Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge discussion

Hey Lynn is running late so I'm starting the check-in!

Wow Thursday really came fast this week!! It's time to figure out what we are going to carve on our pumpkins.

We still have some leaves on our maple tree, but it won't be for much longer now.

This week I read five books, one for this challenge, so I am now 45/50.

First, a fantastic picture book:
Is Was by Deborah Freedman - I just loved everything about this book. It presented a complex, abstract concept in a very simple way, with beautiful art.

The Hollow Places by T. Kingfisher - I decided to read a creepy book for October, and this was a winner. It was exactly creepy enough for me, but not terrifying. I'm so glad I finally read a book by Kingfisher - I've loved her tor shorts and knew I would love a full-length book from her, too. (I think her shorts may have been published as Ursula Vernon.)

Every Vow You Break by Peter Swanson - I had fairly high expectations for this, because I thought Swanson was a pretty good thriller writer, but WOW was this bad. This is the fourth book I've read by him and it's absolutely the worst of the bunch. Such a dumb set up. One star.

Mr. Hotshot CEO by Jackie Lau - this was my DNFed book! I started it last year, and just set it aside and never felt like picking it up again. When I started reading it again, I could quickly see why I had lost interest. I usually enjoy Lau's romances, but this one was kind of blah. I'm glad I finished it, though!

The Back Chamber - poetry from former poet laureate Donald Hall - this was an uneven collection, some powerful poems, but a lot of quotidian dick lit too. I think this was the last book of poems he published, after this he said he just couldn't write poems any more, and he stuck to essays.



QotW

(from Theresa) What is it about a book that makes it good for discussion? Do you have to love the book or can it be a book that you didn’t particularly enjoy?

Great question, since I just joined a new book club last month!! A good book club book has a lot to talk about and has polarizing opinions. So, no, it doesn't have to be a book I've enjoyed. If everyone simply gushes: "oh I just loved this book and I can't even say why," that is a great book, but not a good discussion!! If some people liked aspects of the book and other people did not, that gives you a lot to talk about. Even better if characters in the book engage in morally grey activities, so that you can discuss if you agreed with their actions, if it seemed in character, if you would have done the same, etc. Sometimes a good discussion happens when you've learned things from a book, or you were inspired to go do research after reading it (and this ties into our QotW from week 40!!)

So sorry to be so late this morning! First, I totally spaced that it was Thursday. Kept thinking it was Friday this morning. And then had to make an unplanned stop on the way to work, which delayed my posting even further! Ah, well, the workweek is about done!

It is National Immigrants Day!! This has been recognized in the US since 1987 and I am just NOW learning of it! (Thank goodness for NPR!) **NOTE: I had to remove the link to the website for this due to a new (at least to me) Goodreads prohibition against posting "links to other sites." Ugh...

The United States of America is known as the world’s melting pot, and every year on October 28 National Immigrants Day gives us a reason to reflect on just how unique that distinction is among the world’s 195 sovereign nations. As Americans, we are proud of our long history of welcoming immigrants from all parts of the world and value their contributions that add zest to our nation’s blend of cultures, customs, and traditions.

Although this country has not lived out these ideals in the past 5 years or so to a great degree, (At least in my opinion…) I have faith that we will! I feel as if the overwhelming majority of U.S. citizens honor the above, but somehow there are many times these sentiments get lost when it comes to politicians’ policy decisions.

Interestingly, one of our faculty who is from Venezuela/France/Mexico, referred to himself as an “immigrant” the other day and it kinda shocked me momentarily. Then I realized I just don’t tend to “label” people any more. And I was glad for that. It’s not as if he doesn’t speak with a pronounced accent even though he is multi-lingual. 😊

Admin Stuff:
October’s Monthly Group Read discussion of Anxious People by Fredrik Backman is here in the Current Monthly Group Read folder! I’m anxious to read over others’ thoughts on this one. I adored it when I read it in April. This will finish up on Sunday.

You can post the book(s) you’ve read to fulfill prompt #13 a locked-room mystery here!

And then as of next Monday, November 1, we will officially begin discussion of Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley. This will fulfill prompt #16 A book by an indigenous author, determined by an unprecedented tiebreaker vote with only one vote selecting this book over Tommy Orange’s There There! (Such excitement! 😉) Lindsey is the “happy helper” who volunteered to facilitate this discussion! Thank you!! And, as usual, we will also have a thread for you to post whatever you have read to fulfill this prompt in another discussion thread. These will be opened on Sunday. 😊

Question of the Week:
(from Theresa—though I edited a bit…)
What is it about a book that makes it good for discussion? Do you have to love the book or can it be a book that you didn’t particularly enjoy?

In my experiences both as a facilitator and a discussion member, mostly in real life/face-to-face groups, there seemed to be more and better discussion when there were mixed reactions to a book—some loved it, some thought it was okay, and some didn’t enjoy it at all. Some of the tougher discussions were when every member loved the book! Almost too much agreement! And actually, there were times when no one particularly enjoyed the book but we had great discussions! I do not believe enjoyment is positively correlated to good discussion.

How about you?

Popsugar: 46/50
ATY: 49/52
RHC: 16/24
Reading Women: 13/28

FINISHED:
The Sound and the Furry (Chet & Bernie #6) by Spencer Quinn ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ was just as good as the first 5 books in this series! I love being inside Chet’s head! LOL Such an entertaining bit of reading every time for me.
POPSUGAR: #18-Protecting the environment, #22, #30-Louisiana, #34-Corporate greed at the expense of safety, #36-517 reviews on Goodreads, #46, #47-One of my favorite authors and series!
ATY: #1-In the beginning, Chet is fierce!, #2, #3-…whiskers on kittens…Cats, or rather the lack thereof, play a role in this book!, #8-Louisiana, #10-the waitress and Vonna, #13-I read A Fistful of Collars, Chet & Bernie #5, in 2020!, #20-We must protect our environment in order to have a viable future, #21, #27-Justice, Death, #34, #40, #42, #45-Charlie is Bernie’s son and Chet’s favorite person!
RHC: #24

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ was such a slow read for me. But it is so very deep! So many questions and considerations to be contemplated, IMO! This was phenomenal!
POPSUGAR: NEW#11, #21-Fantasy, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Paranormal, Romance, Science Fiction, Young Adult, #27, #29-France, US, #30-France, #37, #38, #43, #47-Author of one of my favorite series!
ATY: #1-In the beginning, neither Addie nor Henry realized exactly what they had agreed to, #3-…whiskers on kittens…Book!, #4, #6, #8-France, #9-July 29, #10-Addie was definitely a criminal in the strictest sense…a thief! But what else could she do to survive?, #13-I read A Darker Shade of Magic (Shades of Magic #1) in 2020!, #20-If it’s possible, Addie has too much future ahead, just as she has too much past behind her!, #23-Fantasy, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Paranormal, Romance, Science Fiction, Young Adult, #27-The Lovers, Strength, Death, The Devil, Judgment, The World, The Fool, #30, #34, #36, #39, #43, #46-2020 Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Fantasy
RHC: #24
Reading Women: #5-Over 300 years old!

Pop Goes the Weasel (Alex Cross #5) by James Patterson ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ was basically a repeat of the first 4 in the series as far as the perpetrator. Yet another “crazy”/addicted serial killer. I admit that part of these books is the least enjoyable part for me. What keeps me reading is Alex and his family. Fortunately, the characterization is well done. I just wish we could get past at least one (sometimes more…) serial killer in each and every installment. But for now I will continue with Roses Are Red, the sixth book in the series…
POPSUGAR: #4, #18-Safety and security for all!, #27, #29-Bermuda, Jamaica, England, United States, #30-Bermuda, Jamaica, #33, #34-Equal investigative resources for all neighborhoods!
ATY: #3-At one point Shafer rides a pale pony in his children’s birthday party, #6, #8-Bermuda, England, Jamaica, #18-The past did not determine the future for Alex and Christine, #24, #25-partially, #27-The Lovers, Justice, Death, Judgment, #31, #34, #42, #52-In the end, Alex’s life came full circle…
RHC: #24

CONTINUING:
After the first 50 pages of The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman, I am thrilled to be reading this! What a hoot!
The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner is the October group read for two different Goodreads groups. I hope I can finish it by October 31!
The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates

PLANNED:
And the others that are waiting patiently...
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.

