Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge discussion

Wow this week's Thursday check-in crept up on me! With the holiday in the US on Tuesday it made yesterday feel like a Monday!

I have made very little progress in the last week due to a lot of activity, and no books completed. I did get to spend part of my weekend browsing my favorite local book fair and drooling over all the books (AND I only walked out with two books!)

I hope you all had more success this week than me! Let's here those reading updates!

Question of the week: Do you ever read an entire book in a single day? What was the last book you were able to read in one sitting?

This is rare for me, but it's mostly because I just don't get enough time to myself these days. The days of parenting are short though, and soon enough my little bird will fly off leaving me with maybe too much time to read a book in a day.

I think the last book I finished in one day was When Dimple Met Rishi. Before that, I think, it was The Siren. It appears that YA is my book type of choice for binge reading :)

I finished three books and started one.

Finished Dear Daughter. I read this for my recommended from an author you love. This was a slow moving plot with a ton of internal dialogue from the main character. I'd say the last 10% was the best part of the book. I gave it 2.5 stars.

Finished When Dimple Met Rishi. I flew through this one and while there were flaws, I still enjoyed it. Using this for where the main character is a different ethnicity than you and gave it 3.5 stars.

Last night I finished Hotel Ruby for my book set in a hotel. I think this was supposed to be a young adult horror book but it fell flat for me. The instalove was in full bloom in this book and there were things that I would change about the ending for sure. Giving this one a 2.5 stars.

Started listening to The Magnolia Story read by Chip and Joanna Gaines. I didn't realize my audiobook is about to expire so hopefully I can listen to this one today at work and I can check off a best seller from a genre normally read.

All my library holds are coming in at once so I have a lot of good books loaded on my kindle to read! I'm up to 22/40 and 6/12.

QOTW It's been a while since I read a book in one day. I want to say the last thing I read in a day was Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Parts 1 & 2. And I can usually read Colleen Hoover or Cora Carmack books in one day.

I managed to get two more books ticked off the list!

Mister Monday was my latest audiobook. This fills in the "book with a month or day of the week in the title" prompt.

I also finished Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore. This was a dark book (at least to me). Deals with a grisly murder in the past, a suicide in the present, and a lot of mental health problems that go unaddressed.

I've started The Neverending Story for the story within a story prompt. This is my new audiobook. I'm almost done with Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood.

QOTW: I do this all the time, mostly with my romances. A Knight in Shining Armor was probably the most recent.

ETA: I did finish Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood in the afternoon!

Tallyho wrote: "A Knight in Shining Armor was probably the most recent..."

I haven't read that book in many years, but I remember my 9th grade English teacher actually read a portion to us to illustrate just how extensive the dressing process was in those times. There's a scene where she describes step by step all the clothing pieces that women had to wear as the main character dons her outfit for the day. Quite interesting :)

Hello!!

I only read one book this week. Things have been really busy here lately and I only have a few prompts left so I am trying to be really intentional in picking my books.

I finished Etiquette & Espionage for the steampunk prompt. I was dreading this prompt but I really enjoyed this novel! It was so fun and I loved the characters. Will definitely continue the series. Thank you Popsugar for making me give this book a chance!

QOTW: I have definitely read a book in one day before. I think the last one I finished in a day was Illuminae. I also finished Every Heart a Doorway in a day when I listened to it on audio. It is only about 4 hours on audio so I listened to it on a road trip! Loved this one too!

Happy Thursday! I'm all confused as to what day it is, too :-).

This week I finished two books, which is a slow week for me. Neither fulfilled a challenge category for me, so I'm still 49/52

Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman, I listened the audiobook, and it was very well done, quite entertaining. I was a little disappointed in the story, though, because it felt like a light, comic retread of Neverwhere. I love Gaiman, but I want new and different Gaiman, not repackaged Gaiman with a different title.

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas - this could have fulfilled "genre you don't usually read" (YA contemporary) or "character is a different ethnicity" for me (but I'm stubbornly sticking with reading The Dark Forest for that category, and I still need to finish that book). This book was so good! I'll definitely be reading whatever Thomas writes next!

So it was a slowish reading week for me, but a good one! And the books I have in progress right now are also good ones! (Can I just say, the audiobook of Born to Run is sooo good - this book is a gift. Thank you, Juanita, for encouraging us to seek out the audio for this one!!) Yay for good reading weeks!!

QOTW. Yes I do, but it's rare that I can indulge myself like that. Other than graphic novels or short novellas, it generally only happens with YA. The last time I remember is for a past year's Challenge category to read a book in one day, and I read either Hex Hall or I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You. I know there have been one or two more since then, but not in the last few months. I might have read Running by Cara Hoffman in one day back in March, and that's neither novella nor YA, so I guess I don't always follow that pattern..

It's a nice indulgence now and then, but just like chocolate truffles, I would not want a steady diet of one day reads. A few years back a woman did a year-long project of reading a book each day (I can't remember her name - I'm sure someone else here will know!)* and I often think about her and wonder if she really enjoyed that. Reading book after book like that seems like it would be tough to fully absorb, appreciate, and remember each book. But I'm sure someone could say the same about me and my reading pace - I guess we all choose the reading pace that works best for us.

