Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge discussion
2025 Weekly Check-Ins
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Week 21: 5/15 - 5/22
This week reminded me why I dislike reading a book just because it fits a prompt. I struggled through Cleat Cute because I didn’t think I’d stumble across a book about soccer. Well, guess what I stumbled across .... I’m doing a little bit of shuffling. The author of Cleat Cute is neurodivergent, and while The Cut might not be about soccer, there are important scenes that happen on the pitch.Finished
Silence for the Dead (a book that includes a nonverbal character). Usually, I read Simone St. James books in one day, but it took me three weeks to finish this due to an illness plus fatigue as I recovered. Once I felt better, I devoured the second half of the book. I think I would have enjoyed it more without a three week break right in the middle, but that’s not the book’s fault.
The Cut (a book about soccer). Richard Armitage is a really good writer! Naturally, his narration on the audiobook is wonderful too. I liked this book a lot and also really enjoyed the Easter eggs referencing films and TV series he’s acted in. I’m planning on reading his other book too.
Reading
Secrets (a book you’ve always avoided reading)
The Twisted Women's Book Club (a book with two or more books on the cover or "book" in the title)
Tess of the D’Urbervilles (a classic you’ve never read)
QOTW
That’s a neat booklist! My ideal vacation is probably a variation of mountains, woods, national park/monument, and lake. Somewhere quiet and remote with very few people and lots of relaxing, reading time.
Hello and happy Thursday from Columbus. I’m currently taking a little coffee break at work, and tomorrow we leave for Hilton Head (yay! But we’re leaving at 4am so also boo). The beach is my favorite place and I’ve downloaded some long audiobooks because that drive ends up taking us all day lol. Finished:
Lady Macbeth for a read harder prompt. I really love historical fiction that’s classic stories reimagined from the women’s perspective. I saw some criticisms that they didn’t like how this changed her from being the driving force behind the story to a woman defined by her relationships to me. Which is valid but I found this a more compelling and sympathetic story about a woman trying to survive in a man’s world. Villians who are simply power hungry are boring lol.
Wool Omnibus for my 12 friends challenge. This is everything I don’t like in a book. That, and so many stairs.
The Stories You Tell for read harder. This is one of my favorite series and was a reread. I eagerly await Kristen Lepionka’s next book. She’s local to me (and a sometimes client where I work 🤩) and always features Columbus as practically a character in her books. I love love love a good PI mystery so these books are absolutely delightful to me.
Currently Reading:
Lonesome Dove
Catechism of the Catholic Church
The Great Adventure Catholic Bible
Challenges:
Popsugar - 15/40; 0/4; 0/3; 2/3
Read Harder - 9/24
Classics - 4/12
European Tour - 4/10
12 Friends - 4/12
Yearly Goal - 42/180
QOTW:
My ideal vacations are coastal destinations and old cities with lots of art and good food.
Happy Thursday!I have had the shittiest week, in terms of what my life is probably going to look like, so I've been trying my hardest to not think about it. On Monday I have an appointment with a lawyer to discuss objecting the decision, so fingers crossed!
Last night we went to see the live action Lilo & Stitch, and I loved it! Which is not a given, I am very much anti-live action remakes; this is the very first of (few) live action remakes I've seen that I would genuinely voluntarily watch again. I am still devastated by some of the choices made (view spoiler) but save for (view spoiler) I think it was handled well, and I really enjoyed myself! My favorite character (besides Stitch) remains my fave, so I'm happy hahah!
I also binged a Flemish TV show in which you follow a court case (and the people involved during what happened) and then you have to vote whether they are guilty or not. I cast my vote, and will find out next Tuesday if I was right! During the final episode the majority of the vote determines the outcome, and you also find out what actually happened. Very difficult!
Read
Spinning Silver
I can't say this was for me. I still think the audio is what killed most of the enjoyment for me, due to being so slow. The narrator herself is actually quite good, but alas.
The Invisible Library
After having truly sat down with this I didn't hate it so much and managed to enjoy it somewhat. I won't be continuing the series however.
Currently Reading
The Book Eaters
Read the first two chapters (17 pages) last night, to force myself to start a new book, and I am pretty intrigued!
My TBR also has A Day of Fallen Night on it for this month, but depending on my brain's capacity and exhaustion levels due to all the stress it might not happen. Fingers crossed!
QOTW
I don't have time to check out the list, as dinner is almost ready and after dinner I'm off for a game night, but I'll try and remember to check it out, if only for the prompt ones, hahah!
When I was a kid my ideal vacation was a camping in Southern France or Italy (with a furnitured tent or camper of the camping) and just going to the pool, but these days I've fallen in love with more active holidays. Which is annoying, given my disabilities, but city trips and theme park trips are much more my speed these days! I could never spend 14 days by a pool anymore, with only a day here and there where you go and do something (like visiting Venice). Now I want to do the things and have a day or two by the pool instead, if possible! (mostly there's not been pools jkshdf)
Happy Thursday, everyone! It took around seven hours for the plumbing company to replace the drain pipe on Tuesday, but one more emergency household project has officially been completed, and I am happy to report that my sump pump is no longer having to work overtime when it rains!
Apart from the plumbers being here on Tuesday, it was a pretty uneventful week. I did have the opportunity to watch the first two episodes of the new Murderbot series on Apple TV+ this past Friday, and I really liked it. There are some differences between the television adaptation and the books, but the heart of the story is still there, and Alexander Skarsgård does a marvelous job of portraying our favorite SecUnit. The inner monologues are every bit as entertaining as they are in the books.
Mood Reading May continues to go really well. This week I managed to split my time pretty evenly between books from my TBR and “New Books” lists, and actually had a chance to read a significant amount of nonfiction.
Here are my current challenge and TBR totals…
Goodreads Challenge: 188/250
Mount TBR Challenge: 113/150
📚Physical TBR: 92/731
📱Ebook TBR: 12/218
🎧Audiobook TBR: 9/12
TBR Checklist Total: 113/961
TBR Books DNFed in 2025: 3
I went a little overboard on the book buying this week…
The only books I’d planned to pick up were two titles that were released on Tuesday, which were: Strange New World, by Vivian Shaw; and Rules for Ruin, by Mimi Matthews.
However, I also got copies of Dead Tired 1, by Ravensdagger; Drinks and Sinkholes: A Cozy Fantasy Novel, by S. Usher Evans; Travel the World Without Worries: An Inspirational Guide to Budget and Adventure Travel, by Marek Bron; Wander Woman: How to Reclaim Your Space, Find Your Voice, and Travel the World, Solo, by Beth Santos; #PassportReady: The Ultimate Guide To Solo Female Travel, by Anne Malambo; The Solo Travel Handbook, by Lonely Planet; Greater Than a Tourist- Salem Massachusetts USA: 50 Travel Tips from a Local, by Danielle Lasher; MASH: An Army Surgeon in Korea, by Otto F. Apel and Pat Apel; and MASH: A Novel about Three Army Doctors, by Richard Hooker.
