Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge discussion
2022 Weekly Check-Ins
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Week 12: 3/17 - 3/24
Hello - Happy Thursday. Looks like rain today down here.I'm 14/50 for the challenge. I finished some great books this week, and one not so great.
Furia by Yamile Saied Méndez - stunning! Set in Argentina, the book addresses gender inequality and domestic violence wrapped up in the story of young people doing all they can to succeed in the sport of football (soccer) while navigating teenage life. Used for a book with two languages (English and Spanish), would also work as a book with a character that is leading a double life.
Radio Silence by Alice Oseman - absolutely riveting! Students by day, secret podcast hosts by night, and a constant testing of the bounds of friendship and relationships, highly character driven with an interesting story, and best of all a platonic friendship that never feels the need to waiver into romantic territory. Used for a book with a character on the ace spectrum, but would also work as a book with a character leading a double life.
The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green - another winner, this nonfiction book is a series of essays written by famous author John Green. The brilliant part is that each essay rates a random topic on a scale of 1 - 5. Covering everything from Diet Dr. Pepper to Halley's Comet, I could read John Green's opinion on life, the universe, and The Great Gatsby all day.
Lord of Misrule by Jaimy Gordon - well the streak had to end at some point, and this was a real dud. I was intrigued by the story - a claiming track in West Virginia in the 70's, a group of down on their luck trainers and grooms, and 4 potential race horses. The execution was terrible - no quotation marks, heavy dialects, stereotyped characters, and run-on sentences to name some of the most annoying qualities about this book.
QOTW: I don't read a lot of poetry, but I did have my eye on Amanda Gorman's Call Us What We Carry to read this year. Last year I read Animal Poems of the Iguazu/Animalario del Iguazu by Francisco X. Alarcón which was a beautiful book.
I finished The Midnight Library as my book with a parallel reality. I liked it.I'm about 2/3 of the way through Mexican Gothic as my social horror. I'm intrigued.
QOTW: I don't care for poetry I enjoyed Robert Frost when we had to do poetry sections in school, but that's about it.
I finished the challenge!!! For a while I was pretty worried about finishing so early in the year, but there are so many other books that have been calling to me that I feel pretty energized by finishing in March.This week I finished:
The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper: Victorian times: This book was a great surprise. A fascinating look at the ripple effect of gender inequality. Impeccably and thoroughly researched, then distilled in a way that humanized women who have been judged on misinformation for so long. This is the book I didn't know I needed and can't stop telling people about.
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets: This is my least favorite of the series, but there is still plenty here to enjoy.
At First Light: Sister cities (Chicago): I went back and forth on this book. It was almost a little too smart for me at times. It became a little bit too much like nonfiction, but overall, the mystery kept me thinking and guessing (I guessed right, but still). I love the representation, and overall it came together in a way that I enjoyed. I'm taking points off for being too long and for the thing that I always take points off for.
One Was Lost: What's interesting about this book is that I don't think how much I enjoyed it and how good it was are proportional. I found it very entertaining. I am a sucker for survival in the woods and the defined suspect list kind of book. Having said that, the book really wasn't that great. It was a bit predictable and I thought the synopsis gave a bit too much away. Enjoyable, yes. Great story, no.
Tunnel of Bones: The first book was cute and a little spooky. This one was more scary than spooky, which I am definitely on board for. I do find myself getting really annoyed with the MC's choices, but that's typical of a middle grade novel. Also, it gets a little repetitive at times. I have high hopes for the 3rd book.
Currently reading:
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban: My chapter a day of HP continues to be a great way to start my day.
You Can Run: This seems like it fits a lot of thriller tropes so far, but also there is a quirky MC and an interesting location, which is all it really takes for me to be entertained.
QOTW:
I think appreciating poetry takes a type of thoughtfulness and imagination that I have never managed to cultivate. I definitely have poems that I love, but I would never recommend poetry, because I feel like I mostly miss the point.
Mod
I'm sure you're not the only one who feels that way. And I bet Robert Frost was many schoolkids first favorite poet! It's hard to beat "Nature’s first green is gold, / Her hardest hue to hold. ..."
Good morning, everyone!I’m in the fourth week of March Mystery Madness, and my Agatha Christie reading is still going strong.
I’ve also started watching the Hercule Poirot television series, as well as the Miss Marple series, both of which are available to stream on BritBox. I’m currently in the second season of both shows, and I’m completely hooked on both of them!
In other news, I finally decided to buy myself a bicycle! I got myself a little single-speed beach cruiser a few days ago, and I’ve already gone for a couple of rides around the neighborhood. It’s been so long since I’ve ridden a bike, however, that I’ve realized that I will have to work up to longer rides. Hills are a bit of a challenge when you don’t have the option of changing gears!
Goodreads: 194/200
TBR checklist: 160/988
Finished Reading:
~Appointment with Death
~That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime, Vol. 6
~Sad Cypress
~One, Two, Buckle My Shoe
~Evil Under the Sun
Currently Reading:
~Five Little Pigs
QOTW:
I have not had a chance to read it yet, but I am looking forward to reading Call Us What We Carry, by Amanda Gorman.
Mary wrote: "The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper: Victorian times: This book was a great surprise. A fascinating look at the ripple effect of gender inequality. Impeccably and thoroughly researched, then distilled in a way that humanized women who have been judged on misinformation for so long. This is the book I didn't know I needed and can't stop telling people about.."I read this book last year and was absolutely fascinated by it!
Mod
Congratulations! That's a lot of books!
One Was Lost: What's interesting about this book is that I don't think how much I enjoyed it and how good it was are proportional. I found it very entertaining. I am a sucker for survival in the woods and the defined suspect list kind of book. Having said that, the book really wasn't that great. It was a bit predictable and I thought the synopsis gave a bit too much away. Enjoyable, yes. Great story, no.
LOL yep, I've had that same experience of "this book was trash but I loved reading it."
Mod
Fun!!! It's been DECADES since I rode a bike. I used to have a red steel-frame ten-speed Schwinn, I shipped that out to California for grad school and then back to the East Coast again, and then it just sat in its box for a long time. At some point, I gave it away.
