Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge discussion

Happy Thursday!!!


Spring whispered at us this week in northern NY, the sun actually came out, and weather got warm enough that my garage no longer functioned as a walk-in fridge, which was annoying because I had a second gallon of milk sitting there (all is fine - we drink milk pretty quickly in this house!). The juncos are still here, they haven't flown north yet for their summer.


Admin stuff
March's group read is Station Eleven. Lynn has stepped up to lead the group! You can join the discussion here:
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...


The April group read, for healing fiction, will be: Before the Coffee Gets Cold Let us know if you'd like to lead the discussion.


The final poll for May's group read, which could fill "space tourism" is open:
https://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/3...
Books on the final poll are:
Floating Hotel
Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void
Red Rising
The Spare Man

Can anyone tell me why Red Rising made it onto the final poll? I read that and there was no tourism, no space travel, and certainly no space tourism.




This week I finished 3 books, none for this Challenge:

Here One Moment by Liane Moriarty - I expected this book to go in a completely different direction because the blurb is misleading. It was good, but that's about it. I did not find a Popsugar category for it, but I checked off "character dealing with death" in AtY.

Headshot by Rita Bullwinkel - this is a ToB book and I hated it. It was so tedious. (I cannot believe it won its bracket in the Tournament!! - I didn't read the book it was up against but I cannot imagine hating another book MORE than I hated this one!!) No Popsugar category; I checked off "ToB" in AtY.

It's Elementary by Elise Bryant - this cozy mystery centers on a PTA group for an elementary school - it was okay - the main reason I read it is because the second book in this series, which publishes this year, involves a dead soccer coach so I want to use that for my book about soccer!



Popsugar 36% 18 /50
Must Reads 20% 2 /10
AtY 38% 20 /52
AtY bonus 0% 0 /10
2025 pub 18% 9 /50



Question of the Week
Have you decided what is on your bucket list?



LOL I still haven't decided what to read for this, I keep hoping I'll just find a book that feels like it fits! I'm mining for inspiration here!!

Just the day before, I said to my daughter: "before I die, I'm going to get this house cleaned up." So maybe that's it! Cleaning my house is my bucket list!! There are a lot of self help books about decluttering (I even read one back when the challenge category was "self help book.") LOL it doesn't sound like very much fun, though. Or I can still use my fallback plan of Pint-Sized Ireland: In Search of the Perfect Guinness - the thing is, I'm an ale drinker, not a stout drinker.

Oh, my, but you are early, Nadine! I had a rough night and kept hitting the alarm...and now am running out to get labs done for PCP visit next week. Be back soon.

Wow you posted this early today, thanks!

Weather here has been insane the past couple of weeks. Winds then calm days then more wind. Last week it looked like a scene out of Interstellar or Dune. No filters needed.

Things have been slow going lately because my sister has been off on spring break so I haven't had to babysit. School ended for me as well so I need to check and register for up-coming classes and such.

Other than that just taking it easy for a bit while I can.

Book News:

Not much to report here. I've been finishing up books so that's cool. Hit my reading goal of 30 books for the year so that's exciting. Now everything else is just extra even though I have my TBRs set from April through August.

Even though I'm a mood reader, I have come to find that setting list TBRs has been more exciting. I wrap books in advance and forget which months I place them in. In this way, I find I'm more accountable for my reading and actually get through my choices. I have priority reads and then whatever other books I choose from my TBR jar.

This month so far I have finished 8 books so far.

Can't wait for next week with the release of Sunrise on the Reaping

*****

Finished:

Is Earth Exceptional?: The Quest for Cosmic Life - 5 star. I did this as a buddy read since someone online was interested when I showed the book. OMG it was insane! It has a lot of theoretical elements and asks a lot of questions but that's what I loved about it. The authors did an excellent job at explaining the science so that was cool. I'm planning to do a BookTube video on this specific one so I can really get into it.

*****

Question of the Week

Have you decided what is on your bucket list?

Not yet. This prompt has been difficult for me. I don't really see the point in creating bucket lists. I figure since I know someone who works at a national park that I'll keep things simple and read something about where they work even though it's not technically on a bucket list.

This was a pleasant surprise to wake up to! :)

Spent most of this week putting off writing an essay for one of my classes. Guess I buckle down this weekend and finish it. I need to remind myself that it just has to be a rough draft...

Books read this week:

Fahrenheit 451 -- for “a dystopian book with a happy ending.” This was one of my favorite books that I read in high school… it’s not as good as I remembered it being.

The Beach -- for “a book you want to read based on the last sentence.” Boy, this was an unpleasant read. Should have turned back when I found reviews comparing it to Lord of the Flies…

Evil Under the Sun -- for “a book that takes place at a luxury resort.” I’m starting to become a fan of Agatha Christie, even if the misogyny in this book bothered me.

Currently reading:

Jedi Twilight -- for “a book that reminds you of your childhood”
The Fox Wife -- for “a book about a married couple who don’t live together”
Bygone Badass Broads: 52 Forgotten Women Who Changed the World -- for “a book about a forgotten woman from history”
The Revenant -- for “a book where nature is the antagonist”

QOTW: My bucket list mostly involves travel -- I have a list of places I want to see before I die. I get to cross Italy off that list this summer, though!

Happy Thursday, everyone!

This has been a crazy week! I had a ton of appointments on my schedule this week, including getting the car into the shop for maintenance, and just didn’t get a chance to accomplish much here at home. So now I’m behind on everything, and feel like doing nothing.

I did have a chance to attend a self-defense class for women at my local police station last Thursday. It was a fantastic program, and I learned a lot of practical, life-saving information. Ladies, if you have an opportunity to attend a self-defense class in your area, I highly recommend it.

Although it was a busy week, I did keep the television turned off, so I was still able to do a significant amount of reading. I am continuing to participate in the March Mystery Madness readathon, which has been a lot of fun. So far I have managed to complete all of the available books in the Holmes and Hudson Mystery series, and hope to do the same with the Magical Bakery Mystery series over the next couple weeks.

I am also attempting to get caught up on the books I have purchased since the beginning of the year, so I haven’t been quite as focused on reading mysteries as I have been in years past. That’s okay though, because reading those newer books (which are from a variety of genres) should prevent me from getting burned out on the mystery genre.

Here are my current challenge and TBR totals…

Goodreads Challenge: 094/250
Mount TBR Challenge: 073/150

📚Physical TBR: 67/731
📱Ebook TBR: 3/218
🎧Audiobook TBR: 3/12
TBR Checklist Total: 73/961

TBR Books DNFed in 2025: 2

The only book I purchased this week was The Gate of the Feral Gods, by Matt Dinniman.

