Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge discussion
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2017 Weekly checkins
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Week 18: 4/28 - 5/4
April was the worst reading month I've had in a while. But the good thing is summer is coming which means there will be lot of reading done by the pool. Still reading Made You Up. Its not that long of a book but it seems to be taking me forever to read.
14/40 still :(
QOTW I'm really not sure what I would recommend. I think The Hunger Games could spark some good conversation.
Hi all,This week has been quite successful for me in terms of reading. I am now at 24/40 and still 1/12.
I finished:
A Gathering of Shadows for the audiobook prompt. I did not like this as much as I liked A Darker Shade of Magic, and hoping that A Conjuring of Light will be better! It just took a long time to build to the cliffhanger right at the end. At least, I am glad that I don't have to wait months for the release date like most other fans had to do! :)
The Metamorphosis for a book which has been on my TBR for a long time... and I do mean a loooong time! As an English Lit graduate, I have heard the term 'Kafka-esque' too many times, and finally I got round to reading a Kafka!
Like Water for Chocolate for a book about food. I liked this more than I thought I would actually, and I appreciated all the magical realism elements in it (which is my favourite genre).
I am currently reading Cinder and hoping to finish it by tomorrow.
QOTW: In my country (Malta), we read The Handmaid's Tale and you can say it is a modern classic. I just think its themes are timeless, and we got to know so much about different strands of feminism. I would totally recommend it as mandatory reading. It also helps that there has recently been made a TV series about it.
I am also an advocate of reading works by authors who are not American or British. This would help students broaden their perspectives and learning more about different cultures. I would recommend Things Fall Apart by African author Chinua Achebe and poems by Pablo Neruda.
Mod
I finished four books this week, none of them for the Challenge. I think I'm 38/52. Last year I made a list for myself of books I HAVE to read this year, and I've been focusing on this, as well as scooping up new 2017 releases when I can.
Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon - when I saw there was a movie coming out with Amandla Stenberg, I decided to finally read this much-buzzed-about book, and I was lucky to get a copy quickly through Overdrive. I was disappointed in the book, BUT, I think my 14 yo will love it, so I got a hard copy on hold at the library for her. (She doesn't like reading e-books. Yeah, I don't get it.)
The Stars Are Legion by Kameron Hurley - a 2017 space opera with all female characters. This was very very weird, not because of all the women, but because it was unlike anything I've read before (spaceships that are planets that are possibly sentient creatures that are ... gods?) I wish the ending had explained a few more things, but I'm glad I read it.
American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang - a graphic novel that I've been meaning to read for a long time. This was charming.
The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett - I was surprised to find that I didn't really like this much at all. Hammett's style doesn't really work for me.
QOTW This is a question I've been mulling over for a while now, and I actually put together lists for my daughters of books they should read in high school and college. I've focused on books I enjoyed as a kid, or books I WISH I had read as a kid; diverse, important, and/or thought-provoking books that probably won't be assigned reading in school.
Of course, I'm at work now and my list is at home!
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith - I didn't really love this when I read it last year, but I think it would have had a big impact on me if I'd read it years ago. The characters lead lives that are similar to how my grandparents grew up. I never want my daughters to forget our roots.
Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut - this was actually assigned reading for me, but just in case it's not assigned, I'm telling my kids about it!
Foundation by Isaac Asimov and The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin because they are awesome!
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston - a classic that I think would be accessible for teens.
Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie - such a powerful story about life during wartime; and it's a war that most US teens probably never learn about.
The Mysterious Island by Jules Verne - because classics aren't always dry and stuffy and "important." I read this in 8th grade, just sort of by accident; I think I may have heard of Jules Verne, because of the Disney ride (that no longer exists), and I was just so impressed with myself for reading a classic French author.
The March graphic novel trilogy by Congressman John Lewis - because it's important to remember how awful human beings have been to each other, so that we do t repeat it.
Wuthering Heights - because my teen daughter loves the "bad boy" romances, and Heathcliff is the Original Bad Boy ;-) I read this when I was really young, and I think that might be why I love it. Only an adolescent can fully appreciate the melodrama!
I managed to get through 4 books this week and finally cleared out my "currently reading" shelf! A couple of the books had been in progress for a couple of months but got forgotten along the way. It feels good to start from scratch again. The rest of the month involves a lot of travel – again – so we will see how that affects my reading.I finished the following for the Popsugar challenge:
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde for a book with pictures (30). This was originally published in 1890, and I had to keep reminding myself of that while reading. One of the characters – Lord Henry – had me nearly punching walls with his beliefs about people in general and specifically women (we aren’t good at anything and are just decorative). But, since I never read it in school, I was glad I finally got around to it.
Settle for More by Megyn Kelly for a book by someone I admire (36). I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book since I didn’t know much about her other than the hoopla surrounding the Presidential debate and her attempt to turn that fame into a Barbara Walters-esque TV deal. I admire her work ethic and determination to get where she is today. Kelly is a great storyteller, although she occasionally toots her own horn a bit too much for my taste.
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer for a book of letters (3). I loved this book! I felt almost intrusive at times, since the entire book is letters back-and-forth from various characters in the novel. It was an interesting way to develop the characters as well as advance the plot. I’ve read books where letters/emails/diary entries are a part of the story, but not the entire thing. I highly recommend this one.
The Zookeeper's Wife: A War Story by Diane Ackerman for a book with a cat on the cover (10). My edition is the movie-tie in, and the MC is holding a baby lion on the cover. This was informative, heartbreaking, inspirational, and appalling all at the same time. I am always in awe when learning what people went through during WWII. I didn’t find the tangents as distracting as others; instead, I felt the page devoted to a friend of the family fit nicely to the story and added a bit more depth.
