Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge discussion
2018 Weekly Checkins
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Week 46: 11/9 - 11/15
QOTW:I think I'm most excited about the retelling of a classic and the book based on folklore or myth.
I'm least excited by LitRPG (still unsure as to exactly what that is), a book I think should be made into a movie (because how would I know before I read) and the celebrity one.
Morning all!I'm so happy that the 2019 list is out! Going to be a lot of fun planning some of the prompts. Cold few days here in Texas. We actually had our first freeze warning of the season yesterday and we were lucky enough to have our heater go out - while my in-laws are visiting. It's been great. :/ So I'm sitting here huddled in front of a space heater covered in blankets.
I'll keep this relatively quick this week. Just 2 books this week. First was The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness and I found this really eye opening. The only thing that I wish was different was that it's nearly 10 years old now so there are some changes that have happened since then (thankfully towards the better) but still saddening that the majority of the book is still relevant. If anyone has some suggestions for updated books regarding incarceration I'd be really interested to hear them.
My second book was more of a fun one The Thousand-Dollar Tan Line which is a Veronica Mars book that I read in preparation for the revised TV show. The book takes place after the movie and was a lot of fun and very true to the show in terms of how it felt (which makes sense as the shows creator wrote it). I actually thought this was a better mystery than a lot of the one of cozy mysteries I've read over the past few years.
QOTW:
I'm really looking forward to' Two books that share the same title' since I think that will be a fun challenge to find and I love the idea of seeing how the same title can be upon books with different plots/stories. I'm really not looking forward to the Cli-fi prompt (climate fiction' as I'm pretty sure this is going to mainly be global warming fueled climate based distopians and I avoid distopians like the plague. Still I might be totally wrong on that as I haven't yet checked out the discussion thread on that one.
I've been absorbed in the new list this week! I don't want to over-plan but it's still fun looking at options.I finished Empire of Sand, Mughal India inspired fantasy exploring an arranged marriage but in a fantasy kind of way. The middle was a bit slow but I enjoyed it overall and as a bonus it's standalone.
I finished listening to Vita Nostra. What was that?! It was either genius or insanity... I kinda loved it, but I didn't give it five stars because I think it dragged a little in the middle witht he repetition of her exercises. You could use this for next year's university campus prompt if you want a bit of Ukrainian metaphysical fantasy.
I read Not Just for Christmas for a fluffy festive read to get me in the mood for thinking about Christmas (I only have a month left of work this year). I've read better and I was a bit annoyed it was about someone who doesn't really like dogs, but it was a distracting read.
I started a free trial of BookBeat subscription service. I started listening to The Book of M but the narrator wasn't holding my interest (I will definitely pick this up in print though) and because it's a subscription service I felt much freer stopping it and trying something else. So now I'm listening to LIFEL1K3.
QOTW:
Most excited about Cli-Fi, least excited about LitRPG because it seems most of it is based on the kind of games I don't like. If someone could write one set in Stardew Valley before the end of next year, I'd be super grateful!
I wasn't too keen on celebrity rec and by a musician but the discussions have been helping me think outside the box.
Happy Thursday! Ughhh it's full on winter now and I'm not impressed at having to warm up the car and sweep snow off of it on a regular basis. Already one of my car doors has been frozen shut and had to have fun getting that open. I'm such a wimp when it comes to the cold even though I'm used to it and grew up in it. You know how all you people in hot climates complain all summer and just want to stay in with AC?? Well, that's me 100% from October until May (aka all the months with snow)...inside with the heat tyvm!! At least winter has one saving grace...NHL games yay! GO JETS GO! <3Current PS Progress: 51/52 ...almost there yay! *EDIT*(51/52 for ATY after some shuffling around & a recent completion)
Finished this week
The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson for 41) Bestseller from the year you graduated High School (2009) ⭐️⭐️ - Although this was mildly interesting and there were a couple of surprises near the end, this book was such a slog for me! Overall my reaction is "meh" and disappointed. I feel the first in the series was a much more interesting book.
Nordic noir isn't my jam at all! I also felt this book was extremely long winded: I could have skipped 100-200 pages in the middle and been in the exact same place as far as major plot points. I didn't care for all the details of the detectives, I just wanted some progress in the investigations!! I skimmed over all the math references. I also strongly felt the reveal of what "All The Evil" meant was extremely underwhelming.
To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han as a non-challenge read ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - This was a very cute and entertaining quick read.
It was definitely what I needed after reading some heavier books and it helped me avoid the reading slump I was feeling coming on. :)
Currently Reading
The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith (J.K. Rowling) for 11) Female author who uses a male pseudonym - my last PS book yay! So far am at 23%, reading aloud to Jeff in the evenings so progressing VERY SLOWLY...he's not a reader! xD
I've Got My Eyes on You by Mary Higgins Clark for ATY's Edgar/Grand Master prompt - just starting this
QOTW
My fav = Do I have to choose just one?! xD I don't know if I can! I'm excited for so many because I've already got my books all planned out! Debut novel, multiple perspectives, cli-fi, own voices, litrpg....I'm happy about so many!
My least fav = read a book in the season it's set in....I like to plan all my books in advance and "shop" my list for my next read so this one just irks me on principle because I don't know when I'll be in the mood to tackle this prompt...also I usually prefer to read out of season because experiencing the season IRL is enough...no way do I want to read winter/snowy books when I'm already stuck with several feet of snow that won't go away and -40C! >:( *hmph* ultimately I planned a summer book here..hopefully I can keep myself occupied with other books on my plans until then and don't forget about this prompt before the summer is over...I may just cheat and say well, it's summer in Aus/NZ so whatever!
I am really trying to ramp up my reading. I have 5 books to complete for Popsugar, 1 left for Read Harder, and 2 left for ATY.Completed:
The Queen of Hearts for ATY book with a body part in the title. I love books about medicine or set in hospitals, so I enjoyed that part, but disliked the story.
Moon Over Soho not for any challenge, I just like this series.
Maus I: A Survivor's Tale: My Father Bleeds History for Read Harder.
Currently Reading:
The Remains of the Day for ATY literary fiction.
It audiobook for Popsugar bestseller from the year I was born and ATY book that intimidates/scares you. Only 28 more hours to go.
Persuasion for Read Harder book published posthumously.
QOTW:
I am looking forward to retelling, folklore/myth/legend, extinct or imaginary creature. I am looking forward to a lot of them.
