Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge discussion
2018 Weekly Checkins
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Week 36: 8/31 - 9/6
I didn't check in last week because I had such a sad reading week, but I'm back on track now that I'm reading a book I'm excited about.Finished
Smoke and Mirrors: Short Fiction and Illusions - This is one of Neil Gaiman's short story collections. I liked most of the stories, and I really loved a few, but for me this was only a 3-star read. Most of the stories were just okay.
DNF
The Plastic Magician - I loved the Paper Magician series so I thought I'd love this book too, but I don't. I think the stakes were too low.
Reading
Drums of Autumn - This is the fourth Outlander book. I'm about 200 pages in. So just another 750 to go ...
Uncommon Type: Some Stories - This is my new audiobook. I really like short story collections as audiobooks because I only listen occasionally. I can finish a story in one sitting and not come back to the book for a week or two without losing the plot.
I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer - True crime is not my typical genre, but this is my second one this year. Everyone is talking about this book, so I decided to read it and find out what the buzz is all about. McNamara is a really good writer.
QOTW
Autumn is my favorite time of year! We've had the most humid summer on record here this year, and I'm so over it. Things I'm looking forward to: crisp morning air, scarves and sweaters, apple season, Thanksgiving, decorating pumpkins, cinnamon brooms.
I love this time of year, it's still pleasantly warm but with a freshness in the air and the trees are starting to turn. It's just sad that grey winter comes after! I hsve next week off work to enjoy it whilst I can.I read Kindred for time travel. I'm glad I read it although it did make me feel quite anxious for Dana.
I listened to Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race for a book of a movie I've already seen. I liked the extra information on the social change going on at the same time.
I also read Jinxed just for fun. I love Amy's books for something a bit lighter.
I'm currently By the Pricking of Her Thumb for cyberpunk. It's the second book in the Real Town Murder series and I'd recommend the first book for anyone still stuck on this prompt.
I started Other Minds: The Octopus, the Sea, and the Deep Origins of Consciousness a while ago but put it down as I wasn't absorbing much. I noticed the library had the audiobook available this week so I've continued with it that way. I'll use it for microhistory.
I had Darkdawn pencilled in for time of day in the title but found out last week that it's been pushed to next year, so I need to have another think about that one. I suppose I can always use Muse of Nightmares at a push. I think I'll save my Halloween read for next month but I'm pretty confident I can finish before next year's list comes out.
43/50 | 84/100
QOTW:
Autumn colour in the New Forest, spiced hot drinks, having the beach to ourselves and my dog deciding she wants to snuggle with us on the sofa again.
The Order of the Phoenix is my second favourite Harry Potter book (after the Prisoner of Azkaban) so we must have similar tastes. It appears to be quite a divisive book amongst fans as lots of people thought it was too long and introspective but I'm a big fan of long and introspective books so it was perfect for me!I didn't finish any books this week but I'm working on two books that fit Popsugar prompts and really enjoying them both.
My favourite thing about autumn is Halloween! I love any excuse to dress up and have a party. Unfortunately, as I've just moved into a building of one and two bedroom apartments I don't think I'll be getting any trick or treaters this year which is a shame.
I am also looking forward to Guy Fawkes night which is a British holiday on the 5th of November. For those who don't know about it. Guy Fawkes night celebrates a failed attempt by a group of rebels (led by Guy Fawkes) to blow up the houses of Parliament in 1605. A bit of a morbid thing to celebrate but we are a strange folk. Guy Fawkes night consists of a big bonfire where we burn 'the guy' (A cloth scarecrow) followed by fireworks. There's usually a fair and lots of tasty mulled cider and toffee apples.
For me, Guy Fawkes night represents the end of autumn and the beginning of winter. It can get pretty chilly standing outside all night so it's usually the first time the big hats, scarves and gloves come out and we start looking forward to Christmas!
Jess wrote: "The Order of the Phoenix is my second favourite Harry Potter book (after the Prisoner of Azkaban) so we must have similar tastes. It appears to be quite a divisive book amongst fans as lots of peop..."My birthday is sandwiched between Halloween and Guy Fawkes so I've always ended up having birthday stuff combined with them. I miss the old fashioned bonfires I went to growing up, they all seem such big organised affairs now. At least the hedgehogs are safer I suppose.
It’s been forever since I did a check in . School started and it’s been crazy busy.Here’s what I loved (or at least liked quite a bit):
The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee. YA/LGBT historical romance and quite an enjoyable read.
All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brenden Kiely. YA. A young black kid is accused of stealing from a convenience store and beaten by a cop and a white student witnesses the beating. Really liked it. My students loved The Hate U Give and I can see them devouring this one as well.
Trouble Makes a Comeback by Stephanie Tomley. YA. I liked this one better than the first one. It’s about teenage detectives and I found it from a list of books if you liked Veronica Mars. This series is the only one from the list that I’ve enjoyed.
Hollywood Homicide by Kellye Garrett. I saw a tweet of hers on twitter about how she saw someone reading the Stephanie Plum series on a train (or subway) and went up to them and suggested her own series because it’s in the same vein. I thought that she shot her shot and I was impressed and ordered it too. Former actress who falls into PI work. Stephanie Plum-esque but different enough to feel like a different book. Book 2 just came out and I ordered it but have not read it yet.
QOTW:
Fall favorites:
Cooler weather: my dogs are also looking forward to this because I leave the back door open and they can come and go as they please.
No yard work. Honestly, I just want to be rich enough to buy all the books I want, go on an awesome vacation each year and pay someone to do yardwork because it’s the pits.
I finished the challenge this week! Now I am reading for fun- at least for another week until my youth committee nominations start coming out (one is already sitting on my kitchen counter). As I enjoyed almost all the books I read this year the challenge was fun too. Thank you all for suggesting some great challenge reads.This week I read:
Murder at Half Moon Gate- the second in this series and I am looking forward to the third.
All American Boys- this would be a great read for a problem facing society today. Jason Reynolds hit it out of the park again.
Control- this book fulfilled my local author prompt and it was good. I had a hard time getting into it and probably won't read the sequel. Again, it was good, not great.
Followed by Frost- for my whether element prompt. Again, good, not great.
The Last Midwife- I liked this book, but I think I need a little break from the 1880 mining towns in the mountains of Colorado. (I have read several by Sandra Dallas in the last two or three weeks).
The Lost for Words Bookshop- I picked this one up on a whim while I was at the library and I am glad I did. I thought it would be lighter than it was, but I really enjoyed it.
QOTW: Honestly, fall is not my favorite season. I see you all listing all the great things about fall and I want to love it, but for some reason all my demons from my mental illness really rear their heads in the fall. I have no idea why, I didn't even realize it was a pattern until three years ago. So, I struggle in fall and don't look forward to it. Maybe this year things will be different!
Happy Reading!
Jess wrote: "The Order of the Phoenix is my second favourite Harry Potter book (after the Prisoner of Azkaban) so we must have similar tastes. It appears to be quite a divisive book amongst fans as lots of people thought it was too long and introspective but I'm a big fan of long and introspective books so it was perfect for me!"I have heard people complain a lot about Harry's attitude during book 5. He's moody and angry a lot, but I think it suits the timeline of the series as well as his age (15). He's being forged in the crucible to prepare for what's to come. The ending of book 4 is a real turning point for the series so book 5 is the first book that really starts down the path of darkness as Voldemort grows in power. It's also the book with some of my favorite lines:
"Give her hell from us, Peeves!" - the Weasley twins
"Just because you have the emotional range of a teaspoon doesn't mean we all have." - Hermione
Harry, I'd say it could fit on another planet prompt best, I'm sure you could make others work if you needed to
Hi everyone!Pretty rainy and gross here. I swear all summer it's been either super hot, or rainy. Can I get some high 70s but sunny days please?