“New” Books Bought in 2024: 28
“New” Books Read in 2024: 21
“New” Books DNFed in 2024: 0

Here are the books I finished this week…

Finished Reading (Fiction):
~Mrs Hudson and the Samarkand Conspiracy — This is the fourth book in the Holmes and Hudson Mystery series. I thought this was a great story, and really liked that it involved a disappearing train. 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
~Mrs Hudson and the Blue Daisy Affair — This is the fifth book in the Holmes and Hudson Mystery series. I really enjoyed this story, and liked the plot twists. 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
~Mrs Hudson and The Christmas Canary — This is the sixth book in the Holmes and Hudson Mystery series. I thought this was a very good Christmas mystery. 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
~The Ragpicker King — This is the sequel to Sword Catcher, and the second book in the Chronicles of Castellane series. I really enjoyed this book, and I’m already looking forward to reading the next one when it is released. Content Alert: (view spoiler)[ This book includes references to rape, assault, and spousal abuse. (hide spoiler)] 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Finished Reading (Nonfiction):
~As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride — I absolutely loved this book, and highly recommend it to everyone who is a fan of The Princess Bride movie! 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Finished Reading (Manga, Comic Books, & Graphic Novels):
None

Finished Reading (Poetry and Drama):
None

DNFed:
~Witchcraft for Wayward Girls — I have made absolutely no progress on this book since I got it from my local library. Since I'm reading so many other titles right now, I will be returning it to the library so someone else can borrow it. 📱

Currently Reading:
~The Arabian Nights: Tales of 1001 Nights, Volume 2 — I have been taking an extended break from this book, but have resumed reading it as of today. I’ve decided to make it my official exercise bike book, so the amount of reading I do each week will be determined by whether or not I’m taking the time to exercise. 📚
~The Return of the King — I am really enjoying listening to this book before bed each night. I currently have around 9 hours remaining in the book (which does include the appendices). 🎧
~Parable of the Sower — I am currently fifteen chapters into this book, which I am buddy reading with one of my friends. It’s really good, but the accuracy of the author’s predictions is more than a little terrifying. 📚
~Kills Well with Others — This is the sequel to Killers of a Certain Age. I started this book yesterday afternoon, and I am loving it! I’m having a really hard time putting it down, so I will probably finish it later today. 📚

QOTW:
I don’t really have any specific books that I feel like I need to read before I die. I would like to do some more traveling though, and take a world cruise.

Oh yeah, forgot to share my current reads:

Silent Spring Revolution: John F. Kennedy, Rachel Carson, Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon, and the Great Environmental Awakening - Only 12% done (page 87), but it's one heck of a long book with loads of information. Really enjoying it though. Right up my alley when it comes to things on climate change. It's been interesting to see how certain administrations/presidents handle it or don't. Gets me angry at times.

In the Shadow of Quetzalcoatl: Zelia Nuttall and the Search for Mexico’s Ancient Civilizations- Only 21% done but this book is amazing! It's about a woman in history that people forgot because it wasn't common for women to be anthropologists in the late 1800s/early 1900s. Fascinating woman.

Happy Thursday!

This week I have completed an additional two sessions of small group at the gym. Small group is just that with a personal trainer working with about 5-6 people at a time. It has been very helpful for me, and my intro plan covers six sessions. I have scheduled the other three so I will be doing this through March 24. Then I will need to reassess my financial status and figure out what other options I might have.

I thought I would die after the first session…and each of the others because no two sessions have the same exercises and so I am constantly trying to learn something new and. so far, none have had the same trainer; but I am proud of the fact that I have not called out once. I am learning that I need the external encouragement because my own self is full of “I can’ts” and other excuses. I really need to push through and, yesterday, I defeated myself at the end of the session by saying I was exhausted. However, the trainer did not let me go without a couple of other exercises first!

I have continued my walking and find that I take very few days off. And, those are usually related to weather events, like rain and wind. I finished last week with more than 8 miles!

I am journaling every day now. Maybe sometime soon, I will move that writing to my blog.

Finished:
Tom Lake – ATY winter. 4*. This was so different than I expected. It is about the past while firmly set in the present. What was with what is. I definitely enjoyed the family story as well as the personal one.

Anxious People – ATY anniversary, ATY winter, PAS, PS 2024. 3*. I liked the twists of the writing but not so much the actual story. I got fed-up with some of the characters.

Execution in E – ATY winter. 4*. A continuation of a series by a POC. I like the paranormal piece ~ a ghost with attitude ~, the friendships, and the fact that Gethsemane is living in another country (Ireland).

Murder at the Dolphin Hotel – ATY #21 (animal group), PAS, PS #27 (luxury resort). 3*. A cute cozy mystery with a historical setting. Enjoyed it.

Currently Reading:
I expect to finish 3 of my currently reading books today.

The Beginner's Photography Guide: The Ultimate Step-by-Step Manual for Getting the Most from Your Digital Camera – 27%. I got caught up to here! Now I have to start trying to apply each piece of the explanation. The current chapter is 33p with 24 of those involved with applying the teaching. My goal is to accomplish 8 of those applications by next check-in.

A People's History of the American Revolution: How Common People Shaped the Fight for Independence - Kindle. 13%. Still hoping to get this one re-started.

Key of Knowledge – no prompts. Continuation of a series. Audiobook. 75%. I listen to this while walking and driving, primarily, although it has been employed also while gardening!

The Devil's Feather - PAS. 76%. Well, I had thought this was non-fiction when I put it aside and then, when I picked it up again, found it was fiction. Enjoying it more than I thought I would when I started it.

Firestorm – ATY #32 (mystery), PAS, PS #46 (nature as antagonist). 66%. I always enjoy Nevada Barr's books.

Just Starting:
And, I expect to make more headway in Go and Home Front so that I can aim for finishing them this weekend.

Go – PAS. 6%
Erasure – no prompt. Library Movie/Discussion group with the movie scheduled for Tuesday next week.
Home Front – PAS. 2%

On Deck: (owned)
Kate: The Journal of A Confederate Nurse – PAS.
The Pony Wife – PAS
The Brass Verdict – PAS
Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All - ATY #30 (monster), PAS, PS #44 (book I have avoided)


PS 14/50
ATY 10/52, Anniversary 7/10, Winter 11/15
GR 46/200

QotW: Have you decided what is on your bucket list?
Yes, and no. I have a short list of travel that I want to accomplish for varying reasons: Scotland (done but not over as I will go back), Japan (to see an aging friend who is not in good health), Australia and New Zealand, Alaska and Hawaii, and a Mississippi Riverboat tour (planned for next year). Other than that, my plan for my elder years is to live the best life I can…to try adventures, to be healthy and independent and to find out what I want to be when I grow up…that is, if I grow up!

