Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge discussion
2024 Weekly Check-Ins
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Week 28: 7/5 - 7/11
Happy Thursday! I changed my screen name to include an initial. It suddenly seemed like there were a ton of Lauras in my groups!2024 Reading Challenges: I’ve read 253 books so far this year (and 23.1% of my ever-growing TBR) with an average length of 335 pages and an average rating of 3.70.
52 Book Club: 45/52 (Summer Challenge 17/24)
ATY: 38/52 (Summer Challenge 22/36)
Booklist Queen: 44/52
Diverse Baseline: 19/36
Popsugar: 38/50
Robot Librarian: 42/52
ICYMI Backlist: 6/12
Recently Completed:
Group: How One Therapist and a Circle of Strangers Saved My Life (52 Books Summer #4a – about finding balance in life) ★★★★
Counterfeit (52 Books Summer #7a – author shares last name of an Olympian/ATY June #4c – a seven in the page count) ★★★
Marilou is Everywhere (ATY August #4a – borrowed from the library) ★★★
The Prince and the Dressmaker: Very sweet YA graphic novel. Love, friendship, acceptance, and identity. ★★★★
Margo's Got Money Troubles: The cover screams rom-com. It’s not. Sit back and enjoy the whole crazy ride. (ATY June #4a – at least four colors on the cover) ★★★★
The Pretty One: On Life, Pop Culture, Disability, and Other Reasons to Fall in Love With Me (Diverse Baseline #19 – a disabled BIPOC author) ★★★
Kick: The True Story of JFK's Sister and the Heir to Chatsworth (52 Books #11 –title starts with K) ★★★
Swift River (ATY #14 – a BIPOC main character) ★★★
Currently Reading:
Ultra-Processed People: The Science Behind Food That Isn't Food
You Like It Darker (52 Books Summer #2a – a short story collection/ATY June #2a – written by an author over the age of 60)
The Centre (Booklist Queen #12 – flowers on the cover/Robot Librarian #9 – flowers on the cover or in the title)
Madness: Race and Insanity in a Jim Crow Asylum (Diverse Baseline #21 – by a BIPOC author with real people on the cover)
An Unkindness of Ghosts (Diverse Baseline #20 – neurodivergent BIPOC author)
North Woods: NPR 2023 Books We Love. (ATY July #3a – a nature scene without people on the cover)
The Return of Ellie Black
My Lady Jane (52 Books Summer #3c – featuring witty banter/Robot Librarian #23 – adapted into a TV show or streamed series)
The Year My Life Went Down the Toilet: NPR 2023 Books We Love.
Shipped (ATY #23 – related to boats, beaches, bars, ballads, or Jimmy Buffet)
The White Bonus: Five Families and the Cash Value of Racism in America
QOTW: I read a lot of political books and books about climate change as well as books about social justice. Sometimes I’ll pick something up because of something I hear about elsewhere.
And the heat wave continues in NYC and though unpleasant not nearly as bad as elsewhere or as it has been in past summers. I am drowning in work so my reading has settled into both a slower rhythm and lighter vein with shorter books - mostly.
PS - 41/50 - getting there!
Finished:
The Liar’s Knot - part 2 of her Rook & Rose Trilogy and my Feminerdy Book Club July read. Tore through this! Fab. This was a doorstopper but read like a 350 page thriller.
Desert Getaway - 2023 Edgar nominee and very disappointing though great setting - Palm Springs.
Currently Reading:
Dead Man's Leap - can you guess which PS prompt? It also fits 42 year old MC.
Stoner
Tender at the Bone: Growing Up at the Table
QOTW: I never seek reads about current events or issues. That feels like homework assignments for class to me and not only am I decades past that, long done with academia (at some point while getting my JD, I said 'enough' with it!), I have a profession that requires keeping very au courant on changes in law, politics, etc. though on a very local basis. However, casual reading will have them pop up as part of plots and backgrounds. That's enough and just fine.
Mod
My NetGalley adventures continue to keep me occupied. JUST when I was on the CUSP of getting my ratio up to 60% ... I got approved for three more books. I feel like a very happy version of Sisyphus climbing up a mountain of books. Clearly many publishers don't care that much about the ratio, since I keep getting approved!
I stumbled upon a boycott of ARCs from St Martin's Press and I real quick checked, but I haven't requested any books from them.
It's always a sadness when a popular author is revealed to be an awful person. This past week we got two. I've never read anything by Alice Munro, so that reveal had little impact on my reading, although it is deeply upsetting and I keep reading articles about it. But I used to be a big Neil Gaiman fan, from way back in the day when The Sandman was a single issue comic. Neverwhere is one of my favorite books, and the Lady Door is one of my favorite characters, and listening to him read it is one of my favorite audiobooks. So I'm having a lot of THOUGHTS now. It was when I read his collections of short stories about ten years ago that I started to get the ick. The way he wrote about women started to seem not right, but I thought maybe he was going through some shit after his first divorce and it came out in a few short stories. And then I watched his second marriage collapse during the pandemic, and sure I didn't know the details, but it didn't look good on him, it made me think he was not a great guy. But I still kept telling myself "well what do I know, I'm sure I'm reading too much into it." And now it turns out my "ick" that started ten years ago was correct. So now I have to wrestle with that.
It's really really hard for me to separate the art from the artist. In truth, I've never succeeded at doing it. When an author is revealed to be a crap person, it forever taints my experience of their art, as well, no matter how much I once loved it.
This week I finished 4 books, none for this challenge. It was a week of LOVE and HATE reading!!
Margo's Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe - this book took me by surprise and blew me away and I'm pretty sure it's going to be my favorite book of 2024! It's very quirky, and it's not quite what you think it's going to be. Thorpe is a FANTASTIC author, she's funny and witty and so engaging and she creates real and complex characters who do weird and quirky things. This is the first book I've read by her, but I know now that I need to go read EVERYTHING she's published. I feel giddy now that I've discovered her. Props to those of you who were already in on the "secret." 😁
House of Glass by Sarah Pekkanen- this was my first audiobook from NetGalley! It was also my first negative review for NetGalley, because WOW DID I HATE THIS BOOK. I didn't much care for the previous book I read by Pekkanen w/ Hendricks (The Wife Between Us), but I gave her another chance thinking maybe I'd like her better as a single author and HELL NO. THIS is definitely my worst book of 2024. It's not possible for me to find another book I will hate more than I hated this one. My kids got so sick of hearing me complain about it while I was listening to it.
