Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge discussion
2020 Weekly Checkins
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Week 16: 4/10 – 4/16
I can't get over how warm it was over Easter! The chill in the air is back now, but it was so nice to be able to sit outside without layers on (obviously on my own property). It's a bit surreal that we are just at home, plodding along when the news is full of overworked key workers and death tolls. Dewey's 24 Hour Readthon is on the 25th, and it seems the perfect time to do it.
Finished:
A Darkness Absolute for a book set in a country beginning with C (Canada). I felt like binge-reading this series after I started it last week but I only had the first two books. I'll probably ebook the next one, as it's been one of the few things that has kept my attention 100%.
Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 for ATY (set in a global city). I found this fascinating because the main character is the same generation as me but Korean, and it was quite shocking to see how behind they are with gender equality. A timely read considering they have a feminist party gaining ground in this year's election.
Currently reading The Book of Koli for review. Its release date crept up on me. Not really sure about the narrative voice in this one, it's sort of bad English on purpose and I think it'd work better on audio.
QOTW:
Definitely, my audiobook consumption has really gone downhill. I am trying to introduce half an hour or so while I work and see how that goes, but it was definitely easier to listen when I was commuting. I thought I could get through a bunch of big hardbacks but that hasn't happened either.
I'm picking up books that I know will be easy to read and not too taxing, like thrillers which I really don't read normally and I'm about to pick up Beth O'Leary's new book, which I hope will be full of warm and fuzzies. My usual fare of end of the world scenarios just aren't quite as appealing right now, but I know I will go back to them. I've actually felt like reading more into the Spanish Flu...
I'm pretty sure we've had more snow in April than we had all winter, especially in the last week. Yeesh.Finished:
Tigers in the Cage by Rachel Caine - 5 stars. A short story in the Great Library series, and something of a character study of Keria.
League of Dragons by Naomi Novik - 4 stars. The finale of the series, and a wonderful send-off. Favorite past prompt: Nonhuman characters
The Alien by KA Applegate - 5 stars. Continuing my Animorphs reread.
29/50
Currently reading:
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte. Author in their 20s
Cold Magic by Kate Elliott. Hopefully finishing tonight! I like it but it feels like it's taken me forever.
The Big Over Easy by Jasper Fforde. I picked this up hoping I'd zip through it and it's been a week and a half *cries*
Have you found that you are choosing a different genre or book format in these past few weeks compared to how you were reading at the beginning of the year?
Not really? Fantasy seems like good escapist material.
We've been very lucky in Switzerland. The weather is stunning, as are the flowers that seem to pop up daily. The colors are so vibrant and heartening! I'm quite happy to take walks and explore the paths that aren't as crowded. With continued lockdown, I'm getting more and more books read. So far, I'm at 42/50 for the PS Challenge.
April books so far:
Darling Rose Gold - for the book published in 2020 prompt. Listened to it on Audible. It is a book of two completely messed up people, that's for certain.
The Mercies - for the book published in the month of my birthday. It started slowly for me, but once the action and character work picked up, wow. It is such a horrible history - the history of witchcraft and witch hunts. These ones in Norway are probably little well-known (at least in the U.S.) compared to the Salem Witch Trials. I could feel the tension build, and the setting description put me right into the little village on the edge of nowhere.
Death in the Air: The True Story of a Serial Killer, the Great London Smog, and the Strangling of a City - for the prompt of a topic you know nothing about. Granted, I listened to a podcast about John Christie (the serial killer in the title), and I remembered I had this book. It was an interesting look at the serial killer and also the environmental disaster of the smog - not quite as successful a comparison/dichotomy as Larson's The Devil in the White City, but interesting nonetheless.
The Skylarks’ War - for the prompt of a bird on the cover. A beautiful book for young teens, addressing so many historical and social issues in Britain, circa WWI. It was one of my favorite reads so far this year.
My Dark Vanessa - for the prompt of a Bildungsroman. I finished this the other day, and I'm still processing the book and its ending.
The Testaments - for the prompt of a book that won an award in 2019. It made for interesting listening, to say the least. It was a look into the workings of Gilead, the attitudes and background of the people serving within it. I still enjoy The Handmaid's Tale more, but it was a good follow-up novel.
The Fountains of Silence - I didn't put this to a prompt, but I'm always a fan of Sepetys. This one didn't have the same intensity or urgency to it as the other books, IMO, but I enjoyed the different story and focus on a different time period/country.
Currently reading: Emergency Poet, Factfulness: Ten Reasons We're Wrong About the World – and Why Things Are Better Than You Think, and Watership Down.
QotW
I've started listening to more audiobooks lately, mostly because I live by myself and we're in lockdown. It's nice to have something to listen to! I've picked up so many different genres now thanks to the PS challenge. I find that I often pick up the prompts I enjoy first, then attack the ones that aren't my usual. Since I have 8 books left to read for the Challenge, I'm onto the ones that are taking longer to fill.
Finished:-Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi
-The Color of Magic by Terry Pratchett
-Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams
-Burial Rites by Hannah Kent
Starting: The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
PS: 21 ATY: 19
QOTW: how I read hasn't changed. I'm a stay-at-home mom so my routine is still the same.
Ellie wrote: "It's a bit surreal that we are just at home, plodding along when the news is full of overworked key workers and death tolls."Yeah, the disconnect is really jarring. Especially when the people we think of as "essential emergency" workers like medical and public safety are out there trying to keep up, but also the pizza delivery folks and grocery workers and stuff. In some ways it's The End of the World, but a bunch of quotidian stuff is still up and running.
I find I cope better when I have milestones to look forward to, so thanks to you all for my "Ooh, it's Thursday tomorrow" feeling I had yesterday. It's you and my second-favorite podcast keeping me going today. :)
Tried and gave up recently:
Recursion- too much real life personal misery
The Silent Patient - from the get-go felt like an excuse for a twist wrapped in the male gaze. DNF around 20%
Ancillary Justice - this is still "reading" status technically, but I keep opening it and realizing I don't have the requisite brain power right now.
Finished:
A medical thriller - The Ghost Map: The Story of London's Most Terrifying Epidemic—and How It Changed Science, Cities, and the Modern World - I stayed on-brand and was totally weird about what was comforting to read. With epoch-perspective, reading about an epidemic was just fascinating and (while duly horrifying and disgusting in ways), was kind of reassuring about the ability of humans to get together and figure out the challenges of modern living. Also Dr. John Snow (yes I pictured him as Kit Harrington the whole time) was incredibly compelling and I want to read more about him.
Currently reading:
A book by an author with flora or fauna in their name - The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires - so far so good. It took me a while to "dreamcast" all the characters so I could keep them straight in my head, but now I've got momentum. I can tell this is another one where Grady Hendrix will gross me out, then make me cry about the human condition as told through horror metaphors. (Though I relate a bit less to this than to My Best Friend's Exorcism - born in 1973, I was a teen around the time of that book, but I wasn't a suburban mom until a decade after this one.)
"The Terror from the Depths" - short story by Fritz Leiber that I'm re-reading. My first-favorite podcast is doing a series on it, and they were talking about how hard it is to find a copy of this story. Yet, it seemed so familiar as they got into it . . . turns out I own TWO anthologies with it (three, if you count that I have one of them in both hardcover and Kindle!). Perfect example of "You know you're a Lovecraft fan when_________"
QOTW:
As noted, I'm casting around for stuff that feels right. Too brainy is out. Too realistically sad on a personal level is out.
