Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge discussion
2020 Weekly Checkins
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Week 31: 7/23 - 7/30
I finished The Brothers York: An English Tragedy as my book publisehd in 2020. Pretty good.I startedDeep Space as my book about a subject I know nothing about. I'm finding it incredibly dry and boring.
So, I also started World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War as my book with just words, no graphics on the cover. I'm not really loving it. It's OK.
QOTW: Heathcliff and Cathy in Wuthering Heights. I mean, I don't know that I love them for being terrible people, but I still love the book.
I just realized two days ago that I forgot to check in last week - whoops!Books finished:
Myths and Legends from Ghana for African-American Cultures - 4 stars. A beautiful collection of West African myths.
The Poisonwood Bible - 4 stars. So glad I finally read this, and stuck with it. Set in a country starting with C
Reticence - 3.5 stars. A good fan-servicey ending for a fun series.
Hild - set aside. It's very good and the research is clearly there, but I'm not in the mood for something so slow just now and I've been reading it since the beginning of June.
The Fountains of Silence - DNF. Very clunky and stiff writing compared to Ruta's other books.
Timekeeper - 4 stars. A fun, imaginative story, and I'm excited to read the rest of the trilogy.
Finishing today:
Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland This has been absolutely stellar. Book that won an award in 2019
Also reading: Silent in the Sanctuary - Deanna Raybourn is quickly becoming a go-to for lighter comfort reads (and this is only my second book of hers!). I love Julia and her family so much.
This week's question is from Lauren: Are there characters in novels that you "loved to hate" where they were enjoyably terrible?
Oh yes. Gregory in the Great Library series, and Joe in You come to mind from recent reads.
I agree that it's crazy that July is almost over! The year is more than half way gone, and I can't say I'm mad about it. We've been pretty busy lately, because my dad is in the process of buying a new house and moving. And there is a LOT to do. Plus, work is slowly starting to pick back up. There were some really slow days back in May and June...This week I finished two books.
The Beauty in Breaking: A Memoir was my BOTM book this month. I generally try their nonfiction because it's usually pretty good, but I didn't love this book. I think the medical stuff was interesting and gave some insight into what it's like to be an emergency room doctor, but overall it was a little too spiritual/life journey for me, I think.
I also finished The Spy Who Came In from the Cold. I really enjoyed it. I'm slowly making my way through Le Carre's George Smiley books and it's been pretty great so far.
QOTW: For the record, I do also love Heathcliff. He's flawed, but lovable. But I also want to throw out there the entire group of girls in the Pretty Little Liars series. They're all kind of awful, but I love reading those books and I love to hate them.
Nadine wrote: " I am finally venturing forth for vacation! This weekend we are driving down to visit my mother, whom we have not seen since December."Awesome! I hope you have a great time!
I'm having such a rough reading patch right now! I hope I love the next novel I dig into.
Finished
Devolution: A Firsthand Account of the Rainier Sasquatch Massacre ⭐⭐⭐ - A book that passes the Bechdel test - yes, I rated this "liked it" but it was quite disappointing. I love Brooks's other books, and this really didn't compare. Very flat, tropey characters who are without nuance or self-reflection.
DNF
Out - appropriate to this week's question, I just loathed every single character. Sometimes their circumstances evoked some level of sympathy, but I actually just hated the people themselves and didn't connect with any of them. Additionally, it was far too long and slow. I skipped to the end and found it just doubled down on the awfulness. No thanks.
Currently Reading
My friend's book - trying to be better about making progress with this!
In a Lonely Place - I'm starting to think "Sticks" was a one-hit wonder.
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Vol. 1 - my replacement for Out as a book set in Japan. I'm 10-ish episodes into the anime with my daughter, so I know that I should like this. I LOVE the panel art - so gorgeous!
QOTW
Yes! But they have to be playfully or amusingly bad, not just noir assholes who have no redeeming qualities (see above).
What springs to mind is Jane Austen's antagonists who are pompous and self-absorbed, like Lady Catherine and Sir Walter. But most of all, I adore Lady Susan, who is deliciously evil, and winds up hoisted on her own petard.