Not looking forward to choose your own adventure or LitRPG. The trick is to not put them off to the end of the year.
Greetings fellow book lovers.It has been a very busy week. Year 12 Physics had their exam on monday, Chem had their final exam on Tuesday and Psych on Wednesday plus course work went to moderation on Wednesday and they graduate on Friday. Next week is year 11 exams so I am frantically writing those.
Did manage to get to the doctor for the first time in 5 years too. Figured it was overdue check time.
Managed to read 2 books:
Elevation (Mr King) which I enjoyed and was a nice balance to all the assignments I was reading. Liked the fact he differentiated between Mass and Weight.....perhaps it should be compulsory middle years reading?
Thyla which was the last of the YA homework ones the school library gave me. Saved the best for last. It nicely dealt with acceptance and working with others different to yourself.
Currently reading
a bunch of books which have been on my shelf for ages and I really should finish them so I can stop looking at them and start planning 2019.
QOTW
The reread one is probably my least favourite prompt because my memory is generally insane so I'll read a sentence and remember most of the book. Also not looking forward to 2 female authors as I don't tend to like many so 2 together is not fun. Love in the title is also a worry unless I can find something like "love your dog". Weddings just bleugh. (No I am not a romantic)
Choose your own adventure will be a challenge because I have no idea what to expect but I may love it.
Really looking forward to Cli-fi and LitRPG I am most excited about because while I have never deliberately read them, and had no idea those classes existed till I joined this group, they do sound like my type of thing.
I haven't checked in in a while. This week I finished:Love A Little Stronger by Preeti Shenoy
Catwoman: Soulstealer by Sarah J. Maas
Currently reading:
The Hate U Give
QOTW:
I'm most excited about the retelling of a classic prompt. Least excited about LitRPG.
EDIT: I forgot, I'm also excited about the book inspired by myth or legend or folklore prompt but I haven't decided on a book for it yet.
Hello all! A reminder that the group read of The Immortalists is going on now. If you’ve read/are reading the book, I hope you consider joining us and sharing your thoughts.Finished
Just One Damned Thing After Another by Jodi Taylor. This was a humorous time travel story, but I’m not terribly impressed with the pacing. It just went way too fast. Even at the end of the book, I felt like I didn’t know the characters very well. I kept wondering “Who is that?” every time a character’s name was mentioned. I won’t continue with the series.
Sea Prayer by Khaled Hosseini. This is beautiful and haunting. It’s about Syrian refugees trying to cross the Mediterranean Sea to find safety. It’s a picture book/graphic novel told in the voice of a father talking to his young son. The artwork is gorgeous. The story is heartbreaking, especially the postscript.
The Chemist by Stephanie Meyer. This is an okay book. I’m not sure if I didn’t like it because it’s very Stephanie Meyer or because it’s a spy thriller. I'm not a huge fan of the genre. I listened to the audiobook, and the narrator did a terrific job. She had the difficult task of voicing one female and two male characters, but every voice sounded natural.
Reading
Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier. God, I hate this book. I kept thinking it was going to get better, but it just keeps getting worse. I only have about 75 pages left, so I’ll push through to the end.
The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty. This book is exhausting. I’m judging everyone so hard I’m emotionally worn out by the end of my reading session.
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas. Still listening to a chapter a day.
QOTW
I think I'm most excited about "two books with the same title." I'm interested to see how two authors handle one topic/title. I think I'm going to read The Winter Witch by Paula Brackston and The Winter of the Witch by Katherine Arden. They're not identical titles, but close enough for me.
I'm least excited about "a book becoming a movie in 2019." I'm sad it was the first prompt on the list because it really dampened my enthusiasm for the rest of the prompts. I usually read a book or watch the movie, not both. I can only think of a few exceptions, like Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter, where I've done both and enjoyed both.
Hello from Idaho.Not much to report this week, except still watching the geeky community I'm part of reeling from the loss of Stan Lee. He was a fantastic and imaginative soul, and he will be missed.
Books I read this week:
Titan -- Decent, but not enough to make me want to check out the rest of the trilogy. Also I'm getting tired of authors throwing gratuitous rape into a book for added drama. Just because your main character is female doesn't mean you need to throw THAT in...
Stars Collide -- a Christian romance set in Hollywood. Very much NOT the kind of book I normally read, but it was unexpectedly cute.
Gast -- graphic novel. Better than the previous book I read by this author, Foodboy, but still left a lot to be desired.
DNFed Shadow of The Fox and The Light Between Worlds. Maybe I just need to steer away from teen-oriented fantasy, seeing as it's almost always hijacked by romance at some point...
Currently reading:
All Our Wrong Todays
Stones: Data
QOTW:
Looking forward to "book based on mythology or folklore," "book based on an imaginary or extinct creature," and "debut novel." I didn't think I'd be looking forward to "book recommended by a celebrity" but managed to find one that looks good, so there's that...
Not looking forward to "reread," since I like to use this challenge to discover NEW books and not ones I've already read. Also I'm still struggling with the "book you saw a character reading on TV or in a movie." Mostly with the "book you SAW" part because I don't watch a lot of TV and of those shows I do watch, not many characters pick up a book...
Hi everyone!It's basically winter here in Michigan, which is kind of bummy. Been really busy with family in town and friendsgiving, so fun but exhausting!
I've been in a re-reading groove this week, so I re-read Storm Warning, Storm Rising, and Storm Breaking.
Currently reading Caraval, have mixed feelings so far. A lot of people compared it to the Night Circus, which is one of my favorite books ever. I can see the comparisons...but frankly it just doesn't have the magical "I want to be there" feel that Night Circus has, which leaves me feeling a little flat about it. I think I'd have liked it more if the comparisons hadn't been made. We'll see how it finishes, before I decide if I want to finish the series or not.
QOTW:
Overall I like the prompt list! Down side to doing multiple reading challenges multiple years is you start getting repeats of prompts. Some I don't mind, I always am up for reading a current book. Not super thrilled for more celebrity prompts, but I'll probably do what I did last year and just use whatever the current Emma Watson pick in her book club is. Most excited for the extinct/imaginary creature prompt, and the mythology/folklore, as well as space prompt. Surprise surprise, books that let me read my favorites haha.
Super NOT excited about LitRPG. My googling for it has indicated that it's a very male-dominated genre with lots of nerdy-wish fulfillment. Not really encouraging. I think I'm stretching the prompt and going to read Warcross. I don't really mind genre prompts over all, but I prefer them to be a little more broad, This one seems rather narrow. Especially since there's already a prompt relating to a game or puzzle, which seems like most litRPG could work for.