I am at 20/40 & 7/12 for a total of 27/52.
QOTW: I don’t have kids myself, but if I did I would want him/her to have a well-rounded reading education, mixing in some classics (a little Shakespeare, Poe, Bronte,), some from the 1950-60’s (ex. To Kill a Mockingbird, In Cold Blood) and some modern writing. The more exposure, the better chance the high schooler will either stay interested in reading or find something they like. As for modern books, maybe The Kite Runner, Olive Kitteridge, The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay and Half of a Yellow Sun to name a few. There are a lot of great Pulitzer Prize-winning novels of the last couple of decades that would be great for discussion and appropriate for high schoolers.
Mod
Hi Everyone! I can't believe it's May either. Seems like the year just started!
For the overall goodreads goal, I'm at 68/100. I probably should stop just setting 100 as my goal, I'm always over. (I do count graphic novels as books, so a lot of them don't take very long).
I finished Tuesdays at the Castle for my book with a day of the week or month in the title. It was a nice fast read, I actually finished it later in the day that Thursday. Cute book, I might read more of the series later.
The rest of the week was devoted to reading The Dragon and the Unicorn, which I just finished this morning. Unlike most the other books that dragged on for the whole week, I did enjoy it. The slowness was mostly due to it being a really complex novel I couldn't just rip right through. There was Norse mythology layered with Celtic mythology, combined with the origin of Arthurian legend, mixed with a dragon and a unicorn, angels and demons and the spread of Christianity. Plus there was science woven through, with fields of electricity and energy and such. It was good, although Arthurian legend really isn't my favorite. I probably won't continue the series, since this one was leading up to to Arthur, the rest will likely follow the rest of the story.
I'm currently reading Oryx and Crake which I'm not sure will count for anything that I haven't filled already. It was recommended to me a while ago and just now came up.
37/52 is my total
QOTW: I would say Hidden Figures: The Untold True Story of Four African-American Women Who Helped Launch Our Nation into Space would be a great one to add to required reading. So many accomplishments of women, particularly women of color, get swept under the rug in history. It's so great that the book shone some light on them. It's also important to help counter the idea that women can't be good at math or science, or that they can't raise families while having good careers.
This might be silly, but Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, if only to look into the book that caused such a stir across the world. Long before the movies came out, people were in love with the book. Now there's the movies, a play, two theme parks etc. It has gotten even people who don't read to read something. I feel like that's something worth studying.
Well, we had snow on the ground the day before Mayday but it's been warm ever since, possibly even 20 degrees tomorrow, before it gets cold again, or so they say. The weather is messed up...I've been looking and borrowing books, wanting to start something new but haven't read enough of any one of them to count... I guess I'm in a slump.
QOTW: As I mentioned, we don't really have any required reading and teachers have a lot of freedom to decide what they teach and when. Also our mandatory education ends after 9th grade when people are 16, so only a half go to "high school" anyway, others go to vocational schools, and I don't think they read anything that might be labeled YA there, as students are considered to be almost adults and treated that way.
What I might recommend to 7th or 8th graders is Animal Farm because they are studying that era in history and when I read it recently, it felt too... maybe too simple to me, I already guessed what would happen.
Another book I'd recommend to (older) teenagers is Waltari's "Grand Illusion" which he wrote as a 19-year-old in Paris. It was published in 1928 but felt very modern when I was reading it. It was a contemporary novel and had bootlegging and IIRC also mentions of drugs and prostitution etc., so it might interest even those who don't read that much. The interesting part is that Waltari was a minister's son and a student of theology at the time. Later he wrote The Egyptian which is also often read in schools.
Bonjour from chilly Montréal,The water for the birds was frozen this morning.
I'm at the busiest time of the year at my job so not much reading done, but I managed to finish: Death's End
I liked it a lot but not 5 stars as the previous books. It was a great serie.
Nadine, I'm glad to know that I wasn't the only one who didn't like that much Everything, Everything.
QOTW: Really good question. What I'd like to add as assigned reading, would be graphic novels. Most children like those kind of books and it would help those who doesn't like to read.
La disparition would be a good example or The Arrival. Even if that last one has no word, the content is powerful and would bring great discussion.
For older children (high school I guess):
- la vie devant soi
- any Sherlock Holmes
- C'est pas moi, je le jure!
- Life of Pi
- Sophie's World
- the robot's serie by Asimov
Hey there from Paris! Survived my first marathon last Saturday; let's just say that 26.2 miles is longer than you'd think (no matter how long you think it is). That was in Royan, next to the Atlantic, under balmy weather; celebrated with a lunch on the beach with great friends I hadn't seen in a while. Oysters and sparkling wine... great time!
I finished one book for the challenge this week:
35. A book set in a hotel: Wyndham Lewis, Self Condemned , Black Sparrow Press (1st ed. 1954).
That has been a tough nut to crack. I think it's Orwell who characterized Lewis as being a genius novelist whose book lack any life fluid; that's quite accurate... This novel is about the self-exile of an English academic in Canada during WWII; a long, cold, dark time of boredom interspersed with catastrophes. For most of the books the characters are living in a hotel in a fictious Canadian city; thus a good fit for this prompt.
I am now at 13/40, 5/12. 18 books for 18 weeks!
Hello from sunny Iowa! It's been raining here most of the week so I'm happy to see the sun this morning. Only read 2 books this week:I finished a re-read of The Handmaid's Tale. I read it it 1986 without too much impact, but with all the buzz I thought it was worth taking another look. I don't need to re-visit what everyone is saying about this book/tv series, but both are fabulous. In recent years I have grown to enjoyMargaret Atwood. When I was younger I just hated all things science fiction. Now The Blind Assassin and Oryx and Crake are favorites. I'll use this one for the book made into a movie, even though I know it isn't a perfect fit (I know it's a tv show).
