Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge discussion
2024 Weekly Check-Ins
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Week 29: 7/11 - 7/18
My former public library in Michigan sent me a notice that my card is about to expire. Since I don’t have residency anymore, I won’t be able to renew it. I’m really going to miss their digital collection. I've been checking my want to read list and reading all the books they have that my public library here doesn't have.Finished
The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side. I guessed the murderer!!! I never guess the murderer. I liked this one a lot, and not just because I figured it out before Miss Marple said who did it. The characters were alot more dynamic than in some other books. The first victim is named Heather. I never expected to see my name in an Agatha Christie! I thought we were all born in the 80s.
Summers End. Incredible! I love the Shady Hollow series so much, and this book was no exception. I missed the usual cast of characters, but Vera needed a vacation (well, before there was a murder) and I liked the new characters in Summers End. I hope Vera stays in touch with some them.
Reading
What the River Knows
You Should Be So Lucky. Remember how I whined and complained about not being able to find books set in 1960? Now that I’m finished with the 2024 challenge, naturally, I stumbled upon one.
Fifty Beasts to Break Your Heart: And Other Stories
QOTW
I don’t seek out fairytale retellings, but I’m often intrigued when I stumbled upon one so I’ve read a fair few. Kate Forsyth’s The Wild Girl and Bitter Greens are the best retellings I’ve read. They’re historical fiction retellings of fairytales. The Grimm brothers are characters in The Wild Girl.
I’ve read a few of T Kingfisher’s fairytale retellings. I think Thornhedge was my favorite.
Happy Thursday! My laptop completely bricked on me Sunday afternoon. Oof. Luckily, I was able to replace it quickly at a fair price. I’d be lost without my computer.2024 Reading Challenges: I’ve read 263 books so far this year (and 24.1% of my ever-growing TBR) with an average length of 334 pages and an average rating of 3.70.
52 Book Club: 45/52 (Summer Challenge 18/24)
ATY: 39/52 (Summer Challenge 25/36)
Booklist Queen: 45/52
Diverse Baseline: 21/36
Popsugar: 38/50
Robot Librarian: 43/52
ICYMI Backlist: 6/12
Recently Completed:
Ultra-Processed People: The Science Behind Food That Isn't Food ★★★★
North Woods: NPR 2023 Books We Love. It was interesting, but I wasn’t immersed in the story like I was with Richard Powers’ The Overstory or Lauren Groff’s The Vaster Wilds both of which I thought were similar in style. (ATY July #3a – a nature scene without people on the cover) ★★★
An Unkindness of Ghosts (Diverse Baseline #20 – neurodivergent BIPOC author) ★★★
The Centre (Booklist Queen #12 – flowers on the cover/Robot Librarian #9 – a flower on the cover or in the title) ★★★
You Like It Darker (52 Books Summer #2a – a short story collection/ATY June #2a – written by an author over the age of 60) ★★★★
Madness: Race and Insanity in a Jim Crow Asylum (Diverse Baseline #21 – by a BIPOC author with real people on the cover) ★★★★
The Return of Ellie Black ★★★★
Shipped (ATY #23 – related to boats, beaches, bars, ballads, or Jimmy Buffet) ★★★
A Single Man: First published in 1964, “A Single Man” is notable for its sympathetic portrayal of a middle-aged gay man. I suggest reading it in conjunction with the quiet but remarkably compelling film starring Colin Firth. (52 Books #29 – published in a Year of the Dragon/ATY July #2c – pubished in the 1960s) ★★★★
The Year My Life Went Down the Toilet: Middle grade book about a girl struggling with IBS/Crohns’s… and other middle school stuff. NPR 2023 Books We Love. ★★★★
Currently Reading:
An Education in Malice (ATY #26 – author known by their initials)
A Short Walk Through a Wide World (ATY July #4c – an author’s first book)
Brooklyn Crime Novel: NPR 2023 Books We Love.
Hi Honey, I'm Homo!: Sitcoms, Specials, and the Queering of American Culture: NPR 2023 Books We Love.
Rivers of London: Adventures Underground Book Club. (ATY August #4c – a book in a series)
My Lady Jane (52 Books Summer #3c – featuring witty banter/Robot Librarian #23 – adapted into a TV show or streamed series)
The Hazelbourne Ladies Motorcycle and Flying Club (Robot Librarian #29 – a car, plane, train, motorcycle, or bicycle on the cover or in the title)
The White Bonus: Five Families and the Cash Value of Racism in America
QOTW: I'm always intrigued by fairy tale retellings, but I'm usually disappointed. However, I'll second the recommendation of Kate Forsyth's Bitter Greens and The Wild Girl. I also enjoyed retellings from Robin McKinley. Mercedes Lackey's "Five Hundred Kingdoms" is pretty fun too.
I did more writing than reading this week. I did however finish one PS prompt (43. A second-chance romance). I was dreading this one. I'm not much of a romance reader and I'm trying to clear my physical TBR pile so I knew I had very little that would fit thing. Then I picked up Unstable by Alexandra Ivy for the U in my alphabet reading challenge. It said it was romantic suspense and lo and behold it was a divorced couple (sheriff and cold case detective) getting back together.Was it really romantic? Nope but it is billed as such. It was a good police procedural.
QOTW I do not go out of my way to read retellings. If one crosses my path that looks interesting, I'll read it but otherwise, it's not a subgenre I get too excited about. I can't even remember the last one I read (and I know I read one recently)
Happy Thursday, y’all. This past week has been interesting.
I returned on Friday from visiting my brother and sister-in-law and was glad to be home. Our lives are so very different that I find myself walking on eggshells not to be disruptive to theirs.
Last visit, Matanette (sister-in-law) seemed to find my use of my computer in her living room frustrating, my need to charge my electronics in the way, and my way of speech about things always needing corrected. This time, I found an outlet in the bedroom and moved the bed a bit to reach it to plug in…and used my computer mainly either at night in the bedroom or when she was out of the home. As for the remarks about me being chilled (they keep their house at 72) or corrections of things I said, I just agreed with her and changed the subject. I was proud of myself, but weary of it all by Friday and happy to be gone!
Also, my brother has TV on all the time as well as carrying on a conversation. I find it hard to split my attention, so that also was a challenge with no space to read except in bed at night. And, their house consists of 5 rooms (with 3 being bedrooms) and 1 bath. Oh, well, I am home.
[P.S. Why is it that both of them find my reading multiple books so hard to understand and, thus, seem to feel the need to criticize me over it?]
This week, I am dog sitting which means getting up about 3a to let him out to do his business, feed him at 5 (ran late today) and try to think of ways to enrich his time.
I finished off several books once I got home and am on track now for ATY (reading one book a week).
