Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge discussion
2024 Weekly Check-Ins
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Week 20: 5/10 - 5/16
Happy Thursday.Not much to report this week, except I'm trying to get some writing done while I have the summer off school and I'm still stuck in Jojo's Bizarre Adventure hell. My brain hyperfixates on the weirdest stuff...
Books read this week:
Hellaween -- entertaining story about a witch, a vampire, and a werewolf, with fun character dynamics and a mall-goth vibe I hadn’t realized I was missing in my fiction.
The Library Book -- partly the story of a devastating fire at the Los Angeles Library and the resulting arson investigation, partly an exploration of libraries and their place in society. I loved this.
Unicorn Crush: Another Phoebe and Her Unicorn Adventure -- another fun comic collection from the creator of Phoebe and Her Unicorn
From Here to Eternity: Traveling the World to Find the Good Death -- Caitlin Doughty from the YouTube series Ask a Mortician talks about her travels around the world to view funerary and death rites. Illuminating and funny while still being respectful, and makes me think about what I want done with my remains after death.
PopSugar Challenge -- FINISHED
Robot Librarian Challenge -- 32/32
Robot Librarian Advanced Challenge -- 10/10
Robot Librarian Non-Fiction Challenge -- 6/10
Extreme Book Nerd Challenge -- 38/50
Extreme Book Nerd Advanced Challenge -- 9/10
Extreme Book Nerd Non-Fiction Challenge -- 7/10
DNF:
Babel -- wasn't holding my interest. Also I get it, colonization was bad, but surely there's a way to get that point across without making every single white character awful.
Currently reading:
So Let Them Burn
The Very Best of Fantasy & Science Fiction: Sixtieth Anniversary Anthology
Dear Child
The Celestial Steam Locomotive
QOTW:
Last one I can remember that made my jaw drop was Maeve Fly. Then again, it IS about a female psychopath, so there's that... Just don't read it if you have a weak stomach.
L Y N N wrote: "This week has been quite busy. I had an IRL book club meeting on Tuesday for Pizza Girl which prompted good discussion, though wasn’t exactly a favorite read for the majority of us…..."Unfortunately there are bad, stupid, or abusive judges and they cast a shadow on all. I have been in front of a few in my career. Good for you for actively campaigning against him! If that ever were to happen again, to you are to anyone else, there are procedures in the court system where you can file a complaint against a judge for things like this.
Happy Thursday, everyone!I just wanted to start this week’s update by thanking everyone who reached out to me after last week’s update. I am so thankful for all of your support and words of encouragement. They really helped me get through the rest of the week.
I was able to see my regular therapist this week, as well as my new doctor, and I now have a plan for moving forward. I am going to be starting on an SSRI later this week, which will hopefully have a positive impact on my mood and OCD symptoms. I’m currently keeping my fingers crossed that I’ll be able to tolerate the medication, and not experience any of the more serious side effects.
As far as reading is concerned…
Overall this has been a really good week for reading! I’ve spent most of the week focusing on reading the books I’ve borrowed from the library, and the pile is gradually getting smaller. I am going to be picking up some more holds that came in later today, but at least I’ve managed to make a little progress. I’ve also had a chance to make some progress on my TBR and “New” Books lists.
I have been participating in the Bout of Books Readathon since Monday, and I've been having a good time so far. If you'd like to follow my progress and see my daily photos, you can find me on Instagram...@unapologbkworm.
Here are my current challenge and TBR totals…
Goodreads Challenge: 197/200
Mount TBR Challenge: 84/150
📚Physical TBR: 51
📱Ebook TBR: 33
🎧Audiobook TBR: 0
TBR Checklist Total: 84
This week I ordered several new releases, including: Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands, by Heather Fawcett; That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime Vol. 24, by Fuse; Lore Olympus: Volume Six, by Rachel Smythe; and Til Death Do Us Bard, by Rose Black.
My dad also surprised me with a copy of Dungeons & Dragons: The Fallbacks: Bound for Ruin, by Jaleigh Johnson. It looks like it’s going to be a fun read.
“New” Books Bought in 2024: 133
“New” Books Read in 2024: 105
Finished Reading (Fiction):
~Horror Hotel — This YA horror novel was kind of a cross between Ghost Hunters and Scooby-Doo, and ended up being a fun, quick read. While I did enjoy this book, I am glad that I decided to get it from the library instead of buying it, since I don’t think it would be quite as exciting on a second reading. Content Alert: (view spoiler) 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
~Cursed Cruise — This book is the sequel to Horror Hotel. I really enjoyed this story, and actually thought it was creepier than the previous book. It’s just too bad that I didn’t have a chance to read it while on a cruise ship. Content Alert: (view spoiler) 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
~Record of a Spaceborn Few — This is the third book in the Wayfarers series. I thoroughly enjoyed this story, and really liked the characters! Content Alert: (view spoiler) 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Finished Reading (Nonfiction):
~Zodiac — This true crime book is about the hunt for the Zodiac killer. Overall, I thought this was a fast-paced and interesting read, but I also found it somewhat unsatisfying because there’s really no closure. (view spoiler) Content Alert: (view spoiler) 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Finished Reading (Manga, Comic Books, & Graphic Novels):
None
Finished Reading (Poetry and Drama):
None
DNFed:
~Never Whistle at Night — I picked up this short story anthology at my local library last week, and I was really looking forward to reading it. I made it about a quarter of the way into the book, but ultimately decided to DNF. I may return to this book eventually, because the writing is really good, but I’m just not in the right headspace for it right now. Content Alert: (view spoiler) 📚
Currently Reading:
~The Complete Works of William Shakespeare — I have stalled on this book once again, so I’m still a few acts into King Richard II. I’m going to try to finish my current play before next week’s update, but I may end up taking another extended break after that. We’ll see how it goes. 📚
~The Stranger Beside Me: The Shocking Inside Story of Serial Killer Ted Bundy — This true crime book is about Ted Bundy. I have read this book before (the first time was in 2019), but this is my first time reading my own copy. It’s just as fast-paced and interesting as I remember it being. I’m currently a little over a quarter of the way through, and will probably finish it over the weekend. 📚
~The Galaxy, and the Ground Within — This is the fourth (and final) book in the Wayfarer series. I’m only a couple of chapters into this book, but I’m enjoying it so far. 📚
QOTW:
I know that I have had this reaction to books in the past, but I can’t think of any specific examples at the moment.
Happy Thursday!2024 Reading Challenges: I’ve read 183 books so far this year with an average length of 330 pages and an average rating of 3.78.
