Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge discussion

Signs of spring are coming!!! Even up here in the frozen north of NY, the snow receded in a few spots of my yard and my SNOWDROPS popped up! They always surprise me with how early they bloom.


Admin stuff:
Our March group read will begin this weekend. The group has chosen My Sister, the Serial Killer for “book by a WOC.” Discussion leader for our March read will be Trish.

We still have an opening for discussion leader for our May read, The Tattooist of Auschwitz. Let Sara or me know if you would like to lead that discussion.



This week I finished 3 books, none for the Challenge (my first week this year that I read no challenge books!), so I remain 18/50. It was a good reading week, though, because I loved everything I read.

Alias, Vol. 1 a Jessica Jones come written by Brian Michael Bendis - wow this was so good! (And it's got nothing to do with the Jennifer Garner TV series, "Alias"! which confused me a lot at first.) And I’d never heard of it (until sometime in December, when I added it to my TBR)! What other awesome graphic novels am I missing?? I look forward to reading the rest of this series. (Volume 2 is waiting for me at the library!!)

Vintage Hughes collected poetry by Langston Hughes - this was the first collection of Langston Hughes I’ve read, and his poems are revolutionary and incandescent, there’s so much more here than I anticipated. This collection wasn't the best, because there were no notes on why these poems & short stories were chosen, but not others.

Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert - I love romance novels but I’ve struggled to find contemporary romances that I really love (there have been a few, but just a few). Ta-dahh!! I loved this book!! This was my first book by this author, but won’t be my last :-)


Question of the Week
Since “Dr Seuss Day” is Monday, March 2:
Did you read Dr Seuss as a child? Did you have a favorite?


I did! I was a child a long time ago, and back then (in the US), Dr. Seuss was the Big Author. The book I remember best was One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish, but my mom told me I liked Hop On Pop a lot, too.

Almost seventeen years ago, when I became a mom, I of course bought some new copies of Dr Seuss classics, including Red Fish Blue Fish, but I found they were not our favorite bedtime reads. The stories and art are still fun, but the books are just too long.

Glad to hear spring is coming to you, Nadine! Northeast Ohio got another overnight dumping of snow lol -- seems to be a pattern, every other week when I respond to these.

Finished this week:
Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly - 3 stars. I liked the story well enough but the writing was all over the place. The film streamlined everything into a more cohesive narrative IMO. book about a woman in STEM

17/50

Currently reading:
Deathless Divide by Justina Ireland published in 2020
The Treason of Mary Louvestre by My Haley 20 letters in the title

QOTW: Since “Dr Seuss Day” is Monday, March 2:
Did you read Dr Seuss as a child? Did you have a favorite?
We did! I think my favorite was actually my copy of My Book About ME because I could fill in my own answers - I remember on the "What do you look like?" page, I gave myself my blonde hair and blue eyes, but I drew in a square-shaped nose (???) ahahahaha. Otherwise I liked Green Eggs and Ham, and I remember a lot of people getting copies of Oh, the Places You'll Go as graduation gifts after high school.

I DNF'd The Color Purple. I read 1/3 of it and I hated it.

I read The Golem and the Jinni as the book I picked because the title caught my attention. It was really good. And including The Color Purple, I had read 3 clunkers in a row, so this was nice.

I have just started Obsessive Genius: The Inner World of Marie Curie as my book about or by a woman in Stem.

QOTW: I think the only Dr Seuss book I read as a child was Green Eggs and Ham. I liked it. Not sure why I never read The Cat in the Hat. My mom and I are big cat lovers.

Happy almost spring! We really didn't get a winter here this year, though we got another cold blast today. Earlier this week it was in the upper 60s. I've seen daffodils blooming around town. I fear the bugs will be unbearable this summer...

Reading update time!

Finished:
I finished three books this week - two on audio and one in print.

Meet Cute by Helena Hunting. I loved this book. I loved the main characters and their story. Like many of the new generation of contemporary romances, I found this book to have a depth of story that the bright yellow cover doesn't really hint at. Kailyn had a massive teenage crush on Daxton, the teen star of her favorite show (didn't we all have a Daxton?). Fast forward to her first day of law school. She trips while crossing campus (listening to a meditation podcast trying to calm her first day jitters) and ends up sprawled across none other than Daxton himself. He has left hollywood behind and is also starting law school. The story really kicks off 5 years after they graduate. Kailyn meets Daxton again in her office where his parents are setting up a trust for his younger sister. Six months later they are killed in a crash and he takes on custody of his teenage sister (this is all jacket copy, no spoilers). Kailyn is drawn into their lives, not only due to her attraction to Daxton, but also to his young sister who is just trying to put her life back together. Really sweet story, and the audiobook is great! Using for a book featuring one of the seven deadly sins. You could say lust because it's a romance novel, but there's actually something else in play. It's a bit spoilery so I won't specify which deadly sin it is.

Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson. I had heard about this story on What Should I Read Next, but it didn't seem like something I would normally read. Then a friend at book club handed me her copy...and so I read it. I actually really enjoyed it. I only gave it three stars because I didn't think the ending was well done, but overall it was a worthwhile read. I don't have this assigned to a prompt, but I believe the main character is in her late 20s? I can't remember if she's crossed the 30 threshold yet.

Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng. I read this for my book club. I really had no intention of reading it, not loving her first book, but it was good. The meddling and interference of Mrs. Richardson got on my nerves, but the story was well done. Using for a three word title.

Currently Reading:

If You Tell: A True Story of Murder, Family Secrets, and the Unbreakable Bond of Sisterhood - this book is just disturbing. I have trouble wrapping my head around how someone could be so twisted and cruel. It defies reason.

I've been picking up and putting down paper books all week. Usually I settle into a new paper book over the weekend when I have time to dive in.

21/50

QOTW

I love Dr. Suess! My favorite, hands down, is . I love the tongue twisters. I have such fond memories of reading his books as a child. A couple of my childhood favorites were written under the name Theo LeSieg:




I agree, though, that some of the books are too long. It's why I'm really not a big fan of The Cat in the Hat. Whenever I tried to read it to my daughter, we would both get tired before it was over (not that it wasn't good, it was just too long for bedtime).

We have daffodils, crocus and early blossom out here. It's not very warm, but it's nice to see cheery flowers everywhere.

Finished:
Goldilocks for review and a book with gold in the title. Lots of science but it's all very realistic and I enjoyed it.

Parable of the Sower for ATY (prime number) which was just a bit too depressing for me right now.

Rolling in the Deep for no challenges. I think I would have got more out of this if I hadn't already read Into the Drowning Deep, but it was good to finally get the backstory.

Glass Town: The Imaginary World of the Brontës for no challenges. This is a graphic novel based on the Bronte's fantasy world they created as children.

PS: 12/50 | ATY: 11/52 | BR: 4/24 | GR: 28/100

QOTW:
I don't think so, I'm not sure he was as big in the UK as the US? I only really heard about most the books as an adult.

This week I finished the The City of Brassfor the character in their 20’s prompt and loved it. It is my first 5 star of the year.

I also finished A Long Way Home for the bildungsroman prompt.

I am now reading Slay. I am not sure which prompt I will use this for.

I am currently 10/50 for this challenge. I am on track and very proud. I have increased my reading and have read good books.
Question of the Week
Since “Dr Seuss Day” is Monday, March 2:
Did you read Dr Seuss as a child? Did you have a favorite?