I'm actually re-reading a lot. These times call for adventuring with Murderbot or having Juliet Stevenson read Persuasion to me for the umpteenth time while I lie in bed staring listlessly out the window (true story).
Hi Everyone, Still on stay at home orders, locked down even further. Also my state's dumber than I thought since a bunch of people were protesting the capitol, with guns but no masks/distancing/gloves to complain that the stay at home order is stealing their freedom. We're already a hot spot for the disease, so guess we'll spike again.
this week I finished:
Marauders by Gerry Duggan, Vol. 1 - more comics catch up, along with a bunch of individual issues
The Poet X - listened on audio, this was my read harder book of poetry in audio form. I liked it, and I'm glad I did the audio even though thats not my format of choice. The author read it herself, and since it was written about a young slam poet, it felt right for it to be spoken.
Whiskey When We're Dry - Western. I liked this a lot more than expected. I think it helps that it's an Australian who wrote it, who lived all over the world including the American West. He used the vehicle of the western to explore a lot of the racial and class issues of the time, as well as gender identity and sexuality. The narrator character, Jess, was extremely well written and complex. Still not going to be my favorite genre, but I enjoyed way more than most of them I've tried.
Puts me at 25/50!
Currently reading:
Immortal Born - needed some fluff, but this actually counts! It'll be my book in a series with more than 20 books, seeing as this is #30 in the Argeneau series. It's also counting as my read harder romance starring a single parent. The woman in it is raising her friend's vampire baby, and has been for four years in it so I think it counts.
The Count of Monte Cristo - reading a few pages of this in between books. Technically didn't after I finished the western, but I'll put some time in when I finish this romance.
So You Want to Talk About Race - this will my book by a woman of color. I wish I had found this in print, not audio. I have trouble fitting audio into my schedule, and this one will probably be a bit intense for mindless background/work listening.
QOTW:
I already worked from home, my routine hasn't changed much. It's interesting that several people mention they don't have time for audio books now. I never could get into them like some people do, because I don't commute so had trouble finding times to listen to them.
Some of my selections are still based on that I'm trying to get prompts filled/library holds I placed months ago are coming up. But overall I'm trying to pepper in lighter reads in between the serious stuff, and ideally avoiding too much dystopian stuff right now.
I finished The Map of Salt and Stars as my book by a nonbinary or trans author. I loved it, but I would have preferred something a bit more upbeat right now.I'm currently reading The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper as my book that won an award last year. I'm finding it very interesting so far.
QOTW: I don't really have any way to read stuff that I don't already own or already have checked out from the library. So, I'm just working my way through the challenge.
My friend group figured out how to have game night virtually this week. It was so much fun! And such a relief to get to spend some time with them again. For anyone curious ... Yahtzee is the perfect game for this. All you need are 5 dice (sourced from any assortment of board games) and a score card, which you can print or draw your own. We also found this Scattergories website with a built-in timer https://swellgarfo.com/scattergories/. Boggle was great too. We created a birds-eye view of the board by putting a cell phone on top of two rolls of toilet paper! We modified some rules for other games (mostly about discards) too. We’re going to try some trivia games next time we play. On the reading front, I think The Fiery Cross is the cause of my reading slump. It moves so slowly, even compared to other books in the series. I took a break from it and read other books at normal speed. I’m not giving up on it, but I’ve never struggled with this series so much.
Finished
The Broken Girls by Simone St. James (a book by or about a journalist). This is such a good book! It’s atmospheric and creepy. The characters are all vibrant. Because the mysteries are cold cases, there is less urgency than in some other mystery novels, but I didn’t want to stop reading.
The Cold Dish by Craig Johnson (a Western). As a fan of the TV show, of course I picked this as my Western. I’ve wanted to read the series for awhile. I enjoyed it a lot. But I was disappointed by how the author treated the Native characters. I can see that the TV show writers made some course corrections.
Reading
The Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon (a book by or about a woman in STEM)
QOTW
I've been reading a lot more ebooks because that's the only way to borrow from the library now. I've also been racing through my audiobooks. Normally, I listen slowly because I have a very short commute and I'm interrupted during the day. Now I can listen all day if I want to.
Christine wrote: "I find I cope better when I have milestones to look forward to, so thanks to you all for my "Ooh, it's Thursday tomorrow" feeling I had yesterday. It's you and my second-favorite podcast keeping me going today. :) ..."Same! I finished two books yesterday because I didn't want to report I'd finished nothing this week.
Mod
I finished 5 books, 1 for this Challenge, and I am now 27/50
Alias, Vol. 2: Come Home written by Brian Michael Bendis - this graphic novel series is one of the best I’ve ever read. I'm pretty sure the third volume is on hoopla, I'll be borrowing that soon!
American Primitive poems by Mary Oliver - fantastic collection!
The Killing Moon by N.K. Jemisin - I was underwhelmed by this. I have loved everything else by Jemisin so I guess this shows how much she grew as an author. I probably won't read the next volume in this duology.
Pet by Akwaeke Emezi- I read this for “transgender or non-binary author” and I didn’t realize how well it would fit, because not only is the author non-binary (which I obviously knew already), but the main character is transgender and another main character’s parent is non-binary. It was a quick read, but I didn’t really like it much. Emezi seemed to be struggling to find a YA writing style, it often felt far too simplistic like she was aiming for middle grade readers, but at other times it was extremely dark, too dark for young readers.
Angel in a Devil's Arms by Julie Anne Long - I usually love Long's romances, but this one felt a bit rushed, it was both too long and too little.
QoTW
Yes! I had been DEVOURING audiobooks, but my primary time for listening was in my car, and ... my car has been resting in my garage quite a bit now. I've been making time to listen while at home so I'm doing better with my progress this week.
When this all started, I found I had a hard time reading contemporary books, I sought out escapist fiction like SFF, romance, and historical. (That's mostly what I read anyway, so not a huge change, I guess.)
I also found - to my surprise - that working from home lead to LESS reading time! I used to read during lunch, but now lunch is with my kids. And I used to read at night, but we've been watching TV after dinner almost every night (not sure why - because we're home all day together and feel the need to seek outside entertainment?) so that's cutting into my evening reading.
Hello All, today’s my husband’s birthday. All our friends & family have been calling & texting to wish him Happy Birthday. This is helping him feel not so isolated on his special day. Zero books completed for the week. I’m currently reading The Mirror & The Light by Hilary Mantel. I’m enjoying it. Hopefully I will have finished it by next weeks check in.
QOTW: not reading different genres. For years I only read ebooks nothing else. This year I started reading hardbacks because the wait for ebooks is ridiculous & I’m hoarding my Amazon gift card money for books I can’t get any other way. Now I’m back to only ebooks.
I saw someone mention Dewey’s 24 hour Readthon 4/25. I have done it once before & have signed up to do it again. I can’t wait. Should be fun.
Three week check-in for me.My country (Denmark) is preparing for a partial reopening. Numbers are looking good and hospitals can cope. Two of my sons are starting school on monday, in a very restricted way: smaller groups with distancing, only contact with a few adults and advised to see the same children after school as in school, and lots of other strict guidelines. So a new, new normal coming soon. I´m a public worker (librarian) and I´ve been working from home with what´s possible. We´ve been asked to work in other areas, like schools and daycares who need extra people to disinfect toys and that sort of thing. For now I´m not going to participate since I´m part of the team that will make the restricted openup plan for our library when that time comes (they´re talking 10th May for the time being), so I may be needed there. But anything may change tomorrow. I´m a rather easygoing person who´s bad at longterm planning, but good at improvising, and those traits have served me well this past month. I´m also a very extrovert extrovert who´s still content to stay in and read and laze about in my pajamas all day, I often find I relate to the "I´m an introvert, so" stories, but I am no doubt still an extrovert. I live with my three kids and husband, so it´s not as if I´ve been alone...
