Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge discussion
2026 Weekly Check-Ins
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Week 44: 10/29 - 11/5
Happy Thursday all!Not a lot to report here. Just that it's getting colder and it sucks that it starts getting dark at 5 PM where I live. Ugh.
Books read this week:
Winterset Hollow -- I enjoy reading the author’s social-media ramblings, and I REALLY wanted to love his book. Sadly it fell short of my expectations. VERY overwritten, though the premise was good.
Across Enchanted Lands -- another Phoebe and Her Unicorn adventure. Still enjoying this series. Yes, it’s aimed at kids, but it’s still fun.
Just Beyond the Very, Very Far North -- another sweet read. If you feel nostalgic for Winnie the Pooh, this series captures that feeling very well.
Hunted -- Wings of Fire but with dinosaurs!
Currently reading:
Just One Damned Thing After Another
As You Wake, Break the Shell
The Amberglow Candy Store
A People's Future of the United States: Speculative Fiction from 25 Extraordinary Writers
QOTW:
I've done this a LOT more than I want to admit. I grabbed The Kingdom of Ohio once just because the cover was gorgeous, and ended up disappointed at the book's actual story, hehe... I'm sure I've done this plenty of other times, but that one is the example that comes to mind.
QotW:Home Sweet Motel attracted me with its cover, front and back, when I was browsing a local bookstore's shelves. Happily, I really enjoyed the story. The next book in the series, Beach Party Surf Monkey, has a title that really makes me want to read it.
My recently completed reading that I would recommend is the beginning of the Garth Brooks Anthology series. I am rereading these to get even more excited about the current tour. No New England stops are currently announced, but it will eventually happen.
Good morning, everyone! Happy Thursday!It’s been another super busy week! At this point I’m not sure if the months are flying by (How is it already November?), or if it’s just a bunch of individual busy days making it feel that way. At least this week’s busyness has been fun. Seeing the Columbus Blue Jackets take down the Colorado Avalanche was a definite highlight.
Despite the busyness, this has been a fantastic reading week. Since the beginning of November, I have been focusing primarily on reading the remaining titles on my New Books list. While I did not manage to read quite as many pages as I’d hoped this week, I was able to finish several books from my list.
Here are my current challenge and TBR totals…
Goodreads Challenge: 260/250 — Challenge Complete!!!
Mount TBR Challenge: 151/150 — Challenge Complete!!!
📚Physical TBR: 140/462
📱Ebook TBR: 10/161
🎧Audiobook TBR: 1/1
TBR Checklist Total: 151/624 (24% complete)
TBR Books DNFed in 2026: 7
TBR Books Soft DNFed in 2026: 4
I did pick up a few new books this week, including: The Wolves of War, by John Gwynne; Cello's Gate, by Maurice Africh; and The Discworld Bestiary, by Terry Pratchett.
“New” Books Bought in 2026: 148
“New” Books Read in 2026: 108
“New” Books DNFed in 2026: 0
“New” Books Checklist Total: 108/148 (72% complete)
Here are the books I finished this week…
Finished Reading (Fiction):
~The First Book of Swords — This is the first book in the Books of Swords trilogy. I last read this book when I was a college student, which was over 20 years ago. I’m really glad that I decided to do a re-read before continuing the trilogy, because I remembered next to nothing about the plot and characters. Unfortunately this book does barely miss a 5-star rating, as it does contain some errors, but I really enjoyed it, and read the entire story in a single evening. 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~The Eye of the Bedlam Bride — This is the sixth book in the Dungeon Crawler Carl series. This book was a re-read for me, but it was the first time I’d had a chance to listen to the audiobook. As always, I thoroughly enjoyed Jeff Hays’s narration. 🎧: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~Strange Lights — This book was such a fun read! The story was really interesting, and I loved the characters. I actually ended up reading almost the entire book in a single day, because I just could not put it down. Content Alert: (view spoiler) 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~Dungeon Life: An Isekai LitRPG — This is the first book in the Dungeon Life series. I thought this was a really clever concept for a LitRPG/Isekai story, and I loved the main character. I really want to continue this series sooner rather than later, and I’ve already added the next 4 books to my holiday wishlist. 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Finished Reading (Nonfiction):
~Middle-Earth Landscapes — This book was a great combination of travel guide and behind-the-scenes movie book. I really enjoyed the stories from the filming of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogies, and want to visit all of the locations included in the book. The full-color photographs were absolutely gorgeous! 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Finished Reading (Manga, Comic Books, & Graphic Novels):
None
Finished Reading (Poetry and Drama):
None
DNFed:
~Night of the Witch — While I did manage to get through the first 15 chapters of this book, I just wasn’t interested in either the plot or characters. Rather than trying to power through it before the end of October, I decided to just go ahead and DNF. 📚
Currently Reading:
~The Second Book of Swords — This is the second book in the Books of Swords series. I’m currently about a quarter of the way through this book, and I’m really enjoying it so far. 📚
~My Big Goblin Space Program 3: An Astronaut Reincarnation LitRPG — I plan to start the final book in this trilogy later today. 📚
~A Day in the Life: An NPC LitRPG Anthology — I’m currently a little over halfway through this book, and I’m really enjoying it. The stories so far have been a bit hit-or-miss, but I’ve really liked the vast majority of them. I plan to finish this one later today. 📚
~The Discworld Bestiary — This book is a compendium of all of the weird creatures/monsters that inhabit the Discworld. I’m currently just over halfway through, and I really like it. The artwork is gorgeous! 📚
QOTW:
Actually, I did this with Dungeon Crawler Carl, by Matt Dinniman…and it’s become one of my all-time favorite book series.
