Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge discussion
2021 Weekly Check-Ins
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Week 35: 8/27 - 9/2
I'm currently tackling my longest book so not much to report on this week.Finished:
Under the Whispering Door by T.J. Klune for review. This was so disappointing, and it didn't help that the blurb gave away most the plot. Horrid main character who we're just meant to believe has a change of heart and is liked by everyone he meets in the afterlife and a very twee tone. There were some touching bits of writing about the secondary characters, just not the main ones. I guess I'll still give Cerulean Sea a go when it comes out in the UK, since so many of you love it, but this just wasn't for me.
Currently reading House of Earth and Blood and listening to The Women of Troy.
PS: 39/50 | ATY: 38/52 | GR: 85/100
QOTW:
I don't feel it's particularly fair to write off a whole genre because of a bad apple or two. I stopped reading Laurell K. Hamilton's books when they stopped having plots and just became vampire porn, but I'm actually quite excited about the idea that vampires are back in fashion.
I don't feel it's particularly fair to write off a whole genre because of a bad apple or two. I stopped reading Laurell K. Hamilton's books when they stopped having plots and just became vampire porn, but I'm actually quite excited about the idea that vampires are back in fashion."I stopped reading/listening to her books when I found myself fast-forwarding past all the stupid/questionable sex scenes. Okay, werewolf, werelion, weretiger. But the weretiger is underage? And were-swan?
Lynn wrote: "Thank goodness some of you contribute questions to be used for QotW! I was stumped this time around! Thanks to Kenya who rescued me! LOL"AAAAAH! Thank YOU for using my question! I'm glad I could help! Though now you make me nervous to read My Best Friend's Exorcism... what didn't you like about it?
Allie wrote: "I stopped reading/listening to her books when I found myself fast-forwarding past all the stupid/questionable sex scenes. Okay, werewolf, werelion, weretiger. But the weretiger is underage? And were-swan?..."It was so bad. I'm pretty surprised to see the Anita Blake series is still going! Some people must like them...
Ellie wrote: "I don't feel it's particularly fair to write off a whole genre because of a bad apple or two."Fair point, and most genres will have at least a few decent books in them. But if I strike out repeatedly on a genre, I'm probably going to assume it's just not for me...
Allie wrote: "I stopped reading/listening to her books when I found myself fast-forwarding past all the stupid/questionable sex scenes. Okay, werewolf, werelion, weretiger. But the weretiger is underage? And were-swan?."Okay, were-swan would actually be fun -- I'm all for unusual lycanthropes, heh...
On a related note, some nerd blogger I read years ago talked about finding a Star Trek spinoff novel at a used book store written by Laurel K. Hamilton, and stated he was afraid to read it because of her reputation. I won't lie, I'm SLIGHTLY curious now...
QOTW: Tough question. Definitely not a whole genre. But, yeah, if it were a series, I doubt I would finish it if I had an issue with one of the books in it. Nor would I probably seek out more books by that author. I don't think I've ever read a book that I'd already read multiple books for that author and found it problematic. So, it's hard to say. Plus, I probably find different things problematic than everyone else does.As for bad, I loved all of John Grisham's early books and find him hit or miss with his later ones. But, since he does still occasionally hit one out of the park, I've not given up on him yet.
Happy Thursday, y’all.Going in for my second vaccination this weekend. Wish me luck, folks. I know the second shot is supposed to wipe you out... I ended up trying to schedule my vaccines so I had Labor Day weekend to recover, but we'll see how it goes...
Books read this week:
Exhalation -- short story collection. These are phenomenal! Fantastic and incredibly original ideas, thoughtfully told. I’m sad that Ted Chiang hasn’t written any novels yet, but at least there’s another short story collection of his I can enjoy…
The Scarlet Pimpernel -- I admit, I was curious about this book after hearing it was apparently the inspiration for many other “masked vigilante” stories, including the Batman comics. And while not as action-packed as I was expecting, this was still an enjoyable and even suspenseful story.
Dragons in a Bag -- cute kid’s fantasy chapter book. And in all honesty it’s great to see a kid’s fantasy novel with BIPOC characters.
Metal Like Blood in the Dark -- short story by one of my favorite authors, and a fantastic sci-fi retelling of “Hansel and Gretel.”
Currently Reading:
All Creatures Great and Small
Starship Troopers
The Legacy Human
The Hidden Girl and Other Stories
QOTW:
Aaaaaah, I'm flattered that my question was used! Hehe...
There are a couple authors I've had to drop because I was skeeved out or just irritated with something they'd written. I refuse to read another Piers Anthony book despite loving his Xanth series in high school because of some icky content in one of his non-Xanth books, Tatham Mound. (Spoiler warning up for content warning.) (view spoiler)
Good Morning All, I finished three books for the week.The Lending Library by Aliza Fogelson for a book about a subject you are passionate about. This was my last prompt to complete for this challenge. My goal was to complete all three challenges I was doing this year by the end of August. I met my goal.
Artificial Condition (The Murderbot Diaries, #2) by Martha Wells. 5 stars. I enjoy this series.
Grey Mask (Miss Silver, #1) by Patricia Wentworth. 3 stars. Cozy mystery. This book was originally published in 1928. It has held up pretty well. This segues into the QOTW.
Question of the Week:
(from Kenya) Have you ever read a book that's so bad and/or problematic that it's spoiled an entire series, genre, or everything else by the author for you? YES x 2 I have. I read the third book in the Amelia Peabody series. It was problematic & will probably not read further on. I also read two of Ann Patchett earlier books & have decided not read her again for awhile. This is a shame because Bel Canto is one of my all time favorite reads. I haven't read The Dutch House & now I am afraid too.
