Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge discussion

Happy Thursday!  Here we are in September, how did THAT happen?  

Today is technically the first day of school for my kids.  Our school district has a "hybrid" model, kids are broken into four groups by last name, and each group goes into the school once each week.  (Wednesdays are all-virtual days for everyone.)  My kids are Mondays, so today is ... weird?  Everyone got up bright and early, just like on a regular school day! Which meant all three of us tried to use the bathroom at the same time ...

How many of you use the Goodreads* app?  I use it on my iPhone, and it's not great, because it's lacking a lot of key functions (like the "add book" feature).  A week ago I heard they rolled out an update for the droid OS, and this week I see my app has been updated too.  Whatever they changed, it fixed that awful lag time it had been suffering from for months now, so that's good!  But ... still no "add book" feature.  I'm not a programmer, but ... it doesn't seem like it should be THAT difficult to include that feature in the app???  

* Can I point out here how WEIRD it is that the Goodreads spell-check underlined "Goodreads" as a misspelling???
    

  Admin stuff  

We have NEWS:    First, sadly, Sara has decided to step back from moderating.  I know I'll miss having her here with me every day, but I also know she'll still be around.    

Second, (and happily), as some have noticed,  LYNN has agreed to become a moderator for our group!  Lynn has been our superstar group reads moderator, she's stepped up to lead multiple discussions this year, and I know she'll be great as my fellow moderator :-)    

Everyone welcome Lynn to the hot seat beside me :-)
  
Lynn is also leading our September group read of Fahrenheit 451      


I had several days off this weekend, and I was motivated to finish a bunch of books, because they all had due dates coming up soon to be returned to the library.  I finished 4 books, including one for this Challenge, so I am now 45/50.  
  
The Quiche of Death by M.C. Beaton - I am not a "cozy mystery" reader, so I would never have read this book if not for the "pun in the title" prompt (for "kiss of death," of course).  It was good, and I always like to read something a bit different.    

Afterlife by Julia Alvarez - I was expecting this to be amazing and I felt really let-down by it, it's a rambling stream-of-consciousness slice-of-life tale centered on a recently-widowed woman.  I found it to be depressing and lacking focus.    This gets rave reviews from others, however.

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins - everyone knows all about this book, right?  It definitely got a big reaction from me, and I loved how the title made all kinds of sense (ballads and birds and snakes all feature prominently in the story), but I didn't exactly love the book.  I had a complicated reaction to it.

Her Big City Neighbor by Jackie Lau- I was in the mood for some fun, quick, escapist romance, and this did the trick. This is a contemporary romance set in Toronto, the heroine is a civil engineer in grad school and the hero is the owner of a (software development? -that was unclear) company. She's his new neighbor. Go.





Question of the Week

Mention two (similar) books: one you thought was excellent, one you thought was horrible.  Don’t tell us which is which. 


I saw this on another site recently (I think it was reddit) and there were some very clever answers, and in a lot of cases I loved a book someone hated and hated a book someone loved. I always find that so funny!

my pair:
The Kind Worth Killing and The Woman in the Window

I finished Queen Anne: The Politics of Passion as my book about a world leader. Interesting

Now I'm reading The Name of the Rose as my fave from a prior year: a book that takes place in Europe. I mostly like it. It gets dry in places.

QOTW: I'm not sure what counts as similar. So, I'm just going to go with retellings of legends, even though their different legends. Otherwise I'll be here all day trying to think:

The Crystal Cave and The White Raven

I have a four day weekend this weekend, and was considering going camping not too far away but now the inevitable back to work/school rise in cases has started. We'd probably be OK, but sudden new restrictions would be in the back of my mind. Plus the morning dog walk has been quite chilly! So I'm going to spend my extra days off reading.

Finished:
The Memory Police for a book set in Japan (it's not explicitly stated but there were a few Japanese words for disappeared things so I think it was safe to assume the island was in Japan). I liked this, it reminded me a bit of Fahrenheit 451 but a bit more odd. I would say maybe it's more magical realism than science fiction because you never know anything about why things are disappeared or how it happens.

The Adventures of Maud West, Lady Detective: Secrets and Lies in the Golden Age of Crime for a book with 20+ letters in the title and ATY (hidden gem). This was interesting, it's part the story of how this historian pieced together the life of a lady detective and also includes some of Maud's articles (how real those stories are is up for debate).

I'm currently reading (and loving) The Empire of Gold.

PS: 36/50 | ATY: 35/52 | GR: 76/100

QOTW:
I don't really persevere with books I hate but one of these was disappointing:
The Golem and the Djinni versus The World That We Knew

Hello! I have the Goodreads app but rarely use it, only if I'm in a bookstore and need a reminder on whether I've read a title or not. For the most part, I prefer to access the site on my computer because it's just much easier to navigate that way.

