Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge discussion
2022 Weekly Check-Ins
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Week 8: 2/17 - 2/24
I finished 1812: A Novel as my book with a blurb by a favorite author. It was OK. There were some interesting parts, but there were also some boring parts.I'm reading The Mask of Apollo as the second of my sister cities books. Athens, although it only partly takes place there. About 1/4 of the way through, and somewhat interesting. WAiting to see where it's going.
QOTW: If I were in a book club, I would be afraid to recommend a book because what if nobody else liked it? It's like back when Blockbuster was a thing, I would refuse to actually picke a movie and only retain veto power.
Mod
LOL yeah I feel that
Good morning! Last weekend we were able to watch our nephews finish off their (middle school) basketball season undefeated, that was exciting! After having had our trip cancelled a few weeks prior to see them play (their entire league cancelled that weekend, so we assume it was a shortage of referees for whatever reason), we were happy to get up there to catch a game before the season ended. I finished a few books this week, and I'm 6/50 for the challenge.
Spiked Snowballs & Flaming Cats by John C. Daly - a heartfelt memoir written after a bout with cancer, Daly paints a vivid picture of his life and reflects on where he's been and how far he's come.
Homecoming by Cynthia Voigt - The Tillerman Cycle is such a great series; I read book 2 (Dicey's Song) a few years ago and then went on a hunt through used book shops to find all the others in the series. Homecoming is the first book in the series, and even more heartbreaking than I imagined, but also hopeful. I just love these kids.
The Case of Charles Dexter Ward by H.P. Lovecraft - a classic of the horror genre, it's the kind of book I can appreciate is excellent writing and storytelling, while having to admit that for me the writing style was a bit tedious. Read as my book for Rhode Island (and chosen for that reason), also used for the Popsugar prompt "A book about a secret" because Charles Dexter Ward has a big one.
QOTW: What an interesting question - I'm partway through The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green and I love it enough that I think everyone should read it, so I'll say that one. Libby has taken it back for the moment, so I have a hold on it, it will be a while before I get it back. It's basically John Green's review on random things in life - putting the 5 star rating system to use against everything from Diet Dr Pepper to the Plague, and giving us an essay explaining his rating for each one. It feels like there's lots to discuss on the topics he raises, on his rating system, etc.
Happy Thursday! We're gearing up for another (hopefully smaller) winter storm tonight and tomorrow. In the meantime, I've been reading a bunch :DRead:
Catwoman, Volume 3: Under Pressure - 3.5 stars
Catwoman, Volume 4: The One You Love - 3.5/4 stars. Much better once Will Pfeifer came in to write.
Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky - 4 stars. My first Rick Riordan Presents title! Lots of fun OwnVoices SFF
Saga #56 - 5 stars. I've settled into a routine of reading the new singles over my morning coffee (and tears) A book you can read in one sitting
PS 14/50
Currently:
The Silmarillion - I came back to this and read another chapter last night. Creeping along, slowly but surely.
The Story of the Irish Race: A Popular History of Ireland - Another one to take my time with. Maybe I should finish Silmarillion first.
The Long Way Down - Everything in me wants to fly through this but it's been a busy week, so I'm just past halfway but I am in LOVE.
Parable of the Sower - Taking my time with this bc I'm supposed to be BRing it with a friend Duology #1
Sing, Unburied, Sing - Alternating this with Parable of the Sower Palindrome in the title
QOTW: What book would you recommend to your book club to read next month? (This can be hypothetical, if you’re not in a book club).
I still find myself recommending Legendborn to everyone, book club or otherwise. I know it's not your typical book club fare, but it's so well-written that I can't ignore it.
Mod
That's funny, because I'm skipping the Pfeifer volumes and picking only the Brubaker volumes!!
Nadine in NY wrote: "That's funny, because I'm skipping the Pfeifer volumes and picking only the Brubaker volumes!!"In that case you'll probably stick with the first three volumes, then! :)
It’s been a couple weeks since I’ve checked in because I’m taking a challenge break this year. But I’ve missed this group too much to not check in and read your posts. I’m not reading very much these days, but apparently I have subconsciously decided to continue my goal to read one Agatha Christie book a month because that’s all I have to report! Finished
Peril at End House by Agatha Christie. This wasn’t my favorite Poirot, but I did enjoy the twist and reveal of the murderer.
Reading
One, Two, Buckle My Shoe by Agatha Christie
QOTW
I haven’t ever really been part of a book club. I did think about joining a few times, and I read both selections but didn’t join the actual discussion. I’m not sure what kind of books are usually chosen. Following Nadine’s criteria, maybe The Queen of Hearts. It would be an interesting discussion on friendship, loyalty, and forgiveness.
Good morning, everyone!My Covid test came back negative, and after two weeks of being sick, I am finally starting to feel better!
This turned out to be a great week for reading! I had the opportunity to finish a couple of series this week (The Custard Protocol and The Mysterious Benedict Society), both of which were really good. I also started the Vampire Knight manga, which I’ve owned for years but hadn’t gotten around to reading before now.
Goodreads: 153/200
TBR checklist: 119/962
Finished Reading:
~Reticence
~Cosy: The British Art of Comfort
~The Mysterious Benedict Society
~Home: Habitat, Range, Niche, Territory
~The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey
~The Way of the Househusband, Vol. 7
~Vampire Knight, Vol. 1
~The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner's Dilemma
~The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Riddle of Ages
~Vampire Knight, Vol. 2
~Vampire Knight, Vol. 3
~The Extraordinary Education of Nicholas Benedict
DNFed:
~The Bromance Book Club — I guess I just wasn’t in the mood for a romance novel this week this week. I may try this title again in the future.
Currently Reading:
~The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien
~For Your Own Good
QOTW:
I’m not currently in a book club, but if I was I would recommend Finlay Donovan Is Killing It for next month’s read. I haven’t read it yet, but I’ve heard really good things about it on BookTube, and the sequel just came out at the beginning of the month.
Work has been so busy. Getting this in here before the day really gets going.Finished:
Homicide and Halo-Halo for book with two languages (Tagalog). There's even a glossary of the Tagalog terms in the book.
Firekeeper's Daughter
The Prophets
Songs in Ursa Major for constellation
Currently reading:
Bullet Train
The Life of Charlotte Brontë
Taste: My Life through Food on audio
QOTW:
I'm with Katy, too worried my suggestion wouldn't be liked. When I was in a book club, we made anonymous suggestions and one would be picked. Books that made for good discussion were divisive or controversial. Or maybe a book being made into a movie or TV show, those were always popular choices.
Mod
The Life of Charlotte Brontë ..."
That looks like a fantastic choice for Women's History Month reading!!
Nadine in NY wrote: "Milena wrote: "... Currently reading:The Life of Charlotte Brontë ..."
That looks like a fantastic choice for Women's History Month reading!!"
You should go for it. It's really good. Don't let the fact that I've been reading it since January 1st put you off. It's not available in Kindle version, so I have it on my one Kindle HD that I don't take with me to commute or to bed, which is why it's taking so long.
Come to think of it, it might also make a good book club book.
Ashley Marie wrote: "Happy Thursday! We're gearing up for another (hopefully smaller) winter storm tonight and tomorrow. In the meantime, I've been reading a bunch :DReading sounds like the perfect thing to do during a winter storm. Stay safe!