We're going to be heading out for "vacation" too. For a socially distanced family gathering... No, it'll be a lot of fun. We're celebrating everyone's birthday, and we'll play plenty of distance friendly games like washers and croquet. It'll be the first time since Christmas that I've seen my grandson Eli. It's about a 15-hour drive, but we're planning on driving straight through.Challenge Progress: 49/50
Completed:
Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic: Some of the literary allusions went over my head, but Alison's story of her fraught relationship with her father, her (and her father's) sexual identity, and her parents' own dysfunctional relationship is memorable and engaging. Amazingly intimate for a graphic novel. ★★★★ (A book with an LGBTQ+ protagonist)
Start by Believing: Larry Nassar's Crimes, the Institutions that Enabled Him, and the Brave Women Who Stopped a Monster: Fascinating story. This was more than a scandal. Nassar's sexual abuse of dozens of young girls was perpetuated by systems that routinely ignored, dismissed, or covered up information. It's time we paid attention. ★★★★
Home Before Dark: "Never go back there. It’s not safe there. Not for you." Psychological thriller with elements of horror... the hallmark of a Riley Sager story, and this one didn't disappoint. I loved the Amityville Horror vibes. Sager can't write books fast enough to satisfy me. ★★★★ (A scary book you’d read around a campfire)
When I Was You: There were plenty of twists, and although it started slow, Brienne's character grew on me as the story went on... BUT the whole premise was so improbable, so unlikely, so convoluted, I just couldn't give it more than 3 stars (and I think that was generous). ★★★ (A book by an author with flora or fauna in their name – Minka Kent)
That Summer: For the most part I enjoyed this dual timeline (gothic) romance. However, I found myself wanting to know more about Aunt Regina and wishing her character had been better developed. I was also disappointed in the ending of the 1850s timeline. I thought it was both sappy and inconclusive. ★★★ (A book with summer in the title)
The Man Who Knew The Way to the Moon: Really interesting behind-the-scenes look at the adoption of Lunar Orbit Rendezvous (LOR) as the method of getting to the moon and back during the space race of the 1960s. Best Audible Original I've heard so far. ★★★★
Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity: Katherine Boo's narrative nonfiction book about a Mumbai slum is really well done. Of course, the slums are appalling, but it was fascinating to consider the financial lens through which nearly every interaction (between neighbors, with the police, within families) was viewed. ★★★★
Currently Reading:
An Excess Male (A book set in a country starting with C - China)
Honor Girl: A Graphic Memoir (A book about camping or summer camp)
The Unhoneymooners (A book about a vacation)
The Vacationers (A book that takes place in a beach town/A book with an item you'd find at the beach in the title)
Conjure Women
Tell Me Who You Are: Sharing Our Stories of Race, Culture, & Identity (A book that takes place in the summer before high school or college)
The Sun Down Motel (A book with sun, sand, or waves in the title)
Our Time Is Now: Power, Purpose, and the Fight for a Fair America
QOTW: Nick and Amy in Gone Girl. Such terrible people, but I loved that book. They got exactly what they deserved... each other.
Mod
Uh-oh. I just borrowed this audiobook, I'll be listening to it on my drive. Well, my expectations are now set to: Low!
Sometimes it's good for the audiobook to be meh. That way I don't get upset when my kids try to talk to me while I'm listening to it (the nerve of them, right!!?)
Also: maybe I should reconsider reading Out! I'll keep it on my tbr, but if I have the same reaction, I'll dnf w/o guilt
I didn't do much reading this week. I decided to take a short break from books this week to do an extended movie marathon. I watched a mix of new and older movies I'd never seen before. I enjoyed catching up to what everyone else has seen. I'll get back into the swing of reading this week.Reading
Goldilocks by Laura Lam
The Fifth Season by NK Jemesin
QOTW
I can't think of any off the top of my head. I'm definitely someone who enjoys loving heroes and anti-heroes. There are plenty of characters I hate, but I'm not sure I love to hate them.
Laura wrote: "We're going to be heading out for "vacation" too. For a socially distanced family gathering... No, it'll be a lot of fun. We're celebrating everyone's birthday, and we'll play plenty of distance fr..."Oh my god, Nick and Amy. YES.
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Wow, July is almost over! I feel like it just st..."
Ah. Sorry this didn't work for you. :(
Since I've yet to read any further in the MRK Lady Astronaut series, I don't know how that plot point is tied up, if it is ever... But I bet poshpenny knows! :) If I find it and no one else tells you, I'll message you! :)
The weather has turned lovely and sunny again, which is good because I doubt we're going on holiday this year. It's just too much of a risk to get stuck in lockdown in another country and apparently holiday cottages are completely booked up in the UK. We'd like to go camping for a weekend if we can find somewhere quiet though. I'm just chipping away at my holiday entitlement with Friday afternoons off when it's nice, then I sit outside in the sun with a cold drink and pretend I'm by a pool!This week I got caught up on Popsugar and I'm back on track (need to work harder at ATY). I finished:
A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor for a character in their 20s. Loved this sequel and its message about big tech companies / surveillance capitalism.
The Kept Woman for ATY (mystery). It's been ages since I picked up a Karin Slaughter book but I had this one lurking in the depths of my Kindle. I ended up loving revisiting the characters so I went on to read...
The Last Widow for a book set in a city that had hosted the Olympics. Didn't enjoy this one quite so much, the pacing was off, but you could completely use this for medical thriller if you're struggling with that one. This now means I can use her new book for ATY's 20th book prompt. I thought it was the 20th book in the Grant County/Will Trent series but it's just her 20th novel so I can't use it for the 20 book series PS prompt.
The Body: A Guide for Occupants for ATY (prompt that didn't make it - heart on cover). At last! I have had this audiobook in progress for months but finally made some time for listening. A lot I already knew, but still learned plenty of interesting medical/biology facts. Good intro to biology.
My dog is now getting a second walk so I can fit in 40 minutes of audio a day!
PS: 29/50 | ATY: 27/52 | GR: 62/100
QOTW:
I am not the biggest fan of books where the main character is completely unlikable. I guess I love to hate minor characters sometimes, but I don't enjoy being in the head of someone horrible for a whole novel. This is probably why Gone Girl has never appealed to me (I watched the film, it was enough putting up with them for 2 hours).
Mod
The Fountains of Silence - DNF. Very clunky and stiff writing compared to Ruta's other books."
