Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge discussion

Happy Thursday!!  

The trees are mostly still green, but all brushed with gold, and here and there a tree is starting to turn red.  But mostly what is red right now is all the poison ivy!  I remember reading a few years ago that global warming would help poison ivy thrive, and that sure seems to be the case!  I do not remember seeing so much of it when I was young.

Everyone in my house is sick this week - started with college kid, she passed it on to me, then moved on to older kid.  At least it only lasts a few days.  




  ***** Admin stuff *****
September's group read, which could fulfill "A Book About an Overlooked Woman in History," is:  Grandma Gatewood's Walk: The Inspiring Story of the Woman Who Saved the Appalachian Trail.   You can join the discussion here:  https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

The October group read, which could fill "A book containing magical creatures that aren't dragons" will be: The Fellowship of the Ring.  

The November group read  (which could fill "book about a food truck") will be A Psalm for the Wild-Built.  That's a popular author in our group - let us know if you would like to lead the discussion!!

The final poll for December is here:
https://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/3... 

 December's group read will be for Prompt #25, A book where the main character is an immigrant or refugee, so think now about what you'd like to nominate.  This will, of course, be our last series of polls until the new list comes out (which usually happens in early December).
  




This week I finished 2 books.

Vanishing World by Sayaka Murata - this was a NetGalley book that I foolishly put off so it's actually been available in English for a few months now.  Maybe I did the right thing by delaying, maybe I had to be in the right mood for this, because it is a weird one.  If you've read anything by her before, you'll know to expect weird, and you'll also know that each one of her books is startlingly different.  I absolutely loved this, but it's getting mixed reviews, it's polarizing.  Lots of trigger warnings.  This would be a perfect fit for "a book about chosen family."

The Compound by Aisling Rawle - this was a NetGalley book that I also foolishly put off, it was published in June - when I finally picked it up, I could not stop reading it.  It's been a while since I was so relentlessly gripped by a book.  And I can't even say WHY this book grabbed me like that.  I think it was Publishers Weekly that said "this vapid book is surprisingly deep" and yeah, that nails it.  If you like books set in a bleak near future, like The Dream Hotel, then you might like this one.  This could work for "a book set at a luxury resort."


Popsugar 98% 49 /50
Must Reads 60% 6 /10
AtY 90% 47 /52
AtY bonus 100% 10 /10
2025 pub 92% 46 /50
NetGalley ratio 94%



Question of the Week
Do you have a favorite “blended genre” (Romance/Fantasy, Historical Fiction/Mystery, Nonfiction/Mystery, etc?)


Yes I've always enjoyed "genre blenders" - I've been reading fantasy romances for years, wayyyyy before the term "romantasy" caught on.  Daughter of the Forest is one of my favorites.

I also love science fiction mysteries, like The Shamshine Blind.

Historical fiction mysteries are very popular, and easy to find, and sometimes I enjoy those, too.

Happy Thursday! It doesn't feel like fall here yet... It feels like summer. A cooler summer, sure, but not the fall I'm looking forward to. I haven't even put up my fall wreath or "Hello Pumpkin" sign.

2025 Reading Challenges:

52 Book Club: 47/52 (Connections Challenge: 14/21, September Mini-Challenge: 0/1)
ATY: 43/52 (ATY Anniversary Challenge: 8/10, ATY Fall Challenge: 25/36)
The Book Girls’ Guide: 55/74
Booklist Queen: 47/52
Popsugar: 47/50
Goodreads Fall Challenge (Bookmarks): 3/12

My Ever-Growing TBR: 117/311 – 37.6% (My goal is 33.3%.)

Recently Completed:

🍎 The Awakening, Zodiac Academy #1 (ATY Fall #6 – title starts with a letter in COOLER WEATHER) ★★★
🍎 Discontent ★★★★
🍎 The Book Club for Troublesome Women (ATY #36 – common household item on cover) ★★★★★
🍎 Stars in Your Eyes ★★★★
🍎 Gandhi: A Memoir (ATY Fall #4 – title starts with a letter in RED AND ORANGE) ★★★★
🍎 Autism Out Loud: Life with a Child on the Spectrum, from Diagnosis to Young Adulthood (ATY Fall #1 – title starts with a letter in AUTUMN or FALL) ★★★★★
🍎 My Favorite Half-Night Stand ★★★★
🍎 Songs for Other People's Weddings (ATY Fall #7 – title starts with a letter in PUMPKIN SPICE) ★★★
🍎 I'll Look So Hot in a Coffin: And Other Thoughts I Used to Have About My Body (ATY Fall #14 – title starts with a letter in TRICK OR TREAT) ★★★★
🍎 Kingdom of the Wicked, Kingdom of the Wicked #1 (ATY Fall #13 – title starts with a letter in JACK-O-LANTERN) ★★★
🍎 Matilda ★★★★★
🍎 The Woman Who Split the Atom: The Life of Lise Meitner ★★★★




QOTW: I'm not sure that blended genre books are for me. Yes, there are some great romantasies and historical mysteries, but most of the time I just feel like the author wasn't sure what book they really wanted to write.

Happy Thursday all.

I had my first test in my math class, and was stressing over that all last week. And... I ended up getting a 95 on it. Maybe I don't need to stress so hard over this class, haha...

Also had some unwanted excitement at the library I work at -- some kids came up to the front desk yesterday and told us another kid had pulled a knife on them. We had to call the police and pull our security camera footage. And people think libraries are quiet and boring...

Books read this week:

Haven: A Small Cat's Big Adventure -- short and sweet story about a cat braving the wilds to find help for her sick owner

The City in Glass -- I usually like this author, but this book suffered in comparison to the Singing Hills saga. I loved the demon main character, but the story and wordbuilding were lacking.

Cruel Candy -- cute small-town mystery about a former publisher trying to open a bookstore in a tourist town in Colorado… but she and her corgi get sidetracked by a murder.

Spell Bound -- sweet queer fantasy novel. Apparently a stand-alone, which is a shame -- I’d love to see more set in this world!

Spy x Family, Vol. 10

DNF:

Over the Moon -- okay, I gave this author another shot. Still a little too cutesy for me.

Currently reading:

The Best of Catherynne M. Valente, Volume One
Guillotine
The Left Hand of Dog
The Healing Hippo of Hinode Park
Daughter of the Mountains

QOTW: I love genre mashups. They can be so much fun when done right! Historical fantasy is always a fun one... or even historical science fiction. Yes, it exists, or at least I think it does... how else would you classify steampunk?

Good morning, everyone! Happy Thursday!

This ended up being a pretty crazy week, but it was also very productive. My dad was able to help me get a couple of projects completed, including hanging up some artwork throughout the house (as well as my swords in the game room), and removing a couple of interior doors that are never in use.

While I have not yet finished the office, I did manage to reach a pretty convenient stopping point. It turns out that I actually need to tackle a couple additional projects before I can stop using a (now very small) part of my office for storage. Once I get those projects taken care of, I’ll be able to get the rest of the office cleaned up. The important thing is that I can actually use my office space as an office again.

Even though it was a busy week, I did manage to make some time for reading. In fact, I did a lot of reading.

