Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge discussion

Happy Thursday!!   We are almost ready to close out March! 

Yesterday when I was walking the dogs I saw four turkey vultures circling overhead.  They are such beautiful and majestic creatures when they soar in the air, their wings pick up the gold of the sun when the light gets low.  They leave this area for winter and this is my first confirmed sighting of them this spring!  Always a happy sight!!

My snowdrops and crocuses are finishing up, my blue scillas are just popping up.  March is my favorite part of spring:  flowers are coming up, the grass isn't growing yet so I don't have to mow, some days are warm and beautiful, but there's no pollen and no bugs, the air is crisp and I can sleep with the window open.  It's the best of all worlds!  Once the tree pollen starts blowing, I have to huddle inside with my windows closed, and yet I also have to get outside and mow the lawn.



**** Admin stuff ****

Our March group read is coming to an end, and April is coming soon.  In April, the group will be reading The Mystery Guest.  (And I think we still need a discussion leader for this book!)  Join the discussion here:
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...


Nominations for June are closed, and the final poll for the June group read for "a book set in space" is live - vote for your favorite here:
https://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/2...




I had a good reading week, I enjoyed everything I'm reading EXCEPT my current book of poetry book and my current audiobook (The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store - James McBride is NOT my kind of author and I shall never again read anything he wrote - but I still feel like I need to finish this just in case it somehow magically gets better - I'm 50% through now and it is NOT getting better.)

This week I finished 3 books, all three for this Challenge, and I am now 30/50.

Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros - I used this for "character sleeps more than 24 hours."  I liked this but I didn't love it and then I realized I wanted to talk to somebody about it so I made a discussion post for the series - https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/... - So apparently I did not love the book but I'm still fangirling over it; right now I'm only talking to myself, so if anyone else has any comments, that'd be awesome LOL

Frenchman's Creek by Daphne du Maurier- I read this solely because I needed a book about a pirate - I fell in love with this book!!  It is so lush and romantic and full of longing, but also the characters are assholes LOL   Only duMaurier could pull that off.

XOXO by Axie Oh - this was so cute, I loved it!!   I used this for "title starts with X" (and I can't wait to read ASAP this year).  Interestingly, I disliked the other book I read by Oh so much that I DNF'ed it (The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea), so I was skeptical about reading this, but there are only so many "X" books so I gave it a try.  I am so glad I did!!  Apparently her writing style works just fine for me in a contemporary romance, I only hate it when she is writing fantasy.  I'm not sure how I'll feel about her dystopian series, but I'll be giving it a try.

Popsugar 60% 30 /50
Must Reads 60% 6 /10
AtY 52% 27 /52




Question of the Week
Are there upcoming releases you’re looking forward to in the next few months?


Why yes! Yes I do have some! I've got a list of 47 books coming out in 2024 that I'm interested in (including ASAP!), and most of these have April-July pub dates. I've got holds on 11 of them right now that are already published.  My technique of suspending some holds to stagger what comes in does not work when some books are on hold for over a month without showing up and other holds come within a week, but I'm trying to keep from getting buried by all the books at once.

I am excited to be currently reading The Hunter! (It's very good so far - but I need to read faster, it's due next week.) And to my delight, my hold on The Good, the Bad, and the Aunties AND Listen for the Lie are in!  I've got a lot of reading to do!!  (And I don't think either of these books will fill an open challenge category for me.)  

I have been waiting not so patiently for my library to give me Mike Chen's newest, A Quantum Love Story - it was published Jan 30th so I should have gotten it in Feb but ohhh noooo ...  They HAVE it, but apparently all of the branches that own it are not sending it out for hold requests. So it just sits there ... on their new books shelf ... not being read by anyone. If I didn't already have a pile of other library books to read, I'd be driving out to one of those branches to grab it (the three branches that own it are all really far from me, too - like, if you tried to pick the three library branches farthest from my home, you might pick these three). I put in a request for my local branch to buy a copy but that hasn't gotten any traction either. They probably thought "the county already owns several copies of this book and no one is reading it so why would we buy a copy????"

I'm also waiting somewhat more patiently for Hard Girls - yet again, the branches that own it are not sending it out for hold requests, it sits on their new book shelves (but in this case all copies are currently borrowed, so fair enough - I don't mind waiting for a book when I know other people are actually reading it).  I've never read anything by J. Robert Lennon, but this book sounds good, and I recently learned he's somewhat local to me (even more local to Jennifer than to me).

I'm also excited about Emily Henry's new book Funny Story, Lee's Kill Her Twice, Ben Winters new book Big Time, St James new ghost story Murder Road, Tommy Orange's new book Wandering Stars, Utomi's new novella The Truth of the Aleke, Makiia Lucier's new book Dragonfruit, Kathleen Hanna's memoir Rebel Girl: My Life as a Feminist Punk(which will be my woman in rock n roll book), and new books from Akwaeke Emezi & Morgan Talty coming in June ... to name just a few. I'll stop there, that was already more than a few.

Happy Thursday, everyone!

It has been a great week for reading! I’ve had a chance to finish a couple of series, and continue another.

I’ve also had a chance to watch a couple of great television shows on BritBox. I loved the Agatha Raisin series, and I’m currently watching (and obsessing over) Shakespeare and Hathaway. If you enjoy British mysteries, then I highly recommend both shows.

Here are my current challenge and TBR totals…

Goodreads Challenge: 133/200
Mount TBR Challenge: 81/150

📚Physical TBR: 48
📱Ebook TBR: 33
🎧Audiobook TBR: 0
TBR Checklist Total: 81

So remember how I said I was going to be taking a break from buying books for a while?

Well…I enjoyed the xxxHolic manga so much that I ended up ordering the entire Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle series, which frequently intersects xxxHolic’s storyline. I did end up getting the omnibus editions, which will fit better on my bookshelves, and I will be starting the series as soon as all of them have arrived.

I am now officially on a book-buying ban until April 30th, and you all have my permission to yell at me if I buy any books before then. I have got to take a break from book buying for a while.

I do have to say, however, that I am really pleased with the number of titles from my “New” Books list that I managed to read this week. I had such a great time continuing/finishing some of my newer series that I basically spent the week binge-reading.

“New” Books Bought in 2024: 93
“New” Books Read in 2024: 49

Finished Reading (Fiction):
This week I continued reading the Agatha Raisin series. I am really enjoying these mysteries! The stories are very clever, and the characters are a lot of fun. The books I read this week include…
~Agatha Raisin and the Potted Gardener — This is the third book in the Agatha Raisin series. Content Alert: (view spoiler)[ One of the characters in this book repeatedly uses a racial slur. The book also includes references to suicide. (hide spoiler)] 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~Agatha Raisin and the Walkers of Dembley — This is the fourth book in the Agatha Raisin series. Content Alert: (view spoiler)[ This book does include references to suicide and abuse. Classism, sexism, and misogyny are also seen throughout this book. (hide spoiler)] 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~Agatha Raisin and the Murderous Marriage — This is the fifth book in the Agatha Raisin series. Content Alert: (view spoiler)[ This book includes references to substance abuse, rehab, and infidelity. (hide spoiler)] 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~Agatha Raisin and the Terrible Tourist — This is the sixth book in the Agatha Raisin series. Content Alert: (view spoiler)[ Agatha and James’s relationship is very toxic in this book. She is obsessed with the idea of getting him back after the events of the previous book, and he is hyper critical of her. (hide spoiler)] 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~Agatha Raisin and the Wellspring of Death — This is the seventh book in the Agatha Raisin series. Content Alert: (view spoiler)[ A racial slur is used in this book. There is also a reference to rape. (hide spoiler)] 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I also finished the following audiobook…
~Death on the Nile — This audiobook was a re-read for me, but I really enjoyed having a chance to listen to it before bed each night. David Suchet is a great narrator! Content Alert: (view spoiler)[ This book does include references to suicide, as well as racism, stalking, and infidelity. (hide spoiler)] 🎧: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Finished Reading (Nonfiction):
None