Happy Thursday! I've lost 25 pounds since the beginning of August. I still have a lot to go, but I'm feeling great! However, none of my clothes fit. When the weather started to cool last month I pulled out some jeans that I didn't wear last year because they were too small. They worked for about two weeks before they were too big. So I dug out an older box and found the same jeans just one size smaller. They fit beautifully! Now they're too big. I'm going to go broke just trying to clothe myself while I lose weight.Reading Challenges:
🏆 52 Book Club: 52/52
52 Books November Mini-Challenge: 0/3
52 Books Read It, Watch It: 10/12
🏆 ATY: 52/52
🏆 ATY Fall Challenge: 15/15
🏆 Booklist Queen: 52/52
🏆 Popsugar: 50/50
Goodreads Fall Bookmarks: 9/11
52 Books Mystery Challenge: 42/50
My Ever-Growing TBR: 121/333 – 36.3% (My goal is 33.3%.)
Recently Completed:
🍂 If It Makes You Happy, Copper Run, Vermont, #1 ★★★★★
🍂 Under Pressure: Confronting the Epidemic of Stress and Anxiety in Girls ★★★★
🍂 Black Chalk: A group of Oxford students play a game. I still have no idea what the game was or how it worked. ★★
🍂 Evil Genius ★★★
🍂 Marion: Entertaining retelling of Psycho. ★★★★
🍂 Just For Tonight, Rinkside Romance, #1: Goodreads Giveaway. ★★★
🍂 This Is What Happens When Women Read ★★★
🍂 The Stone Witch of Florence: BOTM Selection. ★★★★
🍂 The Golden Braid, Hagenheim, #6 ★★★
🍂 Hot Girl Murder Club: BOTM Selection. ★★★
QOTW: Of course I have! A great cover can get me to read a book even with a terrible premise. Of course, the inverse is also true. An unattractive cover can prevent me from reading a book even with the best reviews or from a trusted author.
Mod
Not a lot to report here. Just that it's getting colder and it sucks that it starts getting dark at 5 PM where I live. Ugh.
..."
I do hate how early it gets dark. It's so depressing.
My older daughter lives in Boston now (and I am near Syracuse NY). There is a reservoir behind her neighborhood (Brighton) so she has been getting some great sunset photos. We text and share photos in real time, I sent some photos of the dogs, and she said "It's crazy that it's still so light there!" and I started nattering about how that IS weird, we are at the same latitude so why is sunset time so different, blah blah blah. Basically I was looking for zebras instead of horses, like a dodo head. She says "MOM LOL you are so much farther west than I am!" and it hit me DUH of course my sunset is after hers! I'm not used to living HOURS away from her.
Morning all! I'm a very happy girl this week. As someone with trans friends, the election results have been a massive relief.122 books so far this year, all challenges finished. I am SO impatient for next year's prompts for PS, 52 Book Club, and the Booklist Queen. A big part of the fun for me is poring through listopias and finding one that looks interesting and will work for multiple challenges.
In addition to the challenges mentioned above, I plan to do Around the Year, plus a 50-book challenge I created from prompts rejected for the ATY, plus a 26-book challenge based on tarot cards and suits.
Finished:
Don't Be Evil: Bad Bosses, Fake Promises, and My Escape from Big Tech by Claire Stapleton. This one reminded me a lot of Careless People: A Cautionary Tale of Power, Greed, and Lost Idealism by Sarah Wynn-Williams: a Silicon Valley tell-all.
Currently reading:
"Tibet's War for Peace" by Dennis Cusack.
Delilah Green Doesn't Care, a sapphic romance by Ashley Herring Blake. So far it's pretty much by-the-numbers.
QOTW:
I picked up Among the Truthers: A Journey Through America's Growing Conspiracist Underground by Jonathan Kay because the cover made it look like a comedy. Conspiracy theories are an important and interesting subject, but the book wasn't very good.
I love John Scalzi anyway, but Starter Villain has the greatest cover that ever covered, and the book definitely did NOT disappoint!
Mod
WOW! That is a lot! Well done. What is your secret, because I need to do something, my knees are about ready to give up on all this extra weight.
Of course, the inverse is also true. An unattractive cover can prevent me from reading a book even with the best reviews or from a trusted author.
True! And the book I'm reading now is by an author I've previously liked, but I HATE this cover and I was really reluctant to read this one. But then NetGalley set it to Read Now and I could not resist, yadda yadda yadda ... I'm one chapter in and so far it's pretty good, but the idea of "vampires" existing in the world is a bit weird. Villain Edit (I do not watch reality TV so I did not know what a "villain edit" was until I looked it up, so the title was off-putting to me too!)
Mod
LOL that one IS such a fun cover!! (And I still have not read it - too many books, too little time ...)
Nadine in NY wrote: "Kenya wrote: "Happy Thursday all!Not a lot to report here. Just that it's getting colder and it sucks that it starts getting dark at 5 PM where I live. Ugh.
..."
I do hate how early it gets ..."
When I was in school in Maine, it'd get dark at like 3pm! We were so far east, we probably should have been in the Atlantic time zone!
But I have to say, I do like that the sun is already up when the alarm goes off now. I'm SO not a morning person, so any little boost out of bed helps!
Happy Thursday, everyone! I only managed to read one book this past week. I was feeling anxious about the midterms and found myself doomscrolling through news and political commentary instead of picking up a book. I even stayed up until 3 a.m. watching the results come in, and it certainly lifted my spirits!I'm going to celebrate with a friend tomorrow. She's been struggling with depression and has been pretty isolated for years, so seeing our state turn blue/purple has brought us some much-needed joy. I'm hoping that feeling sticks around for her, too.
