Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge discussion
2021 Weekly Check-Ins
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Week 25: 6/18 - 6/24
I completely missed last week’s checkin and didn’t notice until last night. Let me tell you, moving states is stressful! I can’t wait for this to be over. The good news is that I’m almost there. The movers come this weekend, and I get my new apartment on Monday. Once again, I’ve had very little time for reading physical books, but I finished another audiobook while packing.Finished
The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy (the book on your tbr shelf with the prettiest cover). Delightful! This was nothing like I expected. It was so much better. Does the wealthy, caped crusader trope begin with this book? It’s the earliest example I’ve read.
Before She Knew Him by Peter Swanson (a book about art or an artist). I haven’t read a ton of thrillers, but of what I’ve read so far this is my least favorite. It was just bad. Everyone is dumb. I’m glad I bought this for cheap as an Audible daily deal and not full price or with a credit.
Reading
Ayesha at Last by Uzma Jalaluddin (a book by a Muslim-American author)
The Power Behind the Throne by Steven Savile (a book with under 1,000 reviews)
QOTW
The progress bar tells me I’m one book behind schedule. I’m honestly surprised it’s not more! I think I’m still on track to finish the challenge.
Mod
This week I did not finish much. And the books I DID finish (or DNF) were all audiobooks!! (I am just CRANKING through the audiobooks this year! My YTD total as of today is almost the same as last year's full year total! Why so many audiobooks this year? I don't know.)
I finished two books this week, one for this challenge, and I DNF'ed one book. I am now 33/50.
Mister Impossible by Maggie Stiefvater - this was about as good as I expected (which is to say: not so good). I really like listening to Will Patton read books, though (which is why I keep reading this series) so it was an enjoyable experience.
The Survivors by Jane Harper - this didn't draw me in quite as much as Harper's other books. It was okay. This takes place mostly: on the beach, in beach caves, on the ocean. So I checked off "book that takes place mostly outdoors" with it.
And I DNF'ed
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz - I added this book to my TBR and deleted from my TBR so many times over the last few years! I knew it wasn't for me, but I read it anyway because I was swayed by all the rave reviews. A bad case of FOMO? But this book was just bad. I mean, for me, it was bad. I won't go into all the things I didn't like, because I know it's popular with a lot of people, and I'm not going to "yuck on someone else's yum." I don't like coming of age stories, in general, but for some reason I keep trying to read them. When will I learn??
QotW
I think I'm in good shape. We are 48% through the year, and I am 66% through the Challenge. I generally aim to finish in late Fall, and I'm on track for that.
I am a little worried about some of the categories I still have open, though. Five of them are not at all exciting for me, and it's going to be a push to force myself to pick up a book for them:
* 1990's best-seller (what MONSTER decided to add this category???)
* anonymous (I took inspiration from Lilith on this and I have The Tain on hold at the library now ... but I don't know ... it doesn't sound like a book that will grab my interest ...)
* seen on someone's shelf (I don't know why I'm being such a grump about this one - I HAVE a book picked out for it and I OWN the book and I WANT to read it ...)
* longest book UGH! I don't like long books! This will be my second try on longest book, I DNF'ed the first one.
* book that's been on my TBR the longest (again, ugh! it's been there for so many years because I guess I don't actually want to read it LOL! but I own it so I feel like I HAVE to read it.)
This year I let myself just read whatever and find categories for them, more than I usually do, so the more difficult categories are still open, and I feel them looming and judging me. I need to get on that soon, because the farther we get into the year, the less energy/interest I'll have for this year's Challenge.
Lynn, I hear you on the glasses. I had been struggling with not wearing or using drug store ones, and both options were a disaster. I finally got a pair of scrips and it's been a game changer. So, hope you have as much luck as I did. Also The Water Dancer is one of the best books I've read in a while. Don't get hung up on eh first chapter, it'll make a lot more sense if you just go on.I moved back home, so haven't done a lot of reading. I finished three audio books between packing/unpacking/driving, and in the past few days have made some serious progress on Donna Tartt's Secret History. I'm at 60 books on the year, though I haven't done my "advanced" Pop Sugar prompts yet.
What are some other challenges you all like? Like, what is AYT?
Finished (all audio)
The Guncle. This was cute. About a gay man whose best (girl)friend marries his brother. When she dies, he ends up having to watch the kids at his Palm Beach home for the summer. A lot of it was predictable, the middle dragged, but the last few chapters were nice. Definitely a "beach read", or perfect fo a background audio listen on a 12 hour car ride. It doesn't really meet any prompts, besides dream vacation (Palm Spring) or dream job (Actor) but has an LGBTQ author.
People We Meet on Vacation This, again was a nother simple read by the author of Beach Read, which I've never read. It was fun, and also completely predicable, but I really liked it a lot. It hit the spot in an unexpectedly simple way, like a grilled cheese might. Yes, this is the grilled cheese of books. And who doesn't' love Grilled Cheese. PS Prompts: Dream Job (travel writer, teacher), Dream Vacations: though most mentioned briefly: Vancouver, Croatia, Palm Springs, Norway.
Somebody's Daughter Went in a different direction with this audiobook. This is a memoir by Ashley Ford about growing up with an emotionally abused mother while her father was in prison. I didn't care for it. It felt like she went into a lot of detail about how smart her grandma thought she was, and the "real" stuff sort of was glossed over. Though I agree, and think that is how memory works, highlighting the good, minimalizing the small, I don't know. I don't know what I was expecting.
Anyway, as I said. I am reading The Secret History and Galatea.
This week I finished:0 books. I started and stopped so many books and couldn't settle down on anything. I am also now 5.5 hours overtime already this week, so that might have something to do with it.
Currently reading:
The Night Swim: I don't know what my problem is with regards to this book. I started it over the weekend and was really enjoying it, and then I put it down for 4 days and haven't felt the need to pick it back up.
Little Deadly Secrets: This one sucked me in at first, and I paid actual money for it, so I have to finish it, but the longer I read the more I'm getting annoyed with the forced plot and character development. Maybe it is just me, but I don't really think that many people full-on murder or plot murder in any one friend group. Also I think it took on too many different problems. Any one of them would have made a good plot, but combining domestic violence, sexual assault, infidelity, drug addiction, past trauma, and probably other plot points that I missed is just a little too much misery for one book. I know it is to push forward the suspense, but it has left me rolling my eyes a lot.
QOTW:
I finished the challenge last month, I think. I am finishing up previous year's prompts since I didn't start participating until 2019. I have 6 more prompts to go and I'm all caught up. I feel like I have hit a bit of a wall, because I am just not excited about the books that I have picked.
My plan is:
The Collected Poems of Emily Dickinson - A book at least 100 years older than you
Murder on the Orient Express - A classic from the 20th century
Faceless Killers - Nordic Noir
Cinder - Cyberpunk
Furious Hours: Murder, Fraud, and the Last Trial of Harper Lee - microhistory
We Need New Names - a book about an immigrant or refugee
I'm multitasking - catching up on GR and FB, including this update, while listening to an ethics webinar needed for CLE credit (lawyer continuing legal education) needed when I renew my license next year. Love how easy it is to do this now that all these sessions are virtual/remote!To books. I escaped into romantic thriller spec ops this past week. Then moved into super hot steamy naughty but yet incredibly heartwarming contemporary romances. So I finished several books which put me a bit ahead of my GR annual challenge, And I had a wonderful wallow! But NONE of them fit PS for me.
Finished:
5 M.L. Buchman spec ops romantic thrillers and one collection of his short stories featuring the same Night Stalkers series. These are full of action and truly kick-ass women:
By Break of Day - last of Team 5D
Target of the Heart - First of Team 5E
Target of Mine- more romance than action - set on a cruise ship - a very unusual locale for spec ops.
Target Lock On Love
Target of One's Own - my fave - set at Dakar Rally run in South America from Argentina through Chili and Peru. Tons of race action as the team is undercover to nail a gunrunner.
The Complete Night Stalkers 5E Stories - short stories set in the Night Stalker world collected in one volume. These are actually not all that substantive. Felt more like scenes of varying length that were edited out of some of the books.
