Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge discussion

I just realized that I never posted anything in the Weekly Check-In for last week! Sheesh! I have worked on it all week long as I had time… I have been busy elsewhere… I helped a friend who works at Purdue by participating in a research study for one of her graduate students and that took a whole two days away from my schedule. (The good news is that she gifted me a book as a thank-you gift!) I participated in the most recent AtY Team Readathon and read a total of 15 books/4489 pages during those 9 days! I don’t even have all those books documented yet, but have included what is done in this posting! In addition to the Indy Book Author event last week, I had two IRL book club meetings. I have been helping friends and neighbors as possible with various tasks. And I am now teaching all three days at the heated therapy pool (Monday, Wednesday, and Friday) rather than just on Wednesday since one of my best friends at the gym has decided to give up teaching her evening classes. Since I’ve subbed for her in the past, the head of Aquatics asked if I wanted to take over as instructor for those two classes as well. I agreed to do so, even though I’ll miss her dreadfully!! (Plus I admit it was kinda nice to just be a student for those two classes!)

I stayed home this morning to at least post for this week’s check-in even though one of the nosepads on my glasses popped off last night while I was teaching, and fell down in a crack between the pool and the deck! So I’m off to get that replaced as soon as I finish this! And of course, I have several other errands as well! It just never ends!

I’ve decided the reason I always felt as if I was very much “behind” in my everyday life while working is due to the fact that…I WAS!! ;) It was NOT just my imagination!! LOL

ADMIN STUFF
DRUM ROLL, PLEASE! The July Monthly Group Read will be The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley Looking for a "bubbling bibliophile" to lead this discussion! Is that YOU?!? This book could be used to fulfill prompt #47 A book with a holiday that’s not Christmas. It is set at New Year’s! You may have heard of “Christmas in July”! But this is “not Christmas in July”! :) Thank you to all 26 members who voted! And I love Nadine’s photo she included in the final poll!!

A huge THANK YOU to Sherri for serving as our “reading wrangler” to facilitate April’s Monthly Group Read discussion of Legends & Lattes (Legends & Lattes #1) by Travis Baldree! This book can be used to fulfill prompt #27 A #BookTok recommendation. In honor of April Fools! You might have thought this was still the 2022 Popsugar Challenge, but it is actually a prompt repeated from 2022 for the 2023 Challenge!! You can also find the two April postings in the Current Monthly Group Read folder HERE! I loved it the second time around!!

The May Monthly Group read discussion of Bunny by Mona Awad, as well as the thread to list the book(s) you’ve read to fulfill prompt #24 A book with a rabbit on the cover, will be moved to the Current Monthly Group Read folder this weekend. Are YOU the "literary luminar" needed to lead the discussion of this book? WE CURRENTLY HAVE NO DISCUSSION LEADER FOR THIS ONE! Plenty of time to volunteer, folks!

In addition, we are currently on the lookout for one more monthly group read discussion leader:
A “savvy superstar” to lead the discussion of the June Monthly Group Read! Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston can be used to fulfill prompt #22 A book with a queer lead. In honor of “Pride Month” as declared by US Presidents Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, and Joe Biden. (Also acknowledged in a 2019 tweet by Donald Trump.) Per Wikipedia this originated to commemorate the Stonewall Riots which occurred at the end of June in 1969. June is increasingly recognized as “Pride Month” (for all LGBTQ+/non-cisgender folks) outside the US. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBT_pride
Please message either Nadine or myself to volunteer! :)

Just a reminder that the comprehensive listing of 2023 Monthly Group Reads can be found HERE

Question of the Week
What author or book has recently surprised you the most? Is there more than one?
I recently read 10 books in preparation for last Friday’s Indy Book Author event (https://indybookandauthor.org/ ) and was literally the only person dragging books in with me to be signed/inscribed by the participating authors!

Two of the authors had debut novels, so I hadn’t read any of their work, but the other three had backlists.

One of the authors was Megan Miranda, whose books I had always avoided, feeling they might be a bit too grisly for me. Since I am such a woosy reader! I informed her of this when I met with her and she just laughed and said, “Me, too! I can’t stand to be scared!” I placed my copy of All the Missing Girls in front of her, declaring I had read it in preparation to meet her today, and she just gushed! She was so thrilled that someone had bothered to read one of her books after purposefully avoiding them, and then had really enjoyed it! Now I am anxious to read my personally inscribed copy of The Only Survivors which I purchased that day! I was very pleasantly surprised that I now have another mystery/thriller writer to follow and read their books! (‘Cause we all know I need more authors to follow! LOL)

But the one author who most surprised and delighted me was Sadeqa Johnson (Sadeqa is pronounced SadeqUa! Just imagine a “u” in there!) I read her other three previously published books: Yellow Wife, And Then There Was Me, and Second House from the Corner, and totally enjoyed each one! Yellow Wife, in particular, was a rather tough read, due to its subject matter, but extremely well executed, IMO! So now I have all three of those as well as her newest release, The House of Eve, personally inscribed! She was blown away by the fact I had read her backlistl! :) She gave me a huge hug and thanked me!

I had also read 6 of Elinor Lipman’s books and those are now all personally inscribed as well as a copy of her newest release, Ms. Demeanor! And if you are ever able to attend an event where Ms. Lipman is speaking, just do it! She has another career option as a stand-up comic if the writing thing ever fails her! She injects quite a bit of humor into her books as well as some complications for the characters. I am very anxious to read this newest one!

That annual event is one of the highlights of my year!! And the proceeds go to support scholarships for students in need from the area around the Christamore House (https://www.christamorehouse.org/miss...) in Indianapolis.

Popsugar: 39/50
Nadine’s Q1 Mini-Challenge: 7/10
AtY: 48/52
RHC: 12/24

FINISHED
*Angel & Hannah: A Novel in Verse by Ishle Park ✶✶✶✶ for the IRL Bite-Sized Book Club. This was much more realistic than I expected, detailing life lived in an environment of abject poverty. It was not an easy read, but it definitely prompted good discussion and consideration of others’ life experiences, which I feel is always beneficial, IMO! Park is excellent at using sparse language to depict events/situations.
POPSUGAR: #2, #4, #6, #15, #16, #19-2015: prompt #27 A book you can finish in one day, #29, #31, #50
ATY: #1-NYC, #3-A book about a “fish out of water” (Hannah), #4, #5, #10-Scary, #11-Addiction, #28, #34-192 pages, #37, #38, #43, #50
RHC: #14-258 ratings, 2016: Read a book with a main character who has a mental illness-Addiction

*The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid ✶✶✶✶✶ was quite thought-provoking and evocative. I could personally connect to Changez’ feelings in many ways and was sympathetic to his confusion and mixed emotions regarding his life in the US and his life in Pakistan, as well as the many worldwide conflicts and potential conflicts of the times in the post-9/11 world. Was he? Or wasn’t he? Each reader must decide for themselves… I love books like this that force me to think and consider from multiple and varied perspectives.
POPSUGAR: #1, #2, #4, #6, #19-2015: prompt #13 A book set in a different country-Pakistan, #28, #43
ATY: #3-A cultural book that depicts a place or time and its culture, #4, #5, #10-Scary, #14, NEW #21, #24, #26, #28, NEW #32, #34-184 pages, #37, #43, #50-#3 A book that fits a suggestion that didn’t make the 2023 list- A book that won a diversity award in the 21st Century-2008 Anisfield-Wolf Book Award, #52
RHC: #3, #24-2016 Read a book that is set in the Middle East