Here are my current challenge and TBR totals…

Goodreads Challenge: 318/250 (127% — Challenge Complete!)
Mount TBR Challenge: 157/150 (104% — Challenge Complete!)

📚Physical TBR: 111/731
📱Ebook TBR: 35/218
🎧Audiobook TBR: 11/12
TBR Checklist Total: 157/961 (16% complete)

TBR Books DNFed in 2025: 3

I did pick up two new releases this week, which were That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime 27, by Fuse; and This Inevitable Ruin, by Matt Dinniman.

“New” Books Bought in 2025: 151
“New” Books Read in 2025: 149
“New” Books DNFed in 2025: 1
“New” Books Checklist Total: 99% complete

Here are the books I finished this week…

Finished Reading (Fiction):
~The Austen Sisters: A Modern Day Tale of Pride, Persuasion, and Sensibilities — This was a super cute book! I really liked how the author combined characters from all of Jane Austen’s books and set their stories in modern times. This would be a great choice for the “book set at a luxury resort” prompt, if anyone still needs to fulfill that one. Content Alert: (view spoiler)[ There is a scene involving unwanted sexual attention, and the sister who is involved defends herself very effectively. (hide spoiler)] 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~Mrs Hudson and the Capricorn Incident — This is the seventh book in the Holmes and Hudson mystery series. I thoroughly enjoyed this story, and loved seeing how the narrator’s character and deductive reasoning skills continued to develop. 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~Quicksilver — This is the first book in the Fae and Alchemy series. I picked up a copy of this book because I liked the pretty special edition, and I’m really glad that I did. I thoroughly enjoyed this story, and loved the characters. I’m already looking forward to the next book in the series, which is supposed to come out in November. 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~Homeland — This is the first book in the Dungeons & Dragons: Forgotten Realms: Legend of Drizzt series. I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I thought the story and characters were great, and really enjoyed seeing Drizzt’s character develop over the course of the book. Content Alert: (view spoiler)[ This book does include references to and examples of torture and child abuse, as well as drow (rather than human) sacrifice. (hide spoiler)] 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Finished Reading (Nonfiction):
None

Finished Reading (Manga, Comic Books, & Graphic Novels):
~That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime 27 — This volume was a great continuation of the series. I’m already looking forward to the next one! 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Finished Reading (Poetry and Drama):
None

DNFed:
None

Currently Reading:
~NIV Audio Bible — This audiobook edition of The Bible is read by David Suchet. I currently have a little over 79 hours remaining. 🎧
~The Arabian Nights: Tales of 1001 Nights, Volume 2 — I am continuing to read around 10-20 pages per day, and I’m making pretty good progress through this book. Content Alert: (view spoiler)[ This book includes, but is not limited to: references to bestiality, size shaming, and insults toward people of various skin colors. (hide spoiler)] 📚
~Tarzan of the Apes — This is the first book in the Tarzan series. I’m a little over halfway through this book, and it’s been pretty good. 📱
~This Inevitable Ruin — This is the seventh book in the Dungeon Crawler Carl series. I’m currently about one-third of the way through this book, and I am loving it so far! 📚

QOTW:
I do like a good genre-blending book. I really like the combinations of fantasy/mystery and SciFi/mystery. I also enjoy the occasional historical mystery, but I have to be in the mood for it, and the author really needs to know the time period.

Vancouver Public Library Challenge: 16/24
Mar.-Sept. Purchased TBR: 29/59 (that's too many books! Somebody stop me.)
June-Sept. Library TBR: 15/26

Finished: Howl’s Moving Castle I know this is going to be a shocker because Diana Wynne Jones is one of my favorite authors, but I actually like the movie better(!)

Time Anxiety: The Illusion of Urgency and a Better Way to Live I decided I didn't really need this book. Full of good advice, but most of it was pretty obvious.

Loaners: The Making of a Street Library This book does a much better job than Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City of capturing what working with the homeless population is like in a sweeter, kinder way.

The Court of the Dead So good! It felt like, of course this is where the story needed to go. Pretty amazing when they can unearth such rich material in such a long series. Riordan and Oshiro make a good team.

Started: The Ego and Its Own I forget why I even have this book, but holy heck! The author was so anti-semitic. I DNF it.
The Librarian's Guide to Bibliotherapy I don't think I'd actually read this before, but it was so similar to another book I'd read that I got strong deja vu vibes and gave up.

The Real World of Democratic Theory This should have been fascinating. One chapter compared Northern Ireland, South Africa, and the MIddle East. But I found it very boring.

On justifying democracy Still working on this one

Wow, that's a lot of DNF for me.

QotW: This is more of a sub-genre than a blended genre, but I really like light and dark academia.

Hope everyone's feeling better soon, Nandine

It took awhile for the meds to leave my system so I couldn't do much but lie around reading.

What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher (ps 34. A book written by an author who is neurodivergent) was a fantastic retelling of the Fall of the House of Usher, loved this and what she did with Easton.

The Secret of Orange Blossom Cake by Rachel Linden I thought this Netgalley arc was going to be magic realism with a touch of romance. It was almost straight up contemporary romance and the protagonist annoyed me

Nothing Special, Vol. 2: Concerning Wingsby Katie Cook This is a cute cozy fantasy graphic novel compliation of a popular Webtoon

The Dire Days of Willowweep Manor by Shaenon K. Garrity a super cute graphic novel about a h.s. girl sucked into a portal world that is mired in gothic romance, her favorite genre


QOTW

I love mash ups, always have. My favorite by far is historical mysteries and I love that we're finally moving away from setting ALL of them in Victorian England. I'm eating up a lot of the Prohibition era ones lately.

Science Fiction/mystery and fantasy/mystery are also favorites along with horror/Science Fiction. I feel like these blends are really freeing for the author's imagination.

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Happy Thursday!!

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Popsugar Challenge Completion: 11/26, 42%
📖=book 💻=ebook 🎧=audiobook 🌠=rating
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Another week gone by. I ended up taking things slow this week and only finished one book. I had hoped to have one or two more under my belt, but I needed the rest. Otherwise I might have encountered the dreaded reading fatigue. That being said, I have become that person and now have a good 15 to 20 books come in for me at the library. Oopsie daisy! 🙃

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Moving on...

by 📖🌠🌠🌠🌠🌠
Popsugar Challenge 23: A Book That is Considered Healing Fiction.

I read But Not Too Bold by Hache Pueyo, cover to cover within one day. It was a short, easy paced read. A bittersweet sort of horror-mystery-romance with the type of Old Ones (Archaic Ones, in this case) depiction that I love best. Reading it felt peaceful. This book was read for one of my other reading groups originally, but it felt like it could possibly fall into Popsugar Challenge 23: A Book That is Considered Healing Fiction. Maybe I'm reaching. It was a lovely read, regardless.

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I also started reading Sisters in the Wind by Angeline Boulley for my other reading group and I'm thoroughly enjoying it so far. Parts of it remind me of my own upbringing, some being of my past that I've essentially disowned, some that I've kept around, some which just are. There is a bit of an emotional response on a personal level as a result. Still, it's a good read and I don't foresee any issues in finishing it.