Also read the Moonlight and Motor Oil 2 book series by Kristen Ashley - featuring 2 brothers who are mechanics and 2 sisters making their own way after a tough childhood - these are super sexy steamy downright inventively NAUGHTY books from beginning to end, bu tthey are also about love and family and putting the past in its place - I went through a LOT of tissues with these and highly recommend (unless you have a problem with explicit sex and profanity):
The Hookup
The Slow Burn
Yes - I have a thing for bad boys...at least in my romance fiction. I also like lots of action in my thrillers.
I'm now easing off the intensity of these by currently reading 2 Robyn Carr romances:
The Country Guesthouse
Return to Virgin River
I also need to finish this week:
How Much of These Hills Is Gold
The Mysterious Benedict Society
QOTW:
I'm 31/50 -- 8 books ahead acc/t GR and comfortably ahead given how quickly I read. Even though I still have to start my longest book on my TBR (A Suitable Boy). I'm really quite pleased with progress. I really don't preplan much until I reach a point where the prompts can't be filled readily by whatever I happen to pick up at the moment. I'm not quite at the point of neeeding to plan --- although in truth, the Advanced options sort of all are already picked given they are from my TBR and I have identified them and have them in a pile by my couch. Of the prompts I have left in the main challenge, all of them are easily filled from my massive TBR Towers or library ebook holds.
Problem will be choosing which to read of the many options I own.
Meanwhile, being comfortably ahead of my personal schedule for reading PS, I can get back to wallowing in romance and thrillers.
What a scorcher this week has been in the PNW! It is tracking to be 102 degrees on Monday which I am not looking forward to. There used to be a saying 20 years ago that summer didn't start until July 5th (it would actually rain sometimes on July 4th - Independence Day in the US) and mostly rain in June. But not anymore. Too hot, give me back the low 70s please!Finished:
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig. I actually finished this one last Thursday night (after my check in of course). I can see why a lot of people like it - the idea of living different possible lives is intriguing and I think the book went exactly the way it should have. Very good.
Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows by Balli Kaur Jaswal. This was a cute book I listened to on audio, some slow spots but overall it was good.
Currently Reading:
The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead. I devoured The Underground Railroad and I was really into the first half of this book but the middle dragged a little for me. I am almost done and the story is picking up again, so hopefully I can finish it this weekend.
On Deck / QOTW:
Not sure what to start next. I am half done with the challenge so far and will definitely finish this year, as I did last year, with a few weeks to spare. There are not as many new (2021) books that I want to read so fewer distractions and the ones that I do want to read I was able to fit into the challenge.
Hello! I won a giveaway! Super excited to get Yours Cheerfully, but Goodreads says it could take 8 to 10 weeks to arrive. Anyone have any experience with that?Finished This Week:
Stonewall: The Definitive Story of the LGBT Rights Uprising that Changed America by Martin Duberman. Picked this up for Pride month and for Read Harder's LGBTQ+ history book prompt. It was great as a history book, going into great detail about the movements in the 50s and 60s for gay rights and recognition. It's not as great as an account of Stonewall itself, which takes up maybe 30 pages of the 400+ page book. Not for PS prompt.
Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie I had this marked as my locked room mystery, but it's a closed circle mystery. I read it anyway. Quite enjoyed it. This makes my fifth Christie book, I believe. I should read more of them. Not using for prompt, but could be for book I meant to read in 2020.
The Dragon Republic / The Burning God by R.F. Kuang. Finished book 2 over the weekend and book 3 last night. Did not predict any of what happened. The whole series is tough read, since it's about a war of occupation and then the civil wars that follow, plus the West thinking the East is backwards and inferior. Definitely glad I read the series, and I'll probably keep my copies of the books (and get book 3 in paperback this fall). Not for prompt, but both would fit as Genre Hybrids and Meant to Read in 2020.
PS: 29/50 RH: 9/24 RW: 15/28 ATY: 39/52 GR: 81/150
Currently Reading:
Brain Rules (Updated and Expanded): 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and School by John Medina . I needed a book recommended by a colleague, but I don't really talk to my coworkers about books. This book was in an email I get weekly from my company, usually about business books, so counting it. It's been very interesting so far, even if it's like the third book this year that's told me exactly how stress can kill you and just how good exercise really is. (I went on a bike ride after finishing the exercise chapter.) Not for prompt.
The House Without a Key by Earl Derr Biggers. I needed a book by an author with the same name as a grandparent, and while I had books by Louise Erdrich all picked out, I went looking to see if there were any famous authors named Earl. I found this guy, who wrote a series of detective novels back in the 1920s set in Hawaii. This is book one of the series. I haven't met the detective yet, as the dead body has just been discovered. Good so far. Not for prompt.
Up Next:
Wonderful Feels Like This by Sara Lövestam. This was my planned realistic YA set in a country that isn't the US, UK or Canada for Read Harder, and while I sort of found that with a middle grade book in Syria, this looks happy and uplifting, so I'm going to read it anyway. Plus YA is different than middle grade, so the Syria book didn't super qualify anyway.
Daughter of Sparta by Claire M. Andrews. My hold came in! Can't wait to get started on this.
The Witness for the Dead by Katherine Addison. Released on Tuesday. I had to get through the Poppy War trilogy first, but thinking this jumps to the front of the line for next.
QOTW: As we approach mid-year, how is your 2021 POPSUGAR Challenge shaping up for you? Are you “on schedule” or lagging a bit behind? Or are you just simply taking it as it comes?
I'm at 29 of 50 for Popsugar, which means I'm past halfway. But the easy prompts are gone, and it seems like I'm actively avoiding some of the TBR shelf prompts, especially longest book. I have ten books out from the library, and two more waiting for me on hold. They will fulfill only two prompts for Popsugar, which tells me I'm working more on other challenges than this one. I know my reading habits, and my reading speed, so I'm not worried about not finishing. Just need to figure out priorities.
I need to stop with my tendency to change the books for prompts so that they complete multiple challenges. If A Country of Vast Designs: James K. Polk, the Mexican War and the Conquest of the American Continent only meets the book seen on someone else's bookshelf prompt, that's okay, because I want to read it. I don't need to replace it with Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents because that would also meet the Read Harder prompt for non-fiction about anti-racism. I can always read Caste too, and if that's only fulfilling one prompt, there's nothing wrong with that.
I figured I would check in while it's slow here. Where is everyone? I am guessing this is a busy week with graduation, proms, and such. Finished:
One Last Stop Really enjoyed this book. I grew up in Brooklyn riding the Q train, so that was fun. As with most books set in Brooklyn, I marvel at all the neighborhoods that are so gentrified now, that were not when I was growing up.
The Frozen Rabbi
Currently reading:
Just Last Night
Cleopatra: A Life
War and Peace
Malibu Rising on audio
QOTW:
I am at 32/50 for this challenge. Like Nadine, I am having a really hard time with some of the categories: oxymoron, ugliest book on your TBR. I am still on time, but my reading was going so well earlier in the year, I thought I would be closer to done by now.
I finished Criminal as my book I got for free. I really liked it.I read A Tuscan Childhood as a previous favorite-a book you picked off a shelf without looking. It was OK.
I am currently reading The Neighbor as my book with an ugly cover. I'm just over halfway done. Supergood.
QOTW. I have read 38 books out of 52. Which means I'm about 3/4 of the way done halfway through the year. How crazy is that? The only thing I'm semiworried abotu is that I have Fried Green Tomatoes on hold at the library. It is well overdue at this point, so not sure what I will do for restaurant prompt if person just keeps book.
Hi all! I've been enjoying my new job. Still waiting--anxiously--for responses to my query letters. Other than that, nothing new to report! I'm enjoying post-pandemic life, I should say. Going to the beach, the movies, art classes--things I didn't do PRE-pandemic, but suddenly found myself wanting to do once I wasn't allowed to lolCurrently Reading
My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite. Not for the challenge, just right up my alley!
Burial Rites by Hannah Kent. This is a slog for me. The writing is beautiful and the situation is moving, I just haven't connected. I'm loathe to DNF though because there aren't many books set in Iceland (my place to visit in 2021) and it gets such stunning reviews. I hope to connect at some point.