Not much to report this week. I finished Twice Bitten as my mental fluff break. It was just alright, I feel like she's basically phoning it in on the series at this point. But it was under 3 dollars so oh well.
I'm still working my way through S. Ship of Theseus. for ATY's book with an unusual format. A whole week of reading and still only half through! This is glacial pace for me. It's just very time consuming to read, since most the real story is in scribbled notes in the margins and you have to figure out the order by ink color, hand writing, arrows, stars, "see next page" etc. Plus all the inserts stuffed in the pages. It's really a neat idea, but it's not a relaxing read.
I'm also reading Slade House for ATY's scary book, although it's really more creepy than scary. I don't like horror though, so I'm going with it. I'm reading it when I need a break from the other.
QOTW:
I don't particularly like fall, mainly because it means winter is going to follow. I live in Michigan so snow in October is not unheard of. I do love Halloween, and I'm getting ready to start my costume, and my birthday is in September. I also like apple cider and doughnuts and haunted houses, and decorating.
I just can't really get excited that it's that time of year because I can already see it getting dark earlier and light later. I HATE having so much of the day being dark, especially once it gets into proper winter and I am stuck working through what little daylight there is. My brain shuts down once it's dark so it's a lot harder to do ANYTHING in the evenings.
Mod
This week I finished 3 books, none for the Challenge, so I continue to linger at 49/50. Hahaha I just don't want to read that last book! It's a book a friend loaned me unsolicited, and I hate reading something just because someone else told me to. I also feel pressure to finally read it so I can give it back to her, so I'm trying to use this last challenge category to force me to read it.
It Happened One Midnight - a Victorian historical romance by Julie Anne Long - not perfect, but delightful nonetheless.
The Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson - finally! I am done with this trilogy! It was good, but I doubt I will read anything else by Sanderson. The worlds he creates tend to be populated almost entirely by men.
The Night Masquerade by Nnedi Okorafor - finally! I am done with this trilogy! (I guess this was my week to finish trilogies.). This was ... okay. I don't really understand why it's been getting so much love.
I'm currently reading multiple books, like I always do. Among other things, I have a paper book to read at bedtime, an ebook to read at lunch, and an audiobook to listen to on my commute, etc. I usually don't have any trouble so long as I choose different types of books, but this time they keep running together in my head and it's making for a very odd experience!! You would not expect these three to have any similarities:
Red Clocks (near-future feminist dystopian set in Oregon)
Wide Open (British literary fiction set in present-day Sheppey)
Gods of Howl Mountain (grit lit set in 50s Appalachia)
QOTW
I'm not really a fan of autumn, but it's always good to focus on the positive, so I will give this a try!
* autumn leaves are pretty and smell great.
* soon I can stop mowing the lawn.
* soon there will be no more bugs!
* once the weather sucks, I can curl up with a book more often.
* I like buying and carving pumpkins.
Hi everyone! It has been a quiet week for me **knocks on wood** which I'm fine with since I will be traveling the next 2 weeks for work. We are still several weeks away from fall weather here in Texas, but at least we are done with 100+ degree temperatures until next year. I hope. **knocks on wood again**I checked off another couple of prompts this week, so I am at 47/52!
Books I finished:
For Popsugar
The Strawberry Hearts Diner by Caroline Brown for a book with a fruit or vegetable in the title (A5). Ugh. This book. If you want to read about a small Texas town that encourages women in their early 20’s to marry after dating for just a few months and where everything works out in the end, this book is for you. Way too syrupy sweet for me.
Ella Minnow Pea: A Novel in Letters by Mark Dunn for an allegory (A6). I loved this. It was cute and the idea is creative. I would never have learned about this book without Popsugar, so thanks everyone!
For other challenges
The Widow's House by Carol Goodman.. This was pretty good. Part ghost story, part family saga. It is also classified as gothic for anyone doing the Around the Year challenge looking for something more modern.
The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot. My cousin mentioned that her daughter wants to read this series and asked if I’d read it. She wanted to make sure it would be age appropriate, so since my library had a copy I said I’d read the first book. Several changes were made for the movie adaptation, but after reading this I think the changes were the right choice.
Scarlet by Marissa Meyer. This felt like 2 separate stories until a little over halfway through when the storylines were finally linked. The last 150 pages or so were a lot more fast-paced than the rest of the book.
Unbelievable: My Front-Row Seat to the Craziest Campaign in American History by Katy Tur. This wasn’t any new information, but it was interesting to hear more about Tur’s experience on the campaign trail and how hard she worked at the detriment of her social and romantic life to get to where she is.
I am currently reading:
Traveling With Pomegranates: A Mother-Daughter Story for a book by 2 authors (18).
Sweet Little Lies by Caz Frear. I am loving this debut novel and wish I could spend all day today reading it.
Death Masks by Jim Butcher. Continuing the Harry Dresden series....
QOTW: I am really looking forward to cooler nights and mornings, when they finally come to Texas. I love sleeping with the window open, so when it finally cools off enough to do that I’ll be happy. (No idea when that will happen, though, since it was 90 degrees in late October last year.) A few other things I love about fall:
Football is back!!
My birthday, which this year means a weekend in Napa with my sister, one of my favorite places.
Honeycrisp apples are in season again.
My favorite Italian restaurant puts butternut squash back on the menu.
Sara wrote: "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (reread) - this is my favorite book in the whole series (followed closely by Prisoner of Azkaban)."Order of the Phoenix is also my favourite followed by Prisoner of Azkaban!
August was a slow reading month for me. I hope September will be better.Finished:
One Plus One by Jojo Moyes
Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz
Currently reading:
It - Only 100 pages in.
Been an insane week at work -- SO looking forward to the weekend. I love my job, but like any job it has its frustrations...Finished four books this week.
Let's Pretend This Never Happened: A Mostly True Memoir -- Decided I had to read this one after loving Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things so much. I love Jenny Lawson's writing, and hope she writes another book!
Of Mice and Magic -- continuing this series. It's a witty and cute twist on favorite fairy tales, and the author does a good job of giving us a kick-butt princess heroine that girls can relate to.
Cliffhanger -- the description listed this as a "black comedy." I take it that in this case "black comedy" means "none of these characters are in the least bit likable."
The Spectral Engine -- graphic novel, and a collection of Canadian ghost stories. An eerie but, in the end, almost heartwarming read. Also has a REALLY neat cover, with glow-in-the-dark images added.
DNF:
Wisconsin Vamp -- it looked funny, but... maybe you have to be from Wisconsin to get the humor? At least it gave us a unique way for someone to contract vampirism...
Currently Reading:
Clariel -- I've heard this book isn't as good as the other Old Kingdom books, but I'm a completionist, dangit...
Karma
And still clawing my way through Lovecraft...
QOTW:
I'm looking forward to it cooling off some, and to Halloween -- one of my favorite holidays. :) Also to hot chocolate in the mornings, and being able to bake goodies without heating the house up to unbearable temperatures..
Evening!It is starting to warm up a little here now so the woollies are going away except a couple for the air-con at work. 36C in the day and 91% humidity so not quite build up yet but the pollen count is dropping. Yay! About 21 to 25C at night so still have the doona out.
A better reading week even if work was crazy busy.