Happy Thursday! Gotta remember to pack tonight because I'm staying overnight tomorrow at my mom's, and my sister's wedding is on Saturday. Eeek! September is my BUSY month, so I'll make sure to fill y'all in on the goings-on every week :DI finished two books this week!
Dream Country - 4 stars. The Dreams of a Thousand Cats issue was unsettling, but the Midsummer issue was phenomenal. Excited to see what happens next!
The Romanov Empress: A Novel of Tsarina Maria Feodorovna - 3.5 stars. I think I'm overfull of Romanov history, because this was good but I wasn't enthralled. And I found the audio narration disappointing. Maybe if I take a break from Romanov books for a few years I'll want to come back and read the last couple on my TBR.
PS 43/50
Currently reading:
Circe - I DNF'd the audio a few years ago, but I'm enjoying the print version this time around.
The Rise of Wolf 8: Witnessing the Triumph of Yellowstone's Underdog - about the wolf reintroduction program at Yellowstone in the '90s. Sometimes it feels like I'm reading Rick's field diary and other times he'll go into more detail. Super interesting!
Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents - A must-read. Very straightforward, well-researched.
Queen of the Night - Final book in this series!
QOTW: (from Kenya) Have you ever read a book that's so bad and/or problematic that it's spoiled an entire series, genre, or everything else by the author for you?
I've definitely never had something spoil an entire genre, but there are definitely authors I'll avoid -- SJM is a prime example. I found Throne of Glass laughably bad and haven't touched anything by her since. It's amusing to see people go off about how bad either the later books in the series are or how much they don't like the ACOTAR/Crescent City books, like "join the club!"
Since abandoning my longest TBR, I actually made some progress with some other books. Yay!Finished: Make Anything Happen: A Creative Guide to Vision Boards, Goal Setting, and Achieving the Life of Your Dreams A light, shall I say, fluffy read? Pretty pictures except many of them are the same one taken from different angles.
Dead Wednesday again.
Down to Earth The interaction between the characters was charming.
No One Is Talking About This mildly interesting.
Started: Uncommon Sense Teaching: Practical Insights in Brain Science to Help Students Learn
Qotw: I can't remember which one, but I was trying to read all of E.L. Doctorow's works, but some of his sex scenes were just too disturbing! I gave that project up.
Mod
It's finally starting to cool off here, but it's still awfully humid. Well, as of Wednesday it was humid. Maybe today I can finally open my windows again!
I read some great books this week, two for this Challenge, so I am now 39/50.
American Elsewhere by Robert Jackson Bennett - this was one of the books I had on my "must read in 2021" list, and it was fantastic!! Don't you love it when you've been meaning to read a book for a long time, and you finally get to it, and it exceeds all your expectations? Now I'm afraid to read anything else by RJB, how can it be as good as this was? I used this for "genre hybrid."
The Ex Talk by Rachel Lynn Solomon - I enjoyed this enemies-to-lovers workplace rom-com! I think this is the first romance I've read with a Jewish protagonist, by a Jewish author.
Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier - this was my "on my TBR for the longest time" book. Meh. I didn't like it much.
QotW
I have definitely read books that I dislike so much that I pledge I will never again read another book by that author. I even have a GR shelf for that: Authors I don't ever want to read again Sometimes it takes a few books before I finally decide I'm done with that author. Authors like Greer Hendricks, Tessa Dare, Nalini Singh, Sarah Maas, Mark Lawrence, Blake Crouch, Stuart Turton, Pierce Brown, John Grisham, and AJ Finn are all very popular, and very much NOT FOR ME. (Tessa Dare is SO COOL on Twitter, too, so it pains me that I don't like her books.)
I've never written off an entire genre based just on one book, though. But sometimes, if I read book after book after book in a certain sub-genre, and I continuously dislike them, then I'm unlikely to read that sub-genre again. Paranomal romance, for example, gets major side-eye from me now.
And sometimes authors write things on social media that are just so awful that I no longer want to read that author, even if I've liked all of her books.
Nadine wrote: "Happy Thursday! I just spent the last three hours thinking it's Wednesday. What a pleasant surprise to discover it's Thursday!!It's finally starting to cool off here, but it's still awfully hum..."
Open the windows, Nadine. It's beautiful out. I know we're like 3 hours apart, but how different can it be?
I enjoyed reading your authors to never read again list. As expected, some of my favorite authors are on your list:
Amor Towles
Fredrick Backman
Donna Tartt
Jhumpa Lahiri
Nadine wrote: "American Elsewhere by Robert Jackson Bennett - this was one of the books I had on my "must read in 2021" list, and it was fantastic!! Don't you love it when you've been meaning to read a book for a long time, and you finally get to it, and it exceeds all your expectations? Now I'm afraid to read anything else by RJB, how can it be as good as this was?"Glad you liked this one, Nadine! I tried it after loving a bunch of his other books and couldn't gel with it at all lol. I deeply love his City of Stairs trilogy.
Hi all, just posted on...Sunday? so don't have a lot new to report. Quiet week, headache yesterday but feeling mostly better today. This week I finished:
When Dimple Met Rishi - i'd asked for this back when it was new at the library, only just now got it. I thought the author did a pretty good job making it easy to read, i liked both dimple and rishi, but there were too many things that annoyed me plot wise to really LOVE it. (view spoiler)
Currently reading:
The Hidden Palace - oops, this book didn't get auto-renewed as expected so i'm clearly going to get a late fee. I hadn't considered my vacation when I picked up more books. I don't like taking physical library books with me, just in case something happened or I lost them. Hopefully I can finish it in the next day or two so I don't keep whoever's waiting TOO long. (this is also why i usually do digital. I could just turn wifi off on digital and it wouldn't delay it for anyone else waiting)
The Starless Sea - audio re-read
QOTW:
I mean there's genres I don't tend to read, for reasons of not liking particular aspects of it, but that's rarely because of a singular book or author.