The Lottery and Other Stories by Shirley Jackson. I'm still working my way through the stories. They're appropriately weird, per Shirley Jackson's brand.
Finished
Home Before Dark by Riley Sager for my random TBR pick. I loved it, but I seem to love all of Sager's novels. Looking forward to his new release next week, Survive the Night!
QotW
I'm doing well with the challenge so far. I'm 28/50, so about par for this time of year. I'm reading a lot of non-challenge books lately though so I hope I don't get too off the rails and have to cram at the end of the year!
Yeah, so I haven't done a weekly check-in in ages, but this week's QOTW is exactly what I needed to assess my progress... And it's looking great! I've completed 46/50 prompts and have 11 books that I still want to read for this challenge (I double up on a lot of prompts, reading both fiction and nonfiction). When I'm done (to my own satisfaction) I'll have read 75 books for this challenge.Currently Reading:
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue (PS11 - A book about forgetting)
Planned Reading:
The Devil's Tickets: A Night of Bridge, a Fatal Hand, and a New American Age (PS3 - A book that has a heart, diamond, club, or spade on the cover)
Garlic and Sapphires: The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise (PS6 - A book with a gem, mineral, or rock in the title)
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (PS10 - A bestseller from the 1990s)
The Dead Are Arising: The Life of Malcolm X (PS12 - A book you have seen on someone else's bookshelf)
The Liar's Dictionary (PS18 - A book about a subject you are passionate about/Language and Grammar)
The Last Temptation of Christ (PS47 - A book from your TBR you associate with a favorite person/my dad)
The Art of Fielding (PS47 - A book from your TBR you associate with a favorite thing/baseball)
Remaining Prompts:
I'm still looking for a book set in a restaurant (PS14), a book title that starts with X (PS32), and a book title that starts with Z (PS32).
Of course, it's nearly July and the world's finally opening up, so I'm probably not going to get much reading done for the next couple of months. I've joined a social group from MeetUp that's scheduled lots of activities, and we have two trips planned. It's nice to get to go out and be social!
I missed last week, so today I'll check in for the past two weeks. Work is so overwhelming most days I can't always find time to catch up here. The good news is that Hoopla has the audio version of The Guest List, which means I can join the next monthly discussion without having to wait for the regular (Overdrive) library hold (which currently has a wait time of 5 weeks). Yay!The past two weeks I finished:
The Chosen and the Beautiful I was hoping for more queer and more Vietnamese, but otherwise I enjoyed this Great Gatsby retelling. 4.5 stars
The Black Flamingo This was a very sweet quick read. 5 stars
Queen of the Conquered I was intrigued by the premise, but it didn't end up working for me. My feelings on this book are too complicated to give it a rating.
Detransition, Baby This was my second read and I still loved it! 5 stars
Ace of Spades This was super cool; I'm liking the trend we're seeing with these kinds of books lately. 5 stars
Long Live the Tribe of Fatherless Girls I already don't remember many details of this, but it felt like a pretty original memoir. 4 stars
Let's Talk About Love I found the beginning of the story annoying and wasn't sure I could stick with it, but I did and it ended up being pretty enjoyable by the end. 4 stars
Malibu Rising If you've already read other TJR books a lot of this will feel familiar. Nothing too fantastic here, but it did feel like a nice breezy summer read. 3 stars
The Other Black Girl This was pretty interesting, and I'd put it in the same category as Ace of Spades above, but won't say why since it's a bit of a spoiler. I heard the author speak about it last weekend which was fun. 4.5 stars
The Subtweet Even though I have limited interest in social media fame, which is a big part of this story, I enjoyed this. 5 stars
QOTW: I finished the challenge in May, so lately I've been focusing on heritage month reads and my various book club books. I'm having a great month of Pride reading!
Happy Thursday! It's been a busy week and shaping up to be a busy/exciting weekend for me; I've been covering for our shipping guy at work, who had his wisdom teeth out yesterday and made the (smart, IMO) decision to take the week off. Luckily there hasn't been a deluge of orders, but it's a nice change of pace and has kept me busy. And yesterday I got roped into assisting plan a friend's wedding shower. Woohoo! We're going out for my dad's birthday tomorrow evening, then a (separate from the shower) pair of friends are getting married Saturday, plus an afternoon excursion with hubby on Sunday. And overnight camping for our 3-year wedding anniversary next Wednesday :DI've managed to finish two books this week:
First Among Sequels - 4 stars! Thursday Next is such an entertaining series.
Ace of Spades - 4 stars. I liked this one a lot and never wanted to put it down. It didn't turn out how I expected, but the imagery was chilling regardless. Dark academia
PS 40/50
Currently reading:
How We Get Free: Black Feminism and the Combahee River Collective
The Unbroken
Marlene
Queen of the Conquered
Dead Dead Girls
An Unkindness of Ghosts is on hold, waiting for friends to BR. At this point I may just restart it, since I wasn't very far along.
I can't tell if I'm in a slump or I'm just busy this week and therefore tired, but NOTHING would hold my attention last night and I should've finished How We Get Free ages ago because it's not very long.
As we approach mid-year, how is your 2021 POPSUGAR Challenge shaping up for you? Are you “on schedule” or lagging a bit behind? Or are you just simply taking it as it comes?
I'm pleased with how I'm doing, considering it's the end of June and I've only got 10 more spots to fill. I'm actually more agitated with how few books I've read this month in particular.
Well, this work week has been about as horrifying as I predicted it would be! And there's another two weeks to go...sigh *psyching up noises*Finished:
The Hunting Party for A locked-room mystery. I think my expectations were a bit too high for this one, as I didn't like it as much as I thought I would. Still, it was a decent page-turner, which is really all you need from this kind of book!
Started:
The Bad Beginning for A book that was published anonymously. Not really enjoying this, not sure I get what all the fuss is about. Which is possibly why I'm on day 3 of reading a book that only has about 150 pages!
QOTW:
I think I'm on course to finish the challenge slightly later this year than last year (I finished sometime in July last year), but I don't view that as 'lagging behind' as I was specifically aiming to finish it quicker this year, and I'm still pleased with my progress. I'll still have several months of the year left to make some inroads into my TBR list outside the challenge!
I've also finally managed to decide on a book for every prompt - there were two or three prompts that I was just really struggling to find a fill for, for some reason. Although I am going to have to switch to my second choice for the 'dark academia' prompt, I think, as my first choice now isn't going to be published until December, and I think I'll have finished the challenge before then...
Hi all, got cold and rainy this week, but at least it'll be warm today! Going to rain all weekend and looks like rain's on the schedule all through next week. boo. I want to kayak!
This week I finished:
went on a comics spree so finished a bunch
Mirka Andolfo's Mercy, Volume 2: The Mine, the Memories and the Mortality - finished this up, really loved it. gorgeous and creepy, liked the story a lot.
Haha - this was just ok, not great.
Once & Future, Vol. 3: The Parliament of Magpies- this is interesting and i keep reading, but don't love Arthurian mythos that much so I probably miss a lot.
Faithless II- this series continues to just be very weird. Never quite sure how i feel about it.
Single White Vampire - reread just for fun.
Stealing from Wizards Volume 1: Pickpocketing - one of the blogs I follow did a glowing review on this so i went ahead and picked it up for kindle because it was pretty cheap. Ended up loving it! Next one comes out in a week or so, excited about that. Turns out the author is a lurker in the discord for the blog, seems like a really nice guy :) It reminded me of Harry Potter meets a little Neverwhere (less creepy, just Detritus lane reminded me of people falling down into the London Underground) .
Currently reading:
1Q84- read another 100 pages or so. I just really want this done haha.
The Library of the Dead - got this up as a library hold, so trying to knock it out.
QOTW:
I am at the point of the year where I really just wanna be done and read whatever I want, but I still have 15 prompts left. I never have problems finishing, I just start chomping at the bit as I find new books i want to read NOW and they dont' fit in challenges. I've read 85 books this year (although a good number were comic trades/graphic novels), so I COULD be finish if I had actually read for the challenge exclusively. Although some stuff I read does apply for other challenges. I always try to get the lackluster prompts out of the way first, but some always end up falling through the cracks because I can't really find something for them. Anonymous is driving me nuts in particular, just because nothing i've found is really appealing. When I did a search at the library, MOST of what came up was old Victorian erotica. If I'm going to read erotica I'd rather pick up a Chuck Tingle, his titles are at least funny. and his pseudonym is hiding the real identity of the author, there's been guesses but no identity has been confirmed yet as far as I've heard. I haven't fully committed to that.