I've really enjoyed staying home during the pandemic, but this sedentary lifestyle is having an effect on me, and I need to add in some light exercise or I'll be in serious trouble. My back hurts so much when I walk, so I've been thinking maybe I should get a bike.
Two week check-inparallel reality
The Cartographers by Peng Shepherd. I think I am using this for the parallel reality because I think it fits-ish. If I come across a better choice, I'll probably replace it. This was a fun mystery with a dash of magic realism.
book about a secret
Tell Me Everything: The Story of a Private Investigation by Erika Krouse. Non-fiction (CW: rape/sexual assault). Story about the private investigator who was investigating a Title IX lawsuit against the University of Colorado. Infuriating in regards to how many people simply did not care about rape/sexual assault as long as the team was winning football games and recruiting players.
no prompts-fave to least fave
The Great Influenza: The Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History by John M. Barry. Non-fiction about the Spanish flu epidemic. Honestly, 100 years later and we learned nothing and reacted about the same. So that's great.
Unmarriageable by Soniah Kamal. Fun retelling of Pride and Prejudice set in modern day Pakistan.
The Darkening Age: The Christian Destruction of the Classical World by Catherine Nixey. Non-fiction. This was a very slow read to me. Super interesting, it just took me a while to get through it.
I literally just had this discussion with my seniors one of whom said who is just buying poetry books just to read them and the answer is me.
My fave contemporary poets: Rudy Fransisco, Clint Smith and Sarah Kay.
Clint Smith's Counting Descent was one of my AP class' favorite readings last year.
Happy Thursday! I made it up to Cleveland last night (by myself, a first!) to see the Cleveland Play House's production of Antigone; one of my favorite plays and this performance did not disappoint! I'm still enthralled hours later.Books!
Finished this week:
The Fountains of Silence - 3.5 stars. Glad I picked this up again after DNFing the audio a few years ago. A very slow-burn kind of book, but I fell in love with the characters. Twin towns (Madrid)
The Dream of the Celt - 2 stars. I had high hopes for this one but the story was buried under information dumps and didn't flow at all. Book by a Latinx author
The Importance of Being Earnest - 5 stars, reread. We go into rehearsal for Earnest next week and I am SO excited!
The Storyteller: Tales of Life and Music - 5 stars, finishing today. Dave Grohl is one of my favorite people in music and this has been an incredible listen.
Saga #57 - 4 stars. Not what I was expecting, in a good way! Reflected image on the cover
PS 23/50
Currently:
The Silmarillion
The Story of the Irish Race: A Popular History of Ireland
The Last Laugh
QOTW: What is the last poetry collection you read and enjoyed, that you might recommend to others?
A full collection... probably Ocean Vuong's Night Sky with Exit Wounds.
If last week was any indication, I'm still enamored with Seamus Heaney, especially his poem "Digging". You can find it online to read for free and there are Youtube videos of Heaney himself reading it!
Things have been hectic for the last few weeks, to say the least. As life has gotten more chaotic, I’ve found comfort in retreating into books. I’ve read more the past couple weeks than I have in months. It’s a really nice feeling! I had a few vacation days that are expiring at the end of the month so I’ve taken off today and tomorrow. I’ve been looking forward to a few days off so much. My plans are all lowkey, which is exactly what I need right now.
Finished
One, Two, Buckle My Shoe by Agatha Christie. This is a good Poirot mystery. It’s not one of my favorites, but it’s a solid story with some interesting twists. As I’m getting nearer to finishing the Poirot series, I’m starting to wonder if I’ve read all of my favorites already.
The Galaxy, and the Ground Within by Becky Chambers. This was a wonderful ending to the series. I’m really sad there won’t be more books, but if it had to come to an end, this was a good way.
Reading
The Dark Horse by Craig Johnson
Dumb Witness by Agatha Christie
QOTW
I don’t read a lot of poetry collections. I have favorite poems that I come back to often, but reading a poetry collection is hard for me. I start to read too fast and can’t appreciate the individual poems. The last collection I read was 1919.
Mod
I have not read any of them, but I do have Clint Smith's book on my TBR already - good to know you all loved it.
Happy Thursday! The university system I work for had a DEI conference yesterday and it was SO GOOD. I always learn something new at these things and have my way of life questioned. It's challenging but in the best way. It makes me want to be a better ally and support--which is the point, I suppose!Weather here is still going back and forth, but we're definitely entering spring (and I'm sure summer will be here in a week or two).
Finished:
Jack Frost: The End Becomes the Beginning: A character leading a double life. Hoo boy, this was a GREAT ending to the series! Unlike the others, this one starts up years after the previous book and then does a big flashback in the middle. I don't always like that, but I think because the frame story was also it's own fully-fleshed-out story, I liked it. So, so good. And now I keep trying to find the time to re-watch the move!
Currently Reading:
Blindspot: Hidden Biases of Good People - for work
Everything Bad is Good for You - also for work
Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier - since there's a chance I'll get to meet her this year, I figured I should read one of her most popular works! I absolutely love her writing. This is the kind of book I rarely pick up because it's ~600 pages and the beginning of a 6-book series. I'm not great at commitment, but I'll do my best for her!
QOTW:
I took a women's poetry class in college and loved it, yet I rarely read poetry. I think the last one I read was Shout by Laurie Halse Anderson and that was both amazing and heart-wrenching (I think the best poetry books tend to be).
For those who struggle with poetry (and enjoy YA), I highly recommend Sonya Sones - all of her books are written in poetry form, but are also narrative and straightforward. Not everyone likes that about her books, but I've found it really approachable and a unique way to write.
Lastly, In a Time of Violence: Poems Eavan Boland is one we read in my women's poetry class and I fell in love with it. I bought Boland's complete works but have only read chunks here and there. I always love it when I do, but I struggle with poetry because it's not the kind of thing where you just sit down and read a whole poetry book, so I tend to read a poem or two, put the book down, and then forget to pick it up again.
Mod
I LOVED this book!!! She is so under-rated and I don't know why. And I think this was her best book.