* ETA: it was Nina Sankovitch, and she has a website about it: www.readallday.org and she wrote a book about it (because of course!): Tolstoy and the Purple Chair: My Year of Magical Reading

I polished off a couple re-reads of Rabbi Small books for easy prompt filling this past week, and made it half way through The Road to Jonestown: Jim Jones and Peoples Temple, which is requiring frequent breaking up with lighter fare (it's my difficult subject book).

I have 4 left un-started for the challenge, one of which is a planned tbr I'm waitlisted for, and I have 2 in progress right now, Jonestown, and my 2017 release, The Harbors of the Sun which just arrived yesterday. Leaves me at 46/52, although it'll be 47 by later today. :)

I finish books in one day all the time, but I don't have kids, which makes all the difference in the world. The last one was Down Among the Sticks and Bones, but that was a novella. The last finished in one that hit my minimum to be called "average size" (350 to 450 pgs) was The Queen's Accomplice, which I read mostly in the vet's office, waiting for bloodwork results and such for my kitty. It was a good distraction, got through about 60% just while waiting. Finished it off when I got home.

I probably would have read through Harbors in one day today, because I have the day off, but I couldn't wait to start it, so I did a Bad Decisions Bookclub moment and started reading it slightly before bedtime last night! Made it 152 pages before I fell asleep. :D

Totally agree that it does not seem like Thursday due to the US holiday... but I'll take it because that means tomorrow is already Friday, so let's do this!

I curled up in a blanket nest and read basically all weekend so...

Finished: Act Like It, Pretty Face, This Earl is on Fire and Blush for Me. I went on a "romance on my Kindle in bed" kick and it was fantastic. None of them fit a challenge prompt. I don't care.

Currently reading: Pride and Prejudice (book mentioned in another book - Austenland) and After I'm Gone. I finished another Laura Lippman fairly recently for book club only to find out it was THE WRONG ONE so now I'm reading the correct Laura Lippman. I feel like these are okay but nothing special. I'm also definitely burned out on mysteries and thrillers right now.

QOTW: Very timely! Two of the above-mentioned romances were finished in one day each with the other two started one evening and spilling over to the next day. Generally, it's romances I can speed through and when I have the opportunity to curl up uninterrupted with one, it's not going to take me long.

Week 27 - 31/40 & 9/12 (40/52)

Good morning, all! I'm trying to stay awake this morning after a late, extra-innings double-header last night for my son's baseball team. I finally tucked him in at 12:15 a.m. It was a rain make-up from last week, but I don't know why it couldn't have been on Friday instead of a weekday when most people had to get up & work the next day!

Anyway, moving on & trying to keep my eyes open... I finished listening to Heartless by Marissa Meyer for prompt #2 on the advanced list, a bestseller from 2016.

Still working on A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles (#35, a book set in a hotel), Love and Other Consolation Prizes by Jamie Ford (tentatively set for #4 on the advanced list, a book that takes place over a character's life span), and The Tin Snail by Cameron McAllister (#28, a novel set during wartime).

Haven't had much time to read this past week, but hoping the following week will allow for more.

QOTW: The last book I read in one day was Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: The Original Screenplay by J.K. Rowling I just read it in one day because it was in the form of a screenplay, which meant much less detail & behind the scenes info than a regular novel. I love everything from Jo's wizarding world, but I think I would have much preferred this as a novel than a screenplay. I felt the same way about Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Parts One and Two - loved it, but I'm so used to Jo's world building & elaborate, intricate storytelling that the screenplays fall a bit short for me.

Also, I agree with what Nadine said above. I don't think I would want to read a whole book in a day on a regular basis. Maybe if it's a snow day & I'm at home alone (for what reason, I don't know), and I'm just cozy & comfy & ready to read, that could be nice. As a habit, though, I feel that it would diminish the books for me, and it would make them more of a project to get through, rather than a story to ponder and savor and enjoy.

Nadine wrote: "A few years back a woman did a year-long project of reading a book each day"

In August there's a read-a-thon to read 7 things in 7 days (could be books, graphic novels, novella's, etc.). I've picked out seven small quick reads to participate in it. I can't imagine doing it for 365 days.

Good morning!

I was able to get a fair amount of reading in this week, though I don't have any finishes that count for this challenge (actually both books I finished fit prompts, but I've already filled those slots).

Finished:
Not Without Laughter by Langston Hughes. I had only read poetry by Hughes, so it was a first for me to read one of his novels. It's a poignant coming-of-age story about an African-American boy in the early 20th century, and I understand that it's semi-autobiographical. The writing was wonderful (as you'd expect from a poet) and I felt drawn into the young boy's world.
Lumberjanes #1 by Noelle Stevenson. I read this for the Book Riot prompt of an all ages comic, but I really thought it was more for kids aged 8-10 years. I liked the art and could see how kids might get into it, but it wasn't up my alley.