I'm currently reading The Shadow Land for a book about travel. I won it in a giveaway, and am glad it fit a prompt! Like all Elizabeth Kostova books it is large (470 pages), but I'm enjoying the travelogue of Bulgaria that is a big part of this book. It shifts between modern times and the 40s and 50s so it could fit that prompt as well. It's not a perfect book but the characters are very likable and I'm learning a lot about a part of the world I know little about.
QOTW: I think The Handmaid's Tale was mentioned and I agree. Also thinking about perspectives of growing up and life in different cultures - The Kite Runner, The Round House may resonate with older students.
Hello! I read 2 books for the challenge this week, so I'm 22/40 or /52
I read
Bitch In a Bonnet: Reclaiming Jane Austen From the Stiffs, the Snobs, the Simps and the Saps, Volume 1 for a book with a subtitle- this was a good read on the whole, though the author irritated me at times being a bit mansplainy.
Good Kings, Bad Kings by Susan Nussbaum which was both by a disabled author and about disabled characters. This was a very good read, painful and heartbreaking at times, but also funny and hopeful.
I'm currently reading From The Beast To The Blonde: On Fairy Tales and Their Tellers which has pictures. However I've put that aside briefly for a bit of life relief in the form of Right Ho, Jeeves by PG Wodehouse, I don't think that will fit any categories but I just needed something easy and fun as have had such a lot on work and life wise.
QOTW: Agree with the suggestion of The Handmaid's Tale.
I have missed two weeks of check ins because I am so ashamed of how behind I am. It took me so long to get back into Emma but I finally finished it. I liked it but I should not have taken a break from it. I should have finished before moving on because I lost the rhythm of the book even though I already knew the plot. Now I am in the process of making a short list of catch up books for prompts. Superfudge and Bossypants should be quick reads. I have Igraine the Brave as my audio book which only has 4 discs. I can do this!
13/52
QOTW: I enjoyed pretty much everything that was required reading in high school but some of the required reading in college felt like it would almost be more beneficial for high school for example The Joy Luck Club, The House on Mango Street, and Bless Me, Ultima were all important books for me. I guess I feel as Americans we take so much fro granted. I would like to include The Glass Castle as high school required reading again because of our consumerism culture. Harry Potter and PG Wodehouse should also be required reading because the British are so much more than just Shakespeare and Jane Austen.
Good morning from San Francisco!I finished three books this week, putting me at 23 finished for the challenge:
The Case Against Sugar by Gary Taubes (19 - a book about food). For me, the most fascinating part of this book is how we come to believe what we do about how things work, and how constant repetition of something can make it "true."
Nutshell by Ian McEwan (21 - a book from a nonhuman perspective). Very cleverly done! The nonhuman in this case is a fetus.
Ms. Marvel, Vol. 1: No Normal by G. Willow Wilson (I read it for a different challenge, but it could work as 32 - a book about an interesting woman, which I already have fulfilled). A Pakistani-American teenager becomes the new Ms Marvel, and I thought it was really well done.
Question of the Week - That's a toughie! I think The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls might be of high interest to high school students and have something to offer them. It's a memoir about the resilience of a neglected child growing up in a highly dysfunctional family.
This week is flying by for me - I suddenly realized on Monday that May had started and that my book club meets the first Tuesday of the month and that day was the next day and I hadn't started the book. I thought I still had a few days, and instead had to read like mad on Monday and Tuesday and finished up just in time. Grit - I decided recently that I wanted to go back and do the 2015 and 2016 challenges for Pop Sugar and Book Riot - I'd been aware of them and in theory meant to do them but I gave up pretty early in terms of focusing on them and then at the end of the year just kinda tried to fill prompts with whatever I'd read. I'm still not as focused as actually pre-selecting titles for prompts, but I have been more focused on reading and seeking out books that should fill prompts as I go, so this one slotted into the 2016 challenge as a book that the main character had my occupation - she was a teacher and a parent and was largely taking about how to help children succeed, and I feel that's close enough to used to teach, am now a mom.
Six Wakes - This was my frantically read book club book and helpfully it was published in 2017. It's a murder mystery with clones in space and is told partly in flashbacks, so it would work well for set in two time periods as well. I really enjoyed it and then I really enjoyed chatting with the book club about all the plot holes.
Pretty Deadly, Vol. 2: The Bear - A character tells a story within a story in this one, which made me suddenly realize there is also a framing story and so I put both volume 1 & 2 down for that prompt. I find these pretty and interesting comics but they are hard to follow for me.
Heir to the Empire - Rogue One made me want to reread the old Thrawn series - I ate up Star Wars novels as a teen, so for now this is under a book that always makes you smile.
Running Like a Girl - this ended up going under the 2015 prompt as a book that made me cry - I have a real issue with tearing up when reading about people finishing hard races. It was a decent memoir and since I'm trying to restart running myself after injury and then two pregnancies, there will be many more like this as I find immersing myself in reading and thinking about running makes it harder for me to skip a planned workout.
QOTW: I can't think of any particular book, but I think that something covering terrorism, refugees/immigratin and LGBTQ+ would be wise. Looking back, most of our required reading was very much meant to address issues but I think that those three things weren't covered (due, I'm sure, to not being quite as immediate as they are now.) I also think that non-fiction needs considerably more focus and there desperately needs to be an intense and thorough curriculum that deals with evaluating sources and dealing with fake news.
