Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge discussion
2024 Weekly Check-Ins
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Week 37: 9/5 - 9/12
Happy Thursday all!This week has been exhausting for some reason. This semester of school has been kicking my butt, and we're only four weeks in. And work has been exhausting too, for some reason. I actually called in sick yesterday to recuperate, which is something I almost never do.
At least I have books to help me escape reality for a bit. (And my current anime obsession, Jojo's Bizarre Adventure...)
Books read this week:
The Fireborne Blade -- short but surprisingly epic fantasy with a bit of an Elden Ring flavor to it. If you like your fantasy action-packed and gory but not overly long, this one is a good one.
A Sorceress Comes to Call -- only vaguely based on the Goose Girl fairy tale, but still another fantastic fantasy story by T. Kingfisher. At this point she could write a cookbook and I’d read it, hehe…
The Circus Infinite -- a little rough around the edges but still a delightful space opera. And it’s nice to get a novel with an asexual lead, especially one that acknowledges that ace people can still form close friendships and even find love without feeling sexual desire.
Special Deliverance -- I liked the last book I read by Clifford D. Simak, but this one just left me baffled. Hey author, explain what the heck is going on, could you?
DNF:
Voyage of the Damned -- I had high hopes for this one, but boy the main character is obnoxious. And the worldbuilding feels very patchy and badly done.
Currently reading:
The Brides of High Hill
The Rescue Team
Little Eve
The Dragon and the Unicorn
QOTW:
One of my favorite Hispanic authors is Aiden Thomas. Cemetery Boys is GOOD.
Happy Thursday! Cool and rainy again today. We get very little rain in southeastern Washington. Only about 8 inches of precipitation each year. That’s not much when you compare it to Forks, Washington which gets more than 120 inches yearly!2024 Reading Challenges: I’ve read 342 books so far this year with an average length of 338 pages and an average rating of 3.73. Additionally, I’ve completed 29.2% of my ever-growing TBR… creeping slowly toward my goal of 33.3%.
52 Book Club: 51/52 (September Mini-Challenge: 1/3)
ATY: 46/52 (Fall Challenge 11/45)
Booklist Queen: 47/52
Diverse Baseline: 27/36
Popsugar: 43/50
Robot Librarian: 49/52
ICYMI Backlist: 9/12
Recently Completed:
Friday Night Lights: Reminds me of many of the complaints I had when teaching high school. So much attention showered on athletes, students missing class because they were talking with Coach, the money spent on improving athletic facilities (that most students never got to use) while teachers struggled to find textbooks and desks for all their students. (52 Books #29 – published in a Year of the Dragon: 1988/ATY Fall - FAMILYGATHERING: Friday) ★★★★
That Flag: I don’t usually count picture books in my book count, but I needed one for the Diverse Baseline challenge. The subject – the legacy of the Confederate battle flag – was a bit too advanced for our 7-year-old. (Diverse Baseline #27 – a children's book/picture book by an BIPOC author) ★★★★
Never in a Hurry: Essays on People and Places: Reasonable Doubt Book Club. (ATY Fall – PUMPKINSPICELATTE: Naomi Shahib Nye) ★★★★★
Heartless Hunter (ATY #48 – second book that fits favorite prompt: wings on the cover) ★★★★
Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors, and the Drug Company that Addicted America: Focused on the people and communities affected by oxycontin and heroin addiction, this is a good companion to Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty. (ATY #34 – related to one of Snow White’s Seven Dwarfs: “Dopey”/Robot Librarian #23: adapted into a TV show or streamed series: Hulu+) ★★★★
The Wedding People: “I just mean, a story can be beautiful not because of the way it ends. But because of the way it’s written.” I thoroughly enjoyed this one. Phoebe Stone was such a wonderful character. (ATY Fall – PUMPKINSPICELATTE: Alison Espach) ★★★★★
After the Forest: Fun stuff! Twenty years after the witch in the gingerbread house, Greta and Hans are struggling to get by. But Greta has the witch’s grimoire, and the recipe inside makes the best gingerbread you’ve ever tasted. Adventures Underground Book Club. (52 Books September Mini-Challenge: related to in the kitchen/ATY Fall – PUMPKINSPICELATTE: Kell Woods) ★★★★
Twice Shy: It’s okay for the heroine to have a quirk, but she can’t be ALL quirk. Very annoying. (ATY #34 – related to one of Snow White’s Seven Dwarfs: “Bashful”) ★★
Interview with the Vampire (52 Books #29 – published in a Year of the Dragon: 1976/ATY Fall – PUMPKINSPICELATTE: Interview) ★★★★
The Comfort of Crows: A Backyard Year: Beautiful little book, but the author’s Tennessee accent drove me crazy. ★★★
Currently Reading:
America the Beautiful?: One Woman in a Borrowed Prius on the Road Most Traveled (ATY #33 – involving travel)
The Fox Wife (ATY Fall – FAMILYGATHERING: Yangsze Choo/Robot Librarian #27 – based on mythology other than Greek or Roman)
The Ministry of Time (ATY Fall – PUMPKINSPICELATTE: Ministry)
The Secret History (52 Books #48 – the word secret in the title/ATY Fall – PUMPKINSPICELATTE: Donna Tart)
The Warm Hands of Ghosts (ATY Fall – HOTAPPLECIDER: Katherine Arden)
Salt & Broom (ATY #6 – wings on the cover)
Save Me the Plums: My Gourmet Memoir (52 Books September Mini-Challenge – related to Professor Plum)
The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake (ATY Fall – HOTAPPLECIDER: Particular/Booklist Queen #23 – a friend’s favorite book)
Poverty, by America (ATY Fall – PUMPKINSPICELATTE: Poverty/Booklist Queen #2 – a 2023 Goodreads Award winner)
QOTW: Recently I’ve really enjoyed reading Silvia Moreno-Garcia and Isabel Cañas. The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón is a long-time favorite.
