Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge discussion
2022 Weekly Check-Ins
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Week 40: 9/22 - 10/6

QOTW: I'm done, so none:)

I am so excited that the spooky season has officially started!
On Saturday I started my annual Halloween Horror Movie-thon! I’ve had a chance to watch several great movies so far, including: Beetlejuice, Young Frankenstein, The Comedy of Terrors, Halloweentown, The Addams Family, The Addams Family Values, and Scream. I especially enjoyed The Comedy of Terrors, which stars Vincent Price as an undertaker who takes it upon himself to create more business when it comes time to pay his rent.
I’ve also been binge-watching Halloween bakeoff and pumpkin carving specials on Food Network, which has also been a lot of fun. I’ve had professional cake decorating experience, but I’m always in awe of what these artists (singly and in teams) are able to create.
Even with the increase in my television/movie-watching time, I did manage to get back into reading this week in a big way.
Goodreads: 499/200
TBR Checklist: 409/974
Finished Reading (Fiction):
~Ambush or Adore
~The Starless Crown
~For Dwarf's Sake
~Enola Holmes and the Elegant Escapade
~Go Hunt Me
~Welcome to the Dark House
~Big, Bad Mother Dwarf’er
Finished Reading (Nonfiction):
~You're Never Weird on the Internet
Finished Reading (Manga, Comic Books, & Graphic Novels):
~Cryptid Club
DNFed:
None
Currently Reading:
~House of Leaves
~Return to the Dark House
QOTW:
I’m not participating in any reading challenges this year, so I technically don’t have any prompts to complete.
That being said, I did look at this year’s POPSUGAR prompts and compared them with the books I’ve read from my TBR list this year. As it turns out, if I were participating in the challenge, I’d only have 3 prompts remaining: “a book with a character on the ace spectrum,” “an Anisfield-Wolf Award winner,” and “a book by a Pacific Island author.”
At this point I'm not going to try to complete the rest of the prompts, since I am trying to focus on reading the books I already own, but it is cool to see how close I've come to completing the challenge just with the books on that list.

Nadine I hope your covid passes quickly. The loss of taste kinda crept up on me a few days in, I could taste some things but meals were on the bland side and I was blaming the ingredients! Eventually I cottoned on that it was covid's doing, and fortunately it came back after a week.
Finished:
A Restless Truth by Freya Marske and I have decided an ocean liner is close enough to a cruise ship to use it for that prompt. I liked it but wish it had furthered the main storyline a bit more, it's more focused on Maud's self discovery and romance.
The Tea Master and the Detective by Aliette de Bodard for ATY (award winner). Homage to Sherlock Holmes, I loved that the main character is the mind of a space ship.
PS: 42/50 | ATY: 45/52 | GR: 89/100
QOTW:
Eight prompts to go, I've not been great at planning and other than found family/past favourite, none of the books I had pencilled in are really appealing to me right now.
Found family - The Golden Enclaves if Waterstones ever sends it, or Legends & Lattes.
Set in the 80's - I Must Betray You
Becoming a TV series or movie in 2022 - no idea
About a band - The Boyband Murder Mystery
A duology - Either Malice or Gilded, but I don't have the second books for either. I hate having to commit to two books for this one.
Second twin town book - something set in London or Tokyo
Favourite past prompt - plenty of options, kinda keeping this one back so I'm just not stuck with the hard ones.
Oh I forgot to mention our Spooktember/Spooktober viewing!!
We watched "The Exorcist," which was just as silly as I remember it being and I don't understand why it's held up as the scariest movie - maybe you have to be a fervent Catholic? And we have continued re-watching the excellent German series "Dark" (still awesome and mind-blowing the second time through - it's soooo circular!!!), and watching the Korean zombie show "Happiness" on Viki. Viki is deeply annoying, it's like they intentionally choose the worst possible spots for commercial breaks, but my daughter and I are both really enjoying "Happiness"!! I watched the first episode of the Korean zombie show "All of Us Are Dead" and did not care for it - too many characters, I don't like the bullying and sexual abuse, a lot of the girls have the same hairstyle so I kept getting confused, and my daughter fell asleep so I guess she didn't like it either. Next up I'll give #alive a try - what's with all the Korean zombie shows?? (We haven't even seen "Train to Busan" yet)
We watched "The Exorcist," which was just as silly as I remember it being and I don't understand why it's held up as the scariest movie - maybe you have to be a fervent Catholic? And we have continued re-watching the excellent German series "Dark" (still awesome and mind-blowing the second time through - it's soooo circular!!!), and watching the Korean zombie show "Happiness" on Viki. Viki is deeply annoying, it's like they intentionally choose the worst possible spots for commercial breaks, but my daughter and I are both really enjoying "Happiness"!! I watched the first episode of the Korean zombie show "All of Us Are Dead" and did not care for it - too many characters, I don't like the bullying and sexual abuse, a lot of the girls have the same hairstyle so I kept getting confused, and my daughter fell asleep so I guess she didn't like it either. Next up I'll give #alive a try - what's with all the Korean zombie shows?? (We haven't even seen "Train to Busan" yet)

Homicide and Halo Halo by Mia Manansala. Cozy mystery. It gives Hallmark Movie and Mysteries and I enjoy those movies.
book with a character who uses a mobility aid
Baking Me Crazy by Karla Sorenson. Contemporary romance. The characters are 21 and 23 and they read as a little young for me. And the other 2 romances I read were college romances and they didn't read as young to me. But it was a sweet romance.
no prompts
The Learning Curve by N.R. Walker. Contemporary romance. Nerd/jock trope. This was probably the sweetest of the romances in the Franklin University series.
Nailed by K.M. Neuhold. Contemporary romance. Enemies to lovers. Quite enjoyable.
The Glow Up by A.M. Johnson. Contemporary romance. Another in the Franklin University series. Enjoyable.
Fall For Me by Claire Wilder. Contemporary romance. This was okay. The romance part was not developed enough for me.
QOTW:
I have 11 left and I know what I'm reading for them. I'm assuming I'm going to finish but my reading has slowed down since school started.

Aw geez... I hope you recover quickly! I got hit with Covid last Christmas and while I had a mild case, it still wasn't fun. Hopefully the dog hasn't been too much trouble on top of being sick.