Nadine wrote: "Every Vow You Break by Peter Swanson - I had fairly high expectations for this, because I thought Swanson was a pretty good thriller writer, but WOW was this bad. This is the fourth book I've read by him and it's absolutely the worst of the bunch. Such a dumb set up. One star."

Agreed. I DNF that one, and I have enjoyed a few of his other books, so I don't know how he went so wrong with this one.

Mary wrote: "Nadine wrote: "Every Vow You Break by Peter Swanson - I had fairly high expectations for this, because I thought Swanson was a pretty good thriller writer, but WOW was this bad. This is the fourth ..."


I am glad to hear it's not just me. Because this book is getting a lot of positive reviews on GR and I dont' understand why.

Sorry for being a bug! I'm so used to the threads already being up by 7-8am that it made me antsy today.

Finished:
The Historian - 2.5 stars. I liked it for all the traveling, but this book was confusing and cliche in equal parts. Good horror-ish ending, but I didn't care about the romance subplot. Lots of meh here. Book on your TBR the longest
A Game of You - 4 stars. This volume took a good look at imagination.
The Murders in the Rue Morgue - 3 stars
The Pit and the Pendulum - 3 stars
Night of the Mannequins: A Tor.com Original - 3.5 stars. I get the feeling that if Stephen King and Caroline Kepnes had a book baby, it would turn out something like this. Book by an indigenous author

PS 49/50
One more left! Gotta squeeze in Get a Life, Chloe Brown in December.

Currently:
The Fall of the House of Cabal
Fatherland
The Arctic Fury

QOTW: (from Theresa) What is it about a book that makes it good for discussion? Do you have to love the book or can it be a book that you didn’t particularly enjoy?
I love seeing opposing opinions about books, because those can spur discussions for hours. Otherwise, I love when discussions go off on tangents and spool into side stories or bring in mentions of other books. I don't think I have to like or dislike a book for the discussion to be good (there was excellent chatter in one of my other groups about Wuthering Heights when a few of us read it last year, and I was not a fan).

I didn't get much reading done this week. I had a busy weekend and this week, I had court and meetings and several trainings, so I didn't want to think anymore when I got home. My training yesterday on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion training came with book recommendations, and I love it when trainers recommend books, so I have a few to books to add to my list, and was pleasantly surprised to see that I had read one of the books already (Thanks PopSugar Challenge!)

I finished:
The Violent Season: This book was interesting and different for the genre, but when I'm looking back at my rating of 4 starts almost a week later, I'm not sure that it was deserving of that. It really hasn't stuck with me much and I remember being disappointed at the way that it concluded.

Currently reading:
I Am Still Alive: I enjoy a wilderness survival book, and this one has some extra elements that I'm sure I will enjoy if done well, but I'm having trouble giving anything my full attention right now, and I'm very nervous that there is a dog in this story. If anyone has read this and something bad happens to the dog, please warn me, because I need to stop reading immediately!!!

QOTW:

I have never been in a book club, so I'm not sure what makes for a good discussion, but I know I love to talk to people that enjoyed the same books as me about our favorite characters/parts. I agree that that is sometimes pretty one-dimensional, so I guess it depends on what you're hoping to get out of the discussion.

I finished The Far Pavilions. I assume someone somewhere is arranging the appropriate parade.

I read Hallowe'en Party. It was OK. Definitely not my fave Christie.

And I've started The Great Dissenter: The Story of John Marshall Harlan, America's Judicial Hero.

QOTW: I don't think enjoying it would be the key. I think having something worthy to discuss in the book would be the key. Like 3 dimensional characters, maybe a controversial action or plot.

Lynn wrote: "**NOTE: I had to remove the link to the website for this due to a new (at least to me) Goodreads prohibition against posting "links to other sites." Ugh......"



oh how annoying!!! I've heard this happens, but I haven't experienced it yet.

Goodreads is "fixing" the wrong things. We still have spammers, AND we are now hamstrung. Great.

Katy wrote: "I finished The Far Pavilions. I assume someone somewhere is arranging the appropriate parade. ..."



Woohoo!! Finishing a book that long is an ACCOMPLISHMENT!!!

Just one book finished this week, The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling for my random word for ATY (witch). I liked the whole accidental curse aspect of this but the romance was a bit irritating. So much denial, maybe I just don't like the "second chance" trope? Rhys seemed nice 9 years on from a teenage blunder, but Vivi is holding a major grudge, yet all the time thinking about having sex with him.

I haven't been getting in much audiobook time, so I am still listening to The Dark. It has suffered a bit by the thing mentioned on the cover being a thing that happens two thirds through, so I've kind of been waiting for it to start. I try not to read blurbs because of this but this is literally the tagline on the cover. Hmpf.

Currently reading The Winter Garden which is charming.

QOTW:
I find it a lot easier to dissect a book when I don't love it, and lively discussions did tend to come out of the books we liked less. Beyond that, I think things like controversial or unusual topics lead to more discussion. I haven't been to a book group in forever though, I got a bit annoyed with having to read a book chosen by someone else every month 🤣 I think I'd prefer a book group where we just meet once a month to talk about books in general!

Good morning! I have a busy morning and a light afternoon, which is the reverse of how it normally goes. I'm remote today, which makes me happy because I plan to use my lighter afternoon to make dough for Halloween cutout cookies!

Thank goodness the people at the café I go to don't mind me bringing them treats...I thought they might find it weird, but I love baking and don't need to eat everything myself! Luckily, they seem to appreciate it lol.

My mom is coming up on Saturday so we can go to the symphony (can't WAIT to hear Night on Bald Mountain live!) and then Sunday morning we fly out to Napa for a few days. Also excited to drink all the wine!

Finished:
Coraline by Neil Gaiman - A book everyone has read but me. This was cute! I went in assuming I'd like it, and I did. Gaiman likes repeating the same words a lot, which was a strange thing to notice...not in a "these words have an important symbolic meaning" kind of a way, but in a "I guess he couldn't come up with other descriptors" kind of way. But the story was fun! And I wonder if I noticed the repetition because I was listening to it.

Currently Reading:
Eldest by Christopher Paolini - A book that takes place mostly or entirely outdoors. Continuing my Inheritance Cycle re-read so I can finally read the last book! I'm still enjoying it. I forgot how much I love his characters; the fact that he allows his teenage boys to actually be upset when they've killed someone, even if it was for noble reasons, is just so great. Give me more teen boys who cry!!! These are traumatic situations!!!

QOTW:
It's rare that I have trouble discussing a book, whether I liked it or not. If I'm having trouble, it's either because I don't really remember it or because I haven't fully processed it and can't yet verbalize my thoughts.

Nadine wrote: "Hey Lynn is running late so I'm starting the check-in!"
Thanks so much for your help, Nadine! I have added another reminder on my calendar on Thursday mornings, just in case. Ugh. Work just has me frazzled right now. Seriously considering "retiring" so I can just job-hunt full-time...

"Wow Thursday really came fast this week!! It's time to figure out what we are going to carve on our pumpkins.
People get so creative with this now. Glad we were doing this ages ago when it was much simpler! LOL (I'm no artiste!)

"We still have some leaves on our maple tree, but it won't be for much longer now."
I did notice yesterday that our leaves are now starting to turn.