*Second House from the Corner by Sadeqa Johnson ✶✶✶✶✶ was a story I could relate to personally on several levels and so well written! I felt as if I knew these characters personally and could easily sympathize/empathize with each of their unique situations and inter-relationships. Johnson is a superb writer, IMO! Definitely an author whose new releases will be must-reads for me!
POPSUGAR: #19-2015: prompt #16 A book from an author you love that you haven’t read yet, #31
ATY: #3-A book about someone who has been “banished,” #5, #10-Baby, #12, #13-Leaves, #14, #22, #26, #28, #37, #47-window on cover, #52
RHC: #24-2017: prompt #24 A book where all point-of-view characters are people of color

*Good Riddance by Elinor Lipman ✶✶✶✶ was a good solid and enjoyable read though at times it was a bit unbelievable/inane. It was quite sweet and poignant in its own way. That said, I love Lipman’s writing and will persevere to read all her backlist as well as newly published books!
POPSUGAR: #17, #19-2019: prompt #26 A book published in 2019, #28, #31
ATY: #3-A romance novel, #5, #10-Baby, #12, #13-Stripes, #14, #18-DNA testing, #19, #22, #26, #44, #45, #52
RHC: #10, #24-2015: A romance novel

*The Red Pony by John Steinbeck ✶✶✶✶ was not at all what I expected. This is a rather short short story collection. Dialogue seemed rather stilted. Descriptive language was distinct and created a rather detailed image of the landscape and surroundings.
POPSUGAR: #2, #9, #19-2019: prompt #31 A book about a family, #28, #31, #34, #37, #46
ATY: #3-A cultural book that depicts a place or time and its culture, #5, #12, #20, #26, #28, #33, #34-120 pages, #45
RHC: #21, #24-2015: A collection of short stories

CONTINUING:
*Like Family: Growing Up in Other People's Houses by Paula McLain
*The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story by Nikole Hannah-Jones
*The Hemingses of Monticello: An American Family by Annette Gordon-Reed
*Festival Days by Jo Ann Beard
*Mrs. 'Arris Goes to New York (Mrs. ‘Arris #2) by Paul Gallico
*Beloved by Toni Morrison

I finished Lucky Man as my celebrity memoir.

I read Rabbit-Proof Fence as my book with rabbit [in the title].

And I'm about 1/4 of the way through The Hidden Palace as my book with mythical creatures. Don't think I'm liking it as much as The Golem and the Jinni.

QOTW: I guess I was surprised I didn't love The King's Curse. I'm a total Henry VIII buff and I love PG (even if she isn't always the most historically accurate). I may just be oversaturated.

Happy Thursday! As with last week, my evenings are swallowed by Baskerville rehearsals (which are going very well! I’m a bit nervous about leaving others in charge of the costumes and props just because there are a slew of them, but I’m making all kinds of lists which will hopefully help the crew out when we get to tech week), which basically leaves weekends for reading.

The cats had their annual vet checkup earlier this week and came back with clean bills of health, although my bank account is not the happiest it’s been - but that’s my own fault for going out splurging last weekend on bakery goodies and some new vinyl for Record Store Day. Bills are paid, so I’m not going to complain too loudly lol.

We have tickets to see Itzhak Perlman tonight, and I’m so thrilled. I jumped on these as soon as they were available, and I don’t even care if Husband falls asleep. I did tell him I wouldn’t mind going with a friend, but he said he wanted to go, so we’ll see what happens, bahahaha. And then tomorrow night I’m seeing the Tina Turner musical in Cleveland with friends.

Ooooh and I just jumped on the B&N preorder for Alix Harrow's upcoming release, Starling House! I don't often buy brand-new books but I'm counting this as my bday-gift-to-myself (my bday is end of September and the book drops on Halloween) so I'm in the clear :D

With all of that going on, I did get a few things knocked out this week:
Victims of a Map: A Bilingual Anthology of Arabic Poetry - 5 stars. More poetry pls.

Three for the Road: Stories from Dread Nation - 3.5 stars. A good collection of stories from the Dread Nation universe.

The Monsters We Defy - 4 stars. Utterly charming, and I hope we either get a sequel or a companion novel because I love the world Leslye Penelope has created here. I’ve had her YA book on my TBR since 2015, and I think a few of us in one of my other groups are going to try and read it in the fall.

PS 21/50
ATY 23/52
Mount TBR 19/60

Currently:
Spirit Gate - This is my current very-slow-going book. It’s thick, it’s dense, the font is TINY, and there are time jumps. Oh joy. I want to like it so I’m pushing myself to keep going; friends have been split, either loving it or DNFing, so I’m going to stick with it for as long as I can.

Lioness Rampant - Finishing up my Alanna reread!

Upcoming:
Detonation Boulevard - time to get back to the Schaeferverse here soon, and I have a feeling it’ll be a good pacing cleanser after Spirit Gate.
What Moves the Dead - My first T Kingfisher read!

QOTW: What author or book has recently surprised you the most? Is there more than one?
I'm still surprised by how much I didn’t gel with The Cartographers; going in, it had all the elements I usually love in a book, but I DNF’d it and walked away disappointed.
On the other hand, I was happily pleased with The Monsters We Defy - one of the most charming books I've read in awhile!

L Y N N wrote: "I just realized that I never posted anything in the Weekly Check-In for last week! Sheesh! I have worked on it all week long as I had time… I have been busy elsewhere… I helped a friend who works a..."

O my! I get tired just reading your update. You are really busy!! Although it also reads as if you had a lot of fun things too, so I hope you enjoyed your busy week.

Happy King’s Day! Today we celebrate our King’s birthday. He’s 56 now and had to work on his birthday today (visiting Rotterdam with his family: smiling, waving and doing smalltalk) while the country has a day off and is partying. We went out of the country, to Düsseldorf (Germany) for some shopping. I’m a supporter of our monarchy: I think it’s better to have royals with no power than a president with a lot of power and a great majority not liking the politics of the president. Our trip was just because Düsseldorf is closer than most Dutch cities for us. And I just don’t like the way we celebrate King’s Day: party-party-party, beer-beer-beer, boom-boom-music.

PS: 19/50
Total 2023: 21

Finished
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen⭐⭐⭐⭐
PS #41, A book written during NaNoWriMo
What a sweet story! And learned a lot about a traveling circus during the Great Depression.

Currently reading
De eigenzinnige erfdochter van Middachten: Ursula Philippota van Raesfelt by Hermine Manschot-Tijdink
Unorthodox: The Scandalous Rejection of My Hasidic Roots by Deborah Feldman

QOTW
Taylor Jenkins Reid: I thought it was hype number 1000. But she really is a good writer. And Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi also surprised me.

Happy Thursday, everyone!

Over the weekend I had the chance to go and see Spirited Away: Live On Stage at my local movie theater. It was phenomenal! Whether you’re a fan of the original movie, or just love the theatre, I highly recommend seeing it while it's still in movie theaters.

This Saturday is the Dewey’s 24-Hour Readathon! I’m so excited to be participating in this readathon once again. This time I’m planning to focus exclusively on reading manga and comic books. I doubt that I will read for the full 24 hours, since I do value my sleep, but I’m really looking forward to participating. I always have a great time!

Here are my current challenge and TBR totals…

Goodreads Challenge: 278/400
Mount TBR Challenge: 150/150 (Challenge Complete!)

📚Physical TBR: 161/634
📱Ebook TBR: 7/236
🎧Audiobook TBR: 11/13
TBR Checklist Total: 179/883 (20.2% complete)

I went completely overboard with book purchases this week, and bought a ton of new manga (and a couple of novels).

The manga I got this week included the Pokémon Adventures series, by Hidenori Kusaka; Pokemon Graphic Novel, Volume 1: The Electric Tale Of Pikachu! and its sequels, by Toshihiro Ono; The Promised Neverland series, by Kaiu Shirai; Alice in Kyoto Forest, Volume 1, by Karuki Niwa and Mai Mochizuki; and the first four volumes of Young Ladies Don’t Play Fighting Games, by Eri Ejima.