Finished Reading (Manga, Comic Books, & Graphic Novels):
Omnibus 4 finally arrived in the mail, so this week I was able to finish the xxxHolic manga. I had such a fun time with this series! The stories and characters are great, and the artwork is absolutely gorgeous! The books I read this week include…
~xxxHOLiC Omnibus 4 — 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~xxxHOLiC Omnibus 5 — 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~xxxHOLiC Omnibus 6 — 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~xxxHOLiC Omnibus 7 — 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I also had a chance to read The Haunted Bookstore: Gateway to a Parallel Universe manga. This is a pretty short series (only four volumes in length), so it was a quick read. I thought this was a good story, and liked the artwork. The books I read this week include…
~The Haunted Bookstore - Gateway to a Parallel Universe (Manga) Vol. 1 — 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
~The Haunted Bookstore - Gateway to a Parallel Universe (Manga) Vol. 2 — 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
~The Haunted Bookstore - Gateway to a Parallel Universe (Manga) Vol. 3 — 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
~The Haunted Bookstore - Gateway to a Parallel Universe (Manga) Vol. 4 — 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Finished Reading (Poetry and Drama):
None

DNFed:
None

Currently On A Break:
~The Arabian Nights: Tales of 1001 Nights, Volume 1 — I am currently 68% of the way through this book. 📚
~The Complete Works of William Shakespeare — I am currently a few acts into King Richard II.📚
~Tales of King Arthur & The Knights of the Round Table — I am currently 13% of the way through this book. Content Alert: (view spoiler)[ This book does include references to incest. (hide spoiler)] 📚

Currently Reading:
~Peril at End House — This book is a re-read for me. I got the audiobook from my library app to listen to before bed, and I’ve really been enjoying it. Hugh Fraser (who played Hastings in the Poirot television series) is a really good narrator. I’m currently at 70%, so I will probably finish the book tomorrow night. 🎧
~Agatha Raisin and the Wizard of Evesham — This is the eighth book in the Agatha Raisin series. I’m currently about a third of the way through this book, and really enjoying it so far. If I have enough time, I will probably finish it today. 📚

QOTW:
Most of the upcoming releases that I’m looking forward to are the next volumes of various manga series that I’ve been reading, including Cutie and the the Beast, That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime, Otaku Elf, and Spy x Family.

I’m also looking forward to the following novels…
~Til Death Do Us Bard
~The Spellshop
~Where the Library Hides

Of course, I also live in hope of a new Murderbot book. But I haven’t heard anything about when book eight will be released.

Happy Thursday! Checking in before I start packing… We’re flying early tomorrow to St. Louis for a family Easter celebration combined with a baby shower. I’m so happy to see my nieces and nephews start their own families! Brian (35) and Maggie (36) married last August 19th, and their daughter Ava is due this August 17th.

2024 Reading Challenges: I’ve read 123 books so far this year with an average length of 326 pages and an average rating of 3.80.

52 Book Club: 32/52
ATY: 26/52 (Spring Challenge: 5/12 + Bonus 5/5)
Booklist Queen: 28/52
Diverse Baseline: 9/36
Popsugar: 24/50
Robot Librarian: 27/52
ICYMI Backlist: 3/12

Recently Completed:

The Power Worshippers: Inside the Dangerous Rise of Religious Nationalism: Published prior to the 2020 election season, it’s still remarkable and horrifyingly relevant. ★★★★

Hang the Moon: From the 2023 NPR Books We Love list. Better than average historical fiction about (fictional) Sallie Kincaid and her family of bootleggers in Virginia during Prohibition. (ATY #10 – a history or historical fiction book) ★★★★

Outrage Machine: How Tech Is Amplifying Discontent, Undermining Democracy, and Pushing Us Towards Chaos: Reasonable Doubt Book Club. (52 Books #39 – nonfiction recommended by a friend) ★★★★

They Never Learn: Feminist serial killers. Yep, I’m in. (52 Books #13 – an academic thriller/ATY #36 – a character in education) ★★★★★

Before the Coffee Gets Cold (ATY #19 – title related to a Ben & Jerry’s flavor: Coffee Coffee BuzzBuzzBuzz/Diverse Baseline #7 – translated book by BIPOC author) ★★★★

Gwen & Art Are Not in Love: Unoriginal YA. (ATY #21 – at least 6 words in title) ★★★

Wild and Distant Seas: Magical realism/historical fiction inspired by Moby Dick… but much more interesting. (52 Books #51 – related to the word wild) ★★★★

How to Be Eaten: Five women – survivors of fairy tale stories – meet for group therapy. Dark and surprisingly funny. I thoroughly enjoyed it. ★★★★

Mass Supervision: Probation, Parole, and the Illusion of Safety and Freedom ★★★★

Brooklyn (ATY Spring Challenge – a brown cover) ★★★

The Burnout (52 Books #25 – an author everyone has read except you: Sophie Kinsella/ATY Spring Challenge – an orange cover) ★★★



Currently Reading:

You, Again (ATY #4 – author with a color in their name: Kate Goldbeck)
This Could Be Us (Robot Librarian Advanced #10 – romance with characters over 30 years old)
Karma of the Sun: Adventures Underground Book Club. (Robot Librarian Advanced #6 – author has written only one book)
Deaf Utopia: A Memoir - And a Love Letter to a Way of Life (Popsugar #9 – author is deaf or hard of hearing)
The Longest Autumn (Booklist Queen #37 – set in autumn/Robot Librarian #1 – published in 2024)
Hana Khan Carries On (Popsugar #4 – about a 24-year-old)
Interesting Facts about Space (ATY #8 – author from Canada, Australia, or New Zealand)
How the Boogeyman Became a Poet (ATY Spring Challenge – blue cover/Robot Librarian Nonfiction – the 800s)
Spinning

QOTW: What a question! I want ALL the books, so it's hard to narrow down the new releases I want to read. I know I won't get around to all of these, but they're on my list:

This Could Be Us
Annie Bot
James
Expiration Dates
The Familiar
Listen for the Lie
The Paris Novel
The Widow Spy
Red Side Story

Morning all. It's been a while since I checked in, as completing the PS tasks has been much slower than the ATY ones, where I'm well ahead of schedule.

Still, I've got a few more PS prompts ticked off since I did last pop my head above the parapet here.

Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, Jonathan Safran Foer. This one is mainly told from the POV of the young protagonist, Oskar. However, it also includes letters written by his Grandmother and Grandfather, so between them, that means I could use it for 34 A book with at least 3 POVs. A 3* read, as it took me a while to warm to Oskar.

The Joy and Light Bus Company, Alexander McCall Smithfor 47. A book with 24 letters in the title. Again, 3*. I love the setting, and I love most of the characters, but I'm getting rather tired of Mma. Makutsi, who by this one (#22 in the series) seems to be becoming a stereotype of herself.

I've been meaning to read The Question of the Missing Head, E.J. Copperman/Jeff Cohen for ages, and I've finally read it for 29. A book with a neurodivergent main character. Another 3* - I seem to have had a lot of those this year. It's an enojoyable mystery on the cozy/procedural border, where the main character is Autistic but high-functioning. While it was written under a pseudonym, the author has an Autistic son, so he understands the challenges that brings.

Next up is Aunt Dimity and the Heart of Gold, Nancy Athertonfor 49. The 24th book of an author. This is one of my comfort reads, and happens to be #24 (of 25) in the series. 4*.John Scalzi

And finally, The Dispatcher, an interesting novella with a cool premise from i. I've used this for
19. A book set in the future. as the GR description starts "One day, not long from now, it becomes almost impossible to murder anyone..." 4*.

Total PopSugar prompts completed: 12/50.
Total ATY prompts completed: 28/52.

I do have various other PS-qualifying books in the immediate pipeline, so hopefully I'll make a bit more progress before I next check in.

QotW. Are there upcoming releases you’re looking forward to in the next few months?

I may be a bit of an outlier, here. I don't really check the lists of new releases coming out, unless they happen to be in a series I've been following, and I notice that a new one is imminent, so I don't really have a "new releases" list. I just happens by osmosis!

Happy Thursday! Yesterday I saw 3 bunnies running and playing together on my walk to the commuter rail station in the morning. I usually only see them at dusk, so this was a lovely start to the day. I think my favorite spring month is April. The flowers are really starting to come out, but like Nadine said no bugs yet.

