Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge discussion

Happy Thursday and Happy New Year!!!! Winter is here with a vengeance in NY. Brrrr stay warm!

Sara asked me to help out with Admin duties, and I happily accepted, even though I've never moderated a group before and have no idea what I'm getting myself into!

I think I've never actually "introduced" myself, so let me fix that: I am a mechanical engineer in NY state, north of Syracuse; I've got two teen/tween daughters and two dogs; my favorite reading genres are: science fiction, fantasy, romance, thriller and mystery, and I like to read a lot of graphic novels, too.

An administrative note: don't forget the nominations for April (bookstore/library), May (mental health), and June (LGBT+) close on Friday! Sara will then take the top six in each month and create polls so we can vote for the April, May, and June group reads. Remember the monthly group reads are completely voluntary and it's all just for fun!

This year we thought it would be even more fun to have discussion leaders each month. Sara and I don't always join in the monthly reads, so we will need volunteers. I picture something very informal, just research a few book club questions for the book to get some conversation flowing.

If you are interested in leading a monthly group read discussion, just message Sara or me.

I've got a literal pile of books checked out from the library (and, to be honest, I'm a little concerned that I won't be able to read all of them before they are due!), so I am READY for the 2018 Challenge!

This week I finished 2 novels and 2 graphic novels:

Renegades by Marissa Meyer - this was a lot of fun, I look forward to the next book in the series. (This could be used for "antihero")

The Rag and Bone Shop by Robert Cormier - this was assigned in my daughter's 9th grade English class, and I decided to read it, too. I'd never read Cormier before, and I was looking forward to it, and ... this was a complete disappointment!

Ms. Marvel, Vol. 1: No Normal by G. Willow Wilson - this was ... ok. Nothing much happens!

Bitch Planet, Vol. 2: President Bitch by Kelly Sue DeConnick - fantastically fierce! This has been on a hiatus, I hope they continue it, it's amazing. (This is, perhaps obviously, set on another planet, and several new characters are transwomen, so this would work for "LGBT+" )

Question of the Week:

Which category in our 2018 challenge are you going to tackle first (and why, if you've got a reason!)?

I just started reading Out of Africa by Isak Dinesen for "male pseudonym," because it was on my personal list of books I pledged to read in 2017, and I didn't get to it. I'm having a hard time with this book and I might have to DNF. If she compares the "Natives" to wild game animals one more time, I think I'm out.

Next up on deck for me is The Bat by Jo Nesbø for Nordic noir, because January was chosen as "Nordic noir" and I want to join in (even though I'm not reading the group read)! I like noir and I like Nesbø so I expect to enjoy this.

It has been hot here in Brisbane Australia as it is the height of summer. I have been on holidays so had plenty of time to read to start the challenge off.

I read Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows which I chose for the prompt about an author with a different ancestry to you. I thought it might also work well for a feminist novel and it is about women going against traditional society's taboos. I chose this prompt as I was in holiday mode and it was a fun (and an eye-opening) read.

I have started reading my Nordic Noir novel (Punishment) and also my book that was made into a play (Valley of the Dolls).

So happy that the 2018 reading challenge has finally arrived (and with it, my new copilot)! I wish we had a warmer start to the year. The thermometer says it is 21F outside, but the wind is so strong it feels like -2F!! We've had some 6F and 9F mornings this week too. Brrrrrr!!! My dog is bouncing off the walls because I just can't make myself take her for walks.

Nadine - I'm glad to hear you liked Renegades. I have it slotted for the cyberpunk book. Marissa Meyer is a favorite for sure!

Books finished:

I managed to squeeze in two more books before the end of 2017.

The Christmas Surprise by Jenny Colgan. Not my favorite of hers.

The Mountain Between Us by Charles Martin. I really enjoyed this book and read it in about a day! If anyone has seen this movie already you could read the book and check off that prompt!

Currently reading:

Last Christmas in Paris: A Novel of World War I - a book of letters during WWI. This is a wonderful book, and it is pulling on my heart strings for sure! I'm using this for a book with two authors.

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy. This is the year that I finish this book! I splurged and bought the audio version with Davina Porter (favorite narrator) and am about 4 hours in (with only 32 hours left!)

Question of the week:

Well, the first prompt I will finish is the two authors. I chose to read Last Christmas in Paris: A Novel of World War I first because I wanted to read it as close to Christmas as I could but still have it be in 2018.

I'm also working on the book I meant to read in 2017 (Anna Karenina). Primarily that's due to length. I want to get started now so hopefully I can knock it out before my summer slump appears!

Other prompts I plan to tackle early (because I don't like them) are Nordic Noir and True Crime.

I noticed you got MOD'd a few days ago Nadine! Fun times.

