Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge discussion

Happy Thursday!!
 
My spider is gone.  I don't know what happened to her, if she decided to hibernate or if she died.

We had some extremely windy days (it was like living inside a picture book).  Most of the trees are mostly naked now. My maple tree is naked on top, golden on the bottom.


  ***** Admin stuff *****
The October group read, which could fill "A book containing magical creatures that aren't dragons" is: The Fellowship of the Ring.  You can join the discussion here:https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

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 December group read, which could fill Prompt #25, A book where the main character is an immigrant or refugee, will be:  Everything I Never Told You.   Let us know if you'd like to lead this discussion.

PS teased us on Oct 1st about some reveals coming this month, but here we are 23 days later with no new info!!   One week left in the month ...
 




This week I finished 2 books, both from NetGalley:

Dream Count by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie - this book was offered to me by the publisher several months ago, and I couldn't bring myself to turn it down, but I guess I didn't REALLY want to read it, because it took me this long to finally get around to it.  Adichie remains a wonderful writer, it's easy to immerse yourself in her stories, but she forgot to include a plot in this one, it's just a collection of five novellas that go nowhere, all wrapped up in one book cover and masquerading as a novel.  

Extremity by Nicholas Binge - this was so much fun, fast and punchy and weird!  I'd never heard of this author before, I was just looking for audiobooks on NetGalley and took a chance on this one.  I'll definitely be reading more by this guy.


Popsugar 100% 50 /50
Must Reads 70% 7 /10
AtY 92% 48 /52
AtY bonus 100% 10 /10
2025 pub 106% 53 /50
NetGalley ratio 94%




Question of the Week

Name one category that you are hoping to see on the 2026 Popsugar list.





I'm boring and the one category I really look forward to is the one for a new publication that year.

I would also like something that pushes me to find an author from a particular region, or a book in a specific genre (just please no more magical realism, that one is done and dusted and I don't need to see it on any Challenge lists ever again).  I usually complain a lot about these at first, but I enjoy the search, and often I find a new subgenre or author that I love.   For example, it was fun learning about "healing fiction" this year!

Morning all, and happy Thursday!

What a crazy and busy week. Temps out here still feel like summer which is a complete drag. Wish it was starting to cool down, especially since we're nearing the end of October.

I've been busy with work and school. Thankfully one of my classes is over and I passed that one so that was good. Now I'm taking a mythology literature class that I'm excited about. My main class (which doesn't end until December) has been going strong and I love it.

Work has been so fascinating, meet so many different people and I love the interactions which is something I never thought I would say.

*****

Book News:

Been reading like crazy this month. Some are my own books, others are ones I've been reading for school.

*****

Currently Reading:

Remain - On chapter 5 of this book and I love it! Already a 5-star read for me. It certainly reads like an episode of Ghost Whisperer which is a show I had not thought about in years!

Body Toxic - I'm halfway done with this one and plan to finish it by this weekend. It's one I'm reading for class. At this point I give it a 3-star. I don't like rating memoirs because they're based on people's experiences but the turn off for me is all of the lies and denial.

Classical Mythology: Images and Insights - Too soon to tell on this one since it's for my new class and I'm just on chapter 1.

Bodily Natures: Science, Environment, and the Material Self - Another book for school but it is so good!




*****

Upcoming Read:

So Far from God - Don't know what I'll make of this one yet since I'm barely going to start it.



*****

Question of the Week

Name one category that you are hoping to see on the 2026 Popsugar list.

Yikes, hard question. At this point I don't know. I think as long as there's plenty of leeway for more nonfiction books like there was this year then I'll be good with just about anything.

Prompts I sturggled with this year were the food truck one, stuff about menopause, and marriage- those are just things I don't care about, so I hope the 2026 prompts have things that I actually like.

Good morning, everyone! Happy Thursday!

The headaches haven’t been too bad this week, and I’m feeling a lot better than I was. As a result, I’ve been able to spend some time working on household projects, and I’m finally getting caught up on some of the chores I’ve been putting off. It feels really good to be getting things done!

Even though I’ve been busy, I’ve still managed to do a considerable amount of reading this week. I am continuing to participate in FrightFall, so I spent most of the week reading horror novels. This week I really tried to focus on some of the scariest reads remaining on my TBR. I read some great stories, several of which really nailed the eerie atmosphere, but didn’t read anything that left me properly scared.

The Dewey’s 24-Hour Readathon took place this past weekend, and I did have a chance to participate. I was originally hoping to read for around 12-16 hours, but was only able to manage around 7 hours and 40 minutes. Despite the shorter time frame, I was able to read 2 books from cover to cover during the readathon. I also made progress on some of my ongoing reads, so I’m feeling really pleased about what I was able to accomplish.

Here are my current challenge and TBR totals…

Goodreads Challenge: 341/250 (136% — Challenge Complete!)
Mount TBR Challenge: 174/150 (116% — Challenge Complete!)

📚Physical TBR: 127/731
📱Ebook TBR: 36/218
🎧Audiobook TBR: 11/12
TBR Checklist Total: 174/961 (18% complete)

TBR Books DNFed in 2025: 5

I did pick up a couple of Stephen King books at the bookstore this week, which were The Running Man and The Long Walk. I also got copies of Carmilla, by Sheridan Le Fanu; and Coup de Grâce, by Sofia Ajram.

“New” Books Bought in 2025: 160
“New” Books Read in 2025: 154
“New” Books DNFed in 2025: 1
“New” Books Checklist Total: 96% complete