I also got copies of Castle in the Air and House of Many Ways, by Diana Wynne Jones; and The Art of Spirited Away, by Hayao Miyazaki.

Buying so many books all at once has definitely set me back on my goal of finishing all the books I’ve bought since the beginning of the year, but I have been wanting to read most of these books for a long time, and will probably finish them pretty quickly.

“New” Books Bought in 2023: 162
“New” Books Read in 2023: 94/162 (58.0% complete)

Here are the books I finished this week…

Finished Reading (Fiction):
~The Secret Service of Tea and Treason — This is the third book in India Holton’s Dangerous Damsels series. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was very clever. 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Finished Reading (Nonfiction):
None

Finished Reading (Manga, Comic Books, & Graphic Novels):
This week I finished reading Neil Gaiman’s Sandman series. I’ve still got very mixed feelings about this series, even after finishing it. If I were rating the series based on its premise and art, I’d probably give it four out of five stars, but I just didn’t enjoy it (with the exception of The Sandman: The Dream Hunters, which I really liked). So as a whole, the series does stay at a two star rating for me. Sorry, Mr. Gaiman. I’ve enjoyed your other work, but this series just didn’t do it for me. Content Alert: The second half of the series is just as dark and intense as the first half, and definitely lives up to its 17+ rating. (view spoiler)[Some of the books in this series include (and are not limited to) the following content: graphic violence, including torture and cannibalism; rape; abuse; and animal deaths and sacrifice. (hide spoiler)] The volumes I finished this week include…
~Worlds' End — 📚: ⭐️⭐️
~The Kindly Ones — 📚: ⭐️⭐️
~The Wake — 📚: ⭐️⭐️
~Endless Nights — 📚: ⭐️⭐️
~The Sandman: The Dream Hunters — 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~The Sandman: Overture — 📚: ⭐️⭐️

I also managed to finish Marvel's Runaways series this week. I thoroughly enjoyed this series! The artwork and stories were great, and I loved the characters! The volumes I read this week include...
~Runaways: The Complete Collection, Vol. 2 — 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~Runaways: The Complete Collection, Vol. 3 — 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~Runaways: The Complete Collection, Vol. 4 — 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

In addition to these series, I also finished the following comic books…
~Harley Quinn and Her Gang of Harleys — This was a really fun read! 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~Harley Quinn, Vol. 1: Die Laughing — I really enjoyed this comic book, and I’m looking forward to catching up on the rest of the series when I have the opportunity. 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~Harley's Little Black Book — This was a fun collection of Harley Quinn comics, but I have to admit that there were a couple of stories that I didn’t enjoy as much as the others. 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Finally, I did begin reading the Pokémon Adventures manga this week. I still have quite a few volumes remaining before I finish this series, but I’m really enjoying it so far! The stories and art are both great! It’s also very fast-paced. The volumes I read this week include…
~Pokémon Adventures, Vol. 1 — 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~Pokémon Adventures, Vol. 2 — 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~Pokémon Adventures, Vol. 3 — 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~Pokémon Adventures, Vol. 4 — 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~Pokémon Adventures, Vol. 5 — 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~Pokémon Adventures, Vol. 6 — 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~Pokémon Adventures, Vol. 7 — 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~Pokémon Adventures: Gold & Silver, Vol. 8 — 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~Pokémon Adventures: Gold & Silver, Vol. 9 — 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~Pokémon Adventures: Gold & Silver, Vol. 10 — 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~Pokémon Adventures: Gold & Silver, Vol. 11 — 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~Pokémon Adventures: Gold & Silver, Vol. 12 — 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~Pokémon Adventures: Gold & Silver, Vol. 13 — 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~Pokémon Adventures: Gold & Silver, Vol. 14 — 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~Pokémon Adventures: Ruby & Sapphire, Vol. 15 — 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~Pokemon Adventures: Ruby & Sapphire, Vol. 16 — 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~Pokémon Adventures: Ruby & Sapphire, Vol. 17 — 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~Pokémon Adventures: Ruby & Sapphire, Vol. 18 — 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~Pokémon Adventures: Ruby & Sapphire, Vol. 19 — 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~Pokémon Adventures: Ruby & Sapphire, Vol. 20 — 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~Pokémon Adventures: Ruby & Sapphire, Vol. 21 — 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~Pokémon Adventures: Ruby & Sapphire, Vol. 22 — 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~Pokémon Adventures: FireRed & LeafGreen, Vol. 23 — 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~Pokémon Adventures: FireRed & LeafGreen, Vol. 24 — 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~Adventures Collection Manga: Pokemon Adventures Manga Vol 25 — 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~Pokémon Adventures: Emerald, Vol. 26 — 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~Pokemon Adventures, Vol. 27 — 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Finished Reading (Poetry and Drama):
None

DNFed:
None

Currently Reading:
~Seven Deadly Shadows — I borrowed this book from my library this week, and I’m so glad that I did. It’s a very fast-paced read, and the story has been really good so far. 📱
~Pokémon Adventures: Emerald, Vol. 28 — I am continuing to enjoy this series, and should finish my current story arc later today. 📚
~The Witcher Omnibus — I’m currently about a quarter of the way through this comic book collection, and really enjoying it so far. 📚

QOTW:
I don’t really feel like I’ve had any big surprises lately when it comes to authors and/or books. I’ve been reading (and continuing) a lot of series this year though, which might be why.

"Girl" in the Title

Rules for Being a Girl by Candance Bushnell and Katie Catugno. YA about the difficulties of being a teenage girl. Good read. CW: teacher/student relationship.

holiday other than Christmas

Bone to be Wilde by Dani Lakely. 2nd in a romance duology. Set around Halloween. Adorable.

no prompts: from best to worst

If You're Out There by Katy Loutzenhiser. YA mystery. A friend "disappears" after moving away. Really enjoyed it until the reveal which was kind of clunky but I don't regret reading it.

Head Games by Onley James and Neve Wilder. Contemporary romance. I honestly really just enjoy the vibes. Check CW warnings though.

Pull Me Under by Zarah Detand. Contemporary romance. Really enjoyable but there were a lot of like epilogues including characters that were tertiary which I'm assuming the author was trying to get the page clicks for KU.

My First Time Fling by Spencer Spears. Contemporary romance. Enjoyable. Will read others by this author.

Dirty Forty by Mia Monroe. Contemporary romance. It was okay.


QOTW:
Probably Taylor Jenkins Reid. I tend to avoid the super hyped up authors because I don't get it. But I enjoyed her work (is it fantastic…no…but it's enjoyable) and sometimes I'm just about the vibes.

Harmke wrote: Finished
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen⭐⭐⭐⭐
PS #41, A book written during NaNoWriMo
What a sweet story! And learned a lot about a traveling circus during the Great Depression.

Nice. The last time I read that book was in 2010. I was in love with it so I must have read it between then and 2011. So it's been ages since I read it. (I can thank Robert Pattinson for that one. Had it not been for the movie I would not have discovered the book.)

L Y N N wrote: "I just realized that I never posted anything in the Weekly Check-In for last week! Sheesh! I have worked on it all week long as I had time… I have been busy elsewhere… I helped a friend who works a..."



Yes!! I noticed!! I missed you!! I'm glad to hear you were just busy reading and talking to authors and jumping into the pool.




one of the nosepads on my glasses popped off last night while I was teaching

Ugh that's the worst!! I find it's just impossible to wear glasses that require nosepads once one of them pops off. I try to pick glasses that don't have them, because of that. My daughter's current favorite frames are wire rims with nose pads, and TWICE now they have broken off.