Everyone here is obsessed with Bitch Planet. Probably because it fits in so well since it's from here. I could use that for my local author I suppose, but I have an elaborate plan to read Beverly Cleary in the Beverly Cleary sculpture garden in Grant Park once the weather is warmer.

I finished plenty of books this week and checked off some prompts! It's nice to get a handful of short ones out of the way early. I feel more motivated when I see I have a little head start and don't want to lose steam!

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Over the Moon completed my David Tennant Reading Me To Sleep marathon, and also works for a time travel book.

I picked up a copy of The Secret Service: Kingsman at the library sale this summer, and naturally I've already seen the movie.

John, Paul, George & Ben is the closest I could come to an author who shares a name with me who writes books I would even consider reading.

We Should All Be Feminists was short and sweet.

I'm not entirely sure what's up next for me. I'm in the unusual position of ending print and audio books at the same time and I'm just not sure what to open next. So many choices!

QOTW:
Already answered! I may or may not read longer books that fill most of these later. Either way I'm not bothered.

Congrats Nadine on your promotion! I hope you got a nice raise out of it.

I'm determined to at least make an appearance at each check-in this year. I stopped after a few months last year because I didn't have anything to report, and started to feel disconnected.

Started two books, but haven't finished them yet.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo for the Nordic Noir group read

How to Train Your Dragon (audiobook) for Movie I've seen.

And, I just now noticed that this month is starting out Dragon-themed.

QOTW:
Nordic Noir for the group read, obviously. It's a larger book than I would usually tackle (slow reader), so I wanted to get it over with soon. Meanwhile, I'll throw in some lighter, shorter books to keep things moving.

This week I'm reading The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas, which fits several prompts (10, 14, 35, 37) - but I'm only going to count it as one. Next I'm planning to read The Nowhere Girls by Amy Reed, which is a book I meant to read in 2017 but didn't get to (prompt 37).

I finished my first book of the year!.

We Are Legion (We Are Bob) This was for the "book meant to read in 2017 and didn't get to." Technically I started it in 2017 but didn't get to finish it. Loved it!

QOTW

I had planned on doing "Nordic Noir" for my first category of the year because it's the one I least want to do and wanted to get it out of the way. But the book I want to read has a wait list.

So I finished the Bobiverse book mentioned above and have started two others

Smoke Gets in Your Eyes: And Other Lessons from the Crematory for "Book with a song lyric in the title"

and

Under the Green Star for my "Book with your favorite color in the title".

Mike wrote: "I'm determined to at least make an appearance at each check-in this year. I stopped after a few months last year because I didn't have anything to report, and started to feel disconnected."

Glad to hear it! It's also nice to see you've picked up the David Tennant Reading To You banner.


Kristina wrote: "I finished my first book of the year!.

We Are Legion (We Are Bob) This was for the "book meant to read in 2017 and didn't get to." Technically I started it in 2017 but didn't get to finish it. Loved it!

Hooray for another Bobiverse fan!

I read The Time Machine for Time Travel and now reading The Clan of the Cave Bear for A book with an Animal in the Title. Also finished The Truth of the Matter about Death or Grief.

Which category in our 2018 challenge are you going to tackle first (and why, if you've got a reason!)?
I am choosing books that I have on my shelf and Kindle to fill the categories.



It is -15*F here.

Nice to meet you Nadine. We are chilly here as well - obviously warmer than most of the country, however super cold for us - it was 30 this morning and we had frost!

This week I finished one book, which I also used for the first prompt - read a book that was made into a movie you've already watched: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. I've watched all the movies but never read the books, so this year I plan to make my way through the series (will fulfill several prompts along the way).

QOTW - I started with the first prompt, not really on purpose it just worked out that way. And right now I'm on prompt 2 - True Crime. I don't expect to stay in order, but it's kind of funny that I'm starting out that way by accident.

Hello!

Congrats Nadine! I always love following your book reviews & I know you'll make a good co-mod with Sara!

I wrapped up the 2017 challenge just in time! Finished up Spare and Found Parts on December 30 so I just got a head start on nordic noir. I picked up The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and after a chapter or two I was pretty hooked. This shocks me because I've seen this book everywhere for YEARS and always thought it was outside of my scope of reading. As a YA reader, I was intimidated. Aside from keeping all the characters names straight, I'm very much enjoying it. I'm at 46%! I actually have the three e-book bundle from my library so I might just carry on with the series (you know me and marathoning series...)

Which category in our 2018 challenge are you going to tackle first (and why, if you've got a reason!)?