It's a foggy Thursday here! Blessed Feast of the Annunciation to any celebrating tomorrow!Currently Reading
The Queen of the Damned for "book set in the 1980s". This book is so strange. Although, I see why I liked it as a middle schooler!
QotW
I think it was a collection of poems by Emily Dickenson a few years ago. Poetry isn't really my thing, but I can enjoy it on occasion!
Good morning everyone! It's been a good week. We started building a fence on our property. We were originally going to have someone do it for us but that was about $8000 and it costs us less than $4000 to buy the material. So we watched a few YouTube videos and now we're doing it. It's been fun so far and it's been really hard for me to concentrate on work and reading cause all I want to do is build a fence.Finished: The Flight Girls Loved it! I need to read more WW2 Historical Fiction/Romance stuff. Prompt: A book set on a plane
Currently Reading: Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone So it'll be at least a couple of weeks before I have any updates.
QOTW: I have never willingly read a book on poetry. The last time was in middle school I think when it was required curriculum and then we had to write our own so I wrote a haiku about a tree or something.
K.L. wrote: "In other news, I finally decided to buy myself a bicycle! I got myself a little single-speed beach cruiser a few days ago, and I’ve already gone for a couple of rides around the neighborhood. It’s been so long since I’ve ridden a bike, however, that I’ve realized that I will have to work up to longer rides. Hills are a bit of a challenge when you don’t have the option of changing gears!..."How fun! My dad gave me his old bike (10 speed) last year and paid for us to take it in for a tune up. I had to have the seat lowered, lol, but luckily that turned out to be an easy thing for them to do. As it turns out, "just like riding a bike" is fairly true, because it had been years since I'd ridden and I thought I'd be super nervous, but it was pretty easy to get back to being a "bike rider."
Hello! Work is at its most busy. I finished the thing due yesterday at 11:02 pm, and got up at 6 am to finish the thing due this morning. (I finished at 10:19 am, last of those in the Central time zone but before the last of the Pacific time zone people.) Now I have a bit of a lull while the other people on the projects do their parts, but need to prepare for when they come back to me.I also formally told work that I wasn't coming back to the office and am becoming a permanent telecommuter. It feels very odd, but my husband helped me realize it really is the best choice for me and to stop feeling guilty about it. Now to find time to clean out my desk and bring home the last bits that I left there two years ago thinking I'd return eventually.
Finished This Week:
People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry. My copy was due back to the library on Tuesday, so I read it over the weekend before it disappeared from my Kindle. It was good that it was an easy read. Definitely needed that with all the work stuff. Using for the booktok rec #11.
PS: 12/50 GR: 34/100
Currently Reading:
The Last Graduate by Naomi Novik. Have a week to finish the audiobook.
I Keep Trying to Catch His Eye: A Memoir of Loss, Grief, and Love by Ivan Maisel. A college football reporter from ESPN that I've followed for years wrote a book about his son's death from suicide in 2015. I'm about halfway through, approaching the one year anniversary. Very powerful, even if you haven't experienced that level of grief (I haven't.) Due back to the library on Saturday.
QOTW: What is the last poetry collection you read and enjoyed, that you might recommend to others?
The last one I read was Urban Tumbleweed: Notes from a Tanka Diary by Harryette Mullen, which was for a 2021 Read Harder prompt, A book of Nature Prompts, as well as a 2021 Reading Women prompt, A Poetry Collection by a Black Woman. Poetry really isn't my thing, but I enjoyed it.
Before that, for a 2020 Read Harder prompt of an audiobook of poetry, I listened to Gmorning, Gnight!: Little Pep Talks for Me & You by Lin-Manuel Miranda, which technically counted. It's really fun to hear them read by Lin, and it's quick as an audiobook.
I believe that's all the poetry I've read since graduating from school.
Spring has made its appearance in Switzerland! The weather has been in the mid-60s and sunny for over a week now. I got out my terrace furniture and sat in the sun last weekend, just to absorb the goodness. I'm averaging about a book a week right now as grad school grinds to a stop soon, and my essay is due. I'm at 20/50 books finished.
Two weeks ago I finished The Burning Girls after a disappointing reading streak. THIS is how to write a dry humor, killer-on-the-loose, village mystery and ancient creepiness kind of book. I enjoyed it so much I bought Tudor's other books to read on my *free* time coming up for spring break. Yesss! I read this for prompt #25 - a book about a secret. A LOT of secrets in that one!
The Wolf Den was another interesting historical fiction read for me. I quite liked the easy writing and weaving in of historical details. The only thing that I had a bit of trouble with was the interweaving of more modern terminology or phrases - at least, what I do perceive to be as more modern. It gave me a lot of empathy for these women, especially those whose circumstances changed on a dime and they went from freed to enslaved when a mother sells you. It was a book of choices and how choices impact what happens - both sad and happy. I may pick up the other books in the series soon. I read it for prompt #35, a book with a constellation in the title [Wolf] or on the cover [had a bunch of stars, too].
QofW
The last book of poetry I read was The Princess Saves Herself in This One by Amanda Lovelace. I enjoyed all of her poetry books. I also read somewhere around the same time a book of WWI poetry. Very heavy, but the poetry explains more about the conditions of the war than any history book could.
Mod
LOL you can come work on my fence next!! One of the fencepoles has sagged to the side and is dragging the whole fence over, I need someone to come and fix it. I keep putting off the phone call because I'm afraid of the $$$
Woohoo, I have a four day weekend and the sun is shining! I have to use up my holiday carried over from last year before my redundancy, because I'll only be paid for this year's holiday that I haven't used. So I'm just going to lounge around reading.Finished:
Until the Last of Me by Sylvain Neuvel for ATY (alt history). A bit of a different direction than the first, it's much less about the space race, but I liked the shift and the search for mysterious artefacts element.
Our Lady of Mysterious Ailments by T.L. Huchu. I enjoyed this, not quite as much as the first one, but I've had real trouble concentrating on audio lately, so not sure it's the book's fault. I haven't worked out where to put this yet, it's pencilled in for sister cities, maybe I wanted to read something set in Kyiv? I'll have to see if I can find a pair I want to read soon or move it somewhere else.