Hello All,I haven't checked in for awhile, I was just popping in to add a book to Goodreads and realized it was Thursday so I though I would pop in and say hello.
Lynn, I hear you about the glasses I have always worn them for distance but I think with my age my near sight is changing and I am constantly taking them off or putting them back on to see things properly. Which I think is defiantly affecting my reading.
Currently reading
Piranesi I am enjoying it. I have been reading a bunch of re-reads this year, so this is the "first read" read that I have read in a while.
QOTW
This year I have a couple of big changes going on.
My husband at the end of this year, is giving up ownership of our Tire/Mechanical shop, which he has been involved in for the past 25 years (and we have owned for 10) He is taking a gap year (2022) and then he going to try to figure out what he wants to be when he grows up. I am staying at the shop to collect wages and benefits for now.
Both my kids moved out about a month ago. They moved in together with another young man my son has known since elementary school. We are enjoying being empty nesters, they are still close, so I don't miss them too much.
And of course throw a pandemic into the mix.
So my brain has been occupied with other stuff, I have been doing quite a bit of re-reads this year which is not normal for me. But life is changing. Not sure how far I will make it in the challenge but I will still keeping track of my progress.
Happy reading everyone.
I'm finally home! It was really lovely to fly in over the city of Chicago, seeing the skyline from the plane, and just know I'd get to spend several weeks with my family. International teaching is an amazing job, takes you all over the world ... but nobody reckoned on a pandemic shutting us off from our families around the world. While I was able to come back to the US, I have British colleagues who likely won't get home, and Australian and Canadian colleagues who also may not be able to get home either without a long and expensive quarantine. Finished this week: American Dirt for prompt #39 - a book almost everyone else has read but me. I've loaned it to international colleagues who are curious to learn more about migration to the US, along with a few more books from other authors to give them a rounded picture.
The Push for prompt #40 [from PS 2019, prompt #35 - a book by an author whose first and last name start with the same letter]. I wanted to like it more than I did, mostly down to the way it was written more than the actual storyline. A few people have described this book as 'birth control' ... and I would have to agree.
Currently reading
Underground: A Human History of the Worlds Beneath Our Feet for prompt #18 - a book on a subject that interests me. Haven't had a chance to finish it yet, but good and interesting so far. I've been to some of these subterranean places, such as the catacombs of Paris, and into many an early middle and medieval age church crypt.
The Divines for prompt #5 - a book about dark academia. It's a pretty new book, and it sounds like it'll fit the prompt.
I hit up my home library - actually, I put advance holds on books back in May so I had them ready for when I arrived - and now have the following books checked out:
The Divines
The House in the Cerulean Sea
Girl in the Walls
The Companion
The Thursday Murder Club
The Last Exiles
The Missing Treasures of Amy Ashton
Madam
QotW
I'm doing pretty well on my PS Challenge. Right now, I'm at 34/50, with a total of 36 books read [2 that were not for PSC}. With my list above, I'm hoping to wrap up the summer with perhaps 40-43 total done, if not more.
Happy Thursday, y’all.It has been a WEEK. I got a call at work on Saturday from my mom -- she fell and broke her wrist, and needed a ride to the hospital. (Yes, she broke a wrist last summer too -- thankfully she didn't break the same one, or she'd be really in trouble.) This week has been taken up with taking care of her and running her to the hospital, and she's currently in surgery to have a plate put in. Going to be a bit rough the next few weeks...
Books read this week:
The Hound of the Baskervilles -- I believe this is the first actual Sherlock Holmes story I’ve ever read! And though I already knew the basics of the plot thanks to an old episode of the Wishbone TV show (any bibliophiles remember that one?), it was still fun reading the original.
The Fourth Suit -- A more intense but still charming and fun conclusion to what’s been a great series so far. I hope Neil Patrick Harris keeps writing, and now I’m tempted to check out his autobiography.
When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain -- Technically a sequel to The Empress of Salt and Fortune, but works nicely as a stand-alone too. A lovely and enthralling novella about stories and how they change depending on who’s telling them.
The Line Between-- story collection by Peter S. Beagle, one of my favorite authors. Includes a sequel to The Last Unicorn! And I admire how one author can switch between so many distinct voices seemingly effortlessly.
The Girl from the Sea -- graphic novel, and one of my Pride Month reads. Adorable queer romance involving one of my favorite mythical creatures -- selkies!
Currently Reading:
Project Hail Mary
The Ride of Her Life: The True Story of a Woman, Her Horse, and Their Last-Chance Journey Across America
Boy's Life
My Mother She Killed Me, My Father He Ate Me: Forty New Fairy Tales
QOTW:
I... finished my challenge a few weeks ago. Hehe...
Mod
I've been wondering how you're doing! I miss hearing about the books you read with Seth!!
I'll... attempt to keep it short this week. My brain feels kind of fuzzy, like I just can't quite think. I might've slept too much - had an early night but still didn't wake up till nearly 10 a.m., and for some reason, I'm still sleepy.Haven't been doing great reading-wise either, for a little while now. Keep starting books then letting them fall by the wayside.
Whatever, it's no big deal. Probably just need to get out more for some fresh air.
Finished:
The Story of Silence - Enjoyed this, and now very much want to seek out a translation of the original poem.
Also I need more LGBTQ+ Arthurian stories, please, I am pleading. There seems to be a real "queer myth" moment happening in the book world right now, and yet...
The Wolf: A True Story of Survival and Obsession in the West - Seems like I tend to default to natural history whenever my brain gets scatty. This was interesting, though could have been longer. I felt there wasn't a great balance between the political battle around wolf reintroduction, the personal stories of those who knew O-Six, and the life story of O-Six herself, so none of them quite got enough attention in the page space available.
I also question the decision to make the hunter such a... protagonist? Yeah, sure, get some input from him, show he's not necessarily an evil person, but that likely could have been accomplished with just the interview near the end. We didn't actually need fictionalized POV sections and digressions on his backstory sprinkled through the whole book.
Currently reading: ... I don't knowww? Like I said earlier I've started a bunch of things but not really got fully invested into them and I just don't feel like I'm actively reading them. There's:
Thornfruit - got about a third into this, was liking it, then just... haven't picked it up for over a week
Me, My Dad and the End of the Rainbow - cute, like the premise, but it's suuuper drawn out, very little is actually happening, and the narrative voice reads very clearly like a grown adult trying to write what they think a twelve-year-old is like, rather than an authentic-sounding child narrator.
Dear Martin - I'm just... not feeling it. Yes, alright, the whole conversation it's trying to have is important but there are so many other books making the same points that are, honestly, better in terms of writing, story, characterization, etc. Sorry.
QOTW: oh, I have dropped the ball hard on the Popsugar challenge. I think I filled in like one prompt at the start of the year and haven't looked at it since. At some point I'll open up the list again and slot whatever I've been reading into prompts retroactively.
Cendaquenta wrote: "Also I need more LGBTQ+ Arthurian stories, please, I am pleading. There seems to be a real "queer myth" moment happening in the book world right now, and yet..."I'm psyched for the anthology Sword Stone Table: Old Legends, New Voices to release next month specifically for this reason!!
Oh yeah, preordered that months ago! 🌈🗡❤
Happy Thursday! We had a bit of a family crisis this weekend, but everyone's ok. Still, it's left me feeling very tired all week. Also trying to decide if it's time to start night training the toddler. I really don't want to. I want her to just decide she's ready, but this girl is stubborn as a mule and does not change if she don't have to. Sigh....I know her strong will can be a great asset later in life.....but right now it's stressing me out, lol.Finished 24/50
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue for "book about forgetting". I liked it up until it became a weird romance with the devil. That was just bizarre. The plot had a lot of potential, but I think it could've gone deeper.