We finally have rain…beautiful rain. Not a lot, not an all day affair…and usually accompanied by storm, but it is still beautiful!
Finished:
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life – PAS, ATY #27. Audible. 5*. This book only goes to prove to me that some formats are better than others for me. I could not get it going as a regular book, but I thoroughly enjoyed it as an audiobook! So much information! It did spark a desire in me to eat local and in season. And, maybe next year, I will do better with my own garden!
Flamer – PS # 2 (bildungsroman). GN. 4*. I still do not compute what bildungsroman really means. This seems to me a coming of age kind of book as well as a book about self-acceptance. Really enjoyed the story and the graphics. It is a book of hope.
Notes from a Small Island– PAS. 3*. Ended this book with less dislike than I thought I would. His early snarky comments eased off and some very valid observations were shared about England.
Sea of Poppies - ATY #28, PAS. 3*. My big difficulty with this book is that it contained many words for different things and people that were not in my vocabulary…and I hate reading with a dictionary in hand…even if at the back of the book. Still I enjoyed the overall story when the threads of several separate lives came together.
Milk and Honey – PS #10. 5*. Oh, my! First this was a quick read. It is poetry, and, while some of the poems are only a line or two, it packs a punch. It is full of sexual abuse reactions in the beginning and so might not be for some people who have experienced that trauma. But, it moves solidly from that start through finding love and being disappointed until she learned to love herself. It ends with a feminism call. Now, I am not one who generally enjoys poetry, but this book took hold of me like a bulldog and did not let go until the end. LOVED the ride!
The Girl Who Leapt Through Time – PS #1 (leap in title). 4*. Two short stories about time. In the first (namesake of the title), the genre would be more SF, I think, than fantasy. It involves return from the future, memory washing, and both teleporting as well as time travel. The second story is about facing fears and the reasonable explanation that fears are often built on.
Currently Reading:
The Man Who Played with Fire: Stieg Larsson's Lost Files and the Hunt for an Assassin – Kindle. No challenge. 35%. Nonfiction. My goal this next week is to get this one to 51%.
Fatality in F – Audiobook. No challenge. 38%. Enjoying this on my walks…when I walk.
Just Starting:
Walden – PAS. 4%. I really need to get this one going!
Black Powder War – ATY #29, PS #23 (dragons).
On Deck:
A People's History of the American Revolution: How Common People Shaped the Fight for Independence - Kindle. 12%
The Cartographers - PAS
PS 26/50 (over halfway!)
ATY 28/52
GR 112/200
QotW: Do you like to read fairytale retellings? Recommend your favorites!
I do not look for fairytale retellings; so I am usually surprised, when reading a book, that it reminds me of a fairytale I know. No recommendations since I seldom remember which ones were retellings!
Greetings! We finally have left 90F+ behind! Some big storms through NYC last night but I'm much happier and more likely to go out and DO things again!PS - 43/50 - getting there!
Finished:
Dead Man's Leap - prompt of course is leap in the title. However, this also has a MC who is 42. Have you noticed that once you found and read a book for the MC 42 years old prompt, it's like every other book you read has a character that age in it????
My Sister, the Serial Killer - prompt 24 letters in title - yes, I counted the comma as a letter.
The Beryllium Murder
Tender at the Bone: Growing Up at the Table
Currently Reading:
The Hobbit - Let's see if I can get through it this time. I love LOTR but could never get more than a third through this one.
Uncommon Type
QOTW: I do but can I think of one right now that I really liked? No. Or.... Princess Floralinda and the Forty-Flight Tower by Tamsyn Muir turns Rapunzel on its head. It's the one that flats to the top of my mind that I liked a lot. It's dark and unexpected and fun. But I like dark and a bit twisted.
OH! There's a cozy mystery series - sort of historical, definitely fantasy elements, where each book is based on a different fairytale retelling. The first is Snow White Red-Handed, series is by Maia Chance and I really liked it.
It's funny this question popped up today because I was thinking about a couple of historical romances I read recently - including the 3rd in the Bridgerton Series - that are retellings of Cinderella and how badly I thought they handled it.
ATY Summer Challenge: 10/12Read: I finally finished a book! How Do You Live? for ATY prompt cover with moon on it. (Could also be used for title with full sentence.) This book was so interesting! It was written as an ethics book for Japanese school children, but succeeded as a novel rather than feeling overly didactic. Miyazaki picked it up and turned it into a movie, The Boy and the Heron, even though the two are nothing alike (except maybe the feel.) It makes me want to start a newsletter like Maria Popova's Marginalian.
Started: Ahem. I MAY have started some more books! Decluttering at the Speed of Life: Winning Your Never-Ending Battle with Stuff
Torn: Rescuing the Gospel from the Gays-vs.-Christians Debate
We Should Have Seen It Coming: From Reagan to Trump--A Front-Row Seat to a Political Revolution
QotW: In theory, I like fairy tale retellings, but I feel like I often don't find good ones! One I DID like recently was Never Never told from the perspective of James Hook.
Happy Thursday!The Big Boy steam engine made an appearance in our tiny town for about a half hour on the 16th. It's the largest steam engine ever built in the world. The horn was so loud I could hear it in the library and my mom heard it at our house 2 miles away.
The temperature has dropped from trips' to the high 90s, but it will be back into trips' by tomorrow and it will last all week.
My sister has bronchitis. She got a cough, got meds for said cough, and cough did not go away. She went to doc, and probably got more meds. I was thinking it was walking pneumonia.
Ziggy is holding his own. His breathing is a little heavier when active, but he breaths better than when he is too sedate. He still has a 12 to 15 breaths per 15 seconds when he's relaxed, and they don't sound raspy at all. So the puerperal infusion is holding it's own without getting worse.
Other than that, I'm on vacation the first week of August. Not sure what i'm going to do other than downsizing books I don't want anymore. I have a ton of romances that I'll probably get rid of because I will never read them again.
I haven't read much this week. I finished one book, which is a romance.
QOTW:
I like retellings depending on how they treat the original material.
I can't think of any off the top of my head except A Curse So Dark and Lonely and Pretear, Vol. 1
Happy Thursday!Finished:
The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty - 4.5 stars - for Popsugar's book about pirates. I really enjoyed this. Looking forward to the next one, whenever it comes out.
The Apothecary Diaries (Light Novel): Volume 2 - 4 stars - not for a prompt. This covers what's been animated thus far, so I already knew the story, but it was still a lot of fun to read. Looking forward to the next volume.
Comics and manga:
Rainbow Days, Vol. 10
Cat + Gamer Volume 5
Komi Can't Communicate, Vol. 30
A Man and His Cat, Vol. 11
Tamon's B-Side, Vol. 1
I am currently at 43/50 prompts for Popsugar (38/45 and 5/5).
