Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge discussion

Happy Thursday!

I guess it's spring now, we've had snow, rain, wind, thunder, and sun this week.  Now the yard is all squelchy, "mud season" is coming soon.  I had a mosquito in my bedroom the night before, so they wasted NO time waking up.  I better put tick collars on the dogs ASAP.   For the first time ever in my memory, the earliest daffodils did not bloom until April (yesterday).  Spring is so late this year!!  But last night I finally heard the spring peepers, and the frogs know, so spring is here.



***** Admin stuff *****
The March group read (transgender / non-binary) was:  What Moves the Dead  
You can join the discussion here:  
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

The April group read (gardening) is:  The Secret Garden
You can join the discussion here:https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

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

The  June group read (influencer) will be:  Julie Chan Is Dead  

The July group read (granny hobby) will be:  A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking   (Kingfisher has been popular this year in group reads!)

The final poll for August (Afrofuturism) is here:
https://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/3...
It's a battle between two books:
Kindred
or
Death of the Author
I just peeked at this poll and both books are running neck and neck, with a tie possible. So be sure to vote if you're interested!! The poll runs for one more week.

The nomination poll for September (a book told in letters) is here:  
https://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/3...
Vote for your favorite, and write it in if you don't see it!

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








This week I finished 2 books, both for this Challenge   so I am now 26/50:

Crooks by Lou Berney - I LOVE it when I stumble upon greatness!!!!    I was looking for an audiobook read by one of my faves, Johnathan McClain, and when I saw this and realized it might fill the "mob" category, I downloaded.  I loved every second of it!!!   There's no big plot twist, it's just a fun story about a family of grifters.  It didn't REALLY involve the mob,  not much, only two of the characters worked for low-level mob guys, but I checked off that category anyway.

Quicksilver by Callie Hart - I did LOTS of research and this was the most highly recommended "shadow daddy" book I could find (that I had not read yet).  It was okay. I don't really recommend it.  It would have been great cheesy fun except for the really awful sex scenes.  This author should NOT write sex scenes.  The ending left things in a very interesting situation, and to my absolute shock I am thinking about reading the next book.   I do want to know what happens next. But I probably won't.






Popsugar 52% 26 /50  halfway there!
Must Reads 0% 0 /1
2026 pub 34% 17 /50
NetGalley ratio 78%    





 





Question of the Week
This week's question was suggested by Sasha:
Goodreads is introducing an official DNF shelf. Probably most of us already had a custom one, but do you have other custom exclusive shelves?



I have lots of shelves on GR, I often create new shelves or move books around to different shelves.  If I stopped messing around with my bookshelves, I'd have enough time to read at least one more book each year.  (If I could just stay off of reddit I'd have enough time to read one more book each WEEK!)  I've had a DNF exclusive shelf for years.   My other exclusive shelves (which I really don't use very often) are:

back-burnered ‎(4) - this is for books I stopped reading out of boredom or the library copy had to be returned.  Usually I never get back to them so I should just move those 4 books over to DNF and delete this shelf

nope ‎(21) - books that I am not going to read, for some reason (usually either the author did something nasty or I can tell from a writing sample that I will HATE the writing style) - I like the idea of this shelf, but I often forget why I added a book to it.   I need to keep notes somewhere.

poetry-to-read ‎(140) - self-explanatory.  My "to read" shelf was getting too big so one day I created additional "to read" shelves:  poetry, shorts, childrens, and graphic novels.  Then I realized that you only get giveaways emails sent if the book is in the original "to read" shelf, and I didn't want to miss any graphic novel giveaways, so I moved the childrens and graphic novels back to the main to-read shelf.

poss ‎(22) - I MIGHT want to read it, possibly, but I'm feeling iffy.  Usually I forget why I'm iffy.  This is basically the black hole of bookshelves because I rarely think to check this shelf.

shorts-to-read ‎(79) - self-explanatory.  Same reason as "poetry-to-read."   Most shorts are free online so I don't worry about missing giveaways.

write-the-book ‎(14) - books about writing books.  If I ever finally decide to try to write a book, these books might be helpful.

I'm still working my way through All the Light We Cannot See as my book with a father as primary caregiver.

QOTW: I don't, but I like the idea of the DNF. Because now I ust delete books I didn't finish, or count them as finished.

Happy Thursday all.

Cold and rainy here in Idaho. I'm not complaining, though -- we desperately need the moisture.

Five weeks of school left! It's hard to believe I'm this close to graduating with my Associate's Degree. Still not sure if I'm going to continue on to get my Batchelor's or if I'm going to just buckle down and write my book... we'll see.

Books read this week:

Scarlet Morning -- for “two books by authors who are partners or spouses (2).” I loved Nimona, but I’m not sure what the heck happened here. The premise and the humor were certainly good, but there just seemed to be way too much going on and too many characters to keep track of. Maybe this would have worked better in graphic novel format?

To See Every Bird on Earth: A Father, a Son, and a Lifetime Obsession -- for “book about birding.” Part biography of the author’s father, part look at some of the most hardcore birders in the world -- the Listers, those who travel the world in an effort to see as many birds as possible. Gets surprisingly emotional and is an interesting look at how a hobby can overtake one’s life.

Simon Sort of Says -- for “book about teen angst.” The main character is in junior high, so I’m counting this… and even though it has plenty of humor and quirkiness, it has its share of angst… which in this case stems from the fact that (view spoiler)[the main character survived a school shooting. (hide spoiler)] Nicely balances humor with more serious moments.

Tokyo Travel Sketchbook: Kawaii Culture, Wabi Sabi Design, Female Samurais and Other Obsessions -- not for the challenge. An artist spends a month’s residency in Tokyo and sketches and writes about her observations of Japan’s culture, and how it blends the modern with ancient tradition. She also writes about some of the stark realities of Japanese life, and how lonely but freeing living there can be.

Regular Challenge: 36/40
Advanced Challenge 10/10
Books read that weren’t for the challenge: 10

DNF:

Sugar & Sorcery -- man, I really wanted to enjoy this one. But the writing style turned me off.

Currently reading:

Behooved -- for “book about a horse or with a horse on the cover”
In Cold Blood -- for “book outside your comfort zone”
The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Six More -- for “book with pop or sugar in the title”
How to Be Okay When Nothing Is Okay -- not for the challenge

QOTW:

I have quite a few custom shelves. I have a "books I love" shelf for my absolute favorites, a dedicated shelf for each year of the PopSugar Reading Challenge I've participated in, and my TBR list is divided into sections -- Kindle books, library books, and an "I have no self-control at book sales" list.

Good morning, everyone! Happy Thursday!

I woke up to blue skies this morning, which is absolutely lovely. We’re supposed to get thunderstorms later today, but I’m going to enjoy the nice weather for as long as I can.

This has been a great reading week! March Mystery Madness is officially over, and I am very pleased to report that I was able to read a total of 17 books specifically for the readathon. I’ve decided to spend the month of April getting caught up with the duologies, trilogies, and series currently on my bookshelves. I don’t really have a specific goal for the number of series I want to complete, but I’d like to finish as many as possible before the end of the month.

This week I also had a chance to get started on the final book that I received for Christmas. I’m really excited to be so close to finishing all of the books I was gifted so early in the year! Just like in previous updates, I’ve marked my last remaining gifted book with a tree emoji (🎄).

Here are my current challenge and TBR totals…

Goodreads Challenge: 58/250
Mount TBR Challenge: 28/150

📚Physical TBR: 25/462
📱Ebook TBR: 3/161
🎧Audiobook TBR: 0/1
TBR Checklist Total: 28/624 (4% complete)

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

I picked up 3 new fiction books this week, including: That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime 29, by Fuse; The Faraway Inn, by Sarah Beth Durst; and This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me, by Ilona Andrews.

