Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge discussion
2018 Weekly Checkins
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Week 16: 4/13 - 4/19
Good afternoon from a very sunny and hot Netherlands! (Seriously I'm melting; it's the hottest day in April ever since we started keeping track in 1901! Bring back the fall!)I hope everyone's taxes are coming along nicely!
I finished one book this past week: Alfenmark. I was really considering DNFing this after the first 50-60 pages, but I'm glad I didn't. After those pages I didn't come across another single problematic line and I really enjoyed it. I'm still not sure I want to use it for a next book in a series, because I have two other books I really want to read for that instead. Not sure if it counts for another planet, as to me it has to be obvious it's not Earth, you know?
I could have read more, but I've also been doing really well in catching up on shows! I only have a few shows left. The trick is to stay caught up after catching up, and guess who isn't feeling like watching any of the 5 episodes she has to watch? xD
Currently Reading
Fjordland- this is the final book of this trilogy. After the second one I was quite excited for this one, I mean, this covers "the final battle" but so far it's been quite dull. A lot of talking, a lot of 'intrigue' that would work if it didn't take so long. I am really hoping the second half will pick up the pace a bit. I'm at 50% now, so fingers crossed haha!
First Impressions: A Contemporary Retelling of Pride and Prejudice - Haven't read a single word of this ever since the Fall Out Boy concert. I am on a deadline to review though, so as soon as I finish Fjordland I am moving on to this.
Soyeah.. challenge wise, this was a terrible week, BUT, I am reading, so I am taking it as a win anyways.
I also brought home two more books from work/the library, even after telling myself I wouldn't, but when one is The Bear and the Nightingale, even a Dutch translation, I couldn't not check it out when I saw it wasn't on hold for anyone. The other is Uncommon Type: Some Stories by Tom Hanks which can work for one of my chosen prompts from previous years 'written by a celebrity'. If Tom Hanks doesn't count as a celebrity, then I don't know who would! Originally I had slotted a book by John and Carole Barrowman for this prompt, and while I still want to read that series, it would cost me money to get, while Tom's book was right there! So score for me. I refuse to feel bad for taking them home even if I now really have too many library books laying around. It doesn't help I also brought home a book from Agatha Christie we were taking out of the collection. Woops.
QOTW
I feel like I haven't read enough classics for this to be able to give a favorite! I really loved Lord of the Flies and Animal Farm. Also, The Hobbit and Charlotte's Web. I'd dare say Harry Potter as well, as it may not count as a classic just yet, but I am certain one day it/they will be.
I managed to tick a book off this week, for prompt number 8 a time of day in the title. I read Night Song of the Last Tram - A Glasgow Childhood. I wasn't sure what to expect from it. My father was born not far from where and not long after when this book was set, so I was really interested to see more of that world. But I was dubious, worried that this was going to be yet another child abuse story. Thankfully, this memoir is so much more than that. It's a story of the bond between a mother and son above all else, a story which warmed me and broke me in equal measures. It's also a funny, nostalgic and honest snapshot of a childhood in the Maryhill area of Glasgow in the 1950's which had me turning the pages, running through the closes with Robert and his friends and breaking my heart for his strong and funny mother. Lovely wee book. What's your favorite "Classic" novel (or novels)?
I wasn't sold on the concept of classics when I was younger. I was made to read The Great Gatsby and The Catcher in the Rye by my parents, and liked them but didn't really get them. But I revisited them in my 20's and loved them, so I tried more. Not all hit the mark, but I have loved Jane Eyre, The Picture of Dorian Gray, Howards End, Little Women and Sons and Lovers. More modern classics I've loved were To Kill a Mockingbird, 1984 and The Bell Jar.
Good morning! After a day's taste of spring we are back to a dusting of snow on the ground here in Iowa.This week I've finished:
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, I haven't decided if I'll use this for time off day in the title, or for true crime yet.
The Alchemist for an allegory.
Both feel a bit below my expectations, and my husband and I are in a bit of a slump with our audiobook, Cutting for Stone, I think we're about halfway through, and waiting for next big plot point for the characters. Hopefully it will pick up again soon. So to resolve my slump, yesterday I started both The Bear and the Nightingale and Monique and the Mango Rains: a year with a midwife in Mali. Both audiobooks, I Don't usually listen to fantasy in audiobook form, and seem to need to listen to it without destructions. I'm liking both so far, but will probably stick to paper back for fantasy reads.
I'm also still reading Half Broke Horses for the ugly cover prompt.
QOTW: I also have a hard time narrowing down, favorites include Wayership Down, Anne of Green Gables, Pride and Predjudice, The Little Princess, The Black Caldron.
Classic picturebooks: little black a pony, the best nest, and a fish out of water.
Sarah wrote: "I managed to tick a book off this week, for prompt number 8 a time of day in the title. I read Night Song of the Last Tram - A Glasgow Childhood. I wasn't sure what to expect from it..."Oh, I have that! I might use it for "book tied to your ancestry".
Mod
This week I read NINE books! Two of them were really short and four of them were books I'd been working in for a long time (including a cookbook, which I did not actually read cover-to-cover). All of the novels I finished were disappointing. I really need a good book!! Three of these were for the Challenge; I am now 33/50.
Moosewood Restaurant New Classics: 350 Recipes for Homestyle Favorites and Everyday Feasts
- loved it! Bought it! (I rarely buy books, I get my books from the library.) Moosewood Restaurant is in Ithaca, NY, about 1.5 hrs from me, so this is sort of local (hey! maybe I can use this for "local author" if I can't find anything else!!!)
Red Rising by Pierce Brown - hated it! How did this win the Choice award?? This fulfilled the "GR Choice award category." An award I now have no respect for.
They All Saw a Cat picture book by Brendan Wenzel - loved it! Completely charming picture book. If you read to young children, or if you just like picture books (that would be me!), I highly recommend this. (Thank you to the person who mentioned this book a few weeks ago!)
Green Arrow, Volume 2: Island of Scars - graphic novel by Benjamin Percy - ugh. How did this fail so badly when I enjoyed the first volume so much?? I'm done with this series. It's too "Scooby-Doo."
Undersong: Chosen Poems Old and New by Audre Lorde - I expected to love this but many of the poems just didn't "speak" to me.
Tangerine by Christine Mangan - I was so excited to read this and so disappointed! It seems like all my April reads are disappointments! This would work for "published in 2018" or "fascinating country" (if you're fascinated by Morocco - and who isn't, really?) or "fruit in the title" (obviously!)
On the Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta - another disappointment! I've read SO MANY rave reviews for this over the years. I was so let down. Admittedly I am not the target audience, though. This is YA that should be read only by a YA reader. (Coincidentally, this book mentions a serial killer in the woods a few hours outside Melbourne, and the book I'm reading now - Force of Nature- also mentions a serial killer in the woods a few hours out of Melbourne. Does this area have a reputation for serial killers???). This fulfilled "author with same first & last initials" for AtY.