Currently reading:
The Mummies of Ürümchi by Elizabeth Wayland Barber. I'm loving this one and it fits a Popsugar prompt!

Question of the week:
Except for children's books, I rarely read a book in just one day, though occasionally it happens if the book is short and I have a lot of time. The last one I remember reading in a day was Gratitude by Oliver Sacks. Goodreads tells me it's only 64 pages and that I read it Feb. 24, 2016. Thanks for helping me out here, Goodreads! :)

Good morning all! I'm in agreement with the other U.S.-based folks - I spent all day yesterday on Monday auto-pilot.

Finished

Crucible of Gold - This is the seventh Temeraire novel, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I'd decided not to use the remainder of the Temeraire series for challenge prompts, but I changed my mind - I read them and they fit prompts, so I'm using them! This filled Around the Year's prompt for "an adventure book," and since I decided to go back and count the sixth novel in the series for another AtY prompt (a book that takes place in the Southern Hemisphere), I'm now at 28/52 books for that challenge.

Currently Reading

Lincoln in the Bardo - I don't know that this is the kind of book you really enjoy, but I'm finding it very moving, and the style really works for me.

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie - Listening to this on audio, and it is a delight! I don't think I'd finish it if I tried to read it in hard copy - I'm just not a fan of mysteries - but the audio performance is so great that I'm definitely engaged.

Mayday - I'm "reading" this in the sense that I keep opening the ebook, reading a few sentences, and then getting distracted by Twitter. I really like the style of the book, and the author is hilarious, but I'm not super-sold on the main couple.

DNF

I gave up on Be Free or Die: The Amazing Story of Robert Smalls' Escape from Slavery to Union Hero, which had SUCH a promising topic, but the writing was so dull that I was actively avoiding reading it. I love that this book exists; I only wish I also loved the book itself. I also quit Perfect Ten; I couldn't stand the main character. That makes me 0/2 with books where the author uses a pseudonym!

QOTW

I love reading books all in one day! I don't often get to, just because of how my work schedule breaks down, but it's such a treat. In fact, it was reading Fangirl all in one sitting that prompted me to leave a degree program that left me tired, unhappy, and with no time/interest in reading for pleasure. I refused to lose that joy!

Bonjour groupe,

I finished this morning two books:

The Winter King for the season prompt and
The Man in the Brown Suit for no prompt at all. The first one was very good. It was the first time that I read Arthurian legends with a bad Lancelot. Coward and liar. It was a different twist and I will read the rest of the serie.

I will now start Still Life since many people here seems to like Louise Penny's books. I think it would count for the Holiday prompt or the first book in a serie.

QOTW: The last book I remember finishing in a day is 84, Charing Cross Road if I don't count graphic novels.

Hello from hot as heck Columbus! I haven't done much this week. The holiday happened which kept me pretty busy. And we experienced a family loss so that's been another thing I've been helping sort out these last few days.

Salt Houses was my only read this week. It was a the July pick for Nylon's new book club. It works for a few prompts, but I'm using it as my immigrant or refugee pick. I really enjoyed this book as it's about several generations of a Palestinian family that's been displaced several times due to wars and conflicts wherever they go. By the end of it, it's set in current times with a woman my age who feels a rift in her identity as someone who's never experienced where her family comes from, which is something I can seriously relate to. Palestine was such a bittersweet topic that the elders of my family never wanted to talk about, but its presence still lingered all those years later. I thought the book did a beautiful job showing how Arab families aren't as "other" as we tend to think, how normal and modern they've always been before radicalism took it's grip on certain areas. I would absolutely recommend this just based on the fact that I think it's a new perspective many Americans don't get exposed to.

So I'm at 31/40; 4/12 with 48 books read this year.

QOTW: I have read entire Harry Potter books in one all nighter but alas, I have kids now and can't do that sort of thing anymore. Recently I've managed a series of very short books in 24 hours (A Single Man, The Old Man and the Sea, etc) but the only books I finish in one sitting anymore books for children.

Thegirlintheafternoon wrote: "That makes me 0/2 with books where the author uses a pseudonym! ..."

I don't know your taste in books, but I took a shot in the dark with Kitchen by Banana Yoshimoto for a book where the author uses a pseudonym and really enjoyed it. It was quirky and although some of the events and topics were depressing, the book rather sparkled. And it's short, so even if you're not crazy about it you might be able to finish it!

Hello everyone! It was nice to have a day off during the week. I’ve got a busier July than I planned, so I’ll take any relaxation time I can get. I also finally have my A/C in working order – at least for now, since it seems to conk out once every few weeks – which is a relief since summer is in full swing in Dallas.

I finished 3 books this week, but none for PopSugar prompts, so I’m still at 38/52.

I read:
The One That Got Away by Simon Wood. This was just okay – a pretty predictable thriller.