“New” Books Bought in 2026: 35
“New” Books Read in 2026: 29
“New” Books DNFed in 2026: 0
“New” Books Checklist Total: 29/35 (82% complete)

Here are the books I finished this week…

Finished Reading (Fiction):
This week I had a chance to get started on the Bobiverse series, which was my most recent book impulse purchase. I’m really enjoying the series so far, and love the different incarnations of the main character. I’m really glad that I decided to pick up copies of the books, and I will definitely be continuing the series as the hardback editions continue to be released. This week I read books 1-3, which includes…
~We Are Legion (We Are Bob) — This is the first book in the Bobiverse series. While this book did include some info-dumping toward the very beginning, I felt like it was a good introduction to the series universe, and to the main character. 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~For We Are Many — The second book of the series did a great job of increasing the stakes for the Bobs and humanity. I also really liked seeing how the Bobs’ characters continue to develop, particularly as they come to care for humans (and other beings) that they will certainly outlive. 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~All These Worlds — The third book was my favorite of the series so far. It’s going to be very hard to wait until May 12th (for book 4), and August 25th (for book 5). I know I could request both through my local library and read them much sooner, but I love the look of the new hardback editions. (I know…I’m a sucker for sprayed/stenciled edges and pretty end paper artwork.) 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I also had a chance to read the following books…
~The Cracked Spine — This is the first book in the Scottish Bookshop Mystery series. I thought this was a good mystery, and really liked the characters. I don’t currently own any of the other books in this series, but I am interested in reading more of them in the future. 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
~The Chase — This is the first book in the Issac Bell series. This book was a re-read for me, but it was the first time I’d had a chance to read my own copy (since the last time I read it, I’d borrowed it from the library). It had been so long since the last time I read it that I remembered very little about the story. As a result, I found it hard to put down. Content Alert: (view spoiler)[ This book does include references to animal deaths resulting from an earthquake. (hide spoiler)]📱: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Finished Reading (Nonfiction):
~American Predator: The Hunt for the Most Meticulous Serial Killer of the 21st Century — This was both an interesting and disturbing read, not only because of the information it presented about the killer himself, but because of how badly various law enforcement agencies handled the investigation. Content Alert: (view spoiler)[ The serial killer discussed in this book was a violent sociopath, so the book includes frequent references to animal cruelty and killing, torture, rape, and necrophilia. Suicide is also mentioned. (hide spoiler)] 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Finished Reading (Manga, Comic Books, & Graphic Novels):
~That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime 29 — I thought this volume was a great continuation of the series! I’m already looking forward to the release of the next one later this year. 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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 19 hours remaining. 🎧
~The Ether Witch: Confronting the Crafty Concubine — This is the second book in The Ether Witch trilogy. I'm not very far into this book yet, but I'm already enjoying it. 📚🎄

QOTW:
I really haven’t bothered with creating custom shelves.

Happy Thursday! I’m back home after three days on the road with a van full of Todd's stuff that I just couldn't let go of yet. It’s nice to be with other family members – especially the kids.

Reading Challenges:

52 Book Club: 40/52 (April Mini-Challenge: 1/3)
52 Books Read It, Watch It: 3/12
ATY: 37/52 (ATY Spring: 13/15)
Booklist Queen: 33/52
Popsugar: 33/50
Goodreads Spring Bookmarks: 1/12
52 Books Mystery Challenge: 6/50

My Ever-Growing TBR: 38/245 – 15.5% (My goal is 33.3%.)

Recently Completed:

🪺 The Ghostwriter: BOTM Selection. (52 Books #35 – a secret identity/Mystery #14 – a podcaster, writer, or journalist) ★★★★
🪺 The Vapors: A Southern Family, the New York Mob, and the Rise and Fall of Hot Springs, America's Forgotten Capital of Vice (ATY #11 – a history or historical fiction book) ★★★
🪺 Madwoman: BOTM Selection. (52 Books #18 – provokes strong emotion) ★★★★
🪺 The History of Sugar (Popsugar #12 - pop or sugar in the title) ★★★
🪺 Wreck (ATY #36 – features a woman over 40) ★★★★
🪺 Blackberry & Wild Rose (ATY #48 – something edible in the title) ★★★★
🪺 Leading Men (52 Books #45 – biographical fiction) ★★★
🪺 Today Will Be Different (ATY #20 – related to today) ★★★
🪺 Whiskey Chaser, Bootleg Springs, #1 ★★★★



QOTW: I have a custom DNF shelf, but I don't use it very often, and each year I make shelves for the challenges I'm doing. I also have shelves for celebrity book club picks, IRL book club picks, and nonfiction.

Hi all! I just had a Zoom call with 3 friends from my college days in the Jurassic era. Can't believe how the time slips by.

41 books so far.
Popsugar 30/50.
52 Book Club 31/52.
Booklist Queen 28/52.
This Challenge Killed the Bookworm 13/25.

Finished:

The Nearest Exit May Be Behind You, essays by S. Bear Bergman, for "trans or nonbinary protagonist." Written in the more optimistic era of 2009, it's depressing how far we've gone backwards.

This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone. Exactly my kind of weird. I was going to use it for "book entirely in letters," but it turns out there is narration between the letters. I have a backup book for that category. Used it for "spotted on tv/movie" (52BC) and "time in the title (BQ).

And some others with no prompt: Giving Up Is Unforgivable: A Manual for Keeping a Democracy by Joyce Vance, The Nearness of You by Carolyn Kizer, and Stuffed: Love Poems for Assholes by Maegen McAuliffe O'Leary.

Currently reading:

Prairie Fires: The American Dreams of Laura Ingalls Wilder by Caroline Fraser. The 52 Book Club has a paired prompt, fiction and nonfiction books about the same person. I'm combining it with Wilder's The First Four Years, which should work for the postpartum prompt. There's a lot about debt in " Prairie Fires," but I already have that category covered.

Hi all! I woke up surprised to realize it's Thursday already! Spring break week has gone quickly. Monday was gorgeous, around 70 degrees and sunny. Kiddo had a friend over for the afternoon and they mostly kept themselves occupied. And then it's rained pretty much ever since and temps are back in the 30s (whomp whomp). We have our last Girl Scout cookie booth Friday evening. I'm planning her birthday parties (one for family, one for friends), and I'm starting to think about a family summer vacation. We haven't gone on one in 5 years. I was thinking Philly would be cool, being I haven't ever seen the historical stuff and it's America's 250th birthday this summer (may we survive to 251....). My kiddo seems to be really into history. She's learned about the Civil War and several historical Civil Rights people and she actually comes home and talks about the stuff she's learned (usually, she did "nothing" in school. She's in 2nd grade, I don't think I started doing "nothing" in school until I was in 5th! ha!).

Reading wise, I feel like I'm both reading some and reading nothing at all. I haven't finished anything in weeks (my GR challenge tells me I'm 3 books behind). Mostly I've been reading Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents: How to Heal from Distant, Rejecting, or Self-Involved Parents and also a little bit of The Secret Book Society. I've tried to read Inferno in the evenings, but with a kiddo on spring break, she's not falling asleep as early as usual and then she's bored and then she comes to see me and then I can't read!

QOTW: I don't know if I'll use the DNF shelf. I have a Started But Had to Return shelf for library items that I don't finish. There are definitely books on there that I probably won't get back to, but I kind of hate to officially DNF a book.
I have several personalized shelves. I have a nonfiction shelf, an audiobook shelf, a young adult shelf, LGBTQ+ shelf, a shelf for books written or set from 1900-1945 (I used to be part of a group that focused on that time period and I still read a lot of books from then), a Civil War shelf, and a few others that I'm forgetting atm! I actually think I should add more shelves so I could be better organized, but the thought of going through all the books I already have on my Read or TBR shelves to further organize them makes my head spin!

PS: 27/40
52: 24/52

Finished: Calliope Callisto Clark and the Search for Wisdom This was so much fun! 4 stars. Read for grumpy sunshine trope.

The Authority Gap: Why Women Are Still Taken Less Seriously Than Men, and What We Can Do About It Infuriating! 4 stars. If you think women and men are already equal, you should read this book. Read for book club.

The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Caused an Epidemic of Mental Illness Read for book club. Hated it! 1 star. So black and white without any nuance at all.

Started: Tracks in the Wilderness of Dreaming So interesting! Love it.

QotW: The only custom exclusive shelf I had was decided not to read which is basically my version of DNF.

My cursed project got signed off about an hour ago, so that's a big relief going into the long weekend. Weather is super lovely today, I can see all the poppy anemonies blooming in the sun, but it's due to turn stormy soon. Was hoping to get the pizza oven out!

Not had much time for reading lately :(

Finished:
How to Lose a Goblin in Ten Days by Jessie Sylva. This was an OK cosy fantasy but I think I'm getting a bit bored of them. The situation called for a little bit more conflict than the author wanted to include. Bonus was that there was a harvest festival so at least i get to tick off a Popsugar prompt!