The Ministry of Utmost Happiness by Arundhati Roy - I started this in January. Finally finished it. It was good, but not for me. I was so excited when Roy published another novel, and so deflated when I finally read it. I did learn a lot about Indian politics and conflicts, though. I used this for "ugly cover" (because after investing all that time in it, I needed to check off a Challenge category! )
Tree of Smoke by Denis Johnson - I've been listening to the audiobook for a month! I didn't realize it was so long! Not my favorite from Johnson, but I did finally find a way to appreciate it, so I'm glad I didn't DNF it. I used this for "set in the decade you were born."
QOTW
Wuthering Heights without question!! Usually it's hard for me to name one favorite anything, but in this case it's easy :-) I bought this for myself from the bookmobile back when I was 9, and I can't believe I actually read the whole thing back then, but I did! I read it several more times since then, and I think I'm due for another. For a long time, this was the only book I had ever re-read.
Just come back from lunch in the park because the weather is glorious today. I'm looking forward to seeing more people reading in public now the weather is improving :D. I haven't made any progress on the challenge this week, I've got to the point where my books aren't naturally falling into categories.I finished The Murders of Molly Southbourne a horror novella that I absolutely loved. I spent most the week reading Children of Blood and Bone which didn't live up to the hype for me. I feel like somehow I got an earlier draft and not the same book everyone else is raving about!
I nearly DNF'ed The Charmed Life of Alex Moore because of the tedious Shoreditch hipster BS at the start but it has just got weird and I'm starting to like it more.
I started reading Other Minds: The Octopus, the Sea, and the Deep Origins of Consciousness. I had jokingly thought I could use it as my ancestry book but the introduction explains how you have to go very very far back to find the common ancestors of humans and octopus. I imagine I'll be reading it in small chunks but it sounds fascinating.
QOTW:
Some of my favourite books are modern classics, I'd probably pick On the Beach, The Day of the Triffids, Rebecca and Brideshead Revisited. I rarely read older classics though.
Hello from a rainy, cold Columbus. We had a few nice days but I guess Mother Nature was just teasing us. Medium Raw: A Bloody Valentine to the World of Food and the People Who Cook not for the challenge, I just love Anthony Bourdain.
Dexter in the Dark also not for the challenge I’m just working my way through the series (which I started for the anti hero prompt). This is book 3, and they’re getting increasingly kind of preposterous. It was okay, but this book started adding supernatural elements to it which was kind of weird.
Trigger Warning: Short Fictions and Disturbances I used this for the goodreads award winner prompt. It’s also a book I picked for my book club. His introduction had me all worked up thinking I’d be massively disturbed and then it was like, not even remotely bothersome lol. I was especially excited to hear that there was a mini sequel about Shadow (from American Gods). Most of the stories were really interesting. Some kind of weird and hard to follow. Overall, I really liked it.
So I’m at 30/40; 0/10 with 63 books read this year.
QOTW: so many! I think Anna Karenina is my favorite but honestly, all of them. I love Austen and all of the Brontës.
Nadine, I saw someone refer to "the 96th of January" this week - sounds applicable in NY for sure!After last week's push to finish a bunch of pending stuff, I am letting myself off the hook and putting down The Wee Free Men for now. I'll probably finish it, but I'm so not feeling it right now. It's charming, but the plot is not pulling me in.
So, I finally let myself get Maplecroft and I'm loving it. Lizzie Borden + Lovecraftian horror - what more could my eldritch heart desire?
QOTW
The two that spring to mind, because I actually re-read them quite a bit, are Persuasion and The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Well as per the past couple weeks where I have been working on several books at once I finished a bunch this week;Me penumbras 24 hour book store, a piece of the world, let’s Pretend This Never Happened, and the hot zone. I am now at 16 finished so on track although I haven’t necessarily slotted them in yet.
QOTW:
My favourites are Wuthering Heights and Alice in Wonderland hands down.
Happy Thursday! 25 of 50 down.Completed:
I originally picked The Beet Queen by Lois Erdlich for #45 Book with fruit or vegetable in the title. However, when the male protagonist was raped and decided to become a gay prostitute, allegedly in the 1950s, in North Dakota, I decided to make this nightmare my LGBT book. I barely made it through. Teenaged angst, despicable characters, mean-spirited, absolutely hated it. The highlight of the book was the mother getting on a plane and flying away, abandoning her 12 year old boy, 10 year old girl, and still breastfeeding newborn. Blech. I think I need to avoid YA (and 12 year old boys getting raped) for a very long time.
Her Final Breath by Robert Dugoni as a fun thriller. Odd that a serial killer targeting strippers in Seattle seems lighthearted, but after Erdlich. This is second in the Tracey Crosswhilte series; the first was about the murder of her sister, a cold case. Tracey’s excellent instincts are back at it in this one.
A palate cleansing cozy mystery called Another One Bites the Crust. I found the characters a bit too precociously zany for my tastes, but not a bad plot.
Another One Bites the Crust by Ellie Alexander for a palate cleanser after Beet Queen. Little too zany in the character department, but solid mystery.
Currently reading:
One of the categories I’ve been dreading is the celebrity book club option, #32, (along with an Awards winner and cyberpunk). If it’s something I’ve wanted to read I’ve probably read it already. Celebrities, in my opinion, are just people pushing their fame - typically I don’t care what someone is reading because they can act or host a talk show. (Cough Oprah Cough) I ended up picking Marlena by Julie Buntin. Somebody named Emma Roberts has a book club and listed this one. She was in Hotel For Dogs, which was a movie I have seen. Since Hotel For Dogs was decent, I thought perhaps she might have good taste in books. Well, color me disappointed! (I’m not shocked.) Marlena has won a ton of literary awards as well. Cat moves to Silver Lake, MI with her mother and brother after her parents’ divorce. She falls in with a terrible influence, drugs, alcohol, sex, skipping school – horrible destructive behavior. We know that Marlena, the neighbor, dies in an accident from the blurb on the back, but it isn’t a suspense novel. It’s just a depressing read about children making poor choices and an adult looking back on her life as an alcoholic. Sad. The language is vile.
Hitman: The Untold Story of Johnny Martorano: Whitey Bulger's Enforcer and the Most Feared Gangster in the Underworld by Howie Carr. I originally picked this for #12, but Whitey who was reputed to be of that mindset was not prevalent enough. Martorano was oddly a Mr. Mom in addition to being a hitman.
QOTW - Favorite classic novels
Jane Austen’s Persuasion and Pride and Prejudice, Daphne De Maurier’s Rebecca, Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, Truman Capote’s Breakfast at Tiffany's (but not the movie, regardless of how hot George “I Love It When A Plan Comes Together” Peppard was then), L.M. Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables, Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter.
