Raye’s Comments (group member since Jan 04, 2019)

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

0/50

2020 Challenge - Regular prompts

1. A book that's published in 2020
2. A book by a trans or nonbinary author
3. A book with a great first line
4. A book about a book club
5. A book set in a city that has hosted the Olympics
6. A bildungsroman
7. The first book you touch on a shelf with your eyes closed
8. A book with an upside-down image on the cover
9. A book with a map
10. A book recommended by your favorite blog, vlog, podcast, or online book club
11. An anthology
12. A book that passes the Bechdel test
13. A book with the same title as a movie or TV show but is unrelated to it
14. A book by an author with flora or fauna in their name
15. A book about or involving social media
16. A book that has a book on the cover
17. A medical thriller
18. A book with a made-up language
19. A book set in a country beginning with "C"
20. A book you picked because the title caught your attention
21. A book published the month of your birthday
22. A book about or by a woman in STEM
23. A book that won an award in 2019
24. A book on a subject you know nothing about
25. A book with only words on the cover, no images or graphics
26. A book with a pun in the title
27. A book featuring one of the seven deadly sins
28. A book with a robot, cyborg, or AI character
29. A book with a bird on the cover
30. A fiction or nonfiction book about a world leader
31. A book with "gold," "silver," or "bronze" in the title
32. A book by a WOC
33. A book with at least a four-star rating on Goodreads
34. A book you meant to read in 2019
35. A book with a three-word title
36. A book with a pink cover
37. A Western
38. A book by or about a journalist
39. Read a banned book during Banned Books Week
40. Your favorite prompt from a past POPSUGAR Reading Challenge

2020 Challenge - Advanced prompts

1. A book written by an author in their 20s
2. A book with "20" or "twenty" in the title
3. A book with a character with a vision impairment or enhancement (a nod to 20/20 vision)
4. A book set in the 1920s
5. A book set in Japan, host of the 2020 Olympics
6. A book by an author who has written more than 20 books
7. A book with more than 20 letters in its title
8. A book published in the 20th century
9. A book from a series with more than 20 books
10. A book with a main character in their 20s

Hi all

I missed last week’s check-in and lots has happened since then!

My biggest news is that I quit my job yesterday. This was a huge decision and I was surprisingly more emotional about it than I expected to be. My husband got an amazing job offer overseas and we’ve decided to accept. Which means that my next few months are going to be spent finalising things at work, packing up my life, selling the house and moving to the other side of the world. Lots to do, but I’m actually really excited about it all.

On the book front, I finished the challenge! And in almost half the time it took me last year.

August will be focussed on the N.E.W.T.s for me (hopefully I'll find the time inbetween all the other things that need doing), and after that, finishing A-Z and ATY prompts.

Books completed:

Devil's Peak (not for the challenge) – this is a police procedural by a very popular local author. His style is similar to Nordic Noir which I like, and I love how his characters and language are so typically South African and identifiable. Also, his books are set in my hometown so I know the landmarks and neighbourhoods he writes about.

The Once and Future King (for the book being seen read in a movie prompt) – I really struggled with this one. In my mind, I thought that this was the quintessential book about King Arthur and Camelot, but I was rather disappointed by it. I’m sure that if one dissects it deeper in terms of its philosophies, etc., there’s a lot of merit, but in terms of reading pleasure, I did not enjoy it.

The Kiss Quotient (not for the challenge) – after the previous slog, I just wanted something light and fluffy. And while this fit that bill perfectly, the book was not quite what I was expecting. Based on the marketing of this book, I was expecting more than just a romance, especially with the main character’s neurodiversity being a selling point, but overall I felt it was all a bit too formulaic.

Big Little Lies (not for the challenge) – I’ve only read one other book by this author before and I found it just ok. But this one was so much better! I really enjoyed it, not just the plot but the way the story was told. I’ve started watching the TV series (maybe too soon after the book) and it just doesn’t have the same impact as the book.

The Travelling Cat Chronicles (not for the challenge) – thought this was such a sweet, yet sad book. It was told beautifully, and even though you know what’s coming, it still played out so well. Loved the parts told from the perspective of the cat!