Currently reading:
I'm about to start The Soulmate Equation by Christina Lauren - this is either going to be my enemies to lovers romance, or published under a pen name, I'm not sure yet. :)
Upcoming/Planned:
Dying with Her Cheer Pants On by Seanan McGuire - for a book about women's sports
QOTW:
I don't necessarily seek them out, but a number of books I've really enjoyed have been either retellings or inspired by fairy tales.
People have already mentioned T. Kingfisher, who is always a favorite.
Little Thieves by Margaret Owen is another Goose Girl retelling and a book I really love.
Things are finally cooling down around here, though since it's July that doesn't really mean too much. My library's JF Genrefication project has indeed come to a standstill as we wait for more supplies, which means much scrabbling around to find tasks for the teen volunteers to do in the meantime.
My husband and I are going to a local convention this weekend, which we haven't done in a few years, so that'll be a good time.
And I admit, the panels I'm most interesting in attending are for the voice actors from Bluey.
Finished:
Martyr! - I'm not entirely sure how I feel about this one. I liked it enough to stick with it, but I don't necessarily feel like I got as much out of it as I was supposed to. Did not appreciate the twist, but at least it was explained fairly decently.
Currently reading:
The Singer Sisters
He Must Go Walk the Woods So Wild
The Memory Thieves
Crying in H Mart
The Book of Love
QOTW: I don't usually seek them out, and how much I enjoy them depends on what they author does with them.
Happy Thursday! I'm preparing for a superhot weekend. Which means I'm going to the library tomorrow morning when it's still do-able and take home a bunch of books to retreat myself with under our porch. Our porch gives a nice cool shadow until the end of the afternoon. By then, our home is the coolest place and I go watch the Tour de France. And right after dinner, our porch has a nice shadow again. PS: 16/50
FNL: 30/40
Total: 39/52
Finished
Het lied van de goden by Reggie Baay⭐⭐⭐
On slavery in former Dutch-Indies (now Indonesia).
Arend by Stefan Brijs⭐⭐⭐⭐
PS #25
My heart broke in 1000 pieces at the end.
Currently reading
The Rise and Reign of the Mammals: A New History, from the Shadow of the Dinosaurs to Us by Steve Brusatte
The Diamond Eye by Kate Quinn
QOTW
Depends on the quality of the story. I'm not picking them just because they are a a retelling.
Happy Humid Thursday!We got summery weather but damn does it feel tough to breathe out there.
I FINISHED ASSASSINS'S CREED BLACK FLAG!!! The first ever game gamer dudebros would approve of, and I finished it! I'm currently still going around collecting things and doing contracts and stuff, but main storyline is done! I DID IT. I only looked up 2 segments to follow step by step, and one was because I genuinely couldn't see anything. Only near the end did I figure out how to lighten the screen, but I do honestly think I would have needed help with that bit regardless.
Anyways, I'm super proud of myself!
With the things I'm doing now I've already hit another thing I'll need step-by-step help with xD Normally I'd leave it, but if I don't get this, I'll have the contract on my screen forever. Already told my best friend if I can't get it I'm giving her the controller in October to do the swimming/evading sharks part xD
Super excited for the other 4 AC games I got waiting for me. Let's see if I'm still as okay at it when I go back to older games where you can fall off ledges and branches, hahah!
Watched the movie THELMA on Monday and wholeheartedly recommend! Wonderful movie, based on a real story, and June Squibb our queen has the lead!!
Am about to start The Bear season 3 (dropped yesterday here) and I cannot wait.
Readingwise I'm currently back to Jamilton fics for whatever reason. Angst tends to be good when you hit a good one, and the Gallavich fic I'm currently reading has massive chapters and no angst so I took a break because I need the angst, but I forgot how many Jamilton fics I have to skip over, hahah! Also the date I wrote down where I left off was off so most of the ones I come across I've already read. The fangirl struggles, man.
QOTW
On the one hand I love them, on the other hand I've grown picky with them, because there was a period where there were SO MANY and most of them YA that I just got so burnt out. Some are brilliant, but others not so much. I know A Curse So Dark and Lonely was hugely popular, but I hated it, because even though I knew where it was going, I was rooting for the other guy xD
Hi all! My brain is mush, so I feel like I've been busy, but I can't think of what's been going on! I had my infusion this week and mush brain and headaches are a side effect... The kiddo had a field trip today through school to the Science Center in town. We've been before. I think she had fun, but she's not telling me anything about it. I think she's tired though, she's getting frustrated.
She started gymnastics class last week and loved it! And swimming lessons start next week! We're cruising through summer!
I finished Altamont: The Rolling Stones, the Hells Angels, and the Inside Story of Rock's Darkest Day. I had no idea how many people and bands were involved and how little planning went into this disaster. It's a miracle the Hells Angels only killed one person. The was very slow at the beginning, but picked up once the planning (what little there was) for the concert began and the downward spiral to disaster was started.
I may have listened to more in American Girl since last update, I don't remember. Hope to finish it soon.
QOTW: I don't seek out fairytale retellings, but I don't mind reading them here and there. I liked The Wild Swans, a retelling of the HCA story set in the early days of the AIDS epidemic.
Happy Thursday! Taking tomorrow off so looking forward to a long weekend.Finished
The Elite Liked this a lot less than the first (serious she should just join the rebels and try to overthrow this completely ridiculous monarchy) but was into it enough that I picked up the next. No prompt.
Around the World in Eighty Days This was a lot more procedural than I expected. I guess I should have figured, given the premise, but it really was a lot of train to her, transfer to ship, sail to there... Used for ATY's book about travel.
888 Love and the Divine Burden of Numbers Had just put this on my TBR when I saw it in the library so I picked it up. Fun enough story about a young man's college years, with flashbacks to his prior loves, although I found the way the characters spoke to be pretty unrealistic - so over the top quippy.
Used for the ATY summer challenge - my book with a red cover / set in a city.
The Unwritten, Vol. 1: Tommy Taylor and the Bogus Identity Really intriguing story about a kid who is the inspiration for his writer father's series about a boy wizard. But the father's disappeared, and the kid has grown up and is annoyed with the attention he gets. I enjoyed it enough to keep going, but it took me a bit of work to even track down Vol 1, so we'll see if I manage it.
M Train For my rock and roll memoir. Which maybe it doesn't fit because it's not about her musician days at all, but I wanted to read it so I did and I'm counting it! I love how Patti Smith writes. This is a book I shouldn't have been into at all - not much happens, she travels around, looks for coffee shops, sits in hotels and watches crime shows. But I was enthralled. It just sucked me in completely.