Meanwhile, I have a stack of 10+ books on my nightstand that I haven't made a dent in, but I'm hoping to get through some of them soon before they're due back at the library!
2025 Reading Challenges
PopSugar- 49/50
52 Book Club- 50/52;
HRCYED 3.0- 99/150; Side Qwests- 4/12
GR Bookmarks-
1001 Books- 16/20
TBR- 49/50
Finished
Land- I checked it out from the library two months ago, but I had to turn it back in before I could finish it. It was a slow read for me, so I picked up the audiobook this time. That helped, but I was not expecting this to be so depressing. It's a good read but just required some patience on my part ☆☆☆ 1/2
TBR #49
Currently Reading
The Penguin Book of the Modern American Short Story
Queen of Lombard Street
Dèy
QOTW
Last year I remember picking up Disappoint Me solely because of the cover, and it ended up being a 5-star read for me. There are many others, but that's just one example.
Nadine in NY wrote: "What is your secret, because I need to do something, my knees are about ready to give up on all this extra weight."There's no secret. I'm taking a weight loss drug. I decided I was tired of being fat, and that it was worth the money.
Laura Z wrote: "Happy Thursday! I've lost 25 pounds since the beginning of August. I still have a lot to go, but I'm feeling great! However, none of my clothes fit. When the weather started to cool last month I pu..."Wow, that's great! You're doing way better than me, 15.5 pounds since Aug 5th, but I'm happy enough with that, and have more to go.
I tried the weight loss drug, which came from a compounding pharmacy, which made it possible for me to OD on it (a month's worth at once). I was so sick and it lasted for months. Now I'm just going with high protein, low carb and fat. It's working, as long as I can avoid things like chocolate and stuff I really like . . . . Someday I'll eat stuff again.
Hi all! Crazy weather here in NY- it's 72 right now! It should be 20 or so degrees cooler! I'm not complaining, though!! Otherwise, I've been an absolute slug lately. The house is a disaster, and I haven't the energy or motivation to make it better. BF's birthday is this weekend. I'm waiting on him to decide what he wants for lunch or dinner for it. He asked me to make him a cherry pie, so I'll do that. But does he want me to cook him something for dinner? Does he want to go out to eat? Who knows....
Still haven't done much reading. I don't know why. I'm trying to speed through the second half of Clarence Darrow: Attorney for the Damned, since it's due next week. I don't think I'm going to pull it off, but I'm going to try (and maybe keep it out for a week longer... Shh! Don't tell the library!) It's an ILL, so I don't want to return it then turn around and request it again.
QOTW: I don't do it often, but sometimes. The one I definitely remember reading because I found the cover so pretty was
. I enjoyed that book more than most readers, but probably because I could relate to the characters- my school was pretty liberal and I had classmates and professors who would engage in environmental activism. If a title is going to draw me in, it's going to be because it makes me laugh or it's way out of left field. 2 that spring to mind are If God Is Love, Don't Be a Jerk: Finding a Faith That Makes Us Better Humans and Mistakes Were Made (But Not by Me): Why We Justify Foolish Beliefs, Bad Decisions, and Hurtful Acts (which I never finished, actually....)
PopSugar 50/50AtY 49/52
Curiosity Killed the Bookworm: 23/25
Rocky Horror Challenge 12/12
Happy Thursday!
I’m enjoying the midterm results. My condolences to those of you who aren’t but things probably won’t be as bad as you think. Hopefully.
Finished:
Sandwich by Catherine Newman; for AtY. 3 generations vacationing in a small cottage on Cape Cod. There is so much to unpack here, in under 300 pages.
A Pox on Fools: The True Believers, Grifters, and Cynics Who Convinced Us to Reject Vaccines by Thomas Levenson
Currently Reading
Hackers: Heroes of the Computer Revolution by Steven Levy Not hackers like the ones trying to break into your computer, this is more a history of computing.
Outlander: Feuer und Stein by George RR Martin
So, I Met This Guy by Alexandra Potter, audiobook; about romance fraud
Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan; for AtY
Blockers: Rebels in the Deep State by Michael Lewis; DOGE and the civil servants that tried to stop them. I might use this for AtY, survival. There are different kinds of survival, after all.
QOTW
I do this a lot but nothing comes to mind at the moment.
Mod
There's no secret. I'm taking a weight loss drug. I decided..."
And you're happy with it? My doctor tried to prescribe but my insurance wont' cover it, and I'm stubbornly refusing to pay for it.
Mod
What an amazing challenge to have!! Yay for you!!
Mod
It is so crazy hot here! I was sweating when I got back from my morning dog walk! We didn't sleep well last night because it was so hot.
Happy Thursday! My reading has slowed down due to simply being so busy lately! I'm hoping to pick it up again soon though. I miss it!Currently Reading
The Grace of Incorruption: The Selected Essays of Donald Sheehan on Orthodox Faith and Poetics for "book written by two real life spouses (2)". This is dense but really good so far.
The Owl Who Liked Sitting on Caesar for "a book that features birding". Cute book so far!
QotW
You know....I'm not really sure. Nothing comes to mind?
I finished Marathon Man as my book about a character who runs a marathon. Honestly not sure whether I liked it or not. I think I'm leaning towards not.Now I'm reading Cruel Music as my book based on a song. It's not really, but it's inspired by baroque music. I guess. I did NOT know what to do for this category. It's weird.
