Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge discussion

Happy Thursday!

Last night we (me and my two kids) went into Syracuse for a Trivia Night. It was a lot of fun and we got second place (no prize or anything LOL)

It snowed a few times this week, so there's still patches of snow on the ground here and there. My snowdrops are finally done, the scilla are blooming now so it's a puddle of blue under my maple tree.



***** Admin stuff *****
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!)


Our polls have been extended another week.
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

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 3 books, 1 for this Challenge so I am now 27/50:

The Night We Met by Abby Jimenez - I enjoyed reading this, and I stayed up way too late reading, but tbh I didn't think it was very good. I finished it a few days ago and already I've forgotten most of it, but I remember that I didn't like their relationship. She was dating his best friend for most of the book, so this was - effectively - a story of infidelity and ending up with your affair partner. No challenge category.

A Violent Masterpiece by Jordan Harper - this NetGalley book comes out at the end of this month. Harper wrote one of my all-time favorite books (She Rides Shotgun) and I love his gritty neo-noir style, but this book was rough. I had to keep setting it down because the subject matter (a serial killer in LA) was so disturbing. Five stars, but whoa. No challenge category.

The Mango Tree: A Memoir of Fruit, Florida, and Felony by Annabelle Tometich - I never would have read this book if I had not been searching for books with fruit on the cover! I really really enjoyed this memoir of a Filipina-American woman growing up in Florida. Five stars!


All of the books that I've been reading this week (some I finished, some I'm still currently reading) have orange covers, which is unusual!
and (a little bit)


Popsugar 54% 27 /50
Must Reads 0% 0 /1
2026 pub 38% 19 /50
NetGalley ratio 79%











Question of the Week
This week's question was suggested by K.L.:

What are your thoughts about special edition copies of books (books with sprayed/stenciled edges, special end papers, illustrated copies, etc.)? Do you find yourself picking up new copies of books that you already own because they are "prettier" than your original copy? Have you ever bought a book you were only mildly interested in because it was a special edition?





I can see the appeal, but it's not really a big thing for me. I've never intentionally purchased a second copy of a book unless I lost the first copy.

Happy Thursday all.

This week I finally got the courage to submit some of my writing to a literary magazine. They rejected it, haha... I guess that's all part of the process, though. Time to try again.

Books read this week:

The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Six More -- for “book with pop or sugar in the title.” More adult-oriented than Dahl’s usual work, but an interesting look at some of his earlier, lesser-known work, including some rare non-fiction pieces.

Behooved -- for “book about a horse or with a horse on the cover.” This was a cute romantasy, great for fans of Ladyhawke. And it was nice to see a protagonist in a fantasy novel with an invisible disability.

The Immortal Choir Holds Every Voice -- not for the challenge. Third in the Danielle Cain series, and a brutal but beautiful read about magic and those who live on the fringes of society.

How to Be Okay When Nothing Is Okay -- not for the challenge. I love Jenny Lawson, and though this is technically a self-help book, it feels like a self-help book for the neurodivergent, those struggling with depression and anxiety, and just generally the “not quite normal” folks like me. And I LOVED it so much that I want to buy copies for all my friends and family.

Memento -- not for the challenge. Prequel novella to the Illuminae Files series. I forgot how much I enjoyed these books… now I want to reread them.

Regular Challenge: 38/40
Advanced Challenge 10/10
Books read that weren’t for the challenge: 13

DNF:

The September House -- interesting premise, I just could NOT with the characters.

Currently reading:

In Cold Blood -- for “book outside your comfort zone”
Someone You Can Build a Nest In -- for “book about a character with a hidden past”
'90s Kids -- not for the challenge
A Night in the Lonesome October -- not for the challenge

QOTW:

I haven't bought any books with the fancy sprayed edges, but I work in a library and we're always admiring sprayed edges on incoming books. I remember when it was considered fancy for a book to just have red or gold sprayed edges, now there's all kinds of amazing designs.

Some of these sprayed edges make us do a double-take, though. I don't remember exact titles, but there's a thriller book whose sprayed edges make it look like it's bloodstained, and another where the sprayed edges look like char marks. Clever, but also a little annoying when it's your job to check books for damage and keep going "oh my gosh was this book present at a crime scene..."

Happy Thursday! I took all the boys - Seth (33), Eli (8), and Ewan (3) - to the Mario Galaxy movie this week. They were so good! Totally engrossed in the movie, no complaints.

Reading Challenges:

52 Book Club: 41/52 (April Mini-Challenge: 1/3)
52 Books Read It, Watch It: 4/12
ATY: 38/52 (ATY Spring: 13/15)
Booklist Queen: 36/52
Popsugar: 35/50
Goodreads Spring Bookmarks: 4/12
52 Books Mystery Challenge: 8/50

My Ever-Growing TBR: 39/247 – 15.8% (My goal is 33.3%.)

Recently Completed:

🪺 Bringing Down the Duke, A League of Extraordinary Women, #1 ★★★★
🪺 Home: A Memoir of My Early Years (52 Books #34 – inspired by the top-grossing movie the year you were born) ★★★
🪺 Her One Regret: BOTM Selection. (Mystery #7 – an unsettling read/Popsugar #24 – about postpartum) ★★★★
🪺 107 Days ★★★★
🪺 The Night We Met, Say You’ll Remember Me, #2: I devoured this book! (52 Books April Mini #2 – author smiling with teeth/ATY #30 – most recently published book by an author/Booklist Queen #19 – makes you happy/Goodreads Spring Bookmarks #5 – Trending Picks) ★★★★★
🪺 To Ride a Rising Storm, Nampeshiweisit, #2 (Booklist Queen #25 – dragons) ★★★
🪺 Heated Rivalry, Game Changers, #2 (52 Books RIWI #4 – author’s first and last initials are the same/Popsugar #31 – FOMO) ★★★★
🪺 The Animators ★★★★
🪺 Julie Chan Is Dead (ATY #26 – Z in the author’s name: Liann Zhang/Mystery #8 – title includes death or dead) ★★★★
🪺 Half His Age (Booklist Queen #31 – fiction by a celebrity) ★★★



QOTW: I haven't re-purchased any books because of special editions, but I am absolutely attracted to all the pretty sprayed edges. Yes, there are books I've purchased just because they're pretty.

Morning all! After months of wrangling with insurance, we are finally getting our floor fixed after a water leak. The kittens are supervising.

42 books so far.
Popsugar 31/50.
52 Book Club 32/52.
Booklist Queen 29/52.
This Challenge Killed the Bookworm 13/25.

Finished The First Four Years by Laura Ingalls Wilder, for the postpartum prompt. I am combining it with Prairie Fires: The American Dreams of Laura Ingalls Wilder for the 52 Book Club paired prompt of fiction and nonfiction about the same person. Either book would have worked for debt if I didn't already have that category covered.

Also reading While Justice Sleeps, a legal thriller by Stacey Abrams. A Supreme Court Justice is in a coma, and his clerk is shocked to learn that he's named her his legal guardian. And some Very Bad People think she knows more than she does.