Oh, my! I hope to get to this one in August or September. I am going to assume that I will enjoy it, but now I'm a bit wary! :)
Good Morning. I finished two books for the week. One for the challenge. 1. Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly by Anthony Bourdain. This book was calling my name last weekend for some reason so I read it. I couldn’t use it for any challenge. I like it. I knew nothing about Anthony Bourdain. The insights were great.
2. Silver Lies (Silver Rush #1) by Ann Parker. A new to me mystery series. I used it for # 25 a book with “Gold”, “Silver”, or “Bronze” in the title. I really struggled finding a book for this prompt. I’m glad I liked the book & it was on Hoopla.
QOTW: Characters you love to hate in novels. I ended up not liking any of the characters in Fleishman Is In Trouble by Taffy Brodesser-Akner. This isn’t exactly what the question is asking but this is the first book I came up with.
Currently reading Fun Home:A Family Tragicomic by Alison Bechdel. This is my last book for the challenge.
Mod
Ooohhh...I loved her memoir/self-development book Lead from the Outside: How to Build Your Future and Make Real Change. I definitely plan to read this newest release. Although she doesn't technically have "international" experience, I really think she would be a good VP with Biden. I sincerely believe she could lead this country, if necessary. She is unbelievably driven and has done wonders for voting rights in the wake of her political loss. She knows how to raise money, too. I just have so much respect for her...
Only 2 books and neither fit a prompt:Opposite of Always by Justin A. Reynolds. YA with a Groundhog’s Day twist. Really enjoyable. Also if you are looking to diversify your reading, this book is written by a black author with black main characters.
The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren. Enemies to lovers romance. Really enjoyable read. This would work for the bird on the cover prompt.
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This made me laugh out loud! I bet your canine is thrilled with getting out and about and you are happy to have the listening time! :)
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Whoo! Whoo! Almost done! Good for you! :)
Nadine wrote: "The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal - I just did not like this book; I didn't like or care about any of the characters, and the plot - which should have been fascinating - bored me. I know Kowal did a lot of research for her books, but the science details weren't always correct. I probably won't continue with this series :-( This book was my "book that won an award in 2019." Yes!! I'm reading this right now and having a rough time getting through it. I'm loving the message, but yes the plot and characters are not grabbing me at all. I also probably won't continue.
I missed a week update, so I have two weeks' worth of books to list!Finished reading:
Valiant (no prompt): I enjoyed this more than Tithe.
The Underground Railroad (no prompt): This was an excellent story, tough at times but a must read.
Grasshopper Jungle (no prompt): I first read this in 2014, and didn't enjoy the re-read as much as I remembered enjoying this the first time.
Heartstopper: Volume Three (no prompt): Read this on my birthday and it was a great, cosy read!
Currently reading:
How to Be a Woman (no prompt): Another re-read, enjoying it but having to skip certain chapters...
QOTW: No characters immediately come to mind as ones I love to hate, but I'll think on this!
Lynn wrote: "This made me laugh out loud! I bet your canine is thrilled with getting out and about and you are happy to have the listening time! :)..."She is! She usually wants to play when I finish work for the day, so this way she gets attention and I get extra exercise and audiobook time. Win win.
Hello friends!I had a pretty good reading week overall. I've started to read more novellas and graphic novels and I think this has helped bring me fully out of the slump I was in towards the beginning of this year. I'm feeling back to my old self when it comes to reading which is really helpful given how much time at home I spend because of the quarantine.
So to start the week, I finished Rosalind Franklin: The Dark Lady of DNA for A book about or by a woman in STEM. When I first heard of that prompt, I knew that this would be the book I was going to read for it. My husband had mentioned it to me ages ago so it's been lightly on my TBR list for more than a year. I ran out of things to read last week and when I noticed this was available on Overdrive I snagged it. The funny thing is, by pure chance I started to read it about 3 days before the 100th anniversary of her birth. I didn't realize this till her birthday (the 25th) when she suddenly became a popular topic on my twitter feed.
I also read They Called Us Enemy by George Takei. I think the internment of Japanese Americans in the US is such a glossed over part of US history. Takei's recollection of this time, I thought, was really well done. He's honestly far more forgiving that I would be.
Then I read Conventionally Yours, I believe I got the idea of reading this from someone here, checking in last week. This was cute. I enjoyed the convention aspect and the Odyssey card game plot points but was less a fan of the road trip portion. I'm a bit biased though as 'journey' based plots are one of my least favorite. Still, it was pretty cute and wasn't a hard read. I used this for the prompt with a character in their Twenties.
I followed that with Upright Women Wanted for my Western. I was struggling to find a western that interested me and I was really glad to have found this one. It's a novella so took no time at all to get through. I find renegade lesbian librarians far more interesting subject than your usual western topics.
And then finally, on a whim I checked out The Girl from the Other Side: Siúil, A Rún, Volume 1 and Volume 2. I kind of messed up, however, as I didn't check and they only have the first two volumes on Overdrive so it will probably be a while before I continue this one (if I ever do). Still, I enjoyed the artwork and was just getting into the plot. My only critique of this one was that sometimes the drawing style would make it hard to tell what was going on in some panels. Also, it's a manga so reads from right to left and man did that throw my Kindle for a loop when I opened it up.
Currently Reading: 1Q84. I chose this one somewhat by random and was going to use it for the book set in Japan prompt but while I knew that it was a big book (having picked it up in the library sometime last year) I didn't remember that it was 900+ pages long. I swear I remember it being closer to 500 max. Not sure I'm willing to devote myself to 900 pages on a plotline that only moderately interests me for a prompt I'm pretty sure I could find a more interesting book for.