However if I find a book particularly problematic, I'll probably not be super keen on reading more by that author. Or if it's an author that I already enjoyed but start finding it problematic, I might kinda keep reading out of habit to see if it improves before finally accepting they won't. People already mentioned Piers Anthony and Laurel K Hamilton, both authors that fall into this. I kept reading Anita Blake for probably too long after i stopped not really liking them any more. I guess hoping that they'd eventually go back to the style I liked better. Eventually gave up and all her books are currently in my garage waiting for me to figure out where to get rid of them. For Piers Anthony I still have the xanth series, but I did just try to read one of the more recent ones as my "Longest on TBR" book and wow, it was cringe. He might be next in my "accept that you're over this author" purge.
I have been making an effort to get out with the younger of my two dogs in order to take him for a walk, since he is rather "active", and I was hoping to wear him out. I decided to extended the walk from 3 miles to 5 miles. But to do that before work, I need to get up around 4am. When its very dark. And very...quiet. So yes, I am taking that time to listen to a book. Which might account for why I did not notice that twice now, the dog and I have been followed by a coyote. PS: 26/50
RH: 7/24
RW: 0/28
GR: 357/365
HP: 61/62
Currently Reading:
CSI: Body Of Evidence They say the show is returning, and I do love this show
The Only Good Indians This has gotten good reviews, so we will see
All the Young Dudes I was going to use this for a fan fic prompt, but this is a "Siriusly" long book and SO good. I'm trying to just read a little so I don't get swept up
Love in a Nutshell- I'm not a huge fan, but its okay so far
Finished:
Bright World- Dark. But I might be interested to see if the series continues
If It Bleeds- I loved all the stories. The audiobook is read by Will Patton, Steven Weber, Danny Burstein, and it is magic
History Smashers: The Mayflower
My Own World
Magnificent Ms. Marvel, Vol. 3: Outlawed
Odessa
My Last Summer with Cass- beautiful art
The Folcroft Ghosts- I can't stop reading Darcy Coates' work
Catherine House- meh. This just didn't do it for me
Plain Bad Heroines- wonderfully creepy
Hope Never Dies- political thriller
Our Dark Duet- another author I can't get enough of
QOTW: While I agree that sometimes a book will make me put that author's books to the side, I have very few books I will not read. I did recently read a novel that was a Christian retelling of a fairy tale and there was some questionable scenes that made me think, "oh, that's potentially problematic thinking".
Nadine wrote: "And sometimes authors write things on social media that are just so awful that I no longer want to read that author, even if I've liked all of her books..."Or saying awful things in national media. I've never read Lionel Shriver but her rantings on various subjects have put her on my never want to read list.
Mod
Oh! what was problematic? I've read about 2/3 of that series, and I must have just glossed right over it. What did I miss?
Hello! My parents were in town for a baseball game, as we'd bought tickets back in May before we realized both teams were going to be bad this year. But it turned out one of my favorite players is on my mom's favorite team, and it was so great to see him play again, even if he had the outfield assist that ended my team's only scoring chance. So the game was fun, kind of? I did not get as much reading done with my parents in town, however.Finished This Week:
Once Broken Faith by Seanan McGuire. Next Toby reread. I've always really liked this book as the unplanned story that announced itself as necessary because of events of the prior book. Seanan seems like she has this series plotted out pretty far, and I like knowing she's adaptable to what the story tells her it needs. Not for prompt.
The Rescuers by Margery Sharp. I discovered while looking up something else that the Disney movie about the mice who saved a kidnapped girl was based (loosely) on a book series. This is the first book in that series. There's nothing remotely from the Disney movie in this one, except the mice are named Bianca and Bernard. They're joined by Nils, the Norwegian mouse, and have an adventure to free a poet from a prison. It was a nice escape from everything. I'll probably track down the next one in the series, since that's supposedly closer to the movie (but still really not). Not for PS prompt.
My Beloved World by Sonia Sotomayor. I needed a Latinx memoir for Read Harder, and thought this one sounded good. I knew of Justice Sotomayor, but couldn't tell you anything about her. This tells the story of her life, stopping when she became a judge. I also learned a lot about Puerto Rico, where her family on both sides was from. Using for Read Harder #15, a Memoir by a Latinx author.
PS: 37/50 RH: 14/24 RW: 17/28 ATY: 48/52 GR: 124/150
Currently Reading:
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. May need to start over again.
The Complete Maus by Art Spiegelman. A graphic memoir I remembered from the 2020 Read Harder prompt and saw on my friend's bookshelf when we visited in July.
QOTW: Have you ever read a book that's so bad and/or problematic that it's spoiled an entire series, genre, or everything else by the author for you?
I got massively fed up with Chick Lit back when it was popular because all of the women were idiots who made bad choices. I hated Confessions of a Shopaholic and refused to read any of the other in the series, despite how popular it was. Chick lit isn't around as much anymore, but it's rare that I find anything in the genre I like. I do keep trying though.
Author wise, I hated Riptide by Catherine Coulter so much when I read it last year that the goodwill I had for the author for one of her older books was completely erased, and I'm unlikely to ever read anything by her ever again.