This week I read:
Beach Haven by T.I. Lowe - interesting characters dealing with questions of faith, and a slow build up to the romance

Rhode Island Disasters:: Tales of Tragedy by Air, Sea and Rail by Jim Ignasher - not a light read, but informative

Enchanted Vermont Nights by Roni Denholtz - fairly predictable romance, I thought it was just average

Firefight by Alex Wheeler - this was my least favorite in the Star Wars Rebel Force series, it seemed a bit disjointed compared to the earlier books

Flint by Louis L'Amour - Louis L'Amour was my grandpa's favorite writer, and I always meant to give him a try. Last year, we visited New Mexico for the first time, and afterwards I learned that Flint was set in and around El Malpais, so I chose it for my Western this year. It was fantastic! This would be my recommendation for a Western for people who enjoy traditional Westerns. If you hate Westerns, then this is definitely not the book for you.

QOTW:
I didn't care for one of these
The Catcher in the Rye and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

Tania wrote: "QOTW:
I didn't care for one of these
The Catcher in the Rye and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn..."

Me, too. I wonder if we're the same or opposites.

Tania wrote: "QOTW:
I didn't care for one of these
The Catcher in the Rye and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn..."



LOL and ... there's a pair I have strong feelings about, but my feelings tend to be the opposite of most people. (I did NOT like Huck Finn.)

Many thanks to Sara for her time as one of this group's moderators! And, welcome to Lynn in her new role! (And thanks to Nadine for continuing in this role! :))

I finished three books (used one for an open prompt) for this check-in period. I'm at 26/40 and 9/10 for this challenge, and am now at 94/100 for my overall Goodreads Reading Challenge total.

Finished:
* Jimmy's Blues and Other Poems by James Baldwin, which I'm using for another reading challenge I'm working on;
* Astrophysics for People in a Hurry by Neil deGrasse Tyson, which I used for "a book on a subject you know nothing about;" and,
* A Place for Us by Fatima Farheen Mirza, which was (supposed to be) the Sept. pick for one of my book clubs. We had to shuffle the meeting date around, so we'll likely just catch up this weekend and discuss the book next month.

Currently Reading:
* The Angel's Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafón, which I will probably use for "a book you meant to read in 2019."

QotW:
Mention two (similar) books: one you thought was excellent, one you thought was horrible. Don’t tell us which is which. My pairing is: Sweet Tooth by Ian McEwan and American Spy by Lauren Wilkinson.

I had dental surgery done last Thursday. It was awful, and I hope to never have to go through that experience again. But I did get in a lot of reading time while I recovered over the long weekend.

Sara, thank you for all the work you did moderating this group! Congratulations, Lynn!

Finished
The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie. I can see why the public loved Poirot from the beginning. I enjoyed this one a lot, and the twist was honestly a surprise. It shouldn’t have been, but I really didn’t see it coming.

Beatrice and Benedick by Marina Fiorato. This is very well-written, and I would definitely read more by this author. I don’t think it’s the best Shakespeare adaptation, though. The Shakespearean Easter eggs are fun to spot, but there aren’t enough Beatrice and Benedick scenes.

In Times Like These by Nathan Van Coops. There’s too much exposition in this book. I thought the whole thing was pretty boring. There are so many time travel rules and training scenes that I kept zoning out.

Reading
An Echo in the Bone by Diana Gabaldon

The Heartbeat of Wounded Knee: Native America from 1890 to the Present by David Treuer

QOTW
This is a fun question!

Letters from Skye and Last Christmas in Paris: A Novel of World War I

Congrats on your new role, Lynn! And thanks to Sara for your excellent moderating over the years. :)

This week I finished:

Conjure Women, which was kind of a mixed bag for me. I was very interested in some aspects of it, felt uneasy about others, and generally found my attention going in and out for the audio version. It might have been stronger in print. 3 stars

Fiebre Tropical was absolutely hilarious and wonderful in the first half. The second half felt much different, but had some interesting backstory. 4 stars overall

You Again was decent. I'm not sure I fully understand what it all meant by the end, but the story was entertaining. 3 stars

The Round House was a good story. A little different than I expected, but it worked. 4 stars

I'm currently listening to Deacon King Kong and reading Almost Anywhere: Road Trip Ruminations on Love, Nature, National Parks, and Nonsense in print.

