Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge discussion
2020 Weekly Checkins
>
Week 28: 7/3 – 7/9
I finished The Fellowship of the Ring as my book with a made up language. Now I guess I have to read the rest of the trilogy.I am currently reading Death of a Red Heroine as my book that takes place in a country that begins with C. It's really good. I thought it was a murder mystery. It really isn't. They know who did it (unless something funky comes about) and are just trying to prove it. But, there's a lot about communism and politics and Chinese history and culture. It's very interesting.
QOTW: That's a good question. I read a lot of Tudor historical fiction, but Henry VIII might take a disliking to me and chop my head off. My fave book is Lonesome Dove and I do like cowboys, but there are so many of them and they all only seem to have one thing on their mind the whole trip. Don't think I would want to be the only woman amongst them. Or maybe I would? I'll have to give this some more thought.
We seem to have an ongoing trend of storms on Wednesday evenings these last few weeks, with one or two dry Wednesday nights thrown in for good measure - in this case, I don't think it's really rained in over a week, so it was much appreciated last night.Finished in the last week:
Capturing the Devil - 2.5 stars. Final book of this series and glad to be done, but otherwise I found it a pretty unnecessary installment (but I loved the kitten!) Book published in the month of your birthday - September
Perfume: The Story of a Murderer - 2 stars, another clunker. Unexpectedly boring.
39/50
Currently reading:
The Poisonwood Bible This really feels like the perfect summer book because it's so stinking hot out. Been in the 90*F range all week here.
Book set in a country beginning with C
Hild - This one has definitely taken a backseat to Poisonwood but I still love it
The Stone Sky - Excited to finish this trilogy!
The Color of Water: A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother - Husband brought this home from work last night and it's short, so I'm hoping I can zip through it in a day or two
You get to take a 2-week vacation into the book of your choosing. Where are you going?
I may have to check out a certain cemetery in Barcelona - The Shadow of the Wind
Mod
I had several days off this week, so I finally got some good reading time!! This week I finished 4 books, 1 for this Challenge, so I am now 38/50:
Her Last Flight by Beatriz Williams - this is the latest from Williams, and it is now my favorite of all her books! If you like historical fiction, I highly recommend this!
Geography III poems by Elizabeth Bishop- a lovely little book of poems
Muse of Nightmares by Laini Taylor - I don’t know why it took me two years to finally get around to reading this! It was wonderful. I used this for my “book with a bird on the cover.” Now I would very much like to know what she is publishing next!! (This might be why I waited so long to read this book - sometimes it's nice to know you still have a new book to read by a favorite author.)
In the Dream House: A Memoir by Carmen Maria Machado - I was SO excited to read this, and I ended up being SO disappointed, I was actually ANGRY and ranting to my kids. I loved her first book!!!!! What happened???
QoTWFascinating question!! I have no idea!! A lot of the books I read involve crime or apocalypse and I don't want to vacation there!! I'll have to think about that for a while...
Large portions of Her Last Flight take place in a lovely beach-side house (with guest cottage!) in Hawaii, so I think that might be my answer! I've never been to Hawaii.
Slowly getting back into reading. I have a bunch of chunky fantasies I pre-ordered that I want to read but worried about descending back into a slump, so a I read a light YA instead.Finished Read with Pride for a book about a book club and also ATY's LGBTQ+ prompt. I liked that the side plot was about exam pressures and taking on too much in school, something I don't think is covered much.
PS: 24/50 | ATY: 23/52 | GR: 54/100
QOTW:
I'd like to visit Discworld, maybe a two week world tour to see all the alternate places!
I read a lot of books this week, mostly because of the 3 day weekend, and also because I'm bored out of my mind with this pandemic. Also, they're mostly romance, because that's what I was enjoying over the weekend. Now I'm back to working on some other books.I finished:
A Murder of Quality, which I read because I've never read all of John Le Carre's George Smiley books, so I thought I'd do that. So far, I'm enjoying it.
Date Me, Bryson Keller, which I saw at the bookstore and it just looked so cute. And it was a really cute YA LGBT romance. I used it for the summer prompt for a book with LGBT protagonist.
Red, White & Royal Blue, this is the 3rd time I've read it and I can't get enough. There need to be more books like this. I had already used it for the prompt for a book with a character in their 20s and it felt weird to use it again.
Well Met, which I had kind of been avoiding for some reason. I'm not into ren faires, but a lot of my friends are. Anyway, it was sweet. I used it for the summer romance prompt.
Island Affair was a nice romance about a woman from NY and a cuban guy from Key West. But out of all of these, I think it was the one I enjoyed the least, just because it dragged a bit in the middle. I used it to fill the prompt for a book about a vacation.
QOTW:
Valdemar.
Afternoon. Nice and sunny here today. Just waiting on a grocery delivery.Finished since my last check-in:
The Book of Dragons - Amazing anthology, really recommend it. Obviously not every story was a hit with me, but the vast majority were satisfying. The illustrations are beautiful too, I love Rovina Cai's style.
A Charm of Goldfinches and Other Collective Nouns - Short, sweet, adorable, surprisingly educational.
Shades of Milk and Honey - Kind of a brain-candy sort of book, but I did enjoy it. Managed to capture that Austenesque feel very well, but with a little twist of fantasy. Want to read the sequels at some point.
Nightingale Point - Disliked this one. Very... well, basic writing and plot. There's a main character with a mental disability and his PoV chapters were written in this very stereotypical, simple, Curious-Incident-esque way, ex.: "Elvis likes his flat. The flat has all his favourite things in it like his TV. Today he is having a pork pie for lunch. His carer is cooking it because Elvis is not allowed to use the stove on his own." Yada yada. I'm so sick of disabled characters only being written with this one voice.
Strange Planet - Would only really recommend this if you're a huge Nathan W Pyle fan. There's not much to the book that you wouldn't get from just scrolling through the comics on his Instagram or Twitter.
The Deep - I have kinda mixed feelings on Rivers Solomon's books, we've just never "clicked", but this one was pretty fascinating.
Currently reading A Declaration of the Rights of Magicians. I'm liking it but my lack of knowledge of the real history behind it is frankly embarrassing... I know the names of Robespierre, Wilberforce, Pitt, etc., but I couldn't for the life of me tell you who they were or what they did in the real world, where they weren't magic.
Question of the week:
You get to take a 2-week vacation into the book of your choosing. Where are you going?
Look, I'd be halfway up a mallorn tree in Lothlórien before you finished the question.
