Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge discussion

We supposedly still have three more days with temperatures in the high 80s! Ugh. But after that we should have 70s for quite awhile! Yay!

I've been subbing for others at the gym and still absorbed in political analyses and news here in the U.S. So...busy! I guess that's a good thing! It helps keep me out of trouble! LOL 👍😁

SOME LISTS!
Simon & Schuster STAFF PICKS: Must-Read Sci-Fi, Fantasy & Horror:
https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ui=...
Although I don’t typically do horror, I know many of you do!

Ann Patchett for the win regarding book recommendations! Again!
https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog...

And for the Young and Young-At-Heart!!
https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog...

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.
Jennifer W is the ”vivacious volunteer” who has graciously volunteered to lead this discussion! Thank you!! 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏 My copy should arrive early next week!

THE DECEMBER MONTHLY GROUP READ NOMINATION POLL IS LIVE!
This book could be used to fulfill Prompt #36 A Book Written By an Incarcerated Or Formerly Incarcerated Person
National Mudd Day is December 20! What is National Mudd Day, you may ask? It references a fascinating bit of history I doubt many of us know. Dr. Samuel Mudd was a doctor who helped John Wilkes Booth and his co-conspirator David Herold immediately following Lincoln’s assassination on the night of April 14, 1865. Mudd performed surgery on Booth and allowed them to spend the night. He didn’t report the men’s visit for another 24 hours, though it was assumed he would have heard of the assassination well before that time. Mudd was arrested 12 days later and eventually convicted to a life sentence by a military commission for the crime of aiding and conspiring in a murder, missing the death penalty by only one vote!

Books from which to select:
The Picture of Dorian Gray
They Called Us Enemy
Crime and Punishment

Vote HERE!

This poll will be active through Tuesday, September 24!

THE OCTOBER MONTHLY GROUP READ IS The Thursday Murder Club (Thursday Murder Club #1) by Richard Osman!
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!
One "bubbling bibliophile" is needed to lead this discussion! Please message either Nadine or myself to volunteer!

THE NOVEMBER MONTHLY GROUP READ IS One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston
This book could be used to fulfill Prompt #39 A fiction book by a trans or nonbinary author
And who is the "vivacious volunteer" willing to lead this discussion? Please message either Nadine or myself to volunteer!!

The comprehensive listing of 2024 Monthly Group Reads resides HERE for your perusal and reference throughout 2024!
***

Question of the Week:
Are there any specific literary “prizes” you pay particular attention to? Tell us about one, please!
Dayton Literary Peace Prize https://www.daytonliterarypeaceprize....
I guess it is on my mind because it was proposed for the AtY 2025 challenge and I assumed it would not be voted in…and it wasn’t! Rarely are my favorite prompts for any poll voted in! But that’s okay… 😊

This prize was inaugurated in 2006 and is the first and currently only annual U.S. literary award recognizing the power of the written word to promote peace. It includes nominations in adult fiction and nonfiction books published within the past year that have led readers to a better understanding of other cultures, peoples, religions, and political points of view. Both awards include a $10,000 cash prize.

The website lists the winning books as well as those that were runner-ups.
Just a smattering of those listed with which I am familiar or have read:
THIS ONE STOOD OUT TO ME IMMEDIATELY, NADINE!
The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Díaz 😊
I read this long before I was on Goodreads. As I recall it was a ‘highly recommended’ book by Borders and I was working there at the time…otherwise, I might never have picked it up.
Here is my review:
Just realized I never actually entered a review for this book although I read it before I was ever on Goodreads. (I think! LOL) I'm not sure I can state that I actually enjoyed reading this book, though I did find it rather fascinating, and definitely outside my typical wheelhouse regarding story arc and characterization. I found it to be rather bleak and depressing overall, though Oscar himself was quite complex and virtually inscrutable to me. His character is definitely unique to me.

The first thing I would always state to Borders customers who might ask about this book was that you needed to make sure "bad language" wouldn't bother you, since this book contains plenty of that, at least compared to most literature I read. Then when I had the honor of listening to Diaz speak at Butler University in Indianapolis, Indiana, I was rather delighted to learn that "bad words" are in his day-to-day vernacular! A man after my own heart. (I'm uncertain exactly who created the listing of "bad" words, but I believe it be a senseless pursuit...) I totally recommend this book as an immersion into what for me, at least, was a very different "voice." I keep meaning to read the other two books written by him...just not enough time! :)
It also won the Pulitzer for Fiction, the Ainsfield-Wolf Book Award, and many others!

How about you?

2024 READING CHALLENGES:
Popsugar: 33/50
Around the Year (AtY): 50/52
Read Harder: 17/24
52 Book Club: 44/52

FINISHED:
*14th Deadly Sin (Women’s Murder Club #14) by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ was another enjoyable installment in this series. Definitely left with a cliffhanger at the end!
POPSUGAR: #2, #4-Cindy, #27
ATY: #2, #3-A book with a main character who is a bookseller, writer, journalist or librarian, #5, #12, #14, #15, #17, #25, #28, #32, #33, #37, #41, #43, #46, #48
RHC: #23, #24-2023: prompt #23 Read a social horror, mystery, or thriller
52 Book Club: #4, #6, #8, #24, #30, #33, #44

*15th Affair (Women’s Murder Club #15) by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
POPSUGAR: #2
ATY: #3-A book with a character who works in an eating establishment, #5, #12, #14, #15, #17, #25, #29, #32, #33, #37, #41, #42, #43, #46, #48
RHC: #23, #24-2020: prompt #3-A mystery where the victim is not a woman
52 Book Club: #3, #4, #6, #24, #30, #33

CONTINUING:
*The Lost Story by Meg Shaffer
*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
*...And Ladies of the Club by Helen Hooven Santmyer

PLANNED:
*Liars by Manguso for an IRL book club meeting this coming Tuesday
*17th (Women’s Murder Club #17) by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro
*18th (Women’s Murder Club #18) by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro
*19th (Women’s Murder Club #19) by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro
*20th (Women’s Murder Club #20) by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro
*Fear No Evil (Alex Cross #29) by James Patterson
*Riders of the Purple Sage by Zane Grey
*The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin

L Y N N wrote: "The website lists the winning books as well as those that were runner-ups.
Just a smattering of those listed with which I am familiar or have read:
THIS ONE STOOD OUT TO ME IMMEDIATELY, NADINE!
The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz ..."



Funny! I think that won the Pulitzer, too (which is the prize I tend to pay attention to). I expected to hate that book, but I ended up loving it. (It helped that I listened to the audiobook read by Lin-Manuel Miranda & Karen Olivo)

Happy Thursday!