Currently Reading
Crime and Punishment for "book you meant to read last year". I LOVE this book, it is my FAVOURITE book of ALL TIME and I was SO THRILLED to see it on my book club's reading list...and then they went AWOL for a year during the pandemic JUST as we were about to start it! Well, they're back and now we can FINALLY dive into one of the best novels ever penned (imho). I'm already halfway through and can barely put it down. The psychology and characters are so deep and real, you can feel every part of this book!
Ten Dates for Mates for "book that's been on your TBR the longest". I'm almost done. It's not what I was expecting, but it's not bad.
QotW
I'm BARELY on track. It's a little stressful, tbh. I have a huge Sanderson book coming up and a couple book club reads that I couldn't fit into a prompt so....yikes! Gotta get crackin'.!!
First thing when I wake up, my cat wants me to feed her. She used to sit patiently in my lap until I was ready. Now she paces anxiously around my bed. It's effective. But not effective enough to dissuade me from posting my update first! :)Finished: My Heart and Other Black Holes Used for prompt heart on the cover. To be honest, I didn't really like this one. I thought it was too predictable and I didn't really get attached to the characters. The premise was too heavy to slog through even though the ending was happy.
Necessity Used for genre hybrid prompt. I liked the first one in this series, but this one felt structurally like it was just wrap up from the other two books and didn't follow a narrative arc of its own. You would be totally lost if trying to read it as a stand-alone. I had read the other two books and still didn't really enjoy it.
How to Live Forever This one was pretty cool. I found this one by looking for an author alike to one of my favorite authors (Diana Wynne Jones on NovelList Plus.) It was for my library's Super Summer Challenge. They've moved away from using specific reading prompts except for that one, which is why I joined the PopSugar Challenge!
The House in the Cerulean Sea You were right. It was worth the read. This book was confusing because even though its audience is geared for adults, it felt like a kid's book. Which I liked since I read mostly kids' books. I know a lot of you have read this, so I just have to say, I loved the part where Helen storms into the ice cream parlor to save the day!
Ethics in the Real World: 86 Brief Essays on Things that Matter Man! I almost wish I hadn't read this book. It has forever altered how I feel about eating dairy products and I don't know what to do about it because I love dairy products and I don't want to make the rest of my family change their diets. So it has created quite the dilemma for me!
Wow! I had a pretty good week for finishing books. I'm actually trying to read LESS to make time for things like cleaning. But surprisingly, given my reading record, my house is in pretty good shape to.
Started: In the Heights: Finding Home This is fun and purty. Just started it last night, so I don't have a lot to say about it yet.
Qotw: I'm 39/50 complete with the challenge, so I should easily be able to finish it in the next six months. I'm a little worried about the longest TBR book, however. Originally, I was planning to finish reading Liberating Sociology: From Newtonian Toward Quantum Imaginations: Volume 1: Unriddling the Quantum Enigma which is by a (crackpot) guy who founded his own press in order to write these books. Clocking it at 955 pages, it would take quite awhile. But I decided he's so unqualified to write about this topic and no one else is going to read it, so maybe it's not worth me reading it either. So then I switched over to the second volume in Remembrance of Things Past which clocks in at 1197 pages. This is worth the read. However, it took me MONTHS to read the first volume in the three-volume set, so I imagine it will take a similar amount of time to get through this one. I'm trying to read every other book for the challenge, but not quite being consistent about that. So far, I've read 55 books this year. (I started the challenge when it came out rather than wait for January 1.)
Not much to say this week. Texas is hot and work is busy!Finished:
Nothing
Currently Reading:
How Emotions Are Made: The Secret Life of the Brain - A subject you're passionate about. It's fascinating so far!
Up Next:
I have the audiobook of Crazy Stupid Bromance but keep forgetting to start it! I have some driving to do this weekend, so maybe then.
QOTW:
Oh man. I'm so sad about how poorly I've done. Between depression and work being so crazy, I've fallen really behind. I reduced the goal from 50 to 40, so I'm supposedly on track for the challenge, but I'm still really sad. I have such a great list for this year (only a couple of prompts I really didn't want to do) and I hate knowing that I probably won't actually finish them all.
And, because of who I am as a person, if I put them off until next year, I may never get around to them at all!
Hi guys. I cracked and bought a Nintendo Switch in the sale so some of my reading time has been taken up by video games this week. I've not had a new console in YEARS so I'm enjoying the novelty right now.I'm one chapter away from finishing Freddie Mercury so I'm going to count that as completed this week. I found descriptions of the recordings and performances fascinating but the author kept pulling away from the "story" to talk about how she got this interview or that bit of information. Unfortunately that meant a lot comments about her badgering people for months before they gave in and spoke to her. I guess that is part and parcel of being a biographer but it made me feel icky, like by reading the book I was endorsing her behaviour. I'm still glad I rescued the book from my dad's donation pile.
QOTW: I'm at 62%. I always try to finish by the end of October so that's pretty much on track. I have a lot of chonky classics on my plan that I've been putting off so they'll probably slow me down.
Alex wrote: "this girl is stubborn as a mule and does not change if she don't have to. Sigh....I know her strong will can be a great asset later in life.....but right now it's stressing me out, lol."Just wanted to offer a moment of toddler parent solidarity with a...
SAME!!
It’s my birthday!!! I have a small party this weekend with my parents and my sister’s family. It’s the first time we see each other together, so great it’s okay to do this again. We all have at least one vaccination so that’s pretty safe now. That’s my birthday present this year!!Another present: I’m back at the office every other day! I looooove the office, contrary to some of you *smiles*. I have to separate home and work very carefully, I can’t handle mixing those two very well *ahem*.
To reading: last weekend was sticky hot, so I finished the John Adams bio. Temperatures are great now by the way, at least for me: about 20℃/ 68℉. That’s my weather!!
22/40
Finished
John Adams by David McCullough ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Prompt: #4, a book by an author who shares your zodiac sign
This book was recommended to me by various people as one of the best presidential biographies. I didn’t know much about John Adams, except that he was the first ambassador of the United States to the Dutch Republic (we were a republic back then, long story), that he was a one-term-president and that his son became president too. I learned so much about him in this very smoothly written biography. It truly is a man to admire, I loved his style, his openness, his political wisdom, his doubts, his sometimes slightly flammable character. And he was quite modern too: his wife Abigail was the 19th century Hillary Clinton, she was Adam's most important political counsellor.
Currently reading
Sie kam aus Mariupol
QOTW
I’m ahead of my schedule. I take it as it comes, but it comes pretty fast this year.
Mod
I admit you made me feel a bit better with that first sentence! 🤗 And I cannot imagine having to move to another state. But packing would, I think, provide excellent time to listen to an audiobook! Good for you! And good luck and be safe!
"Finished
The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy (the book on your tbr shelf with the prettiest cover). Delightful! This was nothing like I expected. It was so much better. Does the wealthy, caped crusader trope begin with this book? It’s the earliest example I’ve read."
So this is a classic I might enjoy? Cool!
"Before She Knew Him by Peter Swanson (a book about art or an artist). I haven’t read a ton of thrillers, but of what I’ve read so far this is my least favorite."
Huh. I thought it sounded interesting...but perhaps it isn't! 😏
"Reading
Ayesha at Last by Uzma Jalaluddin (a book by a Muslim-American author)"
Loved this. Hope you enjoy it!
"QOTW
The progress bar tells me I’m one book behind schedule. I’m honestly surprised it’s not more! I think I’m still on track to finish the challenge."
Cool! I hope it works out that way! 😉
Nadine wrote: "I've been wondering how you're doing! I miss hearing about the books you read with Seth!!"I forgot to mention what Seth and I read this week! (For those of you who don't know, Seth is my 28 year old son who has autism. He is mostly nonverbal, but even though he can't engage in conversation, he can read aloud. We enjoy reading picture books and going to the movies together.)
This week we read The Road Home ★★★, Be a Good Dragon ★★★★, Wolfie the Bunny ★★★★★, and Unicorn Day ★★★★.