Probably take a trip down the Anduin to Minas Tirith sometime in the second week.
Hello everyone! Hot, hot here with a spike in Covid cases, still saw a lot of July 4th parties. Frustrating.Since my last post I finished:
How to Be an Antiracist: published in August, my birthday month. This was a great book, so much better than I thought. Lots to think about. Kendi is a great writer and makes the lessons very engaging with stories from his own experiences as examples. Highly recommend.
Small Fry: A Memoir: a book that I wanted to read in 2019. Liked it. The story of Lisa Jobs and her very complicated relationship with her father. Lisa can write!
A Burning: published in 2020. This was okay, but not as good as I hoped. Full of important and relevant themes, but for some reason I just never really got into it.
QOTW: most of the books I have read recently are set in places I really don’t care to visit. But Three Pines is a good thought. I would love to sit by fire at the bistro and shop at the used book store!
This has been a really draining week. There’s so much confusion at work that it’s bordering on chaos. I don’t do well in that environment, so it’s really taken a toll on my energy levels. I’ve been zoning out with TV instead of reading in the evenings. I even spent most of the long holiday weekend that way. No surprise, but I didn’t do a lot of reading.Finished
The Murder on the Links by Agatha Christie (a book set in the 1920s). I loved this book! The mystery is a wild ride. I figured out some of the red herrings and twists, but not all of them. It was satisfying on many levels. The early Poirots are clearly the best Poirots.
Reading
A Breath of Snow and Ashes by Diana Gabaldon (a book with more than 20 letters in the title). I’m at about the halfway point now. This is much better than the previous book that almost made me quit the series.
Death Game by Jo Graham (a book from a series with more than 20 books). My poolside book. Progress depends on the weather.
A is for Alibi by Sue Grafton (a book published in the 20th century)
QOTW
I would love to visit The Night Circus.
Hi everyone!Been toasty here, 90s most the week. Been trying to beat the heat with morning runs, but even those are pretty toasty. Watch claims low 70s but with the humidity and sun, feels much warmer!
This week I finished:
The Girl with the Louding Voice - I enjoyed this over all, the writing was good and I enjoyed the main character. My biggest annoyance was that one of the women who helped her was childfree by choice...but then suddenly came to an epiphany that she wanted children after all but was just afraid and then it turned into a whole weird infertility thing with her and her husband. As a childfree by choice woman, I just get really tired of the continuing insinuations that women who don't have kids are going to change their minds or regret it in the future or are just secretly scared or whatever. It felt particularly weird in this book because the main character had been sold as a 14 year old bride to an old man to bear him sons and she didn't want that. So having a childfree mentor would have served as a "women are more than their womb" example, even if she herself still came want children eventually, in the right circumstances.
Gold Boy, Emerald Girl - book with gold, silver, bronze in the title. This was very meh. From the description I thought the stories would be folklore based, or maybe a bit of magical realism. It was mostly about loneliness, but not really in a relatable way. Most the characters seemed pretty unappealing, and a lot of the stories never really went anywhere.
Go - book set in Japan . This was a short book from one of the previous world read days from Amazon. I liked it pretty well, coming of age story of a Korean-descended boy in Japan. I'd read Pachinko last year so had more of the history of how Koreans born in Japan, even if it's been several generations, are still not considered Japanese citizens unless they go through a whole citizenship process that many won't do. This explored more of those themes, of what nationality and citizenship really meant, looking into DNA and culture and prejudice.
currently reading:
Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America - still working on this one, it's 18 hours or so and I can only absorb so much at once. Not a "sit and listen for 6 hours straight' sort of book. Learning a lot, a lot of it pretty upsetting. Going to count it as my subject I know nothing about. Sadly American History covered very little of what this book is detailing.
The Dinner - book set in a city that hosted the olympics, Amsterdam. Man, I had trouble finding a book I really felt like reading for this prompt, and if I had a better option lined up I might abandon this. Was described as a thriller, but I'm almost halfway through and most of it has been the narrator going on about how big of a jerk his brother is, while mentally glossing over how big of a jerk he himself is. Also feels like it's setting up for some very "Boys will be boys" hand waving over the teens behavior. Very tiresome.
QOTW:
I'd probably say the Night Circus. I'd totally join in with the reveurs, wearing black and white with a touch of red, staying at the circus until dawn. If I could afford it, travel around following it. If I was lucky, getting invited to a Midnight Dinner would be fabulous!
Hi everyone. Still amazed that it can be cooler here on Long Island than upstate New York. I know we have talked about this before, but it's always jarring. Not that it's pleasant here. I am also ready for fall.Completed:
Lakewood for medical thriller. For such an interesting topic, it was actually quite boring and not thriller-y at all.
Every Heart a Doorway
Currently reading:
A Gentleman in Moscow
Our Women on the Ground: Essays by Arab Women Reporting from the Arab World
Party of Two
The Count of Monte Cristo
Home Before Dark on audio
QOTW:
The Scottish island in The Cafe by the Sea. It sounds idyllic, and it's never hot. And the food would be amazing.
I've had a strange week. It's actually been really grotty and windy weather here - probably the longest period of unpleasant weather since COVID became an issue so feeling pretty cooped up!! Very keen to get back outdoors soon...Finished
The Angel's Mark by S.W. Perry (upside down image on cover) - I've been wanting some more Elizabethan era fiction to recover from my grief over Thomas Cromwell.... Have reserved the next one
Brit(ish): On Race, Identity and Belonging by Afua Hirsch - interesting exploration of what it means to be British and particularly how this changes if you're black. Loved the history parts, some of the more memoir portions could have been more impactful but worth reading.
Morning Star by Pierce Brown - had been keen to finish off this trilogy that I started a while ago so pleased I'd done that. Don't think I'll continue into the next trilogy.
The Wall by John Lanchester - I've borrowed this from the library twice before and not actually read it but glad I picked it up. First half 5*, second half 2* so that's a bit of a shame. Could have been an interesting reflection on the 'othering' of refugees but the back half of the book seemed much more childish - honestly I'd rather it just wasn't there at all.
I then read 3 books from the Kay Scarpetta series by Patricia Cornwell which is a good read for me if I'm a bit mentally distracted. Can't go wrong with a feminist police procedural!