Nadine wrote: "hated it! How did this win the Choice award?? This fulfilled the "GR Choice award category." An award I now have no respect for. ..."Yes! I was amazed by all of the rave reviews when I finished Red Rising. I actually put it down after 100 pgs and came back 3 weeks later, forcing myself to finish it in case it got better. Nope.
Hi everyone! It has been another hectic work week, which makes my 4-day weekend even sweeter. I’m heading to the coast this afternoon until Sunday for a family wedding. Fingers crossed the weather cooperates! Then I fly right from there to a trade show for most of next week. It is a good thing that this past week was good for reading because I doubt I’ll read much at all for the next 7 days.I finished 4 books this week, 1 for Popsugar, so I’m now at 25/52 for this challenge.
Books I finished:
For Popsugar
Sunburn by Laura Lippman for a book about a villain/antihero (9). All but a few pages of this novel took place in the 90’s, for anyone in their 20’s looking for something to fill the decade you were born prompt. Each chapter has a different narrator than the one before or after it, but it is still easy to follow and determine whose POV you are reading about at the time.
For other challenges
Sometimes I Lie by Alice Feeney. This is Feeney’s first novel, and for a debut it is impressive. It is a story told in 3 timelines: present day, one week prior and the events leading up to present day, and 25 years in the past. Feeney does a great job linking everything together, even if it was a little confusing for a few pages about 2/3 of the way through. This is an author I will keep on my radar.
Red Clocks by Leni Zumas. This is a near future story about a few women in Oregon, all of whom are affected by the Personhood Amendment (abortion is illegal, only couples can adopt, etc) in a different way. I really wanted to like this, but nope. The writing style was way too distracting and not my cup of tea. Unfortunate, because this is actually scarier and easier to imagine actually happening than The Handmaid’s Tale so it should make for good reading.
The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat and Other Clinical Tales by Oliver Sacks. This is a collection of clinical neurological cases. Some of them more dry and some were fascinating. Not for everyone, and definitely better reading a bit at a time instead of straight through.
I am currently reading:
Swimming Lessons by Claire Fuller for a book that involves a library or bookstore (39).
The Family Next Door by Sally Hepworth for another challenge.
The Last Black Unicorn by Tiffany Haddish for another challenge.
QOTW: I actually didn't read many classics in school, so I have a goal for myself to read 1 each month this year. I've done well so far, but I haven't read one for April yet and time is running out. I do remember reading To Kill a Mockingbird and loving it. My mom got me hooked on Agatha Christie when I was in junior high, my favorite being And Then There Were None.
The classics I've read in the last 2 years have all been a bit disappointing. I'm not sure if it is because I start them with such high expectations or what, but I wasn't nearly as wowed by Pride and Prejudice, The Hobbit and The Picture of Dorian Gray as I think I should have been.
Hi all! Weather has been holding out really well in the Gulf of Texas. A little rain, a little sun, but overall very nice! This week I read 4 books and 2 of those will work towards the challenge.
So I finished The Silkworm which I'm using for a book with an animal in the title. I actually didn't specifically pick this one for this prompt so I may change it later. I've been really liking this series so far. I thought this book kept me more intrigued than the first book but I'm looking forward to the third as I'm assuming Robin will have a larger role in the investigations. I've already grabbed a copy from my library and will be finishing that hopefully next week.
I also finished The Hate U Give for a past Goodreads winner. I initially wasn't sure I'd enjoy this book, not based on the contents but about the amount of reviews of people who said that they had to set it down for a little while before they could finish it. I read this sucker in one go and loved it. I thought this was a really well-written book on an important topic and it did a great job at showing an issue from Starr's perspective. Unlike the rare poor reviews, I actually liked the author's portrayal of white characters. I thought she did a nice job of showing how awkward race relations can be even from people who are trying to get it right.
For non-prompt fulfilling books, I listened to 2 audiobooks last week while I was working. They are part of a series and they were, Murder in an Irish Village and Murder at an Irish Wedding. To be honest, they are just kind of meh. Amusing enough for me not to switch to a podcast but annoying enough that I'm not really sad when I pause them at the end of the work day. I am listening to the third in the series right now Murder in an Irish Churchyard and I'm kind of just looking forward to finishing it so I can be done.
QOTW
So after an exhausting go when I was younger to finish as many classics as I could, I found I really didn't care for the older ones. It could have been my age and not connecting with the contents but now that I'm older and know for a fact what I enjoy when I read I'll probably only revisit a few. I'm glad Sara listed children's classics though because The Outsiders is still, to date, my favorite story and I read it nearly every year. I actually thought about this book while reading The Hate U Give (probably because I re-read it 2 weeks ago).
Hello from scorching hot London. I love this weather, I just want to lie out all day in the sun!I've not finished any books this week and am in a bit of a slump. It was my birthday at the weekend so there were lots of celebrations followed by a horrendous two day hangover! Shows that I'm getting old as two day hangovers were not a thing 5 years ago even after much heavier nights!
I am also still reading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows for the twitter book club and is it just me or are these chapters much longer than those in previous books? I'm struggling to fit in 5 chapters a week (the set amount for the book club) whilst for previous books this would usually have been done by the end of Tuesday. There are also no breaks within the chapter like there were in previous books so it's hard to read a little bit at a time (on the train, while eating breakfast etc). It's crazy to think I read this all in a weekend the first time!
I'm rambling, but basically this all means that I have made little progress on The Historian and need to get a move on with it! Luckily I have the opportunity to do so tomorrow for the Lauren and the Books Cosy Reading Night tomorrow (see link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r71d7...). Is anyone else taking part?
QOTW
I am a big fan of classics some of my favourites are (from oldest to most recent):
Hamlet
Don Quixote
The Hunchback of Notre-Dame
Far from the Madding Crowd
Anne of Green Gables
The Great Gatsby
Of Mice and Men
Looking at this list there seems to be a big leap between the early 17th and the 19th century. Any late 17th or 18th century recommendations please throw them my way so that I can remedy this!
Happy Thursday! I've had a sleepy reading week, even though I did more reading than the week before. Fortunately, I found a choose your own adventure romance novel last week, My Lady's Choosing: An Interactive Romance Novel, which should add some levity into my reading life soon!Finished
The Light Between Oceans (a book from a celebrity book club) - Sometimes you read a book after seeing a movie and discover a whole new layer to the story. Other times you realize it was a really, really, really faithful movie adaptation. I'm pretty sure the movie followed this book scene-by-scene.
DNF
The Yiddish Policemen's Union - I really wanted to love this book, but I didn't like anything about it except the beautiful cover art so I put it in my donation pile.