What I read these past weeks:
Royal Assassin using it for transportation on the cover (is that ATY or PS?) there is a ship in the corner of my copy
only read the author once before (ATY?)
(Life back) using it for favourite prompt: Based on myth. It´s based on a Faroese myth about seals realy being selkies and people who comitted suicide at sea.
A couple of romances:
And a couple of children´s books for review
Vitello begynder i skole
Hund og kat - og dit og dat
+ one I haven´t entered to goodreads yet.
Currently reading
(on audio, only half an hour left, see qotw....)
QOTW
I listen to less audio, since that´s what I usually do on my commute. I have even less patience with contemporary fiction with people with petty problems (which is really not my jam anyway). I´m not really feeling up to the medical thriller prompt, but I´ll get there.
I have turned to my all time favourites with a bit less dystopias and a bit more fantasy, spiced with some romances and generally stopped trying to read things I didn´t 100% feel like.
Oh yeah, I´ve been reading a bit more ebooks, even though I have like a couple of years worth of books at home. I guess it´s the mood reader in me.
Not much reading this week, lots books going but I keep flitting between things. Complete
Smile by Raina Telgemeier I've had this on hold for a long time and I'm sure I had a plan for where it fit last year. No idea where if anywhere I will put it this year but it was charming and I enjoyed it.
Check, Please!, Book 2: Sticks & Scones by Ngozi Ukazu I read the first "book" of this last year (maybe the year before) and loved it. I've recommended it to so many people. I'd read almost all of this as it was published as a webcomic but it had been a while since I read the early bits and it felt new even though I'd read a lot of it before. It remains charming and I still love this world.. It will be missed.
The Yellow Wallpaper and Other Stories by Charlotte Perkins Gilman I know The Yellow Wallpaper is the really famous story but I liked all of these and most of them more than most famous one. I"m glad I read this!
Currently Reading
The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz by Erik Larson
Red at the Bone by Jacqueline Woodson
Cheshire Crossing by Andy Weir
QOTW
I'm not sure the types of books I'm reading are changing (and maybe that's the probem if I was reading something lighter I might be more eager to read. But I'm just not reading/listening the way I usually do. Twice this week I cooked dinner without an audiobook playing. That is almost unheard of for me.
At night after everybody goes to bed instead of picking up a book I'm watching reruns of Golden Girls (that show has lot of clip show episodes... like an absurd number of clip show episodes).
Oh, the weight gain! I needed to lose weight before all this started, and now I'm struggling to get 10000 steps each day (which just isn't enough). I picked up cross-stitch again. Trying so hard to keep my hands busy - it's too easy to snack while I'm reading.Challenge Progress: 37/50
Completed:
Upright Women Wanted: "Subversive librarians" sounds like it should be right up my alley, but this novella felt slight... so much was introduced or hinted at that just never came to fruition. I wish Gailey had developed the setting and plot further and turned this into a full-length novel. ★★★
The Wrath and the Dawn: While beautifully written, with rich imagery and an intriguing premise, I just wasn't feeling it. I mean, Shazi's feelings toward Khalid sure changed quickly, didn't they? And then, of course, because it's part of a series, there wasn't a satisfactory ending. I'm leaving this at 3 stars right now... maybe I'll change it after I read the next volume. (A book featuring one of the seven deadly sins - Wrath) ★★★
Scrappy Little Nobody: "But here's the thing about crazy: It. Wants. Out." Funny and snarky, Anna Kendrick's memoir was exactly what I expected. I've loved her since she played Fritzi in "Camp" years and years ago, and I'm mildly obsessed with the "Pitch Perfect" movies, so it's really not surprising that I enjoyed this. (A book with a three-word title) ★★★★
The Travelling Cat Chronicles: Lovely, poignant story. I'm not really a pet lover and I generally rail against melodrama, but this story hit me harder than I ever expected. Yes, those were real tears rolling down my cheeks. (A book set in Japan, the host of the 2020 Olympics) ★★★★
The Mercies: Atmospheric and gorgeously written. Hargrave reveals the arrogance of men and the church amid the witchcraft hysteria of the 1600s in stark, unflinching terms. Maren and Ursa, two women with vastly different upbringings, are beautifully sympathetic and strong characters. (A book on a subject you know nothing about - The Vardø witch trials of the 1600s) ★★★★
Seeds of Science: Why We Got It So Wrong on GMOs: Thought-provoking look at the debate over GMOs (although sometimes a bit long winded). I tend to be pro-science, but even so I was still surprised by overwhelming lack of scientific support for the demonizing of GMO crops (and Monsanto). I'm convinced that I don't have to avoid GMOs in order to have healthy eating habits. ★★★
The Glass Hotel: “Do you find yourself sort of secretly hoping that civilization collapses,” Melissa said, “just so that something will happen?” Unlike Station Eleven, this is not about some futuristic dystopia, but it still feels like it... Mandel's dream-like, ethereal writing is mesmerizing. ★★★★★
Currently Reading:
Fahrenheit 451 (A book with a great first line - "It was a pleasure to burn.")
Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea (A book featuring one of the seven deadly sins - Envy)
The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires (A book about a book club)
A Game of Birds and Wolves: The Ingenious Young Women Whose Secret Board Game Helped Win World War II
Followers (A book about or involving social media)
The Broken Heart of America: St. Louis and the Violent History of the United States
The Night Circus
Hidden Valley Road: Inside the Mind of an American Family
QOTW: I don't see that my reading choices or formats have changed all that much. I'm just reading MORE. I'm finishing nearly a book a day - prior to quarantine I was finishing a book every two or three days.
I missed last week's check-in but I didn't have anything to report anyway. I'm really struggling with keeping up with my reading since the quarantine started. I don't know why either because my routine hasn't changed much. I had started Weight Watchers in January though so I've actually done a great job at not snacking incessantly. Physically, I feel the best I have in a decade but mentally, I'm not sure I'm all here. lol.I finished The Striker for a book by an author who's written more than 20 books. I love Clive Cussler. I was really upset that he passed away. And I love the Isaac Bell series. Maybe because it's newer than the Dirk Pitt books, but I feel like the characters are rounder and the plots are smoother.
QOTW: The only real change to my reading habits are that I'm not reading as much. Honestly, I've been spending way too much time scrolling social media rather than actually making time to read. And I've been slogging away at Gone with the Wind on audio since January (I even skipped like 5 hours on accident). I would have DNF'd it but I just want that feeling of accomplishment at this point even though I hate it. I've also been listening to Spotify a lot more than previously. I hope I get out of my reading slump soon so I don't fall even further behind.
Good Morning,I'm finally coming out of my Spring reading slump!!
Finished:
The Silent Patient for a book set in a city that has hosted the Olympics. This was fine. I liked the twist at the end but I had actually suspected it. It's by no means bad just nothing to really write home about.
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd for a book from a series with more than 20 books. This was also fine. Not my favorite Agatha Christie I've read but worth reading.
Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me - Not for the challenge, just wanted to read it. It was really good. I didn't expect a YA graphic novel to delve that much into toxic relationships but it went there.
That's 20/50 for PopSugar and 26/61 for the year.