Currently Reading
The Big Book of Modern Fantasy
Red Rising
Small Game
A Fine Balance
QotW
Funnily enough, my instinctual reaction was I don't like them as much as Austen retellings because I don't feel like they change as much (I will read any modern-times set Austen you care to write!). But then I went back to my read list, and I really haven't read that many books that would qualify as fairytale retellings, except for a series that does change quite a bit, the Lunar Chronicles. And I would recommend those, starting with Cinder.
Mod
Ugh I think I know the book you mean, and it was awful. The beginning was promising, with the Cinderella bits. And then ... not so much. My review gets so many "likes" too - as people are discovering the series after the show, and realizing "hey this book sucks" LOL. It's a shame, so many GREAT romance novels out there, but these are the romance novels that many people are reading for their first try at romance.
And as bad as Quinn's An Offer From a Gentleman was, Eloisa James's A Kiss at Midnight wasn't much better. Maybe it's not possible to write a truly good Cinderella retelling novel.
Bea wrote: "Happy Thursday, y’all. [P.S. Why is it that both of them find my reading multiple books so hard to understand and, thus, seem to feel the need to criticize me over it?]d ..."
Because they are jealous that they can't. LOL!
Also, I loved Flamer I almost cried at the end.
Happy Thursday.I finished no books this week, but made progress on the ones I'm reading. The one on two week loan absolutely has to be finished by next week. I'm still on track.
Series - 6/12
Nobel laureates - 4/5
Mysteries/Thrillers - 7/13
ATY - 25/45
PS - 16/30
Summer - 6/12
Currently reading:
Heartfire - 70% done
The Mystery Writer - 50% done
The Birthday Girl - 45% done
Buddy Reads:
This Present Darkness - 90% done
Hollow City - 45% done
QOTW: I do. I love anything connected to Alice in Wonderland. Except the last one I read was dreadful. And Wicked - the book not the musical is another dreadful retelling. I guess I will be reading what the rest of you wrote, since I seem to be making more anti-recommendations than recommendations.
I did love the "Sisters Grimm" series by Michael Buckley I read that with my daughter when she was younger, and I was watching "Once Upon a Time" on TV and watching Grimm with my husband. My life was full of retelling at that time.
Mod
..."
Ugh I hate titles like this, because ... hello? some of us DID see it coming!!! I've been saying for a long time now that it all started with the Reagan Presidency. I turned 18 right after Reagan won his second term, so there wasn't anything I could do about it but complain. I guess I can thank him for making me politically aware.
Mod
we are in the middle of watching that!!!
S3 has had a lot of thoughtful musical montages so far. Some times I think the show runners challenged themselves to create a season with the LEAST amount of dialogue possible.
Happy Thursday all!I had a blast on my Toronto vacation. I got to explore Toronto, go up the CN Tower, hang out with a friend who lives in the area, and attend a Transformers convention. Lots of fun.
...and then our flight was delayed and I spent 14 hours in the Toronto airport and an unexpected night in Atlanta when I missed my connection. Needless to say, I almost need another vacation to recover from this vacation, haha...
I finished NO books this week! To be fair I was a little busy...
QOTW:
I LOVE fairy tale retellings. T. Kingfisher and Robin McKinley generally do really good ones, though I also love Mercedes Lackey's retelling of Swan Lake, The Black Swan.
I got some decent reading done this week. I only managed to finish graphic novels this week.I am still getting over the cold I got this weekend and passed it to my nephew. But he didn't seem to get it as bad, which is good cause he had to go to his dad's house last night for the weekend. He will not get medicine there so I made sure to give him one more dose before I dropped him off, LOL.
My sister leaves for her 10 day vacation today. Which is why my nephew is at his dad's already. But I will get him back this weekend and have just me and him til the end of next weekend. Wish me luck, LOL...nah I'll be fine, I think.
2024 Challenges:
Popsugar: 40/50
ATY: 49/52
Robot Librarian: 43/52
A to Z: 25/26
Physical TBR: 0/95
Kindle TBR: 1/120
Goodreads: 139/100
Book Clubs:
PS Monthly: 22/56
Reese: 31/95
Oprah: 12/101
Jenna: 9/68
OSS: 7/39
Finished:
5 finished, 0 Completed Popsugar
Flamer
The Night Eaters: Her Little Reapers
Heartstopper: Volume One
Heartstopper: Volume Two
Lies My Teacher Told Me: A Graphic Adaptation
-------
Currently Reading
The Quarter Storm
While We Were Dating
The Covenant of Water
The Eyes and the Impossible
Gothikana
Crying in H Mart
On the Backburner
Libby
Leslie F*cking Jones
Physical Library Rentals
Trashed
My Friend Dahmer
Forest Hills Bootleg Society
Heartstopper Vol. 3
Heartstopper Vol. 4
Enemies
The Misfits
Squire & Knight
Smile
Sisters
Guts
Nell of Gumbling: My Extremely Normal Fairy-Tale Life
Monstress Vol. 1
Monstress Vol. 2
Monstress Vol. 3
Cardboard
Global
Magazines: (12/148)
Read since last check-in: 0
Question of the Week:
I don't usually seek them out but, I have read some. The one series I have been following is the Meant to Be series. It is written by different romance authors. They are fine, just basic romance/chick lit stuff but I do tend to like how they handle the retelling. I haven't read the newest one yet though.
Mod
I recommend it to anyone who might find themselves in the area, and would enjoy a wide open natural sculpture park, "an ever-changing partnership between the artist and environment." The sky could not have been more perfect today, either - lots of dramatic puffy clouds!!!
And somehow I've never actually been to Cazenovia - when we visit Chittenango Falls, my route always came in from the north and missed downtown Cazenovia. What a CUTE little town!!! Now I'm wondering how many other cute little NY towns I've been missing out on ...
Whew, things have been crazy since last week. Last week we went and saw New Kids On The Block in concert which was super awesome, however there was a downside to our trip. My mom came back with Covid and ended up in the hospital, and then it took a few days, but I caught it as well. Yesterday was pretty much in bed all day. And to top it off, my infant nephew got it as well so we've just been stuck with Covid all week. My sister got it too, but hers wasn't as severe and she could still function. I'm still on the mend, but luckily it's not as bad as before I don't think. This is the 3rd time I've had it despite all of my vaccines. I haven't been able to focus on school work or my general reading as a result. Today was the first day I felt well enough to do stuff.*****
Reading News:
Despite not being able to read in 4 days, I'm at a good pace for my reading. I've read 10 books this month which has been great.
Currently Reading:
The Untold Story of Books: A Writer's History of Publishing
- Halfway through this one. It's okay. It's got good history, but it doesn't have that 'wow' factor so at this rate I'll probably give it a 3-star.
Reader, Come Home: The Reading Brain in a Digital World
- More than halfway on this one. Nothing exciting here. Most likely also a 3-star.