PS #29 A book that takes place during harvesting season
TCKtB #12. Such a fungi *groan*

Currently reading Through Gates of Garnet and Gold and listening to The Red Winter.

QOTW:
I have an exclusive pre-order shelf so I don't lose track and buy them a second time. I also have a barely used on-hold shelf, just in case I'm not in the mood but don't think it's a true DNF.

I see a bunch of you mentioning shelves for genres, the challenge, etc. Are these exclusive shelves you set up?

I also just noticed I have a depths-of-kindle shelf that I completely forgot about. It's a record of books that are in my Kindle account that I don't really want to read any more. Though should they meet a fiendishly tricky prompt, then at least I know I have a copy somewhere.

Nadine, other than the exclusive shelves GR gave me, none of my shelves are exclusive. I like to be able to use the combine shelf feature to find my nonfiction WWII books or my Civil War young adult books. I wonder how many shelves I could combine and still get books.......

Finished:

The Lays of Beleriand (3 out of 5 stars, not for a prompt)

If you just want the big stories of the First Age, then I would point someone to The Silmarillion first. On the other hand, if you like the stories but would like to hear them in alliterative verse or rhyming couplets, then this book is a must-read.

The Battle of Betazed (3 out of 5 stars, not for a prompt)

The character and plot work here is all handled well. It's a wartime story, though, so be prepared for that tone going in.

Currently reading:

Godzilla Library Collection, Vol. 1
Crime Rangoon
The Seat Filler

Question:

I do not have any custom shelves on Goodreads.

Jennifer W wrote: "Hi all! I woke up surprised to realize it's Thursday already! Spring break week has gone quickly. Monday was gorgeous, around 70 degrees and sunny. Kiddo had a friend over for the afternoon and the..."



This week FLEW by for me, too, and I don't know why!! Tomorrow is Lily's 23rd birthday, so I'm in the middle of making her cake.


I don't know Philadelphia THAT well but we do go visit sometimes when we are down staying with my mom. Fun places to visit in Philadelphia with kids:

Betsy Ross House - https://historicphiladelphia.org/bets... there is a woman in costume as Betsy Ross, and she will NOT break character if you talk to her. LOL it's almost creepy tbh. There is also a play kitchen in the basement, which used to be my daughters' absolute FAVORITE thing to do!

A block away is Elfreth Alley, which is supposedly the oldest continually inhabited street in the USA. Most of the building are, of course, inhabited, but one of them is a museum now. It's not much, but it's also only a few dollars to visit. https://www.elfrethsalley.org/visit

My kids opted NOT to go wait in line to see the Liberty Bell. You can see it really well from the street as you drive by looking for the Betsy Ross House so I FEEL like I saw it LOL.

Philadelphia has a great children's museum (it rivals the awesomeness of The Strong in Rochester!): The Please Touch Museum. We kept going there even after my kids were actually kinda too old for it. Your daughter is the perfect age. https://www.pleasetouchmuseum.org/ My kids' favorite part of The Strong was the mini Wegmans, and the Please Touch museum has an urgent care, a barber shop, and a diner, plus a sort of giant hamster wheel you can run inside in the "space" section. Good times LOL! My kids were a little too old to have fun in the "fairyland" and water table rooms, but I thought they looked cool.

The Philadelphia Zoo recently installed this VERY cool sounding track so that the big cats can walk OVER the people from one enclosure to another, "Big Cats Crossing 360." Of course cats like to spray stinky pee, so I think they put up shielding or something to protect the people below hahah. My kids don't really like zoos so I haven't been able to talk them into visiting it. Maybe this summer.

I don't know how many days you're staying, but ... NJ is right across the river LOL!

The Camden Aquarium is really great. https://www.adventureaquarium.com/ I love aquariums and I've been to aquariums in Boston, Chicago, and Baltimore (never did make it to the one in Monterey), and this one is just as great as those. There is (I think this is a permanent exhibit? maybe it's not) a giant jaw from a Megalodon that you can pose inside of, a fantastic shark tunnel you can walk through, touch tanks with sharks and rays, and all the other usual stuff you find at aquariums. The cafe always disappoints my mother because it's all unhealthy deep fried foods, but I'm pretty sure they allow you to bring your own lunch in. Neve reported that the cheesesteak she got in the cafe there was excellent. I know the short order cook who made it for her was really funny! And you can get a GREAT view of Philadelphia across the river. The aquarium is directly across from Philadelphia's Independence Seaport Museum, which LOOKS very cool but I have never visited it. (Maybe this summer!) There's a ferry that goes across the river here, but I've never taken it. (FYI: Camden NJ is not a great place, the city as a whole was rife with crime, BUT they've been making it safer, and the aquarium parking lot feels pretty safe, I've never had a problem there. And you get a wonderful view of a Nipper the RCA dog mosaic on the old RCA Victor building - now condos - from the aquarium parking lot.)

And if you want to venture farther into NJ, I HIGHLY recommend a day at the Grounds for Sculpture. https://www.groundsforsculpture.org/ It's up by Trenton, so it's about an hour drive, maybe it won't fit into your plans. But it's a great visit, you can run around and touch any of the sculptures and take fun photos because many of the sculptures recreate famous paintings and you can basically insert yourself into the painting. The exhibits are always changing, we go every few years and we always enjoy our visits. The site is the former NJ Fairgrounds. There are loose peacocks near the cafe and over by the water gardens - that always freaks Lily out haha. But they don't bother you.

Happy Thursday, everyone!

I read three books this past week; two of them were fantastic and one of them wasn't, lol.

2025 Reading Challenges
PopSugar- 27/50
ATY- 46/52; Winter- 14/14; 24/24; Spring- 9/16
52 Book Club- TBA; Monthly Mini-Challenges- 7/9
Read Good- 12/13
Buzzword- 6/12; Cover- 8/12
GR Bookmarks- Winter- 12/12; Spring- 0/12
BOTM- 7/15; Omnivoreader- 5/6; Long Hauler- 3/4; Debut Darling- 2/5

1001 Books- 7/20
TBR- 11/50

Finished
Kin- I wasn't initially interested in picking up this book as the synopsis didn't really pull me, but once I saw all the positive reviews and Oprah's endorsement, I decided to give it a shot. I'm glad I did because this was a beautifully written and heartbreaking read. It was close to a five star, but just as with An American Marriage, I just didn't feel anything regarding any of the romantic relationships depicted. The only relationships that mattered were the friendships (Vernice & Annie, Annie & Baby Doll), and these were really the beating heart of the novel. ☆☆☆☆ 1/5
ATY #1- a history or historical fiction book

Lady Tremaine- picked this as my BOTM pick for March as I'm trying to pick up different genres. This was a pleasant surprise. It gave me Circe and Pride & Prejudice vibes. It was an engaging read, and I liked how it didn't follow the fairy tale exactly. Although I could use this for BOTM's omnivoreader badge, I think I'm going to hold off and use it for next year's badges as I still have last years' books to use for the challenge. ☆☆☆☆ 1/5
PS #28- a book about debt
ATY #3- a book that fits a prompt suggestion for this year that did not make the list (connected to Brothers Grimm)
ATY Spring #5- a book first published in March of any year

Moderation- saw this on the Women's Prize longlist, and I had already read a book by this author this year so I figured I would use it for the frontlist book prompt. Overall, I was disappointed. This blends a lot of genres (literary fiction, sci-fi, romance), so maybe that's why the narrative felt all over the place. I was half listening to this on audio, so some plot points may have flew past me, but the romance took over the story near the end, and I just wasn't invested in it. ☆☆ 1/2
ATY #30- the most recently published book by an author and a book from that same author's backlist: Frontlist Book
52BC April Mini #2- author's photo: smiling with teeth

Currently Reading
Now I Surrender
The Night We Met

QOTW
The only exclusive custom shelf I have is my dnf shelf which Goodreads automatically rolled over into their new Did-Not-Finish shelf. I thought about making a separate exclusive shelf for the books on my TBR shelf that I own, but then I would have to constantly be updating it as a acquire and unhaul new books, so I've just left it as is.

I've had a lot of good reading time lately: first it was a cold and then whatever it is that a cold turns into for the next two weeks. I'm enjoying the downtime though.