After deciding everything on my immediate TBR was too depressing, I played Two Point Museum instead of reading, so not much to report on this week. It was warm at the weekend, so much so we had lunch sat on the beach with no coats on, but the wind has turned super chilly again. I'm very much ready for spring now.

One book finished, A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking by T. Kingfisher which I'm using for non-verbal character (Bob the sourdough starter and gingerbread man were pretty much sentient so they count for me). This was charming as always, although I do prefer her adult writing. It was nice to see adults in authority supporting the child main characters.

Currently reading The Spellshop and listening to The Sirens.

QOTW:
I used Just for the Summer for the bucket list prompt just because I thought it would be cool to spend the summer on a little island in a lake. I wouldn't say it's a must do before I die thing, but I don't really keep a list like that. It's a very unsatisfying prompt so wanted to get it out the way quickly.

Edit: I forgot to tell you that I finished prepping and planting one garden plot this week. Lettuces, carrots, radishes and potatoes all in the ground with most being seeds (except for the lettuces which are both transplanted plants and seeds).

Bea wrote: "Erasure – no prompt. Library Movie/Discussion group with the movie scheduled for Tuesday next week...."



I don't know what categories you've completed, but I have Erasure pencilled in to read for "book mentioned in another book" because it is mentioned in Erdrich's The Sentence.

Bea wrote: "Edit: I forgot to tell you that I finished prepping and planting one garden plot this week. Lettuces, carrots, radishes and potatoes all in the ground with most being seeds (except for the lettuces..."


Wow it seems so early to me to have stuff in the ground!!!

Happy Thursday! I keep hearing that we're having a "false spring" with highs in the mid- to upper-50s and lows above freezing, but every day it's more of the same... and it's glorious! The 10-day forecast doesn't show any backsliding. In fact, it looks like it will be even warmer next week.

2025 Reading Challenges:

52 Book Club: 26/52 (March Mini-Challenge: 1/3)
ATY: 18/52 (ATY Anniversary Challenge: 3/10, ATY Spring Challenge: 7/30)
The Book Girls’ Guide: 16/74
Booklist Queen: 25/52
Cover Lovers: 18/50
Popsugar: 22/50

My Ever-Growing TBR: 28/234 – 12.0% (My goal is 33.3%.)

Recently Completed:

Nuclear War: A Scenario: 2024 NPR Books We Love. (52 Books #4 – title starts with N/ATY Spring Challenge #7 – JELLYBEANS: Annie Jacobsen) ★★★★

The Women: 2024 NPR Books We Love. (ATY Spring #10 – WARMING: Women/BGG Lifetime #3 – 20-somethings/Booklist Queen #2 – 2024 Goodreads Award winner) ★★★★

Memphis (ATY Spring #1 – SPRINGTIME: Tara Stringfellow/BGG Read Around the USA #3 – Southeast) ★★★

The Showman: Inside the Invasion That Shook the World and Made a Leader of Volodymyr Zelensky: 2024 NPR Books We Love. (ATY Spring #3 – SUN SHINING: Simon Shuster) ★★★★

A Good Happy Girl: Unlikable people doing really unlikable things. It felt really shallow and self-indulgent. (ATY Anniversary #2 – title does not contain E) ★★

The Lauras: A Goodreads Giveaway that I’ve had sitting around for far too long. (52 Books March Mini-Challenge #1 – a book you’ve been meaning to get around to eventually/ATY Spring #5 – SPROUT: Sara Taylor) ★★★

Dead Witch Walking: The cover was so pretty. (52 Books #2 – a character with red hair) ★★★

As the Crow Flies: I got this as a Goodreads Giveaway a looooong time ago. I actually ended up enjoying it, and I might even continue the series. (Cover Lovers #30 – television or movie screen on cover) ★★★★

A Man of Good Fortune: A Pride and Prejudice Variation (ATY Spring #15 – PASTELS: Ali Scott/Booklist Queen #17 – a sequel) ★★★★

Babel: There are a LOT of ideas in this book, and Kuang’s insight into language was surprisingly interesting. I wish there had been more fantasy… the silverwork was fascinating. Adventures Underground Book Club. (52 Books #35 – written in third person/ATY #19 – building or cityscape on cover) ★★★★



Currently Reading:

Defectors: The Rise of the Latino Far Right and What It Means for America: 2024 NPR Books We Love. (ATY Spring #11 – SPRING BREAK: Paola Ramos)
What Happened to the McCrays?: I wanted to read something hopeful, so I checked the last sentence… and it made me smile. (52 Books #33 – a standalone novel/Booklist Queen #19 – a heartwarming story/Popsugar #2 – want to read based on the last sentence)
Project Hail Mary: Reasonable Doubt Book Club. (52 Books #42 – a nonhuman antagonist/ATY Spring #15 - PASTELS: Project)
Black Woods, Blue Sky (ATY Spring #2 – BLOOM: Black/BGG Book Lovers #3 – a modern retelling)
What I Ate in One Year (ATY #40 – a comfort read)
Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone (ATY Spring #5 - EGGS: Everyone/Cover Lovers #48 – outdated technology on the cover: typewriter)
Most Ardently: Jane Austen Book Club. (ATY Spring #13 – GREEN: Gabe Cole Novoa)
Lady in the Lake (52 Books #16 – author has won an Edgar/ATY #38 – two books with a connection from different genres/Booklist Queen #4 – fiction and nonfiction by the same author)
Lore Olympus: Volume Seven (ATY #4 – set underground, undersea, or in an underworld)
The Backyard Bird Chronicles: 2024 NPR Books We Love. (52 Books March Mini-Challenge #2 – last book you acquired but haven’t read/ATY Spring #3 - BABY ANIMALS: Backyard/Cover Lovers #22 – a bird on the cover)
Last House: Goodreads Giveaway. (ATY #28 – two books with opposites in their titles: “First Lie Wins”)



QOTW: I don't really have a bucket list... I'm pretty content with where I am and what I have. I chose travel for the bucket list prompt and read Braver Than You Think: Around the World on the Trip of My (Mother’s) Lifetime. But now that it's been mentioned, "home organization" sounds like a great goal to put on a bucket list!

Happy Thursday!

Nothing exciting for me this week, although I have been enjoying the nicer temperatures. (We're expected to get severe storms tomorrow night, which isn't so fun.)

Read
The Half Life of Valery K
A Certain Justice
Miss Aldridge Regrets
The Tea Dragon Society

PS Progress Challenge: 24/50

Currently Reading
After the First Love
Ethan Frome
Between the Sound and Sea
The Mistletoe Secret

QOTW
I don't have a true bucket list. I chose a book about travel for that prompt, because I'd like to travel more in general.