52 Book Club: 43/52 (May Mini-Challenge: 0/3)
ATY: 33/52 (Spring Challenge: 11/12 + Bonus 5/5)
Booklist Queen: 39/52
Diverse Baseline: 15/36
Popsugar: 33/50
Robot Librarian: 39/52
ICYMI Backlist: 4/12
Recently Completed:
Funny Story: What a great to bounce back after Happy Place! (Booklist Queen #50 – a book everyone is talking about) ★★★★★
The House of Doors: Beautifully written literary historical fiction. NPR 2023 Books We Love. This is the first novel I’ve read by Tan Twan Eng… I expect I’ll read more. (52 Books #15 – nominated for the Booker Prize) ★★★★
Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute: This is the second Talia Hibbert book I’ve read, and I rated both of them 3 stars. They were fine, but I didn’t really care about the characters. Maybe Talia Hibbert just isn’t for me. (Diverse Baseline #15 – teenage main character written by a BIPOC author) ★★★
Divine Rivals (52 Books #15 – part of a duology) ★★★★
Shubeik Lubeik: “Shubeik Lubeik” is an Arabic fairytale rhyme meaning "Your Wish is My Command.” Aziza, Nour, and Shokry live in a fantastical Cairo where wishes are literally for sale. The more expensive the wish, the more powerful and more likely to work as intended. NPR 2023 Books We Love. Graphic novel. (ATY Spring Challenge – purple cover) ★★★★★
The Paris Novel: I’ve enjoyed Ruth Reichl’s nonfiction foodie books, and maybe this wasn’t quite as good… but it’s pretty good for a first shot at fiction. (Robot Librarian #12 – set in France) ★★★★
The Ruin of All Witches: Life and Death in the New World: Informative but dry. ★★★
Loot NPR 2023 Books We Love. (Diverse Baseline #14 – Desi or South Asian author) ★★★
Currently Reading:
None of This Is True (Robot Librarian #28 - true, truth(s), lie(s), liar, or lying in the title)
The Best Way to Bury Your Husband (52 Books #30 – picked without reading the blurb/ATY #9 – fewer than 2024 ratings on Goodreads)
The Disappearance of Astrid Bricard (ATY #8 – author from Canada, Australia, or New Zealand)
Sociopath
On Stranger Tides (Popsugar #6 – about pirates)
Lily and the Octopus (ICYMI Backlist – published in 2016/Popsugar #28 – main character is 42 years old)
What Is Love? (52 Books May Mini-Challenge #3 – interrogative word in title)
The Finishing School (52 Books #34 – set in a landlocked country: Switzerland)
American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer (52 Books May Mini-Challenge #2 – related to alpha)
QOTW: I felt this way about Yellowface. You'd think that stealing your dying "friend"'s unfinished novel is a crazy thing to do, but it's only the first step in Juniper and Athena's story. I chortled through every detestable, awful, selfish act Kuang's characters engaged in. The book isn't without flaws, but my enjoyment of it was pristine.
Afternoon, all. I've actually made some progress since I last checked in, about a month ago, and I think I'm back on track, although some of my outstanding prompts are going to need the group Listopias to have a clue what to use.First up, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, which I used for 14. A book recommended by a bookseller (powells.com). It managed to be humorous while still generating anger over life on a Reservation, and also had great cartoons. I loved it and read it in one sitting one evening. 5*.
Bookshops & Bonedust had been on my list since I read Legends & Lattes last year, so it was an obvious choice for 38 A cozy fantasy book. I enjoyed it, but not as much as the previous book. 4* instead of 5* for Lattes.
I also read The Maid for 15 A book recommended by a librarian, but I'll confess it was because I found it on the Listopia, having seen that the second one was a group read. I'd previously read The Question of the Missing Head for the neuro divergent prompt. 3*
I managed to read For Whom the Minivan Rolls for 31 A book with a title that is a complete sentence. The title format seemed in keeping with some of the other ones that people had suggested for the prompt. It was something of a disappointment, though. 2*.
Next up was Erosion for 21 A book that came out in a year that ends with "24" - it was published last month. It was written by a friend of mine, Lucya Starza, but that notwithstanding, it's another one I enjoyed and read in one sitting. A good one for those who like Gothic novels which don't go as far as diving into Horror. 5*.
Then this week, I finished Promises Stronger Than Darkness for 39 A fiction book by a trans or nonbinary author - Charlie Jane Anders is a trans woman. I mostly enjoyed it, but it wasn't as good as the two previous ones in the trilogy. 3*.
And finally, just finished today, Damsel in a Dress for 27 A book where someone dies in the first chapter. An entertaining cozy mystery, with a lot of fun characters. 4*
Current totals:
PopSugar: Basic, 20/45; Advanced, 3/5; Total 23/50
ATY: 35/52
Question of the Week:
Is there a book that literally caused your jaw to drop as you read it? Do you remember which book or what surprised you?
The main one I remember was being lulled into a false sense of security by The Silence of the Lambs. I was happily reading it, thinking it was just a standard, darker end of procedural thriller, until I got to the scene where Hannibel Lechter escapes from the cage....
PS: 50/50RL: 52/52
Ultimate Reading: 16/25
Read: The Covenant of Water read for UR prompt book that is longer than you typically read and for a book club. It took me hundreds of pages to get into this book. Fortunately for me, there were still hundreds of pages left. The characters and the story were very engaging. I'm impressed how the author has used his doctor's knowledge to build believable stories but going so much beyond that as well!
The Wild Robot Protects read for UR prompt stand in front of your favorite section at the library or bookstore and pick a book blindly. This series has just been so-so for me, but this has been my favorite of the three I've read.
Get Better at Anything: 12 Maxims for Mastery I've been anticipating this release. I liked Ultralearning, but this one was good too. I'll have to go back and study it some more after my initial read!
Started: Why We Read: On Bookworms, Libraries, and Just One More Page Before Lights Out This one is so much fun! Using for UR prompt read about a person with a disability, but could also be used for PS prompt hard-of-hearing. Such a fun bibliophile read! Also, a light, easy read.
QotW: I can't think of a book that I've had this reaction to. Maybe House of Leaves although I didn't finish it because it was impacting me too powerfully.
Greetings on another wet NYC Thursday! Wet it may be but it also means that temps are still lower than usual. I am happy to avoid the high temps and high humidity of a NYC summer, which often start this early. ATY: 50/52! I did a little updating and double checking and found my stats weren't jiving -- I am only 2 prompts from being finished and I have those books in hand!
PS - 35/50 - still a ways to go but I'm making a point of reading for the remaining prompts steadily.
Finished:
Dumb Witness - PS 24th published work of Agatha Christie; ATY - written by an Edgar winner.
Murder in Tuscany
The Handler = k-9 detective story
The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper - ATY sound related word in title - ripper
Currently reading:
The A.B.C. Murders - supposedly there is a 42 year old MC in it. Not yet encountered him but I'm only at the beginning.
The Forgotten Garden
The Selected Poetry of Edna St. Vincent Millay - need to start this as I will only read 2 or 3 poems at a time.