PopSugar 27/50
AtY 26/50
Curiosity Killed the Bookworm: 14/25

Finished:
Homegoing for my IRL book club. So many people in this book! I don’t know how I’ll remember them all for discussion.
I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman Audiobook. This was good, I was somewhat unhappy with the ending. Unconventional, let’s say.
The Beheading Game by Anne Boleyn survived her execution and is wandering London with her head tucked underneath her arm. This was so excellent! For #18, a love story that defies social boundaries.
Hemlock & Silver by T Kingfisher What a great starting line: I had just taken poison when the king arrived to inform me that he had murdered his wife.
No Place to Be Single by Felicia Kingsley For #35, a book that makes you want to travel to Italy. This actually makes me want to travel to London 😊


Currently Reading:
Die Strasse Nach Roswell by Connie Willis Sci Fi might not be the best choice to read in a different language ☹
Everyone on This Train is a Suspect by Benjamin Stevenson Audiobook. This is for AtY
Paladin’s Grace by T Kingfisher For #27, a character with curly hair
Pilgrim at Tinker’s Creek by Annie Dillard I had a copy of this when it first came out. (Older than dirt). I couldn’t get through it then, maybe I can now. This must be for AtY
Watchmen Another for AtY

QOTW
The only custom shelf I had was a 'gave up' shelf that was under 'Read'. I don't remember why I felt it had to be under Read, maybe so it wasn't currently reading but I didn't want to just delete the book, if I disliked it enough to table it, I wanted a way to remember that. I like some of the other shelves people have, I might get around to rearranging some of mine.

Nadine in NY wrote: "Jennifer W wrote: "Hi all! I woke up surprised to realize it's Thursday already! Spring break week has gone quickly. Monday was gorgeous, around 70 degrees and sunny. Kiddo had a friend over for th..."

I looked up Please Touch. I also saw the Franklin Museum, which looks similar to The MOST. What *I* really want to do (even more than the historical stuff, if I'm being honest) is go to the Mutter Museum. https://muttermuseum.org/ Don't go clicking if you're squeamish! It's all about physiological human anomalies and the history of medicine. I'm not sure if my daughter would be fascinated or have nightmares for the rest of her life....

Kate wrote: "Hemlock & Silver by T Kingfisher What a great starting line: I had just taken poison when the king arrived to inform me that he had murdered his wife...."



It really is brilliant!!! She is so clever and fun.

Jennifer W wrote: "I looked up Please Touch. I also saw the Franklin Museum, which looks similar to The MOST. What *I* really want to do (even more than the historical stuff, if I'm being honest) is go to the Mutter Museum. https://muttermuseum.org/ ..."




I had not heard of the Mutter Museum!!! I clicked. ... My goodness!!

Yeah the Franklin is world-renowned, everyone always recommends it. But I've been there a few times and I wasn't really THAT impressed. idk maybe it was hyped up too much for me. So I actually forgot about it LOL! It's a lot bigger than the MOST of course. So if Noelle liked the MOST, she'll probably like the Franklin too.

The science museum I really enjoyed was the Liberty Science Center up in Jersey City, which did not exist when I was a kid so my only impression of it is as an adult. The only problem with that place (other than being in Jersey City LOL) is that it's always PACKED.

Greetings all and blessings for both Passover and Easter! It's really rather nice that these 2 high observance days in Christianity and Judaism, are overlapping so completely this year. Perhaps it's also the Fates and the Goddess and Mother Nature telling us as a world that it's time to make wake up, smell the coffee, and start ignoring our differences and come together.

Now on to the jelly beans, peeps, chocolate bunnies and dinner with friends and family.

PS - 25/52 ATY - 32/52 - I've made sure to put some books into the read soon TBR Tower that should help fill more prompts on PS, but even with that ATY is going to be finished within a couple of months I think.

Finished - I had a quieter weekend and knocked off a bunch of books I'd started:
The Curse of Ill-Gotten Gains - No PS but ATY - backlist for author Stephanie Laurens series
Who Killed The Earl Of Moran? - No PS but ATY - frontlist for author Stephanie Laurens series - I'd gotten behind on this series by a favorite HF romance author - an dit's really a mystery series.
Bound to Danger - no ps but ATY - 2nd for a favorite prompt - part of a series I like romantic deadly ops thrillers
On the Come Up - ATY - award winning book; PS -outside my comfort zone - rap and hip hop for sure are that as are most YA. Liked this, enjoyed it but truthfully I related with Bri's mother and older brother more than any other characters -- in my head I was saying the same things as they were to Bri -- but learning about the world of rap and hip hop and how teens see the way out of poverty and ghetto as being a rapper, much as with basketball and at one time boxing - I even forgot it was YA other than knowing full well I'm not the book's target audience - too many decades past that!

Currently Reading:
Murder on the Orient Express

Coming Up:
Piranesi
The Correspondent
LIT

QOTW: I have had a DNF shelf for quite a while that I used not just for those very few books that I truly DNF and would never ever finish, but also to park books I'd started but put aside for any number of reasons and plan to return to. I do tend to return to them and usually do at some point. Now that shelf has been made part of the new Did Not Finish shelf -- whose main change from what I had seems to be that you can set it to count the books you did not finish towards your total annual reads and other stats. I don't care about stats at all really. Now I'm debating whether to create a separate shelf for those I am simply 'parking' there until I pick them up again. I often look through those 'parked' books when looking for challenge reads as a way to move them along.

I have a lot of different shelves but try to keep it relatively short by standards of most of my friends. Most of my shelves are very broad like COZY MYSTERY, DETECTIVE, HISTORICAL FICTION. I also set up shelves annually for different reading challenges, which I retire at the end of the year - in fact setting up one for PS is how I because very active on GR in the first place - while a member since 2012 I only became active and engaged once I started the PS 2016 challenge and needed someplace to track the reading and prompts. I did not want some handwritten list somewhere! I also have a lot of shelves that are a bit idiosyncratic - meaning they reflect specific interests of mine - and I given them funky or all inclusive names -- i.e STUDLY DOGS or FOOD AND COOKING or ANTIPODES. And some that are strictly for tracking - CHALLENGE OPTIONS are books I own that I have been meaning to read forever but never seem to get to -- I look there for options first. FEMINERDY is my IRL book club.

I know some people that have pages and pages of shelves. My goal is to keep the active ones to one page if possible, with all the archived ones on the 2nd page (I put a z- in front of shelf name when I retire it), though I seem to always have a few active ones on the 2nd page as well.

Yes, I do eliminate shelves or consolidate ones --- if it's a subject that doesn't interest more any longer or seems past its best use or can easily be combined with another and renamed. I also delete shelves for short term challenges. I still have the books themselves tracked but once challenge over, I don't need to know what was read for it.

Key thing to remember is that there is no right or wrong way for naming or maintaining shelves and what you put where. It's all idiosyncratic to your tastes and needs.

Happy Thursday!

Finished:
Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman - 3.5 stars - for a book outside your comfort zone. It wasn't quite what I expected. I liked it overall, but there were some things I really didn't care for.

Comics & manga:
Girl Crush, Vol. 5

I am currently at 19/50 for the Popsugar reading challenge (15/40 and 4/10).

Currently reading:
Seasons of Glass and Iron: Stories by Amal El-Mohtar - not currently for a prompt. An interesting collection of the author's early short stories and poetry.

Upcoming/Planned:
Nobody's Baby by Olivia Waite - for a book less than 260 pages.

This Princess Kills Monsters by Ry Herman - not currently for a prompt.

Cursed Ever After by Andy C. Naranjo - not currently for a prompt.

QOTW:
I do have a bunch of other exclusive shelves.

I have an "up next" shelf for books I plan to read in the immediate future (either books I have out of the library or whatever's next in my plan).

I have a "no nay never" shelf for authors behaving badly or books I know I don't want to read for whatever reason.

I have a "lost interest" shelf for books I had previously shelved that I no longer want to read when I want to remember that I've already considered them.

My "stalled" shelf is for books I don't necessarily want to fully DNF, but need to put down.

I have a "maybe" shelf for books I'm not 100% sure I want to read, but want to keep on my shelves for whatever reason.

And the "reference" shelf is for nonfiction reference books that I'm never going to read from cover to cover like a novel, but keep around for, well, reference.