2025 Purchased TBR: 14/15
Library TBR: 14/17
PS Challenge: 46/50

Doing pretty good there!

Finished:

A World Worth Saving Really enjoyed this one!
A Post-Truth World: Politics, Polarization, and a Vision for Transcending the Chaos Thought-provoking, but I ultimately didn't agree with his worldview
Tyranny of the Minority: Why American Democracy Reached the Breaking Point I agree with pretty much all of his suggestions for reform to make the US more of a democracy on par with other modern democracies

Queer and Trans Voices: Achieving Liberation Through Consistent Anti-Oppression for prompt book by a neurodivergent author. This focused on the intersection between queer and vegan identities which I found very interesting

What I Talk About When I Talk About Running for prompt about running club

The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek I started reading this one for prompt happily single protagonist, but ended up switching to married but don't live together. Either one fits. I had been meaning to read this book for quite some time. What an interesting job!

Started: The Men with the Pink Triangle: The True Life-and-Death Story of Homosexuals in the Nazi Death Camps Oof! What a heavy read!

QotW: The bucket list item I used for this prompt was to become a mail carrier. I don't really have much of a bucket list anymore in terms of one-time things I want to do. Rather, I want to build consistency by doing the same things every day such as studying and cleaning.

Greetings! Definitely sunny and hints of spring here in NYC. Temps may drop a little for a few more days, but definitely a sense that winter is departing not so reluctantly.

PS - 16/60
ATY - 22/52

It is definitely proving to be easier to fill ATY prompts by my unplanned casual reading style at this point than PS. I also am finding that filling the ATY Anniversary prompts is really easy from whatever I happen to read.

Finished:
Witch King - PS Prompt - magical creatures other than dragons - many, starting with MC who is a demon, but also wind devils, wraithlings, witches, imps. Not a dragon in sight.
Chip and Die

Currently:
The Odyssey - discussion group read will finish by next week's update - so far it's a 10 star read, LOL.
Cake on a Hot Tin Roof
The Lioness

QOTW: I haven't decided on my bucket list read yet, but I do have a bucket list shelf I started many years ago. Likely will be a classic - possibly DIckens' The Old Curiosity Shop (have a buddy read with someone on that later this year) or Anne Bronte's The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, but could also be deciding to read the first in a series I've always thought about trying, or a modern author I've not tried who is achieving modern classic status - like Cormac McCarthy. Or even a new or different translation of a book I've read like The Master and Margarita.

Bottom line: this is not at all a difficult prompt for me.

I haven't done one of these yet, but since the thread is so new why not? Besides listing what I read and what I'm reading now, I also want to include another statistic!

I have only bought one book outright this year (the one I'm currently reading), and even after paying for an out-of-town library card and Kindle Unlimited, I have saved $330.91 on the books I've read so far this year. Very pleased with that.

ATY 25/52
Popsugar 21/50
ATY Spring 6/15

Finished this week (3/6-3/13)

Lucky Loser: How Donald Trump Squandered His Father's Fortune and Created the Illusion of Success by Russ Buettner
ATY #24 (criminal), Popsugar #21 (politician). I enjoyed this a lot, it's well-researched. Some readers may bog down in the detailed real estate transactions but they're necessary to paint the full picture. 4 stars, finished 3/6.

The Barbizon: The Hotel That Set Women Free by Paulina Bren
Community Faves (her story), ATY Spring (spring break). Listened to this on audiobook. There were a lot of great choices for Her Story in the Community Favorites challenge, but this one seemed a lighter choice than some of the others and that's what I was in the mood for. Well narrated as well. 4 stars, finished 3/6.

The River Has Roots by Amal El-Mohtar
ATY #51 (published in 2025), Popsugar #19 (anticipated 2025 release), ATY Spring (earth day). Very much enjoyed it, just the kind of a fairy tale/folklore-adjacent story I like. 5 stars, finished 3/6.

The Salt Grows Heavy by Cassandra Khaw
ATY #20 (mineral in the title). Gory version of the aftermath of the little mermaid fairy tale. Loved it, surprisingly sentimental ending. 4 stars, finished 3/7.

A House with Good Bones by T. Kingfisher
ATY #46 (flower moon). Family trauma physically manifests itself due to magic reasons. Have liked everything I've read from this author so far and this one was not an exception. 4 stars, finished 3/8.

The Big Four by Agatha Christie
Popsugar #47 (interconnected short stories). This is one of her weakest books, several short stories published in magazines thrown together with (of all things) a spy ring. I set myself a challenge of reading all her novels and this was a tough one to revisit. 2 stars, finished 3/8.

Sister, Maiden, Monster by Lucy A. Snyder
ATY #30 (monster book), ATY Spring (tulips). What if a post-Covid pandemic turned out to be The Color Out of Space instead? Hell yeah, I say. 4 stars, finished 3/9.

Silver in the Wood by Emily Tesh
Popsugar #36 (silver), ATY Spring (pastels). Short, very charming, atmospheric story of how the Wild Man of the Forest got that way and what happened to him four hundred years later. 4 stars, going to read the sequel, finished 3/11.

Old Lovegood Girls by Gail Godwin
ATY #34 (could be a country song), ATY Spring (eggs). I'm not a fan of novels where the dialogue comes across as something that could be read as a monologue in drama class. I will leave it at that. Very well written otherwise, but not for me. 3 stars, finished 3/13.

Currently Reading

The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien
Listening to this a little at a time on audiobook, not for a challenge. I usually listen to the trilogy on audiobook every year. Rob Inglis narrates these so well and sings all the songs. Melts the stress away!

Rajneeshpuram: Inside the Cult of Bhagwan and Its Failed American Utopia by Russell King - reading for Popsugar #7 (book about a cult) and ATY #13 (group with at least 4 members that's not a family)

Question of the Week

I haven't figured out what to read for this category yet but I'd love to take a slow cross-country trip someday. I suspect I can find a non-fiction book related to this!

Bea wrote: "Happy Thursday!

QotW: Have you decided what is on your bucket list?
Yes, and no. I have a short list of travel that I want to accomplish for varying reasons: Scotland (done but not over as I will go back), Japan (to see an aging friend who is not in good health), Australia and New Zealand, Alaska and Hawaii, and a Mississippi Riverboat tour (planned for next year). Other than that, my plan for my elder years is to live the best life I can…to try adventures, to be healthy and independent and to find out what I want to be when I grow up…that is, if I grow up!.."

You could always hit up Hawaii on your way to Japan. LOL!

