Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge discussion

Hello all and happy Thursday! I was on vacation last week so completely missed check-in. Thankfully vacation time = reading time so I actually finished a few things. The weather has been just beautiful this week. Mid-70's with slightly cool mornings. I just wish it was like that all year. I can actually sit outside to read without needing a shower afterwards.

Admin note:

If you didn’t see the announcement yesterday, Popsugar has created a Facebook group for book lovers. It’s not specific to just the reading challenge, but I expect there will be lots of challenge related discussion. I’m a big fan of FB groups (it’s really the only thing I do on FB anymore). I love the nesting of replies and the like/love features. Maybe I’ll see some of you there? https://www.facebook.com/groups/42747...


And now to the reading check-in!

Finished:
A Curse So Dark and Lonely – a new retelling of the beauty and the beast story. This one involves a modern day beauty who is spunky and likeable. I loved the characters and am looking forward to reading the next book when it releases.

A Game of Thrones – I loved the first 2/3 of this book. The last third was a struggle. I’m not sure if I was getting bogged down by all the detail and all the freaking names (seriously!) or if it was just that I was disheartened by bad things happening to good people. I wanted to finish the first book before I started watching the show, but I don’t expect to read more of them. Very well done for what it is but maybe a bit too much for me.

Stay with Me – this book is set in Nigeria and revolves around a married couple who is struggling to have a child. There are fertility issues, polygamy issues, adultery issues, child death, etc. It was a powerful story but not especially pleasant. I’m glad I read it though.

DNF:

Unpopular opinion alert, but I DNF’d Daisy Jones & The Six at about 47%. This was one of those rare books that is very well-written, the audio narration was top notch, the story and characters are well done, BUT I was not interested in finding how what happened. I wouldn’t have expected to like a book set in the 70’s dealing with the formation of a rock band. So many of my reader friends said similar things, though, so I decided to give it a try. I really tried to push through, but in the end it was not for me.

Currently reading:

Mr. Rochester - backstory of Jane Eyre's Rochester

Still Life - while I wait for the new Inspector Gamache book to be released in August I decided to start rereading the series. This is book 1. So happy to be back in Three Pines!

Question of the Week:

Do you try to keep an internal map in your head of the setting of the book? Do you love studying maps when they are included with a book?

I do love to reference a map if it's included in a book. Mostly for fantasy where the worlds are made up. I did this for my recent read of Game of Thrones, and I also referenced the map frequently while reading the A Court of Thorns and Roses series.

If it's a book set in reality (England for example) I will often pull up a map to check where the various locations are. For example, when I read Pride and Prejudice I looked up where Kent was in relation to Derbyshire and the Lake District to get a sense of how far they were traveling.

Summer break is here for my high-schooler! No more getting up at 6:15 to drive her to school - yay! (Buuuut, with the early light and so many weeks of training, my brain is waking me up before that anyway - boo.)

Finished

Monstress, Vol. 1: Awakening -A book set in an abbey, cloister, monastery, vicarage, or convent - This was SO disappointing. The art is beautiful, intricate, and painstaking. You would think the story would be strong as well. But that couldn’t be further from the truth - all this gorgeous artwork accompanies a story as coherent and engaging as a 5-year-old describing their action figures have a battle.

Currently Reading

Scream for Jeeves: A Parody -A retelling of a classic - A mashup of TWO classics - H.P. Lovecraft and P.G. Wodehouse. So far so good - it seems to really capture the feel of Wodehouse, and is clearly using the plots from Lovecraft. Strangely, it works!

Paper Girls, Vol. 1 -A book you think should be turned into a movie - I read 1-3 a few years ago, and I’m happy to reread so I can continue on. This is so freaking good - just the right mix of bizarre and nostalgic, timey-wimey and character driven. With the success of IT and Stranger Things, I think someone in Hollywood should capitalize on this posthaste! (And yes, it has a special place in my heart because it’s all GIRLS - so tired of Smurfette stories.)

Postponed

King of Scars -A book that's published in 2019 - I think I need to read previous Grishaverse stories to truly appreciate this. Will come back to it.

QOTW

Because I am totally incapable of constructing or even keeping a map in my head, I love having a reference. I'm smart about a lot of things, but a total failure at working spacial relations in my head! However, I usually need to get into the story, then flip back to the map to place things in context - studying the map at the beginning of the book does me no good (see above re: I can't even hold a provided map in my head for long).

Hello,

I missed a few check-in because I haven't anything interesting to report. Been in a bit of a reading slump lately. School's almost off for my kids and I am a month away for my vacation. Can't wait.

Read:
Wool Omnibus that I used for names that start with the same letter. Long book, slow start but it got better. I will continue the serie.

DNF:
The Quantum Thief I felt like I am just not bright enough for that one.

Currently reading:
Vicious for the university prompt. So far so good.

QOTW: I do love when maps are provided. And like you Sara, when the setting is not fantasy, I look at a real map to have an idea of distances and location since I am very bad with it in general. I once travel one hour in the wrong direction because I was holding the map on the other side.

wow somehow this week got away from me and I was not prepared for Thursday check-in!!

Let's see, this week I read 5 books, and I think none of them were for this challenge, so I'm at whatever number I was at before (41/50 I think?)

Lady Derring Takes a Lover by Julie Anne Long - I really like this author's style, so I enjoyed this

Don't Call Us Dead poems by Danez Smith - this has been SO praised and I was really looking forward to it and I was really disappointed.

The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah - I expected to enjoy this and I became more and more frustrated with it until finally I had to admit to myself that I hated it. I did manage to finish it though. This was my first book for AtY's "two books with a similar theme/setting."

The Smell of Other People's Houses by Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock - this was my second book for AtY's "two books with similar theme/setting" and I did really enjoy reading two books back-to-back that were set in Alaska at the end of the 20th century. I wasn't sure if I would like this book after I hated the other one, but I really enjoyed this book!!! And it has A LOT of similar themes with Hannah's book.

The Proposal by Jasmine Guillory - I really like how Guillory sets up her romances, and I WANT to love her books, but ... maybe I just don't? I gave this 3 stars, but I probably should've given 2. She has a great set-up but then she doesn't seem to know what to do with her characters, and her dialogue is so wooden.


QOTW
I glance at the map when I start a book, if there's a map. Usually about halfway through the book I'll go back to the map to see if I had everything straight. I'm pretty good with maps so most of the time I've got it right. I DO get annoyed with books that talk A LOT about travel and direction but don't make it clear exactly what that direction is - clearly the author has a map in her/his head but fails to convey that to the reader.

I finally finished Angels & Demons as my book with more than 1 million ratings. Yay.

I'm almost done with Frontier Lady as my book that incudes a wedding.

QOTW:
No. Geography isn't my thing and I have directional dyslexia, so if the map/geography is really important to the story I'll refer back to it while reading, but otherwise, I pretty much ignore it.

I had a good reading week. A few finished, lots in progress, and the to-read stack is getting nice and high. Plus, I just got some good news at work and I'm feeling pretty good.

This week I finished Devil's Daughter. I love a good romance novel, particularly when I am on vacation, which I was last week. Read this in one day at the beach. It was delightful.

I also finished a re-read of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and am finishing up the accompanying podcasts for my read-along.