Most of the rest of the authors I've blacklisted are for reasons separate from the writing itself.
Mod
You are correct! It is crisp and lovely outside! windows are now open
and yeah, it's so funny when I just do NOT like authors that are really popular - and then other times I'm in fan club central with everyone else! Murderbot? YES!! Donna Tartt? noooooo
Mod
Yikes! might be time to carry a big stick on your walk! I always want to listen to an audiobook on a walk, but I do worry that someone (or something) would come up on me and I would be oblivious. But then I think: my dogs would notice, and alert me. I'm surprised your dog didn't notice the coyote. I'm also surprised it would follow you!! Around here they are very skittish and leave people alone.
Mod
Or saying awful things in national media. I've never read Lionel Shriver but her rantings on various subjects have put her on my never want to read list...."
No conflict there for me! She's already on my list of authors I don't ever want to read again, because I just could NOT with We Need to Talk About Kevin
I have been startled a few times by people coming right behind me as I am walking my dog. The dog always notices first and gets skittish or whines. It has not stopped me from listening to audiobooks. But maybe I should strap a rearview mirror to myself.
I’m loving the autumnal weather of the last few days. The air has been cooler and easier to breath on evening walks, and I even like the fact I needed a light sweatshirt last night. My favorite time of year!Progress —
PopSugar: 38/50
Goodreads: 87/100
Finished: Only two books since last week, but one was 600 pages, and I had headaches everyday.
* A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness for “Dark Academia” — enjoyed this one and will read book two at some point.
* A Sprinkling of Murder by Daryl Wood Gerber
In Progress:
*The Return of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle
* The Witness for the Prosecution and Other Stories by Agatha Christie
* Coached to Death by Victoria Laurie
Question of the Week:
There are a few authors I’ve stopped reading, for a variety of reasons. I stopped reading one cozy mystery series after book three because the author had a habit of beating a motif to death. In one book it was pumpkins. In another it was geese. Making these a part of a story is one thing, but not if you’re clobbering the reader over the head with them in every chapter.
I read one book a few months ago that had so many plot inconsistencies that it ended up being my lowest rated book this year, and I will not read book two in the series. Luckily, these issues did not affect the outcome of the murder mystery, but they very well might have. I also thought the heroine too stupid to live.
And then there’s MaryJanice Davidson. I loved the Queen Betsy books up until book nine. Then the books took (IMO) a ridiculous turn that put me off the rest of the series, as well as any other book by her.
There are also a couple authors I stopped reading not so much for their writing, but how they treated people. If you treat readers badly, especially in a public forum, you don’t deserve their support.
Happy Thursday! This hasn't been the most successful week for reading for me, but I'm hoping that changes. I have been teaching a class on Digital Boundaries to teenagers and teaching the class and really exploring the concepts made me realize that I need to set better digital boundaries for myself, so I decided that I will set a goal for the month of September to only stream 2 episodes of a show per day. No more binge watching. I think that will help me be more productive and increase my time spent reading.In other news, the roads flooded so bad where I live that I could not make it home from work yesterday and had to sleep on my sister's couch, leaving me tired and looking like a mess today, but I have a 4 day weekend to recuperate.
I finished:
Gone for Good: I am feeling like I'm on the cusp of becoming a pretty big Joanna Schaffhausen fan. This is the second book by her that I have read and I think I will continue to check out her books.
Currently reading:
The Obsession: I really don't know how I feel about this book. One of the characters is so completely unlikable and weirdly written that it is throwing me off, but it is a different take on the average YA stalker tale.
Planned:
Always Watching, Getaway, The Final Girl Support Group; I got all 3 from the library and I plan to dive into all of them this weekend.
QOTW:
In general, I find anything to do with robotic people or body parts (cyberpunk) to be really unsettling for some reason, so I do my best to avoid any of that. This happens with authors a lot though. There are so many books and so little time that I probably too often judge an author from one or two books. The example that comes to mind is Fern Michaels. I read a book by her that was so terrible, I can't imagine a circumstance that would make me pick up another by her.
Lynn — I managed to finish One Hundred Years of Solitude when I read it for a group read a few years ago, but I did not enjoy it and have no desire to read anything else by him. I also tend to avoid the horror genre, but do like the occasional psychological thriller. Go figure. Allie — Luckily for you and your dog, it sounds like the coyote was more curious than intent on going after your dog, but I would definitely be more aware of your surroundings. I never listen to books or music while walking primarily because I want to be able to hear anyone coming up behind me, especially if I’m on the bike path. There are wooded stretches where it would be too easy for someone to grab a person from behind. Plus, I like to hear the birds, the rippling of water, and the wind through the trees. Communing with nature helps me destress, and I missed not being able to walk most of this summer.
I listen to audiobooks when walking my dog and I can hear my surroundings. Noise cancelling headphones are a bad idea outside in general as you can't hear traffic (statistically much more likely to be run over by an elderly person than attacked by a stranger, or animal, where I live). But regular headphones are fine and I've never been surprised by someone running up behind me. My dog on the other hand, I think her ears turn off when the nose is working!
Seems like today is the first day of school for a lot of kids in the Northeast. It is a gorgeous day in New York, as Nadine has already said. We have a leak that only came to our attention with Henri, but it seems to be minor. Not too much further damage from Ida.Finished:
Practical Magic Really good book, but. Most of it takes place in Nassau County on Long Island, which is where I live. The town is never mentioned. But the book often refers to The Turnpike. What is that? There's the LIE, the Northern State and the Southern State. There's Hempstead Turnpike and Jericho Turnpike, but I have never heard either of those called The Turnpike. Any other Long Islanders here? This is really bothering me.