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I'm still reading The Gate of the Feral Gods by Matt Dinniman. I haven't found a spot to put it in the list yet, but I'm still hoping. It continues to be very entertaining, however, I don't agree with some of the terminology used in this volume, as it's enough to convey a bit of sexism in some cases, with a side order of pejoratives. I'm hoping this is just characterization and not the author's real opinion. Some of it I think is just plain ignorance regarding the history of certain terminology, as so often is the case. Maybe I'm giving too much of the benefit of the doubt. *cough*The hazards of reading books told via the male gaze.*cough* (view spoiler)[ Donut is taking a backseat in this section as well, which is maybe a good thing. She's saying things that seem out of character and lacking in empathy. She's still young and developing in a traumatizing environment, so I'm hoping she grows past the elitism. I am enjoying Katia's character development, with her just turning into a full on badass. And I appreciated the moment when Carl admitted that his discomfort about Katia, who was no longer totally dependent on him, was unreasonable. He came to the conclusion that he should feel proud of how far she'd come instead. (hide spoiler)] All in all, it's not enough to deter me and I'm still enjoying it more often than not.





I did switch out three books from my Popsugar list for The Black Gryphon, The White Gryphon, and The Silver Gryphon by Mercedes Lackey and Larry Dixon. I last read these books when I was just starting junior high and have carried a fondness for them ever since. I've decided to reread them and hopefully they've held up to the test of time. If all goes well, I'm thinking of rereading the rest of the Valdemar series, as well as the whole slew of new ones that have come out over the last couple of decades. It'll be fun!

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Kittentits by Holly Wilson, Ladyparts by Deborah Copaken, and Swell: A Sailing Surfer's Voyage of Awakening by Liz Clark are all still on the backburner for now. I'll get back to them eventually.

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Question of the Week
Do you have a favorite “blended genre” (Romance/Fantasy, Historical Fiction/Mystery, Nonfiction/Mystery, etc?)

I think that some of my favourite genres are already blended, such as with bizarro and surreal fantasy, i.e. "John Dies at the End by Jason Pargin". A good dose of horror-sci-fi is always a good time. Horror-romance can be fun, in the right context. Not crazy about the vampire romances, but I'll take a horrifying/beautiful Old One any day, such as in "But Not Too Bold by Hache Pueyo". I enjoy when there's a mix of horror and environmentalism "Princess Mononoke Film Comic, Vol. 1 by Hayao Miyazaki", Druidry and psychological can be sooo good. I once read a book that crossed lines of Druidry and architecture, taking place in two distant times from one another. Can I remember the name? Of course not. I enjoy gender studies mixed with almost ethereal storylines, looping through time, questioning the ability to truly know another person "Man in the Empty Suit by Sean Ferrell". Don't give me a standard time travel book, though. They're tired and overrated for the most part, far as I can tell. I like my books to have the type of twist and atmosphere that's hard to pin down.

Doni wrote: "Finished: Howl’s Moving Castle I know this is going to be a shocker because Diana Wynne Jones is one of my favorite authors, but I actually like the movie better(!)..."


I liked the movie better too!! and I was also surprised by that. (I'm not a huge Wynne-Jones fan though - her books are fine, but I don't always get the hype.)

Happy Thursday! It's gotten really cold here lately, so it definitely feels like fall here.

Finished:
Anywhere With You by Ellie Palmer - 3 stars - not currently for a prompt. This would work for the road trip prompt, but I've already filled that prompt. This was fine, but I didn't really connect with the characters very much.

The Way You Make Me Feel by Maurene Goo - 3 stars - for a book about a food truck. This was okay, but the main character was such an unlikable, selfish brat. I really didn't like her. She does grow up a little by the end of the book, but I would have liked to see her take responsibility for her earlier behavior.

I am currently at 44/50 for Popsugar (36/40 and 8/10).

Currently reading:
Ink and Bone by Lisa Unger - for two books with the same title.

Upcoming/Planned:
A Steeping of Blood by Hafsah Faizal - not currently for a prompt

Ink and Bone by Rachel Caine - for two books with the same title.

QOTW:
I love T. Kingfisher's fantasy romances (I really hate the term "romantasy"), and I've also really enjoyed some sci-fi/fantasy mysteries before, and I like historical fantasy and romance as well.

Warning!! Whining and complaining ahead... 😒
I am still in the week from hell… (I'm hoping it doesn't extend throughout two or more weeks!) Two sick kitties (vet bills…), must get a new key for my car which will be just under $420, car rental, and the weather has been changing so my arthritis is kickin’ my ass! I realize I am nearly 70 years old and it is time to just take Aleve when the discomfort/pain totally distracts me for more than an hour or so. It just seems unbearable so much of the time right now.

And the cumulative stress is almost unbearable for me at times lately… I literally stood in the middle of the living room and cried Tuesday afternoon. I am very sick of adulting and being the only one responsible for so much and what feels like so many!

I am limiting my ‘reading obligations’ so I can just read more of what I really want to read without worrying about fulfilling challenge prompts. That has helped relieve me a bit. Popsugar is the main one, with the 52 Book Club challenge as the second. I am also participating in a couple of diverse challenges that are much shorter. That’s it! That may sound like a lot to some of you, but it is much less than in my recent past.

ADMIN STUFF:
THE DECEMBER MONTHLY GROUP READ FINAL SELECTION POLL IS LIVE HERE!
This book could be used to fulfill Prompt #25 A book where the main character is an immigrant or refugee
International Migrants Day is December 18, 2025
There are 4 titles to consider:
When the Emperor Was Divine by Julie Otsuka
Enrique's Journey by Sonia Nazario
Almost American Girl by Robin Ha
Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng
*** This poll will run through October 7th ***

THE NOVEMBER MONTHLY GROUP READ IS A Psalm for the Wild-Built (Monk & Robot #1) by Becky Chambers!
This book could be used to fulfill Prompt #29 A book about a food truck
National Fast Food Day is November 16, 2025
https://www.calendarr.com/united-stat...
Who among you is the “fearless foodie” willing to lead this discussion? Message either Nadine or me to volunteer!

THE OCTOBER MONTHLY GROUP READ IS The Fellowship of the Ring (Lord of the Rings #1) by J.R.R. Tolkien! This book could be used to fulfill prompt #18 A book containing magical creatures that aren't dragons!
National Black Cat Day is October 27, 2025
https://www.calendarr.com/united-stat...
Dubhease is the “magical manager” who has graciously volunteered to lead this discussion! Thank you ever so much! 👏👏👏👏👏👏

THE SEPTEMBER MONTHLY GROUP READ IS Grandma Gatewood's Walk: The Inspiring Story of the Woman Who Saved the Appalachian Trail by Ben Montgomery!
This book could be used to fulfill prompt #32 A book about an overlooked woman in history
Emma M. Nutt Day is September 1, 2025
A fascinating story of the world’s very first woman/female telephone operator!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emma_Nutt
Join the discussion HERE

THE LISTING OF 2025 MONTHLY GROUP READ TOPICS IS HERE!
***
QUESTION OF THE WEEK:
Do you have a favorite “blended genre” (Romance/Fantasy, Historical Fiction/Mystery, Nonfiction/Mystery, etc?)
HISTORICAL FICTION MYSTERY is my fave!! I adore mysteries and reading historical fiction!!