QOTW: Hmm, I think for this question I'll just include the book that I hated the most of anything I read all the way through, and pair it with a book that's in the same genre, same general idea that I did enjoy.... Follow Your Conscience: Make a Difference in Your Life & in the Lives of Others and Designing Your Life: Build a Life that Works for You

Finished this week AFTERLIFE ( I actually really enjoyed it) and AFTERLAND. Weird coincidence in these two titles coming up on my library hold list!
QOTW: From Scratch: A Memoir of Love, Sicily and Finding Home; Auntie Poldi and the Sicilian Lions

Liz wrote: "Finished this week AFTERLIFE ( I actually really enjoyed it) and AFTERLAND. Weird coincidence in these two titles coming up on my library hold list!
QOTW: From Scratch: A Memoir of Love, Sicily an..."


LOL I've got Afterland slated to read soon, I'm on my library's hold list, and I thought of it after I finished Afterlife!!

Morning!

Finished:

Rodham for a fiction or nonfiction book about a world leader. I didn't love this one. I really liked the concept of the book (What if Hillary didn't marry Bill?) but there are just parts/aspects of the book that rubbed me the wrong way. I initially gave it three stars but the more I thought about it, I bumped it down to two stars.

Such a Fun Age for a book with a bird on the cover. I really loved this one. The story itself was/is interesting but it's the characters that really hit it out of the park. I also really loved the relationship between Emira and Briar. I highly recommend this book.

Currently Reading:

Pride and Prejudice for a book with a great first line. This is a re-read for me and I'm actually listening to the audiobook this time. I love this book and the story. I know there's a few versions of the audiobook and I'm really enjoying the narrator of mine.

The Space Between Worlds book written by an author in their 20s. There was a lot of world building at the start of this but I've gotten far enough in it, that it seems to have hit its stride. It probably wont be a five star book for me but I really am enjoying it.

Miracle Creek for a medical thriller. This is a bit of a stretch for this prompt (as of right not it's more of a courtroom drama) but I'm keeping it. I'm not super far into the book so I don't want to judge it yet but it just hasn't gripped me. I've heard so many good things about it, so I'm hoping that it will be a win for me.

QOTW:

I honestly don't have an answer for this one. I'm interested in seeing everyone else's answers though.

It’s 2020, snow in early September. Why not? The only Bright spot, the snow helped with the fires. I’m reading, but don’t seem to be filling prompts.

Finished:
The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt. I finally finished a book which filled a prompt. This book was too dark for me. Probably reading a depressing book at this time, isn’t a good idea. I disliked so many of the characters. I had the urge to DNF so many times. It is well written (if that makes sense).

DNFd
Red, White & Royal Blue. Just wasn’t for me. Tried too hard to tackle tough subjects in a cutesy way. Got to chapter 4 and gave up.

Currently reading:
The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness
A Man Called Ove
The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper

I’ll come back to the QOTW

School has started here too. It's occurred to me that I need to start researching pre-school options for my daughter for next year. Which has sent me into an anxiety trip because that's my baby and how do I pick a place that will be best for her and just let her go into the big mean world??? T.T I know, I know, she'll be fine but omg the thought is almost paralyzing (not to mention the practical questions of how to afford it).

ANYWAY. I finished nothing this week. The holiday weekend threw me off. But I'm very close to finishing one! I really want to complete this challenge, but it's gonna be tight.

Currently Reading

Gratitude in Life's Trenches: How to Experience the Good Life Even When Everything Is Going Wrong for "book with no graphics on the cover". This is great so far. I'm only 2 chapters away from completion, and I've learned so much about my mind and emotions and psychology, and it's been great.

Lonesome Dove for "Western". I'm starting to dream about cowboys now. And crave biscuits and bacon on the usual. This book is surprisingly good!

The Wilderness Journal: 365 Days with the Philokalia for "book whose title caught your attention". It's not catching my attention anymore... T.T....

QotW

Ooooo I like this one. Here goes:

The Great Gatsby and The Scarlett Letter

Tania wrote: "Hello! I have the Goodreads app but rarely use it, only if I'm in a bookstore and need a reminder on whether I've read a title or not. For the most part, I prefer to access the site on my computer ..."

Haven't read Catcher in the Rye but I found Huck Finn to be so dull. Definitely wasn't enjoyable to me.

Hello! I haven't checked in lately... I haven't made much progress on my challenges even though I've been reading a lot. Waiting for books from the library; waiting for Banned Books Week.