The May Monthly Group read discussion of Bunny by Mona Awad

I fully plan to read this book for "rabbit on cover" but I am also currently SWAMPED by other books to read, so I don't think I'm going to be able to get to it in May!


One of the authors was Megan Miranda

so is the "Indy Book" event something that focuses on authors from Indiana? the website doesn't actually say.

I've read two of Miranda's books and I count her as an enjoyable author. I'm thrilled to learn that she's also a nice person! I should make an effort to read another one of her books SOON!


Good to know how to pronounce Sadeqa Johnson. I've been saying it wrong. I thought it was "suh-DEEK-uh" I have not read anything by her yet. At first I think I'll want to read her book, but then I look at the blurbs and reviews and they are described with words like "heart-breaking" and "redemptive" and "what it means to be a woman" and those are all things I tend to avoid. But maybe I can get over that!

I've also never read Elinor Lipman. She's never even appeared on my reading radar, I had to look her up! I like funny, but if all it's got going for it is "humorous" and it isn't MY kind of humor, then it falls flat for me. Like, would you really be sentenced to six months house arrest just for having sex on your roof in NYC??? Does that ever actually happen????

Ashley Marie wrote: "Three for the Road: Stories from Dread Nation - 3.5 stars. A good collection of stories from the Dread Nation universe. ..."


Oh I did not know about this!!! I LOVED the Dread Nation books, I will seek this collection out.

I still haven't read her latest book, Rust in the Root. I've actually borrowed it from the library TWICE now, but I never find time to read it. I'll get to it eventually!

Happy King's Day! I get to eat a pastry tonight woohoooo!
(Honestly I can't believe millions being spent to celebrate his birthday when there currently are much more important things to spend them on but ohwell. I feel like our Royals are a massive drain financially anyways (so kudos for the oldest daughter for waiving her raise) when they have next to no say in day-to-day businesses so *shrugs*, I'm biased xD)

This week completely flew by! I was home alone for the weekend and wow, what a relief. It's exhausting to have to do everything yourself (chronic fatigue and fibro are bitches) but to just do whatever I want when I want? My rhythm, my schedule, no overstimulation, no worries? Amazing!

I can now make tacos. And they're super yummy!

No news from insurance yet, but the local council who got me this chair in the first place have already agreed to work with us for a solution if the insurance decides to be a dcik.

Mickey came home yesterday after a full week at the vet, and it's heartbreaking to see him struggle. He's an absolute mess because he can't clean himself (no balance) and still struggles standing and hopping so he mostly just has to let go wherever he is. Poor boy. Tomorrow we have to call the vet to let them know how we're doing and then we'll ask about cleaning him: how best to do it and how often. BUT, he *can* stand, and he can hop a bit, which are things he could no longer do when dad rushed him to the vet, so there is definitely progress! He's also quite happy so *phew*.

We still have a very long road to go (meds alone will take 8 weeks at least) and I know it will be hard, especially when he has bad days. I am fully expecting there to be times where I'll be crying as I give him his meds, wondering if it's worth it. But we won't give up until there is no other option and it truly isn't worth it anymore.

Poor baby. We have a mat/blanket kinda thing for him to sit on because his tilted head means when he's flailing his eye is in danger of scraping over the ground (stone tiles) and we're trying to protect it. Wish us luck!

Weather wise it's super weird. Last night it was -3C, and this night it will be 11C. I mean. What even. At least the sun during the day is super lovely! Crowley (one of my cats) is absolutely thriving and keeping a close eye on all the birds outside.

Read
Crooked Kingdom for 'wish could read for the first time'
I basically did just that; I remembered barely anything, turns out! Loved this. Already want to reread this duology asap, haha!

Moby-Dick for 'should have read in school'
I DID IT. A month ahead of schedule! TAKE THAT, TEACHER. I did what you couldn't! I didn't particularly like this; the writing was a mess and Melville severely needed an editor to keep him on track. (like, Herman, my man, remember Ishmael???) But I am super glad to have read it, and have no regrets!

Radio Silence for 'queer lead'
I just found out it was banned in a Floridian school district this year (I am foregoing the 2022 part of the prompt) but I'd already ticked this on my printed version, and my next book should also cover it sooo. It took me 3 years to get back to this (and that was already a 2nd try) but 3 times the charm! Blasted through this and loved it! Writing is juvenile (and not everything aged well- verified twitters no longer are automatically legit xD) and repetitive, especially at first, and the MC is not always my fave, but her friendship with Aled absolutely saves this book. So good! Love them. Love Aled. So happy not all Alice's novels are a miss for me (since I hated Loveless and basically DNFed this one for 3 years), makes me excited to try the others after all!

Currently Reading
The Three Musketeers for started as fanfiction
I went from 'I need a break after Moby-Dick' to seeing this on my shelf and going 'yep next challenge acquired'. Only read the Author's Preface so far, which kindly helped me realize this was based on a true story and voila! Popsugar prompt unlocked! Chapter 1 is on the menu for today!

Clap When You Land for banned book
Another book I stopped reading, in 2021 this time. I really struggle with poetry and I was (am?) determined to physically read this instead of listening to it. I now have to decide whether to go back two chapters and continue or start all over. I don't really wanna do the latter, but we'll see how it goes!

Without You for song lyric in title (Without You from Rent)
I’ll put Heat Wave to meant to read in 2022 instead! This audio is being taken off Storytel soon so I got myself another free trial and will be listening to this! Happy I got to fit it into the challenge!

Goodreads: 25/50
Popsugar: 31/50
TBR Closet: 22/30
Own Physical Shelves: 12/30

QOTW
I suppose Melville surprised me with how chaotic writing can be, and I was pleasantly surprised that instead of hating two of Alice Oseman's novels, I only hate the one and love the other! One day I can give a full account once I've read all 4 xD Other than that, nothing much really!

I wish there was more I could somehow contribute. As someone who doesn't work, there's not much to my life or my days. I continue to look for a job, but they are scarce around here. I'm hoping that with my upcoming school/job path that will start to change soon.

In the meantime, my days mainly consist of the same boring stuff. Though plenty of reading time so I guess that's a plus I suppose.

*****

I only finished one book this week. It's mainly been taking up my entire month of April because I wanted to be thorough in that it's nonfiction and I learned a lot so there was lots to annotate from it.

That book was Your Brain on Art: How the Arts Transform Us . Discovered this by accident on a NYT bestseller's list. The title caught my attention immediately. So glad I picked it up. As someone who is creative when it comes to my writing, getting into this book as a general way of the arts was fascinating.

My favorite part was at the beginning where there was a survey that determined your artistic styles.

*****

Upcoming:

I've got part of my TBR set. I'm planning to go to the bookstore next week so I'll see what I pick up then.

In the mean while, these are the ones I have planned. It's not much, but it's a start.

Every Brain Needs Music: The Neuroscience of Making and Listening to Music - This one is going to be a buddy read. The title caught my attention so I'm looking forward to it.

Women Without Kids: The Revolutionary Rise of an Unsung Sisterhood - Can't remember how I stumbled across this one. I think it will be good. As someone who doesn't have kids nor have I ever wanted them, this book sounded perfect for someone like me, to discover other women who don't or can't have kids for whatever their reasons.

The Heartbeat of Wounded Knee (Young Readers Adaptation): Life in Native America - May happens to be Indian Heritage Month so this will be perfect.

*****

QOTW:

What author or book has recently surprised you the most? Is there more than one?

I've got two, well three technically.

The first is: The Words We Keep . I discovered this on a search on TikTok and it came up as a book about bipolar disorder. I annotated the heck out of it. If I could share a picture of it, you would see how deep I went into that book. I've read several YA books that I could relate to, but none have hit as hard as that one both in terms of content, feeling, and overall enjoyment despite the heavy topics.