Currently Reading:
Under the Dome for a book featuring one of the seven deadly sins. I feel like I'm finally making progress on the audio of this. I'm almost 70% through the book now. It's really good and I'm still obsessed with Raul Esparza doing the narration.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower for a first book you touch on a shelf with your eyes closed. I've never read this before but received the book last year. It's really good and I just want to protect sweet Charlie from the world.
The Guest List - Reading it just because. I'm enjoying it. It's the same set-up as the author's last book but I liked that one as well. I'm interested to find out what's actually happening in it.
QOTW:
My reading habits haven't changed at all because my life hasn't really changed. I still go to work every day. So, I still listen to my audiobooks while driving to work. I still read a bit at lunchtime. I read for 1 to 3 hours at night. My weekends are busy, so I do read more on Saturdays and Sundays. I'm also reading the same stuff I was reading before. There's really no change for me.
Hi everyone. The sun is shinning in Yorkshire (which does mean my hayfever is back but I can put up with that for a bit of sunshine)This week I actually read something! No more book prison for me! My mum wanted something to read and our tastes are not similar at all, so while I was rooting my shelves for something she might like, I decided to re-read Emily of New Moon. Most of my memories of Emily must be from the sequels though because I didn't remember a lot of this book (view spoiler)
QOTW: Until a couple of days ago I hadn't read anything at all for two or three weeks so that was the biggest change. I think with the sun being out now, I can sit in the garden and bury my head in a book easier without the news and the Internet making it hard to concentrate
Another three-book week - at least lockdowns and working from home are good for something! ;)Finished:
The Fall of Gondolin for A book with a made-up language. I decided I could just about justify this for this prompt, as there are lot of Elvish names for places in it, even though no one actually really speaks any Elvish in it. It was interesting to see the development of the story over the various drafts, but I think I just preferred reading the version that was published in The Silmarillion.
The Mysterious Affair at Styles for A book from a series with more than 20 books. I would have sworn that I'd read this before, but I didn't remember a thing about it while I was reading it! At least that meant I didn't remember whodunnit! Poirot is always a good read, though.
The Great Gatsby for A book set in the 1920s. At the risk of trotting out a joke that's been used before, I didn't really see what was so 'Great' about this one. Perhaps I'm missing something, but I really wasn't feeling it, and it took me far longer to finish than it should have, considering how short it is! Still, at least I can tick it off the 'Books you feel you should read' list now!
Started:
The Old Ways: A Journey on Foot for A book with a map. I'm not very far through this yet, but I've already been enjoying following the author's routes on Google maps! I'm hoping this book will tap into the same part of me that loved Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail last year.
QOTW:
I don't think I'm particularly reading different genres now - I'm still just working my way through the prompts and reading the books as they come. However, some of the books I've earmarked for the challenge I planned to read in hard copy (rather than Kindle copy), so I'm taking advantage of the fact that I'm currently working from home to pull those off the shelf (meaning I don't have to cart them into work with me to read on my lunchbreak). The only problem is that some of those hard copies I'd planned to borrow from the library of the University where I work, but now it's closed I can't do that, meaning that I'm probably going to have to buy some of them on my Kindle instead...
Well, my dad got a job offer so yay! Otherwise still life as the new normal. Trying to teach my toddler to dress herself and she is NOT having it. All this change in routine is stressing her out. :(Finished 14/50
No progress this week, though I wasn't expecting it since it's Orthodox Holy Week. Should have something finished next week though!
Currently Reading
Oh Crap! Potty Training: Everything Modern Parents Need to Know to Do It Once and Do It Right for "book on a subject you know nothing about". It's time. I don't want to, but she's ready and with all of us at home, this is the optimal time to do it. Prayers and thoughts appreciated. XD
Orthodoxy and Heterodoxy: Finding the Way to Christ in a Complicated Religious Landscape for "book published in month of your birthday". I've read the first couple chapters and it's AMAZING. But now it's on hiatus until the potty-training adventure is done. Siiiigh.
The Wilderness Journal: 365 Days with the Philokalia for "book with title that caught your attention". Plugging along! Day by day...
QotW
Yes, my reading habits have totally changed, mainly from my lack of foresight. I was going in order of prompt (roughly) and had borrowed a bunch of books from friends but had planned on supplementing the prompts I was missing with library books. This would mean a nice mix of fiction/nonfiction and a variety of genres. Now I'm stuck with whatever I had borrowed which tends to be all of one genre. I should've stocked up on library books like the rest of you smart people. Siiigh. Oh well. I've got them on hold for whenever things open.
Hello everyone! I hope you're all staying safe and sane! As an extrovert it's been hard on me these past couple of weeks but modern tech has made it a bit easier. The only book explicitly for the Popsugar Challenge that I've been working on is The Fellowship of the Ring and I use working on in the lightest sense possible as that it is a tough book for me to get through, even with all the high fantasy I've been reading since the start of the year.
I did finish two books (or a book and a screenplay) for the Book Riot. The screenplay being Sorry To Bother You which is one of the oldest books on my TBR. It was only a three star read which is disappointing because I had it for so long and it was a gift from an old college professor who had recommended it to me saying it was exactly my taste. And maybe it was for college aged me.
The book was The Impossible Fairy Tale which was a metafiction book separated into Part One (the actual story) and Part Two (a character coming to life and talking to the author) I'm not one for metafiction or literary books but I liked it a lot more than I was expecting to, although Part One was more my cup of tea than the actual metafiction part. The translation was impeccable and I can't even begin to imagine the amount of work that went into to translating all the word plays.
I started and finished two books I Don’t Like The World, I Only Like You which was a very sweet and comforting read and funnier than I had been expecting and As Kismet Would Have Itwhich I adored so much more than the original When Dimple Met Rishi
I also started Wives and Daughters which is a chunker of a book but I guess big books are the best possible choice for times like these!
Have you found that you are choosing a different genre or book format in these past few weeks compared to how you were reading at the beginning of the year?
I have, I've been reading a lot more digitalbooks as a lot of the "freebies" coming from the literary world at this time has been in digital form obvie along with me checking out ebooks as the physical library has been closed.
I don’t think any of these tick off prompts I have leftBeach Read by Emily Henry. Contemporary romance with my favorite trope – enemies to lovers. This was a delightful read.
The Guest List by Lucy Foley. Thriller. Wedding on a remote island and someone ends up dead. I figured out the twist before the end but it was still a good read.
A Stranger in the House by Shari Lapena. Thriller. A woman gets a phone call, leaves her house suddenly and gets in a car accident and doesn’t remember anything. I enjoyed it up until the very end.
Scot Under the Covers by Suzanne Enoch. Historical romance. Meh. Probably won’t get the rest of the series.
Sometimes I Lie by Alice Feeny. Suspense. I was irritated by the twists. It was like that “What a Twist” guy from Robot Chicken kept popping up.
QOTW:
I have just picking books from my TBR pile like usual. But I have almost read through all my mass market paperback romances that I have in a separate pile since this thing started. I feel like romance is definitely my comfort genre.
@Alex - a clever person said to me once I was stressing over our son who wouldn't sleep in his own bed till he was quite old: 'I've never heard of a teenager who slept in their parents bed every night, so as long as you can live with it, don't worry, he'll get there in his own time'. I believe the teenager principle applies to wearing diapers as well :D What she said took some pressure off us and redirected focus from what a kid 'should' be able to, to a focus on what worked for our family. He ended up with a mattress on the floor beside our bed.So, go ahead and potty train, but if your toddler is stressed out and it doesn't work, she'll still get there before her teens :) (This of course implies you're a kid with normal cognitive functions)
HMMM .. Everything is about the same this week as it was last week. Progress:
Popsugar - 33/50
ATY - 25/52
Goodreads - 46/100
Finished:
A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro 2 stars. Nothing wrong with book just wasn't very exciting.