Getting Nordic Noir out of the way - figured since the group was reading it that was a good place to start and have support along the way. I reserved Turtles All the Way Down a longggg time ago and it popped up on my loans so I'll have to read that one next otherwise it'll expire and I'll have to get back in the long line. That's for mental health, although I could also use it for animal in the title now that I looked at the list. Nice to have options! The library dictates a lot of my reading, therefore which prompts I tackle, with loans but I don't mind because I love my library!

Good morning! It's even cold in the South today. On the plus side, instead of gardening, I'll be getting a jump on my reading! I tackled three books this week -- that's one more than normal for me. I read and completed two for the challenge and 1 for fun.

The best of the bunch was Gone Missing by Linda Castillo. This was my next in a series (#4) and I used it as bait to work on one that I suspected I was going to dislike. Gone Missing follows Chief Katie Burkholder as she and Ohio Bureau of Investigations colleague / boyfriend John Tomasetti investigate a series of missing Amish teens. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I additionally read Sweet Tea Tuesdays. The blurb was about three friends and neighbors, entering middle age, as they meet for sweet tea on Tuesdays. I was expecting sweet chick-lit to wrap up the year, but it was more focused on death than I would have liked.

Finally, I tackled one of the two books I'm dreading for the challenge. Nordic Noir. I have never been able to get into Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and I have never had the desire to see the movie(s). I instead opted for Jo Nesbo's Flaggermusmannen or The Bat, in English. I finished it and can check it off. If I never read another Nordic Noir novel, it may be too soon. The protagonist, Harry Hole, is sent to Australia to solve the death of a former Norwegian tv star and ends up finding the killer and way too many bottles of Jim Beam. I don't find anyone likeable and the attempt to be weird (transvestite clown) comes across as flash to hide shallow characters. Glad I read this one first and made myself read a set number of pages each evening to be able to mark it off, but there is a reason I don't generally read this genre. It's not for me.

Hi Nadine! Glad to see Sara having a buddy mod! It has been cold cold cold here and we’re supposed to get a bomb of bad weather. It’s still clear out right now (almost 10am) but schools are already cancelled in anticipation so good chance nothing will happen lol

This week I finished the last 2017 counted book The Halloween Tree for a book set on a holiday that’s not Christmas.
I did not finish the 2017 challenge, I think I ended up 37/40 and 12/12 but will be bleeding it into the first few books for 2018 and hopefully will finish soon which brings me to;

QOTW: I’m currently reading both Emma by Jane Austen and The German Girl whose author I am blanking on. They’re both for book club in just under 2 weeks so I’m hoping to finish them soon.
Emma will count toward book I meant to read in 2017 and it may end up getting things switched around to count toward a 2017 too.
The German Girl will satisfy recommended by a librarian for ‘17 and possibly set at sea for ‘18 but haven’t finished so I don’t know if it’s set at sea enough to satisfy me.

Hello, Nadine and everyone here at the challenge. It is a true pleasure to get back on the horse for this year's challenge. I am truly excited.

So this week has started a little bit slow for me. I haven't completed any books yet, but I am working on two. I might as well talk about the one I'll finish later this day. The Cruel Prince by Holly Black. I haven't got any experience with books about faeries but I can say I am in love with this book, it builds up really good and the characters are solid. I'll use this for the prompt a book with twins, but I think it can easily be used for the antihero prompt as well. Our girl Jude has this inner struggle about where to belong.

QOTW: Well I am working on two categories to start the challenge: twins (because I was excited by Holly Black's new release) and a book that's been given you as a gift (because a received this book from one of my very best friends and I couldn't leave it any longer on my nightstand).

Happy reading everyone!!

Good morning! Excited for a new year of check ins, since I finished my challenge early last year. I still checked in, but it's nice to feel accomplished while doing so again!

Hi Nadine, nice to see you modding! (I loved bitch planet 1, i'll have to pick 2 up somewhere).

So to finish out last year I read some comics and an easy continuation of a series I started.

Fables Deluxe Edition Book 2 - story's finally picking up a bit. Eventually I'll get book 3.

Sex Criminals, Vol. 2: Two Worlds, One Cop

Sex Criminals, Vol. 3: Three the Hard Way These comics sound ridiculous, and they are, but I really like them. In between all the raunchy sex jokes, they explore how relationships deepen beyond sex, different sexual identities, mental illness and how it affects relationships, stuff like that.

Trapped - next book in the Iron Druid series. It's a kind of fun series, but I tend to just work it in when I need a break.

To start off the new year I started with The Snow Child which is my book with a weather element in the title. I thought it was ok, but didn't love it like I expected to. I LOVE fairytale retellings, and it seemed like everyone else who read it loved it. It just felt slow, I got annoyed at the two main characters a lot, and it just didn't feel fairytale enough for me.