Finished:
Psychology Key Ideas (reread for work and the y12s finished their content for psych this week so the textbooks are done and just study guides still going).
Dear Fahrenheit 451: A Librarian's Love Letters and Break-Up Notes to Her Books by Annie Spence https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... picked this one up because I wanted to see what all the fuss on here was about. Loved the start, the second half was meh.
For PS I finished A bestseller from the year you graduated high school The Tale of the Body Thief (The Vampire Chronicles, #4) by Anne Rice https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... 3 and 4 in the series just haven't measured up to 1 and 2 for me so not sure that I will continue on.
That leaves me with 10/10 for advanced and 39/42 for the regular challenge. I am only doing 1 per week as they are all prompts I am not looking forward to and need to break them up.
Currently having a flash back to being a kid and reading Nancy Drew Diaries Curse of the Arctic Star which was a shock as when did Nancy get a mobile phone and start texting......So not right.
Change of season for us here is Dry to Build-up to Wet to Build-down. The best thing about now is the pollen count dropping so I don't spend all day with kids asking if I am crying. I get six months being sweaty and leaking from my body instead of my nose and eyes. Bring it on! AND GREEN TREE FROGS COME OUT AND SPAWN IN ZELI'S POOL......Love green tree frogs.
I do miss Guy Fawkes night. This time of year in UK was one of my favourites as it just seems so festive and it is the start of a new school year so there is change and excitement and hearing everyone's holiday stories before everyone is jaded and realises nothing has changed at all. Might go over for a holiday one day. My y11s were appalled about burning the guy!
Am I right in thinking American "apple cider" is just apple juice and not alcoholic like British cider? I remember being confused about it before. Cider's an all-year round drink for me (my partner even brews his own) but I do like it hot and spiced in autumn.
Mod
I am finally back into the weekly check-ins! With not working and going to school over the summer I fell off the wagon but now I'm back!Finished: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone I read the illustrated edition and enjoyed it. I was surprised that there were not more pictures but I did enjoy the ones that they had.
Currently reading: The Day the World Came to Town: 9/11 in Gander, Newfoundland I'm trying to read more books that go along with the reading theme weeks and holidays. This has been on my list for a while and so far it is so good! I have already teared up quite a few times.
Into the Water I'm listening to this one...big mistake! I have no idea who anyone is or what is going on. I have heard mixed reviews on whether or not people liked it so I guess I'll finish it and then see if I feel any better about it.
QOTW:
Fall is my second favorite season next to winter! My favorite fall things are:
- my birthday (October)
- sweaters and boots and scarves
- warm coffee cups/tea mugs in the cool air
- crisp weather
- changing leaves
- fall decorations (not Halloween!)
- pumpkins
- the smell
- winter is coming!
Hi all! I read five books this week, only one of which is for the challenge (oops!)James and the Giant Peach (book with fruit or vegetable in the title). I loved this as a kid; I liked in in the reread but it didn't have the same spark.
The Poppy War- I liked it; personally I didn't find it any more graphic than other grimdarks I've read. The main thing that annoyed me was how it pretended to be a fantasy "inspired" by Chinese history, when it was literally Chinese alt-history with a little magic thrown in. When you have a real book in your fantasy (
The Akhenaten Adventure- I found it ok. The first half was a bit slow as the twins were learning about being jinn, but it picked up in the second half. This has twins so its perfect for the challenge- too bad I already filled this prompt!
Demon Bound- I liked it, but it did drag a lot as our POV character spent a lot of the book wandering around and lying to his partner before finally trying to do something about his demon deal that was coming due.
Jar City- I dunno if the translation is to blame but I wasn't a fan. The writing style was too boring and distant. As murder mysteries go, it was okay, though I had a hard time caring as it's revealed the murder victim was a bad guy. This is from an Icelandic author so those looking for their Nordic Noir could try this (again, I already finished that prompt!)
QOTW:
I love fall! It's my favorite season.
-cooler weather
-colorful leaves
-my birthday
-pumpkin everything
-sweaters, boots, scarves
Two weeks worth of check in.Finished Summer and the City. I liked it better than the first book, but still didn't care for it. Carrie was annoying... At least the TV show was better.
Finished Legend: The Graphic Novel, Prodigy: The Graphic Novel, Champion: The Graphic Novel. The books were better than these just because in a book format you can get more character development. But, it was super fun to be back with June and Day!
Currently reading No Place Like Home for the year I graduated.
I'm at 31 Regular, 6 Advanced, 15 non challenge reads.
Hello! I missed last week and didn't get to read much due to school starting, but now that I'm back in the swing of things, this week I was back to the reading challenge as well!Over the past two weeks I've finished:
The Night Circus (a book with a time of day in the title), I was excited to read this after hearing it hyped up for so long, but it fell a little flat for me. It was good, just not at all what I expected!
Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen (a book about or involving a sport), This was a super interesting read comparing modern runners with high tech shoes and nutrition to Mexican tribal runners with their own resources.
Life of Pi (a book set at sea), This book really didn't hook me until the end, because I didn't see where it was going until then, but it definitely left me feeling like I need to reread it. By far my favorite I read the past two weeks!
This brings me to 8/40 for the challenge!
I'm currently working on: Columbine, Three Dark Crowns and P.S. I Still Love You because three different formats of books to read at different times is an acceptable excuse for starting so many at one, right???
I think my favorite thing about fall is just fall itself. Living at the base of a mountain, I get to enjoy the beautiful northeastern falls right outside my window as all the colors change. Plus, the cooler weather will make marathon training a whole lot easier!
I finished 2 books again this week. That seems to be the usual now. I am at 49/52The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August by Claire North for Favorite prompt from 2015: Number in title
A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking - audio, not for challenge
Working On:
Voyager by Diana Gabaldon
The Slippery Slope by Lemony Snicket- audio with son
The Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis aloud to son
This Is Your Brain on Music: The Science of a Human Obsession by Daniel J. Levitin - for Microhistory
Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard - not for challenge
Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt- not for challenge
QOTW:
Fall is my favorite season. I am looking forward to no yard work, less bugs, colder weather for sweaters and long leggings, my kid's school events, Halloween, teaching Sunday School, chai tea, possibly getting married, and hibernating, to name a few.
That being said, any change of season stresses me out because I think how fast time is going and how much I wanted to get done this summer that just didn't happen. Also, fall brings the month both my grandpa and dad passed away, as well as the holiday season which is always a bit bittersweet when you've lost someone. This will be the first holiday season since my fiance's mom died as well.
Anne wrote: "QOTW: Honestly, fall is not my favorite season. I see you all listing all the great things about fall and I want to love it, but for some reason all my demons from my mental illness really rear their heads in the fall. I have no idea why, I didn't even realize it was a pattern until three years ago. So, I struggle in fall and don't look forward to it. Maybe this year things will be different!"
My fiance has Seasonal Affective Disorder and this happens to him almost every year as soon as the cooler weather starts. 2 years in a row he has ended up in the hospital with severe anxiety at least once a month throughout fall and winter. It doesn't help that mental health care in our little town is laughable. I think we finally got his medications figured out and am hoping for a better year in that regard. I hope you have an easier time this year too. You will get through it!