The Wives by Tarryn Fisher Was disappointed in this book. Gave it two stars origianlly then thought longer about it and moved it to one star.
The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris 3 stars I might have enjoyed this book if I read it in a different time. There are other books on same subject that I have enjoyed more. I did enjoy the epilogue and afterwards written by the son more than the book.
Currently Reading:
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
An American Marriage by Tayari Jones
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
QOTW: Before lockdown I would listen to audiobooks while working, then at night before bed read a book. The first few weeks "shelter in place" I didn't listen or read to anything, too much adjustment having 3 other bodies in the house with me while I was working. Being tired at night and not really interested in reading. Finally this week I've felt like escaping into books again. I am still not picking up a book, not sure if its because the books I have are just not the genre I'm feeling at the moment. I have been listening to audiobooks a little bit more. I've pulled out some old jigsaw puzzles and I'm listening to audiobooks in the evening while working on the puzzles. If the story is really good I work on the puzzle even longer. The genre has changed a little bit for me, I'm looking for something lite, fun, nothing too complicated or depressing. It's really messing with the books I have picked out for my challenge prompts! But I'm adjusting.
(looking back at my currently reading selections I'm really needing to find something lite and fun to read!)
Happy Thursday! It went from 60 degree weather the last few days to snowing this morning. Gotta love New England weather! It keeps us on our toes. I'm no longer under self-quarantine since I went back to work last week, and it's definitely a different feeling than before all of this. I'm ready for things to go back to normal, but definitely prefer people staying home so more people don't get sick. It's hard working in a hotel when there aren't many people who can travel currently. Finished:
Logging Off - I had an ARC of this, and I thought it was funny. It's about a digital detox and completely going offline. I ended up switching my book about social media to this one since it was such a main part of the book. 3 stars
The Giver of Stars - I read this for a Book of the Month book club and honestly would not have read it otherwise. I'm glad I did though. I ended up really liking it. I used it for prompt #10 - a book recommended by your favorite online book club (Reese Witherspoon's Hello Sunshine). 4 stars
The Guest List - I really liked this book. It was a quick read and a fun murder mystery. There were some parts that were predictable, but definitely worth reading. 4 stars
Challenge Progress:
Regular challenge - 17/40
Advanced challenge - 6/10
Total - 23/50
Currently Reading:
Ugly Love - still listening to this. I should finish it by the end of the week. I'm reading it for my facebook book club, not for the challenge.
Sin Eater - I have an ARC of this. It's not my typical genre, but I find it very interesting and intriguing. I'm using it for prompt #20 - a book you picked because the title caught your attention.
Darling Rose Gold - I'm going to finally start this tonight. I've been wanting to read it for a while.
QOTW - Have you found that you are choosing a different genre or book format in these past few weeks compared to how you were reading at the beginning of the year?
I have definitely been listening to audiobooks less. I don't listen to them at home so while I was off work for 2.5 weeks the only time I listened to them was when I would take a walk. I'm back at work now, but my commute is only 10-15 minutes so it definitely takes a lot longer to get through them.
I also didn't want to read anything too heavy while I was home. I wanted more upbeat books or easy reads.
Mod
That sounds super-fun!!!
Happy Thursday, y’all.Our state has extended its stay-at-home order to April 30th. Which means I'm probably gonna be stuck at home on my birthday. Whee. At least I have books...
Books read this week:
Blood Oath -- for “book about a world leader.” Political thriller with vampires -- not a combination I ever expected to read, but there you have it. Pretty predictable and read like a film adaptation at times (no surprise, as the author’s a screenwriter), but still a fun “brain candy” read.
The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires -- for “book about a book club.” Oh man, this was a good book! Stomach-turning in places and there are times when the domestic drama gets even more horrifying than the actual horror, but it’s still one of the best vampire books I’ve ever read, and a surprisingly fun read.
Alex & Me: How a Scientist and a Parrot Discovered a Hidden World of Animal Intelligence—and Formed a Deep Bond in the Process -- for “book with a bird on the cover.” The story of Alex, the African Grey parrot who stunned the world with just how smart parrots could be. A fascinating and often funny account of not only how much Alex taught the world, but his relationship with his handler.
The Velveteen Rabbit -- not for the challenge. Re-read of a childhood favorite, and still just as sweet and heartwarming as I remember.
Louisiana Longshot -- not for the challenge. Light and fluffy (despite involving a CIA agent with a price on her head hiding in a small Louisiana town), and while not great still funny and enjoyable.
Junji Ito's Cat Diary: Yon & Mu -- manga collection, not for the challenge. Was linked to me by a friend, and is basically an account of the author/artist’s life with his cats. Cute, but what makes it hilarious is that Ito is a horror manga artist… so seeing him draw the scenes of life with cats with the dramatic flourishes and visual style of a horror comic is actually quite hilarious.
Regular challenge -- 31/44 (split the last prompt into five)
Advanced challenge -- 6/10
Not for challenge -- 27
DNF:
The Good Neighbor: The Life and Work of Fred Rogers -- not for the challenge. One of those books where I feel like they told the whole story in the prologue, so why read further?
Currently Reading:
The Book of Strange New Things -- for “book with a made-up language”
Round Ireland with a Fridge -- for “favorite prompt from 2017 (book involving travel)”
Mr. Bleaker -- not for the challenge
QOTW:
My reading tastes really haven't changed much, except that I'm limited to what I have available at home instead of having access to our library network. Sad that I have nearly a hundred books that I've purchased waiting to be read, and I'm still going "I have nothing to read!" XD
I did purchase some books from Powell's book store, to support them while they're closed. And our library has REALLY expanded its Overdrive collection since it closed, so that's good.
Mod
I'm glad to hear this is awesome. I have the audiobook on hold, but since my audiobook time has decreased, I suspended the hold. I might try putting the ebook on hold also/instead.
Hello! I'm slightly excited today because I am on vacation! I've still had to go to work, so my routine has barely changed. BUT I have a milestone birthday on Monday, and I had planned to be out of town. That clearly isn't happening, but I am taking the vacation days anyway. So now it's weirdly like I get to play quarantine. I saw my $ from the government came in, so I went to my fave local indy (mostly) kids bookshop's website and ordered some stuff! Yay! I plan to DoorDash from some little food places too. Yesterday I had some delicious shawarma.
Finished:
The Soul of an Octopus: A Surprising Exploration Into the Wonder of Consciousness - Interesting, but as someone who used to work at a large touristy aquarium, I was shocked at how lax this place was with many things.
Love Among the Chickens - Bedtime Wodehouse
The Last Emperox - YAY!! I have been loving The Interdependency series and this book came out at just the right time. I really enjoyed it and it's sometimes snarky, sweary women. If anyone is feeling some fun SciFi with awesome women, look no further. I also had to laugh when someone was reading The Count of Monte Cristo
Currently Reading:
Forensics: What Bugs, Burns, Prints, DNA and More Tell Us About Crime - I've had this audio for years and this is the week.
Vagabonds - This also dropped this week and I thought it sounded great. It's... not what I was expecting. Really on the LitFic side of SciFi, which is fine, but not what I was in the mood for. And it's huge. Nearly 5.5 hours in and I still have 16 to go. It's going to be hard to rate. Is it actually slow and boring or am I just not in the right mood for it? I actually bailed on it to go back to Forensics. I'm not sure what to do. I'm afraid if I set it aside for the right mood I'll never go back to it.