2025 READING CHALLENGES:
Popsugar: 42/50
52 Book Club: 47/52

2024 Popsugar: 47/50

FINISHED:
*Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ held up admirably as a reread, just as I expected it to do! Only 4 of us attended the book club meeting, but we all really enjoyed this one! And so much interesting discussion resulted! I have loved all three of Weir’s books, but this is definitely my favorite!
POPSUGAR: #2-Twelve kids raise their claws, #6, #14, #20, #25, #26, #28, #31, #40, #43, #46
52 Book Club: #1, #18, #22, #25, NEW #26, #33, #36, #42, #46

*The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet (Wayfarers #1) by Becky Chambers ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ held up as an absolutely amazing book for me! And the other book club members all adored it as well!
POPSUGAR: #2, #7, #14, #20, #25, #28, #28, #40, #50
52 Book Club: #18, #22, #38, #42, #43

CONTINUING:
*We'll Prescribe You a Cat (We’ll Prescribe You a Cat) by Syou Ishida, translated by E. Madison Shimoda - translator ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐on audiobook. I have yet to finish listening to this. Audiobooks just are not for me. Especially this type of cozy book, I guess... Ugh.
POPSUGAR:
52 Book Club: NEW #31
*The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Daré
*Hope in the Dark: The Untold History of People Power by RebeccaSolnit
*East of Eden by John Steinbeck
*The Guncle Abroad by Steven Rowley
*The Double Life of Benson Yu by Kevin Chong for an IRL book club meeting
*The Rabbit Hutch by Tess Gunty

PLANNED:
*Her Hidden Genius by Marie Benedict
*The Invisible Husband of Frick Island by Colleen Oakley
*The First Ladies by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray
*The Mitford Affair by Marie Benedict

Happy Thursday! I'm back from my trip to Glacier National Park! It was GORGEOUS. Highly recommend. Anyway, I did not do much reading on the trip, but I'll update where I'm at.

Finished 39/40

Steelheart for "book with same title #1". Not gonna lie, this wasn't my fave Sanderson book. But It's better than most YA's!

Currently Reading

Steelheart for "book with same title #2". Wth did I just stumble into? Ngl, I was just looking for an excuse to read the Sanderson book, but this one so far is pretty weird.

The Spiritual Life and How to be Attuned to it "for book about something on your bucket list". This is amazing so far! Perfect snippets for a daily boost!

Qotw

Sci-fi/fantasy. Gimme that space opera! I'm here for it!

My Little Free Library is up and running! One of my neighbors immediately donated an armload of children's books.

I'm at 87 books for the year, 44/50 for the Popsugar, 48/52 for the Booklist Queen.

Finished:

They Knew: How a Culture of Conspiracy Keeps America Complacent by Sarah Kendzior, which is more about the ubiquity of corruption than conspiracy per se.

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig for the "healing fiction" Popsugar prompt. Once we got the premise (a woman attempts suicide, and is given the chance to try out the different lives she might have had if she'd made different decisions), it was utterly obvious where this one was going. Didn't care for it.

A couple of poetry books by Black authors. Citizen: An American Lyric by Claudia Rankine is a sort of multi-media piece, combining poetry, prose and art. And Spectral Evidence: Poems by Gregory Pardlo is largely about the criminalization of blackness, and includes some "found poems," like a table of the percentages of lay people vs. medical students who believe myths about Black people being less sensitive to pain.

Currently reading:

One Life by Megan Rapinoe, for a book about soccer (Popsugar) and a bestselling memoir (Booklist Queen). I'm not at all into sports, so I picked this one up mostly because she was involved in the fight for equal pay for women soccer players. It's a pretty short book, but I'm still skimming the parts about the games, sorry.

Next up:

The Entanglement of Rival Wizards by Sarah Raasch. I needed a romantasy for the Booklist Queen challenge, and I tend to think of those as sweeping epics with palace intrigues and Chosen Ones. Sometimes I'm in the mood for that, but lately I'm leaning toward rom-coms, so a gay romance between rival wizardry students sounds excellent. Someone on Bluesky compared it with Red, White & Royal Blue , which for me is about the highest praise you can give a romance.

QOTW: I like anything mixed with comedy. I write SF comedy, and enjoy reading rom-coms and comedic fantasies. About the only mysteries I read regularly are Janet Evanovich's hilarious Stephanie Plum books.

The week is nearly over. It's been a disruptive one for me due to the Jewish Holy Days starting this week -- 2 days where many of those I need to communicate with are off, then back trying to cram in a week of work into 2 days. I usually take vacation during these days - easy to get away from work. But this year, given the need for several trips to Santa Fe dealing with estate clearance and disposition of assets, no vacation for me.

I still have one ATY to read and 5 for PS. Not the month I'm getting those read, it seems.

Finished:
Dance Hall of the Dead
The Pale Horse
A Walk in Wolf Wood - who knew that the Queen of Romantic Suspense, Mary Stewart, wrote 4 standalone middle grade fantasy adventures in the 1970s/80s? This was delightful and I would have loved it even more in the 1960s when I was the target audience.

Currently reading:
Beautiful Ruins
The Best American Mystery and Suspense 2024: S.A. Cosby Edits the Newest Entry in the Renowned and Popular Story Series, Dive into the Year's Best in ... and Suspense

QOTW: I read a lot of blended genres. In fact, blended genres have been around a long time - romantic suspense for example are romance novels blended with suspense. Lately a lot of it is detective/mystery with fantasy or scifi.

Just one book finished since the last check-in, which I decided to use for one of the advanced prompts. I also took Nadine's suggestion (thanks!) from last week and slated Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers into the happily single woman prompt, which means I added two books to my challenge total this week! I'm at 16/40 and 1/10 for this challenge, and 56/85 for my overall Goodreads Reading Challenge.

Oh! I also won another Giveaways book this week and am super excited that it's a physical book. It's new memoir by Susan Orlean, whose writing I always enjoy. Hooray! 🥳 I decided it was a reward for having to deal with yet another house issue (which is fixed! and it is nice to have water pressure again!). I have had more than enough unexpected repairs this year, so here's hoping that this is the last one and I get a pass for 2026! Ah, the joys of home ownership.

Finished:
* Our Missing Hearts written by Celeste Ng and narrated by Lucy Liu, which I decided was close enough for "a dystopian book with a happy ending." Looking forward to discuss with my book club this weekend.

Currently Reading:
* The Penguin Book of Murder Mysteries edited by Michael Sims;
* Dream Count by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, which is a NetGalley backlist title. I made a good dent in this one waiting for the plumber on Monday; and,
* All Fours by Miranda July.

QotW:
Do you have a favorite “blended genre” (Romance/Fantasy, Historical Fiction/Mystery, Nonfiction/Mystery, etc?) It's a toss-up between Historical Fiction/Mystery and Nonfiction/Mystery.

Hello and happy Thursday from Columbus! I’ve had a pretty uneventful week, aside from getting two little tattoos today. I got Joan of Arc’s coat of arms and the little green flower in all of Felicity: An American Girl books. Each historical girl got a little symbol, and since she was my fave I thought it’d be cute on the opposite wrist from my Harry Potter stars. It’s been a while since I got a new tattoo so that was fun.