So far these upcoming Power Rangers books have May release dates so I pre-ordered them:

Morphenomenal: How the Power Rangers Conquered the World - This is my most anticipated read of 2025.

Force of Chaos (Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Book 1): A Novel - The first ever YA Power Rangers novel.

Hello everyone!

I have made what feels like good progress this week in my reading. I have checked off a prompt in both PS and ATY with all the books I finished this week and also managed to FINALLY read a book I own! I have even started another one! It was the Nicholas Sparks book and so now I am in a read his books mood, so I am on to the next one. I had his new one {Counting Miracles} borrowed (which prompted the catching up on his other books) but since it is due and I really like to read his books in order of pub date, I'm gonna return it for now until I can read the two books preceding it.


2025 Challenges:
Popsugar: 16/50
ATY: 21/52 & 2/10
A to Z (Kindle edition): 1/26

Goodreads: 25/150

Physical TBR: 1/102
Kindle TBR: 0/123
TBR Goal: 1/225

Book Clubs:
PS Monthly: 27/61
Reese: 35/102
Oprah: 14/103
Jenna: 10/71
OSS: 7/39

Finished:
3 finished, 3 Completed Popsugar

Mabuhay!
PS#29, ATY#15

When Breath Becomes Air
PS#50, ATY#48

The Return
PS#41, ATY#33
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Currently Reading
While We Were Dating
Karma: My Autobiography
Encanto: Nightmares and Sueños
The Wish

On the Backburner
Libby
Cher: The Memoir, Part 1 I got this in a library skip-a-line program and now because I was reading something else I have like 3 days to read it!

Physical Library Rentals
Tangled Up in You
Pucking Around
My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry
The New Girl: A Graphic Novel

Magazines: (2/142)
Read since last check-in: 0

Question of the Week:
I do have a bucket list that I made years ago. I haven't looked at it in a while and I know that some of those things are probably no longer things I want to do anymore. The only thing I have ever consistently wanted to do was road trip around the USA. So maybe I'll find a second road-trip book (since we have a prompt for that already) and put it in for my bucket list.

Oop, I forgot to tell you about a show I binged yesterday. It is called Paradise and it is on Hulu. It stars Sterling K. Brown (from This Is Us). IMBD describes it as "A Secret Service agent investigates the murder of a former president in a seemingly peaceful community." But it is so much more than that! It has this dystopian/end of the world vibe to it. And honestly not until like 2 mins before they find out the killer did I figure out who it was. I hope there is a season two, it hints at it.

Happy Thursday!

Now things at work are too slow! But I'd rather that than too busy, so I'll take it.

One of my resolutions for this year was to start writing more in-depth books reviews, so I started doing that this month. It's been kind of fun to make myself stop and collect my thoughts about a book before just moving on to the next one.

Finished:
Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop by Hwang Bo-Reum - 4 stars - for a book where an adult character changes careers. The career change technically happens before the start of the book, but the book is basically all about her new job (running a bookstore) including her struggles and the reasons why she changed jobs, so to me, it counts. See my full review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Holy Terrors by Margaret Owen - 5 stars - for a highly anticipated read of 2025. This doesn't come out officially until April, but I got an ARC and devoured it. At the risk of fangirling, I just love this series so much. See my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

The Apothecary Diaries: Volume 13 - 4 stars - not for a prompt. More Maomao! I didn't do a full review of this volume, but it mostly felt like filler, setting up the next story arc(s).

Comics & manga:
Daily Report About My Witch Senpai Vol. 4
Honey Lemon Soda, Vol. 4
She Loves to Cook, and She Loves to Eat, Vol. 5
Skip・Beat!, Vol. 50
The Apothecary Diaries 13
Chihayafuru Vol. 42
Chihayafuru Vol. 43
Chihayafuru Vol. 44
Chihayafuru Vol. 45
Chihayafuru Vol. 46
Chihayafuru Vol. 47 (I've read as far as the library has. Now I have to wait for them to get the last 3 volumes!)

I am currently at 13/50 for Popsugar (11/40 and 2/10).

Currently reading:
It Goes Like This by Miel Moreland - for a book where music plays an integral part of the storyline. I'm enjoying it so far. The main characters were best friends with a band in high school. Their band hit it big, then drama happened and the band (and the friendships) fell apart. More drama happens when the members all agree do one last reunion concert for charity, after a bad storm wrecks their hometown.

Upcoming/Planned:
The In-Between Bookstore by Edward Underhill - not sure yet if this will fit a prompt.

QOTW:
I haven't written anything down, per se, but I would like to travel and "see the world," to dip into cliche. I haven't really travelled outside of the US and Canada, so I'd love to go to England, Ireland, Japan, Korea, Germany... lots of places. I'm probably just going to read a book set in one of the places I'd love to visit for the bucket list prompt.

Hi all! Nice weather here in NY! It was 70 the other day! I think it's supposed to be around 40, so this is not normal, but I have to admit, I'm really liking it.
I've been busy since last week, my cold threw off my blood work, which entailed many messages and visits to several different doctors, but I think we're all good now. I'm just waiting for one more loose end to get tied up about my monthly infusion.
2 (maybe 3) more weekends of Girl Scout cookies... Though I shouldn't complain, I haven't been to a booth in over a month. And at least this weekend is supposed to be in the 60s.

Thanks to the ATY Read-a-Thon, I have gotten my reading mojo back! (not being constantly congested and no energy probably helps, too)
I finished A Season with Mom: Love, Loss, and the Ultimate Baseball Adventure for a road trip book. It was a lot less about baseball than I would have wanted.
I also finished Bone, Vol. 5: Rock Jaw Master of the Eastern Border, not as fun as the other books in the series.

I've gotten several hours of listening done in King: A Life, it's gotten much more interesting now that he's married Coretta and become the leader of the movement.
I also got back to Lula Dean's Little Library of Banned Books, cause it's due soon. It's a fun book!

QOTW: Like most people, I would like to travel more. But I think the goal I'm going to use for the prompt is to write and publish a novel. Books about writers (fiction and non) are really easy to find!

I didn't check in last week because I was sick, but I was so sick I didn't even feel like reading, so my two week check in is going to look worse than a regular check in, LOl.

I finished Dubliners as the book I was avoiding. I was clearly avoiding it for good reason. I didn't like it. Clearly James Joyce is not for me. This was way better than Ulysses, though.

I have started Empire of the Summer Moon as a book recomended to me based on my fave (Lonesome Dove). It's OK, I guess. The problem is I'm only reading like 10 pages at a time, so I don't get a rhythm going.

QOTW: I know what's on my bucket list, going to Switzerland. Just don't know what I can read for that. Just something that place in Switzerland? Would that count? I can't really think of any books that involve a trip to Switzerland except for Slow Train to Switzerland which I read a couple of years ago.