A Damsel in Distress - Bedtime Wodehouse
The Little Old Lady Who Broke All the Rules Now that I have a week off I am determined to read some paper books!
QOTW:
Since the initial shock of everything is over, I am basically back to reading as usual. Like others, I'm less inclined to reach for contemporary fiction. Lots of non-fiction. I have done much more trying and setting back down than usual. I can't focus enough on anything too flowery. Poor April, it's National Poetry Month but I really need more simple, straightforward prose right now. Still mostly audio and almost no paper, but I hope to get to some this week.
Hey guys. Hope everyone is doing well. I'm OKish. Generally speaking I am ridiculously productive and over do progress to the point of burn out but since this has all started I have halted. Not intentionally, I can't focus. I can't read. The struggle is real. Today is my first day back at work after two weeks "spring break" vacation. I'm hoping working my pull me out of my slog but honestly it may deepen it. Thursday is my favortive day (because of this) so even though I am a do nothing right now I still want to check in.Needless to say I haven't finished anything this week.
Currently Reading
QotW:
Have you found that you are choosing a different genre or book format in these past few weeks compared to how you were reading at the beginning of the year?
My audiobook intake has cut since I wasn't commuting. Being back at work might help with that. My desire to read is limited at best.
Up until this week I was kind of working as normal. My firm has been deemed essential and we did not have to close, although we had a lot of people teleworking. But, now I've taken some time off to come down and sit with my mom. She has leukemia and has come home for hospice-care. We are having a nice time together, or at least as nice a time as you can have when one of you is dying. I will say that I've been getting a lot of reading time in while my mom is napping.I have finished three books this week:
The Silk Roads: A New History of the World, which took a long time to read, but it was very interesting. I would definitely recommend this for people who enjoy history. I used it as a book with a map.
I also finished The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires, which I know a lot of people are reading this week. Like many of you, I used it as a book about a book club. I loved it. It was great escapist horror reading.
Then yesterday I finished Double Indemnity, which I read as part of my project where I'm reading all the books discussed in Eight Perfect Murders. I really loved this book. I'm halfway through my reading project and having a great time with this. I've even dragged my husband into it with me, and he's enjoying it as well.
QOTW:
I don't think I'm necessarily reading anything different. I had most of my April books selected before coronavirus, and I'm mostly sticking with them.
Hello from Arizona quaratine-land! I hope you all are well. Finished this week
Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning This was really well done and very thought-provoking. A series of essays about the author's life and broader reflections on being an Asian-American.
The Idiot by Elif Batuman - I loved this but it is definitely not for everyone. I read it as a buddy read on Instagram and we were pretty split on whether we liked it or not. The protagonist is a passive young woman who begins college in 1995 at Harvard. The writing is funny and the observations are so detailed and insightful. If you, like me, went to college in the 90s this might be for you.
The Circle I read this for my IRL book club (that is now a Zoom book club) and I did not care for it. Interesting premise but not spectacular storytelling. Even though I don't really recommend it and didn't use it for a prompt, if you're interested, it fits very nicely into the social media prompt and the character in their 20s prompt.
Currently reading
Long Walk to Freedom Just started on audiobook for the world leader prompt and I'm loving it so far. It's a perfect book for audio because the narrator pronounces all the African names and tribes for you.
Patina My daughter has been reading and loving this series and wanted me to read it too. I'm enjoying it.
The Widows of Malabar Hill Not using it for a prompt but it does have a main character in her 20s. It's kind of a mix of historical fiction and mystery and I'm really liking it.
Reconstruction: America's Unfinished Revolution 1863-1877 Still reading but I'm almost done! Hoping to be finished by next week's check in.
QOTW
I think I'm finally figuring out what's working for me right now and what's not.
What's working:
Well written books that aren't too heavy
Mysteries
Hopeful books
What's not working:
Anything that stresses me out like thrillers or dystopian
Difficult classics
Nonfiction that requires thoughtful introspection (and I usually LOVE these types of books)
I've still been able to do a mix of audiobooks and print because I still need to clean my house and do dishes (OMG we are going through SO MANY DISHES) and I listen to audiobooks while doing those chores.
Still volunteering full time from home. We are so fortunate to have so much technology that allows us to be connected! Finished:
I had the strangest experience this week. I read a book that would count as a Western … and it was not horrible!!
I was dreading this prompt for several reasons:
First, I reeeeally didn't want to read about First Nations people or animals being tortured and killed. Too close for comfort, thanks.
Second, I figured I'd find a sappy Western vanilla bodice-ripper. Deeply not my thing, but better than the above scenario.
Third, ebooks are not my thing, and I have no Westerns at home or from my library.
I got a free ebook via BookBub: A Highwayman's Mail Order Bride by Blythe Carver. The characters were pretty well-fleshed out, with a strong independent heroine. Interesting people and situations. I actually looked forward to reading this at night.
Mind blown.
Not a bodice ripper - yay!
No animals were tortured or killed; though ranchers are involved, fortunately the work was off the page.
Only one, count 'em, one, vaguely pejorative comment about Native people. "And there were Indians in Utah." Yeah, we were the baddies, but that was our only mention. Not bad for a Western.
And I was able to resuscitate and resync my old Kindle, and it worked decently.
If your stuck for an idea for a Western, this could be for you.
TEN DAYS IN A MAD-HOUSE by Nellie Bly for book about a journalist. I enjoyed it, and am impressed with her temerity and devotion to her profession and mission. We've come a long way in treatment of people with mental illness. Unfortunately, not as far with our treatment of women, people who are poor, and people who do not speak English. Glad to have finally read this book.
QOTW:
Yes, I am reading ebooks! My "library haul" was not very big, as I had no time to browse before my local library closed. I have bookcases in literally every room, but I've read most of those. So ebooks are the way forward to fill prompts.
Genre hasn't changed. Still thoroughly eclectic, thanks to challenges, although I have been reading some psychological suspense/thrillers not for the challenge.
Tara wrote: "OMG we are going through SO MANY DISHES "Lockdown Factoid: Sales of dish soap are up, sales of laundry detergent are down.
poshpenny wrote: "Tara wrote: "OMG we are going through SO MANY DISHES "Lockdown Factoid: Sales of dish soap are up, sales of laundry detergent are down."
LOL. Super accurate.
Well we just hit five weeks of isolation at our house since we were "early adopters" for all this. I'm doing fine with the time at home but definitely needing a job to work out soon since I've been out of work for almost five months now. I just had two more final-round interviews this week so hopefully one of those will turn into an offer!I'm at 42/50 for the challenge.
This week I read Such a Fun Age and it was great! I was very absorbed into the story, and it was just what I needed for these difficult times - it covers important issues but the story stays relatively light and moves forward at a good pace. I also enjoyed the main character Emira, and it was fun to dislike most of the other characters. ;) 4 stars and it was published on my birthday (Dec. 31st) exactly, so it fills the birthday month prompt.
I listened to The Lost Book of Adana Moreau and while I got confused about the timeline sometimes, I still really enjoyed it. Various big themes and issues covered here and I loved the different settings. 4 stars
I also listened to The Majesties. I went into it with low expectations since it doesn't have great reviews, but it worked for me. Nothing too great, but it kept me engaged. Also, I have a pretty low tolerance for "rich people problems" stories, but this was interesting enough to keep me reading until the end. 3 stars
I'm currently listening to Shuggie Bain and reading Sharks in the Time of Saviors in print.