Yes I read Dr. Seuss as a child. As a favorite I it is hard to choose between Green Eggs and Ham and How the Grinch Stole Christmas.

I finished Jane Eyre this week ! I’m so excited because it’s been a bucket list book for so long and i was so intimidated but i did a blend of the audio book and a traditional read and i LOVED it. I got a little tripped up on the language here and there but i think i still understood what was going on. It checks off the “Bildungsroman” prompt.
I finished Recursion which i didn’t care for. It’s just confusing and repetitive . I loved Dark MatterDark Matter so i was disappointed . I used it for the “woman in STEM” prompt.

There is a windy cold front here right now so spring seems impossibly far away . Boooo!
QOTW ; i likedGreen Eggs and Ham a lot and remember reading it repeatedly as a kid .
My own kids like How the Grinch Stole Christmas!s for obvious reasons .

We had a small taste of spring this week, with warmer temperatures but lots of rain. Some of the trees are already starting to bud and bloom. But now we're going to get a few cold days in a row. We're almost through winter and I can't wait! Spring is definitely my favorite season.

I finished three books this week. I finished Definitely Dead, part of my re-read of the Sookie Stackhouse series and also for ATY week 9. I also finished All Together Dead because I was not feeling any of my other books and I wanted to just read another one of those. This is one of my favorite series of books and I haven't read it since the last book came out. I am thoroughly enjoying it!

I also finished A Long Petal of the Sea, which is the first Isabel Allende book I've read. I really enjoyed the first half to two-thirds, but once she started moving quickly through time, it started to just feel like a list of things that the characters were doing. I had a hard time finishing it.

QOTW: I read Dr. Seuss as a child. The Foot Book: Dr. Seuss's Wacky Book of Opposites is my all time favorite. But I also loved There's a Wocket in My Pocket! and And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street.

Sara wrote: "I also finished A Long Petal of the Sea, which is the first Isabel Allende book I've read. I really enjoyed the first half to two-thirds, but once she started moving quickly through time, it started to just feel like a list of things that the characters were doing. I had a hard time finishing it."

I love Isabel Allende! Her version of Zorro has been one of my favorite books for years.

Hello! Spring in the south means unpredictable weather - we had rain yesterday so the temperature dropped 20 degrees again last night.

I'm now at 13/50 for the challenge. This week I read:

The Regulators by Richard Bachman - images seared into my mind forever that I could have totally done without, it's a great book but if you don't like horror or gore you should completely avoid it. It gave me nightmares.

Superfudge by Judy Blume - I needed a fun/comforting read after finishing The Regulators, so I went with a reread of a childhood favorite.

The Bourbon King: The Life and Crimes of George Remus, Prohibition's Evil Genius by Bob Batchelor - nonfiction, this is the story of George Remus and his bootlegging enterprise in the 1920's, used for the prompt set in the 1920's (looking for something to fit that prompt is how I came across this book). It's a very in-depth look at Remus and that era as it played out in his region, I would recommend it for anyone interested in the subject.

I am currently reading several books that I don't appear to love. I'm just bouncing around until I finish something or something catches hold. My guess is that I'll wrap up Titans next - it's not a bad book, it's just not holding my attention for long periods at a time.

QOTW: I love Dr. Seuss! My mom read them to us, and once we started reading we read them ourselves. There are so many great ones, I think my favorites as a child were And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street and Green Eggs and Ham. Every year for the Christmas season I watch the original animated versions of How the Grinch Stole Christmas! and Horton Hears a Who!. And I love the rides at Islands of Adventures based on The Cat in the Hat and The Sneetches and Other Stories, when the lines for those aren't too long it's always fun to ride along with the story.

No news to report this week. I haven’t finished any books, and I’m reading the same ones as last week. I spent most of the weekend in pain because I overdid it on Friday. Netflix is easier when you don’t feel like moving. I’m getting back to my evening reading routine now.

Reading
An Extraordinary Union by Alyssa Cole (a book by a WOC)

The Wolf in the Whale by Jordana Max Brodsky (a bildungsroman)

The Orchid Thief: A True Story of Beauty and Obsession by Susan Orlean (a book on a topic you know nothing about)

QOTW
I loved Dr. Seuss! I remember Green Eggs and Ham the best because we had a classroom copy that I read a hundred times. One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish was my favorite book.

This week has been a good reading week. I finished Mercedes Lackey's The Bartered Brides, and will use for author who has published more than 20 books. This is in her elemental masters series, and a fun retelling of Sherlock Holmes.

I also finished Lisa Genova's Left Neglected, which I'm using for a book with a pun in the title. I enjoyed this a lot, despite some triggers. Lisa writes really well about lived family experiences related to serious diagnoses and diseases that effect the brain.

I'm currently reading Monsoon Mansion and Sarah McCoy's Marilla of Green Gables. I'm enjoying both, although getting into Marilla took a bit of time. I think I'm a purist and prefer to read series by original author.

QOTW: Love doctor Seuss, and all the kids who've stayed with us have to. A favorite bedtime read for them, although I agree they are longer than I like. Three favorites here: ten apples up on top, oh the places you'll go, and green eggs and Ham.

Well its been a more productive week, reading-wise, although while I've ticked off three PS prompts and two ATY.

I managed to finish The Count of Monte Cristo! Yayy! I've used it for PS 27. Seven deadly sins, and the ATY transportation on the cover prompt.

My other PS ones were The Snows of Kilimanjaro and Other Stories, by Ernest Heminway for 28. By or about a journalist - specifically by one; and Stone Cold Crazy, by Shannon Hill for my favourite prompt from 2017 (cat on the cover).

The other ATY one was Urn Burial for southern hemisphere, as a bit of light reading in between.

I also reread Animal Farm for another challenge, for the first time since 1982! I appreciated it rather more this time, having read way more history since then.

This week, I'm looking at Undercover Amish, which might work for 4* rating, and Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee , although I don't have a clue where that's going to fit!

Question of the Week: Since “Dr Seuss Day” is Monday, March 2,
Did you read Dr Seuss as a child? Did you have a favorite?

For some reason, not really. I only really remember reading Green Eggs and Ham and The Cat in the Hat.

Hi Everyone!

Michigan doesn't want to make up it's mine, last weekend felt like it was going on spring. Yesterday it snowed all day, and I had to shovel last night. I thought i was done with that! Supposed to warm up again this weekend though, so hopefully it all melts soon.

This week I finished:

The Prey of Gods - book with an ai/robot/cyborg character. I really enjoyed the premise of this one, although it never really gelled into something that made it AMAZING. Didn't quite click with most the characters, but it was still good. Kind of cool mesh of mythology meets tech.

The Power - did an audio re-read of this for book club. It's one of those books that is hard to define how I feel about it. I don't know if I LIKE it per se, but I think it's a really interesting look on gender roles and how society is built around them and what it takes to break down those societal systems. It's well written, but a lot of stuff in it is hard to read, lots of depictions of abuse and violence against both men and women, performed by both men and women.

Steadfast - another re-read just to break things up


Currently reading:

The Count of Monte Cristo - didn't make much progress this week, but still planning to.

Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books - book about a book club. I want to like this more than I am. I'm really interested in the book club and how women felt and reacted to the whole Islamic revolution in Iran, but I'm not feeling the author's style. It's meandering around so much I'm having trouble keeping track of a timeline. Dates are infrequently mentioned, i think there's an assumption of knowing history a lot better than I do. I never did great in history because dates are just slippery for me. The 70's, 90's and 00's have all been mentioned and I can't keep track of what part of the story is happening when. I get she's going through her own memories, but it's just hard to follow when one moment she's talking about the book club, the next her days teaching at the university with an aside to her early life in America. I tend to like my nonfiction best when it's set up in a very narrative fashion. this is more like reading someone's chaotic diary. Also I kind of feel like i needed a reading list before reading this. I've read Lolita and Gatsby, but it's been years for Lolita, and decades for Gatsby, and i've not read any of FItzgerald or Nabokov's other works. Also I read Madam Bovary in college and it made so little impression on me I couldn't tell you even vaguely what its' about. The works get referenced so heavily, it feels like it would have been nice to read them all fresh before attempting this. but I don't have time for that, so oh well.

QOTW:

I did read a great deal of Seuss as a kid. My mom was a second grade teacher, so she had hundreds of kids books for her classroom library, and a lot of those came home first or cycled between my bookshelf and her classroom. I always liked the Sneeches, the Wocket in your Pocket, and Oh the Places You'll Go.

Good morning! The weather here has been so unpredictable that I never know what's going on. Monday was in the 60's and sunny, today is raining, but in the high 40's. It's going to be in the 30's the rest of the week. I wish it would just make up its mind!

All of the books I finished this week were 3 stars.

Finished
Anna K.: A Love Story - this is a modern day retelling of Anna Karenina which I had never read so I went into this not knowing what would happen. I'm beginning to think I'm getting to old for some YA though because I just couldn't relate to the characters in this book at all. I'm using this for prompt #32 - a book by a WOC.

Things in Jars - I really wanted to love this book, but it was another one that just wasn't for me. I don't think I'm meant to read book set in Victorian England. I did think the writing was done very well though. I used it for prompt #35 - a book with a 3-word title.

Hopeless - I've been reading a lot of romance this month and have been on a Colleen Hoover kick this month and this was recommended to me from a FB book club group. I did not love this one though. I found it a little drawn out and predictable. I'm taking a CoHo break! This was not for the challenge.

Challenge Progress:
Regular Challenge - 10/40
Advanced Challenge - 3/10
Total - 13/50

Currently Reading:
Well Met - I'm reading this for prompt #34 - a book you meant to read in 2019

Cinderella Cowgirl - I'm reading this for prompt #37 - a Western (I'm taking a little leeway with this prompt since I do not want to read any Westerns!).

You Are Not Alone - I have an ARC of this and have been looking forward to reading it. I don't know if I'm using it for the challenge yet though.

QOTW - Did you read Dr Seuss as a child? Did you have a favorite?

I loved Dr. Seuss as a child. I actually learned how to read on Hop On Pop which is still one of my all time favorite books. Also, my nickname is Sam so I always get Green Eggs and Ham jokes because of Sam I Am!

There's a Dr. Seuss museum in Massachusetts which is a lot of fun if anyone is looking for a place to visit!

I also had a great reading week. I read 3 books and I felt all 3 were excellent.

For a woman in STEM I listened to the audiobook Still Alice by Lisa Genova. The toll Alzheimer’s disease took on the entire Howland family is heartbreaking. I realized how little I knew about this cruel disease.

Rules of Civility by Amor Towles All I can say is Amor Towles sure can write. I couldn’t put this book down. It fits the prompt Main character in their 20s.

Another audiobook I listened to was The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway. The strong will of the 3 characters, living in a city in ruins, was both sad and inspiring. This book fits the prompt set in a city which hosted the olympics.

I’m currently reading The Sandcastle Girls and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo.

QOTW - I read Dr Seuss to my daughters, but I didn’t enjoy the rhyming. Present day, I volunteer as a reading aide in our local elementary school. The children still love Dr Seuss and the rhyming still gets to me. Some things never change.

Last week, I had off of school since I'm a substitute, but I also was sick, so I'm surprised I got through as much reading as I did. I finished 4 books, all of which counted for my reading challenge. This brings me to 26/50 for the year.

Last week, I read:
Still Life with Tornado by A.S. King, which was my "book you picked up because the title caught your attention". I gave it 5/5 stars

Tales from Watership Down by Richard Adams, which was my "book with a made-up language". I gave it 4/5 stars.

Dear Edward by Ann Napolitano, which was my "book published in 2020". I gave it 4/5 stars.

Admission by Julie Buxbaum, which was my "book with a pink cover". I gave it 5/5 stars.

Overall, this has been a better book week than previous ones. I had a lot of books early on in this year's reading challenge that were lower ratings, so I'm glad I got some good ones :)

This upcoming week, I'm planning on finishing Our Wayward Fate, as well as starting All the Stars and Teeth. Unsure about any others.

For the question of the week: yes, we were big Dr. Seuss fans in my house. My favorite was Green Eggs and Ham, although I also liked Daisy-Head Mayzie a lot.

All these people talking about reading "Slay" and I keep thinking they mean this Slay about a boy band that kills demons... so many books with similar/identical titles...

Books read this week:

The Fifth Season-- for “book by a woman of color.” I might be in the minority here, but… I didn’t enjoy this one nearly as much as everyone else who raved about it seems to. There are some fascinating concepts, but the writing feels gimmicky and uneven, and while I get that a lot of the unpleasantness in the book was intentional on the author’s part, that doesn’t make it any less unpleasant to read.

White Fang -- for “book set in a country that begins with C” (Canada). Dang, this was a brutal read at times -- if you have issues with animal cruelty, this may not be the book for you. But it’s good nonetheless, and brings back memories of my mom’s wolf-dog Misty. There are a few cringe-inducing bits about the “superiority” of white men, though…

A Light in the Attic -- for “read a banned book during Banned Book Week/Freedom To Read Week”... though I cheated and read it for Freedom To Read Week. A re-read of a childhood favorite, but still just as whimsical, macabre, and enjoyable as ever. Though some of the poems are morbid enough that I can understand (kinda) why some teachers and librarians might freak out over it, though even as a kid I understood these poems were never meant to be serious.

The Three-Body Problem -- for “book set in a city that’s hosted an Olympics” (Beijing). This was a challenging read, as it dealt so much with quantum physics and other weighty scientific concepts, and also grappled with China’s Cultural Revolution, itself a weighty topic. But it was still a fascinating and rewarding read, and I’m glad I gave it a shot.

Regular challenge -- 18/44 (split the last prompt into five)
Advanced challenge -- 1/10
Not for challenge -- 13

DNF:

The Unspoken Name -- not for the challenge. I just couldn’t get invested in the characters, and while at first I was excited to be reading a rare fantasy novel from the point of view of an orc, the author didn’t bother to differentiate said orcs from humans in any way save giving them tusks. Come on, people, you can get really creative here...

Currently Reading:

The Green Man: Tales from the Mythic Forest -- for “anthology”
Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea -- for “book with ‘twenty’ in the title”
The Silver Witch -- for “book with gold, silver, or bronze in the title”

QOTW:

I loved Dr. Seuss as a child, and still enjoy his book as an adult. It's so hard for me to pick a favorite of his books, though even as a child I find I liked some of his non-rhyming books better than his rhyming ones, such as The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins and The King's Stilts.