It's been so hot this week, my a/c is back on, but in the mornings it's still cool and I can drive with my car windows down.  The asters are starting to bloom in more and more fields, purple is taking over the gold in the fields, and there is more and more orange and red in the trees.  Vultures are still here, but not for much longer.  Mice are trying to move back into my house (ugh!)




This week I finished 3 books.

Like Happiness by Ursula Villarreal-Moura - I very strongly disliked this one.  It was so disappointing, I don't even want to talk about it.  One star, do not recommend.

Adam & Evie's Matchmaking Tour by Nora Nguyen - another NetGalley book, this comes out next week, and it was VERY cute and entertaining and now I want to read more from this author!!  (Turns out she is also the author of Banyan Moon as Thao Thai, so guess what I just added to my TBR?!)  As I read, I had Google open next to me so I could look at all the gorgeous places they visit in Viet Nam.  Two thumbs up!

Archivist Wasp by Nicole Kornher-Stace - this was one of the ten books on my "must read in 2024" list.  One of our original members (who hasn't been around much lately), Drakeryn, really loved this book, so I decided I should find out for myself.  It was ... okay.  It had a strong "Buffy & Orpheus crossover fanfic" vibe, which is absolutely fine and good (I LOVE Buffy!  and Orpheus's story is one of the more intriguing myths!) but that means I didn't give it any points for originality.  Plus, some of the worldbuilding aspects did not make sense.  I listened to the audiobook which was probably a mistake because I hated the woman's reading style, she sort of sl-o-o-o-w-ly whispered, I had to amp up the volume and increase the speed and the result was a halting and annoying mess.  I probably would have liked this book a lot more if I had not gone the audiobook route.



Popsugar 100% 50 /50
Must Reads 70% 7 /10
AtY 100% 52 /52
2024 pub 102% 51 /50
NetGalley ratio 75%





QotW

Maybe?  But not really?  I can't say I ignore literary prizes, but I don't really follow them closely, either.  Some prizes (like the Booker) are usually a sign that I will NOT like that book. 
 
The only one I've really tracked is the Pulitzer Prize for poetry.  I read a lot of poetry, and I'm tired of reading bad poetry, so I've been seeking out Pulitzer winners more often now.

Happy Thursday! We’ve been having highs in the low 80s, but it’s only that warm between 4 and 6 then it rapidly cools down. Lows in the upper 40s and low 50s. It’s glorious! I love autumn.

2024 Reading Challenges: I’ve read 353 books and completed 30.3% of my ever-growing TBR. I’m getting really close to finishing some of my reading challenges! Popsugar remains the most elusive… It requires such deliberate reading.

52 Book Club: 51/52 (September Mini-Challenge: 2/3)
ATY: 48/52 (Fall Challenge 17/45)
Booklist Queen: 48/52
Diverse Baseline: 27/36
Popsugar: 43/50
Robot Librarian: 50/52
ICYMI Backlist: 9/12

Recently Completed:

The Ministry of Time (ATY Fall – PUMPKINSPICELATTE: Ministry) ★★★★

America the Beautiful?: One Woman in a Borrowed Prius on the Road Most Traveled: NPR 2023 Books We Love. (ATY #33 – involving travel) ★★★

Save Me the Plums: My Gourmet Memoir (52 Books September Mini-Challenge – related to Professor Plum) ★★★★

Poverty, by America: NPR 2023 Books We Love. (ATY Fall – PUMPKINSPICELATTE: Poverty/Booklist Queen #2 – a 2023 Goodreads Award winner) ★★★★★

The Champions (ATY Fall – HOTAPPLECIDER: Kara Thomas) ★★★★

Escape From St. Hell: My Trans Teen Life Levels Up ★★★★

The Fox Wife (ATY Fall – FAMILYGATHERING: Yangsze Choo/Robot Librarian #27 – based on mythology other than Greek or Roman) ★★★

Salt & Broom: Advertised as a witchy Jane Eyre retelling, it bears little resemblance to the original story. (ATY #6 – wings on the cover) ★★★

The Warm Hands of Ghosts (ATY Fall – HOTAPPLECIDER: Katherine Arden) ★★★

The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake (ATY Fall – HOTAPPLECIDER: Particular/Booklist Queen #23 – a friend’s favorite book) ★★★★

The Garden (ATY Fall – HOTAPPLECIDER: Clare Beams) ★★★



Currently Reading:

Master Slave Husband Wife: An Epic Journey from Slavery to Freedom: NPR 2023 Books We Love. (ATY Fall – PUMPKINSPICELATTE: Ilyon Woo)
The Bullet Swallower (52 Books September Mini-Challenge: related to with a revolver/ATY Fall – HOTAPPLECIDER: Elizabeth Gonzalez James)
Lady Susan / The Watsons / Sanditon: Jane Austen Book Club.
The Secret History (52 Books #48 – the word secret in the title/ATY Fall – PUMPKINSPICELATTE: Donna Tart)
Coming Home
This Land Is Their Land: The Wampanoag Indians, Plymouth Colony, and the Troubled History of Thanksgiving (52 Books #46 – featuring Indigenous culture/ATY #27 – related to land/Popsugar #42 – nonfiction about Indigenous people)
The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen: NPR 2023 Books We Love. (Popsugar #45 – LGBTQ+ romance)
Tastes Like Shakkar (ATY Fall – FAMILYGATHERING: Tastes)
The Honey-Don't List (ATY Fall – FAMILYGATHERING: Christina Lauren)
One Nation Under Guns: How Gun Culture Distorts Our History and Threatens Our Democracy (ATY Fall – HOTAPPLECIDER: One Nation)
Stories Are Weapons: Psychological Warfare and the American Mind



QOTW: I used to be in a Pulitzer Prize book club, so I still follow that... especially for nonfiction. And every year I try to challenge myself with a Booker Prize finalist. Other than that? I know it's not really a prize, but I follow NPR's Books We Love lists.

Loads read this week thanks to the ATY readathon keeping me on track.

Finished:
The Hollow Places by T. Kingfisher for ATY (similar covers). Another fantastic Kingfisher book Incredibly creepy retelling of a story I'd never heard of before, but also charming at the same time.

Perfectly Preventable Deaths by Deirdre Sullivan for ATY (similar covers). Some pretty writing but this was the slowest paced YA I've ever read. Not much happened until the final chapters where it suddenly turned into horror?!

Into the Riverlands by Nghi Vo. My least favourite of this series so far. I think having multiple stories in a novella made everything feel a bit too brief.