QOTD: I tend to read a book once and pass it on, so special editions don't mean much to me. Except the one for Red, White & Royal Blue that had the extra chapter from Henry's POV.

Oh dear, the kittens have spotted a fly and are playing Mighty Hunter.

Kenya wrote: "Happy Thursday all.

This week I finally got the courage to submit some of my writing to a literary magazine. They rejected it, haha... I guess that's all part of the process, though. Time to try a..."

How exciting! The rejection part definitely sucks - I used to threaten to wallpaper with mine. But it makes the acceptances so much more satisfying when they come.

Kenya wrote: "Happy Thursday all.

This week I finally got the courage to submit some of my writing to a literary magazine. They rejected it, haha... I guess that's all part of the process, though. Time to try a..."




Congrats on being brave! Someone once said they made it a goal to achieve a certain number of rejections. (I can't remember if it was submitting writing or applying for jobs.) That seemed like a good way to look at it, to me.

Update: PS: 30/40
52: 24/52

Finished: Animal Wise: The Thoughts and Emotions of Our Fellow Creatures for features birding.
The Introvert Advantage: How to Thrive in an Extrovert World I had trouble finding a GOOD book on introverts. I thought this qualified.
Tracks in the Wilderness of Dreaming
The Elsewhere Express Used for travel ghost story.

Started: Daily Rituals: Women at Work Used for sexless marriage.
The Correspondent for award-winning book in 2025.

QotW: I have never been one to get fancy versions of books, but I have to admit, I'm a sucker for the decorated edges.

Hello, everyone! Happy Thursday!

This has been a great reading week! I’m currently working to get caught up on the various duologies, trilogies, and series that are on my physical bookshelves, and I feel like I’m making really good progress.

I have also officially finished the last remaining book that I received for Christmas! I’m really pleased that I was able to get all of those books read this early in the year, especially since I haven’t done a great job of reading gifted books in a timely manner in years past. Just like in previous updates, I marked the book that was a Christmas gift with a tree emoji (🎄).

Here are my current challenge and TBR totals…

Goodreads Challenge: 64/250
Mount TBR Challenge: 32/150

📚Physical TBR: 29/462
📱Ebook TBR: 3/161
🎧Audiobook TBR: 0/1
TBR Checklist Total: 32/624 (5% complete)

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

I bought copies of 3 very different books this week, including The New Perimenopause: An Evidence-Based Guide to Surviving the Zone of Chaos and Feeling Like Yourself Again, by Mary Clare Haver, MD; Otaku Vampire's Love Bite, Vol. 7, by Julietta Suzuki; and Rites of the Starling, by Devney Perry.

These are the only books that I will purchase during the month of April. To help me get caught up on all of the books I’ve bought since the beginning of March, I am now on a book buying ban through the end of this month. If I am able to finish all 7 books remaining on my New Books list before the end of April, then the ban will end when the month does.

However, if I don’t manage to finish all of the books, then I won’t be able to purchase any in May either. Since May is when the next books in both the Murderbot Diaries and Dungeon Crawler Carl series are being released, I am highly motivated to reach my goal.

“New” Books Bought in 2026: 38
“New” Books Read in 2026: 31
“New” Books DNFed in 2026: 0
“New” Books Checklist Total: 31/38 (81% complete)

Here are the books I finished this week…

Finished Reading (Fiction):
~The Faraway Inn — This standalone YA novel was exactly the kind of cozy fantasy escapism that I’ve come to expect from Sarah Beth Durst. I thought the story was lovely, and really liked the characters. 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~The Ether Witch: Confronting the Crafty Concubine — This is the second book in The Ether Witch trilogy. I did have a little bit of difficulty getting into this book, because it had been quite a while since I read the previous one, but I really enjoyed the story and actually read most of it in a single day. I’m already looking forward to reading the next book as soon as it is released. 📚🎄: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This week I also had a chance to continue my first ever read-through of Terry Pratchett’s Discworld. I started reading this series last year, and I’ve been having so much fun with it. Unfortunately, I only own the first 25 books in the series. I do plan to get the remaining books, but I can’t do it this month with my book buying ban in effect. That does mean I won’t be able to finish the whole series during this month’s reading project, but I will get completely caught up on the part of the series that I already own. This week I was able to finish books 11-13, which includes…
~Reaper Man — This is the eleventh book in the Discworld series. I thought this was a very clever story, and enjoyed seeing the chaos that ensued when Death went missing on the Discworld. I also loved the introduction of the Death of Rats. 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~Witches Abroad — The twelfth Discworld book has been my favorite of the series so far. The books about the witches are always a lot of fun, and this one had me laughing out loud quite a few times. I loved all of the literary references, especially the reference to The Lord of the Rings. Content Alert: (view spoiler)[ This book does include a few animal deaths. (hide spoiler)] 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~Small Gods — The thirteenth Discworld book is currently my least favorite book in the series. That being said, I did think the story was clever. Content Alert: (view spoiler)[ This book includes animal cruelty, and references to torture and human sacrifice. (hide spoiler)] 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Finished Reading (Nonfiction):
None

Finished Reading (Manga, Comic Books, & Graphic Novels):
~Otaku Vampire's Love Bite, Vol. 7 — This was a great continuation of the series. I’m already looking forward to reading the next volume when it’s released. 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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. 🎧
~Horror Unmasked: A History of Terror from Nosferatu to Nope — I’m currently about 20 pages into this book, and I’m finding it interesting so far. 📚
~The New Perimenopause: An Evidence-Based Guide to Surviving the Zone of Chaos and Feeling Like Yourself Again — My doctor recently recommended this book to me, and I’m very glad she did. I don’t often recommend medical books, especially not when I’m only a few chapters in, but I highly recommend this book to every women with questions about perimenopause. 📚
~This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me — This is the first book in the Maggie the Undying series. I usually really enjoy isekai stories, so I had pretty high expectations going into this book. Unfortunately, those expectations are currently not being met. Unless the story gets more interesting (and less info dump-y) very soon, I may be DNFing. 📚
~Crown of War and Shadow — I’m currently only a couple of chapters into this book, so I really don’t have an opinion on it yet. 📚
~Lords and Ladies — This is the fourteenth book in the Discworld series. I’m currently about 100 pages into this book, and I’m really enjoying it so far. I will definitely finish it later today. 📚

QOTW:
I have to admit that I’m mildly to moderately obsessed with special edition books, especially ones with stenciled edges. I’ve absolutely purchased multiple copies of books because I couldn’t resist the look of a special edition, or because I wanted to read the bonus content included in the new release.

I’ve also purchased books I knew very little about just because they were pretty.

I am getting a lot more selective about the special editions I choose to purchase than I used to be, and I’m trying to restrict my special edition purchases to specific series/authors that I know I love. But it can be so hard to resist those pretty stenciled edges! I'm absolutely in awe of all of you who can!