I do remember being really, really bothered by The Butter Battle Book as a kid, because it ended on a terrible cliffhanger. Only when I was an adult did I stop and realize "holy crow that silly kid's book with the 'bad' ending was actually a Cold War allegory!" Quite a few of his books have much deeper layers than one realizes at first glance...

Hello from mercurial Texas! I'd report on the weather conditions, but they're really just back and forth every few hours, so I'm not sure how to classify them. Makes choosing my clothes for the day a bit difficult!

I had a very minor surgery yesterday (an excision for a mole that, while not cancerous, was concerning) and had hoped to get some good reading in. Instead, I fell asleep and napped for 3 hours afterward. Ah well.

Finished:
Queen of the Sea by Dylan Meconis: A book with the same title as a movie or TV show but that is unrelated. This was a really neat alternate history retelling of Elizabeth I's time while Mary Tudor was queen. I loved the artwork and the storyline, as well as all the information about life during that time period! It is written for Middle Grade, but I love that, so it didn't bother me. Oh, and there is a movie from 1918 with the same title--I really just picked a book I wanted to read and looked it up to see if there was a movie with that name haha!

The Pink Fairy Book collected by Andrew Lang: I always love these! This was my book with a pink cover.

Temporarily DNF:
The Prodigal Tongue: Dispatches from the Future of English: I've lost patience with this book. However, I only have a couple of chapters left and, since it's non-fiction, it'll be easy to just come back to later. His writing just so unnecessarily dense about such a fascinating topic!

Currently Reading/Coming Up:
How We Learn: The Surprising Truth About When, Where, and Why It Happens: A book with only words on the cover (my edition only has words)

Descendant of the Crane: A book published during your birth month (April).

QOTW:
I ABSOLUTELY LOVE DR. SEUSS! My parents definitely read him to me and I continued reading as many of his books as I could get my hands on once I could read on my own. I loved them all, but my all-time favorite has always been The Lorax. It always made me cry (and actually still does).

I do remember enjoying The Cat in the Hat but really disliking the cat. I was so not okay with him ignoring the rules! I was always on the side of the fish--he knew what was up! (I may have been/may be a bit of a rule follower...)

Happy Thursday all! It's sunny and chilly in Oklahoma but it's supposed to get up to the 70s this weekend. I can't wait! Although, I'm very saddened by the passing of Clive Cussler this week. He's one of the few authors that my mom and I both enjoy, but reading about his life has been fascinating.

This week I finished one book: My Plain Jane for a book with a character with a vision impairment or enhancement. This is a retelling of Jane Eyre that also includes Charlotte Bronte and her family as characters. I like the premise of Jane being able to see ghosts and the overall plot, but I felt like they made Jane into a very stupid character, not at all like her from the original story. It was an enjoyable, though slightly disappointing read.

QOTW: I grew up reading Dr Seuss as well. My favorites are Green Eggs and Ham and One Fish, Two Fish. My brother bought me a first edition of How the Grinch Stole Christmas a few years ago. I actually kind of hate The Cat in the Hat though and definitely agree these books are too long and exhausting for bedtime stories!

Another snowy day here in Northern Indiana. It was so nice last weekend and then two days later...snow storm. Not surprising, since it is February just kinda funny.

Finished:

China Rich Girlfriend for a book set in a country beginning with "C" . I think I liked this even more than Crazy Rich Asians. The world feels more lived in since I knew a lot of the characters. I can't wait to see how the story wraps up.

Team Phison - Another book recommended by the When in Romance podcast and since it was only $0.99 on iBooks I bought it and read it in a night. It's just a short m/m romance novella about a age difference long distance friendship turned relationship. It was sweet, I enjoyed it.

Currently Reading:

In Cold Blood for a book published in the 20th century. I'm still working my way through this one. It's really good, just a slower read. I still have half the book to get through. I've got a train ride to Chicago this weekend, I'll probably be able to get most of it read then.

Nadine wrote: "Signs of spring are coming!!! Even up here in the frozen north of NY, the snow receded in a few spots of my yard and my SNOWDROPS popped up! They always surprise me with how early they bloom.


Ad..."

Nadine, I have to say how jealous I am of the fact that you have snowdrops! They're one of my favourite flowers but I have terrible skills and luck when it comes to growing things and I find snowdrops super hard to find in my area. Enjoy all of the beginnings of spring!

Hello everyone! The weather here is wishy-washy and while we did have plenty of warm days throughout the week, it's now back to grey skies with thick fog. There are more people on the street though and instead of hibernating, people are making plans and hanging out, including me who went to my first paintbar. Highly recommend it if you have one nearby, I'm no artist but it was super fun and engaging.

I finally finished The Golden Hour and while books that take me a long time to read often make me dislike at the very end, this book is still a four stars from me and am definitely planning on picking up some more books from Beatriz Williams.

I still have about an hour left in Great Goddesses: Life Lessons from Myths and Monsters but am finding it hard to find the time to sit down and read it. I have an ancient phone so Audible is a no go on it.

I'm a little more than halfway done with Blitzed and the romance is starting to make me swoon a bit. I still love the writing and the characters, I think it's just the romance isn't my cup of tea.

And I'm making slow but steady progress on Live and Let Chai since it's not a book for any reading challenge I've mostly been reading it here and there before bed.

Question of the Week
Since “Dr Seuss Day” is Monday, March 2:
Did you read Dr Seuss as a child? Did you have a favorite?

I did read Dr. Seuss as a child! A very kind neighbour would give me a Dr. Seuss book for my birthday every year without fail. My favorite was The Foot Book: Dr. Seuss's Wacky Book of Opposites I don't know why my fondest memories are of flipping through that book for hours and hours

Is it Thursday already?? The weather here is still crazy- 50 degrees (!!!) with on and off rain. It's pretty much been spring in CT, although I hear it's supposed to get pretty cold again this weekend. Me and the girlies have been having horrible headaches ( Migraines for my 8 year old and for myself this morning, although it's let up a bit and is now a dull ache. Thankfully my left eye has been spared today. I think this is more a result of my whiplash. I may or may not get a lot of reading done today. For sure I will be catching up on sleep. I was knocked out last night early but the night before I only got 3 hours )

Progress:
ATY: 11/52
PS: 6/50
BR: 7/24
RWC: 2/26?

Finished this week:
A Clash of Kings for ATY #13 A past prompt from the challenge ( Favorite author)- I can't stop with this series, even though I know it isn't finished and I'll be left hanging. I immediately borrowed the third book when I finished this. It's like crack LOL. I'm watching the series as I'm reading, although season one stuck to the first book exactly, the plot in the show is now starting to differ from whats written in the book, so I'm not alternating between chapters and episodes anymore.

The Binding for ATY # 10 A book between 400-600 pages- Errrrrrr...... don't shoot me. The first part of this book was magical and I was so excited thinking it would be a 5 star, but then I got to part 2 and then part 3 and it just didn't keep its momentum for me. It may or may not have been a case of rushing to get it back to library, and/or reading all the 5 star reviews beforehand.

I Love My Hair! for RWC #4 picture book by a BIPOC author

Islandborn, The Proudest Blue, and Sulwe for BR #18 picture book with a human character from a marginalized community- I really REALLY enjoyed all of these, but Sulwe was my favorite. It is absolutely beautiful. Need to buy a copy for my picture book collection ASAP.