QOTW: I absolutely have, and recently but remembering title(s).... One definitely in the past The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle -- prmarily the first reveal of the time repeat format. Also The Death of Mrs. Westaway - actually often Ruth Ware has a real surprise in store for her reader -- The Turn of the Key had a doozy.
And that’s a wrap on the 2024 Reading Challenge! I’m surprised that I finished so early in the year. When I first saw the list, I thought it would be a challenge. Parts of it certainly were, but I also stumbled upon books that filled some of the more difficult and specific prompts. Now I’m going to focus on finishing up the 2023 challenge. I’m currently at 18/50.
Finished
A Pocket Full of Rye (a book with “leap” in the title). I wasn’t too sure about this one in the beginning. It takes awhile for Miss Marple to make her appearance. But in the end, I really enjoyed this mystery. I, once again, managed to see the clue that identified the murderer and then promptly fall for the red herring anyway. Also, there’s an actual herring in this book which feels like a personal attack.
In Mercy, Rain & Skeleton Song. Both of these are stories set between the Wayward Children books. They’re both great. I especially loved Skeleton Song because Christopher is a favorite character, and Mariposa is a fascinating world.
Reading
The Club
QOTW
I know I’ve had that reaction before, but I’m blanking on examples right now.
Happy Thursday!I read a lot this past week, trying to get through all these books from the library!
Finished:
The Marquis Who Mustn't by Courtney Milan - 4 stars - for PopSugar's book by a self-published author. I really loved this. The male lead was fun.
The Brides of High Hill by Nghi Vo - 4 stars - Robot Librarian's book from your favorite genre written by a BIPOC author. As always, I love this series, and this one did not disappoint.
Tales from the Café by Toshikazu Kawaguchi - 4 stars - for PopSugar's book set in a travel destination on your bucket list. I didn't expect to like this series so much. I was lukewarm on this first one, but enjoyed this one a lot more. Definitely will pick up the next book at some point.
All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson - 4 stars - Robot Librarian's essay collection. I may not be the target audience, but I so appreciate the importance of Johnson's frank, candid openness. There will be teens out there whose life is changed by this book, and I hope they are able to find it.
Comics/manga:
Cinderella Closet Vol. 1
I am currently at 36/50 prompts for PopSugar (32/45 and 4/5).
Currently reading:
The Apothecary Diaries (Light Novel): Volume 1 by Natsu Hyuuga - not currently for a prompt. I loved both the anime and the manga, so decided to start reading the source material. The first season of the anime covers what's in this first light novel, so it's nothing new to me, but Maomao makes everything enjoyable.
The Return of Ellie Black by Emiko Jean - not currently for a prompt. Just getting started on this new thriller.
Upcoming/Planned:
Light from Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki (not currently for a prompt, could work as PopSugar's fiction book by a trans or nonbinary author)
The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang (Robot Librarian's book about/taking place during a war that is NOT WWI or WWII)
QOTW:
I'm sure there have been but my mind is currently blank...
I've been swamped cleaning house to get a new internet provider in as mine has been out two weeks and my usual company refuses to come til june to fix it. Also found out my bad knee has completely burst the meniscus so I m ight have to go to a total knee faster than I thought.I haven't read much but I did finish Victoria's Electric Coffin 1 which is a take on Frankenstein but using a 13 year old girl genuis (in NYC) it wasn't bad.
QOTW
Hmm I'm sure there has been but why can't I remember any just now
Heather wrote: "And that’s a wrap on the 2024 Reading Challenge! I’m surprised that I finished so early in the year. When I first saw the list, I thought it would be a challenge. Parts of it certainly were, but I ..."Well done, Heather ! I still have 15 to go but have most of the books in hand. Just need to work them into my monthly reads. I'm at the point where it's target prompt filling, not just being able to fill a prompt from whatever I happen to be reading.
Mod
I finally tied up the branches that have been lying in my front yard since last fall, when the water company came by and hacked away at them because apparently the branches were in their way of doing ... something (I never knew what). Now my neighbors can stop hating me :-) I hope. That was so invigorating that now I'm thinking maybe I'll spend ten minutes each day hacking away at the veritable hedgerow that has formed on my property. (Spoiler: I did NOT, in fact, spend every day doing this. But I should have.) Subject #1 is that monster of a barberry next to my front door - I've mentioned it before, I'm sure! The nice thing about that barberry is it's right in front of the window next to my computer, and the birds like it, so there's always something going on when I'm sitting here.
I'm very excited: I won a book from a Goodreads Giveaway! SECOND time this year! I'm always entering, but some years I don't win a book at all. And it's a new book from one of my favorite authors: Zen Cho. I've loved everything she's published so I can't imagine I won't also love this one (The Friend Zone Experiment). Bonus: the cover art on this book is very similar to the two books I've been planning to read for the AtY category "two books with similar covers" so now I'll read one of those books, and this book, and call it done.
Now of course I feel bad for the other book with similar cover art that I'd planned to read but probably won't ... Do you guys feel guilty for not reading books, like you've hurt that book's feelings by ignoring it?
This week I finished 5 books, all 5 for this Challenge. It was a good reading week so far as making progress (although I didn't really LOVE most of what I read).
A River in the Sky by Elizabeth Peters - this was as entertaining as always (although the mystery was a bit more muddled than most of the series). I finished it with some sadness, since this is the last book published before Peters' aka Barbara Mertz's death. I checked off "published under a pen name" for Popsugar, and "country bordering the Mediterranean" for AtY (originally I was going to use it for Edgar award winning author, but then I realized it works for Mediterranean also, and it will be easy enough for me to read another Edgar winner later this year).
The Hunter by Tana French - this is one of those books that took so long to read, I felt like holding a party to celebrate my finish! French's books have been getting slower and slower, and this one really tested my patience. I guess I'll read her next book, but I'll approach it with great trepidation after this. I checked off "travel place on my bucket list" since I'd like to visit Ireland someday. Then I realized that Tana French has won the Edgar Award, so I checked that box in AtY, neatly proving my point that it would be easy enough for me to read another Edgar winner because I hadn't even been planning on that with this book.
A Quantum Love Story by Mike Chen - this was okay. It was VERY slow to start, the first 24 chapters could have done with a lot of editing to slim it down - just because the characters are caught in a time loop doesn't mean I have to feel like I'm caught in a time loop also! After that the pace picked up and things started rolling along nicely, and it almost felt like a different book. In the author's note Chen says that this started as a short story a long time ago and then he pulled it out again and re-worked it during the pandemic, and I think that might be why it feels so uneven. The title indicates that this is a love story, and Chen also thinks he wrote a love story (according to the author note), but ... the "love story" portion of this book is thin on the ground. This is a time-loop / time-travel story set (mostly) in 2090, so I checked off "set in the future" for Popsugar and "science fiction" for AtY.