Challenge Progress: 49/50 (Summer Challenge 19/20)

Completed:
Blowout: Corrupted Democracy, Rogue State Russia, and the Richest, Most Destructive Industry on Earth ★★★★
Now I Rise (The Conqueror's Saga, #2) ★★★★
A Very Punchable Face: This is Colin Jost's memoir that was just published. If you like SNL (especially Weekend Update), you might really enjoy this one. ★★★★
No Judgments (Little Bridge Island, #1): Eh. Usually Meg Cabot is an enjoyable read, but there just wasn't anything special about this one, and I didn't really get the attraction between Bree and Drew. ★★★ (S15 A book that takes place in a beach town)
Sorry Not Sorry: Now this was a fun one. It wasn't your traditional rom-com... more a journey of self-discovery with a side of romance and a comic twist. ★★★★ (S2 A book with a summer drink or cocktail on the cover)
Before the Fall ★★★★

Currently Reading:
The Odds of Loving Grover Cleveland (S18 A book about camping or summer camp)
The House in the Cerulean Sea
Dark Towers: Deutsche Bank, Donald Trump, and an Epic Trail of Destruction
Soccer in Sun and Shadow (S16 A book with sun, sand, or waves in the title)
Yellow Bird: Oil, Murder, and a Woman's Search for Justice in Indian Country

QOTW: Similar books? One I hated and one I loved? Here we go: Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens and Once Upon a River by Bonnie Jo Campbell.

I tried using the Goodreads app on vacation a few years back, and quickly got frustrated with the lack of features, so I uninstalled it. If I want Goodreads on the go, I'll use the desktop site on my phone (which is kind of a pain but still the best option).

Also, I haven't finished anything new this week. Still at 31/50, probably going to do some double-dipping to finish by year's end. I was going to delay my check-in until I finished something, but the QotW is cool and I wanted to answer it.

QotW: A couple of duos for me:

Children of Blood and Bone and The Fifth Season

The Light Brigade and Starship Troopers

Alex wrote: "School has started here too. It's occurred to me that I need to start researching pre-school options for my daughter for next year. Which has sent me into an anxiety trip because that's my baby and..."

I liked both of those books but...

Tania wrote: "Hello! I have the Goodreads app but rarely use it, only if I'm in a bookstore and need a reminder on whether I've read a title or not. For the most part, I prefer to access the site on my computer ..."

I hated both of those two!

Happy Thursday, y’all.

I don't use the app. I tend to be a website-only gal when it comes to most sites that also have apps. Just me, though.

Books read this week:

Your Favorite Band Cannot Save You -- Not quite sure what I just read, but it had potential. Part of me wishes it had been longer, though -- the problem with novellas is that they always leave me craving more.

Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim -- Essay collection by David Sedaris. For whatever reason I didn’t enjoy this one as much as Me Talk Pretty One Day, though it did have its funny and thoughtful moments… as well as some weirdly creepy ones.

Travel Light -- I read this one mainly because it was referenced in one of my favorite books from last year, This Is How You Lose the Time War. It dragged some in the middle, but otherwise was a charming read.

Bigfoot Death Squad and Eight Other Stories -- Don’t be fooled by the quirky title, this is one grim read. Some fascinating concepts but a LOT of violence and nasty content as well.

Notes from a Small Island -- Funny, witty, and makes me REALLY want to visit Great Britain one of these days… once international travel’s allowed again...

Almost Silent -- Graphic Novel by an author/artist simply calling himself Jason. His work isn’t for all tastes, and despite featuring cartoon animals it’s not for kids, but he has an oddball, macabre sense of humor and a penchant for telling fantastic yet sad stories.

Currently Reading:

The Sea Beast Takes a Lover: Stories
Suicide Forest
The White Mountains

QOTW:

Ooooh, Death Battle Book Edition! This is fun. Get ready to rumble!

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams vs. Space Opera by Catherynne Valente

Strange the Dreamer vs. Daughter of Smoke & Bone, both by Laini Taylor

Battle Royale by Koushun Takami vs. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (I'm gonna get blasted for this one...)

Hi all. So can I just saw what an awful, stupid week this has been? The cat was sick, the kid was sick, now I'm sick. We all (well, not the cat, lucky bugger) had to get tested for Covid, we're all negative, thankfully, just stupid, gross colds. Then I got written up at work for stuff which I will admit, I could be better at. Starting next week I have to return to the office full time, even though I'm high risk..... grrr..... crank, crank, crank.

Suffice it to say, I didn't finish reading anything. I didn't really read much this past week. Though I am far enough into Serpent & Dove to say that I'm liking it. I love how much Lou is flustering her husband and the other witch hunters.

QOTW: Ooh, how interesting! I'll go with Juneteenth and Cry, the Beloved Country

Hello! Hope everyone is doing well! I had a 3-day weekend, and even though it's only my third day of work this week, I could already use another 3-day weekend! lol Since last Thursday, I read:

The Catcher in the Rye: I had already started it on the first, so I just finished the last third of it last Friday.