State of Paradise by Laura van den Berg - another NetGalley book, and this was a HUGE win! I LOVED this book!!! This cements van den Berg as one of my all time favorite authors!!! Her books are so quietly odd, they start off feeling rather mundane and before you know it you are hip-deep in surrealness. If I had not just fallen all over myself stanning Margo, I might have said that THIS will be my favorite book of 2024. TWO AMAZING BOOKS IN ONE WEEK!!! I found a defunct Ben & Jerry's flavor called "Island Paradise" so I checked off the B&J category in AtY.
How to Steal a Galaxy by Beth Revis - yet another NetGalley book! This one is part 2 in a trilogy - I read part 1 last week. Part 1 was the perfect book! Part 2 has Middle Book syndrome and leaves you hanging. I advise you to not read this until Part 3 exists (currently it's not even listed on GR, but I have faith that Revis will follow through).
I found some AtY categories for a few books I'd already read, so I'm up to 47/52 in AtY - just five more left to go there (one of them I'm going to finish today), and two more left for Popsugar! I'm also making great progress in my new challenge to read 50 new publications this year (thanks to NetGalley!). The only challenge I've been neglecting is my "must reads" challenge, but that's only four books, I can catch up quickly.
Popsugar 96% 48 /50
Must Reads 60% 6 /10
AtY 90% 47 /52
2024 pub 42% 21 /50
NetGalley ratio 46%
QotW
No I don't think I ever have done that.
Mod
That's awesome!! Your brush with fame!!! No one likes what their own voice sounds like. I'm sure you sounded just fine or they would not have used both of your clips.
Mod
That's why I became "Nadine in NY" - you don't expect to find another Nadine, but there she was!
Mod
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2...
Of the 80 books they've listed, I've read 17 and 3 are on my tbr. Of the 17 that I've read, I liked 13 of those.
Happy Thrusday!I swear my dog Ziggy is trying to kill me with worry. At 10 pm last night his left eye went from fine to swollen. I don't know what or how it happened. All I know is that I washed it out with water and put a cold compress on it. Then when he woke me at 330 this morning, I washed out his eye again (to be on the cautious side) placed another cold compress on it. The swelling has gone down significantly.
Other than that, I have only 2 more sessions of Summer Reading left. Monday we are doing pool noodle light sabers and next Monday, we will do sand art and make our own trail mix.
I got allergy information from every parent so there shouldn't be any hiccups on that account.
I haven't been reading much. Ziggy is an attention all the time type of dog. With him not feeling well, he is more needy than before. And if I don't provide at least a hand on him, he digs in his claws and scratches my thigh. So holding a book or iPad is nigh impossible.
Goodreads Challenge 421/400
Finished:
Light Novel:
86—EIGHTY-SIX, Vol. 1
Romance:
Single-Dad & Babysitter Age-Gap Erotica Short Story: Doctor, Older Man Younger Woman Pregnancy Romance Smut Book
Held by the Bratva
Wrong Address
Reading:
The Secret Virgin
That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime (Light Novel), Vol. 2
Tamon's B-Side, Vol. 4
QOTW:
Surprisingly 86—EIGHTY-SIX, Vol. 1 is all about bigotry and taking away the rights of people when supposedly the country was founded on equality for all, but it's not the case. So that ties in with current events of the last couple of years.
but as a rule I don't read them.
I had an online job interview today and so of course my laptop decided its webcam didn't exist. I still haven't been able to fix it, but managed to borrow one in time so that I didn't have to try and do it all on my phone. The whole interviewing process makes me feel a bit sick. It's so irrational because now it's over I'm all whatever they decide is fine. But thinking about the interview beforehand stresses me out too much.So thanks to worrying for a whole week I have only read one book again.
Echo of Worlds by M.R. Carey for ATY (sound word in title). This had quite a lot of hard sci-fi in so required more mental capacity than I had to give. But I do really love Paz and the whole worldbuilding around these different intelligences. It's a great duology if you have the patience for it.
QOTW:
I read about the environment and nature because that interests me in general rather than it being a hot topic. If I want to know a bit more background on a current topic, I prefer long-form journalism than reading a full length book.
Happy Thursday! Not much to report this week, so on to books!PS: 15/50
FNL: 28/40
Total: 37/52
Finished
Het meisje met de halve ster byJudith Visser ⭐⭐
PS #12
It caught me just in time to prevent DNF, but still not impressed.
Currently reading
Het lied van de goden by Reggie Baay - I'm reading a lot of Dutch literature this year.
The Rise and Reign of the Mammals: A New History, from the Shadow of the Dinosaurs to Us by Steve Brusatte - a pleasant suprise so far!
QOTW
Lots! My learning goes best by stories or images. So I loved history classes because of all the stories (I had a teacher who was a great storyteller, so maybe that's why I love history). And I still love to read books set in history or in a place of a current event. For example Ukrain. I learned a lot about that country by reading fiction set in Ukrain.
Nadine in NY wrote: "Has anyone been following the NYT list of the best 100 books of the 21st century (so far)? Every day they add to the list, so far they are up to 80, and ... looks like the Ven Diagram of "books Nad..."The Venn diagram of books I like and books that end up on 100 best books lists is always a thin sliver. I've read 8. I'd probably put two of them on my personal best books of this century list.
Mod
Ugh interviewing is so so stressful. Just keep telling yourself that YOU are the expert on you, no one else is more prepared than YOU are to talk about what YOU can do.
Happy Thursday!Finished:
Just some comics and manga:
The King's Beast Vol. 13
The Deep Dark by Molly Knox Ostertag
I am currently at 42/50 prompts for Popsugar (37/45 and 5/5).
Currently reading:
The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty - for Popsugar's book about pirates. Still enjoying this, it's just been going slow because I haven't felt like reading much during our heat wave here.
Upcoming/Planned:
The Apothecary Diaries (Light Novel): Volume 2 - not for a prompt.
QOTW:
Not really. I add books to my TBR sometimes based on current events, but then I don't actually read them until much later, if at all.
I missed last week's check in entirely and also read absolutely nothing because of a large 2nd degree burn (or partial thickness burn, as it's called now) I've been dealing with. I spent 6 days rewatching my comfort TV show to distract myself from the pain. Oh, and I was on vacation from work but had to cancel all my plans. I had my follow up appointment Tuesday, and the burn is healing nicely. My mood improved significantly after finding that out. I'm hoping that by the weekend I'll feel like going out and doing things. Or if not, then reading some of the many books I thought I'd read on vacation.
Finished
Black Powder War. Finished the week before last. I’m still enjoying the series a lot.
