Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge discussion
2020 Weekly Checkins
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Week 23: 5/28 - 6/4
Ohio's been pretty warm this last week or two - Memorial Day happened and it was like BOOM summer. We've been using our hot tub more as a cool-down pool, bahahaha. The protests have been incredible to see. Since last weekend, I've been passing graffiti of George Floyd's face every day on my way to work and I want to thank whoever put it where it is. And while I hope Ohio is able to declare racism a public health crisis, it's heartening to see Cleveland city council already doing it for themselves.
I finished Little Fires Everywhere on 5/28 and have since been juggling three books (plus one more I started last night).
Currently reading: Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James - This is brilliant and so different from any other fantasy I've read.
The Return of the King by JRR Tolkien - This has turned out to be a great comfort read; I started rereading the series in January and I've only got a few hundred pages left.
Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel - Not super-into this one, I think the hype got in the way of the book itself. It's not very good at holding my attention but it's a background-noise audiobook so I get through a decent amount every day.
Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?: And Other Conversations About Race by Beverly Daniel Tatum
QOTW: When life becomes difficult / scary / uncomfortable / unpredictable, do you seek out books about the difficult topic, or do you seek out a comfort read? Both. When my awareness of a topic is heightened, my first reaction is to delve into it by reading and self-educating.
What a strange time we live in. I hope everyone is able to stay safe however events develop. I'm still trying to stay at home as much as possible.Because of this, I've read a lot again this week but nothing for the challenge so still on 39/50
Finished
I've been really in the mood for some thrillers this week so that's mainly what I've been reading. I've had some much anticipated holds come in from the library but just haven't been in the mood.
Hold Your Tongue by Deborah Masson
Lies She Told by Cate Holahan - truly great until the last 20% when it became totally absurd. So much so it's ended up with 2 stars
The Beach by Alex Garland - not what I expected, I'd thought I was going to get an adult Lord of the Flies but the character seemed almost instantly unhinged and I didn't really ever work out why
Postmortem by Patricia Cornwell - I've never read a Patricia Cornwell before and I really loved it
Cold Blood by Lynda La Plante - I love these characters
If I Die Before I Wake by Emily Koch - very interesting premise, the protagonist has had a fall while climbing and is trying to solve their own attempted murder while everyone thinks they're in a vegetative state
Currently Reading
I've got quite a few books on the go right now, but I am actively reading them all
The Secret Commonwealth by Philip Pullman
The Rearranged Life of Oona Lockhart by Margarita Montimore (published in the US under the name Oona Out of Order)
The Gatekeeper by Kate Fall
Weather by Jenny Offill
QOTW
I think the best non-fiction to explore events is normally written well after the event once the author has had time to reflect and draw on the thoughts of others. I also think it's hard to take in new information on difficult topics while they're still raw for you.
I guess I have been reading more escapism type books - plenty of thrillers like I said above although I haven't got any on the go right now.
I'm sorry to hear about your computer. One thing that I do (and I learned the hard way after a computer crash years ago) is to upload a copy of my reading spreadsheet to an online backup or cloud drive (even just popping a copy of it up on Google Drive once in a while at least saves you from losing everything). Good luck with the recovery of your files.This week's excitement came from our garbage disposal suddenly giving out. After cleaning up the big mess in the kitchen and under the sink, I checked our Home Depot and of all the things for them not to have in stock, of course they didn't have a garbage disposal in stock. But the good news is that after ordering it from their web site, it came in way before the promise date. We installed it last night, and now I have both sides of my sink again.
I finished 4 books this week, and I am at 23/50 for the challenge. 3 of them were from this year's Amazon Crossings giveaways for World Book Day and the other was a First Reads pick from this year - I mention this because it's quite unusual for me to read that many books so soon after I get them, lol.
If You Must Know by Jamie Beck - more than anything this is the story of two sisters during a tough time of their lives, and the strained relationship between them. Each of them has their own storyline, but the book focuses on how those are intertwined. I found it a bit uneven in how the characters behaved.
Hard Rain by Irma Venter, Elsa Silke (Translator) - a romantic thriller, is how I would categorize this book, with a mystery buried in there. Another book where I felt like the characters were often stepping outside of themselves, some of which could have been an issue in translation.
Along the Tapajós by Fernando Vilela, Daniel Hahn (Translator) - used for a book with an upside-down image on the cover, this is a wonderful children's book with bright and imaginative illustrations.
Out of the Silence: After the Crash by Eduardo Strauch Urioste, Jennie Erikson (Translator) - it is the true story of one of the survivor's of the 1972 Andes plane crash. This book tells not only of the crash, survival, and rescue, but also of the aftermath for the author and his family.
QOTW: I would say that I seek out a comfort read in the moment, and reading books about it comes later. When life gets scary, I'm usually watching a lot of news and reading a lot of social media, so I need an escape to avoid being overwhelmed by it all. That's how I'm feeling right now, for sure. I'm not ignoring the topic of the day, but I have to balance keeping up with what's happening in the moment with stepping away to find some peace so I can deal with it all. That's just how I process things. This week it's been important to me to keep up with events as they unfold, because watching something happen live is more likely to yield the truth than reading what the media has to say.
I have not posted in so long, because I was so overwhelmed with life, but I haven't stopped reading, just slowed down. I finished the challenge in early April last year, and I think I have 10 prompts to go still this year. I know it isn't a race though and I have all year.This week I finished:
Christmas in Silver Bell Falls: A book with gold, silver, or bronze in the title. I was looking for a short, easy read, and this book gave me that. It wasn't great, and wasn't terrible, but it made me smile quite a few times and forget the chaos in the world for a while too. There were editing issues, which usually bother me a lot, but I was able to overlook them to kind of enjoy this book.
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes: A book with a bird on the cover. I really wanted this to be a 5 star book, but for me it didn't quite make it there. There was a lot to like about it, but I had some issues with the pacing and a few loose ends that I wish had been wrapped up a little tighter. I chose the audiobook version, because it was free on Hoopla, and found the format to be pretty enjoyable...except the singing.
I'm currently reading:
Educated: I am about a third of the way done, and I am finally starting to really get into it.
Everything is F*cked: A Book About Hope: I'm about two hours into the audiobook version, and I am enjoying this book a lot more than I expected to. It is really helping me process the recent world events under a different lens. I normally find self-help type books to be a little preachy, but this one is kinda fun and very smart.
Books waiting for the weekend:
My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry: I love Backman so much, that I am ready for this book to knock my socks off.
Miracle Creek: This has been on my list for a while, and I don't know why I haven't gotten to it yet.
The Half Sister: I got this as an ARC for Goodreads, but I can't seem to pick it up just yet.
Question of the Week
When life becomes difficult / scary / uncomfortable / unpredictable, do you seek out books about the difficult topic, or do you seek out a comfort read?
This is a great question, but for me, it really depends on the difficult topic and where I am in my life, mentally and emotionally. I usually like to be very well-informed about topics, so I seek out that knowledge in my choice of books. I have had a rough year, mostly with my job, so my stress level took all the joy out of reading for me for about two months, so now that I'm picking back up again, I am trying to avoid books that are too real right now. (That sounds childish, but I don't know how else to say it.) For example, I wanted to read Three Women for the book with no graphics or pictures prompt, because the subject matter is so important, but when I finally got it from the library, I realized that I couldn't put myself through it right now.
I'm almost finished with A Column of Fire, a book with a map. Very goodQOTW: I think I try to distract myself with other topics.
I live in Northern Virginia, right across the river from D.C. I drive through the District every morning to get to my office in Bethesda, MD. Seeing all the boarded up windows on my way to work and seeing/hearing all the various protests and the tear gas clouds and helicopters being used as cloud control, and the stories of people letting protesters shelter in their homes to avoid arrest, it's just a lot. I'm super proud of my county for how they have handled our peaceful protests. I'm also proud of all these people who have gone out on the streets to ask for change. And, you know, sometimes you have to just burn something down to get people to listen to you. In the midst of all of this, it's also pride month and, as a queer person, I am trying to be as active as possible while still being in a pandemic. I feel like it's important for all of us to be super vocal about things that matter right now, so that we can try to effect change.This week I only finished one book, with everything that's going on in the world. I finished Call for the Dead, which I really enjoyed. I'm going to keep working my way through Le Carre's books.
QOTW: I generally don't change what I'm reading based on current events, since I tend to plan my reading at least a month or two in advance. I just read more news and watch a lot of CNN or local news. The CNN reporting on this has really been amazing. Particularly Sara Sidner.