“New” Books Bought in 2025: 95
“New” Books Read in 2025: 75
“New” Books DNFed in 2025: 0
Here are the books I finished this week…
Finished Reading (Fiction):
~Falling — This was a very exciting, well-written thriller. I really enjoyed reading it, but it definitely did not help with my fear of flying. I’m very grateful that I don’t have to get on a plane anytime soon. 📚: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
~Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix — This is the fifth book in the Harry Potter series. It has been a very long time since I last read this book, and my first listening to it on audio, so I really enjoyed revisiting the story. Stephen Fry did a great job with the narration, and I especially enjoyed the voice he used for Dolores Umbridge. 🎧: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Finished Reading (Nonfiction):
~The Kill Bill Diary: The Making of a Tarantino Classic as Seen Through the Eyes of a Screen Legend — I thought this was an interesting behind-the-scenes look at the filming of the Kill Bill movies. I'm looking forward to giving those another watch sometime soon. 📱: ⭐⭐⭐
~#PassportReady: The Ultimate Guide To Solo Female Travel — I’m looking forward to doing some solo traveling later this year, and found this book both informative and inspirational. 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
~The Solo Travel Handbook — Lonely Planet’s guide to traveling on your own is very informative. Unfortunately, this book was published in 2018, so it is also somewhat out of date. It was still an interesting read though, and included a lot of beautiful, full-color pictures. 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Finished Reading (Manga, Comic Books, & Graphic Novels):
None
Finished Reading (Poetry and Drama):
None
DNFed:
None
Currently Reading:
~Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince — This is the sixth book in the Harry Potter series. While this book is a re-read for me, it’s the first time I’ve had a chance to listen to the audiobook. 🎧
~Dragons of Autumn Twilight — I’m almost halfway through this book, and I am struggling to maintain my interest. I know that most of my problem is that I've been distracted by other things (books and real life obligations), so I will be finishing this story, but plan to wait on reading the rest of the series until I'm better equipped to focus on it. 📚
~Wander Woman: How to Reclaim Your Space, Find Your Voice, and Travel the World, Solo — This is a travel guide for women who are interested in traveling on their own, but it's also very focused on changing the reader's perception of what constitutes traveling solo. I only started it last night, so I'm less than 50 pages in, but it's been really interesting so far. 📚
QOTW:
I actually laughed out loud when I saw this week’s question, because I’m currently in the process of planning a road trip and doing a ton of travel reading.
I suppose my ideal vacation would be world travel. I’m not a huge fan of flying though, so traveling by boat, train, or car is preferable (though not always practical). I thought the book list was interesting, but didn’t add any new titles to my TBR. The books I had any interest in reading are either already on there, or I’ve read them before.
Happy Thursday! The pull-down hose on the kitchen sink burst last Thursday, so we called a plumber. Easy fix, but… once it was discovered that nothing had been updated or serviced since the house was built 20 years ago (we moved in a little less than three years ago), I’m $12,000 poorer. The kitchen repair, four new bathroom sinks (they were developing leaks), two outdoor spigots (they had seized closed), and a tankless water heater (20 years old and never serviced). Oof. Last year it was a new HVAC system. What’s next?2025 Reading Challenges:
52 Book Club: 40/52 (May Mini-Challenge: 6/7)
ATY: 34/52 (ATY Anniversary Challenge: 7/10, ATY Spring Challenge: 30/30)
The Book Girls’ Guide: 32/74
Booklist Queen: 40/52
Popsugar: 31/50
My Ever-Growing TBR: 59/267 – 22.1% (My goal is 33.3%.)
Recently Completed:
Count My Lies ★★★★
Just Like Heaven ★★★★
The Kiss Countdown ★★★★
Olive, Again (Popsugar #47 – interconnected short stories) ★★★★
The Sunlit Man (ATY Spring Challenge #3 – SUN SHINING: Sunlit/Booklist Queen #42 – an author you love) ★★★★
Jane and the Unpleasantness at Scargrave Manor: The author tries to stay authentically connected to the real life of Jane Austen, but all the footnotes get in the way of the story. Jane Austen Book Club. ★★★
Long Bright River (ATY #32 – mystery or true crime/BGG Read Around the USA #5 – set in the Northeast) ★★★★
Epic Solitude: A Story of Survival and a Quest for Meaning in the Far North (52 Books May Mini-Challenge #5 – set in Alaska) ★★★
Jurassic Park: I was going to use this for Popsugar #46 – nature is the antagonist, but the more I think about it, hubris is the antagonist! I found another book. Reasonable Doubt Book Club. (52 Books May Mini-Challenge #3 – a buddy read) ★★★★
First Comes Scandal: A Bridgerton Prequel ★★★★
Currently Reading:
The Elements of Marie Curie: How the Glow of Radium Lit a Path for Women in Science
All That Life Can Afford (Booklist Queen #7 – women’s fiction)
Promise Me Sunshine
Heartwood
Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President
The Tenant of Wildfell Hall (52 Books #30 – in the public domain/Booklist Queen #21 – a classic that was recommended to you/Popsugar #39 – a classic you’ve never read)
The Age of Miracles (Popsugar #46 – nature is the antagonist)
This Book Will Bury Me
The Infinity Particle: A Graphic Novel
Finding Tess: Highland Legacy Romance: Goodreads Giveaway.
Greenteeth (52 Books May Mini-Challenge #1 – a leafy, green cover/ATY #30 – a monster book)
QOTW: I really like the list! What a great source for picking my next random read! But my favorite vacation wasn’t really listed… I like to visit cities. I want a posh hotel, restaurants, museums. It doesn’t even have to be a bucket list destination (London, Paris, Venice, etc.). I’ve had great vacations in Indianapolis, Pittsburgh, Madison, Portland, Baltimore, and Denver. This year we’re going to Walla Walla for our anniversary.
I’ve been in such a slump this past month. I had a week off work but ended up with a horrid virus (home covid test was negative but I‘m not convinced they still work). So I didn't do much and couldn't concentrate on reading. I also built a new gaming PC, but Nvidia's drivers have been a mess so I've been trying to get things running smoothly. Typically it’s the one game I most want to play that keeps crashing. I'm officially fed up with it.Finished:
The Ashfire King by Chelsea Abdullah. I loved the first book but this was sooooo slow and the characters who bounced well off each other were separated for most of the book. I was into it by the end but it didn't feel like there was 500+ pages worth of progression in the overall story.
ATY: 47. A book relating to fire
Deep End by Ali Hazelwood. Not my favourite of hers. As always I got weirdly invested in the non-romance part (diving, who knew) and speed read past the sex scenes. I like her characters, it's just lots of sex in books isn't my cup of tea and it seems like she keeps putting more and more in. Was at least a quick read.
ATY: 24. A book with a main character who is a brain, an athlete, a basket case, a princess, or a criminal
So nothing for Popsugar again.
QOTW:
That post has reminded me of several books I still haven't got round to yet. I like going places that aren't full of other people! I think a cabin in the woods with interesting places to walk but not too far from civilisation for days trips is the sweet spot. I live near the coast so beach holidays seem a bit of a waste. Although I wouldn't mind one of those tropical island cabins that back straight onto the water. I like visiting cities but anywhere too touristy gets a bit overwhelming for me these days.
K.L. wrote: "I did have the opportunity to watch the first two episodes of the new Murderbot series on Apple TV+ this past Friday, and I really liked it...."Oooh, thanks for the reminder. I specifically told my partner to not cancel Apple TV so I can watch Murderbot, and then I went and forgot it had started.
Mod
I love her books and UGH it has been SO LONG since she released a new book!!!
Updates:Started: One Goal for soccer prompt (actually could fill refugee prompt). I chose it because I used to live in a town in the Midwest that was a Lutheran social services resettlement town, and I’m not particularly into soccer itself. Soccer became pretty huge there. I’m not far into it, but intrigued.
Still reading Jungle for nature as antagonist.
My audiobook of the moment is Banyan Moon for refugee prompt. I’m about half through.
Finished Daisy Jones & the Six for music prompt.
The travel prompt on goodreads is fun. I have been doing a fair bit of traveling (which will be shelved with the pending arrival of the twinnies). I actually picked a book about a national park for my bucket list item, but haven’t started it yet. My goal is to run a half marathon in every state. Since there was already several running prompts, I picked national parks as when there is a nearby NP we have been hitting them up so it became a side goal.
I say snuck up on.
Mod
Awesome news!!! I still have not figured out how to watch Apple TV. I actually have a subscription (we all have iPhones on a family account and someone signed us up for Apple TV) but my TV is not configured to connect with apple. But I think I found a work-around (but of course I've forgotten what it was - maybe it was through Prime? Does Prime connect to Apple?)