Mrs. Martin’s Incomparable Adventure by Courtney Milan - I usually love Milan, but not this time! She was trying to be fun and silly and instead it was ridiculous and boring, at least for me. I had a few doctor's appointments this week that left me waiting a while, so I plowed right through this in various waiting rooms. By my count, this is Milan's 24th book, and no one tell me different, because I struggled through this book and I'm done and I'm checking off that category. (This would also work for self-published author, sapphic romance, or more than 24 letters in the title. Not that I actually recommend it, since it was dull.)
Death Note, Vol. 1: Boredom by Tsugumi Ohba - I read this for "turned into a musical" and I cannot imagine this book as a musical, but apparently it was! I had seen the first few episodes of the anime show and I found it kind of dull, and the first few chapters of this book were exactly the same as the show, and equally dull. But then it took a turn I did not expect, and Light starts messing with the police investigation, and that got interesting enough that I might actually read volume 2!
Popsugar 84% 42 /50
Must Reads 60% 6 /10
AtY 69% 36 /52
QotW
No, not that I can remember.
It's a wet Thursday over here, too, following a very wet Wednesday (which fortunately did not keep people out of the library; I had the best turnout for my PJ Storytime so far this year). And the weekend is looking clear, which is good, since there's a local food truck festival starting tomorrow.I'm currently listening to an audiobook narrated by Em Grosland, and they sounded familiar, but I couldn't put my finger on why. Turns out they also narrated the two Monk & Robot books by Becky Chambers, which I listened to a couple of years ago.
Finished:
Fairy Mom and Me and Fairy in Waiting - (A book originally published under a pen name) Cute, episodic stories of magical mishaps.
Witch Hat Atelier, Vol. 2 - The plot thickens and I already have the next two volumes on hold. I do wish the "mean classmate who slowly warms up to the protagonist" would get on with it already.
In a Not So Perfect World - (A book centering on video games) I don't read a lot of romance, but I liked this one okay. The tropical setting definitely helped ^_~
Currently reading:
He Must Go Walk the Woods So Wild
Orbital
Ribbon Dance
The Color of Earth
Confidence
QOTW: This has definitely happened, but I'm blanking on a specific example.
Mod
aaaccckkkk that sounds horrible!! I also have bad knees, and I've resigned myself to hobbling around in pain for the rest of my life, but it never occurred to me that the meniscus could burst. How did you find out?
Mod
Congrats!! I find that this year, because the categories are more specific, I'm more focused than usual on finding books for challenge categories, so I'm actually making faster progress than usual! (But I'm not done yet! maybe I'll finish in July.)
Also, there’s an actual herring in this book which feels like a personal attack.
LOL!!
Just taking things easy on my end. Not much going on.Been highly interested in Lily Gladstone lately so I've been looking for a lot of her work. She does independent films and shows so they're kind of hard to find, but what I have come across I have been very impressed with.
I recently saw this movie of hers called "The Unknown Country" for which she got a Gotham Award for. It was very 'Into The Wild,' but dare I say so much better. The ending even surprised me so that was cool. I can see why she got an award for that movie.
I can't wait for June when her movie 'Fancy Dance' is released.
*****
My reading is going slow, but I have been reading some. These are the books I've got going at the moment:
Under the Bridge - Loving this book!
The Injustice Never Leaves You: Anti-Mexican Violence in Texas - Just started this one today. Not sure what to make of it since I'm barely on page 50, but it's one I'm curious about since I'm trying to look for more Mexican history and after a group mentioned it I was curious.
*****
I'm in the mood for some Indigenous books so I have a TBR lined up:
Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI
Whiskey Tender: A Memoir
A Misplaced Massacre: Struggling over the Memory of Sand Creek
When Montezuma Met Cortés: The True Story of the Meeting that Changed History
Massacring Indians: From Horseshoe Bend to Wounded Knee
The North-West Is Our Mother: The Story of Louis Riel's People, the Métis Nation
Treaty Justice: The Northwest Tribes, the Boldt Decision, and the Recognition of Fishing Rights
*****
QOTW:
Question of the Week:
Is there a book that literally caused your jaw to drop as you read it? Do you remember which book or what surprised you?
I can think of several:
Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents
Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI
Under the Bridge- I'm still in the process of reading this one, but it's shocking on so many levels.
Mod
That would have been only one complaint of many! For example, there was a "smoking room" right next to the jury deliberation room! Unbelievable!
Happy Thursday! So I had a great weekend- and then got super sick! I thought I was getting better yesterday, but woke up and my fever's back... there's something going around up here. My friend and I were supposed to hang out this weekend, both got too busy to meet up- and then we both got sick! My mom is having a big birthday party this weekend, so I really hope I'm better in time. Fingers crossed it's not covid! (I ordered some covid tests that should be delivered today...fingers crossed!)Finished:
Funny Story- I loved this! right up there with Beach Read- so maybe I'll have to pick up the few books of hers I skipped over
-no prompt
The Boyfriend Subscription- this was disappointing. It was described as a queer Pretty Woman, but very disappointing. All this drama just doesn't get resolved. I really like one of the characters though, so I gave it a 3, but it might be slipping to a 2?
-no prompt, could be the lgbt+ prompt, but I'll use somethingelse
Em- I really like this, it was really upsetting, really moving. Someone else here had read something by Kim Thuy, which is why I picked this up, so thanks for that!
-30 A book with a one-word title you had to look up in a dictionary (Em=little brother or little sister)
Cat + Gamer, Volume 1-this was cute. Being sick, this was about all I could focus on
-no prompt
QotW:
I can't think of anything specific. I think what I usually do is toss my book/phone across the couch when I get to a scene that affects me. That would be maybe Jasad Heir?
Oh, I finally had an answer come to mind for the QOTW, but it's about Leigh Bardugo's latest Grishaverse book (the second Nikolai book), so I'm putting it under a cut.(view spoiler)
Finished:Why We Love Middle-earth: An Enthusiast’s Book about Tolkien, Middle-earth & the LOTR Fandom (4/5)
I highly recommend the book for anyone with an interest in Middle-Earth. Read the chapter on The Hobbit to see if you like their writing style (available in the sample in its entirety).
Shadow of the Sith (3/5)
I like a lot of the ideas and scenes in the book, but it went on for far too long.
Question of the Week:
Gone Girl had a pretty big surprise to me at the start of Part 2.
Skywalker: A Family at War and The Great Greene Heist shocked me with their high quality.
Brandon wrote: Skywalker: A Family at War and The Great Greene Heist shocked me with their high quality.That's cool that you liked this one.
I got kind of bored with it. It was basically a summary of the Skywalker legacy. Very cool and everything don't get me wrong, I was just expecting something more, something different I guess.