QOTW: Yes, my reading has changed a bit with the pandemic. I was still doing food deliveries during the first two weeks of our isolation (so I was leaving the house but we weren't seeing friends or getting within six feet of anyone) and I listened to a ton of audiobooks during all that driving time. I stopped three weeks ago because we felt it was just too risky to be out there, going into the restaurants to pick up the food. I have terrible health insurance so I can't afford more medical issues anytime soon. Anyway, so now I'm listening to fewer audiobooks, but I am getting in more time for hard copy books, which is fun. I have plenty to choose from here at home!
And as far as genre, I have a strong aversion to sci fi, fantasy, and dystopian stories right now. They previously made up about 20% of my reading, but I'm currently trying to avoid them. I'm more in the mood for things like Such a Fun Age. While there's a bit of magical realism in Sharks in the Time of Saviors it's not bothering me. I'm really enjoying that story so far.
Only managed one this week but it was fantastic. I loved this urban fantasy I read The City of Lost Fortunes by Bryan Camp for the prompt A book with more than 20 letters in its title. It was on my shelf for a while and I'm glad I got it down.QOTW Yes, it's forcing me to REALLY dig in my TBR pile which no lie is big plastic storage bin after big plastic storage bin instead of running to the library to find the easy fill. In a way it's exactly what I need to be doing. My book hoarding is actually way out of control and I need to read and move on hundreds of books so for me it's the one good thing in all this ugly.
And while I never have liked dystopias or books about pandemics I have a few and am avoiding them entirely. Some have gone into donation bags unread.
Mod
Lockdown Factoid: Sales of dish soap are up, sales of laundry detergent are down."
NO KIDDING - we are running our dishwasher EVERY day, that's a good three or four times more often than usual.
Sara, that must be a difficult but special time for you. Wish you a lot of strength.On to reading. I made good progress last week, read a LOT (yes, the weather was ridiculous, it felt like summer in our garden), but no book finished this week. Maybe I should choose shorter books next time :-)
Currently reading
A Long Petal of the Sea Really enjoying this book!
De Bourgondiers
Qotw
No changes, still reading the books I planned for the challenge. I have to change the book format in the coming weeks. I’m currently reading my last 2 ‘real’ books. When they’re finished, I have to switch to e-books since all the libraries are closed in the Netherlands.
Happy Thursday Everyone! :) This week I only read 2 books again BUT I did take a lot of time to finally fully organize my TBR (also made an excel sheet with my TBR which I've been wanting to do for a while and organized my bookshelves! Feels amazing to have that all finished!Current Progress
PS: 23/50 | HP: 34/56 | ATY: 34/52 | GR: 34/100
Read this Week
Scythe (Arc of a Scythe #1) by Neal Shusterman ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ My favourite book of the year so far! I really enjoyed basically everything about this one, it's definitely a YA. The pacing, plot surprises/twists, how everything clicked and connected in the end. This reminded me a lot of The Hunger Games due to a few overlapping themes even though the stories are entirely different. I'm really excited to continue the series and will start Thunderhead very soon! :)
Used for: PS - 3. A Book with a great First Line: "We must, by law, keep a record of the innocents we kill. And as I see it, they're all innocents. Even the guilty. Everyone is guilty of something, and everyone still harbours a memory of childhood innocence, no matter how many layers of life wrap around it. Humanity is innocent; humanity is guilty, and both states are undeniably true."
HP - 22. Read a book involving a train
ATY - 43. A Book related to one of the four horsemen of the apocolypse (Death/Pale Horse)
The Cruel Prince (The Folk of the Air #1) by Holly Black ⭐️⭐️⭐️ I have some mixed feelings about this one and the two halves almost felt like two different books. To sum up: didn't like how juvenile the first half felt or the magical realism included throughout, the events felt predictable for me! I did like the pace and excitement of the second half and I think the second book in the series will be much stronger just based on where the first book left off. **DON'T read the synopsis for the second book until you have finished this one if you plan on picking up this series, it includes a major spoiler. I was pretty frustrated about knowing that ahead of time!
Used for: PS - 30. A Fiction or Nonfiction Book about a World Leader (It partially follows the fictional royal family of faerie and a coronation)
HP - 38. Read a book set in a palace (partially set in one, mostly in the second half)
ATY - 5. The First Book in a series that you have not started
Currently Reading
The Lost Sisters (The Folk of the Air #1.5) by Holly Black
To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo
QotW
I have found that I tend to be picking up the more escapist or light hearted stuff on my shelves. So things that are YA or Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Romance etc. Also just things that have been on my TBR for a while that I've been looking forward to. :) I had a chunk of this type of stuff included in my challenge plans anyways so it's not really pushing my behind at all even though I have been reading a lot less this month.
@Stacey, I've almost finished the Wicked King (2nd in the series) and I also have mixed feelings. The language and pacing and worldbuilding is good, but I have a hard time with accepting the characters' motives. But I like it enough to want to finish the series.
Book-related lockdown entertainment option:National Theatre are streaming a new NTLive production each week starting on Thursdays. This week is Treasure Island. Right now I'm watching last week's interesting production of Jane Eyre (whose book I could barely get into before DNFing and I hope this will help.) I've seen a few of their broadcasts in the movie theatre before and the tickets are usually around $25, so if you wanna check it out for free, now's your chance. And if you feel so inclined they wouldn't mind you making a donation.
Links:
Treasure Island: (with Arthur Darvill. This looks awesome.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QwNvC...
Jane Eyre: (if the link still works)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mO0CX...
The Shows Must Go On is showing Lloyd Webber shows for 24 (UK) or 48 (rest of the world) hours starting Fridays.
This week:
The Phantom of the Opera
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nINQj...
Shakespeare's Globe is also streaming full shows. Right now it's Hamlet and Monday it switches to Romeo and Juliet
Really weird-looking (some characters are in period costume, some are in jeans) gender-fluid (some cast are gender-swapped and some aren't) version of Hamlet
https://youtu.be/cdPqu598m68
Sara wrote: "Up until this week I was kind of working as normal. My firm has been deemed essential and we did not have to close, although we had a lot of people teleworking. But, now I've taken some time off to..."I'm so sorry. Enjoy the time as much as you can.
My concentration was much better this past week, so I got a lot of reading done this past week (finished six books!). I only used one book for this challenge but several worked for other challenges. I'm now at 15/40 and 5/10 for this challenge, and am at 44/100 for my overall Goodreads Reading Challenge.Finished:
* Inside Out & Back Again by Thanhha Lai and narrated by Doan Ly -- used for two other challenges;
* And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer by Fredrik Backman and translated by Alice Menzies;
* American Spy by Lauren Wilkinson, which I slated into "a fiction or nonfiction book about a world leader" but may swap it out later on (it also fit a Modern Mrs. Darcy Reading Challenge prompt);
* Knit to Be Tied by Maggie Sefton, which I thought about using for the pun prompt but am not sure it works for that after all. It *could* work for the book on the cover prompt, but I'm debating still;
* Thick: And Other Essays by Tressie McMillan Cottom; and,
* I Know You Know by Gilly Macmillan, which I thought would *maybe* work for the social media prompt because a podcast plays a major role in the story. But, I'm not sure that podcasts count as social media so I am leaving that prompt blank for now.
Currently Reading:
* Newcomer by Keigo Higashino, which I'll likely use for the advanced prompt "a book set in Japan"; and,
* Cat's Claw by Susan Wittig Albert, which I was delighted to discover I can use for "a book from a series with more than 20 books." I'd forgotten how many books were in this series!