Reading
The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side
What the River Knows
DNF
The No-Show. No reason in particular for the DNF. I didn't get very far before it was due back at the library. I might come back to it later.
QOTW
I try not to because fiction reading is my escape from the world. But I read a lot of sci-fi and fantasy, and those books often speak to real world problems either as allegory or directly.
Happy Thursday, everyone!The household projects continue this week, and I’m really struggling. I’ve still got a ton of stuff to do before my best friend comes out next week to stay with me. I’m also still fighting the side effects from my medication, which is making it really hard to stay awake in the afternoons. I’m getting stuff done though, which is the important thing.
I’ve also been obsessively watching Shark Week since Sunday night, and I’ve really been enjoying the new programming.
Despite the busyness and television time, I did manage to read a considerable number of books this week. I’m doing a lot of my reading during commercial breaks though.
Here are my current challenge and TBR totals…
Goodreads Challenge: 348/200 (Challenge Complete!)
Mount TBR Challenge: 93/150
📚Physical TBR: 52
📱Ebook TBR: 41
🎧Audiobook TBR: 0
TBR Checklist Total: 93
While I hadn’t planned to buy any books this week, I ended up going to the bookstore with my dad on Sunday, where I bought the following titles: Eruption, by Michael Crichton and James Patterson; Horror Movie, by Paul Tremblay; Mrs. Sherlock Holmes, by Brad Ricca; and Slenderman: Online Obsession, Mental Illness, and the Violent Crime of Two Midwestern Girls, by Kathleen Hale.
I also ordered copies of Close to Shore: The Terrifying Shark Attacks of 1916, by Michael Capuzzo; and The Shark Handbook: The Essential Guide for Understanding the Sharks of the World and Chasing Shadows: My Life Tracking the Great White Shark, by Greg Skomal.
“New” Books Bought in 2024: 249
“New” Books Read in 2024: 234
Finished Reading (Fiction):
~Dead on Target — Agatha Raisin book 34 turned out to be one of my favorites of the series. I really enjoyed the story, and was excited to see some long overdue personal growth in two of the characters. 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~They Do It With Mirrors — I picked up a copy of this audiobook on Libby to listen to before bed. It was a re-read for me, but I enjoyed it just as much as I did the first time I read it. I thought the narrator was really good. 🎧: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
~A Deceptive Composition — This is the most recent book in the Lady Darby mystery series. I really enjoyed the story, and loved the characters. 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~In a Dark, Dark Wood — I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and ended up reading the entire thing in a single sitting! It kept me guessing right up until the very end. Content Alert: (view spoiler) 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~Zero Days — While I did find this story somewhat predictable, I still really enjoyed it, and ended up reading the entire book in a single day. Content Alert: (view spoiler) 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~The Lying Game — This is probably my least favorite of Ruth Ware’s books, but that didn’t stop me from flying through this story. Content Alert: (view spoiler) 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
~Barbarian's Taming — This is the most recent special edition re-release in the Ice Planet Barbarians series, and I have to admit that I didn’t enjoy this book as much as the previous ones. Halfway through the book, I was starting to think that I’d reached the point where I was done with the series. However, there was a plot twist that may have changed my mind. I guess we’ll see how I’m feeling about the series when the next book is released. Content Alert: (view spoiler) 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
~A Deadly Affair — I picked up a copy of this collection of Agatha Christie mysteries on Libby. Although I’ve read all of the stories in this collection before (in other books), I enjoyed the audiobook, which featured David Suchet (Hercule Poirot), Hugh Fraser (Captain Hastings), and Joan Hickson (Miss Marple) as narrators. 🎧: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Finished Reading (Nonfiction):
None
Finished Reading (Manga, Comic Books, & Graphic Novels):
None
Finished Reading (Poetry and Drama):
None
DNFed:
None
Currently Reading:
~A Curse in Kyoto: a Mystery-Thriller — I’m currently about 70 pages into this book, and it’s been interesting so far. I’m looking forward to seeing how the mystery unfolds. 📚
~How to Survive History: How to Outrun a Tyrannosaurus, Escape Pompeii, Get Off the Titanic, and Survive the Rest of History's Deadliest Catastrophes — I picked up a copy of this audiobook on Libby, and I’m really enjoying it so far. It’s very interesting and humorous, and the audiobook narrator is fantastic. 🎧
QOTW:
I don’t really read books about current events.
Yay! I finally finished a couple of books. The ATY Summer challenge totally flew off my radar though.ATY Summer: 8/12
Purchased TBR: 1/22
Library TBR: 1/8
Finished: A Monk’s Guide to A Clean House & Mind I'm just trying to read whatever I can to motivate me to keep cleaning house. This was a light and enjoyable read, but not earth-shaking.
Unitarianism In Utah - A Gentile Religion In Salt Lake City 1891-1991 This fell into my lap from the shelving cart at the bookstore I work in and I could not resist! The first half was a litany of ministers who came through, most staying no more than a couple of years. The second half was copies of sermons given over the past 100 years.
Started: State of Terror: How Terrorism Created Modern Israel
Qotw: I started State of Terror because of the current and lonng-standing conflict in Israel/Palestine. It was a difficult read because it is an account of every awful thing that has ever happened there. I decided not to finish it after I got the main gist of it. So yes, I read books about current events. When Donald Trump was first elected, I remember frantically looking for a book to explain what had happened. No books were out yet. Now there are tons of books and I have no interest in reading them because the last thing that man needs is more attention!
Happy Thursday!Have not updated in a while because I was doing some filler reading, trying to shrink my physical TBR piles. June was not a great reading month. I'm back to library books and prompt fills now though. Although I still do want to read some of my owned books - the piles still need a lot of reduction! Will just go back a little ways in my reading.
Finished
Delilah Green Doesn't Care For my LGBTQ+ romance. Cute and fun enough. I liked how, from early on, I could see each sister's side of their past, and how they could each feel wronged by what was happening, and blame the other, even though a lot of it was based on miscommunication and hurt feelings rather than actual malice. Liked it enough that I may check out the next in the series, especially as, from the previews, it seems like it could work for the enemies to lovers prompt.
The Fortune Cookie Chronicles: Adventures in the World of Chinese Food For one of my book clubs. An interesting look at Chinese food, mainly in America, and how it came to occupy the cultural niche it does. Didn't use it for a PS prompt, but found a Ben and Jerry's flavour with fortune cookie bit (Linsanity) so used it for ATY.