The Narrow Road to the Interior/Hojoki for BR #8 read an audiobook of poetry- I couldn't really understand most of this *shrugs*, but I had read Shout for this prompt because I dont care for audio, and it felt like a cheat. Now you can't say I didn't try.

I also read an edition of moonglassmag.com for BR's read a literary magazine, because I felt like I cheated that prompt by reading an edition of BookPage, which is really just book reviews and some author interviews. Now all of my most dreaded prompts are completed ( except the Western)

Also not for the challenges, I finished reading Maggie & Abby's Neverending Pillow Fort with the girls last night. We really enjoyed this, and reading has taken its new place as our before bed routine. The ending was a total cliffhanger!!!! Now I need to request the follow up from the library.

In Progress:


Out from the library:


QOTW: I remember Green Eggs and Ham from my childhood :-)
I read a lot of Dr Suess with the girls when they were younger, their favorite being Ten Apples Up On Top! when they first started reading aloud themselves. Mostly we enjoy the movie adaptations of The Lorax, The Cat in the Hat, Horton Hears a Who!, and of course How the Grinch Stole Christmas!.

Finished:
Kindred by Octavia E Butler- 100% recommend this

I tried to start Beloved by Toni Morrison next but it was too much for me so I switched to The Carrie Diaries by Candace Bushnell(not for the challenge.

After that I needed to know what happened next so I read Summer and the City by Candace Bushnell, which I wasn't planning on doing for the challenge but it fit the pink cover prompt.

Currently reading:
Timeline by Michael Crichton(not for the challenge)

QOTW: Yes! I had all the Dr Suess books. My mom tells a story about how I would "read" Green Eggs and Ham to her. I had it memorized before I could read.

Hi everyone! Spring is definitely here in north Texas. We had one cold day yesterday, but this weekend will be in the mid-70's. The negative with that is that allergies are also definitely here.

17/50 for Popsugar
16/52 for Around the Year
2/26 for Reading Women

Books I finished:
Reunion in Death by J.D. Robb (Popsugar #8: A book with an upside down image on the cover) Just truckin’ along with this series. This was one of my favorites so far, as it dealt more with Dallas’ past.

An Easy Death by Charlaine Harris (Popsugar #37: A western) Westerns aren’t really my thing, so I went with a slightly unconventional one. This is a fantasy/alternate history and the first book in a trilogy. I enjoyed it and will pick up the next book at some point.

Silence by Shusako Endo (Popsugar #44: A book set in Japan) I haven’t seen the Scorsese film based on this yet, but I definitely plan to after reading this. It starts slow but then gets intense. This is about Christian missionaries in Japan and based on historical facts.

The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai (AtY: A book about an event or era of history described in Billy Joel’s “We Didn’t Start the Fire”) It took me a few chapters to get into, but once I did I was hooked. It was heartbreaking at times, especially knowing that the way AIDS and the gay community were treated was 100% accurate.

What Happens in Paradise by Elin Hilderbrand (AtY: A book that fits a prompt from the list of suggestions that didn’t win – A book with water on the cover) I really hate books that end abruptly because there is another book to follow (a year later). Other than that this was just okay.

Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout (AtY: A book that was nominated one of the ten most coveted literary prizes in the world) I fell in love with Olive while reading this. Now I need to watch the TV miniseries.

I am currently reading:
I Owe You One by Sophie Kinsella (AtY: A book between 400-600 pages)
Luckiest Girl Alive by Jessica Knoll (Reading Women: A book adapted into a movie) An adaptation is in the works with Reese Witherspoon's production company.


QOTW: I did. My mom actually joined some monthly book box when I was a kid in the 70's where we got 2 new kids books each month, and Dr. Seuss books were included in the mix. I remember the free gift for signing up for the monthly box was a red plastic Cat-in-the-Hat set of bookends.

When I was a freshman in college, I remember one of my professors spending the entire class period reading Dr. Seuss books on his birthday. It was an engineering class, so to say we were all surprised by the change in the syllabus is an understatement.

Snowdrops are my birth flower (January). I sort of want to get a tattoo of one someday, although I've never seen one in real life. Spring is nowhere near us... we had a couple inches of freezing snow last night. Though it is supposed to get up to 42 Fahrenheit today!

I finished 2 book this week, both for the challenge:

5. A book set in a city that has hosted the Olympics - Paris - Les Misérables by Victor Hugo on audio

20. A book you picked because the title caught your attention - The Night Tiger by Yangsze Choo

I really enjoyed both books!

QOTW:
Yes, Dr. Suess was a big deal when I was a kid. We had a number of his books. My favorites were The Sneetches (and other stories) and There's a Wocket in my Pocket, for all the fun made-up creatures. The Sneetches always seemed really creepy to me and I'm not sure why. I haven't read it in years.

My son went through a Cat in the Hat phase where I was reading that damn book to him every night for months. Never been a fan of that one myself and it is so long!

Ashley *Hufflepuff Kitten* wrote: "I think my favorite was actually my copy of My Book About ME because I could fill in my own answers ..."

OMG, I still have mine from when I was a little girl!!!!!!! I love it so much a bought a copy for each of my daughters. I'm sad to say I don't think we finished filling them out LOL. More people should know about this book, it makes a great keepsake.

Good Morning Readers! Here in Vegas we are in our 3rd winter. The weather here is chaos and never consistent until summer rolls along then surface of the sun for 4 months. Oh well, I have had a great week for reading so I'm happy with that.

15/40 Regular
1/10 Advanced

Finished

21. Published in your birthmonth. (October)
I actually used this prompt because it was published on my birthDAY. Which I thought was cool

20. Title caught your attention
So glad it did. This is a marvelous book!!!

Not for challenge but a fun little design book.

13. Same title as unrelated movie. The Wedding Date with Debra Messing

15. Featuring social media

Currently Reading



This is free right now on audible via Alexa devices! I think through the end of the month. Only 3 + hours.

DNF

Wasn't feeling it right now

QotW:
Since “Dr Seuss Day” is Monday, March 2:
Did you read Dr Seuss as a child? Did you have a favorite?
I love Dr Seuss even now. I actually went to the Geisel Library last summer in San Diego. If you are a fan I would definitely suggest checking it out if you can.
My favorite as a kid was I think. I read them to my daughter when she was little. My favorite as an adult is which I had memorized when my little was a baby. LOVE!

Yes, spring is coming this way too. It seems the groundhog was right this year! Bummer. We didn't have near enough snow this year to satisfy me!

Finished 7/50

Know the Faith: A Handbook for Orthodox Christians and Inquirers (not for the challenge). Man this rocked my world. If you have any interest in the history of Christian beliefs or the differences between Protestantism, Catholicism, and Orthodoxy, read this book. So much I didn't know! It's changed my perspective on everything.

The Song of the Sirin for "book with a map". This was an epic fantasy inspired by Russian folklore about a young man trying to find a tree of Living Water to save his city from destruction. It was crazy! The folklore aspect really plays center stage. Giants, hags, doors to other dimensions, riddles, and just absolute insane plot twists. The characters are a little flat and it takes a bit to really hook you, but once it does, it's a crazy ride! Definitely recommend if you like high fantasy/folklore/"journey of a hero" books.