Currently Reading
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot - still working on this one and really enjoying it. I'm doing a couple of chapters before bed so might take a little while
She Speaks: The Power of Women's Voices by Yvette Cooper - anthology - having struggled to find an anthology I was inspired to read, I'm pleased to have found this one. It's a collection of impactful speeches by women across history (think Boudica to Greta Thunberg). Loving it!! But another one for small doses
How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi - just started this one
I'm really still lacking a solid fiction book to get into as I seem to be getting to a lot of non-fiction right now which it's normally what I'd go for... I think my library have invested in more copies of these more topical books so those reserves are coming in much more quickly
QOTW
I read a lot of pretty gritty books that aren't particularly appealing for a holiday I have to say!! I mean right now I'd be tempted to join any of my dysfunctional families on their holidays....
I think maybe I'd like to visit Lyra's Oxford and go to alethiometer summer school...
Mod
I agree! There have been a few days this spring & summer when it was hotter up by Syracuse NY than it was down in Charlotte NC!! Weather is weird.
Mod
I'm a mother, and I share your annoyance with that. I'm tired of this idea that a woman is only complete when she had produced children, and I'm tired of this idea that a woman never really knows her own mind. Yes, people change their minds. Yes, infertility is agonizing. Yes, having children is incredibly fulfilling. But that's not the only path to a fulfilling life, for a man or a woman.
Cendaquenta wrote: "Afternoon. Nice and sunny here today. Just waiting on a grocery delivery.Finished since my last check-in:
The Book of Dragons - Amazing anthology, really recommend it. Obviously ..."
Yay!! Someone else that's read Shades of Milk and Honey! I read this a few years back and loved it. The touch of magical realism in it is lovely.
Good Morning! It's been so stinkin' hot here. It's supposed to cool down but that means mid 80s instead of high 90s. My dog and I are done with the hot weather.
Finished:
Network Effect - I have loved the Murderbot series so much. I wish I had the next book to read already!
In Five Years - I picked this up at the library last week and finished it in two sittings. It went in a direction I wasn't expecting and really hit me in all the feels. I really loved this one.
The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue for a book with more than 20 letters in its title. I wasn't planning on reading this one for this challenge but I hated and DNF the original book I picked. I am glad I picked this up because I really enjoyed it. It was a fun romp with really sweet moments. I love that Monty is a complete disaster but I still like him. And I love how wonderful and perfect Percy is. I ended up picking up and reading the short follow-up novella The Gentleman’s Guide to Getting Lucky and really enjoyed that as well.
Currently Reading:
How Long 'til Black Future Month? for an anthology. I think I just read my favorite piece in this book, time traveling restaurant menu...yes please!
The Tattooist of Auschwitz - This is my audiobook this week and I'm really enjoying it. Richard Armitage is reading it and I love his voice for audiobooks.
QOTW:
Can pick either the worlds of Red, White & Royal Blue or Murderbot? I can fly around in space for two weeks while Murderbot ignores me while we both watch our shows. Or I would be totally fine living in the world of President Claremont.
Katy wrote: "My fave book is Lonesome Dove and I do like cowboys, but there are so many of them and they all only seem to have one thing on their mind the whole trip. Don't think I would want to be the only woman amongst them. Or maybe I would? I'll have to give this some more thought."This made me laugh XD
Nadine wrote: "It's been SUPER hot (low 90s) and no rain in central NY - the lawns are yellow and crispy, and I'm starting to worry that my tomatoes won't set fruit. But I guess I'm glad we are getting a real summer. I'm also glad I have air conditioning. "I'm not sure I've ever heard someone say they're glad to have a real summer...granted, we have summer for about 9 months a year here in Texas (at least, it feels that way). Maybe you have the same reaction when we wish for a "real winter"?
I'm in SE Michigan, which i'm guessing isn't quite as cold as upstate New York gets, but I know we've had summers I've declared that weren't "real summers". Where it seemed to rain every weekend, temperatures never really got "warm", stayed in the low 70s at best, sometimes even dropping to the 40s or 50s in the evening in July or August which are SUPPOSED to be the hot months. So yeah, I don't love 90s heat, I prefer it to stay in the 80s, but I'll take it over a rainy 50 degree summer day.
Mod
LOL yeah I never wish for a "real winter" and I guess I do wonder about people who say "oh I wish I had that snow!" in the winter hahahaha. Winters are long here, so we really need a nice hot summer to erase that memory of the long cold gray slog. And there have been summers here that were so cool I wore a jacket every day. It's depressing when that happens.
Afternoon all. So I'll admit, I haven't checked in since Week 25. On the other hand, since then, my reading for the Hugo nominations (the fan SF awards) has ticked off another four of the basic prompts, as well as ATY keeping up to date. Still, halfway through the year and somewhat ahead, so I'm pretty hopeful of finishing.
First up was A Memory Called Empire , Arkady Martine, for 21. Book published in the month of my birthday (March, for the record - hope it didn't need to be the year, as well!). I had reservations about this when I started it, but it ended up being my favourite of the Hugo-nominated novels. It reminded me quite a bit of John Scalzi's Interdependency books in both setting and humour.
Next was This Is How You Lose the Time War, Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone, which managed to fit a prompt I'd been struggling on - 8. Upside-down image: one of the birds on the cover is pleasantly upside-down! Enjoyable, and an interesting take on romance through time and space.
Then the other two are both nominees for the Lodestar Young Adult award: Catfishing on CatNet, Naomi Kritzer for 15. Involving social media; and The Wicked King, Holly Black for 14. Flora or Fauna in the author's name.
These were two very different books, and I enjoyed both of them - although Catfishing was my favourite. A benevolent AI, rather than one trying to take over the world, plus it developed the world I first came across in a previous Hugo-winning short story, Cat Pictures Please, and it was really good to see the ideas expanded.
The Wicked King was very different, and it grabbed me much better than the first in the series, The Cruel Prince, which I read this time last year when it was nominated for the same award. This one felt much less like a young adult book, and I think it was better for it.
Current totals:
Basic: 33/44
Advanced: Still 7/10
Overall: 40/54
In progress: Exhalation: Stories for 11. An anthology. I've enjoyed the two stories I've read so far (a novella and a short story), but I'm dipping in and out of it.
Next on the shelf, in no particular order but still for the Hugos (thank goodness they've added a week to the deadline!):
Deeplight, Riverland, Dragon Pearl
City of Lies, The Ruin of Kings, Empire of Sand, Silver in the Wood
And depending on how I get on with them:
The Dragon Republic, Rosewater, and Luna: New Moon
QotW: You get to take a 2-week vacation into the book of your choosing. Where are you going?