Reading
Lost Lake - I adore Sarah Addison Allen's books. I'm only two chapters into this book and lost in the story.
The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America's Shining Women - I'm really loving this book, but my heart is breaking for the women who suffered so much from their work in the radium dial factories.
QOTW
Of all the classics I've read, the only ones I'm completely in love with are children's classics. The Wizard of Oz and Peter Pan are my absolute favorites. Winnie the Pooh was my obsession as a child. I read The Secret Garden for the challenge this year and I loved that too. I suppose I've never stopped wanting to find magical, innocent lands to call my own.
So it's book sale week at the library I work at... and the president of our "Friends of the Library" organization, who runs said book sale, made the mistake of telling me "since YOU packed up and sorted all these books for us, you can take anything you want for free." Which is like telling a kid he can have anything he wants at the candy store for free. XD I was at least sort of good, I only came away with seven new books to read... or to add to the stack of forty books I need to read here eventually...Finished SEVEN books this week -- though to be fair one was a graphic novel and a few of them were fairly short.
Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions -- for the "allegory" prompt. Definitely thin on plot, but still extremely fascinating to read and think about. It serves as both an introduction to mathematics and dimensional thinking, and as a scathing allegory for the racism, classism, and misogyny of its time period.
Argo: How the CIA & Hollywood Pulled Off the Most Audacious Rescue in History -- for the "book set in the decade you were born" prompt. Kind of cheating since the events of the book start in November 1979 (I was born in the 80s), but I still count it. A case of "fascinating story, dismal writing" in my opinion.
The Refrigerator Monologues -- for the "book about feminism" prompt. This book is a MUST READ for comic-book fans, as the author wrote it directly in response to the "Women in Refrigerators" syndrome that plagues comics -- namely, female heroines or characters in general who have horrible things happen to them (murder, brainwashing, de-powering, rape, etc.) to further the male characters' stories and let them take the spotlight.
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian -- for the "book tied to your ancestry" prompt. I have some Native American ancestry on my mom's side, and this was a heartwrenching but darkly humorous read about a Native American boy's attempt to better himself by attending an off-reservation school.
Monster Zoo -- graphic novel, not for the challenge. An exciting read with quirky, nicely stylized art.
The Curious Case of the Werewolf That Wasn't -- not for the challenge. More a short story than a book, and while I loved the "Parasol Protectorate" books, this prequel short story fell flat for me.
The Day the World Came to Town: 9/11 in Gander, Newfoundland -- not for the challenge. Every once in awhile you need to read something that assures you that people in general are still good, and this book fit the bill. Nice to see some happiness amidst such a disaster.
Currently Reading:
Hook's Tale: Being the Account of an Unjustly Villainized Pirate Written by Himself -- "book about a villain or antihero"
Space Opera -- "book published in 2018"
Challenge stats:
29/42 for regular challenge (I split the last prompt into three because why not)
7/10 for advanced challenge
QOTW:
My all-time favorite classic novel would have to be Fahrenheit 451, which not only got me hooked on the writing of Ray Bradbury but introduced me to a world of classic sci-fi authors. Other favorite classics include A Confederacy of Dunces, Alas, Babylon, the Chronicles of Narnia books, and Macbeth.
Snow here in Pittsburgh too! I didn't finish any book but I do have two in progress.
A Mother's Reckoning: Living in the Aftermath of Tragedy - listening to the audiobook for my true crime novel.
Reading Into the Water for my ugly cover book. I had a really busy week (Tax Day at work) so I haven't really had any time to dedicate to reading outside of my commute to and from work.
11 Regular, 1 Advanced, 4 For Fun.
Howdy from DC in Apriluary, where it's April 19th, and I still have to wear a winter coat for my commute!I finished 5 books this week, 3 of which were under 100 pages.
A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo for ATY and PS
The Paper Menagerie for ATY and PS
The Art of War for Catching Up with Classics and ATY
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban for ATY and Binge Mode: Harry Potter prep
Happiness: The Crooked Little Road to Semi-Ever After for Reese Witherspoon's Book Club and PS
I also DNFed Make Trouble: Standing Up, Speaking Out, and Finding the Courage to Lead 30 minutes into the audiobook bc I didn't mesh with the author's narration style. I may attempt to read the book at a later date.
PS- 16/40 Regular, 3/10 Advanced
ATY - 18/52
I also decided to remove the Book Riot challenge from my plate, and reallocated a few of those reads to PS and ATY to complete a few prompts with books I'd already read.
CURRENTLY READING
Persuasion for CUwC and ATY
Vanity Fair for ATY, CUwC, and PS
White Nights for CUwC and ATY
Hot Asset not for a challenge, but do need to read and review for Netgalley.
QOtW
My favorite classics are Pride and Prejudice and Persuasion by Jane Austen, and The Importance of Being Earnest.
Good morning! I managed to get some reading done on my long weekend visiting a friend... we spent Sunday afternoon just reading on her couch with tea (ideal visit). Finished: What a Difference a Duke Makes (underwhelming but fine).
The Last Equation of Isaac Severy, finally reading a Book of the Month pick within 6 months of getting it! Totally works for a book involving a bookstore or library, also has a pair of twins in it (of course, I have finished those prompts). This felt really different because it blended complex family drama AND sinister mystery. Solid debut!
No Land's Man for a local library book challenge. An interesting and quick read and Aasif Mandvi is pretty fascinating but I wanted some more insight from him than I got. The reflective moments were great, just needed more of them.
Currently reading: Love and Other Words. Totally prepared to cry... I have heard reviews.
QOTW: Persuasion. Hands down. First thing that popped into my mind (and so glad to see some other Persuasion fans here)!
Good morning! Spring is happening in Wyoming. At least it is right now. We'll see if it changes its mind in a few hours.I finished 3 books this week, and all of them fit into the challenge! I'm now at 35/52
Note: I moved Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows from this prompt to Best seller from the year I graduated (2007)
QOTW:
I remember reading and loving Fahrenheit 451 and The Great Gatsby in high school and loving them. However, I barely remember the books themselves so I'm not sure that's a fair assessment.
I love The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. I have enjoyed other classics like Slaughterhouse-Five and 1984, but I wouldn't say they were favorites.
Good morning, everyone! It's sunny today here in Kansas - here's hoping I can snag some outdoors time.FINISHED
I finished 4 books this week, 2 of them for the Popsugar Challenge, bringing me to 18/50 prompts completed.
- Monstress - I used this for the "book that is also a stage play or musical" category. HUGE thanks to the person in the group who tipped us off that it was being adapted! I adored this. Absolute 5/5.
- I Am an Executioner: Love Stories - I used this for the "favorite prompt from past years" category and went for the "POC author" prompt. This collection was really uneven, but there were some fantastic stories in it, too.