QOTW: I actually really liked hating Dolores Umbridge from HP. I thought she was a really fun villian to hate.
We haven't gone anywhere at all this year thanks to the virus. I clean for my elderly grandma and just don't want to risk it. I go to church with a mask and stay far away from people. And that's it. We get contactless groceries and that's been nice. Still, I hate not being able to take my toddler anywhere fun. We had so many summer plans that could not happen. Still, if it saves a life, it's worth it. And I have been greatly enjoying the slower pace of life. My mood has been greatly improved despite everything! But I'm ready for fall. I'm a pumpkin spice addict, and I need a fix.Finished 25/50
YAY!! HALFWAY!! Only a month behind. Ugh! I need to catch up here!
The Wired Soul: Finding Spiritual Balance in a Hyperconnected Age for "a book about or involving social media". I enjoyed the psychology of this book and learning how technology and social media is rewiring our brains. That was cool (and also a little alarming). I enjoyed how practical the book was too. I can appreciate the contemplative side of Protestantism (I used to lean there back in my evangelical days). But I did want more from it. It basically reinforced the good science behind the spiritual practices that Orthodoxy already incorporates. XD Still, a good read.
On Living Simply: The Golden Voice of John Chrysostom for "book featuring one of the seven deadly sins". This was PHENOMENAL. It's just short, daily snippets from the sermons of St. John Chrysostom (nicknamed "golden tongued" and wow is that earned) against greed and selfishness. Despite having written these sermons over 1500 years ago, it is SO modern and cutting edge. You could start a revolution with this. I would LOVE to see someone preach these things at a church. See how that goes in our capitalistic society. Go on. I dare you. XD Seriously, so so so good.
Currently Reading
The Calculating Stars for "book that won an award in 2019 [Hugo]." I'm going to do my best to finish this today. Just over 100 pages left! I need to pick up my reading pace here.
The Wilderness Journal: 365 Days with the Philokalia for "book who's title caught your attention". This is the book that never ends.... XD
QotW
Yes! It's rare, but a good villain that makes your blood boil is just gold. Joffrey from A Game of Thrones, Prof. Umbridge from Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and the Whitecloaks in The Wheel of time series by Robert Jordan are the literary characters who come to mind that I just loathe because they're written so realistically evil. However, my first thought in response to this question was from a tv series. Bester in Babylon 5 is so absolutely wonderfully awful. He's played by Walter Koenig (yes, that one) and he is so good in that role that I can't even look at a picture of him without shuddering in horror. Forget Star Trek, if you want to see what Walter Koenig is really capable of, pick up B5 and be prepared to hate and fear his character for the rest of your life. Hands down one of the best villains I've ever seen.
I have missed the last few updates because I can't think of any good answers to the question of the week. This week is going to be no exception.Finished:
The Outsider for book with an upside down image on the cover. I didn't like this book as much as other people seem to, but at least now I can watch the HBO series and shake my head at everything that was changed.
Currently reading:
The Grapes of Wrath
The Count of Monte Cristo
One Plus One
QOTW:
I couldn't think of an answer and am very unoriginal, so I will also say Nick and Amy.
Hi everyone, This week I finished:
To Be Taught, If Fortunate - I liked this, enjoy her writing in general and it was an interesting way to consider a space program.
Randomize - short story, part of the Forward collection on prime reads. It was interesting, nothing super memorable though.
Two Years Eight Months and Twenty-Eight Nights- finally finished this, was kind of meh for me. The premise was a lot of fun, but it just felt very dry and flat. Counted for my book with twenty in the title.
Exit West - book by or about a refugee for read harder. This was another interesting concept, sort of a magical realism refugee store. Didn't quite gel for me though. I think it was a little too in between genres. Most the places named were real world places, but it felt very weird that the country the two protagonists were from were never mentioned, their language was never mentioned, just that "they spoke the language of their home land" or such, prayers were mentioned but never religion. I think that'd bother me less if everything was undefined, all the countries and languages and names were left described but unnamed. But to have English and London and Pal Alto etc mentioned, just made it feel very weird and conspicuous that theirs was not. Maybe that was part of the point? but it just felt weird for me.
Currently reading:
How to Be an Antiracist - slow going on this one, had to turn my wifi off so I can keep it past the expiration. I think maybe I should have done audio. Doing nonfiction is often like being back in school doing textbook reading. Even if I am interested/need to read it, it just is slow going because I keep getting distracted without a narrative to hook my attention. I'll get through it, just takes me way longer than usual. That's not a criticism on the book itself, it's just how my brain works. I did his Stamped from the Beginning on audio book, and it was easier to just listen and do cross stitch while still absorbing the info.
The Fifth Season - doing the audio book for now, waiting for my physical copy to get mailed to me still. Running a goodreads book club on int and i want to get it re-read so I can get some discussion questions going. Still great, a second time through
I'm at 49/50 for the challenge, just waiting for one of the three women-in-stem books I have on hold to finally come in haha.
QOTW:
I don't know if it's a "love to hate" thing so much as I like reading messy characters sometimes. People that in real life i'd probably find terrible, but the way they are written I like them and follow their story. I really love Gillian Flynn for that, also the Holly Black fairy books with Jude.