Mr. Darcy Takes a Wife: Pride and Prejudice Continues Newp, not for me. I love Pride and Prejudice, and generally have no issue with fanfic, even of the smutty variation. But smutty fanfic about Elizabeth and Darcy does not hit a sweet spot for me. In fact, the opposite. Didn't use for a PS prompt, but it is a physical book I will now happily get rid of.
The Reader So, I didn't see it identified in the book itself, but wikipedia told me that part of the story was set in 1958, so I'm using it for my 24 years before my birth book. I was really impressed by this and thought it packed a lot of complex issues into a fairly slim and short read.
Currently Reading
The Big Book of Modern Fantasy
Around the World in Eighty Days
888 Love and the Divine Burden of Numbers
The Elite
QotW
Like Jen, current events (and author obituaries) often inspire me to add books to my TBR but that rarely translates into actually reading them. (Or not for some time)
Nadine in NY wrote: "Has anyone been following the NYT list of the best 100 books of the 21st century (so far)? Every day they add to the list, so far they are up to 80, and ... looks like the Ven Diagram of "books Nad..."For me, it's 14 read, of which 5 are probably in my personal top 100 (Bel Canto, Station Eleven, The Great Believers, Fifth Season, Cloud Atlas), and most of the others were solidly good to me. Enough that I'll probably add some more from the list to my TBR and bump up some of those that are already there.
Mod
oh nooo!! burns are so painful!! what happened? I'm glad it's being treated and getting better.
Mod
I read that!! It's a true story (of course) set on Long Beach Island, where is where my mother lives, so I brought it with me one summer to read WHILE I was on the very beach where it happened (well, close enough). My mother did not appreciate this and scoffed the entire time.
It was good, but Capuzzo worked very very hard to take this brief account and pad it and pad it and pad it until it was long enough to be a full book.
The most interesting thing I learned: people were very skeptical about it being a shark attack, and even as the first victim lived long enough to DESCRIBE the shark, experts didn't believe it and thought it was maybe a SEA TURTLE attack instead. Sea turtle??
Also: wind pollinated plants like Goldenrod did not exist on Long Beach Island until they brought in fill dirt to build a train track.
Happy Thursday! Had a fun weekend- got to hang out with a friend visiting from LA, and then another friend had a birthday party in the park for her 1-year old, and we actually had nice weather!! It's starting to heat up again, but glad they got a break on the day!Finished:
Listen for the Lie- I really enjoyed this one, I thought the mix part normal format, part podcast really worked.
-no prompt
The Worst Ronin- a fun graphic adventure book, that gets surprisingly dark at times
-no prompt
They Can't Kill Us Until They Kill Us- finally finished this. Some of the essays were amazing, some were a little forgettable, but I'm glad I finally got to it
-no prompt
The Goodbye Cat- made me cry- not as much as the Traveling Cat Chronicle, but there were lots of tears
-12 A book from an animal's POV
Not in Love- loved this Ali Hazelwood book. I wonder if it worked so well for me because I've also worked at startups where the CEO/founder makes mistakes and the rest of us suffer....
-no prompt
Currently Reading:
Crying in H Mart- I'm slow reading nonfiction, so I'll be postng questions up to the halfway point today or tomorrow, if anyone else wants to join in!
Motheater- a netgalley book I need to finish soon
Buried Deep and Other Stories- another netgalley book
QotW:
I think when something current events happens that I want to know more about, I usually try to find an audiobook for something nonfiction on the topic
Hi all! We had nasty weather around here yesterday, even had a tornado warning! It was mostly a lot of rain and lightning, we didn't even lose power (which is impressive, because my road has been known to lose power on sunny, calm, 75 degree summer days!). Before that, it was hot! Supposed to get hot again this weekend. Otherwise, nothing much going on. Kiddo has a school sponsored trip to the theatre tomorrow to see a musical of Make Way for Ducklings. Some of her friends are going, so she's excited. I'm excited for a few hours to myself!
I didn't finish anything, but I'm so hooked on the audible audiobook of American Girl. I had tried the paper version first, and it was just OK, but the audio version has completely sucked me in. I'd be done with it if I didn't have to sleep... I'm using it for neurodiverse MC, but it would also work for a person dies in the first chapter. When I'm done with it, I will be interested to read reviews and see if other readers think it is an accurate portrayal of autism. I haven't known many people with autism (at least that I know of), so it's hard for me to judge.
I also read a few more chapters in Altamont: The Rolling Stones, the Hells Angels, and the Inside Story of Rock's Darkest Day. It's still just OK, but it's due back at the library in less than 2 weeks, so I want to make sure I finish it.
QOTW: I am a news and politics junkie. I read a lot of articles that cite authors, and I'm always looking up their books and adding them to my TBR... where they sit! lol I did just check out The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory: American Evangelicals in an Age of Extremism and I am excited to read that one (btw, someone dies in the first chapter of that book, too). But because I read the news so extensively day after day, by the time the books about it come out, I'm kinda over it.
During the height of the pandemic, I checked out Erosion: Essays of Undoing because I really enjoy the author's other books. It was disorienting, though, because she was describing Trump's election and rolling back environmental protections, but she wasn't talking about the pandemic, because it hadn't happened by the time she published the book. It was weird to me not to have her talk about it, but of course she couldn't have. I couldn't get past it and wound up returning the book after only a few pages.
Happy Thursday!I genuinely believe I commented on last week's thread yesterday. Where has the time gone?? What is happening??
We finally managed a barbecue on Monday, it was the one day where the weather worked out (today was nice too, I suppose, but back then it wasn't ha) but we still had to be ready in time because there was a storm coming xD. What a 'summer', haha!
Zira's gaining weight and I am slowly but steadily working on fixing her fur, getting all the matting (only beginning thankfully) out.
Assassin's Creed Black Flag is still going well. I almost finished the storyline! I did quit recently, because I got wayyy too shaky and couldn't get it and I could tell I was THIS close to being properly frustrated. Downside of it was that I of course didn't want to start it up again, haha! So I let it be (and played Little Kitty, Big City! Wonderful little game! Adorable!) watched some videos, and gave it a go. Followed the video step by step (and actually did better!) and my heart rate was 130-140, but I DID IT! Have to admit continuing today was still pretty scary, but it went pretty well. I feel so accomplished xD
Also, not much reading due to being exhausted, the European Football Championships (we finally went home in the semis; thankfudge), and watching My Lady Jane.
AMAZING SERIES. 100% would recommend. It's based on a book, but I feel I currently wouldn't be the right audience for it anymore, but this show adaptation was exactly what I needed right now. Hilarious, amazing cast, beautiful. It's a Prime Video series, if anyone's interested.