I had a good week: I read You: A Novel by Caroline Kepnes which was suuuuper creepy! And I finished Letter to my Daughter by Maya Angelou which came at a good time for me so I loved it. I'm working on The Silkworm but had to pause because I had 3 library books come in but now that they're complete I'll go back to it. I'm also listening to the Harry Potter and the Sacred Text podcast and decided to read Prisoner of Azkaban along with them for my "always makes you smile" prompt.QOTW: I don't know about specific books (I think a lot that I would include are often included) but I think that there should be more of a mix of classics and more modern books with themes that are relevant and relatable. I teach early elementary so not the hs/ms level but my philosophy has always been to let them read what they're interested in and that will get them reading more than reading level appropriate books. This is more relevant where I'm teaching them HOW to read rather than the content or themes of what they're reading, but I think it translates in theory. Books like Speak, Push, Hunger Games, The Book Thief etc can be popular and good reads without the "classic" stigma that often makes teens automatically think of it as homework and shut down.
Hello! This week I finished Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear, I enjoyed it even though it wasn't really all that relevant to my life. I read it for the prompt a book with career advice. I picked a title off the popsugar recommend list for the challenge, and had seen it mentioned here a few times (and it was the only one in stock at B&N so...) Overall I found it a lighthearted and inspirational read, and welll, kind of magical. I also finished The Golem and the Jinni as my book from a non human perspective. I had started this book like 4 damn years ago for a book club I was in and I never got around to finishing it until now. I thought it was very well done. The jinni lore was pretty much exactly what I would hear growing up. A+ would recommend.
Currently reading: The Subtle Knife and Vanity Fair (still! At this rate I'll be lucky if it's done by December.
22/40; 1/12
QOTW: I can't really think of any one particular title, but I think high school should incorporate a book that accurately tackles the topic of death in a modern context. I knew so many peers who lost parents, siblings, and other family members. And we dealt with the passing of staff and a few students over the years. I think it's a really important topic that we shy away from.
Good morning! I'm at 42/52 this week (40/40 and 2/12).
I only finished one book this week, All the Ugly and Wonderful Things. I slotted it as a book about a difficult topic. The subject matter was definitely difficult for me, but it was written beautifully and I'm glad I read it.
I'm not currently reading anything - I had to take a break for a few days due to a migraine - but just got a notification this morning that six of my library holds came available at once, including my 800+ page book! I don't think any of them have renewals, either, so I'm going to try and fit them all into the next three weeks. We'll see how that goes.
QOTW: I agree with the suggestions for The Handmaid's Tale, Half of a Yellow Sun, and Life of Pi. I also recommend A People's History of the United States and maybe Orphan Train. I also wonder if Madeleine L'Engle books would be good for high school. They were amazing for me as a kid, although something like A Wrinkle in Time can probably be read earlier than high school.... I'm also thinking possibly Jacqueline Woodson's novels. Specifically Brown Girl Dreaming and Another Brooklyn, but perhaps those could be read in the younger grades as well.
I finished this past week, The siren by Kiera Cass, Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris and heartless by Marisa Meyer. I am currently reading The Night circus....again. And listening to The Windflower by Laura London. I am about to start The Selection by Kiera Cass.
It's been a slow week because my book of choice is rather dense, so I've also sped through a romance or two on the Kindle when I want to see the the number for my personal challenge -- 100 books this year -- go up.I'm sitting at 15/52 but expect to finish these two by tomorrow:
Finished: Kisses After Dark. This is a series I've been reading for fun for a few years but I'm growing exhausted with the author's repetitive plots, writing style and constant need to summarize all the relationships she's woven through 12 books (who picks up book 12 to start? who needs these refreshers? put a character list at the front!). This might have been my last one.
Currently reading The Bad-Ass Librarians of Timbuktu: And Their Race to Save the World’s Most Precious Manuscripts and really loving learning about West African history and current events. It's well-written (to someone who doesn't have a lot of familiarity with the topic) and while I understand the complaints I've seen about how much time the author spends on history vs. the actual event the title is predicated on, I haven't minded because of my ignorance on the entire subject.
Austenland. This is my book I've read before AND gives me an excuse to read Pride and Prejudice again as a book that's mentioned in another book.
After a couple of weekends of projects and chores at home, I'm declaring this weekend a mental health one and firmly intend to sit in bed with cozy blankets (should be chilly and raining out) and read books.
QOTW: I definitely think there's a representation issue in the average bare-minimum English/Lit curriculum. I don't remember reading much of anything by POC and definitely nothing by an LGBTQ author... and very few women as well. The most diverse options came from my senior AP class which was taught by an admitted hippie who taught a lot of feminist theory. I think The Underground Railroad could generate some great discussion and absolutely agree about The Handmaid's Tale.
Still working on A Gentleman in Moscow so nothing new finished for this challenge this week. As much as I am enjoying it, GiM moves quite slowly and I find myself constantly distracted while reading it. I took a break over the weekend to finish two quick side reads: Breakfast at Tiffany's and The Time Machine. I really enjoyed both of them.QOTW: As for new required reading I might suggest The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. It’s highly readable narrative nonfiction, and I think it would be great to show younger readers that not all nonfiction is as dry textbooks. It also covers many themes great for discussion including scientific investigation, privacy ethics, and gender and race issues. Bonus: there is now a movie version that could be shown at the end of the class reading! (Has anyone watched it yet? I'm looking forward to checking it out.)
This week I finished three books.I read Wonder Woman By George Perez Vol. 1for a book about an interesting woman prompt. I liked the art and Diana herself (Wonder Woman), but I’m not sure superhero comics are my cup of tea.
I also read The Golem and the Jinni for the audio-book prompt. This took me forever to listen to as I luckily have a very short work commute. The story was well written and bittersweet and I not only tolerated but actually liked the narrator. I think it would be a good introduction to fantasy for someone who was a historical fiction fan.