The Rediscovery of America: Native Peoples and the Unmaking of U.S. History
- Reading this one again even though I read it before. The second time around and it continues to be a 5-star.
The Secret History of Sharks: The Rise of the Ocean's Most Fearsome Predators
- This book has been very surprising. It reminds me a lot of The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs: A New History of a Lost World which I loved. At this rate, I'm anticipating the shark book to be a 5-star.
*****
Question of the Week
Do you like to read fairytale retellings? Recommend your favorites!
To be honest, I have never read a retelling before. I have several of the Disney Twisted Tales books, but I have yet to read them. I haven't read any others, but I think I might have a gay retelling of Pride & Prejudice which seems interesting.
You all know me to be a heavy nonfiction reader, so it takes a lot for me to get into fiction. I have to be in the right mood and mindset, otherwise they're just collecting dust on my shelves.
It's been a week of intense storms out here; we've had a couple that took out the power - luckily only momentarily. Next week I'm going on vacation and spending the week by a lake. Hopefully I'll get in lots of reading time!Finished
The Residence: Inside the Private World of the White House: Really interesting look at what it's like to work at the White House and what it's like for the first families that live there. It did make me really nostalgic for the Obama era.
Mammoths at the Gates: the first one remains my favorite but this is a close second
QOTW
I don't generally read fairy tale retellings; it's just not really my genre. I did read Thornhedge earlier this year and enjoyed it.
Happy check-in! I didn't read much this past week, I'm just not feeling the book options lately for whatever reason.Also just discovered my OneNote is suddenly not allowing me to use it, so hopefully when I turn the computer off it will return to normal the next time. I use OneNote to write out my challenges.
Finished Reading:
Mistlefoe ⭐⭐
I felt the need to complete this series but the audiobook was the only option from the library. Fortunately it was very short.
Battle for the Blood ⭐⭐⭐
The author managed to add in many different mythologies (minorly) for the end of the world/zombie plague.
The Brides of High Hill ⭐⭐⭐
This is a solid series. It's comparable to Seanan McGuire's Wayward Children series in the way that each novella is a different story that ties all together.
PS 40/50
ATY 46/52
ATY Summer 28/36
Goodreads 171/200
QOTW:
All the retellings of my favourite things please. So too many to recommend. I have a Cinderella shelf, Austenland, Buffyverse, Greek Mythology plus a retellings shelf for all the things that I don't have enough to form a new shelf.
I really should get around to reading the originals instead of just the retellings. ;)
Ron wrote: "Whew, things have been crazy since last week. Last week we went and saw New Kids On The Block in concert which was super awesome, however there was a downside to our trip. My mom came back with Cov..."Glad to hear you're on the mend and it's less severe than last time. I hope your mom is doing better/is out of hospital?
Happy Thursday! This has been a super packed week- a lot of work events and plans with family and friends- so not much reading happened. But I have this weekend pretty free so I plan to do nothing much at all, so hopefully catching up on some shows and lots of books.Last night was really fun though- my mom has been wanting to see a kpop show for a while now, so for her birthday I took her to see one! We saw Ateez, who put on one of the best shows I've been to! It was wild. The crowd was so fun, and my mom had a great time!
And I don't know if poshpenny is still checking these weekly updates, but if you are- hey, I saw your group! They were amazing!
Finished:
Buried Deep and Other Stories- one of my netgalley books, I really liked this short story collection! I like Naomi Novik already, so I had high hopes for this, and it was really good
-6 A book about pirates (the first story was about pirates)
Currently reading:
Motheater-still working on this one
Crying in H Mart- will probably be posting the final bunch of questions this weekend in the group read thread
QotW:
I do like fairy tale inspired books- they are hit and miss sometimes, but I still am motivated to pick them up. The first one that comes to mind is Spinning Silver which I really liked, a reimagining by rumpelstiltskin
Happy Thursday! It has been soooo humid lately. Today was the first day in about 2 weeks that was under 90 degrees! That 87 degree weather today with low humidity felt so nice. I almost forgot what it felt like to be able to breathe. I helped my friend with her fundraiser last weekend. The fundraiser stuffed 600 plus Christmas stockings for homeless children. It was a great time. Although, it did feel a bit strange doing Christmas things in this heat lol
Finished:
The Fury (ATY country bordering med sea) 2 stars. Books with narrators are hit or miss. If you like the narrator, it can make the book really compelling. I did not like the narrator. He was really pretentious (even though I understand that was the whole point of him)
Currently reading:
The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics (ATY "going for the gold")
It's One of Us (no prompt)
Upcoming:
Entangled Life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds & Shape Our Futures
QOTW: It really depends on the retelling. I think I like ones where a lot is changed from the original. I really liked Cinder and intend on finishing that series.
Happy Thursday, everyone!This has been a great week so far! One of my best friends flew into town and is staying with me for a week. It’s been so nice to have a chance to catch up face-to-face, and we’ve had a blast visiting my local used bookstores and coffee houses.
Since I do have a house guest, I haven’t done quite as much reading as I do during the average week, but the books I’ve had a chance to finish this week have all been really good.
Here are my current challenge and TBR totals…
Goodreads Challenge: 352/200 (Challenge Complete!)
Mount TBR Challenge: 93/150
📚Physical TBR: 52
📱Ebook TBR: 41
🎧Audiobook TBR: 0
TBR Checklist Total: 93
Despite my plans to limit my book purchases this month, I have added some more titles to my new books list over the past week, including: The Red Queen series, by Victoria Aveyard; Everything Is F*cked: A Book About Hope and The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck, by Mark Manson; Unfu*k Yourself: Get Out of Your Head and Into Your Life, by Gary John Bishop; and Oceanology: The Secrets of the Sea Revealed and Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Life: The Definitive Visual Guide to Prehistoric Animals, by D.K. Publishing.