K.L. wrote: "Good morning, everyone!My Covid test came back negative, and after two weeks of being sick, I am finally starting to feel better!
This turned out to be a great week for reading! I had the opport..."
Whoo! Glad you're feeling better, and glad the test was negative.
Happy Thursday, y’all.Library was closed Monday for President's Day, which means Tuesday and Wednesday were spent playing mad catch-up after the long weekend. It's Thursday and I'm still exhausted from Tuesday... thank goodness I get Fridays off.
Also found myself hooked on Pokemon lately -- not the new game, the previous game (Sword and Shield). I wish I could say it hasn't affected my reading/writing time, but... yeah.
Books read this week:
When You Trap a Tiger -- for “a book with a tiger on the cover or the word ‘tiger’ in the title.” Beautiful but heartbreaking story about family bonds and the importance of stories, even the stories that are hard to hear.
'Salem's Lot -- for “a book being made into a movie or TV series in 2022.” I sure read a lot of vampire books for someone who claims not to like vampires, haha… But at least this book makes the vampires freaking terrifying, which the genre frankly needs after Anne Rice and Stephanie Meyer de-monster-ized them (not that there’s anything wrong with that, but let’s have some monstrous vampires again please)...
The House in the Cerulean Sea -- for “a BookTok recommendation.” I DNFed this last year, but gave it another shot this year… and I’m super-glad I did. I LOVED it! Funny, gorgeous, and heartbreaking all at once.
My Little Pony/Transformers: The Magic of Cybertron -- graphic novel, not for the challenge. Yes, somehow they made TWO Transformers/My Little Pony crossover comics. Hilarious and a LOT of fun provided you don’t take them too seriously…
Regular Challenge -- 22/46
Advanced Challenge -- 2/10
Not for the challenge -- 11
DNF:
They Both Die at the End -- for “a BookTok recommendation.” Don’t like the writing style, and my sci-fi-loving brain wants to know more about the Deathcast technology instead of focusing on the characters. Not for me.
Currently Reading:
A Door Into Ocean -- for “book about a non-patriarchal society”
The Dispossessed -- for “a Hugo Award winner”
Out of My Mind -- for “book with a protagonist who uses a mobility aid”
The Housekeeper and the Professor -- for “book featuring a party”
From the Dust Returned -- not for the challenge
QOTW:
I want there to be a fantasy/sci-fi book club in my area so badly... I think the first book we'd read would be Project Hail Mary. Andy Weir's books tend to be science-heavy but accessible enough for even non-sci-fi readers to enjoy.
Kenya wrote: "Whoo! Glad you're feeling better, and glad the test was negative."Thanks Kenya! I was so relieved when I got the results!
Hello! We got about five inches of snow on Tuesday, and now it's back below zero with the chance for more snow today. We're supposed to get back to the 20s by the weekend, so that's something to look forward to. This is my busy season at work right now, and they've said return to office will be around the beginning of April, which is stress I do not need right now.Looks like I didn't finish anything this week.
Currently Reading:
A Declaration of the Rights of Magicians by H.G. Parry. Book club's pick for January. I am about halfway through, and I had hoped to finish by today, but didn't. Like I told my husband, it reads like someone listened to Mike Duncan's Revolutions podcast, and said "yes, that, but they're wizards!" Which, of course, means I want to listen to all of his podcasts again, or find some good non-fiction sources on England after the American Revolution, the French Revolution, and the Haitian Revolution. Or about the abolition movement in England and France in the late 18th century.
Never Say You Can't Survive: How to Get Through Hard Times by Making Up Stories by Charlie Jane Anders. Paused this while I read the magic book. Although it's really making me want to rewrite/edit/finish my 2015 NaNo novel.
A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik. Almost done with the audiobook. Two chapters to go, so probably an hour and a half. Due back to the library Saturday.
PS 7/50 ATY: 9/52 GR: 25/100
QOTW: What book would you recommend to your book club to read next month?
My book club is meeting this evening. I don't think there's anything I've read so far this year that the rest of the group would want to read that wasn't already one of their suggestions. They picked Every Heart a Doorway for this month, which is a book I never thought to recommend to them. I'll probably tell them about Forget the Alamo: The True Story of the Myth That Made Texas, although only one of them would likely be interested.
Generally, our group goes for science-fiction or fantasy, usually character driven, nothing too hard science. We seem to get really long books often, as I've read multiple 700+ page books for book club. One woman often picks new releases, and I have to push back because I want to get it from the library. It needs to also be available in ebook and audio. My biggest successes for book club recs were Sunshine by Robin McKinley and the Murderbot series, which pretty much everyone loved. My biggest failure for a book club rec was The Countess by Catherine Coulter, which pretty much everyone else hated, and half read the wrong book.
Hello Everyone!It's been a pretty uneventful week for me. Work is busy and I'm coming to the end of the yoga challenge I started a while back. Pretty proud that I continued with it and I'm going to keep going.
Playing catch up on reading this month for sure...
Finished:
The Ex Hex - Cute fast read. I finished in less than 24 hours. Prompt: A book set during a holiday (Halloween)
Life, Unscheduled - Another very fast read. I couldn't sleep Monday night so I decided to keep reading this and finished. Only slept 4 hours but that's okay. Good book. I liked how mental health was worked in the story and the idea of work/life balance. Prompt: A book with the name of a board game in the title
Currently Reading: The Lost Apothecary Good so far! I'm really doing some work on my giant BOTM collection this year.
QOTW: Book club recommendation
I've always wanted to join a book club but they're hard to find and I don't know enough people to actually form one. There are a couple book clubs at work but since I work in higher education they're always self development based and I have no interest in that. I think if I were to be in a book group I'd want it to be very random because I like so many genres. I just read The People We Keep a week or so ago and I think that could make for good discussion.
Good morning! This week I fully jumped on the bandwagon and started watching Inventing Anna on Netflix because my coworkers kept talking about it. I think it's fascinating. How did so many people let her get away with her lies for so long?Finished:
No Comfort for the Lost- this was a really good historical mystery set in 1860s San Francisco. My friend really loves this series and has been telling me to read it for a while. I'll probably have to borrow the rest of the books from her
49. Two books set in twin towns, aka "sister cities" (1)- San Francisco
Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982- I really liked this one. Very upsetting with the description of all the everyday acts of sexism women face. I"m glad I didn't read this last year when I first bought it- I think it would have upset me too much.
50. Two books set in twin towns, aka "sister cities" (2)- Seoul
Currently Reading:
This Is Paradise: Stories- collection of short stories, for prompt 15. A book by a Pacific Islander author. Only just started it, but I like the writing so far.
QotW
I think books by Ruta Sepetys are always good for a book club. They work for both YA and adult readers, so they're accessible to everyone, and they tend to discuss parts of history that isn't talked about much, at least in American schools. So there's always al lot to talk about. Her new one sounds really interesting- I Must Betray You
Happy Frozen Thursday! We got a light dusting of snow and ice overnight and its currently 27F degrees in the PNW. I have the travel bug something fierce! I still have travel credits from 2020 that expire in summer 2023 so I keep imagining all the places to go! I would love to go back to Scotland and explore areas outside of Edinburgh which is mostly where we stayed last time. Also France, Greece, ugh so many places!