Nadine in NY wrote: "I don't know what categories you've completed, but I have Erasure pencilled in to read for "book mentioned in another book" because it is mentioned in Erdrich's The Sentence.."

I have The Woman in Cabin 10 planned for that prompt, but I will gladly take your suggestion to put Erasure there as I have it on hand and am not wedded to the book that I planned.

JessicaMHR wrote: "You could always hit up Hawaii on your way to Japan. LO..."

Too bad the Japan trip is imminent and thus already planned. It is a great idea. Maybe tacking it onto the Australia/New Zealand one is a possibility as it is in the future.

People keeping saying they see signs of spring...but we are getting rain, which is a little late for Southern California. We usually get the most rain in December and January. So it feels more like winter with a weird sunrise/sunset pattern due the time change.

I finished one book for a prompt this week: America Fantastica for the oldest author on my TBR

Currently reading:
Walden, or Life in the Woods and On the Duty of Civil Disobedience
The Fellowship of Puzzlemakers
How to Age Disgracefully
War and Peace
1,000 Books to Read Before You Die: A Life-Changing List

QOTW:
I chose a while ago: the above listed 1,000 Books to Read Before You Die: A Life-Changing List. My bucket list is to read as many books as possible

Nadine in NY wrote: "Wow it seems so early to me to have stuff in the ground!!!"

All that are planted (seeds and plants) are winter crops. And the transplanted lettuces are struggling with our 70+ degree days. I will need to figure out how to shade them and hope that they manage. Most of the seeds won't germinate until April with the earliest harvest in late spring and early summer.

This is a two week check-in, since I was traveling last week. My husband's job is transferring most of the folks in his facility down to Georgia in a little over a year, so they've been doing research trips to help with that. So we got to escape the New England chill for some warmer temps (not warm warm, but most days I didn't need to bother with my jacket if I wore long sleeves), but the trade off was some pretty hectic days looking at the new facility and housing in the area. It's nice to travel, but it's nice to be back home, too. And all that traveling was good for my reading!

Finished:
A Spoonful of Time - (PS A POC experiencing joy and not trauma, CL Food) There were some interesting ideas here, but it didn't quite stick the landing. I like that it included recipes for all the food mentioned.
Max in the House of Spies: A Tale of World War II - Straight up did not like this one. The main character is put through the wringer, and the fantasy elements added nothing.
Not an Easy Win - I really enjoyed this one, despite not thinking I would. Also, it inspired me to try fried pickles while on my trip.
The Worlds We Leave Behind - (RH A work of weird horror, CL A foggy or stormy scene) Not as big a fan of this one, though it was short at least. Like A Spoonful of Time, there were interesting concepts here, though the author didn't play around with them nearly enough, and basically handed the solution to the characters.
Ferris - Not DiCamllo's best, but still a nice little story. And reading it made me realize it was misclassified in my own library's collection (we genre-fied JF last summer), as the ghost mentioned in the summary does not play a big enough part to place it in fantasy.
Flora la Fresca & the Art of Friendship - (RH Cozy book by a BIPOC author) I wasn't too keen on this one while reading it, but it's grown on me. I just wish the older sister had gotten a little more comeuppance. Plus, the book mentions my local airport, but its clear the author hadn't actually been there.
A Game of Noctis - (PS Dystopian book with a happy ending, CL a weapon) Not entirely sure how I feel about this one. The writing was snappy enough to keep me going, but it was hard to care about the stakes. Still, it enabled me to fill a tricky prompt, and there's something to be said for that.
Knots - Wasn't a fan of this one, either, but I can't really figure out why. It was just okay.
Dear Mothman - (CL Frame-worthy design) This was a slow go for me, but it picked up by the end. Not really my jam, but I'm glad I read it.

Currently reading:
To & Fro
Drawing Deena
A Bit of Earth

QOTW: Not in the slightest. I suppose I have vague ideas of things I would like to do at some point, but not definite enough to put on any kind of list.

Bea wrote: "Too bad the Japan trip is imminent and thus already planned. It is a great idea. Maybe tacking it onto the Australia/..."

Whether you add Hawaii onto another trip, or take a trip to Hawaii without going somewhere else first, I highly recommend visiting the island of Kauai. I went there several years ago for my older cousin's wedding, and didn't want to come home. It is so beautiful there!

JessicaMHR wrote: "Oop, I forgot to tell you about a show I binged yesterday. It is called Paradise and it is on Hulu. It stars Sterling K. Brown (from This Is Us). IMBD describes it as "A Secret Service agent invest..."



wow that sounds good!!

If I ever run out of K-dramas to watch (bwahahahahah never going to happen!!!) I will watch that!!


oh nooo it's got James Marsden in it too! For some reason I never like his characters. (Exception: Enchanted - because he was SUPPOSED to be the doofus so it worked)

Bea wrote: "Nadine in NY wrote: "Wow it seems so early to me to have stuff in the ground!!!"

All that are planted (seeds and plants) are winter crops. And the transplanted lettuces are struggling with our 70+..."


right I know they are winter crops. But our ground is still frozen LOL so it's early for us!! It will be weeks and weeks yet before the ground is warm enough for new root growth, even on peas and lettuces.

Happy Thursday! Started feeling queasy at work today, so decided to finish up the day at home. Still not feeling great, but luckily I'd loaded up most of my work for early in the day.

Finished:
The Bane Witch- described as Practical Magic meets Gone Girl and that's pretty accurate. Discusses violence against women in pretty graphic terms, so know that going in
-no prompt

One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This- this was a phenomenal book exploring Palestine the response from Western governments/citizens over the last year, and then ties that response into other parts of history. I thought it was really compelling
-no prompt

Things We Hide from the Light- I wanted a drama filled romance, and I got it. The last bit dragged a little, but I still enjoyed myself
-no prompt

Currently reading:
The Family Recipe- a family dramedy, only just started but so far so good

Slow Noodles: A Cambodian Memoir of Love, Loss, and Family Recipes- I read the first part of this last year, and then just wasn't in the head space for it, so I'm starting over on it now.

QotW:
I don't think I have anything like a bucket list. I think the closest type of things were last year when I was determined to take my mom to see a kpop show, an then back in 2019 when I decided my parents and I needed to go visit our relatives in Sweden THAT YEAR! I remember thinking, my parents are getting older, our Swedish cousins are getting older, life is unpredictable, we need to go visit now before it's too late. And then everything shut down the next year, so I wasn't completely wrong!

But for long term bucket list, nothing. Each year I think of new things I'd like to accomplish, but I'm thinking short term these days

Happy Thursday!