Also went to see Despicable Me 4 (so funny, I love these movies) and Inside Out 2 (fun, but hard hitting and important!)
I did however, buy a book. I finally bought Fire & Blood. House of the Dragon is making me want to reread it (I listened to it years ago) and I want the physical copy this time. I couldn't back then due to only being capable of audio, but right now audio's out too and I want to read it physically. I want to see the pictures! Now to find the mental capacity to open it up xD
QOTW
I don't think so?
Mod
We had that too! A CRITICAL tornado warning in the afternoon (and another tornado watch at 9pm), and like a doofus I stood in my garage watching the storm front roll in because it was so awesome to watch. If I'd seen a funnel I would have run. Finally the lightning got REALLLY close so I decided I was being too much of an idiot and I closed the garage and went inside.
Nadine in NY wrote: "Has anyone been following the NYT list of the best 100 books of the 21st century (so far)? Every day they add to the list, so far they are up to 80, and ... looks like the Ven Diagram of "books Nad..."I've read 5 and want to read 6 more. There are many on the list that I haven't heard of before that will be added to Mt. TBR, though.
Of the 5 I've read, I *loathed* Life After Life, the other 4 were good to very good-
Atonement
Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood
Bel Canto
Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity
Happy Thursday!The weather can't make up its mind here. We alternate between sweating your butt off or break out a sweater cold. Maybe Ontario is in pre-menopause. :)
Normally Nobel laureate's are kind of boring. But, I read a good one. In a free state is 4 short stories and one novella, exploring what it means to be free, especially in a world of racism and classism.
Finished:
In a Free State
ATY prompt: A book with a main character who is Black, Indigenous, or a Person of Color
Popsugar prompt: None
Summer Prompt: A book borrowed from the library (I'd previously had a kids' book here, but this one is longer)
Series - 6/12
Nobel laureates - 4/5
Mysteries/Thrillers - 7/13
ATY - 25/45
PS - 16/30
Summer - 6/12
Currently reading:
Heartfire - 65% done
The Mystery Writer - 10% done
Buddy Reads:
This Present Darkness - 75% done
Hollow City - 45% done
QOTW: I don't think I've read one.
It's been heat advisories all week long, and I know it's July, but that still feels excessive.The genre-fication project continues apace, but may have hit a snag: we totally underestimated how many fantasy books are in the collection, and didn't order enough spine stickers! Hopefully, since it is such a big section, we'll get more in before reaching our limit, but if not, the project may be put on hold.
Finished:
Book Love - Mostly this was cute, though as I said last week, a lot of the comics were about book buying and owning, and that's just not how I roll. But more than a few resonated with me, so there you go.
Wave: A Novel in Verse - (PS a book with a neurodivergent main character) I really enjoyed this one, though it covers a lot of heavy topics.
Plain Jane and the Mermaid - I enjoyed this one, too. It puts together a lot of things I personally find interesting, and had a good adventure with a couple of twists I didn't see coming at all, with a good message on top of all that.
Pearl of the Sea - However, I didn't particularly enjoy this one. It had good art and a fun story, but the characters just didn't quite connect for me.
(I didn't intend to have such an ocean theme this week, but the summer does make me more inclined to read those kind of books)
Currently Reading:
He Must Go Walk the Woods So Wild
Sing Like Fish: How Sound Rules Life Under Water
Crying in H Mart
Martyr!
QOTW - I don't usually, but I did reread Maus when it was in the news for being banned back in 2022.
Nadine in NY wrote: "We had that too! A CRITICAL tornado warning in the afternoon (and another tornado watch at 9pm), and like a doofus I stood in my garage watching the storm front roll in because it was so awesome to watch. If I'd seen a funnel I would have run. Finally the lightning got REALLLY close so I decided I was being too much of an idiot and I closed the garage and went inside."I've done the whole "let's stand in the garage and watch" thing too, so you're not alone. The last tornado warning we had was at 3 in the morning, and when I heard the siren I was so annoyed that I just pulled the covers over my head and went back to sleep. Not my brightest idea, but I'd only been asleep for a few hours, and I was just not in the mood to be disturbed.
Nadine in NY wrote: "Has anyone been following the NYT list of the best 100 books of the 21st century (so far)? Every day they add to the list, so far they are up to 80, and ... looks like the Ven Diagram of "books Nadine is into" and "books the NYT blesses" is a thin sliver, at best."I've also read 17 and liked 13 of them. I'm interested in reading another 9. That doesn't mean I'll actually read them, but I'd consider it. There's just too many other books!
K.L. wrote: "Nadine in NY wrote: "We had that too! A CRITICAL tornado warning in the afternoon (and another tornado watch at 9pm), and like a doofus I stood in my garage watching the storm front roll in because..."I'm such a weather geek (I watch the Weather Channel for fun!), that I know enough to see signs of a tornado on radar, and it totally looked like there was one in Geneva, but I guess there wasn't (just cause it looks like it could be doesn't mean it actually will form). We live in a manufactured home, which is on cinderblocks, so no basement. I was ready to grab the kiddo and hide in the bathtub, but I didn't see enough evidence to do so. There was no way I could have seen anything outside, though. It was raining so hard I could barely see the farmer's field 30 feet out my window! Because of our wimpy house, I wouldn't go looking for a tornado, but I totally watch thunderstorms from my couch!
It's been a week of medical frustrations but at least the oncologist gave me a good report. All the doctor's appts have led to books getting read.For 19. A book set in the future I went with some very low hanging fruit in the form of another Star Trek book. This time I read Q-Squaredby Peter David. It was a slow beginning but got interesting.
I also read A Rival Most Vial: Potioneering for Love and Profit by R.K. Ashwick for PS 32 A book with an enemies to lovers plot. I dislike this trope but I loved this book. It's
also cozy fantasy and self pubbed so there are a lot of boxes it could tick. It's also a queer romance and I thought it was a lot of fun.
I also read Castle of the Cursed by Romina Garber. I suppose you could consider it dark romantasy and/or horror (I already had a book for A book that came out in a year that ends with "24" and this will be coming out later this year) I enjoyed this one a lot too
QOTW Honestly I actively avoid current topics when selecting reading material (especially political) unless it's climate science or a new serial killer and even then it's a hard sell.
Happy Thursday, y’all. I am visiting my brother and sister-in-law in Tennessee. As expected, it is hard to accomplish my usual reading amount while visiting as the TV and conversation are constant. I did finish two books before leaving on this trip, and the audiobook will be finished during the 5 hr. drive home as I have about 4h left in the book. And, although I have the other three that I am currently reading with me, I haven’t made much, if any, headway in any of them.