Yesterday I finished Asymmetry. I liked the first part, but the second part was boring and too clever for its own good. The third part just felt clunky. Overall, it was meh.

I am currently reading Moby-Dick, or, the Whale for my library book club, The Buried: An Archaeology of the Egyptian Revolution, which was my BOTM book last month and I'm finally getting around to it, and A Crown of Swords. I may start something new today, probably American Spy, which I just picked up from the library.

QOTW: If there is a map I will look at it and go back to it from time to time, but I don't think I keep the idea in my head. I do get very annoyed when a book is set somewhere I know and gets all the locations wrong. It's why I had to stop reading Dan Brown books.

This week I finished:

Beneath the Skin: I remember reading this book in high school for a self-chosen book report and being absolutely captivated by it. We had to read a section of the book out loud in front of the class and I chose a particularly disturbing part and I have remembered it to this day. It was fun to go back and read it again as an adult, around the age of the characters. It took me a little while to remember the twist, but what I was more surprised by was just how genuinely well written it was. If I had been reading the kindle version, I would have been highlighting a ton of passages to save for later. Recommend for any psychological thriller fans out there.

Before She Knew Him: I definitely didn't figure out the twists which is unusual for me and a pleasant surprise. Im not 100 percent sure how I feel about these twists but overall the book was different and entertaining.

I'm about to start reading Carrie.

Question of the Week:

Do you try to keep an internal map in your head of the setting of the book? Do you love studying maps when they are included with a book?

I am terrible with maps and a general sense of direction, so no. No I don't.

47/50

Finished:
Equal Rites by Terry Pratchett for a book with an item of clothing or accessory on the cover.

Joyland by Stephen King for a book written by a musician (fiction or nonfiction).

Marvels for a book that includes a wedding.

Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare. Not for the challenge.

QOTW:
If the book has a map I'll check it while reading.

Fannie wrote: "Hello,

I missed a few check-in because I haven't anything interesting to report. Been in a bit of a reading slump lately. School's almost off for my kids and I am a month away for my vacation. Can..."

I had a friend in high school in the middle of our Duke of Edinburgh's award expedition who was holding the map upside-down and queried "Bloody hell where we are?" looking totally bamboozled.

So I did that thing where I started reading a bunch of different books because I wanted to take a book to the pool, and I wanted a book on my Kindle, and then my library holds came in and I'd better read those before I leave for vacation. I have so many books in progress right now.

Finished
To Be or Not To Be: A Chooseable-Path Adventure by Ryan North (a choose your-own-adventure book). The concept is top notch, but I don't think it works with Hamlet. I understand the author picked Hamlet because of "to be or not to be" but I think one of Shakespeare's comedies would have been a much better fit.

DNF
Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan. I read 100 pages, but it's not for me. I'd rather just watch the movie again.

Reading
Finale by Stephanie Garber

Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

The Bird King by G. Willow Wilson

Nowhere But Here by Katie McGarry

Les Misérables by Victor Hugo

QOTW
I love maps in books! My favorite are maps of Middle-earth. I love them so much my friend bought me The Maps of Tolkien's Middle-earth. They're huge, fold-out, color maps. I refer to them when I'm reading Tolkien.

Happy Thursday! 35/50

Completed:
For fun, The 18th Abduction by James Patterson about three teachers kidnapped as well as a Bosnian war crimes book. I kind of wish I could use this for Bosnia, since I’m warred out from my Europe reads.

Continuing with my European theme, I read my Czech Republic novel: The Unbearable Lightness of Being, but not for Pop Sugar. It’s different.

204 Rosewood Lane by Debbie Macomber for a palate cleanser.

2.) Furious Hours: Murder, Fraud, and the Last Trial of Harper Lee for nostalgia. Who doesn’t love all things Harper Lee? Even if it is her attempt to write a true crime novel about a murderous reverend who killed 5 relations, including 2 wives, for the insurance money.

In Progress:

All Dressed in White by Mary Higgins Clark for fun. Summer reading needs some fluff.

QOTW Maps
Hot diggity! This was possibly aimed at me. I love geography. Last year I printed out a map of the US and tasked myself to read a book in each state and this year I'm doing European countries. Geography can really play a role in a storyline.

Yay, Facebook group! Joining!

Whee, our library has started its Summer Reading Program. This means that kids can earn prizes by reading a certain amount every week, and we host weekly programs to engage the kids and get them excited about reading. It’s hectic and crazy, but kinda fun too.

Also, next week I’m going on vacation. And you betcha I’m bringing books with me. ;)

Books read this week:

Memory – sci-fi book that’s been on my to-read list for YEARS. Kind of a let-down after so much anticipation – it had some fascinating concepts but the last third or so of the book got so convoluted and weird that I just wasn’t enjoying it anymore, and read it more to finish it than anything else.

An Exchange of Gifts – Anne McCaffrey is one of my favorite authors, but somehow I missed this little volume of hers. Not grand, but a nice fairy-tale-esque fantasy story that’s both charming and sweet without being childish or overly cutesy.

My Sister, the Serial Killer – I’m not sure whether I find this book fascinating or incredibly frustrating… but it certainly made me think. And while I found myself wanting to scream at the main character for her actions, who’s to say I wouldn’t have done the same things she did in her situation?

Catwad – graphic novel. Picked it up expecting something along the lines of Grumpy Cat (rest in peace, Tardar Sauce…), got what feels like a knockoff of “CatDog” or “Ren and Stimpy.” At least kids, especially boys, will like it…

Currently Reading:

The Priory of the Orange Tree (may have to finish this one on vacation…)
Sherlock Holmes and the Miskatonic Monstrosities

QOTW:

I don't often form maps in my head, but I DO appreciate it when the author of a fantasy novel includes a map. The map in "Priory of the Orange Tree" has been quite helpful, for example.

Greetings all.
It has been yet another crazy week in the top end. Those who were part of the challenge last year may remember all the dramas with teachers quitting. Well the new chemistry teacher quit this morning so looks like my planning for next semester is out the window again and Ms Back-up will be picking up y12 chem mid-year yet again. Wish they'd just give me it at the start of the year and be done with it since the kids keep eating the teachers.

Read 3 Biology books to plan for next term and find good resources......except now it looks like I won't be teaching that after all.
Finally had time to finish Attached: The New Science of Adult Attachment and How It Can Help You Find—and Keep—Love which I found fascinating and wish had been around 20 years ago. It does get repetitive towards the end but 2/3 is really good.
The Walking Dead, Vol. 16: A Larger World
The Walking Dead, Vol. 17: Something to Fear
The Walking Dead, Vol. 18: What Comes After
The Walking Dead, Vol. 19: March to War
The Walking Dead, Vol. 20: All Out War, Part 1 all of which are exactly what you would expect if you are a fan. Now have to wait for the library to get more.

Currently reading exams. Reports are due Tuesday.

QOTW
Love maps. I'm terrible at interpreting directions from words so often draw maps for myself if I haven't got one. Once I have seen a map I'm good to find most things.

