Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge discussion
2019 Weekly Checkins
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Week 52: 12/20 - 12/26
Who can believe that it's about to be 2020? Remember all the build up to Y2K and the end of a century and all that stuff. And now it's going to be 20 years after that! The passing of time is really an amazing thing. I have been reading a bunch of short, light books lately, while I get ready to start the 2020 reading next week. This week I finished:Living Dead in Dallas and Club Dead because I'm re-reading the Sookie Stackhouse books. It's one of my favorite series and I haven't re-read it since 2013. I'm really enjoying it again this time through.
I also finished The Unhoneymooners, which was fine. And Someone to Care which was also fine. I'll probably just be reading Sookie Stackhouse for the rest of 2019, though.
QOTW: I'm doing popsugar again, of course. And I'm also trying ATY because the prompts over there looked fun. I usually set my goodreads goal at 52. I'm pretty far over that this year, but I don't think I'll change it for next year. A book a week is a sufficient goal for me.
My other goal this year, which is more of a change, really, is that I am going to add a few things to my book journal. I've been keeping a book journal for 17 years. I don't want to get too crazy or time-consuming, but there is some more information I'd like to start keeping in there. Particularly, the page number and sentence/paragraph where the title of the book first appears. I always notice it and I sometimes wish I had kept it, so I'm going to start. I may also add some graphics and page counts.
Happy reading everyone, see you next year!
Happy Holidays Everyone! Somehow I totally forgot to post last week so I have two weeks to post today!Finished:
The Wedding Date - I have a copy of The Proposal that I've been meaning to read so figured I start with this one. It was cute, but predictable. 4 stars
The Christmas Pact - I wanted to read at least one Christmas story so I picked this as on of my free Audible Originals this month. It was very similar to The Wedding Date, but a cute story. 3 stars
The Better Liar - I have an ARC of this so wanted to read it before it's released. I thought it was very good, but I was able to figure out part of the twist. It was still a 4 star read though.
Lost Roses - I loved Lilac Girls so was excited to read the prequel. I really enjoyed this, but found the beginning a little hard to get into so I gave this one 4 stars.
Currently Reading:
Ninth House - I had to put this on hold to finish a library book that is due back today!
Educated - this is the library book that is due back! This book is great so far! I still have about 100 pages left though.
The Whispers of War - I just started an ARC of this today.
Red, White & Royal Blue - I just started listening to this today.
QOTW - What are your reading goals for 2020? Any challenges besides Popsugar? Do you set a Goodreads reading goal (or just a personal # of books to read? Do you have any other personal goals for your reading life?
I'm definitely doing Popsugar again in 2020. I'm also participating in a challenge in one of my facebook book groups. I usually do some smaller side challenges in different facebook groups as well.
I haven't set my Goodreads goal yet. I had a goal of 40 this year based on how many books I read in 2018, and I've finished 120 books this year so I definitely want to increase my goal. However, I don't want to set my goal too high because I'm not sure how much time I'll be able to read at work moving forward.
My personal goal, is to get through more books that I actually own. I end up wanting to read newer books when they come out and forget about the ones I own. I'm trying to incorporate as many as possible into different challenges to make myself get through them. I also want to try different genres since I currently read a lot of mysteries/thrillers and historical fiction.
QOTW: Just doing the pop sugar reading challenge. Adding 2 books to make it 52. So for fave prompt from prior year, I'm doing 2019, 18 and 17. I also like to read a Christmas book for Christmas, so hopefully will finish the challenge by first half of December. I finished in October this year, so hopefully won't be a problem. I'm also going to read the banned book whenever I feel like it, not necessarily during banned books week. I'm such a rebel.
Under the glow of holiday lights, I managed 2 critical 2019 finishes!First up - I finished Proust's Within a Budding Grove, which means Volume I of his magnum opus Remembrance of Things Past: Volume I - Swann's Way & Within a Budding Grove is DONE! 2020 has me starting The Guermantes Way, Vol. II.
Also read Troilus and Cressida by Shakespeare for my last remaining AtY prompt...which has been awaiting completion for MONTHS.
So both 2019 PS and AtY finished. I also completed in PBT (Play Book Tag another GR Group) all monthly challenges plus both Horizons and Trim my TBR. What I have not yet finished is my GR Reading Challenge. I set a goal of 173, and have hit only about 163. I will get closer as I read some Christmas romances and cozy mysteries this next week, but might not make it. That is ok though. And as most were books from my TBR Towers...I am really pleased.
Currently reading several Christmas romances...novella collections.
QOTW: I will be doing 2020 PS but not AtY. The prompts just don't excite me, and between PS, PBT, and Proust (oh my! Triple P!), my reading plate is full.
I will be continuing on my Proust journey as part of a monthly discussion group that finishes in June. That is a big time commitment as Proust is not easy. I am really enjoying it though!
PS - I don't plan, just read what I want and see how it fits. Eventually I do have to do some choosing and planning to finish, but not right now. I am even considering seeing if I can use some form of crime fiction for each prompt.
GR Reading Challenge - I will set a number that is the average of the last several years...probably around 170.
PBT - I will be doing the monthly tags - January is 'thriller'. There are also 2 year long challenges I will participate in. Decade Bingo has you reading books published in specific years that once read allow you to fill in a Bingo card. The second is Poll Tally, and somehow I became a team moderator there, LOL. It uses the electoral college votes which you individually and as part of a team collect by reading a book tagged in GR with a specific tag that has been assigned to a state. For example, tag 'education' is assigned to Arkansas, and if you read a book tagged on GR as 'education' (Educated) you and your team get some of the electoral votes from Arkansas. Goal is to get to 270 by election day.
Lastly, my main goal is to keep reading from my TBR. At least 3/4 of my annual reading is from books I already own-a good thing.
Happy Thursday, y’all! And if you celebrate it, hope you had a good Christmas. :)Books read this week:
Machineries of Joy -- story collection by one of my favorite authors, Ray Bradbury. Excellent as always.
Owls in the Family -- I enjoy a good animal story, and this one had cute and funny moments. But the casual (if unintended) cruelty towards animals bothered me throughout. I get that these were kids and the time period was different (the 1930s I believe), but still, these owls deserved better treatent.
The Changeling King -- graphic novel, sequel to Estranged. These books are a fantastic take on the “changeling” myth and the fae, with great art and stories that are a nice balance between personal drama and fantasy intrigue. Highly recommended!
Aquicorn Cove -- graphic novel by the same author/artist who gave us The Tea Dragon Society. Cute and with adorable, colorful art, and while I didn’t enjoy it as much as the Tea Dragon books, it’s still a sweet and emotional read.
Currently Reading:
Practical Demonkeeping
QOTW:
I'm definitely doing PopSugar again, both the regular and the advanced lists. My personal goal is to whittle down the MASSIVE stack of books I've purchased but haven't gotten around to reading yet. Maybe I should refuse to buy more books until I've chipped it down...