Currently reading Ancillary Sword - this could work for a few for me, book on another planet, a next book in a series you've started, or a favorite prompt from a previous year (nonhuman perspective).

QOTW:
My early strategy for challenges is to pick books I already want to read, and see where they fit. I'd seen a lot of people talking about snow child, and it fit with the weather element prompt. But it's also to do with library holds. I'd actually planned on reading Snow Child last year, but i was on hold for months. It finally came up at about Christmas, so I just downloaded it and turned my wifi off so I could read it as soon as the year started. Ancillary Sword I'd had on hold for a while too, and it also came up just before the new year, so that's why it's second. After that I'm delving into some books I bought a while ago that fill prompts. I kind of just do it by whatever catches my interest at the time, that's why I don't plan too much ahead for the challenges.

I am currently reading two books, and just finished one yesterday (The Stranger Beside Me: Ted Bundy The Shocking Inside Story, which I used for my "True Crime" Prompt).


Question of the Week:
Which category in our 2018 challenge are you going to tackle first (and why, if you've got a reason!)?
I am reading a trilogy, and on the second book now (which will complete another prompt!) and the third was given to me by an author, so I am reading those first. The other books I am tackling by availability at my library/online resources.

Hello all! I completed the 2017 challenge with 6 days to spare (that's just after midnight on Christmas Day for those counting). Whew! Glad to have a new year and a new list of books to tackle. Most of my books were already on my TBR list, but I tend to get stuck in one genre so it was fun to be "forced" (haha) to read other things. I read some really terrific books in 2017 and am hoping to do the same this year.

So far I've finished one book (The Silver Music Box), am almost 40% through a second (Daughters of the Night Sky), and have a third (The Wanted) lined up to read this week.

QOTW

The first category I tackled was a book I meant to read in 2017 because I meant to read in last year (I really did!) and I just couldn't get to it (Les Misérables ate my lunch for the last couple of months of the year). The book for this prompt was The Silver Music Box which I finished yesterday. While I liked it, I didn't love it. I'm not sure if it was the author or the translator, but the writing seemed disjointed and simplistic, as if it were written someone new to writing. It's the story of a music box of silver created by a master silversmith in Germany for his young son right before he leaves to serve in WWI. The family is Jewish, and most of the book focuses on the difficulties they faced in Germany as Hitler rises to power. Then there is a time jump to the 1960s as a young woman in London inherits the box and searches for the story behind it. This is the first in a series, but I don't anticipate reading any more of them.

Hello from Norway! :-)

I have just finished "Scarlet" by Marissa Meyer, but I can't find a promp that will fit this book?

Now I'll start "The Snowman" by Jo Nesbø. Prompts: "A book made into a movie you've already seen" and "Nordic Noir".

Then I will read "Cress" by Marissa Meyer. Prompt: "The Next book in a series"

Books Finished:

Bleak House I managed to finish this before the end of 2017! I'm not sure why that makes me so happy, since I still didn't finish the advanced part of the challenge, but it is really nice to have it out of the way for the new year.

Currently Reading:
Blood, Sweat, and Pixels: The Triumphant, Turbulent Stories Behind How Video Games Are Made I started this just before the end of 2017 because my husband was giving me a hard time for reading 100 books in the year but not reading any of the ones he recommended yet. :-) I am quite enjoying this book, so he was justified in pushing me to read it. I do want to try to finish it up quickly though, since I can't really count it for the challenge unless I claim 'blood' is my favorite color. :-P

Three Men in a Boat I just had to start a book for the challenge, even though I already have a couple I need to finish. I already had it out from the library for the 'mentioned in another book' prompt for the advanced part of the 2017 challenge, so I'm just using it for that same prompt for 2018 before I return it.

QOTW:
I started with Three Men in a Boat as noted above for library book management reasons. I also put on hold at the library Mind's Eye (because, like some others, I'm not completely comfortable with the Nordic Noir category, and want to either knock it out early, or have time to DNF and pick something new if this one doesn't work out) and Look Me in the Eye: My Life with Asperger's (because it was already on my TBR, and I recently realized that a lot of the Asperger's symptoms apply to me, so I'm especially interested to read it now).

poshpenny wrote: "Glad to hear it! It's also nice to see you've picked up the David Tennant Reading To You banner...."

I didn't realize it was him reading it until he introduced himself. I'm only 20 minutes in and he's fabulous. He seems to be able to switch between the accents with such ease and fluidity.

Siri, I'd say that the Lunar Chronicles could all fit within the cyberpunk prompt, seeing as Cinder is a cyborg, and there's androids and such.

So excited it's time for the new challenge! I get too excited every time the next years is released and never end up finishing the current year...maybe this time it'll be different! It's been hovering around -25*F here since Christmas so there has been a lot of hunkering down inside.