*****

The second and third books were: Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America and Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You . I read the YA edition first. At the beginning of both I was a bit skeptical mainly because of how popularized this book is and I don't normally go for the popular stuff. I'm glad I got these though.

Reading the YA edition helped. It made things simple and a way that could be easily understood. Boy, how I wish I'd had this material in school history classrooms. It's needed. I don't understand how politicians can try to erase minority studies.

After reading the YA version, I moved on to the main version and what I had learned in the YA helped to make sense of 'Stamped From the Beginning'. SFTB was just more detail which I loved. I could see this one being taught in high school-level classrooms. Such a shame that it's not.

Harmke wrote: "Happy King’s Day! Today we celebrate our King’s birthday. He’s 56 now and had to work on his birthday today (visiting Rotterdam with his family: smiling, waving and doing smalltalk) while the count..."



I've never heard of this. Do all countries with a monarchy have a similar holiday? "party-party-party, beer-beer-beer, boom-boom-music" sounds like an American way to celebrate hahaha!! We need a King too so we can have a King's Day.

My King's Days used to just be me sitting on a market trying to sell stuff, no parties or beer for me xD

Happy Thursday!!  

The weather has been firmly SPRING this week, cool and rainy. That means my grass is going nuts growing, but it's been too wet to mow. It's going to be painful when I finally get out there. (Literally painful for me, I'll have to push so hard to get through it.)

I've got my new phone set up, finally!  And to my surprise, ALL of my photos from my old phone ported over - I did not think I had them all backed up.  But my tags in Libby never showed up - a mystery. This is one of those "new fangled" phones without a headset jack, so I also had to buy Bluetooth earbuds, and they arrived this week, and holy schmoly it's awesome to not be tethered to your phone!! It's so much easier to walk around the kitchen and make dinner; why didn't l listen to my kids and do this years ago??? No wonder why they love their wireless earbuds.


This week I read 1 book, none for this Challenge, so I remain 21/50

The Memory Police: A Novel by Yōko Ogawa - Five stars but wow, this book was even weirder than I anticipated!  And I already expected a book about an oppressive government that controls your memories to be a little "out there" but this was beyond my expectations.  It was also so bleak and sad - do not read if you're looking for a "pick me up"!!  This was one of the books on my "must read in 2023" list, and I also checked off "cover text not horizontal" in AtY.


Pop: 21/50   
Winter:  3/10   
AtY: 16/52   
2023 must-reads: 4/12




QotW

... let's see, looking back on the books I've read in 2023, there have been a few that surprised me by either how good they are or how bad they are!

Nightcrawling - wow I was really excited to read this and I expected it to be right up my alley, and oh boy did I hate it.

Book Lovers - I was iffy on this one, I wasn't crazy about the other book I'd read by this author, but I ended up loving this one!  a nice surprise!

Dinosaurs- I picked this up because it was in ToB, and I wasn't expecting much (I mean, the blurb makes it sound boring) but I was blown away by how much I loved this.  It is NOT my kind of book, but it became one of my favorites.

And that brings me to the two recent books I read from my "must read in 2023" list - this is a list of books that I have been eyeing for a  long time and I expect to love them:

Case Histories - I love a good mystery!  I HATED this book.  Bad surprise!

The Memory Police - I expect this to be great, so the surprise was not that I loved it, but that it was SO WEIRD. Good surprise!

And then there's the book I'm reading right now: 
Now Is Not the Time to Panic - This is twice now that Kevin Wilson has surprised me with how talented he is.  Most male authors cannot write a good, complex, female character, she always seems two-dimensional, like he's trying too hard to make sure she's THIS kind of woman or THAT kind of woman.  But Wilson manages to get inside a woman's head and create a real character, not a stereotype.  Sure, he's not the ONLY man who can pull this off, but it's still rare enough to surprise me.

Nadine in NY wrote: "I've never heard of this. Do all countries with a monarchy have a similar holiday?"

They all do have a day to celebrate the monarchy. In other countries it varies: it typically is a historic date for the country and/ or the monarchy. In the Netherlands, it's the monarch's birthday. So the date changes when we have a new monarch. Funfact: when we had a new King 10 years ago, the next year there were tourists in orange (our royals are the House of Orange) from all over the world on the former Queen's Day. They were 3 days late to the party... (O, and that wasn't actually the former Queen's birthday. Her birthday is in January, but she chose her mom's birthday (the former-former Queen) to celebrate.)

Hi, everyone! Happy Thursday!

Finished:
Veil of Lies by Jeri Westerson - 2 stars - for a book with author with same initials. Honestly, this is probably something I should have DNFed (going back to last week's QOTW), but I wanted to finish the prompt and it was a quick, short read. The writing was fine, but the main character was very unlikable (sexist, classist, racist). I probably would not read anything else in this series.

Comics & manga:
Knight of the Ice, Vol. 9
Knight of the Ice, Vol. 10
Knight of the Ice, Vol. 11
Something's Wrong With Us 14
Romantic Killer, Vol. 3
How Do We Relationship?, Vol. 7
Lovesick Ellie, Vol. 1
Komi Can't Communicate, Vol. 24

I am currently at 22/50 for Popsugar (16/40 and 6/10).

Currently reading:
In the Lives of Puppets by T.J. Klune - for a modern retelling of a classic. This is a sci-fi retelling of Pinocchio, and I'm loving it so far.

Upcoming/Planned:
I've got the next couple of weeks set out for me, reading-wise. :)
Happy Place by Emily Henry
Tsalmoth by Steven Brust
That Self-Same Metal by Brittany N. Williams

QOTW: What author or book has recently surprised you the most? Is there more than one?
I was surprised by Some Desperate Glory because the protagonist was so thoroughly unlikable at the start, but the arc and change she went through was really well done by the author. I also wasn't expecting to like The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo as much as I did. I thought Daisy Jones was OK, but the full-cast audiobook was what sold it for me. But Evelyn Hugo was really so much better than I thought it was going to be.

On another note, it's Support Teen Literature Day. The day is meant to shine light on teens and get them back into reading.

According to the National Today website, it's also about combating the stigma that many youth face in that reading is not worth the time or isn't seen as cool.

As you all know, reading is being challenged in many school districts. As a result it can lead towards an unjust society because teens won't have the knowledge or advancement to bring change to the world.

*****

I could easily promote some of the typical YA books: Hunger Games, Twilight, Harry Potter, other fiction YA novels, etc.

This time though I'm going to share two of them that I read this past year:

Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You - This is a good history book. My favorite chapter in the book was ch. 13: Complicated Abe. I recently observed a history class for a school assignment and they happened to be covering Abe Lincoln. I noticed that what they were being taught was wrong. This book gives the real truth about the man.

Politicians and schools are trying to erase minority histories. What is the real point of an education if students can't get the truth?

Kendi and Reynolds do an excellent job of bringing down the history in a way that young adults can understand without overcomplicating things.

*****

Next book rec I've got is: An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States for Young People - This is a book I certainly wish I had growing up. Most of my history education was spent being taught that Indigenous people were the 'bad guys' and the 'whites' and 'settlers' were seen as the heroes. And then what we were taught was maybe a paragraph or two from our history books.

Dunbar-Ortiz, Mendoz, and Reese do a good job in talking about the Indigenous narrative both from the Indigenous perspective as well as in a way that anyone, no matter the ethnicity can understand.

I certainly believe this book as well should be taught to students. It reads like a history book, but is far from how dry most textbooks are.

*****

One YA history book that I do want to read is: The Heartbeat of Wounded Knee (Young Readers Adaptation): Life in Native America

K.L. wrote: "Happy Thursday, everyone!