Hello reading friends! Today is National Read a Book day in the US. So whether you are in the US or elsewhere take this as an excuse to try to read a whole book today. 😃📖So, full disclosure- I am struggling hard-core to keep up with this book challenge. I have been burning the candle at both ends for a while. We are understaffed at work so I'm doing 50 to 60 hour weeks. I'm in a local theatre production that premieres Sunday. Chasing my life long dream of acting is great, amazing and super exciting but it also takes a lot of time and energy. My daughter is about a month into her first year of middle school. Extra homework, extracurriculars aplenty and way earlier hours is taking its toll. We also have a 4 month old puppy who likes to bute the butt of our 2 year old puppy; keeping them from killing each other is an achievement in itself. Beyond that there is the other stuff; cooking, cleaning, budgeting, working out, reading... I'm tired and struggling to keep up.
Sorry for the venting. I have not finished any books in a while.
Currently Reading
Trying to use for read a book day
For my bookclub so I HAVE to finish it by the 18th
Book on tape in my car but I've been enjoying my trial subscription to XM radio instead
An attempt to read at bed time which is so far failing
QotW
FALL FAVORITES
ALL THE THINGS!!!!
(Vegas doesn't have much of a fall)
Halloween!!!
Haunted Houses
Slightly cooler weather
Oranges, red and browns
Cinnamon smells
Baking
Tea time (although I pretty much drink tea year round)
Being able to sit or run outside
Soups and Stews
My birthday
Love fall!!!!
FinishedDaring to Drive: A Saudi Woman's Awakening I listened to this on audio and I loved it. It's about the author's life growing up in Saudi Arabia and then being a part of the movement to get Saudi women the right to drive. Her experiences were heartbreaking and inspiring and I'm so glad I found this book.
I'd Rather Be Reading: The Delights and Dilemmas of the Reading Life Anne Bogel's new book came out this week and I read it in two sittings. It's fun and easy and a perfect book for book-lovers.
Currently Reading
Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things So much laughing out loud with this one. Jenny Lawson is a master comedic storyteller.
Dear Life
The Count of Monte Cristo I'm finally over half way done! 52% to be exact. I still can't get over just how long this book is. I typically like long books, but this one is just next-level long.
QOTW
Right now I'm just looking forward to being able to be outside for more than 5 minutes without wanting to die. Here's the forecasted highs for the next week in Phoenix: 105, 106, 107, 106, 105, 106, 104. And it doesn't get any better the week after either. So I'm looking forward to it not being 100 degrees anymore.
But, weather-induced bitterness aside, my favorite things about fall are the festivals and Halloween. I don't like the spooky side of Halloween, but I love coming up with costumes with my kids and I love their excitement about dressing up and going trick-or-treating. So fun.
The leaves are turning here, and my middle son turned six. I always see his birthday as the end of summer, so we are definitely in autumn now! I'm wearing a jumper and am happy about it.One book again this week, taking me to 40/50 (36/40, 4/10). Funny to think that if I hadn't decided to include the advanced prompts, I'd actually have finished the challenge! Last year I only managed 20 books, so it's exciting to see that I'm going to finish 50 this year and still have time to toss in some non-challenge ones too!
This week's book was The Book of Strange New Things, for prompt #27 set on another planet. I was dreading this prompt, but luckily this book was recommended as sort of sci-fi for those who don't do sci-fi. Because, generally, I don't. That might be why I'm on the positive side of the fence over this book, because a lot of reviewers who didn't like it grumble about how it isn't really sci-fi, just set on a different planet. Perfect for me! And I really did like this one, which - given the heavy god bothering and being set on a different planet - I really wasn't expecting. I thought the story of a missionary on a new planet, sent to convert the natives and being separated from his wife by deep space while she experiences a pretty crap time of it, unfolded well and kept me turning the page. It's a hefty book, but the story doesn't bog you down. I liked learning about the alien race, I liked the snippets of back story and the flaws in all the characters. Peter, the missionary, was possibly too flawed and made me want to throttle him, but that was kind of what pushed the story on. The ending to me felt a little unresolved, but that's probably just because I wanted to know how things worked out beyond that point. I always think that's the sign of a good book.
What things are you looking forward do as the weather starts to cool?
Well, today I tried Costa's bonfire spiced latte, and it was lush so I'm hoping for more of those and of course Starbucks' PSL in my future. I'm looking forward to lighting candles and scent warmers, wearing slippers, digging out my scarf and gloves, bonfire night, carving pumpkins, taking the kids trick or treating, and getting ready for my absolute favourite time of year...Christmas!
I had a pretty good reading week as I was past the first rough patch of surgery recovery, but still needed more resting time than normal, which equals more reading time as well. Finished Reading:
Obsidio I ended up really loving this one, and seeing where it all went I would recommend this series to almost anyone. (At least, everyone late teens and up? It's a bit too gritty for most younger readers, especially with some of the soldier barracks talk.)
Marvel Masterworks: The Uncanny X-Men, Vol. 1 I'm kind of surprised the X-Men comics are the ones that seem to be working for me as a comic newbie. This one is a 'classic' comic, which is both a pro and a con in terms of story and style.
Food Wars!: Shokugeki no Soma, Vol. 23 The next volume is too new for me to get through interlibrary loan, so this was my last Food Wars for a while...
Walking on Water This was a nice wrap up to the series, but I kind of felt like there should have been something more or deeper to the emotional resolution.
Treachery in Bordeaux I didn't love this, but mostly because I'm really picky about cozy mysteries. It was definitely better than some cozy mysteries I've read though (well, at least better than some I've DNF'd...).
Currently Reading:
The Black Count: Glory, Revolution, Betrayal, and the Real Count of Monte Cristo This is my next to last read for the challenge (for favorite color) so I'm really pushing to try to get through all 800 pages as quickly as I can. Hope to be done by next check in!
Good Poems for Hard Times I'm not much of a poetry person, but this one caught my eye at the library, and it's ended up being a good pick. Still some artsy poems that I don't get, but also some more 'lifey' poems that I've really liked.
Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine I started this as an audiobook yesterday and I am hooked!
The Gathering I liked the other YA series by this other, so I'm trying this one, which is set in the same world but focusing on a different set of characters. Reasonably interesting so far.
DNF:
The Honest Spy I'm sure the historical parts are really interesting, but I didn't really enjoy reading about the main character so I decided it wasn't worth it.
QOTW:
I'm happy about fall, mostly because it means winter is coming soon! I've enjoyed this summer, especially after we got a hammock for our back porch, but I really love cooler weather.
Some favorites are:
-boots
-pumpkin and pumpkin spice
-after Halloween sales (We don't do anything for Halloween, but I love clearance shopping, and some of the dark-but-not-actually-spooky stuff that goes on sale is perfectly my style.)
-chai lattes and hot cocoa (Okay, I'll drink these any time of year, but they're even better when it's chilly outside.)
-bonfires and marshmallows (I don't necessarily get to do this every year, but enjoy it when I do.)
-rainy weather
Jess wrote: "I am also looking forward to Guy Fawkes night which is a British holiday on the 5th of November. For those who don't know about it. Guy Fawkes night celebrates a failed attempt by a group of rebels (led by Guy Fawkes) to blow up the houses of Parliament in 1605."We don't manage it every year, but my husband and I try to watch V for Vendetta on November 5th. It's not quite a celebration of Guy Fawkes night, but that's what the movie is referencing when it talks about the remembering the 5th of November, and I have made bonfire toffee for the evening a couple of times.
Good afternoon!I'm in the middle of two classics just now so I only finished one book within the check-in period.
The Freedom Papers - This was a collection of essays sold exclusively at the Edinburgh Book Festival this summer - the overall theme of the festival was "freedom" and so the attending writers were prompted to write an essay on that concept. As I find with most essay anthologies with a lot of different authors, this was very mixed in terms of quality. Some were great, some were... kind of pointless and barely related to the prompt tbh.