Oh. So many choices. But top would be Pern (because...dragons) or Middle Earth.
Finished: Ultralearning: Master Hard Skills, Outsmart the Competition, and Accelerate Your Career So good! It got some weak reviews, but I felt like it was a landmine of helpful ideas!The Screwtape Letters: Enjoyed how creative the perspective was on this one.
Me and White Supremacy: Combat Racism, Change the World, and Become a Good Ancestor This one was ok. I liked White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism better.
Started: The Book of Longings The wife of Jesus? Yes, please.
QotW: Castalia, maybe?
It's hot here. But it'll be hot here for the foreseeable future, so I suppose I should get used to it! Staying in doors most of the time has definitely made it difficult when I do step outside, though! I've lived in Texas all my life and I'm STILL not used to the heat.We're slammed at work, so reading hasn't been much of a priority. I'm taking next Monday off, though, so I'm hoping I can get a lot done during my 3-day weekend!
Finished:
Nothing. I've done almost no reading. It's bad.
Currently Reading:
A Gentleman in Moscow - I'm liking it so far! I'm listening to it on audiobook here and there. I need to be listening more so I can finish it before it's due.
Victorian Fairy Tales - I've been so tired when I go to bed that I haven't made much progress on this one
QOTW:
I remember a similar question last year and found it so difficult to answer! I agree with those saying the circus in The Night Circus. I also think a 2-week vacation at Northanger Abbey would be delightful...I wouldn't want to live there for an extended period (oppression of women and all that), but I think two weeks would be lovely.
Finished reading:Exciting Times (no category): Mixed feelings on this, I liked parts of it but I was bored by parts as well.
On Chapel Sands: My Mother and Other Missing Persons (no category): Again, I enjoyed parts of this and then didn't enjoy other parts.
And The Stars Were Burning Brightly (a book about or involving social media): This was an emotional read, I liked the alternating perspectives between the two characters and how the book deals with such difficult topics.
Currently reading:
A Monster Calls (no category): This is a re-read, I first read this in 2011, then watched the film and theatre adaptations, finally re-reading the book this year! Such great writing and illustrations.
QOTW:
I think I'd just like to go anywhere sunny and on a beach/by the sea right now, so maybe to where A Sky Painted Gold is set.
Happy Thursday, y’all.Not much to report this week, so on with the reading recap.
Books read this week:
The Loneliest Girl in the Universe -- So I read this fully expecting it to be “You’ve Got Mail” but in space, and honestly much of the book feels just like that. Then a little past the halfway mark… (view spoiler) I blew through this in two days and I loved it!
West -- Sequel to East, one of my favorite books. Not quite as good as the first, but it was wonderful revisiting the characters I loved so much, and seeing the original tale more fully fleshed out.
Home Before Dark-- Holy crow… Riley Sager’s books always take me for a ride, and this one was no exception! What a twisty-turny experience! If you like thrillers or mysteries, you’ll love this one. And that cover is spooky but stunning.
Last Night at the Lobster -- A short but thoughtful read about the staff at a Red Lobster completing one more shift before the restaurant is closed for good. Melancholy yet with an odd sweetness as well.
Currently Reading:
Four Past Midnight
A Conjuring of Light
Dying to Get Published
Book Love
QOTW:
Pern! From The Dragonriders of Pern. I've wanted to live in this world since I was a teenager. It's a fascinating world and culture -- who cares if it's plagued by flesh-eating spores raining from space on a regular basis? XD
Happy Thursday everyone. It's my first day off since June 28, and three of those, consecutively, were around 12 hours. Ugh. At least the weather has been nice! Well, what I think of as nice. The other day the high was around 67F with nice, dark clouds. Ahhhh! Today's forecast is 76, partly cloudy. I haven't had time to check my list in a while but I'm doing fine for this time of the year. I am still getting a bit read.
Finished:
Antiracist Baby - This time on audio. It was free to hear, so I did.
Felix Ever After - Trans teen boy is still questioning his identity. This was good and I learned some stuff.
The Tea Master and the Detective - I finished an ebook yay! It only took me two months to get through this one, and it's short. It was OK, I am left really confused by most of it, but that's fine. I don't need to know exactly how everything works in a world. I probably entered this universe on a weird book or something.
The Raven - I had this Poe and figured it would be good fun to read around a campfire. Check.
Currently Reading:
The Silver Arrow - I'm enjoying this children's book. I have been thinking I would have loved this as a kid. There is a magical train and talking animals. Lots of animal facts sprinkled in there, too. I've already learned about the sparklemuffin and pangolin. This one is short, I'll finish it today.
The Future of Another Timeline - Still resisting this one. I'll get over the narrator and do it. I will.
QOTW
My flash reaction was The Night Circus.
Good afternoon all! I have to agree with all the posters mentioning the endless 90 degree heat. I'll mention the humidity. I've declared my home a clothing optional place. Just too hot and humid here. My mantra is "this is good for the plants, good for the plants …"
Finished:
Evil Under the Sun. Agatha Christie never disappoints. I didn't figure out whodunit, but that didn't matter. I just enjoyed the ride and the characters, and playing at detective.
Works for : series with more than 20 books, and summer prompt " book with sand, sun or wave in title"
Counting in Mi'kmaw / Mawkiljemk Mi'kmawiktuk. Couldn't resist this beautiful children's book, written in Mi'kmaw and English translation. A refreshing trip to childhood! Just wanted to see how much Mi'kmaw I remembered since I don't speak it daily, and it turns out,... a lot! :)
No prompt, just joy.
I'm Thinking of Ending Things. Such a beautifully written and poignant book. Yes, it's disturbing and possibly quite scary, but it is also deeply thoughtful and designed so perfectly. Tbh, I am not sure why this is such a perplexing book. My theory is that we have to rush so much in Western culture, and that may leak into reading?
If you read poetry, or like to read attentively, or both, you'll find it an easier read. You'll pick up so much from the first page. It's haunting.
Jake is going to stay in my heart for a long time.
Was going to use for book with 20 or more word title, but it also works for Summer challenge prompt, scary book to read around a campfire.
QOTW:
Greenland. Or Nunavut. Big thanks to Last Night in Nuuk and Taaqtumi: An Anthology of Arctic Horror Stories. Learning Inuktitut, and loving it.