QOTW: one of mine, yay! ;-)

I was also very much the type of person who had to finish a book once started, but I’ve become a bit less compulsive about that nowadays. Although, I still often struggle with not finishing. Sometimes, I’ll speed read ahead, skimming large bits just to get to the end. Sometimes I’ll read a chapter here and there in between other books. And sometimes, I tell myself that I’m just temporarily DNF’ing a book and will eventually come back to it.
As someone mentioned, there’s always that thought that maybe there’s an amazing twist still to come or it gets better. And I’ve read books where that was true. And also ones where it just didn’t get better.

Hi all

@Nadine – enjoy opening that package tomorrow! And hopefully they fix the library catalogue issues soon!

I’ve had quite a productive reading week and am just 1 book short of finishing the challenge.

Adolf Hitler: My Part in his Downfall (not for the challenge) – did not enjoy this one at all. The writing was erratic and difficult to read and the humour bypassed me completely. I think that this may be one of those books better experienced by listening to the audiobook, rather than in print or digital form.

Where'd You Go, Bernadette (for the book being made into a movie in 2019 prompt) – I enjoyed this book but did not love it (see QOTW). Looking forward to seeing what they did with the movie version.

Faceless Killers (for the book that takes place in Scandinavia prompt) – I generally like Nordic Noir and enjoyed this one, although it’s more a police procedural rather than a mystery that the reader tries to solve. One of my colleagues has been telling me for a while to read the Wallander series and I’m glad I finally started. Not in a rush to have to get the next one but I will try to fit them in eventually.

Dark Matter (for the book that I think should be turned into a movie prompt) – loved it! This is my go-to genre and I finished it in basically a single sitting. Fast paced, interesting premise (I’ve always thought that one’s life is a result of all the various choices one has made). I could totally see a movie version playing out in my head as I read so I think it’s a good fit for the prompt too.

QOTW:
If the book appeals to me, I’ll read it whether it’s popular or not. If it doesn’t appeal, I’ll give it a miss. The next factor to consider is availability. If it’s easily available, I’m more likely to read it sooner. If not, I just add it to my TBR list for later.
My problem is that when a book is hyped up too much, even if I enjoy it, most times it just doesn’t live up to that hype and then I land up being underwhelmed by it.

Hi all

I’ve had quite a productive last 2 weeks in terms of reading.

Rebecca (not for the challenge) – I’ve been meaning to read this for ages and finally got around to it. I really enjoyed it and would like to read other books of hers.

Home Fire (not for the challenge) – loved this! I was hooked from the beginning, and I enjoyed the different perspectives. I was not familiar with Antigone, the story on which it was based, but when I googled the story afterward, I think her adaptation was done very well.

The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry (not for the challenge) – was a quick, light book that I thought was just average.

My Lovely Wife (book published in 2019 prompt) – I was looking forward to this book as the blurb sounded really interesting. And while I did enjoy it for the most part, there were a couple of aspects that just didn’t fit. Won’t say more as I don’t want to spoiler it for anyone else.

The Bear and the Nightingale (for the seasonal prompt for winter) – loved the setting, but I thought the buildup in the storyline moved too slowly and was then resolved too quickly. I think someone said in an earlier week that the 2nd book is much better so I guess I’ll have to read that.

The Body in the Library (for the amateur detective prompt) – exactly what I was expecting from an Agatha Christie.

QOTW:
Not really a fan of audiobooks, so can’t comment.

Hi all

@Heather - happy birthday! Hope it's awesome ;-)

Finished 2 books over the past week, both of which were just ok for me.

Eva Luna (for the South American author prompt) - beautifully written, but took me forever to get into it.

Sugar Run (for the book with "sugar" in the title) - started off better but I wasn't really too invested in any of the characters.

QOTW:
Definitely more a mood reader! And even though I love the planning phase at the beginning of a challenge, I always have multiple options listed per prompt so that I can pick my next read depending on what I'm more in the mood for. And even then, I often find myself reading something that wasn't even one of the options I had down.

@Yvonne, I'm very sorry for your loss.

Hi all from a very cold South Africa... brrrr...