"This week I read five books, one for this challenge, so I am now 45/50."
You have five more to go and I have only four. But...I must locate my copy of Gold to fulfill prompt #45 The book that's been on your TBR list for the longest time. So, I guess it's no surprise that I'm having a difficult time locating it since it has been on my TBR listing the longest time... LOL (❁´◡`❁)

"First, a fantastic picture book:
Is Was by Deborah Freedman - I just loved everything about this book. It presented a complex, abstract concept in a very simple way, with beautiful art."
Awwww...this looks so cute!

"The Hollow Places by T. Kingfisher - I decided to read a creepy book for October, and this was a winner. It was exactly creepy enough for me, but not terrifying."
Another one for my "Do NOT Read" shelf! 😲

"Every Vow You Break by Peter Swanson - I had fairly high expectations for this, because I thought Swanson was a pretty good thriller writer, but WOW was this bad. This is the fourth book I've read by him and it's absolutely the worst of the bunch. Such a dumb set up. One star."
Looks as if several others are echoing your own negative reaction to this one! That always makes me feel a bit better--to know it is NOT just me!

"Mr. Hotshot CEO by Jackie Lau - this was my DNFed book! I started it last year, and just set it aside and never felt like picking it up again."
At least you've fulfilled that prompt! I have yet to do so, but am hoping to in November!

The Back Chamber - poetry from former poet laureate Donald Hall - this was an uneven collection, some powerful poems, but a lot of quotidian dick lit too."
I was reading your review and had to look up "prurient" since I couldn't quite remember the meaning, though I evidently did once I read it! LOL I love to be challenged with rather unfamiliar words, so thank you! LOL Sorry this wasn't your jam!

"QotW
(from Theresa) What is it about a book that makes it good for discussion? Do you have to love the book or can it be a book that you didn’t particularly enjoy?

Great question, since I just joined a new book club last month!! A good book club book has a lot to talk about and has polarizing opinions. So, no, it doesn't have to be a book I've enjoyed. If everyone simply gushes: "oh I just loved this book and I can't even say why," that is a great book, but not a good discussion!! If some people liked aspects of the book and other people did not, that gives you a lot to talk about. Even better if characters in the book engage in morally grey activities, so that you can discuss if you agreed with their actions, if it seemed in character, if you would have done the same, etc. Sometimes a good discussion happens when you've learned things from a book, or you were inspired to go do research after reading it (and this ties into our QotW from week 40!!)"
Agreed!

I didn't finish any books this week. I had to put Dracula on hold, a bit because I could only sign A Slow Fire Burning out for 2 weeks. Everyone wants to read it. (At least where I live.)

Currently reading:

Dracula - almost done
A Slow Fire Burning - half done

QOTW:

I haven't been in a book club for almost 20 years, so I have to base it on discussions I've had with people. It seems great when I people love or hate the same books that I do, but what I find matters more than anything is people who can articulate their reasons for feeling a certain way about a book. Don't just tell me you hated a book because "it was badly written". Tell me that you thought a character was one dimensional, or that you found 16 typos in it, or that the ending was telegraphed in chapter 5. I find we sometimes have good book discussions at my writing group because we look at them as writers and comment on plot points, or choice of point of view, or structure of the book.

Happy Thursday, y’all.

It has been a week. I'm exhausted. And that's all I'll say for now.

Books read this week:

All Creatures Great and Small -- most people know about James Herriot, who made a name for himself publishing books and stories about his life as a country vet… but it was quite hilarious reading the full, colorful account of his first few years as an assistant vet.

Killer -- think “Jaws” but with an orca in place of the shark. Fairly dated (it was published in the ‘70s) and can be difficult to read if you have a soft spot for orcas, but otherwise it’s a ghoulishly entertaining thriller.

L'Espirit de L'Escalier -- Tor short. A modernized retelling of the story of Orpheus and Eurydice… with a morbid yet compelling twist.

The Girl from the Other Side: Siúil, A Rún, Volume 2 -- just as good as the first, and while it leaves a lot of unanswered questions, it’s still eerie and enchanting and leaves me wanting more.

Currently Reading:

The Ruin of Kings
Children of Time
The Prey of Gods

QOTW:

I... really don't take part in a book club. But I think you can discuss a book whether or not you liked it (though the conversation could get interesting if you REALLY hated the book, haha...)

40/40 - FINISHED!!
We enjoyed another week with amazing weather and fall foliage in Switzerland. It was a week of hiking, enjoying the sun and reading. I finished 4 books, I guess that’s a record for 1 week.

Finished
The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Prompt: #1, a book that’s published in 2021. Also fits #33, a book featuring three generations, # 34, a book about a social justice issue.

The City of Mist: Stories by Carlos Ruiz Zafón ⭐⭐⭐
Prompt: #35, a book in a different format (it’s a short story book, I never read short stories). Also fits: #28, a magical realism book.

I’m not a short story person, so I wasn’t that thrilled by it. But I do love Zafón’s writing, so I had a good time after all. In the Dutch edition there’s an extra story Zafón wrote for the newspaper El País on 9/11 in 2002. That was a very impressive story.

Fortuna's kinderen by Annejet van der Zijl ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Prompt: #40, Your favorite prompt from a past Popsugar Reading Challenge. Also fits #9 (family tree), #29 (set in multiple countries: USA and Netherlands), #33 (three generations), #34 (social justice issue).

The story of Leon Herckenrath (from the Netherlands) and Juliette (slave since she was born in Charleston) and their family. They married around 1840 in Charleston, had to smuggle their young children on ships to the Netherlands, got very wealthy and saw their children marrying in well-to-do Dutch families. Their daughter turned out to one of the richest women of San Francisco. Impressive family story.

De toekomst die nooit kwam. Hoe Rusland worstelt met zijn verleden by Marc Jansen ⭐⭐
Prompt: #26, a book with an oxymoron in the title (future that never came, yeah, I know, wide interpretation).

The Russian Revolution promised a new society. That society never came. What they got was terror, suppression and distrust.

Currently reading
Anne of Avonlea by L.M. Montgomery

QOTW
Both. It has to have different opinions to spark a good discussion. If everyone enjoyed the book, the discussion is over very fast.

Dewey’s Readathon was last Saturday. My theme for this readathon was OMG FINISH THESE BOOKS! because I had several half-finished books sitting on my coffee table. I read 560 pages and finished a couple books. It felt really nice to read all day again.

My mom is home from the hospital/care facility so I’ve been working from her home this week to help her out. She still can’t drive. I have Friday as a vacation day, thankfully. After a month in the hospital, mom is ready to get out and about. We’re going to take it slow, though. We’re having lunch out and seeing Dune.

Finished
Hydra by Holly Scott and Jaimie Duncan (a random book from your TBR). Not a bad SG-1 story, but it was hard keeping track of all of the different SG-1 variants. The time jumps made that even harder to keep straight.

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue (a book about forgetting). I loved this book! It was a rollercoaster ride of emotions. The Faustian bargain, the battle of wits and wills, the love story, the history. Absolutely adored this book!

Elephants Can Remember by Agatha Christie (a book from your TBR list you associate with a favorite person, place, or thing). I guessed the motive and the killer! It’s the first time I’ve ever been able to do that with an Agatha Christie novel. Maybe it’s because writers that came after her copied her, though? This was an enjoyable book.

Reading
Written in My Own Heart's Blood by Diana Gabalandon (the longest book on your TBR).

Four Dragons by Diana Dru Botsford (a book from your TBR you meant to read last year). I’m starting this tonight, hopefully.

QOTW
I think book discussions are most fun when they’re personal. What would you/I do in this situation? I love having those kinds of discussions. I’m not a person who can hate read books, and negative conversations upset me. For me, it’s essential that I liked a book to discuss it. I have been known to make a few snarky comments about books I hate, but I wouldn’t want to discuss them.