Over the weekend I had the chance to go and see Spirited Away: Live On Stage at my local movie theater. It was phenomenal! Whether you’re a fan of the original movie, or ..."

So glad to hear you loved Spirited Away, KL! I looked up photos online and it just looks incredible.

Harmke wrote: "Nadine in NY wrote: "I've never heard of this. Do all countries with a monarchy have a similar holiday?"

They all do have a day to celebrate the monarchy. In other countries it varies: it typicall..."

I believe the British monarch-birthday celebration is Trooping the Colour, which is a parade they usually hold in the summer (seemingly regardless of when the monarch's birthday falls, so as to coincide with better weather).

K.L. wrote: "Happy Thursday, everyone!

Over the weekend I had the chance to go and see Spirited Away: Live On Stage at my local movie theater. It was phenomenal! Whether you’re a fan of the original movie, or ..."



My daughter and I went to see that this weekend, too!! We both wore our Haku shirts. I wasn't so sure what to expect, and it was very charming, but a bit too long. I loved how they really leaned into the whole "this is on stage and of course we do not have special effects so here are four other people on stage with me operating my spider arms" kind of thing. The actors were amazingly athletic, too! Every time they casually leaped up onto the rotating platform I was amazed. They must be professional dancers to be so agile, especially the guy who was Aogaeru, the frog. And it was neat that the same actress who played Chihiro's mom was also Lin, who of course served as a sort of maternal figure for Chihiro in the bath house.


ETA: I did wonder if the story would be confusing to someone who had not seen the movie. Some things were necessarily just suggested, and if you knew the movie you understood completely, but I wondered if it would be clear to a new viewer.

Nadine in NY wrote: "Ashley Marie wrote: "Three for the Road: Stories from Dread Nation - 3.5 stars. A good collection of stories from the Dread Nation universe. ..."


Oh I did not know about this!!! I LOVED the Dread..."

I found Three for the Road on Kindle Unlimited! Also definitely check out her middle grade, Ophie's Ghosts - I loved that one so much! I still need to make time for Rust in the Root as well.

Carmen wrote: "My King's Days used to just be me sitting on a market trying to sell stuff, no parties or beer for me xD"




LOL that sounds slightly less fun!!!

Ron wrote: "On another note, it's Support Teen Literature Day. The day is meant to shine light on teens and get them back into reading."

It's also the first day of Audiobook Sync free giveaways. Maybe that's why. I always wondered why they start the "summer" reading program in April!

https://www.audiofilemagazine.com/syn...

I had a hard time finding the link to "borrow" the books, you have to go through Sora and not the audiofile site I just linked (the FAQ tell you how to get Sora). But now they're mine and they can be yours too, for free! Enjoy!

Happy Thursday, everyone!

Only a few weeks left of school! Looking forward to finishing classes and having the summer to chill. And looking forward to a trip I have planned for July... Renaissance Faire time!

Books read this week:

Paladin's Strength -- for the Extreme Book Nerd prompt “book by, about, or featuring a member of the armed forces” (the person running the challenge says knights and paladins count). I’m loving this series, and I appreciate that the main characters are in their late thirties and early forties -- people don’t stop falling in love or having adventures just because they’re no longer in their twenties, after all.

The Demolished Man -- for the PopSugar prompt “favorite prompt from 2022 (Hugo Award Winner)” and the Extreme Book Nerd prompt “has won an award.” A classic sci-fi whose technology and social mores are a bit dated, but still an entertaining crime story with a futuristic twist.

Sorcery & Cecelia: or The Enchanted Chocolate Pot -- for the Extreme Book Nerd prompt “written in epistolary (letter) form.” A cute Victorian-era fantasy in the form of letters exchanged by cousins just ready to begin their Seasons in London, though a little light on the worldbuilding.

Joseph Smith and the Mormons -- graphic novel, not for the challenge. A surprisingly balanced look at the life of the man who founded the Mormon church. It doesn’t shy away from his character flaws or the polygamy problem, but still finds a sympathetic man just trying to do his best to support the religion he founded.

Currently Reading:

Still Just a Geek: An Annotated Memoir -- for “celebrity memoir”
The Jinn-Bot of Shantiport (ARC) -- for “book published in the second half of 2023”
Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith
Unmask Alice: LSD, Satanic Panic, and the Imposter Behind the World's Most Notorious Diaries

QOTW:

I enjoyed Riley Sager's books more than I expected to. It made me realize I actually kind of like the thriller genre.

Happy Thursday.

I finally got off my butt and finished a book! It was one of those books (technically a play) that could go for a variety of prompts. I may move it off of the love triangle if I find a better prompt.

I also finished Nadine's 23 challenge by creatively moving a book around.

I'm back into buddy reading, both with my kids and with a book club at church. I enjoy both, but the books take a long time to get off my "currently reading" list.

Finished:

All's Well That Ends Well
ATY prompt: A book with a con, deception, or fake
Popsugar prompt: A book with a love triangle
Nadine's 23 challenge: The 23rd book on a list (your TBR list, for example)
(I had "Read more Shakespeare on a pre-Goodreads list so I subbed it in here and moved the actual 23rd book from GR to my last slot to fill to finish.)

Series - 5/15
Series Completed: - Lying Games, Bronwyn the Witch, Divergent

Nobel laureates - 1/7
Random books - 2/7

ATY - 16/40
PS - 15/30
Nadine's 23 challenge - 10/10 -Completed!
Around the year in 52 movies - 18/52

19. A movie related to the arts - Black Swan

Currently reading:

Penguin Island - 50% done

Buddy Reads:
God in My Everything: How an Ancient Rhythm Helps Busy People Enjoy God - with my Book Club 1/15 chapters
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - restarting with my kids - we got to about chapter 30 of 37 last year and then they got too busy with school.

QOTW:
Most books I read are pretty much what I was expecting is what I got. I guess I liked Survive the Night more than I thought it would. The description made it sound more binary - is a girl trapped in a car with a serial killer or not. I didn't think that sounded like a typical Riley Sager book, but he still had a few tricks up his sleeve as a writer.

L Y N N wrote: "ADMIN STUFF
DRUM ROLL, PLEASE! The July Monthly Group Read will be The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley ..."

I have never done a monthly read, but I've been meaning to read this book for a while. I am slotting it into my July reading.

Hi All,

Finally getting some spring weather after starting the week with snow. Looking at you April 25, it was no light jacket weather.

Saw Welcome to Nightvale Live on Tuesday so that was fun!

This week I finished:

Wilder Girls - this counts as my book with girl in the title. I loved the cover so much, and it started off strong, I thought it would be like Annihilation for teens. But it just didn't go anywhere and the ending felt like the author just got tired of writing so stopped. Ended up being really disappointed.

Daisy Jones & The Six - I did the audio book for this, which i highly recommend. It was fully cast, and very excellent. I think it took it up to a 4 star for me, if I'd just read it the actual story probably would have only been a 3 star. This was my book being a movie/tv show this year.

Currently reading:

House of Gold - this will be my book with a color in the title. It's a futuristic dystopian cyberpunk sort of thing. It's interesting but i'm not LOVING it. Feels kind of disjointed and there's some weird motivations going on.

We Ride Upon Sticks - current audio book, will be my book set in the decade of my birth. It's kinda a fun concept so far, not super far yet.

QOTW:

I actually googled Grady Hendrix to figure out if it was a pseudonym for a woman because he was writing such complex interesting women leads, I was really surprised. I think every book I've read by him has had a woman lead, which isn't really standard for most male authors.

Sheri wrote: "Wilder Girls - this counts as my book with girl in the title. I loved the cover so much, and it started off strong, I thought it would be like Annihilation for teens. But it just didn't go anywhere and the ending felt like the author just got tired of writing so stopped. Ended up being really disappointed. ..."


yeah I followed the same trajectory with that one:
1. Wow! LOVE that cover!! must read!!
2. Cool premise!
3. Eh, this is okay.
4. WTF was that ending? I hate it!