Heather wrote: "A reminder that the group read of The Immortalists is going on now. If you’ve read/are reading the book, I hope you consider joining us and sharing your thoughts."
I just added this to my intro post to help draw attention as well :)
All I can say is I'm glad this reading slump happened after I finished the challenge. All I finished was The House with a Clock in Its Walls by John Bellairs which I have no idea how I missed when I was a kid in the 70s because this would have been right up my alley (fat shaming aside since there is a lot of that in this book)QOTW
Prompts I'm most excited for - a book about someone with a super power, a book set in space, a book inspired by mythology, legend or folklore, a book featuring an amateur detective, a book featuring an extinct or imaginary creature , a ghost story & An "own voices" book - i.e. all the stuff I read normally (this is me going with my strengths)
Prompts I'm least excited for - man, there were a ton this time I'm not stoked about. A LitRPG book (which is weird since I AM an RPGer, but I don't like reading it, watch me grab sword art online), a book recommended by a celebrity you admire (OMG can we stop with the celebrity prompts. I couldn't care less about what they like), A retelling of a classic (I'm burned out on this)
Good morning all! I am so excited about the list. I've been in planning mode all week despite having a mountain of homework to do. Oh well. I finally finished reading (or listening to) Villette for "author with the same first or last name as you." I wanted to like this so much, but I didn't. I think the problem was that I really liked Lucy Snow's character (she was sassy and sarcastic) but the story was really about Polly and I found her rather insufferable.
I read two poetry books for children this week for class, not the challenge, and they were both good. I read Freedom Over Me: Eleven Slaves, Their Lives and Dreams Brought to Life by Ashley Bryan which is really deep for a children's book but it was told beautifully and the illustrations are great. I also read Enormous Smallness: A Story of E. E. Cummings which is a biography of e.e. cummings told in verse. He's one of my favorite poets and this children's book gives a great introduction to his unique style.
QOTW:
I am most looking forward to LitRPG and retelling of a classic. Really, there's a lot of prompts I'm excited about. The ones I'm looking forward to least are a ghost story and about a hobby. I haven't found any suggestions that I find too appealing just yet but I'd like to knock them out as quickly as possible.
I think I only finished one...The Eye of Minds for cyberpunk book. It was ok. The audio was good. I'm at 38 regular, 9 advanced, and 20 non challenge books. Still working along and I think I can finish!
QOTW - Hands down book set in abbey, monastery.... or maybe even seen on tv. Some of them seem challenging. But overall a good list. They will never, ever please everyone but its always a lot of fun.
I really want to read Alexander Hamilton, it's been on my TBR for a while.This week I finished 2 books, and I'm at 44/50 for the challenge:
Second Stringer by Thomas J Dygard - a YA novel about 2 high school football quarterbacks, it was really good and had a lot of character development
The Lost City of the Monkey God by Douglas Preston - the author took part in an expedition to find and explore ancient ruins in the jungles of Honduras, and this is his first hand account of that journey. It's fascinating, and covers not only the actual adventure but also history of the country and its people, and an insightful look at just how these civilizations may have failed. I was waitlisted for this book for months, and I can say it was worth the wait.
QOTW: I'm excited for the new list in general. The prompt I'm most looking forward to is A book about someone with a superpower, followed by A book revolving around a puzzle. Also I love Choose Your Own Adventure books, so that one is going to be fun. My least favorite are those that are too similar to last year like A book becoming a movie in 2019 and A book you think should be turned into a movie. Also, I really dislike specific author prompts like A book by two female authors.
I'm excited about winter hitting here in the Midwest US--we have a dusting of snow again today! I don't think I've adapted to the cold yet though, because I was freezing despite my winter coat while running errands yesterday. I have a half a book to go before I've read all the YA fantasty Goodread's Choice finalists that were on my TBR. I'm holding off on voting until I finish it, but most likely I will be voting for Obsidio. (Wildcard was a very close second that almost edged it out for my top choice.)
Finished Reading:
The Glass Mermaid A generic romance that happened to have a mermaid in it. A nice story, but not really my kind of thing.
You are So Undead To Me This is the first installment in a serial novel, which I may or may not continue. I enjoyed the zombie fighting parts, but found the high school angst and drama boring.
Wildcard Five stars. I definitely recommend both books in this set for anyone who's having trouble with the LitRPG prompt, the game prompt, or is still looking for a cyberpunk book.
The Goose Girl Read this one as a buddy read with a friend. I enjoyed it, but found it weird that most of the book reads like a sweet children's story, and then BAM, violence, death, animal death, women stripping to the waist... I guess that juxtaposition is true to original fairy tales, but I don't think I'd recommend it for very young readers.
The Little Prince Checked this very short classic off my list this week. I enjoyed it, but it seems like one of those children's books that's actually better for adults who need a reminder of the good ways to be child like than it is for actual children to read.
Currently Reading:
(I have a few others I'll get back to soon, but these are the ones I'm actively reading)
The Tale of the Dueling Neurosurgeons: The History of the Human Brain as Revealed by True Stories of Trauma, Madness, and Recovery Audiobook. Definitely enjoying this one. Probably could use it for the mental health prompt if I hadn't already filled it several times over.
The Cruel Prince Meh. The plot is starting to pick up now, but after really loving two of the Choice Awards nominees, this one is just not impressing me. The first third of the book was basically "girl deals with bully, but in the land of Faery".
Dreamlander Only got a few pages into to this one, when I needed a book to read on my phone. I'm trying to get through some of the backlog of free kindle books I have built up, which leads to a lot of DNFs, but this one seems to have potential.
DNF:
Chasing Mona Lisa I really wanted to like this one, because the history part looks fascinating, but the writing style was just to simplistic for me to enjoy it. I'd rather go find a really good non-fiction book on the subject than read this.
Gifted I'm not sure how the author managed to make a book about a circus full of people with superpowers feel incredibly boring, but somehow they did.
QOTW:
There are several 'gimme' prompts, since I really enjoy sci-fi and fantasy (space, imaginary creature, superpower, etc). I'm looking forward to the LitRPG one, since I like the idea of it but haven't read anything that's hardcore in the genre. I also like the nostalgic/re-read prompts because there are a bunch of books from my childhood and teens that I've been wanting to re-experience as an adult and haven't gotten to most of them yet. And, of course, the 'own voices' and 'author from Asia, etc' prompts are great for keeping from just coasting and reading the same old stuff I always read.