Ron wrote: "Brandon wrote: Skywalker: A Family at War and The Great Greene Heist shocked me with their high quality.That's cool that you liked this one.
I got kind of bored with it. It was basically a summ..."
Here was my review after my first read of Skywalker: A Family at War:
"This book takes a look at the entire Star Wars saga, and it does it through the lens of seeing events from the characters' perspectives. What are they thinking and feeling, and what makes them choose the actions they take?
If you love Star Wars, then Skywalker: A Family at War will make you love it even more. It adds cohesion, poetry, and meaning to each of the films, and it includes what it can from the stories in TV, books, and comics."
I was expecting just a basic outline of what happened during the saga. The first part that made me realize that the book was going to be more than that was when it started telling Shmi's life story. The focus on the characters as people instead of just plot devices is what made the book feel extra special to me.
Thanks Brandon. I'll have to give it another read through. Maybe see if I can gain a different perspective on it. I love Star Wars, I grew up on it and such, but the book was a little underwhelming.I'll certainly give it another try at some point though.
Oh, what a day it's been! This is a rough time of year to be a teacher, especially when it's raining during recess and the kids are stuck inside. In addition to that, I had a job interview squeezed into my lunch hour! I'm glad to be home, and am looking forward to collapsing with a good book once I finish this update.A short update, given how crazy the end of the school year can be. I haven't been reading as much as usual, but that's usual during the last weeks of school. I look forward to having more free time again in a week or two.
Completed
Over Sea, Under Stone
The Autobiography of Malcolm X - Honestly, I almost quit this one quite early in. I have it on multiple shelves for various challenges this year, including Popsugar, and ultimately decided I'd rather force myself through it than find a replacement for all those prompts.
Civil Rights: Freedom Riders: The 20th Century - This was a quick audiobook geared toward middle school students (or thereabouts) that I picked to fill a prompt for another challenge. I did learn something new, though, so ultimately I think worth the listen.
Currently Reading
Code Talker: The First and Only Memoir By One of the Original Navajo Code Talkers of WWII - I find this one really interesting!
The Sinister Signpost
Being Henry: The Fonz . . . and Beyond
Playing for Freedom: The Journey of a Young Afghan Girl
QOTW
I find memoirs to be good at this (whether on purpose or not I don't know) because I often find myself thinking, "Wait, you just put that in a book for the whole world to read? Why would you do that?" But maybe that's because I'm a more private person.
It certainly happens in fiction, too, but my brain is too tired to come up with an example just now.
It's 6 minutes to Friday as I start this, SOHAPPY THURSDAY!
Quick update as I'm exhausted and in a lot of pain, so please excuse the bullet points, haha!
- Had an independent psych labor assessment, and it made me realize why I take such pride in doing puzzles. Why I am on the edge of showing it off. Whether jigsaw, sudoku, wordsearch, logic; it doesn't matter. It's because my body failed me. My body no longer works properly. But my brain still works. It's all I've got left. So it feels good to feel it confirmed by solving puzzles, have people be impressed, or score so high on a task that she has to double check the score book, haha!
- I bought a new puzzle! 9000 pieces this time, but I did chuck all six 1500 piece bags together so wish me luck!
- The middle daughter of my carer got diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia, so please keep her in your thoughts <3
- The other day I read a fic equivalent of 288 pages (going by 335 words a page) in one night. It was amazing!!
- Less than 500 days to go until Florida!!!
QOTW
FOR SURE! Fics too! I, of course, can't recall any of them right now, but I know for a surety it's happened several times!
Mod
LOL maybe not jaw-dropping but I have had those thoughts!!! In particular, when I read The Surrender I had those thoughts A LOT.
Nadine in NY wrote: "Happy Thursday!!Now of course I feel bad for the other book with similar cover art that I'd planned to read but probably won't ... Do you guys feel guilty for not reading books, like you've hurt that book's feelings by ignoring it?i..."
It's not so much that I feel bad for those books but I do feel like I've added to my list and can feel the weight of that a bit more. Because normally they are books I want to read...it's just that I read something else first that happened to work for that prompt as well. I actually just did this to a book yesterday and it is the third year in a row I've done that to that book. It just makes me go Ugh, I need to just read that book already!
Mod
Yes, there's that too! I was looking forward to the extra push to read those two books! It's that sort of "I really just need to read that book already" frustration that lead to me starting my "books I need to read this year" list - I keep it short, just 10-12 books, and come hell or high water I am reading them this year. It's helped a lot.
Hi all! Overdid it today. We got a *haul* last week from a fresh food giveaway, and I'm trying to put it to good use before it goes bad. Today was food processor day (what a wonderful invention!), and pounds of food got chopped and cooked and frozen and I'm ready to drop! Sigh... Updates on disability claims etc- that letter from DSS that got me all in a tizzy about working 30 hours, it was just a "friendly reminder" from NY that those are the requirements. They haven't enforced them in years thanks to covid, but they could! (dun dun duuuuunnnn....). If I get a letter into my local worker, she'll make sure I don't get them anymore. Sheesh, worked up for nothing.
Social Security is going to go to a hearing, being handled by a lawyer.
My privately paid long term dis should have some movement by Monday!! Unless the company requests another delay from the judge. Whomp whomp. Guess what I'm expecting? Sigh....
I finished The Drop for Michael Connelly's 24th book. Good murder mystery, if you like those things.
I'm 7.5 hours from finishing Carry Me Home: Birmingham, Alabama: The Climactic Battle of the Civil Rights Revolution! I would love to finish it by the end of the weekend, we'll see how quiet the weekend is.
I decided to finish Night over Water finally. About 120 pages left. Just wanna throw this out there- if you ever have a WWII prompt and you don't like/are sick of them, this might be the book for you! It happens in the earliest days of the war and (rich) people are fleeing England. And after that, it turns into a soap opera! lol, people with secrets, people shacking up together, a murderer, a kidnapping, people trying to beat the clock to the US for some reason or another. Not as gripping as Follett's normal books, though.
QOTW: Carry Me Home has a *lot* of shaking my head in disbelief moments, which I guess I would say is a step before jaw dropping. Not in a good way, in a 'how was this ever considered OK??' way.
I love a good twist, and I'm pretty easy to surprise, so a lot of mysteries and thrillers will get me. I can't think of the last one that did, though. The book I think got me the best was Catching Fire (view spoiler)
Had a really successful reading week but NOT for Popsugar! This success is primarily due to the ATY mini read-a-thon. It is making me tackle that pile of library books I have stacked in my room.2024 Challenges:
Popsugar: 29/50
ATY: 46/52
Robot Librarian: 34/52
A to Z: 23/26
Physical TBR: 0/93
Kindle TBR: 1/118
Goodreads: 66/100
Book Clubs:
PS Monthly: 21/55
Reese: 30/95
Oprah: 12/101
Jenna: 7/65
OSS: 6/39
Finished:
10 finished, 0 Completed Popsugar
SPF 40
AtoZ
Not my favorite graphic so far. Not a lot to it, it doesn’t give you much on the characters.