Nadine in NY wrote: "Awesome news!!! I still have not figured out how to watch Apple TV. I actually have a subscription (we all have iPhones on a family account and someone signed us up for Apple TV) but my TV is not configured to connect with apple. But I think I found a work-around (but of course I've forgotten what it was - maybe it was through Prime? Does Prime connect to Apple?)"I just checked, and it looks like you can subscribe to Apple TV+ through Amazon Prime. I don't know if you can access an already existing account that way though. I was able to download the Apple TV app on my television, so that's how I've been watching.
Mod
"OOF" is right!! that's a lot!!!
But my favorite vacation wasn’t really listed… I like to visit cities. I want a posh hotel, restaurants, museums.
Good point - I also like to visit cities, and I'm surprised they left that off! There must be some books set in museums that they could list together. All the Water in the World, for example, was set (mostly) in the American Museum of Natural History (NYC).
Greetings from a rainy (again! still?) NYC! Temps dropped to the 50sF this week and the heat came back on in my building! Yikes! Actually, I love these temps and they can stay all summer as far as I am concerned. PS - 30/60 - I need to start hustling
ATY - 44/52 - Probably should just finish already
Finished - Only one and it was a slow read partly because of work demands:
The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida - no PS prompt but used for ATY Tournament of Books - on short list 2023 - I did like it - gave it 3.5 stars but it suffered in comparison to another rather similar brilliant Booker winner I read a few years ago: A Brief History of Seven Killings.
Currently Reading - anything light and fun:
Cards on the Table
A Scream in Soho
QOTW: Well I love traveling and have traveled a great deal over the years all over the world . I don't necessarily have a favorite form or destination. I also read books set in places I travel or want to travel as well as generally read travel essays and memoirs.
Mod
That's the book I picked for that category too!!! I have it borrowed from the library right now, I just need to finish my current book and then it's next up.
This is a two week check-in, since last Thursday I had a work situation that left me too stressed to enumerate the books I'd read. Fortunately, the situation worked out, so here I am now.We've been having unseasonably cold weather this week, and it's going to stay that way through the weekend OTL
Finished:
The (Mostly) True Story of Cleopatra's Needle - (CL name of a famous person) I enjoyed learning about the history of Cleopatra's Needle (which I'd never even heard of before reading this book), but the liberties the author took to make the story more appealing/relatable to kids left me a little cold.
How to Win a Slime War - (CL depiction of something spilled) I listened to the audiobook for this one, and I really wish I hadn't. The narrator makes every character sound obnoxious, so it's hard for me to parse out whether I actually disliked the story or just how it sounded.
Worst-Case Collin - (CL a number in the title or design) A more unique take on the 'my mom died and now my dad and I have to figure out how to cope' narratives I've read, but overall it was just okay.
Shakti: A Graphic Novel - (PS A book centering LGBTQ+ characters that isn't about coming out) I liked the way the Indian folklore was presented, but the overall story left something to be desired.
Select - (PS A book bout soccer) I didn't think I was going to enjoy this one, but I got sucked into the drama (in a good way, I mean).
Dream On - I won an eArc of this, and I enjoyed it, but having read Shannon Hale's graphic memoirs, the influence on the story is pretty evident. She does owns up to this in the author's note at the end.
Tig - An understated but powerful story.
And What Can We Offer You Tonight - I've been meaning to read this for a couple of years, and while the story doesn't quite measure up to that cover, I did still enjoy it.
Hirayasumi, Vol. 1 - This was really cute! It's nice to read a story that's just laid back from time to time.
The River Has Roots - I'm not sure I would have called this a novella, but it was an interesting little story all the same.
What the Chicken Knows: A New Appreciation of the World's Most Familiar Bird - (RH A nonfiction book about nature) Another one that was short and sweet. I learned a little about chickens, but I wouldn't have minded a little bit more.
Rosa by Starlight - (PS a book featuring an activity on your bucket list, CL the words light and/or dark in the title) There are the elements of a classic story here, but they don't come together in a satisfactory way.
Currently reading:
You Glow in the Dark
The Book of Heartbreak
The Girl from Earth's End
Answers to Dog
QOTW: My ideal vacation has to include a theme park with rollercoasters!
Hi all. My meds are having side effects and I feel like crap. We're going to try something different. On the other hand, I had my SS hearing on Tuesday and the lawyer said he thinks it went well. The judge will mail me a decision. So... I wait.
Any US members have plans for Memorial Day weekend? The kiddo has TWO parades on Monday for Girl Scouts. I can't even... Other than Monday, the weather is supposed to be crap, so we don't have anything going on. My heat is on constantly these past few days It's 48 degrees out, supposed to be close to 70 this time of year! I'm gonna need another propane delivery if this keeps up!
Reading has taken a backseat thanks to these side effects. I did read a few chapters in Never Saw Me Coming, and I'm really liking it.
QOTW: Anywhere with water. Beach, lake, rivers, whatever. But I'm not flying to get there! Fortunately, I have lakes and waterfalls all over where I live, so I don't even have to take a vacation to get to something beautiful and relaxing.
Happy Thursday! Looking forward to having a 3-day weekend.I'm thinking about getting Apple TV for a month or two just for Murderbot. I'm not an Apple person, but I've heard they have some other good shows on it, too. And they have the film of the Broadway production of Come From Away, which is an amazing musical. Highly recommend that one!
Finished:
A Letter from the Lonesome Shore by Sylvie Cathrall - 3 stars - I wound up using this for a book with a left-handed character, thanks to a throw-away line about one of the main characters being left-handed. I wish I had liked this as much as I did the first book. This one just felt too long, and dragged too much.
I am currently at 25/50 for Popsugar (21/40 and 4/10).
Currently reading:
Overgrowth by Mira Grant - for an author who is neurodivergent. This is a really interesting alien invasion story from the point of view of one of the alien scouts sent ahead to blend in with the human race.
Upcoming/Planned:
Before We Forget Kindness by Toshikazu Kawaguchi - for an activity on your bucket list (more accurately, a location I'd love to visit)
The Incandescent by Emily Tesh - I have this tentatively down for nontraditional education, since it takes place at a magic school.
You Deserve Each Other by Sarah Hogle - for a book with a title that starts with the letter Y.
QOTW:
We spend a week every year on the Oregon coast, so that's honestly my ideal vacation. What's funny is, we go to the coast but never go to the beach. We usually rent a vacation house and just have a week that's part writing retreat, part just relaxing and unwinding, and part road trip where we make day trips up and down the coast using the house as home base.
I've been so busy lately, I've barely had any time to read. For sake of comparison, last month I finished 25 books. So far this month, I've finished 6!Finished: I'm Afraid You've Got Dragons Read for book club. It was pretty fun. I was surprised that several people in the book club liked it less than I did since it is a sci-fi/fantasy book club and I don't usually read adult sci-fi/fantasy. They classified this as YA though.
The Fabled Earth Read for another book club. This book is one of the fiction books that I felt like was a waste of time. A weak point was that the author was white and avoided marking characters by color or race even though racism was a big part of the plot. So I kept being confused about the relationships among the characters.
Housing First: Ending Homelessness, Transforming Systems, and Changing Lives There were a few pages on Salt Lake and Vancouver that were helpful. Otherwise, I didn't get a whole lot out of this. This was an ILL.
Started: The Hammer: Power, Inequality, and the Struggle for the Soul of Labor Reading for another book club. It strikes me as somewhat weird because it reads like a biography of a few individuals working towards unionizing rather than a history of a mass movement.
I'm beginning to feel like I belong to too many book clubs... Taking up a sixth of my reading choices seems all right. Taking up half seems like too much.