“New” Books Bought in 2024: 260
“New” Books Read in 2024: 237
“New” Books DNFed in 2024: 1
Finished Reading (Fiction):
~A Curse in Kyoto: a Mystery-Thriller — This is the first book in the Hunter and Higashi mystery series. I thoroughly enjoyed this story, and loved both of the main characters. I’m already looking forward to the next book in the series, whenever it is released. Content Alert: (view spoiler) 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~Middle of the Night — I really enjoyed Riley Sager’s newest book! The characters were great, and the plot kept me guessing right up until the very end. 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~An Ember in the Ashes — This is the first book in the Ember in the Ashes series. I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I really liked the story and characters. I’m also glad I had the foresight to buy the entire series, instead of purchasing the books one at a time, because I wanted to start the next book as soon as I finished this one. Content Alert: (view spoiler) 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Finished Reading (Nonfiction):
~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 thoroughly enjoyed it. While I did learn a couple of things that I’d prefer not to know, this book was absolutely fascinating and included some humorous moments. I though the audiobook’s narrator was fabulous. 🎧: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Finished Reading (Manga, Comic Books, & Graphic Novels):
None
Finished Reading (Poetry and Drama):
None
DNFed:
None
Currently Reading:
~The Shark Handbook: The Essential Guide for Understanding the Sharks of the World — Shark Week may be over, but I'm not done learning about sharks. I’m currently on the third chapter of this book, and I’m enjoying it so far. The information is really interesting. 📚
~A Torch Against the Night — This is the second book in the Ember in the Ashes series. I’m currently a few chapters into this book, and I’m really enjoying it. 📚
~Jane Austen at Home — I picked up a copy of this audiobook on Libby, and I’m finding it really interesting. I’m currently about a quarter of the way through the book, since I’m only listening to it at night. 🎧
QOTW:
I’ve gotten really selective when it comes to reading fairytale retellings, because I find it very easy to get burned out on them.
The retellings I've enjoyed the most were Thornhedge, by T. Kingfisher; Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast, Rose Daughter, and Spindle's End, by Robin McKinley; Uprooted and Spinning Silver, by Naomi Novik; and Princess Floralinda and the Forty-Flight Tower, by Tamsyn Muir.
K.L. wrote: "Despite my plans to limit my book purchases this month, I have added some more titles to my new books list over the past week, including: The Red Queen series, by Victoria Aveyard; Everything Is F*cked: A Book About Hope and The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck, by Mark Manson; Unfu*k Yourself: Get Out of Your Head and Into Your Life, ..."Hmmm... sensing a theme here! ;)
All the electrical cables in the street are getting replaced so there's constant noise and they managed to knock the power out the other evening, just when everyone was in the middle of cooking dinner. At least summer has arrived and we're getting the pizza oven out again tonight.Finished:
Long Live Evil by Sarah Rees Brennan for a character who is 24. Well, the character she becomes in the books is 24 even though in the real world she's 20, but I'll take it. This was tropelicious fun. At the start I didn't think it was the sort of book that could be spun out to fill a series but by the end I was wanting the next book.
Currently reading Not for the Faint of Heart and listening to Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone.
QOTW:
It's been ages since I read a fairytale retelling other than T. Kingfisher's books, which are great. As others have said, there was a time when publishers were churning out so many, and the quality varied. A couple I liked are Spinning Silver and The Wolf and the Woodsman. I think I'm more likely to read books that have a bit of fairytale inspiration.
Erica wrote: "Ron wrote: "Whew, things have been crazy since last week. Last week we went and saw New Kids On The Block in concert which was super awesome, however there was a downside to our trip. My mom came b..."Thanks, yeah she is. Got out on Weds. Thankfully we're no longer contageous anymore. Still though crazy stuff.
*****
Started a new book today:
Proust and the Squid (text only) Reprint edition by M. Wolf
K.L. wrote: Currently Reading:~The Shark Handbook: The Essential Guide for Understanding the Sharks of the World — Shark Week may be over, but I'm not done learning about sharks. I’m currently on the third chapter of this book, and I’m enjoying it so far. The information is really interesting. 📚
Nice! Looks like a good one. I've got a shark book going too, and I hope to have another come August.
Happy Check-in everyone.. It has been quite some time since I last checked-in. It has been raining non-stop here for the past two days. Started watching The Crown on netflix. IDK why I put it off for so long.. I do that with books too like I buy a book and keep it on my tbr for soo long and then one day I just casually browse around and start reading that.. and then I am like "why did I put it off for so long?" Is it an ADHD thing or does this happen to everybody?Anyway, finished the first season now. Found this awesome reddit group up for discussions about real life comparisons and stuff. It is so cool! (ok, turning my geek off) Anyway, Highly recommend if anybody are like me and still haven't watched it.
Book news: finished milk and honey by rupi kaur (PS# adv3). I am not a poetry gal. So this was kinda new.. I can't exactly say I loved it but I did like few poems especially in the last part of the book.
Also finished It Started with a Book by Camilla Isley (PS# adv4). I messaged the author on a whim asking her about her 24th book cuz God! I hated this prompt so much.. Like Ughh!
So she messaged me back saying that her 24th book just came out last week. I could not have been more happier to check it off. Basically, it is what would happen if your fictional boyfriend suddenly appeared out of nowhere in the real world?
One line review: Don't think too much and go with the flow. [3/5]
It has magical realism and it came out in 2024 so if anybody are checking off multiple prompts with a single book.. you can give it a try.
Question of the Week
Do you like to read fairytale retellings? Recommend your favorites!
No.. I gave it a shot with the bridgerton book last year and I did not enjoy it at all.
Nadine in NY wrote: "Theresa wrote: "It's funny this question popped up today because I was thinking about a couple of historical romances I read recently - including the 3rd in the Bridgerton Series - that are retelli..."Oh thank god! I am not alone.. I read it last year with couple of my friends from book club.. (not just this one book, the whole series) And they said it was definitely top3 stuff and I just sat there staring at them!
Nadine in NY wrote: "S3 has had a lot of thoughtful musical montages so far. Some times I think the show runners challenged themselves to create a season with the LEAST amount of dialogue possible."I've only been able to watch two episodes so far because my screen keeps jumping whenever subtitles pop up and it's so annoying and distracting! Watching without is also not really an option with the amount of shouting over each other they do, haha!
I think I just managed to fix it with customer service's help, so fingers crossed!
A lot of people are lyrical about the first episode, and sure it looked beautiful, but personally I didn't enjoy it. I spent the entire time trying to place things in the right timeline and trying to remember what had happened in the last season and what they were referring to, haha! I know this is Artistic™ and all, but for me it would've worked better in a more linear way, haha!
I'm hoping the season will get better for me, because so far I can't find my groove with it yet. That's not to say it's not good or anything; the 'for me' is most vital here, haha!
Edit: it's not fixed *sobs*
Mod
The Goodreads 2024 Reading Challenge is planning an I SPY Team Readathon August 2-11. You can sign up HERE until July 25!
Both of these listings from The Atlantic contain books I had never heard of before. I am not necessarily interested in reading all of them, but felt they contain some titles that might be new-to-you and prove to be interesting to you!
Seven Books That Will Make You Rethink Your Relationship to Nature (msn.com)
https://www.theatlantic.com/books/arc...
Nine Books That Push Against the Status Quo (msn.com)
https://www.theatlantic.com/books/arc...
And I was unfamiliar with all 5 of these!
Five Books for People Who Really Love Books (msn.com)
https://www.msn.com/en-us/lifestyle/m...
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 FINAL SELECTION 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!