I started the year off with a bang. Books I read this week include:
Pinkalicious: book with your favorite color in the title
Emeraldalicious: book with two authors (I might change this but that's where it's slated right now)
Goldilicious
Aqualicious
Purplicious
Lily Brown's Paintings
Everyone's a Aliebn When Ur a Aliebn Too: book with an author who is a different ethnicity from you
Tequila Mockingbird: Cocktails with a Literary Twist: book with an animal in the title

I am currently reading:
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo: It started out way too slow for my taste but I'm about 80 pages in and it is getting the littlest bit interesting. I'm really hoping it takes off soon!
It's a Wonderful Lie: 26 Truths About Life in Your Twenties: Not sure what this fits yet
A Clash of Kings: Most likely will be the next book in a series you started
Wanderlust: A Love Affair with Five Continents: Not sure yet, may just be a free read
Little Women: Probably will be book made into a movie you've already seen. I loved watching the original with my grandma when I was younger.

I'm hoping to start studies to be an elementary school librarian within the next year so I'm trying to incorporate more children's books in my reading. If you have any favorites let me know!

Siri wrote: "Hello from Norway! :-)

I have just finished "Scarlet" by Marissa Meyer, but I can't find a promp that will fit this book?

Now I'll start "The Snowman" by Jo Nesbø. Prompts: "A book made into a ..."

Scarlet is as at least partially set in France, so if that happens to be a country that fascinates you (or is related to your ancestry) you could use that prompt.

I'm a little vague on what happened in which book of the Lunar Chronicles, but I know some people are counting at least Cinder as cyberpunk, so presumably the whole series could be counted that way. Do you feel like 'a book about mental health' could apply? (I seem to remember some of the characters in Scarlet having issues that could be considered related to 'mental health'.) I bet you could find a song that mentions 'scarlet' and count it for song lyrics...

Or hey, I would recommend the entire Lunar Chronicles series, so now it's a book recommended by someone else doing the Popsugar challenge. :-)

Since I own books that fit most of the prompts, I decided to tackle them in order (at least until the library holds I'm using to fill the others become available).

Have finished Carrie for "A book made into a movie you've already seen." About 35% of the way through The Monster of Florence (borrowed from library to fill "True Crime" prompt. And I'll be starting The Vampire Lestat later today for the "The next book in a series you started" prompt.

This week has felt like 2- there was so much going on! I finished the 2017 challenge on Friday with Time at the Top and it felt great to get something done!

It has been mild weather here- mid 30s and upper 40s. But I think it will start raining soon so perfect reading weather. I also had a bad fever and stomach thing recently so my reading for 2018 has already hit a slow start.

Currently reading:
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo for Nordic Noir and the group read.
The Rescue for a local author.

My daughter is reading Pippi Longstocking because obviously Nordic Noir isn't really appropriate for a ten year old.

QotW: I am starting off with Nordic Noir because I want to participate in as many of the group reads as possible this year and I have them scheduled on the first of each month so I should have plenty of time to finish them before the month is over. It also depends a little on the library (which is generally pretty fast at getting my holds).

I'm doing both this challenge and the Around the Year in 52 Weeks one. I'm trying to keep somewhat in order, but I also get my books mostly from the library so i'm forced to get creative with my choices. I got Jane Steele for the Movie you've already seen and I hated it. It is not at all a retelling of Jane Eyre. If it hadn't been advertised as that, I probably could have benn ok with it, but no. No. No. No. So I am not counting it towards this challenge and am waiting for Bridget Jones's Diary to be available.

For True Crime I read The Midnight Assassin: Panic, Scandal, and the Hunt for America's First Serial Killer which was an interesting look at the Antebellum South and the "civilizing" of the Wild West.

For next book in the series I read The Prisoner of Heaven which is the third book after The Shadow of the Wind. I am horrendous with names (both characters and in real life) so it took about halfway through to figure out how the previous two books were being knitted together, but wow. I now want to reread all three before the fourth translation comes out.

Of course I posted too early, and I have no life so I can add another book to this post (I'm blaming the weather. I may not leave my apartment willingly until March). I read Shadows of Sherwood for a heist book. There wasn't so much one big heist as a bunch of little ones and it's definitely the first in a set, so the story just kinda stops. It was an amusing read, but not enough for me to go searching for the second (my library doesn't have).
I'm trying not to get too far ahead so I think I'm going to finish off the January prompts and then move on to other books and come back for February. Or I might power through all of them. I make plans just to laugh as they fall apart.

