Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge discussion
2019 Weekly Checkins
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Week 22: 5/24-5/30
41/50Finished:
The Wishing Spell by Chris Colfer for a book you think should be turned into a movie.
Hamlet by William Shakespeare for a book that has inspired a common phrase or idiom.
Nimona by Noelle Stevenson. Not for the challenge.
Taken at the Flood by Agatha Christie. Not for the challenge.
Currently reading:
The Wife Between Us - Halfway through.
Mrs. Dalloway
QOTW:
Just like Sara said.
My reading was much more typical this week and I finished five books. Things We Cannot See was solid historical fiction set in World War II and had a dual timeline which I typically enjoy. An added bonus to this one was the honest and realistic look it provided into the reality of raising a child with autism. The Lost Romantics was a family saga, looking at the power of secrets and how we can be moulded by events of our childhood. I was looking forward to reading it and it didn’t disappoint. I also really enjoyed Ayesha at Last, a Pride & Prejudice retelling set within the Muslim community in Toronto. I think one reason it succeeded was because it kept the key elements and feelings of Pride and Prejudice without trying to replicate everything about the original. All the Ever Afters was a surprise. Fairy tale retellings are not not normally something I’d gravitate towards (thanks reading challenge) but I found the story of Cinderella’s step-mother to be appealing, believable and relateable. A reading challenge also pushed me towards The Suffragette Scandal. I wasn’t a fan.
Woohoo! I get to post early for once! Mostly because my schedule at work has been nuts. Work until 9:30pm Sunday, WAKE UP for work around midnight Monday/Tuesday, work until noon, wake up Wednesday around 3:15am... I even fell asleep at lunch yesterday. I crashed so early yesterday afternoon that I am awake now, and it's Thursday! Yay. Luckily I'm off tomorrow and will spend the day sleeping and binging Good Omens! SO EXCITED! Giant Reading Slump means I still haven't checked anything recent to see if it fills prompts, so I have no idea how far I am at the moment. Hopefully I've broken through that though!
Finished:
You Don't Know Everything, Jilly P! - This took ages to read, not because of the book, but because the slump held me by the ankle for so long. I like that this book shows that being an ally isn't always easy. You WILL make mistakes, and hurt/anger people. You just will. Listen, learn, and make different mistakes next time. Even as a kid, you can be the person who starts the difficult conversations in your family.
Pashmina- Learning about your family history isn't always what you expect.
Currently Reading:
Chemistry
Operation Frog Effect
QOTW:
It depends on where I am, I suppose. If I can't get it from context, I'll Google it.
Hi fellow readers,I am one of the first checking in this week! Which is due to the fact that it is a holiday in Germany today and I should be marking essays…
Anyway, I finished two books this week
Das Verschwinden der Stephanie Mailer a good mystery, study in small-town life, character-driven novel. I was lucky in getting it at the library without having to wait for it, now there are quite a few requests for it. It could be used for multiple perspective, unconventional chapter numbers, revolving around a puzzle.
And I read Ich denke oft an den Krieg, denn früher hatte ich dazu keine Zeit a memoir written by a survivor of the Holocaust. Very matter-of-fact, unemotional account of what the author experienced. I used it for published posthumously.
Currently reading Die Angehörigen (The Dependents)
The Unexpected Truth About Animals: A Menagerie of the Misunderstood
QOTW:
as a non-native English speaker/reader, I tend to look up only words that seem absolutely essential, but like Sara, more when reading on the kindle since it is so easy. In German it hardly ever happens, that I don't know a word. If it does, I'll check it, too.
Mod
This week I finished three books, none for this Challenge, so I remain 39/50. I didn't really love the books I finished in the past week, but I'm pretty happy with what I'm reading right now.
Skim by Mariko Tamaki with art by Jillian Tamaki - I've been wanting to read this graphic novel for a while now, and it was really disappointing. I couldn't connect with the story/characters, and I hated the art.
Next Year in Havana by Chanel Cleeton - I was really looking forward to this book and wow did I not like it. I used this for "strong sense of place" for AtY. I honestly don't think it DID have a "strong sense of place" but I read it in good faith, expecting it to work because others had recommended it, and I didn't want my struggle through it to have been for naught, so I counted it.
Night Sky with Exit Wounds poems by Ocean Vuong - another book I've been wanting to read for a while, it gets a lot of praise, but it just didn't work for me, it was good but not amazing.
QOTW
Often I just skip over the word and guess from context, but sometimes I look it up, and then I put it at the bottom of my review. Mostly it's archaic words in classic novels and historical fiction, or words from other languages used to describe clothes and meals in books set in other countries. I love Raymond Chandler and he uses a ton of slang I've never heard before, so I look ALL of those words up because it's fun, and I think it was In the Time of the Butterflies where they kept having "water bread" for breakfast, and I had to look that up to see what it was. (Answer: it's a simple bread made with water, similar to French bread.)
Mod
that IS a crazy schedule! why do they do that to you? can't you at least work the same hours all week, and then have a weekend to recover and prep for a different shift?
No Popsugar progress this week, for some reason I keep picking up books that fit ATY better.I read This Green and Pleasant Land for review and ATY (polarizing prompt - religion). Ayisha Malik's warm writing does a balanced job of showing Islamophobia in everyday people who believe they're not racist. Has some silly bits too but I really enjoyed it.
Finished listening to Jamaica Inn for ATY (pre-1950). Not as good as Rebecca and the audiobook narrator does not do this justice, he's of the squeaky female dialogue variety which is annoying in a book where a woman is the main character.
Currently reading Aurora Rising and loving it.
PS: 27/52 | ATY: 31/52 | GR 61/100
QOTW:
I try and work it out unless it's irritating me or important to the story to know exactly what it is. I tend to use my Kindle in aeroplane mode so inevitably the words I don't know aren't in the offline dictionary and I usually don't need to know enough to wait for it to connect! If it's a print or audiobook I'm even less likely to look it up. I do look up place names a lot though, I like to know where they are and get a bit of context.
Hiyaaa!A two week update for me as I was in London last Thursday, and by the time I was home and had recovered (Friday travel, Saturday sleep) I forgot on Sunday, and then I figured I'd better wait until the next Thursday, so here I am!
I went to London to see the play All My Sons, with Colin Morgan, Jenna Coleman, Bill Pullman, and Sally Field, and it was absolutely amazing. If I never have to see Colin Morgan cry again it will be too soon.
I've been having an absolutely amazing reading month. Just looking at my bujo has me in awe haha! Of course my TBR for next month is absolutely insane so I doubt this streak will continue. Bookswise it's about the same amount, but page wise.. help!
Read
Week 21
The Sea of Monsters for my buddy read. Absolutely loved this again.
Wicked Saints ITS A MIRACLE. I finished it! Loved it! 4,5 stars! I used it for both PS and ATY but I can't tell you what for and I am too lazy to get up and grab my folder. Also, I have a cat on my chest and can't, even if I wanted to haha!