I went to the doctor this past weekend and got some unfortunate news -- I'm officially pre-diabetic. I knew this was probably the case, since I'm overweight and have a family history of diabetes, but still really not fun. My doctor put me on Metformin, but thinking of seeing a nutritionist for more help than just taking a pill... thankfully pre-diabetes can be managed through diet.
Books read this week:
Castle Hangnail -- Ursula Vernon/T. Kingfisher remains one of my favorite authors, and though this book is aimed at younger readers, it’s still a lot of fun and is full of her trademark wit and tendency to have fun with the conventions of whatever genre she’s working with. Also her illustrations are fun!
Song of the Summer King -- think the Warrior Cats series, but with gryphons. A good xeno-fiction novel and the start of a series I hope to pick up again soon.
Malice -- a retelling of Sleeping Beauty… except the wicked fairy is the heroine, and she and the princess turn out to be lovers. Obviously borrows quite a bit from the Disney version, but still a thrilling read.
Martian Ghost Centaur -- graphic novel, not for the challenge. Pretty cute, but the main character was rather unlikable and it felt like the story was rather rushed.
DNF:
The Kili Wanna Affair: A Galactic Guild Comedy -- started out as a fairly lighthearted, if bland, space romp… but then the obligatory female love interest got dragged in (stark naked and with an emphasis on “jiggly bits”) and I had to stop. I thought we were past the point where all female characters had to be overly sexualized and complete b*tches…
Currently Reading:
Carter & Lovecraft
Ballad of the Whiskey Robber: A True Story of Bank Heists, Ice Hockey, Transylvanian Pelt Smuggling, Moonlighting Detectives, and Broken Hearts
A Rover's Story
Second Hunger: Attack of the Paleo Panda! A Fast Fiction Technothriller
QOTW:
I actually finished the challenge earlier this year. Already looking forward to the next one!

Birthday camp was a wonderfully quick getaway, followed up by dinner with my uncle (whose birthday it also was) and then an impromptu date day on Monday. Otherwise it's been tech week for our Sleepy Hollow production so I've had minimal reading time (and not as much sleep as I'd like). I did manage to finish two things before tech kicked into high gear, though!
The Enigma Game - 4.5 stars. This started out rocky in the first part, and felt overly descriptive. Everything came together after that though! Wonderful to see some familiar faces in the pages.
What Souls Are Made Of: A Wuthering Heights Remix - 3.5 stars. Tasha Suri's writing is beautifully atmospheric. I found myself left with a few questions by the end that I'm not sure I was supposed to have, but otherwise this was lovely.
Currently:
The Castle Doctrine - perfect timing with this, the story opens in the first or second week of October :D
The Paradise War - another of those books I've owned forever; excited to dive deeper!
And there's postseason baseball starting tomorrow! I'm not a big fan of early start times (Cleveland's game starts at noon, which is 9am for my west coast friends), but it works out because I'm seeing a show in Cleveland tomorrow evening; hopefully most of the ruckus from the game is cleared out by 7pm!
Spooky watch: ooooh Train to Busan was so good! I wasn't expecting all the feels that came with that one. One of my perennial favorites is a German vampire film, We Are the Night.
QOTW: How many challenge categories do you have left to fill this year? Do you know what you will read for each of them, or would you like some help thinking of a book?
I have three categories left, and ideas for all of them!
#4 - A book with a tiger on the cover or "tiger" in the title
The Tiger Queens: the Women of Genghis Khan OR Year of the Tiger: An Activist's Life OR It's a Magical World OR Down Among the Dead Men
#23 - A book with a recipe in it
The Henna Artist OR The Cooking Gene: A Journey Through African American Culinary History in the Old South
#30 - A book with a board game in the title
The Immortal Game: A History of Chess, or How 32 Carved Pieces on a Board Illuminated Our Understanding of War, Art, Science and the Human Brain

Warm weather is still here, but the nights are cool. The trees are beginning their transition, but there are flowers still blooming in the pots around Main Street.
Story Hour is fun. The kids are adorable and so cute! They’re already good at sharing despite being only three. I love watching the shy kids break out of their shell and have fun.
We now have a mouse in the library. Not the cute pet type. It’s a wild one that randomly showed up in the ceiling grate one day last week. Yesterday, it popped out of my colleague’s office and went into the staff room. No food in the staff room. It’s more storage and workroom. I’m hoping it ran out the back door.
And the carbon monoxide monitor went off as well. We thought it was a low battery, but we changed it. So either it’s a malfunction or carbon monoxide.
It’s been a stressful week.
Finished:
Duck, Duck, Dinosaur: Perfect Pumpkin
Steins;Gate 0 Volume 2
His Majesty the Demon King's Housekeeper Vol. 1
Crash (PS onomatopoeia)
American Born Chinese (Aty Powell award)
The Case of the Missing Marquess (Aty historical fiction and PS sister city 1)
Continuing:
The War of the Worlds (PS social horror)
Planning:
Shadow Life (Aty golden years)
QOTW:
I have 10 prompts left.
Sapphic, Anisfield-Wolf, witches, favorite season, secret, author blurb, social horror, constellation, palindrome, twin city 2 - Tokyo.
I have books planned for two of them. Tentative ones five, reading one, and and overwhelming spoiled for choice on two, which makes me kind of twitch trying to choose one.
Mandy wrote: "We now have a mouse in the library. Not the cute pet type. It’s a wild one that randomly showed up in the ceiling grate one day last week. Yesterday, it pooped out of my colleague’s office and went into the staff room. No food in the staff room. It’s more storage and workroom. I’m hoping it ran out the back door. ..."
yiiikes!!!
A few years back I had a mouse getting into my desk drawer, so facilities came and set a trap in the back corner of my cubicle next to my desk. One day I was sitting there working and heard it snap. Ugh!
overwhelming spoiled for choice on two, which makes me kind of twitch trying to choose one.
LOL that's my problem with the Hugo winner!!
yiiikes!!!
A few years back I had a mouse getting into my desk drawer, so facilities came and set a trap in the back corner of my cubicle next to my desk. One day I was sitting there working and heard it snap. Ugh!
overwhelming spoiled for choice on two, which makes me kind of twitch trying to choose one.
LOL that's my problem with the Hugo winner!!