I do have one graphic novel still to read on my desk for PS. So I will have at least two done by next check-in. Hopefully I will do better than this week and finish up my currently reading books, especially since I will be dog-sitting and, therefore, home.
Finished:
Mexican Gothic – ALCM, PAS, PS #40 (BIPOC Author). I have avoided this book for several years, primarily because of its genre as horror. However, I did enjoy the book more than I expected. I initially gave it 3* but upped it to 4*. In actuality, it is probably a 3.5* read for me.
Firefly: Legacy Edition Book One – PS #18 (set in space). GN. A suggestion from this group. 3*. I had trouble following some parts of it.
Currently Reading:
The Man Who Played with Fire: Stieg Larsson's Lost Files and the Hunt for an Assassin – Kindle. No challenge. 35%. Nonfiction.
Notes from a Small Island– PAS. 34%
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life – PAS, ATY #27. Audible. 71%. I expect to complete this audiobook on my drive back home on Friday.
Sea of Poppies - ATY #28, PAS. 16%
Just Starting:
Walden – PAS. 3%
On Deck:
A People's History of the American Revolution: How Common People Shaped the Fight for Independence - Kindle. 12%
The Cartographers - PAS
Black Powder War – ATY #29.
PS 22/50
ATY 26/52
GR 105/200
QotW:
I don't go out of my way to read about current events, but it always surprises me when a book I am reading fits into the reality of today's life.
Nadine in NY wrote: "Has anyone been following the NYT list of the best 100 books of the 21st century (so far)? Every day they add to the list, so far they are up to 80, and ... looks like the Ven Diagram of "books Nad..."Of the 80 books, I've read 1 and I disliked it and gave it 2 stars.
I finished three books since the last check in and started two more. All three of the books that I finished worked for the same open prompt, so I'm up to 17/45 and 2/5 for this challenge, and 55/100 for my overall Goodreads Reading Challenge. Finished:
* The Tea Dragon Society by Kay O'Neill, which I used for "a book that features dragons" (and that prompt also works for the other two books in this graphic novel trilogy);
* The Tea Dragon Festival by Kay O'Neill; and,
* The Tea Dragon Tapestry by Kay O'Neill
Currently Reading:
* The Penguin Book of Murder Mysteries edited by Michael Sims;
* Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother's Will to Survive by Stephanie Land, which is one of my book clubs' picks for July; and,
* I Let You Go written by Clare Mackintosh and narrated by Nicola Barber and Steven Crossley.
QotW:
Have you ever read a book based on current events? Yes, though I don't always read them while the event is current. And now that I've typed that...I realize that I'm reading the question as the book being based on current events, but am now wondering if it could also be interpreted as the current event inspiring me to pick up a book instead. Maybe I'm overthinking this?! 🙃 But in case I'm not...I'm answering the QotW as the book being based on an event and not the event driving my reading decision.
Most of the current events-based titles that I can think of are non-fiction (mostly political or issues-based). Here are a few titles from my non-fiction reads shelf that seem to fit:
* Poverty, by America by Matthew Desmond;
* Betrayal: The Final Act of the Trump Show by Jonathan Karl;
* Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning by Cathy Park Hong;
* A Promised Land by Barack Obama;
* Hood Feminism: Notes from the Women That a Movement Forgot by Mikki Kendall;
* Five Days: The Fiery Reckoning of an American City by Wes Moore; and,
* We Fed an Island: The True Story of Rebuilding Puerto Rico, One Meal at a Time by José Andrés.
It took me a minute to come up with a fiction title but a few that might fit (and I happened to love) are:
* The Sentence by Louise Erdrich;
* Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver; and,
* Blackwater Falls and Blood Betrayal by Ausma Zehanat Khan.
Nadine in NY wrote: "Has anyone been following the NYT list of the best 100 books of the 21st century (so far)? Every day they add to the list, so far they are up to 80, and ... looks like the Ven Diagram of "books Nad..."I have not been following it but so far I've only read two The Emperor of All Maladies which is a doorstop of a nonfiction book on cancer and Persepolis which I didn't enjoy
Nadine in NY wrote: "Has anyone been following the NYT list of the best 100 books of the 21st century (so far)? Every day they add to the list, so far they are up to 80, and ... looks like the Ven Diagram of "books Nad..."My tally is not much better, 12 read, 11 TBR. Of the 12 I read, most were meh, butOlive Kitteridge and Life After Life are two of my favorite books. I don't understand why Atonement is considered so great.
I completed 5 books this week, because they were all in progress from other weeks. None of them fit PS prompts but I made good progress on my other challenges:1. Why We Read: On Bookworms, Libraries and Just One More Page Before Lights Out by Shannon Reed
PS: n/a
ATY: character in education
52: Published in 2024
Robot Librarian: essay collection
2. Peter Pan by J. M. Barrie
PS: n/a
ATY: author known by initials
52: n/a
Robot Librarian: novelization (it was a play first)
3. London by Edward Rutherfurd
PS: n/a
ATY: historical fiction
52: starts with an L
Robot Librarian: n/a
4. Seven Kinds of People You Find in Bookshops by Shaun Bythell
PS: n/a
ATY: n/a
52: n/a
Robot Librarian: n/a
5. Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism by Amanda Montell
PS: n/a
ATY: not a novel
52: n/a
Robot Librarian: n/a
totals after roughly 50% of the year:
PS: 26/50
ATY: 34/52
52: 28/52
Robot librarian: 31/52
QOTW: All the time. I teach social studies (psychology, history and government) and like to keep up on current events in more septa than just a newspaper article. Recently I read Paradise, about California wildfires, and The Chaos Machine about social media algorithms prioritizing polarizing content. In fiction, Demon Copperhead was timely.
Had to double-check things, reminding myself that today is Friday. Hope you all are doing well. Took a 2-day vacation this week which was awesome. Went to a concert to listen to music I normally don't listen to so the experience was something else, but in a surprisingly fun and positive way. I really enjoyed myself and the company I was with. It was a great trip.
Had planned to go to a bookshop in the town I was in, but they were closed for their own vacation. As fate would have it though, went to a restaurant and they had a gift shop with books so I just had to get a few.
Back now though which means it's time to focus on school stuff, not fun, but I'll get it done.
****
Book News:
Got a great book haul. Since I'm doing a project for school on Native American treaties and United States policies, I ordered several books that cover the topic so hopefully I can find some good resources.