Week 22
Stalking Jack the Ripper for a buddy read. Finished it JUST in time, though if you want to get technical about it I was 2 hours late. I think I ended up using it for a book featuring a historical figure. And for something for ATY. Man I'm horrible at this. I keep forgetting! Really enjoyed this though and will definitely be picking up the next one!
The Rise of Winter, netgalley. This was alright, but I think I'll grow to love it and I can't wait for the next book. Not for any challenges.
Legend Restarted this as it had been so long since I originally started (a month) and I couldn't remember anything much, and it was only 36 pages. Really enjoyed this and used it for my book with the same title part 1, and also for something of ATY.
Het lammetje dat een varken is A picture book about being trans. It's amazing. The 'lamb' keeps insisting he's a pig, and the vet confirms him and helps him to also look the part. Would be very important for US kids!
Anna Karenina on audio, for the wedding prompt (yay it fits PS!), before 1950 for ATY, and the very long classic for Back to the Classics. 41 hours of absolute DRAMA. I really enjoyed it, though the ending quite surprised me.
The Titan's Curse for the buddy read(along). I'm doubting whether I really read this one before because I couldn't remember anything. Surely the Dutch version I'd've read wouldn't have been THAT different? Guess I'll find out with the next book haha! Now only to wait for June 10. Not for any challenges.
I also read 2 Black Panther comics this week. Clearly I am soaring towards my goal of 100, with 7 read so far xD
This has actually brought on some progress!
32/50 for Popsugar, 27/52 for ATY, 31/30 for Beat the Backlist (thinking of trying for 50 now), and 5/12 for Back to the Classics- right on schedule! As for the GR challenge: 74/75. I'll hit that before today is over!
Currently reading
...technically nothing, as I finished Titan's Curse at 3am. This is a strange thing for me. I am starting The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy today, though, and probably finishing it too, as it's so short. I might then start The Night Circus (again) and while I won't finish it before the month is out (sadness) at least I should be able to get a big chunk done- if I don't end up DNFing.
I'm seeing Rocketman tonight though (given I don't cancel, I'm so exhausted) and have family night tomorrow, so wish me luck!
Oh I forgot the QOTW!I'm basically like the rest of you. I'm non native English but if I happen to not know a word, context is often enough to give me enough of an idea. If I get really stuck on it, I'll google it, but otherwise I'll just shrug and move on. In Dutch I hardly bother, just because I hate the language xD
Sometimes a word has me curious, though, like the water bread example given earlier. I like such things. This way I know a lot more about weapons and ships than I ever expected to!
I messed up many of the prompts in my check in post, but ohwell. The totals remain the same haha!
I finished Bleeding Kansas as my book about a family. It was OK.I have started Angels & Demons as my book with more than 1 million ratings on Goodreads.
QOTW: It's honestly been a while since I've come across a word I don't know. Sometimes it's out of my control, like if I'm flying, or at the pool, or in the park where it's not convenient to look it up. But, most of the time you can get it from context.
I remember years ago I was reading a book and the author had almost everyone saying something "diffidently." I finally looked it up. There were also a lot of perspicacious people in that book. I had to look that up.
And funny story. I had heard the word awry spoken, and I knew what it meant. And I had seen the word and I knew what it meant. But, I thought they were two different words. I'm not sure if I gave any thought to how the spoken word was spelled, but I thought the written word was pronounced aw-ree. I can not describe the embarrassment I felt when that light bulb came on. Luckily that was just in my own head. And, now all of you.
Hi all. Good reading week for me this week. I’m at 54/56 for this popsugar challenge; 99/100 for Goodreads, 46/52 for ATY and 29/50 for Popsugar 2015. I could use a little help. I’m trying to find a book of essays for the book riot read harder challenge but I’m struggling. I’ve tried 2 highly rated ones and stopped very early. I’m willing to give it one more try before I decide that essays just aren’t for me and give that one up. Any suggestions? This week I’ve finished:
Daughter of Smoke & Bone for ATY and PS15. I enjoyed this but not as much as I did the first of her books I read.
No god but God: The Origins, Evolution and Future of Islam for the nonfiction growth challenge. Very interesting book.
Grave Witch for ATY and PS17. I really enjoyed this. I’ll read more of her books.
Salt Houses for ATY and PS16. I also enjoyed this. It’s not a typical book I would read and the style still wouldn’t be my go to but it was well written and I enjoyed it.
On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft for the nonfiction growth challenge and PS17. Funny and to the point.
Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers. For ATY. This was an awesome book (audiobook). She writes in a respectful but humorous way about the ways we have and still use cadavers.
The Afterlife of Holly Chase for ATY and PS15. This was an enjoyable book too.
All in all a good week- despite starting and stopping 2 books of essays.
QOTW- I typically can get most of the meaning from the context but I’ve found I have started looking up more exact definitions as I’ve read more ebooks. When reading Salt Houses I was looking up things left and right to get a better feel for the clothing and food they were talking about.
I was having kind of a slump in my reading - actually had three three-star ratings in a row (which is basically my lowest rating for a book I’m actually willing to finish). Then I tore through a five-star read and I’m feeling much better!This weekend my daughter is getting her hair completely bleached and ombre dyed pink (her birthday present from us), so I’ll probably have a few hours to read in the salon waiting room! Yippee!
Finished
Tales from the Gas Station: Volume One - A book with a plant in the title or on the cover - This was fun and weird. Highly recommended for fans of John Dies at the End.
Lost in Austen: Create Your Own Jane Austen Adventure - A "choose-your-own-adventure" book - This was pretty meh for me. I appreciated the detailed knowledge of Austen’s catalog, but it would have been more intriguing if it had created some original plots akin to Austen’s stories, rather than just retelling her stories.
What Now? - A book with a question in the title - Super short - just a commencement address, basically. But it’s been on my To Read list for a while and fit the prompt. It was OK - nothing earth-shattering.
Heads Will Roll - A book by two female authors - This is an audio play written (and largely performed) by Kate McKinnon and her sister. While it was cute and made me laugh out loud multiple times, the mashup of fantasy setting and modern Hollywood in-jokes didn’t quite work for me. It wound up feeling like it thought it was funnier than it was. But still, it was entertaining, and has some truly hilarious moments. Peter Dinklage saying “cloaca” in a disturbingly seductive tone just about had me on the floor!
The Language of Thorns: Midnight Tales and Dangerous Magic - A book about someone with a superpower - This was amazing. Just go read it! (It’s basically a book of reimagined fairytales, but the execution is so artful . . . mm, *Italian chef kiss* it was delectable.)
Currently Reading
Don’t know yet, but I might read some more Leigh Bardugo because I loved The Language of Thorns so much, and I really enjoyed the Six of Crows duology last year.
QOTW
It’s rare for me to encounter a word I don’t know, but I do love reading on the Kindle so it’s frictionless to look something up when I do need to!
This week I finished:The Night Olivia Fell: I think I expected to like this one a lot more than I did. I didn’t feel very connected with the characters, which is a shame considering the subject matter. The idea behind this book was great, but could have been executed better.