I am sooooo excited – I just found out that we have Libby here! Apparently it’s been around for a while but not many people were aware of it and now I’m going around telling everyone!

We went away for the long weekend (Mon was a public holiday here), but it was so cold there that I preferred staying in by the fireplace and reading. Managed to finish 3 books:

The Martian (for the book you meant to read in 2018 prompt) – I had watched and loved the movie, so I knew what to expect, and I got exactly that! And I thought the movie adaptation was done really well!

Pachinko (not for this challenge) – I really enjoyed this, but thought it ended a bit abruptly. I would have liked to have found out more about some characters that I thought had been introduced and then just left hanging, but I guess if everyone’s story was fully resolved, the book would never end. I was also really fascinated with the historical aspects as it’s not something I’m very familiar with.

If Tomorrow Comes (for the reread of a favourite prompt) – I used to love Sidney Sheldon when I was in high school, and this was probably my favourite of his books. But I was really nervous to reread it as I was scared my memory of it would not match the reality. Fortunately I still enjoyed it, whew. And yes, it was dated. And yes, the writing is quite simplistic, but overall it was still a fun caper.

QOTW:
Definitely fiction!

Hi all,

I missed last week's check in (seems like it's becoming an accidental habit to miss ever alternate week). I took a couple of days off from work last week. Usually when I take time off, I always have something to do or somewhere to go to, so it was nice just having time off without any real plans. My only commitment was celebrating my niece's 1st birthday - can't believe how quick the time has gone by since she was born!

Books finished:

Geekerella (not for the challenge) - quick fluffy read, liked all the geek references.

A Place for Us (not for the challenge) - I really enjoyed this book and I thought the author did a great job with the characters! I would have liked to have read a bit more from the middle sister's perspective, and would love to know what happened after the book ended, but overall a great book in my opinion.

Neil Patrick Harris: Choose Your Own Autobiography (for the CYOA prompt) - I was wondering how this type of format would work for an autobiography, and while it started off well enough, my first read ended way too quickly and I missed out on so much of it. My next read resulted in a bit of a loop where I kept getting directed to a bit I had read already, until I decided to go back to the beginning. I didn't even get to his Doogie Howser role (which is where I first got to know him) until after a few read-throughs when I decided to go through the book sequentially to see what I had missed. Interesting concept, seems to suit his personality, loved some bits better than others, but maybe not the best medium for an autobiography.

QOTW:

I like maps, especially in fantasy novels. I usually just glance at them in the beginning but as travel or movement starts happening in the book, I tend to go back to refer to them until the map is embedded in my mind.

I tend to be good at directions so for books that don't include maps, I will try to follow along mentally, even if it's just a description of walking through a building. I won't necessarily stop to google unless the descriptions really don't make sense to me.

Hi all

I finished two books over the last week:

The Player of Games for the book about a hobby prompt. I had originally put this down for the book revolving around a game, but technically game playing is the main character's hobby (and mine) so I switched it. This is the second of the Culture series and I really enjoyed it for the most part.

The Reader, not for the challenge. This was a very short book that covered quite a lot of plot points. My thoughts about this book are harder to put into words, especially without giving away any spoilers. I think it needs to digest a bit more before I even try...

That brings my PS total to 43/55.

QOTW:
Same here, I'll usually get it from context, or if it's really confusing, or used repetitively by the author, I'll google it. This tends to be mostly slang or colloquialisms from other countries or cultures that I'm not familiar with.

Hi all

Missed last week's check in so this is a double one for me. I finished:

Consider Phlebas for the book with a 2 word title prompt. This is the first of the Culture books which I've been meaning to read for a while and finally got around to. It was basically a space opera, but I liked it.

A Keeper, not for the challenge. I love Graham Norton's show and I had heard such good things about his books so I was excited to read this. But I found it just ok.

Wildcard for the 2 books with the same title prompt. I stumbled on this book after googling the title to try to match Wildcard which I read earlier in the year. It's a medical thriller about an Ebola type outbreak, and kept me intrigued enough to want to keep on reading. Turns out it's the third book in a series but while I enjoyed it, I don't think I'll be rushing out to read the rest of them just yet. I have too many series that I've started and not yet finished to catch up on...