Currently Reading:
The Secret History of Sharks: The Rise of the Ocean's Most Fearsome Predators
- This book has been so awesome! I reminds me of this book, The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs: A New History of a Lost World. It's got a similar theme and written along the same lines.
The Weight of Nature: How a Changing Climate Changes Our Brains
- Suprisingly this book is one I didn't think I needed, but I'm always looking for current climate change books and it's fascinating.
Indigenous Continent: The Epic Contest for North America
- I've read this book before, but reading it again for my assignment, and it's still just as good. Lots of interesting information.
Tribes, Treaties, and Constitutional Tribulations
- Just started this one.
*****
QOTW:
Have you ever read a book based on current events?
Oh all the time! Given how much I love nonfiction, I'm always trying to find books that are related to what we're experiencing now. Lately my focus (when I'm not reading Native American history), has been on environmental studies.
Harmke wrote:Currently Reading- The Rise and Reign of the Mammals: A New History, from the Shadow of the Dinosaurs to Us by Steve Brusatte - a pleasant suprise so far!
Nice! This one is on my list. I've read his other book though, The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs: A New History of a Lost World which was incredible!
I can't figure out how to quote on mobile -- is that even possible?? -- but this is a reply to Nadine asking what happened. (Why is this app SO BAD!?)Boiling water :( Probably a little less than a liter poured onto me. The rest went on the counter or floor. It doesn't hurt anymore, thankfully.
Mod
Boiling water :( Probably a little less than ..."
oh YIKES! Better water than oil or melted plastic (or actual fire!), I guess, since it will immediately evaporate.
When I was a little girl, I had instant oatmeal for breakfast quite often. And one day I was sitting at the table (I must have been REALLY little, maybe 3?) and my mom poured the boiling water from the kettle into my bowl of oatmeal, and you know how boiling water will "spit" out of the spout when it's right off the boil? So a little drop hit my bare stomach. Oh, I threw a fit!! It hurt!! And how could my MOTHER do that to me??!! Of course it was an accident, and I was fine, but I didn't understand that at the time. My mom put a big bandage on my stomach, probably in an attempt to mollify me, but all that did was reinforce the SERIOUS nature of my minor injury. My mom must have felt really bad about it. For years after, that served as an instant guilt trip for my mom. (And I developed a healthy respect for that kettle - it took me a long time to get brave enough to use it myself. like, a LONG time!) LOL I still tease her about it.
Just finished going through the NYTimes 100.MY TALLY
I’ve read 14 books on the list ...
Wolf Hall ● The Year of Magical Thinking ● The Sellout ● Sing, Unburied, Sing ● Fun Home ● Between the World and Me ● A Visit From the Goon Squad ● A Brief History of Seven Killings ● The Fifth Season ● Persepolis ● Olive Kitteridge ● Exit West ● Station Eleven ● Bel Canto
... and I want to read 27.
My Brilliant Friend ● The Underground Railroad ● Never Let Me Go ● The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao ● Pachinko ● The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay ● Evicted ● Behind the Beautiful Forevers ● Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage ● The Overstory ● Americanah ● Cloud Atlas ● White Teeth ● Salvage the Bones ● Small Things Like These ● Trust ● Life After Life ● Runaway ● Nickel and Dimed ● Middlesex ● Demon Copperhead ● The Great Believers ● A Manual for Cleaning Women ● The Collected Stories of Lydia Davis ● The Days of Abandonment ● On Beauty ● Men We Reaped
I am not into endless dark, serious books or literary fiction. But I was THRILLED that the brilliant A Brief History of Seven Killings popped up!
Hi all! Fairly quiet week for us. I'm currently cycling through a whole group of books but I've a got a couple that I need to finish pronto because they're due at the library. Finished:
Gathering Moss: A Natural and Cultural History of Mosses: listened to the audiobook and really enjoyed it. I don't think it hits as hard as Braiding Sweetgrass but the author's writing style is so good it doesn't matter
QOTW: I'm sure I've done at some point but I think what happens more often is that Current Event will happen, someone online will recommend books on the topic, and I will put one on my tbr.
On the NYT 100 list, I've read 6 (liked 4), and want to read 3. The vast majority of books on that list I had never even heard of. NYT Books and I aren't just not on the same page, we're not on the same floor of the library.
Denise wrote: "I don't understand why Atonement is considered so great." I'm with you on that! Atonement is one of the books that everyone seems to love, but I HATED it.
(view spoiler)
On the NYT list, I've read and liked 6, and want to read 6 more. I recognized some of the titles, but they just weren't appealing. I agree with Jackie above, we're just not on the same floor of the library. :)
Mod
My final tally: I've read 20, I want to read 7.
I'm disappointed in their list, not just because I have no interest in most of the books, but because several authors show up multiple times. In a list of only 100 books spanning 24 years, there must be some OTHER authors they could have featured instead. Two books from one author, I can understand. But three books seems a bit much. Yes, Jesmyn Ward, George Saunders, and Elena Ferrante are all great authors (I mean, I guess they are - I've only read Ward) but couldn't one of their books been scratched to make room for another author? This list only represents 87 authors.
Unfortunately I don't have a NYT subscription so I can't while away the hours following the links to see what other books the judges voted for ...
Mod
LOL perfect!!!
Whoop, late check-in! I'm currently in Toronto, Canada for a Transformers convention, and have been just a little distracted, hehe...Also didn't read much this week -- packing and the convention took up quite a bit of time. Ah well.
On the plus side... I finished all my reading challenges for the year! WHOO!
Books read this week:
A Court of Thorns and Roses -- there, I finally read a Sarah J Maas book, haha… it was decent, and better than Throne of Glass.
Middle of the Night -- not Riley Sager’s best thriller, but still decent and with plenty of twists, albeit too many POV characters.
Currently reading:
Without a Trace: 1881-1968
Off to Be the Wizard
The Twilight Garden
QOTW:
Sometimes... and sometimes by accident. I ended up starting to read Our Wives Under the Sea right around the time the OceanGate tragedy occurred, and couldn't finish it for that reason.
Mod
Oh I forgot about that! I read that book at the same time! It definitely added some weirdness to my reading experience. (But I didn't pick up the book BECAUSE of current events, it was a coincidence)
Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge
Books mentioned in this topic
Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis (other topics)Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis (other topics)
What You Are Getting Wrong about Appalachia (other topics)
Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis (other topics)
Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Sejal Badani (other topics)Kirsten Miller (other topics)
Michael Sims (other topics)
Clare Mackintosh (other topics)
Kay O'Neill (other topics)
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I am sitting in the hospital parking lot posting this today. My husband is in Physical Therapy and I have had quite a frustrating time of it over the past 36 hours. But I refuse to go into detail since it is literally just too bizarre! I hope everyone else is not experiencing an inordinate amount of frustration in your life. Fingers crossed that your lives are much more mundane!👍😁
ADMIN STUFF:
THE SEPTEMBER MONTHLY GROUP READ IS Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson!!