Next Door: This one was short, and that’s about as much good as I want to say about it. It was unrealistic and not well-researched.
If She Knew: This was from the same author as Next Door, but was executed much better. I liked the main character, it was short, and I would read the next one in the series. Good, not great.
QOTW: What do you do when you come across a word you don't know while you're reading?
I have a pretty great vocabulary, but I still come across words I don’t know a lot. I used to write them down and look them up later, and then I would write the definition and a sentence using the word. (I’ll always be a learner at heart.) I’ve gotten away from doing that. I tend to look them up with the kindle feature if I’m not feeling in a rush, but I think I need to go back to investing time in my vocabulary.
I can’t believe it’s Thursday already, but I guess that’s what happens when a holiday falls on a Monday. I didn’t do as much reading this week because of the holiday weekend. We were just on the go the whole time! Everyone wanted to grill out or go to the pool or a party. And we did all of that so it was super fun, so I’m not complaining. I did manage to finish 5 books. Finished:
36.Lair of Dreams - This is the second book of the Diviners series. It was a bit better than the first one but talking about it is hard because basically EVERYTHING is a spoiler if you haven’t read the first one. Highly recommended! 4.5/5 stars.
61 Hours - This was a Jack Reacher novel about him trying to solve a murder in the middle of winter in South Dakota. I wanted this to fit for the season, but it’s May and 90 degrees outside. So that’s a big nope, but it filled an ATY prompt, so i’m still good with it. Recommendation: read the book, the audiobook is bad… 2 /5 stars
25. The Sister Pact - This was stinking heartbreaking. I don’t know why it decided to pick this up in the middle of the night and read it until 3 am but that’s what happened. This was Stacie Ramey’s debut novel back in 2010. 2.5/5 stars So that was done. I still might pick up The East End by Jason Allen that just released...It looks so good.
4. Before the Devil Breaks You - Holy crapola! This book is hands down the most 0 to 100 thing I have ever read. This thing was LONG but worth every second of my time. 4.5/5 stars. This needs to be a movie STAT. Actually, sometimes I worry about my favorite books getting turned into movies and then ruined...
17. Flowers for Algernon - What the heck did I read? Literally I was saying that after. I didn’t sob but I was very emotional. I mean, what the biscuit? I’m just sitting over here living my life and this book just made me emotional? Wow, listen. It’s good. It’s short. Gilmore Girl read it. We are so good with this.
Currently Reading:
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas - I have to keep stopping because I keep getting mad. I just have to finish it and then watch the movie. This is for the “own voices” prompt. I still don’t understand this but I’m going to just go for it.
Afterwards by Rosamund Lupton - I’m not sure what this book is. It feels like “If I stay” mom edition. This is for the plant prompt.
QOTW:
I have a notebook that I carry with me with most of the words, quotes and other book recommendations I have gleaned from books; I also highlight them blue when I’m reading on Kindle and copy and paste the definition in the notes. I have tried to use Word Wise in the past and it doesn’t have a grade function, It just assume any word over 3 syllables is hard and it gets distracting.
PS: 18/50 | ATY: 19/52 | GR: 24/50
Hello everyone!It has been a very busy week at work as all my classes have now come to the point where end of semester assessments are in full swing. In 4 weeks I will be in UK for the first time in 9 years so I am very excited to catch up with lots of people and keep making plans and getting distracted from reading.
This week has been a strange reading week to say the least.
Finished:
Adèle this was given to me by one of the little old ladies in the school library. Once I had read it I was very surprised that she loved it. I hated Adele because of the way she treated her family and thus gave the book 1*.
MR Temptation which was for my F2F book club. We met tonight and there was a lot of laughter over the excerpts people chose to read out. Nobody has been converted to Mills and Boon but we did get a laugh out of it and it was light reading for a busy time of the school year.
The Walking Dead, Vol. 1: Days Gone ByeMy favourite of the week. The detail the artists have included is amazing.
Currently reading:
Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch Which is just getting good.
Attached: The New Science of Adult Attachment and How It Can Help You Find—and Keep—Love which is fascinating.
plus another 28 which are on a go slow.
QOTW
Can't actually remember the last time that happened. The non-fiction I read is mostly science based which means I have encountered the words before. It is actually more common on Facebook where friends post in Tuvaluan or Gilbertese/I-Kiribati and I am super rusty in both languages having left both countries as a child. Then I ask them and they laugh at me for forgetting simple words, and usually tell me I have gone I-matang (I-Kiribati) or Palagi (Tuvaluan) for foreign/white arse.
I only read one book this week and it was a re-read of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets that I'm doing as a podcast read-along. I've been so busy at work, getting ready to go on vacation. But it's been a great week, I've been resolving a lot of cases and I won two big motions yesterday, which made me feel like I'm really good at my job. I'm currently reading A Crown of Swords which is going to be my book about someone with a superpower. I love Wheel of Time and I'm really enjoying the book. I'm also reading Daisy Jones & The Six which is a fast read and pretty entertaining. I'm using it as my book published in 2019.
QOTW: I don't come across words that I don't know too often, except when I'm watching the Scripps National Spelling Bee (finals are today!), but they give the definitions. When I do encounter one I don't know, I usually google.
Lisa wrote: "I’m trying to find a book of essays for the book riot read harder challenge but I’m struggling. ..."Does it need to be an anthology or can it be all by one author? I don't read many essay collections but I liked a good chunk of The Good Immigrant (and there's a new one out with US contributors). It's Not About the Burqa: Muslim Women on Faith, Feminism, Sexuality and Race is popular at the moment on a similar theme but I haven't read it yet.
I spent the past holiday weekend marathoning TV shows and napping. It was wonderful. We had beautiful weather for our cookout and game night. I didn't really do very much reading at all, so I didn't finish any books this week. I started physical therapy for chronic knee pain last week so I'll probably have a lot of waiting room time to spend with my ebooks over the next month or more.Reading
Les Misérables by Victor Hugo. I finished part 2/7 of the audiobook. I think I've decided I'll set a goal of listening to one part each month. That seems reasonable for my schedule, given how long each part is. I might be able to listen to parts 6 and 7 in the same month since they're shorter.
Allegiance by Melissa Scott & Amy Griswold. This is part 3 of the Stargate Atlantis Legacy series.
Nemesis Games (The Expanse, #5) by James S.A. Corey.
OOTW
If I'm reading on Kindle, I'll use the dictionary feature. If I'm reading a print or audiobook, I'll try to figure it out from context. I usually only look it up if it's really bothering me.
Mod
I made our book club read Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption and everyone learned so much from it! It made me want to move to Alabama and work for his center... I so admire him and his work.
Not much to report this week… so on with the book roundup. Books read this week:
The Melancholy of Mechagirl – a collection of stories, poems, and a novella by one of my favorite authors of all time, Catherynne M. Valente. Her writing is as gorgeous as ever, and this book (drawn from her experiences in Japan) feels like one of her most personal works to date.