Managed to finish a couple of books this week, so I may be starting to come out of my small reading slump, I think :)Finished:
The Fifth Season for A book by a WOC. I got a bit more into this as it went along, but I'm stilk not sure whether I'm bothered enough to read the second and third books. If i do pick up the second one, it's not going to be for a while.
A Gentleman in Moscow for A book set in a city that has hosted the Olympics. Loved this one, one of my favurite books of the challenge! Im still thinking about it several days later, and wishing it had gone on longer... *wistful sigh*
Started:
The Two Lives of Lydia Bird for A book with an upside-down image on the cover. I'm about halfway through this, and the central concept isn't really gelling for me. Plus there have been a couple of background plot details that don't feel well researched that have made me roll my eyes (other people would probably roll their eyes are me for being so pedantic, but hey...)
QOTW:
The obvious answer would be Middle Earth, although I can't decide whether I'd prefer the Shire or Rivendell. Alternatively, I could go for the ancient Rome of Lindsey Davis's Falco series, or Buckeep, Bingtown or Withywoods from Robin Hobb's Realm of the Elderlings sequence.
Hi everyone. The weather is awful here in Yorkshire. It feels more like November than July. I got a call on Monday cancelling my furlough so I'm back at work but doing a bunch of things that aren't usually my job to cover those still off. It was really scary the first day catching the train in over three monthsToday I finished Dreadnought which was quite a good mix of fluffy and serious. I figured out the bad guy pretty easily but it didn't detract from the story.
QOTW: So many options! Red London, Caraval and the Emerald city all jumped to mind but I think I'd like to join the trio in The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue on their grand tour of Europe. I might need longer than two weeks lol
Mod
Oh, my! I can relate to that feeling of just knowing a new release by a favorite author is sitting there waiting... Delicious anticipation! :)
Hello All,Everything is pretty normal around here. Warm mornings (mid 70's) leading up to thunderstorms with the chance of hail in the afternoons. Our typical Alberta summer weather.
Hope it is nice for this weekend as we are having a much scaled down version of our stampede Rib cook off. We usually have over 100 people, we have scaled it down to about 20 of our closest friends who are in our social bubble. I am still working on all the serving work arounds, Salads pre-wrapped, utensils pre-wrapped, individual dressings, etc etc... I hope I have thought of everything to keep it safe during these times, still a little nervous about having a gathering but COVID numbers around us are fairly low and the people invited are people we already see on a regular basis.
Currently reading
Catching Fire well listening too, I am still working out the logistics of Audio books so am sticking to re-reads. My biggest fear with audio books is if I would tune them out (I do that a lot with music) but I seem to be paying attention and like them while gardening and cleaning the house as I can just let my body go through the motions and let my mind enjoy the story. I also seem to get my work done faster, which is a bonus
The Green Mile still reading this with my daughter. We will finish it one day.
Finished
The Hunger Games Still love it. Of course re-read as an Audio book. I used this book as the first book I touched on a shelf with eyes closed, as my library has lucky day reads which are available right away but you can only borrow for 7 days. It was the first one I clicked on with my eyes closed.
QOTW
First place that came to mind is Xanth, read the series as a teenager and would love to visit, even though I would be from Mundania and have no magic talent. Maybe it would involve a trip to the good magician to find out if I get one but then I would have to stay a year in service to him as that is his fee.
Happy Reading Everyone.
Cheers
Mod
Agreed! A good friend of mine has opted (along with her husband) not to have children. Why can't people just allow others to make their own life choices without judging or wanting to convince them of something else?
I, myself, have a mantra for my next lifetime: "no marriage, no children." I really would like a lifetime to just develop myself and not take care of others. I feel as if this whole life has been devoted to others, and while that's okay and fulfilling to a great degree, it is also exhausting and I sometimes feel as if the only person I haven't fully devoted myself to is ME! ;)
You go, girl! Whatever you decide works for you! There is no one way to have a happy life!
Mod
Yay!! Someone else that's read Shades of Milk and Honey! I read this a few years back and loved it. The touch of magical realism in it is lovely."
Oh, my! I have decided that once I complete reading these first three books in MRK's Lady Astronaut series I definitely want to try some of her other books! This sounds as if my IRL book club may like it as well! :)
Lynn wrote: I, myself, have a mantra for my next lifetime: "no marriage, no children." I really would like a lifetime to just develop myself and not take care of others. I feel as if this whole life has been devoted to others, and while that's okay and fulfilling to a great degree, it is also exhausting and I sometimes feel as if the only person I haven't fully devoted myself to is ME! ;) This sound fantastic Lynn, I sometimes feel the same way, and day dream about just having full days to myself.
Happy Thursday Everyone! Wow last week was such a whirlwind for me, but it's because I had 3 little babies to look after for a few days (my cousins kids - twins that are 2.5yrs & a 14 month old). My cousins wife has cancer that is very likely terminal + some broken ribs atm and my mom and I wanted to give them some time to spend together as a couple + give them a little break from the busyness since she's not been feeling well so we took the kids for a few days! Thankfully they adjusted to being here pretty much right off the bat (loved the dog) and were very easy going! (Also, they're great sleepers and didn't get up until 7:30-8 in the mornings!) :D I did manage to read 2 books before they came though, both I wanted to finish ASAP before their live shows/book discussions on youtube so I do have something to talk about!Current Progress
PS: 42/50 | PSS: 5/20 | HP: 48/56 | ATY: 43/52 | GR: 66/100
Read This Week
The Guest List by Lucy Foley ⭐️⭐️⭐️ This was paced a little too slowly and was too predictable for my liking. In the end, I didn't predict who actually did it even though the breadcrumbs were there along the way BUT I did predict literally everything else (including what happened, who all would have a motive, who wrote the note etc.) way before it was all revealed so that was a bit unsatisfying. Some things just felt way too coincidental/easy. I would have enjoyed this more if there hadn't been several flaws in the story... for specifics on those: (view spoiler)
Used For: PSS - 10. A Summer-set Thriller
The Farthest Shore (The Earthsea Cycle #3) by Ursula K. LeGuin ⭐️⭐️ This went from ughhh to meh by the end. This series as a whole seems to get progressively worse as I continue but I know that there's an 18 year gap between when LeGuin wrote this one and Tehanu so I'm hoping that some things change in the next one! The biggest thing that didn't work for me in this one was the extremely disjointed writing style; you'd get 1-2 sentences or maybe a short paragraph on one thing and then suddenly 1-2 sentences/a paragraph on something totally different without any segway or finesse. There was no flow + the writing style wasn't very straightforward and it made for me tuning out a lot and then having to reread portions way too often especially because most of what was on page wasn't very exciting. This felt like an epic fantasy that happened in the background while we focused on trivial things. It also didn't help that this felt world driven I guess..certainly not plot or character driven by any means. The dragons should have been way more exciting but were basically just included for show and that really sucked! Here's hoping I like Tehanu way more!