Loki: A Bad God's Guide to Being Good by Louie Stowell. Made me laugh a few times even though it's the sort of silly meant for kids.

Floating Hotel by Grace Curtis. I loved this. I can see why people maybe think not much happens, but it's totally about working in hospitality and how most people don't choose it. Each chapter is a different character POV but it follows the same story as you get to know the hotel and the world it exists in. Mostly cosy, though some traumatic things are referenced.

QOTW:
I follow a lot of the UK book prizes on social media, though I'm not sure I go out of my way to read any of the books shortlisted. Ones that do a good job of introducing books I might have missed are Wainwright (nature writing) and Wellcome (celebrating health and medicine).

California is doing its typical September thing...heat wave of 90-110 followed days later by a 30 degree drop and digging out the sweaters.

Only due to a read-a-thon and virus that kept me home from work I managed to read 4 books, and they each actually fit at least one prompt of my 4 main challenges (but not this one)

I will surpass my reading goal of 80 books!...but apparently not finish the 4 challenges due to poor planning.

The Utility of Boredom: Baseball Essays by Andrew Forbes
PS: n/a
52: Book with a similar plot
ATY:n/a
Robot librarian:n/a

A Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen
PS: n/a
52: Apostrophe in title
ATY: n/a
RL: A play

What You Are Looking For is in the Library by Michiko Aoyama
PS: n/a
52: Magical realism
ATY: 2nd book/fave prompt (raining cats...)
RL: n/a

Last Chance To See by Douglas Adams
PS: n/a
52: n/a
ATY:n/a
RL: dewey decimal 500's

Currently reading:
Wide Sargasso Sea
re-read of All the Light We Cannot See
None of This is True (and none of this is a good book...sorry book club, I hope I finish the last 60 pages before we meet)
A Hitch in Time
Consider the Fork

coming up:
Men Without Women

QOTW: not really. I will see who won the Pulitzer but I don't rush out and buy the book, and the awards in general don't influence my book choices unless its a challenge prompt.

Happy Thursday, y’all.

Nothing out of the ordinary occurs to me for this past week. Overall, it felt like a good week without fireworks of any kind. I do think this was the first week all summer that I felt comfortable ~ temp wise and in my body wise.

Oh! I did have a checkup with MD and found that, despite weighing less than I have in a century, my BMI comes out as 26.2…which the internet tells me is overweight! Really? I am fitting in SKINNY JEANS!

Finished:
The Game – PS #16 (set 24y before my birth), ATY #37 (Series). Sherlock Holmes and Mary Russell (his wife) go to India to find a long-lost spy. Quite an adventure. 4*

The Shadowy Horses – ALCM, PS #17 (bucket list travel destination). I enjoyed this archaeological story with its paranormal slant. Right up my alley! 4*.

These Witches Don't Burn – PAS. A cute story with elemental witches (fire, water, earth and air), a witch hunter, and three witch clans. The protagonist did have a bit of paranoia that she was being targeted. Still I enjoyed the romp! And, I figured out the bad guy before he was revealed. Nice. 4*

A Faint Cold Fear (own) – PAS. I have avoided this book for years due to a fear it would be too scary. Not. Very intense at times. And I did get wrapped up into the story. Yet I am reminded how very good a storyteller Karin Slaughter is. 4*

The Rejected Writers' Book Club – ATY #38. A fun read…laughable moments on the road trip. Definitely a friends story. 4*

Just Starting:
The Gray House (Kindle) – PAS. 1%
A Graveyard for Lunatics: Another Tale of Two Cities – ALCM, PAS. 1%
Siege and Storm – PAS
Thr3e - PAS

On Deck:
The Collected Regrets of Clover – Library book club
The Vintage Teacup Club – ATY #39
Lovesong: Becoming a Jew - PAS

PS 31/50
ATY 38/52
GR 156/200

QotW: Are there any specific literary “prizes” you pay particular attention to?

My own TBR and OWNED TBR are my foci for picking books to read. I only look at various literary prizes when a prompt calls for it. Like Nadine, the Booker is usually a guarantee that I will not enjoy the read but that also applies to the Pulitzer.

L Y N N wrote: "We supposedly still have three more days with temperatures in the high 80s! Ugh. But after that we should have 70s for quite awhile! Yay!

I've been subbing for others at the gym and still absorbe..."

My votes never make it either. In fact about half the prompts I DOWNVOTE make it in!

Happy Thursday!

For once I was waiting for this to be up instead of being at least a day late. Yay me! XD

Disney was so much fun! At the passholder party I met Sully & Boo, Phineas & Ferb, and I saw the whole Lilo & Stitch gang, including the little known Hamsterviel! Belting along with so many others to High School Musical, Camp Rock, Hannah Montana, and Jonas Brothers songs was also a huge highlight. I know the 2000s isn't nostalgic for many people, but I'm from '94 so that's right when I consciously grew up and I had a blast! (and, I've been managing to post consistently on Instagram so far, a true miracle!! let's see how long it lasts xD)

Sadly after coming home my mom ruined the first true recovery sleep so the cold I was holding off burst through. So now I have a massive cold and a fever. Fun times! I was supposed to go see the first two Lord of the Rings movies this weekend, but I have a feeling I won't be feeling up to it. My readathon's Game Weekender is this weekend, though, so I'll be having fun regardless!

I did watch the first season of KAOS on Netflix, and am really hoping it'll be renewed! Really enjoyed this new take on Greek mythology, and looking at Jeff Goldblum is never a hardship. Just watched the first episode of Agatha All Along, second ep after dinner. So far it's promising!

Read
With Blood Upon the Sand
read those remaining 160 pages in one go and knocked book 2 out of the park! Only remembered a few things from this and nothing about the ending at all, so rereading was a good call, haha!

Currently Reading
A Veil of Spears
Book 3! The last one that will be a reread, fingers crossed I can keep it going after this, it's the halfway mark of the series! Currently 104 pages in; I wanted to keep going but reading was causing a headache, so I had to stop once I hit the 50 pages.

Also, sadly not yet reading Somewhere Beyond the Sea. Amazon pushed back the delivery date to 'unknown' so who knows what'll happen.

QOTW
Absolutely none!

Library TBR: 7/9
Purchased TBR: 12/27

Finished: I Never Thought of It That Way Meh. Loved the vibe. But I don't think it actually prepared me better to have difficult conversations.

Somewhere Beyond the Sea Loved it. Although the dis on JK Rowling made me uncomfortable. Is she really that bad?

The Unplugged Hours: Cultivating a Life of Presence in a Digitally Connected World It was fine. I don't really want to unplug though.