Finished:
Zombie Party not for a challenge, this is a series I’ve been listening to with my son.

Kaya's Escape!, Kaya's Hero: A Story of Giving, Kaya and Lone Dog: A Friendship Story, Kaya Shows the Way: A Sister Story none of these for a challenge I’m just working my way through the Kaya series.

Hot Wax for the highly anticipated prompt. I adore M.L. Rio as an author but also just as a human being. I’ve seen her twice when she’s come through town for a book tour and she’s really funny and seems very nice. But man, she writes books that make me feel like I need mental health vacation by the time I’m done. I anticipated this being a little spooky, but it really doesn’t fall into that category.

Catalina another book I put on hold and can’t remember why. Maybe it’s because I found the cover visually striking. This was about a daca dreamer at Harvard, and has a lot of “coming of age” vibes. I liked the story, and was kinda sad that it ended where it did. I’d love more to the story.

Currently Reading:
Mosquitoland
Catechism of the Catholic Church
The Great Adventure Catholic Bible

Challenges:
Popsugar - 26/40; 1/4; 1/3; 3/3
Read Harder - 15/24
Classics - 8/12
European Tour - 8/10
12 Friends - 6/12
Yearly Goal - 113/180

QOTW:
I like historical or horror/thriller elements in any books so I’ve always enjoyed any other genere that also incorporates those.

Happy Thursday, everyone! I'm continuing to prioritize Hispanic books and authors for Hispanic Heritage Month. I also read two more Booker Books, and one of them made it to the shortlist!

2025 Reading Challenges
PopSugar- 50/50 COMPLETED
ATY- 52/52; Anniversary- 10/10; Summer- 7500/5000; Fall- 17/18 COMPLETED
52 Book Club- 52/52; Connections- 21/21 COMPLETED
Barnes & Noble- 50/52
Booklist Queen- 49/52
Read Good- 12/12 COMPLETED
Buzzword- 9/12; Cover- 9/12

1001 Books- 10/10 COMPLETED
TBR- 20/20 COMPLETED

Finished
The Rest of Our Lives- ordered this from the UK since it wasn't released in the US and was able to finish it before the Booker shortlist was announced! I did enjoy this one and flew through it pretty quickly, even though I didn't think it was particularly unique. I was surprised it made the shortlist, but that's two books I have read that made it! This book also gave me the Speed Reader Goodreads Bookmark. ☆☆☆ 1/2
ATY Fall #10- title starts with a letter in OKTOBERFEST

Clean- Ever since studying abroad in Chile, I've been wanting to read more literature from the county. This book's synopsis appealed to me when it came out last year, and I finally picked it up for Hispanic Heritage Month. I loved the narrative voice in this one and thought it was an engaging character study that touches on class themes. ☆☆☆☆

Seascraper- I also ordered this from the UK and read it right before the Booker shortlist was announced. This was a short book, but a pleasant surprise. It's a simple yet atmospheric read, and I was saddened to see it didn't make the shortlist. It did give me my Book Boss Goodreads Bookmark. ☆☆☆☆
ATY Fall #15- title starts with a letter in GHOST STORIES

My Train Leaves at Three- I liked this okay, but seeing the main character sink herself deeper to rock bottom was not particularly enjoyable (Please look up content warnings if you're sensitive to certain things). I'm glad she finally got her shit together by the end though. This gave me my Hispanic Heritage Goodreads Bookmark. ☆☆☆

Salvación- read this for Hispanic Heritage Month. It's basically a young adult female version of Zorro, but with a touch of magic. Overall, I thought it was mid. I liked the feminist and community themes, but thought the villain was cartoonish and wasn't really invested in the romance. ☆☆☆
ATY Fall #15- title starts with a letter in THANKSGIVING

Currently Reading
The Savage Detectives
A Sea of Lemon Trees: The Corrido of Roberto Alvarez

QOTW
Are rom-coms a blended genre? If not then maybe Historical Fantasy

Hello all!

Look at me making it in on a Thursday!

I got a bunch read this week and even managed to check off a book I have been currently reading for like a year or so. WOOHOO! Now to get the next one like that off the currently reading pile!

The kids been having a bit of a rough week at school, nothing they're really calling home about but, at this point I don't think there is anything Me or my sister can do about it; because I think it is the kids problem (like in his head) so I told him he needs to figure out what is bothering him and find a way to fix it. Especially since when I asked he said he didn't want to say. He spent the day with the VP yesterday, she absolutely adores him and is one of the few people on campus that just gets him. She said he did a bunch of school work and they had a pleasant day. I think his teacher is a bit intimidated by him (she's young and not from here) and he knows it, so he's acting out.

But, anyways.....on to books.

2025 Challenges:
Popsugar: 43/50
ATY: 49/52 & 8/10
A to Z (Kindle edition): 3/26

Goodreads: 166/150
GR WTR: 22/441

Physical TBR: 9/133
Kindle TBR: 1/133
TBR Goal: 10/266

Book Clubs:
PS Monthly: 30/68
Reese: 35/111
Oprah: 14/110
Jenna: 10/78
OSS: 7/39

Finished:
7 Finished, 1 Completed Popsugar

The Dos and Donuts of Love
I think I will be reading more from this author in the future. A YA sapphic romance with lots of baking.

While We Were Dating
After being on my “Currently Reading” for quite a while I decided Thur. night that I just wanted to finish this book. So, I did. I stayed up until 12:30 and read the whole second half of the book. So finally, I am done!

The Old Willis Place: A Ghost Story Graphic Novel

The Bookish Life of Nina Hill
PS#15
My AI Chatbot recommendation, and this turned out to be a good book. I found myself relating to the main character. For those of you who don’t like the heavy sex stuff this doesn’t have anything above a passionate kiss. This deals a bit more with her life and how she has been thrown a curve ball, which upsets her whole scheduled, organized life.

The Bewitching
Wow! I thought I had read her books before but, nope I was mistaken. But this makes me want to go read some of her other novels. Great writing and I love that she doesn’t have a ton of “filler” in her novel, she just tells you what you need to know and gets you there pretty quickly. While this is a horror, I would say it is more on the creepy rather than scary side; and also, more believable. I really wanted to give her 5 stars but, I am one of those who it is really hard to get a 5 out of me, so it was a 4 star for me.

Nightschool: The Weirn Books Collector's Edition, Vol. 1 (Volume 1)
Nightschool: The Weirn Books Collector's Edition, Vol. 2 (Volume 2)

-------
Currently Reading
Encanto: Nightmares and Sueños
Ripples & Waves: A Queer Retelling of The Little Mermaid
Return to Sender
Ghost and Bone
Temple of Swoon
The Boo Hag Flex

On the Backburner
Libby

Physical Library Rentals
Project Nought: A Graphic Novel
Dear Wendy
Kuleana: A Story of Family, Land, and Legacy in Old Hawai'i
Archive of Unknown Universes
Blackmail and Bibingka
Murder and Mamon
Guilt and Ginataan
Deephaven
Scrimshaw
The Secret Garden
Blood and Chocolate
The Mermaid's Tale
The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea
The Siren, the Song, and the Spy
My Sweet Orange Tree
Silver Nitrate
A Death in Door County
Death in the Dark Woods
Beast of the North Woods
The New Girl
The Most Perfect Summer Ever
Tryouts
Punching the Air
Kind of a Big Deal


Magazines: (10/155)
Read since last check-in: 0

Question of the Week:
I like a good historical romance and have noticed I have read more historical mysteries as well lately. I just read what could be counted as a historical horror, The Bewitching that was really good.