The two top vote-getters are:
The Thursday Murder Club (Thursday Murder Club #1)
From Blood and Ash
VOTE FOR ONE OF THESE HERE!! This poll is only available through Tuesday, July 30!
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:
Do you like to read fairytale retellings? Recommend your favorites!
I loved both of Alix E. Harrow’s Fractured Fables: A Spindle Splintered (Sleeping Beauty) and A Mirror Mended (Snow White).
I adored Susan Wilson’s Beauty, retelling of Beauty and the Beast.
I really enjoyed T.J. Klune’s In the Lives of Puppets which is a retelling of The Adventures of Pinocchio!
The Ghost Bride is Yangsze Choo’s retelling of various Chinese folklore tales. Though I am unfamiliar with the original folk tales, I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this book! This was a buddy read.
Where the Wild Ladies Are by Aoko Matsuda are “feminist retellings of traditional Japanese folktales.” Another Buddy Read that surprised me! In a good way! Also unfamiliar with the original tales…
I’m anxious to finally read Vaishnavi Patel's Kaikeyi, a retelling of a Ramayana epic from ancient India. I think the one-word title of such an unusual-to-me word has me enthralled!
2024 READING CHALLENGES:
Popsugar: 33/50
Around the Year (AtY): 50/52
Read Harder: 16/24
52 Book Club: 42/52
FINISHED:
*If This Were Fiction: A Love Story in Essays by Jill Christman ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ for a workshop this Tuesday. This was one of the very best essay collections I’ve ever read. I think the fact that I have shared quite a few life experiences with the author helps me identify a bit more closely with the topics. I particularly appreciate her own self-musings as that type of thought process echoes my own…
POPSUGAR: #2, #4
ATY: #3-A book that is a collection of short stories or essays, #9-67 ratings, #15, #17, #21, #24-Green, #25, #27, #28, #33, #36, #44, #45, #46, #48
RHC: #14, #24-2015: prompt #18 Read a book that someone else has recommended to you
52 Book Club: #10, #14, #24, #30, #31, #43, #49-Muncie, IN, #51
*Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day by Winifred Watson ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ for the Persephone Book group’s July monthly read. Although I got a bit bored about midway through, the last 1/3 and ending of the book definitely more than redeemed my overall reading experience of this one. I believe if you are a “romance” fan you would enjoy this! And perhaps, like me, even if you aren’t particularly enthralled by much of the romance genre, you would still find it enjoyable. Of course, there are some bits and pieces of dialogue that are reflective of the 1930s that would be identified as racist in the current times. Though it seems a bit strange to read such language now, it was considered to be common and unchallenged in that time period…
POPSUGAR: #2, #11, NEW #24, #31
ATY: #1, #3-A book title that seemingly refers to one or more characters in the book, #10-Historical Fiction, #17, #19-Coffee in front of the fire at the end, #21, #25, #33, #36-Guinivere was a governess, #46, #48
RHC: #24-2015: prompt #4 A book published by an indie press (Persephone)
52 Book Club: #9, #26-Classic/Historical Fiction/Romance, #32, #51-Miss LaFosse’s lifestyle seemed extremely WILD to Miss Pettigrew!
CONTINUING:
*The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer for an IRL book club meeting this Sunday
*The Lost Story by Meg Shaffer for an author event this Sunday
*Feel the Bern by Andrew Shaffer for an author event this Sunday
*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…
*The Birthing House by Kathy Taylor
*All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely starts with a bang! Just as I would expect!
*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
All the check ins about miserable hot humid and/or rainy weather make me so grateful that I live in a Mediterranean climate in SoCal. Rarely above 80. Rarely below 60. Again, gratitude!I finished 3 books, one for fun and two for challenges.
For fun:
The comic I Will Judge You By Your Bookshelf by Grant Snider
Challenges:
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie
PS: Someone dies in the first chapter
ATY: N/A
52: Neurodivergent author
Robot librarian: N/A
From A cat's View edited by Robin Praytor
PS: From an animals POV
ATY: Similar covers #1
52: N/A
Robot librarian:anthology/short story collection
Currently reading:
Why We Love Baseball
The Subtle Art of not Giving A F**K
Never Whistle At Night
The Iliad
Anne of Green Gables
Consider the Fork
Identity
QOTW: I don't read many fairytale retellings. They mostly appear to be sci-fi/fantasy and I don't prefer those genres.
Ron wrote: "Erica wrote: "Ron wrote: "Whew, things have been crazy since last week. Last week we went and saw New Kids On The Block in concert which was super awesome, however there was a downside to our trip...."Will be interested in hearing what you think of Proust and the Squid: The Story and Science of the Reading Brain. I could not get through it - bored me to tears. A friend just read it and gave it a 'meh' review - and she's very geeky and into those types of books.
L Y N N wrote: "I received an email message on July 13 regarding a previously unscheduled added-at-the-last-minute author event at the Carmel Clay Public Library in Carmel, IN, at 6PM yesterday! The author is [aut..."Oh, LYNN< so excited you got to go to Kamali's release event! I'll have to see if/when she's in NYC. I loved her [book:Together Tea|16240786] and The Stationery Shop.
There's currenty a giveaway for The Lion Women of Tehran and I entered!
Mod
Ah, yes, I spent a few days in SoCal. I loved La Jolla!! That weather!
I'd be willing to move out and live with you there, Denise! Ha! Ha! 😁😃👍
Mod
Oh, LYNN< so excited you got to go to Kamali's release event! I'll have to see if/when she's in NYC. I loved her Together Tea and The Stationery Shop.
There's currenty a giveaway for The Lion Women of Tehran and I entered!"
The excerpt she read was amazing!
I love author events!
I am currently reading Meg Shaffer's two books: just finished The Wishing Game which was kinda a modern-day fairy tale, IMO. I loved it! Now starting her newest release, The Lost Story. She and her husband, Andrew Shaffer, will be at an author event at my favorite local used bookstore on Sunday. I read and enjoyed his two books, Hope Never Dies and Hope Rides Again, the Obama Biden mysteries. And hope to also read his newest release, Feel the Bern before the event this Sunday! 😁👍
I have been such a mood reader this year that I have not kept up with my reading challenges, hardly any of them. I need to go back to through my lists and see which books might fit the categories. Maybe even start to get back into them. The hard part was that so many of the prompts for the PS challenge were geared towards fiction so I have to dig deep for the nonfiction stuff. I'll try though. Gonna check out my other challenges as well.
Someone googled my issues for me, and must have used different words cuz they found something that looks to have actually worked!! The Bear season 3 was not my favorite. I feel like we watched 10 whole episodes and got nowhere, even for a character driven show. Hopefully season 4 will progress the story more!
Mod
I finished..."