War and Peace Best update ever! I finished it! And I really liked it. I usually read one long classic a year. I think in 2022 I will go for something just over 500 pages, instead of 1400.
The Heart Principle This book was different from Helen Hoang's others for me. Much less romance, and much more focus on family, etc. Her note at the end of the book helped explain why.
Currently reading:
A Fair Return for book in a different format. This is Schitt's Creek fanfic.
Coming Home on audio.
QOTW:
I am rarely put off all of the author's works, but I can think of a few recently.
Paul Tremblay I read A Head Full of Ghosts and was very disappointed in the author's overly sexual treatment of the supposedly possessed teenage girl. It just seemed very stereotypical, made worse since it was written by a man. Ick.
Rumaan Alam Similar problem to the first author. The way he described the bodies of the teenage son and daughter was just completely unnecessary, and seemed like it was purely for shock value.
Work is still so busy. I'm pretty convinced this is just how it will be from now on--it used to ebb and flow throughout the year. There are three of us in this role and one just got promoted and the other got a job in another department (both very deserved and I'm happy for them) which means that I'm going from being the least experienced to the most experienced learning specialist. Which is, quite frankly, terrifying, since the majority of my time in the role has been during the pandemic and not on campus...Also, I'm still unpacking, so I'm just exhausted in general.
Finished:
Proof by Dick Francis - I'm swapping out "book with a family tree" for the 2015 prompt "A book from an author you love that you haven't read yet." So that's where this is going. I couldn't find a single book on my 800+ tbr list that had a family tree (as far as I could tell), so...I'm cheating lol.
I enjoyed this! I love a male main character who struggles with feeling like a coward and who is actually dealing with guilt and sadness over his wife's death (she didn't die as part of a plot driver; it happened before the book started). A man in a thriller who has emotions other than anger?? Gimme it!
Currently Reading:
How to Listen to and Understand Great Music - "currently reading" is a strong term. I honestly might slot this into "longest book" and call it a day. I still want to read what I had picked out, but it requires me to read the other books in the series first and...I'm just so tired.
QOTW:
Only one author comes to mind and it's not for being problematic in any way, I just ABSOLUTELY HATED the one book of his I read. And it made me sad because I like him so much as a person! But The Fault in Our Stars was so hellishly pretentious that (view spoiler). So even though some of his other plots sound interesting, I have no desire to read anything else by him.
I do wonder if I'd read it in high school if I would have liked it more, but I honestly don't think I would have. The teen lit I read in high school is stuff I still like today (give me all the Laurie Halse Anderson, please!).
Mod
That sort of thing drives me nuts!!! I don't know Long Island really well, but the only highway I know of that's called "The Turnpike" is in NJ. In Massachusetts, it's the "Mass Pike" and ... I don't know what they call it in Pennsylvania. I call it "the Pennsylvania Turnpike" but maybe they just all it "the Turnpike" too?
I see that Hoffman is from NY but lives in Boston now. I wonder if the setting is Massachusetts instead of Long Island?
Congrats on finishing War and Peace!!!
Nadine wrote: "Milena wrote: "Practical Magic Really good book, but. Most of it takes place in Nassau County on Long Island, which is where I live. The town is never mentioned. But the book often refers to The Tu..."It's definitely Nassau County. It specifically says they move from Massachusetts to Nassau County, NY. The NY setting is not important to the book, so why not make it set in a fictional place? There aren't many books set on Long Island (except maybe the Hamptons), so when one is I am going to pay attention to details.
I hope everyone who was in the path of Ida is safe. It is said that Ida brings sunny weather over here (the Netherlands) in some strange ways I don’t understand, but I do know I like a bit of sunshine after a week of grey clouds. I am home alone this week. My hubbie is in Switzerland with his BFF who is having a hard time with sick parents. The house feels pretty empty without him, so I'm counting the days... 2 days to go…
Anyways, I spent my me-time well and filled in the last blanks in my spreadsheet for the challenge.
30/40
Finished
Nothing
Currently reading
The Romanovs: 1613-1918
The Book of Lost Names
QOTW
Gabriel García Márquez… I remember it too, took me ages to finish One Hundred Years of Solitude and well, that was enough Marquez for a lifetime.
I quitted the Clifton Chronicles by Jeffrey Archer. It was so poorly written and so much like ‘I need to write another 10 books so I’m going to write a soap opera’. I never read anything of Jeffrey Archer again.
Kenya wrote: "Happy Thursday, y’all.Going in for my second vaccination this weekend. Wish me luck, folks. I know the second shot is supposed to wipe you out... I ended up trying to schedule my vaccines so I ha..."
Good luck, and I'm with you on the planning. I planned both of my shots on Friday, so I had the weekend to recover.
Milena wrote: "War and Peace Best update ever! I finished it! And I really liked it. I usually read one long classic a year. I think in 2022 I will go for something just over 500 pages, instead of 1400."I liked it too! I can recommend the BBC-series from 2016 if you haven't seen it yet.
Milena wrote: "Seems like today is the first day of school for a lot of kids in the Northeast. It is a gorgeous day in New York, as Nadine has already said. We have a leak that only came to our attention with Hen..."War and Peace is my longest book on my TBR which I keep putting off. Glad to hear it is worth the read
Sherri wrote: "Good Morning All, I finished three books for the week.The Lending Library by Aliza Fogelson for a book about a subject you are passionate about. This was my last prompt to complete for this challe..."
What did you think of The Lending Library?