@Nadine - your talk of how delayed spring is resonates. In fact I can't believe how little I can see budding in Central Park just across the street - forsythia is popping, there are various small trees and other bushes whose white blossoms popped out when it was in the 70s yesterday but today is in the 40s.

But a friend of mine has been posting all the spring ephemerals popping up in her back yard in PA -- she's in a rural setting and has encourage natural growth along those edges of her lawns that border woods. For those wondering what are spring ephemerals are - they are all those tiny delicate native plants that pop up through the mulch, moss and leaf litter as the snow departs, leaving a moist ground but trees still bare letting sun through and before large plants crowd them out or block the sun. My friend has worked hard in recent years to encourage and even plant native spring ephemerals and it's starting to really pay off. If you like hiking or walks in the woods, great time to do so.

Here's an article with some pictures for those interested: https://edgeofthewoodsnursery.com/thi....

Hello everyone!

Life's been all over the place but have been trying to keep up the reading as much as possible. I still have too many library books but so many of them are holds that I managed to get all at once, so trying to get thru those.

This is a few weeks worth of reading.

2026 Challenges:
Popsugar: 26/50
ATY: 37/52
A to Z: 3/26

Goodreads: 77/150
GR Bookmarks: 3/15; Winter 12/12, Spring 0/12
GR WTR: 35/461

Physical TBR: 4/229
Kindle TBR: 4/149
TBR Goal: 8/378 (2.12%)

Finished:
18 Finished, 5 Completed Popsugar

Crank
PS# 19

The Good Lord Bird
ATY#28

Backward Glance

Catherine House
PS#33, ATY#42

The Woman in Cabin 10
ATY# 9

The Ex Talk
ATY#15

Fable for the End of the World
ATY#6

Good People
ATY#41

The Rooster Bar
PS#28

Identical

This Is Not About Us

A Spindle Splintered
A Sleeping Beauty novella.

My Next Breath
PS#37
Y’all this book! OMG! It is so heart-wrenching! I listened to it and you get to hear the 911 calls and I just about cried, there were a few other places I just about cried too. His story is horrific and also inspiring, not just because he lived to tell the tale, because of the little tidbits of wisdom he bestows throughout the book. I feel like if my nephew was a bit older I would have him listen to it because some of the things he talks about are things my nephew struggles with and I have a hard time relaying to him. Plus he doesn’t really want to hear it from me.

Wild Dark Shore
That wasn't the ending I hadn't quite expected.

One Last Stop
PS#6, ATY#24

The Secret History of the Rape Kit: A True Crime Story
This was eye opening and also a bit infuriating. To see how hard it was to get the kit and then to know how much backlog there is was disheartening.

Where the Wildflowers Grow

Part of Your World
ATY#26

-------
Currently Reading
Tusk Love
The Reformatory
I Got Abducted by Aliens and Now I'm Trapped in a Rom-Com
Something Wilder
The Mouse and the Motorcycle
The Astral Library

On the Backburner
Libby
The Flatshare
Just for the Summer
The Dressmaker of Auschwitz

Physical Library Rentals
Six Crimson Cranes
Atmosphere
The Lightning Thief
Blood Sugar
The Perfect Find
When I think of You
No Ordinary Love
Son of the Morning
Until the World Falls Down
The House Saphir
Honey & Spice
Sweet Heat
Mailman
My Magnolia Summer
The Poisonwood Bible
Little Bee
Know My Name
Women Money Power
My Husband’s Wife
Only Mostly Devastated
The Correspondent
Lady Tremaine
Monster in the Moonlight
Fire Season
Just for the Summer
Ramona the Brave

Question of the Week:
I have a ton of folders but the only exclusive ones are those that Goodreads has given us.

Happy Thursday!

I finished my March series book. Why is a middle grade book 604 pages long? I enjoyed it, but less than any of the previous 7 books mostly because it dealt with war.

I am still working on my March prompt book, but almost done. I'm hampered because I've now hit the point where I can't read it before bed. :)

I started my March book from the top of my TBR list, but I'm half done for a book I started less than a week ago. I hope April is the month, I can get caught up in my monthly reads.

I watched 2 movies for PopSugar prompts. I loved Zootopia 2. Midnight's Children was mixed. I'm glad I watched the movie instead of reading the book though - there are 2 sexless marriages in the movie, so I think the book would work. I am on my second watch of Bones. I know it's a TV show and not a movie, but if Dr. Brennan doesn't count as a type C character then I don't understand the prompt.

inished:

Last Stand of Dead Men
Popsugar prompt: A book that features a platonic friendship between a man and woman
ATY prompt: A book related to a resistance, rebellion, or revolution

Series - 3/12
Number 1s - 2/10
Nobel laureates - 1/5
Rocky Horror challenge: 2/12

PS - 12/30
ATY - 12/45
PS movies - 12/50

Currently reading:
’Salem’s Lot - 87%
Cinder - 47%

PopSugar movies
4 A movie that starts with the letter "Z" - Zootopia 2
8 A movie about a sexless marriage - Midnight's Children
9 A movie with a "type C" character - Bones

QOTW: My extra shelves (besides PS and ATY per year) are "read as a child" (because I can't give a date or even a year I read them); "books I need to re-read"; "spiritual growth books"; and "saw the movie instead" (just so that GR will stop recommending it to me).

Spring break this week so I chose to read some short novellas to feel like I accomplished something this week besides all the appointments I had. And I finished one in progress book.

Six Feet of the Country: I ended up being able to use this for 3 of my 4 main challenges, replacing my original choice:
PS: Love story that defies social boundaries
52: Serif title
ATY: Book set in Africa
Read harder: n/a

The Old Man and the Sea: no prompts

A Month in the Country: no prompts

The Gang That Wouldn't Write Straight: Wolfe, Thompson, Didion, Capote, and the New Journalism Revolution:
ATY: Red cover

Currently reading:
Great Circle
Anne of the Island
Romiette and Julio
The Heartbeat Library
Aeneid: The New Translation by Gerald J. Davis

PS: 11/50
52: 11/52
ATY:8/52
Read harder: 4/24

QOTW:
I have shelves for the above challenges.

When my mom moved into my townhouse, I had to relocate my books to baker's racks in the garage for space reasons. Some of them are stacked three deep. So I made custom GR shelves with the location of the book, like "Top-3" so I know a book is in the third row of the top shelf. So when as happened recently one of my book clubs chooses Moloka'i as our June book, and I know I have a copy of it, I looked up Moloka'i on GR and checked the tags to see where it is and was able to retrieve it off the shelf

I like the idea listed above of "read in childhood" and maybe I'll make a shelf called "read before GR" for the ones with no read date

Another busy week! I finished three books and received my pre-ordered book a day before its official launch date, which was super exciting 🥳 I should finish at least one of my in-progress books this weekend. I'm at 8/40 and 1/10 for this challenge, and 14/75 for my overall Goodreads Reading Challenge.

Finished:
* We Solve Murders written by Richard Osman and narrated by Nicola Walker, which I decided to use for "a book that explores influencer culture;"
* Why We Click: The Emerging Science of Interpersonal Synchrony by Kate Murphy, which didn't fit any prompts; and,
* The Lost Daughter of Sparta written by Felicia Day and illustrated by Rowan MacColl, which I used for "a sapphic comic" (though it is a graphic novel...I am saying close enough for now).

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, which I should finish tonight or over the weekend;
* Powerfully Likeable: A Woman's Guide to Effective Communication by Kate Mason, which I may return and get back on the waiting list for since I've got too many books in progress right now;
* The Einstein Conspiracy by Steve Israel, which is one of my book clubs' picks for April; and,
* How to Be Okay When Nothing Is Okay by Jenny Lawson, which is the book I preordered from a local indie bookstore about a million months ago (ok, maybe not a million) and was SO EXCITED to receive a day before its official launch date. I am really trying to not just read it all at once but it's hard because I love her writing so much and have been waiting a million months for this!

QotW:
This week's question was suggested by Sasha:
Goodreads is introducing an official DNF shelf. Probably most of us already had a custom one, but do you have other custom exclusive shelves? While I have MANY (some may argue TOO many) custom shelves, I didn't have any custom exclusive shelves. I *thought* that I had tagged my DNF shelf as exclusive. But apparently I didn't. Which explains why it didn't auto-populate the new Did Not Finish shelf (le sigh!) I didn't have many to move, so it wasn't a big deal to move them over...just annoying after all the emails announcing it. Anyway...back to the QotW...I normally apply multiple tags to books, so I thought it would limit me. I did go into my settings after reading this question though and decided to try it for my TBR-specific shelves (for audiobooks, one for hardbacks/paperbacks, Kindle, and NetGalley) to see how I like it. I set those up to make it easier for me to find books I have in each format.