Started: A Religion of One's Own: A Guide to Creating a Personal Spirituality in a Secular World

QotW: I mostly pay attention to the Newbery Award Winners and to a certain extent the Stonewall and Coretta Scott King awards. On the flip side, I pay attention to banned books. And I feel like I MUST give My Brilliant Friend another chance because of the New York Times Top 100.

I won a book on the Dutch bookseller’s platform! I’ve applied multiple times and this is my first time. Me happy!

I finished 2 books this weekend. It was lovely weather and it was a real pleasure to sit in the sun and read a bit. Oh, and bunny still sneaks in our garden at sunset.

FNL: 37/40
Total: 53/52
DNF: 1

Finished
The Russian Album by Michael Ignatieff ⭐⭐⭐
Ignatieff, descendant of an aristocratic Russian family, looks back on the lives of his greatgrandparents, grandparents and parents. Although everyone has ended up pretty well economically, it turns out that living in exile has left wounds on everyone. That was the most gripping part of the book.

A Place for Us by Fatima Farheen Mirza⭐⭐⭐⭐
An immigrant family struggling with their identity and religion. The last part was beautiful.

Currently reading
Suikerbastaard by Jaap Scholten

QOTW
The Libris Geschiedenis Prijs for the best history book in the Netherlands. Because I’m a history buff and it’s nice to know which books are really worth the read.

Hello everyone. This is a two week check in for me. I just was not having the best week last week, lots of emotional stress. I am back on my reading a bit more and even with more novels than graphic novels. I feel a bit more accomplished with completing books that work for challenges I am trying to finish, although Popsugar is still the one giving me the most trouble.

I was a bit behind on these post and just went back and I saw K.L.'s post about taking time to just read what she wants and it made me remember that I had that same thought in the library just a day ago. I was browsing the stacks and saw some books that I know are on my TBR lists and while I looked at a few I put them all back because they "didn't fit a prompt". Then I was like man I miss just picking up a book to read without wondering if it works or not. It did not deter me but, made me emboldened to finish these challenges and get back to books for fun, although sometimes I squeeze those in. :)

I was making good progress last week but, with the Read-a-thon in ATY I have picked up the pace even more, so lots read these two weeks.

2024 Challenges:
Popsugar: 44/50
ATY: 52/52
Robot Librarian: 45/52
Booklist Queen: 50/52
A to Z: 26/26
Physical TBR: 1/96
Kindle TBR: 3/122

Goodreads: 177/100

Book Clubs:
PS Monthly: 23/56
Reese: 32/100
Oprah: 13/103
Jenna: 9/70
OSS: 7/39


Finished:
9 finished, 2 Completed Popsugar

Yellowface
PS #33
I didn’t like this as much as it was hyped about. It was just OK. I thought she was kind of whiny.

Natural Selection
(This was one of those sneak in for fun books)
This was a short story by one of my favorite’s and I rather liked it. It was well written and didn’t leave me feeling like it needed more to finish the story, which often happens with short stories I have read.

First Frost
The latest Longmire novel. This one is about a story from right after college and before enlisting. This was definitely a departure from the typical Longmire story however, I rather liked it. Like the author says in the beginning of the book, sometimes it’s nice to get some backstory on our favorite characters.

Untamed
AtoZ
Finally getting to this book. I read her memoir Love Warrior earlier in the year and figured I better read this one too in the same year.

The House on Biscayne Bay
The latest Chanel Cleeton novel. This one is set in two timelines.
I think this just may be my favorite one of her novels. I was getting a bit tired of her other novels and wasn’t sure on giving her another shot but, this one is way better than the last…three novels of hers I read.

If You'll Have Me

Tetris: The Games People Play
PS#22

Roller Girl

Other Ever Afters: New Queer Fairy Tales

-------
Currently Reading
While We Were Dating
The Dragonet Prophecy
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child: Parts One and Two
The Last Romantics

On the Backburner
Libby
Leslie F*cking Jones

Physical Library Rentals
Red, White & Royal Blue
Solitaire
The Stonekeeper
The Stonekeeper's Curse
Modelland
Nimona
Treasure Island
The Worst Ronin
Queen B: The Story of Anne Boleyn, Witch Queen
40 Men and 12 Rifles: Indochina 1954
The Enchanted Hacienda Found this in the stacks and since it is HHM and also almost Halloween I thought I'd give this a try. Never heard of this author but, it sounded good.

Magazines: (13/150)
Read since last check-in: 0
No movement here in a while but, I have read a bunch of my newspapers stacking up.

Question of the Week:
I sometimes remember to check on the new Newberry award winner. I tend to find that the national prizes like the Pulitzer and Booker ones are also ones where I tend to not like the book. This year I have started working on a goal to read all the Nene award books. I think I've read about ten of them. The Nene award is an award in Hawaii that is picked by the juvenile patrons of the library. (https://www.neneaward.org) I am always surprised at how many of these I never read as a child.

I totally spaced and did not post last week. Things are going okay. Just more of the same so not much else is going on.

Temps are still brutal out here. We're in mid-September and it's still hot as heck out here. Temps in the high 90s. I just want it to feel like fall now. I was over the heat two weeks into summer.

*****

Book News:

My reading has slowed down a bit. Lately I've been focusing on other things so I've only read 6 books this month, compared to the 16 last month.

This is what I've currently got going on though in terms of what I'm reading.

Midnight Sun

Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes

I Heard There Was a Secret Chord: Music as Medicine

The State of Fire: Why California Burns

******

Question of the Week:

Are there any specific literary “prizes” you pay particular attention to? Tell us about one, please!

This year one that I'm watching closely is The Cundill History Prize. This one is a Canadian award for best history. There's a book on there that I got this year (which I still have yet to read unfortunately, but it's 752 pgs long)- It's called Native Nations: A Millennium in North America and it made the Long List and recently the Short List. The winner is scheduled to be announced on October 30th.

Happy Thursday! Like Ellie and JessicaMHR, ATY readathon kicked me into gear with some reading.

Finished
Hunt the Stars The top review for this calls it a 'fun and easy going sci-fi read', and it was exactly that. I liked the various characters, and how the two crews came together. Crew of space misfits is one of my reading loves. Immediately picked up the sequel, Eclipse the Moon, but I'm not as enthralled with it, in part I think because it's no longer everyone, the two MCs are off on their own. No prompt.