Number the Stars: As much as I love The Giver, I never got around to reading anything else by Lois Lowry. I devoured this in one day.

Deadly Stranger: A nostalgic read for me. It's such a smart little middle grade thriller and I still enjoy it after all these years.

I also started Ninth House FINALLY. I've heard so many mixed reviews, even from die-hard Bardugo fans, but I'm enjoying it so far. I'm taking my time with it so I probably won't finish for at least another week and a half.

I'm currently at 71/100 on my Goodreads goal and 37/50 for the Popsugar challenge.

QOTW:

How the García Girls Lost Their Accents andI Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter

Hi everyone. I'm day 8 into a 10 day stretch at work without a day off so I'm in a pretty much constant state of exhaustion right now. Roll on Sunday!

This week I finished Golden Son. I found it so hard to remember who everyone was from the first book with their long Roman names and different colours and titles but once things clicked back into place I enjoyed it. I'm intrigued as to where the series will go next.

Currently reading: The Princess Diarist I'm a huge Star Wars fan but only just getting around to reading this

QOTW: Wuthering Heights and Great Expectations

Ashley wrote: "Morning!

Miracle Creek for a medical thriller. This is a bit of a stretch for this prompt (as of right not it's more of a courtroom drama) but I'm keeping it."

I used it for that prompt, too. I really enjoyed the book, hope you do, too!

Kenya wrote: "Happy Thursday, y’all.

I don't use the app. I tend to be a website-only gal when it comes to most sites that also have apps. Just me, though.

Books read this week:

[book:Your Favorite Band Canno..."

Oooo I have a love and a hate with HHGTG and Space Opera too. I wonder if we're the same way round

Drakeryn! That first pair is perfect!! I think we agree completely! (Haven’t read the other two.)

Happy Thursday!
We decided to try and adopt a second dog as a companion/sibling to our current dog. Both are roughly same age and same size, but the energy levels are very opposite. Our resident dog is ADD/very excitable and totally motivated by food and already in a good routine. Foster dog is chill (like a cat) and couldn't care less about treats. Its been very interesting. We have a small apartment and now with 2 dogs its getting kind of crazy. Not sure if we have the bandwidth to keep the new foster, but we will see.

Finished:
The Power of the Dog by Thomas Savage. I get that this book was written in 1967, but was it good then? It won a few awards at the time but I just don't see they hype. I gave it 3 stars - the story was good and it was a fast read, I just didn't get it maybe?

Currently reading:
The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett. If I could lock myself away for a whole weekend I would do nothing but read this book. I'm only 100 pages into it but all I want to do is lock myself away and read this book.

QOTW:
I'm not sure these are considered "similar" but here is mine:
The Silent Wife and The Last Mrs. Parrish

Delia wrote: "QOTW:

How the García Girls Lost Their Accents andI Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter..."


Uh-oh. I haven't read Mexican Daughter yet, but it's checked out from my library right now and sitting by my bed, and ... I LOVED Garcia Girls.

Sarah wrote: "QOTW: Wuthering Heights and Great Expectations ..."


LOL if you loved Wuthering Heights, we are twins! (Else, we are evil opposite twins!)

Hello All,

I haven't had a chance to check in for a while. Life has been busy. We are way busier at work then we normally are at this time (not sure what is going on) and now we are gearing up for our normally busy time so no rest for the wicked.

I am mourning the beginning of the end of summer here as we have already had our first frost. But my garden has been fantastic this year. I love all the fresh vegetables.

I have read in the past weeks. The first four Murderbot books and really enjoyed them. I am glad for all the recommendations.

I have also been enjoying some audio books I re listened to the hunger games series.

I really am not currently reading a book right now but my daughter just finished reading. All the lies we tell, she really enjoyed it and I plan on reading it next.

QOTW

I really can't think of any at the moment. I may have to come back and edit with my answer.

Happy Reading everyone

Katelyn wrote: "Happy Thursday!
We decided to try and adopt a second dog as a companion/sibling to our current dog. Both are roughly same age and same size, but the energy levels are very opposite. Our resident do..."


My experience has been that two dogs is ALWAYS better than one dog, but in each case, we got the second dog as a puppy so the older dog raised her with us, and they were strongly bonded. And in each case, the first dog acted like we had RUINED their lives for the first few weeks. So, give it a few weeks. Good luck! I think maybe it's better for the original dog to be high energy than the opposite, because at least now the interloper is not annoying the first dog.