More Ketchup Than Salsa – a non-fiction book about a British couple’s attempts to run a bar in the Canary Islands. This is one of those cases where an entertaining story can overcome mediocre writing, as the writing wasn’t anything to write home about but I wanted to keep reading just to see more of the colorful characters.
Half-Blood Dragon – Made myself finish this one because c’mon, dragons! But it hit three of my big pet peeves when it comes to Kindle books – too many typos (indie authors should still proofread before publishing), ending without any sort of resolution in order to force you to buy the next book, and ending the story at the 75-80% mark and filling up the rest of the book with ads/previews. Am I just freaking picky?
The Iron Wagon – graphic novel based on a Norwegian crime novel. If you can look past the anthropomorphic animal characters, this is actually a well-done mystery tale.
DNF:
The Elegance of the Hedgehog – I was looking forward to this one, but the pretentious writing and being expected to sympathize with a preteen girl who wants to burn her house down and kill herself because she’s “too smart” just turned me right off. No thank you.
Currently Reading:
Thunderhead
Little Darlings
Kilimanjaro Diaries: Or, How I Spent a Week Dreaming of Toilets, Drinking Crappy Water, and Making Bad Jokes While Having the Time of My Life
QOTW:
I can usually understand the gist of the word through context, though if I'm reading on a Kindle I'll use the dictionary feature. I'll Google the word if I'm insanely curious and/or can't get the meaning via context. Though every once in awhile I'll run into a case of "you keep using that word, I don't think it means what you think it means" doing that...
Holiday weeks are so busy! My husband was in town for our anniversary (he works in Los Alamos... I'm still in St. Louis), and after he left, I took my grandson to Cape Girardeau to meet his great-grandmother. Not much time for reading, but I did complete one book!Challenge Progress: 34/50
Completed: The Priory of the Orange Tree: Terrific epic fantasy! Because it was a standalone novel (weighing in at more than 800 pages) it was sometimes quite dense - a lot of world-building and character introduction - but once the action started it was amazing. (27 - A book that features an extinct or imaginary creature)
Currently Reading: Empty Planet: The Shock of Global Population Decline, There's a Word for That, The Binding. None of these are for the challenge... I had to set The Guineveres aside for awhile. It just wasn't holding my interest.
QOTW: Usually I'll pick up a word's meaning from context, but if the word really appeals to me, I'll make a note of it and look it up later.
I can't believe it is the end of May. I am way down on my reading (my average pages this month is more than 3000 pages less than I usually read). I took a road trip earlier in the month, so maybe that is what brought my reading averages down. It doesn't really matter. I am reading because I enjoy reading and that is enough. I've actually considered not keeping such close track of what I am reading each month so I'm not so upset when I have a slow month. Really, who cares how many pages I read each month?This week I read:
Shouting at the Rain- which I felt was an excellent middle grade novel. There was nothing earth shattering in it, just a real look at problems real kiddos are facing and bringing a real but positive resolution to them.
Gmorning, Gnight!: Little Pep Talks for Me & You- for a book by a musician. It really didn't do much for me. Maybe if I had read one a day....
Mac Undercover- another middle grade novel with big pictures so it went went quickly. I thought it was trying to be too clever- and I don't like it when authors chat at me.
The German Girl- an historical fiction novel about the refugees on the St. Louis. I first read about this event in a novel for young people, and that novel did the story better. So if you are interested you should read Refugee.
A Monster Like Me- another middle grade novel where a girl has decided her birthmark (a big blood tumor on her temple) is evidence that she is really a monster, not a human. By the end of the book, she still wasn't sure that she wasn't actually a monster. I was frustrated and felt like the book skipped some scenes that should have been very important.
Dear Mrs. Bird- a book I liked very much.
Murder at the Vicarage- a reread for the 'takes place at a vicarage' prompt. I really enjoy Agatha Christie and was happy to reread the first Miss Marple novel.
QOTW: I usually use context clues and fly right over them. If I can't get the word from the context I'll look it up. I used to go in and give spelling tests to my children's classes. When my son was in fourth grade they had the word cacophony on the test and I told the other spelling mom that I had no clue what it meant. The teacher overheard and said, "you read it all the time." I didn't believe her until I read it that afternoon. I realized I had understood the word from context clues so had never stopped and thought about the actual word itself. Oh, well.
Happy Reading!
Happy Thursday all! It's yet another rainy day here in Jersey... perhaps the sun will come out tomorrow, tomorrow... I read 3 books this week, none for the challenge, which still leaves me at 44/50.
Finished:
Grey Sister- Overall, I kinda felt meh about this. I enjoyed the first 200 pages but once Nona left the convent I just felt bored as the POV characters were either traveling or being held captive.
The Atlantis Complex- This reread (well, listen this time) of Artemis Fowl continues to be as good as I remembered! I'm almost done with the series and I don't want it to end!
Ghostwalker- A reread after playing Shadow of War reminded me of this book. There's just something about a good ghostly revenge story that I love... Also I'd forgotten how much I enjoyed the Forgotten Realm books as a teen. They're just so fun and usually not Grimdark which I feel a lot of fantasy has become lately. And yeah, they're popcorn books but hey, I love popcorn!
Currently reading:
The Last Guardian
Inkspell
The Fatal Shore: The Epic of Australia's Founding
QOTW:
If I'm reading on kindle, I'll look up the definition. Otherwise I'll just guess by context, unless it's a word that keeps getting used, in which case I'll look it up. When I read Assassin's Apprentice as a teen, I didn't know what catalyst was but since Fitz kept being referred to as such, I finally pulled down the dictionary and looked it up.
This Thursday came up fast! I don't really have an excuse for how little reading I've done, except that I'm having trouble working it into my daily life. Probably because it feels like I should be doing things that are more "productive" when I'm not at work.Completed:
Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson: Holy cow. This was amazing. I read it all in one sitting (another reason I have trouble getting myself to read--it's hard to get myself to stop). It was great timing since last week's QOTW was about trigger warnings. This one absolutely needs them, but dang, Anderson knows how to talk about rough subjects! She does such a good job balancing brutality/ugliness without it becoming gratuitous. This was my PS "book with unusual chapter headings" (each chapter is formatted like weight on a scale, since it's about a girl with an eating disorder).
Currently Reading:
Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott: This is one I should stop trying to read at work (I'm allowed to read when I'm working the circulation desk). I'm enjoying it a lot, but I really need to be able to focus and that's hard to do when you get interrupted every few minutes.
The Marvels by Brian Selznick: I haven't technically started this, but I plan to read it in the next week. This will be for PS: a book with a two-word title.
QOTW: I have a dictionary app on my phone that I typically use if I can't figure the word out based on context clues. It's been helpful with Ivanhoe, since the language is a bit older.
Hi everyone! I've missed the last three check-ins because my reading has been super slow this month. I feel like this month has flown by and I haven't done half the things I'd planned to do!I'm now on 19/50 for the challenge.
The only books I finished in May are:
My Family and Other Animals I read this for a book about a family and absolutely loved it! It's really made me want to go on holiday to Corfu.