Hi all. I missed last week as I was in Utah wedding planning with my daughter. It was great seeing her and we got a lot done, so all good things.
This last two weeks I read:
This I Know- I enjoyed it very much. I picked this up on a whim at a bookstore and am glad I did. I never would have found it if I hadn't been wandering the stacks.
Sparkling Cyanide- which I used as a reread of a favorite book. I was in an Agatha Christie mood as my daughter and I went and saw the play A Murder Is Announced.
My Lady's Choosing: An Interactive Romance Novel- for a choose your own adventure book. I ran several of the story lines and blah. I'm glad to be done with that prompt.
Blind Your Ponies- this was supposed to be my reread, but I was so nostalgic during the read that I was almost weeping with homesickness. I grew up in Missoula, but my grandparents (and now my parents) live in a little town called Dillon that is near the main basketball rivals in the book, Twin Bridges. My son goes to school in Bozeman, I used to go to church in Lima and get Swedish Fish in Dell. I know none of this means anything if you haven't read the book- but it is all in there. And (with a nod toward the QOTW) people in Montana truly drive all those distances without much thought. All my cousins would drive the three hours to Missoula for a day of school clothes shopping. Anyway, it is an amazing book and I highly recommend it, even for people unfamiliar with Montana.

QOTW:
I love maps in books. I don't usually go look things up when it isn't already in the book- and don't really miss it, but I love having the map available.

Happy Reading!

Hi everyone, did some reading this week, and it looks like I read similarly to others- seems we are all trying to fill the same prompts this week!

Finished:
My Sister, the Serial Killer- my author from Africa. Like Kenya I was often irritated by the main character, and it ended they way I thought it would. I liked it, but not sure it was worth all the buzz it got.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone- book with a million reviews. I now have read one Harry Potter book! I was tired of never catching people’s Harry Potter references so I decided to finally read it. I liked it! I understand why people love this, I wish I could of read it when I was younger (I was born in 65). I may read more in the series, but probably not right away. I haven’t seen any of the movies either, but now I feel I can catch this one when it pops up on tv!
The Unhoneymooners - a book by 2 female authors. It was a ok romance. Nothing spectacular, but I enjoyed it.

Currently reading:
My Lady's Choosing: An Interactive Romance Novel- chose your own adventure. I’m not liking this. Wondering when I can say I finished, do I have to read more than one path? I’m thinking I will call this done once I hit the end of one storyline as I’m not enjoying it.

Not for challenge:
The Silent Patient- I didn’t like this, very disappointed. I was bored, which isn’t good in a thriller. The main character is obviously troubled, and I just didn’t care about him.
A Duke by Default- I like reluctant royal series! Cute!

QOTW: I like a map! If the book takes place somewhere I’m not aware of I will look it up on a Google.

Happy Thursday all! I didn't read anything for the challenge this week (instead I'm reading children's book for a class) so I'm still at 44/50.

Finished:
Holy Sister- Interesting series and satisfactory ending. Dunno why but I never got as into it as much as the author's previous trilogies.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone- Reread (listen this time) for me. It's fun to be reminded of details I'd forgotten!

When We Were Very Young- For my class. I read/listened to these poems and they were lovely.

Forgive Me, I Meant to Do It: False Apology Poems- For my class. These poems were hilarious.

Hate That Cat- For my class. I didn't know this was a book 2 but I quite enjoyed this middle grade novel in verse. It deals with a lot of realistic problems and the ending was very sweet.

Currently reading:
Inkspell
The Fatal Shore: The Epic of Australia's Founding
The Quantum Thief
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

QOTW:
No I usually forget there's a map and don't ever look at again after a glance when I start the book.

Hello! It's been a surprisingly gorgeous few days here in Texas--highs in the 80s?? In JUNE?? Whatever, I'll take it!

As always, I don't seem to read as much as everyone else here does (which is a little embarrassing, since I do love to read). There are always so many other things I need to get done!

Finished:
Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan: A book with an author from Asia, Africa, or South America. I stayed up past my bedtime to finish it. Not because it was that good, but because I was that ready to be done with it. I wasn't a fan. I'm excited to see the movie, though!

Currently Reading:
Ivanhoe: To be fair, I actually haven't picked this one up in the past week. I'll be traveling a bit the next couple of weekends, so I got the audiobook from the library, and I should be able to finish it that way. I really do like it, I've just not been in the mood for it.

Ophelia by Lisa Klein: I'm starting this one today for my "book becoming a movie in 2019." I was struggling a lot with that prompt, so when I saw the trailer for Ophelia pop up, I had to check if it was based on the book! I've had the book since my freshman year of college (quite a long time), so I'm glad I have a good reason to finally read it! I have a love/hate relationship with Hamlet, but Ophelia was always one of my favorite characters of Shakespeare's.

QOTW: It's embarrassing to admit, but I'm a pretty lazy reader. I usually ignore all directions and just figure, hey, they got to wherever they are! I'm always impressed when authors have done enough world building to create a map, though. I just never question if the directions are correct or where things are located in relation to one another (or, at least, I rarely do).

Hi all-

Slowing down on my reading and that's ok- work has gone into overdrive so I haven't had the time to read as much. My current stats: Popsugar 55/56; Nonfiction Growth Challenge 17/20; ATY DONE!; Popsugar 2015- 36/50; Popsugar 2016 8/40.

Finished reading this week:

The Stupidest Angel: A Heartwarming Tale of Christmas Terror At first I was not enjoying this, which surprised me since I loved the last Christopher Moore book I read. Then it took a very strange turn and I loved it after that. For Popsugar 15 ( book set at Christmas)

The Golden Owl So, this was a cute kids book (middle grades). I probably wouldn't have picked it had I known that but it wasn't listed as that on any of the lists I found it on. I enjoyed it anyway and it was a quick read so... For PS 15 (a book with a color in the title)

Frog and Toad Are Friends I knew this was a kids book but that was the point. For PS 15 ( a book from your childhood)

Days of Blood & Starlight I enjoyed this but not as much as other books by this author. For PS 15 (a trilogy- book 2)

I am currently reading:

Ready Player One. I am listening to this and really enjoying it! I loved the movie and am loving the book.

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan This is totally not something I would normally read but I am really enjoying it.

Question of the Week:

Do you try to keep an internal map in your head of the setting of the book? Do you love studying maps when they are included with a book?

If I know something about the area then I tend to see where the setting is related to things I know about. If I know nothing about the area then I tend not to care about maps unless the narrative is confusing about something.

Anne wrote: "Last year I printed out a map of the US and tasked myself to read a book in each state and this year I'm doing European countries. Geography can really play a role in a storyline."

Anne, I want to do this too! I need to print myself a few maps and get started!

Hi all,

I missed last week's check in (seems like it's becoming an accidental habit to miss ever alternate week). I took a couple of days off from work last week. Usually when I take time off, I always have something to do or somewhere to go to, so it was nice just having time off without any real plans. My only commitment was celebrating my niece's 1st birthday - can't believe how quick the time has gone by since she was born!

Books finished:

Geekerella (not for the challenge) - quick fluffy read, liked all the geek references.

A Place for Us (not for the challenge) - I really enjoyed this book and I thought the author did a great job with the characters! I would have liked to have read a bit more from the middle sister's perspective, and would love to know what happened after the book ended, but overall a great book in my opinion.