This book could be used to fulfill prompt #6 A book about pirates. Talk Like a Pirate Day is September 19! John Baur and Mark Summers created this international day in 1995.
One of you must be the ”vivacious volunteer” needed to lead this discussion! Message either Nadine or myself to secure your spot!! Having never read this classic, I'm pumped to do so this year!
THE OCTOBER MONTHLY GROUP READ NOMINATION POLL IS LIVE!
This book could be used to fulfill Prompt #8 A book written by a blind or visually impaired author.
October is White Cane Awareness Month! White Cane Awareness Day is October 15!
If you do not see the title you would like to nominate, please write it in. Please add in the comments what the author's visual impairment is, so we can be sure the book will fulfill this category.
Nadine checked the authors of the first few books she grabbed from our Listopia to start this poll:
* Richard Osman was born with nystagmus, an eye condition that significantly reduces his vision.
* Alice Walker was injured in her right eye from a BB gun, and she eventually became permanently blind in that eye.
* Helen Keller became blind and deaf after a childhood illness.
* Homer was too long ago to know for sure, but legend says he was blind and recited his poems as he traveled from one place to another.
* Jennifer Armentrout has retinitis pigmentosa, a rare genetic disorder that causes gradual retinal degradation leading to blindness.
Also please check that book's eligibility first! Only books that have NOT been discussed within the past two years (2022-present) are eligible. 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.
NOTE: This is the NOMINATION round, which is step one. This poll will be open for two weeks. We will select the top results from this round to create a new poll for a Final Vote to select ONE book for the October 2024 group read.
Books nominated thus far:
The Color Purple
Blind Spot
The Thursday Murder Club (Thursday Murder Club #1)
The Story of My Life
Flood
The Illiad
From Blood and Ash
The Country of the Blind: A Memoir at the End of Sight
Villette
This represents quite a variety of genres, etc.!
VOTE FOR OR NOMINATE A BOOK HERE!! This poll is only available through Tuesday, July 16!
THE AUGUST MONTHLY GROUP READ IS The Tea Dragon Society (Tea Dragon #1) by Kay O'Neill!
This book could be used to fulfill Prompt #23 A book that features dragons. National Lizard Day is August 14! And who might be the "official organizer" willing to lead this discussion? Please message either Nadine or myself to volunteer! My copy arrived and I somehow missed that this is actually a graphic novel! Very cute illustrations, etc.!
THE JULY MONTHLY GROUP 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. Erin is the “savvy superstar” who has graciously volunteered to lead July’s group read!! Thank you for the interesting questions you've already posted, Erin! 😊 Join the discussion HERE! I had no expectations, but really enjoyed this book, as well as Zauner's writing style!
The comprehensive listing of 2024 Monthly Group Reads resides HERE for your perusal and reference throughout 2024!
***
Question of the Week:
Have you ever read a book based on current events?
This is not just referring to a nonfiction book, but any book that is somehow related to current events. For example, one of my IRL book club facilitators has selected these books for the group to read in the aftermath of the terrorist attack on Israel and the resultant war:
Salt Houses
Minor Detail
Both of these books are fiction but detail Palestinian life in the re… They are both eye-opening and definitely provided much motivation for discussion amongst us!
I just wondered if any of you have ever selected books to read due to current events. 😊
We were complimenting these selections at Tuesday’s meeting since we appreciated receiving more information about life in this part of the world.
2024 READING CHALLENGES:
Popsugar: 32/50
Around the Year (AtY): 50/52
Read Harder: 16/24
52 Book Club: 42/52
FINISHED:
*The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet (Wayfarers #1) by Becky Chambers ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ was a reread after 5 years and not only held up, but I appreciated it even moreso the second time around! This is just such a perfect read for me! I love every aspect of these characters, but especially their unique aspects and their resulting interactions. Hooray for mutual respect, acceptance, and appreciation.
POPSUGAR: #2, #10, NEW #18, #19
ATY: #1, #3-A sci-fi novel, #14, #17, #19-real coffee, #21, #25, #27-controlling land for the exploitation of natural resources, #29-breathable air must be created and circulated in space vehicles, #31, #33, #34-Doc—Dr. Chef!, #35-Science Fiction, #37, #40-Ohan, #48
RHC: #24-2015: prompt #12 Read a sci-fi- novel
52 Book Club: #7, #9, #12, #14, #24, #31, #36, #43, #45
*Minor Detail by Adania Shibli ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ for an IRL book club meeting Tuesday. I expected this to be intense...and was it ever! Though I’m uncertain what I just read… Discussing this with other people helped, as usual! I cannot imagine living that way with constant threat of violence/death, unable to travel at all without encountering multiple ‘checkpoints’, etc. Unbelievable that we humans treat each other so miserably. It would be akin to feeling ‘hunted’ all the time, IMO…
POPSUGAR: #14, #29
ATY: #3-A book you could read in 24 hours, #10-Historical Fiction, #17, #25, #27, #28, #30, #33, #41, #44, #48
RHC: #8, #10, #24-2021: prompt #3 A non-European novel in translation
52 Book Club: #5, #24, #31, #32, #33
*Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ All I keep thinking as I read is that I do not miss my mother. She was much like Michelle’s mother—always criticizing every single thing I did (or didn’t do). Though our situations are very different as her mother was her only U.S. connection to her Korean heritage…and I am glad for their mutual understanding before her mother’s death. (Though admittedly, I am a bit jealous!) Erin, our "savvy superstar" discussion leader, has asked some very interesting questions!
POPSUGAR: #2, #4, NEW #44
ATY: #1, #3-A biography, autobiography, or memoir, #4-Saying “I love you,” #14, #15, #17, #23, #29-air travel, #33, #42, #45, #49
RHC: #24-2018: prompt #12 A celebrity memoir
52 Book Club: #9, #14, #19, #24, #25, #30, #43, #44
CONTINUING:
*All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely starts with a bang! Just as I would expect!
*The Birthing House by Kathy Taylor
*Brief Answers to the Big Questions by Stephen Hawking has me thinking so very much that I have delayed reviewing it until I can finalize my thoughts…
*Wool (Silo #1) by Hugh Howey for the July meeting of the IRL book club I facilitate Oh, my! This book is sooooo good!!
*...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