QotW: My ideal trip involves visiting people we know and book stores. Ideally, we stay long enough in one place to get to know it well. One of my favorite trips was to the Santa Cruz area. We spent a couple nights in the Redwoods, a couple nights on the beach, and a couple nights in town (while also visiting a friend and a bookstore.) This was very fun because even though we moved around a lot, we got a real sense of what the area was like.
A two-week check in for me, though my reading amounts have been down lately, so it's not that much longer than usual. Finished
The Extinction of Irena Rey No PS prompt. I think the commentary on this one got me a little - I'd seen a bunch of people talking about how bonkers it was, so I expected more. But I loved the interplay between author and translator.
He Who Drowned the World Loved this one even more than the first and I don't fully understand why! These characters repeatedly did absolutely horrific things in service of a goal I didn't think made it worth it, and yet I just absolutely ached for them and was so caught up in all the turns of the story. Was delighted to figure out I could use it for the politician prompt.
A Sorceress Comes to Call Really can't go wrong with T. Kingfisher. Just wanted more in this world and particularly the ongoing lives of the characters. Used for PS chronic pain.
Black Cake A book club read. While I liked the story, I didn't like the style - I felt like the super short chapters and jumping around in time were attempts to artificially introduce more interest and suspense to the plot that really didn't need it. No PS prompt.
Currently Reading
Heavenly Tyrant
The Ever After of Ashwin Rao
QotW
For me, an ideal vacation involves time on a sailboat. But really, a lot can make me happy - beaches, hiking, bookstores, European cities, remote locales... However, I maintain that there's a difference between travel vacations (going to explore a new place, will probably involve a fairly full itinerary) and relax vacation (less moving around, far more chill!). Both are enjoyable, you just have to go in expecting the right thing.
Other
Add me to the list of people who are going to get / renew Apple tv for Murderbot! I believe episodes are releasing weekly though, so I still plan to wait a bit so I can just get it for a month and binge them all.
Happy Thursday! Busy week. Crazy events happening from brush fires, winds, and high temps. They seriously don't know how to manage my area because this is the worst it's been in decades.*****
Things are going good for the most part. Been busy sometimes with my volunteer work at a bookstore. It's only a couple days a week, but I enjoy it.
*****
School issues are a pain. I had one advisor tell me one thing, and another tell me something else. As a result it was too late to register for summer classes since they already started. Now I have to wait until the fall which is a total drag.
*****
Book News:
So many new releases this month and so many pre-orders that I did months ago that are arriving that I've been excited for.
I'm finishing up my final books for the month and I've already chosen my June TBR.
The highlight of my week though was that my most anticipated new release of 2025 arrived this week. Barely starting chapter 3 but I already can tell it's shaping up to be a 5-star which is awesome!
*****
Finished:
Prequel: An American Fight Against Fascism - I read political books every now and then. I was biased with this one though because Rachel voiced the role of Vesper Fairchild during the show 'Batwoman'. Still, I had heard of fascism but never quite understood it. Rachel put it in a way that was helpful. 4 star read.
Emperor of Rome: Ruling the Ancient Roman World - 5 star. Finall y a book that did not somehow involve the US. Lots of information but it was very educational.
The Book: A Cover-to-Cover Exploration of the Most Powerful Object of Our Time - 5 star read. This is my most surprising. I didn't think I'd like it as much as I did.
*****
Current Reads:
Force of Chaos (Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Book 1): A Novel - Currently on chapter 13, but already a 4-star read. This is the first of it's kind. A YA novel for Power Rangers which has never been done before which always surprises me.
First, the dedication to Thuy though is heartbreaking. Second, the story is awesome. It's got that classic 90s Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers vibe, while also very current (with talks of texting and a 90s theme homecoming). It feels like a blend of the 90s Power Rangers with the 2017 film (granted that movie didn't get great reception), but the way Ma blends them actually works perfectly.
*****
Morphenomenal: How the Power Rangers Conquered the World - My most anticipated of 2025! Another first of its kind book. There have been Power Ranger coffee table books, but never pop culture books like this. On chapter 3 and it's living up to my hopes so already a 5-star and I'm pretty good at rating books early. I don't know if Haim Saban was a con-artist of sorts or a brilliant businessman.
*****
I'll be finishing theses books in the coming weeks this way I can later focus on my June picks because I've got a lot of them.
QOTW:
What is your ideal vacation? Do any of the books on this list hit that sweet spot?
The breakdown of that book list was pretty cool to an extent.
I have the book Cabin Fever: The Harrowing Journey of a Cruise Ship at the Dawn of a Pandemic, but I don't like the idea of cruise ships. Too me (and I've said it since I was a kid), they are petri dishes on water and that Covid book proves my point. LOL!
I'm a big fan of road trips.
I started the book, The Road to Roswell last year but never finished it. Part of it was the fiction aspect. I prefer nonfiction alien/ufo books written by actual UFO researchers and people who have investigated the 1947 'alleged' UFO Crash.
I have been to Roswell. I used to love going, but now from what I've been told it smells like weed and crazy stuff. I used to go back when the science and the investigations of the crash mattered but over the years it's turned into one big joke and stoner fest which is a big let down.
*****
There are way too many fiction picks on that list but I'm not surprised. GR doesn't give great nonfiction recs. And the ones they do rec are over-hyped.
I have a lot of nonfiction with regard to travel:
Death in Yellowstone: Accidents and Foolhardiness in the First National Park
Over the Edge: Death in Grand Canyon
The Sun Is a Compass: A 4,000-Mile Journey into the Alaskan Wilds
Empire of Shadows: The Epic Story of Yellowstone
Canyon and Cosmos: Searching for Human Identity in the Grand Canyon - This book is on my TBR for this year.
I finished The Shining as my book about an adult who changes careers. I mostly liked it.I read Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine as my book that features an unlikely friendship. I would say mostly liked is a good description for this one, also.
I just started Shattered by Dick Francis as my book that reminds me of my childhood. Loved horses when I was a kid and wanted to be a jockey. Not sure how I thought that was going to happen when I only got to ride horses for 1 week each over two summers, but kids aren't that bright.
QOTW: I don't even know how to answer this. I love going pretty much anywhere, beach, mountains, foreign countries. Texas is on my bucket list for "foreign" states, LOL. I don't think a cruise would be anything I would like, but other than that, going somewhere? Can I come?
Happy Thursday! I missed the check-in last week, as I was in Mexico celebrating my grandma's 80th birthday. I just got back, only to get sick from possible food poisoning, so I've been drinking tea and getting some rest since then.I'm continuing to prioritize books by AAPI authors for May. I was able to complete one of my reading challenges. These are the books I managed to read in the past 2 weeks:
2025 Reading Challenges
Popsugar- 39/50
ATY- 51/52; Anniversary- 8/10
Buzzword- 5/12; Cover- 5/12
1001 Books- 5/10
Finished
We Do Not Part- this was great but a little too surrealist for me to follow. ☆☆☆
ATY #27- a book set in the winter
Fundamentally- read this one because it's a finalist for the Women's Prize for Fiction. I was plesantly surprised; it was a unexpectedly funny read. ☆☆☆☆
ARAT #2- read a book by an Asian author that is a retelling and/or features LGBTQ+ characters
Buzzword- eyes on the cover
PS #35- a book centering LGBTQ+ characters that's not about coming out
Hunchback- liked this one, I only wished it was a bit longer. ☆☆☆ 1/2
ARAT #4- Read a book written by an Asian author thats international and/or underrated
Blob: A Love Story- the protagonist was a hot mess, and I was cringing for her! I still found it enjoyable, lol. ☆☆☆ 1/2
Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning- a collection of essays, some hit more than others. ☆☆☆ 1/2
ARAT #5- Read a book written by an Asian author that's nonfiction and/or political
Currently Reading
The Way You Make Me Feel
A Room of One's Own & The Voyage Out
The Kite Runner
QOTW
I'm not a beach person, but I'm open to everything else. Im used to going on road trips across the states with my family, have travelled on planes, visited National Parks, enjoyed hikes, gone on a cruise, etc. I've always wanted to visit Ireland because I think its countrysides are beautiful, and Brazil so I can practice the language.