Finished:
The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang (A BIPOC romance) I finally finished this one! Romance is definitely not for me. The book could have cut 300+ pages if it was just "Hey, I am in love with you" "Oh, really? I am in love with you too" The End.
Started:
The Hawthorne Legacy by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (Not for PS). I read the first book last year and I plan to finish the series when #3 comes out this summer. It is very YA but I love the mystery and the puzzles!
Cackle by Rachel Harrison (A book with an onomatopoeia in the title). This is the kind of book my grandmother would call a "Dime Book." It is mostly a cozy, fluff book.
QOTW:
If I was recommending a book to another book club I would say Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine because of all the possible discussions about the book after. There are many layers to this book, I thought.
If I was recommending a book to my current book club (of which does not exist) then I would say The Last Thing He Told Me or some other type of mystery. It is always fun discussing those during the reading.
I don't have a book club, but I have a group that trades books - we don't all read a book at the same time but we will pass a good one around and then talk about it later.
Hi all! Finally met with the doctor, finally got her to complete disability paperwork, now I'm working on my share of it and need a break. Thank goodness for Google- I don't remember the address of a place I worked in 2004?!! But I'm also bummed, because it's sinking in that I'm not going back to the office, to my coworkers, to my clients... :( Maybe someday.Weather is all over the place here! We're expecting 6 inches of snow tonight, the other day I was outside enjoying a few minutes of 50 degrees! I know some of the PS members are bird fans, our Eastern Bluebirds are back and moving back into their bird house! I couldn't believe they were back before I've seen robins or red wing blackbirds.
Didn't finish anything, but I'm hoping with my life maybe settling down, I'll have more time and mental energy. The Organ Thieves: The Shocking Story of the First Heart Transplant in the Segregated South is now overdue, but it's an interlibrary loan, so if I return it, it'll take a while to get it back, so I'm just going to charge ahead. The last chapter was on the early years of kidney transplants, so that was fascinating.
I put a hold on The Overnight Guest, which had several people ahead of me, so I wasn't expecting it for a month or more, yeah well, yesterday I picked it up! Guess that'll be next! I'm hoping it'll be suspenseful/mysterious brain candy.
QOTW: The book that popped into my head first was Miracle Creek, interesting characters and some ethical questions to consider. Plus a bit of a who dun it?.
QOTW: as it happens, I'm in three books clubs and run one of them. My record for this year are Blackwater Sister by Zen Cho for our general book club and Murder at Malabar House by Vaseen Khan (which starts on New Year's Eve so fits the holiday prompt)for our mystery book club. I run a science fiction/fantasy club. I started all these when I managed an independent book store. Science fiction is my favorite genre! We pick books for next year next month, but we still have a list of picks to read through July. Next month we read The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury, we try to read one classic per year. After that we're slated to read Luna: New Moon by Ian McDonald (which has a lot of interesting stuff about gender identity for that prompt), New Worlds (an anthology edited by Nisi Shawl featuring BIPOC authors), The Doors of Eden by Adrian Tchaikovsky (this is a book featuring parallel realities if someone is looking for that), and The Once and Future Witches by Alix Harrow, which features witches! You can see that although we picked books last year the books ended up working well for prompts.
We also had another winter storm come through yesterday--it was in the 80s on Monday and now it's in the 20s. Woo!A lot of people are SALTY because the university shut down campus, canceled classes, and then told us we needed to work from home, so all those whose kids can't go to school because the schools are closed are really struggling. As my boss put it: they're taking advantage (in a bad way) of our ability to work remotely. And it's kind of a slap in the face because they are VERY stingy about actually letting us work remotely outside of this situation.
Finished:
Lol what is reading?
Currently Reading:
Lol what is reading?
J/k, I'm technically still reading The True Saint Nicholas: Why He Matters to Christmas and really do hope to finish it soon. It's a very quick and interesting read, I just haven't been reading. I've been trying to stay on top of my workouts and trying out some new hobbies, which has cut into reading.
QOTW:
This is a tough one! I struggle with this because if I really love a book, it's hard to hear other people talk about how they hated it (which isn't good, I realize).
We read Disability Visibility: First-Person Stories from the Twenty-first Century in our division last year and we had some really good discussions around it. I like those kinds of books for book clubs because you can get a lot of different perspectives and learn more about yourself, as well.
I'm definitely out of sorts this week, but I did finish a book so I'll take that win.Finished:
The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna (4 out of 5 Stars)
I have some mixed feelings about this one despite the high rating. I would still 100% recommend it and enjoyed it, which is how it earned the high rating but there were parts that lost me a bit. Mainly the fact that the writing was mediocre. Like I said they story kept me going, it's just that the semantics were lacking. The end also lost me a bit in terms of the story/word building. It seemed like most things made sense until then.
Prompt: An #OwnVoices Science Fiction and Fantasy Book
How Lucky by Will Leitch (4 out 5 stars)
This one way exceeded my expectations. I enjoyed the humorous tone, which reminded me of The Martian and the mystery element was super engaging. The author also did a really good job of building the main character and really piecing together what his life as some with SMA is like. That was nice since I read this for the mobility aid prompt.
Prompt: A book with a protagonist that uses a mobility aid
Currently Reading:
Flight of Dreams by Ariel Lawhon
Prompt: A book set on a cruise ship, plane, or train
Overall Progress:
6/50
QOTW:
This is a hard one. I used to run a book club for work (I'm a librarian) and you really never know what books are going to spark good discussion or not. One of my favorite I read with that book club though was A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving. It was HARD to read but when I say I have never ever had a book pay off for the work you put into reading it like that book I mean it. We all agreed and I loved the discussion we had as well as how surprised we were that we liked it so much despite how challenging it was to read.
I continue to rework my list to keep myself excited. I would also note that this week I found myself disagreeing with popular opinions about several of the books that I read. I am 37/50.This week I finished:
Malibu Rising: A book featuring a party: There was a lot to like about this book, but in comparison to the last two books I read by this author, I am disappointed. There were definitely some great character development in this book, but there was not enough plot to make it all feel worthwhile to me. There was so much build up for basically a lot of rushed plot at the very end. I felt like the story wasn't big enough for the characters in it.
Hidden Figures: An Anisfield-Wolf Book Award winner: I thought this was a very interesting and important story. I'm glad that I didn't let the negative reviews keep me from reading it.
Anna Dressed in Blood and Girl of Nightmares: a duology: This was enjoyable and quick but, other than the violence, it felt very middle grade to me, with regard to the character development. If it had stuck with action and back story instead of romance it would have been a story for it.
In the Hall with the Knife: I am not sure which prompt I am using this for. I'm usually a stickler for the prompt and the "Clue mystery" is not really part of the title, but it seems to fit the spirit of the prompt so well throughout the book and in such a creative way that I really want to use it for that prompt. It will also work for the cutlery prompt: This was fast and cute, but the ending was obvious and there was a too many "big" secrets among the characters to follow or feel realistic. I still found myself enjoying it, probably not enough to read book two though.
Currently reading:
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone: I'm still committed to reading one chapter per day for the whole series, which has been really hard for me because I want to just keep going, but it is a portion of the day that I have been looking forward to and I want to give the books the time they deserve.