One of my personal goals this year was to read at least 20% non-fiction. It's been quite a push the last couple of weeks, but I'm currently at 19.8% with two books in progress. Whew! I think I'm going to make it!Challenge Progress: 50/50
Completed:
Moving Forward: A Story of Hope, Hard Work, and the Promise of America: While interesting (and completely in line with my political sensibilities), this book just didn't capture my imagination or my heart the way I'd hoped it would. I appreciated the supporting materials - especially the recommendations of Twitter feeds and books. ★★★
The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History: Interesting, thought-provoking examination of the history (and future) of mass extinction. Kolbert provides a convincing argument that we are now engaged in a sixth mass extinction... not based on climate change, but a direct result of the Earth's most predatory invasive species. Humans. ★★★★
The Actor's Life: A Survival Guide: Okay, this wasn't what I expected. I picked it up without reading the blurb and was expecting a lighthearted "Hey, I worked on The Office!" memoir. Instead, it's an honest and insightful look at what it takes to make it as a working actor. I'd recommend it to anyone bitten by the acting bug. I listened to the audiobook version; once again I enjoyed listening to the author's own voice. ★★★★
William Shakespeare's Much Ado About Mean Girls: Really fun adaptation of one of my favorite movies into iambic pentameter! (You can't say that very often!) Full of puns and clever references to many of the bard's plays. Love Mean Girls? And Shakespeare? Go for it. So fetch! ★★★★
Currently Reading:Reading Behind Bars: A True Story of Literature, Law, and Life as a Prison Librarian and Unbelievable: My Front-Row Seat to the Craziest Campaign in American History
QOTW: I'm definitely going to continue the Popsugar challenenge and my personal challenge of 20% non-fiction (I feel like I learned a lot). I generally set my Goodreads challenge at 52. Even though I went way over that this year, a book a week feels right to me. I'm also going to attempt ATY next year, and I'm really trying to read more things from my monstrous TBR pile.
Happy Holidays, everyone!
Merry Christmas and Happy Hannakah to everyone who celebrates those holidays. My mother and I exchange books on Christmas Eve and read all evening. Since she usually gives me a book I want to use for the challenge, I gave myself permission to start a few days early. I've always finished the book that night. I might have jinxed myself, because I didn't finish even half of the book before I fell asleep! Finished
Mr. Dickens and His Carol by Samantha Silva. I hated this book. I only finished it because it was an audiobook and my drive was very, very long. I gave it one star. Euan Morton, however, was an excellent narrator. I’m adding him to my list of preferred narrators.
The Christmas Pact by Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward. This was one of the Audible originals for this month. It was a cute Christmas story. It would have been better without creepy romance tropes, though.
The Deal of a Lifetime by Fredrik Backman. I don’t really have any feelings at all about this Christmas short story. It felt like there wasn’t a lot of heart in this one.
Nemesis Games (The Expanse #5) by James SA Corey. Wow! This was a great book. I didn't know where the story would go after the fourth book. I didn't expect this! I wish I'd brought the next book with me on vacation because now I have to wait to read it until I get home.
Reading
The Toymakers by Robert Dinsdale
A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
QOTW
I'm only doing this challenge. I do have some other reading goals. I'd like to 1) read all the standalone books I have sitting on my shelves, 2) read one Hercule Poirot book a month, 3) read 3 classic novels, 4) use the library more. I've planned out my reading for the challenge, and I think I can do all of those things this year.
Good morning! I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas, is having a happy Hanukkah, and whatever else I missed.Finished:
Boy has my reading slowed down. I only finished one book this week, The Lido.
Currently reading:
Mrs. Everything
An Uncertain Place
The Thanksgiving Visitor / A Christmas Memory
QOTW:
I am doing all the same challenges as this year: Popsugar, ATY, Read Harder, Reading Women, and Catching Up With the Classics Bingo. My goal is to read more classics, which is why I do the classic bingo challenge. Otherwise I am happy with my reading life. I do not set a Goodreads goal.
I hope everyone is enjoying the holidays! It's down to the wire but I am actually going to finish the challenge! I'm listening to the final book now. I don't think I will quite hit my overall reading goal of 100 books for the year (I'm at 89 complete now) but I am off work until the new year.Finished
The Water Dancer - I have always loved Coates' non-fiction style and really enjoyed his first novel. This was sort of a cheat to fill a prompt that I struggled with - a book you see someone reading on TV or in a movie. It was an Oprah Book Club pick so I assume it was featured on something on OWN, but I didn't actually see it myself.
Elevation - A quick Stephen King novella that I read in a day. It grew on me but some of it rubbed me the wrong way in the first half.
Currently Reading
The Moon is a Harsh Mistress - My last PS prompt! Using this for a book that inspired a common idiom. I'm listening to the audio because that is all my library had, and I'm about halfway through. It feels a little dated but not terrible.
Exhalation: Stories - There's a lot of variation between stories here and I'm enjoying it overall. I just finished what I think is the longest story of the book, "The Lifecycle of Software Objects," which was over 100 pages but really incredible.
Question of the Week
This week will be my 2020 goal-setting week so I haven't totally decided what my reading goals are for the next year. My first task is to clear off my overflowing bookshelves and send some books to a loving new home.
I have been toying with the idea of tackling the full Tournament of Books long list, which at 58 books would make it hard to also do PopSugar or any other longer challenge, although I could probably use a lot of those books to fill PS prompts. I'm also considering doing the Reading Women challenge. Even though I didn't quite get there this year, I will probably still set my overall reading goal at 100 books again for 2020.
Not a great reading week again but I'm still hopeful I will finish PS by the end of the year (on 49/53 as I do a favourite from each previous year) and ATY before school goes back. I've been very scatter-brained and unable to focus on reading lately due to life drama. I've decided my 4 A to Z challenges will be over 2 years rather than the 1 and I have almost finished 1 of the 4 (item on cover) and am about 3/4 through the other 3. A to Z was really just to see if it could be done so I still want to try and finish it for myself. I have also done PBT and Trim since I joined in May so have been a little excessive with what I set myself this year. The extra travel and personal dramas have seriously reduced my reading time, but the travel was so worth it.Finished: Dracula. Bram Stoker as reread of a favourite from when I was a teen.
Currently reading: Dark Matter for the 2 with the same name.
QOTW:
I'll set a GR target of 75 again (132 so far this year) as it is manageable without extra stress.
I'll start PS again, though I like the prompts less than any previous year so may not complete.
I'll also start ATY as a giant TRIM because as it turned out I had something for every prompt on my TBR once I looked at them more closely.
I'll also continue PBT because it is only one per month on the main challenge and I have really enjoyed being part of that group. I won't be doing the other official challenges for that group in 2020 though. I will join with the unofficial TRIM group.
Honestly I will still be reading lots but my health scares have made spending time with people who are important to me the priority for now and doing all the stuff I have always wanted to do while I am physically capable of doing it. So in Jan I am planning to go dive with a great white shark because I have always wanted to.
As a result if I don't finish I will still have lots of memories and can always read more when I can't do the other stuff.
Mod
Let's see, this week I finished:
Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men by Caroline Criado-Pérez (and by coincidence I also finished Disappearing Earth last week and the two titles back to back in my "read" list make me laugh) - it was very good but also very detailed and a bit of a slog so while I appreciate it, I can't say I enjoyed it.
Hollow Kingdom by Kira Jane Buxton - this started off SO STRONG, it had me laughing, it was weird, it was great. But then it sort of lost its way in the middle and the ending was weak. I look forward to what this author writes next.