Ring I want to read more Andre Alexis, both books of his I've read (this and Fifteen Dogs have just sucked me right in). I thought the pacing was off a little - so much of the book is lead up to the main plot event (the MC is given a ring by her mother that will allow her to make 3 changes to her love interest - but of course there are conditions and consequences). But after that point, everything actually resolved very quickly. For half of ATY's two books with similar covers.

Treasure Island This had always been in the 'someday I'll read it' column, so thanks to the monthly read for prompting that to finally happen! An enjoyable romp. For the pirates prompt.

Not in Love Picked it up after a friend assured me it's not another instance of the exact same plot Hazelwood used 3 times (at least) already. And though it definitely had some of the same elements, it was different enough that I enjoyed it rather than was annoyed by it. No prompt.

Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead I really enjoyed this, but if you're going to read it, do it without reading about it! I'd read enough reviews / commentary that sort of hinted at what was going on that I was primed for certain things, and I think it would have been better if I hadn't known. Used for PS someone dying in the first chapter, and ATY connected to night.

The Big Book of Modern Fantasy Finally! After having this in my Currently Reading section for I don't even know how many weeks, I powered through and got it done! As with all anthologies, my enjoyment of the various offerings differed. Found a few authors / series to add to my TBR. No prompt.

Kafka on the Shore Maybe Murakami isn't for me? Some scenes / elements I really didn't enjoy, and there wasn't anything in it that I was that enthusiastic about. I get that the whole thing is dream structure / logic, but how much it never goes anywhere and the number of unanswered questions frustrated me. However, finishing this did complete one of my 2024 reading resolutions - I've now read everything I had put on my Goodreads TBR before 2015. No prompt.

Currently Reading
Eclipse the Moon
Collected Poems of Emily Dickinson
Anxious People

QotW
Because I'm Canadian, I usually pay attention to the Giller, and add at least the winner to my TBR, as well as anything else that intrigues from the shortlist. And then it's not really a prize in the same way but I also always read the short list of Canada Reads, and follow those debates through to a winner.

If I see an article about literary prizes being awarded, I will check it out and add any books that seem interesting. But other than the above, I don't pick books based on the fact that they've won or been nominated for a certain prize.

Laura Z wrote: "The Warm Hands of Ghosts (ATY Fall – HOTAPPLECIDER: Katherine Arden) ★★★..."


How was this? I borrowed this from the library, started it, felt bored, and never made time to read it before it was due. Then I borrowed it again and just never wanted to pick it up. I ended up taking it off my TBR list, but ... I still wonder about it.


Currently Reading:

Master Slave Husband Wife: An Epic Journey from Slavery to Freedom: NPR 2023 Books We Love. (ATY Fall – PUMPKINSPICELATTE: Ilyon Woo)
The Bullet Swallower (52 Books September Mini-Challenge: related to with a revolver/ATY Fall – HOTAPPLECIDER: Elizabeth Gonzalez James)


Two more books I'm curious about!!! I borrowed Master Slave from my library when it first came out, and I started it, and it was well-written, but I never wanted to really sit down and read it. So again ... I eventually took it off my TBR list.

And I see The Bullet Swallower recommended a lot, and it does sound good, but something about it says "not for me" - I don't like long rambling books, and it looks like a long rambling book.

Joanna wrote: "Hunt the Stars The top review for this calls it a 'fun and easy going sci-fi read', and it was exactly that. I liked the various characters, and how the two crews came together. Crew of space misfits is one of my reading loves. Immediately picked up the sequel, Eclipse the Moon, but I'm not as enthralled with it, in part I think because it's no longer everyone, the two MCs are off on their own...."



I've read two books by her, the first one I loved and gave 4 stars, the second one (next in the series) I hated and gave 1 star. So I am sitting here trying to decide if I want to add this to my TBR or not ...


based on my review, I apparently felt that Aurora Blazing was wordy and repetitive with too much detail about clothing and shoes and where she stores her credit chips and a whole list of other things I was apparently sick of reading about over and over including (but in no way limited to just this) her bitchy public persona, her ex-husband, her height, and her headaches.


So how would I feel about Hunt the Stars? Should I give it a try?

Nadine in NY wrote: "Laura Z wrote: "The Warm Hands of Ghosts ★★★. Currently Reading:

Master Slave Husband Wife: An Epic Journey from Slavery to Freedom and The Bullet Swallower."


How was this? I borrowed this from the library, started it, felt bored, and never made time to read it. Two more books I'm curious about!!! "

I too was a bit bored by "The Warm Hands of Ghosts." It's not a bad book. It's just not for me.

"The Bullet Swallower" does indeed ramble and even though I'm already about 40% into the book it really hasn't drawn me in. I'm going to keep reading... just waiting for that redemptive factor.

"Master Slave Husband Wife" is very interesting. Probably longer than it needs to be, but the Crafts' story is incredible.

Happy Thursday! It's been nice an overcast the last few days, but this weekend we're going to be getting some of that heat wave that's been hitting some of you. Not looking forward to that! I tweaked something in my back yesterday- it's better today, but still a bit painful. Hopefully it'll ease up soon

Finished:
Inside Out & Back Again- I thought this was a really great look at a child's life as a refugee in the US. I'll be checking out more of the author's books.
-2 A bildungsroman book

Unsteady- this has been recommended a bunch, I'm not normally drawn to sports romances, but I thought this one was pretty good
-no prompt

Matcha Made in Heaven, Vol. 1- a very quick, fun manga
-no prompt

Impractical Magic- if I hadn't needed to review this for netgalley I would have dnf'd it. Really didn't like it. I need to be more careful about the books I request from netgalley, this was not a fun time
-no prompt

Currently Reading:
The Dead Cat Tail Assassins- this is due back from libby so soon! Hopefully I can finish it in time

Treasure Island


QotW:
Right after college, I'd made it a goal to read every fiction winner of the Pulitzer Prize, and made a pretty good dent too, but have fallen off on reading the some of the newer ones

I really like seeing what has been nominated for the Man Booker international awards, since usually they are new authors to me. I like getting new suggestions for books and authors, especially from a country I haven't read from before

Nadine in NY wrote: "Joanna wrote: "Hunt the Stars The top review for this calls it a 'fun and easy going sci-fi read', and it was exactly that. I liked the various characters, and how the two crews came together. Crew..."

Sure, I'd give it a shot. The FMC is pretty competent - there isn't a lot of whining or shallowness to her character. The plot moves along without too much repetition.

Your issue is actually what I'm struggling with now - the FMC of #2 is much more emotional and already making some pretty dumb decisions, so I'm liking it less. I rated Hunt 4 stars as well, and so far, I wouldn't drop the sequel to 1 star, but it's in the 2 - 2.5 star range.