Mod
Lots of excitement in your household! 🤗
"This week I did not finish much. And the books I DID finish (or DNF) were all audiobooks!! (I am just CRANKING through the audiobooks this year! My YTD total as of today is almost the same as last year's full year total! Why so many audiobooks this year? I don't know.)"
That is amazing! Whoo! Whoo! YAY!!
"The Survivors by Jane Harper - this didn't draw me in quite as much as Harper's other books. It was okay."
I have yet to read Force of Nature! I thought The Dry was very well written, just a bit creepy for me...
"And I DNF'ed
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz...for me, it was bad. I won't go into all the things I didn't like, because I know it's popular with a lot of people, and I'm not going to "yuck on someone else's yum"
Oh, wow. And I'm looking so forward to reading this...so maybe this is one that you don't like and that means I may love it? LOL 😁
"QotW
I think I'm in good shape. We are 48% through the year, and I am 66% through the Challenge. I generally aim to finish in late Fall, and I'm on track for that."
Good for you!
"I am a little worried about some of the categories I still have open, though. Five of them are not at all exciting for me, and it's going to be a push to force myself to pick up a book for them:
* 1990's best-seller (what MONSTER decided to add this category???)"
I admit I laughed pretty hard at that! 🤣
"* anonymous (I took inspiration from Lilith on this and I have The Tain on hold at the library now ... but I don't know ... it doesn't sound like a book that will grab my interest ...)"
Who knows? It may just jump out and grab you! 😮
"* seen on someone's shelf (I don't know why I'm being such a grump about this one - I HAVE a book picked out for it and I OWN the book and I WANT to read it ...)"
Ha! Ha! You are hysterical!
"* longest book UGH! I don't like long books! This will be my second try on longest book, I DNF'ed the first one."
The one I used is not technically the very longest, but one of the longer 3 or 4. Good enough for me! LOL
"* book that's been on my TBR the longest (again, ugh! it's been there for so many years because I guess I don't actually want to read it LOL! but I own it so I feel like I HAVE to read it.)"
This is such a conundrum for me. I purposefully went out and bought Gold by Chris Cleave not long after its release...and it is still in my house. Somewhere. I think I know where it is...at the bottom of a pile! Maybe behind another pile! LOL I just haven't bothered to hunt for it yet...and why haven't I already read it? Well, I must sleep...there is that... 😂
"This year I let myself just read whatever and find categories for them, more than I usually do, so the more difficult categories are still open, and I feel them looming and judging me. I need to get on that soon, because the farther we get into the year, the less energy/interest I'll have for this year's Challenge."
That's what I fear as well...hence July is the beginning of my "buckle down to challenge reading" for the last half of the year!
Lynn, do you normally like coming of age stories? I thought Dante and Aristotle was nice, I liked Lin Manuel Miranda's reading job too for the audio book. But I also am fine with coming of age stories in general.
Happy check in! Weirdly all the books I read this week were physical copies from the library, yet the pile is still huge???Finished Reading:
Maus I: A Survivor's Tale: My Father Bleeds History and Maus II: A Survivor's Tale: And Here My Troubles Began ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (2021 book about art or an artist)
This is a powerful memoir and it has new meaning to read whilst my country keeps discovering unmarked graves from residential schools.
A Man Called Ove ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (2017 takes place over a character's life span)
The funniest book I've ever read about suicide. Backman is fantastic at creating different characters who's lives inter weave. I really want to see the movie with Tom Hanks now.
Little Prince 75th Anniversary Edition: Includes the History and Making of the Classic Story ⭐⭐⭐ (2021 everybody else has read)
So this is the version the library sent me. 😒 I did not need or want to read about themes and philosophy of the book and author. Nor did I need to read a comparison of all the typos between editions. I read it anyway and once is enough. The original story is cute and I can understand why it is beloved but it's not that amazing to me.
Fruits Basket, Vol. 2 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
This was a bit confusing but still an interesting story.
Currently Reading:
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Star Daughter ya fantasy with Hindu mythology
Child of the Hunt
QOTW:
I'm at 35/50 for this year's popsugar and I'm also doing 2017's list which I'm at 33/52. I've read 134/200 for my goodreads challenge, although I've got many graphic novels and some picture books in this total. I could be done 2021 if I wasn't using some books for 2017 and not allowing my ya addiction to count. I had scoped out some books at the start of the year and I was sticking to my 'plan' pretty well. I'm at the point now where I want to be done so I just fit a book I read in where ever I can, I've let a few books that count as ya in but they are classics. The 1990's prompt was easy to fill for me but I'm dreading magical realism so bad. I'm also starting to dislike the tbr prompts despite being excited at the start of the year.
Harmke wrote: "It’s my birthday!!! I have a small party this weekend with my parents and my sister’s family. It’s the first time we see each other together, so great it’s okay to do this again. We all have at lea..."Happy Birthday! Hope you have fun with family!!
I also work so much better in the office. My boss wants me to work from home as much as possible, and I will, but the structure and the separation between work and home- I hear you!
Mod
I've been in prescription glasses since age 18, so I am well-accustomed to them! LOL 😀 It was strange waiting with no glasses at all while they switched the lenses in my frame this morning. I always try to be appreciative of the fact that (1) We have such things as "corrective lenses" in this world, and (2) I have access to them! But with no glasses I couldn't do anything but sit there. No reading, no playing games on my phone. Nothing to do without the ability to see!
"Also The Water Dancer is one of the best books I've read in a while. Don't get hung up on eh first chapter, it'll make a lot more sense if you just go on."
Thanks for the encouragement. It isn't lack of interest that prevents me finishing it. I am over halfway through and really enjoying it. Just too many books and too little time! I really like Coates' writing style!
"I moved back home, so haven't done a lot of reading. I finished three audio books between packing/unpacking/driving, and in the past few days have made some serious progress on Donna Tartt's Secret History. I'm at 60 books on the year, though I haven't done my "advanced" Pop Sugar prompts yet."
I'll be interested in what you think of The Secret History.
"What are some other challenges you all like? Like, what is AYT?"
I think you mean ATY? It is another Goodreads group. ATY=Around the Year in 52 Books. https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
"Finished (all audio)
The Guncle. This was cute. About a gay man whose best (girl)friend marries his brother... It doesn't really meet any prompts, besides dream vacation (Palm Spring) or dream job (Actor) but has an LGBTQ author."
Yep! Have this on my TBR listing.
"People We Meet on Vacation...Yes, this is the grilled cheese of books. And who doesn't' love Grilled Cheese."
Agreed! And I just realized it has been months since I've fixed a grilled cheese! 😊
"Somebody's Daughter Went in a different direction with this audiobook. This is a memoir by Ashley Ford about growing up with an emotionally abused mother while her father was in prison. I didn't care for it. It felt like she went into a lot of detail about how smart her grandma thought she was, and the "real" stuff sort of was glossed over. Though I agree, and think that is how memory works, highlighting the good, minimalizing the small, I don't know. I don't know what I was expecting."
Sounds like this one just didn't gel for you. 🙁
"Anyway, as I said. I am reading The Secret History and Galatea."
Oohhh...how is Galatea?
Mod
0 books. I started and stopped so many books and couldn't settle down on anything. I am also now 5.5 hours overtime already this week, so that might have something to do with it."
Yep! That would do it! Sorry about the overtime. That really eats into your "leisure" time! Ugh. Hope that improves for you.
"Currently reading:
The Night Swim: I don't know what my problem is with regards to this book. I started it over the weekend and was really enjoying it, and then I put it down for 4 days and haven't felt the need to pick it back up."
Glad to know I'm not the only one that can happen to! 🙂
Little Deadly Secrets: This one sucked me in at first, and I paid actual money for it, so I have to finish it, but the longer I read the more I'm getting annoyed with the forced plot and character development...combining domestic violence, sexual assault, infidelity, drug addiction, past trauma, and probably other plot points that I missed is just a little too much misery for one book. I know it is to push forward the suspense, but it has left me rolling my eyes a lot."
Ha! Ha! I'm envisioning the eye-rolling as you read! 🙄
"QOTW:
I finished the challenge last month, I think"
Wait. You did? You didn't? LOL
"I am finishing up previous year's prompts since I didn't start participating until 2019. I have 6 more prompts to go and I'm all caught up. I feel like I have hit a bit of a wall, because I am just not excited about the books that I have picked.