Nadine wrote: "a lot of quotidian dick lit"

What an absolutely INSPIRED way of describing this XD

Wow! I finished more than I realized, which is some, which is more than I have in a couple of weeks!

Finished: At the Existentialist Café: Freedom, Being, and Apricot Cocktails An engaging biography, focusing mostly on Heidegger, Sartre, and Beauviour.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy A re-read. Comic genius.

The Reading List You guys recommended this one as a tear-jerker. I enjoyed it, but I didn't get as caught up in it emotionally as I thought I might.

Started: Recipe for Disaster Oh my gosh! This one's killing me. Such painful parallels with my life.

The Words This feels oddly out of time, like it takes place in the early 19th century rather than the early 1900's.

Qotw: I think the best discussions emerge from books that are controversial. I also prefer book clubs where we come to consensus on selecting each title rather than taking turns picking books. In my favorite book club, we always chose something that was socially justice related. That wasn't something we explicitly set out to do in the beginning. It just happened that that was an area of interest for many of us in the book club.

I'm heading off to Central Park later for a Pumpkin Float on the Harlem Meer (one of the 'lakes' - I call them large ponds) at 110th Street and Fifth Avenue - the very northern end of CP! A witch in a canoe pulls rafts filled with lit jack-o-lanterns behind her around the Harlem Meer just after sunset. You can bring a jack-o-lanterns to float. I'm not doing that but will hopefully get some nice photos while enjoying an early evening outdoor outing.

Like Nadine, I'm at 45/50 in PS! One of those is however my longest in pages - which I have started.

Finished - neither for PS:

Becoming George Sand
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - a re-read that I savored! British edition - another goregous cover -

Currently Reading:

Frankenstein: The 1818 Text- for published anonymously - technically a re-read as I know I read the 1831 version at least 40 years ago. I'm loving it!
Bespelling Jane Austen - 4 novellas by various historical romance authors inspired by Austen's Persuasion, Emma, Northanger Abbey, and Pride & Prejudice -- or let's say versions that include reincarnation, vampires, and other spooky paranormal elements.
This Cold Heaven: Seven Seasons in Greenland
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
A Suitable Boy

QOTW: My question! I actually just had a big conversation on this with reading friends. I find the best discussion books are those that

1. encompass emotional journeys or decisions or big themes/issues
2. I find myself researching a lot as I read
3. I highlight or underline or tab for future reference
4. Has me making connections or comparisons to other reading
5. has me contemplating for a while after I finish.

I do not have to like a book, and in fact, the more diverse the reactions to a book, the livelier the discussions.

Example: I was meh about Normal People which I read recenlty. But I have had very lively discussons about it with others who have read it and who like me were less enthralled by it and those who loved it.

I'm currently reading Frankenstein: The 1818 Text- it's my Feminerdy Book Club pick for November - and I knew from 20% in that this was going to be a lively discussion. Everything about it is going to contribute: it's place as a classic of romantic era fiction, the themes, treatment of women vs. men, who is the monster here, the setting, the weather in the book, and perhaps most of all , the backstory of the author and how she came to write it.

Contrast The Murderbot Diaries -- my Feminerdy Book Club has discussed a couple of those and we actually struggle to come up with an hour of discussion. We all love them, love the world and writing, and there just isn't enough to trigger big discussion.

I also generally find most non-fiction not particularly good discussion books. Others I'm sure disagree. I feel that while than can trigger a really great discussion on a subject, the non-fiction book itself is not so conducive to discussions about the writing or structure or whatever.

Another recent read that was a crappy discussion: The Left Hand of Darkness - most of us did not like it and all had the same problems with it. It became a venting session about the book, not a discussion.

Other recent books that triggered great discussions:
She Who Became the Sun- we did not even finish our discussion. Some loved it and some liked it but had problems with it (one problem expressed as main reason reader did not like it was something none of the rest of us noticed at all).
Mexican Gothic- discussing in bits as friends finish reading it - but all discussion so far has been really good.
Black Water Sister- we all gave it a mixed review but basically enjoyed it and there was a really good discussion.
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue- I've had amazing discussions on this book - I loved it but many didn't. I do find though that those who engaged in discussion on this one are those who love it, not those who were meh or didn't like. I think this is one of those that if you dislike it you have nothing to discuss about it.

I'm one of the minority who hated Wolf Hall - and I enjoy getting into lively discussions explaining why I did and listening to why others loved it and had no problem with what I took issue against.

I read a few things but none of them for the challenge.

The Case of the Murderous Dr. Cream: The Hunt for a Victorian Era Serial Killer by Dean Jobb was pretty good though I wish he had time jumped less (on the flip side it has 100 pages of sources...)

BRZRKR #1 by Keanu Reeves I think Keanu is beginning to buy into his John Wick persona. This was an ultraviolent graphic novel

QOTW I think this really depends on the book club genre. For instance I'm more interested in mystery or SF/F ones. There you have the killer, the way the red herrings were handled, the science and believeablity of it etc.

Happy Thursday! Our leaves are FINALLY starting to turn. I feel like it's late this year! Weather is slow getting cool though too. I am so ready for the change of seasons.

Finished 44/50

Priceless: How I Went Undercover to Rescue the World's Stolen Treasures for "book about art or an artist". This was wild! What a life this guy has lived! I enjoyed reading this. I learned a lot about art and undercover work.

The Pilgrim's Progress for "book everyone seems to have read but you". Well. Now I have. All I can say is Hinds' Feet on High Places is way better.

Currently Reading

Dimitri's Cross: The Life & Letters of St. Dimitri Klepinin, Martyred During the Holocaust for "fave past prompt". I love the "first book you see in a bookstore" prompt from 2016, so this was the first one I saw in my church's bookstore and now I'm reading it! Looks like it'll be a powerful read.

QotW

A book that makes you think or challenges certain points of view is always fun for discussions because then you can move past just talking "about" the book to "what does this book mean for my life" and that can get really fun and deep and you start learning a lot from other people and how their experiences shaped how they interpret the book you're reading.

Ashley Marie wrote: "Sorry for being a bug! I'm so used to the threads already being up by 7-8am that it made me antsy today."
You are not being a "bug"! I don't know why, but it just completely was NOT on my radar this morning! The irony is that I had a whole hour while listening to meditation that I could have easily posted. Ah, well, now I have added an additional reminder on Thursday mornings on my calendar, so hopefully that won't happen again!

"Finished:
The Historian - 2.5 stars. I liked it for all the traveling, but this book was confusing and cliche in equal parts. Good horror-ish ending, but I didn't care about the romance subplot. Lots of meh here. Book on your TBR the longest"
This is one I keep looking at and wondering if I would really enjoy it or not...

"The Murders in the Rue Morgue - 3
The Pit and the Pendulum - 3 stars
Night of the Mannequins: A Tor.com Original - 3.5 stars. I get the feeling that if Stephen King and Caroline Kepnes had a book baby, it would turn out something like this. Book by an indigenous author"
All of these look pretty creepy! LOL

"PS 48/50
Only two books to go!!"
Whoo! Whoo!

"Currently:
The Arctic Fury"
This looks good!

"QOTW: (from Theresa) What is it about a book that makes it good for discussion? Do you have to love the book or can it be a book that you didn’t particularly enjoy?
I love seeing opposing opinions about books, because those can spur discussions for hours. Otherwise, I love when discussions go off on tangents and spool into side stories or bring in mentions of other books. I don't think I have to like or dislike a book for the discussion to be good (there was excellent chatter in one of my other groups about Wuthering Heights when a few of us read it last year, and I was not a fan)."
That seems to be the popular response thus far. 😉

Hey all! I'm off work this week, finally!, but all I can think about is, "ugh I have to go back." So... yeah. On the bright side, I actually watched two movies! I used to watch TONS of movies but these were literally the second and third of the year. I've listened to some books and yesterday I did a couple of jigsaw puzzles. I've been saving a few for my time off and I still have some left. Woohoo!