Gulp: Adventures on the Alimentary Canal: I planned to read Grunt for this prompt, but when it came from the library, I just kept wishing that it was an audiobook. I enjoy nonfiction more in that format, so I found Gulp on Hoopla and I think it is a better fit, but despite the author's hopes to make it more interesting than gross, I'm still finding it pretty gross. I'm here for it though.
QOTW:
I've never been in a book club, so I'm not sure that I really know what makes a good book club pick, so from reading other peoples' answers I think I would pick a Fredrik Backman book, because I am so convinced that everyone should read them that I wouldn't even be upset if someone else didn't like it, if it gave me a chance to talk about it.
Good Morning All, I finished four books for the week.1.Passing. # 24 A book read in one sitting.
2. My Monticello. #40. A book from a past challenge. 2015 A book of short stories.
3. The Secret Lives of Church Ladies. #25 A book about secrets.
4. Black Girl, Call Home. Not for this challenge.
Question of the Week
What book would you recommend to your book club to read next month? (This can be hypothetical, if you’re not in a book club). I moved in December so I went from 3 book clubs to none. I miss book clubs. I haven't suggested books in a while. It seemed most members didn't like my suggestions. My favorite book club was ran by librarians & met at a local brewery. We had themes each month & they had 3 books to choose from. They had the books too. Everyone there spoke about the books & nothing else. It was great. This wasn't the questions so March is Women's History Month. I'm reading The Women of Chateau Lafayette. That would be my suggestion.
Shoveled snow again this morning... I'm really getting tired of it. It usually doesn't snow much, but our driveway is really long and the HOA can be a real pain sometimes. But hey! Our mask mandate was lifted last week! Of course, almost everyone is still masking at the grocery store and at Target.Challenge Progress: 15/50
Completed:
Bet on It (Goodreads Giveaway): Romance and bingo. I loved the idea of a bingo bet, there was a lot of good, helpful information about living with anxiety, and Aja and Walker were both complex, interesting characters. But I had a couple of problems with this book... First of all, is bingo played differently in a gambling venue? "B47, I12, N69, G2, O25." Is this how bingo works??? I thought B went from 1-15, I 16-30, N 31-45, G 46-60, and O 61-75. Also, I generally enjoy open door romances, but this was really OPEN DOOR. Some of it was nearly public. That's a little too much for me. (PS18: a romance novel by a BIPOC author) ★★★
Ignore Scott (Goodreads Giveaway): Cute story that manages to embrace many Christmas romance tropes in a fun and clever way, but this was a digital ARC and the poor editing dragged me out of the story again and again. It starts in the prologue when Jackie gets her "heal" caught in the sidewalk. Ugh. (P48: a book with two POVs) ★★★
There There: At first the story was so disjointed - twelve disparate Native American characters all traveling to the Big Oakland Powwow - I wasn't sure where it was going... but then it got there, connecting the characters in unforeseen ways. Whoa. (P10: an Anisfield-Wolf Award winner) ★★★★
Harlem Shuffle: It must be really hard to follow up on two Pulitzer Prize winning novels... Unfortunately, this one just doesn't measure up. For a novel that deals with Harlem and crime, revenge, and jewelry heists, a lot of the action seems to take place behind the scenes. ★★★
The Death of Jane Lawrence: Loved the first half of this book. It was gothic horror... a little "Crimson Peak," a little "Rebecca," a little "Jane Eyre". And then it devolved into a unreadable, metaphysical mush. So disappointing. ★★
Remember: The Science of Memory and the Art of Forgetting: Absolutely riveting. Because of my family history (my dad spent seven years in the memory care unit of a nursing home), the chapters on Alzheimer's were especially interesting. ★★★★★
The Husbands: Clever feminist twist on The Stepford Wives... with a little nod to Get Out. I really enjoyed this one. ★★★★
Currently Reading:
How the Penguins Saved Veronica
The Sweetness of Water
You Can’t Be Serious
Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers
Less
All the Murmuring Bones (PS7: a book with an onomatopoeia in the title)
Shakedowners
Basketful of Heads (PS24: a book you can read in one sitting)
QOTW: I'm only in one book club right now, and we only read books that have won the Pulitzer Prize. This month we're reading Less which won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 2018. My suggestion this year was The Dead Are Arising: The Life of Malcolm X (2020 Pulitzer Prize for Biography) which we'll read in June. If I were still in regular fiction book club I might suggest The Snow Child. It's just such a beautiful book.
Jennifer W wrote: "Hi all! Finally met with the doctor, finally got her to complete disability paperwork, now I'm working on my share of it and need a break. Thank goodness for Google- I don't remember the address of..."Ooh, have to agree with you on Miracle Creek.
Mod
yes I am a bird fan!! And I have NEVER seen a bluebird!!
Usually the red-winged blackbirds are the first ones back, here, I think. Or maybe the vultures, and after that the robins and the little herons, and finally the swallows and hummingbirds come back, and the chickadees & juncos leave for the season (and I will miss them).
I'm glad you're getting a bit of resolution to your paperwork problems.
Your comment made me realize: I wouldn't really care if I never saw any of my coworkers again. It's part of why WFH is so nice for me. It's not that I HATE any of them, they are just ... there. Years ago I was in a group that was really fun, we'd go out to lunch together, have happy hours sometimes, all that stuff. I do miss that. But there's no easy way to replicate it.
Happy Thursday everyone! We got a bit of a cold snap again so it's been overall a not fun time. However, it seems like we're cresting over that and might get into some decent-ish weather, which I'm looking forward to. And once the ice melts, I'll really be into going outside. However, I, once again, had a week where I didn't really touch a book. I also worked pretty much every day since last Thursday, so that didn't help.However, I still have the next 5 books of the Wayward Children series on my bookshelf, so maybe that'll be next?
QOTW
Ooo, great question. I would want them to read a book I've been meaning to read for a while. So Little Women, A Lesson in Vengeance, Anne of Green Gables. Something, hopefully, fun.
I am now 10/40 with the 2022 PS challenge and 12/52 of my yearly goal.I finished One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston this week. I really liked this book. It was funny, empowering, and endearing. (PS5: a sapphic book)
Currently reading:
Dawn by Octavia E. Butler - This is a weird book. SFF is so not my thing.
Call Us What We Carry - by Amanda Gorman - My book of poetry for PS40, which is PS30 from 2016. It makes me feel smart to read poetry. 😜
Esperanza Rising by Pam Muñoz Ryan - I've only read the first chapter so far, but it's got me hooked. For my unexpected snow day today, I plan to read this all day. I ❤ snow days!
QotW:
After reading With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo last week, I would love to recommend this book if I were in a book club. I also love, love, love The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and would love, love, love to read it again.
Finished:William Shakespeare's Avengers: The Complete Works by Ian Doescher (4/5)
It's fun to get a new perspective on familiar stories. Not only is there a stylistic change in language, but there can also be greater clarity and character exploration than a frenetically edited third act of a movie usually allows.
Nadine - I'm so impressed that you've read 17 books. I'm only staying on track with my book a week, by reading one short story or short book a month.I finished White Oleander. It wasn't the book I thought it was. I knew oleander was poisonous. I thought it was a crime novel - that someone killed someone with oleander and it would be proving it or not in a police case and a trial. All that happened. It just happened in the first 40 pages and then there were 350 pages left of another story. If I'd known what it really was about, I might not have read it. It was beautifully written though.