My least favorite prompts are the ones that have to do with celebrities or making a books into movies, but I think I've managed to find good options for those anyway (partly by defining for myself what I want the prompts to mean).
Mod
I was all prepared to say I had finished NO books this week, because I've spent ALL my free time on the new list - but last night I finished listening to The Kind Worth Killing (Peter Swanson) while waiting to pick my kids up from marching band. That book was fantastic and I miss it! I'm not really loving my current audiobook (The Forever War - please tell me it gets better).
I am actually at the doctor right now because I'm suffering a severe and completely unprecedented case of vertigo. Vertigo is so annoying, let me tell you! They don't seem to know what's causing it.
QOTW
I think I'm most excited about cli fi! I read a lot of dystopians and my favorite seems to be climate related so when I learned about this sub genre (was it two years ago that we had to find a sub genre we'd never heard of? That's when I learned about it and discovered i really like it) I knew it was something I liked.
I most unhappy about finding a book someone is reading on TV or in a movie. I enjoy scavenger hunts but I'm worried I won't ever spot one.
Stacey wrote: "Happy Thursday! Ughhh it's full on winter now and I'm not impressed at having to warm up the car and sweep snow off of it on a regular basis. Already one of my car doors has been frozen shut and ha..."I feel like I should apologize, because I think the 'read a book in the season it's set in' was one of my suggestions. ;-) I've been intrigued by discovering that some people do intentional seasonal reading and like the idea of trying it, but have rarely paid attention to it in the past.
Jen wrote: "Greetings fellow book lovers.It has been a very busy week. Year 12 Physics had their exam on monday, Chem had their final exam on Tuesday and Psych on Wednesday plus course work went to moderation..."
Do you read non-fiction? I know of at least a couple of titles there that have 'love' without really being romance focused:
The Disappearing Spoon: And Other True Tales of Madness, Love, and the History of the World from the Periodic Table of the Elements I really enjoyed this one.
Tomorrow Will Be Better: A True Story of Love and One Family's Triumph over the Horrors of World War II I haven't read this yet, but it's my choice for this prompt just because I already own it and have been meaning to read it for years.
A Little Bit Wicked: Life, Love, and Faith in Stages Not my favorite, but probably worth reading if you're a fan of the musical Wicked. (To be honest, I only read it because Idina Menzel hasn't written a memoir...)
Feast: True Love in and out of the Kitchen I haven't read this one yet either, but it looks like even though it talks about relationships, they aren't the focus.
Hello from chilly Montréal,We will be having our first snowstorm this evening, but we already have a snowman in our backyard. Winter has officially begun.
I thought I wouldn't be able to finish the challenge this year but I may be near the end after all. Usually I concentrate only on the regular challenge and continue with the advanced prompt, but this year, I went all over the place.
Last week I read:
Nuage: Le don de la nature (Nuage for cloud so I used it for the weather element prompt). A fast graphic novel about a gifted Young girl who can talk woth animals. A little too childish for me.
Ship of Magic for the on the sea prompt. I love Robin Hobb and don't know why I didn't read that one earlier.
Currently reading:
The Orange Girl for my favorite color. It's starting really good.
QOTW:
Favorite prompts: Book set in space, mythologie, reread, there's a lot that I am excited for.
Least favorite: published in 2019 ( I don't read a lot of new books)
I hope you get an answer to what's going on and feel better soon, Nadine.
Good morning, everyone!FINISHED
For the Read Harder challenge, I finished Old in Art School: A Memoir of Starting Over, which I used for the prompt of "book with a female protagonist over the age of 60." This seems to have pretty divided reviews from readers, but I loved it!
I also listened to the audiobook of What the Most Successful People Do Before Breakfast: A Short Guide to Making Over Your Mornings--and Life, which was fine.
IN PROGRESS
I'm working on a few different books right now: The Gardner Heist: The True Story of the World's Largest Unsolved Art Theft, Everything's Trash, But It's Okay, The Gene: An Intimate History (still!), and the audiobook of We Need to Talk: A Practical Guide to the Lost Art of Conversation.
QOTW
I'm excited about the retelling prompt - always a favorite! - and the #ownvoices prompt. I'm less thrilled about the book-becoming-a-movie prompt and the two-books-with-the-same-title prompt, just because that's such a narrow window.
This year I'm trying to fulfill as many prompts as I can using books I already own, and I was able to slot in a pretty good chunk of them with things I've been meaning to read!
I'm excited, this weekend my husband and I are treating ourselves to a night in a nice hotel, visiting the Edinburgh Christmas markets and going to our favourite place to get all the Christmas shopping done (or at least started). Just wish the weather would act more wintery, and less rainy-autumn...This week I finished the challenge!!. 52/52, 10/10! I actually can't believe I managed it, let alone managed it with seven weeks to spare. I tried last year and only managed 40 books, and now I'm sitting on book 58 for the year. My passion for reading is well and truly back, and I couldn't be happier. I'm actually trying to use the rest of the year to complete the ATY'18 challenge for prompts I couldn't double dip. Bring on 2019!
This week I finished two books. The first was my final challenge read, for advanced prompt #7 author with the same name as you. It was The Essex Serpent. Sometimes you read a book that makes any secret desire of becoming a novelist yourself seem shamefully inadequate. This is that book. Sarah Perry is a stunning writer, painting scenes and crafting characters with literary beauty. Her prose is filled with wit, sharp observation and clarity. This story unwinds slowly but with perfect pace, and is so human. Although set in Victorian times, there is no stuffiness and it is easy to connect to the characters and the situations they are put in. If there is such a thing as a slow burning page-turner, this is it.
I also read Lily Allen's memoir My Thoughts Exactly. I have to claim some bias here, as I'm the same age as Lily and have always loved her music. But, I'm not so starstruck that I blindly still admire someone famous who has done wrong (buh-bye Johnny Depp, see ya Asia Argento). I think it's important to state that, because Lily Allen has been called in to question about her actions and words in the past for things that I don't agree with. This is probably the most honest, raw and open celebrity memoir I have ever read. Lily doesn't flinch from tackling the hard stuff, and she also doesn't minimise her involvement in problematic situations she has found herself in. She takes responsibility for things she has said and done which were either mildly misjudged to outright offensive and shows how she has learned from them. She also points out that the current climate (where those in the public eye are meant to be woke to a level far beyond mere mortals) leaves no room for the stupidity and ignorance of youth or lack of exposure. This doesn't absolve her, but it shows that she is human. And this is such a human memoir. It made me so sad to see what fame, intense media scrutiny and instability can do to someone who clearly struggled with a sense of self and worth. But this memoir shows a woman with a strength of character she probably doesn't give herself enough credit for, and has raised her even higher in my opinion. Lily is smart, observant and has a great way with words not only in her lyrics but on the page. She's an exceptional storyteller, and this book was a brilliant read not just for the juicy details of her life, but for her writing style too. Loved it.