Neil Patrick Harris: Choose Your Own Autobiography (for the CYOA prompt) - I was wondering how this type of format would work for an autobiography, and while it started off well enough, my first read ended way too quickly and I missed out on so much of it. My next read resulted in a bit of a loop where I kept getting directed to a bit I had read already, until I decided to go back to the beginning. I didn't even get to his Doogie Howser role (which is where I first got to know him) until after a few read-throughs when I decided to go through the book sequentially to see what I had missed. Interesting concept, seems to suit his personality, loved some bits better than others, but maybe not the best medium for an autobiography.

QOTW:

I like maps, especially in fantasy novels. I usually just glance at them in the beginning but as travel or movement starts happening in the book, I tend to go back to refer to them until the map is embedded in my mind.

I tend to be good at directions so for books that don't include maps, I will try to follow along mentally, even if it's just a description of walking through a building. I won't necessarily stop to google unless the descriptions really don't make sense to me.

I really haven't had much time to read at all lately so I'm having a hard time finishing books. Audio books are really the only ones I can get through since I listen to them on my commute and while walking.

Finished:
1984 - I read this for advanced prompt #49 - a book that has inspired a common phrase or idiom. I should not have listened to this, but instead should have read the actual book. I just didn't like the audio version, but forced myself to finish it. One day I'll have to go back and read the actual book.

Challenge Progress:
Regular Challenge - 29/40
Advanced Challenge - 6/10
Total - 35/50

Currently Reading:
I'm still reading The Clockmaker's Daughter and Keep You Close, but I've made some progress so hopefully I can get these done this weekend.

I just started listening to My Lovely Wife which I'm using for prompt #26 - a book that's published in 2019.

QOTW - Do you try to keep an internal map in your head of the setting of the book? Do you love studying maps when they are included with a book?
I'm so bad a geography that maps definitely help me to picture where stories are set. I don't create internal maps though. I like when books have a map that I can reference or if they take place in a real setting I can look up where they are. When books are set in a place I know, I love picturing the areas they are in.

Happy Thursday!

I set my goal at 40 for this year (but I am going to try to do the full list of 50) and I've currently read 18 books! And that was with me starting out slow at the start of the the year.

Finished:

The Perfect Mother for two books that share the same title. I didn't love this book but still liked it. It dragged in the middle, which made me take forever to get through. I liked the last 25% or so of the book an got really into it.

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 really liked this one. I finished it up last night and would describe it as a cozy true crime. Yes there's a murder in it (okay, like 6 murders in it) but it's not gratuitous or gory. Harper Lee doesn't come into play until over halfway through the book but there is a lot of great information about her in it.

Currently Reading:

Daisy Jones & The Six for a book that makes you nostalgic. I'm only 85 pages into it but I really love how the writing it presented (not sure if I'm describing it correctly but don't want to give it away).

The Night Olivia Fell - Not sure if this will fit in with any of the challenges but my hold came up at the library and I'm going to start it tonight.

QOTW:

Honestly, I don't think I've even checked the front of a book for a map in the passed year or so. I think if I was reading an epic fantasy or something similar, I would probably pay closer attention to that.

Greetings :-)

This week I will start with my check-in as it often happens that I read yours but never come around to my own as I forget.

I have been busy with work but also packing all mys tuff as I am moving next week. Can't wait to get to my new apartment with a small private garden. yay! just for summertime. Hoping to listen to a few audiobooks while painting.

I am currently at 40/50

Finished:
Wildcard
The Heiress
The Countess

Currently reading:
The Husband Hunt
Northanger Abbey
The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing


QOTW: Usually only when one is provided in the book (Fantasy).
But sometimes if they only mention an area and not a state (US) then I look up where it is located if possible.

Woohoo! The Blues won the Stanley Cup! Of course, all the hockey excitement has left little time for reading, but who cares? The Blues won the Stanley Cup!

Challenge Progress: 34/50

Completed:
The Den: The writing was lovely but somewhat detached, and I found it difficult to really connect with any of the characters. Furthermore, I had expected (based on the book description) more of a fantasy element. There just wasn't enough here to make me really love this book.

Opposite of Always: Very, very sweet. It's a YA Groundhog Day but more romantic, and it would probably make a pretty terrific movie.

Currently Reading: Middlegame, The Silent Patient, I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer (a book published posthumously), The Woman in the Window (a book becoming a movie in 2019)

QOTW: I usually look at the map prior to reading, but I rarely go back to it. Once I've seen a map, I usually know where things are... My husband marvels when we visit unfamiliar cities. We'll be walking around, and I always seem to know where things are even when I've only looked at a map once.

Yayyy it's Thursday and one day closer to the weekend. I'm traveling tomorrow so I'll get some reading done. I finished 2 books this week.
Meddling Kids for prompt # 2 a book that makes you nostalgic. I was halfway through this book before I realized I liked it. In the beginning, I had serious issues with the author's word choice. I read it like a reader but I also read it like an author and had issues with some of the words that were used. My sci-fi book club read this but I haven't finished it until now. I definitely appreciated the nostalgia surrounding the book. Scooby Doo was one of my favorite cartoons growing up and a campy spoof of a book about them all grown up made me happy. There were several scenes where I was on the edge of my seat because of course, the Scooby gang got into some crazy situations. Overall the book was decent.

The Walking Dead, Vol. 1: Days Gone Bye It wasn't for a prompt, I just got curious finally after being a fan for so long.

I DNF'd Queen Sugar I was halfway through it and realized I didn't like it.

Currently reading:
The Trial for prompt #13 I'm feeling kinda meh about this one. The classics always make me feel this way.

The Little Prince Another classic that I feel meh about. I guess watching the cartoon as a kid made me curious about the book.

Stories From the Polycule: Real Life in Polyamorous Families I just started on this a few days ago and so far I like it. I've read another book by the author and liked it.

QOTW
Do you try to keep an internal map in your head of the setting of the book? Do you love studying maps when they are included with a book?
Yes and Yes! If it's a real location or a location that could possibly be real I love thinking about the location. If there's a map that's in the book I love studying it as well. I actually prefer if the place is not real with full detailed maps.

Life as been craaaazy busy and I haven't checked in for a while now. But I'm back and have been reading a lot for a read-a-thon in another group.

I'm up to 25/50 for this challenge.

Finished

Matilda - I grew up watching the movie, first time I read the book. It was great

Ghost Beach - Quick and fun

The Beatrice Letters - Not my favorite from this series, but still fun

The 101 Dalmatians - Again, have watched the movies, never read the book. I enjoyed this. The cartoon did well keeping the mood of the narration.

The Ghost Next Door - fun and quick. I love goosebumps

The Barking Ghost - ^^ditto

The Diary of a Young Girl - I read the definitive version. This was heart wrenching and so great. I needed a more serious book after my fun ones and I thought it's be a great time to finally read this.

Lemony Snicket: The Unauthorized Autobiography - This was so clever!

Currently Reading

The Song of Achilles

QOTW

I do love looking at maps that are included, especially if it's a made up place.

Mary Beth wrote: "I miss family trees.."

Yes I would love to see that more too. Sometimes it is just hard to keep track of people in a book. And I hate when I can't figure out exactly how they fit in or remember and have to go back to find it again.

On a different note it would also make it easier when the author decide to name every d*** character almost the same. I am horrible with names and this has made me dnf some books as I couldn't keep track of who the author was talking about. (Sorry about the rant...)