An American Marriage by Tayari Jones - I found this to be incredibly compelling! but the ending was weak and kind of "Hallmarky" so in the end I liked it but did not love it.
Twixt Firelight and Water by Juliet Marillier - this was one of my "literary advent" shorts, which I don't usually mention here just to keep things, well, short ... but it's long enough to be a novella, not a short story, so I'm mentioning. I enjoyed this, but it will only really "work" for people who have read the other Sevenwaters books and know the back stories of the characters.
Sass & Sorcery (Rat Queens vol 1) by Kurtis J. Wiebe - my first xmas day graphic novel! I enjoyed this quite a bit, I'll definitely be reading the rest of the series.
Captain Marvel, Volume 1: Higher, Further, Faster, More by Kelly Sue DeConnick - this was good but it was not a standalone "volume 1" - there was clearly backstory I was missing that must have been included in another title. This was my second xmas day read - I took a nap in between the two so I only had time for two! Which means I have a TOWER of graphic novels at my bedside right now!! guess what I'll be reading a lot of in this week leading up to the 2020 challenge? :-)
QoTW
I think I need to back off on the reading goals, it's gotten to be too much for me. I seriously think I'm reading too much, it's cutting into the rest of my life and I should slow it down a tiny bit.
I'm definitely going to finish this Challenge in 2020, I'll probably finish the AtY Challenge (but I'm officially considering that "optional" for me in 2020), I'll finish my own Challenge of 12 books I need to read in 2020, and I'm TOYING with the idea of setting a goal of 60 books published in 2020 to be read in 2020 (I count picture books too, so I have so far read 61 books published in 2019 this year, that'll go up to at least 62 before the year is over) - but I probably won't set that as a goal, I get too stressed when I have a number I have to hit. I'm also aiming for 40% of my books to be by authors of color.
I'm officially rebelling against an overall book count for the year, I'm setting my GR goal at ONE BOOK (because I can't seem to just leave it empty).
I'm a little cranky because in 2019 I set all these weird reading goals for myself (like: read a bunch of books with "Salt" in the title, or read the four recent books with "American" in the title - I managed American Spy & An American Marriage, as you can see above, but I never got to American War or American Elsewhere this year) and I didn't finish any of them, so i'm all "what's the point???" about it right now. The last two years I read a short story every day in December leading up to xmas, but I kept forgetting to do it this year, so I think I might skip that next year.
School’s out and I got some reading done in my down time.Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt. This was a slow read for me but I really enjoyed it. More atmospheric than anything.
The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware. This was an okay read. I had a couple of problems with it. The conceit of it being letters to a lawyer kind of fell apart immediately. Unless, the main character was writing the letter in novel format. And the ending left a lot to be desired. I would watch this on Netflix though.
The Friend Zone by Abby Jimenez. A woman struggling with women’s health issues meets a new guy. I had some problems with this book. All of the problems and angst could’ve been solved with an actual adult conversation and the whole wish fulfillment at the end made me side-eye it. But I would read another of her books.
Artful Dodger by Nageeba Davis. Sculptor and teacher investigates her neighbor’s murder with some romance thrown in. It was enjoyable. I would read more.
Well Met by Jean Deluca. Contemporary romance. Woman moves home to help her sister who was in a traumatic accident. She joins a renaissance fair. Enemies to lovers trope which is my favorite. But it all felt shallow to me.
The Whisper Man by Alex North. Children abducted decades apart. The main character’s kid has imaginary friends. There were lots of great parts but it didn’t work for me.
QOTW:
I usually set my goodreads goal at 100 and meet that easily.
I’m doing the Popsugar and the Read Harder challenges. I didn’t do Read Harder last year because it was way too hard (very niche). This year seems a lot more doable.
Another goal is to read my book of the month books in the month I get them instead of sitting them on my shelf for six months.
Mod
First up - I finished Proust's Within a Budding Grove, which means Volume I of his magnum opus Remembrance of Things Pas..."
Congratulations! that's an accomplishment! I've never read Proust. Haha I probably never will! Life's too short for Proust ...
I've got this list of famous authors that I feel like I SHOULD read but I probably never will ... Proust, Faulkner, Roth ...
Mod
Finished:
Boy has my reading slowed down. I only finished one book this week, The Lido ..."
Did you like The Lido? That got mixed reviews when it first came out, so I wasn't sure if I wanted to read it.
Kenya wrote: "Maybe I should refuse to buy more books until I've chipped it down... ..."Good luck with that:)
Nadine wrote: "Milena wrote: "Good morning! I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas, is having a happy Hanukkah, and whatever else I missed.Finished:
Boy has my reading slowed down. I only finished one book t..."
I did. It may not be exciting enough for you (I really hope that doesn't come off snarky), but it was sweet and uplifting.
I haven't posted in this weekly discussion in a LOOOONNNNGGG time.... but it doesn't mean I wasn't participating in the POPSUGAR challenge... I'm two books away from finishing... TWO and since I'm solely focused on reading those, and I've got 5.5 days and I'm not working 4 of those, I'm feeling pretty good about my chances of finishing them. A lot happened this year, some good , some bad, and some just kept me busy and took me away from my reading. Finished:
Today Will Be Different by Maria Semple - 24. A book that takes place in a single day
Two for the Dough by Janet Evanovich - 30. A book featuring an amateur detective
The Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie - 50. A book set in an abbey, cloister, monastery, vicarage or convent
Let It Snow: Three Holiday Romances by John Green - 48. Two books that share the same title (I read Debbie Macomber's Let it Snow earlier in the month)
A Little Salty to Cut the Sweet: Southern Stories of Faith, Family, and Fifteen Pounds of Bacon by Sophie Hudson - 22. A book with SALTY, SWEET, BITTER, or SPICY in the title
Currently Reading:
The Rise of Magicks by Nora Roberts - 18. A book about someone with a superpower (although I really should double check my list because I may have already read one for this that I didn't already use in another prompt... or if I move things around... hmmm)
American War by Omar El Akkad - 41. A "cli-fi" (climate fiction) book
QotW
This year I surpassed my goal of 90 books but I don't think I'll get my page count goal... I was trying to read longer books and not focus on the number of books. I may do something similar for 2020.
PBT - I participate in the monthly tag as well as the yearly challenges.
This year I'm challenging myself to continue my personal growth journey. I am part of a book led group coaching and will be reading 6 books as part of that but I plan on reading an addition one per month.
I joined Book of the Month but barely read any of the great books that I received so I'm challenging myself to read one BotM book each month.
Hello! We had a wonderful holiday this week, and for that we feel blessed. Plenty of time with our family (those in town at least), with everyone in good spirits, and that's all we really wanted for Christmas. Finished this week:
Both Sides of the Iron Gates by William Robert MacKenzie, read for another challenge, an inspiring true story of someone who was able to overcome his early circumstances to live a full life
I have 3 more books to read before the year is out to meet my annual goal of 150.
QOTW: I have set my reading goals for 2020, and they are similar to this year. I'm going for 150 books again next year, plus completing the Pop Sugar Challenge and working on the Book Riot Challenge. I also plan to take another shot at the 80 Books Around the World challenge and the 50 States challenge. So far I haven't managed to complete either within a year, but it definitely keeps me reading books with new and unusual settings, which is fun.