Which 2019 prompt are you most excited about? Which one are you least excited about?
I'm just excited for a whole fresh challenge! I'm savouring the planning process, just doing a few at a time (only at 11 so far)...so happy! I'm curious about the Scandinavian prompt, and the book about a family (I do like a kitchen sink drama). But I have some reservations about the final advanced one, a book set in a convent etc...I don't mind some religious content, but this prompt just seems like it's going to throw up a bit more religion than I'm comfortable with.
Monkiecat wrote: "Happy dance because I have months before I need to start complaining about being too hot again!!(don't worry, I'll be complaining about snow soon enough...)
since the last check-in...
finished: ..."
I see you're having the same panic over It as I am. In my case I wanted to read it in October for the creepiness factor. It's mid-November and I am not even halfway done.
After initial disappointment in the 2019 list. I've now done some planning and am getting more excited.Finished
The Demon King by Cinda Williams Chima - This was just what I needed after a few heavier reads. High fantasy is my comfort blanket and while this book was more YA in terms of its characters and writing style, the world building was as good as any adult fantasy I've read. I'm looking forward to seeing where the series goes. Side note, a YA book where the female protagonist enjoys kissing and flirting with multiple boys rather than insta-love. I am all for this! I'm sick of slut shaming in YA.
Currently reading
I'm still making my way through War and Peace and still enjoying it.
QOTW
Most excited about - Book about a family, book by an African./Asian/South American author, book set in Scandinavia also looking forward to playing detective and catching a character reading a book on TV
Least excited - Re-read and book about a hobby
Hello everyoneThis was the week I decided to give the 2018 challenge another chance, and rethink giving up. I had originally planned to do one round with picture books and another with other books. But I merged the two, replaced some of my planned reads with other much shorter reads, picture books and graphic novels. I am halfway through a handful of them. So now I am hopeful I´ll finish.
I am 40/52 so cross your fingers.
I read
Dear Ijeawele, or a Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie for "feminism". The things she says resonates with me, but it´s a bit superficial in its approach (this is the premise so I hadn´t expected more).
Forfædrenes talisman (The Talisman of the Ancestors) by Linette Harpsøe - a new fantasy release for review. This was a solid fantasy read, but not more.
QOTW
I am excited about the "book you saw someone reading on TV/movie", I am looking forward to book-spotting, and I have a very loose half-plan anyway. I am curious about litrpg, it´s a totally new genre to me, even though it turns out I have read some. So looking forward to exploring that.
I don´t really care about celebrities, but I found some options from David Bowie´s list that I wanted to read anyway.
I am just looking forward to a new year of the reading challenge :)
Hey guys!Guess who's trying to get back into things? I don't have the time and energy right now to read the posts before me, but I'll try to keep up with the ones after me.
After one of our cats died, and then my bunny, everything just went downhill again. Last week I even had to call out of work because I physically could not leave my bed. I got new meds though, so fingers crossed they'll help!
There is good news, too. Luckily. I am a certified crisis intervention responder for IMAlive! Doing shifts and helping people is really helping me too, so that's good.
I've also been reading a lot, but too much to post here, so I'll have to go back to previous weeks to add my reads and answer the QOTWs. Dewey's Readathon was very productive, and ever since I have also been listening to audiobooks- it's a miracle! It's only been children's/middle grade so far, but it's working and I'm happy with it. My Storytel trial ends today or tomorrow, but I decided to keep it, so yay me! I love listening to books while doing jigsaw puzzles on my laptop.
Now, what have I read this past week? My 75th book of the year! Problem is that it was a picture book that was posted on Facebook and not for the challenge: Where Willy Went. There's a lot of joking about this book but I actually really love it!
All of the other books were read in previous weeks- typical. But I did finish my GR challenge with that picture book, so that's a start.
Currently Reading
Rising Storm by Erin Hunter; it's the fourth book from the first series of Warrior Cats, Warriors. I am listening to these on audio ever since reading the first book in Dutch (which I managed to count for the challenge!) Unfortunately so far no others count.
Watership Down - Yeah, not the best idea right now, I know. Please no spoilers, as I haven't read it yet, nor have I seen the film. All I know is that apparently it's sad af, so I promised my best friend to put it on hold if it got to be too much. I've barely started though due to being busy and being exhausted. This is my last book for the Advanced Challenge: an Allegory. Ironically it was never meant to be one, but here we are. Sorry, Richard.
After finishing Watership Down I will have finished the Advanced Challenge and will have 9 books left to read for the Regular Challenge. I'm not sure if I switched around some of the books yet, but I'll figure that out soon. Unfortunately all the books I currently have at home from the library are not for the challenge, I'm 95% sure of it. So I'm going to have to step it up!
QOTW
Ohman I can't even pick one. I'm not really planning just yet, though I decided to also do ATY next year. The prompts I immediately knew books for I filled in already, in a tentative list, but I'm not (re)searching yet. I do hope to read certain books, and the myth prompt is definitely one of them!
Happy Thursday everyone! Another cold rainy day here in NJ... Perfect for curling up with a hot drink and a good book!Finished 4 books this week, one sort of for the challenge as I'd filled cyberpunk with a short story previously, but that felt like cheating!
Matilda- humorous listen- especially loved the opening comments on teachers vs parents who think their little angels are brilliant!
Neuromancer- idk what just happened. Something about AIs? And "jacking in" to cyberspace or something... I pictured it like how Harper jacks into Andromeda's mainframe in the show Andromeda.
The Unfairest of Them All- adorable!
Hidden Blade- I liked it but wasn't blown away, which is a shame because I love Ancient Egypt mythology and this author's sci-fi series!
Currently reading:
The House of the Seven Gables
The Arabian Nights (I'm going to be reading this for a while!)
Girl Waits with Gun (last book for the challenge!)