Lastly, I read Intuitive Eating: A Revolutionary Program That Works for a book about food prompt. This was my first four star read of the year because the information was so helpful to me. It was challenging, though, as it runs practically opposite to many prevailing ideas (in Western culture generally but America specially) about nutrition, body image, and exercise.
QOTW- This one was tricky for me. I couldn’t think of any!
Sheri wrote: "The rest of the week was devoted to reading The Dragon and the Unicorn, which I just finished this morning. Unlike most the other books that dragged on for the whole week, I did enjoy it. The slowness was mostly due to it being a really complex novel I couldn't just rip right through. There was Norse mythology layered with Celtic mythology, combined with the origin of Arthurian legend, mixed with a dragon and a unicorn, angels and demons and the spread of Christianity. Plus there was science woven through, with fields of electricity and energy and such. It was good, although Arthurian legend really isn't my favorite. I probably won't continue the series, since this one was leading up to to Arthur, the rest will likely follow the rest of the story..."That sounds really interesting and definitely complex! I may have to look into it. I love mythology and legends!
Hi all, slow week for me - only finished 2 books.Finished
- My Fair Concubine - for Popsugar's "a book with a main character who is a different ethnicity than you." Great setting, solid plot, but I thought the writing was weak. Brings me to 22/40 for the main challenge.
- An Unnatural Vice - for Around the Year's "a book in a sub-genre of your favorite genre." I liked this better than the previous entry in the series, but you'd need to read the first one to understand this. 19/52.
In Progress
- The Fact of a Body: A Murder and a Memoir - For Popsugar's advanced prompts, I've decided to use Advanced Reader's Copies (ARCs) as much as possible! This book comes out in a couple of weeks. It fits the "book about a difficult subject" prompt, and while it is excellent, it is a VERY difficult read in terms of subject matter. If you have any triggers, do some background reading before you pick this one up.
-Fingersmith - Still working on this for Popsugar's "unreliable narrator" prompt. Really loving it, just moving through it more slowly than I expected.
- Gracious: A Practical Primer on Charm, Tact, and Unsinkable Strength - Just for fun, because I like the author's writing.
Thegirlintheafternoon wrote: "Hi all, slow week for me - only finished 2 books."Only bookish people will get a statement like that :) Most of my family would say "seriously? I read maybe a book a month!" :)
Sara wrote: "That sounds really interesting and definitely complex! I may have to look into it. I love mythology and legends! "I'd recommend it! It was in the unicorn humble bundle last week, if you happened to pick it up. Looks like the bundle's over though.
Sara wrote: "Thegirlintheafternoon wrote: "Hi all, slow week for me - only finished 2 books."Only bookish people will get a statement like that :) Most of my family would say "seriously? I read maybe a book a..."
I was thinking the same thing. I am usually considered as a fast reader in my family, but here I am so slow compared to all of you.
Mod
Only bookish people will get a statement like that :) Most of my family would say "seriously? I read maybe a book a..."
That's so funny because you're so right! When I read girlintheafternoon's post, I just nodded knowingly - yep, two books is a slow week, btdt! But you're right, to the average person it's a lot!
Greetings from Cleveland! It is another very rainy week here, though it makes for perfect reading weather. Plus I ran my marathon on Sunday, so now that training is over, I'll have a lot more free time!I read The Haunted Bridge by Carolyn Keene as a re-read that always make you smile. I really struggled with this prompt because I have little interest in re-reading anyway, let alone trying to think of something funny. I finally settled on this because, probably 15 years after my first reading, my mom and I still constantly reference the time Nancy won a golf tournament with a broken arm (though I learned upon re-reading it was "just" a sprained hand). It was a short and easy read, but I was surprised HOW MUCH golf there was. If you thought watching golf was boring, try reading a play-by-play.
The other book I read was Run to Overcome: The Inspiring Story of an American Champion's Long-Distance Quest to Achieve a Big Dream by Meb Keflezighi for a book about an immigrant or refugee. Meb fled to America via Italy as a refugee of the Ethiopian-Eritrean conflict and has become one of the most accomplished marathon runners in US history. While I knew he was from Eritrea, I honestly knew nothing about the conflict and learned a lot just from the background information provided. (When he was reunited with his father after several years, he was so malnourished, his father thought Meb was one of his brothers, who was four years younger than him, and it broke my heart.) This gets into a lot of specific running times and races, so I think it might not appeal to a wider audience. It turns out the press that published this focuses on Christian works, and I felt like it was a disservice because, while Meb's faith is very important to him, he almost came off like a crank. I've watched plenty of interviews with him, and he comes across as very humble and down-to-earth, and I wish this had come across more in the book.
QOTW - I really struggled with this one. I think I would've appreciated reading works in translation. I don't think it was until I was in high school I even realized that was a thing! I also think there needs to more diversity, especially for LGBT+ people - I don't think I encountered any characters like that until adulthood.
I did see someone suggest The Hunger Games, which reminded me of Battle Royale. I checked it out because I wanted to see for myself if Hunger Games was just a "copy," and I loved it! The book itself would have a lot of interesting themes to discuss, plus the idea of an idea being re-done in another language/culture.
Nadine wrote: "That's so funny because you're so right! When I read girlintheafternoon's post, I just nodded knowingly - yep, two books is a slow week, btdt! But you're right, to the average person it's a lot! "Haha yes, exactly. I "only" finished one 600+ page book this week and felt vaguely embarrassed admitting it. Even while acknowledging most people would take much longer to finish.
Hi everyone. I've had to take a couple of days off of work this week because of a tummy bug, which was bad for my bank balance but good for my reading list! I'm on 33/52.First up was Cleo for the mythology prompt. I don't know much about Egyptian mythology so it was nice to learn about the different gods etc but the main character, a young Cleopatra was so infuriatingly annoying. I don't know if I will bother with the sequel.