Nadine, sorry to hear The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store is not for you. I didn't love it as much as I thought I would based on all the hype in the ToB group, but I did like it a lot. I don't think the second half will change your mind. I found my reaction to it to be consistent throughout. I have not read any other McBride, but I will.

Finished:
Glass Houses
Hurricane Girl for unreliable narrator. MC is recovering from a traumatic brain injury.

Currently reading:
The Blind Assassin This book is so slow going and is the reason I am not finishing a lot of books.
Weaving Sundown in a Scarlet Light: Fifty Poems for Fifty Years still reading a poem a day, when I remember.
The Mummy Case Imagine my delight and surprise when I discovered Elizabeth Peters is a pen name. This must have been discussed when the list first came out, but I have no recollection. The great thing about menopause brain is everything is new again.

QOTW:
Every time lists of upcoming books come out, I get excited and add them to my TBR. And then I forget. I will read The Hunter, although I would prefer a Dublin Murder Squad book. Also looking forward to Murder Road. Somewhere Beyond the Sea comes out late in the year. And The Familiar. The Warm Hands of Ghosts just came in for me. That's all I can remember.

Happy Thursday!!

I have survived the weekend! Friday morning bus to Paris, RER to Disney, Disney til 2:15am (in the rain!), hotel at 3:16am, leave hotel at 7:06am, almost miss train (not my fault, the RER had issues so wasn't coming) but get on it with one minute to spare at 7:49am. Two train changes and home at 2pm. Leaving for the concert at 3pm, doors open at 6pm, starts at 8pm, ends at 11:15pm. Home at 1am.

It was amazing, it was exhausting, my muscles ached, but I'm surprisingly fine! Sadly my dad caught a cold at the concert and then proceeded to give it to me xD I'm going back to Disney on Tuesday so hopefully it'll have passed by then!

Puzzle hasn't had any progress for obvious reasons, but soon! I have continued my 'play all Professor Layton game in story order' quest, though, and I'm looking to have almost finished the current one!

Watched
Nearing the end of season 9 of Shameless. Can't wait for my faves to be back, the season has been a struggle without them. De Mol (Belgium) has also started again and I am STOKED!

Read
No books, but I read 200k of fic! It's a fic series with 3 parts, and I'm on the last 17k part, so almost done. It may not be books, but it's something and I've been having a blast. Reading this on the bus and train was an experience though, I was smiling like a loon xD

QOTW
I am so out of the loop with upcoming releases. The only two I know of are in the fall: the next Percy Jackson and the sequel to House in the Cerulean Sea. This question made me check if I can pre order them on Amazon NL already, and I can! I couldn't for the longest time. PJO is expensive however, and for TJ Klune I have to decide whether to get the cheaper, uglier (imo) UK edition that will match or the more expensive, prettier (imo) US edition. I guess I should also wait to see if Illumicrate is gonna do the sequel; that would really match my editions, haha!

Laura wrote: "How to Be Eaten: Five women – survivors of fairy tale stories – meet for group therapy. Dark and surprisingly funny. I thoroughly enjoyed it. ★★★★..."


Oh that sounds a lot like a Catherynne M. Valente book I read - I didn't love it, but if you like the idea, you might like that book too. now to remember the title ... I think it was The Refrigerator Monologues






QOTW: What a question! I want ALL the books, so it's hard to narrow down the new releases I want to read. I know I won't get around to all of these

Oh but this is the year that I WILL get to ALL the books!!! LOL I like to tell myself that each year, setting myself up for disappointment at the end of the year ...

I made a large-haul trip to the library last week, just in time for Spring Break at the school I work at, so I'm looking forward to the weekend and reading the books I haven't gotten to yet (two, plus one I'm in the midst of).

I'm also trying a new workout system/regime/whatever you want to call it. I started one part of it today and enjoyed it (and learned a few new exercises) and am hoping to start the other part tomorrow.

On to the books!

Completed
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children - I'm not sure what I was expecting going into this book, but this book wasn't it. Doesn't mean it wasn't well written and a very imaginative story. I'm just still digesting my thoughts on it.
Gellhorn: A Twentieth Century Life - For this challenge - really enjoyed reading it!

Currently Reading
Me Talk Pretty One Day - This was started on my recent vacation and is one I own, so will be delayed as necessary when books come in for me at the library.
Man Made Monsters
Around the World in Eighty Games: From Tarot to Tic-Tac-Toe, Catan to Chutes and Ladders, a Mathematician Unlocks the Secrets of the World's Greatest Games
Great Cities Through Travelers' Eyes - Same situation as Me Talk Pretty, so they'll both be on this list for a bit I'm guessing.

For those interested, the other books I picked up from my library for Spring Break are The Country of the Blind: A Memoir at the End of Sight (which is for this challenge) and Cat of the Century (a pick from the Save Me shelf).

PS Challenge Progress: 32/50

QOTW
The only 2024 book which I was really waiting for isEnd of Story, which is already out so that technically doesn't count for the question. I'm sure there are/will be others, but I've been especially keeping that one in mind because I hope to read it for this challenge.

Happy Thursday!

Not much going on for me as usual. Just the same. Though sibling and their family is in town for the week and will be here for Easter so that's cool.

Getting stuff planned for Easter as well.

Other than that nothing major.

*****

Book News:

- I've decided to do a Nicholas Sparks Reading Challenge. Since I own all of his books I want to see how many of them I can read in a year. Plus he has a new book being released in September that I'm excited about.

- I read one book this week, but it was a 2-star rating so it's not really worth mentioning.

*****

- I am starting to get my April TBR planned and it's looking like a good list so far:

[Nonfiction:]

Fifth Sun: A New History of the Aztecs

Attack from Within: How Disinformation Is Sabotaging America

[Fiction:]

The Wish

The Road to Roswell

*****

Question of the Week
Are there upcoming releases you’re looking forward to in the next few months?

I usually don't look ahead when it comes to new releases. I like to be surprised. Like I'll look in the new release section at bookstores or online and I'll come across stuff I like, but I don't anticipate anything.

Nadine in NY wrote: "Oh that sounds a lot like a Catherynne M. Valente book I read - I didn't love it, but if you like the idea, you might like that book too. now to remember the title ... I think it was The Refrigerator Monologues."

Thanks! I just requested it from my library. It'll fun comparing the two books.

Happy Thursday! Happy Easter! Happy spring! It's finally spring in Canada.

I finished 2 books this week. The Skullduggery one wasn't as fun as previous books, but I think it's setting up the next books in the series.

We finished our Lent book. Anyone who thinks C.S. Lewis is primarily a children's author is wrong. There were parts that were far too philosophic for me, let alone my (adult) kids.

I should finish the Writing Retreat this weekend too. The Golding book will get carried into April. I try to finish off all my books each month, but one usually ends up getting carried over.

Finished:
Mortal Coil
ATY prompt: Two books with similar covers
Popsugar prompt: A book set in a travel destination on your bucket list (Ireland/Dublin)

Mere Christianity
ATY prompt: A book by an author known by their initials
Popsugar prompt: can't find one

Series - 3/12
Nobel laureates - 1/5
Mysteries/Thrillers - 3/13

ATY - 11/45
PS - 6/30

Currently reading:
The Inheritors - 40% done
The Writing Retreat - 75% done

Buddy Reads:
This Present Darkness - 40% done

QOTW: I'm looking forward to Ruth Ware's next book. (Zero Days from last year wasn't my favourite).

Also, new Lucy Foley. And a sequel to The House in the Cerulean Sea.

Happy Thursday!

I took today off work for opening day of baseball... and my team's game was postponed due to rain. Oh well, a day off is still nice. :)

Finished:
Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer - 3 stars - for a nonfiction book about Indigenous people. I didn't hate this -- in fact, I appreciated a lot of what the author had to say -- but for me, it wasn't the five-star book everyone seems to be raving about. I loved the descriptions of native beliefs and practices, and agreed with the author's criticisms of over-consumption and not appreciating the gifts of nature. But a lot of the essays were slow, and I was left feeling somewhat guilty about having zero interest in gardening!

Call Us What We Carry: Poems by Amanda Gorman - still 3 stars. I liked a lot of the poems more on the second read-through with the group, where I could stop to highlight and appreciate the language. I still think it's a very uneven collection, though.

Chaos Choreography by Seanan McGuire - 4 stars (reread) - a book about a 24-year-old. After this, I am caught up to where I left off this series.