Happy Thursday, everyone, and congrats to Lynn and a big thankyou to Sara (or should that be a big thankyou to Lynn and a congrats to Sara... ;p) my cousin's getting married tomorrow, so it's going to be interesting to see how they handle it in light of covid.

Books I finished:

Emerald Blaze - I made myself do a reread of the series before I read the new one. I am glad, because it had been a while and I had forgotten a few things, so I was better immersed in the story. I loved it.

Third Grave Dead Ahead - It's not the best series, but it is different. And it is funny, but sometimes I wish she'd just get on with the story rather then find yet another way to fit in a one liner or over-the-top banter.

To Have and to Hoax - This book is basically the one Friends episode with the "But they don't know we know that they know that we know".... only set in Regency era London. And done as a second chance romance. I laughed a lot while reading this.

Books I made progress on:

The Sound of Music Story: How A Beguiling Young Novice, A Handsome Austrian Captain, and Ten Singing von Trapp Children Inspired the Most Beloved Film of All Time

QOTW

Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West and Spinning Silver

Hello! Thanks to everyone for the well wishes on my marriage. To celebrate married life, our fridge stopped working! We had a second fridge in the garage so we didn't lose much food. The new one we bought was supposed to be delivered yesterday, but wasn't with zero notification, and now they're saying we need to schedule our delivery. Husband ready to cancel everything and buy one from someone else. I also had to go back to work this week (at least I'm still at home), which was hard after a week off for my "honeymoon."

I use the Goodreads app on my phone (and occasionally on my Kindle) but usually just to read the forums or check on a book. I can't specify which edition I'm reading on the app, which annoys me, and it's usually difficult to get the dates to work right. If I make any updates on the app, I'll go to the desktop version within a few days to fix everything.

Congrats Lynn! I've only been in the group for a short time, but I already know you'll do a great job!

Read this week:
This Time Will Be Different Reading Women #24, ATY #33. This book tackles a lot of hard issues: Japanese internment, honoring people who were actually terrible, white people taking over a movement started by people of color, single parents, abortion, teenage sexuality, coming out, honoring your family's heritage vs capitalism, plus more I'm forgetting. But with all that, it told a story that I enjoyed and kept me reading.

Unscrewed: Women, Sex, Power, and How to Stop Letting the System Screw Us All I've had this checked out of the library since before the pandemic began (library is auto-extending due dates for physical materials, so nothing is due) and I have no memory of why I picked it up. So I used it for ATY #36, a book you don't recall putting on my TBR list. It's about sexuality, the policing of women's bodies and fauxpowerment. Since I don't remember why I got it, I was surprised at the subject, but gave me things to think about.

Artificial Condition I read the first Murderbot book earlier in the summer for the AI prompt, and immediately put the second on my hold list at the library. It was finally available, and read it immediately. I didn't love it as much as the first, but it was still fun. I bought the third on sale, and waiting on the fourth from the library.

Jane Eyre I thought I could use it for the great first line, but the first line wasn't that great. So it's just ATY #47, classic you always meant to read. I spent most of the book confused because I thought I knew what the last line of the book was (it was the first line of the last chapter), and things didn't go in directions that would fit having that as the ending. By around 60%, I was too confused to not finish, and it went quick after that.

Lock Every Door Read this for the medical thriller prompt, and disagree that it fits that. Will try to find something else for medical thriller.

The Brightest Fell My copy of the latest book in the October Daye series finally arrived on Tuesday, which meant I had to drop everything and read the previous books in the series to remember where we left our heroes.

RHC: 15/24 RW: 21/26 PS: 41/50 ATY: 44/50 GR: 112/100

Currently reading:
The Unkindest Tide and A Killing Frost I'll finish Unkindest Tide tonight and then start in on the new one.

I gave up on the Tale of Genji, because it's 1200 pages and I'm not in the right frame of mind for that right now. Got The Ten Loves of Mr. Nishino for the Set in Japan prompt instead. It's much shorter.

QOTW: I had to think about this one, but went with Confessions of a Shopaholic and Size 12 Is Not Fat.

It’s been a couple of weeks since I did a check in and I’ve only finished a couple of books. School started and we have kids f2f and some are virtual so that’s been fun getting everything set for everyone. And my elective went away after a week so I could teach half the 6th graders in English and I haven’t taught 6th graders in a decade. It’ll be an adventure.

I’m not a fan of the Goodreads app especially for looking at groups.

I have 5 or 6 prompts left but neither of these tick off one of those.

Within These Lines by Stephanie Morill. Historical YA fiction about a white girl and a Japanese boy who are in love and he gets sent away to a camp. Really enjoyable book.