We're spending the holidays in Northern California, which was sad to exchange the 70s temperatures for 50s, but at least I don't have as much housework to do out here. ;)This week I finished The Water Dancer on audio, which was really good. I loved that (view spoiler) And I found the themes of memory's connection to freedom, the symbolism of "conduction," and referring to the "coffin" of the South really powerful. I hope he writes more fiction.
I also listened to On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous which was beautiful. I feel like this book was what You Don't Have to Say You Love Me tried to be. I listened to both of these on audio, but while Vuong's came off as moving and powerful, Alexi's felt very whiny to me, and I was annoyed throughout most of the listening experience. I have a low tolerance for sex scenes in books so this didn't quite reach ToB zombie-vote or five-star levels for me, but it was close. His use of language and philosophical approach were admirable and I hope this book does well in the ToB.
I also listened to My Accidental Jihad which was recommended during a discussion of A Woman Is No Man. This was great. I wasn't as interested in the motherhood parts, but found it to be a very thoughtful exploration of her experiences building a life with a Muslim man.
I just finished Mary Toft; or, The Rabbit Queen for the ToB shortlist, and unfortunately I didn't love it as much as others seemed to. It was mostly the setting and subject matter that just weren't for me, but I would like to read the other novels by this author.
I'm currently reading Girl, Woman, Other on kindle and listening to Nothing to See Here.
QOTW: I'm at 192 books (hoping to finish 2-3 more before Wednesday) for this year, but I'm pretty sure I won't get to as many books in 2020 since I will likely be at a new job that is not work from home, so there will be a bit less time for audio books (except adding a commute). I might set my goal at 150 again. Along with a few others here, one of my main goals is to read more books that are already on my shelves. I picked up a lot from the Texas Book Festival this year and have plenty of older books on the shelves that are begging to be read. I incorporated a good amount of them into my Popsugar and ATY challenge plans, but those always change as the year goes on. We'll see. Oh and I also hope to be a completist for the ToB shortlist this year (I missed it by one book last year because of a library hold issue).
Mod
Not snarky! Especially considering that I often complain that a book is too slow or has no plot ... we all have a type, and my type leans towards adventure books :-) But every once in a while I DO like a sweet uplifting book so I'm still unsure!
In my family we joke that Boxing Day is the day where you get to fight everyone about bad things they said at Christmas (no one actually fights, we are civilized!), but I think I read somewhere that it originated because landowners in England used to take their tenants boxes of food and clothes and other things the day after Christmas. I'm too lazy to actually fact-check that, though.Oh wow I really did not get much read this week. I'm saving a lot of things I'm excited about for 2020 challenge prompts so a lot of this week is just getting through things I have that I'm not using:
The Curated Closet: A Simple System for Discovering Your Personal Style and Building Your Dream Wardrobe: as someone very much trying to find their personal style, I found this really useful, especially the section on color palette.
Page: Just as great as I remember! I'm rereading the Protector of the Small series for a holiday dose of nostalgia.
Currently reading:
The Starless Sea
Oathbringer (audio)
Squire
QOTW: Ah, reading goals! I have a few. I'm doing the Popsugar challenge again (this time with a small group of IRL friends!) and also aiming to only read books by women or NB authors for it too. I don't think it'll be very hard because I managed to pencil in about half the prompts before realizing none of the books I picked were by men. As far as number of books, hopefully under 100 total. By the end of next week I think I'll have done 205 for the year, but that represents such a significant chunk of time in my life and I really should focus on like, my career, or something.
Good afternoon from sunny Columbus! I hope everyone who celebrates had an amazing Christmas!I’m in the middle of three books, and they’ll likely be done by the 31st so I’ll have completed all the challenges I set out to do this year!
The Changeling for the second half of the two books with the same title prompt. Even if I didn’t know ahead of time that this was written in the 70s, I would have immediately been able to tell that’s when it was written even though the book doesn’t give any specific time reference. It had that same “what just happened” vibe that so many movies and books from that decade give off to me. I’m not even sure if I can accurately say what this book is about? A woman gets swept up by a rich man, lives with his eccentric family on their private island, she has a baby but then thinks he’s been switched out with a different baby (the book doesn’t really seem to explore that topic though), she becomes an alcoholic, hangs out with the children living on the island and everything is crazy? If someone else has read this and wants to message me to help me understand I’d greatly appreciate it lol.
Hiddensee: A Tale of the Once and Future Nutcracker for the Marisha Pessl challenge. This is written by the same author of Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West. But this book is about the life of Herr Drosslemeyer, and how the Nutcracker came to be. This wasn’t as fun as I thought it’d be but I still enjoyed it. I was hoping for more Nutcracker references but the events of that night are only glossed over.
The Minotaur Takes His Own Sweet Time for the mystical creature prompt. I’m almost done with this one! It’s a sequel to The Minotaur Takes a Cigarette Break, I really enjoy both of these. Just the premise alone is so creative I have to appreciate what the author did, modern day but with mythical creatures living among us working normal jobs and trying to get by. His writing style and story telling is so compelling. The actual plot is fine, but all together they’re two books I really appreciate.
House of Leaves Another I’m almost done with, the last prompt for my Marisha Pessl challenge. I’ve been slowly working my way through this since October. I really, really love what the author did here.
Lolly Willowes for a book I meant to read in 2018. I started this last night and will probably be done with it later today. So far, I really like this story but the writing style is kind of choppy.
And that’s conclude all of my challenges! I did Popsugar, the Marisha Pessl challenge, and the Read Harder challenge as my year round challenges. I also did the full goodreads summer challenge over summer break. I plan to do a similar amount of challenges but if Marisha Pessl doesn’t do a second challenge I’ll probably look for another or just make a persona challenge out of the book of the month club’s selections (at some point I decided I really enjoyed every book I’d gotten from that subscription, so I should make it a point to read the books I didn’t pick too).
Happy Boxing Day! My boyfriend always spends today with his dad and brother, so I'm home alone with the dog, feasting on leftovers!I haven't really been reading this week but I did finally finish The Rosewater Redemption. I just wasn't feeling it but glad I know how it all ends.
Instead I've been doing my fiendishly difficult Ankh Morpork puzzle that I got last Christmas!
QOTW:
I'm doing ATY and Popsugar next year and going to tick off Read Harder prompts but not try too hard to complete that one. I usually set my Goodreads goal to a lower number than I think I will read so it doesn't nag me all year about being behind! Last couple of years that's been 100, which is easy to keep pace with.
I also want to make a dent in my owned TBR, but I'm not setting a formal goal for next year. I'm back filling old challenge prompts with TBR books but I won't complete that in 2020.
Hi everyone. Hope you all had a great Christmas (if you celebrate). I didn't finish any books this week due to visiting family and last minute preparations. In my infinite wisdom, I optimistically took out a huge stack of books from the library which do not fit any 2020 prompts, thinking I'd get through them quickly and now I do not have enough time to read them before the new year. I'm currently reading Dread Nation and The Secret Commonwealth but the latter is so ridiculously bulky, there's no way I'll get it finished before the due date unless I skip work lol
QOTW: I normally set my goodreads goal at 52 so I know how on track I am for the challenge and then up it once i finish the challenge. I am thinking of adding my own little mini challenge of reading at least one non-fiction book a month because I have so many on my TBR that I never get round to reading
Mod
Oh, Katy! You are SUCH a rebel! You made me laugh! Thank you for that!