A Wonderlandiful World
QOTW
I'm excited for the mythology prompt- I love all things related to this! I'm less thrilled about a choose-your-own adventure book. I read these in middle school and they were fine but I dunno... I feel too old for them now!
Sarah wrote: "I do have some reservations about the final advanced one, a book set in a convent etc...I don't really do religion.."I was thinking of perhaps using City of Flowers from the Stravaganza series for this. It'd be a reread for me, and if I can't find anything else. It's best to read the books in order, but I'm pretty sure they can be read separately as well. The Falconer's Knot: A Story of Friars, Flirtation and Foul Play is another option for me, same author, also a reread, but the prompt is plenty present in these books in my opinion! I'm not big on religion either, but I love these books, as the main story is about something else.
These books aren't adult, though, so if that's not your thing they won't be of much help, but I thought I'd share!
Raquel wrote: "Stacey wrote: "Happy Thursday! Ughhh it's full on winter now and I'm not impressed at having to warm up the car and sweep snow off of it on a regular basis. Already one of my car doors has been fro..."Well, I like that prompt Raquel :)
Oohh I also read I love Nora in the past week! (I knew I was missing something) It was a cutesy light read, and exactly what I needed.The original of this book was published in 2016, but the Dutch translation I read was published in 2018 and I decided it counted. I feel bad because my original 2018 book, The Empire of Ashes has been on hold for a long time now, and now it's been replaced. And I was so excited to read it! Damn you, library books!
Raquel wrote: "Stacey wrote: "Happy Thursday! Ughhh it's full on winter now and I'm not impressed at having to warm up the car and sweep snow off of it on a regular basis. Already one of my car doors has been fro..."I have that whenever I see someone say they're not excited about the reread of a favorite.. That one was mine haha!
The first and last names starting with the same letter as well.
Happy Thursday! I spent A LOT of time researching books for the 2019 prompts this week, but I did managed to finish some books as well.Finished
Always and Forever, Lara Jean I enjoyed the conclusion of this series.
The Friend I don't even know how to talk about this book. It's about a woman writer who loses her friend, who was also a writer, to suicide, and then inherits his great dane. It is written as a letter, or a maybe a journal, from the woman to her friend. I liked it, but I also feel real confused about what I just read. Would love to talk about this one with someone else who has read it. I did feel pretty gratified though when it won the National Book Award last night, since it was the only nominee I'd read. (Though I suspect it won because it was a book about writers, and the judging panel was made up of, you guessed it, a bunch of writers.)
Macbeth I read a lot of Shakespeare in high school and college, and I've attended the Utah Shakespearean Festival multiple times, and yet I had never read or seen Macbeth, so I decided it was time. Man this play is dark. I mean, I know it's a Shakespearean tragedy so that wasn't too surprising, but wow, a lot of people die. I liked it, but definitely not my favorite Shakespeare.
Currently Reading
When They Call You a Terrorist: A Black Lives Matter Memoir
Peace Like a River
Victoria: The Queen: An Intimate Biography of the Woman Who Ruled an Empire
QOTW
I'm most looking forward to a book about a family, published in 2019, debut novel, and (unpopular opinion) book recommended by a celebrity. Years ago I read a post about Amy Poehler's favorite books, and several of her books were my favorites as well (A Tale of Two Cities, A Prayer for Owen Meany, Traveling Mercies: Some Thoughts on Faith) but there was one book I'd never heard of (Away) and I figured I should read it since our tastes seem real similar, but I've just never gotten around to it. So I'm excited to finally get to it!
I'm for sure not looking forward to LitRPG. This is an observation from the outside looking in, so I recognize I could be wrong, but it seems real male-dominated and sexist. My least favorite book of the year was Ready Player One so I'm not looking forward to jumping back into that realm. But I'm definitely open to suggestions or for someone just to tell me my perceptions are wrong.
Hello from a chilly Columbus. Why are the best seasons so short? If I didn’t love my city I’d insist on living somewhere with better weather. Night Film not for any challenge, I just reread this every year around late October/early November. Still an amazing book and still probably my all time favorite. Every time I’ve. Read it I’ve picked up on new details that add to the layers of this novel. If you’re unfamiliar with the book, it’s about an investigative journalist looking into the apparent suicide of a renowned director’s daughter. The director is shrouded in mystery, and has a cult following because of his dark and disturbing films. It blew my mind the first time I read it, and I loved the incorporation of news articles, photos, and the “hidden” sound files on the author’s website.
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe for the book riot challenge. I honestly remembered this being so much more complex and challenging than it was. But, oh wait, the last time I read this book I was in the fifth grade lol. I still really enjoyed the book though, super nostalgic and fun to read. The “hidden” meaning/alagory was pretty transparent though. It made me want some Turkish delight (I know everyone hates it, I *love* it).
I actually remember my fifth grade teacher brought some “Turkish delight” into class to eat while we watched one of the tv adaptations. But it was actually some kind of meringue candy. My 1/4 middle eastern ass was not happy, that’s NOT what my grandma made and I was so excited for the real thing.
Whiskey in a Teacup: What Growing Up in the South Taught Me About Life, Love & Baking Biscuits another book riot prompt this was short and sweet. I love Reese Witherspoon, photography, and cooking so this was perfect. The audiobook is narrated by her, and includes the photos and recipes in a pdf so you still get to see it all with the added benefit of listening to Reese herself.
Anne of Green Gables for book riot. Don’t judge me, but this was my first time reading this. My cheeks hurt from smiling so much. It was actually kind of weird, I don’t think I’ve ever read a “classic” that didn’t take place in Europe or America. I don’t know why it was so odd to hear them talk about Canada but hey, gotta love that deeply ingrained americentrism. This was such a sweet coming-of-age story. And Rachel McAdams narrates the audible version! Bonus fun.
The Deal of a Lifetime not for a prompt, I was just clearing up my suspended holds on overdrive to make room for 2019 stuff. This is a short story about a man looking back at his life and making a deal with Death. It was sweet, but if I’ve learned anything after reading A Man Called Ove, it’s that Fredrik Backman knows how to tug on your heart.
Britt-Marie Was Here speaking of Blackman... I was able to use this for a book riot prompt. I read this in May, but I really didn’t pay any attention to it and couldn’t have told you anything about the plot because I was in the middle of some custody court stuff. I’m glad I picked it back up because it was such a sweet story. Much like how Ove reminded me of my dad, I could see a lot of my maternal grandmother in Britt-Marie. I love cranky “old” people with hearts of gold (admittedly, Backman’s stories work a lot better for me when I picture these characters as much older than they are).