After that was We Have Always Lived in the Castle which I loved. I wish I'd read this lot sooner. Even though the "twist" was super obvious from the start, the way it unfolded and in particular being inside the strange yet endearing head of Merricat kept me enthralled from start to finish.
Currently reading A Conjuring of Light. I should either finish this either tonight or tomorrow at the latest. I'm so sad I'm coming to the end of this series. I have been hooked from the start.
QOTW: After last week, I realised with the exception of one book, everything I was required to read was by a white male so some diversity would be great. It was the nineties/noughties so hopefully things might have moved along now.
Sheri wrote: "Nadine wrote: "That's so funny because you're so right! When I read girlintheafternoon's post, I just nodded knowingly - yep, two books is a slow week, btdt! But you're right, to the average person..."I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks like this!
Hi all,The sun is pouring in my window...a nice change for Vancouver.
I am 23/40.
Still reading but almost done, I'd Kill For That.
I'm reading that for the book by multiple authors. I thought this was an anthology, but it is a serial novel. And sooooo many authors: Gayle Lynds, Rita Mae Brown, Marcia Talley, Lisa Gardner, Linda Fairstein, Kay Hooper, Kathy Reichs, Julie Smith, Heather Graham, Jennifer Crusie, Tina Wainscott, Anne Perry, and Katherine Neville.
Not sure what to read next!!
QOTW: Most of the stuff I read in high school, I honestly hated. I agree that The Hunger Games would be awesome.
I loved The Glass Castle, but think it was a better read as an adult.
I had an idea, maybe The Fault in Our Stars?
Such a great book, with YA characters that are so powerful. I would have loved that in Grade 11 or 12.
I finished several books this weekBook of letters: Dear Committee Members
Written by more than one person: The Blood Gospel
Book set in the wilderness: The Stranger in the Woods: The Extraordinary Story of the Last True Hermit
and from the advanced list:
Book recommended by an author you love: Redshirts (recommended by George R.R. Martin and Wil Wheaton)
I haven't actually finished any books since our last check in, but I'm awfully close on two. Both are good books, I just haven't really had the time this week to get in good reading sessions.I am still reading Early Autumn: A Story of a Lady for my book title containing one of the four seasons. I am also reading Cross for my book purchased at a used book sale. This is my first James Patterson book. He seems nice for a light read but there is definitely no intellectual thought occurring while reading this book.
Since I haven't finished any books I am still at 17/52.
At the book sale, I also purchased The Book Thief and Wonder so I look forward to reading those in the upcoming weeks!
QOTW: There are so many books that I have read and loved that I personally could talk about for hours...but whether or not they would be good for a high school English class is a different story. I will have to give this question a little more thought.
olá, tomorrow will be my last day of work before hollidays. this week not finished any book, still working on Servidão Humana, that I recomend for be included to the list. I just put aside the books that I want to read in this 11 days of hollidays:Os Memoráveis,A Casa da Rússia,The Great Gatsby,Palavras para José Saramago andSe Numa Noite de Inverno Um Viajante.
Greetings from Jerusalem!This has been a busy week here as we marked our Memorial Day (a real day of memory and mourning here), which segues into Independence Day. (Days officially start and end at nightfall). The passage from one to the other is pretty intense, but fitting.
Still managed to finish 4 books, basically by foregoing sleep. Pretty silly as I'm exhausted and looking forward to a house full of grandchildren this weekend, arriving tomorrow without their parents...
I'm now at 48/52
Finished:
1) The Wonderful Wizard of Oz- a book that I loved as a child. First read it in first grade, and that is the book that hooked me on reading. Enjoyed it this time round as well!
2) Outlander- a book that's over 800 pages. (I originally picked up Middlemarch, but the edition I saw had only 780 pages...). I found the beginning slower, then raced through the last few hundred pages. Curious, I had this down on Goodreads as read in the past, but I definitely never read this before. I did read a different book where someone returned to a Scotland several centuries back, but the story line and the ending was completely different. Now I have no idea what that book was, but I enjoyed this one so much more!
3) The Handmaid's Tale- ok, so it was made into a tv series, not a movie, but this was the closest I could get hold of so far. I found it interesting in many ways, but hard to read. And I'm still trying to digest the "historical recap" at the ending. I think I would have preferred the book without it.
4) The Saturday Evening Girls Club- I preregistered for this book when I was still looking for a book with a day of the week in the title. It was a quick read, about four friends, daughters of Italian and Jewish immigrants, in Boston 1908. I was expecting to get 4 perspectives from the two different backgrounds, but it was all from the perspective on one of the Italian girls. It was a nice read, some romance but I guess I expected more "meat" from it.
QOW- Sheesh, don't really know. I guess that required reading should include books of different types to attract a wide variety of interests. Different people relate to different things, and there should be enough of a variety not only for intelligent discussion, but also to ignite different people and turn them into readers. Too tired to think specific titles. Maybe "The Book Thief" which deals with a difficult time from an interesting and different perspective.
I finished zero books this week. I cast my eyes down in shame.However! I made progress on Wittgenstein's Mistress, which I am finding less didactically philosophical as the story goes and thus am enjoying more. I also started Swamplandia! by Karen Russell, which I am thoroughly enjoying. My mother, who was a librarian, loved it, so I'm using it as my "book recommended by a librarian". Also, for Around the Year, it's my book without an "e" in the title (surprisingly difficult to find!).