Happy Thursday! Haven't checked in properly for ages but I've got a bit more free time now so I'm poking around in my reading spreadsheet and seeing if I'm actually getting anywhere with the challenge. So far this year, I've read 35 books, 19 for the challenge! Not bad, all things considered.

This week ...
Radical Technologies: The Design of Everyday Life which was very interesting but kind of depressing. And two books by Rebecca Makkai, The Great Believers and The Hundred-Year House, both of which were less wonderful than I expected but still pretty decent; preferred The Great Believers, of the two.

Happy Thursday! I think I've developed allergies for the first time in my life? my eyes have been so dry and itchy all week, that I haven't worn contacts or put on eye makeup - which I rarely go without! I'm gonna try some eye drops and hope that this starts to go away!!

Fortunately, I've had a great reading week! I finished 5 books, 2 of which counted towards this challenge. Plus I enjoyed everything I read, which is always great!

First was My Life as a Goddess: A Memoir through (Un) Popular Culture by Guy Branum which was my book with "pop" "sugar" or "challenge" in the title. I really liked this! I didn't know much aboutBranum besides that other writers, podcasters, and comedians I liked really liked him. This book was so smart and so beautiful. Branum is an excellent writer and his narration was so good. His chapter on his relationship with his father was just emotionally devastating - I loved it.

Next was I'm Afraid of Men by Vivek Shraya. This is a very short book - essay really - that takes less than an hour to get through. I thought Shraya did an excellent job talking the biggest and smallest ways men are threatening in a patriarchal culture. She also delved into her own life such as before her transition when she identified as a gay men. I'd love to read a full length memoir from her.

Then I read The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang, which was so dang cute!! It' fairytale like about a prince who loves to wear dresses and the seamstress he hires to create the dresses. It was so loving and sweet, and seems like a great book to have kids read to talk about the complexities of gender identity! This and the other two books I mentioned all fight nicely within my goal to read more LGBTQ+ authors or themed books for Pride this month.

Then I finished Stay Sexy & Don’t Get Murdered: The Definitive How-To Guide by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark, which I counted as my author whose first and last names start with the same letter. It only works for one of the authors, but whatever I'm counting it! This was really great, which I expected since I love their podcast. I was frustrated with the audiobook having some live readings in it - it sort of through off some of the pace of the book. But otherwise, I had a great time listening!

Finally, I finished Not That Bad: Dispatches from Rape Culture edited by Roxane Gay. This was hard to read since the essays all center around rape and sexual assault, but it was really excellent. Anthologies can often be unbalanced, but I found the writing just phenomenal across the board. So many topics were touched upon which a wide variety of experiences from the authors. It's an excellent book to refer to someone who might not understand what we mean when we say "rape culture."

QOTW: I reference maps in fantasy novels a lot, especially if the characters are going on a journey and I want to keep track of where they are and what lies ahead. In fact, it's why I find reading fantasy on ebooks sometimes frustrating because I want to flip back and forth. I rarely do it for books set in the real world. Most recently I can think of Pachinko because I did not have any concept for Japan and Korean geography, and the book had no map. So I just went on google to get a sense of where things were - things were a lot closer than I had initially realized!

Hey all! Multi-week update here since I've been away on vacation and then busy.

Finished (28/50):

A Wolf Called Wander (based on a true story, published in 2019) - A cute middle-grade wolf adventure, based on the true travels of a wolf (Journey) who migrated more than 1000 miles through Oregon and California in 2011-14. It was adorable and did a really good job making the animals seem like real animals (my favorite touch: when Wander meets a domestic dog and can tell it's a wolflike animal but they can't communicate at all).

Vengeful (superpowers, multi-POV) - yesss I am totally here for morally black supervillains plotting revenge and murder and organized crime takeovers. I think I'm in the minority, but I liked this better than Vicious. Marcella was such a good character - ruthless, ambitious, charismatic, turns people to ash with a single touch. So much pure swagger. Very inspiring.

Currently reading:

How Long 'til Black Future Month? (question in the title) - Disappointingly, I haven't been able to get into this one. I loved the story The City Born Great, but I already read that one (it's free on tor.com), and none of the other stories have really grabbed me. But I'm around 40% in, so the book still has plenty of time to win me over.


QotW: Nope! I'm pretty geographically challenged in real life. When I see a book has a nice map, I go "ooh, nice map" and appreciate it for a few seconds and then move on. I do like maps aesthetically; I just have no use for them as actual maps.

Happy Thursday, All! Weather has been up and down, still, and after a few perfect days, it's dreary and grey again and making me want to crawl under my desk and nap... That's not an option, so... goodreads! Our audit from the Office on Mental Health went well this week, and my day off was perfect, and my baby girl started walking this week! So it's been busy!

This week I finished Long Way Down. Thanks to whomever mentioned it as a book that takes place in 1 day. I wouldn't have heard of it otherwise. It was really good. Also could work for a ghost story or a book with weird chapters, as the chapter numbers go down instead of up.

I also finished Chess Story for a book published posthumously. I'm still not sure if it really was, I continued to find conflicting evidence, but I'm going to go with the version where he sent it to the publisher just days before he died. Actually, it also could work for a book set in 1 day or weird chapters, as it had none. Very short, and a different type of WWII/Nazi story.

Still working on Harriet the Spy. It has grown on me quite a bit from the beginning, but my buddy reader asked me to slow down, so I'm waiting for her to catch up.

Also started Mr. President, How Long Must We Wait?: Alice Paul, Woodrow Wilson, and the Fight for the Right to Vote for a book with a question in the title. I'm only a couple of chapters in, but I'm really liking it so far.




Ooh! Is Ophelia becoming a movie? That one has been on my TBR for a long time, too!

Also, I agree with the complaint of authors who name characters with similar names! Knock it off! :)

QOTW: I love maps! If a book has a map in it, I flip back to it all the time. I don't usually go look up real places. I will create a mental map in my head if one is not provided. I did once knock a star off a book rating because the book included a city map, but then referenced places that weren't on the map! And not like a 1 time reference, but repeatedly throughout the book it kept talking about this street that wasn't on the map!

Book with “sweet” in the title:

The Sweet Hereafter by Russell Banks. Multiple narrators describing the aftermath of a bus accident that kills multiple children. I liked it but didn’t love it.

Not for the challenge:

The Whole Thing Together by Ann Brashares. I had so many issues with this book, it’s slut-shaming, the whole not-like-other-girls trope which is really just hatred toward girls in disguise and the romance which made no sense because these people exchanged like two letters about work and were meant to be. Just ugh all around.

Kill Shakespeare vol 1 by Conor McCreery and Anthony Del Col. Graphic novel that wasn’t my cup of tea. I didn’t hate it but I probably won’t read more.

Roller Girl by Victoria Jamison. Graphic novel about middle school and growing apart from friends and trying to find your identity. I loved this so much. I feel like next school year, my students are going to get tired of me recommending this because I will to everyone.

They’re Not Like Us by Eric Stephenson. Graphic novel about a X-Men-esque group that is using their powers for bad not good. I enjoyed it and will keep reading

Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi. Graphic Novel about growing up in Iran during the Islamic Revolution and this is another that I will be recommending non-stop.