PopSugar 28/50
AtY 27/52
Curiosity Killed the Bookworm: 16/25

Finished:
Paladin’s Grace by T Kingfisher For #27, a character with curly hair
Everyone on This Train is a Suspect by Benjamin Stevenson Audiobook. This is for AtY


Currently Reading:
Die Strasse Nach Roswell by Connie Willis 39%
Pilgrim at Tinker’s Creek by Annie Dillard 35% This hasn’t gotten any less boring in the last 50 years. I really want to DNF this. Insects, so many insects. Parts are interesting but it’s a long way between the interesting bits.
Catch 22 by Joseph Heller For #3, a book I meant to read in 2025
You Deserve to Know by Angie Blum Thompson audiobook
The Secret Garden
Babycakes by Armistad Maupin
Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke A tradwife with a huge social following is transported about 150 years back. Or is she?

b>DNF
Watchmen


QOTW
I love the older books with the gilded edges and stuff but the new ones don't attract me, it just seems like such a gimmick.

Question of the Week:

I now almost exclusively buy ebooks, so the physical special editions don't really tempt me. Even the recent Revenge of the Sith anniversary edition with annotations was not enough to sway me to get it, and I love that book and story so much.

Finished:

Godzilla Library Collection, Vol. 1 (3 out of 5 stars)

The gangster and half-century war stories were worth reading, and the one-offs were not that interesting besides Anguirus.

Crime Rangoon (3 out of 5 stars, title starts with first initial of the author's last name, started on the 26th of the month)

It's a cozy mystery with a likable main cast and some soap opera-like subplots. The very ending was a bit weaker than I was hoping for, but it all hung together pretty well.

The Seat Filler (4 out of 5 stars)

I read this for a book set in California. It's a rom-com for those who like Adam Driver and dogs (which is a sizable section of the population). The contrived nature of the conflict near the end is a bit overdone, but I enjoyed it for most of its length. The physical side of the romance is closed door for anything past kissing and cuddling, for those who would like to know that.

The Black Shore (3 out of 5 stars)

This is a Star Trek: Voyager take on the Circe episode of The Odyssey. The author makes good use of the cast and early Season 3 setting. It's a good adventure for the Voyager crew but not an essential read, so it gets the basic three stars.

Currently reading:

Guards! Guards!
Peril at End House

Other artistic pursuits:

I saw the Mario Galaxy movie over the weekend with my kids. We all had a great time. Yoshi is my favorite character in the Mario setting, and I love Super Mario Bros. 2 characters, so I had extra reason to enjoy the movie.

The Boston Symphony announced their 2026-2027 concert season, and I am quite pumped about it. They are getting the big name guest soloists like Hilary Hahn, and the mix of crowd favorites with new/premiere pieces is just right.

The bluebells are definitely early this year. Usually we have the aconites and wood anemones first but seems like everything’s blooming at once in the woods this spring. It smells so perfumed!

Finished:
Bat Eater by Kylie Lee Baker. 5 stars! This was sad, thoughtful, creepy and gory all at once. Was going to use it for travel ghost but doesn't quite fit, and I reckon the point of horror is to make you uncomfortable, so:
PS - 40 A book outside your comfort zone
ATY - 4. A book by a new-to-you author
TCKtB - 19. The end of the world… or is it?
52BC - 18. Provokes strong emotion

Through Gates of Garnet and Gold by Seanan McGuire. I liked the parts about Nancy’s world but otherwise felt like it was going over ground already covered in previous books. Maybe the series is suffering from alternating between standalone adventures and school based now.
PS - 16 A book less than 260 pages
ATY - 32. A novella of 100-250 pages
52BC - 28. From a series at least eight books long

The Night We Met by Abby Jimenez. I liked this more than Nadine did! I think it’s meant to be difficult, and the characters are messy people who are far from perfect. Book isn't perfect either, but I enjoyed it if I didn’t think too hard about the logistics.
ATY 51. A book published in 2026
52BC 52. Published in 2026

Currently listening to The Red Winter.

QOTW:
I think the special editions are a nice way to encourage people not to buy all their books from Amazon. I definitely like a well-designed edge and secret cover (I read hardbacks with the dust cover off, so gives me something to look at other than plain board). Partly why I keep my Evernight subscription is because the editions just look cool (and it’s quarterly so doesn’t build up as much as monthly ones).

When they were a bit rarer, sprayed edges would make me buy a book, but they’re fairly common now. The last two T. Kingfisher books I bought both had printed edges, and they were just what you got at Waterstones.

I am trying to reduce the physical books in my house these days. If I’m deciding between ebook and print, a special edition can sway me.

Nadine in NY wrote: "Kenya wrote: "Happy Thursday all.

This week I finally got the courage to submit some of my writing to a literary magazine. They rejected it, haha... I guess that's all part of the process, though...."

@Kenya and any writers here - just keep being brave and submitting. Consider rejections as a rite of passage, the toll paid to enter the tribe of published writers. Every published writer experiences it.

Happy Thursday!

Finished:
Seasons of Glass and Iron: Stories by Amal El-Mohtar - 4 stars - not for a prompt. An interesting collection of the author's early short stories and poetry.

Nobody's Baby by Olivia Waite - 4 stars - for a book less than 260 pages. I really enjoy the world building, and this was a different sort of sci-fi mystery.

Comics & manga:
SideQuested: Book 1
Oshi No Ko , Vol. 12
Colette Decides to Die, Vol. 6
Frieren: Beyond Journey's End, Vol. 14

I am currently at 20/50 for the Popsugar reading challenge (16/40 and 4/10).

Currently reading:
This Princess Kills Monsters by Ry Herman - for either harvesting season (there's a reference in the first part to it being early autumn, but not sure if the whole thing takes place then) or a character with curly hair.

Upcoming/Planned:
Cursed Ever After by Andy C. Naranjo - potentially for teen angst. If not, then a book you were hoping would fit into a prompt but doesn't. :)

QOTW:
I will only pick up a special edition if it's a book I particularly love and want a fancy shelf copy of. I have a few of them, all for series I consider favorites. Usually if I pick up a special edition, I'll either donate or gift my original copy if it's one I already owned in hardcover.

Greetings from NYC where the weather is constantly in flux. Never know what outerwear you need when you leave the apartment!

PS 25/52 ATY 33/52

Finished:
Murder on the Orient Express - a re-read and just wonderful! ATY - isolated location - train stuck in a snowdrift in the mountains in Eastern Europe - yup - isolated.
The Christmas Bride PS - sexless marriage - YES! Historical romance novella where the hero's plan to save a young woman and her young brother from an evil guardian is a marriage of convenience immediately after which he is to depart for the Far East never to return.

Currently reading: Too many because the 3 I was reading got shoved aside temporarily as I needed distracting comfort reads and pulled out historical romances from the TBR. I do however have to finish reading Piranesi before my book club meets on Sunday.

QOTW: I definitely acquire special or limited editions of books.

The 50th Anniversary reissue in hardcover of Sexual Politics by Kate Millett with it's additional essays to replace my tattered original mass market paperback.

Boxed set of British edition trade paperback issued with new covers about 10 years ago.

Game of Thrones series specially bound and illustrated editions.