Comics/manga:
Cat + Gamer Volume 4

I am currently at 27/50 prompts for PopSugar (25/45 and 2/5).

Currently reading:
A Tempest of Tea by Hafsah Faizal - not for the challenge (yet)

Upcoming/Planned:
Future Tense: How We Made Artificial Intelligence—and How It Will Change Everything by Martha Brockenbrough for a book that came out in a year that ends with "24" (2024)

The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa - for a book from an animal's POV

QOTW:
A couple of the ones I was really looking forward to were pushed back to 2025 already.

I'm looking forward to so many books that are coming out this year... I might not get to them all in 2024 but they're all on my list.

Tidal Creatures by Seanan McGuire
A Sorceress Comes to Call by T. Kingfisher
Celestial Monsters by Aiden Thomas
Somewhere Beyond the Sea by T.J. Klune
Mirrored Heavens by Rebecca Roanhorse
Funny Story by Emily Henry
The City in Glass and The Brides of High Hill by Nghi Vo
Saint-Seducing Gold by Brittany N. Williams
Jasmine Is Haunted by Mark Oshiro

Nadine in NY wrote: "I had a good reading week, I enjoyed everything I'm reading EXCEPT my current book of poetry book and my current audiobook (The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store - James McBride is NOT my kind of author and I shall never again read anything he wrote - but I still feel like I need to finish this just in case it somehow magically gets better - I'm 50% through now and it is NOT getting better.)..."

I'm glad you felt this way because I also did not enjoy The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store and thought there may be something wrong with me...

Greetings from another rainy day in NYC. April showers have arrived with a vengeance in March, actually causing flooding here. That's more a problem for the subway that surface but there are low areas and basements flood.

PS - 25/50. ATY - 41 out of 52!

Finished:
A Cuban Girl's Guide to Tea and Tomorrow - genre don't usually read - YA - and it was quite good.
Iron Widow - video game prompt -- a streeeeetch but it's my challenge and a video game did feature briefly at a key moment. Plus there is much that is reminiscent of a video game.
Gingerbread - magical realism prompt - Oyeyemi is not an author for me - 2nd of her books I've read and have same 2 star rating and essentially same review for both.
The Alchemist - for made into a musical - Singapore 2006 - thank you Google and Wikipedia for the information!

Currently reading:
Crooked Kingdom
On the Come Up
Of Manners and Murder
The Golden Gate
Stephanie Laurens

QOTW: Not really. These days I mostly read from my existing TBR Towers or Edgar nominees or Feminerdy Book Club choices. Doesn't mean there aren't books I will ultimately get as soon as published. I wouldn't read anything immediately after it is published (except for The Winds of Winter) anyway. I tend not to read anything until its aged in my TBR Towers. LOL.

Exception - every new book published by Stephanie Laurens gets preordered. Ditto most of Marie Force's series though I am way behind on all of those. But not Laurens. I've got her latest one ready to read for PS published in 2024. Soon...'

Popsugar Challenge : 47/50 I only have 3 books left!!!
Robot Librarian: 35/52

Read: The World-Famous Nine It was enjoyable, but I figured out the code way early on and I didn't enjoy it as much as Guterson's other series.

Music Mavens: 15 Women of Note in the Industry read for prompt autobiography of woman in rock n' roll. I realize this was a bit of a stretch since it's not an autobiography, but it IS about female musicians and I wouldn't have read it otherwise, so I'm counting it!

Love Lives Here: A Story of Thriving in a Transgender Family read for LGBTQIA romance. Ohmigosh! This was sooo good. I was crying through it. One of my favorite books this year so far.

Mooncakes read for prompt written by a deaf author. Easy read. Took me an half hour.

An Absolutely Remarkable Thing read for prompt written during NaNoWriMo. I really enjoyed this book too!

The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet read for prompt set in space. Did not particularly enjoy this one, surprisingly. I love her Robot & Monk series.

Started: Always, Rachel: The Letters of Rachel Carson and Dorothy Freeman 1952-64-The Story of a Remarkable Friendship reading this one for prompt set 24 years before your birth. Uugh, it is so long and boring. I might have to find something to replace it.

QotW: I'm looking forward to Get Better at Anything: 12 Maxims for Mastery and Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder. I also have pre-ordered Tree. Table. Book. which I don't know anything about, but by doing so, I get to see Lois Lowry in person, which I'm very excited about!

Happy Thursday! 1,5 day of work ahead and then we're on a 3-week trip. It's unreal to realize that next week I'll be up in the air somewhere over the ocean.

My reading slowed down the last couple of weeks. I'm having less stress, so I'm able to do more than just hanging in my chair.

PS: 8/50
FNL: 12/40
Total: 16/52

Finished
Rode sneeuw in december by Simone van der Vlugt⭐⭐⭐⭐
PS #32, a book with an enemies-to-lovers plot; FNL #8

Currently reading
The Night Travelers by Armando Lucas Correa

QOTW
Not really. I do have a list 'just released' because then you see and read all the buzz about it.

Hi all! Been busy around here with (STILL) more Girl Scout activities, getting ready for Easter, Spring Break, and then the kiddo's birthday. Still managed to get in a couple good chunks of reading this week. Next week... probably not so much...

I finished a book! And with all my jumping around, you'll never guess... Floodpath: The Deadliest Man-Made Disaster of 20th-Century America and the Making of Modern Los Angeles. I started it last year for a man-made disaster, so I'm not sure where I'll put it this year yet. I found it very good. I first heard of the St Francis Dam disaster on a PBS show (Flood in the Desert) and wanted to learn more. It's hard to picture a massive disaster like this in your head, but I think by the end of the book, the author did a good job of explaining the details of how and why the dam broke.

I listened to a bit more in Carry Me Home: Birmingham, Alabama: The Climactic Battle of the Civil Rights Revolution, a bit more is happening and there's names I'm starting to recognize, so it's a little easier to follow.
Also listened to more in Schindler’s List. The Krakow ghetto is being emptied and sh*t's getting real... How people can be so awful to each other....
(I need a light read... maybe I'll pick up my BIPOC horror book, or my Native American non-fiction book next- those should be cheerful, right??? *eyeroll* I don't know why I gravitate towards such heavy books all the time!)

QOTW: I don't usually pay attention to what's coming out, but I did happen to see that Jodi Picoult has a new book scheduled to be released later this year, so I guess I'll eagerly await that one (and then wait another 6 years or so before I get to it! *another eyeroll* lol)

Hello from a beautifully sunny spring day in Columbus! Unfortunately I went from working at the salon to immediately going in for a shift at the pet supply store so I can only enjoy it through a window.

It’s spring break for the kids, I wish we could do more fun stuff together but I never have the foresight to schedule time off during spring break. It means I’m also missing the mass of the lords supper tonight and Good Friday mass tomorrow. Ah well. I’ll be doing the Easter vigil mass Saturday night at the cathedral downtown, they have a professional choir and they always do a concert before Easter and Christmas. It’s a lovely experience that I always look forward to.

Finished:
The Last House on Needless Street for the friends suggestions challenge I started last year and never finished. This book was a wild ride. I had a vague idea of what I thought the twist was but it still managed to shock me at a few turns. Ultimately sad and frustrating, books where bad things happen to kids really get to me but I still enjoyed reading this.

438 Days: An Extraordinary True Story of Survival at Sea also for the friends recommendations challenge. Another absolutely crazy story. A journalist retells the aptly described extraordinary true story of Salvador Alvarenga, a Salvadoran fisherman who spent 14 months adrift in the Pacific Ocean. I don’t know how I managed to miss when this was news but this book was the first time I heard this story. I can’t even imagine surviving what he did.

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow for a book that centers on video games. I’ve been wanting to read this since it came out and I’m glad I finally did. I didn’t want this book to end, I was so sucked into the story and its relationship dynamics. I can see why it won so many readers choice type awards!

Currently Reading:
Catechism of the Catholic Church
The Great Adventure Catholic Bible
Taaqtumi: An Anthology of Arctic Horror Stories
It’s not on goodreads but Rescued, a Lent devotional from Blessed is She

QOTW:
Honestly I have no idea what’s coming out soon lol. I know I’m looking forward to the new Philip Pullman whenever that comes out and I did recently read that Alan Bradley has a new book, What Time the Sexton’s Spade Doth Rust, coming out soon.