Finished:
White Oleander
ATY prompt: A book with handwriting on the cover
Popsugar prompt: couldn't find one
ATY - 9/52
PS- 7/35
Series - 3/13
Clearing my TBR list: 7/40
Currently reading:
Red Prophet - over 40% done
The Girl Who Played with Fire - only 10% done
(This is a March book, so technically I'm ahead of schedule).
QOTW: I'm in a Goodreads group where people propose buddy reads. I proposed "The Woman in the Window" for March and 6 people are joining me, so it's almost like having my own one-month book club. (And, I have a PS and AYT prompt for it too.)
Woohoo! I am actually on time for one of these weekly check-ins. That would be a first for me. I read two more books, so now I am 13/50.
Finished:
This Poison Heart - 39. An #OwnVoices SFF (science fiction and fantasy) book
⭐⭐1/2
I really wanted to love this, not just like it. It has great reviews, the summary sounded awesome. But... I found it kind of predictable and nothing really starts happening until past the halfway mark. That being said, the descriptions were amazing and I really did grow to like most of the characters in the book. It is such a unique storyline and Kaylynn Bayron did wonders with her representation, I just found myself wanting more. I do know that this is a series, and I will still give the next book a chance when it comes out!
A Thousand Pieces of You - 47. A book featuring a parallel reality
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Okay, for all I have said in my other check-ins about not being a scifi fan... this is a scifi I can get behind. First and foremost, its mainly a romance, so if that's not your cup of tea, then you have been warned. I listed to the audiobook and at one point, the audiobook got a little steamy. I don't think reading it would have but that narrator nailed it. While I did predict the bad guy pretty early on, I don't know why I didn't guess the circumstances also. There were definitely still surprises. I liked the book so much, I checked out the next one and I am already halfway through listening to it.
Currently Reading:
Bewilderment
Ten Thousand Skies Above You
The School for Good and Evil
House of Earth and Blood
In Five Years
The Last Thing He Told Me
Wow... I just realized how many books that is and I am not sure I can get through all of those before they are due.
QOTW:
Hm... I went straight to the books that I have given 5 stars to on here. A few typical book club books would probably be The Nightingale, Moxie, We Are Okay. Then a couple of series starters in Caraval or A Deadly Education.
It was park weather yesterday, snowy today. Ah, the weirdness of Feb/March.Currently Reading
Rhythm of War for "book about a found family". Yeah and this family is in deep trouble. 200 pages out from the end, so I'm expecting to finish this week!
QotW
Well. My on-line book club went on hiatus and my schedule no longer allows for my church book club SO.....here we are. I'll always recommend Crime and Punishment though. Can't go wrong with Dostoyevsky.
Mod
The ATY February Read-A-Thon is progressing nicely. It looks as if our team will complete all the prompts, so that’s always fun! Some of these prompts were pretty tough! As a result, I’m reading very few from my extensive listing of shorter books I had pulled aside to consider! But that makes it even more fun when it is more challenging, I think. 😊 This event finishes on Sunday. My reading time was less than I had expected this past weekend, but I plan to “catch up” this coming weekend!
Since I am wanting to complete the 2022 POPSUGAR Challenge MUCH earlier than I finished in 2021, here is a listing of books I will try to concentrate on reading in March for specific Popsugar prompts remaining:
(1) *Leah on the Offbeat by Becky Albertalli
*The Henna Wars by Adiba Jaigirdar
POPSUGAR #5: a sapphic book
(2) *Life of Pi by Yann Martel
*Tigers, Not Daughters by Samantha Mabry
POPSUGAR #4: Tiger on cover or in title
(3) *The Stories of Eva Luna Luna by Isabel Allende
POPSUGAR #6: LatinX author
(4) *The Cuckoo's Calling (Cormoran Strike #1) by Robert Galbraith
POPSUGAR #7 Onomatopoeia
(5) *The Silkworm (Cormoran Strike #2) by Robert Galbraith
POPSUGAR #8 Mobility Aid
Admin Stuff:
Just want to reiterate Nadine’s request for March and April monthly group read leaders!! Please help by facilitating discussion! Simply message either Nadine or myself or comment here if you’re interested! It really is fun! And rewarding! And you will receive the participants’ eternal gratitude and appreciation! And you will also get to know some of the Popsugar members better! And…we need YOU!! LOL 😊 You could ✔ off a good deed done for 2022!
Results of the final selection poll for May’s monthly group read:
Year of the Reaper by Makiia Lucier! I’m kinda excited for this one! It could be used to fulfill prompt #15 A book written by a Pacific Islander author. In celebration of AAPI (Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders) Appreciation month in the US!
Just a reminder that the comprehensive listing of Monthly Group Reads for 2022 is here.
You can find the ongoing February discussion thread for Get a Life, Chloe Brown (Brown Sisters #1) by Talia Hibbert here. You can post the book(s) you have read to fulfill prompt #18 A romance novel written by a BIPOC author here. Thank you for facilitating discussion this month, Sherri! I finished this and have yet to return to the discussion. I am rather amazed at my change in attitude toward it after reading the last half… Though I still won’t continue the series since explicit sexual details are NOT my preference…
Since March 1st is next Tuesday, I’ll open and move the two March monthly group read threads to the Current Monthly Group Read folder on Sunday and then move the two February threads to the 2020 Monthly Group Read folder on Tuesday where they will be available in the future. We are reading The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See in March, which can be used to fulfill the 2022 Popsugar prompt #3 A book about or set in a nonpatriarchal society. In celebration of Women’s History Month in Australia, the U.K., and the U.S.! Join us if you are interested in reading this one!
Question of the Week:
b>What book would you recommend to your book club to read next month? (This can be hypothetical, if you’re not in a book club).
Ugh. Only ONE?!? We all know I appear to be totally inept at narrowing any answer down to just ONE book… *sigh*
As Nadine mentioned, I think it depends greatly upon the book club members and their reading preferences, as well as what is easily available for all members to obtain… In my IRL book club which has been disbanded since the onset of COVID, we created a list of nominated books with at least 3-5 suggestions from each member and then each of us voted, selecting 4 books we REALLY wanted to read. I would list the top 12 vote-getters and we would work together as a group to schedule each book in a specific month for that next year. We always tried to create a variety in the sequence of books to be read, for example, a historical fiction book, then a nonfiction book, then a romance, etc. Because we all desired variety within the sequence of our reading. But enough of that!
I have seen these titles work well in book club discussions:
Nonfiction
How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi
The Souls of Black Folk by W.E.B. Du Bois
The Elephant Whisperer by Lawrence Anthony
A Lion Called Christian: The True Story of the Remarkable Bond Between Two Friends and a Lion by Anthony Bourke and John Rendall
Fiction
The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein
The School of Essential Ingredients by Erica Bauermeister
Historical Fiction
All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
Mystery
Maisie Dobbs(Maisie Dobbs #1) by Jacqueline Winspear
The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency (The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency #1) by Alexander McCall Smith
Fantasy
The Night Circusby Erin Morgenstern
Children of Blood and Bone (Legacy or Orïsha #1) by Tomi Adeyemi
Science Fiction
Ender's Game (Ender’s Saga #1) by Orson Scott Card
Just know that I could, of course, add tons more, but I will quit there! (Thirteen rather than just one, but ONLY thirteen! LOL)
Popsugar: 24/50
ATY: 39/52
RHC: 10/24
Unexpected progress made!