Currently reading:
Vanity Fair - I'm about 60% through, enjoying this so far. Though I don't really get the hype around Becky Sharp as a great literary heroine. She's interesting enough for me to keep reading about her, but I can't really think of a standout moment where her personality, her renowned ambition and ruthlessness, has shone through. Perhaps she pulls something great out of the bag in the second half. Personally I'm a bit more invested in Amelia's plotline.
The Iliad - I'm finding this a lot easier to comprehend than I expected to, seeing as it's an Elizabethan-era translation of a text several millennia old, though it still makes Vanity Fair light reading by comparison. I am wondering when Achilles is going to show up again, however. I'm on page 110 and I don't think there've been any scenes with him since - *checks* - about page 16. I know he's off being moody in his tent but I expected an update now and again.
Also, minor irritant, the Chapman translation uses the Roman names for most of the characters, plus about five nicknames, patronyms, place-of-origin or god's epithets each, so I keep having to stop and Google to remember which of them is which. (Ex., "wait, why is Paris suddenly being called Alexander in this passage?!")
QotW: Well, there's some good movies coming out (including adaptations of The Miseducation of Cameron Post and The Little Stranger).
MCM Scotland (a comic-con) is at the end of September and the same weekend sees the return of the She Reads Comics ladies' nights at my favoured comic shop, which are always lovely.
Bookish-wise, there's Victober and Nonfiction November coming up, which I had a great time with last year. In general I like to read heavier and more serious books towards the end of the year. And of course, as mentioned, it's good to be able to get all snug while reading at this time of year!
I like when the nights get longer and darker, too. That's partly to do with the fact that my sleep pattern is hopelessly messed up - in winter, no matter what ridiculous hour I collapse into bed at, it probably won't be too bright for me to nod off and I have a good chance of getting at least some of my sleep in the dark.
And of course there's Halloween! 🎃 Get the house all decorated up, read some creepy stuff, buy the sweeties for trick-or-treaters, eat the sweeties, buy them again before Halloween night (rinse and repeat).
We've only been able to do trick-or-treat in the last couple of years since moving from a flat into a proper house. It's great fun seeing all the costumes the kids have, especially if it's a character from a fandom I recognize. And I give out bookmarks along with the sweets. 📚😁
I finished 2 books this week, still 39/52 in the challenge.In Bolivia by Eric Lawlor - interesting look at Bolivia in the late 80's written as a travelogue with a healthy dose of history interspersed
Prince Charles: The Passions and Paradoxes of an Improbable Life by Sally Bedell Smith - a comprehensive biography of Prince Charles through 2016, very interesting and balanced look at his life, his thoughts/beliefs, and his actions/reactions.
QOTW Fall is my favorite time of year. There is so much to look forward to. We love Halloween and haunted houses, and there are always so many great festivals going on as weather (supposedly) starts to cool off.
- Halloween decorations
- Epcot's Food & Wine Festival
- Universal's Halloween Horror Nights
- Local Camp Fire Haunted House (this is a program I'm involved in for 6th - 12th grade, the teens plan, build, and man the house each year - planning starts in June, and it has to be built for a mid-October opening, so this is in full swing right now)
- Hiking (the trails are in better shape as rainy season winds down)
- Pumpkin patch, corn maze, and hay rides
- Pumpkin Spice everything!
Hello from a rainy Columbus! I haven’t had to water my vegetables in so long because it keeps raining. But it’s also still been oppressively hot. I’m so, so, so ready for autumn. Last night was my first night of RCIA, so that’s exciting. Shout out to any other Catholic posters 😁I finished the expert summer goodreads challenge! My goal was the start of summer break to the end, I was only off by a couple of weeks and it’s stilk technically summer so hey, I still count that as a win. Now I’m back to the popsugar challenge.
Queen of Scots: The True Life of Mary Stuart based on a book becoming a movie. The movie is based on this specific book but I really want to get ahold of Antonia Fraser, I loved her biography of Marie Antionette and I feel like she’ll have gotten all the details. But this version was a pretty good introduction, great for someone who wants the gist of it. And I’m so excited for the movie, Saoirse Ronan is one of my favorite actresses.
Coraline for a book at the bottom of my TBR pile. I love the movie and I of course loved the book. Neil Gaiman continues to be one of my consistent favorites.
The 39 Steps this for the used book prompt. If you’re local to Columbus, or ever in the area, Third Way Cafe is a hidden gem. It’s a coffee shop with board games, records, and sells used books. It’s in a neighborhood that most definitely needs more places for kids to go and read and do homework. And it’s such a treat because the books they sell are a lot of vintage books, it’s a jackpot if you’re into old books. So anyway, I picked up an old copy of The 39 Steps there. It’s written and set in the 1910s, and it’s a “man on the run” thriller. A man learns of a plot that he wants to stop, and the enemy in turn wants to kill him for knowing too much. It’s a fast-paced interesting read.
Aimless Love: New and Selected Poems for the poetry prompt. I’m not crazy about poetry, I find it really hard to focus on and retain but this was okay. His style was pretty straight forward so I didn’t have to put too much brain power into it.
Are You There, Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea for a book that’s been shelved on goodreads for a long time. This was one my oldest “want to read” books. All of my friends were so into this back in 2007, it took my a while but I finally got to it haha. It was pretty funny. I feel like it’s pretty similar to something I’d write, if I wrote. It’s just a collection of funny stories about her life, and since I usually find Chelsea Handler amusing, it was a fun read. I probably would have appreciated it more when I was 21 though.
Jacob's Hands: A Fable for a book you can read in a day. Has anyone else heard of this? It’s a book that Sharon Stone found that was written by Aldous Huxley and Christopher Isherwood. I *love* Christopher Isherwood. This was meant as a screenplay, and is put together as a short story. It’s about a man who has healing hands, but his powers tend to complicate things and brings him attention he doesn’t want. It wasn’t an amazing story, but it was good and I’m really glad I stumbled upon it.
QOTW: EVERYTHING. Apple cider, hay rides, the pumpkin show, apple picking, halloween, local fall activities, the renaissance fair, thanksgiving, cooler weather, crunchy leaves, fall scented candles. Allllll if it.
Hello everyone! This week I finished one book not for the challenge, so I'm still at 38/52, which is just fine.Finished: Clockwork Princess--this was a fun, relaxing book to read over Labor Day weekend. It was also a hilarious reminder of how terrible most Victorian poetry was. Good lord, people, scansion! It's not that hard!
Currently reading: Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America (problem facing society today) I'm taking my time with this book, because it is so good and so important. It's particularly useful because it shows the various social, economic, and political pressures that made racist ideas beneficial to the people spreading them. Of course the ideas were incredibly harmful, but they were beneficial to the people spreading them then and now, and understanding exactly how is necessary to dismantling them today. I'm only 30% of the way through, but I highly recommend this book.
I Capture the Castle (probably not for challenge): this is fun and light so far, a nice contrast to the other one I'm reading.
QOTW: I'm soooo looking forward to fall. I love cooler weather and rain, and we most certainly do not have those things in Sacramento during the summer. Also to vent a little, rats have gotten under my house and I am desperately hoping that before we get to fall the problem will have been solved and they will be gone gone gone! I hate them so much, and I cannot relax at home with their scrabbling and nastiness (though to be fair they are only under the home, not in the living areas). I am clinging to the notion of curling up on the couch with my dog, a book, a hot drink, and blessed silence.