This Is Not My Beautiful Life: A Memoir by Victoria Fedden. This was marketed as a real life “Arrested Development,” a show I absolutely loved, so I had to read it. I was a bit disappointed, though. She mentions her post-partum depression, then immediately skips forward a couple of months to when all is fine. It is really more of her life during a 3-year period of time from when her parents’ home was raided by the Feds to post-sentencing. It doesn't go into detail about the personal growth she says she experienced, which was also a disappointment.

I've Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella. This was just okay. I found the MC to be annoying, rather that endearing and silly like Becky Bloomwood of the Shopaholic series. I tried this on audio and had to switch to print because I didn't like the narrator.

QOTW: Normally I would say no, I don’t read books in one sitting. Sometimes I intend to, like on a rainy Saturday, but then I get distracted. However, lately I have finished a few books in one sitting, simply because I’m in the car going to see clients or on a longish flight. Recently I’ve gone through Everything, Everything, The One That Got Away and The Magnolia Story in a day.

First, the books that actually fulfill a prompt.
Boy Meets Girl by Meg Cabot. This was a re-read for the book that makes you smile prompt. I love Meg Cabot’s books. They are delightful. Also, they are told in IM’s and emails and notes so I think they would tick off the book of letters prompt.

Feversong by Karen Marie Moning for the published in 2017 prompt. It was mostly boring. I loved the first part of this series. I even loved Burned which was, I think, meant to be a spinoff of the series about the young Dani. But I also know there was a lot of backlash to that book because people didn’t want a new series, they wanted Mac and Barron’s story. And I feel like that’s when the two series got mashed into one book and everything after Burned was meh. I didn’t hate them enough to quit reading but I wish they had been as awesome as when they started.

And books that don’t fulfill a prompt:

The Most Dangerous Place on Earth by Lindsey Lee Johnson. Decent read about people (students and teachers) and their bad choices and social media.

I’m Thinking of Ending Things by Iain Reid. I actually didn’t rate this book because I’m not sure how I feel about it. It would totally work for the unreliable narrator prompt though.

The Department of Speculation by Jenny Offill. This was a lovely book.

On the Edge of Gone by Corinne Duyvis. YA about the end of the world as a comet is about to hit Earth. It was a pretty good read but it did move more slowly than I thought. However, the main character was autistic as is the author so it would tick off that prompt. And the book had rather diverse characters.

QOTW: I read a lot in a single day especially during the summer. But the last huge book I read in a single day was Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I put it down mainly to cry.

Dani wrote: "Hello from hot as heck Columbus! ..."

Ohio? Me, too! (Still cool if it's Mississippi, Georgia or any of the myriad of other Columbuses.)

Nikki wrote: "I finished Etiquette & Espionage for the steampunk prompt. I was dreading this prompt but I really enjoyed this novel! It was so fun and I loved the characters. Will definitely continue the series. Thank you Popsugar for making me give this book a chance!"

I like her books! They have a tongue in cheek silliness that I adore.

The Finishing School series is nice. I love a lot of the characters she creates. I liked her Parasol Protectorate series as well, but I'm not a big fan of her follow-up to those...The Custard Protocol series.

Cheri wrote: "I don't know your taste in books, but I took a shot in the dark with Kitchen by Banana Yoshimoto for a book where the author uses a pseudonym and really enjoyed it."

Thank you for the recommendation! I've almost checked this one out a few times, so now I'll definitely go for it :)

Thegirlintheafternoon wrote: I also quit Perfect Ten; I couldn't stand the main character. That makes me 0/2 with books where the author uses a pseudonym!..."

So, here's my list of authors I like that are pseudonyms: Ilona Andrews, James Herriot, Kate Elliott, Robert Jordan, Stan Lee(I was gobsmacked on that one), Cassandra Clare, J.D. Robb

Hello from warm but not terrible Cleveland! (We'll see if I change that assessment when I run later today....)

My schedule was all messed up with the holiday, so the only book I got through was The Thanksgiving Visitor for a book set around a holiday other than Christmas. I have very mixed feelings on this. I know Buddy learns some important lessons, but it was really hard as a modern reader to watch him tell multiple authority figures about the terrible bullying he was enduring and have nothing done about it. I know this is often classified as a children's book (though the library I got it from put it in Adult Nonfiction), but I would be very concerned reading this to a young child - I wouldn't them to think they couldn't ask for help if something was happening!

QOTW: Well, I read this week's book in one sitting since it was a short story, and I wanted to have something completed for check-in! I can't remember the last time I finished a novel-length work in one day, but I definitely like spending several hours each weekend day reading!

Nikki wrote: "I also finished Every Heart a Doorway in a day when I listened to it on audio. It is only about 4 hours on audio so I listened to it on a road trip! Loved this one too! "

I've loved pretty much anything I've read by Seanan McGuire! That one in particular was so good.

Hi everyone,

Had kind of a slow reading week, was in a bit of a reading funk. Also spent a day at Cedar Point which cut down on reading time. I didn't have Monday off like so may people did, so just tuesday was the holiday. It's actually kind of made my week feel longer because it felt like I somehow only got half a weekend, even though there was a weekend just before it. Also the previous week was crazy busy at work and carried over into Monday.