QOTW: I'm pleased to see that a number of the books mentioned on this thread were required reading for me, such as Things Fall Apart. Good job, Seattle public schools! The first books that spring to mind for high schoolers are Ms. Marvel and Kindred by Octavia Butler--two very different stories and media that I think high schoolers would have a lot of opinions about. I do think Great Expectations should NOT be required reading--I had a great conversation with my aunt this weekend about how much we appreciated that book as adults, but how we weren't prepared for its perspective on squandered potential when we were teenagers.
Hello - I'm so happy that the work week is coming to an end! Ready for some downtime.This week I finished:
ANGEL by Mary E. Kingsley - I enjoyed this book, but I felt it lacked polish (plenty of missed punctuation, poor grammar, etc.) and that kind of thing really puts me off a book. It's a shame because I thought it told a solid story.
The Things We Wish Were True by Marybeth Mayhew Whalen - this was the rock star of the week. I was really into this book and could barely put it down to sleep. The story is character driven, following the perspectives of 5 different neighbors in a tight-knit neighborhood and unveiling the truth underneath the peaceful veneer that forms around people who have always known each other.
I'm still working on The House of the Seven Gables, I am really not into this book at the moment, but picking up and reading a few pages of time until it really catches me.
I've also started Steampunk Fairy Tales which is quite interesting - it's my first steampunk novel (a genre I hadn't heard of until it came up in the challenge).
QOTW: From a contemporary perspective, I would second The Hunger Games, it's a great book to generate discussion and look at the darker side of humanity.
Hello, Fellow Readers! I only have one finish this week:
The Sellout -Brilliant, difficult, hilarious, uncomfortable, inventive, and thought provoking, just to name a few of my reactions to it. This is a wicked comic satire that won the 2016 Man Booker Prize, in which an African American ultimately is brought before the Supreme Court of the United States for violations to the Constitution - having reinstated slavery and segregation in his home town in California. The story is his life voyage to that point. You cannot read this book without reconsidering how carefully racism is talked and written about in the US. It will upset many readers I suspect, but for my part, all need to read this. Warning: lots of language many will find very offensive. I originally planned to use this as my book over the course of a character's life, but given the subject matter and writing, it's firmly in my book on a difficult subject prompt.
That brings me to 1/12 and 21/40. On target for the year.
Still reading: Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life - about 2/3's through. As it's a series of essays based on LaMotte's writer workshops, I'm reading it a couple at a time every few days, as if attending the workshop over a period of time. Was not working as a straight read, but is marvelous this way. This is for the mentioned in another book prompt.
Just started: The Bear and the Nightingale as my book based on mythology (Russian). Only a couple chapters in but so far really good.
QOTW: I do remember in high school (early 1970's) reading some more contemporary fiction like Johnny Got His Gun and Go Tell It on the Mountain which were timely to the day. I think that trend should be followed today as well. I also share with you the 4 books (and reasons behind) recommended by President Obama to his daughter to read: https://www.bustle.com/p/the-4-books-.... i also believe books emphasizing tolerance, acceptance and diversity should factor into any required reading in school, a mix of classics, modern classics, and contemporary authors.
Thegirlintheafternoon wrote: "Hi all, slow week for me - only finished 2 books.ROFL - oh that's so me! I only finished one as you will see but it was a difficult read and I've been very very busy, with little time to read at all, not even when commuting.
I only finished one book this week. The end of the school year is always hectic.I read Calvin and Hobbes to tick off the all ages comic for the Read Harder challenge.
I've started Let the Right One In but I don't think I can use it for any challenge.
I finished three books this week:For a book recommended by a favorite author, I read The Women in the Castle by Jessica Shattuck. It was also published in 2017 and is a book about war. The book was recommended by Helen Simonson, author of The Summer Before the War and Major Pettigrew's Last Stand.
On the subject of food, I read Alone in the Kitchen with an Eggplant : Confessions of Cooking for One and Dining Alone by Jenni Ferrari-Adler. These are essays by various food people on eating alone--at home, in restaurants. Some are very funny.
For a book I bought on a trip, I read Murder Is Easy by Agatha Christie.
QOTW:
I agree with those people who mentioned books written by authors from different countries from the usual (in the U.S.) British and American authors, or by people from a variety of ethnicities. One that would be good is The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie. Ms. Marvel, Vol. 1: No Normal would be good too and kids would love it. Things Fall Apart is on my TBR and several people mentioned this as an important book.
Mod
Let us know how you like it. That's been on my TBR for a while now, ever since I discovered it that the movie had been made from a book. The movie was dark, I hear the book is darker.
It has been interesting to read how other countries approach literature in schools because I think it's quite different from how we do it. I believe here it's not so important what one reads but what they have to say about it and how they argue their opinion when writing book reports. Probably that's why "diversity" is really not that important. We already read a lot of translated literature anyway but I only know a couple of LGBT+ authors and their books might be chosen just based on their literary values. Also POC would only refer to African-American authors but usually they would just be considered "American".
We are not really supposed to learn history or anything like that from novels, either. (Which is good because many novels are not that accurate. For example Sepetys's Between Shades of Gray (view spoiler) It's a minor issue but pretty important for us, especially if the author wants to teach something that has been forgotten by the world but then forgets that other countries/ethnic groups have a different history and just paints all with the same brush. It's annoying. That's why I think teaching history should't be left to authors of fiction.
Theresa wrote: "Thegirlintheafternoon wrote: "Hi all, slow week for me - only finished 2 books.ROFL - oh that's so me! I only finished one as you will see but it was a difficult read and I've been very very busy..."
It's so strange because I know objectively that 2 books in a week isn't slow at all! But, you know, you finish one early in the week, and the other one was already mostly finished, and you're still in-progress on a few others...and suddenly you think "UGH I HAVEN'T ACCOMPLISHED ANYTHING!!!" Which is so not true! But *feels* so true!