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

Series - 1/10
Reading Across Canada - 2/10
Nobel laureates - 1/5

PS - 10/40
Regular ATY - 7/40
Anniversary ATY - 3/10

Currently reading:
Doppelganger: A Trip into the Mirror World - 60%
Ulysses -20%
Middle of the Night - 50%

Lent:
Interior Castle - 5%

QOTW: On my real list, I have one with a few things on it. For the PS prompt - I'd love to visit Ireland so I'm going to use the next book in a series I'm reading that takes place in Dublin.

Nadine in NY wrote: "JessicaMHR wrote: "Oop, I forgot to tell you about a show I binged yesterday. It is called Paradise and it is on Hulu. It stars Sterling K. Brown (from This Is Us). IMBD describes it as "A Secret S..."

Marsden is the president who dies, LOL.

Recovery from oral surgery last week is going well. It’s been a week now, and I’m down to taking just Aleve twice a day, and I can talk and chew soft foods without pain. Since I felt well enough and alert enough, I used my recovery days to read.

Finished
The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, and Mockingjay I re-read this over my long weekend of recovery. They’re just as good as every time I read them, and I ugly cried in all the same parts. I would love to re-read Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes too, but even if I don’t, I think I’m all set for Sunrise on the Reaping later this month.

Reading
Beautiful Ugly

Allegiance

QOTW
No, and I don’t plan on thinking too much about it. I’ll fill this prompt with a book that involves something I think sounds neat.

K.L. wrote: "Whether you add Hawaii onto another trip, or take a trip to Hawaii without going somewhere else first, I highly recommend visiting the island of Kauai. I went there several years ago for my older cousin's wedding, and didn't want to come home. It is so beautiful there!"

Thanks for the tip. When I go, I want to see the scenery. I am not a touristy, lots of people kind of traveler. I like nature much better.

Happy Friday!

I meant to check in yesterday, but ended up watching a movie with the parents so today it is! It's 8:30am, which is super early for me, but my dad and I were supposed to be on our way to the Railway Museum right now. Alas, Lucy decided she wasn't hungry this morning and her temp was low, so she's currently next to me bundled up in a blanket and on a hot water thingy. Fingers crossed she feels better soon!

Ironically we were at the vet yesterday for yearly shots and nothing was wrong xD

Mom and I finished White Lotus season 2. I'm still enjoying it, but not the way the hype would suggest. Loving Sex Education though!

Saw September 5 in cinema. I still think the timing of this movie is The Worst, but at least it does its best to stay politically neutral. I thought it was a good one, just. Uncomfortable timing.

Last night we watched Champions, which we really loved. I am so glad there are more and more movies where people with disabilities are treated like actual people!

Exercise wise it's been going well, even though my bike's support shut down again. We're returning it and getting our money back. Fingers crossed I can find a new bike soon, even if I can borrow my mom's in the meantime. Did buy a new challenge. Oops? xD Giant's Causeway in Ireland! It'll be saved for the future, though. I've got my hands full with Scotland and The Hobbit for now!

Read
Nothing finished! So busy with watching things hahah!

Currently Reading
Sentinel
Over halfway through this reread; still don't remember anything so that's nice. While reading last night I knew one tiny thing that was about to happen, but I couldn't have told you beforehand xD

QOTW
My bucket list is huge! I have a notebook with '1001 things to do before I die'. Number 1 is to actually get to 1001. I'm not there yet, but it's so fun, and it reminds you that not every single thing has to be MASSIVE. It can be small things that you'd love to have done, like watching a specific movie, or trying a certain food, and crossing them off feels so good. I've had a few actors cross meeting them off the list which they adored!

In therms of Big Things: Visiting Antarctica, visiting all the Disney parks, visiting New Zealand (The Shire). From the top of my head!

Life update: I took most of this week off work because I was feeling exhausted, and I'm very glad I did. It really confirmed for me that I need to retire as soon as we can get all the logistics in place. I had so much more energy, especially creative energy. It even made me think, for the first time, that perhaps in retirement I might be able to write some original fiction (in addition to the fanfic I already write, albeit currently very slowly because of my health issues).

Reading update:

In further evidence that my health is much better when I'm not working, I managed to end each day with enough energy left to read at least one chapter of the Ramayana. I also finished two books:

The Seven Year Slip for "a book where an adult character changes career" and the GR Sweet and Spicy bookmark - very enjoyable, and fits the prompt extremely well, as in fact several characters change career, and their reasons for doing so link to a key theme of the book
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: The High Country for the Star Trek Series Challenge, and while reading it I realised I could also use it for "a book about a cult"

Stats:
Finished for the PopSugar Challenge: 2 this week, 14/50 total
Finished for the Star Trek Series Challenge: 1 this week, 4/18 total
Finished for the GR Bookmarks Challenge: 1 this week, 3/6 total
Finished outside the challenges: 0 this week, 3 total
All books finished this year: 2 this week, 20 total
DNF or paused: 0 this week, 4 total

Currently reading:
West With Giraffes for the GR Era Explorer bookmark and "a 2024 prompt" (bildungsroman/coming of age novel)
The New Moon's Arms for "a character going through menopause"
The Vanishing People: Fairy Lore and Legends for "a book mentioned in another book"
The Valmiki Ramayana Vol. 2 for my bedtime spiritual reading and "a classic you've never read"
Imzadi for the Star Trek Series Challenge
Was tun, wenn jemand stirbt: Handbuch für den Trauerfall (What to do when someone dies: a manual for times of bereavement). My mother is getting frail, and since we live in different countries, I worry about the logistics in the event of her passing suddenly. I'm reading this book to soothe that anxiety; it's a step-by-step guide by a consumer organisation in her state.

QOTW: I don't have a bucket list exactly, but I have the Someday/Maybe list from the Getting Things Done system, which has a similar function in many ways. It currently includes:

*Visiting Andorra and hiking some trails there
*Attending the Millport Country & Western Festival
*Attending a folk singing course at Halsway Manor (a property owned by the English Folk Dance & Song Society)
*Visiting all of the East German states (I visited all the West German ones in my teens and twenties, but I moved to England before reunification)
*Making a return visit to the town I was born in and the village where I lived between the ages of 2 and 4
*Visiting St. Michael's Mount in Cornwall and Mont Saint-Michel in France
*Going on a guided glow-worm walk at my local wildlife sanctuary
*Going to some of the major breaking events - Red Bull BC One, The Legits Blast
*Attending a MotoGP race at Sachsenring in Germany
*Visiting Bach's birthplace
*Visiting Livraria Bertrand in Lisbon, the oldest bookshop in the world that's still trading

Pretty much all of these are dependent on my health improving. Roll on that retirement!