So maybe it's just an issue with this author! Good series intros, less so the follow through?

Happy Thursday!

Not much to report. Just school, work, and JoJo's Bizarre Adventure. Help, I have a new hyperfixation...

Books read this week:

The Rescue Team -- a Kindle freebie I completely forgot I picked up. Aimed at younger readers but still a cute animal story.

The Brides of High Hill -- another delightful story from the Singing Hills, this one more of a gothic mystery.

Harry Takes Off -- short Kindle freebie, which I apparently downloaded because it looked steampunk. Yeah, it had steampunk elements, but I felt like I was plunked down in the middle of the story without any setup or payoff.

Little Eve -- I loved The Last House on Needless Street by this author. This book… not so much.

DNF:

The Dragon and the Unicorn -- a unique take on the Arthur mythos, but waaaaay too all over the place and with absolutely no character development.

Currently reading:

Wild Spaces
3 mph: The Adventures of One Woman's Walk Around the World
Lady Macbeth
The Gryphon's Lair

QOTW:

When it comes to literary awards, I mainly pay attention to the Hugo, Nebula, and Newbery Awards. The former two are primarily for fantasy and science fiction, the last one for YA literature. I have my priorities...

Hi all! It's been *gorgeous* here in NY this week! I would sign up for this all year round! Upper 70s during the day, 50s or low 60s at night. My daughter and I had a small bonfire fire the other night and it was so relaxing.
So the schools have been contacting me a bunch to come in. I wasn't feeling well earlier this week. Today I had my infusion and tomorrow I need to recover from my infusion. But I am going to go in for the afternoon next Wednesday! I did manage to see my doctor about accommodations, I have someone helping me write it up properly.

ATY is pushing me to read more this week, too.
I finished We Deserve Monuments. Fantastic! The MC felt very real, her thoughts and confusions were excellently written. And I loved how several storylines came together by the end. Can't remember if this fits a prompt.

Also finished milk and honey. Super intense. The first chapter had my skin crawling at the horrible things she has been through. Can't remember about this one, either. (mush brain infusion side effect)

Almost done with Treasure Island. It's been fun, but I think I prefer his writing in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (and I definitely prefer Muppet Treasure Island!). There's just too much nautical terminology and I'm too lazy to look it up.

Almost done with The Debutante. For some reason, I thought this ended up at January 6, not Oklahoma City... OKC (and Waco before it) is kind of a fascination of mine. It's interesting (and terrifying) how those events were the precursors to our current political environments.

Also working on Antigone that I hope to finish before the weekend is up.

Read a little more in MetaMaus: A Look Inside a Modern Classic, Maus, definitely recommended if you're a fan of Maus.

QOTW: Thanks to the prompt a few years ago for Popsugar, I keep an eye on the Anisfield-Wolf award. I also like to check out the Audies award winners for audiobook ideas. And Pen America has a (far too enormous) list of banned books in the US that I browse when I need something to read. I used to keep tabs on the Newbery and Printz awards, but I haven't checked them out in ages. (and now that I've remembered them, there goes my tbr....)

Happy check-in! I'm another participant of the aty readathon. I'm enjoying my reading but so far I'm not accomplishing my challenges. Oh well.

Finished Reading:

The Complete Nonsense of Edward Lear ⭐⭐⭐
Earlier this year I read a list book children's classics and this was on it. I didn't have the patience to find the correct edition that I read on libby. Why can't Libby give you ISBNs in the book details?

Ascender, Vol. 1: The Haunted Galaxy ⭐⭐⭐
I really disliked how the Descender series ended but I'm glad I picked this spinoff up to try after waiting a bit.

The Crossover Graphic Novel ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The poetry loses a bit of the punch when it's split up to go with images.

I Would Leave Me If I Could: A Collection of Poetry ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I'm a Halsey fan and just found out she wrote a poetry collection.

Booked Graphic Novel ⭐⭐⭐⭐
I enjoy this story as a novel in verse more than as a graphic novel.

Assassin's Creed Dynasty, Volume 1 ⭐⭐
The artwork was really good but this ended with 20 pages of history notes that I just couldn't be bothered to read.

Apprentice to the Villain ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Shocking that this book two left things unfinished for a third book.
This was a better written book than the first because it's more removed from the author's TikToks but it lost a little of the fun because of it.

The Sea of Monsters: The Graphic Novel ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Devil Wears Scrubs ⭐⭐⭐⭐
I grabbed this for a quick audio book and it was a pleasant surprise. It follows Jane on her first few shifts as a doctor.

PS 45/50
ATY 51/52
ATY Summer 36/36
DBC 28/36
Goodreads 217/250

QOTW:
I don't really follow any awards consistently other than the Hugo's and Goodreads choice.

I got a little reading done (which can also be read as I'm avoiding house work and my research sabbatical)

For the challenge I read The Heir of Bluescale by Erin Duffin (PS23. A book that features dragons) I've had this dragon book on the shelf for a handful of years from a con I went to. It's self pubbed and very obviously so. It needed editing. Bad. It had decent ideas but then went and ended on a cliffhanger so I'm out.

I also finished A Botanist's Guide to Parties and Poisons by Kate Khavari a 1920s era setting, mystery, it was fun

The Sacrificers, Vol. 1 by Rick Remender which was a bit too grimdark fantasy for me (graphic novel)

Covenant, Vol. 1 by LySandra Vuong in spite of the religious trauma I really enjoyed this urban fantasy graphic novel, looking forward to more

QOTW

Honestly not really. I pay attention to The Dragon Awards (as I get to vote on them) and Goodreads because it's in my face. Otherwise I occasionally look at the nebula and hugo (in horror as to whatever is going on this year) and a couple for the mystery and horror genres but generally only if I see someone talking about it and I go 'oh right, maybe I should look at that.'

Greetings all! I was in Midtown Manhattan yesterday for a meeting and as I waited for the bus home I noticed the window behind me in CVS was totally decorated with Halloween - and I'm sweating in 80F weather. It's too early for that!

PS - 48/50 - but I am reading the one for prompt 24 years before birth year.

Finished:
Divergent
Unlocked: An Oral History of Haden's Syndrome free short story prequel to ...
Lock In - oh did I love this!
The Bad Beginning

Currently Reading:
The Night Tiger

QOTW: I checkout winners of some of the more literary awards like Booker, National Book Award, and the Women's Prize/Orange Prize but I really don't have a lot of interest reading them or following the nominees. I like reading the genres nominated but I usually have not liked the prize winners - well except for the Womens Prize/Orange Prize - the name changed and I can't remember which way.