The Notorious RBG: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsberg Based on the Tumblr. Really enjoyed it especially for the info regarding the note that former Justice Brennan sent to her on her swearing in that Clinton had made the right choice. I knew Brennan was my favorite justice for a reason.

Two Can Keep a Secret by Karen M. McManus. YA mystery. Loved it. Still waiting for Netflix to make a series of her books because I would binge in a heartbeat.

Hey all! I forgot to check in last week, so I'm determined to do it on time this week. This is the past 2 weeks:

Challenge book:

The Secrets of Drearcliff Grange School: a book you meant to read in 2018. I bought this last summer totally intending to read it then, but it just wound up sitting there all year. It was all right. The school was super interesting and strange but the story was a little hard to follow.

Non-challenge books:

The Bride Test: omg. So good. So sweet. So cute. I read it in like four hours and it made my heart so happy.

Organizing Solutions for People With Attention Deficit Disorder: Tips and Tools to Help You Take Charge of Your Life and Get Organized: This had some useful tips. Worked more for me than Marie Kondo did.

Wintergirls: I liked this! So nice to read a YA issue book that doesn't feel like it's talking down to the reader.

What Girls Are Made Of: oh holy hell this was brutal. I loved it.

It's Like Karaoke and Other Titty Bar Tales: short stories about being a bartender at a strip club. Really amusing.

The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches (audio): more Flavia de Luce! This is my absolute favorite in the series so far. It had a more serious tone, but I really liked it, and there was so much revealed about all the secondary characters.

The Curious Case of the Copper Corpse: Flavia de Luce short story. Undecided on whether I should count this as a book, but oh well! I liked it. That copper-plated skin stuff was really bizarre.

As Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust (audio): I didn't like this as much as the others in the series. Something about sticking Flavia in Canada is just really weird.

Adèle: I think I read this because I saw it on a previous weekly check-in and was intrigued. The beginning with the sex addiction was interesting but I didn't like that it ended completely with the husband's POV.

Currently reading:
The Priory of the Orange Tree
Playing Shakespeare: An Actor's Guide
Thrice the Brinded Cat Hath Mew'd (audio)
The Mermaid's Daughter
The Complete Poems of Emily Dickinson

QOTW: I LOVEEEEE book maps. If a book has a map, you bet your buttons I'm turning to it every time a new place is mentioned. I do get peeved, though, when fantasy maps look suspiciously like Europe. It happens more than I'd like.

Hi everyone. It's just stopped raining for the first time in days. I think the clouds finally remembered it is supposed to be June.

This week I finished more books than usual. First up was Dry. I have confused feelings about this book. Parts of it were so well written, I could feel myself getting thirstier and thirstier as I read. The characters were terrible. They were all so flat and bland I just did not care whether they survived or not. (view spoiler)[In fact the book would have been better if they didn't. I was really mad at the ending. Ending two chapters earlier when Alyssa is holding the gun to her brother's head would have been a masterstroke of a cliff hanger. Instead every single named character survived. Even the one with diphtheria. Even the one who ran into a fire because she thought she saw water. Even the one who ran off in the middle of the woods with no water and no idea where he was going. That was ridiculous (hide spoiler)] In the end it just came off as a bit of a mess. Maybe because of the two author thing?

I also finished Fallout. This was a lot of fun with Lois Lane re-imagined as sort of a twenty first century Veronica Mars type.

Finally I finished Kilmeny of the Orchard. Not L.M. Montgomery's finest I have to say. It was sweet but also ridiculous. (view spoiler)[Kilmeny is mute because her mother wasn't speaking to her family whilst she was pregnant. Really? (hide spoiler)] It was a bit of fluff and I read it in a day but I think I would rather reread about Emily or Valancy if I'm in a Montgomery mood in the future.

Currently reading: Part of Your World and because of this I found out the word for a half human half octopus creature is apparently a caecilia. I've literally watched The Little Mermaid a hundred times in my life and never knew that.

QOTW: I appreciate a pretty map (I think the Caraval ones are really cute) but once I'm in the story I rarely revert back to the map. I just use my imagination and I'm not really that anxious if it doesn't match the author's.

Hi everyone! I missed last week's check-in as I didn't have much to report. This week hasn't been a great reading week either. It's one of those weeks I just want to be over - the weather has been awful here in the UK and my fridge-freezer has decided to stop working, so I really haven't been in the mood to read much.

Anyway... I did finish The Two Towers early in the week so I'm now at 20/50 for the challenge.

I'm currently reading The Return of the King to complete my re-read of the trilogy.

QOTW:
I love a good map in a book! I'm currently finding myself frequently referring to the maps of Middle-Earth in LOTR. I don't keep an internal map, though, mostly because I have no sense of direction lol.

This week I finished Until We Reckon: Violence, Mass Incarceration, and a Road to Repair, which was really good. It's an important new narrative in the criminal justice field, and I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoyed "The New Jim Crow" or "Just Mercy" (or is just interested in a new way of thinking about crime/violence). 5 stars

The Love & Lies of Rukhsana Ali This book was much more difficult than I expected. I was becoming absolutely furious about the treatment of women and people who are gay, which gave me really conflicted feelings. This book really challenged me to figure out how to balance respect for other cultures, but also caring about people/women being treated humanely as well. Ugh, it was tough, but I'm glad I read it. 4 stars

How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia This was an interesting concept and also fairly difficult to get through, but it didn't captivate me quite as much as Rukhsana's story (above). 3 stars

I'm currently reading Fantasyland: How America Went Haywire: A 500-Year History, starting to get bored with How to Read Literature Like a Professor, and am almost done with Joyful: The Surprising Power of Ordinary Things to Create Extraordinary Happiness.

QOTW: I also love maps/geography! I don't come across them often in my reading (especially with audiobooks, obviously), but I like stories that have a strong setting that I can picture and follow along. I'm enjoying "mapping my books" right now to see how many countries I've covered.

Hello All,

Life has been busy this past week so no finishes, still reading Moon Shimmers and enjoying the little time I have to spend to read.

QOTW

I love maps in books and I really like fantasy so if a map of a new world is provided I usually study it before starting reading and reference it a few times if the story is quite detailed.

but nothing frustrates me more than a poorly populated map like when you read in a book they live on such and such street but it shows it no where on the map included in the book, drives me crazy. The book Enchantée had one of those maps.

Happy reading everyone

Sup Peeps!

I did a lot of reading this week. Like a lot; I might burn myself out and I don’t know why I don’t just take a break but there is so much out there.

I read a total of 10 books this week.

Holy Biscuit…

Challenge Progress: PS: 36/50; ATY: 35/52; GR: 44/50

Finished:

7 - A reread of a favorite book - Survivor - Chuck Palahniuk - I rated this a 2 star because of nostalgia sake but I didn’t like it. I don’t recommend reading the books that you loved in high school.

8 - A book about a hobby - Where She Went - Gayle Forman - I guess I called Adam’s music a hobby because that’s what it started as. I didn’t like this book at all. I still gave it 2 because I didn’t hate it.

9 - A book you meant to read in 2018 - The Girls - Emma Cline - This is a 3 star read for me, I remember wanting to read this but I can’t remember if I read this already.

15 - A retelling of a classic - Eligible - Curtis Sittenfeld - I gave this 2 stars - This was bad. I didn’t like the “modern” retelling. It wasn’t great. I love Austen so this was disappointing.