I finally finished The Gulag Archipelago 1918–1956. It was too important for me not to find it a PS prompt. In the end, I picked the train prompt. It is not set on a train, but trains are mentioned repeatedly - how prisons were transported in conditions we'd now get mad about cattle being transported. So, I'm jamming this book in here. (The Gulag Archipelago and Letter from the Birmingham Jail were the only two books where I really cheated on the Pop Sugar prompts.)
I generally read two books at a time. Since the Gulag Archipelago is heavy and depressing, I wanted something easy to read. So I borrowed James and the Giant Peach. Except the book is written in peachy orange print on white paper. So, it also is irritating to read, but in a whole different way. With everything going on, I haven't finished it. It's a book that an adult should be able to read in a day, but here we are.
The Gulag Archipelago 1918–1956
ATY prompt: A fiction or nonfiction book that is set during 1900 -1951
Popsugar prompt: A book set on a plane, train, or cruise ship
ATY - 41/52
PS- 34/35
Series -12/13
Clearing my TBR list: 31/40
Currently reading:
James and the Giant Peach - about 85% done
My Best Friend's Exorcism- 45% done
QOTW: I only signed up for 35 PS prompts this year, so technically I have one left to go. I know I will go over that number.
I found PS harder to do this year than previous years as I found there were prompts for which I could find no books that I wanted to read. (I had set a personal goal to make sure that 40 of the books I read this year came from my TBR list.) And prompts with double and triple restrictions where if you gave me a decade, I still wouldn't do it. I'm looking forward to see what PS comes up with next year with their restructuring

Finished This Week:
Octavia's Brood: Science Fiction Stories from Social Justice Movements by Adrienne Maree Brown. A anthology featuring diverse voices for the Read Harder prompt. I enjoyed more of the stories than I didn't, which is always the goal of anthologies. The ones I enjoyed the least were the obviously much longer stories that were cut down to fit in with the rest, and left everything feeling very disjointed and incomplete. Not for PS Prompt.
Midnight at the Pera Palace: The Birth of Modern Istanbul by Charles King. Finished! I quite enjoyed this history of Istanbul centered on the fortunes of a particular hotel. It's even more hilarious now that I'm done to note it was turned into a Turkish Netflix show about time travel, and I agree with one reviewer about what season two of the show will be. It's a great history book even if you've never heard of the Netflix show (it's probably better if you haven't, honestly). Using for PS #17, Becoming a TV series in 2022.
The Golden Enclaves by Naomi Novik. Final book in the Scholomance trilogy, which I devoured as soon as I finished work on Monday (it did not arrive on Friday like Barnes & Noble claimed it would). You can tell the author had a plan and hints of the Big Reveals are expertly laid in the earlier books (or the author very cleverly masked her lack of a plan and used things she had already mentioned as seeds to imply there was a plan). I can't say I enjoyed it, because it completely was not what I was expecting. Still processing, honestly. Not for PS prompt.
Vincent by Barbara Stok. And now for something completely different. An biography in graphic form of Vincent Van Gogh, written by a Dutch woman and translated into English. Mostly pictures, showing how his paintings weren't appreciated by the public or other artists, but that he had the full support of his brother. It said he had epilepsy, and the fits are what led people to call him crazy. Very sweet. Not for prompt.
The Undomestic Goddess by Sophie Kinsella. And even more different. I bought this years ago and never read it, and figured now would be a good time because it was likely to be wholesome. And it was. Corporate lawyer makes a big mistake, gets fired and flees to the countryside where she's mistaken for a housekeeper and realizes there's more to life than making six figures if you never get to appreciate things like weekends or looking out windows. Using for PS #14, Cutlery on the Cover.
PS: 44/50 RH: 15/24 ATY: 49/52 GR: 148/100
Currently Reading:
Dreams Bigger Than Heartbreak by Charlie Jane Anders. Second book in the trilogy, and I don't super remember the first, which I read back in June as part of my Hugo reading. But the author is doing a fairly decent job of reminding me of who everyone is and the events of the previous book. About halfway through, and enjoying so far. Not for PS Prompt.
QotW: How many challenge categories do you have left to fill this year? Do you know what you will read for each of them, or would you like some help thinking of a book?
I have six prompts to go. I have books picked out for each of them, but little motivation to read any of them.
#6, Latinx Author & #21, About a Band or Musical Group, I feel I have good choices selected. I have my Latinx book checked out, and own the Band book, so just need to read them.
#10, Anisfield-Wolf winner & #30, With a Board Game in Title - have selected books, both of which are currently available at nearby library branch, cannot make myself check them out.
#23, With a Recipe & #43, Palimdromic Title - have books selected, but keep changing them. Nothing seems good. Edit: I have the palimdromic title ready for pickup at the library, so appears I have caved and just picked something that is short.

First, that sucks about Covid. Been there, had that. I hope you’re feeling better soon!
As for weather...we had temps in the low 70Fs this week, with cool autumnal nights. However, we had a low move in over night so temps are dropping again, only mid-60s today with a chance of rain and a high of 48F for Friday. It will only be 31F Saturday morning, and won’t get much warmer during the day. Good football weather, if nothing else. 😐
I was hit with a monster migraine Tuesday afternoon. Usually I can feel them coming on and try to take preventive measures to at least lessen the effects. This one hit out of the blue and was still really bad yesterday. Hide in your room and avoid any kind of light bad. It was a bit better last night. Still not completely over it today, but at least I can function and light isn’t my enemy.
Have not finished any books this week, but have two in progress. I’m more than halfway through an ebook, Who Moved My Goat Cheese?, and then yesterday when I couldn’t sleep and couldn’t read I started listening to an audiobook on YouTube, The Talented Mr. Ripley and am one-third done. Good narrator.
Question of the Week
How many challenge categories do you have left to fill this year? Do you know what you will read for each of them, or would you like some help thinking of a book?
I have three prompts left and have books planned for each. They also fit other challenges planned over the next three months —you know, for added incentive.
#16/Witches: Shadow of Night
#21/Band: Daisy Jones & The Six
#30/Board Game: The Book of Life
I’m mostly worried about the two by Deborah Harkness, as they are almost 600 pages each, but I’m hoping that once I get into them they read as fast as book one. I do have shorter books that fit those categories, but I really want to finish the original trilogy, especially as it’s a box set on my ereader that I can then archive to free up space. (and then I can try to fit book four in next year).
Spooky viewing
I’m not big on horror movies, but I do plan to watch Hocus Pocus 1 & 2 and finish my umpteenth viewing of Harry Potter . I finished watching season seven of Buffy the Vampire Slayer this week, so will probably start Angel soon. I never saw these when they were originally out.