Strangers in Their Own Land: Anger and Mourning on the American Right book riot pick yet again. This one I’ve been excited to read, ever since it was brought to my attention after I finished Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis. I enjoyed this book, it’s a gimpse into the lives of some tea party members in Louisiana as told by a liberal sociologist who spent time getting to know these people. It focused a lot on the divide between the impact of pollution on this community, and their votes for a party that doesn’t seem to value preventing the pollution that’s wrecking their community.
It was insightful, but I think Hillbilly Elegy did a better job at humanizing and explaining why poor white communities vote red. I’m someone who has both red and blue values and vote a split ticket, so I can say my weird feelings about this book aren’t rooted in a bias against the tea party haha.
The Hate U Give finally, a popsugar prompt! I read this for a challenge that’s facing society. I did enjoy this book, but it wasn’t the life-changing perspective I was led to believe it’d be. I didn’t find it particularly emotional, though I’m sure the movie will make me cry like a baby (all movies make me cry). It’s a frustrating book to read though, on so many levels. I’ll need to read some light fluffy books now to come down.
So I’m at 49/50; 9/10 and 19/24 for book riot with 172 books read this year.
QOTW: I honestly can’t pick one book I’m most excited for but I was most definitely the least happy with the LitRPG category. I picked a book, that Warcross one, but I’m not looking forward to it at all.
Tara wrote: "I'm for sure not looking forward to LitRPG. This is an observation from the outside looking in, so I recognize I could be wrong, but it seems real male-dominated and sexist. My least favorite book of the year was Ready Player One so I'm not looking forward to jumping back into that realm. But I'm definitely open to suggestions or for someone just to tell me my perceptions are wrong."I would suggest you give Warcross a try. It's similar to RPO in that it's a virtual reality game, BUT the main character is female and so is the author. I think those two components are what made me enjoy it more than RPO. I'm going to read book 2 for the LitRPG prompt. If it weren't for having discovered Warcross (for this year's cyerpunk prompt), I would be dreading this prompt too. I hope you find something that works for you!
Milena wrote: "Did anyone listen to Warcross? Would you recommend the audiobook? Or do the stats need to be seen?"I didn't do the audio version, but there are no charts or pictures when dealing with the stats, it's all part of the narrative (in words), so I see no reason audio would be a problem.
Raquel wrote: "Milena wrote: "Did anyone listen to Warcross? Would you recommend the audiobook? Or do the stats need to be seen?"I didn't do the audio version, but there are no charts or picture..."
Thank you, Raquel.
Happy Thursday! I'm excited about the new list, but I don't want to get too into planning right now because I don't want it to disrupt my reading for the rest of the year, however I did decide to put off Wildcard until next year so I won't have to struggle with the LitRPG category.This week I finished 2 books, both of which counted for the advanced challenge.
First was The Vegetarian by Han Kang, which was my allegory. I'm conflicted on this one because it just felt really complicated and I just wasn't grasping it. I think I'm gonna need to revisit this one later on.
Also I finished The Casual Vacancy by JK Rowling which was my bestseller from the year I graduated high school. The audiobook narrator was great, but I wasn't super compelled by this story. Glad I finally checked it off my tbr.
I'm at 35/40 for the regular challenge and 7/10 for the advanced.
Currently, I'm reading Kindred which will be my time travel book and Becoming because I love Michelle Obama. I have the audiobook, and 19 hours of Michelle talking to me is pure bliss!
QOTW: Weirdly, I'm unexcited for the million ratings prompt, mostly because there's nothing on that list that I haven't read that I want to read. It means I'll probably just reread a Harry Potter, which I love to do, but it's unexciting because I like shifting through my tbr to finally cross off books because they fit a challenge. It's a super limited selection of books as well! Most excited... no idea! Like I said, I don't want to dig too much into the prompt until I'm done with the current challenge!
I am still working on Chains for the "prompt from a past challenge - set during war" but expect to finish it later today or tomorrow. My plan is to look for another book in the school library that will fit a prompt - I have the feminist, stage play/musical, other planet, true crime, Nordic noir, next in a series, childhood classic, published in 2018, Goodreads Choice Award winner and characters with twins left to go. I've read 29/40 so far....30 when I finish Chains.Clearly I have some work to do to finish the challenge but I'm a fast reader if I ever have time to sit down and read! I've got a list to look for in the school library shortly and hope I can get most or all of the prompts filled without buying books.
QOTW: Looked briefly at next year's challenge and I'm kind of excited to read a novel based on a true story. These books tend to be realistic and I'm a very practical person so that suits me. I'm also looking forward to the "written by a musician" prompt because my husband likes reading/skimming books written by country singers and he already has one by Garth Brooks plus is eyeing another one by an artist whose name I can't recall right now.
I'm less than excited about whatever "cli-fi" is and a book featuring an extinct or imaginary creature. Fantasy isn't really my thing so that prompt will be challenging.
And I finished the challenge this week.Childhood classic that you hadn’t read
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl. I love his short stories. I liked this but I honestly could not stop picturing Gene Wilder the whole time.
Sports
Basketball and other Things: A Collection of Questions Asked, Answered and Illustrated by Shea Serrano. This was probably my favorite read this week. I’m not a big NBA fan but I found it interesting and entertaining. There are some chapter that are completely absurd like would Karl Malone or a bear be a better player or ranking fictional basketball players. This would make an excellent gift for a basketball fan.
I follow Shea Serrano on twitter because people on my timeline were retweeting him. He had a PDF of 10 Illustrated Essays about The Office that I bought and loved. So, I decided to go ahead and buy this book. He also has a history of rap book that I’m going to buy.
Past Goodreads Choice Award
Truly, Madly, Guilty by Liane Moriarty. Not my fave I’ve read of hers but it wasn’t horrible.
Book that doesn’t tick off a prompt (but could be used for
problem facing today’s society):
Refugee by Alan Gatz. YA/Middle grade? book about refugees with three parallel story lines. One in the 1930s and a Jewish refugee, one in the 90s and a Cuban refugee and one in 2015 and a Syrian refugee. I read this to my 7th graders for the Global Read Aloud and we loved it.
QOTW:
Most looking forward to: Choose Your Own Adventure. I loved them when I was a kid.