Happy Thursday! I'm still in a bit of a reading slump, finishing only one book this past week. However I've ben recovering from ankle surgery, so reading hasn't been super easy - I've just preferred listening to podcasts or watching YouTube/TV because it doesn't require as much thinking.I finished The Merry Spinster: Tales of Everyday Horror by Daniel Mallory Ortberg (the author transitioned this year, and goodreads hasn't updated his profile yet). This was fine. I liked the first story the most so the rest of the collection felt a bit like a let down. I feel like this book was trying to be overly clever which gets a little exhausting to read after awhile.
I haven't made any progress on any of my other current reads. The next week is going to busy, so I have no idea how well I'll do! We'll just have to see....
QOTW: I love the fall because my birthday is October :) I'm planning a trip to visit one of my best friends in NYC, which will be extra special since we share a birthday. But I love layering clothing, hot drinks, and just not having the heart be as oppressive as it currently is.
I finished To Set the Record Straight for my book that took place the decade I was born and I read Live to Tell as my book with an ugly cover. The cover on my copy was different in case anyone clicks the link and wonders why I thought that cover was ugly. I don't.So, that brings me to the end of the challenge but I only did the main list, not the advanced list of 10. Mostly because I never see anyone reading in public and would have to cheat on the author's name. And I have no idea what a cyberpunk book is.
QOTW: I like cooler weather to go on long walks and the foliage. Unfortunately fall is a fairly short season and all too soon winter is upon us.
Nadine wrote: "Yes! Apple cider is like apple juice (but not exactly the same thing - apple juice is clear and cider is dark & cloudy). The alcoholic stuff is called just "cider," or "hard cider.""This confused me so much when I worked in the US for a while. "We sell cider to kids? Really?"
I didn't get much reading done. Still have two more for the challenge but I did get one done for another challengeShakespeare's Landlord by Charlaine Harris which wasn't bad (finally found a series in Arkansas for my literary destinations challenge that didn't make me nuts)
QOTW Autumn is my favorite season. I'm looking forward to the cooler temperatures, Halloween, fall festivals of which I attend many like the Mothman Fest next week, Halloween, the beautiful foilage, pumpkin everything, did I mention Halloween?
Hi everyone. The weather is a bit undecided at the moment. One day sunny, next day rainy, next day cold. I actually have a weekend off of work for a change so I hope it is sunny for the next few days.This week I finished Uncle Montague's Tales of Terror. This is the kind of book I would have loved when I was about nine years old. The right amount of spooky and lovely creepy illustrations.
I also finished Record of a Spaceborn Few. Even though I think it was the weakest of the series, I still really loved this book. A fascinating insight to how tings could be if we at some point in the future had to leave Earth in a big fleet of communal spaceships. PSA: I did cry a little towards the end.
DNF State of Wonder. How can someone make intrigue in the amazon rainforest so completely and utterly dull?
Currently reading Swallows and Amazons. I wanted something light and fluffy after the seriousness of the last book.
QOTW: CRUNCHY LEAVES!! I walk past a park with massive horse chestnut trees every day so stomping through the leaves is my favourite thing to do. It might not sound like a dangerous activity but it is. you never know when you're going to get hit on the head by things falling from the sky when kids are trying to get the conkers to fall.
Also looking forward to my annual re-watching of Hocus Pocus :D
Well, yay! I was right that having fewer houseguests was the key. Even though we spent four days doing kid related stuff over the weekend, I still got a decent amount of reading done - though since it was a lot of activity and hence exhaustion, I mostly picked away at shorter things. Twilight of the Elites: America After Meritocracy - I thought this was really interesting and it did take a bunch of issues that I see in modern society and explained them. I have no sense of how accurate his thesis might be and I think it’s important to remain skeptical of books like these because sometimes they seem to make everything come together a bit too simply. But worth the time to read and consider.
The Magician's Nephew - I’m not sure what prompted an interest in rereading this series, I think it might just have been that I noticed that Kenneth Branagh narrates the audiobook. I liked it better as audio than I liked the last time I read it, about ten years ago while in Thailand. I found it really boring that time.
The Fairy-Tale Detectives - the Goodreads summer challenge called for a retelling and so I read this. It was quite enjoyable and I think I’ll continue with the series eventually.
Super Chill: A Year of Living Anxiously - this is not the Adam Ellis I thought it was, but it’s a cute enough book of short comics. It was an ARC and I don’t know that I would have picked it up if I hadn’t confused the author with someone else.
Unless - I loved this! How I went this long without reading any Carol Shields I really don’t know, since she’s one of the Canadian cannon authors. I was a bit concerned I wouldn’t like the narrative voice at first but it grew on me quickly and ended up bei a five star read.
The Gathering - I needed a shortish audiobook to nurse Maddie to sleep to and this was such a dumb selection because it was creepy and I can’t do creepy at night! It was also a pretty mediocre book and one of those series books that isn’t at all a standalone because they don’t wrap up much of anything. I don’t think I’ll read any more of them though.
I’m presently reading The Secret Loves of Geeks and really enjoying the essays and comics so far.
QOTW: I’m very fond of a full turkey dinner and we do both the Canadian and American Thanksgivings. And I definitely prefer the weather in the fall. But this year is overshadowed by the stress of a move.
Jess wrote: "I am also looking forward to Guy Fawkes night which is a British holiday on the 5th of November. For those who don't know about it. Guy Fawkes night celebrates a failed attempt by a group of rebels (led by Guy Fawkes) to blow up the houses of Parliament in 1605. A bit of a morbid thing to celebrate but we are a strange folk. Guy Fawkes night consists of a big bonfire where we burn 'the guy' (A cloth scarecrow) followed by fireworks. There's usually a fair and lots of tasty mulled cider and toffee apples. "Jess - my book for 2017 prompt holiday other than Christmas was one involving Guy Fawkes Night! I was so proud of myself for finding (actually stumbling - it was the final of a series by a favorite author) an unfamiliar holiday for that prompt. Book was The Greatest Challenge Of Them All by Stephanie Laurens - last of a Victorian trilogy. It was good!
Taylor wrote: "Into the Water I'm listening to this one...big mistake! I have no idea who anyone is or what is going on. I have heard mixed reviews on whether or not people liked it so I guess I'll finish it and then see if I feel any better about it."Don't worry it's not a big mistake to listen to Into the Water on audio...you also have no idea who's who if you're reading the paper copy too until much much later on in the book (I can vouch!) there is a list of characters at the beginning of the paper copy but it doesn't really explain all the connections but I too, was SOOO confused reading this book for the longest time and it really killed my enjoyment factor big time.
I'll sum it up for you as best as I can remember without spoilers:
if this book is on anyone's TBR/radar...save this list somewhere, you'll be happy you did!!!!
Nel (Danielle) Abbott - the person who dies at the start, the subject of the main investigation. Before her death she was researching the deaths at the drowning pool. (mom of Lena, sister of Jules/Julia). The drowning pool deaths she was looking at were: Libby (an accused witch from the 17th C), Anne Ward, Lauren Townsend & Katie Whittaker.
Lena Abbott - Nel's daughter. Friends with Katie & Josh Whittaker who attend(ed) the same school. Her mom & Katie (her best friend) have both drowned in the drowning pool.
Jules/Julia - Nel's sister who was estranged due to past events which are a spoiler so I won't say. She is now Lena's guardian although they don't really know each other.