Challenges:
Popsugar - 7/45; 1/5
Read Harder - 10/24
Classics - 2/12
European Tour - 4/10
12 Friends - 8/12
Yearly Goal - 55/150

Nadine in NY wrote: "Happy Thursday!!   We are almost ready to close out March! 

I've never read anything by J. Robert Lennon, but this book sounds good, and I recently learned he's somewhat local to me (even more local to Jennifer than to me)..."

Somehow, I've been thinking that there's still another week left in March, which is a tad problematic as my car inspection was due this month... I scheduled it for next week. Whoops!

I've never heard of him, but yes, very local to me! I see he's also written/edited a book about writer's playing video games, so I might have to look into that one, as I don't have something planned for that prompt!

Milena wrote: "Nadine, sorry to hear The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store is not for you. I didn't love it as much as I thought I would based on all the hype in the ToB group, but I did like it a lot. I don't think the second half will change your mind. I found my reaction to it to be consistent throughout. I have not read any other McBride, but I will...."


I'm 56% of the way through and yeah I can pretty much tell my opinion wont' change at this point, but it is SO beloved, I just want to make it all the way through so I can truly say I gave it a chance. TBH I'm starting to doubt myself, like what is wrong with ME as a reader that I cannot get on board with this book by this highly praised literary author, but at the same time I positively DEVOURED the YA K-Pop romance??





The Mummy Case Imagine my delight and surprise when I discovered Elizabeth Peters is a pen name.

I knew that was a pen name and somehow I forgot about her!! I LOVE the audiobooks in this series read by Barbara Rosenblat! (She did not read the first books, for some reason.) I've got two books left to read in the series, maybe I'll use one of them this year for this challenge.



Every time lists of upcoming books come out, I get excited and add them to my TBR. And then I forget. I will read The Hunter, although I would prefer a Dublin Murder Squad book. Also looking forward to Murder Road. Somewhere Beyond the Sea comes out late in the year. And The Familiar. The Warm Hands of Ghosts just came in for me. That's all I can remember.

I actually have The Warm Hands of Ghosts borrowed from the library right now!! but it's suffering from "too many books borrowed at once" syndrome, and I don't think I'll get to it before it's due back. I read the first few pages and it didn't grab me, so I set it aside, and then some other HOT books came in that I HAD to read first (like Iron Flame, and The Hunter, and soon the Bad Aunties book).

Easter stuff taken care of. Went out and got a few bags of candies and some Easter baskets. There's only an infant and a ten year old in my family so it's nothing grand. Still, I got the ten year old a manga and a graphic novel to place in their basket.

I lied last week. I'm still working on From Dawn to Decadence: 500 Years of Western Cultural Life, 1500 to the Present. I have 70 pages left out of 802.

QOTW: I'm still waiting for Winds of Winter if that counts. He's taking longer to write that book, than I'm taking to read mine.

It was another rough reading week (and work week) so the pickings are slim this time.

Innocent in Death by J.D. Robb (PS: 49. The 24th book of an author) please don't @ me, I know Robb is a pen name for Nora Roberts but this is the 24th book under this name and if you look at the thread for this dumb prompt you can see how problematic this one is.I own this one (sadly, it wasn't good) and I wanted it off the shelf so I'm counting it. If I hadn't looked at 4 lists for Agatha Christie and got 4 different answers for book 24 I would have gone that route but I'm over it

I'm at the 50% mark with this one for the challenge. I know a lot of people aren't enjoying the prompts this time. I'm actually not that upset about it. Mostly I'm finding them easy except for a select few (this one, the age ones) and I'm not thrilled to have to read more than one memoir and romance but I'm doing okay with it for the most part.

a few more graphic novels this time too

Elixir by Frank Barbiere a clash between nature/technology but honestly both story line and art were forgettable.

Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun 1 by Osamu Nishi, it's cute but not a manga I see me continuing to buy.

Stranger Things: Tales from Hawkins by Jody Houser, it was all right, the stories were good but again nothing that going to stick with me.

QOTW

I'm sure there are but I'm lousy at keeping track of that. I was looking forward to Blood Justice by Terry J. Benton-Walker and I have an arc but it's so angry that it's not doing it for me.

I'm currently reading Lights, Camera, Bones by Carolyn Haines which I think is also due out next month but it's deep into the series (which I've never read) but so far it's enjoyable.

two other arcs I have that I'm looking forward to are
Castle of the Cursed by Romina Garber (out in the July) and Don't Let the Forest In by C.G. Drews (out in Oct which I know is more than a few months but I have the arc and I'm very much excited for it)

Oh and Under This Red Rock by Mindy McGinnis is out and she's at two author fairs in April I'll be at so I'll probably get this. And These Haunted Hills by Jana Denardo just came out a few weeks ago and I'm tackling it next for written during nano (or the lgbt romance) prompt

This week has been a surreal one here in Maryland. It's still hard to believe that the Francis Scott Key Bridge is gone. I cannot imagine what the families and friends of the construction workers whose lives were lost are going through. I'm not directly affected by this tragedy but still feel a sense of loss, shock, and disbelief.

Ok...on to books...I finished one book and found an open prompt that fit. I'm now at 6/45 and 2/5 for this challenge, and 17/100 for my overall Goodreads Reading Challenge.

Finished
* Family Lore: A Novel written by Elizabeth Acevedo and narrated by Elizabeth Acevedo, Sixta Morel, and Danyeli Rodriguez del Orbe, which I used for "a book with magical realism." The audiobook performance was phenomenal.

Currently Reading:
* The Stone Home by Crystal Hana Kim, which is my latest Giveaways win. I still haven't made much progress since it's a difficult story;
* Much Ado about Nada by Uzma Jalaluddin; and,
* Careless Love by Peter Robinson, which is the oldest title I have in my NetGalley backlog. I can't believe I let it sit for so long 😕

QotW:
Are there upcoming releases you’re looking forward to in the next few months? The only title I can think of off the top of my head is The Grey Wolf by Louise Penny, which is the latest in the Gamache series and is due out in late October. I've been trying to make a dent in my seemingly ever-growing stacks of owned books this year, which means trying not to get distracted by shiny new titles. But I will make an exception for my favorite authors, like Louise Penny 😉

Happy thursday all! I'm so glad it's almost the weekend; I just want to sleep lol.

Finished:

An Unwanted Guest: 4 stars, devoured in 2 days which is really saying something given how short my attention span is right now.

The Skull: 5 stars, what a delightfully creepy and yet wholesome picture book

Currently reading:

Strange Practice: I've read like a chapter but so far so good

QOTW

My Favorite Thing Is Monsters, Vol. 2 I loved the first volume and have been eagerly awaiting the second half of the duology ever since. The publication date kept getting moved back but it's finally coming. I believe the author has been dealing with health issues so it's been a tough journey for them.

Happy check-in!

QOTW:
A bunch of my 2024 publications that I've been waiting on came in, so a few 5 star reads this week.

I still have a shelf with 30 or so 2024 publications on it to read this year. I have a to read 20-- shelf each year because I always have series with new books and fave authors to add to the tbr. Sadly I discovered that the next Fourth Wing sequel won't be published until January 2025 so says my bookstore's helpful preorder email. 😭
Some I'm waiting on:
The next Ilona Andrews
The next two Lore Olympus volumes
Winter Lost
Funny Story
Not in Love
The next translated Spy X Family manga
The next Saga volume
The next Montress and Night Eaters volumes
House of Slaughter, Vol. 4: Alabaster
The Summer Escape

Finished Reading:

The Kiss of Deception ⭐⭐
Dud young adult fantasy that's hyped on Booktok. Anyway some parts were good but it was too long. There were parts with some old woman telling a child stories but it was just obnoxious and was uneccessary. I listened to the audiobook and it had different narrators for each pov which should have made it less confusing.

The Prisoner's Throne ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (ATY connected to 2023)
The final of the Cruel Prince spinoff. Oak was a much better narrator then Wren. It was fun to get snippets of favourite characters years later.