FINISHED:
Please note: there is no 5-star read this week! Shocking, isn't it? LOL
*The Big Bad Wolf (Alex Cross #9) by James Patterson ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ was okay. Nothing great, nothing awful! I sometimes wonder why I keep reading these. 😊 One reason? They are very fast reads. Most chapters are only 1-2 pages in length. And although I now find myself rolling my eyes at some of the common tropes Patterson repeats throughout this series—the head/main villain has at least 2-3 other guys claiming to be him, etc. But the amount of characterization for Alex and his family is enough to satisfy me for the time spent… And there were surprises in this one! Both good and bad.
POPSUGAR: #25, #26, #29, #46-the Federal judge
ATY: #1, #2, #3- Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair! The Wolf leaves a trail of dead mutilated bodies behind…, #7-Alex holds a PhD in psychology, #15, #21-Car, #31-2003, #33, #36-the main criminal is known as “The Wolf,” #39-Strength, Justice, Death, Judgment, The World, #49, #50-Nana Mama
RHC: #24-2020: #3 Read a mystery where the victim is not a female
*Raybearer (Raybearer #1) by Jordan Ifueko ⭐️⭐️⭐️ for my favorite used bookstore’s book club meeting this past Sunday. At 50 pages in I was not overly-thrilled with this one and it took 100 pages before I decided to go ahead and keep reading… I finished it and admittedly, there were a few parts where I was intensely focused as with other YA Fantasy books I’ve read in the past, but too few and too far between were those moments. I won’t continue the series… I could appreciate the mirroring of our current (and continuing) controversy in the US of allowing and even encouraging different subcultures to retain their own myths, etc., rather than forcing everyone to burn their books and not to pass along such diverse historical cultural knowledge/information. This IS the way Hitler took over in the beginning of Nazi domination… Beware!
POPSUGAR: #9, NEW #22-Dayo admits he has no interest in sex with either gender!, #25, #40-2015: prompt #6 Author under 30 years of age, #46
ATY: #1-Tarisai, #4-A book whose author is younger than you, #7-the Ray enabled telepathic communication, #12-The Lady tracked Tarisai’s life through a handheld mirror, NEW #17, #34-Judge Thaddace—Tarisai’s tutor, #37-author, #40-The Priestess, The Empress, The Emperor, The Lovers, Strength, The Hermit, Justice, Death, Judgment, The World, #49
RHC: NEW #11, #13, #24-2017:prompt #12 Read a fantasy novel
*Get a Life, Chloe Brown (Brown Sisters #1) by Talia Hibbert ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for our February Group Read! I wanted to DNF this and then as I picked it up to read the last 150 pages or so, I was blown away by several analogies and then just Hibbert’s characterization. I do not like “open door” sexual encounters and that was what turned me off. It just didn't work for me, though I did enjoy the last half much more than the first half. I won’t continue with this series though.
POPSUGAR: #9, NEW #18, #25, NEW #30, #40-2015: prompt #6 Author under 30 years of age, NEW #48
ATY: #4-well those passions read/Eventually Red and Chloe were able to ‘read’ their passion for each other, #7-Red had begun therapy, #12-Chloe was able to spy on Red through the windows in both of their apartments, #36-Smudge!, #40-The Lovers, Strength, The World, #41-Red cooked for Chloe, #50-Chloe’s Grandma, Gigi!
RHC: NEW #4-Though there is some ‘trauma’/’traumatic’ scenes, overall, there is joy!, NEW #23-Hibbert suffers from chronic pain. #24-2021: Read an own voices book about disability
I finished two more but don’t have the time to document right now, so I’ll include those next week!
CONTINUING:
For the Read-A-Thon:
The Chase (Lionboy #2) by Zizou Corder
Back Bay (Peter Fallon #1) by William Martin
And maybe one more short book if I finish these in time!
*Yes, Chef by Marcus Samuelsson
*Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston.
*Hidden Valley Road: Inside the Mind of an American Family by Robert Kolker
*Paradise by Toni Morrison
PLANNED:
4 for March Buddy Reads:
*Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt
Daddy-Long-Legs (Daddy-Long-Legs #1) by Jean Webster
Murder at Queen's Landing (Wrexford & Sloane #4) by Andrea Penrose
*London Bridges (Alex Cross #10) by James Patterson
*The Comforts of a Muddy Saturday (Isabel Dalhousie #5) by Alexander McCall Smith
*The Lost Art of Gratitude (Isabel Dalhousie #6) by Alexander McCall Smith
To complete some 2021 year-long challenges:
1) *Marjorie Morningstar by Herman Wouk
2) *The Beautiful and Damned by F. Scott Fitzgerald
To complete the 2021 Read Harder Challenge:
*Ordinary Girls by Jaquira Díaz
*Death Comes to Pemberley by P.D. James
*Cleopatra: A Life by Stacy Schiff
Nadine in NY wrote: "Jennifer W wrote: "I know some of the PS members are bird fans, our Eastern Bluebirds are back and moving back into their bird house! I couldn't believe they were back before I've seen robins or re..."Seriously?? Never seen one? Our state bird? Though they do like open fields, so if you're more in the city/suburbs, I guess I could understand. I didn't know they came back this early. Our turkeys (wild, did I mention I'm WAY out in the boonies??) were out fluffing and prancing the other day trying to establish male dominance.
I love most of my coworkers. One of them is plotting to betroth one of her grandsons to my daughter (not too sure I'm so into THAT idea!! lol! :) I hope we stay in touch.
Mod
Ha! "Pawdicures"! Cute! I can see how the frozen ground would be advantageous to a canine caregiver! How many canine housemates do you have? (I think you've mentioned the number before, but I'm old and forgetful!)
"Admin stuff
Our May group read for a book by a Pacific Islander will be: Year of the Reaper
We still have openings for group discussion leaders for March (The Island of Sea Women) & April (A Good Girl's Guide to Murder ) - Let us know if you're interested! We are getting down to the wire for MARCH! Don't be afraid, step on up."
Yep! Boy do we! Have openings!! HELP!! LOL
"Riot Baby by Tochi Onyebuchi - I'd been wanting to read this novella for a while, and I'm glad I finally got around to reading it, but it felt a bit confusing and unfinished. Looking back to my review of the other book I read by Onyebuchi, I felt the same way about that one, too, so maybe this is just his style."
Hope to get to this one yet this year...
"Seven Days in June by Tia Williams - I liked the characters and story, but I didn't like the way the author wrote. This was my romance by a BIPOC author."
Huh. This is another I'd like to read this year. Was it "open door" or "closed door"?
"Catwoman, Vol. 4: Wild Ride written by Ed Brubaker- just finished last night. This was fun, but I am not enough of a DC fangirl to get a kick out of seeing all the other DC characters. Also, I need a magnifying glass when I read paper graphic novels - those tan text boxes with little words, and Holly's diary entries with even littler words (these were really annoying, honestly - why write so tiny???) ... too much for me."Oohhh...tiny print = BAD!! Even with my glasses there is some tiny print I just cannot focus in any more...
"Question of the Week
What book would you recommend to your book club to read next month? (This can be hypothetical, if you’re not in a book club).