Hi all! I'm beat and sore from subbing today. Middle school, kids were generally unfocused.
It's been raining almost all week. We need it, but ugh, it's really sapped me of energy and motivation.
I don't know if I was going to report anything else, points A and B above have fried my brain cells.

I finished Bone, Vol. 9: Crown of Horns, which is the last of the Bone books (there is a prequel or 2 that I intend to get to). I liked how some of it ended, but wasn't too impressed with another part. I highly recommend these books if you need some escapism.

I've been listening to The Winter Garden. It's ok, but I was expecting more Gunpowder Plot and less gardening... I also wasn't expecting the supernatural/ghost story part of it.

I've also been reading The Uninvited Guests (thanks Theresa for pointing out it has less than 3 stars!). It's been on my TBR for years. I'm about a third of the way in, and so far, I really like it.

I also started The Storm We Made today. I was wanting a WWII story. I'm glad I downloaded it to my phone last night, cause I had a long morning at the school with nothing to do but read. It's definitely a different WWII story than I've read before.

QOTW: I love historical books and mysteries, so anything that combines them, I would tend to really enjoy. I think the mix that surprised me most was historical horror. I don't like horror, but the couple that I've read that were based on real events with a supernatural twist have really engaged me. The 2 that come to mind are The Historian and The Hunger. I also have Dyatlov Pass to read soon, hopefully that will be good, too.

Sorry everyone got sick, Nadine. My husband was sick last week, but didn't give it to anyone else.

I didn't finish a book this week, but I started one more. I'm glad I have a three day weekend (plus the stat holiday next Tuesday) as I need to move these books along to start spooky October books.

WE already started rewatching some Treehouse of Horrors and some Halloween shows as October isn't long enough for all the spooky goodness.

Series - 7/10
Reading Across Canada - 7/10
Nobel laureates - 3/5

PS - 33/40
Regular ATY - 35/40
Anniversary ATY - 8/10
Summer Challenge - 5100/5000 - Completed!

Currently reading:
Interior Castle - 45%
Selected Poems of Gabriela Mistral - 40%
An Audience of Chairs - 85%
Jane and the Unpleasantness at Scargrave Manor - 15%

Buddy Reads:
Library of Souls - 20%

QOTW: I can't think of any. Unless it's mystery/thriller but that's not so much a combined genre as people having differing definitions of the blurry line between them.

L Y N N wrote: "Warning!! Whining and complaining ahead... 😒
I am still in the week from hell… (I'm hoping it doesn't extend throughout two or more weeks!) Two sick kitties (vet bills…), must get a new key for my ..."

I feel for you. I had a really crappy week but yours is worse. I also get tired of being the only adult around here. Hope the kitties get better...and you get a break

Add me to the list of people having a terrible couple of weeks. Arrived home sick on Friday and stayed sick 4 days. Then yesterday our hot water went out. And I have no balcony because it got demolished and isn't rebuilt yet so I can't access the water heater. The contractor assistant tried to light the pilot today and could not (it's touchy and I had to explain after work how I usually light it). So another night of no hot water. If he can't get it to light tomorrow I guess I get to buy a new water heater. Or worse a heat pump and the accompanying reconfiguration since california is trying to ban water heaters. Where the money will come from I have no idea....

I did finish 2 books while wallowing in bed for 4 days:
The Full Moon Coffee Shop--used for the food truck prompt
Snowdrops in Spring: A Tale of the Sleeping Beauty: used for the 52 "fairy tale retelling"

Too tired to list the in progress books

QOTW:

I don't seek out any genre blends but I read them occasionally not because of the genre but because the book overall looked appealing. I don't read much fantasy or mystery and I think those are most of the blends. I am enjoying The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle which seems to be a blend of mystery and gothic/supernatural touches

Happy Thursday! At work, everyone on my team keeps saying "we should be slowing down for the rest of the year" and then the next day a new project is announced. There needs to be a new rule where that phrase is banned. It's like saying it's a quiet night in the food industry- it's just tempting fate...

Finished:
Best Wishes From the Full Moon Coffee Shop- I really liked this, another magical realism/healing fiction book that was a comforting read
-29 A book about a food truck

Outlaw Lake- book 2 of a romance series, liked it but not as much as the first book. If you like your romances angsty and characters allergic to honest communication, this is for you!
-no prompt

Can't Escape Love- a very fun romance novella! Wish it was longer cause I really liked these characters
-11 A book mentioned in another book

The Ex-Boyfriend's Favorite Recipe Funeral Committee- I really liked this! A woman gets dumped, gets drunk, and somehow starts working a cafe and helping to run a committee where they talk to people about their bad relationships and cook together. This was fun!
-28 A book that features an unlikely friendship

Up next:
Overdue and The Graceview Patient- I need to read and review both before the end of the month since they're publishing soon...

QotW:
I like a blend of genres! Romantasy is probably the one I read the most, but I also like historical mysteries, or historical romance.Would magical realism still be considered a genre blend, or is that completely its own thing?

L Y N N wrote: "I literally stood in the middle of the living room and cried Tuesday afternoon. I am very sick of adulting and being the only one responsible for so much and what feels like so many!"

Oh gosh, Lynn, I feel this so hard! It really feels like too much sometimes.

It seems like a lot of us have had a rough week or couple of weeks. I hope we all turn a corner soon.

Life update: We accepted a quote for the chimney repair work we need to get done, and so a structural engineer came to make drawings of the works. Now we're waiting for the contractors to send us a short description of the works that we can put in the party wall documentation that we need to get signed. I am finding all this very stressful. Meanwhile, my grandson has really bad tonsillitis and an ear infection, I'm struggling to get our dog groomer to give me a time to bring Rosie in, my daughter's bringing her new partner home for the first time this weekend, and we need to start the process of getting quotes for our pension annuities. All in all, I guess it's not too surprising that I woke up with a migraine at 4 am and had to take meds for it (which I dislike because of their side effects). Next week had better be easier or I might have some kind of breakdown.

Reading update: I finished and reviewed my first NetGalley book, along with two others:

When They Burned the Butterfly - NetGalley, and I decided to use it for Readers of the Wild Moor: a dramatic love story
Fugitive Telemetry - next in the series
Under Vixens Mere: A Long and Forgotten Secret Rises to the Surface - ARC, but direct from the publisher rather than through NetGalley. No prompt. I requested it because the canal setting intrigued me, since my husband works on the canals and we used to holiday on them when we were younger.