Happy Thursday! I can't believe tomorrow is the last day of July. I'm trying to finish two more books before the month ends. Finished:
Cilka's Journey - I got this book as an ARC and for some reason put off reading it. I enjoyed The Tattooist of Auschwitz and liked this one as well. I think I preferred Tattooist, but really did like learning about Cilka's life. 4 stars
All the Stars and Teeth - this is not my typical genre, and I wasn't sure how I'd feel about it but I ended up loving it. What's not to love - princesses, pirates, and mermaids! 5 stars
The Beauty in Breaking: A Memoir - I really hate saying anything bad about a memoir, but I did not enjoy this book. It was so disjointed and boring to me. 2 stars
The Proposal - I just finished this one. I'm trying to get caught up on previous BOTM books that I bought, but haven't read yet. This was okay. Not my favorite, but still enjoyable. I used this for prompt #14 - a book by an author with flora or fauna in their name 3 stars
Challenge Progress:
Regular Challenge - 28/40
Advanced Challenge - 8/10
Total - 36/50
Currently Reading:
The Wife Who Knew Too Much - I'm about halfway done with this, but I hope to finish it by tomorrow.
I'll be starting If I Was Your Girl this afternoon and The Boy in the Red Dress tonight most likely.
QOTW - Are there characters in novels that you "loved to hate" where they were enjoyably terrible?
None are coming to mind, but I'm sure there are some. If I think of any I'll update my post.
It seems to be vacation weekend! I'm going to visit my parents this weekend (they're very graciously going to drive up to get me so I don't have to take public transport). Looking forward to it!Finished reading: (25/50)
The Light Brigade (same title as a TV show, three-word title, passes Bechdel test) - More mindbending sci-fi from Kameron Hurley. This one's military sci-fi (but with a very clear anti-military bent) and I liked it a lot.
Currently reading:
The House of Shattered Wings (set in an Olympic city (Paris)) - Post-urban fantasy (is that a thing?) set in a ruined Paris that was devastated in a magical war. Lots of fallen angels. Very cool and atmospheric so far.
QotW: This is a tough one. I like a lot of villains/antiheroes, but that's genuine, straightforward like. (e.g., Holland from A Darker Shade of Magic, Marcella from Vengeful, Lada from And I Darken, Harrow from Gideon the Ninth) There's a certain kind of morally bankrupt character that just appeals to me, you know?
As for characters I dislike, I'm more likely to "love to hate" them when it's a group read and we can all mock/insult the terrible character(s) together. (see: basically everyone in Umineko 8) If I were reading by myself, it would probably just be hate.
Mod
SAME!!! I can't believe I didn't think of them!! They were both so awful and I loved it! That's one of my favorite books.
Happy Thursday, y’all.Still taking care of my mom until her broken wrist heals. This week has been a roller coaster for both of us -- she had a bad reaction to her pain medication, our stove quit working on us, and the heat has been killer. But we're plugging away and trying to survive... And thank goodness for books to help us keep our sanity.
Books read this week:
Alexandria -- Post-apocalyptic novel. Fairly generic and there were times I wanted to quote Inigo Montoya (“You keep using that word, I do not think it means what you think it means”), but it was still pretty readable and entertaining.
Record of a Spaceborn Few -- Last book (until next year!) of the Wayfarers series. I’m in love with this series, and while I kinda wish we could revisit characters from previous books, I’m loving the characters we do get to meet in each volume.
YOU CAN'T FLY WITH THAT!: CONFESSIONS OF A DISGRUNTLING AIRPORT SECURITY OFFICER -- A TSA agent talking about the craziness he has to put up with on his job. Had its funny moments but the author kept going off on random tangents that had nothing to do with his job. Also, given some of the stuff he claims to have done on the job, why hasn’t he been fired yet?
The Hidden Witch -- Graphic novel, and sequel to The Witch Boy. While the first book was an obvious (but well-done) allegory for gender and personal identity, the second book is a more straightforward magical-adventure story, albeit with a wonderfully diverse cast. Just as good as the first.
DNF:
The Only Good Indians -- The writing style just wasn’t doing it for me.
Currently Reading:
Four Past Midnight
The Armageddon Rag
Chez Stinky
QOTW:
Oh man, Dolores Umbridge! I think I hated her worse than Voldemort, and was upset that she never got a proper comeuppance in the series proper.
Also, Kylara and Lord Meron from the Dragonriders of Pern books. Boy, I hated them both, though that didn't stop what ultimately happened to Kylara from being horrifying...
Mod
Ooohhh...I loved her memoir/self-development book Lead from the Outside: How to Build Your Future and Make R..."</i>
Have you read any of her romance novels as [author:Selina Montgomery? I'm so curious ...
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She is! She usually wants to play when I fin..."
My dogs are now telling me that I should do this too!
Starting to get a little stir crazy here in NYC -- the heat has me even more huddling inside my apartment than just the pandemic. Walks in the heat and humidity are miserable, Central Park is buggy, and I just don't do well in heat. Hate it! Plus too many people out and about improperly or just not wearing masks - yes even here in NYC where the numbers are staying low. I did manage last Friday to spend time in another part of town as I picked up a book I ordered at a local indie bookstore, stopped in the chocolate shop next door, then the housewares store - all of which was so exciting because first stores other than grocery or drugstore I've been in since March! I then took the bus down to see if my favorite nail salon had reopened - alas it has closed permanently - put out of business by COVID. *sniff* I consoled myself by dining al fresco across the street at Rue 57, a French Bistro in Manhattan. Had steak frites au poivre and a glass of Malbec wine. Sublime! I did not care that it was hot and humid - I was eating out!