I'm not sure I can adequately express how I feel about current events. I'm inspired by some of the peaceful protests, disheartened (but understanding) of the violence, encouraged by the charging of the officers in Minneapolis, disgusted by the posturing of some of our national leaders. I have hope for lasting change.Challenge Progress: 44/50
Completed:
Beautiful on the Outside: Chatty, gossipy, and fun! I loved watching Adam Rippon in the 2018 Olympics (and on Dancing With the Stars), so I guess you could call me a fan. He's smart(er than you think) and witty... when he said that Tara Lipinski and Johnny Weir dressed like they were hosting the Hunger Games, I chortled gleefully. Really enjoyable read. ★★★★
Walkaway: Little Brother is a classic. This isn't. The characters fell flat, and the plot and pacing weren't compelling. Just walk away. ★★
The Sparrow: "They went for the reason Jesuits have always gone to the farthest frontiers of human exploration. They went ad majorem Dei gloriam: for the greater glory of God. They meant no harm." Gut-wrenching and sometimes horrific. I really love this book... and I'm not religious at all. Emilio's spiritual (and physical) journey is compelling. (A book with a made-up language) ★★★★★
Last Ones Left Alive: It just felt so incomplete. Like it's the pitch or the first episode for a new Netflix show. Sure, we learn Orpen's backstory with Mam and Maeve, but nothing else. What is the origin of the skrake? The banshees? Why did Cillian, Nic, and Aodh leave the city? Just as it might have gotten interesting it all ended. If you can call that an ending... it just stopped. ★★
In Pieces: This is not a gossipy little book. It's emotionally raw and uncomfortable much of the time. Field confronts her childhood traumas and their aftermath in her adult life with honesty and strength. I saw a side of her I never knew existed. ★★★★
DNF:
I'm Your Huckleberry: A Memoir: Meandering, self-indulgent, and pretentious.
Currently Reading: None of these are for the PopSugar challenge...
What If It's Us
Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption
Fools and Mortals
K: A History of Baseball in Ten Pitches
In Five Years
Gun Love
Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You
Girls Made of Snow and Glass
QOTW: My reading always tends to be a mix of comfort reads and current events. I try to read in a variety of genres, and I don't think that changes much even when I'm stressed. I may read more about current events because that's what I'm thinking about, and reading helps me organize my thoughts.
Hi everyone, I agree, been a really rough week news wise. It was my husband and I's 7th wedding anniversary Monday and we didn't even really have the heart to celebrate. Got some halfhearted take out over the weekend, but that was it.
This week I finished:
Green Rider - got this as part of a book exchange, i really liked it. Counting as my book published in the 20th century. (it had two publish dates listed, '98 and 2000. but 2000 was the last year of the 20th century, so figure it still counts either way). Reminded me a little bit of the Heralds of Valdemar series.
Turn Coat - finished audio re-read. I have to say, i do really like James Marster's re-reading, and I still enjoy the overall stories, but having them read aloud makes it clear just how objectifying Harry's gaze is. So many descriptions of breasts and hardening nipples and and how hard it was to not look etc. I think when I physically read them I sorta skimmed those bits and they didn't sink in as much, having them read out loud is awkward.
The City We Became - this ended up being accidentally topical. It just happened to come up on my library holds. Really ended up loving it, shook a little when I finished. I just love her writing so much. Counting it for a great first line "I sing the city."
Currently reading:
The Price of Paradise - book set in a country that begins with C, Cuba. This was one of the Amazon world reads day freebies. I'm liking it so far.
The Glass Hotel - my library got audio before ebook of this, so my hold came up before I realized they also have an ebook version. Kinda bummed, really do prefer reading over listening, but we'll see how it goes. Harder to follow if I haven't read it already first. Listened to about an hour so far, kinda following.
The Count of Monte Cristo - I'll finish some day, still plugging away. I think i'm in the 800s now though, so progress!
QOTW:
I TRIED to get a bunch of books that are topical but hit a wall of my library not having most of them digitally, the ones they DO have all suddenly having huge waiting lists (which, I mean, is good in that everyone's trying to learn). Libraries are supposed to start opening, with restrictions, June 8th here. Not sure if that includes inter-library loans, since that feels like it maybe increases risk factors. Will have to see if my actual library has more of the titles, or if I'm stuck waiting until the inter-library starts back up. I might buy one or two, but I can't really afford to buy the entire reading lists I'm building.
Even if the nonfiction ones are taking a while, I do have a lot of fiction by Black authors and other PoC that I can work through too. And I did get the Tor pride bundle they just sent out for the book club.
Another early check-in for me. I finished two books this week, one of which I used for this challenge and the other I used for another challenge. I'm at 21/40 and 8/10 for this challenge, and am now at 64/100 for my overall Goodreads Reading Challenge.Finished:
* The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides, which I used for "a medical thriller." It was one of my book club's picks for June. I normally try to read our picks closer to our meeting dates, but this one came in from the library sooner than expected (even after I delayed the hold once), so I finished early this month; and,
* The City of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty, which I received via the Book Club Girl Free Friday program courtesy of William Morrow. I really enjoyed it and am interested in reading the second and third in the trilogy!
Currently Reading:
* Vanishing Falls by Poppy Gee, which is an early reader ebook from the Scene of the Crime FB group (and William Morrow); and,
* Mother Land by Leah Franqui, which is an early reader ebook from the Book Club Girl FB group (and William Morrow again!).
QotW:
When life becomes difficult / scary / uncomfortable / unpredictable, do you seek out books about the difficult topic, or do you seek out a comfort read? It depends on the topic and my frame of mind at the time, but I've done both. I won't necessarily set aside a book I have in progress to start one on a difficult topic, but I often research options and add them to my TBR list (and check to see if my library carries them/place a hold request). I'm more likely to seek out a book on a difficult topic if I've seen or heard an interview with the author.
It's so hard to even know what to say right now. I'm incredibly grateful for the department I work in. We've been able to have very open, honest conversations about what's going on and what we, as a department and as individuals, can do. Three of the seven of us are black, and several of our meetings have organically turned into them sharing what they're going through.Again, I really appreciate that I work for a boss who not only allows, but encourages that. It's lead to some really good discussions and is certainly building us into a stronger team.
Finished:
A Mind of Her Own by Paula McLain: a book by or about a woman in STEM. I feel kind of awful that I used an audiobook that's only an hour and fifteen minutes long for this prompt, but I do have another one I want to read if time allows. I've just fallen so far behind! And this was really interesting--historical fiction about Marie Curie and how she met Pierre.
Currently Reading:
Victorian Fairy Tales
QOTW:
What a well-timed question! I say that because I just checked out How to Be an Antiracist and The Hate U Give, and I can't bring myself to start either one of them. I genuinely want to read them, but I'm already having trouble with anxiety giving me shortness of breath (and then I think about George Floyd saying "I can't breathe," and then I think maybe I deserve to not be able to breathe, but then I realize I can't do much to help if I'm just a ball of anxiety, but what can I even do...and so on and so forth). I'm really not sure I'll be able to absorb what I need to from these reads.
And I feel like garbage for considering returning them to the library to check out later.
So to answer the question, I've responded by just not really reading anything. Anything light feels so superficial and wrong to enjoy right now, but I really don't think I can take anything heavy. I'm not sure what to do. I have The Map of Salt and Stars out from the library as well, so I definitely need to start on that.
And yet, when my mum called to tell me several years ago that my sister had been r*ped the night before, I went home and sobbed while re-reading Speak. It was weirdly cathartic. So guess maybe it depends on the situation?
Hello everyone! With everything going on in the world, I really hope that you all are continuing to be safe and healthy. It's been a rough week for me, so I took a few days doing other things that make me happy (walking outside, writing, playing video games) in the midst of going out to peaceful protests in my city so I didn't get much reading done recently. Virginia is currently pretty warm (to say the least), but it'll be in the steady 80s starting Monday so I am excited! Currently Reading
I am not currently reading anything yet. I want my next book to be part of the challenge though so I'll definitely be looking through some lists from this group and my own personal notes today.
Finished
This week I finished The Henna Wars by Adiba Jaigirdar. It satisfies the prompt a book with a pink cover. It was very cute and I enjoyed it.
Popsugar: 12/50 (Personal Goal is now 25 instead of 15)
Goodreads: 14/20
QOTW
For the most part I do both. I think for me it's a situational thing. When it comes to events happening right now in the United States, I am thinking about re-reading a few books that I read in college that discuss racism. A few that I can think of are Assata by Assata Shakur, The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander, and Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates. All of these are great books and I loved them all in college.
As I consider re-reading these, I think that because such heavy topics are involved, I want to mix these in with some comfort reads throughout the next few weeks.
I'm very happy to be back into the swing of things this week. I hope that you all continue to be safe and practice self-care during these difficult times!
Hi everyone!Finished:
The Happy Ever After Playlist
The Terracotta Bride
Beach Read
Currently reading:
Something to Talk About Coincidentally came in from the library in time for Pride month.
The Count of Monte Cristo
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes on audio
Faust on audio
QOTW:
I tend to seek out comfort reads. I have read more romances these past few months than probably in the rest of my life combined. I usually read mysteries for comfort also, but haven't been reading as many of those lately.
Re: the question of the week, thinking more of it I think it also depends on the situation. I don't want to read pandemic stuff right now, because there's nothing I can do about it aside from stay at home as much as I can and try not to get it/spread it. So I don't want to read more about pandemics going bad and causing the apocalypse.
As far as all the protesting and things going on, there's things I NEED to do so while I don't necessarily WANT to read a bunch of stressful, upsetting stuff right now, I feel like I have to. Although again, somewhat thwarted by my library's lack of diversity but I'll be getting there eventually.
Since I probably won't be able to take a two week vacation anywhere, and I'm going to lose my days at the end of summer, I figured I'd take a day off each week. Yesterday was my first vacation day since we started working from home. I went to a state park, sat myself down by a lake, and watched the ducks and turtles for a couple hours. It was incredibly restorative. After so many months of dealing with anxiety, I wasn't in a very good place emotionally. I think I'll head out there again next week, weather permitting. I didn't finish any books this week.