QOTW: I don't do that alot, but I asked for a suggestion for a gothic book once and someone just suggested Kate Morton and I picked The Distant Hours from that because I liked the cover. And then the Alyssa Maxwell books have beatiful covers.
Happy Thursday!I can't believe how fast this year has gone.
Finished:
Somewhere Only We Know by Maurene Goo - 3.5 stars - for a book about a pop star. This was fun but kind of unrealistic at times.
Down Among the Sticks and Bones by Seanan McGuire - 4.5 stars - not for a prompt. This tells the backstory of Jack and Jill, twin sisters who appeared in the first book. I enjoyed this a lot.
I am currently at 47/50 for the Popsugar reading challenge (37/40 and 10/10).
Currently reading:
Beneath the Sugar Sky by Seanan McGuire - for a book with "pop" or "sugar" in the title.
Upcoming/Planned:
My last two for the challenge and a library borrow:
Well Versed by Jen DeLuca - not for a prompt
Sparrow Hill Road by Seanan McGuire - for a travel ghost story.
Libriomancer by Jim C. Hines - a reread for a book set in Michigan or written by an author from Michigan (this covers both!)
QOTW:
I definitely picked up The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers on the strength of the title. I have also picked up books (or specific editions of books) based on pretty covers.
Nadine in NY wrote: "And you're happy with it? My doctor tried to prescribe but my insurance wont' cover it, and I'm stubbornly refusing to pay for it."I'm paying for it out-of-pocket. And so far it's been worth it. I haven't had any long-lasting side effects, and I feel like I did BEFORE menopause. I'm not hungry all the time, and when it's time to eat I only need a small amount to feel full.
Happy Thursday!I got an extra hour of sleep on the weekend, but I've still been dragging myself around all week. Having it be dark both when I get up and when I come home isn't very inspiring.
I started 3 new books. One for ATY's Bohemian Rhapsody prompt, one series book, and one Nobel book.
In terms of spooky movies, we finished with Shaun of the Dead and we rewatched the Rocky Horror Picture Show.
Finished:
The Long Haul
Popsugar prompt: can't find one
ATY prompt: A book with a road trip or long journey
Series - 10/12
Number 1s - 8/10
Nobel laureates - 3/5
Rocky Horror challenge: 11/12
Summer Reading challenge - 5400/5000 points - Completed!
PS - 34/30 - Completed!
ATY - 45/45- Completed!
PS movies - 38/50
Currently reading:
The Devil and the Dark Water - 30%
People on a Bridge - 30%
The Yada Yada Prayer Group Gets Tough - 15%
PopSugar movies
A sapphic movie - The Rocky Horror Picture Show
QOTW: Maybe, but I don't remember.
@Nadine - you are slipping - there's a stay tuned on FB Popsugar Book Club....And an ask what your favorite 2026 prompt was.
Lordy what a week! I've not had time to do any reading since Monday and little then - work has been very busy, i'm prepping for chairing a workshop on Sunday at an annual conference, and I have had plumbing issues in my only bathroom that have had plumbers and contractors and super in and out. Not quite done - they are back next week on Tuesday. All of this is because an aged pipe behind the wall of my bathroom is leaking into the bathroom below me. I'm in NYC, an apartment in a multiple dwelling. This stuff happens.
AND the election has been the most riveting of my life, even more than the Nixon/Watergate years. Truly historic on so many levels, but especially on diversity of the election - race, religion, profession, gender, and more.
ATY - finished
PS - 2 remain.... both started.
Finished:
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time - i did not get the lover and adulation for this book other than it was first to provide a neurodivergent narrator - and I don't think it was done well - gave it 2 stars and am very happy it is no longer in my TBR.
The Dragon's Bride - Prompt Shadow Daddy - which was the hardest for me to do, not so much because I dislike those books - but most are crap - and I'd already read the better ones. Then I stumbled on this, recommended to me a while ago by a friend and sitting in my TBR. LOVED it! Great fun, some serious themes and while lots of creative spicy smut, there's a real romance and fun characters. It's first in a series and the next is a humanoid kraken named Thane. It's also less than 200 pages.
Currently reading - both are the last 2 I need to finished PS 2026:
Zoo Station
The Correspondent
QOtW: Well, I suggested that question because I am always seduced by covers, and once in a while a title. One of the books I'll be reading after finishing my last 2 PS prompts is The Essex Serpent, totally purchased for cover alone. The Night Circus was another. Cahokia Jazz was the title. Horrorstör was both. Never in looked to see what they were about. And I am rarely disappointed.
There is one I bought for the cover - this cover
- it was 400+ pages of late twenty-something whining saga that got 2 stars from me because there were 2 good travel reports at beginning. I actually don't think I would have avoided buying and being disappointed by it had I known more than cover and it's women travelling.
I read nothing this week but I did want to answer the question of the week because it made me laugh a little. I would have to say about 80% of all the books I buy (that aren't books in a series) is because it had an eye catching cover or title
I've been working the election so I don't have as much time for reading as usual.52: 48/52
Powell's: 19/25
Personal Curriculum: 14/17
TBR: 135/200
Finished: The Bookshop Woman What I found most interesting about this is that the author is Japanese and I wasn't familiar with most of her book suggestions (even though I do read some Japanese authors.)
Equality: What It Means and Why It Matters A dialogue between Piketty and Sandel. I would have preferred to read a more bookish book.
Winners Take All: The Elite Charade of Changing the World Fine on muckraking, low on suggestions.
The Secret Astronomers As a junk journaler, I enjoyed this one.