Dating You / Hating You ⭐⭐⭐ (ATY pronoun)
Finally got around to this Christina Lauren rom-com set in Hollywood. Everything got wrapped up a little to quickly and easily at the end.

The Innkeeper Chronicles: Clean Sweep The Graphic Novel ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (PS pen name)
Ilona Andrews Innkeeper series was turned into a graphic novel. I mostly enjoyed the artwork, just one character was wrong but they were a minor character so it doesn't matter. ;)

A Fate Inked in Blood ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (PS sentence)
Series starter using Norse Mythology. My favourite from this author so far.

PS 24/50
ATY 24/52
Goodreads 75/150

Doni wrote: "I'm glad you felt this way because I also did not enjoy The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store and thought there may be something wrong with me... ..."


YES! Thank you!!! I have hated popular books before, and I've found some works of fine literature to be complete slogs, but never before have I felt like there's something wrong with me for hating a book! McBride is just SO beloved and SO lauded and this book is SO raved about, and it is just not happening for me. So I keep thinking "is it me? have I become a literary cretin???"


I had a long drive today so now at least I'm 71% done.

Happy Thursday! It's been a busy week, but this weekend I'm seeing Sleater-Kinney, and then having a small Easter get together with my family, so I'm looking forward to that!

Finished:
The Warm Hands of Ghosts- I love this book. I really liked The Bear and the Nightingale, but this book really just got to me. Found myself getting choked up a lot. Loved it
-no prompt for me

How Far the Light Reaches: A Life in Ten Sea Creatures- part memoir, part exploration of sea life. Really really liked this one, a lot of heavy topics though, so be prepared
-no prompt for me- could work for queer memoir

Currently reading:
The Jasad Heir- meant to read this last week, other books were due back to the library earlier so put this on pause. Now I have 3 days to finish it...

QotW:
The ones I can think of are The Familiar, Late Bloomer, Dragonfruit, and then Erik Larsen's new one The Demon of Unrest: A Saga of Hubris, Heartbreak, and Heroism at the Dawn of the Civil War

But I think I'm just going to go add everything that gets listed by the rest of you to my tbr!

Theresa wrote: "Currently reading:
... The Golden Gate..."


I've been excited to read this one, it looks so good!! I look forward to your review.

Jennifer W wrote: "Somehow, I've been thinking that there's still another week left in March, which is a tad problematic as my car inspection was due this month... I scheduled it for next week. Whoops!..."




whoops!! LOL! I can't even count the number of times I've been late with my car inspection. Now I put a reminder in my calendar for the next year.

If you don't drive much you'll be fine. And if you do drive but don't pass a cop, you'll be fine. BUT if you have the bad luck to drive past a cop ... they'll spot it right away. Then you get ticketed & a fine. btdt so many times.... it's really embarrassing at this point that I can't seem to learn. I've even had court dates because of this.

Doni wrote: "Popsugar Challenge : 47/50 I only have 3 books left!!! "



WOW that's really impressive this year, it's been such a challenging year!

Harmke wrote: "Happy Thursday! 1,5 day of work ahead and then we're on a 3-week trip. It's unreal to realize that next week I'll be up in the air somewhere over the ocean.

My reading slowed down the last couple..."



Enjoy your trip! Where are you going?

Erin wrote: "Happy Thursday! It's been a busy week, but this weekend I'm seeing Sleater-Kinney ..."





So exciting! Have fun!! I did not know they were touring - I used to love them back in the Call the Doctor days, but I don't know their new stuff.

Nadine in NY wrote: "Happy Thursday!!   We are almost ready to close out March! 

Yesterday when I was walking the dogs I saw four turkey vultures circling overhead.  They are such beautiful and majestic creatures when..."

Rebecca yarros announced book 3 today on GMA. Onyx Storm release date Jan 21 2025. It’s on preorder.

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

It has been a great week for reading! I’ve had a chance to finish a couple of series, and continue another.

I’ve also had a chance to watch a couple of great television ..."

Dude! When is cutie and the beast 4 coming out?!

Mandy wrote: "Nadine in NY wrote: "Happy Thursday!!   We are almost ready to close out March! 

Yesterday when I was walking the dogs I saw four turkey vultures circling overhead.  They are such beautiful and ma..."

Yes I just saw this in an email and somehow a month longer wait is impossible. Haha Mostly, I'm just annoyed that the goodreads page isn't updated yet.

Erica wrote: "Mandy wrote: "Nadine in NY wrote: "Happy Thursday!!   We are almost ready to close out March! 

Yesterday when I was walking the dogs I saw four turkey vultures circling overhead.  They are such be..."

It’s there now. I just made want to read. And even book 4 was staring at me as an untitled entity.

@Mandy I added book 3,4,5 to my shelves a while ago and they linked to the fourth wing and iron flame series but they don’t show up there anymore. It’s very weird. I’m just going to leave it for longer and hope it gets fixed without me needing to delete books and the. Re-add them.

I came home from the gym last night and completed this draft and almost went ahead and posted it at 12:39AM this morning), mistakenly thinking I was to start the thread this week and then realized as I was preparing to paste this into the comment box…it was Nadine’s turn to start! Whew! 😉

My husband had a medical test scheduled late this afternoon, and I had received a birthday coupon from Benihana, so I treated us to supper there this evening before coming home! Excellent food, and of course it is an experience to have them cooking right in front of you. We shared a table with a family of 5 (mom, dad, 3 daughters aged 14, 8, and 3) and they made it fun! Whew! No more going there for a long time…too much food and a bit out of my price range! LOL But both of our birthdays are in March, so I called it a joint celebration! And I have leftovers! 😁👍

A list! 😊 National Book Foundation’s 5 Under 35 honorees for 2024:
https://www.nationalbook.org/awards-p...

A Dewey Readathon is scheduled for 8AM on Saturday, April 13, to 8AM on Sunday, April 14! And they have prereadathon challenges and activities!! Check out their facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/groups/dewey...) for weekly Bingo sheets! Very creative!!

***
ADMIN STUFF:
The MARCH MONTHLY GROUP READ is Call Us What We Carry: Poems by Amanda Gorman! This book could be used to fulfill 2024 prompt #48 A collection of at least 24 poems. World Poetry Day is celebrated on March 21!
Joanna is the "marvelous manager" leading this discussion! Kudos to her!! THANK YOU, Joanna! 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏 I assumed I would greatly enjoy this poetry collection, and I did!

JUNE MONTHLY GROUP READ FINAL SELECTION POLL IS LIVE!
The June Monthly Group Read Final Selection poll is HERE! This book could be used to fulfill Prompt #18 A book set in space.
Here are the books to consider:
Floating Hotel
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy #1)
The Deep Sky
Illuminae (The Illuminae Files #1)
The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet (Wayfarers #1)
Project Hail Mary
Go vote, please! 😁

DISCUSSION LEADERS NEEDED FOR APRIL AND MAY!
THE APRIL MONTHLY GROUP READ is The Mystery Guest (Molly the Maid #2) by Nita Prose
This book could be used to fulfill prompt #29 A book with a neurodivergent main character. April is Autism Awareness Month! I'm certain there is at least one member out there fitting the description of "knowledgeable navigator" to lead this discussion! Please message either Nadine or myself to volunteer! I did read The Maid and am awaiting arrival of my copy of The Mystery Guest!

MAY MONTHLY GROUP READ IS…All Boys Aren't Blue by George M. Johnson
This book could be used to fulfill prompt #41 A memoir that explores queerness.
I'm certain there is at least one member out there fitting the description of "guru guide" to lead this discussion! Please message either Nadine or myself to volunteer! I have wanted to read this one so badly!! Glad it was selected!