JessicaMHR wrote: "Nadine in NY wrote: "JessicaMHR wrote: "Oop, I forgot to tell you about a show I binged yesterday. It is called Paradise and it is on Hulu. It stars Sterling K. Brown (from This Is Us). IMBD descri...

Marsden is the president who dies, LOL."


oh! awesome! perhaps another role I'll like for him then hahahaha

Erin wrote: "... back in 2019 when I decided my parents and I needed to go visit our relatives in Sweden THAT YEAR! ..."


did you ever get there?

Heather wrote: "No, and I don’t plan on thinking too much about it. I’ll fill this prompt with a book that involves something I think sounds neat...."




Probably the BEST approach!! I get so hung up on finding the perfect fit for each category, but maybe I need to let this one go.

Carmen wrote: "My bucket list is huge! I have a notebook with '1001 things to do before I die'. Number 1 is to actually get to 1001. ..."



So this is like the perfect reading category for you! there must be so many books that fit.

Sasha wrote: "*Visiting Andorra and hiking some trails there
*Attending the Millport Country & Western Festival
*Attending a folk singing course at Halsway Manor (a property owned by the English Folk Dance & Song Society)
*Visiting all of the East German states (I visited all the West German ones in my teens and twenties, but I moved to England before reunification)
*Making a return visit to the town I was born in and the village where I lived between the ages of 2 and 4
*Visiting St. Michael's Mount in Cornwall and Mont Saint-Michel in France
*Going on a guided glow-worm walk at my local wildlife sanctuary
*Going to some of the major breaking events - Red Bull BC One, The Legits Blast
*Attending a MotoGP race at Sachsenring in Germany
*Visiting Bach's birthplace
*Visiting Livraria Bertrand in Lisbon, the oldest bookshop in the world that's still trading ..."



Awesome list! Now i feel like i want to do some of those things!! a glow worm tour sounds especially magical.

The final poll for May's group read, which could fill "space tourism" is open:
https://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/3...
Books on the final poll are:
Floating Hotel
Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void
Red Rising
The Spare Man

Can anyone tell me why Red Rising made it onto the final poll? I read that and there was no tourism, no space travel, and certainly no space tourism.

Are you all just rebelling against the category? LOL I've been struggling to find a good book for this one, I've DNFed two books so far, so I can sympathize.

Nadine in NY wrote: "JessicaMHR wrote: "Nadine in NY wrote: "JessicaMHR wrote: "Oop, I forgot to tell you about a show I binged yesterday. It is called Paradise and it is on Hulu. It stars Sterling K. Brown (from This ..."
Not that you need a Marsden specific rec, but I also really loved him in Jury Duty. It's a show a man thinks he's been chosen for jury duty on a case - but really, it's all faked, and he's the star, and it's about how he deals with the twists and turns of the case and the behind-the-scenes events. James Marsden plays a...heightened version of himself? The movie star who somehow got stuck with jury duty as well. But he's definitely deliberately goofy in it, and the show itself is hilarious and lovely.

Of course, I say this as someone who likes him in anything!

I finally discovered something for my bucket list:

a trip to Dinosaur National Park!

It was mentioned in one of the books I'm currently reading. As someone who has loved dinosaurs since they were 4 that seems like a cool place to visit.

Now I need to find books on that area either about the person who discovered it or the general history so hopefully I can find something.

For the week...

Complete
The Wedding People I enjoyed it, despite seeing how silly and contrived the plot was. Used for luxury resort - it's a hotel, not a full resort, but the luxury element definitely fits!

Blob: A Love Story Oh the premise of this one was so much better than the execution, sadly. A woman finds a blob with a face on the street, takes it home, and then realizes she can make it grow into a person. The back cover talks about how she decides to mold it into her perfect boyfriend by exposing it to pop culture, and that's what I was excited for - the discussion of what she was choosing to show him and how it would affect his character. But there was none of those. His growth from blob to man is very quick, and there was no real discussion - or deliberate choice about what cultural things he was shown. It was really more her story, and she was pretty frustrating and unlikeable. No PS prompt, but used for ATY's 2025 year (couldn't do the PS version because I can't call it highly anticipated!).

She Who Became the Sun Really enjoyed this slightly fantastical take on Chinese history. Immediately borrowed the sequel from the library. I think I'm going to use it for LGBTQ+ characters where the story isn't about their coming out. It has characters with very complex gender identities. The only reason I'm not sure is because it's not about their coming out because everyone basically stays closeted, and I'm not sure if this prompt was looking for something more along the lines of queer norm fic, where there's no need or expectation for people to come out. I guess I can pencil it in for now and switch it out later if I read something that feels like a better fit.

In Progress
Dataclysm: Who We Are
The Woman Who Stole My Life
Harlem Shuffle
Unholy Land

QotW
I do have a bucket list but only because one of my challenge books last year was Die with Zero: Getting All You Can from Your Money and Your Life, which recommends not only writing down your bucket list, but also dividing it by ages at which you want to do the thing, so you don't keep putting items off until you're maybe too old to fully enjoy them. So I did that exercise, and semi-planned out some things. The big one on it is to see a baseball game at every big-league stadium. And then I learned - also through chats here - of a book where they do just that - I Don't Care if We Never Get Back: 30 Games in 30 Days on the Best Worst Baseball Road Trip Ever - in 30 days no less! So that's what I'm penciling in for this prompt, though I also have travel and other things on there too if I can't get ahold of it.

Ron wrote: "I finally discovered something for my bucket list:

a trip to Dinosaur National Park!

It was mentioned in one of the books I'm currently reading. As someone who has loved dinosaurs since they were..."




that sounds cool so I googled it - which one are you talking about? Utah? Arizona? Texas? Alberta?

Ron wrote: "Is Earth Exceptional?: The Quest for Cosmic Life - 5 star. I did this as a buddy read since someone online was interested when I showed the book. OMG it was insane! It has a lot of theoretical elements and asks a lot of questions but that's what I loved about it. The authors did an excellent job at explaining the science so that was cool. I'm planning to do a BookTube video on this specific one so I can really get into it...."


This sounds fascinating!!! But reviews of this book are mixed. Have you read Alien Earths: The New Science of Planet Hunting in the Cosmos? I'm wondering which one is better. (I'm thinking about buying a book for my daughter's birthday. She seems interested in the possibilities of alien life.)

Nadine in NY wrote: "Ron wrote: "I finally discovered something for my bucket list:

a trip to Dinosaur National Park!

It was mentioned in one of the books I'm currently reading. As someone who has loved dinosaurs sin..."

Oh didn't realize there was more than one. I'm talking about the one along the Utah/Colorado borderlands.