My plan is:
The Collected Poems of Emily Dickinson - A book at least 100 years older than you
Murder on the Orient Express - A classic from the 20th century
Faceless Killers - Nordic Noir
Cinder - Cyberpunk
Furious Hours: Murder, Fraud, and the Last Trial of Harper Lee - microhistory
We Need New Names - a book about an immigrant or refugee"
I keep wanting to get to those last two. Maybe you need to select different books that you may be more excited about?
Hi All, I finished two books for the week. Only one for the challenge. Hamlet by Maggie O’Farrell. 5 stars. I used it for a book that has won the Women’s Prize For Fiction. I loved this book. I cried at the end. It was so good.
Where the Grass Is Green and the Girls Are Pretty by Lauren Weisberger. 3 stars. A beach read. Not for this challenge.
QOTW: 4 prompts left for the regular challenge. I have no idea what book I will use for the “Q,X, or Z” prompt. I have 4 prompts left for the advanced prompts. I will read the longest book (by pages) last. I will finish before the end of the year.
Mod
It is convenient!
"To books. I escaped into romantic thriller spec ops this past week. Then moved into super hot steamy naughty but yet incredibly heartwarming contemporary romances. So I finished several books which put me a bit ahead of my GR annual challenge, And I had a wonderful wallow! But NONE of them fit PS for me.
...I went through a LOT of tissues with these and highly recommend (unless you have a problem with explicit sex and profanity):
Yes - I have a thing for bad boys...at least in my romance fiction. I also like lots of action in my thrillers."
I have to admit. I was speechless after reading this list! LOL 😋
"I also need to finish this week:
How Much of These Hills Is Gold
The Mysterious Benedict Society"
There are two titles I recognize! LOL 😉
"QOTW:
I'm 31/50 -- 8 books ahead acc/t GR and comfortably ahead given how quickly I read. Even though I still have to start my longest book on my TBR (A Suitable Boy). I'm really quite pleased with progress. I really don't preplan much until I reach a point where the prompts can't be filled readily by whatever I happen to pick up at the moment. I'm not quite at the point of needing to plan --- although in truth, the Advanced options sort of all are already picked given they are from my TBR and I have identified them and have them in a pile by my couch. Of the prompts I have left in the main challenge, all of them are easily filled from my massive TBR Towers or library ebook holds.
Problem will be choosing which to read of the many options I own."
Ah, yes. I am familiar with that! But it sounds as if you are organized!
"Meanwhile, being comfortably ahead of my personal schedule for reading PS, I can get back to wallowing in romance and thrillers."
I am definitely laughing at that! Enjoy!
I finished one book but couldn't find an open prompt for it, so I remain at 16/40 and 2/10 for the challenge and am now at 35/100 for my overall Goodreads Reading Challenge. Just a short update this week because I need to start cooking dinner!Finished:
* Just One Damned Thing After Another by Jodi Taylor, which was one of my book club's picks for June. We had a fun discussion last night.
Currently Reading:
* Arsenic and Adobo by Mia P. Manansala, which I plan to use for "a book set in a restaurant."
QotW:
As we approach mid-year, how is your 2021 POPSUGAR Challenge shaping up for you? Are you “on schedule” or lagging a bit behind? Or are you just simply taking it as it comes? I'm a little behind, but that's ok. I haven't made much progress on the other reading challenges I'd planned to do again this year either, but that's ok, too. My reading pace has been a little slower than normal this year and I've read a few longer-than-normal-for-me (and also heavier topic) books, so I know that's factored into it. We'll see what the rest of the reading year looks like, though! :)
Despite how many books I've read this past week being evidence to the contrary, I am having a hard time focusing when I try to read. Do you guys have periods like this where it's hard to read? Hoping it's not a permanent change. I would be lost without books!
I got my second jab on Saturday! I had a fever most of Sunday but that was it. Although, fever + hot flashes + heat wave = Blech. But Woohoo! I listened to many books.Finished:
Henry Holton Takes the Ice - Picture book. My library/Overdrive had this in a Pride list, but, um... that's a stretch. It's about a boy whose ENTIRE family is obsessed with hockey, but he'd rather ice dance.
The Strange Case of the Moderate Extremists - My oxymoron
Dial A for Aunties - This was stupid.
The Way of the Househusband, Vol. 5 - Manga - Not as fun as the last one.
Hola Papi: How to Come Out in a Walmart Parking Lot and Other Life Lessons 🏳️🌈 - Advice column essays
Rick 🏳️🌈 - Middle grade companion novel to George - Nice little book about questioning your relationships and what kind of people you want to be your friends.
Ace of Spades 🏳️🌈 - This was pretty good but dropped the ball. I really wanted more with the... thing. The protagonists also made a really obviously stupid choice.
Dragons Love Tacos - This picture book did not drop the ball. Fun.
Not Your Sidekick 🏳️🌈 - I enjoyed this superhero-y story
This Day in June 🏳️🌈 - Picture book about a Pride parade. It was fun seeing actual real life stuff in there, like = HRC and the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence! I loved the bit at the end that goes more in depth about what is in the pictures and why they are there.
Currently Reading:
Not Your Villain 🏳️🌈 - Same year, different character's POV. 🏳️⚧️
An Atlas of Extinct Countries - Does what it says on the tin.
Nimona 🏳️🌈 graphic novel
QOTW:
I'm doing fine. I've completed at least 32 prompts. I've not been focusing on it too much yet but I've got my eye on a few that I'll need to start paying attention to pretty soon. I've read a completely stupid 181 books so far this year, so I am not too worried I won't get to something, unless I'm specifically avoiding it.
Happy Thursday! It's been another interesting week at work. I'm happy that things are getting back to "normal", but I saw too many customers behaving badly last year to feel comfortable around so many of them not wearing masks. Yesterday a man wiped his nose and then handed me money, and I thought "really?? sir??! have we learned nothing??" So I'll be wearing a mask for awhile!Finished
The Chosen and the Beautiful- this was a really interesting take on The Great Gatsby, that really highlighted the carelessness and frivolity of the upper class of that time. I didn't totally love it, but I can understand why so many people are loving it.
Currently Reading
Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things- so far, this is pretty funny.
She Come By It Natural: Dolly Parton and the Women Who Lived Her Songs- I love Dolly, so I have high hopes for this
Qotw
I'm at 20/50- so I guess technically I'm a little behind, but I'm not too worried about it. I've been reading whatever seems interesting at the time, and not focusing too hard on the prompts. The last few times I tried the challenge, I started the year hyper focusing on the prompts, and wound up losing interest after a few months. I think taking it slower works better for me
I found ants in my bedroom by the garbage bin this morning. Yuck! Wonder what crumbs they found? Maybe snacking while reading in bed isn't my best move. Although since this is the first time it has happened and I've been snacking for decades, I suppose I can forgive them just this once. Most were already dead, so whatever they ate didn't agree with them, or there wasn't enough to go around. I've been feeling creepy-crawly all day.Finished
Henry IV, Part 2 by William Shakespeare - 4 stars; not for challenge
My monthly Shakespeare. This was one of my favorite of his histories to date. For a change, no one was trying to usurp the throne.
100 Things Jazz Fans Should Know/Do Before They Die by Jody Genessy - 5 stars; PS #18 (subject passionate about)
I hadn't finished this book in some sort of weird superstition that it would keep my beloved Utah Jazz in the playoffs. But it didn't work (as these things never do), and my team who was #1 in the regular season went out with a whimper in the semi-finals. (sob) So I finished the last few chapters. I have been an avid fan since the mid-1980s, so while I knew a lot of the information in this book, there was also much to learn and remember. Very fun!
The Diabolical Bones by Bella Ellis aka Rowan Coleman - 4 stars; PS #7 (dream job - author/detector)
This is the second in a series about the Bronte sisters as detectors, as they call themselves. While it isn't quite as entertaining as Stephanie Barron's Jane Austen mystery series, it is still quite good. This one is about child bones found in an old mansion. Each chapter is from one of the sister's POV, although they move the story forward and don't retrace events. There is a hint of magical realism in these books as well.