Started: Equality: From Theory to Action
Leonardo's Notebooks
QotW: I often select books based on the title, not so much with the cover. Although I am attracted to decorated edges. I picked up Special Topics in Calamity Physics ages ago based on the title and the titles of the chapters. I recently read I Eat the Stars: How to Live Fully and Beautifully in a Collapsing World based on the title and cover. I picked up The Elsewhere Express because it was so beautiful.
I actually like when it gets dark earlier. I have to leave at around 6 to go to work and I like it to be light out so the melatonin will stop and I can wake up. Then when I get how it's dark and I can settle down for a few hours and be ready to sleep. Since I have terrible insomnia it's better this way. I finished 2 books this week but neither for PS prompts. But they worked for other challenges I do
Key Lime Pie Murder
The Absentee
QOTW:
I do buy books because of the cover, but it's actually usually titles that catch my eye and I have bought books based on the title without reading the blurb, Here are some I selected for the title AND cover:
Happy Thursday! Work has been stressful, but everything else has been pretty ok. Got to see Rocky Horror Picture Show on Halloween with a live cast- they gave out posters after celebrating Tim Curry. The Valkyries won, which was very exciting! The election kind of blew my mind. And I have a 3-day weekend coming up- since I'm about to max out on vacation days I can bank again. And I'm down to 8 prompts for the challenge!
Finished:
A Court of Splintered Harmony- All the characters act like they're college freshmen who got in a fight on spring break and now are sulking and bickering in the dorms. Disappointing
-no prompt
Night Side of the River- I wound up really liking this short story collection. This would make for a good miniseries, with an episode per story. I think I prefer the author's winter story collection more, but this was very good
-no prompt
Wandering Cat's Cage- a manga about a world where fertility rates have fallen and few boys are being born. I really liked the artwork and thought the story was pretty interesting
-prompt: infertility; netgalley book
Becoming Baba Yaga: Trickster, Feminist, and Witch of the Woods- I liked the look into the Baba Yaga stories, and the way they share elements with other myths and fairy tales. But it meanders a bit, and can make some leaps with the connections made
-no prompt
Check & Mate- I really liked this. Really liked the characters, and Ali Hazelwood is such a fun read
-prompt: type c character
Zatanna: Bring Down the House- this was a fun story, but the highlight was the artwork. Loved the art in this- about a Las Vegas magician with actual magic and a lot of rabbits
-prompt title starting with Z
Currently reading:
The Drakon King- I won a copy of this from the goodreads giveaway! Only about a chapter in, but so far it's pretty interesting. A futuristic society, but there's also magic and dragons
Accidentally on Purpose- this memoir is about someone with an interesting life, but the memoir itself is pretty by the numbers
I bailed on How to Sell a Haunted House. Too many dolls, I'll try again later...
QotW:
I try to avoid buying books based only on the title or cover, but I love going to the library and picking up books like that. I don't always read all of them, but it's fun to pick up things I haven't heard about before.
Life update: I can't believe we've been in our new house a week already! We're still surrounded by boxes, but we're making steady progress. The kitchen, bathrooms, living room and one of the bedrooms are mostly functional. If we keep up the momentum, we should be in good shape to host our eldest son for Christmas (the other two kids will probably spend it with their in-laws). Reading update: Unpacking is definitely leaving me with less reading time, but I finished two books:
The Dispossessed - no prompt, recommended on the website of a group I'm probably going to join. I found the portrayal of contrasting societies really interesting - one anarchist but struggling with scarcity, one late-stage capitalist with a natural abundance. I wanted to see more of the third, Soviet-style society that's only mentioned in passing. 4.25*
Mestra - Audiobook, no prompt. Retelling of the myth of Erysichthon, the king cursed with insatiable hunger, through the eyes of his daughter Mestra. Take note, authors who want a metaphor for destructive greed that isn't stolen from Native Americans! It was well done without being groundbreaking, and the audiobook was well narrated. 4.25*
Stats:
Odd Formats: 0 this week, 6/11 total
Anti-Capitalist Inspiration: 0 this week, 24/30 total
Spanish Titles ABC: 0 this week, 3/26 total
French TBR: 0 this week, 2/50 total
Reading About Writing: 0 this week, 4/40 total
All books finished this year: 2 this week, 145 total
DNF or paused this year: 0 this week, 32 total
Challenges completed this year: 5
Challenges in progress (end date in 2026): 0
Challenges in progress (no end date): 5
Currently reading:
Capital: Critique of Political Economy, Volume 1 - no prompt, for a buddy read, although it looks like the other participants may be struggling to get going
A Companion To Marx's Capital: The Complete Edition - no prompt
Carmilla - audiobook, no prompt
End of the Drive- next in series, no prompt
QOTW: A beautiful cover or intriguing title are often what first attracts me to a book, but I do usually check out the blurb before I commit to a purchase. The most recent book I read after being attracted to the cover was Der Schlaf der Anderen. I love the play of light and shadow on the MC's face. I liked the book itself pretty well and gave it 3.75 stars.
The most recent where it was the title that caught my eye was Fearful Symmetry, because I recognised the allusion to Blake. Any connection to the plot was tenuous, though. I rated it 3.5* and don't regret reading it.
Hello, y’all. Happy Friday! [EDIT: I was so excited about posting on Thursday and the GR went down and I could not access all the info I needed to complete this post. Bummer.]
I started washing the trailer Wednesday. I have gotten the back and one side done. Tomorrow I will finish the other side for sure. That leaves the front and top…both will require climbing on a ladder and reaching. The front slopes back and there are storage boxes in front. Maybe I will try climbing on them to reach the top. Anyway, I have started that whole process.