Funny Story
ATY#51
She does it again! However, I’d say it’s a close second to Book Lovers, which is still my favorite.
Love Warrior
This was interesting. I was nice to see her growth throughout this book. I still say they probably shouldn’t have even gotten married but, hey what do I know.
The Fox Maidens
This was a fabulous graphic telling of a Korean folklore about Gumiho, a nine-tailed fox-demon.
Frizzy
A good middle-grade graphic that deals with hair self-image and being yourself even if it is hard and against the popular opinion.
Misfit Mansion
A Halloween themed kids graphic about some “horrors” (aka Monsters) that are kept in a mansion, and they get out and visit the town during a Fall celebration.
Family Lore
This was o-kay… I had a hard time getting into it and I got lost a lot plus it took me forever. With audiobooks I usually am pretty fast, even when I’m not that into a book but, I actually started and finished two other audiobooks while I was still reading this one.
Fly by Night
ATY#46
New Jersey devil anyone?
Go Set a Watchman
Pretty similar to To Kill A Mocking Bird but this one isn't about a case her dad is trying it is more about her realizing who she is now as an adult and coming in to her own separate from her father and the people of her hometown.
Silverwing: The Graphic Novel
ATY#6
-------
Currently Reading
The Quarter Storm
Growing Feelings: A Kids' Guide to Dealing with Emotions about Friends and Other Kids
The Luminous Dead
The Great Divide
Girl on Fire
On the Backburner
Libby
Physical Library Rentals
ASAP
A-Okay
Crumbs
Incredible Doom
Lost Time
Speak: The Graphic Novel
Little Monarchs
Two Tribes
A Wrinkle in Time: The Graphic Novel
Magazines: (10/144)
Read since last check-in: 0
Question of the Week:
I sure I have had this happen I just can't think of examples.
Mod
ATY#46
New Jersey devil anyone?..."
Oh yes please!!! Mrs Deeds' thirteenth child!! Is this actually set in the NJ Pine Barrens?
I didn't finish a book this week ... I finished 2! And they were both Nobel laureate books, which makes me even prouder of me. Henderson the Rain King was a quirky romp. The Inheritors was boring AF. I had Lord of the Flies spoiled for me and this was Goldings favourite book he wrote, which makes me think I wouldn't have liked Lord of the Flies anyway.Now I'm reading 500-700 page fantasy books and trying to read a chapter a day with my daughter for the one easy book I'm reading. At least each one of those three has a PS prompt for it.
Summery weather is finally here, so I'm pulling down the summer clothes bin from the attic tomorrow and putting some sweaters away.
Finished:
Henderson the Rain King
ATY prompt: A book related to the phrase "It's Raining Cats and Dogs"
Popsugar prompt: Can't find one
The Inheritors
ATY prompt: A book related to “Going for the Gold”
Popsugar prompt: Can't find one
Series - 3/12
Nobel laureates - 3/5
Mysteries/Thrillers - 5/13
ATY - 17/45
PS - 11/30
Currently reading:
The Darkest Road- 60% done
Brisingr - just started
Buddy Reads:
Legends & Lattes - 25% done
This Present Darkness - 50% done
Hollow City - 20% done
QOTW: I can't think of one, although I'm sure there were books like this.
Happy check-in! I've been enjoying the ATY read-a-thon and read some good books.Had to break down and cut the lawn today. It was quite high but fortunately it is filling in the bare spots little by little.
Finished Reading:
Fullmetal Alchemist, Vol. 26 Fullmetal Alchemist, Vol. 27 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Mommy, it's over. 😭 (Just For Laughs always ends this way and it is forever stuck in my head) This was a good manga series.
My Teacher Is an Alien ⭐⭐⭐
I loved Coville's Unicorn Chronicles series so much as a kid I thought I should read something else by him.
Western Lane ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (PS woman in sports)
So I needed a Booker Prize nominee and this was a short audiobook. I really enjoyed it. I've never thought of squash as interesting before. Not sure how this was literary fiction though.
When Among Crows ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (ATY magic)
Inspired by Polish folklore. A great novella about emotion eaters and the religious order that hunts them.
PS 34/50
ATY 35/52
Goodreads 124/200
Currently Reading:
Before the Coffee Gets Cold
QOTW:
Again I know it's happened but I can't recall any specific book.
Marie wrote:Currently Reading
Code Talker: The First and Only Memoir By One of the Original Navajo Code Talkers of WWII - I find this one really interesting!
Cool that you're reading this one. I read it a long time ago so I don't remember much of it, but I still have my original copy.
Happy Friday! I just got my first review for Paws and Portals, and it's so amazing. I'm just having a little happy cry. I promised I would leave all my review readers to read at their own pace, so the silence has been a bit nerve-wracking. It's so much better not seeing a big fat zero rating on its Goodreads page!The weekend weather was like being abroad. We had the first barbeque of the year, hung out in a beer garden and went to the beach. The it rained loads on Monday and made the woods super muddy again. There seems no in between weather any more.
I am still reading far too slow for my liking, so only one book finished this week.
Elusive by Genevieve Cogman for ATY (a book in a series). This is the follow-up to Scarlet set after the French Revolution, but with vampires. It was quite a slow start, but I like the fact that the maid main character is now feeling stuck between classes, and doesn't magically fit in with the nobility all of a sudden. I'm on the blog tour for this, so I do have to go and have some proper thoughts about it now.
QOTW:
I know this has happened but I can't think of any examples (and I guess this sort of thing might be spoilery anyway).
Nadine in NY wrote: "It's that sort of "I really just need to read that book already" frustration that lead to me starting my "books I need to read this year" list - I keep it short, just 10-12 books, and come hell or high water I am reading them this year. It's helped a lot."Ooh! I really like that idea!
Mod
Oh that's so exciting!!! Congratulations!!!
This looks really interesting, Ellie. I'm now planning to read it for the NaNoWriMo prompt, and actually now looking forward to that prompt!Congratulations!
Ellie, that is so exciting! Congrats!Can you tell us which Popsugar prompts your book will work for?
LeahS wrote: "This looks really interesting, Ellie. I'm now planning to read it for the NaNoWriMo prompt, and actually now looking forward to that prompt!"Yay!
Milena wrote: "Can you tell us which Popsugar prompts your book will work for?"
NaNoWriMo and self-published for sure. It's not full-on cozy fantasy but might fit depending on what you count as cozy. At a push, animal POV - one of the characters is stuck as a wolf and another is a Ratatoskr (a squirrel-like species I made up) but their minds are very human.
And if you avoid all those things, then prompt #11!