I do however, follow the Edgar Awards - Crime Fiction - even make a point of reading many of the nominees I have not already read. Found some great authors books and series from those. I also check in on the Agathas, awarded by Malice Domestic - again mysteries. A long established prize but does not have the influence, history or support the way the Edgars do. But when Malice Domestic was formed - by a group of women mystery writers working as Sisters in Crime - back the 80s - it did what it primarily set out to do as I understood at the time - open up the Edgars to women writers - forcing more attention to product of women writers in the genre. Edgars was quite the old boys network even though Agatha Christie and other women of the Golden Age of Detective Fiction had served as Master of Ceremonies and on the board. In recent years, the nominees have been quite diverse, reflecting trends in publishing fiction over all.

Which brings me to the Hugos. I only started paying attention when I read an article about the Puppy Sad Puppy Wars (google it - it was a war to diversify and it is ongoing - Google the controversy over Iron Widow). Then I watched the YouTube of N.K. Jemisin acceptance speech for her 3rd Hugo for Best Novel. But even then I wasn't really engaged. Then I joined an IRL book club called Feminerdy and I now look at the nominations, maybe read some, and eagerly await the awards.

I don't follow the awards in romances except very superficially because there's quite a war on diversity and race going on there and in romance publishing. Many very popular writers have gone to self-publishing.

Hi everybody! Well the kiddo got sick with a cold last weekend which meant cancelling all our plans. And then guess who caught it from him...yay. Everybody's on the upswing now but that's a whole lot of not fun. Fingers crossed everybody stays healthy because I'd love to go apple picking this weekend.

Finished:
Passenger to Frankfurt: I love Agatha Christie but this was not good. Not even a little bit. Not for me thanks.

QOTW: I take notice of the Edgars and the Agathas (both are mystery awards) each year and peruse their nominee lists as a good way to find new books I might like, but I'm not dedicated about it.

I am posting late because I got caught up in watching the first episode of Agatha All Along.

I finished no books this week, but I made good progress in the ones I'm reading.

Finished:

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 - 20%
One of Our Thursdays Is Missing - 45%
Midnight Sun - 45%

Buddy Reads:
none until book club restarts

QOTW: I suppose the Nobel prize is the only one I try to pay attention to.

Theresa wrote: "Greetings all! I was in Midtown Manhattan yesterday for a meeting and as I waited for the bus home I noticed the window behind me in CVS was totally decorated with Halloween - and I'm sweating in 8..."

Oh Theresa, our Dollar Generals have Christmas decorations and wrapping paper out already!

Happy Thursday! I got to see a few friends in a local production of Jekyll & Hyde last weekend. This is a show I’ve loved for yeeeears, and it was wonderful to finally see it in person. The Hasselhoff filmed version is fine, but… it’s Hasselhoff. (I could go on about how much I love the Anthony Warlow concept album for DAYS, so I’m reining myself in.) Anyway, everyone was wonderful. And then I promptly came down with a sinus infection the next evening. Love that for me. Oh well, I’d rather get it out of the way now. So I’ve spent the week masked at work. (I generally get sick like this once or twice a year, now-ish and then perhaps again in January/February). But we’re on the upswing now, I can feel my energy coming back and I can breathe easier today than I have since the weekend.

In book news, with fall inching ever closer, I’m fully embracing my Seanan McGuire era. Seriously, I’ve finished one novel, one short story, and started another novel (different series) this week. I’ve been in love with the InCryptid books since I picked up the first one at the tail end of 2023 and I’m hoping I can get all caught up before the new installment releases in March… while also working through the Ghost Roads trilogy and whatever shorts I can get my mitts on. And then jumping on the October Daye books in 2025 as well. (Seanan is truly PROLIFIC.)

Read this week:
Tricks for Free - 3.5 stars. This got bogged down in the middle with world-building minutiae, but it picked up in the second half and I love Annie’s found family. 24th book of an author

Teach the Torches to Burn - 0/1 star. At the halfway mark, I was prepared to give this three stars. Three. Stars. And then the second half happened. I haven’t been this angry at a book in ages and I am FUMING. (Nicely narrated by Max Meyers, whose work I will be sure to look up in the future)

"The Recitation of the Most Holy and Harrowing Pilgrimage of Mindy and Also Mork" - 5 stars. A short story in the InCryptid realm starring those loveable Aeslin mice and their adventure through an airport to get back home.

Sparrow Hill Road - First in the Ghost Roads trilogy. After running into Rose once or twice in the Antimony POV books, I decided I was ready for this and gosh I loved it. Very Supernatural coded, which is right up my alley. Beautifully narrated by Amy Landon, whose work I loved on Alix Harrow’s Fractured Fables stories.

PS 41/50
ATY 48/52
Mount TBR 24/48

Currently:
The Kaiju Preservation Society - I’ve tried and set aside so many books in the past few days and it’s aggravating, right? This is the exact snark I needed to get me through this cold.

Carrie - I’ve never actually read this, for all the times I’ve seen the movie (or the 2013 remake). This is the 50th anniversary edition, featuring an introduction from Margaret Atwood and a new foreword from SK, which I loved - any time an author talks about their inspiration for a story it makes me feel closer to the whole thing. Narrated, fittingly, by Sissy Spacek.

Defy or Defend - This is loitering on the Current stack and I need to get back to it soon.

QOTW: Are there any specific literary “prizes” you pay particular attention to? Tell us about one, please!
I keep an eye on the Hugo, Nebula, and Locus winners - all fantasy/SF awards.

I forgot to mention that I put a Little Free Library in my front yard this week! I still have to make a sign and install the official plaque, but it's fun seeing what gets picked up and what gets left in its place.

Happy Thursday! I am on vacation so haven't been reading quite as much as normal.

Finished:
Celestial Monsters by Aiden Thomas - 4 stars - no prompt. I enjoyed it. A good continuation from book 1.

The Apothecary Diaries (Light Novel): Volume 8 by Natsu Hyuuga - 4 stars - no prompt. More Maomao.

Comics & manga:
Daytime Shooting Star, Vol. 1

Currently reading:
Somewhere Beyond the Sea by T.J. Klune - no prompt. I'm only a few chapters in but it is so nice to be back with these characters.

Upcoming/Planned:
The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi - for Robot Librarian's book set in Africa

The Lies We Conjure by Sarah Henning - no prompt.

QOTW:
I pretty much only pay attention to the Hugo, Nebula, and Locus awards.

Two new books are being released this coming week that I am so anxious for.

The first is the latest from Nicholas Sparks: Counting Miracles which is scheduled for release on September 24th.