I'm not watching any spooky movies for October but do plan on watching Hocus Pocus sometime this month. I have gotten into reading October themed books. I usually don't enjoy creepy or spooky reads but have gotten into it this year. I also saw where The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry starts in theaters this
Friday 10/7. I own it but haven't read it & was saving it for 2023 challenges but I may have to read it now.
I have read 4 books for this week.
1. Fiona and Jane. 3 stars.
2. Daisy Darker 3 stars
3. The Ex Hex 3 stars. Read for the October group read discussion.
4. Sign Here 3 stars. Creepy & grisly but it sucked me in.
QOTW no prompts left.
Oh I forgot to mention another movie we watched for Spooktober - LOL it was so forgettable, I forgot about it in less than a week!! Vamps. When you look at the pedigree, you expect great things: written & directed by the same woman who directed Fast Times at Ridgemont High and wrote Clueless, it stars Alicia Silverstone and Krysten Ritter, co-stars Sigourney Weaver (has she ever been in anything bad??? well ... yes, This movie) and Wallace Shawn, with cameos from actors like Malcolm McDowell. How could this movie be so boring and blah? I do not know, but it was.

Finished: A Sense Of Life A motley collection of essays published posthumously. Doesn't have the same charm as The Little Prince, nor the same arc as The Prince of the Skies.
The Bone People for prompt by Pacific Islander and my last prompt of the challenge!!! Better than I expected. Compelling characters.
The Fight of Our Lives: My Time with Zelenskyy, Ukraine's Battle for Democracy, and What It Means for the World Been waiting for this one to come out for quite some time. Definitely biased, but it sure makes me think Zelenskyy is a great leader!
Raising Critical Thinkers: A Parent's Guide to Growing Wise Kids in the Digital Age I quite liked Bogart's first book, Brave Learner. This one didn't stack up. I didn't really like any of her suggestions for activities.
After Lockdown: A Metamorphosis Compares lockdown to Kafka's metamorphosis. Only mildly interesting.
Started: Information Wars: How We Lost the Global Battle Against Disinformation and What We Can Do about It
First Class: The U.S. Postal Service, Democracy, and the Corporate Threat
Qotw: Finished the challenge, so no prompts left! You guys did help me with the very end though, when I saw that I had accidentally double dipped. Found one that I had already read on #BookTok. Strange how you can complete the challenge without reading any more books!

Finished:
Star Wars: The Princess and the Scoundrel - 3.5 stars. An introspective romantic adventure of Han and Leia's wedding and honeymoon, which of course doesn't go as smoothly as planned. It was fun.
Comics and manga:
Demon in the Wood
Dragon Age: Wraiths of Tevinter
Death: The Deluxe Edition
Spy x Family, Vol. 8
Toilet-bound Hanako-kun, Vol. 15
Currently reading:
An Enchantment of Ravens - This has been going a little slowly due to work picking up. I don't like it as much so far as later works I've read by this author, but it's still enjoyable.
Planned/upcoming:
Into the Light (ARC)
The Ex Hex
Winter's Orbit
QOTW: I finished the challenge at the end of August. But happy to help with suggestions if anyone's stuck for a category.

Take care and take time to recover! I got it 2 weeks ago (1st time too) and after 1 week having all symptoms in a row it took me another week to completely recover. It's exhausting.

I went to the doctor this past weekend and got some unfortunate news -- I'm officially pre-diabetic. I knew this was probably the case, since I'm overweight and have a famil..."
O no! I hope a diet can manage it. Take care!

Finished:
What If It's Us by Becky Albertalli and Adam Sivera
This one has been on my TBR for a while and I’m glad I finally read it. It was cute and I enjoyed the romance, but also the friendships. I appreciated the ending as well and really liked it other than it just didn’t seem to fit. It would have worked better had other means been used to get to it though. Lots of the drama seemed childish and a little unnecessary (especially from Arthur, honestly Ben deserved better) but it served the plot I suppose.
Prompt: A book with two POV’s
Currently Reading:
The Golden Enclaves by Naomi Novik
Prompt: A different book by an author you read in 2021
The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling
Prompt: A book about witches
Overall Progress:
37/50
QOTW:
I have 13 left and I do pretty much have a book picked out for all of them. I’m flexible though so a few might change.

PS: 18/40
Total 2022: 47
Finished
In the Country of Others by Leïla Slimani ⭐⭐⭐
A couple of lonely souls in Marocco. It’s a bit like My brilliant Friend: there’s no plot, you just go with the daily lives of Mathilde, Amine and Aïcha.
Currently reading
Dutch books only this week (for no specific reason):
De Nieuwe mens by Auke van der Woud
De laatste winter by Femke Roobol
QOTW
I have 22 categories left. But since I’m not reading for the challenge this year, I don’t mind. So I’m not looking for books to fulfill the categories left.

Completed:
The Most Likely Club ★★★
The Dressmaker of Khair Khana: Five Sisters, One Remarkable Family, and the Woman Who Risked Everything to Keep Them Safe ★★★★
I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter ★★★★
The Book of Gothel ★★★
Nothing More to Tell ★★★★
The Siren of Sussex ★★★★






Currently Reading:
House of Hunger
The Butcher and the Wren
The Change
American Demon: Eliot Ness and the Hunt for America's Jack the Ripper
The Marriage Portrait
Drunk on Love
The Bakeshop at Pumpkin and Spice
QOTW: I've got four prompts left, and books on hold at the library that should satisfy three of them. The board game prompt is the only one I haven't really nailed down.
PS 16: A book about witches - The Women Could Fly
PS 28: A book set during a holiday - Blackmail and Bibingka
PS 30: A book with the name of a board game in the title - Trouble, Sorry, or Life? I have options for all three.
PS 38: A book featuring a party - The Last Party

I went to the doctor this past weekend and got some unfortunate news -- I'm officially pre-diabetic. I knew this was probably the case, since I'm overweight and have a famil..."
Kenya, I went through that a few years ago. Seeing a nutritionist changed my life and helped me get the pre-diabetes under control. I'm rooting for you!