Confessions of an Alleged Good Girl by Joya Goffney for a book by an author I read last year. If I had not enjoyed her debut, I totally would not have picked up a book about a pastor's daughter trying to solve her vaginismus! But her writing is super fun and this will be educational for many youngsters.
Currently reading:
The Butterfly Assassin by Finn Longman for review.
QOTW:
I don't really read poetry collections. I might read the occasional standalone poem, but I don't pay enough attention to be able to recommend any.
23/50Finished: When the World Turned Upside Down for prompt set in "twin city" (NYC.) This one was about the pandemic and it was really good! The characters were strong and vivid, the plot engaging, and it incorporated a lot of the racial disparity of the pandemic.
Started:Totality and Infinity: An Essay on Exteriority
Ana on the Edge for prompt book about gender identity. This one is written by a professional skater and he really adds a lot of depth to the skating world. I have a hard time imagining him writing another book, however!
Qotw: I am still reading Call Us What We Carry by Amanda Gorman. It is really good, a collection of meditations on the impact of the pandemic. It makes me feel like I should have written and reflected more these past two years!
Mary wrote: "I finished the challenge!!! For a while I was pretty worried about finishing so early in the year, but there are so many other books that have been calling to me that I feel pretty energized by fin..."Wow! I'm impressed. I'm only about halfway through.
Happy Thursday. Spring is sort of here. We've had nice days. It was 13, one day last week. Today, we had freezing rain.My March break reading allowed me to make progress on my books, including the excessively long, and not as good as the first one The Girl Who Played with Fire.
Finished:
The Girl Who Played with Fire
ATY prompt: A book about a woman in STEM
Popsugar prompt: Can't find one.
ATY - 13/52
PS- 10/35
Series - 5/13
Clearing my TBR list: 10/40
Currently reading:
The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires - about 2/3 done
QOTW: I was going to say that I don't read poetry collections - mostly poems here and there, especially Poe, who is a favourite. But I read The Flame last year. It's a posthumous collection of all things Leonard Cohen. His last poems, lyrics from his last few albums, and lines from his notebooks which might have become poems or songs. He was one of those songwriters who put more into the lyrics than the music. The time I saw him in 2012, he decided he didn't like the tune he wrote for one of his songs, so he just did it as spoken word. I still think of him as a poet more than a musician.
Kelsey wrote: "Good morning everyone! It's been a good week. We started building a fence on our property. We were originally going to have someone do it for us but that was about $8000 and it costs us less than $..."Wow, fences are expensive! One benefit to having such a tiny garden is we only need like 4 fence panels and the rest all technically belong to our neighbour (but we're nice and paint our side of it).
K.L. wrote: "In other news, I finally decided to buy myself a bicycle! I got myself a little single-speed beach cruiser a few days ago, and I’ve already gone for a couple of rides around the neighborhood. It’s been so long since I’ve ridden a bike, however, that I’ve realized that I will have to work up to longer rides. Hills are a bit of a challenge when you don’t have the option of changing gears!"So fun! I love riding my bike but I'm also a HUGE wuss, so I haven't ridden in a long time. I'm so paranoid I'm going to tip out into the street and get hit by a car, or that I'm going to get caught on a narrow sidewalk and hit a branch (or another person)...maybe the fact that I broke my arm while riding a bike as a kid stuck with me more than I thought...
Nadine in NY wrote: "Shannon wrote: "Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier - since there's a chance I'll get to meet her this year, I figured I should read one of her most popular works! I absolutely love her writ..."I agree about her being underrated! I read Wildwood Dancing years ago (I chose it because of the cover, tbh) and absolutely fell in love. It's still one of my favorites. I can already tell I'm going to enjoy Daughter of the Forest (I just have to stop feeling overwhelmed by the length lol).
Hi everyone. We're having a bit of a mini heat wave in my part of the world. I was considering blowing up the paddling pool but I doubt the sun will stay around that longThis week I finished Romancing Mister Bridgerton. Once again the Bridgerton men are proving themselves entirely unworthy of their amazing partners. I might be done with this series because even the "nice one" was horrid in this book
Currently reading: Gideon the Ninth which I feel a little bit in love with already. I think it is the aviators
QOTW: I have exactly 6 books on my Goodreads poetry shelf and reliably tells me the last one I read was in 2013 so I should probably branch out more
Shannon wrote: "Nadine in NY wrote: "Shannon wrote: "Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier - since there's a chance I'll get to meet her this year, I figured I should read one of her most popular works! I abs..."I loved Wildwood Dancing! Unfortunately it is the only Marillier book my local library has so I haven't read any of the others
Hi All, I read 3 books for the week. 1. Peach Blossom Spring by Melissa Fu for Pop Sugar advanced prompt A book with 2 languages.
2. A History of Wild Places by Shea Ernshaw for # 33 A social - horror book.
3. A Good Girl's Guide to Murder (A Good Girl's Guide to Murder #1) by Holly Jackson. #26 A book with a misleading title.
QOTW: I never read poetry till I started challenges. I have read 2 books this year which is a record for me.
1. Call Us What We Carry by Amanda Gorman. 5 stars.
2. Black Girl, Call Home by Jasmine Mans. 4 stars.
I have wanted to read On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong. I think every new year I will find a prompt & read it. At this point I'm saving it for next years prompts.
Happy check-in! It's a gloomy rainy/snowy day perfect for reading.Finished Reading:
I Am Malala: The Story of the Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (2015 book that scares you)
Malala is funny writer so this was not a depressing read like you would think. There is a lot of helpful history to better understand the political climate of Pakistan throughout Malala's life.
Fated Blades ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (2015 book from an author you love that you haven't read yet)
I actually didn't like the first two books of this series so I was happy that this was much better. It's the romance/instalove that I really don't like in this series. This book was more space opera so it was better.
Library of Misremembered Books ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
My sister told me what this was so I had to read it. The author takes internet pleas for remembering what books people have read when helpful things like title and author are escaping them. She then created book covers for these descriptions for an art collection. I wish it had been much longer. I think my favourite was the book in the romance section where the main character becomes her mother. :) It was a really pretty cover that made it look like a good book to read.