Reading
Persepolis Rising by James SA Corey (a book you meant to read in 2019)
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck (read a banned book during Banned Books Weeks). It’s not Banned Books Week, but I have time to read this now, so I’m reading it now.
QOTW
I read books almost exclusively for escapism. I prefer to learn and explore nonfiction topics and current events through journalism, documentaries, news, and movies.
Heather wrote: "Since I probably won't be able to take a two week vacation anywhere, and I'm going to lose my days at the end of summer, I figured I'd take a day off each week. Yesterday was my first vacation day ..."That's a fantastic idea. I'm glad it was restorative for you. I'm planning something similar, because I'm blessed to have a job where I earn more than normal amounts of PTO. I always try to use my vacation days the day before or after a holiday so that I get an extra long break.
I was super lucky and had dental work done on Monday. I'm sporting a shiny new crown in the back of my mouth. Good times...Finished:
Team of Five: The Presidents Club in the Age of Trump for a book by or about a journalist. I've been avoiding a lot of politic news/podcast/etc. cause I'm so burnt out on it but this was really good. It's lovely to see people from different sides of the aisle getting along.
Exit Strategy - Not for the challenge, just reading it to work my way through the series. I still love Murderbot and these books.
Three Women for a book with only words on the cover, no images or graphics. This was okay. I was really interested in Maggie's story and the other two felt like filler and they didn't come to an actual ending.
Currently Reading:
The Lady's Guide to Celestial Mechanics for a book about or by a woman in STEM. I'm about half-way through this and it finally feels like it's picking up. I have an idea of what is going to happen, I'll be interested to see if it goes in that direction.
The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires not sure if I'm using this for the challenge or not but I like it so far. I have a feeling this is going to be one of my year end favorites.
Hey all. Best of luck to anyone protesting, stay safe out there.Finished reading (20/50):
The Walled City (great first line, three-word title, written by an author in her 20s) - "There are three rules of survival in the Walled City: Run fast. Trust no one. Always carry your knife." Gritty historical YA about a girl trying to save her sister from an organized crime/prostitution syndicate in Hong Kong. This was really good.
The Diviners (set in the 1920s, passes Bechdel test, published in my birth month [September], (view spoiler)) - And this was a lot of fun. It's a paranormal story set in 1920s New York, with a main character determined to party hard and rush headlong into as much trouble as possible. I understand how she annoyed other readers but I loved her dedicated dumbassery.
The Future of Hunger in the Age of Programmable Matter - Short story about relationships and, uh, polymer kaiju. This one's hard to describe but I liked it. Makes me think I should give the author's book Blackfish City another try - it's one of those books where I didn't deliberately DNF, I just kind of got bored and wandered off, but I hear the payoff is good if you stick with it.
QotW: In general my reading is pretty escapist, since I read for entertainment. I'm not actively looking for books about pandemics but I'm not avoiding them either.
But on the subject of current events I'm planning to make my next read The Stone Sky and seek out other books by black authors as well.
Managed to finish four books this week - although to be fair, two of them were all but finished at the point of last week's check-in, so I'm not quite as impressed with myself as I could be! ;)Finished:
Game of Scones for A book with a pun in the title. I wasn't expecting this to be great literature or anything but it had even less meat on its bones than I thought it would! Plus, it could have done with some more editing, as there seemed to be the odd tense issue, and there were definitely some passages that were just a description of a character's actions ('then I went home and had dinner, then I went to bed', that kind of thing) that didn't go anywhere or contribute anything to the plot at all.
Agnes Grey for A book written by an author in their 20s. Ended up quite liking this, although not a huge amount happens. But it's another Bronte ticked off the list (and I liked it better than Vilette, which I read last year!).
The Remains of the Day for A book published in the 20th century. A slow burner, but so cleverly done. And really makes you think at the end.
Winning at Life: The perfect pick-me-up for the exhausted parent for A book recommended by your favorite blog, vlog, podcast, or online book club. I put a slight twist on this prompt, because this book was actually written by the author of one of the very few blogs/podcasts I follow. But since she mentions it a lot on the blog, I figured that counted as 'recommending' it! It's a sequel to another book I read last year, but while I really liked the first book, and ended up liking this one, I did find with this one that I was more annoyed by a lot of the characters' actions and behaviours (while appreciating that the book is broad comedy, so not necessarily always realistic!).
Started:
The City in the Middle of the Night for A book by a trans or nonbinary author. Not sure about this one yet. It's turning out to be 'weird' sci-fi, which I'm finding a bit too weird! But I shall persevere!
QOTW:
I'm not sure I go to a specific kind of book when life gets difficult/scary etc. Just the simple act of reading, whatever the book is, is usually enough to distract me from what's going on, and helps me escape my worries about the situation.
Hi there. It's definitely a scary time for you guys, on the US side of the Pond. I hope you all manage to keep safe. I know I've been quiet lately. The trouble is, while I've still been reading, it was mainly for other challenges, and I haven't been able to fit many of those books to the PS prompts, although I have checked all of them.
I think I last checked in in Week 14! But since then, I've only ticked off three prompts:
Among the Departed, which is set in Canada, for 19. Country beginning with C. Part of a good series
Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee: An Indian History of the American West, for 34. Meant to read in 2019 - this took me three months, as it made me so angry that I couldn't take more than a chapter at a sitting, and the sittings were quite far apart.
and Precious and Grace for Advanced 3- vision impairment/enhancement, given Mma Makutsi's bottle-bottom glasses - the No.1 Ladies Detective Agency is one of the series I'd use for my answer to the QotW!.
I finished The Westing Game on Tuesday, and was wondering if I could fit it into 6. A bildungsroman, because of Turtle Wexler, but in the end decided against. I'll definitely be searching the listopia for suggestions on that one.
At least I'm still on schedule, just about, as I read a lot early. Current prompt totals: Basic - 23/40; Advanced - 7/10; Total 30/54
I'm hoping I might get some more ticked off in the next few weeks, as the Hugo nominations are out, and I try to read the books before I vote. As this year's nominees are primarily women, and include a number of trans and non-binary authors, I'm hopeful of fitting at lesat some of them.
QotW
When life becomes difficult / scary / uncomfortable / unpredictable, do you seek out books about the difficult topic, or do you seek out a comfort read?
Comfort and escapist, definitely.
Hello and happy Thursday! Yes, wow, what a week. So absolutely sad and disturbing. I was able to donate and do some small things to help, but our small (and mostly white) town didn't have much going on. It has definitely made me think more about how to talk to my daughter (once she's old enough) about race and especially solidified my desire to send her to a more diversified school. Otherwise, we're still in partial lockdown with most businesses still closed and people working from home, though the stay-at-home order was lifted. Still. Where are we gonna go??? Haven't finished anything, but the book I was waiting for came in!
Currently Reading
The Shield of Psalmic Prayer for "book published in 2020". Hot off the press!!! I received it free in exchange for reviewing it, and so far it's really blowing my mind. Crazy deep look at the Psalms by a guy who devoted his life to translating them.
The Holy Angels for "book published in the 20th century". My church's current book club read. We meet tonight and will be tackling the last third over the next couple weeks!
On Living Simply: The Golden Voice of John Chrysostom for "book on one of the seven deadly sins". Seriously my favourite book right now. Seriously.
The Wilderness Journal: 365 Days with the Philokalia for "book with title that caught your attention". Nothing new to say here, lol.
QotW
It really depends for me on the situation and my mental state. If I'm feeling emotionally overwhelmed, I'll go for the distraction as a way to help disconnect and regain composure. But if I feel the need for help or guidance or more information, I'll go for a book about that. For example, when dealing with consequences from my abusive childhood, I grabbed a bunch of books on that as a way to try and heal (and therapy. lots of therapy). But when my dad was in the hospital after a car accident, I was pregnant and in the midst of a move and so overwhelmed, all I wanted was to escape into fantasy, which is when I started The Eye of the World. So, it really depends. Sometimes a distraction is necessary to cope. Sometimes you need more education to face what you're dealing with.
In this current situation I probably won't pick up a book on race only because last year I read The Hate U Give which opened my eyes to so many things and made this current situation not as shocking (sadly). It also helped prepare me to be more willing to listen and do what I could to help (so, I highly recommend it!).
Hi All, I finished 3 books for the week. None for this challenge. They Call Us Enemy by George Tikei [co-writer), Justin Eisinger (co-writer), Steven Scott (co-writer). It was for my face-to-face book club. I really liked it. I didn’t know he was placed in an American internment camp with his family during WWII. I didn’t know about all the laws passed during WWII against the Japanese.
Pride,Prejudice,and Other Flavors by Sonali Dev. I gave it 3 stars. It was an escape read which relates to the QOTW.
Untamed by Glennon Doyle. I gave it 4 stars. It is a self-help & a memoir. I didn’t know who Glennon Doyle was before picking up this book. The synopsis caught my eye. The relevant part is that she is an activist. She had a part on racism that worked for me and made sense. I didn’t plan the read to coincide with Pride month or the riots but if your looking for books to read related to those topics check it out.
I’m currently reading The Book of Longings by Sue Monk Kidd for book club. I don’t have a prompt left in Pop Sugar to use it on.
QOTW: My first impulse is to read about whatever the crisis is. This doesn’t always work for me. I have been wanting to read The Great Influenza: The Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History by John M.Barry since early March. I can’t get it on ebook from the library apps. I will read non-fiction books on the crisis for awhile then start on the escapism.