So all I finished was Reserved for the Cat which was just a fun re-read to meander through while trying to summon up interest in something else.

The Hero and the Crown this was in one of the humble bundles I got, so decided to give it a try. I really liked it!

Started to read Magic Steps but then a burst of library books came in.

So now reading Tricked which is part of a series i started at the end of last year and then went on hiatus for as I was focusing on this challenge. Still waiting on my last challenge book from the library, sigh.

still at 51/52

QOTW: I read books in one day fairly often. Usually not deliberately, I just end up getting sucked into them and suddenly they're done. Generally it's for lighter fair like easy fantasy (mercedes lackey books), romance, or shorter YA. I don't know offhand what the last one was. I know most of Annie Bellets books I finish in a day since they're only around 200 pages each.

Hello!

Didn't update last week, and only finished 2 books in the time as been doing lots of work on my MA dissertation.

For a book with a red spine I read Elizabeth is Missing which was a very good book.

I also am going to use one of my MA reads for a book with career advice Working the Ruins: Feminist Poststructural Theory and Methods in Education which was very useful actually, really helped me to open up my ideas about how to structure and direct my work.

I have about 40 mins left on the audiobook of Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay so I will finish that on my commute tomorrow. It's not for any prompt though.

I'm not making much progress on my book with pictures From the Beast to the Blonde: On Fairy Tales and Their Tellers - I will hopefully get back to that over the weekend.

I've also started My Cousin Rachel for a book that is being released as a film this year.

25/40 and 3/12

QOTW: I have been known to finish books in one day - not so much these days unless I'm on holiday/on a long train or plane journey in which case I often do. I always read each new Harry Potter in a day, I'd make an event if it! But when in my normal routine of work, planning and prep for work, spending time with the other half, keeping on top of house stuff, walking the dog, studying etc it just doesn't happen sadly.

Hello from overly hot Denver - man, I miss air conditioning some days.

This past week has been a bust for reading. Three days of Comic Con with two kids under three was exhausting and then the next couple of days we helped a friend move and caught up on our housework. My traditional reading times of naps, nursing and bedtime just resulted in me dozing off.

However, I made it to two panels by authors and decided that they are some of the best panels because they're hilarious! Got lots of books signed and was given another 10 or so free ARCs. Plus, Nathan Fillion!

It was starting to feel a bit like a reading slump, since I asldo just didn't know what to start next. I put on Why Not Me? as I was cleaning the kitchen and ended up finishing it by the time evening was through. I really enjoy Kaling's humour and she's inspired me to watch The Office (American one, I watched he British one when it came out since I lived in Scotland at the time) and put B J Novak's books on hold at the library. I slotted it under funny memoir in a past PS challenge.

Next up is The Three-Body Problem for book club next week.

QOTW: Timely, since my answer is Why Not Me? I generally can finish books in the 100-150 pg range, or 4-5 hours for audiobooks (since I also listen at 1.25 speed). Graphic novels I ilusually read in one sitting all the time. But a full novel in a day is hard with two kids. I used to do it for book club books when I just had Kait, but now that would be crazy. I also used to be in a fluffier book club and when I moved I switched to a sci-fi/fantasy group which has had longer choices, generally.

Hello from hot and sunny eastern Canada! Our holiday was Monday (technically Sunday but Monday everything was closed in lieu) so I am also wonky on the days. Although being a SAHM with 2 under 3 I'm not often current anyway lol
I had a fairly good reading week but only one finish. I also had a buttload of my library holds come in so I'm working on Station Eleven, Killers of the Flower Moon and Murder on the Orient Express. I finished The Silent Cry by Cathy Glass but not sure if/where I'll fit it into the challenge. I also received Alias Grace today so that'll go on my tbralb list (to be read after library books)

QOTW: I used to finish books in a day frequently because I would devour them, I'd read instead of sleep, eat or socialize. Now with 2 small kids and a husband who works away there is precious little time for me to really immerse in books. In 2015 there was a "book you can finish in a day" prompt for which I read The Last Lecture by Robert Paulson. This year I read Letter to my Daughter by Maya Angelou in a day and I believe that I nearly read The Cursed Child in a day as well but it spilled a bit into the following day.
Like others mentioned, other than my previous ravenings which don't really count as books that one would normally read in a day (reading for 15 hours straight doesn't really count in my opinion as a book that's generally readable in a day for me) I wouldn't want to read books that are that easily digestible very often. They're nice for a change of pace and to help me feel like I'm making progress on my challenge reads, but very few have really been standout reads to me.

Tallyho wrote: "I managed to get two more books ticked off the list!

Mister Monday was my latest audiobook. This fills in the "book with a month or day of the week in the title" prompt.

I also finis..."

If you can, I would recommend having a look at physical copy of The Neverending Story as well as the audio. The alternating chapters are in different colours and each of the 26 chapters begins with each letter of the alphabet. I think things like that are easy to miss with audio.

Chinook wrote: "Hello from overly hot Denver - man, I miss air conditioning some days.