Hi everyone!So relieved to be through all family obligations for the year. Obviously I love them all, but super stressful. I don't think we're even doing anything for new years because I've been such a wreck the last two months that I haven't been able to even think about anything past Christmas.
This week I finished:
For a Few Demons More - hollows re-read, always fun.
Descender, Vol. 6: The Machine War - finished up the series, I enjoyed it. the art was so lovely in this. It'd be a good option for the AI/Robot prompt for those who want something quick. Even reading all 6 would probably be shorter than some options and you get lovely art with it.
Ascender, Vol. 1: The Haunted Galaxy - new series continuing 10 years after Descender ends. I liked it overall, but it didn't feel only 10 years later. The kind of dramatic changes in the whole galaxy seemed like they should have taken at least a few days if not centuries to occur.
The Mermaid's Voice Returns in This One - i loved the previous poetry book I read by her, so was excited to find this on hoopla. I think it would have been better to find it in print though, hoopla's formatting made all the poems run together and it was hard to tell where one ended and the next started. Was harder to absorb and appreciate them. It was still good, I like her poetry style and I'm not really much for poetry.
The Night Circus - with all the stress of Christmas I just wanted to sink into an old favorite. I just always love this book so much.
QOTW:
This year i did 4 reading challenges, and mostly finished them all. 3 fully finished, Popsugar, ATY, and Read Harder. Reading women I finished all but one of the main prompts. I got about halfway through The Wreath for book written before 1950 in translation by a woman. It was tedious, and just couldn't find interest to finish and i couldn't find anything else i really wanted to read in it's place.
Decided to cut down challenges for next year. I was only going to do popsugar, but I ended up really loving the Read Harder challenges, so I guess i'm doing two haha. Doing 4 was just too much, I felt like i HAD to read books for challenges first and ended up sitting on stuff I'd rather be reading. Also I'm trying to make more of a point of reading books I already own. I say this as two holds just came up from the library for books I planned for next year's challenges. Oops.
I honestly feel like i do pretty well making myself read diversely on my own. not 100% but i'm pretty pleased with my overall list. So I don't really NEED the challenges to broaden my horizons, they're more just a fun checklist. So if it becomes stressful, it's a sign to cut back.
My GR goal will probably be 175 again, I'm at about 190ish right now so I think it's within a good range. As a note, a lot of those are comic trades which I can read a couple in a single sitting if i'm motivated.
Mod
Wow! Some great nonfiction recs here! Thanks!
Mod
As much as I love reading, I applaud you for doing things you enjoy and spending time with those who are important to you. As you say, you can read later...
Hello All, with yesterday being a holiday I forgot today was Thursday check in day. I finished 2 books for the week. Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows by Balli Kaur Jaswai. Rated it a 3. I liked it but have wanted to read it since 2017 so not sure it lived up to my expectations. The other book was White House by Amy Bloom. Another book I have wanted to read since it came out. I rated it a 2. I have been through with challenges for a while so I struggle to find books to read while waiting on a new year. ‘‘Tis the season, I just had an epiphany. I will start a list of books to read not related to challenges or book clubs. Thanks friends. Now on to questions of the week. Challenges besides Pop sugar? Book Riot read Harder,for the first time ATY IN 52 Books. Also belong to 2 face to face book clubs. Do you set Goodreads reading goals? You can set Goodreads reading goals? What is this ? Do you set a # of books? Yes I do. This year I set 50 & I have read 89. I will make 90. I would love to set my # at 100 but I never imagined I would read 100 books in a year in my lifetime. So 2020 my # of books will be 90. I will be freaking. Any other personal goals for my reading life. Yes. I am going to try hard not to read a book set during WWII during 2020. I am reading a Maggie Hope book now to get it out of my system.
Happy Thursday and happy last check-in of the year. I'm happy that the holidays are over for the most part. I don't hate them I just feel meh about them. I do love giving gifts to my loved ones, however. I'm very excited about the new year and having a small celebration at my little sister's new apartment. We plan to do a seafood boil :)
My reading has been all over the place. I haven't been focused on anything and I've been feeling very sad since I realize I won't complete the challenge. It will only be by a few books so I'm happy overall.
FINISHED:
Pop A graphic novel that I wanted to use for prompt #10. I mistakenly thought Sweet Tooth, Volume 1: Out of the Deep Woods was for another prompt but i wasn't. Both were quick reads.
At this point I know I won't be finishing up the 40 prompts. I'll complete 2 more books to make it 36 or 38. I'm not completely sure lol.
Currently Reading
The Knife of Never Letting GoWow is all I can say. This book had me intriqued and sucked into the story almost immediately. I'm using it for prompt #1but I just recently found out that it won't become a movie until next year.
Question of the week:
What are your reading goals for 2020? Any challenges besides Popsugar? Do you set a Goodreads reading goal (or just a personal # of books to read? Do you have any other personal goals for your reading life?
I plan to do the Popsugar challenge as well as the Goodreads challenge. I'll only do the regular 40 prompts for Popsugar and set a GR goal of 80 books. I went over my challenge of 70 this year. I also have a goal of reading 10 books that have been made into movies or television shows.
Happy Holidays! I wish you all peace, love, joy, and lots of books for the coming new year. I have three books to finish to complete this challenge. I've started them all, but am only nearing completion on one of them. It's going to be interesting to see if I make it on time.
Instead of reading my challenge books, I read a Christmas book and three "next in series" books.
The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus by L. Frank Baum - 4 stars; not for challenge
There is apparently a longer version of this book, but this short one was adorable. It was an interesting origin story, and I loved the pictures as well.
The Accomplice by John Grisham - 4 stars; not for challenge
This is the 7th book of the author's middle-grade series about an aspiring lawyer middle-schooler who helps his classmates with their legal and criminal issues. It's a very cute series, and I love the main character Theodore Boone.
The Confession Club by Elizabeth Berg - 4 stars; not for challenge
I discovered this series earlier this year about a group of people in a small southern town. This is the third book, and I do not know if there will be more. But it has been a delightful place to visit.
This Bitter Earth by Bernice L. McFadden - 3 stars; not for challenge
I read Sugar for the challenge, and while it was just an okay book, I did want to see what happened next. This one was still just okay, but glad I finished it out.
Goodreads: 96/90
PopSugar: 45/47, 9/10
QOTW:
I've done both PopSugar and ATY the past two years, but I am going to drop ATY for this year unless I finish PopSugar early. I have set a Goodreads goal for a few years now and will continue to do so. I haven't decided what number to use next year, but will likely do about the same as this year. On the assumption I finish PopSugar in the next week, this will be my second year to complete it (I made half-hearted attempts for 2015 to 2017).
I probably have too many other reading goals I attempt each month (an Agatha Christie, a Shakespeare play, a Pulitzer Prize winner, a book from a Well Read list, a new release, a next in series). I don't beat myself up if I don't get all of them, though. Reading is fun and doesn't need to be stressful.