The Fellowship of the Ring for a book with over 1 million ratings on Goodreads. This was a re-read for me, but it's been about 10 years since I last read the trilogy so I'd forgotten a lot of the details.
Currently reading:
The Two Towers I'm continuing my LOTR re-read and already about a third of the way through this one. I'll probably use it for a book featuring an extinct or imaginary creature.
QOTW
I'm normally quite good at working out the meanings of words from their context. If I really don't have a clue I'll look it up on my phone.
Finished:Bitter Melon (A book with SALTY, SWEET, BITTER, or SPICY in the title)
Non-challenge book: The Witch's Boy which I meant to read in 2017, but I put it aside until now.
Reading:
The only books I'm reading for the challenge are The Winter People (Two books with the same title) and Her Smoke Rose Up Forever (Posthumous book).
I'm also reading:
The Gilda Stories
The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America's Shining Women
Dreadful Young Ladies and Other Stories
The Thirteenth Tale
Question of the week: What do you do when you come across a word you don't know while you're reading?
Google.
Hi allI finished two books over the last week:
The Player of Games for the book about a hobby prompt. I had originally put this down for the book revolving around a game, but technically game playing is the main character's hobby (and mine) so I switched it. This is the second of the Culture series and I really enjoyed it for the most part.
The Reader, not for the challenge. This was a very short book that covered quite a lot of plot points. My thoughts about this book are harder to put into words, especially without giving away any spoilers. I think it needs to digest a bit more before I even try...
That brings my PS total to 43/55.
QOTW:
Same here, I'll usually get it from context, or if it's really confusing, or used repetitively by the author, I'll google it. This tends to be mostly slang or colloquialisms from other countries or cultures that I'm not familiar with.
Happy Thursday! I am off today as it is a holiday today in Denmark. I am currently at 37/50
I finished:
3. A book written by a musician (fiction or non-fiction) The Umbrella Academy, Vol. 1: The Apocalypse Suite
4.A book you think should be turned in to a movie Red Sister
for another challenge:
Radar Deception
QOTW:
Sometimes but depends on the book. If its not really holding my attention then I might take the time to do it. If I am totally in to the story then I don't stop reading to look up a word.
Happy Thursday! 34/50Completed:
Linda Castillo’s Down a Dark Road, the ninth in the Kate Burkholder series, was just for fun. I love her series, but you’ll never look at the Amish the same way!
3.) Book by a musician – The Pianist: The Extraordinary Story of One Man's Survival in Warsaw, 1939–45 by Wladyslaw Szpilman, an autobiography set in WWII. Holy cannoli, was this rough. Szpilman writes in a very matter of fact manner and that probably helped me stomach the raw intensity of it all. In the scene where he gets pulled off the train platform and watches his parents, two sisters, and brother board the train to the concentration camp, you don’t realize that they won’t make it. I don’t know if it’s my American heritage or my Christian outlook, but I am a hopeful person. The amount of death in this book is staggering.
27.) Imaginary Creature – vampire – Royal Blood by Rhys Bowen. This cozy mystery featuring the 34th in line for the British throne granddaughter of Queen Victoria, Georgianna, was the panacea to my earlier read. Yes, a couple of murders occur, but it was filled with humor about a ridiculous ladies’ maid, possible vampire, and ill-fated romances.
In Progress:
Coffee, Tea, or Murder? for fun. I felt like I needed something frivolous after the Szpilman book and something frothy after Castillo.
The Nine Lives of Christmas as an audio e-book. I had a monotonous task for work and could listen in the background.
QOTW Lookup words
If I get the context, I just keep going. If I don’t, I normally have my phone nearby and will do a quick search. I’m doing a European read this year and honestly had to look up a word the other day: banjaxed. It is an Irish slang term for ruining, damaging or smashing. I’m still looking to use it in everyday speech.
Hi everyone! Where did May go?? The month flew by, and I am sure the next 2 months will as well with all of the business travel on my calendar. Fingers crossed I can read as much on business travel with this job as I did on my last job! 32/50 for Popsugar
34/52 for Around the Year
7/26 for The Reading Women Challenge
Books I finished:
The Stepford Wives by Ira Levin (Popsugar #49: A book that inspired a common phrase/idiom) I watched the movie years ago when it was released. The book was enjoyable - and short.
Letters to the Lost by Iona Grey (Around the Year: A book with a dual timeline) This was a great story about a married Londoner & U.S. fighter pilot in WWII and a young woman in present day London who found some letters between the other couple. I liked it and thought it reminded me of Kate Morton's writing.
The Lost Man by Jane Harper (Around the Year: A book with a strong sense of place) I love Harper's writing. It isn't often I am sucked into a novel that doesn't have much going on, but I certainly am with her books. In this one a middle brother is found dead and the oldest brother tries to figure out what happened. It takes place in the outback of Australia.
Beauchamp Hall by Danielle Steele (Around the Year: a book related to a movie/TV show I like) This was not great, but it served its purpose. It was an easy read while on a short vacation.
Stories I Only Tell My Friends by Rob Lowe (Mannegren: A memoir) I've loved Rob Lowe since St. Elmo's Fire, so I really enjoyed learning more about him and his career. He has a lot of interesting stories to tell.
Relic by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child (Mannegren: A book published the year I graduated) This is the first in the Agent Pendergast series, which I've heard great things about overall. This was fun...kind of a cross between Jurassic Park and Indiana Jones.
I am currently reading:
The Mistake by K.L. Slater
Us Against You by Fredrik Backman (Popsugar #23: A book set in Scandinavia)
QOTW:
I usually can figure it out based on context, but if I really want to know I'll use the dictionary function on my Kindle. When I am reading a physical book, I still try to highlight the word and use the dictionary function, then I slap my forehead for being an idiot. :-)
Brooke wrote: "Hi everyone! Where did May go?? The month flew by, and I am sure the next 2 months will as well with all of the business travel on my calendar. Fingers crossed I can read as much on business travel..."I don't read paper books often anymore, but I found myself doing just that in a hardcover book yesterday. How embarrassing!
Hi everyone. I've got quite a bit of reading done this week as it's half-term so I haven't had to work. PS: 31/50, ATY: 36/52, RW: 22/26, MMD: 8/12
Books finished:
Solar for PS 41 (cli-fi). I just couldn't really get into this book. I may have missed bits as I did it as an audiobook, but I felt it jumped around quite a bit in the plot. This was not really what I was expecting for a "cli-fi" book. It felt more like a general fiction book with a main character who worked in a specific sector.
On the Come Up for PS 4 (should be made into a film). I loved this book. Not quite as much as The Hate U Give. But it should definitely be made into a film.
A Casa dos Espíritos for ATY 17 (speculative fiction). I read this in Spanish so it took a lot longer than normal. I would recommend this to people who don't normally read / like speculative fiction, as that wa quite a small part of the plot.
Ripper for RW 1 (mystery or thriller by a woman of colour). I enjoyed the book, but not as much as some other books by this author.