A quick check-in for me before dinner. I finished one book and found a prompt that fit. I'm at 10/40 and 0/10 for this challenge, and 26/85 for my overall Goodreads Reading Challenge.Finished:
* First Lie Wins written by Ashley Elston and narrated by Saskia Maarleveld, which I used for "a book that fills your favorite prompt from the 2015 PS Reading Challenge" (I chose "a book by an author you've never read.").
Currently Reading:
* The Penguin Book of Murder Mysteries edited by Michael Sims;
* The Women of Chateau Lafayette written by Stephanie Dray and narrated by Tavia Gilbert, Emma Bering, and Rachel L. Jacobs, which is one of my book clubs' picks. We're meeting on Saturday but only one of us has finished the book, so we'll catch up on life stuff and discuss the book next month. I'm over the halfway point but still have more than 10 hours to go with the audiobook; and,
* The Art Thief: A True Story of Love, Crime, and a Dangerous Obsession by Michael Finkel, which is my other book clubs' pick. I'll probably finish it up over the weekend. It's fine but I've been skimming because I just don't care about why the art thief did what he did. I think I'm over reading about people who steal works of art from museums. Or at least not in the mood to read about that right now. I'd rather read this from the perspective of the detective.
QotW:
What is your ideal vacation? Do any of the books on this list hit that sweet spot? Reading on the beach and visiting local indie/used bookstores is my happy place 🏖📚 I usually do that twice a year but it'll just be one trip this year for various reasons. When I looked at the list, the categories where I had the most books already marked as "read" or "to read" were the road trip, somewhere very cold, and wedding categories. I had none of the beach category books checked off (though I do like Chanel Cleeton, so I may add that title back to my TBR). I normally do a road trip to the beach, so I say that fits in with my ideal vacation...at least more than the VERY COLD location category does (and I had nearly half of those titles checked off!) 🤣
I had a good reading week.I finally finished Ulysses! I cannot not recommend this book enough. I finished because I'm stubborn and didn't want to feel not smart enough to finish. But it will be the least enjoyable book I read this year because if any other come close, they are becoming DNF.
I read a 101 page kids book for my Ontario book. The author wrote a book that a lot of Gen X Canadians read and then turned it into a series. Anyway, I found this at a thrift store and had to have it because:
1) I love vampire shows and books
2) I've lived in Ottawa my whole life
3) insert joke comparing MPs and senators to blood sucking creatures.
Finished:
Vampires of Ottawa
Popsugar prompt:A book that reminds you of your childhood
ATY prompt: A book set in a manor, mansion, or estate
Anniversary prompt:
Ulysses
Popsugar prompt: A book mentioned in another book (Fun Home and Just Kids)
ATY prompt: A book by an Irish author
Series - 3/10
Reading Across Canada - 5/10
Nobel laureates - 2/5
PS - 19/40
Regular ATY - 17/40
Anniversary ATY - 6/10
Currently reading:
Interior Castle - 25%
Mooncakes - 75%
Death Bringer - Just started
The Woman Who Died a Lot - Starting tomorrow
Buddy Reads:
none at present
QOTW: The if I had money vacation would be Ireland and France.
We usually go to a medieval camping event and no one from our group (Ontario) is going this year due to politics and a lot of people not feeling safe crossing the border. (Pay to visit the US and maybe get bonus trip to El Salvador). This year my real vacation plans are to stay home, read and do other fun things.
Happy Thursday! It's been randomly cold and rainy. Of course, after we switched over my daughter's clothes to summer. SIGH.Finished 19/50
The Brothers Karamazov for "book recommended by AI". Fantastic. Of course. It's Dostoyevsky. I read the bicentennial edition and that was probably one of the best translations I've ever read.
36 Views of Mount Fuji: On Finding Myself in Japan "for book around a body of water". It's about Japan, which is an island, and she spent time on the sea coast so I think it counts. Really great book, one of the best about living in Japan as an American that I've ever read!
Currently Reading
The Games: A Global History of the Olympics for "book about a run club". Ok. I know. This is probably a stretch. But hear me out. It's the OLYMPICS. Running is like the oldest sport in the history of the Olympics. And once you're an Olympian, you're always an Olympian, so that's a pretty exclusive club, eh? I'm saying it counts. ;)
QotW
My ideal vacation involves water, forests, mountains, and glamping. But I can almost never afford the gamp part so I settle for whatever I can get, lol. My husband and I have a goal of trying to see every National Park before we die, so we've been doing that for vacations and it's been really fun!
Happy Thursday! Sat down to start typing this, and my power immediately shut off. Checked in what my neighbors, and figured out it was probably a circuit breaker issue, not a full power outage- but our building is so old and has switched hands so no one actually knows where the circuit breaker is. Which doesn't seem super great. And then right as I send an email to my building managers asking for help, it went back on... Looking forward to the long weekend! Have not too many plans, other than some tidying things I want to get to, so it should be relaxing.Currently at 26/50 for the challenge. It'll probably stay at the number for a bit- none of the books I want to read right now are for the challenge.
Finished:
You'll Never Believe Me: A Life of Lies, Second Tries, and Things I Should Only Tell My Therapist- all the audiobooks I had from Libby were depressing, and I wasn't in the mood. This was such an entertaining book about a scammer who screwed over a lot of her friends, and then her experience after getting caught. It also brings up the question of, should we be entertained by someone who really mistreated people. But then again, she did serve her time and is now focusing on bringing attention to the right of incarcerated people. Worth checking out
-no prompt for me
Currently reading:
A Cruel Thirst- took me a second to get into this one, but I'm really liking it. Very fun
QotW:
My perfect vacation is usually going to a very walkable city with lots of museums, bookstores, music venues, coffee shops- and just exploring in colder weather. But this year I'm going to Mexico with my family, which we did last year too, and that is always great too.
Hello all!It has been a weird week for me. I finally got my butt in gear and called the car insurance and after many phone calls these past few days they are sending a check, Yah! Now I just need to find a shop to fix the keyed scratch down the side of my truck. (Someone keyed my car a few weeks ago).
I also managed to make a decision on getting a root canal done so now I will have to do that in June (earliest appt available). But, I will have to fly there to get it done. The joys of living on an "outer island" no one here takes my Quest insurance.
But today I was also reminded that I am grateful to be living in a state that still supports women's rights. I had a friend who had an ectopic (in the fallopian tube) pregnancy, they waited to see if it moved down but it didn't. She is already a mother of three and the main money earner and the caregiver for her mother. All I could think of was that if we lived somewhere else she would have had no choice but to continue this pregnancy until her life was at stake, and could have even died waiting.
Sorry to bring the mood down and get all political.
Anyway, books...
I didn't get much books finished this week. I did a lot of reading I just haven't finished much.
2025 Challenges:
Popsugar: 33/50
ATY: 36/52 & 7/10
A to Z (Kindle edition): 2/26
Goodreads: 62/150
GR WTR: 6/432
Physical TBR: 7/116
Kindle TBR: 0/127
TBR Goal: 7/243
Book Clubs:
PS Monthly: 27/66
Reese: 35/111
Oprah: 14/110
Jenna: 10/78
OSS: 7/39
Finished:
2 finished, 1 Completed Popsugar
The Glass Castle
PS#14
All I’m gonna say is, she had a messed up childhood!
A Map to the Sun
ATY#38
This was probably the most depressing, yet realistic look at the lives of teenagers and the family and life struggles they have to go thru sometimes.