Recent fancy editions, with new cover art, or deckled edges, or additional materials or any combo of the above for everything from Nettle & Bone to Dracula.

I also have been known to seek out to read special editions - such as my first read of A Wizard of Earthsea was a special anniversary edition with additional essays and commentary added. I also borrowed the 10th Anniversary edition of Barbara Kingsolver's Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life because each member of the family, include the now adult youngest, contributed an update essay to it.

There has to be something special about the limited or special edition - such as added materials or it's a book I keep or will keep in my library so why not a special edition. Or it's just an impulse acquisition - like HP British set.

Happy Thursday!

Ever heard of a locked church on Easter Sunday? Well, we had. The lock was broken and there's only one door you can unlock from the outside. Luckily, our church has a small building nearby in the city for meetings, so we could celebrate over there. Lots of improvisation of course, people looking up songs on their phones, because all the songbooks were inside the church. Secretly, I really enjoyed it.

Meanwhile, it's spring again over here. Temps around 20 degrees (maybe it's summer already), just perfect. Small green blades are now appearing in our lawn where we reseeded the grass. Trees are blooming and getting leaves. Yeah, it's spring!

Read this year: 16
PS: 9/40
Finished this week: Paris: de memoires van Abel Sikkink by Bert Wagendorp. Part 3 of a fictional memoir of a Dutch-American journalist at the New York Herald. In this part, he is in Paris during the French-German War (1870-1871).

QOTW
It looks really nice, but I wouldn't buy an extra copy or a book I wasn't planning to buy because of it. If I was already planning to buy a book and I could get my hands on a special edition, I would buy the special edition.

Hi all! Beautiful spring day here in NY (Nadine- you got more snow?? it's all been gone here for weeks!). Kiddo is outside running around and I have a window cracked. Speaking of her... tomorrow she turns 8!! How did that happen? We're having a party with family on Saturday. Tomorrow she wants to go to the Chinese buffet, so I think that's what we'll do. I was trying to get her to go to the local ice cream stand, but it's her birthday! Friends are coming the following weekend and at some point, we want to take her to the Mario movie.
Nothing much to report for me, mostly I've been cleaning house! lol

I feel like I'm on a reading treadmill- I read and I read, but I feel like I'm getting nowhere! I probably have a few too many books going at once, plus spring break last week, and cleaning house, and it results in very little progress.

I read some of Inferno and The Secret Book Society and Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents: How to Heal from Distant, Rejecting, or Self-Involved Parents.

And then a friend in another group twisted my arm (not really) to buddy read Brotherless Night with them. I'm listening to it and every so often, the narrator makes a weird pause. Like she got to the end of a line of text and even though............... the sentence continues, she pauses like there's a period. It's not horrible, but I have noticed it a few times. As for the story itself, it's about civil war (I think) in Sri Lanka in the early 80s. I say I think because the author has just plunged us into the MC's life with no backstory. Myself and the other ladies reading can't even figure out *why* they're erupting into war. The MC and her family mention being second class citizens, but they are upper middle class, they move around the country freely, they and their neighbors are various religions and all are free to worship as they please, they go to college and have good jobs, they vote, so I'm not really sure what's going on here. I could look it up, but for now, I think I'll just go with it. Whatever the reasoning behind it, the author has done an excellent job of making it horribly realistic. Not sure if it'll work for a prompt or not.

QOTW: I almost never buy books, so I am immune to fancy editions. I definitely wouldn't buy a duplicate of a book I already own. I suppose if I were buying a book and there was a special edition and the price was relatively the same, I would buy the nicer book, but I don't recall those events ever coming together like that.

Blessed Holy Week to any other Orthodox Christians out there. It's the most important week of the year, soI've been very busy and haven't had time to read.

Currently Reading

The Bands of Mourning for "book with a platonic relationship between a man and a woman". I'm SO close to finishing. This has been a rollercoaster ride!!

QotW

I do love pretty books! I won't go out of my way to buy special editions if I already have the books, with one exception. I hate the original Wheel of Time covers, so when TOR redid them, I bought a whole new set and donated the old ones. Ha! But now I'm really tempted to get the illustrated leatherbounds that Dragonsteel is putting out. But they're so expensive! Sigh....

Hello and happy Thursday from Columbus! I missed the last few check-ins, I have just not been up for much of anything lately. But I hope all who celebrate had a great Easter and I hope wherever you are the weather is finally warming up like it is here!

Finished:
The Blood Countess: Murder, Betrayal, and the Making of a Monster I can’t remember why I checked out this book. As a teen I thought the tales of Elizabeth Bathory were so salacious and cool, I even got the Elizabeth Bathory living dead doll for a pretty penny. As an adult I found her story devastating once you realize she was more than likely a victim of vindictive men. This was book felt like a pretty comprehensive history, and this was the first time I saw my maternal side (the Batthyány family) mentioned in connection with the events.

Dominion I think this was for one of the Goodreads seasonal bookmark challenges. This book was nuts. Kinda hard to follow sometimes but overall just a wild ride about the wife and kids of a southern mega church (Baptist?) pastor and the really fucked up relationships they have.

Penelope's Bones: A New History of Homer’s World through the Women Written Out of It also for a bookmark. Women of Greek myth is my favorite category of books. This was more nonfiction based, discussing real women from the era and how they relate to the legends. Fun scientific discoveries help frame this book and how the author brings these women back to life.

Wild Dark Shore maybe for a bookmark, maybe because I saw everyone else reading it and I liked the cover. Weird book, lovely scenery. I couldn’t quite tell if this was near apocalyptic or just average climate change woes. I found most of the characters off-putting. But put me on a remote island described vividly and I’m content.

Pumpkin just finished this trilogy for funsies. Cute characters, cute story. It took me through half of this third book to realize the bully shares the same first and last name as my boyfriend’s estranged brother. How fitting lol.

Farmer Boy for my classics challenge. Cute, wholesome, nostalgic.

The Friday Night Knitting Club for the granny hobby prompt. Fitting read as I work my way through a baby blanket im knitting for a client. Sweet read with a devastating ending. Mildly annoyed by any plot that involves a long absent father deciding to pop back in and is immediately adored by the kid(s) he walked out on, but I’ve seen it so many times that I just roll my eyes and move on.

Starling House for a read harder prompt. Spoopy, close to home, wish there had been more of the fairy tale the book centered around.

Rouge not for a prompt. Mona Awad, you crazy, and I love you for it. I can’t get enough of her and Ottessa Moshfegh’s writing.

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

Recently Watched:
I recently realized I can watch a movie on my phone during large chunks of my work day so I’ve been enjoying watching movies based on books I’ve read. I watched both Let the Right One Ins, Never Let Me Go, Atonement, Wild, and I watched the video game play through of I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream (weird, can’t recommend, but I did find out Harlan Ellison voices the evil AI)

QOTW: yeah, I guess I do do that. I have a book shelf in my living room that’s for my “pretty” books. I love getting the cloth bound hardcover penguins classics. But I also like the rifle paper classic covers. I prefer a vintage pretty book but I’m open to anything that catches my eye.