Stats:
Disability Pride Challenge: 0 this week, 4/5 total
Readers of the Wild Moor: 1 this week, 23/30 total
Queer Reads Bracket Challenge: 0 this week, 4/6 total
Horror Subgenre Challenge: 0 this week, 7/11 total
Politics & Philosophy: 0 this week, 4/15 total
Anti-Capitalist Inspiration: 0 this week, 7/30 total
All books finished this year: 3 this week, 125 total
DNF or paused: 0 this week, 21 total

Challenges completed this year:
PopSugar, Pride Season, Star Trek Series, GR Community Favorites, GR Seasonal, GR Summer

Currently reading:
Abschied: Roman - German Challenge: a book in German, not translated
All of Us Murderers - NetGalley, might fit a prompt in the Horror Subgenre challenge
The Optimistic Decade - research
Ice - NetGalley
The Valmiki Ramayana Vol. 3 - spiritual reading
Journey to the West (Chinese Lore podcast) - Discord book club

QOTW: I like queer historical romance, but only if the author knows the period really well. KJ Charles and Courtney Milan are my favourites. Sometimes I also enjoy historical mystery, like the Cadfael series by Ellis Peters.

Well, I guess I missed Thursday for posting. Now it is Friday, the end of the week.

My cold has completely left my body, thankfully. That cold really knocked me for a loop! And, I am thinking that all the stress of August made me more susceptible to it.

I underwent a re-assessment of my physical condition at the gym. I have lost weight, which I knew. My muscle mass is low, and my fat percentage is higher than desired still. I am weaker on the left but not by much. The upshot is that my training will need to be tweaked, and I need to get more protein into my diet. All good to know and no real surprises.

Darla got aggressive twice at the concert last night. It was our second time to attend, and she did well for about an hour. Then two separate times she lunged, growling at a dog. I can’t allow that, especially with others around and no apparent danger. In thinking it over, I think she was overwhelmed with sights and scents (we were sitting near a restaurant), and too much stimulation. All my failure.

I wanted to take her on a group hike on Sunday, but I am rethinking that. Anyway, it might be raining if the forecast holds.

Finished:
The Tombs of Atuan – PAS. 3* Continuation of a series. Not really interested in going further.

Nettle & Bone – PAS, PS #34 (neurodivergent author). 4*. I know that there are a lot of T. Kingfisher fans on this group…and I am gradually joining in. So far I have enjoyed each book that I have read, although I admit I had my doubts at the start of this one. Still, the writer captured my attention finally and led me through a wonderful tale.

The Anatomist's Wife - PS #15 (bot recommended). 4*. Another continuation of a series. I enjoyed this immensely and found myself wondering why I had not continued the series before.

A Resistance of Witches: A Novel – No prompt. I started this for a GR bookmark, but didn’t finish in time. 4* A really engaging story once it got going.

Fever Dream – PAS. 2*. I disliked this book from the beginning. Stream of consciousness, barely connected thoughts, hard to follow if put down. Hated the overall story.

Currently Reading:
Storm Cursed – PAS. 73%. Audiobook. Continuation of a paranormal series. My candy for when reading is bogging down.

Spiritual Reading:
Navigating the Bible: The 5-Minute Guide to Understanding God's Word – I am using this book as a brief overview of whatever Bible book I am reading. Currently it is John.

Stories of the Spirit, Stories of the Heart: Parables of the Spiritual Path from Around the World – Devotional bedtime reading. 68%

The Imitation of Christ – Devotional reading. 13%

Just Starting:
The Story of Edgar Sawtelle – PS #10 (free).
Resurrection Bay – PAS

On Deck: (library)
All the King's Men – Book Club December
Key West Connection – PAS
The Thing About December - PAS
Mrs. Quinn's Rise to Fame - Book Club October
Murder on Black Swan Lane - PAS
Neverhome - PAS
Eat a Peach - PAS


PS 40/50
ATY 39/52
GR 162/200

QotW: Do you have a favorite “blended genre” (Romance/Fantasy, Historical Fiction/Mystery, Nonfiction/Mystery, etc?)

It varies. I enjoy Paranormal Romance, Romance and Mystery, Historical Fiction and Mystery…almost anything and Mystery, Romance and Fantasy. It’s funny that I don’t enjoy pure Romance (usually too graphic for me) but add a bit of paranormal or fantasy or mystery, and I am right there!

ARGHHHHH I am working SO HARD to get my NetGalley ratio up to 100%. I've got four books left to read, two of them I'm currently reading right now and I'll have them finished in less than a week. So that leaves TWO BOOKS.

I'm SO CLOSE.

And what does Simon & Schuster do???? Send me an email listing seven of their books coming in Spring 2026 that are "Read Now," with a tempting description of each book. Descriptions like '" ... beneath the polished surface, a constant, creeping sense of dread builds with every page..." (Such Sheltered Lives) and "... blending courtroom tension with psychological suspense, and a razor-sharp critique of internet fame..." (Two Kinds of Stranger) and "... the kind of story that presses on your mind long after you put it down" (Adrift). How am I supposed to resist this?


Yes, the rational choice is to ignore.

After 8 1/2 months of regular exercise, I had finally beaten the osteoarthritis in my knee and could walk down a flight of stairs normally and without pain. Then I aggravated the old injury on Friday. But I’ve been telling myself that 1) because I strengthened the joint and muscles this year, I wasn’t hurt as badly as I would have been before, and 2) I’m starting the recovery from a stronger place than before. I went back to the gym Tuesday, and although I took it easy, I was happy with how much I was able to do.

In other news, I’m obsessed with Foundation on Apple TV. I binge-watched the show last weekend while I sat on the couch and rested my knee. I’m so sad I’ll have to wait (probably years) for season 4. I understand it’s very loosely based on Asimov’s stories, and I think my favorite isn’t actually a character in the stories. I’m not sure if I’ll read the stories in the meantime.

Finished

Hemlock & Silver. This is the second book I’ve read in a row that went straight on my favorites bookshelf! T Kingfisher is absolutely amazing. The mirror world was so clever and the story was so much fun to read.

Reading

Unascended

Famous Last Words

Crime and Punishment

QOTW
Yes! Give me all the historical fantasy, fantasy romance, historical romance, science fantasy!

Alex wrote: "Steelheart for "book with same title #2". Wth did I just stumble into? Ngl, I was just looking for an excuse to read the Sanderson book, but this one so far is pretty weird...."



is it a good weird or a bad weird?

Jennifer W wrote: "I think the mix that surprised me most was historical horror. I don't like horror, but the couple that I've read that were based on real events with a supernatural twist have really engaged me. The 2 that come to mind are The Historian and The Hunger. I also have Dyatlov Pass to read soon, hopefully that will be good, too.. ..."



I enjoy historical horror too!! I read The Fervor by Alma Katsu and I definitely want to read more from her!!

And I loved The Hacienda - it's set during real events, but ... with vampires! and a really freaky type of vampire too, not the usual sexy kind.

It's not exactly based on real events, but it's inspired by real history, and I really enjoyed Lone Women


On the other end of the scale, I truly disliked See What I Have Done. UGH SO DULL. If you want to read a Lizzie Borden book, I recommend Maplecroft instead. It wasn't amazing, but it was FAR better than SWIHD.

Nadine in NY wrote: "ARGHHHHH I am working SO HARD to get my NetGalley ratio up to 100%. I've got four books left to read, two of them I'm currently reading right now and I'll have them finished in less than a week. So..."