Currently Reading

You Want Stories? The JordanCon 2019 Anthology for "anthology". Looks like it's a book full of fantasy shorts, including one by Brandon Sanderson. JordanCon is the Wheel of Time convention, so this book is put together by fans of that series (which I love!). Anthologies are like a box of chocolates though. I'm both excited and nervous to read this.

Father Arseny, 1893-1973: Priest, Prisoner, Spiritual Father not for the challenge. This is my church's book club read for Lent. It's about a Russian priest who was taken prisoner by the Soviets and placed in a prison camp. It's like an extension of what I just read by Solzhenitsyn, actually. Sort of weird how that worked out. ;)

The Wilderness Journal: 365 Days with the Philokalia for "book with title that caught your attention". Still plugging away!

QotW

Yes! We definitely read Dr. Seuss as a kid. Green Eggs and Ham was my favourite. I made my dad read that over and over. He can probably still say it by heart! The Grinch is my favourite now. I had tried reading the birthday story to my daughter, but it's totally too long (and a little creepy). I ended up getting rid of it. Berenstein Bears was also a favourite of mine as a kid, and that lives on now for my daughter! That's probably her favourite.

Hey all, happy Thursday.

Finished reading (8/50):

The Wicked King (4* rating on Goodreads, won an award in 2019 (Goodreads Choice), author with flora in name (Holly Black), three-word title, has a map, recommended by my favorite bloggers (Cait, Elise)) - This was a fun read. It doesn't pick up as fast as I was expecting (the first ~30% consists of Jude being ineffectual and glaring at people) but once it gets moving, it zooms.

Currently reading:

War Girls (cyborg characters, passes Bechdel test) - Black History Month read! This is a sci-fi retelling of the Nigerian Civil War. I'll admit I mostly picked it up for the stunning cover:




QotW: I read a bunch of Seuss but don't really have a favorite. The Cat in the Hat, maybe?

(My parents' favorite has to be Green Eggs and Ham - they reference it every so often, it's basically reached household meme status)

Happy Thursday!

I thought spring was coming because the weekend had really nice mild weather but then winter came back with like 5 inches of snow :(

I finished 2 books this week and one for the challenge.

Finished:

Obsidian (A book with an author who has written more than 20 books) - This is a reread for me and I still really enjoyed it. My original rating was a 4 star and I think that's still pretty accurate.

Onyx (no prompt) - The second book in the series. Basically the same feelings as the first book.

Currently Reading:

Split Tooth (A book that won an award in 2019) - So far this is one of the most interesting audiobooks I've ever listened to. The author reads the book and she's a Canadian Inuk throat singer so she does some of that during the reading. It's definitely a different experience. I'm not necessarily enjoying the actual story but the format is cool enough to make up for it.

Bringing Down the Duke (no prompt) - I'm still going on this one. I just need to find time to sit down and read it because I'm sure I'm going to like this one.

Regular: 9/40
Advanced: 1/10

QOTW:

I was absolutely obsessed with The Foot Book: Dr. Seuss's Wacky Book of Opposites when I was really young. But Green Eggs and Ham and Oh, the Places You'll Go! were favorites as well.

READ
Truly Devious - 3.5 stars- A book with a map
Was not expecting that ending! Overall, the mystery is enjoyable, even if we never got a straight resolution here. It’s a series, so I understand why, but I feel like I’m ALMOST done watching a Scooby episode and haven’t gotten to the “Meddling Kids” ending. Also, even though I like David, I can’t help but wish it were Nate instead. I just like Nate.

Come Tumbling Down - 4 Stars -A book that's published in 2020 & A book by an author who has written more than 20 books
I must be one of the strange ones that isn’t a super huge fan of Jack and Jill. While they are incredibly interesting, their world doesn’t inspire me much. This was still incredibly enjoyable and touches allot of sensitive topics in such a fun, whimsical way! I can’t help but love Christopher. I want to see Mariposa, I want him to go back to his world. I will cry if he turns 18 without finding his door!!

CURRENTLY READING

Got a second loan of Rich People Problems! Have made no progress on Gods of Jade and Shadow, because physical reading is tough. The next audiobook I'm going to start will most likely be The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo.

Since “Dr Seuss Day” is Monday, March 2:
Did you read Dr Seuss as a child? Did you have a favorite?

I did, but they were never a huge hit with me. I liked one with dogs in it... That's honestly all I can remember. I was a very avid reader as a kid, so even early on I preferred books that taught me things or made puny jokes. Amelia Bedelia, Madeline, The Magic School Bus, etc. They were my sister's favorite though, so I would see them constantly in the house and would flip through the pages to look at the drawings. I think a huge reason I never could like them is the way the talking animal things are drawn. Its gives me the creeps.

Finished: The Priory of the Orange Tree for A book with more than 20 letters in its title. I ended up liking this a lot, although as it was a single-volume fantasy, I did feel that the world building suffered a little, and there were some plot developments that were rushed over (or practically skipped altogether!) in service to the central story.

Started: The Familiars for A book with a bird on the cover. I'd been dithering about whether to read this all last year (Facebook kept advertising it at me, and the cover is so pretty!), and then it was only 99p in the Kindle sale, so I decided I might as well take a punt. So we'll see... :)

QOTW:
I did not read Dr Seuss as a child, as I find his stuff deeply, deeply creepy (and still do - I absolutely refuse to watch any of the recent Grinch films!). My mum tells me that she got a Dr Seuss book out of the library for me when I was small, but I disliked it so much - and so did she - that she never got another.

Since my last check-in I've completed Women Talking by Miriam Toews for a book recommended by a podcast & The Atlantis Plague by A.G. Riddle for a medical thriller.

I preferred Women Talking much more. It was fascinating to see how the survivors of sexual assault in a closed community (Mennonite) were able to "find" their voices while remaining true to their faith & leave an abusive situation. My only quibble is with the cover which depicts, I believe, women that are Amish.

QOTW: Never read Seuss, never had a desire to.

Good morning book friends. This week I finished 2 books, both from the library.

For Bildungsroman, I listened to
by Ann Napolitano
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
https://titlesurfingwithtraci.blogspo...

I also read . I didn't fit any prompts for this challenge

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

As for Dr Seuss, I did not read them that I can recall. I think my mother was opposed to them. I did read some of them with my son, Go Dog Go sticks in my mind at the moment. Love the Seuss Landing area at Universal Orlando It is such fun

Brooke wrote: I remember the free gift for signing up for the monthly box was a red plastic Cat-in-the-Hat set of bookends.

I had a set of those.

Samantha wrote: "Finished
Anna K.: A Love Story - this is a modern day retelling of Anna Karenina which I had never read so I went into this not knowing what would happen. I'm beginning to think I'm getting to old for some YA though because I just couldn't relate to the characters in this book at all. I'm using this for prompt #32 - a book by a WOC."

This is the only book I finished this week. February has been a slow reading month for me. I teach high school English and read a ton of YA and this took me a while to get through. I wasn't invested in any of the characters. I thought the book was too long (even though Anna Karenina is much longer). Or maybe it should have been longer. But we never really got beyond the superficial for any character despite the length. I would've given it 2.5 stars if goodreads allowed half stars.

Hello all!

Only one for me this week - The Dishwasher. 3 stars. Using for city set in an Olympic city - Montreal. Definitely had a strong sense of place, to the point where I felt I was missing things because I don't know the city. It was alright, I guess. I'm not sure if it is because most of the story was told in flashback, but it did really seem hazy in a way - I wasn't too sure of the timing of things and couldn't keep the secondary characters straight.