Convenience Store Woman for the book by an author from Asia prompt. This was an extremely quick read. And while I liked the overall message of the book, the book did not live up to its hype for me.

Crazy Rich Asians for the book that includes a wedding. I know I jumped the gun a bit as it is next month's group book, but I was in the mood for something light. It was exactly what I expected. And I think that the movie was actually done really well - the changes they made worked better in that medium.

That takes me to 42/55 for PS.

QOTW
Can't remember any books at high school needing trigger warnings.

Miriam wrote: "Charlotte wrote: "Thank you for all the kind words!!"

I want to add some more, since I haven't so far. I am deeply sorry for your loss.

Hope you can find some peace of mind while reading."

@Charlotte - I'm so very sorry for your loss! Sending you tons of virtual support through this difficult time!

Hi all, happy Thursday!

Yesterday was our national elections. The votes have been cast, the campaigning has come to an end (finally!). I don’t think there’ll be any major surprises, but it’s just a countdown now to see what the final results are.

I missed last week’s check-in as we were away for a mini vacation to celebrate my birthday, so this is a double check-in.

Siege and Storm and Ruin and Rising – the second and third books in the Grishaverse trilogy (not for PS, but did fulfil my Potions and Defence Against the Dark Arts O.W.L.s). The whole trilogy was a light enjoyable read for me. I did suspect most of the twists, although I did not predict the last twist at all.

The Husband's Secret (for the book with a plant on the cover prompt and the Herbology O.W.L.). This was just ok for me.

Illuminae (for the unconventional chapters prompt and the Arithmancy O.W.L). I loved the way that the book was set out, and I enjoyed the overall storyline, but I didn’t really like the writing style throughout. I was fine with the text speak of the personal messages between characters, but I guess my issue was more with the way that the ‘formal’ reports were written so informally.

Long Way Down (for the book that takes place in a single day prompt). I found this short but powerful. And I liked the way that it left the conclusion open-ended.

Before We Were Yours (for the novel based on a true story prompt). I really enjoyed this book, although I was quite horrified to read about the details of the true story that inspired it.

Lord of the Flies (for the book with more than a million ratings on Goodreads prompt). Although I’ve never read this before, I was familiar with the premise, if not the details. I struggled a bit with how it was written. And although I’ll only give it 3 stars myself, I can see why it was so popular.

My Sister, the Serial Killer (for the author from Africa prompt). Quick enjoyable read, but wanted more.

I’m currently at 38/55 for PS (I’ve decided to split up prompt #32 and read one each for the author from Asia, Africa and South America, as well as split up prompt #40 for each of the previous years)

And I managed to get an O for the magical readathon by completing 9 O.W.L.s, which is a whole lot more than I expected to finish! ;-) This means I still have a choice of several career options, but will only decide in August after the N.E.W.T.s…

QOTW: ;)

PS is the primary one, but I’m also doubling up on ATY and BookRiot’s Read Harder challenges. Last year I just just just managed to finish PS (on the 31st Dec), but my progress is looking much better this year, so hopefully I should be able to fill the empty prompts on the other challenges after I finish PS.

Oh, and of course, I did the Magical Readathon in April and will follow up in August.

I saw an A-Z challenge as well that I’m trying to populate with books that I’ve already read (for both authors and titles), but it’s just a nice-to-have.

And I’d like to read more books from authors around the world. So not quite a challenge, but I have started keeping a country list.

Hi all, from a crispy South Africa. Autumn is fully here now, and although the days are still warmish, nights are getting colder. So much so that the blankets finally came out over Easter.

I just love short work weeks! And we have 4 in a row here. And with me not working Fridays anymore, that means a few 3-day weeks, yay!

Since last check-in, I managed to read 4 books:

Foundation – for the book recommended by a celebrity (Elon Musk) prompt (and History of Magic O.W.L.). I thought that it started off slowly, and while it never really built up to full speed, I kept wanting to find out what happened next. Overall I quite enjoyed it. I thought that parts of it were quite cleverly done, but I did find that the stories tended to have an element of similarity to them as they progressed, so while I’m really keen to continue reading the series, I think I’m going to wait a while before tackling the next one.