The Pool Project ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (2022 mirror image on the cover)
Courtney Milne took photographs of his pool throughout the years to show the wonder of water. I went to see this collection 10 years ago now, when did that happen? I loved it then and going through the photos again was great.
Ice Cream Man, Vol. 1: Rainbow Sprinkles ⭐⭐
This was a random library pick. I keep going back and forth on the rating between 2 and 3 stars. It's like black mirror so they're short story SFF. The creativity is awesome, but they're so weird and disturbing. I want to read the others and I don't.
Huda F Are You? ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (2015 based on a true story)
Huda took her teenage identity crisis and put it into a book. It wasn't as funny as the title suggests but it still was really good.
Summoned to Thirteenth Grave ⭐⭐⭐ (2015 funny)
This series is finally done and I'm kinda sad. I laughed a lot at this one. The ending also is obnoxious but that fits the series.
PS 2022 28/50
PS 2015 24/50
Goodreads 74/200
Currently Reading:
The Witch of Blackbird Pond
One for All
The Deepest of Secrets
Sweep of the Heart
QOTW:
The most recent 5 star poetry for me are The Poet X (free verse) and Call Us What We Carry.
Happy Thursday! It's spring break here, which means the library has become a free daycare for kids not in school. Whoopie. /sarcasmBooks read this week:
The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise -- for “a book that takes place during your favorite season.” A book about a father and daughter living a nomadic road-tripping life and picking up a busload of eclectic hitchhikers along the way. Cute and fun despite the premise, but also a bit problematic, though at least it addresses some of the problems of its plot -- and the messed-up things mishandled grief can do to a family -- in the end.
Summerlost -- for “favorite prompt from 2017 (a book with one of the four seasons in the title).” Like “Coyote Sunrise,” this book is about a girl experiencing loss… but it handles it far more tenderly and realistically, and against the backdrop of a Shakespeare festival to boot.
Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs? And other Questions about Dead Bodies -- for “favorite prompt from 2021 (a book by a blogger, vlogger, YouTube content creator, or other internet personality).” The creator of the “Ask a Mortician” vlog on YouTube answers kids’ questions about death with wit, humor, and compassion, being respectful and informative even as she lets her macabre sense of humor show.
The Humans -- for "a book about someone leading a double life." I loved The Midnight Library by the same author, but this one just seemed really trite and cliche in its message of "humans are special because they LOVE." It felt, ultimately, like a book-length motivational poster.
Regular Challenge -- 36/46
Advanced Challenge -- 3/10
Not for the challenge -- 13
Currently Reading:
Indistinguishable from Magic -- not for the challenge
Semiosis -- for “a duology”
The Love Con -- for “a romance novel by a BIPOC author”
Radio Silence -- for “a book with a character on the ace spectrum"
Deep Secret -- for "a book about a secret"
The Aquanaut: A Graphic Novel -- not for the challenge
QOTW:
I'm not a huge fan of modern, freestyle poetry. My favorite poetry collections would have to be Shel Silverstein's Where the Sidewalk Ends and A Light in the Attic
Happy Thursday! My parther's birthday is this Sunday, so my weekend plans are set. Saturday, I'll bake a birthday cake, and Sunday we'll go get takeout pizza from his favorite pizza place and probably watch a lot of hockey and figure skating. (World's is happening this weekend, too.)Since the last check-in, I've had a few finishes.
Gilded, 4 stars, a book about a secret. This was way, way darker than I was expecting, but overall I liked it, even though it ended on something of a cliffhanger. The second book is coming out later this year, so at least there's not too long to wait.
The Empress of Salt and Fortune, 5 stars, a Hugo Award winner. Just wow. This was amazing storytelling. Vo does so much with the short novella format. If anyone is looking for a short book for this prompt, this might be worth looking into.
When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain, 4.5 stars, a book with a tiger on the cover or "tiger" in the title. I didn't like this second novella quite as much as Empress but it was still excellent.
Crazy Stupid Bromance, 3.5 stars, a book featuring a party. Most of the book had the preparations for another couple's wedding and reception in the background, and a bachelor(ette) party in the middle, so I'm counting it.
This series is kind of my romance "guilty pleasure," I guess. I love the premise and the meta of a romance novel about guys who read romance novels to help them understand women, but the first two books had some major issues. I think the author, or her editor, listened to some of the reader feedback, because a lot of the annoyances I had with the first two books had disappeared in this one, and I liked it a lot more. Also, this one has a nerdy, computer hacker hero, and I love nerdy romance heroes.
Cinder's Adventure: Get Me To the Wedding!, 2 stars, not for a prompt. This was pure fan service, a non-canon, choose-your-own-adventure novella that imagines Cinder from Meyer's Lunar Chronicles series travelling across dimensions through various means to meet the characters from Meyer's other books. It was an hour or so's amusement, but ultimately kind of boring and repetitive. I wound up making a spreadsheet to make sure I reached all the chapters. I suppose it could work for the parallel reality prompt, if anyone's looking for something easy for that.
I'm currently at 26/50 (24/40, 2/10) for the Popsugar challenge.
QOTW: I don't read a whole lot of poetry. Recently I read Elizabeth Acevedo's novels in verse and really enjoyed them: The Poet X and Clap When You Land.
They are moving my overnight thing to a different day next week. This means I won't be as tired at check-in, but it will also be four hours later. Boo. It's been a rough week for my mental health, so I keep starting new books.
Finished:
Come Hell or Highball - 1920's murder mystery, which was fine. One thing though: The protagonist's matronly weight/shape are mentioned quite a bit, but the woman on the cover of the physical and audiobooks is thin. How good do they think her girdle is? Sheesh.
Come Fly the World: The Jet-Age Story of the Women of Pan Am - Enjoyable with a surprising amount about the Vietnam war.
The Kaiju Preservation Society - Thank you John Scalzi, for this fun romp of a book. It's just what I needed! Bonus points: He never gave our protagonist a gender, so however you interpret Jamie, you are correct. And no, it didn't feel weird at all, tons of people don't even notice.