Next up, my library got their copies of We Have Always Been Here: A Queer Muslim Memoir and I will also reread Son of a Trickster to get ready for the Canada Reads debates. Also plugging along on The Count of Monte Cristo.

QotW
I'm sure I did read Dr. Seuss as a kid - I read everything. But my strong memory of the books is actually a few years ago as an adult, reading Oh, the Places You'll Go! toa friend's kid. I was between jobs and not sure what I wanted to do, and ended up having a mini-meltdown over the fact that I was stuck in the Waiting Place. Fortunately, I'm in a better place now.

Kenya wrote: "The Fifth Season-- for “book by a woman of color.” I might be in the minority here, but… I didn’t enjoy this one nearly as much as everyone else who raved about it seems to. There are some fascinating concepts, but the writing feels gimmicky and uneven, and while I get that a lot of the unpleasantness in the book was intentional on the author’s part, that doesn’t make it any less unpleasant to read."

ME TOO! It got a "good-not-great" rating from me. Way too bleak.

I didn't finish anything this week. I started two books, and I feel ambivalent about both.

Because Internet: Understanding the New Rules of Language - interesting and clever, but I never find myself thinking, "I really want to pick that up and read more!"

Let's Pretend This Never Happened: A Mostly True Memoir - weirdly, I often find myself laughing out loud, but reading this also kind of makes me feel sad, and at the same time there are points where she's trying too hard to be funny and it falls flat. Real mixed bag.

QOTW:
Yup! Green Eggs and Ham was my favorite - I think it spoke to me as a picky eater!

Progress:
Popsugar - 22/50
ATY - 16/52
Goodreads - 29/100

Finished:
Tell Me Everything by Cambria Brockman - No Prompt
I enjoyed the book, story follows 5 college students from Freshman year through Senior year. There is a death but you don't find out the details of death and who until the last 60 pages of the book. The book is leading up to the murder. Told in Malin's point of view with 3 different timelines, Freshman year, Senior year and her childhood. I really didn't see the twist coming at the end but the drawn out story made it a 3 star book. Two of the characters that were together a lot were Ruby and Max. I kept playing the tune for the show kids show "Max and Ruby, Ruby and Max" in my head when I heard their names together.

Into the Light by Aleatha Romig - No Prompt - This book took a while for me to get interested in. I think I enjoyed the book the most within the last 25%. Left on a cliffhanger so picked up book 2 to finish. The story follows Stell, an investigative reporter that is looking for her best friend that went missing. Also Sara and Jacob that are in a religious group called The Light.

In 27 Days by Alison Gervais POP. Published in May (Birth month) 4 stars. Very interesting concept and story. Quick read and story kept my attention. Thought I had it figured out 1/2 way through but I didn't!


Currently Reading:
Away from the Dark by Aleatha Romig
Tweet Cute by Emma Lord POP. Bird On Cover
The Wives by Tarryn Fisher


This month I want to try to read these also:
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
Dear Martin by Nic Stone
American Spy by Lauren Wilkinson

QQTH: I remeber Green Eggs and Ham when I was young, with my children it was more Cat in The Hat.

Finished:

Last of Her Name by Jessica Khoury

The story had a good, if sad, start. If you are going to read it, know that there are elements of both sci-fi and fantasy in it. The blending did not work for me in this book, and I DNF'ed it after page 100, looking at the last two chapters to find out how things turned out.

Watching the Clock by Christopher L. Bennett

This book is amazing. It gives you some brilliant sci-fi and time travel concepts, some Star Trek continuity spackle, and characters to ground you through the weirdness.

The follow-up, Forgotten History, does not succeed as well. The first half is like a tour through the original series' time travel episodes, and the second is a weird tale with a mix of TOS and DTI characters.

Pros and (Comic) Cons Ed. Hope Nicholson

This is a combination of prose and comic tales about the invited guests at pop culture conventions. I gravitated much more to the comic tales in this anthology.

Challenge progress: 33/50 (with double dips)

Currently reading:

Plagues of Night by David R. George III

It is a follow-up to Rough Beasts of Empire in both plot and style.

Star Trek: Picard: The Last Best Hope by Una McCormack

The first chapter is good, and that's as far as I have gotten so far.

QOTW:

I did grow up reading Dr. Suess. My favorite was Fox in Socks. I also really loved Green Eggs and Ham and There's a Wocket in My Pocket.

Reading them to my kids, I agree that The Cat in the Hat is a bit long for some ages of readers. Green Eggs and Ham remains fun to read, even in adulthood. The Sneetches is a story that I only discovered recently, and I think its message of seeing past unimportant differences is a very good one for all to hear.

I'm so ready for spring! I'd love to go for a walk without having to bundle up... I think my trip to Key West last month spoiled me a bit. Ha!

Challenge Progress: 20/50

Completed:
The Obsoletes: 1980s alternate history told from the viewpoint of two teenage robots... It most certainly kept my attention even when I wasn't sure I really liked what I was reading. The most interesting thing about the book was its examination of the robophobic prejudices of the human characters (especially when considered in relation to the racial fears and xenophobia we see playing out across many areas of the country right now), but the book was just really weird. Too weird? (A book featuring a robot, cyborg, or AI character) ★★★

So You've Been Publicly Shamed: “The justice system in the West has a lot of problems,” Poe said, “but at least there are rules. You have basic rights as the accused. You have your day in court. You don’t have any rights when you’re accused on the Internet. And the consequences are worse. It’s worldwide forever.” Interesting look at public shaming, both on the Internet and historically. I'm sometimes horrified at the vitriol spewed by people shielded by their computer (or phone) screens. And it's only gotten worse since this volume was published! (A book about or involving social media) ★★★★

Something That May Shock and Discredit You: Ortberg describes this work as memoir-adjacent, and that's too bad. The memoir part was great. The adjacent... not so much. (A book by a trans- or nonbinary author) ★★★

Antarctica: An Intimate Portrait of the World's Most Mysterious Continent: A brilliant combination of science and history. Walker writes beautifully about the climate and history of Antarctica as well as about the lives of the men and women who continue to explore this unique area of our planet. The only drawback was that, although Walker referred many times to her camera, there were no photographs in the book itself. (A book with a map) ★★★★

Prairie Fires: The American Dreams of Laura Ingalls Wilder: This isn't just a comprehensive biography of Laura Ingalls Wilder, but also that of her daughter Rose Wilder Lane (who's just plain awful) and the entire Little House series. Fraser maintains respect for the work that Wilder did, but she's also unflinching in her descriptions of these very real, complicated people. (Past prompt - 2015: A book with more than 500 pages) ★★★★

Twenty-one Truths About Love: It's amazing that a whole novel can be told in a series of lists and even more amazing that it's such a great story. It was in turns both hilarious and heart-wrenching. (A book with twenty or 20 in the title) ★★★★

Spinning Silver: A masterful work of interwoven fairy tales and folklore told from multiple viewpoints. (This is the book The Bear and the Nightingale wanted to be.) I loved it! (A book with gold, silver, or bronze in the title) ★★★★★

Currently Reading: The Lucky One, Sorority, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo (a book with more than 20 letters in its title), Mostly Void, Partially Stars, A Very Stable Genius: Donald J. Trump's Testing of America, She Said: Breaking the Sexual Harassment Story That Helped Ignite a Movement (a book with only words on the cover, no images or graphics), Greed and Glory: How Doc Gooden, Donald Trump, Lawrence Taylor, Ed Koch, Rudy Giuliani, and the Mafia Ruled New York in the 1980s (a book featuring one of the seven deadly sins), and The Goldfinch (a book with gold, silver, or bronze in the title)

QOTW: I remember reading Seuss as child, but they were never my favorite picture books. I was more into Are You My Mother? and Put Me in the Zoo.