Where Angels Fear to Tread – for the debut novel prompt (and Charms O.W.L.). I struggled a bit with the writing style, the fickle characters and the archaic nature of the time period it is set in, which is strange as I haven’t had issues with other books set in a similar time. The main twist was a bit jarring, but I liked the end twist.

Vinegar Girl – for the retelling of a classic prompt (and Ancient Runes O.W.L). This is part of the Hogarth series of reimagining Shakespeare’s works and is based on the Taming of the Shrew. Unfortunately, while the book was easy enough to read, I was disappointed and thought that it fell flat…

Shadow and Bone – not for this challenge but does count toward the Care of Magical Creatures O.W.L. I’m really enjoying the series and looking forward to finishing the trilogy over the weekend (for the Potions and Defence Against the Dark Arts O.W.L.s).

That takes me to 29/50 for PS, and 6 O.W.L.s so far.

QOTW:

Both are important, but of the two, I’d definitely agree with plot. And if there’s a great twist that I couldn’t see coming, even better! I think that a badly written book with a strong plot can still be salvaged, but a well written book with no plot can leave me wanting…

Brooke wrote: “I've had a lot of opportunities to travel a lot for work over the last 15 years, so my choice would be someplace work will (probably) never take me: South Africa…”

@Brooke: Yeah! Great choice ;-) I might be slightly biased but I think it's amazing here in South Africa and there are so many different places to see!

Trish wrote: “I also get a hankering to visit Botswana every time I read a No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency book…”

@Trish: I was actually just yesterday looking at visiting Botswana in May, and on one of the sites, the 2nd most popular activity in Gabarone is visiting the set of the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency.

Brittany wrote: “Hobbiton! Which means I guess New Zealand. I would lovvvvvve to go check out the sets of LoTR/Hobbit. It's been on my bucket list since the first film came out...”

@Brittany: Ooh, yes, Hobbiton (and the rest of New Zealand) is also totally on my to-see list.

Hi all

This week has really flown by! And unfortunately didn’t get much reading in. After reading Ms. Marvel, Vol. 1: No Normal last week for the superpower book prompt, I landed up reading all the others that have been published thus far.

The only other book that I read was Aesop's Fables, which was short and quick and chock-a-block full of idioms and phrases that are commonly used so will be using it for that prompt.

To everyone on vacation – enjoy! And those not on vacation, at least there's a long weekend to enjoy…

QOTW:

Everywhere! I love travelling and every time I read a book set somewhere I haven’t been, real or fictional, I want to go there. And when I do travel to a place that I’ve read about before, I always get excited… I spent a couple of days in York not that long ago and got so excited about all the Harry Potter film locations, including the inspiration for Diagon Alley, not to mention the Yorkshire moors (think Wuthering Heights and Hound of the Baskervilles), and of course Whitby (where Bram Stoker was inspired).

If I had to choose just one real place for now, I think it would be the Trans-Siberian railway trip across Russia from Moscow to Vladivostok. It’s actually from a book that I hated but the description of the train journey stood out for me.

The QOTW and recent news reminds me of the first time I went to Paris. It was just after The Da Vinci Code had come out and while we were in the Notre Dame, a tour group came past that was following all the clues from the book. Of course, we’d been looking out for them as well while we were there, but still thought it quite cool that there was an actual tour put together so quickly. I’m hoping that they’ll be able to restore the cathedral to its former glory, but I’m guessing it will take quite a bit of time and effort.

Hi all. The weather is finally starting to turn here and it’s getting colder as we head further into autumn. Time to get the blankets out…

Work has been terrible over the last while. There has been some downsizing going on so morale is very low. And it doesn’t help that the powers that be are not really communicating with everyone. On the positive side though, I have decided to drop down to a 4 day week (or rather scale up to a 3 day weekend), which officially started last week. ;-)

Anyhoo, back to the books. I missed checking in last week, so catching up from where I left off last time, I’ve read 4 books.