Hi everyone. Not a lot of reading this week but in unrelated news...I have a new baby niece! We weren't sure how my nephew would react to her, but so far he's loving being a big brother.No finishes for me this week because I've been super busy at home. I had to DNF Black Water Sister because it was due back at the library. I'm not sure if I'll get it out again.
I am going to Wales this weekend so I'm looking for something nice and fluffy to take away with me but undecided what to start.
QOTW: I can normally give a little leeway to classics but Ivanhoe felt so sexist and racist, I removed all Walter Scott from my TBR.
Hi! KenyaAn Apple A Day
Keeps the Doctor away
so after the vaccine
shut the world away
Pray to GOD
and you will be okay
That is what I did
GOD
Please send Your Angel
Happy Thursday! It was a crazy, soggy day here yesterday with the remnants of Ida blowing through. But today is gorgeous and cool. I feel a whiff of autumn just around the corner!Also, the trailer for the Wheel of Time tv series just dropped and it's GORGEOUS and I cannot WAIT to watch it!!!
Finished 36/50
The X-Files: Goblins for "book that starts with Q, X, or Z". Eh. It wasn't my thing. I've never seen the show though, so maybe I'd have liked it more if I did?
Currently Reading
Pachinko for "book featuring three generations". I'm really enjoying this. It's a book written about a family of Korean immigrants who move to Japan just before WWII. Really well-written so far!
QotW
Ugh, Left Behind. I was obsessed with this series as a middle schooler, but got to the end and was done with it. It's dreadful writing and the theology is repugnant. I won't touch anything by Lahaye/Jenkins now.
Also A Court of Thorns and Roses. I do not see the appeal of this series. The first book was awful and full of red flags. I'm not reading anything by Maas anymore as a result.
The Hunger Games. I liked the writing and concept, but I loathe the obvious love triangle plot, so I wasn't inspired to finish the series.
Also, A Game of Thrones. I got all the way up to book 4? Book 5? Don't recall, but anyway, the glorification of sexual assault finally did me in. I cannot support something that is so flippant about grotesque things being done to women. Absolutely not. Loved the plot and the writing, but that's where I draw the line.
I hate the romance genre tbh. It's the most awful, dumb, cheap writing most of the time. Not my thing.
Nadine wrote: "I'm surprised your dog didn't notice the coyote. I'm also surprised it would follow you!!."Oh, the dog (Chase) noticed. He called him out. The area around our neighborhood has a lot of tall grass, so Chase locked and started yipping and howling until he heard noise. I booked it out of there, pulling him along. Eventually Chase just started pulling ahead, driven by his spaniel nose. Ring doorbell footage shows me, being dragged like a flag, while this coyote prances happily 10 feet back.
Oh, and I wear only one headphone when it is darker. If I just walk without anything, I convince myself that Pennywise is hiding just around the next corner. I can handle a werewolf. I can not handle demon clowns.
I saw my friend the other day for the first time since February 2020! She needed some time away from being Mommy so we just chilled in a hotel. I saw things that are not on the trip to/from work! It was weird.Finished:
Maiden Voyages: Magnificent Ocean Liners and the Women Who Traveled and Worked Aboard Them - I LOVE THIS BOOK! Granted, it is about two of my areas of interest, so it's no surprise. There is information about such a variety of women, and quite a few ships. By the time it got to my beloved Queen Mary I was completely giddy. My favorite room on Earth is aboard her, and when it was mentioned I genuinely stopped and had a silent SQUEE! This was so much fun to nerd out over! I even bought a physical copy and tabbed all the QM parts even though there is an index.
Shirley Chisholm Dared: The Story of the First Black Woman in Congress - This was OK but felt a little clunky.
The Case of the Missing Moonstone - What weirdness is this? Child Mary Shelly and Ada Lovelace start a detective agency. OK, sounds fun, but the author just took all of these real people and made them random ages so the book would work. Weird. At least I learned that Ada is the daughter of Lord Byron, and I somehow didn't know that before, so at least there's that.
DNF:
44 Scotland Street - Not sure why I thought this was a detective book or murder mystery or something, but it's just people doing people things in the same neighborhood.
Currently Reading:
Defekt - Still grabbing a few pages here and there. Still enjoying it.
I just finished my last middle grade and my hold just came in for one I've been itching to read, and now I also have a bunch of loans for September reading! I wonder what I'll listen to next...
QOTW:
Oh yes, I'm quite sure. I don't know if I can actually name something though.
There was a book about a year or so ago, maybe. I started listening to it and around 5 minutes later I had DNF'd it. There were two references to women that made me stop and raise and eyebrow. After the second one I searched for the author and found yeah, maybe he's not a great dude to women. I can't for the life of me remember the book or author, but it's probably still in one of my accounts and I'd know it if I saw it again!
Harmke wrote: "Milena wrote: "War and Peace Best update ever! I finished it! And I really liked it. I usually read one long classic a year. I think in 2022 I will go for something just over 500 pages, instead of ..."I have not. Thank you for the recommendation.
Mod
Well, I hope you are enjoying it!
Finished:
Under the Whispering Door by T.J. Klune for review. This was so disappointing, and it didn't help that the blurb gave away most the plot... I guess I'll still give Cerulean Sea a go when it comes out in the UK, since so many of you love it, but this just wasn't for me.
Oh, no! I am so anxious to read this new one! If you do give Cerulean Sea a try I sure hope you enjoy it. It is a favorite of mine!
QOTW:
I don't feel it's particularly fair to write off a whole genre because of a bad apple or two.
I would agree. Although this is all totally subjective and each of us will have our own criteria.