Don't be jealous, not everyone can lead a life this exciting.

OK this week:

Finished:
A Line To Kill - The third Hawthorn & Horowitz book. It still tickles me that he wrote himself in as the sidekick. This one is even more meta because it takes place during promotion for the first book! hahaha

The Last House on Needless Street - I was looking for a creepy book for spooky season. This started creepy and then was not was I was expecting, but in an expected way, and I thought it was just sad.

Yes & No - picture book, cute illustrations

The Lion and the Mouse - picture book, elaborate illustrations

Peril at Owl Park - The second Aggie Morton, Mystery Queen book. I love these middle grade murder mysteries inspired by Agatha Christie! Young Aggie, her BFF Hector Perot and sometimes her Granny Jane (as in Marple) try to solve murder and mystery at a manor, on Christmas. I tried to hold off on reading this until December, but I just couldn't.


Currently Reading:
The Dead Man in the Garden - Aggie Morton book three! This is the most recent, and last night I had to go on a hunt for whether there will be a book four, and there will! Woohoo!


QOTW:
I think the best books for discussion are those that have something to say, as opposed to being just a nice story. Some sort of commentary on our world, however veiled and hidden it might be.

Happy Thursday - this week really is flying by!

Thanks for the note on National Immigrants Day, Lynn! Lots to think about. I really wish we treated immigrants so much better than we do. I also thought of this book that came out recently, Not a Nation of Immigrants: Settler Colonialism, White Supremacy, and a History of Erasure and Exclusion, that I plan to read soon, which I think pushes back on white folks claiming "this is a nation of immigrants" referring to the early "immigrants," who were really colonizers/settlers destroying the Indigenous folks already here. But I think the celebration can be more about the immigrants who have come after those folks and how much better we need to support them.

This week I finished:

On the Way to Casa Lotus: A Memoir of Family, Art, Injury, and Forgiveness This was... a frustrating story but don't know that it needed to be a book. :/ 3 stars

The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina Fun audiobook. 4 stars

The Five Wounds I love reading books set in New Mexico in general, but I enjoyed this one for other reasons as well. 5 stars

Ponciá Vicêncio Excellent Brazilian book for one of my book clubs. 5 stars

The Lost Apothecary This was for one of my other book clubs, and it was a nice light read to break up heavier books. We all enjoyed it. 4 stars

Currently reading: What Storm, What Thunder in print and listening to Allegedly.

QOTW: I'm in a few different book clubs and the books that tend to provide the best conversations are the ones that spark passion in readers. Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption, The Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life and Freedom on Death Row, There There, and Daughter of a Daughter of a Queen come to mind.

As far as needing to like the book; it's not necessary, as long as you have a lot to say about why you didn't like it. If people just found it boring, there won't be much to talk about.

Hi everyone. I've had a few days off of work to de-stress recently so I'm feeling really relaxed at the moment. I'm looking forward to Halloween too.

This week was terrible reading wise unfortunately. I DNF White Teeth. I gave it until the POV change but I really did not get the hype.

I did finish If on a Winter's Night a Traveler but I hated it. It was a great premise but I really disliked the execution. The different novels all read as the same voice. They weren't distinct enough so it just felt like one big ramble.

I'm at 47 out of 50 but I don't have much reading time in November or December so I doubt I'm going to finish this year.

QOTW: I've never been a part of a book club so i don't have any definitive experience. I probably have more to say about books I don't like than books I do like though

Cornerofmadness wrote: "... BRZRKR #1 by Keanu Reeves I think Keanu is beginning to buy into his John Wick persona. This was an ultraviolent graphic novel ..."


WAT Keanu Reeves wrote a comic book? And that looks like him on the cover too??!! Yeah I've never heard of this book but now I need to read it.

Heather wrote: "Dewey’s Readathon was last Saturday. My theme for this readathon was OMG FINISH THESE BOOKS! because I had several half-finished books sitting on my coffee table. I read 560 pages and finished a co..."


Excellent news about your mom!!! I hope she continues a wonderful recovery and you enjoy your time spent together.

Sarah wrote: "This week was terrible reading wise unfortunately. I DNF White Teeth. I gave it until the POV change but I really did not get the hype. ..."



Same here, I just could not with that book, and i don't understand the hype. I skimmed the rest of it to make sure I wasn't missing anything good, and I think I read the last few chapters, too. Not for me. I've never read another book by Smith because I was so turned off by that one.

Mary wrote: "I didn't get much reading done this week. I had a busy weekend and this week, I had court and meetings and several trainings, so I didn't want to think anymore when I got home. My training yesterday on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion training came with book recommendations, and I love it when trainers recommend books, so I have a few to books to add to my list, and was pleasantly surprised to see that I had read one of the books already (Thanks PopSugar Challenge!)"
Wow! I am also grateful for book recommendations from training sessions. May I ask what you added to your TBR? And...what one have you already read? DEI is the big thing on our campus right now as well.

"I finished:
The Violent Season: This book was interesting and different for the genre, but when I'm looking back at my rating of 4 starts almost a week later, I'm not sure that it was deserving of that. It really hasn't stuck with me much and I remember being disappointed at the way that it concluded."
I'm so glad to hear that someone else is doubting their rating given immediately after reading it. There are some that truly surprise me when I read them months/years earlier! LOL
¯\_(ツ)_/¯

"Currently reading:
I Am Still Alive: I enjoy a wilderness survival book, and this one has some extra elements that I'm sure I will enjoy if done well, but I'm having trouble giving anything my full attention right now, and I'm very nervous that there is a dog in this story. If anyone has read this and something bad happens to the dog, please warn me, because I need to stop reading immediately!!!"
Sorry I can't be of help with this one. Ugh...

"QOTW:
I have never been in a book club, so I'm not sure what makes for a good discussion, but I know I love to talk to people that enjoyed the same books as me about our favorite characters/parts. I agree that that is sometimes pretty one-dimensional, so I guess it depends on what you're hoping to get out of the discussion."
A very good point!

Happy check-in!

Finished Reading:

The Prince and the Dressmaker ⭐⭐⭐
This stared me down at the library for months, and then I went to borrow it and I had to request it from another location because someone else had borrowed it. Anyway it was a pretty cute graphic novel with great artwork. I didn't like the ending because it felt quite rushed.

Long Way Down ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The concept of this was a brilliant. Every floor the elevator stops at a ghost of gun violence past gets on to talk to the main character. Really recommend this poetry collection. I also really loved the couple of anagrams that were used.

City of Bones and City of Ashes ⭐⭐⭐⭐
I started this series years ago but lost interest. I have enjoyed the movies and netflix show since then. I'm hopefully going to read the 5 origional books so that I can see if I want to read any of the spinoff series.

Squad ⭐⭐
I wanted to like this high school werewolf story better. The explanation for teenagers being werewolves was never addressed. Everything that happened plot wise was erased by the end.

Displacement ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Another book this week with an amazing concept. A teenage girl time travels back into her grandmother's experiences in a incarceration camp. This is semi biographical and the artwork was good. Stand out quote: “Being from the Future meant very little when my education on the past was so limited”
― Kiku Hughes, Displacement

Bird Box ⭐⭐⭐⭐
I saw the movie first and the book held up to my expectations. This was a botm and perfectly creepy for October. Definitely interested in the sequel.

PS 2021 44/50
PS 2017 47/52
Goodreads 233/250

Currently Reading:
Lost and Found Sisters
Fatty Legs: A True Story
Japense fairy tales
A Twist of Fate

QOTW:
I've only been in book clubs online so I can't really answer. I do think that books that invoke strong emotions will lead to discussion while boring books will not.