Homegoing for an ATY prompt from 2018 (debut). This was a book a colleague recommended. It follows two half-sisters and their descendants over the course of 300 years, with one chapter telling the story of one of their children / grandchildren. One thread of the story takes place in Ghana, and the other in the US. I enjoyed this book, but I was more invested in some of the chapters and the stories told within than others.
Currently Reading:
Still plugging away at Alexander Hamilton.
I'm also reading Midnight's Children. I'm about 100 pages in, but I still haven't been gripped by the story.
QOTW:
I use the context to work out the meaning of any words I don't know in English. When I read in German or Spanish, I would be more likely to look up a word and get an English translation for it. If I were reading non-fiction (especially something science based) and it was a key term / concept, I would look it up so I could get a more detailed understanding of what I was reading.
Hi All, I'm so happy it's Thursday. Even with the holiday this week has been dragging on. I just want the weekend to be here. My reading has slowed down since I'm doing work for my certification and my other hobbies. I managed to complete one book
Bead Basics 101 I used this for prompt #8 A book about a hobby. I'm a beader and jewelry designer and even though i'm not an extreme beginner I definitely learned some tips and tricks as well as getting a few ideas for projects.
Currently reading:
The House Girl for prompt #9
Queen Sugar and prompt #10
Meddling Kids I'm reading this for my IRL sci-fi book club. It reminds me so much of Scooby Doo and growing up watching the cartoon. I need to hurry up because my book club meets on Tuesday.
QOTW: If I can't figure out a word from the context clues of the sentence I'll just Google it but I've been reading a book in Spanish(which isn't m y native language) and boy oh boy do I have to use the dictionary lol.
Mod
Hello!The weather hasn't been great this week and with the rain clouds overhead right now, I don't think today is going to be any different.
Finished:
Severance for a debut novel. I really liked this. It was different than I thought it was going to be. For some reason, I thought it was going to be a lighter book but it got darker than I originally thought (not in a bad way, just different). What a great debut novel.
Currently Reading:
I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer for a book published posthumously. I'm actually listening to this on audio and am buzzing through it. It's soooo good and creepy and is making me check my closets at night and double check that I've locked my apartment door before bed.
The Perfect Mother by Aimee Molloy for Two books that share the same title. I'm only reading one of the two books right now. I'm not too far into it yet but it's really good so far.
Furious Hours: Murder, Fraud, and the Last Trial of Harper Lee for a book by an author whose first and last names start with the same letter. I'm only like a chapter into this but everyone's been razing about it, the case sounds so interesting and I love Harper Lee, so this seems like a no brainer for me to read.
QOTW:
I can usually work out the definition of the word by just reading on. If a word is really bothering me, I'll look it up but it doesn't happen that often.
Hi, been a few weeks since I posted, and most of my reading hasn’t been for the challenge. I did my first Goodreads readalong, I read The Big Green Tent with Olive. This is a big Russian novel set in the 50s and 60s. I liked, but didn’t love it which seemed to be the consensus of the group. I used it for the Reading Women historical novel prompt, didn’t fit any of my open PS prompts.Mr. Rochester- this was my re-telling. I liked this a lot, it’s Jane Eyre’s Mr. Rochester’s backstory. Nicely done.
November Road- this is based on a true story. This is a fictional story behind the Kennedy assassination. It was a past BOTM pick, and I really didn’t love it. It’s a Mafia story, which wasn’t bad, but I really didn’t like the love story part.
I’m at 33/50. Doing well!
I'm only 5 books away from finishing the Popsugar challenge! I fit all of them into my plan for the ATY mini summer reading challenge though, so now I feel like I can't start any of them until June 1st when that officially kicks off...I got a ton of reading done with the three day weekend and being sick a couple days before that, but then I started feeling crummy with lots of headache and brain fog which is less conducive to reading. Hoping to get back in the groove soon!
Finished Reading:
Hero The reasonably interesting sequel to my LitRPG book. At this point I'm really still reading for the overall plot arc though.
The Lady Astronaut of Mars Decided to knock out a couple of the free Tor.com stories on my TBR this weekend. This one certainly hit a lot of emotions accurately, but I didn't love the way it wrapped up.
The Unbreakable Curse: A Beauty & the Beast Retelling Some very dark elements, but a super sweet romance, and avoids all the weird Stockholm syndrome bits that some versions of this story fall into.
Every Bitter Thing Is Sweet: Tasting the Goodness of God in All Things For 'bitter/sweet/etc in title'. This one was very good--basically the book on dealing with infertility that I've always been looking for.
The Help For book with a million ratings. Wow. I did not expect this book to be such an emotional gut punch, or to love it so much. I see why everyone raves about it now.
Currently Reading:
Quantum Physics: Beginner's Guide to the Most Amazing Physics Theories Not sure if I should DNF this and find a more beginner-ish book for beginners, or if it's just that I've had too much brain fog to follow it lately.
Les Misérables Finally making big progress on the audio version! I did have to roll my eyes when the author is talking about the Benedictine convent and is like, "now I'm going to tell you a story that has nothing to do with the main plot", because honestly, that feels like 60-70% of the book so far, and he didn't say anything about it being irrelevant the other times. I do really love parts of this book... there's just so MUCH of it that I don't care about.
Undying Because it's a sequel to a book I enjoyed last year. Not the most amazing book, but a fun sci-fi adventure YA story.
The Little Book of Hygge: The Danish Way to Live Well Mostly because it was immediately available as an audio book from my library app, and I needed a lighter change from Les Miserables. I like the chapters on light and food so far, but a lot of it feels like, "if you want to be happier, do more things that make you happy" which is far from life changing.
DNF:
Among the Thorns
Help Me: One Woman’s Quest to Find Out if Self-Help Really Can Change Your Life
QOTW:
Pretty much exactly what Sara said, and similar to other's answers. I think I'm more likely to look up words from print books though, now that I'm used to getting them so easily from the Kindle. It also helps that I often have my phone next to me, when a few years ago looking up a word meant getting up and either finding a dictionary or getting on the computer in the other room.
Another thought on the QOTW--I wonder if running across words you don't know has less to do with your vocabulary and more to do with your reading habits. I would say I have an above average vocabulary, but when I'm reading classics or niche books I'm pretty likely to run across words I don't know yet.
Ashley wrote: "I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer for a book published posthumously. I'm actually listening to this on audio and am buzzing through it. It's soooo good and creepy and is making me check my closets at night and double check that I've locked my apartment door before bed. "
I did the exact same thing when I read this! I normally listen to audiobooks to help me go to sleep, but not so much with this book. Enjoy the rest of the book - it's one I have recommended to a few friends and family.
Book with an author from Asia, Africa:A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini. Follows two women from the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan to the rise of the Taliban. I read this super quickly and like it more than The Kite Runner.
Not for the challenge:
Let Me Lie by Claire MacKintosh. Woman’s parents commit suicide one year apart…but did they. I like Mackintosh’s books. They are quick easy reads.