18 - A book about someone with a superpower - Helter Skelter: The True Story of the Manson Murders - Vincent Bugliosi - At first I was like this doesn’t fit, but holy crap, if you can convince 6 people to murder people for you...I’m pretty sure that’s a super power.

21 - A book by two female authors - Love and Other Words - Christina Lauren - I didn’t know about them until this year. I gave this book a 3.5 out of 5. The premise was very unbelievable but I wanted to believe and that’s indicative of a good book.

22 - A book with SALTY, SWEET, BITTER, or SPICY in the title - Sweet Valley Confidential: Ten Years Later - Francine Pascal - I gave this one star out of 5, this is my second 1 star rating of the month and there was just so much wrong with this book, seriously, I’m just confused as to why this was published.

28 - A book recommended by a celebrity you admire - All You Can Ever Know: A Memoir - Nicole Chung - This was recommended by an Instagram account, I’m not really an admirer of celebrities… I gave this 5 out of 5, because holy biscuits, it was great.

39 - A book revolving around a puzzle or game - 13 Minutes - Sarah Pinborough - This was a complete and utter trip. Just read it. 4 out of 5 stars.

44 - Read a book during the season it is set in - Summer by the Tides - Denise Hunter - 3.5 out of 5 stars - I didn't know that this was Christian Romance novel.

Currently Reading:

The Silent Wife - It’s really good so far.

How Could She - An arc book, I’m excited to finish this one.

My Sister, the Serial Killer - It’s pretty short but good.

None of them are part of this challenge but I only have 14 left and I want to read other things now!

QOTW:

I never think about the location when I’m reading fiction. Only when I’m tracking something in non-fiction.

So despite the World cup starting, I actually managed to get quite a bit of reading done.

Books I finished:

Frost Burned & Night Broken - Mercy Thompson books 7 & 8. I love this series.

The Coldest Girl in Coldtown - This was a bit of a disappointment. My sister introduced me to Holly Black's books, and I've been going through them this year and this was the first I didn't love. It wasn't bad per say, but I am not much for dystopian books.

Glass Beads - The library had a special where anyone could borrow this ebook for the month of June no waiting, so I figured I'd try it. It left me wanting more - I want to know what happened next, I want to know what happened between the stories.... It was very well done.

The Education of Augie Merasty: A Residential School Memoir

Books I made progress on:

Shifting Shadows

Crazy Rich Asians

Night Shift - I read 'Secrets at Midnight'

PS 2019 33/50
PS 2018 35/50

QOTW

I love when books include maps, and I try to look at them before I read. Then it depends on the book if I'll go and reference it during the read or wait until after the book is over to figure out where things happened and the spatial relationship of things. But if no map is included, I won't seek one out.

I totally lost track of it being Thursday! Maybe partly because I'm joining in the ATY readathon, so I've been checking in page counts and such every day over there.

I haven't made the progress I wanted to on finishing my last 5 prompts for Popsugar, but I also didn't realize how long one of my planned books was. At least I'm working on it!

Finished Reading:
Valencia and Valentine This was sweet and sad and quirky. I didn't love it, but I did like it.

One of Us Is Lying Four stars, despite not liking all of the elements of the story, because it kept me really engaged with what was going on. I actually kind of guessed the solution earlyish but wasn't sure until near the end.

Walking Through Infertility: Biblical, Theological, and Moral Counsel for Those Who Are Struggling My husband's mother picked this book up for us. I appreciate that this book exists, and think it's worth reading if you're working through these issues, but it also was frustrating in places and would NOT work well for someone in one of the super emotional stages of infertility.

Carmilla This was okay, but I was hoping for a book that I enjoyed the way I enjoyed Dracula, and it only had surface similarities.

Currently Reading:
Wives and Daughters So far, very similar to the mini-series, but with a lot more detail, so it seems worth reading. (Even though it's 700 pages long...) Using this for a book published posthumously.

Desiring God: Meditations of a Christian Hedonist Another church group read, so this will likely be my Sunday afternoon book for a while.

The Fool's Girl Was originally going to use this for 'retelling of a classic', but already filled that prompt so this is just for ATY. I'm not enjoying it as much as I hoped, and think it's kind of weird for a YA book that though there are NO graphic descriptions of anything, there are all kinds of references to rape, brothels, slit throats, and so on. Not sure what age bracket this is meant for exactly.

The Astonishing Color of After My current audio book. Some parts of this book are really working well (the sythesthesia of the main character, the complex family relationships, etc) but for some reason the magical realism in this book is just not working for me as well as it did in Sourdough.

DNF:
Uglies Interesting premise, I just really. didn't. care. Too bad I didn't read this back when I loved all dystopians, because objectively it's probably at least as good as the Divergent series.

Eat Cake. Be Brave. After the one interesting story I just kept getting bored again every time I picked it up.

The Autobiography of Jean-Luc Picard I may try this again sometime because I can't decide if I actually didn't enjoy the writing style, or if I was just in the wrong mood.

QOTW:
I'm perfectly happy if there's no map and no compass directions or detailed travel explanations in a book. If there is a map, I'l probably glance at it the first time it matters to get just a general idea of the layout, and refer to it again if I get confused.

If it's a real location I'm a little more likely to google a map (or, now that I've started tracking what country my books are set in, google make sure I'm correct in my guess about which country a certain city is in) to get an idea of the geography, but I still don't always care enough to research.

The thing that really bugs me is inconsistency in how much maps and directions matter. If an author is going to throw in compass directions, they need to do it at the start of the journey, so I don't have mentally change where the sun is in a scene halfway through, or anything like that. Or, like Nadine said, if they're going to get detailed like it matters, they need to *actually* explain it clearly. I can do no map, or full/consistent map--in between is not good.

Overworked lawyer reporting in here. NYC weather continues unusually mild for this time of year. I'm not complaining mind you. I just wish I wasn't so tied to my office and could be out in it more!

I finished one book this past week. ONE! And it was a re-read of a beloved Heyer: Venetia. Not for any challenge (except it is this month's read-along in the GR Heyer Group). By Saturday last week my brain was so overworked that I needed to read something that was familiar. Off I went to enjoy Venetia and Damerel fall in love all over again. Every time I re-read favorites like this, I appreciate some new aspect. This time, I was forcefully reminded of just how similar to Anne in Persuasion is Venetia and her situation - taken for granted and surrounded selfish, self-centered people with no one to talk to, or as she says in the book, no one to laugh with who gets her humor. Until Damerel. Since finishing it the other day, I've learned that it is actually considered a retelling of The Beauty & the Beast. Took me a bit but I think I see that now. I might actually need to read the fairy tale which in the original French is novel length. Can anyone recommend a good translation? I'm not sure my French - or my overstretched mind right now -- is up to reading the original French. OH! and I still needed a book for PS retelling prompt! SCORE!