While I'm behind and need to catch up on 3 of his novels, I so can't wait to get started on his latest. I've been a Nicholas Sparks fan since I was 12.

The next book that I'm looking forward to is called The Burning Earth: A History and this one is being published on September 24th as well.

I pre-ordered both of these.

Ron wrote: "Two new books are being released this coming week that I am so anxious for.

The first is the latest from Nicholas Sparks: Counting Miracles which is scheduled for release on Septe..."

hope you enjoy them

Laura Z wrote: "I forgot to mention that I put a Little Free Library in my front yard this week! I still have to make a sign and install the official plaque, but it's fun seeing what gets picked up and what gets l..."

Oh cool. I live far too rurally to do this but I'm always excited to see them. I have some books I need to take into town to stock a few of them there. I love yours, looks great

Ashley Marie wrote: "Happy Thursday! I got to see a few friends in a local production of Jekyll & Hyde last weekend. This is a show I’ve loved for yeeeears, and it was wonderful to finally see it in person. The Hasselh..."

Oh cool to seeing Jekyll & Hyde. I didn't know there was an audio version of Carrie by Sissy. I'll need to see if I can get it

I started to check in yesterday, got distracted, and so here I am posting my update on Friday instead 🙃 Nothing finished since the last check in, so no movement on my challenge totals. I'm still at 21/45 and 2/5 for this challenge, and 69/100 for my overall Goodreads Reading Challenge total.

I do have some bonus bookish updates to share. I received my latest Goodreads Giveaways win (Guide Me Home by Attica Locke) and dove right into it. It is a finished hard copy edition, which makes it even more exciting of a win!

For last weekend's book club discussion of The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride, my suspicions were correct and my two friends enjoyed the book more than I did. One loved it. The other had a hard time getting into it (like me) but ended up connecting to the story sooner than I did. We think it might have been because it wasn't entirely clear *who* the book was about (Moshe? Chona? Dodo?) and decided the main character was the community itself and not necessarily one or two of its inhabitants. We had a really good discussion, which made up for my reading experience, so I'm glad we read it together. I do think that timing likely impacted my enjoyment and really liked his nonfiction memoir/biography of his mother, so I'll definitely give him another shot.

Finished:
* nada

Currently Reading:
* The Penguin Book of Murder Mysteries edited by Michael Sims;
* The Vibrant Years by Sonali Dev;
* Guide Me Home by Attica Locke; and,
* Miss Alridge Regrets written by Louise Hare and narrated by Georgina Campbell. This is my other book club's pick for September -- we're meeting next weekend, so I have some time to finish this one. I'm nearly at the halfway point, so I'm making good progress.

QotW:
Are there any specific literary “prizes” you pay particular attention to? Tell us about one, please! I gravitate towards the mystery genre prizes and usually check to see who won the Agathas, Edgars, Anthonys, and Lefties (and some of the international ones). I probably pay closest attention to the Agatha list because I've attended Malice Domestic a few times, have met many of the authors who are often nominated for the Agathas, and am super proud that it started in and is hosted in my home state thanks to a group of amazing women back in the 1980s 😊

Happy Friday! I haven't posted in a couple weeks but I'm back. I took my cat to the vet recently and they tell me she has polyps in her ears. So in a few weeks it will be off to surgery for my furbaby. I'm sure she will really enjoy the cone she has to wear afterwards.

Finished:

Night Film (PS about a 24 year old) 1 star.
This was rough reading. It was super long and probably could have cut about 200 pages out to make a tighter story. Also, I dislike that such a long book had so many questions left unanswered.

Fugitive Telemetry (PS 24th book of author) 4 stars.
More Murderbot! I love this series!

Mirrored Heavens (ATY published 2024) 2 stars.
I loved the first book in this series but this conclusion book was not the best. It kind of felt like Rebecca Roanhorse was tired of this story and just wanted it over with.

The Umbrella Academy, Vol. 3: Hotel Oblivion (no prompt) 3 stars.
I liked this graphic novel but I think it did have slightly too many storylines to follow at once.

Entangled Life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds & Shape Our Futures (ATY prompt that didn’t make the final list – related to mushrooms) 3 stars.
An interesting read but I think I needed to know much more about fungi to start with to fully appreciate it. This feels like it would be a great read for a college course for someone majoring in some science field.

Currently reading:

Anxious People (PS 24 hours)

The Pairing (PS second chance romance)

QOTW: I don't really follow book awards. I glance at the Hugo awards sometimes but that's it.

Felicia wrote: "Night Film (PS about a 24 year old) 1 star.
This was rough reading. It was super long and probably could have cut about 200 pages out to make a tighter story. Also, I dislike that such a long book had so many questions left unanswered...."


I hated that book too! I normally love that sort of book: dark, twisted, thriller, maybe it's happening maybe it's not ... but I hated THIS book. It was much too long. And I never EVER cared about Stanislaw Cordova.



Mirrored Heavens (ATY published 2024) 2 stars.
I loved the first book in this series but this conclusion book was not the best. It kind of felt like Rebecca Roanhorse was tired of this story and just wanted it over with.

I'm struggling with this one right now! It's so SLOW. I loved the first book in this series but it feels like Roanhorse lost the plot or something. I am trying to decide: (1) keep going, (2) set it aside to read later, or (3) just give up, skip to the end and then read spoilers in other reviews just to find out what happens.


UPDATE! My library has decided for me! Turns out Mirrored Heavens is due back today, I'm out of renewals. Well, that's that, then. I'll go with option (2) and possibly never actually get back to it.

Ok, this might be a 2 or even 3 (gasp) week check in for me. Life has severely gotten in the way of my reading and weekend check ins. Have plans to go see the new Beetlejuice movie at a drive in tonight and I am giddy about the idea of the whole thing. Fingers crossed this guy doesn't flake on me.

Challenges:
68/75 GoodReads Challenge
37/50 PopSugar Challenge

Finished:
1.) The Swimmers by Julie Otsuka (no PS prompt) ⭐⭐⭐💫: This was a quiet, beautifully written slim novel about a community pool that develops a crack, and juxtaposes a single swimmer dealing with dementia.

2.) One-Star Romance by Laura Hankin (No PS prompt) ⭐⭐⭐⭐: Premise is the male MC gave the female MC's book a 1 star rating on GoodReads and they have to walk down the aisle together to support their BFFs marriage. The banter killed me in the best way!



Currently Reading:
1.) Everything I Know About Love
2.) Leaving



QoTW: Are there any specific literary “prizes” you pay particular attention to?
Short answer for me: Nope!