Happy New Year from Cleveland! It has been in single digits all week (dropping into the negatives at night) - Sunday should be 30 and I can hardly wait for the heat wave! Tomorrow is my last day at work, so I was a little disappointed to have less audiobook time this week. Can't I just transfer my knowledge via osmosis?

This week I finished The Uncommon Reader written and narrated by Alan Bennett for a book involving a bookstore or library. Going in I thought this might be too saccharine for me, but it turned out to have some great discussions about identifying as a reader and lots of great British humor. I gave it 4*, but I think if I knew more to fully get all the jokes I missed, I would've happily bumped it up to 5*.

QOTW: I decided to start the year with a short audiobook, and I just happened to pick The Uncommon Reader, which clocked in at 2.7 hours. I would've started with My First Murder for Nordic Noir, except I wanted to be able to check a box more quickly, so I saved it for second. I have a whole stack of stuff out from the library, so I can't wait to work through a bunch of prompts before my new job starts!

Allison wrote: "I'm certainly no expert, but that sounds like a Microhistory to me? "

Ooh, I didn't even think about that. I honestly can't figure out what *technically* counts as a microhistory since certain books keep being discounted various places by people who seem to know what they're talking about, but it seems close enough to count. The only problem with that is that I already had about 5 other books I wanted to read for the microhistory prompt. :-D

I guess I can count this one and just see if I get to the others though. Thanks!

I am currently reading No One Is Coming to Save Us to fulfill prompts 14, 20, and 32. I’m shamefully using books for multiple prompts because I’m working full time and going to school and there is no way I’ll be able to read 40 books, but still wanted to participate in the spirit of the challenge. I’m a little over halfway through the book and am trying to finish before school starts back next week.

Raquel wrote: "Allison wrote: "I'm certainly no expert, but that sounds like a Microhistory to me? "

Ooh, I didn't even think about that. I honestly can't figure out what *technically* counts as a microhistory s..."

Did you borrow it from your husband? 'Cause that would work.

I would also say that the author cheekily choose "triumphant, turbulent" to be alliteration.

It could also be something that you meant to read in 2017 but didn't, since you did mean to read one his books.

Nadine! You're a mod! That's so great!

I was terrible about the weekly check-ins last year. But I want to hit 100 books this year -- including the entire Man Booker Prize longlist, and checking in regularly keeps me accountable. :)

I finished off three books before Jan. 1:

The Master and Margarita, which I thought was fantastic. (It checked off my final prompt for last year's challenge: Cat on the cover).

I also sped through Notes from a Small Island in two days to finish the 2017 Read Harder Challenge. I'd meant to read it far earlier, but it kept getting pushed down the stack. But end of the year was actually a perfect way to wrap up my first year of living in Britain.

And I reread Wolf Hall for my book club.

Currently reading:
I've started Ready Player One, for my cyberpunk book -- partly because I want to mark it off early. I'm enjoying the plotty parts, but it veers off far too often into lists of '80s pop trivia, or the inner workings of video games. Can't wait for this one to be done!

The Good Immigrant, for the Read Harder Challenge

Qotw: I try to knock off a couple of tasks early that I'm not looking forward to -- in this case cyberpunk and nordic noir -- and balance it with one book I've been waiting a long time to read.

I just picked up The Ice Beneath Her (nordic noir) and Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI (true crime) from the library, so I'll dive into those soon.

This week I read Pride and Prejudice for prompt 1 and will be reading The Girl with Dragon tattoo for monthly read as well as for prompt 5

Allison wrote: "Raquel wrote: "Blood, Sweat, and Pixels: The Triumphant, Turbulent Stories Behind How Video Games Are Made I started this just before the end of 2017 because my husband was giving me a hard time fo..."

I'm so glad you're reading the rest of the series! Carlos Ruiz Zafon became one of my favorite authors after "The Shadow of the Wind" and I read all of his other books right after. His writing is incredible. Enjoy!

Taylor wrote: "So excited it's time for the new challenge! I get too excited every time the next years is released and never end up finishing the current year...maybe this time it'll be different! It's been hover..."

I can’t remember exactly when it picked up, but it took me at least 100 pages to get into The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. After that I was completely sucked in until the end.

Nadine wrote: "Happy Thursday and Happy New Year!!!! Winter is here with a vengeance in NY. Brrrr stay warm!

Sara asked me to help out with Admin duties, and I happily accepted, even though I've never moderated..."

QotW:
The first category I am tackling is a book that deals with death or grief
The book I am reading to fulfill this prompt is:
Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah
I chose this prompt because I am participating in a buddy read and this is what we decided to read.

At first I thought it was going to satisfy another prompt, but then I realized it would be better off going into a different one.. that's the beauty of this challenge though! It's like a scavenger hunt for books!