I don't usually start watching spooky movies this early in the month, though I did put up a display of children's Halloween DVDs this week, and I've been meaning to watch The Nightmare Before Christmas ever since. What I did watch this week was 9 to 5, which is sadly still relevant, but also still very funny.
Finished this week:
Jessi's Secret Language - Since I grew up reading the original Babysitters Club series, I check out each new graphic novel, and while I question some of the choices made to modernize or streamline the series, for the most part I enjoy them as much as I did the original books. And that's the case here as well.
She Come By It Natural: Dolly Parton and the Women Who Lived Her Songs (stretching a bit for RH 1 - a biography of an author you admire) My family went to Tennessee for Summer vacation this year, which included a visit to Dollywood, which made me realize I didn't really know that much about Dolly Parton's life. I actually stumbled on this book by accident, as I was looking for a different book, but this one sounded interesting, too, and it was. It's adapted from a series of magazine articles, but that doesn't detract from the readability.
Waiting for Bojangles - I originally picked this up as a candidate for prompt 17, a book becoming a movie or TV series in 2022, before I realized I'd already filled it without realizing. But the premise sounded interesting (and the book was fairly short), so I read it anyway. Having finished, I have mixed feelings about it. I was invested in the characters, but the prose was written so that most, but not all, of it rhymed, but it wasn't set up like a poem, so I kept getting thrown off when the rhyme happened in a place I wasn't expecting. The book is translated, so I'm guessing this is something that worked better in French.
Currently Reading:
Secrets of the Looking Glass
The Hidden Girl and Other Stories
The Awakening Storm
Humble Pi: A Comedy of Maths Errors
The Ex Hex
QOTW: I have 10 still to go, though two are currently in progress. I have books in mind for the remaining 8, except for 40 (A book that fulfills your favorite prompt from a past POPSUGAR Reading Challenge). Since this is the first time I've done this challenge, I don't have a past favorite, so I'm planning to save this for last and go through all the past prompts and pick out one that sounds interesting and fits a book I've already read.

Finished The Final Revival of Opal & Nev on audiobook. LOVED it! I felt like everyone in there was so real. I want to youtube their songs, follow Virgil on Instagram, look up "the picture", etc. Except none of it exists. :( The narrators were fantastic. Highly recommended.
Made progress in Silent Thunder: In the Presence of Elephants for a book set in a nonpatriarchal society. I wanted to finish for this week's check in, but I'm finding it not well written so it doesn't read quickly.
Listened to a few chapters in Pachinko for a book becoming a show. I had put it down for a while, but it was easy to pick back up.
Started Tidelands for a book about witches, and I'm already into it.
Couldn't help myself and also started The Historian which is a reread, but I remember nothing about it, though I'm sure stuff will come back to me. Not sure if it'll fit a prompt.
Today I picked up The Turn of the Screw for a Victorian novel, and already have less than 100 pages to go (it's only 120ish), so maybe I'll finish it this weekend.
QOTW: Oh, I have a ton to go, I don't even know how many. I never expect to finish the challenge anyway, I just use it for fun and finding interesting books. Oddly, the one I haven't checked off was 2 POV. I love multi POV books, I even have a GR shelf for them, but any that I've read so far this year have gone to other prompts.

I have no desire to watch scary movies or shows. I would like to watch Hocus Pocus and maybe the new one. I remember watching the first one on TV once when it first came out and thought it was fun, but I haven't seen it since.

Finished 33/50
The Red Horse for "book about a man-made disaster". Goodness, I think this is the longest book (by word count) that I ever read. Why is there SO MUCH stuff about WWII that we miss in US history classes? I had no idea half this stuff with Italy actually happened.
Currently Reading
WORDS FOR OUR TIME: The Spiritual Words of Matthew the Poor for "a duology (1)". This is so good. I'm almost done with this book and so glad there's a second!
Surprised by Christ: My Journey from Judaism to Orthodox Christianity for "book with a quote from your fave author on the cover". Frederica Mathews-Green endorses this book and I love her...and so far this book is extremely informative!
QotW
17 left....oh man....it'll take a miracle to finish this challenge. I have all my books basically figure out. Just need more tiiiime.
Harmke wrote: "Take care and take time to recover! I got it 2 weeks ago (1st time too) and after 1 week having all symptoms in a row it took me another week to completely recover. It's exhausting.
..."
That's where I am right now! It's like I had one symptom per day. Day 1: fever and aches. Day 2: scratchy throat. Day 3: coughing. Day 4: sore throat... and so on ... until all the symptoms are gone now except for annoying coughing fits and extreme exhaustion. I am so tired. The last two days, I've logged into to work from home, and by lunch time I'm just done. I've had to take a half sick day each day to just sleep. I've been feeling a little guilty about that, actually. Maybe I COULD just try to work through the exhaustion.
..."
That's where I am right now! It's like I had one symptom per day. Day 1: fever and aches. Day 2: scratchy throat. Day 3: coughing. Day 4: sore throat... and so on ... until all the symptoms are gone now except for annoying coughing fits and extreme exhaustion. I am so tired. The last two days, I've logged into to work from home, and by lunch time I'm just done. I've had to take a half sick day each day to just sleep. I've been feeling a little guilty about that, actually. Maybe I COULD just try to work through the exhaustion.

On the spooky film front, I watched Hocus Pocus 2 on release day. I loooooove the first film, this one was just okay. I also tried to watch Little Monsters with my nephew, but he ran out of the room and hid under a cushion when the (cute and funny) monster showed up so we had to stop that one lol!
This week I finished Sabriel. This was a re-read and I loved it all over again. I think I appreciated a lot of the little things more this time around.
Currently reading: Errrrrrrrr...I have so many library books at the moment plus I got a new haul from the free book shop recently so I'm feeling really overwhelmed and unable to commit to a book at the moment. I've read a little of The Brides of Maracoor and The Midnight Queen but I haven't connected to either of them just yet.
QOTW: I'm not doing Pop Sugar this year but I am doing a challenge for a different group. I only have two books left to read for that one. I have The Woman in White and Wanda The Scarlet Witch And Vision pencilled in but not made any progress on either so I might try to find alternate books

Well I survived Hurricane Ian in Orlando last week. It rained and was really windy but I got all the Disneyworld/Universal Studios entertainment I needed. Plus all the Halloween Horror Nights Haunted Houses. BUT I caught a cold. I got a lab test and home test for Covid and both were negative but this was a bad cold. I haven't been sick in a few years so maybe it was just time.
I have really been slacking on reading and this might be the first year I won't finish the challenge. Work has been really busy and I haven't been reading as much.
Still Reading:
The Ink Black Heart - still trudging through 1,000+ pages of this horribly-edited book. It was like she was trying to get it over 1,000 pages but the side effect was that the book lags and there is so much that could have been edited out, it is making me lose interest which really sucks because I like this series.
The Hacienda - I really liked this premise but the overly-descript wording is making this a slow read for me.
QOTW:
A little more than half...ugh...I was hoping to be more than half done with the challenge by now but I can't seem to concentrate.