I live in a suburb of Minneapolis & St. Paul so did not post last week as I was just trying to process through everything happening. It has been overwhelming to work through it all. Actually, I did not post at all last month as I was navigating through a new work structure. My check-in here I will use as a May book round-up.Completed:
Bellewether- This was my second Susanna Kearsely after The Rose Garden which I enjoyed more. Bellewether contains a present story aspect, which follows Charley, the new curator of the Wilde House Museum, as she prepares it for visitors while trying to unravel the mystery of what happened to Lydia Wilde and one of the French-Canadian Lieutenants billeted with her family during the Seven Years’ War. The book also covers the story of Lydia and her Lieutenant. This one was a slow build for me, and I almost didn’t stick with it, but enjoyed following along with Charley just enough to finish.
Prompt: Book with a main character in their twenties (Popsugar)
A Gentleman in Moscow- Why I waited so long to read this I’ll never know as this will assuredly be in my top 10 books read this year! Count Rostov is sentenced to house arrest in the Metropol Hotel by a Bolshevik tribunal for being an aristocrat who refuses to sacrifice his principles and fall in line with the new regime. The story chronicles the next 32 years of his life in prose that is witty, profound and beautiful. This is the story of a man who learns to enlarge and take control of his life and circumstances all while being surrounded by a glittering cast of characters with their own unique stories. When he becomes the guardian of a young girl his journey comes full circle as he realizes how to live a life of purpose.
Prompt: A book with a map (Popsugar)
The Beast's Heart- Fairy-tale retellings are amongst my favorite genres and Beauty and the Beast is one of my favorite stories which should have led me to like this more than I did. Set in 17th Century France the author captures the time period well. I also appreciated how she depicted the internal struggle and growth of the Beast. Where this fell short for me was in the Belle character (who is renamed to Isabeau) and stretches of a number of chapters where they repeat the same activities without it adding anything to the story. I have come to view Belle as a courageous, willful, independent heroine with multiple interests. In this story, she came across to me as bland, cold and detached and I was far more interested in the parts of the story involving the Beast watching her father and two sisters through his mirror. It was the Beast and sisters Marie and Claude who saved the story for me and led to a 3 star rating.
Prompt: Favorite prompt from a past Popsugar Reading Challenge (2016) (Book based on a fairy tale)
The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow- Enter the world of Sinclair’s department store where the décor glitters, the bonbons and iced buns beckon and the most luxurious items can be purchased. Set in Edwardian London, the story follows Sophie Taylor, an orphan determined to make a success of her position at the store and aspiring actress Lillian Rose who is working at the store until she hits the big time. In honor of the store opening, Mr. Sinclair decides to put some of his most special items collected from his travels on display, including the priceless clockwork sparrow which all mysteriously disappear. When Sophie becomes accused of stealing it, they, along with their friends Billy and Joe set out to prove her innocence while cracking codes, spying on villains and duping the rest of the staff. The setting is wonderful and the characters delightful. This is the first book of a mystery quartet that will continue to be unraveled over the subsequent installments and I cannot wait to find out what happens next.
Prompt: A book with a bird on the cover (Popsugar)
Currently Reading:
Crazy Rich Asians
QOTW:
I definitely re-read favorites which bring hope and joy! Additionally, depending on the situation I will seek out books that give a greater context for what is occurring. For example, I am currently searching for books on how to help be an advocate in a constructive way, but when COVID hit did not go searching for pandemic related literature.
I just want to take a moment to address and aspect the QOTW, because it is really making me think. My words are just from the deepest part of my heart. Not meant as an attack, or anything negative, or ultimate wisdom. Or representing anyone else. Just my heart.
I totally get that a *lot* of people are overwhelmed by recent events. The world right now and events concerning 2 pandemics are scary, overwhelming and uncomfortable. I *totally* understand reaching for that comfort read. How much can people take? We are human.
But if you are white, and if you need to turn off, and can reach for that comfort read, just please remember that is a wonderful choice. It is an amazing option, and , yes, a privilege to be able to do.
Just please remember that people of color just can *not* turn off. We can turn to a comfort read (I’ll say more in another post about mine 😊 ), and for some of us, those moments are awesome too. But we don’t have the option to turn off. We live it.
This is an awesome group, filled with people with good hearts. I love reading your posts! There’s a lot of caring here. Just please remember us.
Guilt and worry won’t help, so I hope you don’t let yourself drown in that. But remembering that *some of us* cannot turn off is a big step to becoming an ally.
And we really, really need you.
I love you all.
Greetings all. It is indeed a weird and upsetting time. I'm struggling with the tension between being a good humanist and protecting my own mental health. Right now I'm noticing a marked correlation between bad brain days and reading the news. So for now I've set up a recurring donation to the legal defense fund for protesters, and I'm doing a news blackout for a while. I reckon I'm no use to anyone if I get so depressed I can't get out of bed.This week I finished Gideon the Ninth - A book recommended by your favorite blog, vlog, podcast, or online book club - I was having a lot of fun with it, but ultimately I'm disappointed with the lack of resolutions/explanations/information in the end. If the rest of the trilogy comes out and people say it wraps up all the worldbuilding, Chosen One teasing, etc. in a satisfying way, I'll probably read the rest of the story then. I much prefer a series book to come to the bottom of the narrative arc and then maybe launch a new one, rather than leave a bunch of promise/confusion dangling!
I'm diving back into In a Lonely Place - A book you meant to read in 2019 - after starting it last year, because my favorite podcast is doing the main story, "Sticks," which I love - great timing!
I also ordered Out - A book set in Japan, host of the 2020 Olympics - from my local bookshop, can't wait to read it!
QOTW:
Mostly escapism, as you might imagine from my intro up top. But I'm finding a weird fascination with disasters of the past. I loved The Ghost Map: The Story of London's Most Terrifying Epidemic—and How It Changed Science, Cities, and the Modern World, and after bingeing the show Chernobyl with my husband, I'm interested in Midnight in Chernobyl: The Untold Story of the World's Greatest Nuclear Disaster. The story is so horrible, but so compelling. I think maybe I find comfort in reading about terrible events that have been responded to, recovered from, or otherwise packaged and analyzed by history. It makes me feel a more concrete faith that we'll get through the current catastrophes and be able to look back on them too. And maybe even learn some things from them.
I'd say "Happy Thursday" like I normally do but I'm not feeling terribly happy at the moment. The world has become an extremely frightening place between the pandemic and the riots, and while I understand that change NEEDS to happen, it's frightening and heartbreaking to see so much pain and damage in the process. I've been on hiatus from Facebook save my activity in the PopSugar group there, and I'm trying to limit how much news I consume because it just stresses me out.Books read this week:
The Song of Achilles -- for “a bildungsroman.” This book BROKE MY HEART. I thought knowing the story of the Iliad would make it predictable to me, but boy did it take me on a roller coaster of a ride. And yes, I loved it despite it wrenching my heart to bits.
Rayne & Delilah's Midnite Matinee -- for “book with more than 20 letters in the title.” I did not expect to love this one as much as I did! It was funny and sweet, but also packed a deep emotional punch.
Taking Flight -- not for the challenge. I really wanted to like this one, but while I loved the main story -- a runaway teen and a runaway old man suffering from Alzhiemers going on a journey together -- the sub-plot about the boy’s parents and their disintegrating marriage was just awful.
Sunny Rolls the Dice -- graphic novel, not for the challenge. Third in the “Sunny” series, and an entertaining story about a girl growing up in the ‘70s… and torn between being “groovy” like her best friend or pursuing her new hobby of Dungeons and Dragons.
Regular challenge -- 41/44 (split the last prompt into five)
Advanced challenge -- 8/10
Not for challenge -- 45
DNF:
A Man Too Old for a Place Too Far -- not for the challenge. Only a few pages in and the writing started grating on me. Moving on…
Planet Urth -- made it to 10% in this one before throwing in the towel. Too many things were making me stop and go “why” as I read (why are they using swords when swords are pretty much useless for hunting? Why do they call boars “boarts” because “all animals have evolved into something else,” but they don’t describe HOW they’re different nor do they call any other animal by a different name?), and I finally figured if I wasn’t enjoying it, I should stop.
Currently Reading:
Night on the Galactic Railroad & Other Stories from Ihatov -- for “book with a book on the cover”
Red as Blood, or Tales from the Sisters Grimmer -- not for the challenge
Burn -- not for the challenge
QOTW:
Definitely comfort reads.
Missed last week, late this week! I think I've read four books since I last checked in, none for PS (and I've only got reviews for two, as I only finished the 4th last night). That means I'm still at 24/54 (21/44, 3/10), and am currently on book 37 of the year.First book that I read was Daughters of the Lake by Wendy Webb. I was so taken by the premise of this book - a body washes up on the lake shore, and Kate instinctively knows who the woman is...but only from her dreams. Who is this woman, who died 100 years ago but who has resurfaced as if her light has only just gone out? And why is she holding a newborn baby? And what is her link to Kate? I had high hopes for this book. Unfortunately, it doesn't really live up to its premise. Don't get me wrong, I didn't hate it. It's readable, quite compelling and I really wanted to find out who this woman was what happened to her. The story unravels as Kate continues to dream, and searches through her family history. It's quite a fun read, but...it's fluff. I guessed the ending quite early on, though it was satisfying to watch it play out. However, the writing style just did nothing for me and the levels of schmaltz had me rolling my eyes quite a few times. The chintzy romance and total lack of depth (especially given the subject matters of infidelity and murder) just isn't my thing. And don't get me started on how contrived the relationship between Kate and her gay cousin was - lots of scenes of him putting her in the bath, curling up in bed with her. It seemed such a forced way to make it sound realistic, but the result was the pole opposite. So, a fun read but way too fluffy for me.