Purchased TBR: 10/25Library TBR: 5/9
Finished: You Can't Make This Stuff Up
A Grand Love: Stories for Grandparents of Transgender Grandchildren
The Key to Creativity: The Science Behind Ideas and How Daydreaming Can Change the World
One of Our Kind Five Stars!
Beyond the Writers' Workshop: New Ways to Write Creative Nonfiction
Started: Architectures of Possibility: After Innovative Writing
How Not to Be Wrong: The Power of Mathematical Thinking
QotW: I like Elizabeth Avecedo and Javier Zamora.
Mod
WOW 120" is crazy!! I thought we got a lot of rain here where I live, I cannot imagine. I looked up my area, and apparently we get about 40" - 45" of rain annually, plus about 110" of snow, so an equivalent of almost 50" of rain annually. No where near 120"!!! And I never have to water my lawn with that amount. Is every single surface in Forks covered in moss??? LOL I guess that's why it's a good place for vampires.
Mod
Oh I read Zamora's Unaccompanied a few years back and I thought it was very good!
Happy Thursday!I am so happy to be on vacation next week!
Finished:
Long Live Evil by Sarah Rees Brennan - 4 stars - no prompt. A modern girl wakes up in the body of a minor villainess from her and her sister's favorite fantasy novel series. I really enjoyed this, and can't wait for book 2.
Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross - 3.5 stars - no prompt.This was darker than I was expecting, but overall it was fine. I might read the sequel at some point.
Comics & manga:
The Apothecary Diaries Manga, Vol. 12
Yona of the Dawn, Vol. 42
Frieren: Beyond Journey's End, Vol. 11
Chihayafuru, Vol. 5
Chihayafuru, Vol. 6
Chihayafuru, Vol. 7
Currently reading:
Celestial Monsters by Aiden Thomas - no prompt. Just getting started on this one.
The Apothecary Diaries (Light Novel): Volume 8 by Natsu Hyuuga - no prompt. More Maomao.
Upcoming/Planned:
Somewhere Beyond the Sea by T.J. Klune - no prompt.
The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi - for Robot Librarian's book set in Africa
QOTW:
Some authors I've enjoyed:
Aiden Thomas
Mark Oshiro
Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Elizabeth Acevedo
Daniel José Older
Valerie Valdes
Zoraida Córdova
Benjamin Alire Sáenz
Mod
This week has been exhausting for some reason. This semester of school has been kicking my butt, and we're only four weeks in. And work has been exhausting too, for some reason..."
I think each semester there's that readjustment phase, where the real work has started and you've got lots to do, but it's not quite a routine yet, so it feels extra exhausting.
Happy Thursday!Life was crazy sucky these last two weeks. My mom went into the hospital on the 2nd. she got out on last thursday.
We found out that there was a bit of gall bladder still in her and has been making freaking stones since the late seventies when it was taken out! It had made a mass of stuff that wasn't painful, i guess.
She got surgery to get some out. Her intestines were inflamed so she has to go in again for the rest of them.
It was a freaking mess. Thankfully, my brother is staying with her during the day while i go to work.
Other than that, everything is about the same. Just super tired.
Mod
I am so happy to be on vacation next week!
Finished:
Long Live Evil by Sarah Rees Brennan - 4 stars - no prompt. A modern girl wakes up in the body of a minor villainess from her and her sister's favorite fantasy novel series. I really enjoyed this, and can't wait for book 2..."
this looks fun!! Would have been a great choice if the "antivillain" category had made it into the AtY 2025 challenge list ...
There is a definite autumn chill to the air. It seems the seasons have turned suddenly here. I was hoping for a nice September, but it's mostly wet and cold. I'm getting frustrated with people not getting back to me on job applications. Would it hurt to send a quick, sorry we're not interested? So I'm feeling a bit grumpy today, and I've not read anything for Popsugar again.Finished:
A Rose by Any Other Name by Mary McMyne for ATY (historical fiction). This was pretty light on the fantasy elements so I'm counting it for my historical fiction book. It follows the life of a woman who could be the inspiration behind Shakespeare's sonnets, and the consequences of his attention, with a little bit of witchcraft thrown in.
Not in Love by Ali Hazelwood for ATY (Seven Dwarves - Doc). On paper I shouldn't have enjoyed this as much as I did. Private equity, food technology and lots of sex, but actually I was really into the hostile takeover storyline and I related to the main character.
Otherlands: A World in the Making by Thomas Halliday for ATY (related to land). This was a bit disappointing. It covers such a long time period that everything is rushed over to cram as many species as possible in. I'd have preferred a bit more detail on a few less species.
QOTW:
Honestly, I'm not entirely sure which Latine authors are Hispanic or not. I know the two terms often get lumped together.
Valerie Valdes's books are fun.
Mod
Life was crazy sucky these last two weeks. My mom went into the hospital on the 2nd. she got out on last thursday.
We found out that there was a bit of gall bladder still in her ..."
wow that's terrible! The human body is complex and mysterious. I hope she feels better after her second surgery
Mod
There are so many terms, right? And not everyone agrees on which labels to use. There's a big kerfuffle online whenever "Latinx" gets used, and yet I've noticed that Latina authors actually are using "Latinx" in their books - it's been in the last few books I've read. Who am I to tell that author that her own self-identifying label is wrong? Part of the kerfuffle is that you can't pronounce "Lantinx" - and hell yeah it's awkward in both English and Spanish - but I've noticed it gets pronounced just fine in the audiobooks I listen to, so ... who knows. I'm trying to respectfully stay in my lane.