This past week has been a bust for reading. Three days of Comic Con with two kids under three was exhausting and then the ne..."

Nathan Fillion! I'm so jealous! Hope you had a good time.

A wee bit off topic:
I don't remember who it was or what check-in it was but there was a discussion on the Veronica Mars books and tv show (which is no longer streaming free on Prime).

Just now a promoted tweet showed up on my Twitter timeline and Verizon's Go90 app is streaming Veronica Mars for free and apparently you don't need to be a Verizon customer to watch.

Hello all. The sun is back here in Yorkshire and it feels like there's a thunder storm a-brewing.

This week I finally finished V for Vendetta. That book felt like such hard work, although I blame a lot of that on the font. It wasn't the easiest to read, especially when you're tired before bed etc.

I also finished The Way of Kings, Part 2 so I can cross the 800 pager off of the list. Part 2 was soooooooooo much better than part 1. I'm glad I persevered and now I am waiting on the sequel from the library.

I am currently reading Vicious and loving it so far. I am not sure if I can fit it into any prompts at the moment but maybe I can bend it to fit the difficult topic one. There's some science-ish stuff which is a little hard to understand and there are some difficult themes about right and wrong, religion and science etc but it might be a little bit of a stretch.

QOTW: I used to finish books in one sitting all the time when I was travelling and only had part time jobs but not so much recently. In fact the last time I remember doing it was when I was on a cruise back in January/February. I am pretty sure I read I Am Number Four and Wonder in a day each

Chrandra! I was one of the folks talking about Veronica Mars!! Thanks for the heads up - I'll look into it and see if it's available to me :-)

No challenge finishes -- or even challenge reading -- this past week for me! I'm comfortably ahead of my own personal timetable -- 32/52 - 26/40 & 6/12. Thus I dedicated this past week to reading contemporary fiction series latest entries -- I was seriously behind in several favorite series by Emily March, Robyn Carr, LuAnn McLane, Darcy Burke, and Barbara Freethy (one of whose books provided me with a fabulous quote about why the cello is such an amazing musical instrument - had nothing really to do with the story but was spot on!). I'm on the last of my 'catch-up' reads -for now, at least, LOL.

But it segues nicely into the QOTW because all of my catch-up reading has been at least a book a day, often 2! That of course only happened because I basically did little but read for several days - I was recovering from flu and decided to close down the office and hibernate for the whole weekend in order to really recover and rest. I've caught every bug and cold that has wandered near me during the month of June and really needed to recover completely. Feel better now than I have in ages!

I actually read a lot of books in a day -- most books that are 250 pages or less I can easily read in a day, with little effort, between commuting and reading before going to bed.

Okay, it's been several weeks since I last checked in...I'd say three to be exact. I had my baby and she has been consuming most of my time, so it's safe to assume I'm not getting much reading done either. However, I have finished some:

No. 2 Feline Detective Agency for book with a cat on its cover

Bed Number Ten for book with multiple authors

An Irish Country Doctor for a book recommended by a librarian

The Stay-at-home Survival Guide for career advice.
This puts me at 27/52.

I am also in the middle of two books: A Gentleman in Moscow and Karen Memory. Im doing my best to stay on track but with a newborn and a one-year-old at home I don't get much down time.

Congratulations on your new baby!!

olá, from Portugal. this week finally finishedUm Quarto com Vista, a book passed on a hotel, about an interesting woman, with red spine, and involving travel. started next oneO Alienista.
QOTW: yes, when the book catches me I go it for a day, and if the size helps it. my last one it was withHotel Lusitano, a book that I bought in second handed!, months ago.

Tallyho wrote: "Dani wrote: "Hello from hot as heck Columbus! ..."

Ohio? Me, too! (Still cool if it's Mississippi, Georgia or any of the myriad of other Columbuses.)"

The only Columbus worth living in 😉

Hey everyone!! It's been a busy work day so I'm just now getting a minute to check in. Despite the long holiday weekend, I only started and finished one book:

The Dinner by Herman Koch for "a book that's becoming a movie on 2017". I only gave this 3 stars despite devouring it in less than 24 hours. I feel like this type of unrealistic thriller is not my cup of tea. This reminded me of Gillian Flynn's books in the sense that the actions and reactions of the characters were not believable at all. However, I loved the format and the writing was great. Koch has a knack for weaving a story together beautifully. I actually would recommend, despite my low rating.

13/40, 0/12

Question of the Week: I can absolutely read a book in one day, but I rarely ever do. I am a fast reader but can get distracted easily by other things if I'm not completely engrossed in my book. The last book I remember doing this with was #GIRLBOSS because it was such a quick read. The last books I remember staying up all night to finish was the Fever Series, some of which I finished in less than 24 hours.

Hello from Southern Alberta where we are currently experiencing an unusual heatwave. It's been low to mid 30s all week (usually we are around mid to high 20s) and I don't have ac so I've been hiding in our unfinished basement scrapbooking.

I did finish 3 books last week although it feels like more. I finished Lord of Shadows in time for my library hold not to run over. Thank god as I had less than a week to read all 699 pages of it.