-------
Currently Reading
While We Were Dating
Encanto: Nightmares and Sueños
My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry I'm really having a hard time getting into this one.
Ripples & Waves: A Queer Retelling of Hans Christian Andersen's The Little Mermaid
Every Drop Is a Man's Nightmare
Poetry Is Not a Luxury: Poems for All Seasons
Iconic Home: Interiors, Advice, and Stories from 50 Amazing Black Designers
On the Backburner
Libby
Physical Library Rentals
The New Girl
Pride and Prejudice in Space
Yellow Bird: Oil, Murder, and a Woman's Search for Justice in Indian Country
American Poison: A Deadly Invention and the Woman Who Battled for Environmental Justice
Aspca Complete Dog Training Manual
Puppy Brain: How Our Dogs Learn, Think, and Love
Rebellion 1776
My Passion for Design
May I Come In?: Discovering the World in Other People's Houses
Old Brand New: Colorful Homes for Maximal Living
Heirloom Rooms: Soulful Stories of Home
Thief of the Heights: A Graphic Novel
The Rebel Diet: Feed Your Appetite and Lose Weight with 100 Defiantly Delicious Recipes
The Milk Street Cookbook: The Definitive Guide to the New Home Cooking, with Every Recipe from Every Episode of the TV Show, 2017-2024
The Art of Home: A Designer Guide to Creating an Elevated Yet Approachable Home
Safer Places
Love Is for All of Us: Poems of Tenderness and Belonging from the LGBTQ+ Community and Friends
Love and Numbers: Using Numerology to Decode Your Relationships
Magazines: (10/149)
Read since last check-in: 1
Question of the Week:
I didn't mind this list. I have some on my TBR already and have read a few others but I didn't add any new ones.
When I was growing up I always loved going camping. Now I would just like to go somewhere that isn't here. I haven't been on an actual vacation since like 2016? That happens when you make like no money, LOL!
Nadine in NY wrote: "Do you say "snuck up on" or "sneaked up on"? I've read that "snuck" is an Americanism. Anyway . ..."Meriam-Webster says that originally it was sneaked, but snuck has been around since the 1800s.
My kids made me watch a video from Phineas and Ferb about a fake band having a song "You Snuck Your Way Right into my Heart"
Happy check-in. I managed the first two episodes of Murderbot and I'm a bit disappointed but it's early in the series. I was irked that Murderbot is much angrier in the show than what I got from reading the books. I always thought Murderbot was more annoyed and exasperated with everything than angry.Finished Reading:
Behooved ⭐⭐⭐ (ATY anniversary debut)
I had been waiting for this to be published. A swan princess retelling but with the prince turning into a horse. It was a good debut and it fits a few prompts: chronic pain, Irish author, debut author.
Cold as Hell ⭐⭐⭐ (ATY murder mystery)
I seem to enjoy the mystery and settings of these books but I'm kinda over the characters and their feelings.
Lore Olympus: Volume Eight ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Oddly this was a little boring compared to the others.
PS 28/50
ATY 38/52 Anniversary 4/10
Goodreads 132/250
QOTW:
Nice weather, low key, minimal planning but definitely not camping.
Where did this week go?I finished two books, one for a prompt:
Five Winters
The Many Daughters of Afong Moy (immigrant characters)
Currently reading:
The Garden Party and Other Stories
The Frozen River
The Wangs vs. the World
Daughter of Fire
These Precious Days: Essays
War and Peace
1,000 Books to Read Before You Die: A Life-Changing List
QOTW:
Summer vacation starts in 8 days! (school days that is)
I spend it at the beach, which I live about 4 miles from, and by the pool in my complex
But this year I will spend three days doing my ideal vacation: a hotel on the beach so I can step outside directly onto the sand. Swim, take a nap, swim more, read by a pool worth an ocean view, walk on the beach. One night I will bar hop with friends without worrying about a ride. It is Mother's Day gift from my daughter and I can't wait til I go in 4 weeks
I say "snuck up on", as a Scottish person living in England!Life update: This week has been rough. My migraines and related symptoms have been bad, and there have been some small annoyances at work that are harder to take because of that. I'm hoping my ENT appointment comes through soon. I do have a nice weekend to look forward to, though. My football (soccer) team is in the promotion play-off final on Sunday. My son and his partner are coming to stay so that he can go to the match (he gets a ticket through work) and his partner can watch it on TV with me.
Reading update: Since I'm well ahead of my reading target and coming towards the end of both my main challenges, I joined a couple of new ones for Pride season on Storygraph. I've been having fun planning my reading for those. I also finished six books:
Frankenstein for a book you've always avoided. I know it's historically important, but I loathed this. If it had been any other prompt, I would have dnf'd it, but the nature of the prompt meant there was no guarantee that anything else would be more enjoyable. At least it was fairly short, though it still felt like a slog.
Star Trek: The Illustrated Oral History: The Original Cast for the Star Trek Series Challenge. Disappointingly superficial.
Star Trek: Lower Decks―Warp Your Own Way for the Star Trek Series Challenge. This was lots of fun - a clever choose-your-own-adventure story that feels very much like an episode of the show.
Escape Route for the Star Trek Series Challenge. Even for a kids' book, this felt poorly written, with a major plot hole that makes no sense in context.
Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell for the Cosmere Challenge. Decent, but no more than that.
La biblioteca de Babel: Cuentos selectos y un poema for the GR Centennial bookmark. I really enjoyed these short stories and learned a lot of new Spanish vocabulary.
I dnf'd White Nights because I disliked both main characters and wasn't interested in their interactions.
Stats:
Finished for PopSugar Challenge: 1 this week, 43/50 total
Finished for Star Trek Series Challenge: 3 this week, 13/18 total
Finished for Cosmere Challenge: 1 this week, 2/48 total
Finished outside the challenges: 0 this week, 12 total
GR Bookmarks: 1 this week. Community Favorites 6/6, Seasonal 5/7
All books finished this year: 6 this week, 69 total
DNF or paused: 0 this week, 15 total
Currently Reading:
The Calculating Stars so that I can then go on to read part 2 of the series for a married couple who don't live together. I am really enjoying this so far. There's something very refreshing about the style, although I can't put my finger on it.
Nocturnes for the King of Naples. A friend who has moved overseas left some books with me to pass on to a charity shop, and this is one of a handful that I decided to read before doing so. I'm only one scene in, but it's a strong opening.
Sweet Bean Paste for my current audiobook. It's absolutely charming, and I am loving it.
The Valmiki Ramayana Vol. 3 for spiritual bedtime reading
QOTW: My ideal vacation is either returning to the island I used to visit each summer with my grandparents, or else hiking a long trail. I've already read The Mixed-Up Summer of Lily McLean this year with the former, so I'll go with the trail walking. I think A Walk in the Park: The True Story of a Spectacular Misadventure in the Grand Canyon looks like something I'd like to read. Something Wild & Wonderful is also the right setting, but I don't read many contemporary romances, and that one looks a little predictable for my tastes.
This list is also the basis for the Goodreads Armchair Explorer bookmark, and I'm probably going to read The Paris Express for that. I was at university with the author and admired her a lot, but somehow have never actually got round to reading any of her books. I really ought to fix that.
OH RIGHT I meant to comment on sneaked/snuck. Sneaked just sounds completely wrong to me, so I'll forever use snuck!As for Murderbot, I want to give the book series another go before starting the TV show. The audio completely killed the genderless robot idea for me, and the show seems to be heading the same way. If there ever was the perfect role for an NB person, this was it, haha!
But of course the ebook came in on Libby at the most inconvenient time so rip me, had to postpone!