Maybe by next year everyone will be using "Latine" and the controversy will be behind us!!!
Hispanic just means "spanish-speaking" so it technically includes people from Spain, but does NOT include people from Brazil or Haiti. It's an outdated term, but it's the term still used in the commemorative month, so ... I went with it.
Greetings! We are having lovely late summer weather her in NYC, and best of all, it's La Rentree! That's what the French call this time of year - the Return of all from August holidays and the start of the new cultural season. Met Opera opening night is only days away ... though I am only interest in a couple productions later in the season. PS - 48/50
Finished:
Dark End of the Street - noir set in world of Memphis blues
Sorrow and Bliss Arturo Pérez-Reverte
A Murder Is Announced
A Dress of Violet Taffeta
Currently Reading:
Silent as the Hunter
The Daughter of Doctor Moreau
Divergent
QOTW: Silvia Moreno-Garcia and Arturo Pérez-Reverte
Happy Thursday! Since I'm no longer participating in the PS challenge, I've just been lurking but reading whatever makes me happy. This read I read: Tunnel To Hell: The Lake Erie Tunnel Disasters-Tales of Heroism and Tragedy I absolutely loved this graphic novel!! As a native Clevelander, I never knew of this tragedy or any of the historical aspects. I was aware of the digging and tunnels underneath Lake Erie.
Monstrilio
Alien, Vol. 2: Revival
Question of the Week
For Hispanic Heritage Month, which officially begins on Sunday: other than the granddaddy and granddame of of Latino literature, Gabriel Garcia Marquez & Isabel Allende, who are some Hispanic authors you’ve enjoyed?
I love Elizabeth Acevedoshe's Afro-Latina and after reading Monstrillio I like Gerardo Sámano Córdova
Hi all. Freaking out a bit over here. Maybe some of you who work for schools can tell me if this is normal?? I applied to be a substitute "school monitor". From the job description, it's watching the halls, cafeteria, bus un/loading. I was fingerprinted and told I was accepted. No interview. No tour. No meeting anyone. No review of rules or dress codes or anything. They could literally call me tomorrow and ask me to show up and at that time they'll tell me what my duties are for the day. With my health issues, I'm concerned I won't be able to handle a full day at a school, depending on what I'm doing. Complicating matters, my doctor left the practice, and I can't get in to see someone new for weeks to write me a letter... Anyway, otherwise, things are fine. Weather has been beautiful here in NY this week. I'm missing the songbirds. But (oddly? guess I need to brush up on my phenology!) I still have hummingbirds. Kiddo is settling into first grade. Girl Scouts starts again this weekend.
I finished The Murder of Roger Ackroyd yesterday. Fantastic! If you're a fan of murder mysteries and haven't read this one yet, do it!
I've been trying to read ALL the things, so I've read bits in Treasure Island, Antigone, milk and honey, We Deserve Monuments and my hold for The Fox Wife just came in.
QOTW: I've liked Gabriel García Márquez and Benjamin Alire Sáenz. I'm sure there's others, but I'm not remembering atm.
Jennifer W wrote: "Hi all. Freaking out a bit over here. Maybe some of you who work for schools can tell me if this is normal?? I applied to be a substitute "school monitor". From the job description, it's watching t..."I don't work in a school, but honestly I think you're going to be fine. I'm surprised they didn't do at least a phone call with you, but they may just be so desperate to get somebody in as a sub. They might prefer to go over things with subs on the actual day they're needed just because people tend to forget if it's been awhile. I suspect that the duties are pretty light. As for health stuff, I also suspect that during the day when you're acting as a hall monitor you could probably ask for a chair to sit in.
Nadine in NY wrote: "Is every single surface in Forks covered in moss??? LOL I guess that's why it's a good place for vampires."To get 120 inches of rain each year it's got to be foggy and dark most of the time so the vampires don't "sparkle."
Working hard on my sabbatical research right now so I'm eyebrows deep in peer reviewed papers vs something relaxing to read but I did manage to finish a couple thingsExecution Dock by Anne Perry (PS36. A book written by an incarcerated or formerly incarcerated person). I was dreading this prompt thinking it needed to be more about their time in person (which is what a lot of the authors talked about when I looked at lists) Then I remembered one of my favorite mystery authors was jailed for helping to kill her friend's mother when she was a teenager (something that wasn't known until well into her career) and since I have a crap ton of her stuff on my shelves....that said this wasn't her best offering (I mostly wanted it gone as it had gotten wet and icky)
I'm 3 books from finishing right now. You'd think I'd have knocked down that dragon thing ages ago but I wanted to read a book I have physically and so far they've been...not great.
I also finished Boston Metaphysical Society Vol. 1 by Madeleine Holly-Rosing (well the hard covered omnibus) and I enjoyed it with one major exception. I didn't like who was chosen out of the movers and shakers of Tesla, Edison, Bell and Houdini to be the villain of the piece.
QOTW
Certainly Silvia Moreno-Garcia, love her horror/urban fantasy stuff
Aiden Thomas for all his fun LGBT rep, especially getting to see trans rep by a trans author
Zoraida Córdova for all the same reasons I like Silvia.