I barely read at all and only just finished my bedtime audio I've had for a while now. I still need to begin my last book, though if I looked through my read list I could probably fill that in if I don't get to my book club book by the 31st. We went to see Star Wars on Christmas Eve and cried most of the way through it. I was 7 when the first movie came out, so it was a big day for me.Finished:
Meet Mr. Mulliner - Not my fave Wodehouse, but not sure if it's the book or just Christmas in retail exhaustion.
Currently Reading:
Honestly nothing lately but still in progress are
If on a Winter's Night a Traveller
A Gathering of Shadows
Need to re-read The Night Circus as my book club book/possible last prompt
I might also read the one book I got for Christmas that I actually have been wanting a long time, Frank Gehry in Pop-Up
QOTW:
I've been setting my Goodreads goal to 50 or 52 lately, enough to finish the challenge. I've been way over that, but my only real goal for the year is just to finish popsugar. Everything else I'll either do or I won't. I've been looking at different reading spreadsheets, and the BookRiot one looks pretty good. If I try using that one I might add that challenge, and double dip from this one.
I'd like to try to read more physical books. I find it hard to read them at home, when the computer is calling. If I do try I tend to fall asleep very quickly, which is counterproductive. I've yet to find a solution to that problem.
Nadine wrote: "Theresa wrote: "Under the glow of holiday lights, I managed 2 critical 2019 finishes!First up - I finished Proust's Within a Budding Grove, which means Volume I of his magnum opus Remembrance of ..."
I do have a bucket list of books to read...rather than authors. Proust and I go way back...to college French classes...and but for this discussion group, I would likely not get it read. Plus the approach is just to read it like any fiction..not get caught up in researching influences and history.
But it is definitely tres nerdy.
Happy belated holidays, everyone.Didn't check in last week because there was nothing to report. Have since finished The Murmur of Bees and The Goldfinch. Enjoyed both. Murmur of Bees was a 5-star (and my review of it as such was liked by the author, EEP).
Currently reading Dickens' Christmas Books. Christmas Carol was great. Cricket on the Hearth was a bit over-sugary. Just started Battle of Life, it's okay. Not going to complete this till New Year because The Chimes is a new-year story.
Next up will be Midwinter.
I've barely read since I've been abroad... mainly, I theorize, because I can't get a moment's peace...
QOTW: I generally try to read somewhere in the neighbourhood of 200 books a year, but I set my GR goal at 100 to start, then edit it upwards as the year goes on.
I'm doing Popsugar again next year, and ATY, but I think that might be it. I did a bunch of challenges this year and have been ignoring and falling behind on all of them, so I want to cut down.
Personal goals, there's a few things I've been meaning to reread for a while, like Garth Nix's Old Kingdom series.
Nadine wrote: "Milena wrote: "I did. It may not be exciting enough for you (I really hope that doesn't come off snarky), but it was sweet and uplifting...."Not snarky! Especially considering that I often compl..."
I like this because it shows people in the groups actually take notice of what each other likes. If someone can be bothered to notice what others like that is actually a complement.
Finished:Light the Dark: Writers on Creativity, Inspiration, and the Artistic Process (anthology challenge.) Pretty enjoyable. One of my take-aways was that many modern writers write to explore where the characters will take them in a story, as opposed to someone like James Joyce, who plans out the structure of his novel. I think either way is valid, but these writers were more of the opinion that the exploratory option is the only true way to give life to a story.
Started:
How to Hold a Grudge: From Resentment to Contentment—The Power of Grudges to Transform Your Life This one interests me because the author is not a traditional psychologist or self-help writer. She is more widely known for her poetry and thrillers. So, it felt like this book was something that really called itself into being through her.
Tilly and the Bookwanderers (A book that has a book on its cover challenge.) A family member and I almost ended up gifting this one to each other, so I'm pretty excited about this one!
QotW: I'm planning to only do 38-39 of the Pop Sugar Challenge to give myself a little wiggle room. Not super excited about doing the Western or the Medical Thriller, although if I find something good, I might change my mind. Not doing any other challenges this year. Oops, I forgot I'm doing a challenge with my library for January to read 12 hours. That should be easy. As far as personal goals go, every year for Lent I give up acquiring books (either buying or borrowing from the library), so I focus that time on books I've already bought. I never set myself a book limit on Goodreads because I would rather set it in terms of pages and book lengths are too varied for that to translate well.
Happy Thursday Everyone & Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays! I hope that everyone is enjoying their break!This week was pretty disasterous for me as far as staying on track to finish my 2019 challenge in 2019...6 books in the next 5 days would maybe be doable but I'd rather just relax and enjoy some downtime with my family as well! I had a goal of 4-5 books this past week and ended up only reading 2 BUT I did spend a lot of time with my family and to me that's more important than finishing my 2019 challenge "on time". I'll wrap it up in the first week of January instead and I'm still proud of that considering I didn't start at all until August and was only halfway at the beginning of November!
Current Progress - 47/53
Read This Week
Legend (Legend #1) by Marie Lu for 41) A "cli-fi" (climate fiction) book ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - I was pleasantly surprised by this one and loved it! I love YA dystopia, I love puzzles/word games & I love it when as a reader your perspective on things changes mid book when you get more information and this book combined all of those elements! I definitely want to continue the series soon and am sort of sad that I didn't include it in any of my 2020 challenge prompts but I'll make time for it for sure! :)
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn for 5) A Book with at least 1 million ratings on GoodReads ⭐️⭐️⭐️ - I probably would have enjoyed this much more if I had not already seen the movie a while ago (rare for me!) as the twists probably would have surprised me then. I didn't particularly care for the ending of this book either. I definitely remember enjoying the movie more because the plot was somewhat entertaining.
Currently Reading
Scarlet (The Lunar Chronicles #2) by Marissa Meyer for 35) A Book by an author whose first and last names start with the same letter - This had a slow start compared to Cinder but it's starting to get interesting now - about 1/3rd of the way in.
QotW
I think in 2020 I'll just stick to planning for PS and to slay my TBR, my ongoing series and my current shelves! My physical book pile has gotten a little out of hand and is far from able to fit on my shelves now that my sister has brought me several books that she has finished!
I may possibly fill in the prompts for ATY or for the HP Flourish & Blots fb page challenge but they will be largely unplanned.
I do want to challenge myself to read 100 books next year though! My highest year to date has been 83. I guess it depends if my migraines hold off or not? We'll see if I can actually accomplish that!
My only other personal reading goal is just to include a lot of different genres & mix it up with my reading to avoid any slumps. I definitely already have some books set aside for next year that are out of my norm so I'm excited to test the waters and see if I love them or hate them!
Hello- hope everyone is doing well this week. It’s been several weeks since I’ve checked in but I’ve mostly been rereading some old friends. I did finish one new book on Christmas Day:Lonesome Dove which let me finish out the 2017 PS challenge.
QOTW :
Popsugar is my primary challenge for 2020 but I will also be doing ATY and Around the World. ATY will be done in order, like this year and Around the World I do kind of from the side- I just try to pick a fair number of my books for PS and ATY from countries I haven’t read from before. That worked well for me this year so I’ll continue on. I also have 25 prompts from the 2018 PS challenge to be able to say I’ve completed all of the PS challenges to date. As I read books for ATY and Around the World that don’t fit the 2020 PS challenge, I’ll try to pick things that will finish out 2018.