Next up was Night by Elie Wiesel. How can I put into words the impact that this book has? In today's climate, where fascism looms darkly on our close horizons, this book is just as important as it was when published...probably more so, as with the passing of time has come complacency. I had to keep putting this book down to take a breath at the sheer horror that this isn't fiction. I'm no stranger to WWII writing. I read Anne Frank's The Diary of a Young Girl, and her would-have-been step-sister's Eva's Story: A Survivor's Tale by the Step-Sister of Anne Frank when I was a young teenager, as well as many fictional takes on that time. But this...this is the definitive account of the experience of a victim of the Holocaust and the experience of Auschwitz. Eva's Story had prepared me well, I've never forgotten her account. But Wiesel doesn't simply recount his experiences (though he does do that, to gut-wrenching results), he makes such powerful statements about those who oppress, and the human nature of trying to survive the unsurviveable (I don't even think that's a word, but forgive me because I can't even get my thoughts together here). We cannot afford to forget what was done in the name of supremacy, this is too awful to have happened even once. These stories need to be told, and told, and told. What Wiesel and others alongside him went through is beyond the comprehension of so many of us, comfortable in front of Netflix and seeing voting as a pointless exercise. But we have the power to prevent this happening again, to stop this happening where it still goes on, and to speak out against any form of -ism or oppression whenever we can. Because the alternative, the lived reality of people like Wiesel, is just too *insert any and all synonyms for barbaric* to contemplate. We should think ourselves blessed that someone with Wiesel's gift with words was lucky enough to survive and tell us all his story.
And then finally Scenes of a Graphic Nature by Caroline O'Donoghue, which was a NetGalley. Charlie's life out of film school is floundering. Her beloved father's battle with cancer has taken a new turn, and she cares for him alongside her mother with whom she has a fraught relationship. Her career started and stalled with her one film of her father's childhood, as the lone survivor of a tragedy which claimed the lives of his classmates and teacher in a rural Irish schoolhouse. Her co-creator and best friend Laura has left her behind as she settles into cohabiting with her new boyfriend and her career in tv takes off, whilst Charlie supplements her take-home as a waitress with filming softcore porn in her bedroom. When Charlie and Laura find themselves on the small island her father grew up on, their friendship is tested while Charlie's dreams of being a director and the stories she's been told since childhood are thrown into question. I thought this book was fabulous. I loved the mystery surrounding the schoolhouse tragedy and the shadiness of community around the truth of what happened. But more than a mystery, this is a story of belonging - what really shapes our sense of self and place in the world? And are the stories we tell ourselves and others the real truth of it, or simply a narrative we use to tether ourselves to a certain identity? Charlie's voice is really strong, but not at the expense of building the other characters in the story. Similar to Charlie, I grew up in England with non-English parents (though mine are Scottish), and that rootlessness was something I could strongly identify with. Feeling part of a place but not in it, being in a place but not feeling part of it. And the island of Clipim felt so real, that sense of being an outsider trying to permeate the tough membrane of locals protective of their community and history really drove the book forward. As things become unravelled and other pieces slid into place I was completely gripped, and yet nothing felt overly dramatic or unrealistic. I really loved this, one of my best books of 2020.
QOTW - When life becomes difficult / scary / uncomfortable / unpredictable, do you seek out books about the difficult topic, or do you seek out a comfort read?
With the current situation playing out in the US, I've noticed a failing in my approach to my reading. My book choices are dictated by my reading challenges, and I plan my reading out at the beginning of the year to make sure I complete them all. With that, and that any spare reading time I have I spend on NetGalleys, I don't have any flexibility for reading around topics that I maybe would like to. This has definitely come to light in current times, as there are so many works by POC that are being highlighted that I'd really like to pick up.
I did download a copy of Who Do You Serve, Who Do You Protect? Police Violence and Resistance in the United States which the publisher is offering free here - https://www.haymarketbooks.org/books/.... I've started that, and today I also downloaded Superior: The Return of Race Science which is also free on UK Amazon this week - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Superior-Ret...
Hello All...this is a two week check in for me (last week got away from me)! I hope everyone is staying safe out there! Finished:
Rapture in Death...not for the Popsugar Challenge but read for the #indeathreadalong that is happening all year on Instagram. My fourth book of the series...I am hoping to read one book per month to try to make a dent in this series! Also for a square in the Romanceopoly challenge (read a romantic suspense where the h/H is in an action pose on the cover).
The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief...part of my 2020 personal journey.
Deathtrap...I am participating in a mystery book challenge in the 2020 reading group and used this for the prompt "a book that is out of your comfort zone". This book is written as a play and as I don't read many plays, I considered this out of my comfort zone! I also am trying to read all the books mentioned in the synopsis of Eight Perfect Murders and so I can cross another one off my list!
The Flatshare...used for the advanced prompt #41: A book written by an author in their 20's. I have had this on my TBR for a while now and my hold at the library finally popped up...this was such an enjoyable read!!
Magic Burns...this counts for one of my Romanceopoly squares (read a book set in a place where you live or have lived). This is set in Atlanta, where I grew up, but in the year 2040 so it was fun to read and recognize familiar areas of the city! I also don't know why I put off reading this series for so long...I highly recommend it!!
Words of Radiance...I just finished this this morning. I am doing a buddy read of the Stormlight Archive this year and this is the second book in the series. A 5 star read but I am going to have to sit on this one and think about it a while...it will stay with me!
Currently Reading:
Beard Necessities...the final book in the Winston Brothers series and I am enjoying it so much!! I am reading it for #26: a book with a pun in its Title
The Hunger Games...I have never read this series and I am participating in a Buddy read of this series over the summer in the 2020 Reading Challenge Group
Angels & Demons...This is another read for my mystery challenge in the 2020 Reading Group
QOTW: I tend to go for comfort reads...mystery, romance, fantasy books are a goto...
Lilith wrote: "I just want to take a moment to address and aspect the QOTW, because it is really making me think. My words are just from the deepest part of my heart. Not meant as an attack, or anything negativ..."
These are all fantastic points, Lilith--thank you for the very good reminder. While I may be stepping away from facebook and waiting to grapple with some harder reads when my anxiety chills a bit, I'm absolutely still doing what I can in other ways (contacting PDs to demands justice--there's a great instagram account that shows you how--reaching out to those in my life who I know cannot turn this off to see if I can help them personally, itching to when it's my state's turn to vote, etc.).
It is absolutely a privilege that I am not so personally affected by what's happening, and I appreciate that reminder.
Kenya wrote: "I'd say "Happy Thursday" like I normally do but I'm not feeling terribly happy at the moment. The world has become an extremely frightening place between the pandemic and the riots, and while I und..."I sobbed at Song of Achilles when I read it last year! Glad you liked it
Hi everyone. Hope you're all staying safe in this crazy world we're living in right nowThis week I finally finished The Kon-Tiki Expedition. It made me wish I was on an adventure right now.
QOTW: I guess escapist. I don't read a lot of contemporary fiction anyway but I did have to pause reading Highfire this week. I didn't want to be reading about a corrupt cop right now, even in a fantasy book.
Lilith wrote: "I just want to take a moment to address and aspect the QOTW, because it is really making me think. My words are just from the deepest part of my heart. Not meant as an attack, or anything negativ..."
Thank you for sharing your words, Lilith. I don't have a response or anything to add really. I just wanted you to know your words are heard and felt. I'm trying all the time to make myself a better ally. I will carry your words with me through the process.
Finished: Every Day I watched the movie and then read the book it was based on. I still haven't decided what I think of it. It was interesting, for sure, but also rather disturbing, and I haven't decided if the disturbing outweighs its merits.Bob I gave this as a present. It was pretty cute and simple, intended for independent reading, but turned into a family read-aloud.
The White Ally Toolkit Workbook: Using Active Listening, Empathy, and Personal Storytelling to Promote Racial Equity I sort of/kind of finished this. Campf's strategy is to arm oneself with all sorts of relative anecdotes to try to sway the racism skeptic. I was only able to think of a few racially-based anecdotes, so I feel like I didn't fully process the whole workbook.
Started: A Gentleman in Moscow Reading this one for prompt: set in city that held the Olympics. This was recommended by someone through Powells because the "gentleman" has to stay in a hotel for years. I am enjoying it quite a lot so far, though his world in the hotel is vastly expanded from my house.
Liberating Sociology: From Newtonian Toward Quantum Imaginations: Volume 1: Unriddling the Quantum Enigma This one is quite a commitment (being over 700 pages) and I can't tell yet whether it's going to be brilliant or the unedited ramblings of someone far outside his field.
QotW: I definitely like to read things that are relevant to the difficult topic. It helps me feel more in control to be more informed. So when the pandemic first hit, I read The Great Influenza: The Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History, which I highly recommend. Now because of the riots, I read The White Ally Toolkit Workbook and picked up How to Be an Antiracist which I started months ago, but hadn't finished. In addition to reading a bunch of articles that people have been posting on the internet.
But, in between reading relevant things, I take breaks took. Every Day and A Gentleman in Moscow have served that purpose.