- Not for any challenge, I read Permanent Ink (so hot I didn't care that the hero was a fan of the St. Louis Blues) and listened to the audiobook of The Happiness Project: Or Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun (still enjoyable!).
IN PROGRESS
Nervous Conditions - I read half of this in one sitting last week and haven't touched it since, but it's very good so far!
DNF
Pomegranate Soup - Not For Me.
QOTW
Ooooh, love this question! Pride and Prejudice, Northanger Abbey, Mansfield Park, Persuasion...love me some Jane Austen.
I didn't read as many this week as I have in the past few weeks. I read four for my youth committee reading and several picture books (also for the committee). I have also started two books just for me that are taking me longer to read then they usually would because I am juggling library due dates for the children's books I need to read. Too many books- what a great "problem" to have.I read:
The First Rule of Punk- I didn't enjoy this one at all. It was poorly written and the protagonist was a brat.
The Ostrich and Other Lost Things- which was an interesting look at a sibling of an autistic boy. I didn't like that the protagonist kept sneaking out at night (she was taking care of an ostrich), but if a child was looking for a realistic fiction I would recommend it.
Lemons- a girl grieving for her mother gets sent to live with her grandfather where she meets a friend and searches for Bigfoot. I would give this to a child to read.
The Parker Inheritance- this was a well written book that was a little bit difficult because it took a solid look at being African American in the South during the fifties (and even now). I think it is a great book for kiddos to read. There are illusions to racial slurs you might have to talk to your kiddos about if they read this book.
QOTW: As I was reading the comments before I was thinking, "Oh, I love that book," over and over again, so how do you choose. The first books that came to mind, however, were Pride and Prejudice, Persuasion, The Outsiders, and To Kill a Mockingbird.
Happy Reading!
Jess wrote: "Luckily I have the opportunity to do so tomorrow for the Lauren and the Books Cosy Reading Night tomorrow (see link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r71d7...). Is anyone else taking part?"First off: Happy belated birthday!
Secondly, I wish I could join! it sounds like a lot of fun, but Friday nights are family nights here, and the Reading Night takes place from 8pm to 11pm here, so that's not gonna happen for me :(
I will be taking part in Dewey's Readathon though! Anyone else here joining me???
Mod
I'm starting to worry that I'm going to have to wear my winter coat all year!! Those "cli-fi" post-apocalyptic stories in which the world is cold all year (eg: The Wolves of Winter) are starting to hit a little too close to home!!!
Carmen wrote: "Jess wrote: "I will be taking part in Dewey's Readathon though! Anyone else here joining me??? ..."I've signed up, and it sounds like my idea of heaven. But it's on a Saturday and I have three kids...so we'll see how much I actually manage!
Carmen wrote: "I will be taking part in Dewey's Readathon though! Anyone else here joining me???"ME! I'm getting excited but dithering over my TBR. I don't want to dither on the day so I need a smaller selection to choose from, but not too small or I feel constrained. Bookworm problems... ;)
Ellie wrote: "Carmen wrote: "I will be taking part in Dewey's Readathon though! Anyone else here joining me???"ME! I'm getting excited but dithering over my TBR. I don't want to dither on the day so I need a s..."
Sarah wrote: "Carmen wrote: "Jess wrote: "I will be taking part in Dewey's Readathon though! Anyone else here joining me??? ..."
I've signed up, and it sounds like my idea of heaven. But it's on a Saturday and ..."
Good luck with the kids! I actually have a birthday, but this week and next week will be busy for me and I probably won't have the energy for it, so I figured this was a better idea. I'm quite glad the Readathon doesn't start until 2pm for me, so I won't have to get up early or lose reading hours. Fingers crossed I won't be too tired to read haha!
I feel the pain on choosing books! But right now I have like 11 books or something from the library, so I think I'll be fine. Just need to pick what I feel like at the time. Assuming I'll finish at least one book, and that I won't miraculously read them all in the upcoming week, that is haha!
Hello again. I picked up the pace a little and I'm back to making progress.18/52
Completed
Used this for Advanced #10. Recommended by fellow challenger.
It was recommended by Naina
Currently Reading
Gave Up On
I was listening to this on audio. I may return to it in book form as it fits a category I dislike in each of my challenges and refilling both spots with one book may be difficult.
What's your favorite "Classic" novel (or novels)?
I love a lot of dystopian classics. Below are my favorites
ReadAmong Others For book with characters who are twins. Have had on TBR for ages, motivated to read because I can go from this one to the next PopSugar prompt just below it: A book mentioned in another book. The two prompts following each other makes me wonder if the Popsugar creators were actually thinking of Among Others when they created the two prompts. Enjoyed immensely. Great coming of age story, and made me realize how NOT on top of classic sci-fi I am. I now have quite a list of books I haven't read to fill that next PopSugar prompt.
Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch For a book by two authors. Don't know how I haven't read this one yet, especially since Bookriot had a book with two authors prompt last year (I believe I read Leviathan Wakes for that one) and am a Gaiman fan (Sandman=wow). Initially seemed so irreverent, but chewing on the story for a bit gives the reader so much to think about.
Currently reading
The Garden of Evening Mists For a book with a weather element in the title. Time to delve into something different after my recent more sci-fi/fantastical reads. It is wonderful, so far. A book about memory, and war. And gardens. And healing.
QOTW
Pride and Prejudice will always have a special place in my heart. How can it not? As does The Secret Garden and A Farewell to Arms.
This week I finished 1 Book (#16):16: Sleeping Beauties
Prompt: "A Book with Two Authors"
Excellent social commentary
I am currently reading one book:
17: The Female Persuasion
Prompt: "A Book Published in 2018"
Question of the Week:
Q: What's your favorite "Classic" novel (or novels)?
A: I really love George Orwell - Nineteen Eighty-Four and Animal Farm are personal favorites. I just recently got around to reading Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities, which I also enjoyed. Some other favorites include The Great Gatsby, Their Eyes Were Watching God, and A Separate Peace.
I majored in theatre in college, so I also enjoy playwrights like Shakespeare, Wilder, Moliere, Brecht, Miller, Williams, Sophocles, and Wilson
Overall the weather is improving here, though we're still having some chilly days. My husband is thinking he's going to have to start mowing our lawn this week, which is just wrong to have to start mowing the same week as a snow!The number of books I'm finishing has gone way down as I'm cycling away from YA books, but I am getting more challenge books in at last, so a productive reading week overall.
Finished Reading:
Pendragon's Heir I really liked this version of the King Arthur story!
The American Indian For the 'book I meant to read in 2017'. Overall, more like a collection of essays than I realized going in, and not as much new information as I was hoping for, but a good assessment of the problems with government policies and treatment of the Native Americans.
Hue & Cry A childhood reread I finished in a day because I needed a light Sunday afternoon book. I don't think this one fits in the challenge, but with a deaf main character I'd recommend to people trying to diversify their reading.