2025 Challenges:
Popsugar - 10/40; 0/10
Read Harder - 6/24
Classics - 2/12
European Tour - 5/10
12 Friends - 10/12
Yearly Goal - 40/180

A quick check-in for me since this week has been a roller coaster and I am ready for a quiet, uneventful Friday. Fingers crossed 🤞🏼 I finished one book, which fit an open prompt and also worked for several other challenges I'm working on (bonus 😎). I'm now at 9/40 and 1/10 for this challenge and 15/75 for my overall Goodreads Reading Challenge.

Finished:
* Strange Weather in Tokyo written by Hiromi Kawakami and translated by Allison Markin Powell, which I used for "a book less than 260 pages."

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;
* Powerfully Likeable: A Woman's Guide to Effective Communication by Kate Mason;
* The Einstein Conspiracy by Steve Israel;
* How to Be Okay When Nothing Is Okay by Jenny Lawson; and,
* Careless People: A Cautionary Tale of Power, Greed, and Lost Idealism written and narrated by Sarah Wynn-Williams.

Question of the Week:
This week's question was suggested by K.L.:

What are your thoughts about special edition copies of books (books with sprayed/stenciled edges, special end papers, illustrated copies, etc.)? Do you find yourself picking up new copies of books that you already own because they are "prettier" than your original copy? Have you ever bought a book you were only mildly interested in because it was a special edition? While I don't seek out or purchase special editions, I do love the current trend of beautifully colored/decorated edges. I'm often drawn to the artwork that goes into those edges when I see them on display.

Happy Thursday!

I had a 4 day weekend and I finished 2 books. One of them was a surprise because I only started it last weekend.

I think all the other Stephen King books were written during the years he was on cocaine where his books started off well and then seemed to fall apart in the middle. Salem's Lot is the best Stephen King book I've ever read and I had back everything I said about he being a pulp fiction writer who uses stock characters.

I might have read "I Know What You Did Last Summer" in high school, but I didn't remember who did it. The book is nothing like the movie(s). Poor Lois Duncan, who's own daughter was murdered, had to sit through a slasher movie - which she didn't know that they'd turned her book into a slasher movie until the showing.

I've also started my April series book and another Nobel laureate. I've already ordered my April #1 on my TBR list book, but it's ILL so it could take a while.

I am thrilled that I'm up to 14 prompts for Pop Sugar so far. I only said I'd do 30 prompts, which means I only need one more by the end of June to stay on track.

Finished:

’Salem’s Lot
Popsugar prompt: Two books written by real-life partners or spouses
ATY prompt: An author's second/sophomore book

I Know What You Did Last Summer
Popsugar prompt: A book featuring a character with a hidden past
ATY prompt: A book related to yesterday

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

PS - 14/30
ATY - 14/45
PS movies - 13/50

Currently reading:
Cinder - 70%
A Touch of Darkness - 70%
Billiards at Half-Past Nine - 10%

PopSugar movies
10 A movie about a horse or with a horse on the cover - Thelma the Unicorn

QOTW: I love the idea, but don't usually buy them. In high school, my parents bought me a gorgeous cloth bound copy of Pride and Prejudice and I still have it.

Harmke wrote: "ver heard of a locked church on Easter Sunday? Well, we had. The lock was broken and there's only one door you can unlock from the outside. Luckily, our church has a small building nearby in the city for meetings, so we could celebrate over there. Lots of improvisation of course, people looking up songs on their phones, because all the songbooks were inside the church. Secretly, I really enjoyed it.

Meanwhile, it's spring again over here. Temps around 20 degrees (maybe it's summer already), just perfect..."

That is quite the story about the church.

Here in Canada, it went up to 18 on Friday and then we had snow on Tuesday (but it didn't stick). So, spring is up and down.

Happy Thursday! After a fun three day weekend, this work week has been nonstop. Too many excel spreadsheet today- I did finish the audiobook that I'd been working on for weeks while I was working on them, so that's something at least.

On Friday, an ice rink near me put on an introduction to curling class, and my coworker invited us to come along. I was very bad at it, but it was very fun! Then I got to see my family for Easter- we wound up getting Chinese food instead of spending a whole day cooking. Made for a very relaxing day!

Finished:
Just a Highland Fling- this was a fun romcom that also deals with grief and healing old hurts. The ending wrapped up a little too quick for me, but I really liked it. Will def read more from this author
-no prompt/ netgalley

Evening the Score- this is an absurd set up, a revenge dating plot, but I wound up really liking it. Another romcom that deals with grief and toxic family situations. The male lead was one of my favorites in a romance in a while. Honestly I spent most of the book wishing the female lead would just confess everything.
-no prompt/netgalley

We Survived the Night- after 2 months I finally finished this. There was a lot about this I liked- it's well written and blends folklore, memoir, and history. I rambled a bit, so I'll put the rest under spoiler. (view spoiler)[A lot of the people in this book have dealt with abuse and assault in their past, and I don't think that element was handled well. It felt like a horrible part of their past was mentioned, and then brushed aside to focus on the bigger picture. There is discussion of the ways generational trauma continues to affect people and cause harm, but then no discussion about the ways healing can be achieved, or any discussion with people who are working in organizations that focus on that. Which that's not the book he was writing, so maybe it's a me thing. This just wound up being a very difficult book for me. (hide spoiler)]
-no prompt

Currently reading:
Seasons of Glass and Iron: Stories- short story collection that I'm liking so far
Pyre House: A Memoir In Verse- a memoir told through poems, that deal with heavy grief, so I'm taking it slow


QotW:
I liked a sprayed edge! Especially on a paperback. If I was already wanting to buy a book, a pretty sprayed edge might give me that final nudge to buy it. But I wouldn't buy an extra copy of a book I already had. They do make great presents though!

Life update: After a quiet period over Easter, we have someone coming to view the house again today. I really hope she will turn out to be the one - I am not enjoying the stress of having to keep the house looking sparkly at all times in case of a last-minute viewing request!

I'm still waiting for social services to call me about arrangements for my mum's treatment and care, despite it now getting close to the discharge date that was originally suggested to me. To be honest it suits me if that slips a bit, since we have so much going on. It's probably better for my mum to stay where she is, too. She still doesn't seem to have much short-term memory; every time I call, she asks how I knew that she's in hospital.

At least I got the notification yesterday that my passport application has been approved, so hopefully the new one will arrive next week, and then I'll be able to dash to Germany at short notice if I really have to. More notice would be better, though, financially, practically and mentally!

Reading update: I finished four books this week:
Ignore All Previous Instructions - NetGalley; PS: trans protagonist; r/fantasy: small press or self-published. 3 stars.
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry Into Values - PS: starts with Z. 2 stars.
Sackett - audiobook, no prompt. 2 stars.
Following: A Marketing Guide to Author Platform -Reading About Writing: book marketing. 5 stars.