Ellie wrote: "Happy Friday! I just got my first review for Paws and Portals, and it's so amazing. I'm just having a little happy cry. I promised I would leave all my review readers to read at th..."That's so cool! Congrats!!
Happy Friday! We enjoyed great weather last weekend. I decided to finally fill up the empty spots in our garden with plants. Sadly, half of them are gone again. The Snails considered them a good holiday meal. So now I'm snail hunting every night. And we're eating eggs every day to put the egg-shells around the new plants.PS: 12/50
FNL: 20/40
Total: 27/52
Finished
The Rooster House: My Ukrainian Family Story by Victoria Belim ⭐⭐⭐⭐
FNL #16
It reads like fiction. Belim tells a utterly human story about human emotions that we all can relate to. Well done!
Currently reading
Zwischen Welten by Juli Zeh. I'm so 'Team Theresa'.
QOTW
I can't recall any of them, but I'm sure I must have jaw drapped some time.
How is it Friday?! I guess I’m in crunch mode with my daughter graduating, my sons last day of school and cleaning/packing/getting ready to leave for vacation. I don’t think it’s really hit me that yesterday was my oldest’s last day of high school. Maybe I’ll cry about when I’m not so busy lol. I’ve gotten caught up watching kingdom hearts gameplay on YouTube so I haven’t been reading that much these last few weeks. Finished:
Rules of Civility I really enjoyed this one! This was the second to last book in my friend’s challenge from last year. I really love these kinds of historical fiction that closely following some interpersonal drama, intrigue, heartbreak and life-altering events. And this was written in such a delightful way I really savored every bit of it.
The Wide Window not for a challenge but was then next book in the series of unfortunate events series that me and my son have been listening to at bedtime. These books are filled with incredibly frustrating adults lol
Currently Reading:
Catechism of the Catholic Church
The Great Adventure Catholic Bible
Troubled Blood
Challenges:
Popsugar - 12/45; 1/5
Read Harder - 11/24
Classics - 4/12
European Tour - 5/10
12 Friends - 12/12
Yearly Goal - 72/150
Nadine in NY wrote: "Happy Thursday!!I finally tied up the branches that have been lying in my front yard since last fall, when the water company came by and hacked away at them because apparently the branches were i..."
I feel you on holding a party for finally finishing a book. I felt that way about The Reformatory
Happy Friday. Stats:
PS: 24/50
ATY: 35/52
ATY Rejects: 12/25
ATY Rewind: 15/25
DBC: 23/36
GR Choice: 14/30
TBR: 6/10
Books I finished:
Fullmetal Alchemist, Vol. 21 & Fullmetal Alchemist, Vol. 22 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
I'm enjoying this series, and I'm almost to book 24.👏
Before the Coffee Gets Cold & Tales from the Café ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
For the read-a-thon I decided to do a reread of this series just because.
Sideways Stories from Wayside School ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Another reread. I've been going through and revisiting my fav books from my childhood lately. This still made me smile.
Coraline ⭐⭐⭐⭐
PS: 17. A book set in a travel destination on your bucket list. (England)
This was wonderfully creepy and fun. Now I can watch the movie.
Monsters: A Fan's Dilemma ⭐⭐⭐
ATY & ATY Rejects: 3. A book that fits a suggestion that didn’t make the final list: A winner or nominee from the 2023 Goodreads Choice Awards.
So this was mostly well thought out, albeit depressing, but the section where talked about how giving up a baby for adoption made Joni Mitchel a monster just made me angry. She didn't abandon the kid, she made sure the kid had parents who would love and take care of them. That is not anywhere close to being a monster.
Days at the Morisaki Bookshop ⭐⭐⭐⭐
ATY Rewind: 16. A book with a silhouette on the cover.
This was a lovely sweet little book. I'm already looking forward to book 2, which will be out in English this summer.
The Familiar ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
ATY: 44. A book with a touch of magic.
I loved this. It was a wonderful historical fiction with a twisted love story.
In Progress
Imogen, Obviously
The Kingdom of Copper
QotW
I really can't think of anything.
Happy Friday!it's almost quitting time. about an hour and 10 minutes left 'til the end of the week. Yay. I've been processing about 84 wonderbooks (books with built in audio book). I'm 2/3 done. I have one more shelf on the cart to process, but then I have to do due date slips. sigh.
Other than that, I have two story hours left. then it's SRP starting June 10th. ugh. so not ready still.
Popsugar:17/50
Finished:
Stepbrother’s Taboo Best-Friend ⭐⭐⭐ ps 3 – Just a fast and cheap new adult romance. Everyone is in college. Brother’s best friend and sister romance. Both Luke and Rachel’s brother are 24 years old.
Piranhas Don't Eat Bananas⭐⭐⭐ ps 12 – A funny kid’s book about piranhas eating veggies and fruits and bums.
Aty: 14/52
Finished: I've been so busy I haven't checked this one yet.
Goodreads Challenge 333/400
Finished:
Story Hour:
Dog vs. Strawberry
Manga:
Formerly, the Fallen Daughter of the Duke, Volume 4
Formerly, the Fallen Daughter of the Duke, Volume 5
Possibly the Greatest Alchemist of All Time：Izure Saikyou No Renkinjyutsushi Vol.１
Possibly the Greatest Alchemist of All Time：Izure Saikyou No Renkinjyutsushi Vol.２
Possibly the Greatest Alchemist of All Time：Izure Saikyou No Renkinjyutsushi Vol.３
Possibly the Greatest Alchemist of All Time：Izure Saikyou No Renkinjyutsushi Vol.４
Possibly the Greatest Alchemist of All Time：Izure Saikyou No Renkinjyutsushi Vol.５
Possibly the Greatest Alchemist of All Time：Izure Saikyou No Renkinjyutsushi Vol.６
Light Novel:
I’ll Use This Do-over to Become the Ideal Lady’s Maid!
Formerly, the Fallen Daughter of the Duke: Volume 3
Formerly, the Fallen Daughter of the Duke: Volume 4
Romance:
Lights, Camera, Lies
Bedded and Bred: Baby Breeders Session 2
Brutal Intentions
Brutal Conquest
The Origin of You
Mr. Fix-It
The Professors' Sweet Treat
The Professor's Bought Bride
Maid's Daughter & Billionaire
Camping with Daddy’s Grumpy Mountain-Man
Texting Mr. Mafia
Hot for My Step-Uncle
The Accidental Text
The Rookie
Reading:
nothing right now but I should actually start something from my NetGalley list.
QOTW:
Raven of the Inner Palace (Light Novel) Vol. 3 made my jaw drop, gasp out loud, and exclaim, "OH MY GOD!" The revelation at the end of the book was killer and shocked the crap out of me.