Used For: PSS - 7. A Book with a body of water or pool on the cover (so many editions can work, including the one I have)
Currently Reading
*I'm planning on participating in Becca's BookoplAthon this weekend so my current books may/may not get put off for that..all depends on what prompts get rolled live during the readathon!*
The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson & The Olympians #1) by Rick Riordan - buddy reading this with my friend Juan! I mentioned to him that I'm finally going to read it sometime soon (for PSS summer camp prompt) and he was in the mood for a nostalgic reread so we both started it last night! :D
The Hating Game by Sally Thorne - so far some interesting banter ..but also feels kinda fat-phobic?? :/
QotW
Sign me up for a visit to Adriata; I'd love to check out the summer court! (From A Court of Mist and Fury & A Court of Wings and Ruin (view spoiler)
Hello! Like everyone else has said, it's waaaaayyyy too hot. I can't wait for fall.Finished
A Song Below Water by Bethany C. Morrow for the prompt "a book you picked because the title caught your attention." This was really good! It was unique and fun but also very serious with topics of social justice and Black Lives Matter. It worked really well.
The Story of More: How We Got to Climate Change and Where to Go from Here by Hope Jahren. Not for the challenge, but I really enjoyed it. It made me a little more hopeful on the topic of climate change and helped me reevaluate how I use energy.
Currently Reading
Still working through Dark Matter and the Dinosaurs: The Astounding Interconnectedness of the Universe and Me and White Supremacy: Combat Racism, Change the World, and Become a Good Ancestor.
I'm also reading Monday's Not Coming by Tiffany D. Jackson for my book with a three-word title. I just started today, but I'm already hooked. Jackson is an amazing writer.
QotW
I'd go to Red London from A Darker Shade of Magic or hop aboard The Wayfarer from The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet. Some part of me also wants to join Kivrin (Doomsday Book)on a journey to 1348 Oxford, but I'd want my plague inoculation first!
Glad to see the support in this group :) at my book club, one of the moms in the group kept trying to tell me that once I had my own I'd suddenly be so happy I did. And me saying "...but what if I am not?" didn't seem to register. Seems like it's not very fair to potentially future children to have some "just to see" if it works out! Or myself. Or husband.
Can't complain about weather here in gorgeous Switzerland. Perfect temperatures, blue skies, and plenty of nooks to explore. Hoping to take a 'staycation' holiday in a week or so, once I'm fully recovered from surgery. Finished this week:
The Vanishing Half - I enjoyed it overall, but the ending let me down. Intersection of race, gender identity, and personal identity.
The Offing - Beautiful writing about the charms and wonders of the British countryside, but with a good story along the way. Made me feel like I was in the green countryside myself.
Currently reading:
Rum Punch Regrets - merely for the summer prompt of a cocktail on the cover. Otherwise, can't say I like it. The writing is meh, even for a beachy-read.
The Jetsetters - for the prompt with a book about a holiday/vacation
The Rosie Project - for the beach read prompt.
You get to take a 2-week vacation into the book of your choosing. Where are you going?
Hmm. Hard call. However, I'd go back to Barcelona for two weeks, a la The Shadow of the Wind.
Another very good reading week: finished 3 books! Next week back to work, so my reading will slow down again. Summer is pretty mild here so far: 20-25 Celsius (=lower 70’s), some rain, some sun. We call that a ‘Dutch summer’. I love it!
Finished
The Great Alone - Liked it until 80%. Then it got too melodramatic. Besides that it is a good read on the brutal beauty of Alaska.
Prompt: a book with at least a 4* rating on Goodreads
Queen Victoria's Matchmaking: The Royal Marriages that Shaped Europe - If it wasn’t serious politics, it would have been hilarious. A very old queen is matchmaking her children and grandchildren in a sort of vision on how they all could reign Europe together and because they are family, there will be world peace. She slightly forgot that families have their issues too… It is actually a very sad story: these royals had no idea what was happening outside their royal world.
Prompt: a fiction or nonfiction book about a world leader
Leon & Juliette - This small book was written especially for the Dutch National Book Week. It tells the story of a young Dutch man who made a fortune as a tradesman in Charleston, 1820. He fell in love with a slave who saved his life, married her and kept his ever growing family a secret. This book tells the story of his life. Remarkable love story!
Prompt: a book with a map
Currently reading
Manhattan Beach
Qotw
Alaska, from The Great Alone. Must be beautiful out there in summer.
I'm checking in to confess that I'm struggling to finish anything. And my totally logical response to my slow progress is to start more books. So I've got six going right now. I probably need an intervention!DNF
The City in the Middle of the Night - I feel bad, but I just stopped caring!
Currently reading
(are you sitting comfortably?)
Reading my friend's novel set in a fantasy version of Mycenaean Greece, about a scribe who gets sucked into political shenanigans. It's fun but I'm going slow because I'm trying to orchestrate my thoughts into useful, kind feedback for her.
Out - I'm already intrigued about ten pages in. The descriptions of the factory are so evocative!
In a Lonely Place - I put this down last year after a clunker of a story, but the next one has a promising start!
White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism - this is really good but requires small "bites." Not so fun thinking about stuff like, "Wait, did my extended family really say X when I was growing up? How was I not horrified by that?"
Lagoon - I really like this but I don't see it ending real happily so I'm not plowing through it too fast.
The Collapsing Empire - I wasn't in the mood for anything I'm currently reading last night so I started this. And it's really great! 😜🤣🤦♀️
Finished
Nothing!
QOTW
I immediately thought of The Enchanted April - between the book and the movie, I WANT TO GO TO THERE. Abundant flowers, gorgeous architecture, magnificent views, and Italian food and wine.
The good news is you can actually visit the location used for the movie - https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractio...
Hello all! Yes, gross summer weather here too. Humid, 90F, no sir. I'm already over it.Finished 22/50
I feel like I'm just crawling....
Hidden Figures for "women in STEM". It was good! A little dry in parts, but I appreciated learning about this part of our country's history. I'm hoping to watch the movie this weekend too!