Yes, but are we ever rational when it comes to books, Nadine?

I have 28 library books sitting in my room right now! 8)'

Happy check-in! Two weeks worth of books. I finished the ATY and ATY Anniversary lists last week. 🥳 I also squeaked in the last bookmark before the new set became active.

Finished Reading:

Something Like Home ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Middle grade novel in verse about a girl who ends up in kinship care.

Cat + Gamer Volume 6 Cat + Gamer Volume 7 Cat + Gamer Volume 8 ⭐⭐⭐
This series is cute and made me want to play all the video games. It works well for the happily single woman.

Lunar Boy ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (ATY NPR)
This was top of the list of brand new bought books on overdrive and it mentioned NPR best books in the blurb. Cute graphic novel about a trans boy who is adopted in space and then comes to live in a blended family on Earth.

A Vicious Game ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (ATY best book of the month)
Meant to read this last year so I'm very happy to finally get around to it. This was an interesting way for the mc to find sobriety. Now on to book four of this fantasy series.

Akia: The Other Side ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Inuit history and poetry inspired by it.

To Kill a Badger ⭐⭐⭐
The amount of stuff that happens in this series is hard to explain.

The Left-Handed Booksellers of London ⭐⭐⭐ (PS left-handed character)
A bit of a disappointment. I'm either too old or too young for the references from the 80s to be magical. It doesn't help that Sabriel is my favourite book.

Night of Cake & Puppets ⭐⭐⭐ (ATY anniversary NATO)
A creepy weird little novella about a first date involving cake and puppets.

Houseplants and Their Fucked-Up Thoughts: P.S., They Hate You ⭐⭐⭐
After managing to only grow one zucchini this year before all the plants died, this seemed like the book for me. I got a few chuckles from this.

The Inheritance ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (ATY anniversary author +7 books)
My favourite author's newest book. SFF happiness.

The Summer War ⭐⭐⭐
A good story but I didn't connect with the characters so much. Reads like an old fairytale.

A Business Proposal, Vol. 10 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Series over.

Glorious Rivals ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I'm a little annoyed that snakes showed up in this but they're not on the cover. The puzzles are fun to try and solve, but the insta love is silly.

The Sheep Pig ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I love the movie Babe so I had to read the book that came first.

PS 46/50
ATY 52/52 Anniversary 10/10 Summer 25/25
Goodreads 228/250 Bookmarks 3/12

OTW:
I like SFF and most of the off shoots.

I'm still working on Middlemarch. A bit more than 2/3 of the way through. Hopefully done by next week.

QOTW: Good question. I like historical fiction/mystery. I don't know. I've never really thought about it before.

Erica wrote: "Night of Cake & Puppets ⭐⭐⭐ (ATY anniversary NATO)
A creepy weird little novella about a first date involving cake and puppets...."




Had you read the Smoke & Bone series? Because I can't imagine this novella meant much without all that context.

JessicaMHR wrote: "Nadine in NY wrote: "ARGHHHHH I am working SO HARD to get my NetGalley ratio up to 100%. I've got four books left to read, two of them I'm currently reading right now and I'll have them finished in...


Yes, but are we ever rational when it comes to books, Nadine?"



I'm staying strong!! I think posting about it here got it out of my system.

I’ve read the first Smoke & Bone, but it’s been awhile. I definitely want to finish off that series.

Nadine in NY wrote: "ARGHHHHH I am working SO HARD to get my NetGalley ratio up to 100%. I've got four books left to read, two of them I'm currently reading right now and I'll have them finished in less than a week. So..."

I know this pain. I'm in the high 90s and I was just sent several new titles and naturally I said yes so now I have so many to get through. good luck

Kenya wrote: "I had my first test in my math class, and was stressing over that all last week. And... I ended up getting a 95 on it. Maybe I don't need to stress so hard over this class, haha...."

HAH Kenya!! Definitely not, congrats!!

OMG knifes being pulled in the library?? I hope everything ended up ok.

L Y N N wrote: "And the cumulative stress is almost unbearable for me at times lately… I literally stood in the middle of the living room and cried Tuesday afternoon. I am very sick of adulting and being the only one responsible for so much and what feels like so many!"

Oh Lynn, I'm so sorry that everything is so overwhelming right now. Try to take space and care for yourself, the stress will take you down, I know from experience This is a tough season, but you will get through it.

Well, a little later than I like for check in, but it's still the weekend.

Stats
PS: 44/50
ATY: 47/52
ATY Anniversary: 9/10
ATY Rejects: 21/28
ATY Rewind: 8/10
GR Choice: 19/30
TBR: 5/10
GR Fall Bookmarks: 3/12

Finished

You Had Me at Hola ⭐⭐⭐⭐
PS: Y title.
I liked Alexis Daria's other series a little more, but this was a good start. And the 3rd book will get me a bookmark.

The Summer Deal ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Reread.

Rogue Protocol Dramatized Adaptation ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Reread.

Small Things Like These ⭐⭐⭐
ATY: Irish author.
Short yet powerful story about a man being forced to confront what he's willing and unwilling to overlook when it comes to the church.

In Progress
Dead But Not Forgotten
To Clutch a Razor
Three Shattered Souls

QotW
Pretty much any fantasy blend works for me, but I especially love scifi/fantasy blends.

Do any GR librarians know why the blurb for Dream Count is in what I think is Catalan? I tried switching to a few different editions, but they all have this blurb.

Dani wrote: "the little green flower in all of Felicity: An American Girl books. Each historical girl got a little symbol, and since she was my fave I thought it’d be cute on the opposite wrist from my Harry Potter stars. It’s been a while since I got a new tattoo so that was fun."

Dani - what an amazing idea for a tattoo! LOVE this so much.

I'm currently reading a mystery that involves Jane Austen as the detective (the author writes in an Austen-ish style).

What do people think of Jane Austen as a happily single woman?

I think she might have got married if she'd found the right man, but given the way she wrote about unhappy marriages, I think she was happier being single than settling.

Dubhease wrote: "What do people think of Jane Austen as a happily single woman?"

I agree that Jane Austen was happily single. I have no doubt that she had opportunities, but her books were more important to her.

Britany wrote: "Kenya wrote: "I had my first test in my math class, and was stressing over that all last week. And... I ended up getting a 95 on it. Maybe I don't need to stress so hard over this class, haha...."
..."

No one was hurt, thank goodness. Still nerve-wracking...

Dubhease wrote: "I'm currently reading a mystery that involves Jane Austen as the detective (the author writes in an Austen-ish style).

What do people think of Jane Austen as a happily single woman?

I think she ..."

I'd say it doesn't matter what Austen was like IRL, only how the author chooses to protray her - so if the author includes a secret love interest, you're hooped.

Dubhease wrote: "I'm currently reading a mystery that involves Jane Austen as the detective (the author writes in an Austen-ish style).

What do people think of Jane Austen as a happily single woman?

I think she ..."

I'm reading a book right now A Secret Sisterhood: The Literary Friendships of Jane Austen, Charlotte Brontë, George Eliot, and Virginia Woolf that seems to think Austen was fairly happy being single despite her poverty. She would have been much better off economically if she'd married but didn't seem to seek out a marriage