Happy Thursday! I have a three day weekend coming up, yay! It's my birthday Sunday, so my family is doing a combined Easter/birthday lunch, and then the rest of the weekend will be just relaxing and seeing friends. Might also get the chance to visit SFMOMA which would be great- there's an interesting presentation happening, so fingers crossed the timing works out!

Finished:
Yaga- heard this play was getting a tv adaptation so decided to check it out. Very interesting, I wish there was a recording of the play to watch, because the way the actors shift from character to character must have been fascinating. Looking forward to the show!
-41 A book in a different format than your usual: physical, audio, eBook (play)

Deathly Fates- unfortunately this one did not work for me. The writing felt clunky and the characters felt very one note. It's being marketed as ya, but it's almost more middle grade, but just not great. But everyone else seems to love it so what do I know
-no prompt

Our Aimless Nights, Volume 1- this was a very sweet manga about first crushes and being awkward around your crush. Absolutely adorable, already requested book 2 from netgalley
-no prompt

Currently reading:
Just a Highland Fling-only a few chapters in, but so far this romcom is very fun


QotW:
On goodreads I have a few extra shelves- for netgalley books, for good reads giveaway wins( have not added many to that recently), short stories, halloween books, winter books. I'm not sure if I'll use the dnf shelf- if I hate a book enough to dnf it, I like to pretend it doesn't exist.

I haven't been adding extra goodreads shelves as much lately, but I now have a ton of specialized lists on my libby app. I have lists for different seasonal reads, different genres, for authors who will be traveling through town, translated books, nonfiction, etc. My wishlist/want to read list was getting out of control, so now I have a bunch of lists there for every possibility

Trying to read through some spiraling depression over more and more layers added to my chronic illnesses. Sigh.

Zombie Day Care by Craig Halloran (ps 4 A book that starts with the letter "Z") I got this from the author last fall. Wish I hadn't. It needed help.

And that's all I managed.

QOTW No, I have zero exclusion shelves and I have no intention of using the official DNF shelf. Mostly I DNF because it's just not a book for me and not because it's bad. I shouldn't hurt a book because it wasn't for me

Happy Thursday, and Happy Easter to anyone who celebrates. The new bookmarks are out, and I'm happy, but I'm struggling to figure out which book I'll read for the Community Picks bookmark. Mysteries and thrillers are not my genres, and the only books on the list that appeal to me I've already read.

Stats:
PS: 21/50
ATY: 17/52
ATY Rejects: 2/25
TCKtB: 16/25
GR Spring Bookmarks: 0/12
GR Choice: 10/20
TBR: 1/10

Finished

Recitatif ⭐⭐⭐
PS: Under 250 pages

The Ashes & the Star-Cursed King & The Songbird & the Heart of Stone ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Bother rereads.

The Devil Reached Toward the Sky: An Oral History of the Making and Unleashing of the Atomic Bomb ⭐⭐⭐⭐
PS: Not my usual format (audiobook)

In progress
This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me

QotW
I had a DNF shelf already, and I also have 2 other exclusive shelves:
🔹 A Maybe shelf, for books I'm not sure if I want to read or not. So books in series that I've stalled out on, things my sister has recommended but that I'm not sure about, etc.
🔹A Don't Remember shelf, for books I honestly can't remember if I read them at all, or books that I am positive I read, but I can't remember a single thing about them.

Life update: We haven't made any real progress on selling our house and are starting to wonder if we need to look at other options, such as doing more refurbishment work, reducing the price, or even approaching one of the investment companies that will buy houses at a discount. We're going to have a call with the estate agent next week to discuss.

My mum has been transferred to a different hospital, which confusingly is giving me a different diagnosis and different options for her care. That's also probably going to require a video call to sort out, but that can't happen until my mother is a little bit stronger, since at the moment she has too little short-term memory to manage that kind of conversation. There does at least seem to be a consensus that I don't need to rush over there immediately and should instead plan to be there when my mum comes out of hospital, which could be in anywhere from two weeks to three months. That means I can replace my damaged passport by the standard route rather than paying for the faster emergency route, so I have applied and am waiting for confirmation that everything is in order.

Reading update: I wasn't supposed to join any new challenges until I clear out some of the current ones, but r/fantasy started its annual bingo card challenge, and I couldn't resist. Oops! It runs for a year, so I can wait until at least PS is finished before tackling it seriously. Some of the prompts overlap, too. Meanwhile, I finished two books this week:

Autumn - PS: harvest; Rainbow: orange. I enjoyed it as an audiobook, probably more than I would in print due to the stream-of-consciousness style. 4 stars.
Hanuman Chalisa for All Ages: A Devotional Companion for Children, Adults, and Families to Understand and Recite the Hanuman Chalisa with Simple English Meanings - no prompt. I used this to guide me through a chant for the Hindu holiday of Hanuman Jayanti. I loved the layout, with the Devanagari script and transliteration in the centre of the page accompanied by arrows pointing to the English meaning of each word, and a paraphrase below. Most texts of this type just give the paraphrase, which doesn't help me learn the meaning of the individual words. 5 stars.

Stats:
Popsugar: 1 this week, 22/50 total
Diversity Challenge: 0 this week, 3/14 total
Touch the Rainbow, Read the Rainbow: 1 this week, 10/13 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, 6/21 total
Anti-Capitalist Inspiration: 0 this week, 16/30 total
Reading About Writing: 0 this week, 3/40 total

All books finished this year: 2 this week, 42 total
DNF or paused this year: 0 this week, 7 total

Challenges completed this year: 0
Challenges in progress (end date in 2026): 4
Challenges in progress (no end date or end date in 2027): 8

Currently reading:
Ignore All Previous Instructions - NetGalley; PS: trans protagonist; r/fantasy: small press or self-published
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry Into Values - PS: starts with Z. I was also considering "dad as primary caregiver", but I found something else I want to use for that.
Sackett - audiobook, no prompt. So far the POV character in this is my least favourite of the L'Amour novels I've read.
Following: A Marketing Guide to Author Platform -Reading About Writing: book marketing.
Meditate with the Master by Swami Chinmayananda - no prompt. I have finally moved on from exercise 1 to exercise 2 and am hopeful that I will be able to progress a little faster now.
THE COMPLETE MAHABHARATA SABHA PARVA AND VANA PARVA VOL 2: Sabha Parva and Vana Parva - spiritual reading, no prompt

QOTW: I've had a DNF shelf for as long as I can remember. I also have "paused" for books I plan to return to, and "reference" for books I own that aren't meant to be read straight through, like dictionaries and field guides.

I've considered setting up an exclusive do-not-read shelf to save myself from repeatedly reading a blurb only to remember why that particular book isn't for me. So far I just have a non-exclusive one. I don't really use it on GR, although I do use the corresponding tag on Storygraph if I'm certain my decision won't change. I'm not sure why the difference, except that I tag more extensively on SG in general because that's where I primarily manage my challenges.

The only non-exclusive shelves I actively use on GR at the moment are my PS challenge shelf and my favorites shelf. I have a few that I set up historically for specific projects and haven't deleted in case I ever want to refer back to them, but I don't add to them.

Happy Friday! It's pretty normal April weather over here, but after those beautiful early days of spring about 3 weeks ago it feels like it's winter again. Our sown grass just won't come up and birds are picking the seeds away. I think we have to sow again next week. Still, trees become a little greener every day.

Read this year: 15
PS: 9/40
Finished this week: Atlas: The Story of Pa Salt by Lucinda Riley
PS #11. Too long, too many repeats from the previous books.

QOTW
I don't have other exclusive shelves at Goodreads. In my Obsidian, I don't have a TBR but these 2 shelves:
Reading Pile - for books I got from the library or I bought
Holiday Pile - books I want to read or save for my holiday.

Megan wrote: "* Why We Click: The Emerging Science of Interpersonal Synchrony by Kate Murphy, which didn't fit any prompts;..."