We watched "The Exorcist," which was just as silly as I remember it being and I don't understand why it's held up as the scariest movie..."
I loved Dark. I've only watched season one, but it was well written.
I think the allure of the Exorcist was that it was scary for its time. Kind of like how my kids (born in the 2000s) didn't think Psycho was scary, but my mother (born in the 1930s) made me promise not to leave the motel room while she had a shower in the mid-1990s. That movie scared her enough that she had problems showering in a motel 35 years later.
Sarah wrote: "I also tried to watch Little Monsters with my nephew, but he ran out of the room and hid under a cushion when the (cute and funny) monster showed up so we had to stop that one lol! ..."
My older daughter was really sensitive! We used to have to fast forward past the dragon scene in Sleep Beauty! Have you watched My Neighbor Totoro? It is NOT scary, but for a young and sensitive person, it can feel like watching a scary movie, but also give heart warming feels.
My older daughter was really sensitive! We used to have to fast forward past the dragon scene in Sleep Beauty! Have you watched My Neighbor Totoro? It is NOT scary, but for a young and sensitive person, it can feel like watching a scary movie, but also give heart warming feels.
Katelyn wrote: "Happy Thursday.
Well I survived Hurricane Ian in Orlando last week. It rained and was really windy but I got all the Disneyworld/Universal Studios entertainment I needed. Plus all the Halloween H..."
glad you got to do Disney even if it rained! Sorry about the cold. Rest up!
Well I survived Hurricane Ian in Orlando last week. It rained and was really windy but I got all the Disneyworld/Universal Studios entertainment I needed. Plus all the Halloween H..."
glad you got to do Disney even if it rained! Sorry about the cold. Rest up!
Sherri wrote: "Janet Leigh never took a shower again after filming Psycho."
good lord Hitchcock must have tormented her badly during filming.
good lord Hitchcock must have tormented her badly during filming.
I haven't even begun drafting my posting for this week! My good friend with all the heart trouble and surgery and hospitalizations every few weeks since the TAVR procedure was in the hospital again this week with pneumonia. Her daughter was out-of-town (again!) so I spent two days in the hospital with her and then stayed home and rested a day because I felt like I was coming down with something (pneumonia? Ugh...) But then felt better yesterday and had a doctor's appointment and taught and worked out at the gym in the evening per the usual for Wednesday. And today had to get my friend's meds for her, etc., since no one else had done so when they took her home from the hospital yesterday. That meant she spent another night coughing instead of sleeping since she didn't have the cough medication. (I could just strangle her kids, but that's for another day...) Then I had to shop for food and get a tire with a slow leak patched and I came home and am EXHAUSTED. Then the thought occurred to me that this is...THURSDAY! OMG! Was I supposed to post first today...no. I'm pretty sure it was Nadine's turn and then I consulted my calendar and breathed a sigh of relief. SHEESH!
So...all of that to say thank you to Nadine for remembering (1) This is Thursday and (2) posting the new Weekly Check-In! I'll try to post tomorrow... :)
And, Nadine, I sure hope both you and your daughter recover well with no lingering after-effects of COVID! Healing energy comin' atcha! :)
So...all of that to say thank you to Nadine for remembering (1) This is Thursday and (2) posting the new Weekly Check-In! I'll try to post tomorrow... :)
And, Nadine, I sure hope both you and your daughter recover well with no lingering after-effects of COVID! Healing energy comin' atcha! :)
Dubhease wrote: "I loved Dark. I've only watched season one, but it was well written. ..."
You must watch the rest!!!!! there are so many answers yet for you to discover!! I am on my second viewing, and so much is falling into place for me this time around. Sure, there's a few things in the story that were obviously there just for extra drama and didn't really need to be there (the pfennig coin necklaces, for example - what was really the point of that, except to provide another visual and give a clue for the police to mull over), but for the most part this show holds up to repeated viewings.
Unlike Lost, the writers of Dark actually had a full three season story plotted out, and it all fits together and makes sense.
You must watch the rest!!!!! there are so many answers yet for you to discover!! I am on my second viewing, and so much is falling into place for me this time around. Sure, there's a few things in the story that were obviously there just for extra drama and didn't really need to be there (the pfennig coin necklaces, for example - what was really the point of that, except to provide another visual and give a clue for the police to mull over), but for the most part this show holds up to repeated viewings.
Unlike Lost, the writers of Dark actually had a full three season story plotted out, and it all fits together and makes sense.

I've been lucky so far to not have Covid yet. Seems like everyone around me that avoided it all along are getting it now. I just got another booster (no side effects other than sore injection site). I've just started biologic injections for my rheumatoid arthritis, so I'm immunocompromised and would prefer to avoid Covid altogether. I hope I get better at giving myself shots - I have a big bruise on my thigh from my first one yesterday.
I LOVE AUTUMN and we are having perfect weather right now. It's so beautiful! If only it would last more than a few weeks, if that. I do not love Halloween, though, and avoid most things about it. I've horrified many people lately by mentioning that I have never seen Hocus Pocus, and I have promised to watch it this month. And the sequel.
Finished
Upgrade by Blake Crouch - 4 stars
I really love his books. This one is about gene splicing and saving mankind from extinction. It was over-my-head sciency (as his are), but I love them anyway. The ending is really sticking with me in the best way possible - when it challenges your value system.
Carrie Soto Is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid - 4 stars
Listened to audiobook, which was amazing. Another great one from one of my favorite authors, this one about an aging tennis star who is making a comeback. I love tennis, so this was a lot of fun.
Mrs. McGinty's Dead by Agatha Christie - 5 stars
My monthly Christie. I had never heard of this one, and it is now one of my favorites. Spoiler alert - Mrs. McGinty is dead.
Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas - 4 stars, PS #39 SSF own voices
This was a fun read. Look at me, reading a book set in a cemetery. Maybe I'll get into this Halloween thing after all. Actually, this was set around Dia de Los Muertos, which I previously only knew about from the movie Coco (and which I should watch again). Really enjoyed the characters and plot and setting. So yeah, I loved it.
Currently Reading
I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika L. Sánchez
Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo
Don't Sweat the Small Stuff ... and It's All Small Stuff: Simple Ways to Keep the Little Things From Taking Over Your Life by Richard Carlson
Goodreads: 65/90
Popsugar: 27/40, 8/10
QOTW:
I have 15 books left in the Challenge, so at 5 per month I might finish on New Year's Eve. If only I'd quit reading other stuff!
The prompts I have left and have books planned are: onomatopoeia, set in 1980s, cutlery on cover, about witches, favorite season, social-horror
I read the first book of my duology but didn't like it much so don't want to read the second. But it looks that that problem was just solved in reading above when Gilded and Cursed were mentioned. So I guess that means I have 16 books left. Crap!
The prompts I do not have planned are:
band or musical group, recipe, misleading title (thought one would have happened by now), Hugo Award (can't narrow it down), board game, man-made disaster, Victorian times, palindromic title. I haven't read the threads on these categories yet so figure it won't be hard to find the right books for me.
I'd better stop this novel and get reading!
Lynn wrote: "I haven't even begun drafting my posting for this week! My good friend with all the heart trouble and surgery and hospitalizations every few weeks since the TAVR procedure was in the hospital again..."
you are an absolute blessing for this woman
you are an absolute blessing for this woman

My monthly Christie. I had never heard of this one, and it is now one of my favorites. Spoiler alert - Mrs. McGinty is dead."
That was a good one! I read it earlier this year in February, as it was the monthly selection in the GR Agatha Christie group. This month’s selection is 4:50 from Paddington.