Least: hobby
Mod
that doesn't seem weird at all, that's the reason I'm not thrilled with that prompt either - I mean, after a million ratings, yes I've heard of that book, and if I'd wanted to read it, I would have by now.
Mod
Thanks! They couldn't find anything wrong with me, which is always one of those "yay! / dammit!" results. Fingers crossed that it goes away on its own?
I sometimes have vertigo in connection with aura migraines. It's the worst. Usually i 'only' have disturbances in my vision... glad it's been a long time since I had it.
Good afternoon from Louisville, where an ice storm has descended. The tree in our backyard lost two limbs overnight--thankfully nothing was damaged, but one of them is stuck up on our roof and we'll have to borrow our neighbor's ladder to retrieve it. Oh the joys of homeownership. My husband and I have been sick all week, and rather than use my time to read, we've watched unhealthy amounts of The Great British Bake-off. Only one book completed, but now I know how to make a chocolate lava cake, should that life skill ever be necessary. I read Final Girls, which didn't blow me away but was diverting enough for an evening in bed with a bottle of Nyquil. I do like a thriller from time to time (read: frequently). My birthday is on Saturday and I don't expect to be fully recovered, so I've asked my husband for a day of uninterrupted reading with a brief intermission for Indian food. With luck, I can still complete a book a week to bring me to 40 for the year. Is anyone else finding that they are too excited for next year's list to finish reading this year's??
QOTW: I'm PUMPED for the ghost story and family saga prompts, because I love reading those anyway. The myth/legend/folklore prompt is also really promising, I've already found so many options! Much less excited about the super powers prompt, I LOATHE superhero movies and I don't think a book on the same topic would be an improvement. Maybe I'll dig out an old volume of Sailor Moon leftover from my manga phase.
This week I finished My Lovely Wife in the Psych Ward It was a quick read but I just found myself a little disappointed in it. I can't really put my finger on why?Aslo,Goodbye, Vitamin which was also a short, quick read but was way too scattered for me to really enjoy. The writing was good, but the story itself just didn't come together for me.
Oh well, not a great week
Currently reading: The Good Samaritan, which was a kindle first freebie that I'm using for the antagonist/villan prompt. Its actually pretty good and definitely has my attention.
For my non-kindle read, I'm about to start Into the Water, which will complete my ATY challenge if I borrow and double dip. My plan is do that across the challenges and then carry over prompts/ continue to read my original plan, since I was excited for so many of them: The Hate U Give, To All the Boys I've Loved Before, Force of Nature, His Majesty's Dragon among others). Actually at a quick glance last night if I double dip I can finish the majority of ATY/Book Riot and Pop Sugar, with only a few categories left unread.
QOTW:
I'm excited for pretty much everything now that I have my plan all set up. New year, new books, new start!!
Favorite prompts are always published in 2019 ( current year) and cli fi, and I always love the past favorite prompt.
Least favorites, LitRPG, the wedding, and as usual the title/cover prompts ( plant/ Pop sugar challenge/ sweet salty bitter, sweet/ clothing or accessory) .... Oh! and that Idiom one. I really dislike it. That one is probably my least anticipated.
Nadine wrote: "Milena wrote: "I hope you get an answer to what's going on and feel better soon, Nadine." Thanks! They couldn't find anything wrong with me, which is always one of those "yay! / dammit!" results...."
Nadine, a few years back we had a really strange virus go around the hospital which caused several of us to suffer vertigo from anywhere from weeks to months. I had it bad, was out of work almost two months and actually needed a babysitter and someone to help me with the girls because they were so young and I couldn't stand upright. Hopefully it clears up quickly. Thats no fun.
Raquel wrote: "Milena wrote: "Did anyone listen to Warcross? Would you recommend the audiobook? Or do the stats need to be seen?"I didn't do the audio version, but there are no charts or pictures when dealing with the stats, it's all part of the narrative (in words), so I see no reason audio would be a problem."
Agreed. I read it on Kindle and there's nothing in the book that would make it a poor choice on audio.
Sara wrote: "Raquel wrote: "Milena wrote: "Did anyone listen to Warcross? Would you recommend the audiobook? Or do the stats need to be seen?"I didn't do the audio version, but there are no ch..."
Thank you, Sara.
Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge
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It's a chilly, icy morning here in Virginia. Icy enough to close schools, but not enough to justify me staying home! Thankfully I have the day off tomorrow so I'm hoping to curl up with a book :) How is the end of the week shaping up for you?
Reminders (especially for new members):
1. This check-in is a place to post what you've been reading over the last week, thoughts, opinions and just general chatting with your fellow book lovers. You can post anything you've read, not just books for the challenge.
2. Monthly group reading for 2019 is being planned. Mike posted a suggested list of prompts for each month and there's been some discussion and suggested tweaks. You can find that discussion here: 2019 Monthly Challenge
Soon we will finalize the list and set up nominations for the first quarter. Information will be posted when that happens.
3. Also, Nadine and I have added some helpful posts in this folder that might be especially useful for new members: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/group...
4. The final group read of 2018 will be starting early December. The book is Circe
5. The November group read of The Immortalists is ongoing so join in if you've read the book or are reading it now!.
On to the check-in!
Books finished:
I finished 2 books in the last week.
Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow. I've been meaning to read this for several years. It's a really well-written biography if historical biographies are your thing!
Vox by Christina Dalcher. Women have been silenced. The government has fitted each female (children too) with a counter (think fitbit that counts words) and a daily limit of 100 words. I don't want to say more and give away plot, but it's a really terrifying, yet engrossing read. Handmaid's Tale for a new generation. I highly recommend it, but be prepared for some angry feelings.
Currently reading:
The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte. This is my male pseudonym book. It's been a great read so far. I like Anne's writing much better than Emily's and maybe even as much as Charlotte's!
Snape: A Definitive Reading - I am on the final book of the series. I took a little break to read some other things, but I will probably finish it within the next week or two.
One Day in December - Just for a fun read as the holiday season approaches.
3 books left to read out of 50!
Question of the week:
Which 2019 prompt are you most excited about? Which one are you least excited about?
I think I'm most excited by the retelling of a classic! I have several of those on my TBR and am quite beside myself trying to choose which one to count!
Least exciting is a toss up. I don't really want to read a choose-your-own-adventure book because I have decision fatigue. Also, I really hate choosing a book that a celebrity like (or writes, for that matter). I'm not a celebrity fan and really could not care less about what they think I should read. I know I'll find something decent, probably a new release, but I just wish the prompts focused less on celebrities.