My own question is a tough one for me! A good book club book should be readily available and a bit controversial so there are plenty of discussion points. Seven Days in June is a good example - it came out last year, so the wait times at a library shouldn't be too bad now, and there are a lot of things the characters do that I disagree with, so there's plenty to talk about!"
Good points! And such a great question!
"Of course, for a book club, you want it to be a book you haven't read yet. Beatriz Williams is usually good for some interesting characters doing questionable things. I got a copy of The Summer Wives from my library's book sale shelf, I'm thinking that might be a good book club book too! (And I'm hoping it's set in the summer.)"
It is a good book club book! Should prompt great discussion! And it is set in summer, as the title implies! LOL I hope you enjoy it!
The two Beatriz Williams books I've read I really enjoyed. She is on my list to read more of her backlist!
Heather wrote: "It’s been a couple weeks since I’ve checked in because I’m taking a challenge break this year. But I’ve missed this group too much to not check in and read your posts. I’m not reading very much the..."Welcome back! And +1. I'm not reading for the challenge this year either. I just read whatever I like and see if I can tick off some challenges after all. It's too much fun to participate in this group and the weekly check-ins, smile.
Happy check-in! I'm a little bit sad that the Olympics are over, but House of Sky and Breath came in so that helped.Finished Reading:
Get a Life, Chloe Brown ⭐⭐ (2022 BIPOC romance)
I wanted to like this but it didn't work out. I liked side characters and email exchanges, the rest I could leave.
House of Sky and Breath ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (2015 non human characters)
Finally! Had some things I didn't see coming so that was great. Unfortunately, one thing was quite predictable unlike the first book where I didn't figure anything out. Also made the mistake of looking at my feed while reading this and saw a spoiler. I think SJM books work for you or they don't, I haven't seen much middle ground in reviews.
Kingdom of the Wicked ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (2022 witches)
This was entertaining and I couldn't put it down. It has some Cruel Prince vibes for sure. This has blown up on Booktok and my feed so I gave it a shot, and it didn't disappoint. Ya fantasy set in historical Italy although it never actually says when and where. So many descriptions about Italian food that it made me hungry and I think you could stretch this for the recipe prompt.
PS 2022 21/50
PS 2015 16/50
Goodreads 52/200
Currently Reading:
Allegiant
The Graveyard Book Graphic Novel Single Volume
Many other things I've started but put down we'll see if I pick them back up.
QOTW:
So from what I've read this year so far I would suggest Red, White, and Whole. I can see a bunch of different topics that would come up to discuss, plus I just think it's worth reading.
Mod
I tend to be very picky about nonfiction, especially with regard to author since the writing style can make such a difference for me between "interesting" and "boring"! At least there were some "interesting" parts! 😀
"I'm reading The Mask of Apollo as the second of my sister cities books. Athens, although it only partly takes place there. About 1/4 of the way through, and somewhat interesting. WAiting to see where it's going."
That looks intriguing! Hope it is!
"QOTW: If I were in a book club, I would be afraid to recommend a book because what if nobody else liked it? It's like back when Blockbuster was a thing, I would refuse to actually picke a movie and only retain veto power."
Ah, well, in my experience, there is almost always at least one book club member who is not thrilled with a specific book, or even hated it! No one book will satisfy every reader, so you just have to be ready for some negative reactions, IMO! It's all good and what I have found is that so many times, in the course of discussing a book, those who didn't particularly enjoy it may end up appreciating it a bit more...
Sad day for Europe. But… the blackbirds were singing again this morning. So beautiful. Spring is coming (although it's windy and raining again right now).
PS: 4/40
Read 2022: 7
Finished
Nothing
Currently reading
Viktor by Judith Fanto
To Hell and Back: Europe, 1914-1949 by Ian Kershaw
QOTW
I’m not in a book club, so this is hypothetical. I would pick a book I read last year. My options:
Dear Edward by Ann Napolitano
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
Anxious People by Fredrik Backman
Those books are tackling issues you can discuss about: mourning and loss, meaning of your life and social issues. And because I think everyone should read Fredrik Backman, so there's no such thing as recommending his books too often.
Ohmigosh, I'm so hammered! I don't know whether it's just getting caught up on sleep, or what. I read 6 books two days ago! Finished: A Psalm for the Wild-Built Beautiful and philosophical.
Peacemaker
Aristotle’s Way: How Ancient Wisdom Can Change Your Life
The Ethics of Emmanuel Levinas An excellent introductory text to Levinas
Alterity and Transcendence Not a good introduction to Levinas
Other Selves: Philosophers on Friendship
Robust Comprehension Instruction with Questioning the Author: 15 Years Smarter Not as good as the previous version
Anti/Hero
I've totally shifted my focus from popsugar to our local library challenge!
Started: Discovering Levinas This one's no good.
From Socrates to Sartre: The Philosophic Quest
Qotw: I'm going to cheat a little bit on this one because I've already read this book, but I would choose Another Now: Dispatches from an Alternative Present. This is by the former finance minister of Greek. It's well-written and such a robust way to explore an alternative economic system that I feel I would really enjoy talking about it with a group. And it's one that flies under the radar, so I would like to promote it.
Mod
Fun!
"Spiked Snowballs & Flaming Cats by John C. Daly - a heartfelt memoir written after a bout with cancer, Daly paints a vivid picture of his life and reflects on where he's been and how far he's come."
That title! Unique and definitely attention-grabbing!
"Homecoming by Cynthia Voigt - The Tillerman Cycle is such a great series; I read book 2 (Dicey's Song) a few years ago and then went on a hunt through used book shops to find all the others in the series. Homecoming is the first book in the series, and even more heartbreaking than I imagined, but also hopeful. I just love these kids."
I feel as if I've read a book written by her through the years, but can't locate a title that sounds right. Ah, on further investigation I evidently had her confused with Cynthia Rylant! But I added this one as it sounds like one I would enjoy and a series I might enjoy!
"The Case of Charles Dexter Ward by H.P. Lovecraft - a classic of the horror genre"
Glad you like it! I cannot do horror...
"QOTW: What an interesting question - I'm partway through The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green and I love it enough that I think everyone should read it, so I'll say that one. Libby has taken it back for the moment, so I have a hold on it, it will be a while before I get it back. It's basically John Green's review on random things in life - putting the 5 star rating system to use against everything from Diet Dr Pepper to the Plague, and giving us an essay explaining his rating for each one. It feels like there's lots to discuss on the topics he raises, on his rating system, etc."
This is one I would like to read yet this year as well! I love his writing and assume I would appreciate his thoughts and considerations on the world...
Hello from Columbus! I am currently recovering from an ear infection (I am a baby who gets baby illnesses apparently). It’s been so cold after having some really nice days. I’m very bummed about that, but am very excited for Mardi Gras! I always pick up this amazing traditional king cake (puff pastry, almond filling, ceramic figurine) from a local French restaurant and I swear it’s the highlight of my whole year lol. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo for a sapphic book. This was a great read and I was excited about the little connection between it and Malibu Rising. I’d been meaning to read this ever since it came out, I’m glad this year I finally got around to it.