What to Say Next by Julie Buxbaum. YA romance told in alternating POV. I really like David who is on the spectrum. Kit was just okay but there was a lot of girl hate and dismissiveness on Kit’s part and that annoys me. People can be excited about prom and care about “deeper” things. YA books (really all books) often have this problem of equating excitement about clothes, or makeup or prom with shallowness and it irritates me.
Happy Thursday and almost end of May! This year is rushing by, and i am so unprepared for it! I have barely read this past week. Every time a holiday weekend comes up, I think 'oh I'll get a lot of reading done!' and I never do, especially if I'm spending it with family. But next three day weekend, I'm sure I'll have the same expectation and once again fail to get reading done!However, my dad and I had a six hour ride home where we got through about half of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, which I ended up finishing back at my apartment because I was too engrossed! This was my book with over a million ratings on goodreads, as there was nothing new I wanted to read from that list. I love listening to the Harry Potter audiobooks, and it's nice to share the experience with someone!
Otherwise, I've started a couple things but haven't really made any real progress in my current reads. I also wanted to read more Asian authors for the Asian readathon, but I did not succeed in that goal! But I'm trying to get through some LGBTQ+ themed reads and authors for pride month in June!
QOTW: I am TERRIBLE at looking up words, and have only done it more consistently because of how easy ebooks make it. On a road trip I when I was like 16? I was reading Order of the Phoenix outloud to my dad (reading Harry Potter on roadtrips is not a tradition of ours, but it has happened a couple of times!) and skipped over a couple words I didn't know. My dad tutors the SAT so he has an excellent vocabulary. He made me go back and then would give me the definition and has since used some of Harry Potter as vocab examples in his teaching. I'm also really bad at committing new words to memory. However, lately I have looked up words that have mostly been tied to different cultural words. For example "gele" used in Children of Blood and Bone, which is a type of Nigerian headdress!
Mod
Completed:
Sorcery & Cecelia: or The Enchanted Chocolate Pot by Patricia Wrede and Caroline Stevermer. Uhm. This was okay. I wasn’t overly-impressed nor turned off by it. However, there are so many other books and series that I enjoy so much more, I won’t be reading the other two in the series unless I just happen across them for very little money, as in at a library sale, or bargain cart at a used bookstore. Since there is quite a gap from the first book to the second (1988 to 2004) it could be that I might enjoy the 2nd and 3rd installments much more. I just wasn’t that invested in the characters. There was good action, I thought, just not much character development, IMO.
Popsugar: #4, #6, #8-magic, #11, #18-Sir Hilary and Dorothea’s stepmother have magical ability beyond “the ordinary”!, #19-letters between Kate and Cecy, #21, #30-both Kate and Cecy, #31, #46-each chapter heading is a date and a letter between Kate and Cecy
ATY 2019: #4-Sir Hilary and Dorothea’s stepmother, #7 or #8-science fiction/fantasy, historical fiction, #9-science fiction/fantasy & romance, #16, #17-fantasy, #23-magic, #24-betrothal, #25-Thomas’s chocolate pot, #26-Thomas’s chocolate pot, #34, #38-epistolary, #42-Sir Hilary and Dorothea’s stepmother, #50-physical, interpersonal,
RHC: NEW #1, NEW #2, #4-it made me laugh!
Reading Women: #23
Soul on Ice by Eldridge Cleaver. This man was such an intellectual! I so appreciate his use of words to express himself! He is immensely passionate and yet logical and pragmatic! There are portions that (to me, at least) read like poetry because his language is so lyrical. So glad I reread this after 50+ years. I know I absorbed very little when I initially read it at the “ripe old age” of 14!
Popsugar: #2-see comment directly above, #9, #40, #46,
ATY: #7 or #8-Political/Social Oppression and Memoir/Autobiography, #10, #12, #19, #23-political/social oppression, #28, #38, #39, #50-psychological, intellectual, physical, #52
RHC: NEW #20
Ivy and Bean by Annie Barrows. I had never read any of this series and after reading and loving The Truth According to Us, I was so curious I just felt I must… :) I was not disappointed. Loved this book! It rather reminded me of Kate DiCamillo’s Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures and Raymie Nightingale in that Barrows (IMHO) captures children excellently! Can’t wait to purchase more books in the series and send them off to the grandkids!
Popsugar: #11, #6, #24-new friendship, #25-Bean borrows items from Ivy, #31
ATY: #1-Flicker Tale Children’s Book Award Nominee for Intermediate 2011, #19, #23-siblings harassing each other, #24-new friendship, #34, #39, #50-interpersonal, #52
RHC: #4
Reading Women: #5, #23
This is How It Always Is by Laurie Frankel. Everyone should read this book! Particularly if you are a parent or plan to be one in the future. It reminded by of Golden Boy by Abigail Tarttelin in that it brought so many issues to the fore that anyone may never have even considered when dealing with a child and their gender. So much to consider…and yet, I believe Frankel’s intent is that such a situation is no different from other parenting decisions though these are more fraught with lack of knowledge and experience. The main impediment to solving such issues stems from societal expectations/norms and dealing with others’ reactions/behaviors. And…this is how it always is…a struggle to get others to accept something new/unknown…
Popsugar: #2, #4, #9, #31, NEW #38
ATY: #1-Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Fiction 2017, #19, #23-prejudice/discrimination, #24-different gender, #39, #42-the father with the gun, #43-psychology, sociology, biology, #50-physical, interpersonal, #52
Reading Women: #21
Started:
Cat in an Orange Twist (Midnight Louie #16) by Carole Nelson Douglas. I purchased this hardcopy very cheaply from a library sale several years ago and just wanted to try it out. So far it is so-so. I’m not turned off but also not overly-enthused.
Planned:
Becoming by Michelle Obama. I so miss the Obamas. Can’t wait to read more about her life. This is for an IRL book club on campus. That group always provides great discussion!
A Separation by Katie Kitamura. This is for a Literary Wives review to be posted by Monday, June 2nd and I know I own it but have yet to locate it. :) (This is when you know you own way too many books! lol)
I still plan to read The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger though I’ve missed the Bookworm Bitches May monthly discussion of it. Honestly, I thought for sure I owned a copy but cannot find it for the life of me! :) And I did not mark it as owned in Goodreads, so I think it was my imagination! This is one classic I have yet to read, so it is time!
Question of the week:
What do you do when you come across a word you don't know while you're reading?