That book looks REALLY interesting! So does her other book. Do you recommend?

Hello, y’all.

Oh, gosh. Here it is Saturday, and I totally forgot check-in this week!
Still have a week to go before refrig is repaired. Parts received. The good news is that food is staying cold-ish, so nothing has spoiled.

The bad news is that my repaired AC does not seem to be cooling well. Currently I have it set on 70 and it has been running all night long is only down to 76 from 79. I really hate to have to have another repair visit.

On top of that, I took the car in for regular maintenance and found that it needed tires and struts. Ended up having to leave it overnight (Thursday) with the expectation of picking it up yesterday. Still not ready. Keeping fingers crossed for today. Another 3K bill. It also should be having a recall fixed. That recall was first received in May of last year, and the shop just got the parts recently! (Edit: Car completed and home.)

Finally got tomatoes and peppers into the garden plots. Also have rhubarb starting to poke its head up.

Still trying to finish 3 March books. (Edit: Finished one today.) Just haven’t felt like reading this week with all the stuff going on. Rather I have been binge-watching TV shows.

Finished:
Spirit Run: A 6,000-Mile Marathon Through North America's Stolen Land – ATY Seasonal, PAS, PS #39 (marathon), ATY seasonal. 3*. Memoir.

Two Brothers – PAS. 3*

All the Shiny Things – Kindle. PAS. 4*

Four Red Sweaters: Powerful True Stories of Women and the Holocaust – GR Bookmark. 4.5*. Amazing research. Nonfiction.

Currently Reading:

Hog Wild – PS #15 (new beginnings), PAS.

Sipsworth – ATY #36 (woman over 40), PAS. 1%

The Water Women: A Novel - PAS. 1%

Dear Scarlet: The Story of My Postpartum Depression - PS #24 (postpartum), PAS

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

On Deck:

(library)
The Sweet Potato Queens' Book of Love: A Fallen Southern Belle's Look at Love, Life, Men, Marriage, and Being Prepared – ATY seasonal, PAS
Six Geese A-Slaying – ATY Seasonal
The Camel Bookmobile – ATY Seasonal,
How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water – ATY Seasonal, PS #28 (debt)
Two Parts Sugar, One Part Murder - PAS, PS #12 (sugar in title)
The Motorcycle Diaries: Notes on a Latin American Journey - PAS

(owned)
True Detectives – ATY# 52 (sunset vibes - 2025)
Murder in the Library – ATY #35 (set in library)

PS 9/50 (and 9 on desk waiting)
ATY 21/52 (and 8 waiting), Seasonal 8/14 (and 6 waiting)
GR 56/200

QotW: Probably most of us already had a custom one, but do you have other custom exclusive shelves?

I have a bunch. All exclusive.

Want to Read (157) – GR standard is my owned books shelf
To be Continued (453) – Series books
Wishlist (1254) – Want to read that are not owned
Friends Recommend (456) – Books gleaned from this group mainly
GR Recommends (157) – An occasional shelf for an occasional recommend
New Series (132) – Self explanatory
Next in Series (78) – Related to To Be Continued…but specifically the next book that is up
On Hold for Now (8) – Books I have stopped mid-stride but expect to come back to
TBR not available interlibrary (15) – Can’t get through either library system
TBR not in library (65) – Books not available in local libraries

Cornerofmadness wrote: "Trying to read through some spiraling depression over more and more layers added to my chronic illnesses. Sigh.

Zombie Day Care by Craig Halloran (ps 4 A book that starts with the ..."



I'm sorry you've been going through it lately.

The weather is SPRINGing - it's so hot out in the middle of the day up to 80s in Charlotte. Work drama is still taking a lot of me emotionally and I was so grateful to have yesterday off work for Good Friday.

21/70 GoodReads Challenge
20/50 PopSugar Challenge
21/52 ATY Challenge

Finished:
1.) King of Ashes by S.A. Cosby (PS #28 Debt || ATY #44 Death on Cover) ⭐⭐⭐⭐: Only my second Cosby and just as gritty as I anticipated. A teensy bit too much going on for the ending, but I appreciated what he did on this one.

2.) The Mad Wife by Meagan Church (ATY #11 Historical Fiction) ⭐⭐⭐: Appreciated the author's note but this didn't quite go deep enough for me to love it.

3.) The Jills by Karen Parkman (PS#20 Pilates || ATY #41 Mystery) ⭐: Premise was excellent, execution felt like a baby writer taking a twirl at publishing a novel. Writing was not good, I hate when a regular person suddenly becomes a top notch detective.



Currently Reading:
1.) It's a Love Story #37 Pop Star
2.) Atmosphere #5 Women Astronauts



QoTW: Goodreads is introducing an official DNF shelf. Probably most of us already had a custom one, but do you have other custom exclusive shelves?
I have a ton of shelves but I think only 1 additional exclusive shelf for the GR Year in Review recaps. I've been inconsistent about completing these. I can't DNF (really wish I could) so I won't be using that new shelf.

Nadine in NY wrote: "Megan wrote: "* Why We Click: The Emerging Science of Interpersonal Synchrony by Kate Murphy, which didn't fit any prompts;..."



That book looks REALLY interesting! So does her other book. Do you..."

I really like her writing style and how she translates more scientific researcher speak into something engaging and understandable. While I did enjoy Why We Click: The Emerging Science of Interpersonal Synchrony overall, I liked her first book You're Not Listening: What You're Missing and Why It Matters even more. One of my book clubs read it a while back and it was a fantastic discussion. I think we all had a moment while we reading where we like...oohhhh....maybe we aren't actually as great listeners as we thought 😉 I still try to apply the lessons from that one and think that book did help me become a more intentional listener. I actually think about that book a lot!

Britany wrote: "The weather is SPRINGing - it's so hot out in the middle of the day up to 80s in Charlotte. Work drama is still taking a lot of me emotionally and I was so grateful to have yesterday off work for G..."



omg it's almost 65 here today and I am DYING from the heat and humidity. LOL I'm just not used to it yet! I'm a sweaty mess. It's this time of year when I'm really glad I do not live in NC (or points south of NC)

Megan wrote: "Nadine in NY wrote: "Megan wrote: "* Why We Click: The Emerging Science of Interpersonal Synchrony by Kate Murphy, which didn't fit any prompts;..."



That book looks REALLY interesting! So does h..."



SOLD! LOL I've added both books to my TBR. I'll try the "listening" book first, I'll get to it whenever I finish my challenge reads this year. I think everyone can improve their listening skills; I know I should!

Nadine in NY wrote: "Cornerofmadness wrote: "Trying to read through some spiraling depression over more and more layers added to my chronic illnesses. Sigh.

Zombie Day Care by Craig Halloran (ps 4 A bo..."

thank you. I have chronic illnesses that are apparently trying to recruit new chronic illnesses

I just turned 70 freakin’ years old! How the hell does that happen? LOL I cannot believe a human body can actually keep going this long!! Un-freakin’-believable! But so far I’m glad it does/has! 😊

The back-release exercise my most recent physical therapist taught me works absolutely amazingly well! Not only is my lower back pain free and no longer "stiff" all day long, but the pain and discomfort in my left foot (the heel and a tendon on top) is alleviated as long as I do this at least twice a day. And...after the first week I have discovered that the pain/discomfort in my left knee is decreasing, so I am hoping that over time perhaps that is totally alleviated as well. I have gone from icing 2-3 parts of my body twice a day to not needing to ice at all!! It's a true miracle, IMO!! This is proof that it just takes that ONE person to know how best to treat your body! I am soooooooo very grateful and pleased!!

The 52 Book Club Challenge is now offering a Sidequest specifically designed for younger or young-at-heart readers! I have quite a few juvenile books I want to read, so thought this might be a nice way to document them as I go! There is no time-limit.

And the 52 Book Club Challenge now has a Mystery Genre Challenge that again has no time limit! Since I adore mysteries, again, I felt this would be a fun way to document them!

ADMIN STUFF:
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! 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏🎉🪄🪄🪄🎊🎊
Discussion is HERE
I’ll keep this in the Current Monthly Group read folder for a couple more weeks!

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...
Kate is the “gardening guru” who has graciously volunteered to lead this discussion! YAY!! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! 👍😁🥰🪄🪄🎊🎊🎉🎉👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
This is a favorite read for me! I enjoyed it so much as a reread just last year!
And it is available FREE on Gutenberg! (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/17396)

THE MAY MONTHLY GROUP READ 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!
I have my copy and am looking forward to reading this one!