Nadine in NY wrote: "Happy Thursday!! Wow this week flew by!! We had a lot of different things scheduled, including my daughter's college graduation, and I feel like my head is spinning, and Thursday snuck up on me. ..."Congrats on your daughter's graduation!!! What is she doing next?
Happy Friday, y’all. Wow! Where did the week go?
It was full of exercise, recovery from exercise, skipping exercise plans, and vegging in front of the TV. And, to be real honest here, I don’t remember doing anything much.
Finished:
Discover Your God-Given Gifts – No challenge. 5*. What a challenging book. The authors propose that God gives motivational gifts to everyone…Christian and non-Christian. The gifts are: administrator, exhorter, teacher, giver, perceiver, compassion, and server. My only complaint was that many of the descriptors given each gift towards the end of the book related to Christian evangelism. That excluded myself and made it hard for me to feel my score was accurate. Still, I gained a lot in the reading and understanding of myself.
Child of the Mountains – PAS. 4*. An Appalachian story written in the dialect of the region with a growing up element for the main protagonist.
An Embarrassment of Witches – 4*. It felt a bit like I came in on the story midway. It took me a bit to realize that everyone was a witch as it did not feel that way. It felt more like a typical graduate having a full blown “where do I go from here” episode and avoiding her mother. I probably should have rated it 3.5* but GR does not allow for .5 ratings.
This Life or the Next – PAS. Kindle. 3*. It took me quite a bit to realize this was a novel and not non-fiction. It read more like a memoir. I can’t say that I enjoyed it…not by a long shot. It was a put down and pick up again at last resort type of book. Central character found his faith in Islam (Norwegian Arab) and felt drawn to go to Syria to help in the fight against Assad. However, at times the narrator (who is the central character) interrupts his narration to respond to a comment/question from the writer off page. It felt strange and took me a minute to figure out what was going on.
Currently Reading:
The Beginner's Photography Guide: The Ultimate Step-by-Step Manual for Getting the Most from Your Digital Camera – 27%. Haven’t restarted since vacation.
A People's History of the American Revolution: How Common People Shaped the Fight for Independence - Kindle. 20%. Haven’t restarted this one either.
Kate: The Journal of A Confederate Nurse – PAS. 15%. Left on bedside while trying to read library books.
Gabriel's Angel – Audiobook. Favorite Author. 20%. Listening while driving or walking, both of which I am doing little right now.
From a Far and Lovely Country – ATY. 45%. Will probably finish this today.
Just Starting:
The Sojourn – PAS. 8%. Started and renewed with library. Now on hold since it is not due until June while I try to finish others due sooner.
In the Shadow of the Valley: A Memoir – Kindle. PAS. 2%
Miss Fuller – PAS. 3%
On Deck: (owned)
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 19/50
ATY 16/52, Anniversary 7/10, Winter 11/15
GR 78/200
QotW: What is your ideal vacation? Do any of the books on this list hit that sweet spot?
Well, I took my vacation this year already. It involved a train, a plane, a bus, and somewhat of a road trip (Uber). No boats, although I do have The Woman in Cabin 10 down for ATY and PAS. And I have The Teller of Small Fortunes and One Last Stop on my Friends Recommend list.
Regarding places, I have Beautiful Ugly planned for PS and Here Beside the Rising Tide (Friends Recommend) and Clear (Wishlist) on TBR, although I am not usually a beach person. I much prefer the mountains and have Betty on my Wishlist, which doesn’t surprise me as it is an Appalachian story. But, I am surprised that I have nothing listed for Woods or National Parks, which are two more places I would like to be.
Again, a bit surprising to me, I have two books on somewhere cold, two books for reunion and two books on space tourism on my TBRs, mostly on Friends Recommend. And I do have one for river, also.
I love going to new places, but my joy is tempered by the fact that I would rather be in less populated places but am somewhat limited in my ability to go and do due to my couch potato status. I am trying to change that. Next year will be exploring new places within my own country.
Mod
Lily got:
Great Big Beautiful Life
The Final Girl Support Group
Neve got:
The Fervor (the one book I've read)
What Moves the Dead
Survivor Song
Camp Damascus
Revelator
And I wanted:
Buzz Kill but they didn't have it - this book is mysteriously unavailable everywhere! The library can't get it either. (Yes I caved and ordered it on Amazon. THEY have it.)
I forgot to ask: does anyone know if any of these books have a nonverbal character? I'm still not locked in on what I'll read for that category
Hi all!We had such a rainy cold week that I had to turn the heat back on. I'm looking forward to a slightly warmer and sunnier weekend. We're looking forward to getting to the zoo again!
I went on a bit of an Agatha Christie binge this week (all rereads):
And Then There Were None
The Body in the Library
Evil Under the Sun
And then also a graphic novel:
Degas & Cassatt: A Solitary Dance
I've decided to just lean in to my current mystery mood and I've got two of the Brother Cadfael books from the library and also a mystery set in Montana about cowboys I think.
QOTW: Can I do them all?? I think my true dream vacation though would be to do a luxury 'Orient Express' style train ride.
Mod
We had such a rainy cold week that I had to turn the heat back on. I'm looking forward to a slightly warmer and sunnier weekend. We're looking forward to getting to the zoo again!
I went ..."
we had to turn the heat on again too!! it's been rain rain rain. Even the MIDDLE of my yard has spots underwater now, which is unprecedented. Good thing my sump pump keeps working.
QOTW: Can I do them all??<?i>
LOL!! I wouldn't mind doing them all, too, so long as someone else handled all the details and I just relaxed and floated from place to place.
Mod
Thank you! And LOL no one knows. Even she doesn't know.
Mod
Sasha wrote: "I say "snuck up on", as a Scottish person living in England! ..."
good to know! So "snuck" is not particularly American.
Nadine in NY wrote: "Jennifer W wrote: "Congrats on your daughter's graduation!!! What is she doing next?..."Thank you! And LOL no one knows. Even she doesn't know."
Lol, ah... to be young and free! :)
Jackie wrote: "Hi all!We had such a rainy cold week that I had to turn the heat back on. I'm looking forward to a slightly warmer and sunnier weekend. We're looking forward to getting to the zoo again!
I went ..."
Totally approve the current mystery reading! I am in a British Golden Age Detective binge myself.
Mod
Sounds like you prefer reading books that are nothing at all like real trips you would take or real places you would visit!!
Mod
that is a fun goal!! I've been to a handful of National Parks, sort of by accident lol. I've often thought maybe I should try to be more intentional about it. But the truth is I don't really like the hassle of travel, so ... I'll never make it to all of them.
Mod
Is that common to have to hop on a plane to do something mundane like get dental care? I never thought about that!
But today I was also reminded that I am grateful to be living in a state that still supports women's rights. I had a friend who had an ectopic (in the fallopian tube) pregnancy, they waited to see if it moved down but it didn't. She is already a mother of three and the main money earner and the caregiver for her mother. All I could think of was that if we lived somewhere else she would have had no choice but to continue this pregnancy until her life was at stake, and could have even died waiting...."
I don't know if that's true. Perhaps I am naïve because I live in NY, but I think in all 50 states, even states with abortion bans like Missisippi and Indiana, there are still exceptions to prevent the death of the pregnant person. And an ectopic pregnancy would always be a medical emergency because it is fatal without treatment. I think the states with abortion bans also have clauses to protect the "life giving organ" - they want to make sure the uterus and fallopian tubes are saved so they would not want to wait for it to rupture. The few tragic cases of women who died while waiting were in the process of miscarrying uterine pregnancies, and they developed sepsis.
I've definitely seen stories where doctors were afraid to get in trouble because it's all so vague and didn't do anything. You'd think what you say is the norm, but alas.And of course there is the other end of it where a brain dead woman is being kept alive because she was 9 weeks pregnant at the time. Against her family's wishes. Who are still getting billed for the whole thing.