Escaping from Houdini by Keri Maniscalco. Historical YA romance/mystery. I really enjoy this series

I DO use the goodreads app quite a lot, except for inputting my weekly comment. Though I do wish they had a better way to follow these threads.

Finished: Happier at Home: Kiss More, Jump More, Abandon a Project, Read Samuel Johnson, and My Other Experiments in the Practice of Everyday Life I liked this one well enough to finish it, but not much more than that. The author says herself that it's not really intended to be a self-help book, so if you read it more as a memoir, it might be more enjoyable. I just needed to read something that didn't matter.

When Stars Are Scattered This was a very good graphic novel about a refugee and his brother living in a refugee camp. It seemed like a very palatable way to introduce this topic to children.

Today I Will: A Year of Quotes, Notes, and Promises to Myself The thing I really liked about this book was that the quotes, mostly chosen from children's sources, were not obvious ones for turning into a motivational calendar. I have not read any of Eileen Spinelli's book, though I'm a fan of her husband, Jerry's work, so it was fun to get a sense of her through their collaboration on this piece.

How Musicals Work: And How To Write Your Own It took me a long time to read this one, but it had a lot of helpful information in it.

Started: Hmm.. I started reading Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience, but it was so negative at the beginning that I gave up on it.

The Complexity of Greatness: Beyond Talent or Practice This is supposed to be an antidote to Malcolm Gladwell's claim that all you need to become great at something is 10,000 hours of practice.

QotW: Someone just commented on this in my news feed, so I'll use this pairing: Doughnut Economics: Seven Ways to Think Like a 21st-Century Economist and Regenerative Capitalism: How Universal Principles And Patterns Will Shape Our New Economy

Hello everyone! I am continuing to recover from The Worst Stomach Virus, and I am excited to say my body has as of yesterday started signaling the need for food with hunger instead of lightheadedness and nausea! Thank you for using more effective communication, body! I've still got a ways to go, but I'm grateful for every bit of nutrition.
All of my more difficult, ambitious books are currently on hold for obvious illness reasons, so I decided to read a bunch of Sarah J. Maas and it has been great. I'm also doing "bedtime Wodehouse" audiobooks, inspired by a commenter here, and it's been a great way to go to sleep. So I'm not exactly expanding my horizons at the mo, but I'm well pleased with my reading choices.

Finished this week:
A Court of Thorns and Roses
A Court of Mist and Fury

Currently reading:
A Court of Wings and Ruin
The Inimitable Jeeves

QOTW:
The Poisonwood Bible and Middlesex
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Gideon the Ninth and All Systems Red (this one might not be fair because I haven't finished one)

Week 37
The Other Boleyn Girl-- A fiction or nonfiction book about a world leader
Eat That Frog!: 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time-- A book with “20” or “twenty” in the title

QOTW:
Homegoing and Beauty Is a Wound

Nadine wrote: "Happy Thursday!  Here we are in September, how did THAT happen?  

Today is technically the first day of school for my kids.  Our school district has a "hybrid" model, kids are broken into four gro..."

Wow. So glad I do not have school-aged children right now. This would be such a scheduling nightmare! Even though I didn't work 'outside the home' until my youngest was in school full-time. Kudos to all you parents who are managing all this, especially if you are also holding down a job outside the home, or even working remotely! Ugh.

Honestly, I mainly use the Goodreads app on my phone when (1) others recommend or mention a book I'm unfamiliar with and/or (2) I want to see a book's rating and/or categories quickly. I purposefully try not to use it for anything else because I find it unstable/unresponsive at best when I've used it for more complex tasks!

I will miss you as a moderator, Sara! I always like having a variety of moderators. I trust this means you will still be around... :) I will try to do my best to maintain the same level of quality, though you have left some rather large shoes to fill! And I guess this means I can't post "late" weekly check-ins when it's my turn to post that initial message to get the thread started on Thursdays! Darn! :) I must adjust accordingly... *Rolling my eyes and biting my lips!*

I really hope your "horrible" book wasn't The Woman in the Window, 'cause I really liked that one! But given our past history with comparing books, it probably is the one you really disliked! :)

Ellie wrote: "I have a four day weekend this weekend, and was considering going camping not too far away but now the inevitable back to work/school rise in cases has started. We'd probably be OK, but sudden new ..."

Count me jealous of your long weekend! :)

Jennifer W wrote: "Ashley wrote: "Morning!

Miracle Creek for a medical thriller. This is a bit of a stretch for this prompt (as of right not it's more of a courtroom drama) but I'm keeping it."

I used it for that ..."