As for reading - I finished a cozy mystery this week - Frankly My Dear, I'm Dead - very funny and fit the prompt blindly pulled from shelf. Involves a literary travel agency in Atlanta and a Gone with the Wind tour. Will be reading more by this author for sure.
QOTW: I know there have to have been many but pulling a total blank. If I think of any, I'll post again.
Mod
I didn't love Exit West either, I never really connected with the characters. I wonder if what you say is part of why I didn't like it, and I didn't realize! Because I felt that way about Those Who Knew - I was so frustrated trying to figure out what country they might be from and was this an analogy for something else or an allusion to something that I was just missing??? I was distracted by all those questions and never able to sink into the story.
Gah! I had another exhausting morning testifying in court. I'm fully supportive of wearing masks when appropriate, but let me just say, it sucks even more on the witness stand. This week I finished:
Three Last First Dates: This book was awful, but fulfilled an old prompt.
Ryker: I am a sucker for biker romances, and I've been in the mood to read some "trash".
Currently reading:
Sexy Filthy Boss: In keeping with my need for "trashy" books, I chose this one. It's longer than I usually go for for a romance book, but one of my other favorite romance authors recommended it, so I gave it a shot and I was glad I did. It is kinda raunchy at times, but also has funny moments and some deeper messages about women in the workplace that I'm enjoying.
QOTW: Are there characters in novels that you "loved to hate" where they were enjoyably terrible?
I am a huge Harry Potter fan, and also a self-described Slytherin (literally wearing the socks right now for good luck in court), so yes. Bellatrix Lestrange is probably the most obvious one.
Mod
Which three books are you considering? I'm still not sure what I'm going to read for that. Topping my short list is The Madame Curie Complex: The Hidden History of Women in Science, but Brittany's positive review of Rosalind Franklin: The Dark Lady of DNA has pushed that higher up on my list, and there are a few other books I'm considering.
Yesterday was my first back at work after being sick. I think one of the managers they sent to "help" is going to be our new SM. Trouble is, we have history and I literally cannot work for them. They've not allowed me to do my job since they got there and I'm certain they will once again try to change my roll in the place and make me a peon when I've been carrying that place for years and fuck that.I got so many books finished last week, but as soon as I called to check when I came back and what my schedule would be, I've had a feeling I'm getting screwed with, and haven't done much reading. I mostly just want to throw up all the time now. I'm so miserable.
Finished
On a Sunbeam - Do men not exist in this?
Beware the Kitten Holy - Lumberjanes Vol 1 - Yeah, I've only read graphic novels
DNF
Black Sun Rising: A Novel - I was already considering DNFing this and there is so way I'm touching a book I'm not feeling while feeling so bad.
Currently Reading
And by currently I mean things I had been reading but now are just looking at from afar
Nothing to See Here - Actually listened a bit last night
Phoenix Extravagant
The Periodic Table
Forward: Stories of Tomorrow
Money for Nothing
Vicious
QOTW
I don't love to hate. I hate hating. Hence the miserableness. I sometimes really enjoy a villain who is deliciously evil, but that's not the same.
Hi everyone. This week has been mentally and physically exhausting! I can't wait for my day off on Sunday. I think I'm going to sit on my butt and watch The Umbrella Academy all day.This week I finished 3 books! My lockdown slump has been lifted now I have to go back to work.
First up was Artificial Condition. I like Murderbot but I wasn't super into the plot of this one. I'll still read the next one though.
I also finished The Kingdom. This book was me all over. The Kingdom is an obvious homage to Disney parks and I couldn't help picturing the different locations as parts of Walt Disney World. Also, I may have cried in the middle of this book (view spoiler), just maybe :D The ending was pretty obvious from early on but I have a lot of questions and need a follow up book if the author would be so kind as to get writing one!
Finally I finished The Lady's Guide to Petticoats and Piracy. I loooooooooooooooooved The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue last year but I don't think Felicity was as strong a character as her brother. Monty outshone her in all of his scenes and I felt his absence in the chapters without him. Still, there's pirates and science and adventure and a great, big dog so it was a lot of fun
Currently reading: Annihilation. I just started it today and already someone has mysteriously disappeared. I'm intrigued.
QOTW: Scarlett O'Hara jumps to mind. She's awful but compelling to read about.
Sherlock Holmes is another who would be terrible to know IRL but great for fiction
Oh, I thought of another one. Inspector Javert. Fascinating to read about but would be awful in the real world *starts singing entire Les Mis soundtrack*
Nadine wrote: "Sheri wrote: "... Exit West - book by or about a refugee for read harder. This was another interesting concept, sort of a magical realism refugee store. Didn't quite gel for me though. I think it w..."I assigned them to Syria until it stated otherwise, which it didn't. I liked that it was ambiguous because that has happened in so many places. Someone from anywhere with a similar experience can just picture their own homeland and it can be cannon for them. Also, to the predominately white people in the new cities, it doesn't matter where they were from, they were not from here. They were from some random other place that Brits/Americans probably couldn't spell or point out on a map and you know, might not even have ever heard of and certainly don't care about.