Happy Holidays everyone. I'm late checking in because I spent most of today shopping, and then I pushed to finish my last book for the challenge. Funnily enough, my mother and I got in an argument today about why it's called Boxing day and so she looked it up -> It is because it was the day landowners would send out Christmas boxes. (I was right!). Books I finished:
Glass Houses - This wasn't great, but I needed a book with an author with the initials RC before Dec. 23rd, so I powered through.
In an Absent Dream - I wanted to at least finish off 1 of the series rereads I'd started before the end of the year. 
Shadow Rising - This was a silly romance that's the 3rd in the series. The first was a really interesting world, but the MCs were kinda bland and boring. The second was better, but it still was kinda disposable. This one however was so much better. 
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone - I realized I haven't read these since 2010. And as an added bonus, it satisfies a challenge.QOTW
I'm also active in The Lost Challenges Group here on Goodreads and that has lots of challenges of which I'm usually participating in about 20 to 30 at any given time. I'm also thinking about trying ATY for next year, but I haven't completely made up my mind. I'm going to set my Goodreads goal at 100 and then see if I need to reassess later I the year.
Doni wrote: "Finished:Light the Dark: Writers on Creativity, Inspiration, and the Artistic Process (anthology challenge.) Pretty enjoyable. One of my take-aways was that many modern writers wri..."
That's a great idea for lent!
This week I finished: All Eyes on Us: This was alright. I didn't figure out the twist and definitely feel like I should have. Also it had LGBTQ characters, which I think is great.
The Unofficial Harry Potter Insults Handbook: 101 Comebacks For The Slytherin In Your Life: My friend got me this as a gag gift, and I thought it was fun. I may start telling people to "go splinch yourself" now.
Question of the week:
What are your reading goals for 2020? Any challenges besides Popsugar? Do you set a Goodreads reading goal (or just a personal # of books to read? Do you have any other personal goals for your reading life?
My goals are to finish PopSugar 2020 and PopSugar 2015, and continue to work on the other years. I also plan to read one classic per month, from the collection that I inherited, and also one book a month that I own but haven't read. My Goodreads goal is always 100 books. It it challenging, but definitely super attainable for me.
Hi All,I remembered that it was check-in day yesterday and read through all the posts that had been made by the time I had gotten off of work and then got distracted and forgot to check-in my own self! I read 2 books last week. 1 covers a prompt for PS (leaving me with just one prompt left to finish the challenge). I had hoped to finish both by this point but I know I'll do it before the last day of the year as it's a short one, less than 150 pages.
Shadow of the Fox is the one I completed for PS. This one is supposed to check off #50. A book set in an abbey, cloister, monastery, vicarage, or convent. I got the idea to read it from the prompt thread for this one as someone said they used it but now that I have, it only very lightly marks off the prompt...if you squint. One of the main characters starts out living in a temple but that encompasses a very small portion of the book as it quickly progresses to a journey themed plot. Fun story, especially if you like animes, as it's written in a style very similar to the layout of a tv series and has a lot of character cliches similar to shows based in feudal Japan. I'm going to use it to mark off this prompt now but I'll probably read another book next year which better covers the prompt just to satisfy my prompt purity requirements.
You Need a Budget: The Proven System for Breaking the Paycheck to Paycheck Cycle, Getting Out of Debt, and Living the Life You Want I listened to this one for fun. My husband has been doing a lot of planning and budgeting over the past few weeks for his/our retirement and it's got me in the financial planning mood. I have a decent budget already but listened to this one for the heck of it. I actually rather liked it, very sensible without being one of those books that recommends living on absolute bare minimum until all debts are paid down. I'd recommend to anyone who does have debts but who have been overwhelmed by previous debt relief books. This book is more about setting up a smart plan to budget your money and not so much a pay off your debt book but it does have sensible advice and would be a good starting place for people. Great for people without debts as well. I enjoyed the chapter on teaching kids about finances.
QOTW: What are your reading goals for 2020? Any challenges besides Popsugar? Do you set a Goodreads reading goal (or just a personal # of books to read? Do you have any other personal goals for your reading life?
Reading goals for 2020: I'm going to take it easy next year. I'm due to have a baby at the end of January (ahhhh!) and as it's our first, I have no idea what that's going to do to my free time. I'm going to do the PS challenge again because I enjoy it so much but I think that's the only one I'm going to attempt and I'm going to not worry if life gets in the way and I don't complete it. I took a much more relaxed stance to challenges this year and I'm leaning into it next year.
Any other challenges? I tried to do both ATY and PS this year and while I'm finishing up PS I'm only about 60-70% through ATY. This is the second year in a row I've essentially had about 3-4 months of reading slump and I assume this is pretty consistent for me (I've never tracked such a thing before). Without the slump I could easily finish more books but I don't want to stress myself so it's just the one challenge next year and then if I finish early I'll move on to ATY or another challenge.
Do you set a GR reading goal? Yep! This year I started out with a challenge of 150 books which was about 20 more than last year and realized about halfway through the year that I'd probably only finish 100 or so. I adjusted to take some of the avoidance guilt off myself. Next year I'm going to simply set it for 50 or 52. Just enough to cover the PS challenge or one book a week. Given the uncertainty of next year I'm giving myself a pass to reconsider halfway through the year and to adjust to make it reasonable if I find myself reading more like one book a month rather than per week. I'm set to finish this year by reading somewhere around 103-105 books. Bit less than last year but I'm happy with what I read.
Jen wrote: "Nadine wrote: "Milena wrote: "I did. It may not be exciting enough for you (I really hope that doesn't come off snarky), but it was sweet and uplifting...."Not snarky! Especially considering tha..."
What Jen said!
Hello everyone. Hopefully everyone is enjoying the winter and whatever holidays you may celebrate!!! I had a wonderful Christmas. Got about 8 new books which is wonderful!!! I also decided that I am retiring the 2019 challenge as I don't want to read anything that fits right now. I might start Red, White & Royal Blue later today. Seems so cute.FINAL CHECK IN!!!
35/40 Regular
8/10 Advanced
83/52 Overall (some where picture books)
Finished
Read this for Challenge in title. Listened to most of it. Really well done but the chaos of the first half gave me anxiety.
DNF
Tried for posthumous. Wasn't feeling it.
I will come back to this one but I wasn't in the mood for a thinker right now.
Standouts
Disappointments
QotW:
What are your reading goals for 2020? Any challenges besides Popsugar? Do you set a Goodreads reading goal (or just a personal # of books to read? Do you have any other personal goals for your reading life?
My overall goal is 52 total. I will also be doing a personal challenge of reading one book with a cover colored the pantone color of the year since it started in 2007 (same year my daughter was born). I may check into some Around the Year prompts. I have no school anticipated in 2020 so hopefully I will have more time to read.
Ellie wrote: "Instead I've been doing my fiendishly difficult Ankh Morpork puzzle that I got last Christmas!"Have you tried an audiobook while doing your puzzle?
Normally I struggle with audiobooks since my mind tends to wander if I just sit down to try and listen to one (even if I love the story)! Somehow a puzzle is just enough to keep my mind preoccupied enough to avoid wandering thoughts but not distracting enough to take away from the audiobook. It's a magical combination for me haha!