Good to know someone else used it too. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I'll enjoy it. It's not that I'm hating Miracle Creek right now, I just feel kind of meh about it. It's still early on, so there's time for it to change my mind.

Sarah wrote: "Kenya wrote: "Happy Thursday, y’all.

I don't use the app. I tend to be a website-only gal when it comes to most sites that also have apps. Just me, though.

Books read this week:

[book:Your Favor..."

Oh boy... we may be, we may not be. I'll say that I don't understand the hype surrounding the one -- it felt like one long setup for a joke whose punchline sailed right over my head.

Lynn wrote: "I really hope your "horrible" book wasn't The Woman in the Window, 'cause I really liked that one! But given our past history with comparing books, it probably is the one you really disliked! :) ..."



LOL you are correct!!! I did NOT like Woman in the Window! But I LOVED The Kind Worth Killing!

Nadine wrote: "Lynn wrote: "I really hope your "horrible" book wasn't The Woman in the Window, 'cause I really liked that one! But given our past history with comparing books, it probably is the one you really di...

LOL you are correct!!! I did NOT like Woman in the Window! But I LOVED The Kind Worth Killing!"

I KNEW it! LOL If I ever want to send a book to you, I'll just do what I used to do with my former mother-in-law and select something I would NEVER like! LOL She and I used to do that when selecting gifts for each other and it worked marvelously! ;)

Lauren wrote: "The Round House was a good story. A little different than I expected, but it worked. 4 stars."

I thought this was an excellent book. So many facets to consider... This was my first and so far my only Louise Erdrich, though I own a couple more of them. I really need to read those!

Ashley wrote: "Morning!

Finished:
Such a Fun Age for a book with a bird on the cover. I really loved this one. The story itself was/is interesting but it's the characters that really hit it out of the park. I also really loved the relationship between Emira and Briar. I highly recommend this book."

Glad to know you liked this one! I'm planning to read it yet this year.

"Continuing:
Miracle Creek for a medical thriller. This is a bit of a stretch for this prompt (as of right not it's more of a courtroom drama) but I'm keeping it. I'm not super far into the book so I don't want to judge it yet but it just hasn't gripped me. I've heard so many good things about it, so I'm hoping that it will be a win for me."

I really want to read this one this year as well. Interested to see how it turns out for you!

Lynn wrote: "I really want to read this one this year as well. Interested to see how it turns out for you!..."


well brace yourself because I really liked Miracle Creek!! :-D


(But I liked The Round House too - didn't LOVE it, because I could have done without the ghost, but it was good - so maybe sometimes we agree)

Nadine wrote: "Lynn wrote: "I really hope your "horrible" book wasn't The Woman in the Window, 'cause I really liked that one! But given our past history with comparing books, it probably is the one you really di..."

I LOVED The Woman in the Window - but the "twist" was spoiled for me by a friend before I figured it out. Still liked the concept of the story and the writing was good.

Donna wrote: "Finished:
The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt. I finally finished a book which filled a prompt. This book was too dark for me. Probably reading a depressing book at this time, isn’t a good idea. I disliked so many of the characters. I had the urge to DNF so many times. It is well written (if that makes sense)."

Although I definitely enjoyed this book, I can understand your reaction! :)

Currently reading:
The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness
A Man Called Ove

Ah, these are two favorites of mine. Very different books, but loved them both! Hope you enjoy them as well...

Alex wrote: "Lonesome Dove for "Western". I'm starting to dream about cowboys now. And crave biscuits and bacon on the usual. "

Craving biscuits and bacon is enough to make me want to read this now... ;)

Welcome as our moderator Lyn! And thank you Sara!

We had planned a few days off this week. And luckily, it is such beautiful weather!! We had a great day: did a nice short walk which I enjoyed despite my painful back and just finished this lovely day with a very large ice cream at our favourite ice cream shop. Now I’m stuffed *smile*.

Finished
Pale Rider: The Spanish Flu of 1918 and How it Changed the World - This was a very weird and scary read. It’s like this pandemic we are in now is transferred back in time. So weird to read about a pandemic 100 years ago that looks so much like ours now. But also hopeful: thanks to the lessons learned in 1918-1919, we are so much more capable to minimize this pandemic’s costs.
Prompt: a medical thriller

Currently reading
Watership Down

Qotw
One Hundred Years of Solitude vs The House of the Spirits
The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared vs The Girl Who Saved the King of Sweden

Sarah wrote: "Hi everyone. I'm day 8 into a 10 day stretch at work without a day off so I'm in a pretty much constant state of exhaustion right now. Roll on Sunday!"

I assume Sunday will be your first day off after 10 days on. If so, I hope it is a wonderful break and rest for you!