Hi all! It's been a long week today (and yesterday, and the day before....). I have to do my paperwork within 7 days of each client meeting. Yesterday (Wednesday), I was freaking out a little bit thinking that I was almost out of time for some notes. When I actually went to write them, they were just from Monday! But so much had happened since then!!

My kiddo carved a pumpkin last week with her grandma, but with all the rain we got earlier this week, it turned into a pile of mush. So she painted another one instead.

I finished The Hunger this week for a genre hybrid- historical fiction/ horror/ supernatural. I'm a wimp when it comes to horror and supernatural stuff, but I really liked this a lot. I thought the author did a great job blending the real with the unreal and I loved how she pulled it all together in the end.

I've made a little bit of progress in The Diary of a Young Girl. I also started The Gown for a bedtime audiobook because I was looking for something a little less miserable than the other 2 books I've been working on! But I still might need to add a comedy into the rotation....

QOTW: I think interesting or surprising characters and plot twists make for good discussions. I've had good discussions with people when we all liked the book, if there were surprises or questions about what happened and why. Books where everything is wrapped up neatly seem to generate less discussion than books where someone made a bad choice, or a good choice for a bad reason etc. I've never been in a real life book club, so all of this is based on group reads on goodreads.

Happy Thursday! Here's what I've read in the last few weeks.


Finished
How to Be Ace: A Memoir of Growing Up Asexual - 3. A book that has a heart, diamond, club, or spade on the cover

With the Fire on High - 14. A book set in a restaurant

Together, Apart - 26. A book with an oxymoron in the title

Call Me Indian: From the Trauma of Residential School to Becoming the NHL's First Treaty Indigenous Player - ATY28

The City of Brass - ATY11

The Rose Code - Don't think this fits anything

PROGRESS
PS - 39/50 | ATY - 46/52 | BR - 11/24

Currently Reading
Notes on a Nervous Planet
Summer of Salt
Sharks in the Time of Saviors

QOTW
I've never been in a book club, so I don't have much experience with what makes a good book discussion.

It’s been a dreary, soggy day here, the kind that would have been perfect for curling up with a book and a blanket. Alas, work — though I was able to settle in and finish a book this evening. Two books completed in the last week, neither of which fit the Popsugar challenge.

Progress:
GR: 114/120 (16 ahead)
PS: 46/50 (4 to go!)

Finished:
*Charms and Chocolate Chips by Bailey Cates — Third book in a cozy mystery series that features a magical bakery.

* Hunger by Knut Hamsun (audiobook) — Listened to this for a classics group and did not like it as much as Growth of the Soil, which I also read this month. I know what it’s like to be food insecure, a problem all too many people face, but the narrator is not a nice person and, I feel, brings much of his misery on himself.

In Progress:
* His Last Bow by Arthur Conan Doyle (audiobook, three stories left)

* Murder on Black Swan Lane by Andrea Penrose, a cozy historical mystery.

QOTW:
I’ve never belonged to an in-person book club, but have seen some interesting book discussions in various GR groups. Differing views and experiences definitely make for livelier discussions.

Not a particularly successful reading week - only completed 2 <300pg Kindle books and bounced off a couple of longer ones.

In my personal life, I have finally made some progress towards my longstanding goal of starting a Booktube channel - my laptop is really starting to fail so I've ordered a replacement which is pretty high end, should be more than powerful enough for video editing. Plus a camera & tripod kit.
And now I have The Fear about actually doing something and putting myself out there. And wrangling technology. Techspeak makes me cry.
Aaagh.

Books!

Completed:

The Saturday Night Ghost Club - I really liked this! The Stranger Things comparisons pretty much sum it up - 80s-set coming-of-age with a spooky edge.
The ending was a liiittle unbelievable, though. (view spoiler)[There's plot-convenient amnesia, and then there's freakin' laser-guided amnesia. (hide spoiler)]
Would love to read more of Craig Davidson's work, but all his other books seem to be out of print in the UK, and I don't think I could handle his pen-name horror books. :(

Leave the World Behind - ooh I do like "quiet apocalypse" books. It's fun sometimes to get into that unnerving mood where you have to look up every so often and remind yourself that the real world is still ticking over.
I do think the ending was perhaps a bit overly open. It is intentionally inconclusive, but ends up feeling like it just... cuts off in the middle of a chapter. If I hadn't been looking at the progress percentage at the bottom of my Kindle screen, I wouldn't have realised it was the end.

The books I "bounced off":

The Absolute Book - Got over 100 pages (of 600-odd) into this one, and it really felt like a chore. I'm not excited about picking it up. Not particularly invested in the protag, the plot isn't quite cohering and the fantasy elements seem really out of place.
I'll probably try it again, even if just because it's a huge hardback I paid full price for and I'll be really annoyed at myself for wasting that money - but for now, I just need to throw in the towel.

The White Company - Tried to start it during Cosy Reading Night on Monday, got 2 chapters in, just wasn't feeling it. Can tell it's a good book, just picked it up at the wrong time.

Unfortunately this means I've failed to participate in both readathons I wanted this month, Tome Topple and Victober. Fingers crossed that Nonfiction November works out better for me.

Not currently reading anything after DNFing Absolute Book. I think I'll start You Let Me In soon as I've heard some buzz about it lately.

I don't have a good answer to the QOTW as I don't tend to "discuss" books much with anyone really - no IRL reader friends or book clubs. 🤷‍♀️

Happy Thursday. I can't believe October's almost over already! It's my favorite month of the year, but it always goes so fast!

Stats

PS - 48/50 (I have the 2 books picked out and sitting on my nightstand and yet I keep reading other things...🙄
ATY Rejects - 23/25 (I have no clue what I'm going to read for these, and the annoying thing is I did this to myself!)

Books I finished:

Double Play & Perfect Victim ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - These are 2 Nadia Stafford novellas set after the book trilogy. It was fun to be back in that world, but it's never going to be my favorite series. The crossover with the Rockton series was kinda fun, but the whole solution turned out to be pretty predictable.

Anxious People ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - I still love this just as much as I did the first time.

A Cup of Silver Linings ⭐⭐⭐ - This is Dove Pond book 2. I enjoyed the first book, but this one felt like it was in a completely different genre. It was still, fine, but I went in expecting more romance, but the romance was only a minor subplot that was barely there.

Dear Fahrenheit 451: Love and Heartbreak in the Stacks ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - So I was feeling like some nonfiction and this was available so I picked it up to try, and then I couldn't put it down. I was not expecting this to be funny. I just sat and laughed my way through it. And it's great to know that someone else hated Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West too!




Books I made progress on:

Eleventh Grave in Moonlight

A Twist of Fate

QOTW

I struggle with book clubs because I'm too shy to participate in real life ones, and online ones I tend to overthink things too much and then I struggle to articulate my thoughts. But I do find it easier to articulate negative thoughts. So I could probably participate more in a discussion on Wuthering Heights than one on Anxious People. The other problem I have with book clubs is that if I'm really hating a book, I just DNF it. That's why I like this group - I can pick and chose which months to participate.

Lynn wrote: "Wow! I am also grateful for book recommendations from training sessions. May I ask what you added to your TBR? And...what one have you already read? DEI is the big thing on our campus right now as well.."

I added Waking Up White: And Finding Myself in the Story of Race to my list. She highly recommended it for someone a little new to the journey. I don't really consider myself new to it, but it sounds interesting. She also talked about the book White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism which I know is popular, but I hadn't felt quite ready for when I chose my challenge book this year. The one I had read was So You Want to Talk About Race which I learned a lot from and I still think about many months later.