Stats:
Popsugar: 2 this week, 24/50 total
Diversity Challenge: 0 this week, 3/14 total
Touch the Rainbow, Read the Rainbow: 0 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
r/Fantasy Bingo: 1 this week, 1/25 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: 1 this week, 4/40 total

All books finished this year: 4 this week, 46 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

Currrently reading:
The Wolf and His King - r/fantasy Bingo: book club readalong. I wanted to get this prompt done while the book of the month is one I actually like the look of; often the group tends more to epic fantasy than I do.
Sword Stone Table: Old Legends, New Voices - audiobook, r/fantasy Bingo: short stories. Because I don't like to listen to full-length novels, I don't have many audiobooks on my TBR that fit into challenges. This was one of the exceptions, so it went to the top of my list.
Meditate with the Master by Swami Chinmayananda - no prompt. On the home stretch with this one now; I should finish it by the end of the month.
THE COMPLETE MAHABHARATA SABHA PARVA AND VANA PARVA VOL 2: Sabha Parva and Vana Parva - spiritual reading, no prompt

QOTW: I love the look of special editions, especially cloth-bound books with nice cover and spine designs. I'm less bothered about edges; if anything, I prefer gilded or silvered ones to actual designs there. I rarely buy any of these editions, though, for several reasons: budget, lack of space, and preferring the practicality of being able to search my books and notes in the Kindle app.

Hello, y’all.

The saga of the ice maker has ended! I have ice! The tech had to rebuild the freezing element in the refrig. What a nice sound to hear that ice drop later in the day!

So…now it is just the yard to go with planned and unplanned projects. Hopefully it will be warm enough for the soil to germinate seeds soon, although our nights are in the 40s and our days in the 50-60s. I saw a bumble bee on my porch that I thought was dead the other day. Turns out he was just cold.

Oh, and I am keeping my fingers crossed that the Central Air unit that just got fixed with new coolant works. It feels like it is not cooling as well as it should when it does get warm. Maybe it is the thermostat…maybe not. I just do not want any more issues with appliances!

I got my car back on Saturday. They kept it two days! I live in the country. No stores nearby. I really missed not having a car, even though I had nowhere that I needed to go!

And, I am starting to work on the garden. Lots of tomato plants and a couple of peppers now in the ground. Marigolds being set around the edge. Strawberry bed being worked on...and potatoes to be set.

Finished:
Hog Wild – PS #15 (new beginnings), PAS. This fit the prompt since the protagonist has returned home to set up a new law business that is different from the law office that she used to work in. More community law than corporate law. Mystery.

Dear Scarlet: The Story of My Postpartum Depression - PS #24 (postpartum), PAS. Graphic novel. So glad it was short as this is not a topic I wanted to read about.

Sipsworth – ATY #36 (woman over 40), PAS. Fun, delightful story.

Currently Reading:
The Water Women: A Novel - PAS. 31%

The Sweet Potato Queens' Book of Love: A Fallen Southern Belle's Look at Love, Life, Men, Marriage, and Being Prepared – ATY seasonal, PAS. 46%

How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water – ATY Seasonal, PS #28 (debt). 29%

Selected Poetry of Yehuda Amichai – PS #40 (comfort zone).

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

On Deck:
(library)
Six Geese A-Slaying – ATY Seasonal
The Camel Bookmobile – ATY Seasonal,
Two Parts Sugar, One Part Murder - PAS, PS #12 (sugar in title)
The Motorcycle Diaries: Notes on a Latin American Journey - PAS
Home To Italy - PS #35 (Italy)
Wake Up Little Susie - PS #42 (real song)
Rogue Protocol - PS #9 (type C)
Sabine's Notebook - PS #41 (different format)
The Golden Mean - PS #41 (different format)
The Great Hippopotamus Hotel - PS #6 (overweight)
(owned)
True Detectives – ATY# 52 (sunset vibes - 2025)
Murder in the Library – ATY #35 (set in library)

PS 11/50 (and 10 on desk waiting)
ATY 22/52 (and 7 waiting), Seasonal 8/14 (and 4 waiting)
GR 60/200

QotW: What are your thoughts about special edition copies of books (books with sprayed/stenciled edges, special end papers, illustrated copies, etc.)? Do you find yourself picking up new copies of books that you already own because they are "prettier" than your original copy? Have you ever bought a book you were only mildly interested in because it was a special edition?
I seldom buy new books so I am not motivated by edges or end papers or illustrations. My main source of books is the library.
That said, if I end up with two copies of a book, it usually means I really want to read that book and forgot I owned it. Recently I did just that. I owned the book, but I forgot and ended up reading a library copy.

Happy Friday, everyone!

I read four books this past week, and I think I gave them all the same rating, lol. They were good reads, but they all had something that kept them from being all-time favorites. I was able to complete one of my yearly reading challenges, and I'm close to finishing ATY! The set in a public building prompt seems to be giving me the most trouble as a lot of the books I had lined up for it turned out to be set in private institutions.

2025 Reading Challenges
PopSugar- 27/50
ATY- 49/52; Winter- 14/14; 24/24; Spring- 11/16
52 Book Club- TBA; Monthly Mini-Challenges- 7/9
Read Good- 13/13 COMPLETED
Buzzword- 7/12; Cover- 8/12
GR Bookmarks- Winter- 12/12; Spring- 4/12
BOTM- 6/15; Omnivoreader- 5/6; Long Hauler- 2/4; Debut Darling- 2/5

1001 Books- 7/20
TBR- 13/50

Finished
The Night We Met- seems like I wasn't the only one who read this book this past week, lol. The boyfriend's best friend trope is kind of a hard sell, but I think the author handled it well. There were times where some of the things the MMC did for the FMC were borderline creepy, but overall I still enjoyed it even if it wasn't my favorite Abby Jimenez. ☆☆☆ 1/5
ATY #7- a book with a character who appears in more than one book
GR Bookmark- Page-turner
GR Bookmark- Trending books
TBR #12

Vigil- this was a quick read. I enjoyed it, it just felt too similar to Saunders' other novel, Lincoln in the Bardo. ☆☆☆☆
ATY #51- a book published in 2026
Read Good #8- a book featuring a ghost
GR Bookmark- Speed reading
TBR #13

The Bad-Ass Librarians of Timbuktu and Their Race to Save the World’s Most Precious Manuscripts- read this for my library's book club. The first part provides a lot of historical context while the last third details the heist. The book was published a decade ago and ends on a somewhat happy note, but in our book club discussion we learned that the country has fallen under a military junta and other jihadist groups, so that was sad to discover. ☆☆☆ 1/2
ATY Spring #11- a book with the month of April mentioned in the text
Buzzword #12- superlatives

Now I Surrender- You Dreamed of Empires was a hidden gem for me when I read it last year, so I was eager to read the author's newest translated release. The first third hooked me with its alternating perspectives: a band of misfits led by a lieutenant colonel crossing dangerous territory to rescue a captive Mexican woman, her own storyline among the Apaches, and a present-day narrator traveling through Apache lands with his family. The novel loses some momentum in the second section, which shifts to late-1800s officials detaining Geronimo after his surrender. The third part blends the first part with the second, connecting all the threads together. Despite the uneven pacing, I loved how the novel subverts the Western genre and the reverence the author has for indigenous culture definitely comes through, but there were some instances where the author depicts women as going feral for the Apache men that had me rolling my eyes. ☆☆☆ 1/2
ATY #16- a book featuring a character with a similar occupation to one of the Clue/Cluedo characters
ATY Spring #4- a book where all the letters of WINDS can be found in the title/subtitle
GR Bookmark- Book boss
Currently Reading
Endling

QOTW
I don't really buy new books in general, and the special editions are usually pricier anyways so that's usually I deterrent for me. If a buy books, especially if they are from the same author or series, I seek out editions that match the other authors' books or the other books in the series for the sake of uniformity.