White Magic - For BookTube Prize
Currently Reading:
The Paradox Hotel
Chasing Me to My Grave: An Artist's Memoir of the Jim Crow South
A Rule Against Murder
Gallant
Women Warriors: An Unexpected History
QOTW:
Poetry doesn't appear to be my jam, so most of the books I have shelved there are in the younger reader camp. If anyone is looking for some accessible poetry-type books, here are some I have enjoyed
Citizen: An American Lyric
Light for the World to See: A Thousand Words on Race and Hope - Very short, with fun typography.
and my favorite...
Ain't Burned All the Bright - Read physically if you are able. It's a collaboration with a visual artist. I also have the audiobook, but I haven't listened to that yet, so it might be very good as well. I don't know if this is officially labeled as poetry, but that's certainly where I keep mine.
Book trailer for a taste
https://youtu.be/EjqvOyAh36Y
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I want to read this but I don't want to buy it, so I'm waiting, hopefully, for one of my libraries to get it. I'm a bit worried it's just not going to be made available in Overdrive or Hoopla
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11 Beautifully Written Books Kate Quinn Recommends:
https://offtheshelf.com/2022/03/books...
And one of these is a fantasy novel set in a matriarchal society! Scorpica Just in case you need an additional suggestion for that prompt!
ADMIN STUFF:
In celebration of Women’s History Month in Australia, the UK, and the US, our monthly group read for March is The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See. That discussion is here and I plan to finish reading this over the weekend. We have questions posted, but it seems we have spontaneous discussion going just as well! (I love it when that happens!) This book can be used to fulfill prompt #3 A book about or set in a nonpatriarchal society. (Though, as See notes, this book is about a “matrifocal” society, not a “matriarchal” society, per se. Interesting!) You can post other books you’ve read to fulfill that prompt here.
Sherri has graciously volunteered to serve as our “guru guide” for April’s discussion of A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson for prompt #26 A book with a misleading title, in honor of April Fools’ Day! Thank you, Sherri!
Nadine will prepare a nomination poll for July’s monthly group read selection to be posted next week! This book will fulfill prompt #47 A book featuring a parallel reality. I’ll be anxious to see which books are nominated…
The comprehensive listing of Monthly Group Reads for 2022 is here.
We will need a “vivacious volunteer” to lead June’s monthly group read discussion of Beloved!
Question of the Week:
Nadine posted: “March 21st was World Poetry Day”…I obviously had no clue about that! How cool!
What is the last poetry collection you read and enjoyed, that you might recommend to others?
I do not read much poetry. But…
I was rather fascinated by Urban Tumbleweed by Harryette Mullen which I obtained to fulfill the Read Harder 2021 prompt #20—Read a book of nature poems and prompt #13 for the 2021 Reading Women challenge—Read a poetry collection by a black woman. Mullen includes 366 poems written over the course of one year and one day, in a “tanka-like” format. Each poem is short, consisting of only 3 lines and typically 31 syllables. She uses nature and natural aspects of her surroundings on daily walks/hikes throughout California for the most part, as well as Texas and Sweden while visiting each of those regions. Easily read and enjoyable overall. Perfect for me, as I am not a huge poetry fan!
Other than that I do intend to purchase Amanda Gorman’s published poetry at some point in the future since I was blown away by her performance at the inauguration! What a talent!
Popsugar: 27/50
ATY: 40/52
RHC: 12/24
I only managed to finish one book this week! Every day has been jam-packed full of other stuff with none to very little reading time! Ugh. (I will reveal some of the reasons for this extra “busyness” next week! Stay tuned…LOL)
FINISHED:
Son of the Black Stallion (Black Stallion #3) by Walter Farley ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I swear, I think this series improves with each installment! Farley’s writing style is very direct and concise. This book illustrates two very different philosophies for “training” animals: using force and control or using intuition and communication. The conflict between Henry and Alec is pulpable and endangers their ‘grandparent-like’ relationship. I am so anxious to continue the series!
POPSUGAR: #9, NEW 20-read immediately after Momentous Events in the Life of a Cactus, #24, #25, #29, #40-2017: prompt #14 A book involving travel
ATY: #1, #2-Read the first installment in 2021, #4-A book related to Shelley's poem Ozymandias (Nadine’s proposal): Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!
Both Satan and Henry felt like this at different times, I think!, #7-the psychology of training animals, #20, #31-Initially published in 1947, #33, #34-Henry was teaching Alec, #36, #40-Strength, The Devil (“Satan”), Judgment, The World, #43, #46, #49, #50
RHC: #24-2016: Read a middle grade novel
CONTINUING:
*The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See certainly starts off with a bang! I am so anxious to finish it this weekend so our discussion can continue.
*Furious Hours: Murder, Fraud, and the Last Trial of Harper Lee by Casey Cep Having just read Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil I was rather shocked when this book started out much the same way! (It never ceases to amaze me how randomly selected books can be so similar!)
*Daddy-Long-Legs (Daddy-Long-Legs #1) by Jean Webster
*Yes, Chef by Marcus Samuelsson I read 5-10 pages every once in a while and find this to be enthralling, though I like spreading it out a bit at a time.
*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:
1 more for March Buddy Reads:
*London Bridges (Alex Cross #10) by James Patterson
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
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The Kaiju Preservation Society - Thank you John Scalzi, for this fun romp of a book. It's just what I needed! Bonus points: He never gave our protagonist a gender, so however you interpret Jamie, you are correct. And no, it didn't feel weird at all, tons of people don't even notice...."
I really want to read both of these!!! I have no idea when I'll fit them in
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I don't know what you're doing, but in my mind you are now: quitting your job, buying a herd of dairy goats, moving to a farm, and raising the goats and making goatsmilk soap with literary-themed fragrances. I can't wait to find out what these literary-themed fragrances are ;-)
Son of the Black Stallion (Black Stallion #3) by Walter Farley ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I swear, I think this series improves with each installment! Farley’s writing style is very direct and concise. This book illustrates two very different philosophies for “training” animals: using force and control or using intuition and communication. The conflict between Henry and Alec is pulpable and endangers their ‘grandparent-like’ relationship. I am so anxious to continue the series!"