Personal: 32/50
Nadine: 6/10
Library: 16/31

Finished: On the Plurality of Worlds This one was really interesting, but I didn't really grapple with it. I should probably read it again to get to know it better. Reviewers said the author was crazy, but I think what he said made a lot of sense.

Big Tree Wholesome. I think I like some of Selznick's other books better.

Time and Eternity Written by a Japanese philosopher, I wished it didn't spend so much time on Augustine and other Western philosophers and focused more on concepts partial to Japanese. There was some of that. Again, I probably didn't read it at the depth I should have.

A String and a Prayer: How to Make and Use Prayer Beads This discussed how prayer beads fit into different religious traditions, but didn't get into the nitty gritty detail about how you actually pray with beads. So I'm having to make it up even after read this.

Started: Radical Cataloging: Essays at the Front This one is fun because it's such a niche book!

Ground Zero By chapter 3, the towers are already hit! I'm interested to see where the rest of the book goes.

QotW: I'd have to say I was most surprised by Decision Making I often find psychological testing unethical, but this was even more so than usual. One of the tests involved prostitutes and how they engaged with their clients!

Hi all! It's been chilly and rainy here most of this week. I'm starting to get motivated to do some spring cleaning etc activities. I just ordered a dumpster for next weekend to clean out our garage and I want to do a yard sale (we were going to do one last summer, but I caught covid for the second time). Our potted veggies are growing so big, I think we're going to have to plant them outside this weekend. Otherwise, not much going on here.

I finished Waco: David Koresh, the Branch Davidians, and A Legacy of Rage for a book with a name in the title. So fascinating. I definitely learned things I didn't know before.

My next 2 books need to be Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story (still by Bono, Nadine) and When Christ and His Saints Slept. Surrender is due back at the library next week and I just need to finish Christ and Saints. I've got so many other books staring at me longingly... I'm sorry, my babies, I will get to you!!

QOTW: I think the last book that surprised me was This One Summer. I usually like graphic novels and I like realistic fiction, but this one was really meh for me.

Jennifer W wrote: "Hi all! It's been chilly and rainy here most of this week. I'm starting to get motivated to do some spring cleaning etc activities. I just ordered a dumpster for next weekend to clean out our garag..."



How does this work? There's a company that rents them? or is it through the county? Is there one size or do you choose? Do they charge one set fee or is it based on how much you put in? Is this like a once in a lifetime thing, or do people do this every few years? (Obviously my family never did this so I am clueless.) I have a garage full of crap that I really ought to get rid of and I just don't know how. Right now I am slowly going through piles of stuff inside the house and donating what I can to Goodwill (and my kids are excitedly refreshing their wardrobes with these cast-offs!! It's pretty funny, I'll have a whole laundry basket of clothes I think I can get rid of, and the next day the pile has been reduced to three lonely turtlenecks, everything else was scooped up by the kid.)


Also, Surrender really needs to be by Robin Zander. You can tell Bono I said so.

After being cold-free since 2019, I've come down with my first real cold since lockdown in 2020. And I think I caught it on an outing over the weekend with 2 college friends celebrating informally 50 years since we started college 🤯! I wore a mask mostly but forgot to do so while on the train back to NYC. *sigh*. It's the only answer unless I gave it to myself! It's kicking my a** too. I hope the runny drippy droolly stage is past though it might be moving into the chest and coughing stage. Not helping me get work done since I need to nap frequently.

But I did get some books read: 29/50 PS and 39/52 ATY. It's definitely easier this year filling prompts for ATY from my casual and book club reading than PS. I do have a bunch of books in my TBR picked out to finish a bunch of the PS prompts and need to start targeting them. There's still that longest book one too -- but I do have my book picked out and once I read the 2 books I'm behind in another challenge, I'll start it.

Finished:
Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return = ATY Book with continental europe author - Satrapi lives in Paris. I liked the first about her childhood in Iran, not so much this angst-ridden teen/young adult stage.
Sleep Well, My Lady - second in series and a delight. I am happy to see a third is out already.
Sparkling Cyanide - next on my re-read of Dame Agatha - really good and also adapted into an excellent BBC movie starring Collins and Davies, free on Prime Video. There's a 1983 adaptation as well I have yet to watch.
The Personal Librarian - PS meant to read in 2022 and ATY - books important. I enjoyed this and would recommend it although I found Belle fell flat, possibly because I read some of her actual correspondence and memos at a teaser exhibit at the Morgan. Still a good and enjoyable read.

Currently reading:
Her Majesty's Royal Coven - the next Feminerdy book to discuss in May. BTW if you need a book by a transgender author for any challenge, author Juno Dawson was once James Dawson and is published under that name as well. While GR does not have photos, her books do.
A Study in Scarlet Women - first in series and I'm quite enjoying it.
Crucible of War: The Seven Years' War and the Fate of Empire in British North America, 1754 - 1766 beed to get back to this.

QOTW: Hmmm. On the positive side, I was really taken with Haruki Murakami after reading Kafka on the Shore and have added many of his works to my TBR. Had I not won a copy of his book in a swap in another group a few years ago, I might never ever have read him. I'm a very eclectic reader naturally but there are still genres I tend to avoid - or did.

Another is The Locked Tomb series by Tamsyn Muir. My Feminerdy Book Club read Gideon the Ninth and Harrow the Ninth. I had skipped them as too deep into fantasy world building for me. When Nona the Ninth was announced, it was clear it was going to join the rotation eventually so I got busy catching up. OMG what a wild ride! LOVED Gideon the Ninth, less so Harrow but still a total roller coaster ride of fun and outrageousness. Muir has no fear and good for her.

It's good for me and just plain fun to be kicked out of my well trod ruts!

On a slightly negative surprise side - my first Marie Benedict novel was The Personal Librarian and I was really surprised at how badly she missed displaying Belle's voice and personality and also how much she sank into soap opera at times. Contrast with the impeccable historical research and sense of place and milieu imparted. She really captured the physical sense of the Morgan Library extremely well - a place I visit frequently. I will certainly continue reading her books but with lower expectations and as light reading.

K.L. wrote: "Over the weekend I had the chance to go and see Spirited Away: Live On Stage at my local movie theater. It was phenomenal! Whether you’re a fan of the original movie, or just love the theatre, I highly recommend seeing it while it's still in movie theaters. ..."

I saw this! It was so beautiful and the staging was so elaborate! I want to paint the scene of Chihiro on the train. I wish I had taken a photo of it while in the theatre, because it looked quite different than in the animated version!

"This Saturday is the Dewey’s 24-Hour Readathon! I’m so excited to be participating in this readathon once again. This time I’m planning to focus exclusively on reading manga and comic books. I doubt that I will read for the full 24 hours, since I do value my sleep, but I’m really looking forward to participating. I always have a great time!...

This will be the first time the readathon fits into my schedule. I'm looking forward to it!

Sheri wrote: "I actually googled Grady Hendrix to figure out if it was a pseudonym for a woman because he was writing such complex interesting women leads, I was really surprised. I think every book I've read by him has had a woman lead, which isn't really standard for most male authors...."

I read an interview where he talked about growing up with a single mother and 3 or 4 older sisters. He says growing up being surrounded by strong women is why his female characters aren't damsels in distress.

Happy check-in!
I too had an ancient iPhone die this week. Did Apple hit a kill switch??? Anyway tbd whether I loose things. I bought a newer than what I had iPhone because I don't want to be forced into a new plan.
Mostly the goodreads app is a little different now and I'm annoyed. Links look no different from bolded type, and new posts aren't designated in red so it's easier to find where I left off in reading the check-ins. I was hopeful some of my dislikes of the app were things I could attribute to an older phone/older version but no such luck.