Currently Reading
The Way of Kings for "book with a made up language". THIS BOOK IS HUGE. SERIOUSLY HUGE. About a million people recommended it to me after I finished Wheel of Time, but no one told me you could kill a person with it! Good grief! Forget weights, just workout with this book! It's fantastic though. I was sucked in by the prologue!
On Living Simply: The Golden Voice of John Chrysostom for "book featuring one of the deadly sins". I say this every week, but this book is amazing. Just amazing.
The Wilderness Journal: 365 Days with the Philokalia for "book whose title caught your attention". Here we are still. Over halfway!
QotW
Narnia. I want midnight dances with centaurs and dryads, feasts with the kings and queens, long talks with Aslan, adventures to the Lone Islands, give it all to me. I'm so there. Can't imagine a better place to vacation for 2 weeks.
Hello! I forgot to check in last week but I didn't read anything, so eh. Read this week:Why I'm No Longer Talking to White People About Race: I liked the UK historical context parts of this.
Network Effect: Every time I pick up a Murderbot book I tell myself I am no longer going to cry about robots. And then every book I proceed to, yes, cry about robots. They're so good and I need the next one!!
We Are Never Meeting in Real Life.: These essays were fantastically written and very funny, but the theme of the author being a human disaster got a little repetitive.
Unmasked by the Marquess: Historical romance with a nonbinary protagonist? Yesssss. Also lots of identity theft and good lines. Loved this one.
Currently reading:
The Count of Monte Cristo
Venetia
The Rakess
QOTW: Well considering everything I've read recently, most of my options are Regency London...which doesn't quite do the trick for a vacation (I like having plumbing?) so maybe I'd visit someplace in The Way of Kings to try all those different colors of wine they have, and the spicy curries. That sounds like fun.
Mod
I have definitely BEEN THERE. Just think of how satisfying it will be when you finish a bunch of them! You'll be on top of the world.
Happy Thursday. My cousin managed to make it back for a visit over the weekend, which will probably be the last time I see him before he moves to the States, so that was nice.Books I Finished:
Fantastic Beasts - The Crimes of Grindelwald: The Original Screenplay - Well after having this sit on my nightstand for over a year, I finally read it. I'll still stick with the original books thankyou very much. ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Love, Creekwood - This was so cute and sweet and funny. It was back to what made the first book so wonderful. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Up and Down - This was a nice little surprise, but it wasn't anything special. For a book that gets tagged humour, I was a little underwhelmed - For me, just having a bunch of pratfalls isn't very funny, especially not in a book. But it was sweet. ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Cilka's Journey - I've never really read about the Soviet Gulag system - I knew it was bad, but not that bad. I actually thought this book was stronger then The Tattooist of Auschwitz. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Books I DNF'd:
Halfway to the Grave - My sister warned me, but I thought I should at least try it to get my own opinion on this book. But I just couldn't force myself to keep reading this.Books I made progress on:
Mountain of Black Glass
The Lady from the Black Lagoon: Hollywood Monsters and the Lost Legacy of Milicent PatrickQOTW
At this point, any modern set book where Covid doesn't exist and everything is 'normal' would work for me.
Sheri wrote: "Glad to see the support in this group :) at my book club, one of the moms in the group kept trying to tell me that once I had my own I'd suddenly be so happy I did. And me saying "...but what if I ..."I sometimes wonder if the people who are so pushy/judgy about it actually regret having kids, so they have that "well I had to deal with it, so everyone should" mentality to make up for their own bitterness/guilt. I know that's not true for all of them, but I do wonder...
It's that difference between "this was really hard and I don't want anyone else to have to deal with it" vs "this was really hard so everyone should have to do it" mentalities.
Hi All. Our library opened Monday 7/6/20. I got to go back as a volunteer so I’m very happy. I finished 1 book for the week not for this challenge. We Ride Upon Sticks by Quan Barry. I really liked this book. 5 stars. I liked the story of the field hockey team & the 80’s throwback. My current read is Me and White Supremacy:Combat Racism,Change the World,and Become a Good Ancestor by Layla F.Saad. QOTW: My vacation spot would be Venice from the Commissario Brunetti series.
Hot, hot, hot. And it'll be hotter this weekend. I'm using my nice cool mornings trying to pack everything up for our move at the end of the month and then using my afternoons to sit in front of a fan and read. (No, we don't have air conditioning. Here in the high desert, these prolonged temps in the 90s are unusual for us, but at least there's very little humidity.)Challenge Progress: 49/50
Completed:
Sigh, Gone: A Misfit's Memoir of Great Books, Punk Rock, and the Fight to Fit In: This was the best memoir I've read in ages. No, Phuc Tran isn't famous, but his story is absolutely compelling, funny, and relatable. (A book with a great first line - Nonfiction: "F*ck that kid.") ★★★★★
Full Throttle: This collection of thirteen short stories is yet another solid outing by Joe Hill. I want more! ★★★★
Strange Practice: Fun start to a new series! A bit slow to start, but that's common with series starters considering all the world-building that has to go on. I can see this being developed as a Netflix or premium cable series (like Penny Dreadful or Carnival Row but set in contemporary London). (A medical thriller - Fiction) ★★★★
Darkness at Noon: This is considered as one of the classics of anti-totalitarian literature (like Brave New World or 1984). In fact, Ray Bradbury credits this novel as the inspiration behind Fahrenheit 451. But Koestler's work feels much more real, bleak and grim... This is Soviet Russia in the 1930s. ★★★
Red Card: How the U.S. Blew the Whistle on the World's Biggest Sports Scandal: This is not a book about sports. It's about corruption, bribery, and racketeering, and the quest of the US judicial system to bring FIFA's crimes to light. I got a little bogged down in the financial manipulations, but the criminality and abuse of power was clear. (A book about a subject you know nothing about - Nonfiction) ★★★
First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers: Absolutely riveting. Loung Ung is a childhood survivor of the Cambodian genocide under the regime of Pol Pot, and her story is heart-wrenching. (A book set in a country beginning with C - Cambodia) ★★★★
A Madness of Sunshine: Nalini Singh is best know as a paranormal romance writer, but A Madness of Sunshine is a psychological thriller - not a hint of the supernatural - and it works. Singh's work is vividly written, and I look forward to reading more. (A book that takes place in your favorite (or dream) summer destination - New Zealand) ★★★★
Currently Reading:
Well Met (A book involving a summer romance)
The Great Influenza: The Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History (A medical thriller - Nonfiction)
Ella Minnow Pea: A Novel in Letters (A book with a pun in the title - Fiction)
How to Be an Antiracist
The Hunting Party (A book set at a resort or hotel)
One Person, No Vote: How Voter Suppression Is Destroying Our Democracy
Party of Two (A book with a release date in June, July, or August of any year - June 23, 2020)
QOTW: Lots of good suggestions in previous posts! But I'm gonna give a shout-out to Lev Grossman's The Magicians. I'd love a chance to go to Brakebills.