Kendra wrote: "Happy Friday. Stats:
PS: 24/50
ATY: 35/52
ATY Rejects: 12/25
ATY Rewind: 15/25
DBC: 23/36
GR Choice: 14/30
TBR: 6/10
Books I finished:
Fullmetal Alchemist, Vol. 21 & [book:Fullme..."
I love Fullmetal Alchemist. it remains one of my all time favorite manga
Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge
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Megan Abbott (other topics)Amanda Peters (other topics)
Alison Bechdel (other topics)
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Dipo Faloyin (other topics)
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I had been called for jury duty, but after I submitted a completed form listing my husband’s stroke and resultant symptoms and care needed, they called yesterday to let me know they had removed me from their list for possible service this time around. The last time I had to deal with them was years ago when I was overseeing my mother’s health care and she had two operations scheduled, etc., and they called me in anyway and the judge gave me a really rough time in front of a whole court room full of people and he ended up embarrassing others and finally one girl ended up crying in front of all of us, due to him exposing her medical/emotional/mental history and medications, etc. It was awful. I actively campaigned against his re-election to be judge and am proud to say he did lose in the next election. What an asshole he was. So obviously, there is a completely different attitude now. Glad to see it. I don’t mind serving and have done so, but if there are other people who need me to help them… Anyway, that was a relief! One less thing to stress over!
ADMIN STUFF:
AUGUST MONTHLY GROUP READ NOMINATION POLL IS LIVE!
Nominate a book for the 2024 August Monthly Group Read! This book could be used to fulfill Prompt #23 A book that features dragons. National Lizard Day is August 14!
If you do not see the title you would like to nominate, please write it in. But please check that book's eligibility first! Only books that have NOT been discussed within the past two years (2022-present) are eligible. Please remember to consult the listing of these books that are NOT eligible for this month HERE before nominating! :) There is an alphabetized listing by title as well as a chronological listing. Current nominations:
Fourth Wing
The Tea Dragon Society
Anne McCaffrey's Dragonflight #1
Dragonfruit
Eragon
The Priory of the Orange Tree
To Shape a Dragon's Breath
His Majesty's Dragon
Dealing with Dragons
A Tale of the Secret Saint (Light Novel) Vol. 1
Invisible Born
This poll will be open through Tuesday, May 21! Vote HERE!
JULY MONTHLY READ IS Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner!! This book could be used to fulfill prompt #44 An autobiography written by a woman in Rock ‘n’ Roll. I’m certain there is a “savvy superstar” among our members to lead an amazing discussion of this one! Please message either Nadine or myself to volunteer!
THE JUNE MONTHLY GROUP READ IS The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet (Wayfarers #1) by Becky Chambers!!This book could be used to fulfill Prompt #18 A book set in space. This is one of my all-time favorite books and series!! And who is the "cool Captain" who will volunteer to lead this discussion? Please message either Nadine or myself to volunteer!
The 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 have wanted to read this one so badly!! Glad it was selected! I am grateful to Jai for volunteering as the "guru guide" who will lead this discussion! Thank you!! 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
The comprehensive listing of 2024 Monthly Group Reads resides HERE for your perusal and reference throughout 2024!
***
Question of the Week:
Is there a book that literally caused your jaw to drop as you read it? Do you remember which book or what surprised you?
I ask because Pizza Girl caused my jaw to drop several times… Once when she walked in on her boyfriend who was standing in front of a mirror with both hands wrapped around a gun, just looking at himself! And, of course, this was at the end of a chapter… Immediately all kinds of thoughts went through my head, the first being, is he preparing to shoot himself? Or someone else? Yikes!
2024 READING CHALLENGES:
Popsugar: 26/50
Around the Year (AtY): 49/52
Read Harder: 15/24
52 Book Club: 40/52
I’ll finish documenting these later today…let’s just get the conversation started! 😊
FINISHED:
*Pizza Girl by Jean Kyoung Frazier ⭐⭐⭐⭐ for an IRL book club…and what exactly did I just read?!? Hmmm… These two main characters are so dysfunctional as to make this book certainly an unsettling read at best. Admittedly, my jaw dropped several times as I read this. It will definitely, IMO, make for some interesting discussion!
POPSUGAR: #2, #17-California
ATY: #3-A book with girl, boy. man or woman in the title, #14, #15, #17, #24-Orange, Green, Purple, #25, #33, #36, #42, #46
RHC: #24-2015: prompt #18 A book someone else has recommended to you
52 Book Club: #4, #10, #14, #30, #43, #51
*All Boys Aren't Blue by George M. Johnson ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ was an exceptional book! Especially for a YA memoir. I can imagine this might not work for everyone, but I found it to be ground-breaking, unique, and though somewhat emotionally intense and realistic, very understandable and easy to relate to… There is more sexual detail than I would have imagined, but it felt very necessary, especially for others who are biologically “male” but not heterosexual. This was so heartfelt and natural! Highly recommended!
POPSUGAR: #2, #4, NEW #41
ATY: #3-A book you meant to read in 2023, #12, #14, #15, #17, #24-Orange, #33, #36, #45, #48, #49
RHC: NEW #15, #16, #24-2015: prompt #5-A book written by or about someone who identifies as LGBTQ (BOTH!)
52 Book Club: #10, #14, #18, #19, #30, #43
*Sunny (Track #3) by Jason Reynolds ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ was a bit different from the first two books in this series. This character spoke in more “rap” talk and overall slang, which I found to be very interesting. Definitely different from what I’m accustomed to reading. Honestly, this is more what I would expect from Reynolds, who writes for an audience quite different from myself. That is one more reason to thoroughly enjoy his writing. I appreciate being able to immerse myself into another world with people expressing themselves in a manner unfamiliar to me!
POPSUGAR: #2, #10
ATY: #1, #2, #3-A book that features a hobby, #12, #14, #15, #17, #20, #24-Orange and Green, #31, #36, #37, #38/#39
RHC: #24-2015: prompt #6 A book written by a person whose gender is different from your won
52 Book Club: #4, #14, #30, #43
*Lu (Track #4) by Jason Reynolds ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ was quite enjoyable and felt very realistic. Lu is albino and as you can imagine, must endure much verbal abuse from his peers. One thing I so appreciate about Reynolds' writing is his ability to include such diverse characters and realistically depict their lives.
POPSUGAR: #2
ATY: #2, #3-A book whose title seemingly refers to one or more characters in the book, #12, #14, #15, #17, #20, #24-Orange, Green, #25, #31, #33, #36, #37, #38/#39
RHC: #24-2015: prompt #11 Read a YA novel
52 Book Club: #4, #10, #12, #14, #30, #43
CONTINUING:
*Rumpole of the Bailey by John Mortimer
*The Bandit Queens by Parini Shroff
*1984 by George Orwell (I admit this is boring me a bit…)
*...And Ladies of the Club by Helen Hooven Santmyer
PLANNED:
*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