North and South For my 'book made into a movie I've already seen'. I went from struggling with this one to not wanting to put it down--I think it really was trying to read it during the flu that was making it difficult at first. I highly recommend this be a classic everyone reads, because deals with the politics of labor unions and strikes in a very balanced way.
Currently Reading:
Fix, Freeze, Feast, 2nd Edition: The Delicious, Money-Saving Way to Feed Your Family; Stock Your Freezer with Ready-to-Cook Meals; 150 Recipes A cookbook I need to finish and review for NetGalley.
The Disappearing Spoon: And Other True Tales of Madness, Love, and the History of the World from the Periodic Table of the Elements Audiobook probably wasn't the way to go for this one, since I have almost no chemistry education and would have an easier time following the technical bits if I could slowly re-read them a couple of times. The historical anecdotes are quite interesting though.
Sophie Scholl and the White Rose I've been wanting to read more on the White Rose since the first book I read about them, but I'm not enjoying this one nearly as much as The White Rose. Part of me wants to DNF, but part of me wants to push through since there aren't a lot of other options for books on the White Rose.
A Little Bit Wicked: Life, Love, and Faith in Stages To be honest, I'm reading this because Idina Menzel hasn't written a memoir. :-) The book is fun so far, but I think being in the same room with Kristin Chenowith for five minutes would exhaust me.
QOTW:
Some of these I haven't re-read in years, but I at least loved them when I read them.
Jane Eyre
Kidnapped
The Scarlet Pimpernel
Northanger Abbey
A Little Princess
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
I'm adding North and South to this list now too.
Oh, I forgot to mention I DNF'd Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith. I just don't think anyone who says 'faith is the antithesis of reason', and lumps all religions together as the same, can accurately explain why things happened, and it wasn't worth it to me to keep reading through that attitude for just the historical facts.
Brooke wrote: "The classics I've read in the last 2 years have all been a bit disappointing. I'm not sure if it is because I start them with such high expectations or what, but I wasnLittle Women't nearly as wowed by Pride and Prejudice, The Hobbit and The Picture of Dorian Gray as I think I should have been.."I would recommend reading the less popular books by famous classic authors. I much prefer Eight Cousins to Little Women, The Blue Castle to Anne of Green Gables and I'm told that Great Expectations is the worst Dickens book. I do enjoy Pride and Prejudice, but not as much Northanger Abbey.
It may just be that classics aren't your thing, but it's worth a try.
Happy Thursday everyone! This week I finished one book, abandoned one, and am currently working on three.Finished
Educated: A Memoir (Adv 7. Author with same name as me) This book has gotten so much buzz, and it's a genre I typically enjoy, so I expected to love it. But I didn't. It wasn't terrible, I just wished it focused more on her experience of finally getting an education and less on her horrific family. I think it was about 70% horrific family stories and 30% fascinating education stories.
Progress
24/52 completed (21/42 regular, 3/10 advanced)
DNF
This challenge is helping me try a lot of new things in my reading life, and this is new to me too. Usually, if I'm going to abandon a book I do so in the first chapter. Once I've given some time to a book I usually just power through. But I just really wasn't enjoying Winter Is Coming: Why Vladimir Putin and the Enemies of the Free World Must Be Stopped, and on page 80 my kindle told me I had about 5 hours left in the book, and I decided to take that 5 hours back. The book wasn't bad, but Kasparov jumps around the place so much that it was really hard for me to follow and I was looking for a more linear account of the current situation in Russia.
Currently reading
Ishmael's Oranges (7. Set in country that fascinates me - Israel / Palestine) A little slow moving, but I'll reserve judgement until I finish.
Everything is Horrible and Wonderful: A Tragicomic Memoir of Genius, Heroin, Love and Loss I'm choosing to use this for the book about a problem facing society prompt because it deals a lot with heroin use, but it could also be used for the grief prompt or the published in 2018 prompt. It is written by the sister of Harris Wittels, the Parks and Recreation writer who, in 2015 at the age of 30, died of a heroin overdose. I'm about 1/3 of the way through, and at this point I would put it right up there with Joan Didion's The Year of Magical Thinking and C.S. Lewis' A Grief Observed. It's raw and funny and heartbreaking.
Echo (non-challenge) This audiobook was recommended on a bookish podcast and it is SO GOOD.
QOTW
I'm a big fan of classics. Especially the ones written from the mid 19th through the early 20th century. My favorite classic novel is also my favorite book of all time and that is A Tale of Two Cities. I also absolutely adore Great Expectations, A Christmas Carol, The Great Gatsby, Jane Eyre, The Age of Innocence, and O Pioneers! Also, I've read a few classics for the PopSugar challenge this year and loved Anne of Green Gables and The Bell Jar.
Hi all,Sunny in Vancouver today! It is beautiful!!
I am at 10/40 and 3/12 for the challenge.
Currently reading - The Five People You Meet in Heaven, for the book about death or grief. I am enjoying it so far....I really liked Tuesdays with Morrie, so this is sort of the next book after that.
I also picked up some holds from the library, so I have some new items to read for the challenge after this book....yippppeee!
QOTW: I am not a big reader of classics, which I have pointed out before. I thought The Catcher in the Rye was okay, but it did not really startle me or surprise me. Last year, I read Animal Farm, for the 2017 challenge - but I really loved it. And of course, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is a childhood favorite. I have always loved the book Charlotte's Web - a top pick for me.
Good afternoon!This week I finished:
Advanced #9: A book about a problem facing society today:
Toxic Charity: How Churches and Charities Hurt Those They Help
It was a great read and made me re-think what I do to "help" people.
Almost finished (3/4 done):
#25 A book set at sea
Salt to the Sea
It's really good and a quick read, but I know it's going to end very sadly, so I've been reluctant to finish it.
Next up:
#24 A book with a weather element in the title:
The Art of Racing in the Rain
Another sad one but I'm determined to get through it.
QOTW:
I haven't read very many classics, but I enjoy the ones that have a more gothic or eerily mysterious atmosphere. I would love to find more like these favorites:
The Woman in White - favorite class so far
Jane Eyre
A Christmas Carol (although this was surprisingly humorous)
Favorite Children's Classics:
The Secret Garden
A book about Nellie Bly that I read when I was a child but I don't remember the name. It could have been this: Nellie Bly Reporter; That would have been about the right time frame.
Books that tick off prompts:Set at Halloween:
There’s Someone Inside Your House by Stephanie Perkins. Slasher on the loose in this YA book. I really, really liked Perkins YA romance Anna and the French Kiss but this really did not do it for me. The only interesting parts were the killer rearranging things in the victim’s homes before attacking. The romance was very insta and meh. It’s mentioned like once or twice that it’s Halloween but the setting timewise wasn’t super important but I’m still counting it.