I had a good week this week and actually finished 5 books, 1 was for the challenge. I am trying to focus more on my books for the challenge rather than reading what I want and seeing if it fits. We'll see how well that works though. Finished:
The Jane Austen Society - I honestly don't think I've read anything by Jane Austen so I'm not sure why I requested an ARC of this, but I ended up enjoying it. 4 stars
The Boyfriend Project - this was a light, fun read, and I really enjoyed it. 4 stars
Two for the Dough - I read this for prompt #49 - a book from a series with more than 20 books. I didn't really love this one, but I had an abridged version, and I think a lot was taken out. 3 stars
Letters to the Lost - I loved this book so much. It was so good! It was my only 5 star read in May, and definitely my favorite book I've read this year. I'm looking forward to the sequel.
The Tales of Beedle the Bard - I needed a quick listen while waiting for an audiobook to come in on Libby and this was perfect. It's narrated by a lot of actors from the Harry Potter movies so I really enjoyed it. 5 stars
Challenge Progress:
Regular Challenge - 23/40
Advanced Challenge - 7/10
Total 30/50
Currently Reading:
Her Perfect Life - I won a copy of this in a Goodreads giveaway and so far I'm really enjoying it.
The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires - I'm really enjoying this one so far. It hasn't gotten to gory yet though.
The Help - I haven't read this before and it was picked for one of my facebook book clubs so figured I'd read it.
QOTW - When life becomes difficult / scary / uncomfortable / unpredictable, do you seek out books about the difficult topic, or do you seek out a comfort read?
I tend to seek out a comfort read. I've been reading a lot more romances since the pandemic started. They're easy to get lost in and take my mind off the scariness right now.
Finished reading:Signs Point to Yes (no prompt): Really enjoyed this after finishing Wolf Hall, it was a nice easy read with a cute romance that I finished in a couple of days.
Take Me In(no prompt): A slow thriller to begin with, but I liked that the mystery kept building throughout, and I ended up racing through the last 150 pages to find how it would end.
Currently reading:
Me and White Supremacy: Combat Racism, Change the World, and Become a Good Ancestor(a book with only words on the cover, no images or graphics): I bumped this up my TBR simply because I needed to do. It's really making me challenge my thoughts and dig deep and I'm learning a lot.
Children of Virtue and Vengeance (a book featuring one of the seven deadly sins): Only a few pages into this so not much to say just yet.
QOTW:
I'll be honest here. At first I tend to seek out comfort reads. But this week, I realised that I needed to do something, hence why I started reading Me and White Supremacy yesterday - which of course is the very first step.
My mind has been elsewhere for obvious reasons, so I haven't finished anything this week. I've found a lot of books to add to my TBR though; I've realized how much more I need to educate myself. I hope everyone is staying safe and finding moments of peace. Black lives matter, and it's time our country recognized that.I DNF'd The Color of Magic last Friday because it just wasn't doing it for me. I've heard the later Discworld books are better, so I'm not abandoning the series necessarily. Just the first book. I was reading it for the "more than 20 books in a series" prompt, and I'm really not sure if I'll try to find a different one or just count my attempt. I don't really like long-running series. Once we get past a trilogy my attention span goes waaaayyyy down (says the lady writing a five-part fantasy series [face palm]).
Currently reading The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers. I really like it so far! It's a different kind of book--not so much a fast-paced sci-fi but more...intimate? Like, there's a lot of getting to know the characters and the world and I live for that sort of thing in my speculative fiction. I've got the whole trilogy set up for the challenge. This one I'm using for the "past prompt" prompt--2019's "a book set in space."
QOTW
I never really read "escapist" books, exactly. My favorite genres are sci-fi, fantasy, thriller/suspense, and horror, but I find I'm more drawn to the authors who use those genres thematically. So it's a nice combination of escapism but with a good overarching theme.
But in the case of something like what's going on this week--fighting systemic racism--I do make an effort to read nonfiction that will educate me.
When we were in the thick of quarantine I was drawn to nonfiction books about other pandemics and diseases, too, but I think that's because I've been fascinated with infectious diseases since I was a child. I really should have become an epidemiologist lol.
Hello! It's Thursday, have you chosen what you are doing to dismantle white supremacy today? I've seen on various social media groups a MASSIVE number of people deciding to educate themselves with books, and it's a beautiful thing. As a majority audiobooker, I've been seeing the bestseller lists from both Audible and Libro have been reflecting this. Today both sites have posted curated suggestions as well. Finished:
Picture books because, pandemic allowing, I'll have a baby shower to plan this year
The Piñata That the Farm Maiden Hung
Off We Go to Mexico: An Adventure in the Sun
The Someone New
The Hike
Me...Jane
Amnesty
Currently Reading:
I don't know. See bellow.
QOTW:
When the world rocks I tend not to read. I haven't even been listening to my bedtime Wodehouse. I usually get some time to listen at work, but I have trainees so, not so much. I do need to step back and let my mind rest a bit though. I have some books I was seeing if I could even wait for June to read for Pride, and I should try to pick one up.
I'm sure in one way to another I'll read both for education and escapism.
Lilith wrote: "I just want to take a moment to address and aspect the QOTW, because it is really making me think. My words are just from the deepest part of my heart. Not meant as an attack, or anything negativ..."
Thank you for sharing this TRUTH. I'm glad you feel this is a safe space where you can be honest about these things and I appreciate the reminder. Thinking of you and sending strength your way to help you get through this especially difficult time. <3
Been awhile since I posted but work has been keeping me busy so one moderate update.I finished
The Last Shootist A Western and I found it okay but it was kind of a slower read. The detail was great but the character I was not drawn to.
Also finished this week The Black Tides of Heaven A book by a Trans/Non Binary author. This one did engage me with it's world building and would highly recommend and am interested in continuing the series.
Currently reading
Prince of Fools for a book with a bird on the cover. This will be the last Mark Lawrence book on my list for this year. I enjoyed the Broken Empire Trilogy so have high hopes for this one.
Question of the Week
When life becomes difficult / scary / uncomfortable / unpredictable, do you seek out books about the difficult topic, or do you seek out a comfort read? Well it's difficult as I've only really got back into serious reading in 2018 and all have been due to reading challenge of one kind or another. That said I do like to be current on events and so would not shy away from a difficult topic.
Well this has been quite a week and I appreciate that this space isn't avoiding what is consuming our minds right now. It's a lot, and my heart goes out to those are most impacted by police violence. I do advocacy/organizing work (and have been working on police and racial justice policy for years) so these conversations are encompassing everything, but I still have the privilege of my white skin protection as I do this work. It's great to see so many more people paying attention to these things and reading all the wonderful books to get educated. It helps! I also recommend looking up black-owned bookstores to purchase from, for those who have the means. I'm still reading, but it has become harder to concentrate.
I listened to The Nest which was decent, but none of the characters really pulled me in and there were a couple of little things that irked me. 3 stars
I reread The House of Broken Angels for a book club and it was great picking up on all the little things I missed through the audio version last year by reading it in print this time. Great story. 5 stars
I listened to Edinburgh by Alexander Chee after reading his essays memoir. It was a lot (tough subjects) but he incorporated some interesting elements here. 4 stars
I'm currently reading Beloved by Toni Morrison as well as the rest of the short stories in The Paper Menagerie by Ken Liu (the "add book" option isn't working right now to link these last few). I'm also listening to Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell as an escape read.
QOTW: Speaking of... it's a mix for me as well. I normally already read a good amount of books about racism or books by black authors, but I bumped a few up my TBR list this week. I also purchased two new books I'm excited about through my local black-owned bookstore. But since I'm already thinking about and working on this stuff pretty much every waking minute, I am trying to allow myself the "brain break" reads to prevent burnout. That's why I'm listening to the mystery right now and I just added The Bookish Life of Nina Hill to one of my audiobook accounts.
Take care and stay safe, everyone.
I hope that everyone is staying safe and healthy! Also, I want to mention that if you ever order from Book Outlet you may want to be aware of some things that happened yesterday. A quick search of them on twitter should pull up everything that you need to know.Current Progress
PS: 39/50 | HP: 47/56 | ATY: 43/52 | GR: 58/100
Read This Week
The Raven Boys (The Raven Cycle #1) by Maggie Stiefvater ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I think that listening to the audio for this one might have been a mistake because at times some details were a bit hard to follow and I was confused but I did enjoy the story. I'm intrigued about several things, I have questions and I hope that they get answered or at least explored in the rest of the series. I thought that the ending reveal was exciting and I'm very curious to see how that plays into the story!
Not used for any challenges
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (The Hunger Games #0) by Suzanne Collins ⭐️⭐️ Sadly I didn't enjoy this as much as I wanted to and I found that I had a hard time being invested in it (it seriously took me 2 weeks to finish which is really unusual especially considering I read the original trilogy in a weekend and it's not just because of current events). I kept putting this off to pick up other things because I wasn't enjoying it that much. I think my biggest complaint here is the pacing of this book. So often the narration focuses on and dives into things that felt very menial to me like food, money or music and EVERY TIME something exciting or bigger does happen it doesn't get fully unpacked, doesn't get the attention it deserves or is glazed over. I felt that this book lacked a sort of epic or really impactful moment. I had a hard time really rooting for any characters and I can't quite pinpoint why. I did like that there were some easter eggs contained here and that this gave me a sense of why the events of the original trilogy were so bothersome to or personal for Snow. (We get to see a lot of parallels from his past, we get to see the origin story of The Hanging Tree song.) There were some other things that were just missing for me as well: I wanted to see more of how Ballad Snow became The Hunger Games Snow; sure we got a sense of that on an emotional level but we're completely left in the dark when it comes to the events that actually happened within that progression. I wanted more of an arc from Tigris and specifically how she saw Snow; I wanted something that emotionally helped me understand the transition from Ballad Tigris to Mockingjay Tigris and it's just completely neglected here.