I love Halloween, and there are only a few more days... (cue dancing gif)
I dress up every year, and this year I went with a book costume, Enola Holmes! No one at work gets it. :(
I added a bunch of books to my "currently reading" list, since I am a glutton for punishment. But I did manage to complete three of my "this has been on my TBR since forever" books, so I deserve to fluff it out.

QOTW: A good book discussion comes from having all parties ready to discuss. If a reader isn't willing to divulge what they did or didn't like, and ask questions of others, then the discussion just goes flat. Too many readers think that you can only discuss books you have read and liked. If you hated a book, please discuss. If you wanted to read, tell why. If you DNF, tell why. Never be afraid to put in your two cents, because your opinion might help others with theirs

PS: 33/50
RH: 8/24
RW: 1/28
GR: 401/365
HP: 62/62
ATY: 22/52

Currently Reading:
Out of Character
The Getaway
The Deep End
Long Distance
Lucy in the Sky
Roar of the Beast
Stephen McCranie's Space Boy Volume 10
The Magical Reality of Nadia
Spoiler Alert
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe
Willodeen
All the Young Dudes
Vampires Never Get Old: Tales with Fresh Bite
The Maidens
There There
The Lincoln Highway (I thought I was going to finish this. Got to the end of the audiobook...and the book kept going? like, past what was available. So I'm borrowing the book
James Potter and the Hall of Elders' Crossing
History Smashers: The American Revolution
The Message in the Hollow Oak
Conceal, Don't Feel
Cool for the Summer

Finished:
The Samurai's Garden- Started this in college, and finally finished.
The Okay Witch and the Hungry Shadow- I can't get enough of this author. SOO GOOD
The Mystery of the Ivory Charm- Oh, the problematic language of yester-year. :(
Mr. Flood's Last Resort- I listened to this on audio, so this book was so much funnier with the accent. I love the use of saints instead of ghosts.
Twisted
Pretty Little Secrets: A Pretty Little Liars Collection- I have a like/hate relationship with these books. So much cringe, knowing that each girl is going to find misfortune around every corner
- This is the inspiration for my costume!

Cendaquenta wrote: "And now I have The Fear about actually doing something and putting myself out there. And wrangling technology. Techspeak makes me cry."

You can do it!

I bought a new laptop yesterday because my old one is 7yrs old and has seen better days (there's a crack that keeps growing + strategic use of duct tape), so it's more of a necessity than I like to tell myself, but I'm still afraid to touch the new one. Not sure why, other than the fact that I don't usually spend hundreds of dollars in one go, and I'm afraid that I bought the wrong thing? Idk. I'm going to tackle it this weekend and see how I like it.

Hi all,
Been a really exhausting week. Only 4 days since I took monday off, but we had company monday so it wasn't really a rest day for me. Even though we didn't DO much, having people in my home is not relaxing. And they stayed until 8pm, so not much recovery time before the work week started. Been dealing with a slow, difficult site all week. Simple website changes took me nearly 30 hours of work to complete, due to how badly this theme builder works and how slow the site is. It honestly would have been faster to just rebuild the whole thing in the theme we like to use as a base. Bleh. Also having a migraine this week, extra fun.

This week I finished:

Cinder - audio re-read

Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead - ATY warwik prize for translation. I found this incredibly Meh. I didn't like the writing style or the narrator at all. Found it incredibly tedious to wade through all the complicated astrological meandering, and I guessed the "twist" pretty early on.

That Inevitable Victorian Thing - pretty typical YA in writing and pacing, but there's a lot of stuff bothering me. I think i'd mind some of it less if it were set in a fantasy world. Ok i finished this over lunch, so i'm deleting some of what i wrote prior to finishing. So the author addresses some of my concerns in an author note. Basically she was trying to imagine a world where world leaders, instead of making the cruel choice that benefited themselves, instead listened to voices of reason and did the right thing. So it's a British Empire that never fell, but honored treaties made with First Nations lands, and other countries. A world where the Hattian slave rebellion led to all the island nations eventually freeing themselves, etc. It still feels an awful like trying to rosy up all the terrible parts of being colonizers. However there are some points I did like. for one, the typical YA love triangle was between a woman deciding between her long time childhood friend-turned-assumed-betrothed and a woman she recently fell for. Secondly, I liked how the love triangle resolved (view spoiler)[ by essentially agreeing to be a poly triad. It wasn't treated as a gross thing, or as something shady, though it was going to be a secret due to one of the parties being a princess needing to have a public royal 'proper' marriage. so that's not 100% ideal, but nice to see some positive poly in a book (hide spoiler)]. Thirdly, the woman in question (view spoiler)[got revealed to be intersex by the genetic test, she hadn't had an idea before hand. Her gender was never questioned, except briefly by herself in confusion. I am not intersex, so I don't know how well it was handled overall, but at least as a casual reader it felt ok. (hide spoiler)] So there were ups and downs. It felt like there might be more books after it, I would consider reading them. It might give the author more room to build out the world, make it feel less...rose tinted.

currently reading:

The Women of the Copper Country - Just started it, my next Books & Brew book club pick.

The Sea of Monsters - audio re-read

QOTW:

I find that the books that make the best book club conversations were ones where the opinions were very varied. If everyone just loved it, there tends to not be much to say. If everyone hated it, it just turns into a lot of griping and can get kind of negative. If everyone just was indifferent, there's not much to say. Having some people who loved it, others who hated it, can spark much more discussions as the differing viewpoints are presented.

Sheri wrote: "... Secondly, I liked how the love triangle resolved ..."



That sounds A LOT like how another book resolves the romantic side-plot, right down to things needing to be hush-hush due to royalty. And now it's occurring to me that naming the other book is a spoiler, too, so ... (view spoiler)[Shadow Scale (hide spoiler)]

Allie wrote: "I love Halloween, and there are only a few more days... (cue dancing gif)
I dress up every year, and this year I went with a book costume, Enola Holmes! No one at work gets it. :("

I love Enola Holmes! What a great idea for a costume!

I skipped the last two check-ins since I hadn't finished anything and delayed checking in until today to finish two more books. I finished four books in the last week -- three worked for open prompts! I'm now at 27/40 and 6/10 for this challenge, and 57/100 for my overall Goodreads Reading Challenge.

Finished:
* The Bombay Prince by Sujata Massey, which I used for the advanced prompt "the book on your TBR list with the prettiest cover." I think the cover art for the entire series has been stunning;
* Raphael, Painter in Rome by Stephanie Storey, which was my latest Giveaways win. I used it for "a book about art or an artist." I loved this one and need to write an actual review this weekend. I don't know how I missed it when it came out last year since Raphael is my favorite Italian Renaissance artist;
* Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, which I used for the advanced prompt "a book from your TBR list you meant to read last year but didn't." I'd originally planned to use it for the prettiest cover prompt because it's gorgeous but swapped it out for this prompt; and,
* The Girl Who Wrote in Silk by Kelli Estes, which was one of my book club's picks for October; did not fit any open prompts. I'm looking forward to discussing it tomorrow.

Currently Reading:
* Susan, Linda, Nina & Cokie: The Extraordinary Story of the Founding Mothers of NPR by Lisa Napoli

QotW:
(from Theresa) What is it about a book that makes it good for discussion? Do you have to love the book or can it be a book that you didn’t particularly enjoy? This question is timely since one of my book club meets tomorrow and I think the book we're discussing will be a good one to discuss! For me, a book that makes me think or teaches me about a period of time or subject I don't know much about or has interesting characters makes for a good discussion. I don't have to love the book and sometimes think that books I don't particularly enjoy make for the best discussions. In fact, some of the best book club discussions stemmed from books we didn't love. The example that comes to mind is The Dinner by Herman Koch -- the book was very unsettling and none of the characters were particularly sympathetic, but the storytelling and themes were fascinating and made for a lively discussion.

Ellie wrote: "I think I'd prefer a book group where we just meet once a month to talk about books in general!"