For ATY, I am now at the stage of trying to make decisions about the prompts that I have listed multiple books as possibles. I have decided two so that leaves eight more prompts to decide…or at least reduce the number of books I am considering.
I found that election night results gave me such hope…and a firm knowledge that the work is just beginning. I want to make an impact in some way…maybe in being a correspondent with my legislators, both state and federal. Voicing my opinion was once something I did…so I have some background for doing so. Now is the time to begin again, I think.
Finished:
The Tomorrow Tree – Audible. No prompt. 4*
The Warm Hands of Ghosts - PS #30 (Travel ghost), ATY Seasonal. 4*
Currently Reading:
The First Fig Tree – PAS, ATY Seasonal. 23%.
Tales for Twilight: Two Hundred Years of Scottish Ghost Stories - ATY #46 (Not a novel). 11%
The Wishing Game - PS #43 (Spouse). Just starting
Stalled: (Thanks, Kendra, for this category.)
True Detectives – ATY# 52 (sunset vibes - 2025), PS #44 (spouse #2). 2%
The Heart Of Stillness, the Elements of Spiritual Practice – Devotional reading.
On Deck:
(library)
(owned)
Tainted Sand - ATY #44 (Symbol of death)
Dancing on My Grave - ATY #52 (Reindeer)
P 39/50
ATY 48/52, Seasonal Winter 9/14, Seasonal Spring 10/15, Seasonal Fall 9/15
GR 120/150
Happy Friday! The first frost last night! Luckily, it's my day off, so I didn't have to scrape the ice off my car windows. The weather was beautiful today, with lots of sunshine and colorful leaves everywhere. It's been a busy week, so I didn't finish any books.
Read this year: 60
PS: 21/40
Finished this week: none
QOTW
I can't remember I did. I do pick them up to check if I might like the story. So it's not just the cover.
Mod
And an ask what your favorite 2026 prompt was."
LOL Never fear, I have been watching and obsessively refreshing my FB page. They are killing me with this!!
It seems pretty clear to me that, with all the organizational shuffling in the company, they completely forgot about our reading challenge. Once reminded, they had an "oh shit" moment, and scrambled. And that's why they are being so vague - they themselves probably have NO idea WHAT their "special announcement" will be, nor WHEN they will be ready to make it, and they certainly have no idea when they will have a list ready to go.
I'm very hopeful that they will release one or two prompts early, to keep us excited. And I also hope it is NOT during our US Thanksgiving, because I'm away that weekend.
Mod
-prompt title starting with Z ..."
That's the name of the magician in Hellblazer. Is it the same character?? That would be cool!
ETA: ah, I see it's a DC book, so yeah probably the same character.
Happy Friday!Would have posted yesterday, but it was a very busy day. I spent 2 and a half hours at the library studying, and then when I came home I relaxed for a little bit, but my nephew wants my uninterrupted attention, so there was hardly any me time left.
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My family and my therapists don't want me focused on finding a new job just yet. My main priority is passing my first certification exam at the end of the month, and then I'll see where to go from there.
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Reading News:
October was a good reading month. Read 8 books. Not as much as I would have liked, but I read some that were overall pleasant.
In the grand scheme of my reading, I am at 147 books for the year as of today, which is awesome.
*****
Currently Reading:
Read Your Color: Discover Your Reading Type and Build a Life-Changing Love of Books - I am loving this book! I discovered this reading test a couple of years ago, but it's great to have a full book that goes into more detail. A lot of it has meaning and clarification for me in ways that I always knew, but didn't have the words for.
Cloudy with a Chance of Starships: How the Drake Equation Reveals the Odds of Life in the Cosmos - Praise to the author! I've heard of the Drake Equation, and knew the premise of it, but this author makes the science so easy to understand.
It makes me feel bad for my teachers growing up [and my childhood self] who did not understand science because the teachers made it more complicated than it should be.
*****
What books have you read or picked up simply because the title or the cover attracted you?
Great question!
I have to think a second...
- I have taken this reading test a few times, so the title immediately caught my attention because I figured it was an extension of that.
Two words were what pulled me in: Drake Equation. I've heard of it before, but it's cool to have a book about it. The book has been amazing!
I have no idea what this is about, but it seemed like cool microhistory.
Nadine in NY wrote: "Theresa wrote: "@Nadine - you are slipping - there's a stay tuned on FB Popsugar Book Club....It seems pretty clear to me that, with all the organizational shuffling in the company, they completely forgot about our reading challenge. Once reminded, they had an "oh shit" moment, and scrambled..."
Lol, I kinda get the feeling that's how they've been handling the reading challenge for the last few years....
Nadine in NY wrote: "That's the name of the magician in Hellblazer. Is it the same character?? That would be cool!ETA: ah, I see it's a DC book, so yeah probably the same character..."
Yeah, I'm not super versed in comic book characters, so I didn't realize this was a character that had been around for a while- but then a few characters I recognized made cameos and I figured it out! I really just picked this because it looked neat and started with "z"
Erin wrote: "Happy Thursday! Work has been stressful, but everything else has been pretty ok. Got to see Rocky Horror Picture Show on Halloween with a live cast- they gave out posters after celebrating Tim Curr..."oh wow, that's great about Rocky Horror and the posters
Mod
I meet with the ortho surgeon Monday to schedule my "reverse replacement" shoulder surgery... And let me tell you I am sooooooo (not) looking forward to this adventure! But it must be done. So I am determined to survive and thrive through it all!! (Every once in awhile my ability to be stubborn as hell is a positive trait!! LOL)
Overall, my stress level is much reduced compared to the past 21+ months. And my favorite color is definitely BLUE!!! 🤗
ADMIN STUFF:
THE OCTOBER MONTHLY GROUP READ IS The House in the Cerulean Sea (Cerulean Chronicles #1) by T.J. Klune
This book could be used to fulfill prompt #6 A book with an overweight main character whose story isn't about losing weight
National Plus Size Appreciation Day is October 6
https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/na...