QotW:
Have you found that you are choosing a different genre or book format in these past few weeks compared to how you were reading at the beginning of the year? I'm reading more ebooks and audiobooks than normal but am trying to mix it up in terms of format and genres. To help me focus when I had trouble concentrating on other books, I picked up shorter books and graphic novels.
Happy Thursday. I'm been in a bit of a mood lately and haven't been able to focus so I kept going back and forth between several books. Books I finished:
The Poisoner's Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York - I used this for my book set in the 1920's. I really enjoyed this. It opened my eyes a bit to some of the problems of prohibition that never get talked about. I knew that prohibition led to a boom in organized crime, but the fact that most alcohol sold was wood alcohol or cleaning products and were basically straight poison was something I hadn't realized. Plus alcoholism rates actually increased because of prohibition.
The Friend Zone - This was kinda cute, but the ending was a bit much. I know the author based the story on her friends experience with fibroids, but (view spoiler)
Alone in the Wild - The Rockton series isn't my favourite, but I still Love Kelley Armstrong. I enjoyed it, but it dragged a little in the middle for me. I used it for a book set in a country that starts with C.Books I made progress on:
The Mage in Black
Bellweather RhapsodyQOTW
It hasn't really changed the genre's I read - I've been on a bit of a true crime kick as of late, but that predates the pandemic. It has ment I can't go to the library or bookstore or any book sales, so I'm using overdrive a bit more.
Last night the whole family went outside and played yard games. Right now we are having a steady and very wet snow. I'm glad we got out when we could.This week was a slowish reading week. I read three books, which is a good pace, but one of them was a quick (like two hour) read- so I am not sure what happened to my reading time. I read:
Truth and Bright Water- every English Lit professor's dream. Symbolism, inference, lots of opportunity to discuss the motive of every conversation and action. Really, it was beautifully written, but so sad.
Beauty and the Beast- a quick retelling of the classic. Not my favorite retelling, but not my least favorite either. If you have a couple hours there are worse ways to spend them.
The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper- this was a great book. Very informative and one that really makes you think. I don't know if I can ever play "Whitechapel" again with my son.
QOTW:
I would say my reading hasn't changed much. This week I kind of lost some reading hours, but up until now I have read the usual amount. I am still reading the same types of books, and in the same format.
Happy Reading!
Happy Thursday! I'm comforted to see that I'm not the only one who looks forward to checking in with everybody each week. (Also Thursday is grocery day so it's a good day.) Hope everyone had a good holiday if Easter is their thing.Finished reading:
The Host 5 stars
I watched the movie about a year or so ago and really enjoyed it. The book was enjoyable and cute.
The Ocean at the End of the Lane 3 stars
Short and intriguing. I finally read something by Gaiman
Blood of Elves 5 stars
I watched this on Netflix and it was awesome, although I think this book happens after the show. I've been waiting since January for the ebook from the library. The characters and the world are awesome like Game of Thrones. It was neat that this series is translated into English.
PS 2020 34/50
PS 2016 22/40
Goodreads 70/150
Currently Reading:
Little Women addicted to YA book club book
Shade's Children
QOTW:
Definitely reading what I feel like and ignoring any plans for challenge prompts.
I finished zero books this week, which gives me more space to spread the Good Word about The Romanovs: 1613-1918, the book I am currently reading! YOU GUYS. Russian history is so fascinating, so full of upheaval, so utterly bonkers, it is the perfect escape right now! These people have Problems, but they are almost entirely not the problems we are currently facing in the world. I have been very thoroughly enjoying this book, and I highly recommend it to any of you who are looking for a hefty distraction.** I think the author's handling of LGBTQ issues leaves something to be desired, so fair warning about that.
QOTW: I started off the quarantine reading a lot of YA sci-fi/fantasy, but then I became very frustrated with them for being too formulaic (entirely my frustration, not their fault), so I have turned to Russian history with all its twists and turns, and a few classic novels. I'm finding that I want something to really dive into and occupy my whole mind right now rather than an easy read, which is surprising to me.
This past week was my hardest yet of this whole quarantine situation. I miss seeing plays/going to the art museums and striking up random but fascinating conversations as well as taking in art within the same physical space as the piece.I did not complete anything this week as the ones I am working on are chunksters- hopefully by next week I will have something finished. I'm really enjoying Tree Grows in Brooklyn.
Currently Reading:
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
The Golden Tulip
QOTW:
I am a highly tactile reader so no changes in format for me. In regards to genre I find I am picking up classics or books containing some sort of mystery that are really long. I am also drawn towards Middle Grade books and my TBR is rapidly expanding with them!
I'll edit my above book/theatre post too, but Shakespeare's Globe is also streaming full shows. Right now it's Hamlet and Monday it switches to Romeo and JulietReally weird-looking (some characters are in period costume, some are in jeans) gender-fluid (some cast are gender-swapped and some aren't) version of Hamlet
https://youtu.be/cdPqu598m68
Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge
Books mentioned in this topic
Tikka Chance on Me (other topics)The Night Watch (other topics)
Wintersong (other topics)
Rogue Protocol (other topics)
George (MEDIUM) (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Alex George (other topics)Lee Goldberg (other topics)
Emily St. John Mandel (other topics)
Liane Moriarty (other topics)
Louise Penny (other topics)
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Admin stuff:
We have one more book looking for a discussion leader. Any volunteers to lead discussion on The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society?
Also, I'm going to put a call out for ideas for questions of the week. You all have been a fantastic source of ideas in the past, and we really appreciate having a pool of questions to pull from every week. Feel free to PM us with ideas (you can post them here, but they are more likely to get lost in all the other posts)
On to the check-in!
I never checked in last week so I have two weeks worth of books to report:
The Book of Candlelight by Ellery Adams – this is book three in the The Secret, Book & Scone Society series. Technically it’s considered a cozy mystery, and while it does qualify I find it to be a more subtle entry into that genre. I don’t usually read a lot of cozies, but I love this series. Also, it works for a book about a book club if you still need ideas for that one (that’s what I did).
Tweet Cute by Emma Lord – I was super excited to read this book. It was a good story, but I didn’t realize it was YA until I got my hands on it. It was a little too YA for me, but it’s well done. Used for a book about social media
First Women: The Grace and Power of America's Modern First Ladies by Kate Anderson Brower – I’ve had this book sitting on my shelf for a while. Having just finished a binge-watch of The West Wing, I was in the mood for more White House so I jumped in. It’s an easy read, as opposed to a deep biography, covering the first ladies of the US from Jackie Kennedy to Michelle O’Bama. I will say I didn’t love the way the it was organized, but it didn’t keep me from enjoying the book. If you want to see a glimpse into these amazing women without reading a full biography of each this is a great choice. In addition to some background on each, Brower talks a lot about the relationships between these women through their letters and through interviews with their staff. I may use this for a book about a world leader, but I have plans to read something else. We'll see.
Currently Reading:
Beach Read by Emily Henry - this was my very first Book of the Month book.
Completed 33/50
Question of the week:
Have you found that you are choosing a different genre or book format in these past few weeks compared to how you were reading at the beginning of the year?
Absolutely! The first two and a half months of this year I was all about the audiobooks. I listened to them at work, in the car, etc. I have not finished a single audiobook since I started staying home. While I work I usually have podcasts playing or the tv is on. I have also taken advantage of being home all the time to focus on reading all the print books sitting around my house that I used to have little time for.
I've been reading a weird mix of nonfiction and light fiction (romance mostly). Not all that unusual for me, but I have definitely laid my hand on a book here and there and said "nah, I can't focus on that story right now".