Before the pandemic, this is what my book club had turned into. It was honestly more fun than everyone having read the same thing. Sure makes the Goodreads TBR list grow, though. I hope we do the same thing if we ever get going again, which reading the same book every few months for variety's sake.

Had a mammogram and my COVID booster shot today. Two things checked off the list. I discovered the joys of men's sweatpants from Walmart this week (I'm 5'9" and women's are too short). The drawstring thingy is kind of nice as I'm allergic to elastic. So my legs are cozy warm. It's the little things (or in this case, the longer leg things).

We had a clerical staff Halloween party yesterday. Our main office building had a sewer line break, so we had to change it last minute to an office 20 minutes away. There was only about 12 of us for a potluck and Halloween bingo, but I'm not used to being around that many people. It was a bit overwhelming. I've lost my social skills. I work from home and most of them work at the office, so I was a bit out of the loop anyway. How will I handle Thanksgiving?

It is apparently our last day of perfect fall weather, and I will miss it.

Finished
Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys - 3 stars; not for challenge
Having recently read Jane Eyre, I thought I would try a few related books. This wasn't as good as I had hoped. Interesting concept of telling Rochester's wife's backstory, but it was a little boring. Still worth reading.

The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins - 4 stars; not for challenge
This one, on the other hand, was rather delightful. I got a kick out of a modern re-telling that used many of the names from Jane Eyre. Not great literature, but a fun read.

Currently reading
The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde
Charlotte Brontë: A Fiery Heart by Claire Harman
Tess of the D'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy (audiobook)
Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts

Goodreads: 95/100
Popsugar: 54/55

QOTW: I agree with most of you that the books that inspire many different reactions among the readers make for more interesting discussions. Although it is also a lot of fun to gush over a book that everyone loves. So basically, just give me friends who want to discuss books (with snacks) and I'm a happy woman!

Teri wrote: "The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins - 4 stars; not for challenge
This one, on the other hand, was rather delightful. I got a kick out of a modern re-telling that used many of the names from Jane Eyre. Not great literature, but a fun read."

My sister read this one earlier this year and enjoyed it; she's not familiar with Jane Eyre at all, so I got to explain the similarities to her. Eyre is one of those classics I still have yet to read, but I know the basics of the story and I'm excited to read it eventually.

It’s been a pretty busy week, but I did manage to find some time to continue my reading for both the POPSUGAR Reading Challenge and the FrightFall readathon.

It’s hard to believe that FrightFall is going to be ending in just a couple of days. I’ve really enjoyed the spooky books that I’ve had the chance to read this month, and I’m definitely going to miss this readathon once it’s over.

That being said, I am looking forward to the books I’m planning to read in November. I don’t usually plan my reading in advance, because I am a mood reader, but I really want to spend the next month focusing on finishing some of the series and trilogies that I started earlier in the year. I’m especially looking forward to finishing The Witcher Saga so I can finally watch the series on Netflix.

POPSUGAR: 43/50
Beat the Backlist: 50/52
Goodreads: 262/200

Finished Reading:
~The Complete Peanuts, Vol. 1: 1950-1952
~The Complete Peanuts, Vol. 2: 1953-1954
~A Deadly Education - “a dark academia book”
~The Complete Peanuts, Vol. 3: 1955-1956

Currently Reading:
~Dreadful Company
~Poirot Investigates
~The Complete Peanuts, Vol. 4: 1957-1958

QOTW:
It’s been a long time since I’ve been part of a book club, but many of the best discussions I can remember arose because the members of our group had different reactions to the text.

Teri wrote: "Had a mammogram and my COVID booster shot today. Two things checked off the list. I discovered the joys of men's sweatpants from Walmart this week (I'm 5'9" and women's are too short). The drawstri..."



Oh how clever that you are reading a bunch of Jane Eyre-inspired books all at once!! That's a really good idea. I have not yet read The Wife Upstairs, and I've been thinking I'm due for a re-read of Wide Sargasso Sea, so maybe I'll try to pair them when I finally get to TWU.

Hello! Late check in for me. I took Thursday and Friday off work for my cat's annual vet check-up (all good, gained some weight) and got my flu shot. November is tomorrow and there's all sorts of things that means, none of which I'm ready for.

Finished This Week:
Ghost-Spider, Vol. 1: Dog Days Are Over by Seanan McGuire. Seanan had a comic nominated for a Hugo, and I was able to get it from the library. Nice tale, and I wasn't TOO lost. Not for prompt.

Riot Baby by Tochi Onyebuchi. Another Hugo nominee, for Best Novella. This was a struggle to get through, especially since it's a novella and I knew it wasn't very long. I think the novella part is the only reason I finished. It was jarring to read something with fantastical elements but also mention well-known situations of black people being killed/assaulted by cops. Not for prompt.

Silver in the Wood by Emily Tesh. Another Hugo nominee, for the Astounding Award for Best New Writer. This one was also a novella, and I really enjoyed it. Going to find the sequel when I get the chance. Using for the gem/mineral in the title.

A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik. Another Hugo nominee, for the Lodestar Award of Best YA Book. I loved this. Easily the favorite of all the Hugo-specific reading I've done so far. I finished it Tuesday night and wanted to reread it immediately, which isn't something that's happened to me in a while. It may be my second favorite book I've read all year. Using for Dark Academia, since it definitely fits the prompt over We Ride Upon Sticks.

The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill. And something completely different. This was for a prompt that needed a Newbery award winner. I'd call it middle grade - the main character is 13 when the big stuff happens - and it was a nice, easy read. Recommended for people who enjoy fantasy and middle grade books.

Currently Reading:
Hero of Two Worlds: The Marquis de Lafayette in the Age of Revolution by Mike Duncan. French Revolution is about to start. The American Revolution part was very interesting. There were a few parts I swear he put in because of Hamilton the musical.

At Dawn We Slept: The Untold Story of Pearl Harbor by Gordon W. Prange. Still chugging along.

Up Next:
The Ruin of Kings by Jenn Lyons. Another Hugo nominee for Best New Writer.

The Empress of Salt and Fortune by Nghi Vo. Another Hugo Nominee for Best Novella.

QOTW: What is it about a book that makes it good for discussion? Do you have to love the book or can it be a book that you didn’t particularly enjoy?
My book club rarely manages to actually discuss the books we read, but like others have said, the best discussion comes from the people who didn't love it. People just need to feel something, and you can have a good discussion. An ex-boyfriend of mine used to say the worst possible thing was to be ambivalent. You can debate someone who loved or hated it, but people who just don't care don't contribute to the discussion.

The cold has officially set in for Chicago. How is it already November? I went and looked at an apartment on Thursday and applied and got approved by Saturday morning. Soooo now I have a place to move to, just need to secure everything else and figure out if I'm going to fly back to Florida for the holidays. My move in date is 12/20.

34/40 PopSugar
8/10 Advanced PopSugar
61/80 GoodReads

Finished Reading:
1.) Shipped by Angie Hockman (No PS Prompt) ⭐⭐⭐: This was interesting and I appreciated the enemies to lovers storyline and how supportive Graeme was of Henley. Some unbelievable plot points made this fall right in the middle.


Currently Reading:
1.) Les Miserables
2.) The Drowning Kind
3.) Untamed
4.) A Special Place for Women



QOTW: What is it about a book that makes it good for discussion? Do you have to love the book or can it be a book that you didn’t particularly enjoy?
The book has to have some nuance. It can't be loved or hated by everyone. Maybe a polarizing topic that the characters take different stances on, or characters that aren't likeable. Unreliable narrators and thrillers with a shocking twist.

Shannon wrote: "Sunday morning we fly out to Napa for a few days. Also excited to drink all the wine!."

Napa is on my bucket list!! Living vicariously though your trip-- enjoy!!