The only time I bought a copy of a book I already own was when my original copy of The Catcher in the Rye, one of my favorite books of all time, was falling apart. I took the opportunity to replace it with a newer copy (same edition) that matched the paperback size of the other J.D. Salinger books on my shelf.

Dubhease wrote: "I might have read "I Know What You Did Last Summer" in high school, but I didn't remember who did it. The book is nothing like the movie(s). Poor Lois Duncan, who's own daughter was murdered, had to sit through a slasher movie - which she didn't know that they'd turned her book into a slasher movie until the showing...."




I did not know that - how tragic!! The only thing I've read by Duncan was A Gift of Magic, which I read back in middle school (and I loved!). The character has a child named Lois at the end of the book and I thought that meant this was a true story about the author's mother. My mom told me no, it's fiction, but I did not fully believe her LOL.

Jennifer W wrote: "Hi all! Beautiful spring day here in NY (Nadine- you got more snow?? it's all been gone here for weeks!). Kiddo is outside running around and I have a window cracked. Speaking of her... tomorrow sh..."



Yes! two mornings this week I woke up to a completely white yard again - I knew it was going to snow, but I didn't know it was going to snow THAT much. Then yesterday it was in the 60s and today it will be in the 70s so ... typical spring weather I guess.

Sasha wrote: "It's probably better for my mum to stay where she is, too. She still doesn't seem to have much short-term memory; every time I call, she asks how I knew that she's in hospital...."



That's so difficult, and you're right that a change of venue can cause a big setback. At least she still knows who you are!!

Andrea wrote: "The Night We Met- seems like I wasn't the only one who read this book this past week, lol...."



So far it's been four of us! all in the same week!!

Kenya wrote: "Happy Thursday all.

This week I finally got the courage to submit some of my writing to a literary magazine. They rejected it, haha... I guess that's all part of the process, though. Time to try a..."

Good for you for giving it a shot! I somehow recently stumbled across a bunch of Peanuts' comics that were all related to Snoopy trying to be an author and the rejection letters that he got... lol, if you want to feel better about yours....

Oh, and the book stained in "blood" made me laugh!

Harmke wrote: "Happy Thursday!

Ever heard of a locked church on Easter Sunday? Well, we had. The lock was broken and there's only one door you can unlock from the outside. Luckily, our church has a small buildi..."

I think I would greatly enjoy the scramble, too. And it's certainly a service you all won't forget any time soon!

I finished All the Light We Cannot See finally. I'm sure you all thought it would never happen.

I'm now reading The Pearl as my book under 260 pages, and as it is quite short I should be done before I go t bed.

QOTW: I generally care more about the words on the inside of books than how the books look on the outside.

So I have too many books I want to read right now which means I'm not reading anything other than the arc I really need to get done before it comes out in a few days.

I did read two for the challenge though.

I meant to read this one for a book that didn't fit a prompt but I figured out that it did. I read Edinburgh Twilight by Carole Lawrence for PS 9 A book with a "type C" character but every time I put in type C character into a search engine I get a different answer. Sometimes it's introverted, analytical, and detail-oriented, or known for their stability, conscientiousness, and moral grounding or it talks of parenting types or a secondary character that drives the story forward.

Well that's helpful, eye roll. ANyhow this has a detective that fits some of them and secondary characters that fit the other. It's longer than I like my mysteries but it was good.

And I had planned Tale of the Hidden Village: World of Heavenfall to read for non binary/trans character but Crimson is actually an egregore who is gender fluid based on the person who brough him into being needed (and doesn't even know what genitals are until 2/3rds in) so I'm using it for ps 23 A book you were hoping would fit into a prompt but doesn't

QOTW

I love the new sprayed edges etc and now that they're basically normal price I would buy them over the 'normal' version. That said I wouldn't b uy new to get them because these days I get rid of books once I read them unless they're signed. I keep almost nothing. I'm too old, I have too much and space is at a premium these days. As much as I might like to keep it all I sadly don't own a gothic mansion with a giant library (still my lottery dream)

I finished no books this week so I’ll go straight to the QOTW and give the boring answer of: no, I don’t buy books that are special editions or have fancy edges. I only rebuy books if the current copy falls apart (looking you Hitchhikers Guide). As someone above said, I care about the words not how the book looks. I’m going to donate it when I’m done reading it anyway

Hey all!

Been a very busy week here and I am just glad that I have still been able to keep up on my reading. So far I have read (ie: finished) a book for each day. I'm wondering if I can keep that up. I have so many books to read and not enough time to read them all before they are due but, I am gonna try my darndest to read as many as I can. I'm trying to prioritize the ones I need for challenges and also the ones I'm more interested in reading.

2026 Challenges:
Popsugar: 26/50
ATY: 40/52 (ATY Spring: 9/15)
A to Z: 3/26

Goodreads: 86/150
GR Bookmarks: 3/15; Winter 12/12, Spring 6/12
GR WTR: 35/461

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

Book Clubs:
PS Monthly: 42/78
Reese: 40/122
Oprah: 15/110
Jenna: 10/88
OSS: 7/39

Finished:
10 Finished, 0 Completed Popsugar

The Mouse and the Motorcycle

The Astral Library
This was interesting...a library that lets you live in a book. Of course things go wrong and adventure ensues, with a smidgen of romance.

By the Fire We Carry: The Generations-Long Fight for Justice on Native Land


What Moves the Dead
ATY#44

Tusk Love

The Reformatory
ATY#34
This took me soo long to read and I wish I hadn't kept putting it down and just read it in one go. Because I feel like I would have liked it a bit more since I had to keep remembering what was going on.

The Dressmakers of Auschwitz: The True Story of the Women Who Sewed to Survive
I thought this would be more about just the dressmakers but there was a lot of back story and side story in this along with other history.

The Flatshare
An interesting premise where they become roommates but don't actually live there at the same time. One works days the other nights and only one of them gets weekends. An interesting friendship ensues and then the expected love story part but, thankfully she waits until the later part of the book before that happens.

The Storm
Just read this today in one go! This I think is her best one yet.