Here are the books I finished this week…

Finished Reading (Fiction):
~The Langoliers — I thoroughly enjoyed this book! While I didn’t find the story particularly scary, I thought King’s writing was very atmospheric and creepy. 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~Ring — Of all the titles on my 2025 TBR, this is the one I was most apprehensive about reading, because my friends who have seen the movie adaptation all talk about how terrifying it was. I fully expected this book to scare me, and it definitely…did not. After all the hype, I found this book a bit of a let down. I did not think it was scary at all, and actually got bored a couple of times while reading it. Content Alert: (view spoiler)[ This book includes a scene of rape, as well as a character who brags about having raped several women. (hide spoiler)] 📚: ⭐️⭐️
~Bird Box — I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Even though it wasn’t the scary read I was anticipating, I could not put it down. I thought the author did an especially good job of creating a believably eerie atmosphere. The pacing was excellent, and the dual timelines really added to the story. Content Alert: (view spoiler)[ This book does include references to self-harm and suicide, as well as harm done to animals and a few animal deaths. (hide spoiler)] 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~The Hitchcock Hotel — This Alfred Hitchcock-inspired thriller turned out to be one of my most enjoyable reads for both the FightFall and 24-Hour readathons. The author did a great job of matching the atmosphere of a Hitchcock film, and managed to keep me guessing until the very end. Content Alert: (view spoiler)[ This book does include references to suicide, as well as an animal death. (hide spoiler)] 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~Immortal Dark (Immortal Dark Trilogy, #1)keep — I thought this story was pretty good, but I have to confess that I just did not like the main characters. I kept hoping that they would grow on me, but they didn’t. I didn’t realize that this book was the first in a trilogy when I bought it, and while part of me would like to find out what’s ultimately going to happen in the world of the book, I’m not invested enough in the characters to continue the trilogy when the next book is released. Content Alert: (view spoiler)[ This book includes references to suicide and torture, as well as an animal death. (hide spoiler)] 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
~Coup de Grâce — This book was…interesting. I picked up this title on impulse during my latest trip to Barnes and Noble, and it definitely wins the prize for the weirdest (and most disturbing) book I read for FrightFall. Content Alert: (view spoiler)[ This book focuses on a man who is clinically depressed and actively planning to commit suicide. The book includes frequent references to his intentions, along with discussions of anxiety and depression. There are also scenes involving self-harm, and the act of suicide itself. If you like horror books that still manage to have a happy, or at least semi-positive ending, then this is not the book for you. (hide spoiler)] 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
~The Running Man — I saw the movie adaptation of The Running Man (starring Arnold Schwarzengger) probably around two decades ago, but didn’t get around to reading the original novel until this week. Unsurprisingly, the novel is incredibly different from the adaptation. In fact, there’s very little that remained the same, so the story felt brand new to me (because it basically was). I ended up reading the entire book in a single evening, because I just could not put it down. After finishing the book, I discovered that a brand new movie adaptation is being released next month, and it looks like it will be much more faithful to the original story. I’ll definitely be interested to see how it compares to both the book and the first movie adaptation. Content Alert: (view spoiler)[ This book includes a significant number of racial and ethnic slurs being used by various characters (including the main character), homophobic slurs, misogyny, references to rape, and graphic descriptions of gunshot wounds. (hide spoiler)] 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Finished Reading (Nonfiction):
None

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

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 66 hours remaining. 🎧
~The Arabian Nights: Tales of 1001 Nights, Volume 2 — I ended up taking time out to focus on this book for about half an hour during the 24-Hour Readathon, so I’ve actually managed to make some progress this week! 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)] 📚
~Dracula — I’m currently about a third of the way through this book, and I’m continuing to enjoy it. I will be attempting to finish it this week. 📚
~Into the Forest: Tales of the Baba Yaga — I thought this anthology of short stories and poetry featuring Baba Yaga would be a good fit for the spooky season. I’m currently a little over halfway though this book, and it’s living up to my expectations so far. Content Alert: (view spoiler)[ This book includes references to torture, mutilation, and cannibalism. There are also animal deaths. (hide spoiler)] 📚
~The Keeper of Magical Things — I’m currently a little over halfway through this book, and I am loving it so far! It’s such a cute, cosy read, and the perfect break from all the horror novels I've been reading this month. I will hopefully have a chance to sit down and finish it this afternoon. 📚

QOTW:
I’m also looking forward to the new publication prompt. I can always guarantee that I’ll manage to accomplish that one.

I’ve found it really hard to participate in the challenge over the past few years, because most of the books on my owned TBR just don’t fit any of the prompts. I love getting new books, and borrowing from the library, but I also don’t want to take too much time away from reading down my TBR. So I would love to see some of the TBR prompts come back, like “largest book on your TBR,” “book that’s been on your TBR the longest,” etc.

Happy Thursday all.

Have a doctor's appointment tomorrow. I'm not looking forward to it, even though I know I need to go. My silly brain operates by the logic of "if I go, they might find out something's wrong. Therefore if I don't go, nothing will be wrong!" I know that's not how it works, but still...

Books read this week:

Fowl Play -- middle-grade novel about a girl setting out to solve her uncle’s murder with help from his parrot. A bit of a mess story-wise but a good exploration of grief and a family coming together in the aftermath.

A Gathering of Saints: A True Story of Money, Murder and Deceit -- fascinating, if chilling, true-crime book about the “salamander murders” that took place in Salt Lake City, Utah in 1985.

The Last Gifts of the Universe -- entertaining but kind of repetitive, and a little too high-stakes to really fall into the “cozy sci-fi” it’s shooting for. The cat is cute though.

Shadow Star 1 - Starflight
Shadow Star 2 - Darkness Visible
Shadow Star 3 - Shadows of the Past
Shadow Star 4 - Nothing But The Truth
Assassination Classroom, Vol. 01
Assassination Classroom, Vol. 02: Time for Grown-Ups

DNF:

One in a Millennial: On Friendship, Feelings, Fangirls, and Fitting In -- maybe I just didn’t have the typical millennial childhood… but I couldn’t relate to this as much as I thought I would.

Currently reading:

The Best of Catherynne M. Valente, Volume One
Free Country: A Penniless Adventure the Length of Britain
The Pumpkin Princess and the Forever Night
Dragon's Future
Mockingbird Court

QOTW:

I like prompts that encourage me to read books by authors outside the US, especially outside English-speaking countries. Also ones that do something clever with the title, like "book with song lyrics in the title" or "book whose title is a complete sentence." Just... don't do the "title is a palindrome" prompt again, PLEASE...

I started and finished the Storygraph Politics and Philosophy book without reading any additional books. Since it started in February, I just counted books I had read in that window. Maybe I should start fresh?

Vancouver Public Library: 20/24
Mar.-Oct. TBR: 35/64 55%
June-Oct. Library TBR: 27/33 81%

Finished: I did the Dewey Readathon this past weekend and I usually finish 7 books. This time, I only finished three because the ones I chose were so long:

The Fellowship of the Ring I really was not impressed with this. I don't know how it has withstood the test of time for so long. I found it dull with too much description and not enough dialogue. Not enough action. Not enough character development. For the most part, it's just them wandering around and committing over and over again to following Frodo.

La Belle Sauvage Re-read in preparation for the third book coming out today. Now this is a book I can sink my teeth into! I'm really glad I re-read it because I had forgotten most of the detail. Pullman has aged up this trilogy. His Dark Materials is solidly YA while this has some more adult themes to it. Is anybody else excited about Rose Field coming out???

The Secret Commonwealth This ended on a cliff hanger. Six years ago, this was so frustrating! But it will all be resolved today!

Giving Up Is Unforgivable: A Manual for Keeping a Democracy Short and hopeful.

Abundance Interesting to get a different perspective from the usual degrowth solutions to climate change and capitalism.

QotW: I too would like to see some prompts addressing our TBR list such as "book you already own." I tend to prioritize library books because they have deadlines. So it's somewhat of a treat to read a book I purchased even though that's silly because I'm probably MORE interested in something I've invested in owning.

Another one that is kind of silly because we had it two years ago and I didn't particularly like it then is "a classic you haven't read" because I kind of want to read War and Peace and would like an extra incentive to do so.

Read on, lovely readers!

Happy Thursday! The tree outside my window is the most beautiful mélange of green, orange, and red. The nights are cool, but our highs are still in the mid- to upper-60s. Eli (8) and Ewan (3) are going to be Saja Boys for Halloween, and they’re very excited. They’re going to wear out their costumes!

2025 Reading Challenges:

52 Book Club: 48/52 (Connections Challenge: 16/21, October Mini-Challenge: 3/3)
ATY: 46/52 (ATY Anniversary Challenge: 8/10, ATY Fall Challenge: 32/36)
The Book Girls’ Guide: 61/74
Booklist Queen: 48/52
Popsugar: 49/50
Goodreads Fall Challenge (Bookmarks): 7/12

My Ever-Growing TBR: 127/317 – 40.1% (My goal was 33.3%.)

Recently Completed:

🐈‍⬛ Under Loch and Key (52 Books #37 – genre picked for you: Cryptid Romance) ★★★
🐈‍⬛ Austenland, Austenland #1: Jane Austen Book Club. (52 Books Connections #16 – GR rating ±0.25 compared to previous book) ★★★★
🐈‍⬛ Furious ★★★
🐈‍⬛ One Person, One Vote: A Surprising History of Gerrymandering in America ★★★★
🐈‍⬛ What Happens in London, Bevelstoke #2 ★★★★
🐈‍⬛ Borne, Borne #1: Adventures Underground Book Club. ★★★★
🐈‍⬛ Vote With Your Phone: Why Mobile Voting Is Our Final Shot at Saving Democracy ★★★★
🐈‍⬛ Romancing Miss Brontë (BGG Book Lovers #10 – characters interacting with real authors) ★★★
🐈‍⬛ Book of Shadows, Sweep #1 ★★★★
🐈‍⬛ Pumpkins in Paradise ★★★



QOTW: I also like the prompts that encourage readers to tackle books from outside the US. It was surprising that there wasn't anything like that on this year's list.

I hope that the staff at Popsugar put a little more thought into the 2026 list. This year's list felt slapdash... cobbled together at the very last minute. The space tourism, food truck, and running club prompts were particularly bothersome. Unless they can come up with at least three (good) suggestions from various genres, it just shouldn't be a prompt.

K.L. wrote: "I also got copies of Carmilla, ..."


.Have you read Hungerstone? I've been wondering how much of it is a loyal retelling of the classic

Doni wrote: "I tend to prioritize library books because they have deadlines. So it's somewhat of a treat to read a book I purchased even though that's silly because I'm probably MORE interested in something I've invested in owning...."



LOL same here!! I have a small pile of books I've purchased sitting by my bed, and they keep getting pushed aside by library books, which is ridiculous and yet it keeps happening.

Hello, y’all.

On last Saturday I went to see The Great Gatsby movie at the library. It is part of the movie/book discussion program. Like The Scarlet Letter last month, I had read the book and was not very impressed with it. (3*). However, also like last month, I really enjoyed the movie. I do not plan to attend the discussion, though.

Darla is doing well with the sit but both of us are struggling with the walk training. Sometimes, I wonder if I am the mom for her; but, the idea of putting her back in the shelter distresses me.

Again, Darla story: she bit her Kong bone in two. I thought those were indestructible. Apparently not. Nor can I allow her to retain each section because I caught her chewing off bite-size pieces of rubber. Thankfully, she allowed me to confiscate them before she swallowed. And, this was a favorite toy. Guess I will be replacing it.

I have finally been accepted as part of my exercise class which is made up of younger people (40s+) who have been working out for years (to my 5-6mo). It feels good to be part of an encouraging group…especially of people I admire.

Finished:
Mozzarella Murder – Kindle. 3*. I initially rated this one as 4*, meaning it was enjoyable to me and fun, but then I thought about how much of the story I struggled to remember the MC was male and not female. I think that should be considered.

Key West Connection – PAS. OVERDUE. I had to pay 2 days fine. Two fines in two weeks on different books. Gee, what happened? I did enjoy this initial story. I have read most of another series by the same author, and I saw a lot of that later series in this one. Interesting. 4*

Winter Lost – Audible. No prompt. Paranormal candy. Last in series. 4* Onto another of Patricia Briggs series that I have started.

Currently Reading:
Eat a Peach – PAS. 65%. Memoir. This has gotten more interesting. Expect to finish this weekend.

Black Hotel: A Supernatural Thriller – Kindle. PAS. 16%.

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 Luke.

The Imitation of Christ – Devotional reading. 29%
I am finding this interesting in contrast to Brother Lawrence's ideas of practice. He felt that all one's focus should be on being in God at all times despite what is going on in life, and St. Ignatius seems to say that whatever is going on right now is one's cross and should be born for Him.

Meditations for Women Who Do Too Much – Bedtime devotional reading. Started Oct. 3. This is more for workaholics than a retired elder. Thinking about DNF and just letting it go, but not yet.

Just Starting:
The Story of Edgar Sawtelle – PS #10 (free).
Murder on Black Swan Lane - PAS

On Deck: (library)
All the King's Men – Book Club December
The Ardent Swarm - PAS
A Study in Drowning – GR bookmark
The Blue Between Sky and Water - PAS
Clear – No prompt

PS 40/50
ATY 39/52
GR 174/200

QotW: Name one category that you are hoping to see on the 2026 Popsugar list.

I can't. The prompts that I struggle with (these last 10) are not necessarily prompts I would like to avoid. Nor are they particularly ones I enjoy. Right now my focus is on completing PS...and maybe not continuing with ATY to make room next year for less struggle trying to finish.

Finished:

Star Wars: Survivor's Quest (reread, 3/5)

Treaty's Law (2/5)

This is technically a DNF, but I read through 60% of it, so I'm counting it. The characters are written well, but the story and plot are just a painful slog.

Star Wars: Tempest Breaker: The High Republic (3/5)

Currently reading:

Sanctuary: A Bad Batch Novel
Tears of the Nameless
Lost to Eternity

Question of the Week:

More than a particular prompt, I want two or more sample recommendations for each prompt and a short explanation of what they at PS have in mind.

For something specific, I'm hoping for a book with FTL travel or a book that covers great distances.

I was so sure that yesterday was Thursday, I kept wondering until about 3 PM why this weeks' update thread had not been posted! That was bad - especially as I had many meetings yesterday and was adding to my calendar all day, though in my defense I was looking at dates and times, not day of the week.

Still need to read for 2 prompts to finish PS.

Finished - had little reading time last week:
Three Junes
Dirty South

Currently reading:
Braking Points by Tammy Kaehler
Towards Zero by Agatha Christie
Human Rites by Juno Dawson - my witchy read for October - it's also last of a trilogy

QOTW: I don't really want any particular prompt or type of prompt. I like diversity -- not seeing the same ones year after year, and some I don't want to see at all - enough. I am an eclectic reader with a whole lot of teetering TBR Towers. I just want prompts that have me working through the wide variety I have in those TBR Towers, and that aren't the same old same old.

Good morning! I am really pleased by how much traffic my Little Free Library is getting. My neighbors seem fond of mysteries & thrillers, and the turnover in children's books is especially gratifying.

I'm at 98 books for the year, 47/50 for the Popsugar, 50/52 for the Booklist Queen.

Finished:

Very Fine People, essays by A. R. Moxon. He's really good at cutting through fallacies, like the way media will treat "both sides" as equally valid even when one is plainly lying, or prioritizing the comfort of the already comfortable over the safety and well-being of marginalized people.

Girls Will Be Girls: A Novella and Short Stories by Leslea Newman was for the "menopause" Popsugar prompt, although only one of the stories dealt with someone in menopause. The stories were about Jewish lesbian life in the 1990s, largely about parent/child relationships: controlling parents, rebellious lesbian daughters, and lesbians wanting babies. The title novella was an over-the-top farce about a therapist's girlfriend cheating on her with one of her therapy clients.

And a few poetry books: Exit Opera: Poems by Kim Addonizio, Lucky Wreck by Ada Limon, and Staying Alive: Real Poems for Unreal Times, a wide-ranging anthology edited by Neil Astley.

Next up:

Cat’s Eyeby Margaret Atwood. I love her poetry, and The Handmaid's Tale is one of my all-time favorite books. But when I tried to read a couple of her others - I remember one was Life Before Man - I got bored and DNF, which is rare for me. I've heard good things about her later works, so I'm going to give this one a try for the "last line" Popsugar prompt.

QOTW: I find it easier to say what I don't want on the 2026 list: hyper-specific categories that are hard to fill, like "running club" or (shudder) "an author's 24th book." I like ones that can be approached a variety of ways; for instance, "married couple that doesn't live together" can include stories of war, incarceration, slavery, space exploration, or literary novels about angsty marriages. I used a spy novel.

One category I haven't seen is a story where the main character is nameless, though maybe that's too hyper-specific too?

I really enjoyed the prompt for "POC experiencing joy & not trauma," and hope to see more like this.

Nadine in NY wrote: "K.L. wrote: "Have you read Hungerstone? I've been wondering how much of it is a loyal retelling of the classic"

I have not read that one, but I'll probably be picking up a copy after I read Carmilla. I'm also interested in reading Lucy Undying now that I'm in the midst of Dracula.

Bea wrote: "Again, Darla story: she bit her Kong bone in two. I thought those were indestructible. Apparently not. Nor can I allow her to retain each section because I caught her chewing off bite-size pieces of rubber. Thankfully, she allowed me to confiscate them before she swallowed. And, this was a favorite toy. Guess I will be replacing it...."



wow! Darla has got powerful jaws!!!

Was it the red Kong? They make an "extreme" version that is black - we had those, and my dogs never managed to destroy them. (My current dogs are not big chewers, this was with my old dog.)
https://www.chewy.com/kong-extreme-go...

Brandon wrote: "More than a particular prompt, I want two or more sample recommendations for each prompt and a short explanation of what they at PS have in mind...."




YES!!! They used to do that, and it was so helpful sometimes!!

Happy Thursday!

Finished:

Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie - for a classic you've never read. I enjoyed it, although I was surprised that Miss Marple wasn't the POV character.

Automatic Noodle by Annalee Newitz - not for a prompt. A fun little novella about sentient androids in near-future California opening a noodle restaurant. To me, this has a similar cozy feel to Legends and Lattes.

A Mouthful of Dust by Nghi Vo - not for a prompt. Another excellent novella in the series, but rather dark, about the experiences of people who lived through a famine.

I am currently at 46/50 for Popsugar (38/40 and 8/10).

Currently reading:

The Keeper of Magical Things by Julie Leong - not for a prompt.

Upcoming/Planned:

Slayers of Old by Jim C. Hines - not for a prompt.

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

Emma by Jane Austen - for a book by the oldest author in your TBR pile.

Boneshaker by Cherie Priest - for a book you have always avoided reading (aka the book that's been on my TBR the longest, not one I've been actively "avoiding").

The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley - for a book that reminds you of your childhood.

QOTW:
I'm also boring, and enjoy the "book released in the current challenge year" prompts. I also always like the "book you meant to read last year" prompts, since they're like a free space for you to include something you really wanted to read but couldn't fit in the previous year.

I also really like prompts that get me to diversify my reading without feeling forced. Like trying a new subgenre or a book about a general subject, without a super-specific theme (looking at you, "soccer" and "running club").

Kenya wrote: "I like prompts that encourage me to read books by authors outside the US, especially outside English-speaking countries. Also ones that do something clever with the title, like "book with song lyrics in the title" or "book whose title is a complete sentence." Just... don't do the "title is a palindrome" prompt again, PLEASE..."

Looking at John Scalzi's "When the Moon Hits Your Eye" still on my TBR shelf.

And I definitely agree about the "outside the US" prompts. The first time I did the Popsugar, one of the prompts was "a book by a Pacific Islander author." I knew exactly none, but with help from the Goodreads lists, I found Iep Jāltok: Poems from a Marshallese Daughter, which was outstanding. This is part of the joy of reading challenges, finding something wonderful that you'd otherwise have missed.

But I'll add my PLEASE to no more palindrome titles! That's the kind of narrow category where you can MAYBE find one book you'd like, but not two.

Hi all! Kiddo sprained her ankle in gym class today, so she's home with an ice pack. We had invited a friend over for a sleepover today (tomorrow is a day off). We're still going to try it, we'll see how they manage.

I should be doing more cleaning around the house to prep, but here I am.

I have a woodsy area out behind my house that has oaks and maples and it's stunning right now in oranges and reds. And I filled a bird feeder for the first time since early spring and that has become popular.

I'm prepping for some home repairs. I finally got an estimate to refloor my master bathroom, still waiting on contractor #2 to get back to me. I bought a bunch of new blinds for many of our windows. Those we can do ourselves, when we have time and motivation. I'm starting to think I want a tankless water heater for our hot water. Does anyone have one? Are they worth it? If my daughter and I take showers too close in time, one of us runs out of hot water, sometimes while still soapy! (and heaven help me when she becomes a teenager!)

Oh, and my headaches are also much better. Not totally gone, but I'm mostly free from taking tylenol (and certainly not every 4 hours like I was). Though I'm going to get my flu and covid shots on Monday, so they'll probably be back...

I did some reading this week. Made quite a bit of progress in The Carpet Makers. I should finish it before next week. I like it, but I don't think it'll stick with me when I'm done.

Read a few chapters in Children of Blood and Bone, still really liking it, need to spend more time with it.

Also listened to a couple more chapters of The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina. It's definitely got the "magical" part of magical realism covered. I don't mind, but I know many of you aren't fans. Although, that being said, it's very interesting that my 3 main books are sci-fi, fantasy and magical realism atm, since I normally stick to super realistic works.

QOTW: I actually hate the book published this year prompt, since I read from the library and am rarely on top of that kind of thing. My library has a great selection of new books, so it's really not a problem, it's just not something I'm aware of, so I have to hunt. I suspect those of you who like that prompt already have several books due out in 2026 that you can't wait for! ;)

There's usually only 1 or 2 prompts that I truly get irritated by each year. Since I know I'm very unlikely to read 50 books in the course of the year, it's ok. But I like to research them all, so even if I don't get to run club or soccer, I've added books to my TBR that would fit.

I don't mind movie/TV related prompts or music related prompts, but they've been done a lot, so it's more that I want to see something new (or a new twist on those old prompts).

All that said (many words without actually answering the question- ha!), I'd love a history prompt. But it needs to be more specific than "read a book about history" but less narrow than "read a book set in the War of 1812"!

Hello everyone,
Been a busy 2 weeks. I started writing how my week was going last Thursday but never got to post it because I was dealing with alligators in every direction. This week I completed 2 books : by Richard V. Reeves and by Cynthia Miller-Idriss.

Question of the Week:

Name one category that you are hoping to see on the 2026 Popsugar list:

I would like something with graphic novels.

Jen W. wrote: "Automatic Noodle by Annalee Newitz - not for a prompt. A fun little novella about sentient androids in near-future California opening a noodle restaurant. To me, this has a similar cozy feel to Legends and Lattes. ..."


Every time I see this title or cover, I want noodles. I'm almost afraid to read the book, for fear I'll be hitting the ramen packets hard the entire time I read.

It was midterm week at my university which left me no reading time (but was rich in students suddenly worried about their grades) so I only finished two

The Queen of Blood by Sarah Beth Durst I actually read this for my alphabet challenge for the harder to get Q but then realized I've had this book since it came out 9 years ago, so I decided to slap it into PS for the dreaded PS 44. book you have always avoided reading.

Look, I think that is just the dumbest prompt because most of us have good reasons for avoiding reading something. My reason for not reading this was I forgot about it and that's close enough for me as far as this prompt goes. I mean I've been avoiding it on my book shelf for nearly a decade. And actually that's a shame because this was a fun female-forward fantasy. (say that three times fast)

I also read The Innkeeper Chronicles: Clean Sweep The Graphic Novel, Volume 1 by Ilona Andrews a graphic novel adaptation of Andrews' serial novel. It wasn't horrible but it had so many cringey romance tropes that I was literally wincing.

QOTW

Every year I hope to have a better answer for this, ha. Honestly I'd love to see more mash up genres, SF- mystery, horror-romance that sort of thing. (Why is it easier to answer what I don't want to see?) I wouldn't mind seeing a science related prompt. We could use more science...

Jen W. wrote: "Happy Thursday!

Finished:

Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie - for a classic you've never read. I enjoyed it, although I was surprised that Miss Marple wasn't ..."

You're not alone in side eyeing soccer and running club prompts

Ellen wrote: "Hello everyone,
Been a busy 2 weeks. I started writing how my week was going last Thursday but never got to post it because I was dealing with alligators in every direction. ..."



Wait, WHAT??!!? Were you literally dealing with alligators? or is this an idiom I've never heard before?

Jennifer W wrote: "Hi all! Kiddo sprained her ankle in gym class today, so she's home with an ice pack. We had invited a friend over for a sleepover today (tomorrow is a day off). We're still going to try it, we'll see how they manage.

I should be doing more cleaning around the house to prep, but here I am...."


Meh. Kids don't care if it's clean.





I suspect those of you who like that prompt already have several books due out in 2026 that you can't wait for! ;)

LOL yes that is true!!

I attended the Guilded Leaf Book Author Luncheon in Carmel, Indiana, this morning! I met Marie Bostwick, Hank Phillipi Ryan, and a debut author, Jessica Guerrieri. There were three other authors whose books I was not interested in reading. Each author’s presentation was fascinating, as usual!!

I did end up reading all the books I wanted to finish prior to this event except for 3, 2 of which I am over halfway through (On Wings of the Morning (Dillon, Oklahoma #2) and Hope on the Inside by Marie Bostwick) and only one totally unread (The Promise Girls by Marie Bostwick). I think I might have finished them all if I hadn’t been so ill! But that’s not bad! She mentioned The Book Club for Troublesome Women was her 22nd book to be released, and I have now read 13 of those with 4 more to go for a total of 17! Whoo! Whoo!

In November I have an author event to attend with Sigrid Nunez, and currently have 7 of her books I would like to read before that event… I adored The Friend and Mitz: The Marmoset of Bloomsbury! I am even taking a night off from teaching at the gym to attend this one! (Unheard of for me! LOL)

This has been a enormously busy week with another full day tomorrow and I am anxiously anticipating a whole two days over the weekend to just rest, cook a little, clean a bit, and READ!!

Oh, and we have new neighbors directly across the street from us and they have two Great Danes, Seth and Loki! Cool, huh? We now have 8 dogs living around our block. It can get a bit lively with barks around here now! LOL And, unfortunately the other night as I was returning home and unloading the car, I stepped in dog poop. In my own driveway… (NOTE: We have three CATS! No dogs!) Of those 8 dogs there is only one small one, and that is the one who obviously had pooped in our driveway. (Unless a stray happened by…) Firstly, I was glad it was a small dog and not a large pile of poop, but secondly, I am rather angry since a small dog (I can only assume the same one…) had pooped on our front porch one day just last week. Grrrrr… But I will do my best to just accept it all. The soles of my running shoes now look brand new!! (Since I had to ‘super-scrub’ them!)

***
ADMIN STUFF:
THE DECEMBER MONTHLY GROUP READ FINAL SELECTION POLL IS Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng!
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
We are searching for a "year-end yeoman" to lead this discussion! Message either Nadine or me to volunteer!

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:
Name one category that you are hoping to see on the 2026 Popsugar list.
A book involving puppies, parrots, penguins, or pachyderms
Ha! Ha! I proposed this for the 2026 AtY challenge (Though I originally included “pirates” which I deleted here since we had a pirate prompt in 2024!), creating listopias, etc., and that’s when I decided I was wasting way too much of my time working on prompts to suggest for that challenge, and that I really wanted to decrease the number of challenges I was going to work on in the future so I could increase the amount of reading time I can devote to books I just want to read!! I’m almost 70 years old! Time is running out! LOL 😉

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

2024 Popsugar: 47/50

FINISHED:
*The Other Woman (Jane Ryland #1) by Hank Phillippi Ryan ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ was one of my all-time favorite mystery books due to the intricate and complex plotting and the bit of maybe-romance between Jane and “Jakey”! I’m usually not extremely gifted at “solving” a mystery before the protagonist does…but Ryan had me literally shaking my head and attempting to figure out who was who and what the characters’ interrelationships could possibly be… That was about 2/3 of the way through the book, and amazingly, once I returned to the text the protagonist was asking herself many of the same questions I had just pondered myself… When I mentioned this to her as a first for me, she was quick to note that once she begins writing a book, she never knows exactly what is going to happen, so it is not uncommon for her (and the protagonist) to muse about the possible links... Cool! For pure mysteries, I think Ryan just made my absolute favorite author list!!
POPSUGAR: #2, #6, #16, #20, #24, #26
52 Book Club: #8, #10, #36, #39, #41, #43, #46, #48

*Just in Time by Marie Bostwick ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ was so enjoyable! Definitely a ‘feel good’ book, IMO! Bostwick is a master at weaving in grittier aspects of life (addiction, infidelity, physical disability), yet ending with a HEA that just works! Not all of her books are as much HEA as this one, though each book has positive vibes! I just adore her writing!
POPSUGAR: #6, #20, #24, #26, #28, #33, #40, #43, #48
52 Book Club: #2, #8, #13, #22, #33, #36, #41, #46, #51

CONTINUING:
*On Wings of the Morning (Dillon, Oklahoma #2) by Marie Bostwick is such an amazing sequel to Fields of Gold! Not at all what I expected…in such an awesome way!
*Hope on the Inside by Marie Bostwick is not what I was expecting! Bostwick is so savvy at connecting titles…
*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:
*All the Way to the River: Love, Loss, and Liberation by Elizabeth Gilbert for an IRL book club meeting last Sunday which ended up getting canceled due to several members being ill. So I will be reading this one in November. I hope also to finally read Eat, Pray, Love!
*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

Nadine in NY wrote: "Every time I see this title or cover, I want noodles. I'm almost afraid to read the book, for fear I'll be hitting the ramen packets hard the entire time I read."

It definitely made me want noodles while reading it!

Nadine in NY wrote: "Jennifer W wrote: "Hi all! Kiddo sprained her ankle in gym class today, so she's home with an ice pack. We had invited a friend over for a sleepover today (tomorrow is a day off). We're still going..."

Lol, for sure, but moms do!

Friend is here, despite injury, crawling or hopping, there's still a lot of noise.... lol

The last couple of years for the published in the year, I have found books that I'm actually really excited about, but they come out like in October or later and then I have a hard time getting them from the library with enough time to read them! This year's it's Separation of Church and Hate: A Sane Person's Guide to Taking Back the Bible from Fundamentalists, Fascists, and Flock-Fleecing Frauds. The library has it ordered, but it's not in yet, and there's already at least 6 people ahead of me....

It's finally starting to consistently feel like fall, with colorful foliage to match. I'm trying to enjoy it while it lasts, since it won't be long before all the leaves are gone.
This week has flown by, helped by having a staff development day at the library. I'm still on the second clue of the MKAL, but I'm trying to embrace my own pace, as Stephen West always says.

Finished:
The Dog Knight - (PS a book you want to read based on the last sentence) A bit of a stretch, since I read this for a homeschool book club I'm leading tomorrow, but I had to process all the books for the book club, and there was no buffer between the last page and back cover, so I saw the last sentence multiple times before starting it myself. So I'm counting it. As for the story itself, I liked it, and I'm eager to see what the kids think of it, too.

Currently reading:
Hit Me with Your Best Charm
Awakened
Cursed Bunny
Explainers: The Complete Village Voice Strips, 1956-1966
Lost Souls Meet Under a Full Moon

QOTW: I second wanting "a book you meant to read last year," since it seems like I always have a book I keep meaning to get to but somehow never do.

Nadine in NY wrote: "Doni wrote: "I tend to prioritize library books because they have deadlines. So it's somewhat of a treat to read a book I purchased even though that's silly because I'm probably MORE interested in ..."



I think they need a month like Nonfiction November that is Book you own month or TBR pile time cause I am guilty of this as well.

I managed to discover a LFL (little free library) down in my sister's neighborhood and have multiplied my TBR pile at home in the past few months. I think I added like 15 books from her stand and also the libraries around me had book sales too so, in total I've added around 30 books.

But of course I have like 20 books from the library. So...gotta read those first!

Nadine in NY wrote: "Bea wrote: "Again, Darla story: she bit her Kong bone in two. I thought those were indestructible. Apparently not. Nor can I allow her to retain each section because I caught her chewing off bite-s..."



My dog is a HEAVY chewer and so will chew thru anything. I have seen her destroy a toy in about an hour!

You can usually check the back of the toys label and it will say if it is for extreme chewers or not. Also I have a friend who told me not to buy the KONG ones cause her dog chewed thru them too. I don't think I have come across a black one though.

Nadine in NY wrote: "Brandon wrote: "More than a particular prompt, I want two or more sample recommendations for each prompt and a short explanation of what they at PS have in mind...."




YES!!! They used to do that..."


There were definitely a few where we could have used examples.

Happy Thursday
Getting over the nastiest bug I've had in a while. The virus gods better leave me alone for at least a year after this last gift they left. I am NOT a doctor person but I went straight to urgent care after work Friday and found out I'd been working with a fever all day, maybe two. Finally at better than 90%


This month I finished:
Man's Search for Meaning (book club, no prompt)
The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Caused an Epidemic of Mental Illness (no prompt)
The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle (book I got free)
The Bookshop: A History of the American Bookstore (book in the title)

currently reading:
Mansfield Park
The Portrait of a Lady
Before We Forget Kindness
Knickerbocker's History of New York
War and Peace (year long buddy read, almost done!)
The Pumpkin Spice Café


QOTW:
Like others I would like a book from another country, especially a translated book. I don't necessarily need a nonfiction topic, but prompts that are easier to adapt to nonfiction. But mostly just not props that are so dang narrow. Soccer and run club in the same year? Why not just "fiction or nonfiction about a sport?" While I enjoyed my food truck book, The Full Moon Coffee Shop, it was still too narrow. One of the mods said it months ago re: some of these prompts....just tell me what book you wanted me to read. Because sometimes I feel like they have a book in mind and write a prompt force us to read it. No more of those please. Or at least no more than 1 or 2

Jennifer W wrote: "I'm starting to think I want a tankless water heater for our hot water. Does anyone have one? Are they worth it?"

I personally do not have a tankless water heater, but my dad does, and he really likes it. If you're thinking about making the switch though, you'll want to make sure that your plumber has experience with installing and servicing that type of water heater. Some plumbing companies don't seem to want to deal with them.

JessicaMHR wrote: "I think they need a month like Nonfiction November that is Book you own month or TBR pile time cause I am guilty of this as well."

Yes!!! Can we please make this happen? I feel like January would be a really good month for this.

L Y N N wrote: "And, unfortunately the other night as I was returning home and unloading the car, I stepped in dog poop. In my own driveway… ..."




That's disgusting!! I own dogs, and there's no excuse for that, and I don't think you have to just accept it.

We used to have neighbors (whom I liked) with an adorable poodle (whom I loved), but the man would walk the dog on those annoying extendable leashes and actually let the poodle all the way up into the middle of my front yard. He's got a perfectly fine front yard of his own! Get outta my yard!!! It makes my own dogs go crazy!!!! And, yeah, sometimes I would find poop (or cigarette butts) in my yard! It was the one thing I didn't like about those neighbors.

Maybe find a friendly "please pick up after your dog" sign for the front yard, as a reminder that YES you are noticing the dog poop!!

Joanna wrote: "Nadine in NY wrote: "Every time I see this title or cover, I want noodles. I'm almost afraid to read the book, for fear I'll be hitting the ramen packets hard the entire time I read."

It definitely made me want noodles while reading it!..."


Ok! I will make sure I'm all stocked up with All the Noodles before I read. Maybe even get takeout noodles from the Vietnamese place up the road, too.

JessicaMHR wrote: "Nadine in NY wrote: "Bea wrote: "Again, Darla story: she bit her Kong bone in two. I thought those were indestructible. Apparently not. Nor can I allow her to retain each section because I caught h..."

My mom had a Boxer who got through pretty much everything. She would buy deer antlers online, those took her months to even make a dent in!

Out of curiosity, is anyone else having issues with the Fall Challenge not giving them bookmarks for what they're reading? I read a dark academia book this past week specifically to get the "Community Picks" bookmark, but the bookmark was never awarded.

It's not a problem for me to read another dark academia book before the end of the year, but I'm wondering if this is a site-wide issue, or if technology just doesn't like me specifically.

Cornerofmadness wrote: "Jen W. wrote: "Happy Thursday!

Finished:

Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie - for a classic you've never read. I enjoyed it, although I was surprised that Miss..."


I had major side eye at those two also, but ended up reading 2 fantastic books I found and they were crime fiction: Where They Last Saw Her had a running club in it and it was key to the plot - it wasn't called that but it was it. I was reading that book for other reasons too!

Soccer - I went searching for crime fiction involving soccer -- and ended up with the first in a series set in Egypt - The Golden Scales - different, good and I will continue reading the series.

Hello all!

Haven't been checking in here much but it's because I am really focusing on my reading when I am not doing things for work/home/family.

I have a free weekend this week so hoping to read even more for the next few days.

We ran out of water last week and have been using water from my dad's house next door, by attaching a hose to his house from ours. It was supposed to storm last weekend right after we ran out but, while it did rain, it wasn't a storm so we are still not sure how much it filled our tank. Which is why we are still using his water. We'll either have these heavy passing showers (like a few minutes of rain) or we will have light misty rain for most of the day. Neither of which is enough to substantially add water to our tank.

I have managed to complete a LOT of books since I last checked in. I'm also really proud of myself for FINALLY reading the last book I needed to finish PS 2024!! I've only owned the book for years! Just had to ignore some library books to complete this. ;)

2025 Challenges:
Popsugar: 45/50
ATY: 50/52 & 9/10
A to Z: 25/26

Goodreads: 187/150
GR WTR: 26/434

Physical TBR: 12/141
Kindle TBR: 1/133
TBR Goal: 13/274

Book Clubs:
PS Monthly: 30/68
Reese: 35/116
Oprah: 15/110
Jenna: 10/83
OSS: 7/39

Nene Award: 16/68

Finished:
21 Finished, 2 Completed Popsugar

The Boo Hag Flex
This was a pretty creepy sounding character for a kids book.

Project Nought: A Graphic Novel

Tryouts
Need a baseball book? This one is cute.

Ghost and Bone
This was pretty nuts for a kids book. This alive boy can turn into a ghost and has some other crazy ghost trying to kill him and erase him from the world. I liked the part where there is a whole ghost world that exists right along the human world, with ghost buildings on top of human ones or even in them.

Return to Sender
ATY#40
Another Longmire book, this time with a crazy cult in the desert. I actually JUST realized that it was a cult while typing this, LOL! I read the whole thing about some crazy dude exploiting these people out in the desert and never thought ‘Hmm, cult’ (**face palm**).

My Sweet Orange Tree
This was both good and sad. This little boy in the slums of Brazil who is a bit of a trouble maker is always getting spanked and even beaten a few times later in the book. But this man who he fears at first becomes his best friend and takes him places and helps him kind of turn his badness around. (view spoiler)[ Unfortunately he ends up dying, and the boy almost dies from the grief himself. (hide spoiler)]

The Lemonade War: The Graphic Novel
This book (well the original) is a NENE award winner and now I don't know if I should count this one towards that or if I should still read the OG novel, since technically that was one that won.

Out of the Ashes

The Silence
PS#13
Wow, totally do not know the point of this book or what he was trying to portray. I can see why it has low ratings. May be the lowest I have scored a book. If that had been longer than 117 pages I would not have just powered thru.

Temple of Swoon
Book 2.
FMC a little too annoying in this one. Just believe in yourself already, Gosh!

A Death in Door County
I found me a new author to read! I grabbed this for a different reason that didn’t end up working out but, I do like her style of writing and she keeps you engaged throughout the book.

The Pale Queen: A Graphic Novel
I think I may have over-hyped myself on this one.

Snapdragon
This was a little bit different style of graphic novel but, I loved all the queer representation in this book.

Archive of Unknown Universes
After reading someone else’s comment on this book about paying attention; I made sure to read this book exclusively and tried to read it in one day. I was about 40 pages shy when I just had to go to sleep. I’m not usually a fan of alternative timelines and only found this a tiny bit confusing.

The Most Perfect Summer Ever Lizard Boy 2
Maybe better than the first.

Punching the Air
A look at the prison system from someone whose been there.

School Dance
Think I like this out of the trilogy the best.

The Underground Railroad
Maybe a little overhyped. It was good but also not what I expected.

Floating Hotel
PS#3, ATY#58 NATO alphabet
This was actually not bad for a genre I don't typically read. After waiting months for this at least it wasn't crap, LOL!

Kuleana: A Story of Family, Land, and Legacy in Old Hawai'i
This was insightful. Always nice to be able to relate to a book.

Dreamland
This was my last PS 2024 book I had to read. After 10 months I have done it!!! After all of that it wasn't even one of his best.

-------
Currently Reading
Encanto: Nightmares and Sueños
Ripples & Waves: A Queer Retelling of The Little Mermaid
The Assassin's Blade
Blood and Chocolate
The Pumpkin Princess and the Forever Night
The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea
Blackmail and Bibingka
Sunrise on the Reaping
Death in the Dark Woods
Night of the Living Head

On the Backburner
Libby

Physical Library Rentals
The Secret Garden
Deephaven
Scrimshaw
The Mermaid's Tale
The Siren, the Song, and the Spy
Silver Nitrate
Beast of the North Woods
The New Girl
Fable for the End of the World
Recommended Reading
The Queen's Spade
The Green Kingdom
The Education of Margot Sánchez
After Dark with Roxie Clark
The History of Everything: A Graphic Novel
Punycorn and the Princess of Thieves
The Academy

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

Question of the Week:
I'm not too sure how to answer this. I always find there are prompts that seem soo hard at first but I like to hunt books down and find something that works. I have found some really good books this way. I've also found some crappy ones. Ooh wait one I do NOT want again...A Book with less than 3 stars!!!!! Not only was it hard to find the book truly sucked.

K.L. wrote: "JessicaMHR wrote: "I think they need a month like Nonfiction November that is Book you own month or TBR pile time cause I am guilty of this as well."

Yes!!! Can we please make this happen? I feel like January would be a really good month for this."



HAHAHA that or Dec was what i was thinking too!

January because you're all gung-ho like I'm gonna read just my books! But December because that's when you are like Crap I didn't tackle my TBR pile! LOL

K.L. wrote: "Out of curiosity, is anyone else having issues with the Fall Challenge not giving them bookmarks for what they're reading? I read a dark academia book this past week specifically to get the "Commun..."


Is this the one you had to read beginning on OCT. 15?
Cause two were from Oct. 1 and two from Oct. 15 I believe.

JessicaMHR wrote: "K.L. wrote: "HAHAHA that or Dec was what i was thinking too!

January because you're all gung-ho like I'm gonna read just my books! But December because that's when you are like Crap I didn't tackle my TBR pile! LOL."

Why not both? Both is good!

In all seriousness, I think we should do an optional TBR themed month here on Goodreads. We could come up with prompts if we really wanted to, but I think just a general "read what you already own" goal would be sufficient. The advanced version could be challenging yourself not to spend money on new books during the month.

JessicaMHR wrote: "Is this the one you had to read beginning on OCT. 15?
Cause two were from Oct. 1 and two from Oct. 15 I believe."

Yeah. That was the first thing I checked, because I figured that I had probably just missed the date range. But I started the book on Oct. 16th and finished it on the 19th, so I shouldn't have had an issue with that.

I wonder if there's someone I can contact on Goodreads to alert them to the problem.

Update: I did submit a question about this through the Help section. We'll see what happens.

You could just try entering the book again

Happy Thursday!

We had a Diwali party at work today and I have gorgeous henna on my hand.

I finished no books this week. What kind of lazy-ass reader starts a 22 page short story and only gets half way through?

I am almost tired of horror. I've been watching Tv shows and movies with my kids and reading spooktastic books. My next book will be something as far from horror as possible.

Series - 8/10
Reading Across Canada - 9/10
Nobel laureates - 3/5

PS - 36/40
Regular ATY - 39/40
Anniversary ATY - 8/10
Summer Challenge - 5100/5000 - Completed!

Currently reading:
Interior Castle - 45%
Selected Poems of Gabriela Mistral - 90%
Kingdom of the Wicked - 70%
Find You In The Dark - 35%
The Pit and the Pendulum -50% done

Buddy Reads:
Library of Souls - 20%

QOTW: I love the idea of a prompt about iron (element 26 for 2026). You could do things made from steal. Or cold iron, which was thought to repel witches, faeries, and ghosts. It's the reason people used to nail iron horse shoes to their houses.

Dubhease wrote: "Happy Thursday!

I am almost tired of horror. I've been watching Tv shows and movies with my kids and reading spooktastic books. My next book will be something as far from horror as possible..."


I have been on a spooky creature/horror kick myself lately and I think it's been ok because I have sprinkled in a few romances, a mystery, a crime novel, a lit fic or two, and even a scifi book so it's been not so overwhelming for me. Ideally I would like to finish the spooky books I have in my pile by Halloween but realistically it will be more like halfway into November before I finish those.


QOTW: I love the idea of a prompt about iron (element 26 for 2026). You could do things made from steal. Or cold iron, which was thought to repel witches, faeries, and ghosts. It's the reason people used to nail iron horse shoes to their houses.

Here I was just thinking it was for good luck. But I live a country life so...
I actually have a horseshoe above my bedroom door.

I was just reviewing my 5 books I have left for Popsugar and realized I own 3 and two are from the library, which I have in my possession! Why I just can't focus on those and get this done I don't know.

It's the same for ATY I own 2 and have the other one from the library.


Must. Focus. On. Books. For. Challenges!!

K.L. wrote: "JessicaMHR wrote: "Is this the one you had to read beginning on OCT. 15?
Cause two were from Oct. 1 and two from Oct. 15 I believe."

Yeah. That was the first thing I checked, because I figured tha..."

This happened with the last batch of bookmarks- one of the books I read should have counted, but then it didn't. I think it glitches sometimes. Luckily the book worked for a popsugar prompt though

Happy Thursday!

Finished:
Somebody Is Walking on Your Grave: My Cemetery Journeys- this was such a disappointment. It's a mix of memoir, travelogue and history, all centered around different cemeteries- which sounded really interesting. The author comes across as snarky and judgmental- someone said she was giving off "not like other tourists" vibes. And then she tells this hilarious story about stealing something from a grave... new worst book of the year. I gave it a 2 star, but it might go down to a 1. Still deciding

Witches, Midwives, and Nurses: A History of Women Healers- this was a pamphlet/essay originally released in the 70s about the connection between witch hunts and current sexism/misogyny. It's dated, but an interesting start point at looking into the topic.

Squad- a graphic novel that's Mean Girls meets werewolves. Pretty good

Currently:
Frankenstein: The 1818 Text- still reading, I like it but it's taking me a bit

A Grim Reaper's Guide to Catching a Killer- fun, except the FML is 40-something and keeps acting like she an ancient old maid, which keeps taking me out of the story.

The House of My Mother: A Daughter's Quest for Freedom- my halloween-ish audiobooks aren't available yet, so taking a break from them with this memoir

QotW:
I'd like a prompt where the book is told in an unconventional format- like letters, interviews, mixed media etc. Mainly because i like those books, and I'd like more recommendations for them!