Next up were two quick reads that only took me 2 days each (could've done it in one if I had timed them that way, good timing for this weeks QOTW. First up was The Little French Bistro followed by Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows. Honestly they were both great reads! LFB deals with a 60-year old woman who wants a fresh start in life and walks out on her husband and discovers herself. ESFPW was set in Britain and is a great story which takes sensitive issues (honour killings, forged marriages, cultural issues) and used a light fun story to bring them to attention. I highly recommend them both.

Planning on starting The Essex Serpent tonight.

QOTW:
Just because I can finish a book in one day doesn't mean I always do. I love being able to savour a book. The last ones I finished in a day are actually the first two books in a trilogy. The Conspiracy of Us and Map of Fates. Both YA. Wenjack was the last one prior to those

Hi all,
Currently on vacation but I've got a few free moments.
At 30/40 for the challenge.

I'm reading Lights Out Liverpool. The reading is light, but it at the start of WWII and everyone is concerned what the war may bring.

This week I went to a used bookstore = FABULOUS! I got six used books.... things that I had thought about getting, and a couple of things that are no longer in print. I'm looking forward to these items!

QOTW: I don't usually read a book in one day. But sometimes I do get a short story done in a day.... like Swim or The Half Life. I do like the satisfaction of quickly getting through a short story!!

Hello everyone!!!
So this week has been a little slow but I managed to finish a couple of books:
Risuko: A Kunoichi Tale by David Kudler. I gave it 3 stars because I liked it but not as much as I thought I was. I definitely think it has material to improve in the next book so I will be checking it out. I also used it as a book with a title that is the name of the main character.
Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann. I loved this one!!! I'm using it as a book with a subtitle (The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI). I am not familiar with this part of American history and was absolutely appalled by this sad story. I page-turner. Check it out!!!

QOTW: I have read books in one day but haven't in a while. Guess I haven't had the time and/or the appropriate book.

Hi!

No new finishes for the prompts. I did finish some audiobooks.
Eligible: A Modern Retelling of Pride and Prejudice: I finally picked it back up but as audio this time. Still just as bad.

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet: I thought I could use this for the hotel or immigrant prompt but after starting reading it I realized it didn't fit either of them (for me, at least). I decided to finish it on audiobook and I really enjoyed it.

No finishes on paper books, I'm still in a slump from finishing my 1141 page book for the 800+ prompt!

QOTW I often read books in two or three days. I read about 100 pages a day. Some books I finished in one day from only this year and not on audiobook:
Dear Ijeawele, or a Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions
Universal Harvester
84, Charing Cross Road
Cat Out of Hell
Gwendy's Button Box

I see short books (>200 pages) as "palate cleansers" from longer and heavier (subject) books.

Read:
We'll Always Have Summer - a great last book to an entertaining series

The Giver - I've been thinking about the book awhile back and got an urge to read it. I finally found a copy and absolutely loved it!

Grasshopper Jungle - I listened to the audiobook. Now I can understand why people say this book is so weird!

Wonder - A book that’s becoming a movie in 2017
I can't wait for the movie!

The Martian - A book set in the wilderness
Listening to the audiobook was great when it came to the science heavy parts.

The Princess Saves Herself in this One - I absolutely loved the poems

P.S. I Like You - Not bad, it's just filled with clichéd tropes.

QOTW: Besides graphic novels, poetry books, and audio books, a book I've read in one day was Orbiting Jupiter. Short books with big font is always a quick read.

Kaitlyn wrote: "Okay, it's been several weeks since I last checked in...I'd say three to be exact. I had my baby and she has been consuming most of my time, so it's safe to assume I'm not getting much reading done..."

Congratulations on your new baby, Kaitlyn!

This week, I finished The Boy in the Striped Pajamas. It is my "novel set during wartime."

I also finished The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon. It is my "book set in the wilderness."

QOTW: I have finished books all in one day. But, I can't really think of one specifically...

Sarah wrote: "Tallyho wrote: "I managed to get two more books ticked off the list!

Mister Monday was my latest audiobook. This fills in the "book with a month or day of the week in the title" promp..."

I agree. I can't remember the color, but one color is for Bastian's real life and the other (red, I think) is for Fantastica. It is one of my all-time favorite books. I love the concept.

I've been wanting to join in this discussion for a while, but just haven't gotten around to it. I read the June and July posts and got some recommendations for prompts that I didn't have any books for and then checked into my 3 e-libraries and 1 downtown library and now I am in good shape. Thanks a bunch!

I've read:
The Strange Case of Finley Jayne - a prequel to a steampunk series. This was pretty good and I think I might read the rest after I get caught up on some of my other series.

I read The Tale of Castle Cottage by Susan Wittig Albert and that is the last one of the "Cottage Tales of Beatrix Potter." They are mysteries based on Potter's life and have a lot of information about her life, her struggles with her parents, her books and the life she led after she bought a farm in the Lake district. The books work for a number of prompts; #21 non-human, book mentioned in another book (The Tale of Oat Cake Crag mentions Framley Parsonage, any of the series work for Advanced #7 an eccentric character. They really are interesting books but the narrator gets a little annoying in the later books. I used this for my "start to finish" series also.