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz – for the book that inspired a common phrase or idiom prompt. I was expecting several of these to pop up, such as: “there’s no place like home”, “we’re not in Kansas anymore”, the man behind the curtain”, follow the yellow brick road”, etc. But sadly, other than the first one, all the others must have come from the movie. However, the movie was inspired by the book, so I’m still going to count it. This was a very quick read, and exactly what I remembered. What I hadn’t remembered was how many books there were in the total series – I think 14.

Coincidentally, just after I finished, I saw a film synopsis which I found hilarious:
“The Wizard of Oz – transported to a surreal landscape, a young girl kills the first person she meets and then teams up with three strangers to kill again.”

21 Lessons for the 21st Century – for the book about a problem facing society prompt from last year (and the Muggle Studies O.W.L.). I found this book quite overwhelming – there were too many things that the author wanted to get across and at times it felt like he was just throwing statements out. However there were many things that made me stop and think, and also many times when I disagreed with him or thought he was oversimplifying things. I read this for one of my IRL book clubs and it was probably the most animated discussion we’ve ever had. So in terms of what he said his intention was, I do think that he achieved his aim of the book being a conversation starter.

Death on Taurus – for the zodiac sign in the title prompt (and the Transfiguration O.W.L.). This was a random free book that popped up in my feed that I bought purely for the title (especially as I am a Taurus myself). It was a bit weird but with an intriguing enough premise. Sadly, the author didn’t quite make it work.

Ms. Marvel, Vol. 1: No Normal – for the book about someone with a superpower prompt. Very easy read and love that they’ve introduced a more diverse superhero! I did find that the story about how she got her superpowers was a bit flat, but hopefully they expand on it later in the series. Guess I’ll find out as I’m probably gonna read it all!

That takes me to 25/50.

QOTW

I do sometimes think of something while reading but I never write it down and then struggle to remember afterward. But I don’t really write reviews, except for myself.

Elizabeth wrote: "Emotionally I had a crap week (TW: death my grandma had a fall earlier this month and was in rehab to help with her broken shoulder but expected to recover most function, then had a stroke and surg..."

I'm so sorry for your loss Elizabeth. My condolences to you and your family!

Ellie wrote: "Carmen wrote: "So, to my reading. I came across the Magical Readathon so of course I'm all for it, and I would definitely recommend it! It starts April 1st and it lasts the entire month..."

I thou..."

This does sound like fun! Probably won't have time to do it justice, but maybe I could try one of the easier careers this year, like Journalist/Writer.

@Ellie - the main documents you need are the Career Guide and O.W.L. prompts. From the career guide, choose what career you want to study toward and it will tell you what subjects you need to get an O.W.L. in (which are basically the prompts). The second part of the challenge is the N.E.W.T.s which takes place in August. The career guide also tells you what the requirements are to pass those. I assume those prompts will be published later, but it'll be 3 books to get an O, 2 books to get an E, and 1 book to get an A, per subject. Hope that makes it clearer?

Sarah wrote: "The Alchemist - I only picked this up because I know it's popular and wanted to see what all the fuss was about. Now that I've read it, I still don't understand..."

Read The Alchemist ages ago, can't remember much of the actual story but I do remember also being very underwhelmed by it!

Hi all

I finished 3 books this week (am doing so much better this year compared to last year!)

Warcross, for the LitRPG prompt. I found it a quick, light read. Yes, some parts were predictable but still a fun read. And in my case addictive, as I had to read the sequel, Wildcard, immediately afterward. Not quite as absorbing as the first one, but still an enjoyable read. I’m not yet sure if I can fit it into a prompt, but I may use it as one of the two books with the same title prompt as I’ve seen many other books with the same title.

The Graveyard Book, for the ghost story prompt. I don’t do horror, so when this was suggested, it sounded perfect. Plus I love Neil Gaiman. It was another quick read, and I found it cute. Really liked the characters and especially liked the various epitaphs on the graves.

That takes me to 21/50.

QOTW:
Prefer a neat ending, but am ok with grey areas - it depends on the book; in some cases, open endings can work. What I don’t like though is when it feels like an ending was rushed just to get it quickly tied up before the end. Or conversely, if a book just ends very abruptly.
@Kenya – completely agree with your comment about series!