When I decided that I really wanted to complete the 2018 reading challenge late last year, I also decided that I would participate in the weekly check ins - so here I am posting for the first time!

This week I finished two books:
Carnegie's Maid - I received an ARC from NetGalley and started before the New Year so it kind of feels like a cheat, but I'm using it for a book published in 2018 and I know I'll ready many more anyway so I'm letting it slide!

The Last Mrs. Parrish - Been meaning to read this since Reese recommended it and saw it on Kindle Daily Deals the other day so grabbed it for £0.99! Honestly could not put it down. Wasn't sure where it would fit in with my reading list, so was delighted to find that Liv Constantine is the pen name for sisters Lynne and Valerie Constantine. So ticked off a book with two authors as well!

Next up is a book that was gifted to me and I've been meaning to start - Never Let Me Go. I also picked Paris for One and Other Stories up from the library on a whim and it's due back the 8th so should get going on that.

And, finally, I'm slowly (very slowly) diving into You Are a Badass at Making Money: Master the Mindset of Wealth for the sake of my financial New Year's resolutions!

I'm about to finish A Wrinkle in Time for the time travel category. There was debate about whether it counted for that category, but as I'm reading it, I can confirm that they travel in both space and time. ;) It's good to revisit the book after reading it in school decades ago, and I wanted to finish it in time for the movie that is coming out soon.

I'm also reading Strangers in Their Own Land: Anger and Mourning on the American Right (problem facing society today) and it's really frightening. I hope it ends on some level of hope and ideas on what to do about this problem...

Up next I have We Were Eight Years in Power: An American Tragedy (author of a different ethnicity than me). I'm expecting it to also be a tough read.

To lift my spirits, I'll also get into Braving the Wilderness: The Quest for True Belonging and the Courage to Stand Alone (book I meant to read in 2017) this week. If anyone hasn't read Brene Brown yet (or seen her TED talk) I highly recommend checking out her work!

I'm debating joining the group for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. I remember the movie being too intense for me with the rape scenes...can anyone who has read it already confirm how difficult that aspect is in the book?

Thanks!

Sheri wrote: "Siri, I'd say that the Lunar Chronicles could all fit within the cyberpunk prompt, seeing as Cinder is a cyborg, and there's androids and such."

Thank you! :-)

Lauren wrote: "I'm debating joining the group for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. I remember the movie being too intense for me with the rape scenes...can anyone who has read it already confirm how difficult that aspect is in the book?"

It was as intense, if not more so, than the movie -- at least for me.

Raquel wrote: "Siri wrote: "Hello from Norway! :-)

I have just finished "Scarlet" by Marissa Meyer, but I can't find a promp that will fit this book?

Now I'll start "The Snowman" by Jo Nesbø. Prompts: "A book..."

Thank you! :)

What does "QOTW" mean?

Hi all! Woke up to a snowy morning in DC, and now am 1 of 2 people in the office already.

December turned out to be more hectic than expected work-wise, and then I spent the last few weeks around the holidays traveling and with family. All of which amounted to not getting as much reading done, and not finishing the 2017 Challenge. Since I started the challenge in May/June, I'm not too disappointed with how I fared (finished 12/12 for the advanced and 36/40 for the regular), and I decided to let it bleed into this year.

Currently Reading
- Dad Is Fat - Jim Gaffigan -- 2017 regular prompt of book you've already read that makes you laugh. Gaffigan's essays read like short stand-up bits, which makes this book easy to read and quite funny.

QotW
I'm planning on reading either The Essex Serpent (2017 regular prompt book involving mythical creature), Dogsbody (2017 regular prompt book from a nonhuman perspective), or The Clockwork Dynasty (2017 regular prompt steampunk) next. Regardless of which I choose, those are the next three books I'll be reading so I can wrap up the 2017 challenge. Then, I'll get started on the 2018 challenge, though I do have a number of books on my TBR and sitting on my bookshelves that I haven't read yet that fit prompts perfectly.

Siri wrote: "What does "QOTW" mean?"

It's an abbreviation for "Question of the Week"!

Hi everyone! Obligatory weather statement: with wind chill it was -30 here 2 days ago, but today it's supposed to get up to 40. So that's nice.

I'm off to a good start. I've finished The Lost Symbol for Book borrowed (from my boyfriend), The Picture of Dorian Gray for antihero, and Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency for ugly cover already this year!

I'm currently listening to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows with my kid which I could use in a lot of places but might end up just using it for female author who uses a male pseudonym.

I'm reading The Wide Window to my kid as well, which could also fit into a bunch of different prompts (next book in a series, book about death or grief, book with alliteration in the title).

I've been working on Dragonfly in Amber for a while as well which could fit almost anywhere. I recently started Throne of Glass for author with the same first name as me, and I'm listening to Solar for a problem facing society today (global warming).