One’s that don’t tick off prompts
King’s Cage by Victoria Aveyard. YA dystopian. Third in the series. It’s not a fantastic series but it’s one I’m enjoying.
QOTW:
Favorite classics would definitely have to be Pride and Prejudice or To Kill a Mockingbird. How old does a book have to be to be considered a classic? My favorite childhood classic would definitely be The Outsiders. I loved S.E. Hinton as a kid and I love to teach The Outsiders now.
Hello!We are having snow here too. Despite that, I refused to wear snow boots this morning and I was cold.
I finished two books last week:
Elantris that I will use for a past favorite prompt (Way too long on my TBR). It was suggested to me by a friend, bofore Goodreads and I didn't read it until now. It was going for 3 stars, but the ending made me change my mind and it's now a 4 stars book.
Matilda for a childhood classic I neverd read. It was a fun one. I loves The Witches growing up and Matilda is the same kind of good. Now I'll watch the movie with my kids.
Nadine and Brooke, you make me want to change my book for the other planet prompt. I wanted to read Red Rising.
I just started reading Welcome to Night Vale and I like it so far. Funny and creepy.
QOTW: Sense and Sensibility
The Caves of Steel
Of Mice and Men
The Little Prince
The Hound of the Baskervilles
2001: A Space Odyssey
It’s been a great reading week - I’ve had lots of cleaning to do so I’ve listened to a lot of audiobooks. I finished The Twelve and I really love this series. I hope the last one is equally good. I think what I like most is that the focus is really more on the various ways the human communities adapt to what happens rather than on the vampires themselves.
Then I listened to Eloquent Rage: A Black Feminist Discovers Her Superpower as my about feminism Book and it was a five star read. I found her way of writing to be especially perfect for an audiobook - she’s conversational and direct and she talks about some of the big issues in intersectional feminism today. I think every American should read this.
Then I read Platero y yo - and not the normal adult translation, but a children’s version because oops, I was so focused on getting an English copy from the library hold system that I didn’t pay attention to which collection it came from!
Then my read of the Revival series continued with Revival, Vol. 6: Thy Loyal Sons & Daughters. I have 7 queued up on my Kindle and 8 borrowed from the library as a paper copy, so by next week I expect to have finished the series. So good.
Everything You Love Will Burn: Inside the Rebirth of White Nationalism in America is my social science book for Book Riot’s challenge - it’s both horrifying to hear what white supremicists think and somewhat reassuring to hear how small and pathetic their groups sound.
Then The Quiet American - I read another Graham Greene last year - Our Man in Havana - and I’m not a huge fan. He’s such a great plotter and he says so much about life and love in these interesting spy stories BUT. There’s so much casual racism and sexism and I find that jarring and a bit hard to get past. Plus he’s super into Catholicism and that bores me. Between those two things, though he’s clearly a great writer, he isn’t someone I’m likely to ever enjoy reading. Which is unfortunate since I’m working my way through the 1001 list and he’s on it quite a few more times.
And this morning I finished off I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer. I was getting too creeped out to finish it last night. It’s so good. The author was Patton Oswald’s wife, and I’d heard him speak of her sudden death and raising their daughter alone. This book combines a fascinating look at trying to find a serial killer and how cold cases are worked with some memoir portions, which feel so raw considering her death before the book was finished. She’s a great writer and the book perhaps even benefits from having some of the chapters be unconventional- a transcript of an interview, a chapter finished by two others involved in “working” the case, etc. I’m using it for BookRiot’s prompt about a book published posthumously, but it’s also true crime.
I’m currently reading Worlds of Exile and Illusion: Rocannon's World, Planet of Exile, City of Illusions, though it hasn’t pulled me in much yet, and I really must get back to Wuthering Heights and just finish it already - it’s been a several month break now, not on purpose. Probably my next audiobook will be On the Banks of Plum Creek and then Beggars and Choosers, since I’m sure the Little House Book will be finished by the end of today.
QOTW: this is a really hard question! I haven’t really been much of a classics reader - I often like them when I do read them, but they don’t tend to end up in my reading super often. The 1001 list sometimes helps with that, though lately I seem to have been reading more of the modern books on the list or the obscure foreign ones. I read some Edith Wharton last year and really liked her, so for now she’s probably in the lead simply because I’ve read her recently and more than one book by her. I always mean to read more classics because I feel like they pay off, but my shiny new book habits of reading are strong.
Happy Thursday everyone! I'm hoping the brief warmth and sunshine from last weekend will show up once again!This week I finished 2 books, only 1 of which counted for the challenge.
The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith which I listened on audio. I liked it! I think I wouldn't enjoy these books as much reading it versus audio, because the narrator is quite excellent.
Heart Berries: A Memoir by Terese Marie Mailhot which counted for my advanced challenge of a book with a fruit or vegetable in the title. This book was BEAUTIFULLY written and is a really heart wrenching memoir in a similar vein of Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body.
I'm currently reading The Romance Reader's Guide to Life and making my through Meet Cute: Some People Are Destined to Meet which is a book of short stories. I have a lot checked out from the library, so I'm not sure what else I'll read next!
QOTW: I feel like my love of classics is VERY cliched. I love Wuthering Heights, Jane Eyre, &Pride and Prejudice. One thing I really like doing is listening to classics on audiobook. It makes the language really accessible, and I think it's a great way to experience classic literature, especially because they're so well loved they always get some really great narrators.
Hello everyone! I am STILL having issues with my eyes, though now it's chronic eyelid inflammation rather than an eye infection, so .... yay? So I did not finish any books this week, and I will have to work from home for the next month in order to treat my eyelids every two hours. sorry, I know it's not relevant to the challenge, it just sucks.But! I will not be stopped from reading. I'm currently working on:
Audiobook of The Ice Twins for listening to when I have hot compresses on my eyes. I wanted to listen to something really easy and silly, and this certainly qualifies. Hopefully it will get suspenseful soon and help the time pass.
Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI. This is a library book, and is Currently Overdue. I have lots of guilt, but I am not returning it until I finish, because who knows when I'll see it again! It's fascinating so far.
Before the Devil Breaks You is on hold while I finish library books. I really like the Diviners series, though not so much when it waxes poetic.
The Unwomanly Face of War: An Oral History of Women in World War II. On hold for finishing other library books, as well. I'm looking forward to getting back to this one.
QOTW: I love a classic! I also love a checklist so those "1001 Classic Novels You Must Read" lists are irresistible to me. Lately I've slowed down on the canonical reading, though, because I have had it up to HERE with white men musing on the difficulties of their lives while ignoring the humanity of everyone around them (ahem, The Sheltering Sky). I've been trying to do more classics around the world. My all-time favorites, though, are:
Moby-Dick or, The Whale (so suspenseful, so funny!)