I am nearly done with two books, so I will post an update when they are done.QotW:
Mine are pretty much well-written Star Wars villains. Ysanne Isard from Michael Stackpole's X-Wing books, Darth Sidious from Karen Miller and E.K. Johnston (The Clone Wars: Gambit duology and Queen's Peril, respectively), and Prince Xizor from Steve Perry's Shadows of the Empire were my first thoughts.
I am in total agreement that Bester from Babylon 5 is a great villain. The books are hard to find, but the Psi Corps trilogy by Greg Keyes is worth reading for more Bester.
Nadine wrote: "I know Kowal did a lot of research for her books, but the science details weren't always correct. Weird, since at least two astronauts and a rocket scientist check her work and/or fill in the jargon/calculations to be as accurate as possible. I know she has help from other scientists/NASA people/others but I can't remember which kind at the moment.
if someone could just DM me that spoiler, I'd love it! I tried googling and couldn't find it.)"
On it
Mod
Weird, since at least two astronauts and a rocket scientist check her work and/or..."
Thanks.
She had lots of consultants! And she got RIGHT back to me when I emailed her. I guess it's not correct to say that the "science" was inaccurate - the science was right, it's the numbers that were wrong. Because I guess Kowal herself must not have a sciencey background, so she missed a few things (such as: water above 212 F is steam). It's stuff that only someone with my background would notice.
It’s definitely not my week. My back is aching because my remote workplace (aka the kitchen table) is not suited for working. We discovered grubs in our lawn this weekend, aargh! Magpies love them and are destroying our lawn. So now we have to buy nematodes and hope they are killing the grubs and saving our lawn (or what’s left of it). To top it off: I slipped in the bathroom this morning banging my head against the wall. A big round egg at the back of my head is remembering me all day of my pirouette as well as painful muscles in my neck and shoulder. So no, not my week. Finished
Heimweeland - Original title: Was uns erinnern lässt (German). Nice story with two story lines. One in the past about the Dressler family living in hotel Waldeshöh in the ‘Sperrzone’, the small area along the border between East and West Germany. And one in the present about a woman searching for ‘Lost Places’ stumbling on the cellar of hotel Waldeshöh of the Dressler family. Nice read.
Prompt: a book with a bird on the cover
Currently reading
Wees onzichtbaar
Qotw
Are there characters in novels that you "loved to hate" where they were enjoyably terrible?
Of course there is Mr Darcy’s terrible behaviour. And Scarlett O’Hara, as Sarah mentioned. Can’t think of others at the moment.
Hi everyone! My reading has suffered this week, probably because I got back into playing Breath of the Wild and it's eating my life in the best way.Finished
Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage by Haruki Murakami for a book set in Japan. This was my first Murakami, and I sort of loved it. I say sort of because there was a certain plot element that felt ick to me, but overall it was a fascinating and weird story and I enjoyed it immensely.
Currently Reading
My Calamity Jane, the third of the Lady Janies books. It's...eh. I loved My Lady Jane, I thought My Plain Jane was okay, and this, too, is okay. It's hard to follow the success of a beloved comedy, I guess. I can't even say what these last two are missing that the first one had, but...it's something. Anyway, this is my replacement western, since the last one was a DNF.
The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs: A New History of a Lost World by Steve Brusatte. I love dinosaurs and this is just a joyous book for me. It reminds me of being a little 90s kid, hanging out at the museum every weekend and buying those plastic dinosaurs in a can.
Amy from Gone Girl. I love her. It might not even be love to hate honestly, I think I just love her. Miss Havisham from Great Expectations. A lot of TV/movie characters are coming to mind, such as Walter White and Hannibal Lecter (Silence of the Lambs is a book, too, of course, but I know him from the movie). I sort of love that moment when you start rooting for a terrible person, and then you're like, "Wait, this guy's a monster." Like when I start clapping for Lecter's "I'm having an old friend for dinner" line. Gets me every time.
HI all!Glad to hear that some of you are beginning to get out and about. Here I'm basically home except to visit the grandchildren. I am considering a trip to the States for a wedding, but everything is still up in the air. Travel insurance is now worse than the tickets...
Last week I forgot to check in, but I'd only finished one book:
When the Future Comes Too Soon which I enjoyed, but not as much as the first in the series. Maybe because since reading A Gentleman in Moscow nothing seems to be a five anymore... Using this book for a book that fits a prompt from a previous challenge.
This weeks reads:
Golden Poppies I'm not sure if I'm going to use this for the challenge, because I've filled most of the prompts that this would fit. This is the third in a series, but could be read as a stand alone. Includes "Gold" in the title, has details about many things I didn't know about before, etc. The book was okay, but I enjoyed the first two more.
The Tattooist of AuschwitzThis won a prize last year, and is also a book that I meant to read last year. This was a relatively quick read discussing yet another aspect of the Holocaust experience. As a child of survivors, I have always read a lot about the Holocaust from a pretty young age. And yet there was something about the story that left me a bit disappointed. The book felt somewhat sterile? glib? I'm not quite sure, but it was a read with no real emotional attachment for me, something pretty rare for this kind of book.
and last of all:
Your Perfect Year, which I chose mostly because of the title (and because it's an audible, and I always need at least one book to listen to while I work in the kitchen or drive...). This was so-so, I'm not sure if it was because I couldn't really connect with the main characters (I enjoyed the minor characters much more!) or because I was annoyed by the male narrator...