Hey everyone! Last week was my birthday, didn't do anything special though. I had a rough week last week so when my birthday hit, I just wanted to stay home. My gifts include a salad spinner, a kindle cover, an address book, tiny storage bins, and a small case to hold wires. IDK about anyone else, but I am in a major mood to shop. I want to take this Memorial Day sale to fulfill my shopping itch. I have to buy new clothes for this spring/summer season. I did a lot of clothes donation this past fall and winter and most of it was my summer clothes.
Last week was so warm but then it was cold this week! I had to wear a turtleneck and my hoodie one of these past days! I am surprised this temperature drop didn't cause me to get sick.
Reading update: I found 2 5-stars this year! AND it happened that both books are part of this reading challenge! I completed the two prompts asking for books with the same title. Full Disclosure by Stormy Daniels (a memoir) and Full Disclosure by Camryn Garrett (a YA fiction).
QOTW: My ideal vacation is being in water. It can be a pool or the beach. I love floating my body in the water, it is a moment I feel the most relaxed.
Happy Saturday. I also managed to watch the first 2 eps of Murderbot, and while I didn't hate Alexander Skarsgard like I thought I would, there is just something off about it, so I think I'll stick to rereading the books. And as to snuck vs sneaked - I know that technically sneaked is allowed, but it still is like nails on a chalkboard for me when I come across it.Stats:
GR: 97/250
PS: 24/50
ATY: 29/52
ATY Anniversary: 4/10
ATY Rejects: 9/28
ATY Rewind: 4/10
GR Choice: 12/30
TBR: 3/10
Books I finished:
On the Way to the Wedding ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rewind: A, T & Y in title.
I've now read all the Bridgerton books. I didn't Like Benedict's book (#3) and I found Francesca's boring (#6) but otherwise, I'm glad I changed my mind and read them. Now on to the spin-off series.
Rat Queens, Vol. 8: The God Dilemma ⭐⭐⭐
PS: Under 3 star rating.
I was going to read the 3rd Atlas book, but given how much I was disappointed by book 2, I decided to find something else, and this was the only book on TBR that was under 3 stars. It was fine, but the series has lost the magic that the first few issues had. I know the series had a lot of behind the scenes turmoil, so I'm glad they kept it going, but I still was underwhelmed.
The Full Moon Coffee Shop ⭐⭐⭐
ATY: Full moon name
This book was weird. The author's note at the end reveals that she wanted to write a book about astrology, and then she found an artist collection of paintings with giant cats serving coffee from a coffee shop, so she decided to combine the 2 things and write a book. So if you want a really surreal fever dream healing fiction book, choose this.
Overgrowth ⭐⭐⭐⭐
PS: Nature antagonist
Killer plants from outer space. I'd been looking foreword to this and it didn't disappoint.
The Memory Police ⭐⭐⭐
PS: New to you classic.
I love the author, but this is not my genre (dystopian scifi). So while I loved the writing, I barely enjoyed it enough to give it a 3. But I got the Good Reads Centennial Reads bookmark for it, so it's all good.
Frankenstein ⭐⭐⭐
ATY: Monster book.
There was nothing wrong with this book, but there was nothing right... I was just so bored I could barely focus long enough to get through more than a chapter at a time. But I finished it.
In Progress:
Lore Olympus: Volume Eight
Bone Key
QotW
Where was the staycation section? I mean all I want is a nice warm place to curl up with a book. And then maybe make a day trip to go see an art gallery or museum or visit family.
Kendra wrote: "And as to snuck vs sneaked - I know that technically sneaked is allowed, but it still is like nails on a chalkboard for me when I come across it."I have the same response to lit vs. lighted. It seems a lot of fiction that I am reading lately uses lighted as in the candle was lighted by the staff. Fingernail on chalkboard, for sure!
Oof, I'm not doing so well on reading or my check ins lately. I have been just getting out and doing all the things on the weekends these days, which I'm not mad about, but do want to try to pull the reins back in for more of a balance. I'm so excited to have a long weekend to try to rest and catch up on all the things. Had a boat day yesterday and it was exactly what I wanted. Also, took a trip to Florida to meet the boyfriend's family two weekends ago, and it went really well. He meets mine in two weeks, as we head back to Florida for a friend's wedding.17/75 GoodReads Challenge
15/50 PopSugar Challenge
Finished:
1.) Horse by Geraldine Brooks (#30-Childhood) ⭐⭐⭐⭐: I was SUCH a horse girl growing up, and this book was beautifully crafted, I savored each thread and loved reading about a real racehorse and how many lives it impacted.
2.) Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney (#48- Married couple not living together) ⭐⭐⭐⭐: This exceeded my expectations - her books are hit or miss for me, but this one completely had me gasping at the twist.
Currently Reading:
1.) Floating Hotel - #3 Space Tourism
2.) The Spellshop - #18 Magical Creatures
Floating HotelThe Spellshop
QoTW: What is your ideal vacation?
I'm not a beach person, but I do quite enjoy the outdoors - something with a nice view - whether that be mountains or a body of water, or a pool. I love people watching and love just to learn something new or relax.
Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge
Books mentioned in this topic
Yellow Moving Van (other topics)Floating Hotel (other topics)
Here Beside the Rising Tide (other topics)
A Man Called Ove (other topics)
Remarkably Bright Creatures (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Mona Awad (other topics)Sylvie Cathrall (other topics)
Percival Everett (other topics)
Shelby Van Pelt (other topics)
Andy Weir (other topics)
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Do you say "snuck up on" or "sneaked up on"? I've read that "snuck" is an Americanism. Anyway ...
Admin stuff
The May group read, which could fill "space tourism," is: Floating Hotel. Join the discussion here: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
The June group read (which could fill "road trip") will be: West With Giraffes! Let me or Lynn know if you are interested in leading the discussion!
The final poll for the July group read (which could fill "snake on the cover or in the title") is closed, and the book chosen is Sunrise on the Reaping.
Nomination poll for August's group read is open now:
https://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/3...
Go write in (or vote for) your favorite!
This week I finished one book:
Worth Fighting For by Jesse Q. Sutanto - this was a NetGalley read, it comes out in a few weeks - it is part of the series of contemporary romances based on Disney princess stories. I really love Sutanto's books, and I really loved the live action Mulan, so I thought I'd love this one, but it did not work for me. Mulan is the VP of her father's finance company, and Sutanto cannot write believable dialogue for that workplace, so a lot of this was just posturing, laid that on top of the fact that Mulan of course IS pretending to be someone she's not, and it all felt like children's "let's play pretend!" Sutanto's heart was clearly in this, though, and if that sort of thing doesn't bother you as much, you may enjoy this book a lot.
I forgot that I had penciled this one in for the AtY prompt "a main character who is a brain, an athlete, a basket case, a princess, or a criminal" because it's the Disney "princess" series. She's not actually a princess in this book, but close enough, I hate this category and I'm glad to check it off with something.
Popsugar 66% 33 /50
Must Reads 20% 2 /10
AtY 69% 36 /52
AtY bonus 10% 1 /10
2025 pub 44% 22 /50
NetGalley ratio 83%
Question of the Week
What is your ideal vacation? Do any of the books on this list hit that sweet spot? https://www.goodreads.com/blog/show/2...
I really liked how this list broke it down by travel plans AND destination:
boat
airplane
train
road trip (might be some good ideas here for anyone that hasn't filled "road trip"!)
beaches & islands
open ocean
mountains
woods
National Parks
summer camp
luxury resort (another one of our categories!)
remote and cold
space tourism (tada! another one for us!)
rivers and lakes
weddings
reunions
I go to the beach every year, so I guess that's my ideal. And I am always looking for fun beachy books! I had fun looking through all the categories on this list, but I didn't really add much to my TBR, if a book was interesting, I'd already learned about it and added it (or I've already read it!)