I stopped reading Laurell K. Hamilton's books when they stopped having plots and just became vampire porn, but I'm actually quite excited about the idea that vampires are back in fashion."
You made me laugh with "vampire porn"! I'm glad the vampires make you happy! 😊
Mod
AAAAAH! Thank YOU for using my question! I'm glad I could help! Though now you make me nervous to read My Best Friend's Exorcism... what didn't you like about it?"
Honestly, I really didn't like the book much at all even without the (view spoiler)
Mod
It was so bad. I'm pretty surprised to see the Anita Blake series is still going! Some people must like them..."
I think there is an audience for virtually any book published since we are all very unique and individual in our preferences!
Mod
Exactly! We all have unique preferences! 👍😁
"As for bad, I loved all of John Grisham's early books and find him hit or miss with his later ones. But, since he does still occasionally hit one out of the park, I've not given up on him yet."
I haven't read many of his, but really liked the ones I have read. And I adore his Theodore Boone juvenile series!
Hi all! I was itching for Thursday yesterday because I woke up on the *very* wrong side of the bed for no apparent reason. Today is much better and I nearly forgot it was Thursday! It was so cool here, I had to close windows because of that! Leaves are starting to die and fall off trees and it's making me sad. I love the change of seasons, but I don't know if I'm ready for cold and dark this year. I just realized yesterday that pretty soon my sandals are going to have to go back in the closet, I hate shoes and socks!
Anyway... reading!
I think I forgot to mention that just before I left for vacation I finished Dinner with the Smileys: One Military Family, One Year of Heroes, and Lessons for a Lifetime. I was a little afraid it would be saccharine sweet, but it was realistic with a lot of people being good to each other (yes, that is a thing!). I'm using it for a book that reminds me of my favorite place, Down East Maine where I went to college!
This week I finished They Called Us Enemy for a social justice issue (unless I already did that one, I don't remember!) It was good, but I actually liked the last few pages about his adult life best.
I started an audiobook of Mexican Whiteboy for bedtime listening and Hispanic Heritage Month. Not sure if it'll fit a prompt or anything, but it sounded good.
I tried to start Tipping the Velvet, I think I made it to page 2 before I got too tired to read any further! I have really high expectations for this one, since I loved her book Fingersmith.
I did read a little bit more in Les Miserables. At the rate I'm going, I might finish by 2024.
I went to the library this week after getting back from vacation and had to restrain the grabby hands, so I hope to read a bunch, but I know realistically, not so much!
QOTW:
I don't think I've ever hated a book as much as I hated Life After Life. I couldn't even root for the main character to die because we would just start the nonsense all-freaking-over again! (view spoiler) The only reason I stuck with the book was because in the first few pages she had the chance to kill Hitler and I wanted to see how that turned out, and then that part wrapped up in like 4 pages! Yeah, I will never read another book by that author.
Mod
I'm hoping this goes well for you!
"Books read this week:
Exhalation -- short story collection. These are phenomenal!
The Scarlet Pimpernel -- I admit, I was curious about this book after hearing it was apparently the inspiration for many other “masked vigilante” stories, including the Batman comics. And while not as action-packed as I was expecting, this was still an enjoyable and even suspenseful story."
I have both of these on my TBR listing!
"Dragons in a Bag -- cute kid’s fantasy chapter book. And in all honesty it’s great to see a kid’s fantasy novel with BIPOC characters."
This looks adorable and is now also on my TBR listing!
"Currently Reading:
All Creatures Great and Small"
Herriot is great!
"Starship Troopers"
I have yet to read a Heinlein...
"The Hidden Girl and Other Stories"
Oh, yeah! Ken Liu!
"QOTW:
Aaaaaah, I'm flattered that my question was used! Hehe..."
And I'm so grateful it was there! 😋
"There are a couple authors I've had to drop because I was skeeved out or just irritated with something they'd written. I refuse to read another Piers Anthony book despite loving his Xanth series in high school because of some icky content in one of his non-Xanth books, Tatham Mound. (Spoiler warning up for content warning.) (view spoiler)"
I totally agree with you! Ugh. I swore to never read (view spoiler)
Happy Thursday everyone!I’ve finished the challenge in spite of work and life!!! Woooo Hoooo!!!
We’re flooded out due to Hurricane Ida, hoping to dry out, and save some appliances. Ouch! Hope everyone else in Ida’s path is doing ok.
I’m home from work today with a migraine that is finally starting to dissipate. I'm posting early for me! I’ve been covering for our department for most of August. We lost 2 people, and my final colleague has been on vacation or bereavement most of the month. I am pretty amazed I made it this far.
Very thankful that the weather is *finally* cooler, less humid, and generally habitable.
On to the books.
Finished:
The End of Her. Shari Lapena does not disappoint. Really enjoyed this read.
A book your best friend would love. (she did!)
Seeds From a Birch Tree: Writing Haiku and The Spiritual Journey. Gorgeous and insightful memoir of a former Buddhist monk, mixed with reflections on Zen, the Haiku Way of Matsuo Basho, and some of samples of his and his students’ haiku.
Book with a black and white cover.
The Constitution of the United States of America. I began the year with The Mueller Report, my longest book on my TBR, so it’s only fitting that I end with the Constitution. It’s remarkably short, as said by Jordan Klepper, my favorite interviewer.
Shortest book on TBR
The Wife Between Us. This was just plain fun to read, even though all the characters are flawed to the hilt. But I liked flawed characters. Many thanks to my Tarot card reading cat who chose this book for me!