Louise Whittaker - Josh & Katie's mom. She is suspicious of Nel and pretty much blames her for her daughter Katie's death. She's married but I can't remember her husband's name and he's not a very important character.
Katie Whittaker - Lena's best friend until she died in the drowning pool. Josh's sister, Lousie's daughter.
Josh Whittaker - Katie's brother who is an acquaintance/friend of Lena & a fellow student.
Erin Morgan - Detective from out of town helping Sean (local policeman) investigate the drowning of Nel Abbott.
Sean Townsend - Local policeman investigating Nel's death (also, his mother died at the drowning pool which nobody really considered before he was put on the case)
Helen Townsend - Sean's wife (although they have issues so she is often spending more time with her Father-in-law: Patrick). She is also the school principal.
Patrick Townsend - Sean's father, Helen's father-in-law. His wife (Lauren Townsend) passed away at the drowning pool and was one of the deaths there that Nel had been looking into before her own death.
Mark Henderson - A teacher at the local school (to reveal his main connection to the plot is a spoiler so I won't say what it is). He knows Helen & all of the teenagers of course (being their teacher): Lena, Josh (& he knew Katie).
Nickie Sage - A local lady who is considered the town's crazy lady but who considers herself a psychic. She tends to know about the town secrets.
List of deaths at the drowning pool: Libby Seeton, Anne Ward, Lauren Townsend, Katie Whittaker & Nel Abbott
Jessica wrote: "o, full disclosure- I am struggling hard-core to keep up with this book challenge. ."Jessica - the Pop Sugar Challenge is really however much you make it. It's supposed to be fun and stretch your reading, making it more diverse. If that means you only finish a dozen prompts, it's a win.
I'm very competitive -- which is not necessarily a good thing when it comes to something like a reading challenge, LOL. I like being in the lead, ahead of the pack, etc. This year I decided to reign that competitiveness in by simply reading whatever fell into my lap whenever, and fit them to prompts or not. Well dang if I didn't finish a week ago! And I read a lot of amazing interesting books, many from my TBR pile, many were holds I'd had at the library that were books I found when browsing for interesting books.
So relax, read what you want and can, and whatever you accomplish is to be celebrated.
Raquel wrote: "Treachery in Bordeaux I didn't love this, but mostly because I'm really picky about cozy mysteries. It was definitely better than some cozy mysteries I've read though (well, at least better than some I've DNF'd...)."I have to agree, Raquel - it's pretty thin mystery. A friend gave me the first 3 or 4 as a birthday gift a couple of years ago. I've read 2 so far and while mildly enjoyable, I am unlikely to read any more of the series after I finish the ones in the gift.
I might however try reading one or two in the series in French as my French reading skills are quite rusty. I think they are simple enough (except for all the wine-making chemistry etc.) to be a good way to ease back into reading French more regularly.
The temperatures had gone down a bit the past couple of weeks, but are climbing yet again. I'm headed to Southern Utah tomorrow where the temps will be back in the 100s. Since I'm finished with the challenge, I get to read anything I want the rest of the year. And I'm struggling to choose because I have so many directions in which I could go. But it's a fun dilemma.
I finished these books:
Stars Above by Marissa Meyer
I had only recently discovered there was another book in the Lunar Chronicles universe, so I was excited to read this. I realized it was a bunch of stories, some of which I had already read online. Still, it was fun to fill in the holes in some of the stories as well as see where they all were a couple of years after the last book ended.
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
Wow, what a story. I was so fascinated and horrified by this book. This is an amazing tale of cancer cells from a black woman who died in 1951 and how they survive to this day and helped advance medical science. It is also the story of her family, how little they understood what was happening with the cells, and how all of this affected their lives. I loved this book so much and highly recommend it.
Lady Susan, The Watsons, Sanditon by Jane Austen
I had always thought I had read all of the Jane Austen novels, but recently I discovered that my education was lacking. This book contains the novel Lady Susan, which was completed in her early writing period; the Watsons, which was not completed but which she had told her sister how it ended so at least we know; and Sanditon, which was not finished and no one knows what she had planned. It was delightful to discover new Jane Austen stories, and I loved them all.
QOTW:
As I have gotten older, the extreme temperatures of winter and summer bother me quite a bit, so I'm looking forward to cooler temperatures. I hope autumn sticks around for awhile and doesn't rapidly decline to winter.
I am not a fan of dressing up, so Halloween isn't my favorite, but I get a kick out of how much others love it. I love how beautiful the mountains are with the changing colors. I love pumpkin spiced flavored everything (even though people keep telling me it so cliché). I love drinking even more tea and cocoa than I do in the warmer months (sometimes even together, as I like how a bit of cocoa mix makes a chai latte even more delicious). And I love that it is the start of the NBA season (Go Utah Jazz!) and football season. Not to mention Thanksgiving and more family time. It's the best time of year!
Sarah wrote: "DNF State of Wonder. How can someone make intrigue in the amazon rainforest so completely and utterly dull?"Sarah - I know! I really did not like it, at all. Think it a real failure on Patchett's part. I know she experiments with POV, style, etc. in each book she writes, but that one I thought should have stayed in the drawer!
Happy Thursday Everyone!Currently up to 46/52 for the Popsugar Challenge :)
Finished This Week
Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe by Fannie Flagg ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for 45)/A5) A Book with a Fruit or Vegetable in the Title - Listened to the audio for this and of course enjoyed the story! I'd always loved the movie and I'm really glad that I finally got around to the book because I discovered some new things about the story that really surprised me!!
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson ⭐️⭐️⭐️ for 5) Nordic Noir - The main storyline was interesting and kept me reading but I found that I really didn't care for the chapters that discussed financial journalism as much and the ending just seemed to drag on for forever! I didn't care too much about the Wennerstrom plot line, I was really only invested in the Harriet Vanger plot line!
My 2019 A-Z Challenge Plan using names of objects on book covers! - Check out last weeks' update thread (near the end) if you're curious about the list.
Currently Reading
I'm not sure yet! I had initially planned to read The Girl Who Played with Fire next as I typically enjoy reading series books back to back but Nordic Noir really isn't my jam so thinking I might find something fluffy next to avoid hitting a slump. Planning to go through my TBR tonight before bed and pick something! =D *Will try to remember to edit and add in my choice*
*EDIT* The Siren by Kiera Cass for 25) A Book set at Sea - I LOVED The Selection series by Kiera Cass so am really looking forward to this! =D
QOTW
UGH Fall...can't summer just last forever instead?! - I don't really hate fall in and of itself until the snow happens in October but since I love summer I don't usually look forward to fall at all! Here are some of the things I enjoy once fall is upon us though:
-Getting out the other half of my wardrobe/makeup
-Making Homemade Cream of Potato Bacon Soup in the Crockpot (& actually feeling like eating it)
-The QUIET and slower pace! I'm from an area referred to as "Cottage Country" and fall means that all the tourists & cottagers have gone home to the city! My errands in town can now be finished in about half the time or less - yay!
-Thanksgiving Food (I'm Canadian so it's October 8th this year)
-Using the Hot tub more
-Actually feeling like drinking some Hot Chocolate & Tea
-Salmon Fishing
-Hockey/NHL Season > GO JETS GO! =)
-Carving Pumpkins for Halloween (especially if I have hours to spend on a really elaborate one - here is one of my favourites that I did a for a contest a few years ago)
It is STILL miserably hot here in NYC - temps day after day over 90F - well except there was a slight break last weekend. But still....counting the hours until I arrive for vacation in Big Sky, MT where the temps are 50s during the day. Can you tell I hate hot weather and summer?! LOLDiscussion on Hamilton: The Revolution will have a new set of discussion questions posted during this weekend, centered on Chapters 1 - 16 - That's Act I and accompanying essays. Join us!