Finished Reading:

Blood Heir ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
There I have finished my full reread plan of the KD universe. June is too long a wait for the new one. 😭

Pride of Baghdad ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Saga author with a stand-a-lone graphic novel inspired by true events. When America started bombing Iraq in the war on terror, zoo animals were left roaming Baghdad. This felt like an adult version of The Lion King because the artwork looked similar.

The Kinder Poison ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Reread. I love this ya fantasy series, where the mc can talk to animals.

Happy Place ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (PS vacation)
Ironically enough this made me cry. Book Lovers is still my favourite of hers.

PS 29/50
ATY 32/52
Nadine's 10/10
Goodreads 101/200

Currently Reading:

The Call of the Wild
Northanger Abbey
Heart on Fire

QOTW:
Kwame Alexander I discovered his poetry this year and have read six of his books so far.

I've got a question: Are book people cat people? If so, why is that? I know bookstores often have resident cats. I didn't turn into a cat person until I became an adult. But I've always been a book person.

Nadine in NY wrote: "Jennifer W wrote: "Hi all! It's been chilly and rainy here most of this week. I'm starting to get motivated to do some spring cleaning etc activities. I just ordered a dumpster for next weekend to ..."

Companies rent them out. I got an online deal for 30% off, so it was under $300 for 3 days. They're going to bring it here next Friday and we'll have it all weekend to load up as we want. If we go over 1 ton of stuff (good lord!) there's extra fees. The only potential worry is that if it rains and soaks all our stuff, then it might get too heavy, but the company said they can include tarps and bungee cords so we can try to avoid that problem.

Doni wrote: "I've got a question: Are book people cat people? If so, why is that? I know bookstores often have resident cats. I didn't turn into a cat person until I became an adult. But I've always been a book..."



I am NOT a cat person. This is mostly because I am very allergic to cats, so I don't like to be in the same room as them because most cats make my airways swell up and I get sneezy and wheezy and itchy and it's just unpleasant all around. So if I know a bookstore or a café has cats, I will never go there. I mean, cats are okay, I can see that they are cute and funny and silky and I understand why other people love their cats, but it's not happening for me. I am a dog person. (I'm a little bit allergic to dogs, too, but I don't care. Nothing will keep me away from dogs!)

Jennifer W wrote: "Nadine in NY wrote: "Jennifer W wrote: "Hi all! It's been chilly and rainy here most of this week. I'm starting to get motivated to do some spring cleaning etc activities. I just ordered a dumpster..."



I was wondering if bad weather affected it! good to know. Maybe next year when I've made some good progress in cleaning out, I'll look into it. It will be nice to get rid of some of this stuff.

Dubhease- that would make sense! Now that I think about it, he did mention his mom as inspiration for the main character for a southern bookclub’s guide to slaying vampires.

Also, if I ever get the chance to talk to Bono, I'll make sure to tell him to change the title of his own book. 😂

Nadine in NY wrote: "I've got my new phone set up, finally! And to my surprise, ALL of my photos from my old phone ported over - I did not think I had them all backed up. But my tags in Libby never showed up - a mystery. This is one of those "new fangled" phones without a headset jack, so I also had to buy Bluetooth earbuds, and they arrived this week, and holy schmoly it's awesome to not be tethered to your phone!! It's so much easier to walk around the kitchen and make dinner; why didn't l listen to my kids and do this years ago??? No wonder why they love their wireless earbuds.
."

I went through same thing with my new phone last fall! I still have not purchased ear buds primarily because I just hate them and find them incredibly uncomfortable to wear. The one in my right ear never fits properly and falls out constantly. I do have bluetooth enabled real noise reducing headphones I bought at beginning of lockdown for WFH zooms. So far they have been all I need. In fact, I can wear them and remain connected to all my devices and laptop not only from anywhere in my apartment, but even from the laundry room and trash area and lobby 4 floors below my apartment! Elevator is a dead zone, but they all reconnect when I get off.

Makes getting mail and doing laundry so much more efficient.

Jennifer W wrote: "Nadine in NY wrote: "Jennifer W wrote: "Hi all! It's been chilly and rainy here most of this week. I'm starting to get motivated to do some spring cleaning etc activities. I just ordered a dumpster..."

Our neighbours have had a dumpsters since fall because they had plumbing issues and are gutting their basement themselves. Pro tip make sure the latches are all set before you call them to pick it up. Next door the latch was undone and the driver didn't check before loading a full bin. (concrete, drywall etc.) Surprise, it opened while loading it onto the truck spilling all over their lawn.

I got Bluetooth headphones that are the earbuds with the over ear bits. And are connected to each other with a cord. They’re not perfect but the over ear does help them stay in better, and the connector is nice if I need to stop to talk to someone I can tap the button on the side and drop one or both around my neck and then put them back in. No worrying about if I have pockets or not or dropping one etc.

Nadine in NY wrote: "LOL that sounds slightly less fun!!!"

Don't knock it! I found some serious gems on those markets and it was always super 'gezellig'!

I would have traded being on one of those markets today over sitting here and checking Mickey's camera all the time to see how he's doing, haha!

Doni wrote: "I've got a question: Are book people cat people? If so, why is that? I know bookstores often have resident cats. I didn't turn into a cat person until I became an adult. But I've always been a book..."

I don't think so, but I think cats might like book people cuz we tend to be calm(er) people, at least when reading!

I am very much a cat person, though I've grown up with both cats and dogs. Just got too much dog trauma to make me like them *shrugs*. My mom's dogs are therefore well cared for when I have to take care of them, but not necessarily loved.

And then bunnies. hehehe

Jennifer W wrote: "Nadine in NY wrote: "Jennifer W wrote: "Hi all! It's been chilly and rainy here most of this week. I'm starting to get motivated to do some spring cleaning etc activities. I just ordered a dumpster..."

I actually know a bit about dumpsters - they are rented by the day or week or whatever is needed and I certainly have seen tarps tied over them. Obviously construction companies rent them to carry away construction and demolition debris. Buildings clearing out storage and bike rooms bring in a dumpster which leads to the NYC past time of dumpster diving (read The Red Leather Diary: Reclaiming a Life Through the Pages of a Lost Journal for a real life example). Even businesses that 'keep' a dumpster parked in a back parking lot rents it and has a regular arrangement with a disposal company.

Of course, you also need to coordinate with a disposal company where the stuff in dumpster is going to be dumped - hazardous has to go one place (paint cans, cleaners, even old electronics) and furniture and such another (landfill). If you are looking to clear out garage, basement, attic, I suggest talking to a disposal company who would coordinate the dumpster rental and disposal of the stuff, then block off a few days, calling all hands on deck.

Oh, and there are a couple different sizes of dumpsters.

Also in NYC you need permits for dumpsters because they are parked on the street - illegally without a permit. We don't have driveways you know 😁. Again, the company handles all that as part of the fee.

Theresa wrote: "Nadine in NY wrote: "I've got my new phone set up, finally! And to my surprise, ALL of my photos from my old phone ported over - I did not think I had them all backed up. But my tags in Libby never..."

I bought an adapter for my new phone so I can plug in regular headphones. I also have a Bluetooth sleep/exercise headband that I wear at night to listen to documentaries on my tablet as I go to bed. I like it for that, I don't know that I would ever wear it out in public....

Erica wrote: "Jennifer W wrote: "Nadine in NY wrote: "Jennifer W wrote: "Hi all! It's been chilly and rainy here most of this week. I'm starting to get motivated to do some spring cleaning etc activities. I just..."

Oh dear! Good tip!!