Used for: HP - 11. Read a book with a green dust jacket
Currently Reading
Nothing really. I've tried to pick up a few different things but haven't been able to focus past the first few pages with the world right now. See my QotW answer. xD
QotW
I think I'm the kind of person that can't be at my best, can't begin to emotionally move on, can't begin to relax until I confront the issue head on in a practical way whether that be on a personal level or with other people. I can sometimes delay it and be okay if I know that there's a plan to tackle it soon but the more that I try to distract myself or the longer that I wait without a plan to address/take action on something bothering me, the longer I have a horrible time and experience the stress and sometimes negative self-talk for just not dealing with it. I'm also someone who likes to tackle things all at once instead of with little bits over time.
When it comes to my reading, generally I have a period at first where I find it difficult to concentrate at all and will end up putting books down to do the practical things that I feel I need to do or to take some time to listen or discuss or work through whatever's going on. Once I feel like I have done or at least have a plan to or am working on doing whatever it is I need to do, then I start to pick up books again and typically will go for some escapist type reads at first because I'm someone who in the midst of a hard time already focuses or thinks about the issues sooo much without necessarily needing to read about them to personally address them. Sometimes escaping into a book or focusing on a task that might require my attention (like baking where I have to follow a recipe and do things) is the only time I stop thinking about whatever's going on/bothering me and let myself recharge even after I've done some practical things. If I go for more on topic type books in the moment or soon after it's generally because it's either part of what I think I should be doing to confront the issue by myself OR it's because I've finally had a little mental down-time from the issue already and am now ready to re-approach it/include it with a better/healthier/more open mindset.
I've more or less experienced this pattern across a wide variety of problems (with varying timelines of course); arguments, break-ups, death or major illness of a loved one, major world issues, just being super overwhelmed in general...it all sort of falls under this pattern. I find that most of the time I usually need a day or two to do practical things and then a few weeks of escapist type reading before I'm ready to include something on-topic back into my reading. It was about a month after COVID that I was willing to pick up a book that included a pandemic, it was about a month after my grandmother passed away that I was able to pick up a book that included dementia or alzheimers.
Bringing it back to the present, obviously this is a different situation but I'm more or less experiencing this same pattern right now with my reading. The last several days, I haven't really been able to focus on reading other than a short article etc. I know that I need to educate myself more and do better. I've been taking a time out from my usual reading to address the practical things; to seek out information, to listen, to amplify voices in the small ways that I can, to google things I have questions about, to sign petitions, to find ways to donate, etc. This site is a great place find an overview of ways you can start to help in case anyone is looking for that. I'd also like to participate in Black Out Buddy Read if I can get my hands on the books soon.
**By the way, if you don't have money to donate but would like to contribute and have some extra bandwidth/data you could stream youtube videos who have designated that their ad sense profits from that video will be donated. A quick youtube search of donate + black lives matter, donate for free or things like that should bring up several that you can have running in the background on mute even if you don't watch them (just disable any ad blockers you have and don't skip the ads).
Books I finished:
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: The Original Screenplay - I've seen the movie and have been meaning to read this since then. This week it was available on Overdrive, so I grabbed it and read it in a day. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Silent Blade - So this is the second time this year I've read this. I still feel it would have been better if it had been expanded into a full novella instead of just a short story, but I love pretty much everything Ilona Andrews write. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Scams, Scandals, and Skulduggery: a Selection of the World's Most Outrageous Frauds - This was a reread. It's always kind of fun to read about con artists and how they get caught. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda - I LOVED this. It was so sweet and funny, and then I immediately watched the movie. I really liked it and thought they did an amazing job of adapting it, but I still love the book more. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Leah on the Offbeat - I still liked this book, but not as much as the first book. I think it's as much that Simon happier and Leah is more angry and it just... it's like reading HP5, the story is good, but putting yourself through the secondhand anger and self pity is slightly unpleasant. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Chaos Reigning - The firt book in his series is still the best, but I am kind of sad that the series is over now. It did managed to surprise me, so that's always good. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Recipe for Persuasion - I know I should have read book 1 first, but Persuasion is my favourite, so I had to start with this. I really liked it, but some of the situations (Her parents backstory) made me sooooooooooo angry that I just can't give it a 5. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Books I made progress on;
Firefly: The Magnificent Nine - I've had this book out from the library since February, but I will finish it before they make me give it back, I promise. 
A Left-Handed History of the WorldQOTW
It depends on the emotion the situation causes - If it makes me mad, I go for comfort reads that can allow me to calm down. If it scares me, getting more information on the subject helps. So I've already read several books on diseases and epidemics but I will probably be avoiding books that deal with racism right now.
It's all too much! COVID, a police officer killed in my city and agents from my office shot/injured on a domestic violence call, protests/riots, car problems, above average heat, poor health. I've had enough and want to crawl into bed and sleep until 2021. But since I don't have that option, I will continue to plug along every day, with my diminishing sense of hope that this will all get better.I finished one book this week:
The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris - 4 stars; not for challenge until I switch things up (Edit - now putting as 2019 award winner [Audie Award]
I had never given any thought to the people who tattooed numbers on concentration camp victims, but I suspect I wouldn't have thought it was one of the prisoners themselves. While I didn't think the writing was the best, I still gave it four stars because the story was so different than other WWII books I've read.
Goodreads: 36/90
Popsugar: 20/40, 7/10
QOTW:
I don't tend to read books related to the current crisis (I haven't read a single pandemic book this year), but it hasn't stopped me from reading other difficult matter. However, I'm all about escaping reality at the present time. I'm about to crawl into bed with an Agatha Christie mystery and hope tomorrow is a better day.
If anyone is having trouble getting your hands on the suddenly very popular book right now and don't mind audio, they have made Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America available for free on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/album/6PzcVM...
Mod
And I think it’s time for me to grapple with racism again, so I putWhite Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism on hold (although it will be a long time before my hold comes in)."
I cannot imagine you being cranky, Nadine!
And, like you, I think it is definitely time for me to finally purchase and read White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism. There are others as well, such as White Rage: The Unspoken Truth of Our Racial Divide. So many I want to read!
Lauren wrote: "Lilith wrote: "I just want to take a moment to address and aspect the QOTW, because it is really making me think. My words are just from the deepest part of my heart. Not meant as an attack, or a..."
Thank you, Shannon, Heather and Lauren. It means a lot.
By all means, I believe people need to do whatever they can to stay safe, sane and healthy. If you are ill or anxious, or worse, it's impossible to do the hard work of dismantling racism and being an ally.
Your efforts - the efforts so many people are making - are deeply appreciated. My thoughts are with you too.
Finished:-The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
-American Gods by Neil Gaiman
-The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas(highly recommend, especially with everything going on right now)
-The Hogwarts Library Collection by JK Rowling
Currently reading:
-A Tale For The Time Being by Ruth Ozeki
Mod
We had a campus-wide faculty/staff Zoom meeting with administrators today. I am so glad I work for a very diverse institution that stresses acceptance, respect, and appreciation for all. The Chancellor was stressing that the White Racial Literacy Project would be ongoing with many more events scheduled (remotely), as well as Implicit Bias events. It just makes me feel more comfortable to know there is such emphasis on rectifying these social ills. While he discouraged any violent resistance, he encouraged everyone to continue to be proactive in safe ways in our daily lives.
Sounds as if we’ll be going back to work by August 1st, definitely by August 15th. It is interesting to me how the University has changed the academic calendar for the upcoming fall and spring semesters with the last 3 weeks of fall and the first 3 weeks of spring to be taught online only. Thereby eliminating face-to-face classes in actual classrooms throughout the worst of “flu season.” Smart. They are encouraging online or hybrid instruction for all classes, especially this fall. It will be interesting to see how my department, chemistry and chemical biology, will handle labs. I suspect all labs will be pushed into the 13 weeks when IRL classrooms can be used. (I'm sure students would not be happy with that...) But we shall see…
If only someone would pay me sufficiently to stay home and read! ;)
Popsugar: 46/50
ATY: 47/52
RHC: 16/24
Reading Women: 14/26
FINISHED:
The Thing About Jellyfish by Ali Benjamin is for a May monthly reading challenge and my own enjoyment. Oh, Zu! Sweet sweet Susy Q! Such a sweetheart! What a heartbreaking situation for a 12-year-old little girl. But she eventually copes. It’s not easy. It’s not necessarily pretty. But she makes it. This is such a beautiful book!
Popsugar: #3-“A jellyfish, if you look at it long enough, begins to look like a heart beating.”, #6, #12, #20, #24-I know nothing about jellyfish or losing my best friend at age 11, #27-Pride, Envy, #33-4.09, #47
ATY: #9, #13, #23, #33, #34-LGBTQ+,Young Adult, #42-National Book Award Finalist 2015, #43-Death, #49, #51, #52
Reading Women: NEW #3
The Map of Salt and Stars by Jennifer Zeynab Joukhadar for the Popsugar June Monthly Group Read discussion that I will be leading. Join us!