Velvet Was the Night for a book riot prompt. I think I liked the cover and title more than I liked the actual content of this book. It was very noir, very thriller/mystery/political. Something I’d usually enjoy but I guess I didn’t find the characters likable. I don’t regret reading this by any means but I had high hopes that this didn’t meet.
Hyperbole and a Half: Unfortunate Situations, Flawed Coping Mechanisms, Mayhem, and Other Things That Happened another for book riot. I loved this blog back in the day. I remember everything stopped the second I realized there was a new post, and thankfully this hit of nostalgia still resonates with me. So funny, so relatable. The story about the goose had me laughing so hard some guy halfway across the parking lot had to stop and stare. I went and checked out Solutions and Other Problems and will hopefully finish it tonight.
Virgin River yet another book riot prompt. I was expecting hallmark movie wholesomeness. I got that, but also entirely too much sex. I know I must sound like a puritan when I say I can’t stand almost all sex scenes in books but it’s just so cringeworthy for me, almost like watching a couple make out on a bus. So uncomfortable lol. But overall this was a cute, if not almost too perfect, story that I can see why people liked it so much.
23/150 books for 2022
10/40; 0/10 Popsugar
5/24 Book Riot
1/12 Back to the Classics
Katelyn wrote: "Happy Frozen Thursday! We got a light dusting of snow and ice overnight and its currently 27F degrees in the PNW. I have the travel bug something fierce! I still have travel credits from 2020 tha..."
I know how you feel about the travel bug. I missed my trip to Canada in 2020 and want to be able to go soon...
Brandon wrote: "Finished:William Shakespeare's Avengers: The Complete Works by Ian Doescher (4/5)
It's fun to get a new perspective on familiar stories. Not only is there a styl..."
I read the William Shakespeare's Star Wars awhile back. Clever idea but I found the joke wore thin after awhile...
Erin wrote: "Good morning! This week I fully jumped on the bandwagon and started watching Inventing Anna on Netflix because my coworkers kept talking about it. I think it's fascinating. How did so many people l..."We've been watching that too - I don't even remember that story being in the news, but my husband does - it's pretty wild how much she got away with.
It snowed! Everyone has had so much snow this year, but I just had a bit the day or two after Christmas, when I was exhausted and still working stupid shifts at work and didn't get to enjoy it. Then this morning around 4 it started snowing while we were receiving our truck! It was just enough to make things white, and now the streets and everything are all black, but there is a bit hanging around on a few things. Yay! Of course I am really enjoying my current read and won't drop it to try to squeeeeze in a snowy one, but part of me wants to. Of course this doesn't happen when my current book is a slog.It's been a good reading week! All but the first one fit for Black History Month. I spent part of yesterday requesting some hopefully exciting library books for next month. Woohoo! Two of this week's books are from my physical TBR, plus one I bought last week.
Finished:
The Afterlife of Holly Chase - Modern YA variation of A Christmas Carol. I liked it.
The Port Chicago 50: Disaster, Mutiny, and the Fight for Civil Rights - Physical TBR. I'm glad I had a copy so I could see the photos. The Navy was sh!tty as F to these sailors, but they did help push them to finally integrate the service, which helped integrate all of them. I *absolutely* respect those men for saying No when they did and sticking to it.
The Parker Inheritance - I've had this for years and it's been floating around pretty high on my list all that time. Pretty much my favorite genre(?) of book is a puzzle adventure/scavenger hunt situation, which is why I got this. It's funny I happened to pick it up this month, I had no idea it would be so tied to civil rights! And yes, I enjoyed it.
Citizen: An American Lyric - I had to listen to this a bit faster than I normally would, since I was literally racing the library return deadline. I made it by about 5 minutes! Thumbs up.
Aftershocks - for BookTube Prize
The ABCs of Black History - This was really good! I liked the things included, the rhyme, the illustrations, and the expanded info in the back. They got a lot into that picture book! I also have the audiobook so I did a good ol' fashioned read-along. Bonus points for narration by Bahni Turpin.
Wind Flyers - Picture book of a Black airman. This one was a bit uneven.
Oona - Another picture book that was just not that great. Oona is a very cute mermaid who won't swim down to get a crown, but I don't understand why. It's water... you won't fall or something... The resolution was odd too... Hmmm... Illustrations are VERY cute though!
Ain't Burned All the Bright - The experience of 2020. I HAD to get a physical copy of this. Full color artwork throughout. It's a hefty little beauty. Excellent.
Currently Reading:
The Black Count: Glory, Revolution, Betrayal, and the Real Count of Monte Cristo - Pulitzer-winning bio of Thomas-Alexandre Dumas, father of the author. Loving it. Right now I'm in the middle of the French Revolution. Also: The cover
I haven't really picked these up this week but...
Discovering Architecture: How the World's Great Buildings Were Designed and Built
Stuntboy, in the Meantime
Mr. and Mrs. Bunny — Detectives Extraordinaire!
QOTW:
hypothetical book club rec:
Hell of a Book!
Or, since next month is Women's History Month, I haven't yet read
Women Warriors: An Unexpected History or
The Agitators: Three Friends Who Fought for Abolition and Women's Rights
Mod
Same. I found this book to be very ... okay. It's advertised as "noir" but I wouldn't even call it that. Best thing about it is the cover art.
Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge
Books mentioned in this topic
Anya's Ghost (other topics)Speechless (other topics)
The Heartwood Sea (other topics)
A Testament to Murder (other topics)
Caterpillar Summer (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Maggie O'Farrell (other topics)Tia Williams (other topics)
Andy Weir (other topics)
Dave Grohl (other topics)
Margaret Truman (other topics)
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Admin stuff
Our May group read for a book by a Pacific Islander will be: Year of the Reaper
We still have openings for group discussion leaders for March (The Island of Sea Women) & April (A Good Girl's Guide to Murder ) - Let us know if you're interested! We are getting down to the wire for MARCH! Don't be afraid, step on up.
This week I read 3 books, 1 for this Challenge, so I am now 17/50.
Riot Baby by Tochi Onyebuchi - I'd been wanting to read this novella for a while, and I'm glad I finally got around to reading it, but it felt a bit confusing and unfinished. Looking back to my review of the other book I read by Onyebuchi, I felt the same way about that one, too, so maybe this is just his style.
Seven Days in June by Tia Williams - I liked the characters and story, but I didn't like the way the author wrote. This was my romance by a BIPOC author.
Catwoman, Vol. 4: Wild Ride written by Ed Brubaker- just finished last night. This was fun, but I am not enough of a DC fangirl to get a kick out of seeing all the other DC characters. Also, I need a magnifying glass when I read paper graphic novels - those tan text boxes with little words, and Holly's diary entries with even littler words (these were really annoying, honestly - why write so tiny???) ... too much for me.
Question of the Week
What book would you recommend to your book club to read next month? (This can be hypothetical, if you’re not in a book club).
My own question is a tough one for me! A good book club book should be readily available and a bit controversial so there are plenty of discussion points. Seven Days in June is a good example - it came out last year, so the wait times at a library shouldn't be too bad now, and there are a lot of things the characters do that I disagree with, so there's plenty to talk about!
Of course, for a book club, you want it to be a book you haven't read yet. Beatriz Williams is usually good for some interesting characters doing questionable things. I got a copy of The Summer Wives from my library's book sale shelf, I'm thinking that might be a good book club book too! (And I'm hoping it's set in the summer.)