@Kenya my mom was given the same prescription, and it has helped keep her numbers down. I hope your consult with the dietician works well for you.
Happy check-in! I rewatched Hocus Pocus and then watched the new one. They both were great. My favourite thing was the (view spoiler)
Finished Reading:
Love and Other Words ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Reread that still is enjoyable. Good for the booktok prompt.
Kingdom of the Feared ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This series is over now. 😥 I enjoyed that things from the whole series were finally explained.
The World Needs More Purple People ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Kirsten Bell's children's book. It was cute and I laughed out loud.
PS 2022 47/50
PS 2015 48/50
Goodreads 215/250
Currently Reading:
The Golden Enclaves
QOTW:
I have three prompts left and only one figured out. I'd happily take suggestions.
14. Cutlery on the cover - ? I did read How to Pronounce Knife: Stories but I needed to use it for the Booker/Giller prize winner prompt from the 2015 list.
21. Musical group/band - I have this figured out because I got Daisy Jones & The Six for Christmas and have yet to read it.
22. Character on the ACE spectrum - ?
My 2015 list I have two prompts left but both will be easy when I actually make myself accomplish them instead of reading 2022 publications.
20. Bottom of your tbr
48. Banned book

Was overwhelmed with work before leaving so little time for reading.
Finished:
Vermilion by Phyllis A. Whitney
Atmospheric modern day gothic set in Sedona.
Leavin' Trunk Blues
Currently reading:
Mornings on Horseback: The Story of an Extraordinary Family, a Vanished Way of Life, and the Unique Child Who Became Theodore Roosevelt
QOTW: I have 5 prompts left and have books for all

Finished:
Woman World- this was cute, a very quick read.
3. A book about or set in a nonpatriarchal society
All Boys Aren't Blue- this has been one of the most challenged books/banned books recently. It's categorized as a young adult memoir, which makes it more disappointing that so many people are trying to have it removed from libraries.
-no prompt
How Y'all Doing?: Misadventures and Mischief from a Life Well Lived- Leslie Jordan is absolutely delightful. I highly recommend the audiobook- his narration is so fun.
-no prompt
Currently Reading
Cemetery Boys- I'd almost finished and my loan ran out. Hopefully i get another copy soon. My poor time management strikes again...
My Best Friend's Exorcism- I've never read Grady Hendrix before, I hear it can get gross. We'll see if I can stick with it.
QotW:
I still have 18 to go. I slowed down a lot in the middle of the year, so I'm playing catch-up now. I can do it if I get 6 a month. But I keep getting distracted by books that don't fit anywhere.
And I've been really bad about realizing when an Overdrive loan is about to be up. I think I'm halfway through 3 books now because I kept forgetting they were about to be returned.

But anyways, forgive me for my list being super long.
Stats:
Popsugar: 48/50
ATY: 75/75
ATY Reread: 37/52
TBR: 6/10
Books I Finished:
Sailor Moon Eternal Edition 5, Sailor Moon Eternal Edition 6, Sailor Moon Eternal Edition 7 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ each
Prompt: PS: Witches (Vol. 5), None for the others.
It's been fun reading these because while I watched the first season of the show a lot when I was a kid, I never went beyond that much, so these stories are completely new.
The Sandman Vol. 4: Season of Mists, The Sandman Vol. 5: A Game of You ⭐⭐⭐⭐ & ⭐⭐⭐
Prompt: None
I liked vol. 4 more than vol 5. 5 was just a little too depressing and melencolic for my taste.
Heartstopper: Volume One ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Prompt: None
By the time my library hold came in, I'd already read a book for the movie/tv show prompt, but I decided to read it anwas because it was there. It was sweet and now I know what all the hype is about.
Apocalypse Taco ⭐⭐⭐
Prompt: None
This was weird. The title caught my eye and made me laugh, but it was horror - and that's a genre I don't really enjoy anymore....
Storm of the Century : the Regina Tornado of 1912 ⭐⭐⭐
It was heavy on the photos, and too heavy on minutia, but it was interesting and I'm glad I read it.
Baggage: Tales from a Fully Packed Life ⭐⭐⭐
Prompt: None
I read Alan Cumming first book earlier this year, and then this was out at the library and kept looking at me.
215 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Prompt: None
This is a short poetry collection I read for Truth & Reconciliation Day.
Sufferance: A Novel ⭐⭐⭐
Prompt: PS: Ace character.
I mostly enjoyed this up until the end. It's amazing just how much a bad ending (or in this case a lack of one) can really ruin a book for me.
A Local Habitation, An Artificial Night, Late Eclipses ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ each
Prompt: ATY Reread: Woman in STEM, none for the other 2.
I'm rereading the series. I now have the newest book, so I don't know if I'll be able to wait long enough to finish the reread before I start it.
Lone Wolf ⭐⭐⭐
Prompt: None
This was my book sale book - A silly book I could read during any down time that I could immediately put in the give-away pile. I really enjoyed the parts about the wolves, but the family drama was less fun. And then it rushed the ending. But I wasn't expecting much.
Mr. Perfect on Paper ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Prompt: ATY: Jewish author.
I love Hallmark Holliday movies, and this was basically one in book form. It was so much fun.
Books I made progress on:
Love on the Brain - I was loving this and then I hit a wall, and now I'm seriously considering DNFing it.
One Salt Sea
QotW
As posted above, I only have 2 prompts to go: Tiger in the title/cover & Plane/train/ship. I have a book for the tiger (The Night Tiger) but I keep picking and then rejecting books for the other. It's a little worrisome, but there's still lots of time so I'm trying not to stress about it.


Don't feel guilty. It will get better, you just need a few more days. And listen to your body: if you feel too tired to work, you are. It's covid, not a cold.