Currently reading:

The Lost Love Letters of Henri Fournier - Book with 'love' in the title. I had to restart this one and am really enjoying this novel about a french writer who died at the very beginning of WWI and left behind one remarkable published book and an unfinished one that was hidden by his family until 2013. Set in 3 times periods - 1912-14, 1975, and 2013 - we meet Fournier, Pauline the older married woman he loved at the time of his death, and Sebastian (Seb) Fowler, a British-American who published a book about Fournier in the 1970s and now in 2013 is semi-retired, mourning the sudden death of his beloved wife, and is asked to look at and help find a buyer for the 'found' Fournier novel. It's a meandering story, moving between time periods and POV, addressing love, writing, duty, death and mourning, and I'm really enjoying it. The slow pace of the story suits my reading it in snatched moments.

The Master and Margarita - I made progress - but very little before I realized I needed to read a familiar story. But did read all the intros and the first scene.

QOTW: I LOVE maps in books! And I absolutely look at maps of where stories occur. When I am familiar with the setting, it is very much in my mind. And I get really ticked off if the author has gotten the real geography wrong. Dan Brown in The DaVinci Code has some serious mistakes in the car chase in Paris at the beginning of the book - and they are really sloppy ones too.

These weeks are starting to go by too fast and I feel like my reading is not keeping up! I finished 2 books. One was for this challenge so I'm now 32/50.

Finished:
Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor...not for the challenge. I've read several angel books, but none with chimaera and I liked seeing both sides. It took a bit for me to get into it but once I did, I didn't want to put it down.

Warcross by Marie Lu for a LitRPG book. I loved this book!

Currently reading:
The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton...on hold for summer challenges.

The Night Tiger by Yangsze Choo for a book with a zodiac sign or astrology term in title. I'm listening to the audiobook and the storyline is moving a little too slow for me right now.

About the Night by Anat Talshir for summer challenges and I might move some books around to use it for PS as well.

The World of Lore: Monstrous Creatures by Aaron Mahnke for A Game of Booksathon.

QOTW: I always study and refer to maps if they're included in the book, usually fantasy books. If it's a real place, sometimes I'll google it to have an idea where it is and what the area looks like.

I haven't checked in in ages. I had a couple of books that took an eternity to get through, and it seemed silly to write a post that named the same book(s) every week.

But, I finished the Audible version of The Mueller Report: Presented with Related Materials by The Washington Post. We had rain all weekend, so I sat and knitted and listened. And listened. And listened. 19+ hours. (I listed this as an additional odd-chapter-titles book for the challenge: "Volume I: V. Prosecution and Declination Decisions. C. Russian Government Outreach and Contacts. 2. Potential Coordination: Foreign Agent Statutes (FARA and 18 U.S.C. §951). 2.a. Governing Law" is a chapter title.)

Read Mixed Fancies, Brenda Blethyn's lovely memoir. "A book recommended by a celebrity you admire" (Also, first and last names with the same letter. And, two-word title.) Blethyn herself recommends it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCIPU...

Read (and adored) This Is How It Always Is. I can count it as an additional family story for that prompt. (I originally listed Little Women as a book about a family, a book with a wedding, a book becoming a movie in 2019, and a few other things.)

And currently reading Tales From The Mound: Third Edition featuring The Mazzone Method . This will be an extra book in the season it takes place AND book about a puzzle or game. Leo Mazzone was the pitching coach for my Atlanta Braves in the Maddox-Glavine-Smoltz era.

I'm at 31/40, 7/10 on the PopSugar Challenge.

QOTW

Love books with maps and books with family trees. And a book with a "Cast of Characters" is always welcome. (I'm talking to you, Robert S. Mueller III.) If a book takes place in a real-life locale, I'll sometimes bring up Google Maps on the phone while I'm reading and use that to figure out where everyone is.

10/50

Finished:
The First Time She Drowned - #17

Currently Reading:
Primavera con una esquina rota - #6
Adaptation- #7
The Light in the Ruins - #19
A Girl Like That - #31

QOTW:
I don't really pay attention to the location relationships while reading

Hi Everyone,
I finished one book for the BR read harder challenge. Riots I Have Know by Ryan Chapman. I read it for a book written in prison. It also works for the pop sugar prompts a debut novel, a book with an article of clothing on the cover,a book published in 2019.

I glance at maps & start to think the book may be complicated. I start reading but never go back to the map.

Slowing down as I complete the final challenge prompts….

I read Sleeping Giants (puzzle). This was very disappointing. Intriguing concept but the b-movie level dialogue and cardboard characters ruined it for me. Almost a DNF. 1 star.

Also read Pride and Prejudice (read on tv). One of my absolute favorites and I notice new things every time I pick it up. 5 stars.

Also read but not for the challenge-
Henry V

QOTW-
I really don’t refer to maps that often. I guess I’m a lazy reader!

I've having a tough time making myself read books that fit open challenge prompts. I usually average 2 books per week, but I'm rarely getting that this year so far. Still a little more than half a year to go, though.

I finished one book this week, not for the challenge (unless I later adjust my list).
Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid - 4 stars
While I didn't love this like I loved The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, I really enjoyed this book. The interview style kept me interested in a story that usually isn't my cup of tea (sex/drugs/rock-n-roll), and I rather liked some of the insights into relationships and life. For example:
“I used to think soul mates were two of the same. I used to think I was supposed to look for somebody that was like me. I don't believe in soul mates anymore and I'm not looking for anything. But if I did believe in them, I'd believe your soul mate was somebody who had all the things you didn't, that needed all the things you had. Not somebody who's suffering from the same stuff you are.”
“I think you have to have faith in people before they earn it. Otherwise it's not faith, right?”
“You have these lines you won’t cross. But then you cross them. And suddenly you possess the very dangerous information that you can break the rule and the world won’t instantly come to an end. You’ve taken a big, black, bold line and you’ve made it a little bit gray. And now every time you cross it again, it just gets grayer and grayer until one day you look around and you think, There was a line here once, I think.”

QOTW:
Geography is the weak spot in my brain, so I love books with maps (especially fantasy). And I love books with such a great sense of place that I have to google the locations.

Shannon wrote: "Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan: A book with an author from Asia, Africa, or South America. I stayed up past my bedtime to finish it. Not because it was that good, but because I was that ready to be done with it. I wasn't a fan. I'm excited to see the movie, though!"

I'm glad I'm not the only one. I didn't care for the movie, either, but it wasn't as painful to get through as the book. I was irrationally angry at all of the characters.

Hello everyone. Finally back on track with my goodreads goal, but still have a little bit of catching up to do on challenges.

Finished
The Priory of the Orange Tree - 40. Popsugar 2017 A book with more than 800 pages
This book is massive. I enjoyed it, though I think it's a bit longer than it needed to be. I liked some story lines more than others.

The Only Harmless Great Thing - 40. Popsugar 2016 A book with less than 150 pages
This book was just weird and I'm not sure I really understood it.

So long, and thanks for all the fish - ATY52 Book with a weird title

Progress
PS - 21/52 | ATY - 23/52 | BR - 15/24

Currently Reading
Monstress, Vol. 3: Haven
Otherworld
Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk

QOTW
Maps in books are pretty neat, but I rarely feel the need to study them or reference them while reading.

Anabell wrote: "On a different note it would also make it easier when the author decide to name every d*** character almost the same. I am horrible with names and this has made me dnf some books as I couldn't keep track of who the author was talking about. (Sorry about the rant...)"

Yeah, what's up with that? Thousands of names available and they pick similar names? It makes me crazy. I often take notes since I hate looking back in the book.