Romina Garber's Castle of the Cursed was really good
Hi all! We've entered the yo-yo part of the year: one day it's in the 80s and then next its in the 60s. It makes it hard to keep the house the right temperature, but it's been really pleasant otherwise. Finished:
The Wind in the Willows: I read this for 'a book from an animal's POV'. I remember reading it (or having it read to me) as a young kid and not liking it that much. I seem to remember the illustrations on that copy being creepy. On reread, it's just a very boring book; I can see why I didn't care for it as a kid. The writing is beautiful but it's extremely floral.
QOTW:
Sandra Cisneros was the first to come to mind
I finished 2 books this week. I won't be finished the ones I'm currently reading for a while.Finished:
A House Like a Lotus
ATY prompt: A book related to land
Popsugar prompt: can't find one
Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six
ATY prompt: A book with a number in the title
Popsugar prompt: A book with the word "leap" in the title
Series - 8/12
Nobel laureates - 4/5
Mysteries/Thrillers - 9/13
ATY - 39/45
PS - 25/30
Summer - 12/12 - Finished!
Currently reading:
Windows and Stones: Selected Poems - 10%
One of Our Thursdays Is Missing - 9%
Midnight Sun - Just started
Buddy Reads:
none until book club restarts
QOTW: I'm not sure who else I've read. I didn't like Love in the Time of Cholera. It was Ted Mosbey's favourite book on HIMYM. I was disappointed in how sexist it was.
Work has been absolutely miserable. It’s our busy time of the year, and management approved too many people to be on vacation. My patience and understanding has been tried to its breaking point. I did have a nice weekend, though. I had plenty of reading time and watched some movies, and I went shopping for my niece’s birthday present. She has the same interests as me - books, plays, animals, art - so it’s always really fun and easy to shop for her.Finished
Nemesis by Agatha Christie. I loved this Miss Marple! I figured out the murderer right about the time Miss Marple did, and I was shocked! This book is related to a line and a character in A Carribean Mystery so I recommend reading that one first.
Junkyard Dogs by Craig Johnson. I’ve decided to continue reading the Walt Longmire mystery series. I’ve seen the TV series through twice, but I don’t remember this story in the series. I don’t know if that’s a memory problem or if they changed the story for TV. I enjoyed the book.
Reading
Tongues of Serpents by Naomi Novik
QOTW
My new favorite, must-read author is Isabel Cañas.
Hello from Columbus! The next two weeks weather forecast is so daunting to me, a solid 85 average for the foreseeable future and all I want is for it to start feeling like autumn. Since my summer was such a bust I’m really looking forward to apple picking, the pumpkin show, ren fest, etc. Finished:
The Hidden Palace not for the challenge. I reread this since I just reread The Golem and the Jinni. I don’t think I really retained much of this book the first time I read it because it was all practically brand new for me. I’m excited for the third book to come out, I really love the characters and the way the author writes.
< b> Currently Reading:
The Hostile Hospital
Little House in the Big Woods
Catechism of the Catholic Church
The Great Adventure Catholic Bible
QOTW
The only author I can think of off the top of my head is Carlos Ruiz Zafón. His books are some of my all time favorites.
Challenges:
Popsugar - 26/45; 3/5
Read Harder - 15/24
Classics - 7/12
European Tour - 7/10
12 Friends - 12/12
Yearly Goal - 114/150
Mod
Happy check-in! I'm actually posting on a Thursday. I didn't read much this week, but hopefully the ATY read-a-thon will get me back into reading. Anyone else happy it's pumpkin spice latte season again? Yes, I'm a part of the cult. 😉
Finished Reading:
After the Dragons ⭐⭐⭐ (ATY sound related)
A novella set in Beijing where drought and pollution are rampant and so are dragons. I wanted a plot instead of slice of life, but the dragons were still awesome.
Powerful ⭐⭐
A novella following a side character from Powerless during the book. Insta love was the biggest problem.
PS 45/50
ATY 51/52
ATY Summer 36/36
DBC 28/36
Goodreads 207/250
QOTW:
Elizabeth Acevedo
I finished two novels and three connected short stories (that were really more like a novella split in three) this past week, and started a new book that seems to be just the right pick for me right now. One of the books I finished fit an open prompt, so I have some movement! I'm at 21/45 and 2/5 for this challenge, and 69/100 for my overall Goodreads Reading Challenge.I haven't received my Giveaways win yet...but I'm sure it will be here soon. Really looking forward to reading the final installment in the Highway 59 series.
Finished:
* Havoc by Deborah J. Ledford, which was a Giveaways win and checked off "a book set in a travel destination on your bucket list" for me since I'd like to visit New Mexico some day;
* The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride, which one of my book clubs will be discussing on Saturday. I was glad I had a few days off and was able to dedicate reading time to finish it before Libby auto-returned it and before book club; and,
* the three shorts stories in The Spy Who Vanished series by Alma Katsu: The Vanishing Man, On Enemy Ground, and Shaken, Not Stirred. I did the audiobook versions, which were narrated by Daniel Henning. I probably would've been able to read them faster, but I enjoyed listening to them on my walks around my neighborhood while I was on a mini-staycation earlier this week.
Currently Reading:
* The Penguin Book of Murder Mysteries edited by Michael Sims; and,
* The Vibrant Years by Sonali Dev, which has been delightful so far.
QotW:
For Hispanic Heritage Month, which officially begins on Sunday: other than the granddaddy and granddame of of Latino literature, Gabriel Garcia Marquez & Isabel Allende, who are some Hispanic authors you’ve enjoyed? My degree is in Spanish and Latin American Area Studies, so I have read many books by both of those authors and a ton of others who would be considered literary legends. I feel like I should probably limit the number of authors I list here...but there are so many I've enjoyed over the years! I'm including a mix of classics and contemporary below.
