Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge discussion

Not sure how the discussion will go for this one (unless we recommend books to one another) but here's where we'll keep track of our progress. When you finish this month's challenge, post in the "I'm finished!" folder.

I am going to read The Legends of Khasak for this prompt.
This was suggested to me by a person whom I met in a book club I joined recently.
Hoping it to be an exciting read.

I've decided to ask the last person I've "met" on Goodreads for a recommendation.

I'm planning to read American Gods by Neil Gaiman for mine. A good friend from work recommended it not too long after we met (last year). Since I don't meet a lot of new people, and I don't ask new acquaintances for book recommendations this is probably the closest I will get.

I'm a little nervous. Neil Gaiman is new for me. I read one of his short stories earlier this year, and I watched Stardust (based on the same friend's recommendation), but I read a little bit of American Gods a few months ago and I'm not sure its for me. I'll give it the old college try, but I'm not confident...

Sara wrote: "I'm planning to read American Gods by Neil Gaiman for mine ... Neil Gaiman is new for me. I read one of his short stories earlier this year, and I watched Stardust (based on the same friend's recommendation), but I read a little bit of American Gods a few months ago and I'm not sure its for me. I'll give it the old college try, but I'm not confident... "

I loved American Gods. It was the first Gaiman book I read. I'm now officially hooked. Never knew I liked this genre of science fiction before reading American Gods. Starz is turning it into a TV series. It's in pre-production right now. Every so often, Gaiman will post casting news.

Juanita wrote: "Starz is turning it into a TV series. It's in pre-production right now. Every so often, Gaiman will post casting news...."

Yes, my friend is very excited about it. She geeks out about that show (and casting news) like I do about Outlander :)

Hmmm .. I bought Outlander as a Kindle deal a few weeks ago. Maybe I'll use that one for this prompt as I take it you recommend? Course, it's a bazillion pages and that's a turn off for me.

I work from home so I really don't meet a lot of people so I decided to go with The Girl on the Train. A lot of people have recommended it so I'm going to count it.

And I loved Outlander but it is long and can be tedious if you're not feeling it. The show is also addictive.

Juanita wrote: "Hmmm .. I bought Outlander as a Kindle deal a few weeks ago. Maybe I'll use that one for this prompt as I take it you recommend? Course, it's a bazillion pages and that's a turn off fo..."

I will definitely give you a recommendation for Outlander! Diana Gabaldon is my favorite author. Yes it is long, but her story/character development is just so darn good! I usually tell people to give it 100 pages (may be slightly different in the ebook, but point of reference would be when Claire is at Castle Leoch).

Remember how we complained about the editing needed in Cress and Winter? That's a very rare complaint (at least for me) in the Outlander series. She's very intentional with her use of language and building towards a future scene. It's really interesting to hear her discuss her writing style.

She recently posted this breakdown of her writing method on Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/story.php?stor...

There's a very slight spoiler but only if you are reading the last book but haven't finished yet. Since you haven't read it yet, there are no worries. You won't even catch it :)

I can only think of one time in the series when I really said to myself "ok, let's just move it along now" and that's in one of the most recent books when a character was lost and wandering in the Great Dismal swamp.

I'm going to be reading The Martian. A new teacher to my school who I really didn't know at the time recommended it as she's was going to be doing it at the time with her Botany class.

My most recent Goodreads friend got back to me so I will be reading Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult

I'll use Beautiful Ruins for this task, which my current boss recommended to me the week I started this job. I have high hopes, even though it's a little outside my usual wheelhouse.

My back-up is Commencement, which a librarian recommended a few days ago when I told her I was in a reading rut.

Thegirlintheafternoon wrote: "I'll use Beautiful Ruins for this task, which my current boss recommended to me the week I started this job. I have high hopes, even though it's a little outside my usual wheelhouse..."

I'll be curious to hear what you think. I was considering that one for "takes place during summer" though I don't actually know it takes place during the summer.

As I was checking my daughter in for her doctor's appointment a few weeks back, I noticed the receptionist had a book on her counter. It was a book I was considering reading for one of the prompts of this challenge. I asked her how she liked it. She said she didn't like it and wasn't planning on finishing it. She told me I *had* to read The Orchardist by Amanda Coplin. It was one of her favorites and highly recommended I read it.
So although I didn't really meet this woman and I'll probably never see her again, I am going to take her recommendation and read The Orchardist for this prompt. It sounds intriguing.

Just as soon as I finish Americanah for "set in my home state" (I haven't started it yet, hope to get started Sunday or Monday), I will be asking a librarian for a recommendation. I'm bizarrely nervous about this! I ask librarians for help all the time, but I never ask for recommendations. But people LOVE giving recommendations, right?!

Hopefully this will all happen during May.

Juanita wrote: "Thegirlintheafternoon wrote: "I'll use Beautiful Ruins for this task, which my current boss recommended to me the week I started this job. I have high hopes, even though it's a litt..."

Juanita, I'll be sure to let you know what I think! My boss absolutely loves it, so I'm hoping I'll like it, too.

I started Outlander a few days ago. I'm at 43% so hope to finish it by our next checkin on Thursday.

I am enjoying it. Wonder why it has taken me 20 years to read it. ;-)

I started Outlander a few days ago. I'm at 43% so hope to finish it by our next checkin on Thursday.

I am enjoying it. Wonder why it has taken me 20 years to read it. ;-)

I don't love the Outlander series because it has a Trope that is just a personal turn off for me (probably not the one you're thinking of) but it seriously is a much faster read than it seems when you pick up the tome.

I think I've read the second one.... not sure about that. I certainly have the second one. Maybe I'll give it a go as the thing that bugs me has happened now and it's been about 8 years since I read it and it isn't like it is going to happen again... hmmm.

I was a little worried I wouldn't have any books by this month tbh, but luckily I've been able to amass a few suggestions. At the end of last year, I was helping a comic book artist (with whom I have mutual friends, but have never met) with some technical aspects of her panel at a comic book convention, where she recommended Catching the Big Fish: Meditation, Consciousness and Creativity by David Lynch. Although I'm not a creative type myself, I do love David Lynch and would be interested in gleaning more insight into his work and thought processes.
I was at a book signing with famous journalist Amy Goodman, when the man in front of me recommended An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz if I enjoy books about history and politics (which I do). While I know some of the history of Americas indigenous peoples and have had some interaction with people from a few different tribes, I could always learn more about their place in history and current events.
I recently attended alumni weekend at my alma matter, where a fellow alum I had never met before recommended Elizabeth and Her German Garden by Elizabeth Von Armin or her own memoir All My Edens by Pat Welsh when I had recalled reading The Secret Garden for a college course. This woman was totally badass and I completely trust anything she recommends. She's also a writer of gardening books, so she probably knows what's what when it comes to books about gardening. So I might go with one of those.