The comprehensive listing of 2024 Monthly Group Reads resides HERE for your perusal and reference throughout 2024!
***
Question of the Week:
What are some upcoming releases you’re looking forward to this year?
So many!!
I want Mary Robinette Kowal’s 4th book in the Lady Astronaut series, The Martian Contingency, to finally arrive!! I don’t know when, but I will definitely pre-order it! I trust it will appear in 2024…but…
Here is my list thus far:
The Storm We Made-Vanessa Chan (January 2, 2024) DEBUT
First Lie Wins-Ashley Elston (January 2, 2024) Reese’s Book Club
Holmes, Marple & Poe: The Greatest Crime-Solving Team of the Twenty-First Century-James Patterson & Brian Sitts (January 8, 2024)
Come and Get It-Kiley Reid (January 9, 2024)
Soundtrack of Silence: Love, Loss, and a Playlist for Life-Matt Hay (January 9, 2024)
The Curse of Pietro Houdini-Derek Miller (January 16, 2024)
Maude Horton's Glorious Revenge-Lizzie Pook (January 16, 2024)
The Diamond of London-Andrea Penrose (January 23, 2024)
Legacy: A Black Physician Reckons with Racism in Medicine-Uché Blackstock, M.D. (January 23, 2024)
Be a Revolution: How Everyday People Are Fighting Oppression and Changing the World--And How You Can, Too—And How You Can, Too-Ijeoma Oluo (January 30, 2024)
The Excitements-C.J. Wray (pseudonym for Chrissie Manby) (January 30, 2024)
Saint X-Alexis Schaitkin (February 4, 2020)
The Things We Didn’t KnowElba Iris Pérez (February 6, 2024)
The Women-Kristin Hannah (February 6, 2024)
The Framed Women of Ardemore House-Brandy Schillace (February 13, 2024)
End of Story-A.J. Finn (February 20, 2024)
The Other ValleyScott Alexander Howard (February 27, 2024)
Max in the House of Spies: A Tale of World War II-Adam Gidwitz (February 27, 2024)
Wandering Stars-Tommy Orange (February 27, 2024)
Finlay Donovan Rolls the Dice (Finlay Donovan #4)-Elle Cosimano (March 5, 2024)
Paper Dragons: The Fight for the Hidden Realm (Paper Dragons #1)-Siobhan McDermott (March 5, 2024) DEBUT
The Black Crescent-Jane Johnson (March 5, 2024)
The Hunter (Cal Hooper #2)-Tana French READ The Searcher FIRST!! (March 5, 2024)
The Secret Keeper-Genevieve Graham (April 2, 2024)
Clear-Carys Davies (April 2, 2024)
The Widow Spy-Megan Campisi (April 9, 2024)
How to Abolish Prisons: Lessons from the Movement Against Imprisonment-Rachel Herzing, Dustin Piche, foreword by Mariame Kaba (April 9, 2024 by Haymarket Books)
The Secret Language of Birds: A Treasury of Myths, Folklore and Inspirational True Stories-Lynne Kelly (April 9, 2024)
A Short Walk Through a Wide World-Douglas Westerbeke (April 9, 2024) DEBUT
Last House-Jessica Shattuck (May 14, 2024)
Enlightenment-Sarah Perry (June 4, 2024)
One of Our Kind-Nicola Yoon (June 11, 2024) Mystery/Thriller
Children of Anguish and Anarchy (Legacy of Orisha #3)-Tori Adeyemi (June 25, 2024)
Somewhere Beyond the Sea (House in the Cerulean Sea #2)-T.J. Klune (September 10, 2024)

I have yet to purchase any of those that have already been released! But that doesn't deter me from adding to this list! 😁

Documented books from this week to follow in a separate posting!

I read five books this week! That's more than I've been finishing, so I am pumped! LOL

And I had one that didn't fulfill ANY Popsugar prompts! I can't remember that ever happening before... Interesting!

2024 READING CHALLENGES:
Popsugar: 22/50
Around the Year (AtY): 49/52
Read Harder: 13/24
52 Book Club: 37/52

FINISHED:
*We by Yevgeny Zamyatin ⭐⭐ was definitely not my jam! I became aware of this book as I prepared for the author event with Masha Gessen. Gessen had written the forward to this 2021 Penguin Classic edition. This book is cited as the first dystopian novel written/published and supposedly served as inspiration for 1984 and Brave New World. I reread BNW after 50+ years just 4 years ago and definitely got much more out of it than I did as a preteen! As expected… I am now rereading 1984 after the same amount of time, as a follow-up. What I mostly remember about Orwell’s book is that it was scary…and it is! 😊
POPSUGAR: NEW #19, NEW #21 (English translation first published 1924), NEW #26 (According to Wikipedia!)
ATY: #3-A book with a “leap,” #4-green and/or blooms are only in the world beyond the wall, #6, #7, #15, #20, #24-Orange, #25, #27, #29, #33, #34-HAPPY, NEW #35, #36-“O” was a teacher, #41, #48
RHC: NEW #5, #8-Russia, #24-2016: prompt #7 A dystopian or post-apocolyptic novel
52 Book Club: #24, #26-Classic/Sci-Fi/Dystopian, #30, #33, #36, #47

*Bookshops & Bonedust (Legends & Lattes #0) by Travis Baldree ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ for an IRL book club held up so very well on a reread! I just adore Baldree’s writing and everyone at the book club meeting hopes for many more in this series…and soon!!! LOL Typically all I would have to read is the word “necromancer” to be totally put off, but Baldree makes it work so well!!
POPSUGAR: #2, #10, #11, #14, #38
ATY: #1, #2, #3-A book that helps you reflect or recharge, #23, #24-Green, #28, #33, #34-DOC (Highlark), #37, #38/#39, #40-Stonebacks, #41, #44, #52
RHC: #1, #20, #23, #24-2017: prompt #3 A book about books
52 Book Club: #2-I could small all the lovely odors emanating from Maylee’s baked goods as described!, #3, #14, #24, #26-Romance/Fantasy/Mystery, #30, #43, #49-Murk

*Call Us What We Carry: Poems by Amanda Gorman ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ for our monthly group read was absolutely amazing!! Gorman is so creative in so many ways! What a talent and skill this woman possesses!! Definitely up for reading anything she writes! This was a collection of some of the most accessible and relatable poems I’ve ever read!
POPSUGAR: #2, #4, #11-poetry, #31, NEW #48
ATY: #1, #3- A book written by a female or non-binary author which won an award that’s also open to male authors (2022 Goodreads Choice Award for Poetry), #7, #14, #17, #25, NEW #42, #45-Nonfiction/Poetry, #48-#3 A book that fits a suggestion that didn’t make the final list--
A book related to “civil rights” or “human rights”
RHC: #24-2015: prompt #17 A collection of poetry
52 Book Club: #14, #26-Nonfiction/Poetry, #30, #43

*The Maid (Molly the Maid #1) by Nita Prose ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ left me questioning in the immediate aftermath of reading it… Mainly questioning whether I believed it, but when I reviewed Molly’s other actions, I discovered I did. It fit. This was really not what I was expecting, but read quickly and I felt Prose’s depiction of Molly was genuine and realistic. One thing I have learned in life—each individual displays varied symptoms/behaviors for whatever affliction they may have to deal with. And many times, given the correct encouragement and environment, individuals may well exceed anyone’s/everyone’s expectations with unexpected development. However, never underestimate the possibility of a person being much more complex than one might expect! My copy of the second book in this series, The Mystery Guest, should arrive later this week or early next. I am anxious to read it!
POPSUGAR: #2, #27, NEW #29, #33
ATY: #3-A book featured on a list for a media or celebrity book club (GMA), #17, #25, #33, #38/#39, NEW #47
RHC: NEW #19, #24-2019: prompt #13 A book written by or about someone who identifies as neurodiverse
52 Book Club: NEW #1, #10, #14, #24, #31, #32, #41-GMA Book Club

*Partners in Crime (Tommy and Tuppence #2) by Agatha Christie ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ was even more enjoyable to me than the first book in the series! Christie’s sense of humor is perfect for me! There were some intriguing mini-mysteries! (Finished this while waiting for my husband to finish his medical test!)
ATY: #2, #3-A book where at least one character is trapped, #5-London, England, #17, #25, #33, #37, NEW #43
RHC: #24-2017: prompt #7 A book published between 1900 and 1950 (1929)
52 Book Club: #24, #29-1929, #30, NEW #50

CONTINUING:
*I Have Some Questions for You by Rebecca Makkai looks as if it may be dark academia
*1984 by George Orwell (pen name)
*...And Ladies of the Club by Helen Hooven Santmyer
A priority forApril!