Here are a few of my faves (Isabel Allende is one of my all-time favorite authors, so I am sneaking her in again before my list 🤣):
* Julio Cortázar
* Gabriela Mistral
* Jorge Luis Borges
* Carlos Ruiz Zafón
* Pablo Neruda
* Mario Vargas Llosa
* Alejo Carpentier
* Octavio Paz
* Federico García Lorca
* Cristina Henríquez
* Quiara Alegría Hudes
* Elizabeth Acevedo
* Julia Alvarez
* Sandra Cisneros
* Chanel Cleeton
* Marie Arana
* Roberto Ampuero
* Laura Esquivel
* Carmen Laforet
* Hernan Diaz
I just counted and realized I rattled off 20 authors, so I am gonna stop while I'm ahead 🤓
Happy Thursday! Almost forgot to check in-I'll have to go back and read the comments in a bit. It's been a long week- very much looking forward to the weekend.Finished:
Sorcery and Small Magics- I loved this, loved the characters, the magic. It feels like maybe it was fanfic at some point? It's being marketed as romance, but really this book is just setting up what will become a romance in later books.
-no prompt
Men Have Called Her Crazy: A Memoir- I thought this was really good, a chronicle of her time working on her mental health and then flashbacks of her past. A lot of upsetting stuff
-no prompt
Bryony and Roses- I really liked this, a retelling of sorts of beauty and the beast
-set in snow
Currently reading:
Inside Out & Back Again
Unsteady
QotW:
A few of the authors I've read recently and liked whose books were translated from Spanish are:
Yuri Herrera -Ten Planets: Stories, scifi short stories, very short, very odd
Samanta Schweblin- I hated Fever Dream, but then loved Little Eye, so now I want to read her other releases and see what I think
Karina Sainz Borgo- just read No Place to Bury the Dead and thought it was really good, very upsetting though
Happy just-barely-still Thursday.Can’t believe I actually finished two books when I had grades due this week, but I did. And they both fit PS prompts which makes me happy since I’ve been lagging in this challenge
Pathetic Literature edited by Eileen Myles: this was an eclectic collection of poems, story excerpts and memoir pieces. The poems were the strongest parts imo. The author uses pathetic as in pathos, feelings, but I thought too many if the stories elicited disgust as the emotion
PS: 24+ poems
52: n/a
ATY: fewer than 2024 ratings
RL: poetry
Women Talking by Miriam Toews. The movie did the book justice and was in some ways better. But really liked this book and my club had a great discussion about it. Highly recommend if you still need a book that takes over 24 hours
PS: takes place over 24 hours
52: n/a
ATY: n/a
Robot librarian: n/a
Currently reading:
A Doll’s House
None Of This is True
Wide Sargasso Sea
A Hitch in Time
What You Are Looking For is in the Library
All The Light We Cannot See (reread)
QOTW:
Pablo Neruda!
Alisa Valdez-Rodriguez
Julia Alvarez
I know some will find this sacrilege but…I really don’t like Isabel Allende or Garcia Marquez. I’m just not into their type of magical realism. Or Silvia Moreno-Garcia.
But I’ve loved Pablo Neruda since being introduced to his poems in a movie….I bought a CD of his poems being read that was a companion to the movie
Happy Friday! The seasons are slowly turning to fall. Nights are colder (yay!), the air is starting to smell more humid and temperatures are slowly returning to a comfortable 20 degrees. I love fall! During our holiday a rabbit has broken into our garden and made it to its playground. So every night we see this bunny hopping and playing on our lawn. We have a lot of butterflies too at the moment.
PS: 19/50
FNL: 37/40
Total: 50/52
DNF: 1
Finished
Nothing
Currently reading
A Place for Us by Fatima Farheen Mirza
The Russian Album by Michael Ignatieff
QOTW
Isabel Allende is one of my favorite authors as well as Carlos Ruiz Zafón. Other authors: Eva García Sáenz de Urturi and Julia Navarro.
And as if Goodreads are listening in, they have a blog for Hispanic Heritage Month reads today:https://www.goodreads.com/blog/show/2...
Happy Friday, y’all. I tried to post this last night and only got a long post of gobbledy gook. Giving it another try.
This week, I tackled technology. I moved all pictures from my laptop’s hard drive to an external drive. (Yes, I am aware that an external hard drive is old technology. Still it is a relatively new one for me.) In the deletion process on the laptop, I managed to delete some pictures from the cloud (which I do not understand); which was a good thing since I had notices that I was using up my space.
Then I learned with the help of a younger (50 y/o) friend how to transfer those hundreds of pictures taken in Scotland from my phone to my laptop. Now I can work with them and organize/delete as needed. Yay! Room on my phone. Ability to work with the many photos taken earlier this year. PROGRESS!
Oh! And in the process, I found that I had more than USB port on my laptop, so I don’t have to remove my mouse while working with other items needing an USB port. Amazing!
I also attended a chess club at the Senior Center. It has been over 50 years since I last played. I just watched. I am trying to psych myself up to going again tonight, but the men said I had to play!
Finished:
Storm of Locusts – ATY #35 (Sci Fi). 4*. I had forgotten that this series is a dystopian one, which I usually avoid due to the distressing world often experienced in that time. Still these books are character driven more than setting driven…and thus, more hopeful. More Rebecca Roanhorse, please.
The Covenant – PAS. 3*. Set in PA. The blurb says it is the story of 4 Amish sisters…and there are four. But this story is about two..the oldest two of the family – Sadie and Leah and the expections of marriage. An interesting story but probably not a series that I will continue.