Was this the one where the horse was a biter, so the trainer tied a hot potato to his arm, and the horse bit into the hot potato, burned himself, and thus learned not to bite? Or the one where they broke a bottle of warm water of the horse's head? Both tactics were shocking to adolescent me.
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Courtney Milne took photographs of his pool throughout the years to show the wonder of water. I went to see this collection 10 years ago now, when did that happen? I loved it then and going through the photos again was great. ..."
I'd never heard of Courtney Milne, so I googled this. Wow the photos are beautiful!!!! Who knew a single swimming pool could be so variable and so beautiful???
Nadine in NY wrote: "Jen wrote: "Cinder's Adventure: Get Me To the Wedding!, 2 stars, not for a prompt. This was pure fan service, a non-canon, choose-your-own-adventure novella ..."I want to read this but I don't w..."
I was so glad I was able to suggest it in Overdrive to my local library, because I felt the same way. I definitely wouldn't recommend buying it unless you're a die-hard Marissa Meyer fan. It took me an hour or so to get through all the pathways, and I don't see it having any re-read value.
Happy Thursday! Late check-in for me. I have a three-day weekend so I am happy for that.Finished:
Homicide and Halo-Halo by Mia P. Manansala. I love this series and yes this wasn't the best of the two out so far but I feel like I am part of the small town. The 3rd book comes out later this year and yes I will be reading all of them.
Continuing:
The Night Tiger by Yangsze Choo. I got to the half-way point (finally) and almost gave up...I mean seriously close. I researched other books with "tiger" in the title or on the cover and the idea of starting a new book weighed on me. I really don't like it. The story is boring and the characters are one-dimensional. Also (view spoiler) This is the second Reese Witherspoon Book Club book that I have struggled to finish. I decided to keep going only because I made it half way.
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir. Now this book is shaping up to be a favorite this year. Funny, touching, educational. LOVE LOVE LOVE.
QOTW:
Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur is one of my favorites. I never would have discovered it if not for the PS challenge. I think it was last year or two years ago one of the prompts was a poetry book.
Also The Princess Saves Herself in This One by Amanda Lovelace.
And of course anything by Shel Silverstein
Nadine in NY wrote: "Erica wrote: "The Pool Project ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (2022 mirror image on the cover)Courtney Milne took photographs of his pool throughout the years to show the wonder of water. I went to see this collection 10 ..."
Yeah Milne did a blog first and used a different photo everyday. He would write a little something to go with and encourage others to do so. Then a year or two before he died, he started putting together this exhibit which his wife ended up finishing when he passed.
Jen wrote: "Nadine in NY wrote: "Jen wrote: "Cinder's Adventure: Get Me To the Wedding!, 2 stars, not for a prompt. This was pure fan service, a non-canon, choose-your-own-adventure novella ..."I want to re..."
I also want to read this but my problem is that I haven't read anything other than the Cinder series.
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I never added this one to my TBR because I did not like the other book I read by Choo (The Ghost Bride). It wasn't awful, but it had a lot of plot holes and annoyances and I just didn't want to wade through something like that again. Her books have gorgeous covers and intriguing titles,though!
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I want to re...
I was so glad I was able to suggest it in Overdrive to my local library, because I felt the same way."
Thank you! I actually forgot about the ability to recommend e-books! Because, yet again, this is something I can't figure out how to do in Libby. (Does anyone know how??) I went back to Overdrive and recommended it. Fingers crossed!
Hi!!!Where in the heck did the week go?! Yeah, I have no idea what is up with me.
I sorta found a Reylo fan fic -- okay, two Reylo fan fics that were super good, super long, and very well written. Darn you, AO3! But I finished them and life can begin again. Here's to hoping anyway.
I did start my prompt 6 book. A Crash of Fate I'm about a quarter of the way through it. It's fun. Random characters in the Star Wars-verse.
I'm still reading GGGTM 3 (shh, I know it's been almost a full month 🙁), Maus, My Status as an Assassin Obviously Exceeds the Hero's 3, and my NetGalley copy of Prince of Song & Sea. It's Little Mermaid in the eyes of Eric.
Let's just say I'm having commitment issues.
Anyway, QOTW: I can't remember the last time I read a poetry collection. Maybe 15, 20 years ago. I think I recommended Lady of Shallot by Tennyson to someone.
How the day got away from me! Of course because I'm taking tomorrow and Monday off, all kinds of insanity descended this AM in my law practice....But I'm done for the day and off to Chicago for a girls weekend!
Postponed too many times, we're squeezing it in before another variant comes roaring through.
I'm 24/50 in PS. All accomplished without any advance planning.
Finished:
A Dangerous Duet - set in Victorian Times, first in a series - enjoyed a lot.
A Game of Thrones - stlll deserving 5 stars and just wonderful. Third time through and this time as part of a slow read along and discussion. There was so much I'd forgotten or missed! April sees us starting A Clash of Kings.
ETA: Decided this fits Found Family prompt - the Night Watch and Dany with Dothraki.
Currently Reading:
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo - will fit 2 of the prompts easily so not sure which will be used for. I'm underwhelmed, in fact bored. This has been done before and far better.
Madame Bovary - the Lydia Davis translation and it is spectacular! I last read this in French in college (also read in High School in French) and it reads so much the same! Yes there are points I'd forgotten but the language sings through. Very easy to read - if you have not read this and are intimidated - don't be.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - finishing up my re-read of the series.
The British Are Coming: The War for America, Lexington to Princeton, 1775-1777
QOTW: Not really a poetry reader. However, a year ago I did read -- and listened to the audio version too - Book of Longing by Leonard Cohen. You really want to read this not just listen to Cohen read his poems because he also did watecolour illustrations for each of the poems. Gorgeous work. Many of the poems deal with Holocaust and judaism. While listening to Cohen read them was fine, the print version was superb.