THE JUNE MONTHLY GROUP READ IS Julie Chan Is Dead by Liann Zhang
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!
And I just received an email this week that I will be receiving a free copy of this from a Goodreads Giveaway I entered!! YAY!!

THE JULY MONTHLY GROUP READ SELECTION IS A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking by T. Kingfisher
This book could be used to fulfill prompt #7 A book about a granny hobby
National Gorgeous Grandma Day is July 23
https://nationaltoday.com/national-go...
Let us know if you are the "bountiful baker" who will facilitate this discussion!
********

DOUBLE THE POLLS AND DOUBLE THE FUN!!
THE AUGUST MONTHLY GROUP READ FINAL SELECTION POLL IS HERE!
This book could be used to fulfill prompt #50 A book about Afrofuturism
International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition is August 23
https://www.unesco.org/en/days/slave-...

There are only two top vote-getters to consider from the nomination poll:
Kindred by Octavia E. Butler
Death of the Author by Nnedi Okorafor

Which one will it be? Only 20 people have voted and it is close!!

***This poll will run from March 26th through April 7th!***

THE SEPTEMBER MONTHLY GROUP READ NOMINATION POLL IS HERE
This book could be used to fulfill prompt #47 A book told entirely through letters
World Letter Writing Day is September 1
https://nationaltoday.com/world-lette...

If you do not see the title you would like to nominate, please write it in. Please check the book's eligibility first! Only books that have NOT been discussed within the past two years (2024-present) are eligible. Remember to consult the listing of these books that are NOT eligible for this month HERE before nominating! :) There is an alphabetized listing by title as well as a chronological listing. (And I did check against that list before nominating those first books! 😯🤗)

NOTE: This is the NOMINATION round, which is step one. We will select the top results from this round to create a new poll for a Final Vote to select ONE book for the September 2026 group read.

***This poll will run from March 26th through April 7th!***

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

QUESTION OF THE WEEK:
This week's question was suggested by Sasha:
Goodreads is introducing an official DNF shelf. Probably most of us already had a custom one, but do you have other custom exclusive shelves?
Congrats on a great question! I do! There are two:
DO NOT READ
I grew weary of investigating the same books only to discover they were HORROR and I was really NOT interested in reading them!
JOHN OWNS
For books that I am interested in reading AND I know my husband owns a copy!

2026 READING CHALLENGES:
Popsugar: 25/50
52 Book Club: 40/52

FINISHED:
*The Enchanted Castle by E. Nesbit ⭐⭐⭐⭐ was quite different from what I expected. Though I don’t know exactly what I did expect! LOL Evidently, Nesbit is known for having blended fantasy with reality to the point that it was sometimes difficult to tell the two apart. And that perfectly explained my reaction to this book! I would love to know what reaction a member of the target audience (children) might have to it! It was a HEA romance, but not overly so and there were complexities to the plot, though I admit it didn’t really impress me as an amazing read… I do plan to also read Five Children and It, also authored by Nesbit to see how it strikes me.
POPSUGAR: #1, #13, #15, #28
52 Book Club: #2, #8, #11, #16, #17, #26, #35, #44, #49, #50

*Chris Makes a Friend by Álex Gino ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ was an excellent read! I could very clearly relate to Chris! Like her, I was also a voracious reader as a child, though I had no siblings. So I am a bit jealous of Chris. She has an obnoxious little sister!
POPSUGAR: #1, #9, #15, #16
52 Book Club: #13, #16, #38, #39, #48, #49

*A Ghostly Gift (Southern Ghost Hunter #1.5) by Angie Fox ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ was a very nice cozy short mystery! Definitely continuing with the series!
POPSUGAR: #13, #15, #16, #18, #27, #41
52 Book Club: #2, #11, #13, #16, #17, #26, #28, #35, #49

*There Flies the Witch: An Enchanting Fantasy About Finding Family and Identity for Children by Mayonn Paasewe-Valchev ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ was not what I expected and the ending was also unexpected! Quite a story of family, love, and belonging. Is it possible to have skills and abilities that are not inherited from your biological parent(s)? Perhaps so, if a person cares for you as if they are your parent… This was poignant and rather bittersweet, and quite a compelling read!
POPSUGAR: #13, #15, #16, #27
52 Book Club: #11, #13, #16, #24, #26, #33, #35, #38, #39, #49

CONTINUING:
*Harlem Rhapsody by Victoria Christopher Murray
*Fundamentally by Nussaibah Younis for an IRL book club meeting
*Autobiography of Red by Anne Carson for an IRL book club meeting
*A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki for an author event
*Sabrina & Corina by Kali Fajardo-Anstine for an author event
*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 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

L Y N N wrote: "I just turned 70 freakin’ years old! How the hell does that happen? LOL I cannot believe a human body can actually keep going this long!! Un-freakin’-believable! But so far I’m glad it does/has! 😊
..."

I've been wondering the same thing since last August! Happy Birthday, L Y N N! Inside your still 30!

L Y N N wrote: "I just turned 70 freakin’ years old! How the hell does that happen? LOL I cannot believe a human body can actually keep going this long!! Un-freakin’-believable! But so far I’m glad it does/has! 😊
..."

Happy birthday, and thanks for unknowingly giving me some perspective. I am going to be 60 at the end of the year and this is the first time I've ever worried about a birthday. 30? 40? 50? Didn't care about any of them. I never felt different or old. This one I care about. Maybe because I'm resentful that I still have to work yet it feels "old"? Because now I have thins like arthritic fingers and toes? they don't slow me down at all but...

Anyway, now I'm thinking I should put it aside and not think about age again for another 10 years because 70 seems like a perfectly reasonable age to be, let alone 60

Nadine in NY wrote: "omg it's almost 65 here today and I am DYING from the heat and humidity. LOL I'm just not used to it yet! I'm a sweaty mess. It's this time of year when I'm really glad I do not live in NC (or points south of NC)."

Fair point Nadine - woke up today to 47 with a high of 68. Spring weather is always so hard to figure out. I will take ALL the cooler weather days.

L Y N N wrote: "I just turned 70 freakin’ years old! How the hell does that happen? LOL I cannot believe a human body can actually keep going this long!! Un-freakin’-believable! But so far I’m glad it does/has! 😊
..."

Happy Birthday Lynn!

Cornerofmadness wrote: "Trying to read through some spiraling depression over more and more layers added to my chronic illnesses. Sigh."

I'm so sorry that you're dealing with all this. Hope you get some peace soon.

I just realized that for whatever reason, the two current Monthly Group Read polls for the August Final Selection and September Nomination were set to end ON APRIL 2ND! NOT APRIL 7TH! I have had Goodreads change the end date as I was creating and trying to post a poll, but not once it was done! Ugh!

So I am extending both of these polls to NEXT Tuesday, April 14th! So we have another week to vote! I need to always check on those end dates I guess! Yikes!

The polls are HERE

Theresa wrote: "L Y N N wrote: "I just turned 70 freakin’ years old! How the hell does that happen? LOL I cannot believe a human body can actually keep going this long!! Un-freakin’-believable! But so far I’m glad...

I've been wondering the same thing since last August! Happy Birthday, L Y N N! Inside your still 30!"
Thanks! I guess I am still just as ornery as I was at age 30!

Denise wrote: "L Y N N wrote: "I just turned 70 freakin’ years old! How the hell does that happen? LOL I cannot believe a human body can actually keep going this long!! Un-freakin’-believable! But so far I’m glad..."

Back in my 30s I began just being grateful for every single day without really paying attention to the accumulation of those days into years, etc. One day at a time. Much easier. Much more straightforward!

Britany wrote: "L Y N N wrote: "I just turned 70 freakin’ years old! How the hell does that happen? LOL I cannot believe a human body can actually keep going this long!! Un-freakin’-believable! But so far I’m glad..."

Thanks!

Cornerofmadness wrote: "Trying to read through some spiraling depression over more and more layers added to my chronic illnesses. Sigh."
Being chronically ill and/or in pain absolutely sucks! I wish I had a magic wand that worked!! You would be on the of the first people I would help!! In the meantime, please accept the positive healing energy I'm sending!