Touching the Fire: Buffalo Dancers, the Sky Bundle, and Other Tales – PAS. 4* Native american short stories about sacred things. The interesting part is that the connected short stories are told in reverse...from most recent occurrences to the beginning.
A Deadly Education – ATY #36 (features a character in education). 3*. The character in education in this story is the school itself.
Currently Reading:
The Game – PS #16 (set 24y before my birth), ATY #37 (Series). 76%.
Just Starting:
The Gray House (Kindle) – BIG book of over 700 pages. Owned. It might take a while. 1%
A Faint Cold Fear (own) – PAS. 1%
The Shadowy Horses – ALCM, PS #17 (bucket list travel destination). 1%
These Witches Don't Burn - PAS
On Deck:
The Collected Regrets of Clover – Library book club
The Rejected Writers' Book Club – ATY #38
Siege and Storm - PAS
PS 29/50
ATY 36/52
GR 151/200
QotW: For Hispanic Heritage Month, which officially begins on Sunday: other than the granddaddy and granddame of Latino literature, Gabriel Garcia Marquez & Isabel Allende, who are some Hispanic authors you’ve enjoyed?
This is a topic that I need to explore more. Yes, I have read the two listed in the question but not many on the long list that Megan shared. I find that I either like Hispanic writers or dislike their writing and seldom have books that fall in the middle. In fact, one of the few books that I have DNF'd was by Mario Vargas LLosa.
Mod
* the three shorts stories in The Spy Who Vanished series by Alma Katsu: The Vanishing Man, On Enemy Ground, and Shaken, Not Stirred. I did the audiobook versions, which were narrated by Daniel Henning. I probably would've been able to read them faster, but I enjoyed listening to them on my walks around my neighborhood while I was on a mini-staycation earlier this week...."
How did you like these?
I struggled through Heaven & Earth, I think his writing style is very much NOT for me, and I'll probably never read another one of his books.
I've got those espionage shorts from Katsu on my TBR, looks like they are free since I've got a Prime account (I do not have a KU account), and I'm thinking about giving them a go. Were they good?
Mod
https://www.goodreads.com/blog/show/2..."
LOL i was a little afraid to look, because I'm trying very hard to SHORTEN my TBR list ... but I looked (of course I looked) and it looks like they recycled last year's list, because I've already got a lot of these on my read & TBR lists (including the three books I just read). Phew!! My TBR is safe for now.
Mod
I tried to post this last night and only got a long post of gobbledy gook. Giving it another try.
This week, I tackled technology. I moved all pictures from my laptop’s hard..."
Did you have this page open for a really long time before you tried to post? Did you get a bunch of red text? Goodreads does that for some reason, if the page has been left open in your browser for many hours, it won't let you post. Just refresh your page, and then you're fine.
Storm of Locusts – ATY #35 (Sci Fi). 4*. I had forgotten that this series is a dystopian one, which I usually avoid due to the distressing world often experienced in that time. Still these books are character driven more than setting driven…and thus, more hopeful. More Rebecca Roanhorse, please.
I really wish she would write more in this world! I feel like the story is unfinished.
Happy Friday!Finished
Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents I liked it, and thought she writes well, but was left with a bit of a why question - does it matter whether we look at these issues as caste issues or racial ones? How would that change how we approach solving them? No prompt.
The Terranauts I was really with this book for a lot of it, but then I found that the ending really fizzled. No prompt.
The One Diminishing returns on this series for sure. Thankfully, although the series continues, this one ended things wrapped up enough that I can stop my reading of it with no loose threads. Also, it was just so annoying that so many things got resolved all at once by plot decree (view spoiler) No prompt.
Wow, no prompt fills this week, I need to concentrate on those again!
Currently Reading
The Big Book of Modern Fantasy
Hunt the Stars
Ring
QotW
I don't always search into author backgrounds, so unless someone is explicit about it, I might not realize.
One who I believe would qualify though, as he was born in Argentina, is Alberto Manguel. In particular his writing about reading / books, I just adore.
I've been knitting up a storm lately, trying to finish up a few things before an MKAL next month, which is not conducive to reading, but was productive none the less.The weather has been beautiful lately, and it looks like that's going to continue, which is a good thing, since my parents are up for a visit. That's why I didn't check in yesterday, I was on a day-trip with them, and by the time we got back, I was too tired! Unfortunately, my mom took a spill during our outing, and decided to go to urgent care this morning. Nothing seriously, thank goodness, but she might have a sprain.
Finished:
Sunhead - This was a completely random read for me: my coworker actually requested the book, but I couldn't help taking a look, and ended up reading the whole thing. It was a cute story, and I really liked the montage near the end showing how life goes on, but I wish the ending was a little more concrete.
Total Olympics: Every Obscure, Hilarious, Dramatic, and Inspiring Tale Worth Knowing - (A book about women's sports and/or by a female athlete) Okay, it's not 100% about women athletes, but there are plenty of anecdotes and fun facts about them included, so I'm counting it. Very interesting and a fun read!
Nine Days: The Race to Save Martin Luther King Jr.'s Life and Win the 1960 Election - (A book set 24 years before you were born) This goes way in-depth into the history of everyone involved, and it sometimes got hard to keep everyone straight, but it was a fascinating read, and I learned a lot. I listened to the audiobook, and the narrator read the whole thing in an announcer voice, which took some getting used to.
Currently reading:
Witchlings
The Book of Delights: Essays
Present at the Creation: Leaping in the Dark and Going Against the Grain: 1776, Pippin, M. Butterfly, La Bete & Other Broadway Adventures
How to Survive a Killer Musical: Agony and Ecstasy on the Road to Broadway
The Spellshop
QOTW: I like Luis Alberto Urrea, Luis Alberto Urrea, and Xóchitl González, just to name a few.