Kendra wrote: "Happy Thursday. My cousin managed to make it back for a visit over the weekend, which will probably be the last time I see him before he moves to the States, so that was nice.Books I Finished:..."
Haha, that's my favourite QOTW answer!
Hello everyone! I had grand plans to go backpacking of the 4th of July weekend, got out to the wilderness and promptly had a panic attack in the middle of the first night and came home the next day. Guess I have to go back to working on my anxiety... thanks 2020!!Pewter lining: I got a bunch of reading done on the weekend, and watched a ton of life-affirming Bollywood movies.
Anyhoo, this week I finished:
Upright Women Wanted: maybe I need to stop reading Sarah Gailey? Their plots always sound so good, but the books feel incomplete! They come up with these intricate, amazing alternate world fully worthy of a long novel, and then just write a little novella about it, and I feel shortchanged. I think this reaction is just my preference, but it's not my bag.
Quo Vadis: I do love overwrought 19th century prose, so I was tickled by this book. It also was a good insight into 19th century Christian worldviews, which is not my area of expertise, so I found that interesting. That said, it was a bit overwritten and repetitive. I'd recommend it to someone with very particular taste, but not to everyone.
Currently reading:
Rogue Protocol: these novellas tend to feel like they're meant to be the length they are, if that makes sense. I'm not frustrated by the length like with Sarah Gailey.
QOTW: Oh, I'd go to Tortall for sure. I've wanted to go to Tortall since I was a child, especially after Alanna worked so hard to break down sexism. (Also, there are lots of descriptions of people taking baths so I feel it would not be as stinky as I imagine other medieval-adjacent fantasy worlds to be.)
Hi All,Last week was slightly stressful and it looks like it's continuing into this week. Had to cancel a trip my parents were making to see us for obvious pandemic reasons. We were all bummed as we made the plans ages ago hoping we'd be on the downward track of the curve by now. It's for the best, but I still felt bad being the one to officially say 'guys, we aren't doing this'. My mom has rebooked the tickets for next month and I've yet to point out that things here will likely be in a better place. I've been diving back into reading in my spare time to make myself feel better.
I finished two books last week. Blood of Elves which I'm using for the prompt about a book with a made up language. A friend pointed out that the Elder language is actually based primarily off of Celtic languages from Ireland, Wales and Scotland. I had hoped to read something even more made up but this satisfies it enough for me. I really rather enjoyed this book. I really enjoyed the Witcher tv series that came out on Netflix and my husband is a fan of the game. I'll probably seek out the rest of the books over time.
Second, I finished How to Be an Antiracist which was good - lots of thought provoking topics. I'm planning to add his other book Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America to my TBR list.
And lastly, I just finished Catch and Kill: Lies, Spies, and a Conspiracy to Protect Predators. I thought this one was fantastic and was my second 5 star read of the year. I'm a sucker for a good narrative non-fiction. I've already recommended it to my whole family. Using this one for a book by or about a Journalist.
QOTW: Such a great question! Instinctively, I'd like to say Hogwarts/Hogsmeade but as a muggle I'd just get confused by a muggle repelling spell and end up in what is basically my own world.
Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge
Books mentioned in this topic
20 Minutes On Holiday (other topics)The Enchanted April (other topics)
Red, White & Royal Blue (other topics)
City of Girls (other topics)
American Pie: Slices of Life (and Pie) from America's Back Roads―a Delicious Food Journey Across America (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Casey McQuiston (other topics)Daniel Hurst (other topics)
Elizabeth Gilbert (other topics)
Erin Morgenstern (other topics)
Mary Beth Keane (other topics)
More...
Admin stuff:
Final voting polls are open for 4th quarter monthly reads!
October – a book featuring one of the seven deadly sins
November – a book by or about a woman in STEM
December – a book published in 2020
Polls will close at midnight (EDT) on the 14th.
Reading update:
Once again, I neglected to check-in last week soooooo here’s my two week update.
Finished:
The One by Kiera Cass – this rounded out my reread of The Selection series (well, the first three books which is all I’m going to reread). Like so many YA series, I think this one gradually goes down in quality. The author tries to incorporate too much stuff in. Having said that, I still love the series as a whole (again, just the first three) and I enjoy seeing America and Maxon’s story wrap up. It is a completely bingeable series.
The Greatest Love Story Ever Told by Megan Mullally and Nick Offerman. Not being a big fan of Will & Grace OR Parks & Rec (though I have just started watching Will & Grace) I’m not entirely sure why I picked this up. I needed a good audiobook for my walks and this one is engaging. They are both very entertaining, and the audio comes across more like a podcast where they are discussing the topic of their relationship. It was a fun read.
Lost Dogs and Lonely Hearts by Lucy Dillon – I’m going to call this one Jenny Colgan with dogs. Rachel has just lost her high profile PR job in London when she gets the news that she inherited her aunt’s dog rescue kennel in a small town in the country. She goes there to sort the house and prepare to sell, but she gets sucked into the world of dogs and eventually starts matching up the remaining rescues with the perfect owner. There are some romances afoot (closed door), but they aren’t the main plot. It was a sweet, cozy comforting read, and for those who are afraid to read a book about animals (view spoiler)[no animals die! (hide spoiler)]
Currently Reading:
Always Only You by Chloe Liese. This is book two in a contemporary romance series. I really loved the first book. I like her characters. I'm about a third of the way through this one. I'm enjoying it so far, but I'll hold off forming an opinion until I finish. I do recommend the first book, Only When It's Us, for romance fans.
Question of the week:
You get to take a 2-week vacation into the book of your choosing. Where are you going?
This question was posed in another book group I am part of, and I think it’s a fun one!
There are so many amazing places I'd like to go (Hogwarts, Three Pines, etc), but the place that continues to come to mind is Velaris in the Night Court from A Court of Thorns and Roses series. It's beautiful, full of art and culture, led by a hot dish of a High Lord ;)