Week 18 - Still at 24/40 & 5/12 (29/52)Well, I haven't finished anything this week. I actually haven't even made any progress on the two I was previously reading. Technically, I did not pick up a single book this past week, except for Double Fudge by Judy Blume, which I am reading to/with my son & doesn't count for anything in the challenge.
So I still have A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles (prompt #35, a book set in a hotel) and In The Neighborhood: The Search for Community on an American Street, One Sleepover at a Time by Peter Lovenheim (prompt #15, a book with a subtitle) waiting for me at home.
I did start listening to a new audiobook, and am about halfway through with that, so if nothing else, I will finish that book by the next check in. It is The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold and I'm using it for prompt #6 on the advanced list, a book from a genre/subgenre you've never heard of. It apparently qualifies as a book from the bildungsroman genre, which I had definitely never heard of. The author is also the narrator, so that is interesting. I am looking forward to finishing the book and seeing what happens.
QOTW: I really don't know of any books that should be made required reading in high school, although I do agree with Sherri above that reading Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone/Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling might be a good one to read. Undoubtedly, most of the students would have already read the Harry Potter series, but to read it again & actually study the nuances of the book and series in relation to the worldwide popularity & gaining the interest of people uninterested in reading, I think would be quite interesting. I know I would love to take a course myself just on all the Harry Potter books. :)
This week I read four books for the challenge!First was Gemina by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff! What a good follow-up to Illuminae! I loved it just as much as the first one. Too bad I have to wait almost a year for the next one to come out!!
Next, I read a book I originally picked up for the Read Harder challenge but it works for this challenge too - I Am the Beggar of the World: Landays from Contemporary Afghanistan translated by Eliza Griswold. This collection was fantastic. What a good look into the real lives of Afghan women. It opened my eyes to a lot of things I didn't previously know.
The next book I finished was Lumberjanes, Vol. 1: Beware the Kitten Holy. It was so cute! I look forward to reading the rest of the volumes soon!
The last book I finished this week was Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire. I will be using this as my audiobook prompt. I look forward to reading (or listening!) to the second one in this series. The story was very engaging and I grew to really love the characters.
QOTW:
I'm not sure exactly what books I would suggest for this but I think the more perspectives kids can read about these days, the better. I think the poetry collection I read this week would be an example. I think that kids definitely need to read more than just old white guys. Reading can teach you a lot about the world - teachers need to take advantage of that!
I didn't manage to complete anything, but I have made substantial progress on two books, so I count that as a win. I also finally committed to doing the Advanced Challenge!Still at 27/52. Next week should be much better.
Books in progress
7. A book that is a story within a story: Possession
I'm really enjoying this. I saw the movie years ago and was someone disappointed. I blame the casting of Roland, in particular, which, nothing against Aaron Eckhart particularly, but he felt wrong for the part. So I feel somewhat vindicated by the book.
11. A book by an author who uses a pseudonym: Villette
I'm afraid Charlotte Bronte (aka Currer Bell) and I are never going to see eye-to-eye. I'm nearly three quarters of the way through this book and I like it so much less than I liked Jane Eyre, and that's not much.
QotW: Echoing calls for Life of Pi. I taught it not long after its publication to college freshman, and the discussions were great. I also taught Atonement to the same group and had some amazing debates about it. Seniors in high school might get into that one. Not sure it's geared towards younger readers. But we need stories with varied voices. More books by PoC and LGBTQ authors, please.
Nicole wrote: "Week 18 - Still at 24/40 & 5/12 (29/52)Well, I haven't finished anything this week. I actually haven't even made any progress on the two I was previously reading. Technically, I did not pick up a..."
I'm extremely jealous of everyone who gets to use A Gentleman in Moscow this year. I read it last year and loved it but now what am I supposed to read that's set in a hotel?!
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Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge
Books mentioned in this topic
Hotel Pastis: A Novel of Provence (other topics)The Hotel New Hampshire (other topics)
The House of Shattered Wings (other topics)
Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda (other topics)
At Bertram's Hotel (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Victoria Schwab (other topics)Jessica Shattuck (other topics)
Sherman Alexie (other topics)
Agatha Christie (other topics)
Meb Keflezighi (other topics)
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The discussion for May’s group read – The Book Thief – is open. If you are interested in reading along feel free to drop in and add your thoughts
Books I finished:
American Sniper: The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in U.S. Military History – this wasn’t a planned read, but I was browsing my library’s website for an audiobook, and this one works for a book from a genre I don’t normally read (military memoir). It’s a well-written book though really not my taste. Whenever he discussed his gear or weapons I kinda zoned out :)
Currently reading:
Katherine by Anya Seyton for my book about an interesting woman. I’m still really enjoy it, and I have less than 200 pages left. I just need a weekend devoted to reading so I can finish it!
The Brutal Telling by Louise Penny. Book #5 in the Inspector Gamache series. I have heard the audiobooks are fantastic for this series, but this is the first in the series that I’ve tried on audio. I don’t currently have this one slotted for a prompt.
Mulan: Five Versions of a Classic Chinese Legend, with Related Texts for my mythology book. The two poems that the legend is based on were fantastic. The plays that were written based on those poems are not so great. Kinda struggling through, but I'm glad to have read this for the history.
22/40 & 5/12
Question of the week:
Follow-up to last week’s question (courtesy of Nadine).
What book(s) do you think should be added to recommended reading for high schoolers that isn’t typically included? Maybe a newer book that has a lot of meaning for today's youth?
There's certainly benefit to reading classics, but I'm thinking maybe one of Ruta Sepetys's books would be a good choice. They are targeted as YA, very recently published and the focus is on history and the impact that war has on civilians. It never hurts to remind us of the past in the hopes of not repeating it.