Death Comes for the Archbishop
The Mill on the Floss (some of the best descriptions of emotions I've ever read)
In the First Circle (nothing happens! why is it so fascinating?)
Carmen wrote: "...I also brought home two more books from work/the library, even after telling myself I wouldn't..."Oh yes, I know the feeling!!
Good evening from Copenhagen, Denmark where we´ve had fantastic spring weather today. This week I read Alfred og gabestokken an allegory (yay!) about a boy who has been standing in a pillory (new word in English for me) for the reign of 40 kings. Great story by a Danish author, who´s really good with metafors and weird storylines.
Almost finished Valget that I may use for local author.
Listening to The Underground Railroad, this is really good. As a story in itself, and as a historical depiction.
Next up is Wonder a book I´m reading for my kid´s book club at work. I´m really looking forward to reading it, and I´m happy with the kids in the book club, who choose the books themselves (partly by my suggestions, but this one they suggested themselves).
Styrke by a really good author of children´s and YA litterature. She usually writes fantasy, verse and some horror. But this is the first book in a sci-fi series about a girl stranded on her space ship. Really looking forward to this as well.
At some point I´ll get back to Beartown again...
Question of the week:
Thinking of it, most of my favourite classics are children´s and fantasy novels (as is still my reading habbits).
The Chronicles of Narnia is probably the series I´ve read most times (as a child mainly)
Momo and The Neverending Story have a special place in my heart, as well as Where the Wild Things Are.
Astrid Lindgren´s The Brothers Lionheart and Ronia, the Robber's Daughter I absolutely love.
The Hobbit and A Wizard of Earthsea favourite fantasy classics.
Animal Farm and Watership Down - love them.
In the more adult department Crime and Punishment and The Trial made lasting impressions on me.
Brooke wrote: "Nadine wrote: "hated it! How did this win the Choice award?? This fulfilled the "GR Choice award category." An award I now have no respect for. ..."Yes! I was amazed by all of the rave reviews wh..."
Oh no! I was planning on reading this at some point this year. What's wrong with it?
Happy reading all! I'm heading out for a long weekend in Ipswich, MA - a stitching retreat for my stitching group. I can't wait! Ipswich also has a really lovely public library, complete with comfy chairs in front of a roaring fire... there will be reading as well as stitching!And I need the break. Work has been so stressful.
I finished one book this week - and it was a challenge read:
Cinnamon and Gunpowder - my book set at sea. I so enjoyed this! A quirky swashbuckling pirate adventure set in the early 19th Century. Told in journal form by a prissy, willfully narrow-minded, middle-aged, chubby, chef who is kidnapped by the infamous pirate Mad Hannah Mabbot and forced to 'buy' another week of life by cooking a fabulous meal for her each Sunday. Interspersed with typical pirate battles etc. are sections waxing poetic about food and spices. I recommend this for a diverting and different read.
That brings me to 24/50 books: 21/40 and 3/10.
Currently reading:
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Parts One and Two - Not sure what challenge category, if any, this will fit. My copy was a gift so there is that prompt, but I actually have a book I borrowed from a friend that I planned to use for that. I'm seeing the play on Broadway at the end of next week, which is why I'm actually reading it now.
In Sunlight or In Shadow: Stories Inspired by the Paintings of Edward Hopper - a library ebook loan - read a couple of stories at a time. Not for challenge, just a book I spotted when browsing NYPL ebooks.
QOTW: So many!
David Copperfield
A Tale of Two Cities
Persuasion (and I find it interesting how many list this as a favorite over Pride & Prejudice - I always thought I was the exception! Don't get me wrong, I love P&P but there is just something about Anne who is surrounded by all these people yet has no one to talk to...)
Frederica
At Bertram's Hotel
J'Apprends a compter avec le petit prince
Christy wrote: "...The Mill on the Floss (some of the best descriptions of emotions I've ever read)..."This book is currently leading the polls for one of the June Reads for Catching Up with Classics, and I am really hoping it wins!
Well I have officially started more than one book. I enjoyed everyone answering my questions about trying it. I have The Dance by Susie Carr: the LGBT prompt on my kindle
Bitch, in praise of difficult women, by Elizabeth Wurtzel: feminism prompt
Gravity’s Rainbow by Thomas Pynchon: book mentioned in another book prompt.
I’m not the fastest reader but we will see how this goes. I finished Hit List by Laurell K Hamilton: book from series I already started. Awesome weather in south Louisiana!!
Mod
We are having snow here too. Despite that, I refused to wear snow boots this morning and I was cold...."
hahaha just like my daughters - they've been refusing to wear winter coats for the last month or two - so long as it's over 20F, they don't care, sneakers and MAYBE a sweatshirt, even in the snow. Most days they don't even wear the sweatshirt. Apparently their school lockers are very narrow and it's difficult to fit winter coats inside.
Nadine and Brooke, you make me want to change my book for the other planet prompt. I wanted to read Red Rising.
I'm SURE you can find a better book for that category!! Especially since you like to read sci-fi! Or, it could turn out you agree with the majority and you end up enjoying the book.
(I read Ann Leckie's Provenance for that category - it was great!)
Mod
This book gets mentioned several times in Tree of Smoke, if you (or anyone) is looking for a book mentioned in another book.
Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge
Books mentioned in this topic
Born in Fire (other topics)The 21 Balloons (other topics)
Hamilton: The Revolution (other topics)
Auntie Mame: An Irreverent Escapade (other topics)
Great Expectations (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Frances Hodgson Burnett (other topics)Agatha Christie (other topics)
Michael Ende (other topics)
Erich Kästner (other topics)
Josephine Siebe (other topics)
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***Admin stuff - As we head into the final days of April, just a reminder that May's group read is Turtles All the Way Down by John Green with discussion led by Megan. Or, if you'd like, you can read another book about mental health during the month of May.
I have quite a busy day ahead so please forgive the short and sweet opening here :)
Book finished:
Crazy Rich Asians - I've been saving this book for a reading slump (which I have definitely been in the last couple of weeks). It was a fun read. I will probably read the other two books in the series.
Currently reading:
China Rich Girlfriend - second in the series. It hasn't really grabbed me yet, but I will keep going for now.
American Fire: Love, Arson, and Life in a Vanishing Land - I haven't really touched this book all week, but I need to get back to it.
Outlander - my bedtime reread book
Question of the week:
What's your favorite "Classic" novel (or novels)?
I think we all define classics in our own way so feel free to post whatever you consider a classic. And as you can see I had trouble narrowing down my selections :)
19th century
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
Persuasion by Jane Austen
The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery
Children's classics
The Secret Garden by Francis Hodgson Burnett
Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
Heidi by Johanna Spyri
20th century "modern" classic
Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux