible!

QOTW:
Honestly I am not thrilled about ANY of the books from 2006 (that I hadn't read already). I remember looking and then promptly forgetting when none immediately caught my attention. I will have to go back and look again.

I've been on an amazing reading streak! I loved the last few books I read, which is always motivating! However, I also feel like I have been neglecting all of the more difficult prompts so I worry I am going to hit a challenge wall here pretty soon.

This week I finished:

Seven Days of Us that I have not figured out a prompt for (at least an unfilled prompt), but I liked it nevertheless!

#6 - Book about a Real Person - The Paris Wife by Paula McClain. I enjoyed it! I listened to it on audiobook so it took a little while, but it was good entertainment while I was scrubbing my house and driving to work. Made me very interested in Hemingway and the whole "Lost Generation."

#19 - Book about or involving a sport - Bear Town by Fredrik Backman. I wish I had been able to get this from the library in time to join the February discussion! I burned through this book in two days. I really liked it!

Currently Reading:

#15 - Book about feminism - I chose the YA book Moxie by Jennifer Mathieu. Just started this one last night, so I'm only a few chapters in. Waiting for it to pick up! I chose this one because I am always looking for empowering books to add to my class library. (I teach middle/high school ELA.)

#18 - I'm listening to Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan right now. I am feeling pretty lukewarm towards it, but I am more than halfway through so I will push through to get the prompt completed!

Current Challenge Update:
19/40 and 1/10 finished

QOTW:
I admit that I definitely tend to gravitate towards what is popular. I follow Reese Witherspoon's book club and read (and enjoy!) a lot of her picks. I also find myself reading the "popular reads" two or three years after their peak. I won't lie - I LOVE a lot of the books that are universally loved. I loved The Help, The Time Traveler's Wife, etc. I don't think this is a bad or shallow thing. I think it speaks to the universal nature of those texts and how the author is able to capture something so deep and true for so many people.

With that being said, I'm interested in finding and reading some more obscure books that I might miss out on otherwise. I would LOVE some less popular recommendations! Throw 'em at me!

I had a pretty good reading AND challenge week! Woo!

Finished:

#14 - Author of Different Ethnicity -- I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika L. Sanchez. I liked it overall and would recommend it to YA lovers!

#34 - Book published in 2018 - Surprise Me by Sophie Kinsella. I just love Sophie Kinsella from my younger days of reading her Shopaholic series. You need these books sometimes to break up some heavier reads. This was not my favorite of hers, but still enjoyable/quick read nevertheless.

A#1 - Allegory - Home Fire by Kamila Shamsie. I think I can count this book as an a allegory, even if the connection is not as precise as something like Animal Farm, given that it is a retelling of Antigone and therefore, all the characters, conflicts, events, and even themes are basically symbolically developed. I really enjoyed this book and recommend it. It gave me a lot to think about and inspired adding some new things to my TBR list!

Challenge Update: 17/40 and 1/10 prompts accomplished

Currently Reading:

#6 - Book about a real person - The Paris Wife by Paula McClain. This is a fictional account about Ernest Hemingway and his first wife, Hadley. I am listening to it on old fashioned audio CDs and I am almost done with disc 6/10. I like it so far, but don't love it. I think it will end up being a solid 3.5 star rating at this rate.

??? - Seven Days of Us by Francesca Hornak. Just on my TBR list and may or may not fulfill a prompt. Grabbed it when I saw it at the library on an impulse. Only about 40 pages in, but pretty intrigued so far! I love me a good family drama.

QOTW:
Well, I am an ELA teacher, so I was a little disheartened by how many people didn't like or even remember their assigned reading! I don't actually assign whole class novels anymore - I let students choose their own - so I guess I get it a little bit. I also realized that while I loved my literature classes growing up, I didn't actually love most of the actual literature either! I guess some favorites would have to be The Giver from sixth grade and The Poisonwood Bible from senior year. Most of my favorite curriculum books I read on my own as an adult - Mockingbird, Gatsby, The Outsiders, Shakespeare...

Well, I read several books this week, but none really fit in any prompts (that I still have open).

I highly recommend . It won the National Book Award for Young Adult literature.


I am still hanging out at 15/40 and 1/10.

Currently reading:

#14: I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika L. Sanchez (different ethnicity)

#6: The Paris Wife by Paula McClain (based on real person)

QOTW:

I do listen to podcasts, but not usually about reading. I've listened to MMD's podcast once or twice. If I am in a position to listen to something, I usually go with an audio book! I might check some podcasts out when I run out of audio books though, so I appreciate the suggestions.

I just finished Home Fire by Kamila Shamsie. It is a modern retelling of Antigone. Obviously the characters, events, themes in her novel symbolically represent those in Antigone... however, I'm not sure if this is enough to truly qualify as an allegory. Thoughts? Are reimagined retellings of classics allegorical?

I just read Kissing in America by Margo Rabb for this prompt. It was a quick read and dealt with hard topics (like deaf and grief tend to be) without being totally soul crushing. I liked the focus on female friendships and mother/daughter relationships. It wasn't the YA "everyone sucks, I suck, my parents suck" sob story. I thought it was mostly hopeful and optimistic. I enjoyed it, even through the more far fetched circumstances of the book.

A memoir or an autobiography

A book involving a prominent political figure (fiction or non-fiction)

A book about a religion other than the one you practice

A book frequently read in high school English classes (love that idea!)

A book told in prose poetry format

A book whose title has a person's name in it

A book with a one word title

A book with plant life in the title

A book written by an author of Asian descent

A book written by an author of African descent

A book about someone with a super power

This week I read:

One of Us Is Lying for the prompt "Title with Song Lyrics." It was engaging. My students are excited to read it.

There's Someone Inside Your House and used it for the prompt about Halloween (takes place in weeks leading up to Halloween with climax on Halloween). If it hadn't been for the prompt, I probably would not have finished it. I didn't like it at all.

Spoonbenders for the prompt about time travel as one of the family member's super power is being able to travel back and forth throughout time (greatly influences story). This was a crazy tale, but overall I enjoyed it.

The Stranger in the Woods: The Extraordinary Story of the Last True Hermit for my True Crime prompt. The crime in this case is theft - nothing violent. A colleague recommended this to me. I don't read a lot of true crime or even non-fiction so it was really nice to get out of my comfort zone. A quick and thought-provoking read. I recommend it!

Overall I am 13/40 and 0/12 bonus

It was a really productive week! Right now I am working on a few challenges that may not fit any my remaining prompts. Just reading to read. :)

I'm worried that I am cruising through the prompts that I like or that are easy for me, and I will be stuck with ALL challenging reads at the end of the year!

QOTW:
Goodreads is my main source of book searching. I have had an account forever, but I got really into using it just over the past year. I had a few too many of those moments when you get a few chapters into a book and realize you've read it already! I decided to keep better track of what I read and what I want to read. I also love being part of the challenge! I must be even more competitive than I thought, but it has me reading more than I've ever read in my life.

I also use Pinterest for random book list pages and suggestions from friends.