Nadine in NY wrote: "Thank you! I actually forgot about the ability to recommend e-books! Because, yet again, this is something I can't figure out how to do in Libby. (Does anyone know how??) I went back to Overdrive and recommended it. Fingers crossed!"No, I haven't been able to figure that out, either. I'm not sure Libby has that functionality, at least not yet. It's frustrating because you can't recommend e-books through the library's main site either, only through Overdrive. I'm pretty sure my local librarians are sick of my constant manga and e-book recommendations. :D
Happy Thursday! I was out of town visiting my Grandma last week, so I decided to just skip check in and do a 2 week check in this week. I had a good time and got to go to my favorite little Italian restaurant for St. Patty's (I got gnocchi, so I wasn't ignoring my Irish heritage completely.😋) Stats:
Popsugar: 20/50
ATY: 30/75
ATY Reread: 6/52
WoT: 2/15
Personal Goal for my physical TBR: 1/10
Books I finished:
Crowbones ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Prompt: ATY: The next book in a series.
This is book 8 in Anne Bishop's The Others series. I know this series has some problems but I love them all anyways.
From Hollywood with Love: The Rise and Fall (and Rise Again) of the Romantic Comedy ⭐⭐⭐
Prompt: ATY: A book with 22 or more letters in the title.
It was fun to basically relive my favorite movies with a few behind the scenes anecdotes, but there wasn't much else to the book.
Piranesi ⭐⭐⭐
Prompt: ATY: A book related to each one of the 22 Tarot Major Arcana cards. (The Hermit)
I kept seeing people compare this to The Starless Sea and while I do see some parallels, Starless Sea was just soooooooo much better. the plot in this one took forever to get going, the MC was barely filled in and the created world was kind of boring. The only thing that kept it a positive rating for me was the language -> it was beautiful and compelling, which kept me reading even though nothing else was hooking me. Plus once the plot did get going, it did get better.
Spelunking Through Hell - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Prompt: ATY: A book connected to the phrase "Here (There) Be Dragons".
Book 11 in the InCryptid series. As a MC, Alice isn't my favorite, but it was a good fast paced read that tied up the only lose end of the series. I hope it's not the end, but better to end well then have it continue but be forced and end up ruining the original books.
Cheats, Charlatans, and Chicanery: More Outrageous Tales of Skulduggery ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Prompt: ATY: A book published at least 10 years ago.
I remember my Grandpa talking about the one story after he heard it on the radio, so the book ended up making me nostalgic. Plus, this one made me laugh the most.
Fated Blades ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Prompt: PS: A different book by an author you read in 2021.
Book 3 in 3he Kinsman series, although the first 2 are more short stories than full novellas. A sci-fi Romeo & Juliet romance. It took me a while to track down a copy so I could read it, but it was worth the wait. I will read anything Ilona Andrews writes.
A Library of Misremembered Books: When We're Searching for a Book but Have Forgotten the Title ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Prompt: ATY: A book with handwriting on the cover. (It's a stretch, but for now I'm using it)
This was a nice fun read but it was way too short. The book 'Talking Cats from an Other Dimension Help Clueless Humans' is a book I swear I've read, but I can't remember the title either.😏
Not My Father's Son ⭐⭐⭐
Prompt: PS: A book about a secret.
Instead of finishing one of the books I'm currently reading, I went browsing on the library site and picked out some random nonfiction, this included. This is basically stories of his childhood, interspersed with his experience filming "Who Do You Think You Are" and all the family secrets that ended up being exposed. It does get quite dark at times.
With the Fire on High ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Prompt: ATY: A book from the TIME list of 100 Best YA Books of All Time.
I loved The Poet X so much, I think I went in to this one with too high expectations. I did really enjoy it, but I got stalled in the middle and I'm not really sure why.
Books I made Progress on:
The Dragon Reborn - I'm going to finish it this week, I swear.
Angels' Blood - I read the short story prequel to this series and I liked it but I didn't like her Psy-changling series, so I'm not sure how this will go. It's still too early to tell.
18 Tiny Deaths: The Untold Story of Frances Glessner Lee and the Invention of Modern Forensics
QOTW
Last Week: I was going to suggest Juliet Marillier! I love her Sevenwaters series (well, not book 3, but the other 5 are all wonderful) and all the other books by her that I've read have been really good too. But you made me look - I didn't remember Daughter of the Forest being that long. I could have sworn it was only about 400 pages, but nope, that's the later books in the series.
This Week: I've read some fabulous stuff recently:
For stories in free verse, I recommend Long Way Down, Inside Out & Back Again, Red, White, and Whole or The Poet X
For regular poetry, I recommend Obit or Apple: Skin to the Core, plus you can never go wrong with Shakespeare poetry collections.😉
Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge
Books mentioned in this topic
What the Chickadee Knows (other topics)If They Come for Us (other topics)
Coconut Milk (other topics)
Wade in the Water: Poems (other topics)
The Younger Wife (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Libby Fischer Hellmann (other topics)Dan Taulapapa McMullin (other topics)
Fatimah Asghar (other topics)
Margaret Noodin (other topics)
Tracy K. Smith (other topics)
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Admin stuff
We still have an opening to lead the group discussion in June for Beloved!
This week I finished 2 books, none for this Challenge, so I remain 21/50
Catwoman, Vol. 1: Copycats by Joëlle Jones - I read this for Women's History Month, because it is a superhero graphic novel written and illustrated by a woman, about a woman, in a male-dominated field of comics. I loved the art but found the story underwhelming.
The Sentence by Louise Erdrich - this was fantastic, easily 5 stars, probably the best book I'll read this month, and definitely my favorite of all the Tournament of Books I've read so far. And it lost its play-in matchup, which means I'm not at all in sync with the ToB.
Question of the Week
March 21st was World Poetry Day (yeah I didn't know about this either, and it's kinda weird since April is poetry month) and March 26th is Robert Frost's birthday, so:
What is the last poetry collection you read and enjoyed, that you might recommend to others?
The last time I read a poetry collection and gave it five stars was November:
Little Big Bully by Heid E. Erdrich (Louise's sister! quite the literary family)
And the collection I'm reading now has been fantastic so far, I may have found another favorite poet: Collected Poems by Jane Kenyon (I don't usually like to read the big chunker collections, but this was the only book by Kenyon that my library system had)