Uhm. DUH! (You have to understand. When my children didn't know a word, my response was, "Go get the dictionary!") I have to know...so...since I have two dictionary apps on my cell phone and almost always have it by my side, I look it up! I try to guess what it means within context of the book, but need to know the “official definition”! That doesn’t mean I’ll necessarily remember it if/when I encounter that same word again, but at least I know what it means in that moment! :)
As I come out of my grief from a few weeks ago, I'm finally getting back into reading... although then I got addicted to Glee (belatedly) and have been watching that more than I've been reading. I can't remember the last time I posted in this group so I'm going to list the last handful of books. I did read a couple that go towards prompts.Finished Reading:
Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins - I was going to use this as 'A Debut Novel' but I'm a purist and Suzanne Collins wrote a short kids book as part of a larger series by someone else. I'm going to try to do another debut by someone else for the prompt. It was a cute book and I'll probably read the rest of this series - Finished 5/8
The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang - #43 An "own voices" book - Not my cup of tea. I'll be reading The Bride Test because I ordered it from Book of the Month before I read The Kiss Quotient - Finished 5/11
Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things by Jenny Lawson - Don't think it fits any of the prompts but it made me laugh, literally out loud, while I was going through the worst of the grief about losing my brothers. - Finished 5/11
The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt's Darkest Journey by Candice Millard - Read this for a challenge in another group - Finished 5/17
Looking for Alaska by John Green - Not the greatest book to read when you are sad. It hit a little too close to home. Doesn't fit any of the prompts. - Finished 5/18
Let's Pretend This Never Happened: A Mostly True Memoir by Jenny Lawson - Because I second book so much!!! - Finished 5/22
Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell - #35 A book by an author whose first and last names start with the same letter - Another cute book. I thought the relationships were a little mature for the age of the kids in the book. - Finished 5/27
Currently Reading:
Audible: Spoken from the Heart by Laura Bush
Print: A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
Book Club:
Mating in Captivity: Reconciling the Erotic and the Domestic by Esther Perel - Reading this and next month for group book therapy.
When Women Were Birds: Fifty-four Variations on Voice by Terry Tempest Williams - Was supposed to read for March and April but wasn't a fan so never finished. It's a short book so hope to finish this weekend.
Stuck On:
Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke
The Water Cure by Sophie Mackintosh
Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides - this will be my #9, meant to read in 2018, if I ever freaking finish it
QotW
All the time. I look up words all the time.
Happy Thursday! I was able to finish 4 books this week and 3 were for the challenge so I'm now 29/50.Finished:
Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo...I moved some books around on the challenge and used this for a book written by a musician.
The Tailor by Leigh Bardugo...not used for the challenge.
The Lady of the Rivers by Philippa Gregory for a book that includes a wedding.
Every Note Played by Lisa Genova for a book you meant to read in 2018.
Currently reading:
Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo for favorite prompt from a past POPSUGAR Reading challenge (magic on 2015's list).
The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton...I don't think it'll fit in this challenge.
QOTW: If I'm reading an ebook, I'll look it up if I can't figure it out because it's easy to do. If not, I can usually figure it based on the context or I'll google it on my phone.
Lynn wrote: "Sara wrote: "Hello and happy Thursday! My busy life has continued to make time fly. I can't believe May is already coming to an end! We are off on vacation in a few days. I don't know how much re..."Yay - I'm glad more people are reading "Just Mercy"! I highly recommend visiting EJI's memorial and museum in Montgomery.
And the next game-changing book in this field is Until We Reckon: Violence, Mass Incarceration, and a Road to Repair, if y'all are ready for more ideas on how to address the horrors of American incarceration.
I've been working at this reading challenge all year but only just discovered the group, so I'm excited to join the conversation. I'm usually very busy with school, and the summer has allowed me to have a bit more time dedicated to my reading. I'm currently at 18/40 for the regular prompts (not sure if I can get the advanced ones done, so I'm saving them for last).Finished Reading:
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Schaffer and Annie Barrows for a book published posthumously. I finished it pretty quickly; the letters made it an easy read.
The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo by Amy Schumer for a reread of a favorite book. I thought it was very funny and enjoyable the first time and enjoyed it again. I don't usually reread books and wanted to go with something more lighthearted.
Currently Reading:
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine for the book recommended by a celebrity you admire.
Two for the Dough by Janet Evanovich as it's been sitting on my shelf for quite a while.
QOTW:
I don't usually look words up unless I can't use context clues to guess what they mean. The words that I usually look up are in other languages.
This week I finished three audio books: On the Come Up - This was so fun - loved it! It inspired me to listen to a bunch of '90s-early 2000s rap right after which I listened to back in the day. Every time I revisit Tupac songs I remember how awesome he was (check out the lyrics in "Keep Ya Head Up" which are very relevant right now).
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland for ATY and I somehow hadn't read it before. I enjoyed it, but it's definitely a strange story.
The Wife Between Us also for ATY - it held my attention really well and I didn't want it to end. I'll admit the twists weren't as twisty as I was hoping, but I also think I didn't fully understand the part about (view spoiler)
I'm still working my way through some kindle books and the hard copy of "Joyful." I just started War and Turpentine and Becoming on audio.
*Random question for readers* Has anyone else read a book that was about the Vietnam War... it covered three perspectives: the experience in that country, the Kent State protests/shooting, and LBJ in office. I read it in grad school and was trying to find it on Goodreads. I have searched tons of Google results and can't find it anywhere. Has anyone else read this and do you know what it's called? It's driving me crazy. Thanks. :)
QOTW: I love using the dictionary feature on my kindle, but for audio and hard copy books I usually just try to figure it out by context.
I have read 80 books so far this year, and am more than halfway through Popsugar. I know it's not that much compared to some people in this group, but I am very happy with my progress.Finished:
Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl for book by a musician. It was fine, interesting enough, but nothing special.
Whose Body? for book with a question in the title. It was no Agatha Christie. I found it pretty boring and my mind wandered a lot during the audiobook.
New and Selected Poems, Volume One
The Bride Test for Read Harder. Very cute, I liked it as much as I liked her first book.
Currently reading:
Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup
Carpentaria
Old in Art School: A Memoir of Starting Over
The Quiche of Death
QOTW:
Like almost everyone else, I look words up on my Kindle, and try to infer from context if I am reading a physical book. Sometimes I will look up a word even if I know what it means, just to get an official definition. It often happens that my daughter asks me what a word means and I know what it means but can't define it.
Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge
Books mentioned in this topic
Crown of Midnight (other topics)Heir of Fire (other topics)
Ghosts (other topics)
The Lying Game (other topics)
A Wilder Rose (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Ruth Ware (other topics)James O'Barr (other topics)
Susan Wittig Albert (other topics)
Ani DiFranco (other topics)
Alan Brennert (other topics)
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Admin note: We are still in need of a discussion leader for The Wife Between Us in August. Please consider volunteering if you are plant to read the book!
And now time for another reading check-in!
Finished:
Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson. I have been meaning to read this book for several years and finally picked it up when my book club selected it for May. It was a perfect companion read to Tattoos on the Heart which I finished last week. Both books were 5 stars for me!
Currently reading:
Game of Thrones - still making my way through this. I had to set it aside so I could finish my book club book, but I hope to finish it next week on vacation.
Question of the week:
What do you do when you come across a word you don't know while you're reading?
I have a decent vocabulary, and I'm pretty good a picking up a workable definition from context. I'm much more likely to look up a word when I'm reading on my Kindle since it's built right into the book. I will occasionally Google a word if I feel like I'm missing something by not quite understanding what the author is getting at.