I guess that brings me to the QOTW.
Sometimes, if I hate the character, it contributes to my feeling about the book (brings to mind a Phillipa Gregory book about Margaret Beaufort), but the question is, do I hate the book because of the character, or because of the author's depiction of the character? Because there are books that I've enjoyed despite the fact that the main characters are not at all likeable. I'll go with Gone Girl, which several people mentioned, as one example.
Currently reading:
Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee: An Indian History of the American West This is my pick for Western. I've been reading this for a while: It's very interesting but a really shocking eye-opener for me. A very hard read, so I'm reading it in small doses.
Nadine, I have Lab Girl (friend recently read it, really recommended it), Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs? Big Questions from Tiny Mortals About Death because I like Caitlin Doughty, and The Boyfriend Project which is a romance novel but the main character is an app designer. I added the last one to the list because I was having a kind of depressingly hard time finding any books about women of color in stem that weren't children's picture books that were available from the library. Maybe now that it's kind of open I could find some in the physical collection , but i figure I already have three books on hold. So at least for challenge purposes I'll stick with one of them.
Finished:-All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
-Speaking of Summer by Kalisha Buckhanon
Currently reading:
-China Rich Girlfriend by Kevin Kwan
Sheri wrote: "Nadine, I have Lab Girl (friend recently read it, really recommended it), Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs? Big Questions from Tiny Mortals About Death because I like C..."
I love Caitlin Doughty! Her YouTube channel is one of my favorites!
Mod
I have Lab Girl (friend recently read it, really recommended it), Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs? Big Questions from Tiny Mortals About Death because I like C..."
Thanks!! Yes, Lab Girl really is the perfect book for this category, but I read it already haha.
I had been looking at The Boyfriend Project for the "social media" category, but filled that with another book. I'll still read it ... eventually!
Nadine, I'll probably end up reading The Boyfriend Project because i'm #1 on the list vs #17 and #15 haha. But I'll read the other two eventually once they come up anyhow. Unless the system does the usual weird thing of "looks like you have weeks to wait, just kidding you got it now".
Actually Nadine, are you in the likes Seanan McGuire or dislikes camp? If you want a fictional book, I really loved Into the Drowning Deep. A good number of the scientists in the book are women. Also Annihilation, the main narrator is a woman biologist and the other teammates are all women scientists as well.
Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge
Books mentioned in this topic
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Roomies (other topics)
Honor Girl: A Graphic Memoir (other topics)
ᑭᓯᒥ ᑕᐃᒪᐃᑉᐸᒃᑐᑦ ᐊᖏᕐᕋᕆᔭᕋᓂ / Kisimi Taimaippaktut Angirrarijarani / Only in My Hometown (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Riley Sager (other topics)Maggie Thrash (other topics)
Khaled Hosseini (other topics)
David Heska Wanbli Weiden (other topics)
Liesl Shurtliff (other topics)
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Wow, July is almost over! I feel like it just started. The kids and I have been very socially distanced since March, but I am finally venturing forth for vacation! This weekend we are driving down to visit my mother, whom we have not seen since December. It's kind of weird to actually be planning to leave the house for more than a grocery run.
A new month brings a new group read. August's group read is: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society for "A book about a book club," and discussion leader will be Lynn.
Technically, August doesn't start until Saturday, but here's where the discussion will be:
August Group Discussion
Reminder that we have openings for group discussion leaders!!! Just send me or Sara a message if you would like to volunteer for October or November:
October - a book featuring one of the seven deadly sins; Daisy Jones & The Six
November - a woman in STEM; Where the Crawdads Sing
This week I finished three books, one for this Challenge, so I am now 40/50.
Once You Go This Far by Kristen Lepionka - this is the fourth book in her Roxane Weary mystery series, and it is excellent (and, bonus! the cover art actually makes sense with the plot. Past covers seemed like the publisher was intentionally sabotaging her books with ludicrously amateurish cover art.)
The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal - I just did not like this book; I didn't like or care about any of the characters, and the plot - which should have been fascinating - bored me. I know Kowal did a lot of research for her books, but the science details weren't always correct. I probably won't continue with this series :-( This book was my "book that won an award in 2019."
(I'm not reading the rest of the MRK books, and TCS does not ever tie up the plot thread about (view spoiler)[what was up with Parker's wife (hide spoiler)] so if someone could just DM me that spoiler, I'd love it! I tried googling and couldn't find it.)
When Stars Are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson & Omar Mohamed - a graphic novel memoir, which is a format I really enjoy, I've now read quite a few graphic novel memoirs! This one is aimed at the tween age group. Omar is a Somalian who literally spent his entire childhood in a refugee camp in Kenya before being brought to the USA (Arizona, to be specific).
Question of the Week
This week's question is from Lauren: Are there characters in novels that you "loved to hate" where they were enjoyably terrible?
Definitely! Sometimes, if I don't like a character, then I don't like the book. But sometimes when the author makes the character intentionally unlikeable, I love the book and hate the character. Two classic examples are, of course, Heathcliff & Catherine in Wuthering Heights, and Humbert Humbert in Lolita. A more modern example is the protagonist of Tampa.