Book chosen at random from TBR
QOTW:
I don’t think there has been a book that put me off from a series, though I don’t read many series. Definitely nothing that put me off from a genre. Nothing has ever put me off horror or psychological suspense with a serious side of grit, and I’ve read some stuff that left me. lukewarm. There are genres I don’t read unless I have to, and nothing I’ve read has turned me on said genres.
The authors that put me off are the racist, sexist, xenophobic, transphobic (you get the picture) people whose writing I really don’t care to read to begin with.
Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge
Books mentioned in this topic
Murder and Marinara (other topics)Remarkable Creatures (other topics)
The Night Swim (other topics)
The Bridges of Madison County (other topics)
Yours Cheerfully (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Avery Aames (other topics)Daryl Wood Gerber (other topics)
Robert James Waller (other topics)
Megan Goldin (other topics)
Joshilyn Jackson (other topics)
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ADMIN STUFF:
It's a new month and a new Monthly Group Read:
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab discussion for September is here.
And don't forget to post the book(s) you've read to fulfill prompt #11 A book forgetting which was #2 in the selection poll here.
And for anyone (like me) who didn't quite finish up the discussion of Catherine House for August, both August threads are now in the 2021 Monthly Group Reads folder and will remain open for further comments.
WE NEED JUST ONE MORE DISCUSSION LEADER FOR THE VERY LAST 2021 MONTHLY GROUP READ IN DECEMBER!:
December: #1 A book published in 2021
(Because it’s the end of the year!)
Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid
There is need of a "gifted guide" to lead this discussion!
Message either Nadine or myself to volunteer!
Thank you to Allie for volunteering for October’s discussion of Anxious People by Fredrik Backman.
Question of the Week:
(from Kenya) Have you ever read a book that's so bad and/or problematic that it's spoiled an entire series, genre, or everything else by the author for you?
Thank goodness some of you contribute questions to be used for QotW! I was stumped this time around! Thanks to Kenya who rescued me! LOL
The one author who comes to mind immediately for me is Gabriel García Márquez. I was so anxious to finally read his books and then I was so disappointed! Although I persevered and finished reading Chronicle of a Death Foretold it was one of the most dissatisfying books I’ve read. Then I started One Hundred Years of Solitude and after about 100 pages couldn’t take it any longer and DNF’d it! Not too long ago I pulled my copy of Love in the Time of Cholera out and decided if I don’t try reading it this year, I’ll hope to try it in 2022. Honestly, I have no hopes that I will enjoy it at all, but perhaps I’ll be able to tough it out to the end…though I seriously doubt it. This is one of the very first times I have disliked an author’s writing so intensely. If Love in the Time of Cholera wasn’t regarded as such a classic, I wouldn’t even bother! Ugh.
I typically avoid anything labeled “horror” because I despise being scared. But I relented and read Grady Hendrix’s My Best Friend's Exorcism (Trigger Warning: murder of a companion animal by the owner!) for a book club and literally threw the book across the room at one point. I then went ahead and finished it a few days later just because…But I will never attempt to read one of his books ever again!
Though I was surprised by how much I enjoyed Catherine House although (currently) 326 users have classified it as "horror" and that is the third most popular label! Interestingly, I found the underlying theme to be horrific, but this book didn’t scare me with the depiction of that theme… Fortunately for me, it wasn't depicted so much as implied...
How about you? Is there one book you can remember that answers this question?
Popsugar: 42/50
ATY: 48/52
RHC: 14/24
Reading Women: 11/28
One new prompt fulfilled for each Popsugar and Read Harder!
FINISHED:
Xenocide (Ender’s Saga #3) by Orson Scott Card really got into philosophy and ‘religious’ beliefs. It was a much denser read than the earlier installments—very interesting and thought-provoking! Anxious to finish the series in September for another Buddy Read!
POPSUGAR: #18-Peaceful coexistence, #21-Classic, Fantasy, Fiction, Science Fiction, Young Adult, #27, NEW #32, #34-Dealing with a treaty violation-Murder, #47-One of my all-time favorite series/writers!,
ATY: #14, #15, #19, After a peaceful past, the present includes treaty violations, leading to an uncertain future, #23-Classic, Fantasy, Fiction, Science Fiction, Young Adult, #28-Justice, Death, The Devil, Judgement, The World, #31, #34, #39, #44, #49, #52-In the end, there may still be xenocide aplenty!
RHC: #13
Halfway through both of these, but unable to finish either one by this morning! 😊
Jack & Jill (Alex Cross #3) by James Patterson. There have been murders, but without many details or detailed descriptions, so I’m hopeful for continuing the series!
****The Third Angel by Alice Hoffman has proven to be very surprising! I didn’t know what to expect, but Hoffman had me gasping a couple of times as I approached the midway point. Few authors make me do that, but she is very skilled at interweaving characters. I should be able to finish this one tonight and I’m so anxious to see how it ends!
CONTINUING:
How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi. I can tell I will keep this one by my bedside to read a bit every once in a while once I've completed it the first time through. An excellent resource, IMO!
The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates
PLANNED:
For August Buddy Reads:
And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini
The Alchemistby Paulo Coelho
September Buddy Reads:
Children of the Mind (Ender’s Saga #4) by Orson Scott Card
And…
The Souls of Black Folk by W.E.B. Du Bois
Hidden Valley Road: Inside the Mind of an American Family by Robert Kolker
Eva Luna by Isabel Allende to fulfill the 2020 Reading Women prompt #26 A book written by Isabel Allende.
Paradise by Toni Morrison to fulfill the 2020 Reading Women prompt #25 A book written by Toni Morrison.
Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi