Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge discussion

Happy Thursday!  Welcome to March!

It finally (sort of) stopped snowing!  Now it's mostly rain!   Yesterday was sunny in the afternoon, though - none of us knew what to do with ourselves. A few patches of ground are visible now, but most of my yard is still well covered in snow.  

SOON my snowdrops will come up.  They are almost a month late now - usually first week of March is the early crocuses, but they're buried under snow, too. There was a robin chirruping angrily in my dogwood tree yesterday, I imagine he was pissed about all the snow. He was all fluffed up in his winter coat, looking ticked off.




***** Admin stuff *****
The March group read (transgender / non-binary) will be:  What Moves the Dead  I am leading the discussion - come join us!   I added the first few questions in the post.  You can join the discussion here:   
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

The April group read (gardening) will be:  The Secret Garden

The May group read (birding) will be:   Birding with Benefits

The  final poll for June (influencer) is here:
https://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/3...

The nomination poll for July (granny hobby) is here:
https://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/3...
Each poll runs for one more week.

Let us know if you'd like to lead any discussions!








This week I finished 5 books, four for this Challenge, and one picture book, so I am now 20/50:

What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher - when I volunteered to lead the discussion, that lit a fire under me and I downloaded the book and read it all before March even started.  I enjoyed the book.

Pluto!: Not a Planet? Not a Problem! written by Stacy McAnulty and art by Stevie Lewis - I originally planned to read a picture book for my "unusual format" so I borrowed this from the library, but then I read something else instead, so this was not for the challenge.  I love ALL of Macanulty's books, they are super super cute, and (so far as I can tell) scientifically accurate, and I highly recommend them to anyone looking for fun nonfiction picture books about science.  (I know that's kind of a niche category, but it's something I was always on the hunt for when my kids were little.)   She's got a whole series about various solar system bodies (Earth, Moon, Sun, Mars, Venus, the whole solar system, plus two other books about Earth).  I hope she's got more in the works.  She's a mechanical engineer, so she's got the street cred LOL! 

The Rival by Emma Lord- this was a super sweet YA romance (but  never too sweet - it was the exact right amount of sweetness) set on a (fictional) college campus in Virginia.  I read this for the "about college" category.

Better Living Through Birding: Notes from a Black Man in the Natural World by Christian Cooper - this was my "birding" book, and it was pretty good.

Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke - this NetGalley book comes out in April. It turned out to be about a social influencer, so I checked off that category.  Part of this book was fantastic, I was sure I was going to give it five stars, but the ending was a sudden ninety degree turn into a completely different book, and that was not satisfying. It did NOT stick the landing.

 


Popsugar 40% 20/50
Must Reads 0% 0 /1
2026 pub 24% 12 /50
NetGalley ratio 81%  

I now have so many pending books in my NetGalley account that my ratio is in JEOPARDY!  Oh no, too many books!  Such problems LOL

 





Question of the Week
This week's question was suggested by Sasha:
 Are you planning to celebrate International Women's Day in your reading this month? If yes, what will you read?



March is Women's History Month in the US, and this Sunday, March 8th, is International Women's Day (why is it a Sunday???).

I'm not planning to read anything special.  About five years ago (I think?), I started focusing on reading selected books for the various cultural appreciation months, and I crammed as many books as I could into each of the appreciation months.  But last year I started to feel burned out doing that, I don't know why.  So this year it's not one of my reading priorities, I'm not intentionally planning any special reading.  

But old habits die hard hahaha! So I'm tempted. I couldn't help but make a list for myself of good books to read during WHM.   If I WERE to select a book for WHM, it would probably be the new one from Laura Bates: The New Age of Sexism: How AI and Emerging Technologies Are Reinventing Misogyny.

Happy Thursday all!

Not much to report. I feel like I live an unexciting life, hehe... Just school and work and planning a trip to Japan next year.

Books read this week:

The Deep Dark -- for “two books written by real-life partners or spouses (1).” Fantasy graphic novel that deals with themes of burnout, self-sacrifice, family expectations, and LGBTQ acceptance. Gets dark but never in a way that feels oppressive.

How Bad Things Can Get -- for “a book that explores influencer culture.” Starts off strong, with strong vibes of Mr. Beast and Fyre Festival, but then derails into insanity halfway through. I think the author tried to do way too much in one book, and so none of it got done well.

Grandma Gatewood's Walk: The Inspiring Story of the Woman Who Saved the Appalachian Trail -- for “a book about a granny hobby.” Grandma Gatewood was a granny, and her hobby was walking, so I count it, haha… Man, Grandma Gatewood was a phenomenal lady, and I love that her desire to walk the Appalachian Trail helped spearhead a movement to maintain it for future generations.

Snake-Eater -- not for the challenge. T. Kingfisher is an automatic read for me, and this book was great, with her trademark blend of humor, chills, and weird fantasy.

Regular Challenge: 29/40
Advanced Challenge 6/10
Books read that weren’t for the challenge: 4

Currently reading:

Architects of Memory -- for “book about women astronauts”
The Air Raid Book Club -- for “book about a book club”
The Enchanted Greenhouse -- for “book with an overweight character that isn’t about losing weight”
In the Aeroplane Over the Sea -- for “book inspired by a real band, album, song, or artist”

QOTW:

Don't have anything specific planned for International Women's Day or Women's History Month. Maybe finish my "book about women astronauts" read...

Good morning, everyone! Happy Thursday!

This has been a very busy week, but it’s also been a fairly productive one. I was able to make progress on several household projects this week, and actually managed to finish a couple of tasks that I’ve been putting off for the past several months.

The allergist’s office also finally got in touch this week, and I was 100% correct in my original interpretation of my bloodwork results. Unfortunately, their suggestions for treatment were not helpful. I’m fully convinced that the allergist didn’t listen to a single word I said when I was in the office. I plan to start food elimination trials next week, and we’ll see if I can figure things out for myself.

On the plus side, I was able to pick up my new glasses at the end of last week. I am so glad to finally have them! I misplaced my previous pair back in January, and I’ve been having to use an older prescription backup pair ever since. It’s so much easier to read now that I have the new lenses!

Speaking of reading…

I am currently participating in the March Mystery Madness readathon, and I am having a great time so far. MMM is one of the readathons that I look forward to every year, and I’m hoping that it will help me make a huge dent in this year’s TBR list.

Here are my current challenge and TBR totals…

Goodreads Challenge: 35/250
Mount TBR Challenge: 13/150

📚Physical TBR: 13/462
📱Ebook TBR: 1/161
🎧Audiobook TBR: 0/1
TBR Checklist Total: 14/624 (2% complete)

TBR Books DNFed in 2026: 0
TBR Books Soft DNFed in 2026: 1

I went extremely overboard on purchasing new and recent releases this week, proving once again that I should not be allowed in a bookstore unsupervised. The titles I bought include: Songbird of the Sorrows, by Braidee Otto; The Library of Amorlin, by Kayln Josephson; Crown of War and Shadow, by J.R. Ward; A Ghastly Catastrophe, by Deanna Raybourn; Dire Bound, by Sable Sorensen; and The Dark Lord's Guide to Dating - and Other War Crimes, by Tiffany Hunt.

“New” Books Bought in 2026: 26
“New” Books Read in 2026: 20
“New” Books DNFed in 2026: 0
“New” Books Checklist Total: 20/20 (76% complete)

Here are the books I finished this week…

Finished Reading (Fiction):
~Agnes Aubert's Mystical Cat Shelter — I absolutely loved this book! It was a wonderful cozy fantasy, with great characters and lots of cats. If you love cats and enjoy stories with similar vibes to Howl’s Moving Castle, then I highly recommend checking this book out. 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~Stolen Midnights — I picked up a copy of this book on impulse. While part of me is glad that I did, because it was a really good read, I got this book thinking that I was only signing up for a standalone novel. As it turns out, that is not the case. Stolen Midnights is actually the first book in a new series (or duology or trilogy), which I will now have to continue. 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~Slashed Beauties — This was another book that I bought on impulse, and I’m glad that I did. I thought this story was really interesting, and had such a hard time putting it down that I finished it in a single afternoon. Content Alert: (view spoiler)[ This book includes animal harm and an animal death, as well as grooming, unwanted sexual attention, and threats of rape. STDs and their effects are also described in detail. (hide spoiler)] 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~Dead of Winter — This book was okay, but I have to confess that I was somewhat disappointed by it. Despite the fact that this book was a thriller, I found the pacing of the first two-thirds pretty slow. I also had the mystery figured out really early on, so ultimately the plot twist did not have the impact the author intended. 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

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 just over 24 hours remaining. 🎧
~American Predator: The Hunt for the Most Meticulous Serial Killer of the 21st Century — This has been a very interesting read so far. I’m currently about two-thirds of the way through the book, and plan to finish it over the weekend. 📚
~The Complete Sherlock Holmes Treasury — While I have read all of the original Sherlock Holmes stories before, this is my first time reading this specific collection. I do want to stretch this book out over the entire month of March Mystery Madness, so I’m only reading 2 stories (or around 20-30 pages) per day. 📚

QOTW:
While I’m not going to be reading books specifically for International Women’s Day this month (mostly because I’m in the middle of March Mystery Madness), I do plan to read a lot of mysteries by female authors.

Hi all. Ugh... I subbed 2 half days in a row, I feel like I've been run over by a bus. I hate that this is how I feel now. But a wordsmith once said that life is what happens when you're busy making other plans.

Girl Scout cookies have been going great! We're off booths this weekend because we're celebrating my brother's birthday. And next month is my kiddo's birthday, so I'm starting to think about planning for that.

I've gotten some reading done this week. My subbing days included 2 study halls, and the kids were chill, so I got to spend most of it reading.

I picked up The Storm. I'm about a 3rd of the way into it and really liking it. Not sure what prompt I might use it for, but it did mention that the dead guy had curly hair. There's also lots of secrets, so it could easily work there.

I repicked up Starkweather: The Untold Story of the Killing Spree that Changed America. I'm really interested in how it resolves, but I restarted it too late and it's due tomorrow! D'oh!

I also resumed The Thirteenth Tale. I read it many years ago and have forgotten most of it, so I'm really enjoying it.

QOTW: I don't have anything planned for Women's History Month, but I do always like looking around!

Finished:

What On Earth Have I Done?: Stories, Observations, and Affirmations (3 out of 5 stars, a book with a comma in the subtitle)

There are some good stories and meditations here and some that were not for me. Think of it as a regular column in a newspaper that is a bit like Chicken Soup for the Soul.

Vendetta (3 out of 5 stars, reread)

The Incredible Winston Browne: A Novel by “Sean of the South” (3 out of 5 stars, a book set in Florida)

Some parts of the writing are at the 4 or 5 star level. The book covers the whole spectrum of emotion and human behavior, meaning you get cruel cultists along with the acts of love and kindness.

William Shakespeare's The Empire Striketh Back (4 out of 5 stars, reread, a book with a character list)

Godzilla: The First 70 Years: The Official Illustrated History of the Japanese Productions (5 out of 5 stars)

This covers a lot of different aspects of the making of the Japanese Godzilla films through Godzilla Minus One. Besides the abundant photos, special mentions are given to the suit designs/performers and the music throughout the book. I highly recommend this book for any fans of the series.

DNF:

Balance of Power

It was already losing me with its strange characterization and views of the Trek setting, and then it dropped a mention of the current president's family as an example of wealth (it was published in 1995).

Currently reading:

The Wishing Game (a book set in Maine)

Valhalla (because I like DS9)

Murder at the Vicarage (for the Agatha Christie Challenge)

Question of the Week:

I do not adjust my reading to take into account various months with celebrations.

Hello all from a rainy NYC! I was traveling mostly for business the last couple of weeks, so not only did I not post an update last week, I completely missed the blizzard! When I arrived back, I commented to the cab driver as he unloaded my suitcases that it looked like the exact same mounds of frozen-to-ice dirty snow were on the ground. Hopefully the rain and above freezing temps we've been having this week will finally melt all that away.

Since living in NYC, I always welcome spring rain as it washes away all the dirt and grit left by winter, especially ones where we actually get snow and ice which accumulates into filthy frozen solid mounds.

I was first in San Antonio, TX for a few days on vacation with my road trip buddy, and we went to RODEO! It was fantastic! I encourage anyone to go if you get the opportunity. Then it was back to Santa Fe, NM to work on the estate settlement I have. It was actually a good time away on many levels.

PS 17/52 ATY 20/52

Finished - Not a lot of reading accomplished while traveling:

Heated Rivalry - PS Prompt: FOMO -- how much more FOMO could I get given our mayor recommended we all read it during the January blizzard!
Meet Me in Milan - PS Prompt - beauty industry -- it also mentions zodiac sign Leo. I am a Leo and already had stumbled across a mention in a book I'd read a week earlier - what are the chances??!!
Faceless Killers - prompt overweight MC and as book is a nordic noir murder mystery and the MC is the detective on the case who happens to be concerned about weight he's gained after his divorce and how he needs to start eating more healthy (tomorrow of course), it fits perfectly.

Currently reading:
Parable of the Sower
Securing Sidney

QOTW: I actually don't read any seasonal or appreciation month books deliberately, except Christmas when I try to indulge my love of holiday romances and mysteries - though lately those have mostly been indulged in during my own personal Christmas in July challenge.

Hi all! We're supposed to be keeping the kittens "calm and quiet" after their spaying surgery, and they are bouncing around like...like...imagine if there were professional wine-tasters for meth.

I'm really stuck for the "social influencer" category. How Bad Things Can Get and Yesteryear both sounded interesting, but people on these threads are giving less than rave reviews. My other idea was Hype: How Scammers, Grifters, and Con Artists Are Taking Over the Internet—and Why We're Following, but I want to save that one for next year when we'll need a sheep on the cover for the Chinese astrology prompt.

25 books so far this year.
Popsugar 21/50.
52 Book Club 21/52.
Booklist Queen 19/52.
This Challenge Killed the Bookworm 10/25.

Finished:

Better Living Through Birding: Notes from a Black Man in the Natural World by Christian Cooper for birding. It's more of a memoir than a birding book, and it talks about dealing with racism and homophobia, and his travels and earth-centered spirituality. And of course there's a lot about birds, the excitement of seeing a new species and learning their songs.

Game Changer for "book that gives you FOMO" (PS) and "book everyone is talking about." (BQ). The first book in Rachel Reid's gay hockey romance series. Felt like the author did more telling than showing - except in the sex scenes, LOL, they were frequent and very explicit.

Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid was better in my opinion. The emotions around the enemies-with-benefits relationship were more complex, and the characters drew me in more. Used for "love story that crosses social boundaries" (PS), "related to the word nemesis" (52BC) and "becoming movie or TV show" (BQ ).

How to Kill a Witch: The Patriarchy's Guide to Silencing Women by Zoe Venditozzi and Claire Mitchell. No Popsugar prompt, but using for "2025 award winner" (52BC), "2025 Goodreads Choice Award winner" (BQ), and "witchcraft" (TCKTBW).

Currently reading:

A Sicilian Romance by Ann Radcliffe, for "book that makes you want to go to Italy." An 18th century Gothic novel with all the trimmings: mystery, danger, and strange happenings that may or may not be supernatural.

QOTW: I read a lot of women and queer authors all year. Trying to read more authors of color and authors from other countries, but again, all year. I do find the dedicated months are a great time to discover new authors, as libraries and bookstores will put them on display.

Wow, feel like I have not posted here in forever!

Just a lot going on with my part-time job and studying 2 and a half hours a day, 5 days a week, plus my other fun activities (when I'm not cleaning).

I'm doing a travel journal so that's been fun.

*****

Reading News:

I am starting off March strong. I was bummed I only read 8 books in Feb. (even though I'm not keeping a direct reading goal this year).

Already I have 9 books going on at once, and about to start my 10th later today. Love it! I do finish them so I don't have to worry about that.

*****

Currently Reading:

Mainly a lot of nonfiction. 10 books is a lot to list. Currently my focus is on Pre-US History from the Aztec Empire, the American Revolution, Civil War, and Reconstruction Era.

I haven't gotten around to my fiction read, but that's a low priority.

****

Question of the Week
This week's question was suggested by Sasha:
Are you planning to celebrate International Women's Day in your reading this month? If yes, what will you read?

I didn't even know it was Women's History Month this month. I put other various holidays I cared about on my calendar (National Reading Month, Self-H Awareness Month, Nature/Ecology Books Month, National Craft Month) but that's all.

I have my set TBR already, so I don't really have anything planned out for Women's Month/Day specifically.

Going through what I am already reading/plan to read I suppose these could work:

Fifth Sun: A New History of the Aztecs
Early Spanish Florida: Unearthing the History of America's Oldest Colony

PS: 24/40
52: 22/52
Anti-Capitalist: 17/30

Finished: How to Become a Planet read for National Day of Reading, Queer youth representation
Return to Sender re-read. Love this!

Started: Traversal
Pioneering the Vote: The Untold Story of Suffragists in Utah and the West For LWV book club.
Remaking Democracy: How We Make the Worlds We Want Been looking forward tot his for years!

QotW: No.

Happy Thursday! We're having absolutely gorgeous weather - highs in the upper 50s/low 60s, lows above freezing - but we've still got another month before the danger of frost is gone. I'm really looking forward to blooming flowers and leafy trees.

Reading Challenges:

52 Book Club: 34/52
52 Books Read It, Watch It: 2/12
ATY: 24/52 (ATY Spring: 2/15)
Booklist Queen: 28/52
Popsugar: 25/50
Goodreads Winter Bookmarks: 10/12

My Ever-Growing TBR: 28/244 – 11.5% (My goal is 33.3%.)

Five-Star Read of the Week:

🍀 What Debt Demands: Family, Betrayal, and Precarity in a Broken System: This was SO good! The book centers on a life-altering discovery that the author (Kristin Collier) made at age 22 while applying for a credit card: she was already $200,000 in debt. She discovered that her mother, struggling with a gambling addiction, had stolen her identity to take out dozens of private student loans and credit cards in her name. The memoir details her decade-long battle to remove this fraudulent debt from her record, which at its peak required payments of $2,000 per month. Beyond her personal story, Collier examines how the U.S. higher education and lending systems facilitate that type of fraud and trap borrowers in debt. (ATY Spring #4 – WINDS found in title/Popsugar #28 – about debt) ★★★★★

Also Recently Completed:

🍀 Have We Met? ★★★
🍀 The Beautiful Ones (Booklist Queen #14 – about a musician) ★★★★
🍀 Best Offer Wins: BOTM selection. (Booklist Queen #33 – a debut novel/Popsugar #26 – navigating infertility) ★★★★
🍀 Off to Be the Wizard, Magic 2.0, #1: Adventures Underground Book Club. Nerdy wish-fulfillment… that really drags in the middle. There’s not really a point to the story; it’s all just “wouldn’t it be cool if?”. Ready Player One is better. Even The Frugal Wizard’s Guide to Surviving Medieval England – which wasn’t great – is better. ★★
🍀 Maggie; or, A Man and a Woman Walk Into a Bar: BOTM selection. (ATY #2 – a green cover/Goodreads Bookmarks #11 – Persona Picks) ★★★★
🍀 Mob Queen (ATY #16 – a Clue/Cluedo character: Mr. Green/Popsugar #36 – about a mob) ★★★★
🍀 The Five-Star Weekend (ATY Spring #8 – author’s initials in APRIL SHOWERS: Elin Hilderbrand) ★★★★
🍀 Ode to My First Car ★★★
🍀 Half City (52 Books #52 – published in 2026) ★★★★



QOTW: I haven't planned anything in particular, but 75% of my reading is by women authors so I think I'm doing my part.

Spring has arrived! It's stopped raining for more than five minutes and there's daffodils, cherry blossom and magnolias blooming. Grateful that my colleagues made it out of UAE just before the attacks started. I hope no one has loved ones stuck out there.

Finished:
Hemlock & Silver by T. Kingfisher. Loved this mix of fantasy and horror and that it really isn't a Snow White retelling, more of a very Kingfisher-like tangent!
PS 38 A book with any type of fruit on the cover or in the title
52BC 4. Has a dust jacket

Never Say You Can't Survive: How to Get Through Hard Times by Making Up Stories by Charlie Jane Anders. Great pep talk for stuck writers mixed with practical advice.
PS 44 Two books written by real-life partners or spouses (2)
ATY 27. A nonfiction book
52BC 31. Author related to author in prompt 30

Currently reading Onyx Storm.

QOTW:
No. Like others, I read a lot of women authors anyway so don't feel like I need a special month to try harder.

Laura Ruth wrote: "Hi all! We're supposed to be keeping the kittens "calm and quiet" after their spaying surgery, and they are bouncing around like... "




LOL I feel like telling us to keep our pets "calm and quiet" after surgery has to be the biggest joke. There's no keeping them calm if they don't want to keep calm!!!

Happy Thursday, everyone! I'm hearing y'all talk about blizzards, meanwhile I'm over here dealing with humidity and 80 degree weather. Winter, please come back, I hardly knew ye!

They announced the Women's Prize for Fiction longlist yesterday, and I read 5 out of the 16 nominees, which is probably the most I've read compared to other longlists of the past. There's a lot of books on the list that haven't even been published in the US yet, as well. I read The Correspondent earlier this year, so I went ahead and counted it towards the Read Good prompt about reading a book nominated for the Women's Prize.

2025 Reading Challenges
PopSugar- 21/50
ATY- 33/52; Winter- 14/14; 24/24; Spring- 1/15
52 Book Club- TBA; Mini-Challenges- 3/6
Read Good- 10/13
Buzzword- 4/12; Cover- 5/12
GR Bookmarks- 10/12
BOTM- 6/15; Omnivoreader- 5/6; Long Hauler- 2/4; Debut Darling- 2/5

1001 Books- 6/20
TBR- 10/50

Finished
The Ex-Perimento- I picked this up because it’s a Latinx romance, and I thought it might work for the pop star prompt. It ended up being a bit of a mixed bag for me. I did like that this was a lighthearted rom-com set in Venezuela, a refreshing respite from the usual doom-and-gloom news we hear about the country. The premise reminded me of How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, except here the FMC is trying to win back her ex with help from her musician boss. Unfortunately, the ex storyline dragged for me, and I wish we’d gotten more time with the musician and the FMC together. In the end, I didn’t use it for the pop star prompt since the love interest is actually from an indie band, but the FMC does attend one Pilates class while trying to win her ex back, so I’m counting it for that instead. ☆☆ 1\2
PS #20- a book with a character who does Pilates or Lagree
ATY #52- a book related to the name of one of Santa's reindeer

Little Bosses Everywhere: How the Pyramid Scheme Shaped America- I flew through this on audio. I always wondered how these MLM companies are able to get away with their pyramid schemes, and this book explained why. It provides historical and political context in between a case study of a modern day woman who got swept up in this business. Really eye-opening to see how cultish these organizations. ☆☆☆☆
ATY #27- a nonfiction book
ATY Spring #9- a book where all the letters of SHOWERS can be found in the title/subtitle

Currently Reading
I Who Have Never Known Men

QOTW
I also tied my reading to the appreciation months last year to help increase the diversity of the authors I was reading. I'm not intentionally setting out to do the same this year, but rather just picking up diverse books that interest me throughout the year. For March, I'm not planning on reading more women authors as they make up the bulk of my reading anyways, but I did look at the choices for the Her Story Goodreads Bookmark and there were a couple of books on there that interested me, so I might pick those up in the future.

Happy Thursday! I made it on Thursday, first time this year.
It's still spring over here: sunny days and some frost in the nights and early mornings. Snowdrops, crocuses and daffodils are spreading colours. That's about the only colour, still bare branches everywhere. I hope the weather lasts at least until Sunday so I can enjoy it too after working this whole week.

Read this year: 11
PS: 7/40
Finished this week:
Geweten: Over Israël en Palestina by Maurits de Bruijn. On Israel and Palestine.
PS #20. Bingo, the writer does Pilates on his trip to Israel with a co-traveller.
The Sirens by Emilia Hart
PS #13.

QOTW:
No, I don't plan my reading around Days or Months or whatever. Sometimes I pick a book from a display table in the library, but that's a coincidence, not planning.

I read too many books at once. Poor Lock Lamora, he’s got to wait til after my book club books, my library books and the ones that I really really like.


PopSugar 16/50
AtY 18/50

Finished:
The Hazelbourne Ladies Motorcycle and Flying Club None have curly hair that I can see so I’ll put it as no other category and do some shuffling
What Moves the Dead by T Kingfisher
The Drawing of the Three by Stephen King

Currently Reading:
Bad Days in History by Michael Farquhar I’m up to November now, so I ought to finish eventually.
The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch – For #43, two books written by real-life partners or spouses.
Die Strasse Nach Roswell by Connie Willis This is going to take months, but I’m going to get it done. Yeah, I might not even finish it this year ☹
First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston On audiobook. For #13, a book featuring a character with a hidden past

QOTW
I do feel as though I celebrate Women's month every month but I might read Girl on Girl: How Pop Culture Turned a Generation of Women Against Themselves by Sophie Gilbert which is on my list for #12 a book with 'pop' or 'sugar' in the title.

Hello, y’all.

Although I have been talking about putting in a new gate to my backyard for the past year or so, I finally pulled the trigger and contracted to have it done. And, I love it! It means that my trailer is now in my backyard (because the new gate is moved forward and is in front of the trailer), without having to move the trailer at all! LOL.

I have finished gathering all the leaves and pine straw from around the trailer and that end part of the drive. Now my new backyard is looking neat. I still have to burn the debris.

Next, I will clean up the front yard, as my lawncare company will be prepping and seeding it in the next couple of weeks. Hopefully/prayerfully, it will grow and not need sod.

Regarding the garden, I have removed and burned the pine straw that covered it during the winter. Now I need to turn the ground, add new soil and manure, and make a plan for my plantings.

My senior learning classes have ended, so now I am looking for new learning opportunities, although it will have to wait until the garden is in and the front yard is done.

Finished:

The She Shed – Kindle. PAS. A story told from two perspectives with an interesting group of friends as the supporting characters. Loved it. 4*

Walking: One Step at a Time – ATY #17 (wellness), PAS. Interesting. Part memoir, part philosophy. 3*

Even When Your Voice Shakes – PAS. Important read about speaking up for oneself against rape/abuse in a society that absolves the man and imputes the woman/girl. 4*

A Tale of Two Kitties – PAS. Fun. Cozy mystery. 4*

The Sedleigh Hall Murder – Kindle. No prompt. An ex-cop now lawyer clerk who is settling an estate and finds himself deeply drawn to understand and know the deceased. 4*.

Currently Reading:

Twelve Years a Slave – PAS. 49%

The Cat Who Sang for the Birds – ATY Seasonal, PAS. 25%

James – PAS, ATY #10 (award winning). 3%

The Murderer's Son – Kindle. PAS. 43%

Spiritual Reading:

The Heart of Stillness, the Elements of Spiritual Practice – Devotional reading. 33%

PS 7/50
ATY 14/52, Seasonal 5/14
GR 39/200

QotW: Are you planning to celebrate International Women's Day in your reading this month?

No specific plans, although I frequently read women authors. And, I think that Even When Your Voice Shakes would certainly count as the issue it addressed and the movement the story related to addressed a particularly womanly issue.

I am trying to read for each of the GR bookmarks. So, as Andrea noted, reading for Her Story will also work.

I am 45/50.

I made it through book 10 of the Kay Scarpetta series and now I need a break from that.

Additionally, this week, I finished:

The Guncle Abroad: Two books written by real-life partners or spouses (1): I enjoyed this, but it wasn't nearly as good as the first one.

Forget You Saw Her: I didn't read this for the challenge, but it would work amazingly for a travel ghost story. Hands down, the best book I've read so far this year. Haunting. Devastating. Beautifully written. Hopeful. Unforgettable. I will grieve for these characters.

The Price of Honey: Different format than preferred: I did not enjoy this book at all. It was weird and not at all what I've come to expect from Liane Moriarty.

The Last Father-Daughter Dance: A Short Story: Not for the challenge; I really liked this. It was sweet and would make a good Hallmark movie.

Big Gay Wedding: Two books written by real-life partners or spouses (2): I was enjoying this one just fine, but then it went way off the rails for me to the point that by the end I wanted to throw it across the room. I have one particular trigger that causes me to rate even the best book worse for including it. This had several of those triggering incidents and I felt they added nothing to the story and were completely unnecessary. I do not understand! Talk about a tone shift.

Currently reading:

The Lies I Tell: Hidden past. I like Julie Clark and this one is starting a little slow for me, but I can tell it might get great.

QOTW:

Just in general, without trying, I mostly read women authors. I don't have anything in particular planned for this month.

Hello all

Dreading a heatwave this weekend. It should never be 90 degrees in early March. And having to lose an hour of sleep too....

I finished 1 book last week, and didn't;t use it for any prompts:
The Ice Palace

Currently reading:
The Door-to-Door Bookstore
The Gang That Wouldn't Write Straight: Wolfe, Thompson, Didion, Capote, and the New Journalism Revolution
Emily of New Moon
My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry
A Cat Café Christmas
First Lie Wins

QOTW:
With all the many challenges I do, I read all genres, genders/orientations, BIPOC, international books, I don't need to adjust OR limit my reading for a particular month. I'm even reading a Christmas book right now.

Happy Thursday!

The weather has been great here - a few days it reached above zero. Of course, March is unpredictable, so who knows what's coming next. I am really enjoying have more light in the morning and the evening.

Having all those extra books come in (things I requested in 2025) means that I'm behind in my personal challenges. I'm currently reading the oldest book on my TBR from January and February. Plus I'm still reading the Nobel book from Jan/Feb (I give myself 2 months to read books by Nobel laureates as they are rarely easy reads.) At least, I'm reading March's series book (even if it is 600 pages - why does a middle grade book need to be 600 pages?)

At least I finished a book. And I made good progress on the books I have. Both my interlibrary loans came in this week.

Finished:

The Third Wheel
Popsugar prompt: can't find one
ATY prompt: A book with a number, ordinal, or iterative numeral in the title

Series - 2/12
Number 1s - 0/10
Nobel laureates - 0/5
Rocky Horror challenge: 2/12

PS - 8/30
ATY - 8/45
PS movies - 8/50

Currently reading:
The Book of Lost Tales 1 - 70%
Quo Vadis - 45%
Last Stand of Dead Men - 15%
Cross Roads - 10%

PopSugar movies
none this week

QOTW: I rarely do special celebrate days for reading. I think I manage about 1 a year and rotate which one I pick.

Happy Thursday!

Finished:
The Enchanted Greenhouse by Sarah Beth Durst - 4 stars - for a book with a character who has curly hair. I really liked this. A cozy fantasy with more personal stakes.

I am currently at 12/50 for the Popsugar reading challenge (8/40 and 3/10).

Currently reading:
The Obake Code by Makana Yamamoto - for a book about a mob.

The Payback by Kashana Cauley - for a book about a debt.

Upcoming/Planned:
The Wedding People by Alison Espach for a book with a character who navigates infertility.

QOTW:
I don't have anything specifically planned. I read a lot of women authors to begin with.

Mary wrote: "Big Gay Wedding: Two books written by real-life partners or spouses (2): I was enjoying this one just fine, but then it went way off the rails for me to the point that by the end I wanted to throw it across the room. I have one particular trigger that causes me to rate even the best book worse for including it. This had several of those triggering incidents and I felt they added nothing to the story and were completely unnecessary. I do not understand! Talk about a tone shift.."

I had the same experience with Big Gay Wedding. The description made it sound light and fluffy, and it wasn't what I expected at all. I should just put down a book any time there's (view spoiler)[ an aging pet, because they'll be dead by the end of the book. And this book did it repeatedly, and in the most heart-wrenching way. (hide spoiler)]

Happy Thursday! Another crazy week at work, but at least my back was pretty much back to normal and I can walk around with out limping. On Tuesday went to a hockey game with some friends- haven't seen a game live since before covid, and it was a great game! Now just looking forward to the weekend!

Finished:
Spacewalking With You 1- really liked this manga about neurodivergent teens who become friends and help each other navigate their high school. This was very heartwarming
-no prompt

Sakura- I thought this book was going to be about a family overcoming grief with the help of their dog, but it was really mainly about the grief. The overcoming part was like the last 20 pages. This was very sad. Kind of relentlessly sad. Well written, but it was a lot
-no prompt

Currently reading:
Planning to start Two Can Play, for something quick and fun, and then go back to finish The Geomagician

QotW:
In general, a majority of the books I read are by women, so I don't usually make any changes to my reading during this month. I'll probably pick up one of the nonficition books off the bookmark list though- a few were already on my tbr, and I need a new audiobook to start since the loan ran out on the one I was in the middle of

Another busy week...but...I finished two books this week and they both fit open prompts (hooray! 🥳). I also made good progress on my Currently Reading list, so I may finish up another book or two over the weekend. I'm now at 6/40 and 0/10 for this challenge, and 9/75 for my overall Goodreads Reading Challenge.

Finished:
* The Queens of Crime by Marie Benedict, which I used for "a book featuring a character with a hidden past." This was a NetGalley backlist read for me and a book club read, so a triple win. Plus, it was a fun read; and,
* Deacon King Kong written by James McBride and narrated by Dominic Hoffman, which I used for "a book about a mob (fiction or non-fiction)." While it was not only about a mob, that was an integral part of the plot. The audiobook was excellent and I laughed out loud more than once while listening - just what I needed.

Currently Reading:
* The Penguin Book of Murder Mysteries edited by Michael Sims;
* All Fours by Miranda July;
* Replaceable You: Adventures in Human Anatomy by Mary Roach;
* Strange Weather in Tokyo written by Hiromi Kawakami and translated by Allison Markin Powell; and,
* One by One written by Ruth Ware and narrated by Imogen Church.

QotW:
This week's question was suggested by Sasha:
Are you planning to celebrate International Women's Day in your reading this month? If yes, what will you read? I don't have a special title picked out for International Women's Day...but the two books I started this week were both written by international women (and the book-in-translation was translated by a woman), so I'm gonna say that counts! 💃🏼

I'm somehow starting spring break tomorrow. It's wild to me. I haven't been reading much this week but I did finish something

I read Check, Please! Book 2: Sticks & Scones by
Ngozi Ukazu for PS 17 A book about your favorite event in the Winter Olympics. I'm gonna be honest. Hockey isn't my favorite event but I don't, as a rule, read books with sports in them. I had a few mysteries at ski resorts (also not my favorite sport) but I've read them. this is all I could find at my library so whoo hoo hockey!! That said, I didn't think this was as good as the first omnibus

I also tackled os 47 A book told entirely through letters This Is How You Lose the Time War by Max Gladstone and A mal El-Mohtar. Okay it's NOT entirely thru letters. We get 2-5 page bits of them finding the next letter but I'm counting this. Honestly I didn't get the hype. I would have DNFed this is not for the fact it fit into 2 challenges for me. It got better but I wasn't that excited by it.

QOTW

Not doing any special reading for Women's history month. Mostly these days in these themed months I try to remind friends it's okay to buy from women, authors of color etc all year long. That's, for me, the best way to support them.

Hello all!

Another couple of weeks check-in for me. I just can't seem to get on here every week anymore.

I spent the day (a sunny one finally) pretty much just cleaning and only read like 20 pages of something and listened to like an hour of another book. Of course now my body is screaming at me that I did too much today. I'm sure I will regret it tomorrow when I have to then go in to work and lift heavy boxes and be on my feet for a few hours. My dad's dog died yesterday (it was actually my step-mom's dog and she died 2 yrs ago) so instead of going in to work I decided to spend the morning cleaning out my kennel since she was in it for the past two weeks. She was too sick, and just messing everywhere to be at my dad's anymore. But in order to put my dog back in the kennel when I go to work, I had to clean it first. And that took like an hour, then it was a little late to rush down to work and work a few hours then have to rush home for the bus. Later on, after cleaning my house and doing like 3 loads of laundry, I decided to help out my dad by dismantling his fence he had built in part of his yard for the dog. He came home right before I finished and walked over and was like "what if I get another dog?" I said, he could build a better fence, LOL! So yeah might have over done it but it's okay, I'll live. I might be in pain for a bit, but I'll live. I'm just glad I can help my dad out, cause he's got enough on his plate.

As far as books go I am still trying to keep up the pace I have been reading at, while continuing to drown myself in library books.

2026 Challenges:
Popsugar: 21/50
ATY: 31/52
A to Z: 2/26

Goodreads: 58/150
GR Bookmarks: Winter 7/12

Physical TBR: 3/204
Kindle TBR: 3/149
TBR Goal: 6/353 (1.42%)

Finished:
13 Finished, 4 Completed Popsugar

The No-Show

Small Things Like These
PS#3
I can't believe I waited so long for this book only to end up not really understanding the point of this book.

Where the Sidewalk Ends

How the Word Is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America

The Undocumented Americans

Tall Water

Finding Grace
PS#26 , ATY#14
I went into this book blind and was a little shocked almost right away. But it works out in the end and I sped thru this book.

Death Row
ATY#45
My first Freida and maybe not the best one to start with.

The Flip Side: A Graphic Novel
ATY#43

The Women in Black
ATY#8

The Bitterroots
ATY#16

The Lust Crusade
PS#38, ATY#37
To those people behind me on Libby...sorry I had this for like 2 weeks before I started it, then only took like 2 days to read it. BWAHAHAHA.

Leave It Up To Love
PS#42, ART#36

-------
Currently Reading
Backward Glance
The Reformatory
Crank
The Good Lord Bird

On the Backburner
Libby
The Woman in Cabin 10
Something Wilder
Catherine House

Physical Library Rentals
The Lost Story of Eva Fuentes
Identical
Jumper
Six Crimson Cranes
Atmosphere
Saltcrop
Fable for the End of the World
The Neighbor Favor
The Lightning Thief
Fake Skating
A Hundred Other Girls
Blood Sugar
The Perfect Find
No Ordinary Love
When I think of You
Son of the Morning
Trip
Until the World Falls Down
The House Saphir

Question of the Week:
I read a lot of women author's already and wasn't planning anything but I will have to read something if I want the GR bookmark. And of course not one of those books are on my want to read list!

Life update: We signed the paperwork to appoint an estate agent yesterday! I think you call them realtors in the US. We also called some agents in the town where we want to buy, to start the process of arranging viewings. It's a big milestone, and I'm very relieved to have reached it.

Reading update: I finished three titles this week:
Pixie - NetGalley; PS: character with curly hair (the MC's cousin, a prominent member of her social circle, and her eventual lover all have curly hair); Diversity Challenge: women's history. It's a fictional autobiography of Pamela Colman-Smith, illustrator of the Rider-Waite Tarot. She comes across as very endearing, but I did have a few issues with the writing. 3 stars.
The Lonely Men - PS: horse on the cover. David Strathairn's audio narration makes this a comfort read for me. 4 stars.
There Will Come Soft Rains - online book club pick; Anti-Capitalist Inspiration: about tech. It's eerily prescient about our Internet of Things, AI-driven present. 5 stars.

Stats:
Popsugar: 2 this week, 18/50 total
Diversity Challenge: 1 this week, 3/14 total
Touch the Rainbow, Read the Rainbow: 0 this week, 5/13 total
Queer Reads Bracket Challenge: 0 this week, 4/7 total
Flowers for Your Shelves: 0 this week, 1/22 total
German Challenge: 0 this week, 6/10 total
Spanish Titles ABC: 0 this week, 1/26 total
French TBR: 0 this week, 1/20 total
Great Big Jewish Literature Challenge: 0 this week, 5/21 total
Anti-Capitalist Inspiration: 1 this week, 15/30 total
Reading About Writing: 0 this week, 3/40 total

All books finished this year: 3 this week, 33 total
DNF or paused this year: 0 this week, 5 total

Challenges completed this year: 0
Challenges in progress (end date in 2026): 4
Challenges in progress (no end date): 7

Currently reading:
Red Pockets: A Tale of Inheritance, Ghosts and the Future - Anti-Capitalist Inspiration: concerned with the environment, and I may also use it for PS: travel ghost story depending on what direction it takes from the point I've currently reached
FALLOUT: A Novel - NetGalley, no prompt
Introduction to Curling Strategy - PS Winter Olympics
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry Into Values - either "starts with Z" or "dad as primary caregiver"
THE COMPLETE MAHABHARATA SABHA PARVA AND VANA PARVA VOL 2: Sabha Parva and Vana Parva - spiritual reading, no prompt

QOTW: Oh, thank you for picking my question! I first discovered International Women's Day through an activist collective I was in as a teen, and I've enjoyed it ever since. I do agree with the previous commenters who say that there's no need to mark it in your reading if you read women (and women's history) throughout the year. But the truth is I go through phases of doing neither of those things, so I find the reminder personally useful as well as being attached to good memories.

Of the books I've listed in this check-in, Pixie, Red Pockets: A Tale of Inheritance, Ghosts and the Future and FALLOUT: A Novel are all by women authors and address historical events from a woman-centred perspective. I had mixed feelings about the first one, but I'm really enjoying the other two. Red Pockets is a vivid illustration of how migration fractures family and community bonds, and Fallout tells the story of the Greenham Common anti-nuclear protests in the UK in the 1980s. I've met several of the women involved in real life, so as the novel gets going, I'm curious to see if it will reflect their experiences.

I'm not sure how many more books I will have time to read this month, but I'm hoping I'll get to at least two:
Waiting on a Friend, set during the AIDS crisis. I have vivid memories of the queer community of the late 1980s and early 1990s, and one of the first AIDS patients in Germany was the son of one of my teachers, so this is another one that feels close to home.
Splendour: A Novel, set during the Kenyan uprising against British rule. This isn't a period I know much about, but as a Brit, I feel like I should, so hopefully this will help.

Sasha, hopefully your house drama is coming to an end! I know you've had some setbacks along the way, so this is a great step!

You've got some interesting historical books you're reading. I also try to use awareness months/days to learn about events or people I don't know about. I did pick up an audiobook recently, One Thousand White Women: The Journals of May Dodd, that is about something I hadn't heard about previously. In the 1870s, the US government agreed with a proposal from Western Native Americans to send women out west to be Brides For Indians, as an attempt to assimilate/eliminate the Native people. The women who went were generally unwanted in their own communities. I'm not sure if I'll continue it, but I've already learned about something I had never heard of before.

Sasha wrote: "Life update: We signed the paperwork to appoint an estate agent yesterday! I think you call them realtors in the US. We also called some agents in the town where we want to buy, to start the proces..."




omg I never knew that an "estate agent" is a realtor but that makes so much sense! Whenever I saw that phrase I assumed it was someone who was like an executor for a will (LOL I probably saw it a lot in murder mysteries or something so my assumption was plausible)

Nadine in NY wrote: "Sasha wrote: "Life update: We signed the paperwork to appoint an estate agent yesterday! I think you call them realtors in the US. We also called some agents in the town where we want to buy, to st..."

Well, in 19th Century fiction set in England, estate agent is interchangeable with an estate manager --- the person who managed the business of the aristocracy mostly relating to lands owned. Given that the job of the upper classes was to be idle, someone of some education had to manage all those properties and tenants!

In NYC we generally use the term 'broker' as in 'real estate broker' for the person who shows properties for sale. "Realtor' is also used but not all that often. We all understand it is synonymous. We have 'listing agents' and 'selling agents' as the terminology in the brokerage agreements entered into when you list your property with them for sale.

Ultimately there are multiple terms used.

If you are managing the settlement of an estate - as in when someone dies, you are referred to as executor, personal representative or administrator depending on the laws of the state where the estate is probated.

I'm a real estate lawyer--- thus so much info. I've also had to settle quite a few estates both as a lawyer and personally. Again, why such an info dump!

I COMPLETELY forgot to do this yesterday. No excuse. Ugh!

Finished 09/50

Mary, Worthy of All Praise: Reflections on the Virgin Mary for "book about a sexless marriage". This wasn't bad. Easy read!

Currently Reading

Hymns of Repentance (not for challenge): This has been GREAT so far! Perfect Lenten read!

Dark Genesis: The Birth of the Psi Corps for "book with a type 'c' character". Given how many scientists are in this book so far, I think I'm going to find it pretty easily.

QotW

No? I just go in order of the challenge (mostly), so if I do, it's by complete accident.

I'm reading The Forgotten as my first of two books written by a couple

QOTW: No. I don't usually do that kind of stuff for whatever reason.

Hello and happy early Saturday! This year has started on entirely the wrong foot. My son ended up in the hospital Wednesday afternoon, they said his appendix had ruptured so we’ve been there until Friday afternoon. The surgery went well, the ended up poking around and realizing it was a full rupture so he didn’t need an appendectomy, just a 48 hour round of intense antibiotics. Im so, so glad he’s taking this well and his recovery is supposed to be pretty easy.
I was supposed to look at a car Thursday, it’s been a little over a month this my cars transmission went out and I’ve been very eager to not rely on uber and rides from family. I’m now going in the afternoon, I might genuinely crash out if I don’t have a car this time tomorrow lol.

Finished:
The Witch of Colchis not for a challenge. Stories about the women of Greek myth are my fave, and this one is about Madea. This one sat heavy on my heart, but ultimately I loved the story.

King of Ashes not for a challenge but counted toward one of the Goodreads seasonal bookmarks. S.A. Cosby can write a truly gritty thriller. I’ve always voraciously finished his books, I don’t think I’ve read books that could be described as “page-turners” more than his. This was no exception, and at no point could I guess where the story was going.

What Stalks the Deep I just realized this was on both my Popsugar and book riot list, so I’ll keep it on the book riot prompt. The third What Moves the Dead novella. I actually can’t really remember anything about the second installment but this one takes place in Appalachian mines so it’s the perfect environment for some spooky goings-on.

Currently Reading:
The Count of Monte Cristo
Catechism of the Catholic Church
The Great Adventure Catholic Bible

Recently Watched:
That Ed Gein show on Netflix has my anxiety running so high lately.

QOTW:
Hm, no. I just kind of go down the list and read things as they come available through Libby.

2025 Challenges:
Popsugar - 6/40; 0/10
Read Harder - 4/24
Classics - 2/12
European Tour - 3/10
12 Friends - 8/12
Yearly Goal - 25/180

I'm stopping by late to post for the week!

My friend with the broken shoulder, elbow, and hip may well get to finally go home this week! YAY!! She is one determined woman! 😁

I thought his was an interesting list...
Penguin Random House listing of BUZZY KIDS’ BOOKS!
https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ui=...

ADMIN STUFF:
THE FEBRUARY 2026 MONTHLY GROUP READ IS Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop by Hwang Bo-Reum!
This book could be used to fulfill Prompt #22 A book about a book club
International Book Giving Day is February 14!
Erin is the “fancy facilitator” who has graciously volunteered to lead this discussion! THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH, ERIN!! 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏🎉🪄🎊
I absolutely loved this book! I’ll keep this in the Current Monthly Group Read folder for another week!

THE MARCH MONTHLY GROUP READ IS What Moves the Dead (Sworn Soldier #1) by T. Kingfisher!
This book could be used to fulfill prompt #34 A book with a trans or nonbinary protagonist
Trans Day of Visibility is March 31!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interna...
Miss Nadine is the “horror hound” who has graciously volunteered to facilitate this discussion! Thank you so very much! 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏🎉🪄🪄🪄🎊🎊

THE APRIL MONTHLY GROUP READ IS The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett!
This book could be used to fulfill prompt #1 A book where gardening or a garden is central to the plot
National Gardening Day is April 14
https://www.calendarr.com/united-stat...
Post to inform us if you are the “gardening guru” able to lead this discussion! This is a favorite read for me! I enjoyed it so much as a reread just last year!

THE MAY MONTHLY GROUP READ SELECTION IS Birding with Benefits by Sarah T. Dubb!
This book could be used to fulfill prompt #45 A book that features birding
World Migratory Bird Day is May 9
https://www.migratorybirdday.org/
Who is the “bright birder” willing to help by leading this discussion?!? Let us know if it is you!

(Goodreads is no longer allowing me to post pictures for these polls!)
THE JUNE MONTHLY GROUP READ FINAL SELECTION POLL IS HERE!
This book could be used to fulfill prompt #25 A book that explores influencer culture
World Social Media Day is June 30
https://nationaltoday.com/social-medi...
Post to let us know if you are the “influential influencer” willing to lead this discussion!
There are 4 books from which to select:
Julie Chan Is Dead by Liann Zhang
None of This Is True by Lisa Jewell
Yellowface by R.F. Kuang
Such a Bad Influence by Olivia Muenter

*** This poll will run from February 26th through March 10th. ***
********

THE LISTING OF 2026 MONTHLY GROUP READ TOPICS IS HERE!
***

QUESTION OF THE WEEK:
(from Sasha) Are you planning to celebrate International Women's Day in your reading this month? If yes, what will you read?
I just picked up a copy of The Secret History of the Rape Kit: A True Crime Story by Pagan Kennedy from my favorite used book store. (Though this is a new copy!) I have this planned to complete the HER STORY Goodreads Bookmark. And a fellow IRL book club member mentioned she was fascinated by it. At 25 pages in I am also fascinated!

2026 READING CHALLENGES:
Popsugar: 21/50
52 Book Club: 36/52

FINISHED:
*Why Do You Dance When You Walk? by Abdourahman A. Waberi, translated by David Ball and Nicole Ball, narrated by Anthony Oseyemi ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ was a book I listened to in audio format, which is unusual for me. This was part of a Great African Reads discussion and I really enjoyed it. There was some folklore and superstitions included, and it was a very poignant storyline! Definitely up for reading more of Waberi’s writing!
POPSUGAR: #15, #16, #27, #40, NEW #41
52 Book Club: #10, #18, #26, #38, #48, #49

*Zoo City by Lauren Beukes ⭐⭐ is definitely NOT in my wheelhouse! 😊 I only continued reading this because it was a Great African Read discussion. Otherwise, I did not truly enjoy this one. It was way too violent for my tastes, as well as pure noir, IMO. Just not my thing. Though I can respect Beukes’ ability to create a fantastical world that feels real and her ability to create suspense.
POPSUGAR: NEW #4, #13, #15, #28, #40
52 Book Club: #5, #11, #13, #16, #18, #33, #37, #48

*The Bookish Holiday of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ was an absolutely totally enjoyable ‘feel good’ short story! So glad to have read it! And I really need to tackle Waxman’s backlist!
POPSUGAR: #9, #15, #16, #41
52 Book Club: #2, #8, NEW #17, #25, #35, NEW #39, #49

*Polly and Nina Take Manhattan by Abbi Waxman ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ was another very enjoyable short story! I do believe that many times just getting out of our everyday routines, especially in a completely different location, can enlighten a person to their own desires. And you just have to love Tom for flying cross country! Don’t you?!? Well, I certainly did! 🤗
POPSUGAR: #9, #15, #16, #41
52 Book Club: #3, #8, #12, #13, #16, #17, #49

CONTINUING:
*Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë I am trying to reserve judgment on this until I finish it…but it's feeling pretty noir-ish... Ugh.
*The Diamond of London by Andrea Penrose is yet another book written by Penrose that I am totally enjoying!
*The Secret History of the Rape Kit: A True Crime Story by Pagan Kennedy
*Salvation City by Sigrid Nunez is rather fascinating. I keep wondering exactly where/how this will end…
*Hope on the Inside by Marie Bostwick is not what I was expecting! Bostwick is so savvy at connecting titles…
*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:
The Favorites by Layne Fargo for prompt #17 A book about your favorite event in the Winter Olympics.
*The Last of Her Kind by Sigrid Nunez
*What Are You Going Through by Sigrid Nunez
*For Rouenna by Sigrid Nunez
*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