Also about to start 1984 for a book set in the same decade I was born.

Hello! I completed the 2017 challenge last year, but I never posted in the group, so I'm trying harder to do that this year!

I finished my first book of the year: We're Going to Need More Wine: Stories by Gabrielle Union. I listened the the audiobook for this which was, excellent. I definitely recommend it! I'm using this book to complete the author of a different ethnicity than you, so I'm one challenge in.

I just started Everything Is Awful: And Other Observations by Matt Bellassai which will be a book I meant to read in 2017, I only have a few days before it's due back to the library!

I'm also starting the audiobook of The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith (aka JK Rowling), which will be my choice for a female author using a male pseudonym. My dad and I share and audible account, and he just finished all three of the Galbraith books and loved them, so I'm excited to start!

Hope everyone is staying safe and warm this weekend if the snow is headed your way!

I also noticed that Juanita is no longer a moderator.

Wanted to take this opportunity to thank Juanita for her leadership over the last few years. Thank you!!

Happy New Year from snowy New York. I am happy to be working from home today.

I am currently reading Magpie Murders. I chose to read this book first so that I can turn the WiFi on my Kindle back on when I am done. I will use it for the alliteration category for now, but may switch around later on.

Sue wrote: "Hello all! I completed the 2017 challenge with 6 days to spare (that's just after midnight on Christmas Day for those counting). Whew! Glad to have a new year and a new list of books to tackle. Mos..."

Have you read Cinder? If so Scarlet could count as the next book in a series you started!

Mike wrote: "I also noticed that Juanita is no longer a moderator.

Wanted to take this opportunity to thank Juanita for her leadership over the last few years. Thank you!!"

Yes, thanks Juanita and congratulation Nadine.

I haven't finish any book now but I started the year with The Fifth Season for the prompt written by someone whit a different ethnicity than me. It could work for on another planet too. Started great.

QOTW: I chose a book that was on my Kobo because I am going in vacation tomorrow and it will be lighter to bring on a plane.

Happy New Year, everyone! After spending most of the week of Christmas with my loud, chaotic family, I was glad to spend the last weekend of 2017 relaxing on the couch under a blanket with some hot tea and a couple of books. I always love the start of a new year. Even though I’m not a big resolution person, it still always feels like a fresh start. Here’s to a successful and happy 2018 for everyone!

I’m doing the Around the Year challenge simultaneously, and my goal is to not double-dip between these 2 challenges. If I get way behind later in the year I might reevaluate that, but for now I’m sticking to the plan.

Books I read this week:
Eligible by Curtis Sittenfeld. This to me was just meh. I don’t get all of the hype as a “best book of 2016.” It is a modern retelling of Pride and Prejudice, and some of the updates work, while some are just cringe-worthy. The 2 youngest Bennett sisters are horrible in this version also, acting like complete idiots with no intention of contributing to the household at all. And I think the mother was actually worse in this version, because she didn’t really get an update. Her close-mindedness was so much more awful in this version. The book wasn’t all bad, though. I liked the updated versions of Jane and Lizzy, and throwing in a reality TV angle made it a little fun.

Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz. This was my first Koontz novel, and I’ll definitely read more! I love the character Odd and the way Koontz sets the scene or describes a character. This was a page turner, but I made sure not to read it right before falling asleep.

Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate. I loved this! It was told in 2 POV, one in the present and one in the earlyish 20th century. It is based on the horrific true story of a children’s home in Tennessee for which the owner either stole babies or tricked parents into signing documents giving their kids to the home (promising the form was to get the hospital stay free, etc), and then adopting those kids out for a hefty fee to prominent members of society – including politicians and Hollywood actors. Well worth the read.

I am currently reading:
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot for the Around the Year challenge prompt a narrative nonfiction. I started this back in November, but the library book had to be returned. I now have another copy and plan to finish it this week.
Men Explain Things to Me by Rebecca Solnit for a book about feminism (15).
Born to Run by Bruce Springsteen for the obvious prompt a book with song lyrics in the title (28).
The Identicals by Elin Hilderbrand for a book with characters who are twins (30).

QOTW: I haven’t really planned out my challenge (or the AtY one, for that matter) just yet. I looked at how my list started when I began the 2017 challenges to how they ended up, and very few books actually remained the same. I mostly mood read and get distracted easily by a newer book or one that gets set on the top of the pile, so for the first few months of 2018 I am going to just go with the flow and read whatever, figuring out what prompt it will fill when I finish it. Once I get further into the year, maybe mid-spring, I’ll look at what prompts I’ve covered vs what is left and start making a plan. In pencil. :-) 