Jackie wrote: "Jennifer W wrote: "Hi all. Freaking out a bit over here. Maybe some of you who work for schools can tell me if this is normal?? I applied to be a substitute "school monitor". From the job descripti..."Thank you. I'm trying to tell myself that I'm basically a warm body and they'll take what they get!
At least I won't get called over the weekend!
Nadine in NY wrote: "Did you have this page open for a really long time before you tried to post? Did you get a bunch of red text? Goodreads does that for some reason, if the page has been left open in your browser for many hours, it won't let you post. Just refresh your page, and then you're fine."Yes, that was the case...and I did refresh, but I was too exhausted and left it to complete today.
Mod
I meant to add him to my list too! but I've only read one book by him - Into the Beautiful North. It was fantastic and I want to read more ... someday ... when I have time ...
Jennifer W wrote: "Hi all. Freaking out a bit over here. Maybe some of you who work for schools can tell me if this is normal?? I applied to be a substitute "school monitor". From the job description, it's watching t..."I do work in a school, and I think you'll be fine.
As for the weird lack of interview, etc....schools cannot get substitutes for anything! Or even regular full time work, we've been short cleaning staff for a year because n o one will take the work. So yes they are wiling to try anyone who's interested and can pass the background check. I shouldn't even be here today with my headache, congestion/cough, body aches, but their are not enough substitute teachers and getting one on Friday is near impossible...so it's be here not feeling good or ask other teachers to cover dung their prep time, and I don't want to do that.
Nadine in NY wrote: "Megan wrote: "* The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride, which one of my book clubs will be discussing on Saturday. I was glad I had a few days off and was able to dedicate reading time t..."I really struggled with the McBride book. I found it hard to get into the story and probably would've set it aside if it hadn't been a book club pick. I think I might have liked it more if I'd been able to focus on it, so it might have been more of a timing thing for me. I'm so curious if I'm going to be in the minority when I discuss the book with my book club friends tomorrow. One of them sent an email earlier in the week when we were coordinating where to meet up and mentioned how much she was enjoying it. Should be an interesting discussion!
As for the short stories, I checked them out of the regular old Prime Catalog (I don't have KU either) and they downloaded with the audio version automatically. I didn't love the narrator, but it was fine for the hour or so I spent with each of the titles on my walks (the weather was so perfect while I was on stay-cation!). I really thought the story was going in a different direction but the version in my head probably would've worked better in a full-blown novel...or maybe that version was too convoluted and wouldn't have worked in a novel at all 🤣 Overall, they held my interest and were decent spy-fare -- probably a 3-star rating overall for the complete set. I liked the second one best and would recommend reading all three in order to get the full arc of the story.
Mod
Thanks! Sounds like you and I agree on the McBride, which makes me feel optimistic about enjoying the Katsu espionage. I liked the one book I read by her, too.
I'd love to hear what your book club thought!
Happy Sunday!I was in bed Thursday (early, due to leaving for Disney) and realized It was Thursday xD Too late of course, and then I wasn't home so now here I am!
Absolutely exhausted however, but worth it.
Watched a documentary last week about the North Sea. Imaging was stunning but the guy who made it is never going to be the next Attenborough, and he pissed me off by refusing to call out the fishing industry and energy industry. Don't talk about how species are struggling due to overfishing and then show me fishing boats at work (so yes, I got to see live animals being herded, processed, killed, and thrown away as trash) and say 'look at what progress we're already making. it's hard for me to see, too, but we can't just stop fishing'. Like. Why not??? He also tried to spin the fishing boat's sounds were a beacon for orcas because they knew what was happening and would come and 'this is how we create opportunities', as if the orcas were struggling before the fishing industry.
Also don't show me animals in clear distress from the sounds of building the wind park and then go 'after an accident a bunch gravestones sank to the bottom and now 30 years later it's a bustling environment! Maybe 30 years after the windpark is done, we'll have the same kind of thing happening!' Like good on you for trying to spin it positively, I guess, but the animals do still need to be here in 30 years for that to work, and right now, they're scared and stressed and leaving.
*deep breaths*
I'm fine. If anything it cemented that my love for ocean life is still going strong, haha! It just angers me how ocean life is still treated as lesser than. Whales drown when stuck in nets, turtles die from stress in like 10 minutes when stuck in nets, and we all think that's very sad. But the fish that get scraped up by a fishing boat? The animals that get scraped up but that the boat doesn't need so they get tossed as trash, collateral damage? "It's just a fish."
Alright. moving on.
Disney was fun! Annual pass party night, 2000's theme, so my inner child was ECSTATIC. Hearing so many people belt along to songs from High School Musical, Camp Rock, Hannah Montana, Jonas Brothers... so much fun!! I got to meet Sully & Boo from Monsters Inc (and I saw Mike, too! Didn't get to see the other two monsters but they were great!), and Phineas & Ferb. Saw Lilo, Stitch, Angel, Captain Gantu, Hämsterviel, Jumba, Pleakley. I didn't see the other characters out myself (Jane, Terk, Meet the Robinsons, Bolt, Mittens, Milo & Kida (met them last time), Brother Bear, Darkwing Duck, Launchpad McQuack, Remy, Emile, Linguini, Kuzco, Llama Kuzco, Kronk, Yzma, Tiana, Naveen, Louis, the whole Incredibles family + Edna & Frozone (I saw them passing by haha)) but they were all AMAZING and I had a blast. We left the park at 2am, and were in bed just before 3am, with an 8am alarm xD Left at 7:30-8pm-ish and were home at 00:45. Now it's time for recovery xD
Currently Reading
With Blood Upon the Sand
166 pages to go!