This fulfills prompt #2: Written by a trans or non-binary author for 2020 Popsugar. I had absolutely no idea what to expect and was blown away by this book! I did not find it a particularly fast read. It seemed dense enough that it took more time for me to finish it than I thought it would. But I was enthralled and engrossed and could not put it down. I love dual timelines and the way Joukhadar interwove them was amazing, IMO! Reading about her research at the end was just as interesting and really added to my enjoyment of the book, IMO!
Popsugar: NEW #2, #3-“O beloved, you are dying of a broken heart.”, #6, #9, #12, #20, #21, #24-Luckily, I know nothing about being homeless and forced to wander the world to find a relative and hoping they will take you in and provide you with a home again., #27-Lust, Greed, Wrath, #32, #50
ATY: #4-I definitely would not want to try to live in a war-torn country like Syria or Libya, #9, #15-partially set in NYC, NY, #16-Rawiya’s story, NEW #17, #22, #23, #26, #31, #39, #43-Death, War, Famine, #49, #52
RHC: #10, #21
Reading Women: #12, NEW #13, #21-the lack thereof, #22, NEW #23
The Martian by Andy Weir is one of the best science fiction books I’ve read! I loved every bit of it. When I saw some reviews stating that the science was not interesting, I was relatively certain I was going to love this book and I wasn’t wrong! His snarky sense of humor was right in line with mine and I am still a nerd in that I adore science, learning about it, and using it! So, yeah, I finished this after 1AM this morning and am not ashamed to admit I was determined to finish it once I had started it yesterday! Weir himself is quite an enigma—a software engineer whose hobbies/interests include relativistic physics, orbital mechanics, and the history of manned space flight. Loved it, loved it, loved it.
Popsugar: #3-“I’m pretty much fucked.”, #6, #9, #12, #20, #24-I know nothing about being an astronaut or trying to survive on another planet, #33-4.40, #34, #40
ATY: #2, #4-At this point in my life, I would have no interest in trying to visit, let alone live and survive, on another planet. #8, #9, #10, #16, #18, #22, #43, #45-Read and loved Artemis in 2018, #52
RHC: #5-dust storm on Mars!
I read this very short short story, Diary of an Asscan (The Martian #0.5) by Andy Weir, that is a prequel to The Martian (The Martian #1). I am not counting it toward any challenges as it is just a few pages long. As I expected, it was ironic. (Be careful what you wish for...) It is free! Just click on the title link!
Lou in Lockdown by Jojo Moyes is a brand-new short story available free through the Penguin website. (Just click on the title link.) Although I own several of Moyes’ books I have yet to read one and figured this would be a great opportunity to experience her writing style with a much shorter time investment than required to read one of the books. I was impressed. I assumed I would enjoy Moyes’ writing and I’m rather certain I will after reading this.
Popsugar: NEW #1, #3-“Louisa. Where’s your saucepan? You haven’t got a saucepan!”, #6, #12, #20, #25, #33, #35, #50
ATY: #1, #4-I wouldn’t choose to live in the time of a pandemic, but here we are! At least I am in my own home, however! Poor Lou was not…, #9, #22, #25-Lou and her mom put their sewing talents to work!, #31, #34-Romance, #43-Death, Plague, NEW #48, #52
RHC: #5-pandemic, #9, #10-Lou and her mother were both costumers
Reading Women: #12, #20, #22-Favorite publisher-Penguin
CONTINUING:
Doctor Zhivago by Boris Pasternak for the 2020 Reading Challenge June monthly read AND a reread after 50 years! I am on page 14 and had to force myself to put it down this morning!
The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern. I missed the May Buddy Read for this! :( But I do plan to read it yet this next weekend.
Murder and the First Lady by Elliott Roosevelt. Uncertain when I’ll pick this one up again…too many June Buddy Reads!
PLANNED::
A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving for a June Buddy Read and the fact that one of my smartest student workers from the past stated this was her favorite book of all time! Definitely a recommendation I will heed!
The Ten Thousand Doors of January of January by Alix E. Harrow for a Buddy Read. I read the first 10 pages or so the other night and it reminded me of The Starless Sea. Interesting…
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain for another Buddy Read. Note: My desire to read this does NOT in any way mean that I consider myself to be “quiet”—far from it! I am simply curious…
Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid for a Buddy Read and the fact that I am determined to finally read this one!
Question of the Week
When life becomes difficult / scary / uncomfortable / unpredictable, do you seek out books about the difficult topic, or do you seek out a comfort read?
I just always juggle my books among comfort reads and more intense reads over the past 5-6 years. When I was younger, I could read anything at any time, but now I may read the first 5-10 pages of 5 or 6 books before deciding what I am in the mood to read next. Though now that I literally have a “reading schedule,” I try to read one of those books next to keep on schedule. But if none of those work for me at that time, then I typically pick up a juvenile book or the next installment from a favorite mystery series. That was how I happened to read The Thing About Jellyfish this last week!
Mod
The protests have been incredible to see. Since last weekend, I've been passing graffiti of George Floyd's face every day on my way to work and I want to thank whoever put it where it is. And while I hope Ohio is able to declare racism a public health crisis, it's heartening to see Cleveland city council already doing it for themselves."
Wow! Good for Cleveland! :) And the graffiti sounds wonderful!
Mod
Wow. I'm still impressed with your progress THIS year! ;)
"I am trying to avoid books that are too real right now. (That sounds childish, but I don't know how else to say it.) For example, I wanted to read Three Women for the book with no graphics or pictures prompt, because the subject matter is so important, but when I finally got it from the library, I realized that I couldn't put myself through it right now."
That doesn't sound the least bit childish to me. Rather, it sounds very smart and self-aware!
Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge
Books mentioned in this topic
The Fountains of Silence (other topics)Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe (other topics)
The Ten Thousand Doors of January (other topics)
The Princess Bride (other topics)
Recursion (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Mark Twain (other topics)Peter Heller (other topics)
Suzanne Collins (other topics)
Karen MacInerney (other topics)
Jimmy Carter (other topics)
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There’s a lot going on in the world. It’s been a rough week in the US, and perhaps worldwide. I hope everyone has stayed safe, and found a way to protest safely, if you wished.
June is Pride Month in the US. As some have reminded us, Pride first began with riots, as well. Riots are scary, and often have sad repercussions, but sometimes true change rises from the ashes. I am hopeful. If anyone is reading books specifically for Pride month, join us in a discussion about that here:
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
I was planning to match in my first Pride Parade this year, with my daughters (I’ve got plenty of rainbow colored tie-dye!) but obviously that won’t be happening, with the pandemic still active.
Probably a lot of us are looking to read more about anti-racism. Keep in mind that anyone can start a book discussion - if anyone wants to open a post in “General” to talk about books on oppression in general, you can do that! - if there are specific books that several people want to read and discuss, there is a folder for book discussions.
My company has implemented 50% workforce in the office, and I’m the half back in the office this week. Next week I’m part of the 50% to work from home again. I became fond of working from home, and being in the office is voluntary, so I may decide to work from home “permanently” (if anything is permanent these days). I was furloughed last week, and enjoyed my time off very much. I wish I was closer to retirement!
My computer died this week, sadly, so I lost my spreadsheet that had all my reading stats :-( It’s a silly thing, but hard to let go of. (Bright side: my ex was able to access my hard drive when he plugged it into his computer, so all is not lost forever, just for now.) Also, I need to buy a computer now - there are so many choices, how do I decide!?! It’s so much easier to post on GR from my computer, too. I can limp along with the browser version inside Safari on my phone, but that’s not ideal (and often, my phone decides I really want some hybrid version that is a cross between the app and the browser version and will reset itself to that - no, that is not what I want). Picture me being very cranky while I edit this post on Safari ;-)
On to our reading!
Our June group read is a book by a transgender or non-binary author,The Map of Salt and Stars by Zeyn Joukhadar. The book discussion is once again lead by Lynn!!
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
An audiobook copy is available via Overdrive from my library, so I’m planning to listen to that once I finish my current audiobook. I hope it’s not too confusing listening to it, with the two timelines.
Please let us know if you are interested in leading next month’s group read discussion ofThe Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society!!
I spent my furlough reading, but I didn’t finish many books!! This week I finished 2 books, none for this Challenge, and I remain 33/50. I think. I can’t check my spreadsheet!!
The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang - this was light and entertaining, but I was annoyed with some of the conventions. (Why did HE drive when they were using HER car?? Why did he invite her to his family dinner if he was so strict about keeping his professional life separate from private life??)
Deathless Divide by Justina Ireland - this was great! If you lovedDread Nation, I highly recommend this sequel! (And if you love zombie books set in an alternate post Civil War era, I highly recommend Dread Nation!)
Question of the Week
When life becomes difficult / scary / uncomfortable / unpredictable, do you seek out books about the difficult topic, or do you seek out a comfort read?
I tend to do both, although the amount I turn to one or the other varies. My comfort / escapist reads are romance novels (either historical or contemporary). That’s why I just finished The Kiss Quotient.
I just finished a zombie book, and I guess that counts as a pandemic, so it’s on-topic (as well as escapism, for me)!
And I think it’s time for me to grapple with racism again, so I putWhite Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism on hold (although it will be a long time before my hold comes in).