Sigh. I went to grad school at Stanford and I LOVED the weather out there!! I tried hard to find a job but all the big aero companies had just laid off and were cutting back, no engineering jobs for Nay ... I had to go back East.
Just as well. I don't think I would have been happy long term living so far from my family. EVENTUALLY, the thrill of good weather would have been outweighed by my love for my family. It would take a while though haha!
Mod
well that's disappointing!! it won't keep me from watching it of course!!
One week into Charlotte and I'm trying to balance chores and unpacking with resting / relaxing. Challenges:
61/75 GoodReads Challenge
35/50 PopSugar Challenge
Finished:
1.) Things We Do in the Dark by Jennifer Hillier (No PS Prompt) ⭐⭐⭐: Started and finished this on the drive from Chi to Charlotte and it was just ok. I had such high hopes and really wanted so much more from the podcast storyline.
2. The Return of Ellie Black by Emiko Jean (No PS Prompt) ⭐⭐⭐: I listened to this one while starting to unpack and it also was good, not great. I enjoyed it in the moment, but I know I'll forget it in a few weeks.
Currently Reading:
1.) The German Girl
2.) The Veins of the Ocean
3.) Margo's Got Money Troubles
QoTW: Do you like to read fairytale retellings?
I love the idea of them, but rarely enjoy the execution of them, curious to read through everyone's recommendations.
Ron wrote: "Whew, things have been crazy since last week. Last week we went and saw New Kids On The Block in concert which was super awesome, however there was a downside to our trip. My mom came back with Cov..."I'm so glad that you're feeling better Ron.
Nadine in NY wrote: "Denise wrote: "All the check ins about miserable hot humid and/or rainy weather make me so grateful that I live in a Mediterranean climate in SoCal. Rarely above 80. Rarely below 60. Again, gratitu..."so true. My family is here...I grew up here and never left. But I would follow my family if they moved...my daughter lived in Texas for 5 months and I was contemplating a move, but she missed it here too much and came back....
Mod
I read a lot of fairy tale retellings, and I really like them! I've got a bookshelf where I track them: https://www.goodreads.com/review/list....
Here are the retellings that I've given five stars, excluding picture books, short stories, and stories based on myth like Circe:
Daughter of the Forest
When Beauty Tamed the Beast - so I know I dissed James' Cinderella retelling, but I guess I liked this one!
The Lunar Chronicles
Winternight Trilogy
The Magic Fish
Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge
Books mentioned in this topic
The Lunar Chronicles Boxed Set: Cinder, Scarlet, Cress, Fairest, Winter (other topics)Winternight Trilogy (other topics)
Daughter of the Forest (other topics)
Circe (other topics)
When Beauty Tamed the Beast (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Jennifer Hillier (other topics)Emiko Jean (other topics)
Meg Shaffer (other topics)
Andrew Shaffer (other topics)
Robert Louis Stevenson (other topics)
More...
Sorry I'm late posting! Yesterday we drove down to see my daughter's new apartment in Binghamton and move in some stuff (it's super cute, right in the middle of downtown with bars and restaurants all around, with ancient wood parquet floors and an old wooden stairway that creaks so for sure she and her roommate will hear each other every morning and night - but that's okay, her roommate is her bestie, they've been friends since they were 3!!), and today first thing in the morning my dog had a vet appointment (she's had this ongoing skin condition - I have to take her in to be sedated for biopsies next week - sob! I hate leaving them there!!) and in all the to-do I forgot it's Thursday check-in day!! So this post is a bit of a rush job!!!
It's been so hot and humid. I can't even remember when it was NOT hot and humid. But today - TODAY - looks like it will finally cool down enough that we can go do something - there is a sculpture park in Cazenovia that we are planning to visit. (Stone Quarry Art Park - has anyone been there? I have not!)
NetGalley has been approving books as fast as I can read them, so I cannot get my ratio much above 50%! But I'm trying hard!! This week I knocked out THREE NetGalley books ... but I also had several new titles approved, so I'm getting nowhere on that ratio (but I'm getting lots of great books!!!)
Admin stuff
Final poll is live for choosing the October group read! vote here:
https://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/2...
AS ALWAYS - let us know if you'd like to lead any of the group reads!! We have openings for August, September, October ...
This week I finished 5 books, none for this challenge (but 4 of them were 2024 pubs so I'm charging ahead on that new challenge I set myself!!).
Hard Girls by J. Robert Lennon- I really loved this!! It's a quirky literary thriller told in multiple timelines, adult twin sisters search for their mom who abandoned them when they were teens, but they aren't really sure if they truly want to find her. Five stars. These characters felt very real and they will stay with me for a long time - I'm thrilled to see he plans to write more books following the sisters.
49 Days by Agnes Lee- this nearly wordless graphic novel was very meh. ymmv
Cold Welcome by Elizabeth Moon - this was the second audiobook I received from NetGalley - the book was published a few years ago but the audiobook is being released next month. This is part one in a series, but it's a sequel to another series, so it's not really part one at all, which means (a) there was a ton of infodump in the beginning,and (b) there were a lot of details I missed out on. Neither of these are great things for an audiobook. Also, it's military sci fi, which is not my favorite genre. I gave this 3 stars, but if you're into military SFF, you may love this.
The Drowning House by Cherie Priest - I got this from NetGalley; this book is what I would call atmospheric horror. In the middle it got pretty scary, and unfortunately for me I was reading that part late at night when I was home alone waiting for my kids to come back from their vacation. At one point I had to just stop reading and go scroll social media, to sort of virtually touch grass and shake off the heebie jeebies. If you like REALLY scary books, this will disappoint you, and if you don't like to be scared at all, this will be too scary for you, so it has to hit that sweet spot. I usually love Priest's books, but this one was not one of her best, there was a lot in here that could have been edited out or handled differently, and the pacing was not great, it starts off really slow and then in the end it's frenetic with too many elements thrown in.
The Most by Jessica Anthony - another NetGalley book! I read this all in one sitting. It's sort of a slice-of-life novella, and if I described what happened, it won't sound that riveting, but I was riveted. Five stars. If you like LitFic about women's lives, I recommend this one.
Popsugar 96% 48 /50
Must Reads 60% 6 /10
AtY 92% 48 /52
2024 pub 50% 25 /50
NetGalley ratio 57%
Question of the Week
Do you like to read fairytale retellings? Recommend your favorites!
I DO like the idea of fairytale retellings, but I don't always like the books I read hahaha. So I guess I'm hoping for lots of good recs here ...
I'm reading one right now, by the estimable T. Kingfisher who can do no wrong: A Sorceress Comes to Call, which is supposedly based on The Goose Girl which is a story I don't know very well. Too early to say if it's good but it's Kingfisher so of course it will be good hahaha