QOTW
Have to admit not a single name comes to mind, oops.
Mod
I'm going to guess that Hayao Miyazaki agrees with you. Have you seen Ponyo? It's one of my favorite movies! She gets caught in a fishing net at one point.
Nadine in NY wrote: "I'm going to guess that Hayao Miyazaki agrees with you. Have you seen Ponyo? It's one of my favorite movies! She gets caught in a fishing net at one point."Can't say I've ever even heard of it! Brb, gonna watch it now. No idea what it's about, but a Nadine rec holds weight, haha!
First Studio Ghibli movie, here we go!
(Should I be reading? Yes. I am too tired to read still? Also yes.)
That was great!!! I now, too, guess Miyazaki would agree with my stances!
Mod
Can't say I've eve..."
Whaaaaat, this was your first Studio Ghibli movie? Oh do you have a TREAT in store for you!!! I'm glad you loved Ponyo :-) It gets better and better as you re-watch it, too!
Every single one of them is worth watching multiple times.
Ponyo is one of our favorites. Other top favorites, more or less in order from most favorite to moderate favorite:
My Neighbor Totoro (watch that one next!!),
Spirited Away (this one is the most "adult" of all Miyazaki's movies),
Nausicaa (strong environmental storyline in this one - this started out as a comic book so you can read it too if you want! The English language version has Patrick Stewart as Yupa),
Howl's Moving Castle (quite different from the book - the English language version has Christian Bale as Howl and he is divine),
Kiki's Delivery Service
Princess Mononoke
The Cat Returns (this might possibly be the weirdest one - I mean, they are all weird in their own wonderful way, but this one is the weirdest!)
The Boy and the Heron (his newest movie, just came out on DVD in English)
The Wind Rises (this one is the most non-fictional of Miyazaki's movies, it's based quite closely on the real life of aeronautical engineer Jiro Horikoshi, and Joseph Gordon Levitt is his voice in the English version)
Speaking of English versions, the voice cast of Ponyo is amazing, includes Tina Fey & Matt Damon as Sōsuke's parents, LIam Neeson & Cate Blanchett as Ponyo's parents, plus Betty White, Lily Tomlin, & Cloris Leachman as the women in the retirement home.
The Cat Returns is a spin-off from Whisper of the Heart, which is also an excellent one, highly recommended if you haven't already seen it.
Mod
oh I forgot about that! for some reason we've only seen that one once, so it's blurry
Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge
Books mentioned in this topic
Infinite Country (other topics)Crime and Punishment (other topics)
Treasure Island (other topics)
They Called Us Enemy (other topics)
The Thursday Murder Club (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Patricia Engel (other topics)Casey McQuiston (other topics)
Cho Nam-Joo (other topics)
Robert Louis Stevenson (other topics)
James Patterson (other topics)
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The trees are turning more and more gold and red, I saw the first purple aster blooming, monarchs are in the sky flying south, and I can't remember the last time I saw a red-winged blackbird. I learned from a book I am currently reading (A Life in the Garden: Tales and Tips for Growing Food in Every Season) that tracking these things is called phenology: the study of the timing and cyclical patterns of events in the natural world. (Not to be confused with phrenology LOL!)
My daughter and I are watching the first of our Spooktember viewings: a fabulous K-Drama, My Demon. The first few minutes of the first episode were cheesy AF, but I was quickly sucked in and now I'm in love with the actors and I cannot wait to find out what happens next. Just three more episodes!!. This story has so much to offer: a badass business woman, a chaebol family full of secrets and venom, a truly vile bad guy, a demon with a mysterious past and (to his own surprise!) a heart, a jealous cousin, and more ... (God even shows up, as a homeless Korean woman.)
Admin stuff
Our September group read of Treasure Island is on-going here:
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Thank you to Jennifer for leading the discussion!!
The nomination poll for our December group read is closed and the final poll is live here:
https://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/3...
Your choices are:
Crime and Punishment
They Called Us Enemy
The Picture of Dorian Gray
Let me or Lynn know if you'd like to lead the group discussions for October, November, or December.
This week I read 3 books - it was not a good reading week for me because I had two one-star reads, and one three-star read:
Tiny Threads by Lilliam Rivera- this was a NetGalley book, and ... I hated it. The author was trying to do a thing, and I applaud her for her effort, but ... nope. Not for me.
The Cemetery of Untold Stories by Julia Alvarez- if you need a book with an older or middle-aged character, this would be a good choice. If you like rambling and entwined stories with lots of characters, you'll love this.
Hum by Helen Phillips- this was a Goodreads giveaway that I won, and wow did I hate this. If you liked Fahrenheit 451, you might like this book too. (It's not about books, but it's got the same bleak feel.)
Question of the Week
For Hispanic Heritage Month, which officially begins on Sunday: other than the granddaddy and granddame of of Latino literature, Gabriel Garcia Marquez & Isabel Allende, who are some Hispanic authors you’ve enjoyed?
For me, first and foremost: Ada Limon. She is my favorite poet, I just love everything she does.
I also seem to be drawn to a lot of Dominican authors, I don't know if that's a coincidence or if there's actually a particular writing style from the DR:
Julia Alvarez (okay I didn't LOVE her latest book, but I've given several of her older books 5 stars)
Angie Cruz
Junot Díaz - I admit I'm feeling a little iffy about him lately - I liked that he was from the same part of NJ that I was from, but the multiple harassment allegations combined with total lack of any new writing from him has cooled my enthusiasm