PLANNED:
*The Mystery Guest (Molly the Maid #2) by Nita Prose
*Fear No Evil (Alex Cross #29) by James Patterson
*11th Hour (Women’s Murder Club #11) by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro
*Riders of the Purple Sage by Zane Grey
*The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin

Happy Friday! It still feels like winter but the daffodils are starting to bloom. I decided I'm making a blackberry pear pie to bring to Easter so I will attempt to make that tomorrow. My brother had gotten me these cool leaf cookie cutters that I think I will use to decorate the top of my pie. We will see how it goes lol.

Finshed:

The Woman in Cabin 10 (ATY boats, beaches, bars, ballads or Jimmy Buffet) 2 stars. Was not real impressed with this one. If the narrator is not a great character, then it makes it super hard to care about what happens to her.

Currently reading:

Station Eternity (ATY title that ends in A, T, or Y)

Dune (ATY single word title)

Upcoming:

Iron Flame (ATY wings on cover)

QOTW: I'm waiting for Mirrored Heavens and Somewhere Beyond the Sea which should be out this year. I'm also looking forward to Heavenly Tyrant but that seems to be pushed to December.

Katy wrote: "QOTW: I'm still waiting for Winds of Winter if that counts...."

Ha I guess I'm still waiting on that one too. Maybe it will come out sometime in the next.........five years?........ten? Hopefully it will be less than ten

Nadine in NY wrote: "Enjoy your trip! Where are you going?
"

Thanks! We're going to the USA for a road trip (Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, South Carolina, Florida).

Felicia wrote: "Katy wrote: "QOTW: I'm still waiting for Winds of Winter if that counts...."

Ha I guess I'm still waiting on that one too. Maybe it will come out sometime in the next.........five years?........te..."

Never gonna happen.

Wahoo I have a book haul this weekend!

I'm getting 3 books today and another on Sunday.

Fifth Sun: A New History of the Aztecs - I'm exicted for this one. In a nonfiction group I'm in this is their April BOTM. The only time I ever learned Aztec history was in elementary school and that was only one or two paragraphs worth.

Social Studies, Literacy, and Social Justice in the Elementary Classroom: A Guide for Teachers - I'm planning to teach English and History so I thought this would be a good reference.

*****

These next books I researched the authors before getting them. I don't want to make the same mistake like I did last time.

Attack from Within: How Disinformation Is Sabotaging America

The Return of Great Powers: Russia, China, and the Next World War

I will highlight a couple of books I finished this week.

Dragon and Soldier by Timothy Zahn (3/5, 24th book of an author)

I started this series precisely because this second book fit the 24th book of an author prompt. The series as a whole is also kind of a bildungsroman, if someone wants a YA-type sci-fi story to fulfill that prompt.

The Bible Book: Big Ideas Simply Explained (4/5)

While a lot of these stories and passages are familiar, this book excels in providing context and background for what people thousands of years ago would have already known while hearing the words. I would compare the book to a bunch of good homilies that also include some fine art depictions of the events for visual variety.

Question of the Week:

The Living Force for Jedi Council shenanigans

Mandy wrote: "Rebecca yarros announced book 3 today on GMA. Onyx Storm release date Jan 21 2025...."



I'm excited to have a date!! she's been teasing us saying there IS a date but she's not revealing it - maybe that was a GMA deal or something. A little sad it's not until 2025, but I already suspected that would be it.

Erica wrote: "@Mandy I added book 3,4,5 to my shelves a while ago and they linked to the fourth wing and iron flame series but they don’t show up there anymore. It’s very weird. I’m just going to leave it for lo..."


Oh that is ANNOYING!! I had "untitled book 3" on my TBR too. Now it's gone. Usually GR can seamlessly transition the "untitled" to the titled, but someone messed up this time.

Whoops, I was hanging out with my sister and her family all day yesterday and missed that there was a checkin! Happy Friday, I guess, haha...

So yeah, since this week is Spring Break for my school, I decided to take a couple days off work and drive down to my sister's house for Easter weekend. It's fun hanging out with the family, playing games and just chilling. Sister is planning an Easter Egg hunt tomorrow, and I'll drive home Sunday.

Books read this week:

Stuff: Compulsive Hoarding and the Meaning of Things -- not for PopSugar. A bit dry but a fascinating read about compulsive hoarding and how it affects people.

The Story of a Seagull and the Cat Who Taught Her to Fly -- not for PopSugar. Cute story about a cat raising a seagull chick.

Troika -- for “book with a one-word title you had to look up in the dictionary.” Weird and fascinating sci-fi novella. (Troika, by the way, is a Russian term for a group of three, or for a vehicle drawn by three horses.)

PopSugar Challenge -- 41/45
PopSugar Advanced Challenge -- 3/5

Robot Librarian Challenge -- 25/32
Robot Librarian Advanced Challenge -- 7/10
Robot Librarian Non-Fiction Challenge -- 2/10

Extreme Book Nerd Challenge -- 27/50
Extreme Book Nerd Advanced Challenge -- 7/10
Extreme Book Nerd Non-Fiction Challenge -- 3/10

DNF:

The Girl Who Reads on the Métro -- cute premise… if only the book actually stuck with its premise!

Currently reading:

Highfire -- for “book featuring dragons”
Misery -- for “book with a character who’s 42 years old”
The Paris Apartment -- not for PopSugar
Redsight -- for “book by a blind or visually impaired author” (DNFed it awhile back, trying again)

QOTW:

Man, I checked my Want To Read list on Goodreads and there's a lot more upcoming releases I want to read than I realized. Here's a list:

Dragonfruit -- April
The Poisons We Drink -- May
Archangels of Funk -- May
Space Oddity -- May
Road to Ruin -- May
Horror Movie -- June
Middle of the Night -- June
Bury Your Gays -- July

And if we want to go a little further into the future...

A Sorceress Comes to Call -- August
Somewhere Beyond the Sea -- September
Heavenly Tyrant -- December

Happy Friday, y’all.

I made a decision right after the last post to concentrate on library books and put my owned books aside for the time being. Reason? I can take my own books with me, if I desire, but not the library books…and turning them in unread is VERY hard for me.

All my holds are in! I will pick up the last two either today or tomorrow. Now to read the library books before my trip! Currently, I have 8 with two of those in progress. 19 days to go. Should be able to complete them all.

I have a house finch making a nest on my porch, I think. It was observed sitting on top of the pillar on the porch (where birds in the past have made nests), singing and getting down into the center and moving about. I haven’t had a nest there for several years. I do hope it decides to nest there. Edit: Guess the female didn’t like the male’s selection for a home. I haven’t seen them for several days.

Finished:
Company of Thieves – PAS. 3*. A book I owned and have been a long time even considering. It was a bit of a silly story. About a guy who gets caught up in helping a scammer and discovers that he is hooked on the lifestyle.

An Incomplete Revenge – ALCM. 4*. Next in the series. I have one more to read before I leave. This challenge is to read a series one book at a time over 12 months. I chose this series as I had started it before but not read it consecutively. The next book will finish the "fill in books" and then, on my return, I will continue the series in order.

Outlander – Audiobook. Reread. 4*. Well, I guess the book did not stay with me entirely. Some of what I thought I remembered from the book was never in the audiobook. Did I imagine those scenes? Anyway, I enjoyed it very much once I got past the scenes I did remember.

Walks The Fire – PAS. 4*. A tender Christian historical story. Strong woman character. Sympathetic author to Indian portion of the story. Really enjoyed it and hard to put down.

Ghost Soldiers: The Forgotten Epic Story of World War II's Most Dramatic Mission – PAS. 4.5*. Immensely readable war story of forgotten POWs who are rescued. The author researched the story well, made each character live and included cultural info to explain how the Japanese and American cultures influenced national behaviour for good and ill.

Currently Reading:
Gaudy Night – Ebook. ATY #13. 44%

The Map of Salt and Stars – ATY #14. 20%

Bundori – PS #30 (single word title w/meaning unknown). 66%

Just Starting:
Cinnamon and Gunpowder - PS #6 (Pirates)
World After - PAS

On Deck:
A Crafter Knits a Clue – ATY #15
The Cat Who Played Post Office - ATY #16

PS 7/50
ATY 12/52
GR 57/200

QotW: What are some upcoming releases you’re looking forward to this year?

I don't usually note anticipated publication dates. I prefer to choose library books that are not new, since the wait for them is usually non-existent and cues are not necessary.