The Lemonade War

DNF

-------
Currently Reading
I Got Abducted by Aliens and Now I'm Trapped in a Rom-Com
Something Wilder
Runaway Ralph
When I Think of You

On the Backburner
Libby
I’m Sorry for my Loss
The Stardust Thief
The Bromance Book Club

Physical Library Rentals
Yours Truly
No Ordinary Love
Six Crimson Cranes
Atmosphere
The Lightning Thief
Blood Sugar
The Perfect Find
Son of the Morning
Until the World Falls Down
The House Saphir
Honey & Spice
Sweet Heat
What Stalks the Deep
What Feasts at Night
Mailman
My Magnolia Summer
The Poisonwood Bible
Little Bee
Know My Name
Just for the Summer
Women Money Power
Fates & Furies
A Bit Much
Plantains & our Becoming
I am Maria
My Husband’s Wife
Only Mostly Devastated
The Correspondent
Lady Tremaine
Monster in the Moonlight
Ramona the Brave

Question of the Week:
I think some of them are nice but, plus I think they have become a bit expected so they don't seem so special anymore. I don't usually keep most of the books I own once I read them; I donate them to the library, or a little free library so I don't worry too much about the edges. It's kinda a moot point for me anyway since I haven't bought books in so long because I don't have the extra $$.

Cornerofmadness wrote: "I had planned Tale of the Hidden Village: World of Heavenfall to read for non binary/trans character but Crimson is actually an egregore who is gender fluid based on the person who brough him into being needed (and doesn't even know what genitals are until 2/3rds in) so I'm using it for ps 23 A book you were hoping would fit into a prompt but doesn't"

All of that sounds fine for the nonbinary prompt, though. Genderfluidity is under the nonbinary umbrella, and although genital dysphoria can play a part in someone arriving at that identity, it isn't necessarily the case. (I'm both nonbinary and genderfluid myself, for context).

JessicaMHR wrote: "Hey all!

Been a very busy week here and I am just glad that I have still been able to keep up on my reading. So far I have read (ie: finished) a book for each day. I'm wondering if I can keep that..."



WOW that's A LOT of library books! good luck!!

I wish I was focused enough to read a book a day. I'm too easily distracted. Maybe I need a better reading chair that I can sink into.

Once, on vacation at my mother's house when my oldest was a baby, I finished a book every other day for three weeks straight - that was peak reading for me! I've never gotten there again haha!

Sasha wrote: "Cornerofmadness wrote: "I had planned Tale of the Hidden Village: World of Heavenfall to read for non binary/trans character but Crimson is actually an egregore who is gender fluid based on the per..."

Oh yes I agree. It's why I picked it up but the character didn't understand sexuality or anything like it. They're literally an imaginary friend that got independence of the imaginer. I'm just going to pick up the sequel to What Moves the Dead

It seems as if spring may have finally arrived with (fingers crossed!) no more temperatures in the 20s or 30s (Of course, that’s Fahrenheit! LOL)! I worked out in the yard for 3 hours Thursday and was just a bit sore on Friday, but not like it was in the past when I had to come in and ice my back and knee immediately! Thank goodness for that Physical Therapist and the exercise to release my lower back!! Life changing!!

No IRL book club meetings this next week, but 3 author events. Gonna be busy in just the way I love!! 😊

ADMIN STUFF:
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)
You can join and/or view the discussion HERE

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!!
When I checked these polls I discovered they were set to end on April 2nd, not April 7th! (Goodreads just gives me fits!!! I often have to check and recheck and edit the end date when I create a poll, because it changes!!! Ugh.) So I have extended them another week to allow people to check-in and vote if they have not yet done so.

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 14th!***

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 14th!***

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

QUESTION OF THE WEEK:
(from K.L.) What are your thoughts about special edition copies of books (books with sprayed/stenciled edges, special end papers, illustrated copies, etc.)? Do you find yourself picking up new copies of books that you already own because they are "prettier" than your original copy? Have you ever bought a book you were only mildly interested in because it was a special edition?
I have never purchased a “special edition” of a book that I already own. Though I have purchased some special editions! They were used books that I was able to purchase cheaply. Usually from Better World Books or Half Price Books or one of the two local used bookstores. If I had extra disposable income I might purchase brand-new special editions, but I doubt it. The words on the pages and my experience reading them are what really matter to me. The format is negligible, IMO. I do know some people (not close friends) who simply own fancy new books for decorative purposes--they have never (and probably will never) read any of them! Ugh.

2026 READING CHALLENGES:
Popsugar: 26/50
52 Book Club: 41/52

FINISHED:
*Autobiography of Red by Anne Carson ⭐ for an IRL book club meeting which I did not attend. I refuse to classify this as poetry since it truly didn’t qualify as that for me. It read much like noir to me. It seemed no one had any redeeming qualities, and it just fell more-than-flat for me. There was only one positive thing I could say about it—I could appreciate the depiction of synesthesia. That was it. This was not enjoyable, but now I know I will not read anything else written by Carson… I’m just grateful this was so short! 😊
POPSUGAR: #16, #40
52 Book Club: #2, NEW #3, #11, #26, #33, #48, #49

*Fundamentally by Nussaibah Younis ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ for an IRL book club meeting which I did attend. (This is the book club I founded while working at Borders and I facilitate!) It was good for prompting discussion and the difference in age among our members made for some generational differences of opinion! I hope UN agencies don’t actually operate in this way, but who knows?
POPSUGAR: #13, #15, #19, #34
52 Book Club: #2, #4, #24, #26, #49

*Sabrina & Corina by Kali Fajardo-Anstine ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ for an author event next Thursday. I’m not a huge fan of short stories, but this collection proved to be thought-provoking and had some surprises! Definitely a ton of dysfunctional characters and relationships!
POPSUGAR: #2, #9, #11, #15, #16, #27
52 Book Club: #4, #8, #13, #38, #49

*84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ was an absolutely delightful book! Firstly, I adore a an epistolary book! Secondly, I loved this ‘slice-of-life’ story! This was quite poignant while also being so enjoyable! Very short quick read, but well worth it, IMO! As I was going to bed last night, I wanted to read before going to sleep, but the books I am currently reading are hardcovers that are rather lengthy and with my ‘bad’ shoulders, I wanted a much smaller book to hold… I spied this on the top of a stack, labeled for prompt #47, and decided I’d give it a try! I read the first 15 pages and then finished it this morning! Highly recommended!
POPSUGAR: #2, #16, #31, NEW #47
52 Book Club: #4, #10, #16, #26, #40, #49

CONTINUING:
*Woman of Light by Kali Fajardo-Anstine for an author event
*One Summer in Savannah by Terah Shelton Harris for a book/author event
*A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki
*The Book of Form and Emptiness by Ruth Ozeki
*Harlem Rhapsody by Victoria Christopher Murray
*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

You know what Goodreads needs to do? Any time you're exploring random lists, it should list the books you have to read or read first.

Jennifer W wrote: "Hi all! Beautiful spring day here in NY (Nadine- you got more snow?? it's all been gone here for weeks!). Kiddo is outside running around and I have a window cracked. Speaking of her... tomorrow sh..."

Happy Birthday to your Kiddo Jennifer! Hope she enjoyed the ice cream treat celebration. 🍦🥳