Currently reading: Vanity FairQotW::
What are your reading goals for 2020?
Read a minimum of 60 books (mostly ones I own) and complete Popsugar and ATY challenges! I would love to complete all of my challenges but I'm happy with making good progress.
Any challenges besides Popsugar?
ATY, Life of a Book Addict group challenges (Motley and 12+4), Colour Challenge (All About Books group), Mole Hill (classics), personal challenges- 100 Authors before 60 and Great American Read
Do you set a Goodreads reading goal or just a personal # of books to read? Do you have any other personal goals for your reading life?
My GR goal is 60 books, which should be enough to finish Popsugar and ATY. In 2020, I want to read more non-fiction and classics. My library downsizing goal is to end the year with a negative 25 book acquisition, which I will track monthly. Acquisitions to include only GR giveaway wins or gifts (i.e. NO purchases).
I saw both The Rise of Skywalker and the end of The Mandalorian: Season 1 in the past week. Both exceeded my expectations.I am just over halfway through The Ten Thousand Doors of January. It's been a bit hard to push myself to keep on reading this one or to pick up another book, as this one is already basically two books in one. I'm going to stick to it, as the writing is pretty interesting, and someone else here posted that the last third had a more propulsive speed.
Question of the Week:
I will do the PopSugar challenge and read at least 50 books this year.
As I suspected, I'm right down to the wire with my reading challenges!! One book left for PS/Reading Women, and one for ATY. I also have one left for Modern Mrs Darcy, but I think I'll have to admit defeat on that one... But last-minute cram reading has helped get me through the hardest Christmas of my life, trying to put a happy front on for my kids as our family falls apart, so I'm actually kind of glad I didn't finish in November, like I did last year.Two books finished since I last checked in, so I'm now at 54/55 (44/45. 10/10).
My first book was Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert for prompt #5 at least 1 million ratings. As a woman at the start of her own divorce journey, I was looking to this book for...something. Guidance, identification, reassurance? I don't know. I didn't get any of it though. Gilbert is just a very different person to me, with a very different life to me. She initiated her divorce because she had become bored with her relationship and realised too late that she didn't want what the path she was following was offering her. Mine is due to a heart crushing betrayal - the path I was quite happily following has been decimated by an IED. Unlike Gilbert I am not wealthy, or free of responsibilities. I'm not in a position to spend a year indulging myself with travel and escape, buying expensive underwear and being able to shrug off (or look better for) a 25lb weight gain. But I didn't let our differences stop me enjoying this book. Yes, I often found myself rolling my eyes at her lack of awareness of own privilege or feeling bad about myself because I'm not as successful/slim/spiritual as her, but equally I also found myself crying with her in her moments of clarity and reflection. None of us asks to be unhappy, and how we heal ourselves will always be a product of the resources we have available. She has money and freedom, I have gin and junk food. Hers makes for undoubtedly a more interesting story. And no matter what you think of her and her life, she is a good writer - funny, warm and with the ability to weave narrative and fact together in a way which seems light but imparts a lot. It was worth wading through the unobtainable parts for the gutpunches which totally sum up my own story.
My second book was for prompt #10 with "pop", "sugar" or challenge" in the title. I went for The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Six More by Roald Dahl. I've always loved Roald Dahl's children's books, when I was a kid and now that I'm a mother too. But the only of his adult fiction I'd read until now was My Uncle Oswald, which made me deeply uncomfortable and left a bad taste in my mouth. I wasn't keen to read more of his adult stuff, but I'd bought a box set of it and the other books have been languishing on my shelves for seven years, so I picked this up. So, so much better than Oswald! These short stories are all really strong, with that familiar Dahl way of seeing the world which works equally as well in more adult topics as it does for his younger audience. I think the most striking story for me was The Swan, a tale of bullies and their unfortunate animal and human victims, but there really wasn't a weak story in the bunch.
QOTW - What are your reading goals for 2020? Any challenges besides Popsugar? Do you set a Goodreads reading goal (or just a personal # of books to read? Do you have any other personal goals for your reading life?
I'm doing PS, ATY and Reading Women again in 2020, but I'm trying to double-dip more to avoid getting as close to the edge as I am this year. But I'm not worrying too much about that, as I know it has been more down to the horrible year I've had rather than the number of books as I lost my reading mojo for quite a while. I'm trying to keep it under 65 books though, in the hopes I'll finish early and have some time to free read, do some Net Galleys, stuff like that.
Brittany wrote: "Hi All,I remembered that it was check-in day yesterday and read through all the posts that had been made by the time I had gotten off of work and then got distracted and forgot to check-in my own..."
That financial planning book sounds interesting, I need to find a British equivalent!
Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge
Books mentioned in this topic
Flea Market Fatal (other topics)You Can't Make Old Friends (other topics)
Exiled from Earth (other topics)
Out of the Past (other topics)
Flight of Exiles (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Lisa Scottoline (other topics)Marcia Talley (other topics)
Francesca Serritella (other topics)
Grace Lin (other topics)
Peter Robinson (other topics)
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I know this season can be a mixed bag of joy, warmth, pain, sorrow and *cough* family drama. For those that are having a joyous holiday season, I wish you continued joy and happiness through the coming year. For those that are experiencing a season of loss or sadness, I pray that you find peace and a renewing of your spirit this coming year.
Admin note: Next week we will begin the new challenge!! We will open a new discussion folder for 2020 weekly threads so be on the lookout for that.
Also, next week will see the start of our first 2020 group read - Red Sister by Mark Lawrence
Finished:
The Friend Zone by Abby Jimenez - I started reading this book expecting another light, fun romance. While there was plenty of that, there was also an emotional sucker punch that I wasn't expecting. It was really a good book though! A couple of trigger warnings: (view spoiler)[infertility, traumatic brain injury (hide spoiler)] but it ends on an up note.
All Is Grace: A Ragamuffin Memoir by Brennan Manning - I'm feeling the need for substance as we approach the start of a new year and decade. I've been reading (and enjoying) a lot of great romances recently. This memoir was a grounding I needed. I want to read more from Brennan Manning in the future. He writes in an approachable voice, does not hesitate to call himself out for his mistakes and flaws, and has a different perspective on faith that I really enjoyed.
Currently Reading:
Harry's Trees by Jon Cohen
Question of the week:
What are your reading goals for 2020? Any challenges besides Popsugar? Do you set a Goodreads reading goal (or just a personal # of books to read? Do you have any other personal goals for your reading life?
So in addition to the Popsugar reading challenge, I am participating in a challenge I helped to create for a different Facebook book club that I'm in. I may also participate in the Currently Reading Podcast's reading challenge, but I haven't committed myself to that one just yet.
I haven't determined what my Goodreads goal will be just yet. I set last year's at 100 and am currently at 121. I will probably set it at 100 again.
Personally, I want to try and read more books from my shelves and backlist books. Nearly a quarter of my books this year were published in 2019. That's great, and I love supporting new books, but there are so many amazing books published 5, 10, 20 years ago and I want to spend time reading those as well.
I want to read some of the collections of myths, legends and fairy tales that I have in my collection.