I read A Mother's Reckoning: Living in the Aftermath of Tragedy by Sue Klebold, the mother of one of the Columbine School shooters. It was excellent but heartbreaking. I followed up with two books she mentioned; Why Kids Kill: Inside the Minds of School Shooters which I finished and School Shooters: How to Recognize Schoolroom and Campus Killers Before They Attack which I am about finished with.

I am currently reading Our Mutual Friend for my Knitting like the Dickens group in Ravelry and it also works for prompt #30 book with pictures; The Autobiography of Mrs. Tom Thumb which I am assuming has a red spine since the book is red for prompt # 23; Battlefield Of The Mind: Winning The Battle In Your Mind, The Friday Night Knitting Club which my granddaughter found at a book sale for me and I love, The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin for the same granddaughter's homeschool and Those Who Save Us for prompt #4adv. - takes place over a character's life.

I know that sounds like a lot of books, but I am also reading
The COPD Solution: A Proven 10-Week Program for Living and Breathing Better with Chronic Lung Disease for Dewey Decimal #600-699 because I have had pneumonia and COPD which is why I have all this time to sit around and read all day.

QOTW I am retired, so I sometimes do read a book in a day, but usually, they are short. I did read all the Harry Potter books in a day and some of the Inspector Gamache by Louise Penny. I love that series and they are hard to put down.

As for last month's question, I have a tag for books "never-finished" and I check it every year or two. Today, I pulled a book out. Sometimes the time is not right for some books, but others, I will never read. I usually just keep all those books in my "Currently Reading" section and they eventually get read.


I now have 24/40 for popsugar and 2/12 advanced.

I am writing this from my happy place: our local lake. I was in a foul mood and it is 81 in Michigan (not a complaint) so I jumped in the lake after work and miraculously everything is wonderful again.

I just finishedMy Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante for "author who uses a pseudonym." I have been eager to read one book of her books since reading about her last year. This book just didn't do anything for me. I picked it for my IRL book club so will be interested in what my friends think about it.

I made good progress on the audio of Neil Gaiman's Fragile Things: Short Fictions and Wonders during my cross-state driving this weekend. Should finish that next week. It will fulfill a prompt for me. Yay!

This brings me to 17/42 and 1/12. Leaning towards abandoning the advanced challenge and making an effort on the 42-book challenge.

Question of the Week
Reading an entire book in one setting is one of my favorite things to do.

For last year's challenge, I read Everything, Everything one Sunday. I love that book! I didn't plan to read it in one go but it was such a great story and I found it very compelling.

There are a number of romance writers whose works I can and do read in one (usually 3 hour setting). I discovered Noelle Adams last year and can read her books in a single sitting.

I finished 4 books and one short story this week:

A book with a cat on the cover - Emily of New Moon by L.M. Montgomery. This is a good story but I enjoyed children's novels more when I was a school librarian and I had students to think about whether they'd like the book or not.

A bestseller from a genre you don't normally read - News of the World by Paulette Jiles. I feel like I cheated on this one--it's a western, which I don't read. But it's really historical fiction which is my favorite genre! I loved this book and cried during parts of it.

A book with a red spine - Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman. It took me a while to get used to the rhythm of his poems but once I did, they were moving.

Not for a prompt:
Picnic at Hanging Rock by Joan Lindsay - A great mysterious story set in 1900 Australia.

The Masque of the Red Death - short story by Edgar Allan Poe. Poe creates pictures with his words.

QOTW: I've finished a few books in one day but I usually don't. They have to be short like The Uncommon Reader or short stories.

I finished two books this week. Wow, did this week go by fast. The company where I work had both Monday and Tuesday off as holidays, so it has been a short and sweet work week.


I finally finished The Sourcethis week. I'm crawling to victory on this one. This will fulfill the book at least 800 pages. I wish I would have chosen something else. The stories dragged on for me in places. Sometimes the detail was tedious and overwhelming.

I also read Treasury of Norse Mythology: Stories of Intrigue, Trickery, Love, and Revenge for the prompt a book based on mythology off of the advanced challenge. It is a young adult book which I didn't realize until I had to ask the Librarian where it was. I enjoyed this book. I would describe it as a primer on Norse mythology. I'll definitely read another Norse mythology book now that I have a basic understanding of the gods.

Books so far: 28/40 and 7/12 I think I've read 11 off-prompt.

I set Tales of a Female Nomad: Living at Large in the World aside until I finish The Source. Not sure when I will pick up this one again.

I'm nearly finished with The Little Paris Bookshop. It's taken me 2/3 of this book to get into it, but i'm beginning to appreciate it now. I had hoped to finish it today, but it's going to be tomorrow.

QOTW: Have I ever read a book cover to cover? Yes, many times but not recently. I think the last one was The Prayer Box by Lisa Wingate. I love her books. I'm slowing working my way through all of them.