I swear this is a book I can reread and love even more every single time!!
THE NOVEMBER MONTHLY GROUP READ IS *Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik
This book could be used to fulfill prompt #28 A book about debt
Buy Nothing Day is November 27
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buy_Not...
I have posted some initial questions but won't be able to read this until next week.
THE DECEMBER MONTHLY GROUP READ IS Horse by Geraldine Brooks
This book could be used to fulfill prompt #10 A book about a horse or with a horse on the cover
National Horse Day is December 13
https://www.nationaldaycalendar.com/n...
Surely there is "heroic horse handler" amongst you to facilitate this discussion!
I have been curious about this book and luckily obtained a cheap used copy!
THE LISTING OF 2026 MONTHLY GROUP READ TOPICS IS HERE!
***
QUESTION OF THE WEEK
This week's question was suggested by Theresa:
What books have you read or picked up simply because the title or the cover attracted you?
The only reason I tend to do this at all is due to a book matching a challenge prompt for which I do not already own a book I am desperate to read! And there is the financial impact. I just don’t have enough disposable income to simply purchase books (especially brand-new books) because the cover image and/or title appeal to me! Though this year I did purchase a brand-new copy of
*The Lions’ Run by Sara Pennypacker, illustrated by Jon Klassen for our horse prompt and loved it!
May 7 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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2026 READING CHALLENGES:
Popsugar: 42/50
52 Book Club: 49/52
FINISHED:
*The Forest of Vanishing Stars by Kristin Harmel ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ was an excellently written historical fiction novel about Jews hiding out, organizing, and surviving in the woods during WWII with a bit of magical realism thrown in! Although there is drama in the plotting, this felt very realistic in many ways! Definitely worth the read!
POPSUGAR: #9, #13, #15
52 Book Club: #5, #8, #10, #12, #16, #18, #35, #39, #48, #49
*Cold Clay (Shady Hollow #2) by Juneau Black ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ was a more enjoyable read for me than the first book in this series. I am convinced that Susan Wittig Albert’s the Cottage Tales of Beatrix Potter series had spoiled me for such a fantasy series when I read Shady Hollow, so I’m glad I gave this second installment a try. I will probably continue with the series…if I live long enough!! LOL
POPSUGAR: #1, #9, #13, #15, #16, #38
52 Book Club: #11, #14, #25, #26, #27, #28, #35, #44, #49, #51
CONTINUING:
*The Honjin Murders (Detective Kosuke Kindaichi #1) by Seishi Yokomizo, translated by Louise Heal Kawai - translator for an IRL book club
This is touted as a closed room mystery and I am anxious to read the conclusion/solution today, but overall I typically am a bit displeased by these specific subgenre mystery books. We'll see how convoluted I feel this one is...
* The Mighty Redby Louise Erdrich for an IRL book club is quirky so far!
*Daughter of Fortune by Isabel Allende, translated by Margaret Sayers PedenI am really enjoying this, but it is rather slow-moving and I had the new Murderbot and Baker Street Mystery books that I really wanted to read—so I did!! 😊
*Slightly South of Simple (Peachtree Bluff #1) by Kristy Woodson Harvey*Aké: The Years of Childhood by Wole Soyinka for Great African Reads
*The Anthropocene Reviewed: Essays on a Human-Centered Planet by John Green is great, but am taking notes and will read intermittently between other books…as I typically do with essay collections!
*A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki
*Salvation City by Sigrid Nunez is rather fascinateng. 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
*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 Reappearance of Rachel Price by Holly Jackson for an IRL book club
*Lady Tremaine by Rachel Hochhauser
*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
Mod
Oh my goodness, I recently finished that book! I read it for "harvest time" - is that why you chose it too? I did NOT like it at all, a real surprise to me because I always love Erdrich. So I predict you will love it!!
I have so many L. Erdrich books on my shelf, but I'll admit I've never read them. I keep wanting to, but my struggle with fiction genres makes it very difficult. I have read her NF material, though. *****
Oh, and The 52 Book Club has released their 2027 Reading Challenge! I'll admit, I am loving so many of the prompts. I've started to plan out ideas for it.
I can only hope the one for PS is good. I always struggle with the PS one and do it when I can, but over the past several years I haven't been a big fan of the prompt choices, so if it goes the way I predict, The 52 BC just might be my favorite challenge for next year.
Mod
My favorite from her is The Plague of Doves. I think it won a Pulitzer, too.
Love Medicine is also a good place to start - I think that's the first book I read by her, long long ago before Goodreads existed ...
The Round House is also very popular but I didn't love it (although I liked it more than The Mighty Red!!)
Mod
Yikes there are some EXTREMELY difficult prompts on there! First chapter more than ten pages? how are you supposed to find that? Image of a person on the spine? Copy contains a grammatical error??? And your last read of the year? So you cannot complete the challenge until Dec 31st no matter what.
Some of the prompts for 52 Book Club do require some outside help if you only read in certain formats.First chapter more than 10 pages will probably come naturally, unless all you read are Dan Brown/James Patterson type books with super short chapters.