So sorry to hear you are sick, take it easy - many people I know who had Covid definitely needed more rest than expected, and there's no substitute. Wishing you a quick recovery!
I finished a few more books this week:
XOXO by Axie Oh - my first K-Pop novel and I loved it! I am a casual K-Pop fan, I know a lot of terms and bands, but it's just one genre of music that I listen to. This book caters to the K-Pop fan, even the casual one - I loved the references to bands I've heard of (shout out to BTS!) and fan clubs and other fun K-Pop culture. It was a cute romance with nicely developed friendships as well. Used for the prompt "about a band or musical group."
Roll with It by Jamie Sumner - middle grade novel, well-written with a strong main character and realistic family situation. Used for a prompt "a protagonist who uses a mobility aid."
The Unremembered Girl by Eliza Maxwell - quite disturbing, I didn't expect this to be a cheerful story but it is very dark. It's a slow burning thriller, I found I couldn't put it down. Used as a book set in Texas, bringing me to 39 states read.
I Choose Darkness: A Holiday Essay by Jenny Lawson - a hilarious collection of short stories about the author's past Halloween adventures. I love Halloween season (for us it starts at the end of August and lasts until actual Halloween) and related events and activities, and some of her stories brought back memories of my childhood as well. Used for the prompt "set during a holiday."
QOTW: I only have 8 prompts left!
The ones I know:
An Anisfield-Wolf Book Award Winner - Cry, the Beloved Country
A book by a Pacific Islander author - Where We Once Belonged
Takes place during your favorite season - September Fair
A book with a misleading title - Monogamy
Set in Victorian times - Opium and Absinthe
reflected image on cover or mirror in title - Mirror, Mirror
I still need to find books for gender identity and a palindromic title, preferably ones available through the library or prime reading.

PopSugar 44/50
Finished
Isn't It Bromantic? by Lyssa Kay Adams. I read the first in this series last year and walked past this one (the fourth) at the library. Since I DNF'd my first pick for "book written by an author I read last year", I decided to read this. I enjoyed the humor - a light, fun read.
Currently Reading
The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared. This isn't a real page-turned. In fact, I regularly feel like I have to put it down to rest for a while. But it's still been a good read. Should be finished tomorrow. Not for a prompt.
QOTW
I have six prompts left. I have solid picks for two of them - have already bought the books on kindle. That leaves four:
* onomatopoeia
* Anisfield-Wolf
* Ace character
* Second twin city
There's a poetry book I want to read for the second twin city, but I can only find it in the state's reference library. I'm planning to go sit there for a day and read it when my travels take me close in a couple of weeks. I also have a tentative read for the ace character.
Onomatopoeia? Not sure. I'm thinking of going back to Ginsberg - I could read just one poem every few days until I'm done. As for the Anisfield-Wolf winner, I have A Brief History of Seven Killings, but it's intimidating. A lot of pages, but the text is also small. Like, I had to go out and buy a magnifier thingo to even attempt to read it. I think I may look for something else and save that one for the future.
Erica wrote: "I have three prompts left and only one figured out. I'd happily take suggestions.
14. Cutlery on the cover - ? I did read How to Pronounce Knife: Stories but I needed to use it for the Booker/Giller prize winner prompt from the 2015 list.
Little Threats
(I read this for my "author quote on cover - it was pretty good, not five stars but not awful)
and I have these two on hold at my library:
The Old Woman with the Knife
Killers of a Certain Age
(this book might have various covers - my library online catalog shows a text-only cover, but GR shows a knife)
22. Character on the ACE spectrum - ?..."
I read two books that fit, one a semi-autobiographical novel that was pretty depressing, and one a graphic novel - these both work for "gender identity" and Ace:
Stone Butch Blues
Gender Queer
People say this would work for ace but I have not read it (yet) so I don't know:
The Love Hypothesis
And this book was my original choice but I still haven't read it: Let's Talk About Love
14. Cutlery on the cover - ? I did read How to Pronounce Knife: Stories but I needed to use it for the Booker/Giller prize winner prompt from the 2015 list.
Little Threats

and I have these two on hold at my library:
The Old Woman with the Knife

Killers of a Certain Age

22. Character on the ACE spectrum - ?..."
I read two books that fit, one a semi-autobiographical novel that was pretty depressing, and one a graphic novel - these both work for "gender identity" and Ace:
Stone Butch Blues
Gender Queer
People say this would work for ace but I have not read it (yet) so I don't know:
The Love Hypothesis
And this book was my original choice but I still haven't read it: Let's Talk About Love
Books mentioned in this topic
The Disappearing Spoon: And Other True Tales of Madness, Love, and the History of the World from the Periodic Table of the Elements (other topics)The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels (other topics)
Carrie Soto Is Back (other topics)
The Old Woman with the Knife (other topics)
The Rise and Reign of the Mammals: A New History, from the Shadow of the Dinosaurs to Us (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
T.J. Klune (other topics)Stacy Schiff (other topics)
Robert Galbraith (other topics)
Erin Sterling (other topics)
Emily Henry (other topics)
More...
Admin stuff
October group read of The Ex Hex is here:
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
We still have an opening for a discussion leader for December's book (Book Lovers)!! Let me or Lynn know if you're interested.
This week I finished 1 book, not for this Challenge, so I remain 43/50.
Jar City by Arnaldur Indriðason - this was the last book on my personal challenge for 2022, so I finished THAT challenge! I didn't really like the book. I'm tired of rape and sexual abuse being dragged into murder mysteries. The mystery has a genetics angle, so if anyone is looking for that, here ya go!
Question of the Week
How many challenge categories do you have left to fill this year? Do you know what you will read for each of them, or would you like some help thinking of a book?
I've got 7 categories left, I'm currently reading books for 2 of those, so that leaves 5, and I more or less have books identified for each of those open slots. One of the books I'm currently reading is #1 in a duology; I'm glad I finally settled on a duology! (I'm reading All These Monsters - bonus, the author is Latinx, and I started it during Hispanic Heritage Month!) I've got TWO books on hold with cutlery on the cover (after almost a full year of not being sure what I wanted there, now I'm probably going to end up reading both of them!! - my book with a favorite author quote on the cover ALSO had knives on the cover, so that's three books with knives for the year), the duology is sorted, my sister city book is chosen, I own Love, Lists, and Fancy Ships for the "plane, train, cruise ship," and the only question mark left is: I'm still not quite sure what I'll read for Hugo winner, but it's not that I don't want to read anything for this, it's that I can't decide on just one book! (I'm leaning towards Downbelow Station, because I own that book, but ... it's still subject to change!)