My favorite Seuss is Mr. Brown Can Moo! Can You?. It's the first book my son ever read to me. He didn't speak at all until he was six (he's still mostly nonverbal), and he first read this one aloud when he was in the third grade.

Yesterday I had to move SNOW from my car!!! First time this winter. An hour later all the snow was gone.
We started the week with a short stay in Noordwijk, a village at the Northsea in the Netherlands. We had a mandatory leave from office, since everyone was celebrating ‘vastelaovend’ (carnaval). We had stormy weather, which has its own charms, like being sandblasted on the beach.

Finished
The Book Thief A touching and beautiful little story about Liesel and the other people living in the Himmelstrasse in a village near Munich during WW2. I finished the book with tears in my eyes. Prompt: a book with a book on the cover (also: book with at least 4-star rating on Goodreads).

Currently reading
In the Midst of Winter I have to read every single book of Isabel Allende. Despite the fact that her last 3 books were a little disappointing. She gave me the gift of finding back my love for reading with her splendid novel The House of the Spirits. I’ll always be grateful for that. O, and oops, I found myself buying her latest novel (A Long Petal of the Sea) in a bookstore last Monday…

Qotw
Never heard of it until now... probably because I'm from the Netherlands.

Because I'm all caught up on my Proust reading ... until next month anyway ... I have a bunch of finishes!

I've read 24/50!

Finished:
Locally Laid: How We Built a Plucky, Industry-changing Egg Farm - from Scratch -prompt: social media - a couple of naifs start a middle agriculture egg production business (chickens). In Duluth. Really excellent book filled with humor while not soft-peddling the difficulties they encountered. Social media was critical to their ulitmate success. Starts off with a classic moment - Out for what the wife thinks is a rare romantic dinner without kids and husband drops the bomb that he wants to start a chicken farm.

Puddin' on the Blitz - Prompt: pun in title. Cozy mystery, latest in a series -- had its moments.

The Best We Could Do - prompt: WOC. Amazing graphic memoir of author's parents and the family's journey to the US from Vietnam -- those who lived through the 1970s will know what I mean when I say they were Boat People. The artwork is gorgeous.

The Lost Vintage - prompt: 3 word title. Set in the Burgundy region of France, this is about a vinyard, a secret from WWII and the legacy and impact on a family of surviving Occupied France. Gives a superb feeling of being in France, and the food and wine!!!!!

Currently Reading:
The Stone Gods
The Astronaut Wives Club
Hedy's Folly: The Life and Breakthrough Inventions of Hedy Lamarr, the Most Beautiful Woman in the World
Provençal Cooking: Savoring the Simple Life in France
Go Tell It on the Mountain (I'm going to be late with Black History Month reading).
Lab Girl

Oh, and Proust will be cycling back in...

QOTW:

Sorry but no, I'm too old and even though the very first couple of his books, including The Cat in the Hat, were available when I was a kid, they did not come to the attention of my parents until my younger sister came along as I grew up in rural America. I did read many of them to her. That was the early to mid-1960s.

However, my family across the board fell in love with How the Grinch Stole Christmas!. We all still have our prized individual copies and read it every year.

Theresa wrote: "my family across the board fell in love with How the Grinch Stole Christmas!. We all still have our prized individual copies and read it every year."

Love this :)

Theresa wrote: "... Sorry but no, I'm too old ..."


You’re only a little bit older than I am!!! I knew Seuss was mostly only in the US, but I thought he’d been around for a while before my time.

I was born in 1967. You made me go back and check the pub dates. The two I mentioned (as well as Green Eggs) are from the early 60s, but Horton hatched his egg in 1940, (I always felt soooo bad for Horton, stuck sitting on his egg!), although I suppose he didn’t really hit the big time until Cat in the Hat (A story which I always found extremely unsettling) in 1957, so I guess your local library didn’t pick him up in time for you .

I had a very satisfying reading week and discovered a new favourite series while doing it:
All Systems Red, which I am using for prompt 28, robot, cyborg, AI character,
Artificial Condition, for prompt 23, won the 2019 Hugo for nevella,
Rogue Protocol and
Exit Strategy by Martha Wells are really good, just too short and May is a long way off...

I finished Tess of the Road by Rachel Hartman for prompt 21, published in the month of my birthday
and decided that The President's Brain is Missing by John Scalzi fits prompt 30, about a world leader.
Finally I read the first Witcher book, The Last Wish by Andrzej Sapkowski.

I started Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie and made good progress with Die Bibel nach Biff: Die wilden Jugendjahre von Jesus, erzählt von seinem besten Freund by Christopher Moore.

QotW:
I do not know if the Seuss books have a market nowadays here in Germany due to all the movies, but back in the 60s and 70s no one had heard of them here, so no.

Hi all,

Just one finish this week....

“By a journalist”- The Crofter and the Laird: Life on an Hebridean Island- Originally appeared in the New Yorker in 1969, this book is about writer John Macphee’s experience living on the sequestered Scottish island of his ancestors. Overall I quite liked this. The book is only loosely organized, and quite short, but his prose is clear and evocative. After some googling, I was pleasantly surprised to find out that there are still people living on Colonsay even today. 3 stars.

QOTW- Yes, I did! I’m having difficulty remembering which was my favorite though. I think it was Happy Birthday to You!, probably based on the blue (my favorite color as a kid) cover and the fact that it was about birthdays.

Hello everyone! We are having a super mild winter, which is bad in almost all ways but good for my backpacking plans this summer. :-)
Finished this week:
In the Dream House (passes Bechdel test): I absolutely loved this book. It's so original and heartfelt and the language is so precise. Go read it! It's just great.

Currently reading:
Spinning Silver (silver in the title): I'm probably a third of the way through this, and I genuinely don't know where the story is going to go from here. So fun! Also, the narrator on Audible for this one is great.
Broad and Alien is the World (title caught my attention): if you enjoy loving descriptions of the natural world, have I got a book for you! seriously delightful.
Black Leopard, Red Wolf: I have to admit I'm not enjoying this one. I might DNF.
An Ember in the Ashes (with a map): just started this one. We'll see if I like it!

QOTW: Oh my days, I was raised to love Dr. Seuss, and I still do! Bartholomew and the Oobleck was a big favorite, as was The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins. I learned to read using Hop On Pop, and famously pronounced "policeman in a pail" as "polickaman in a pail" when reading to my mom, which she found hilarious enough to mention for the next thirty years. Thanks, mom.
On a related note, I also love P.D. Eastman, who was mentored by Dr. Seuss and published under him, including Go, Dog. Go!, though I have Some Feelings about the girl dog in the party hat and how she shouldn't settle for someone who criticizes her. Enjoy your party hat on your own terms and don't apologize to anyone about it, girl dog!