The spine one I have to crowd source a bit, as pictures of those are rare online, and my reading is almost entirely digital.
The grammatical/spelling error is almost a freebie, as I have spotted something in probably 50% of the books I read last year. Typos are inevitable, it seems.
The last read of the year will probably be interpreted by many as what you read after completing the other 51 prompts. Even those who are strict and say the last one of the calendar year will still have guaranteed completion once the new year starts. Since they don't have a big "I'm Finished!" thread, the completion date doesn't seem as important to me.
Nothing in there is as hard as Pilates/Lagree was, although I will admit that the audio prompts are tougher to find for someone who does not venture there often.
The grammar/spelling error prompt for the 52 book club is tricky, because I like to plan my challenge in advance. Hopefully the listopia will grow."Person on the spine" threw me until I looked at my TBR bookshelf and found 4 already there!
Least favorite is "ISBN ends in 6." That's just pointlessly arbitrary instead of expanding my reading horizons.
I've been predicting a lot of prompts relating to the number 3, since 27 is 3x3x3. We have 3 from the same series, and an author with 3 names.
One interesting puzzle is "unrelated books with opposite titles." My ideas so far include Fool and The Know-It-All. Or, assuming subtitles don't count, The Truth and False Claims: One Insider’s Impossible Battle Against Big Pharma Corruption – A Mother and Whistleblower's Decade-Long Fight for Truth.
I thought the hardest prompt on there was "Any book from a past 52 book club challenge". I'm a very indecisive person, so initially I had gone through prompts from the 2018 through 2026 lists and picked out my favorites from each (still a long list with 123 prompts.)Then I luckily came across a book that is being released in a Young Reader's/Young People's edition in November:
The Rediscovery of America for Young People: Native Peoples and the Unmaking of US History
It turns out that one of the prompts on the list was "A book you wish they read in school", so I thought the Blackhawk version would be perfect.
I don't know how Native American past (and current societies) are taught now, but growing up, most of my learning was condensed to 1 or 2 paragraphs, and they were treated as relics rather than current people.
I'm curious, though, as to how Blackhawk considers it a Young People's edition, when it's well over 500 pages (the YP edition), so I want to know what basic language he changes and how he forms it to fit young readers, ages 12 and up.
Mod
Oh my goodness, I recently finished that book! I read it for "harvest time" - is that why you chose it too? I did NOT like it at all, a real surprise to me because I always love Erdrich. So I predict you will love it!!"
I did not select it since it was for a book club, but I assume I will like it more than you did as well! We'll see! LOL
Ron wrote: "I have taken this reading test a few times, so the title immediately caught my attention because I figured it was an extension of that."I've also taken the reading quiz (I'm a blue reader!). I don't know if I want to read the book since part of me feels it would just be redundant after taking the quiz.
Mod
Agreed!!! I hate categories that are basically "choose your favorite category from the last umpteen years!" Nooooooo!!!!! Just TELL me what category to read for! Do not expect me to pick one!!!!
I usually get fed up and just read any old book and assume it must fit something, but then I spend the rest of the year feeling like I cheated.
wow that was a lot of exclamation points haha
Nadine in NY wrote: "Ron wrote: "Oh, and The 52 Book Club has released their 2027 Reading Challenge! I'll admit, I am loving so many of the prompts. I've started to plan out ideas for it...."Yikes there are some EX..."
I thought they were way harder than usual and I really don't like some of them. Audiobook with sound effects? Has a typo?
Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge
Books mentioned in this topic
Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead (other topics)Underground Airlines (other topics)
The Rediscovery of America for Young People: Native Peoples and the Unmaking of US History (other topics)
Fool (other topics)
The Truth (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
T.J. Klune (other topics)Geraldine Brooks (other topics)
Victoria Christopher Murray (other topics)
Kristin Harmel (other topics)
Naomi Novik (other topics)
More...
Where did the year go??? I can't believe we are already in the penultimate month.
In the last week I have done a 180 from "I don't care about reading challenges any more" to "OMG when will they release next year's list???" Every day I check email, insta, FB, and the PS site for an update. Nothing yet. I wish their site had a "books" section.
Remember a while back they rebranded from "Popsugar" to "PS"? At some point in the last year, they rebranded right BACK again to "Popsugar." I had no idea LOL
***** Admin stuff *****
The November group read (debt) is: Spinning Silver You can join the discussion here: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
The December group read (horses) will be: Horse
Let us know if you'd like to lead either upcoming discussion!
This week I and finished 1 book, not for this Challenge, so I remain 49/50:
Cry of the Rain Crow by Laurie L. Dove - this was another solid mystery featuring Tribal Marshall Carrie Starr. Publishes next month. I'm so happy that Dove has made this a series, I look forward to the next one!
Popsugar 98% 49 /50
Must Reads 0% 0 /1
2026 pub 78 /50
NetGalley ratio 93%
Question of the Week
This week's question was suggested by Theresa:
What books have you read or picked up simply because the title or the cover attracted you?
LOL I do this ALL the time!
The most common reason I pick up a book is because I know I love the author. Second most common is to fill a challenge category, of course. But third most common is because I am seduced by the cover. It doesn't always work out for me, but I keep doing it. The most recent book I picked up for the cover / title is:
Cross My Heart, I Hope You Die was an arresting title, I HAD to read it just for that title (not the cover). It was okay.
AND I have just now downloaded a COOKBOOK from NetGalley because I could not resist the gorgeous cover (turns out this is a photo of a chilled pea & seaweed soup, which doesn't sound so interesting LOL ... but I'll try a few other recipes from this book while I've got it)