Since I finished Pop Sugar Challenge last week, I'm reading purely for fun right now -- well also everything I am reading adds to my GR Reading Challenge goal of 150 books in 2018. I'm currently at 123, and will definitely hit goal before year end. So what have I been reading? Lots and lots of escapist beach reads (and not Lin-Manuel Miranda level beach reads!).
Katie Ruggle published in August the final book in her series Rocky Mount K-9 Unit - Through the Fire. It was a good wrap up but not as good as the earlier 3 in the series. Small mountain town n Colorado, K-9 unit, women running from abusive or criminal situations, lots of action, suspense and romance. I was so not ready to leave the mountains of Colorado when I finished it, I started - and finished this week - Ruggle's earlier series Rocky Mountain Search and Rescue - set in a nearby mountain town among the various units that participate in Search and Rescue in the mountains - firefighters, divers, police. Really enjoyed that series in its entirety. While each book in these series centers on one couple and one story specific to that couple, they fit into an overarching storyline that connects all the books in the series, which is only finally resolved at the very end. Thus, they need to be read in order.
After finishing those - 5 books, a novella and a collection of 4 short stories -- I moved on to reading the final 3 books, all published in last 2 years or so, of Julie Ann Walker's Black Nights Incorporated 12 book series. Loved Fuel for Fire and Hot Pursuit, now reading the last - Built to Last. It's a very satisfactory end to this series about sexy bad-ass ex-military bikers who use a custom motorcycle shop in Chicago as cover for super secret covert clandestine missions at the behest of the President - lots of action, suspense and very hot sexy romance. Where is the drool emoji?!
What's next after I finish up with sexy bikers? Well, I have 2 books related to my upcoming vacation in Yellowstone and Grand Tetons: Lost in My Own Backyard: A Walk in Yellowstone National Park (pretty short at 144 pages - should be a good travel read on Saturday) and Letters from Yellowstone which I can work on next week. It too is pretty short - 256 pages and with letter format so not dense reading. I think it also has plant drawings scattered throughout.
QOTW: FALL!
La Rentree - what the French call the start of the fall cultural season - theater, opera, concerts, museums all have wonders opening to lure us in and take our money! Bring it all on!
Vacation! - I am a fall vacation person as summers are a busy work time for me.
NYC's beautifully clear brilliantly blue skies - after the haze of summer, such a joy to behold.
Fall leaves and cooler weather -- although with global warming, that's not so assured (given it hit 93F today)
Cooler temps letting me spend time in kitchen cooking and baking
New Christmas themed or set cozy mysteries and romances being published - I'm a sucker for them.
Finding my favorite apples - Northern Spies - in the green markets - this is an apple that is so old school it has not yet been rediscovered. It is the perfect apple for pies, crisps and cobblers.
Decorating for Christmas -- I start early - very early :-)
Mod
I haven't checked-in in two weeks due to a busy schedule and a roadtrip.Finished:
Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia-Marquez. - I loved this book. I read One Hundred Years Of Solitude earlier this year, but I enjoyed this much more. It was a unique story and had an unlikeable character, yet I found myself hoping the two characters would end up together after all those lost years. The writing was beautiful, but the seeming acceptance of sexual obsession, rape, etc. as being fine is disturbing to me.
Neuromancer - I chose his book for the advanced challenge prompt to read a cyberpunk book. sigh...I DNF'd it. I did read about 1/3 of the book before I threw in the towel. Just not genre.
I'll Be Your Blue Sky by Marisa del los Santos = This is for the MMD August book pick and one of the Summer Reading Challenge books. I read Love Walked In and Belong To Me in preparation for reading this book as the three books contain the same characters. This book is far and away the best of the three books. The story in this book is completely different from the first two books and what I would have expected. The author outdid herself in this book In terms of both writing and story. If you were only going to read one of the three books in the series, this is probably the one that I would recommend.
Challenge totals: 37/40 and 6/10 = 43/50
Currently reading:
The Light Over London - This is an ARC I received. It releases in Jan. 2019. I finished it after the dates range for this week, so I'll write about it next week, but I really enjoyed it.
Auntie Poldi and the Sicilian Lions - funny!
I'd Rather Be Reading: The Delights and Dilemmas of the Reading Life - pre-ordered this and love it.
The Opposite of Everyone - my first Joshilyn Jackson and love it.
Major Pettigrew's Last Stand - finally making good progress and am enjoying it.
Middlemarch - a group in MMD are reading this as a group read. I like it so far.
Footnotes from the World's Greatest Bookstores: True Tales and Lost Moments from Book Buyers, Booksellers, and Book Lovers - I bought this at Parnassus Books in Nasvhile. I started it on the roadtrip home and like it. Great stories about these famous independent bookstores and the people who frequent them.
QOTW:
We may or may not have fall or winter weather, but if we do it probably won't get cooler until mid- to late- November. Things I love during fall and winter:
Using the fireplace if it gets cool enough.
Hot tea and hot chocolate.
Sitting in a chair reading a book during with a throw over me for extra coziness.
More books
Homemade soups
Sweaters and jeans
Christmas movies
Nadine wrote: "Oh Theresa up here in the Apple growing hinterlands they sell Spies! We have SO MANY apple varieties, even in Wegmans! (LOL sadly I don't like apples.)"Well of course, coming from Owego NY (near Binghamton in southern central NYS) we had Spies as our apple trees on the farm! Hence my preference.
If you find yourself traveling to NYC in the fall, and you happen to have a bag of Spies under your arm, well my office is centrally located in Manhattan!
Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge
Books mentioned in this topic
Shadow Prowler (other topics)Caraval (other topics)
De vloek van de schaduw (other topics)
Exit, Pursued by a Bear (other topics)
The Fever Code (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Xiaolu Guo (other topics)Xan Brooks (other topics)
Xinran (other topics)
Lisa Scottoline (other topics)
Samantha Irby (other topics)
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***Admin note: September discussion is ongoing. The book of the month is Hamilton: The Revolution for the book that is also a stage play or musical prompt.
I have finished three books this week:
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (reread) - this is my favorite book in the whole series (followed closely by Prisoner of Azkaban).
The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert - I kept hearing this book described as a dark, fairytale based story. It was a good story. Probably not something I’ll read a second time...though that’s not unusual for me.
Camino Island by John Grisham. It’s been a very long time since I read a Grisham novel. My dad recommended it to me, and since it worked for a book involving a heist I decided to go for it. Pretty good plot.
Currently reading:
The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah. I’m using this for my book set in the decade in which I was born. It’s also my book club book for September. I have enjoyed all of Hannah’s books and have heard very good things about this one.
I'd Rather Be Reading: The Delights and Dilemmas of the Reading Life by Anne Bogel. This is a new release from my favorite bookish maven! It’s a book dedicated to all lovers of the written word (that would be us!). It’s a collection of essays so I’m savoring it and reading in pieces.
Question of the week:
Let's talk fall favorites (apologies to those in the Southern Hemisphere, but feel free to share what you are looking forward to with your change of season this time of year). What are some things you are looking forward to as the weather begins to cool?
-Cool, crisp mornings
-Sweaters and boots
-Warm drinks (hot tea or hot chocolate for me please)
-Not mowing the lawn anymore!
-An excuse to stay inside cuddled up reading
-Birthday season in my house!