My favorite quote: "Remember that for every dark corner and unjust hurt in the world, there [is] a place of light, hope and goodness. Ensuring the latter outweigh[s] the former [is] surely every person's greatest task on this earth."
Next Up
Moby-Dick or, the Whale by Herman Melville for longest on TBR. I'm listening to an audiobook disk every night, and am 3/19ths done. I'm really liking it so far.
Towards Zero by Agatha Christie
Dear Justyce by Nic Stone
You Love Me by Caroline Kepnes
Popsugar: 35/45, 4/10
QOTW: Goodreads says I'm 13 books ahead of schedule in the PS challenge, so I'm doing fine. My goal for total books read is 100. I'm at 56, so doing well there also. I haven't had any big reading slumps so far this year, but I usually do at some point.
Mary wrote: "My plan is:The Collected Poems of Emily Dickinson - A book at least 100 years older than you
Murder on the Orient Express - A classic from the 20th century
Faceless Killers - Nordic Noir
Cinder - Cyberpunk
Furious Hours: Murder, Fraud, and the Last Trial of Harper Lee - microhistory
We Need New Names - a book about an immigrant or refugee"
Orient Express, Cinder, and Furious Hours are all excellent books, and I hope you will love them as much as I do. Haven't read the others.
Happy Thursday. We had a plumbing problem yesterday and the access point is right behind where my book case usually sits, so the positive spin is that I get to go through all my books and reorganize them. Yay 🥳 I've actually managed to find 3 books to give away.... Books I finished:
Katherine of Aragón: The True Queen ⭐⭐⭐ - I love Tudor related things, so I've read A LOT of books on the subject, and I've always meant to try out Alison Weir's books. This was fine.... Maybe I've just read too much on the subject so there was nothing new to add, or maybe her writing style is just not right for me. 🤷♀️
Calculated Risks ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - And with this one, my reread of the series was done. I love it just as much as I did when I read it for the first time in Feb.
Angel of the Overpass ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - I always love Seanan McGuire books, but some leave me wanting a bit, so I can't give them a full 5 stars. This was good, but the MC spent most of the time on her own, not interacting with the secondary characters as much as in past books.
Words on the Move: Why English Won't—and Can't—Sit Still ⭐⭐⭐ - So I like linguistic books, sue me. It spent a bit too much time dealing with vowel sounds for my preference, but the rest was good.
Books I made progress on:
Siege and Storm
Just Last Night
House of Earth and Blood - I'm back reading this and I'm determined to finish by the end of June.
Grimm's Complete Fairy Tales
QOTW
I'm at 32/50 so I'm slightly ahead and I actually have books planned for most of the empty spots so that's good. I made sure I got most of the really hard ones done first. I still don't like the scavenger hunt "book you saw on someone else's bookshelf" but I'm probably just going to read a book, and then find someone on Goodreads who has that book on their shelves and call it done.
This week I read two things and one for this challenge.For the prompt A book by a Muslim American author I read The Gauntlet by Karuna Riazi It was like Jumanji with a Muslim/Middle Eastern twist on it and I enjoyed it.
On the other hand I think this manga series jumped the shark with this one Black Butler, Vol. 25 by Yana Toboso
QOTW I am impressed that I'm more than half way to do since I was hospitalized for months. In a couple weeks I'll get to go home and get the big bag of books I had set aside so I can tackle a few more of the prompts
Howdy, I missed last weeks check in. The week got away from me and we lost power on last Friday. It came back on later in the day, but we had no internet until Saturday. I decided to wait until this week to post what I've read the last two weeks. Finished
Matilda by Roald Dahl. I love this book. Matilda and her love books was inspiring. I didn't like her parents, but I loved Miss Honey. I really enjoyed this read.
Tiki The Cockatoo (My Furry Foster Family #8) by Debbi Michiko Florence. This is another one that my daughter gave me read. I really loved the fact that there are people who foster care animals out there. This book is based on a real person and her family. I love happy animal stories. I'll read more of this series when I get a chance.
Johnny Boo And The Midnight Monsters by James Kochalka. I think I have one more book in this series to read. I really love this series. Johnny Boo is such a friendly little ghost and he has awesome adventures.
The Midnight Library, by Matt Haig, performed by Carey Mulligan. I read along with this book. I really loved this book and all of Nora's adventures, all the worlds she visited to see which life she would choose. I love the world she decided on in the end. This was worth the read.
The Mystery Boxes (Explorer #1) edited by Kazu Kibuishi. This is a wonder graphic novel with stories from several authors. It's a children's book, very enjoyable and some of the stories were fun.
The Giver (graphic novel) by Lois Lowry adapted by P. Craig Russell. Let's start with this is a well written book as I remember the novel being. Now I got very angry as I read the book. It was a horrible world with no music, no color, no personal choices, no art. You were given a spouse, if they decided you got one. A birth mother has a baby and if they think you should get one they give one. They being the council of elders. Release in this world is what really pissed me off(sorry for the language), it happened mostly to babies with issues or a smaller twin and the old. Jonas the main character of the book was a caring boy who was chosen to be receiver of memories. He would get the memories from the giver. He learned so much from all the memories about the world before. The world all had forgotten. I don't think I've ever been so upset by a book before. Like I said at the beginning this is good book, it just really made me think about what the future could be like and I really hope our world never comes to that. I think the book is meant as a warning.
Fangirl The Manga volume 1, by Rainbow Rowell, adapted by Sam Maggs. I really loved this. It was lighthearted and fun. In so many ways I can relate to Cath (the MC). I can't wait to read more, but the next graphic novel comes out in November. I reckon it's something to look forward to at the end of the year. Oh loving Simon and Baz too. Though I might just read the novel when I have sometime I'm not working on other books.
The Lost Islands (Explorer #2) edited by Kazu Kibuishi. Another wonderful bunch of stories. Some fun and some scary.
The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo. Wow! I love Xiomara. She is so many things. She's strong, smart, stubborn and much much more. I love how she stood up for her twin brother. She had some rough spots, but I liked the way it ended. I loved that the book was done in poetry.
Reading or reading soon
Like some others I have a pile of library books I need to get read. I think I counted a total of 35 books from three libraries. Our local library is still quite small even though they moved to a bigger building. So I also get books from the other two close communities. They have most of the books I want to read.
Dear Martin (I just started this and it's already got me hooked)
The Hidden Doors (Explorer#3)
The Ten Thousand Doors of January
Green Arrow# 5 and #6
Almost American Girl
QotW
I think I'm slightly behind, but it's summer reading program time so I probably to most of my reading at this time of year. The more you read the more chances you have to win stuff. I looking forward to getting at least one book as I do every year. I need to start to focus more on what I read. I need to get my goodreads logged and I'll know where I stand for sure. I'll try to do that after the first of July as I'm trying to finish June with as many books as possible. I break my year of reading in two parts, so January through June and July through December.
Happy reading all.
Currently reading The Accursed for a dark academia readI lose track of when I last checked in, but recently read:
* Somebody’s Daughter for a book published in 2021
* The Heaven of Mercury for a book with a gem, rock or mineral in the title
* Actress for a book that won the Women’s Prize for Fiction
* Life After Life for a book about do-overs; also Midnight Library
* Luster for a book where the main character has my dream job
* Little Bird of Heaven for a book that has the same title as a song
* Vinegar Girl for a TBR with the prettiest cover
* In the House Upon the Dirt Between the Lake and the Woods for a TBR associated with a favorite person, place, or thing
QOTW:
I have read 49 books so far this year, 29 of them satisfy this challenge, so I think I’m on track.
Kendra, I would recommend reading Alison Weir's early history books, rather than her novels. I don't think she's a great fiction writer, but her history books are generally lively and well-written. I would recommend The Princes in the Tower or her trilogy on Elizabeth I.
Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge
Books mentioned in this topic
Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine (other topics)A Man Called Ove (other topics)
The Last Exiles (other topics)
The Missing Treasures of Amy Ashton (other topics)
Underground: A Human History of the Worlds Beneath Our Feet (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Lola Faust (other topics)Chris Whitaker (other topics)
Alison Weir (other topics)
Seanan McGuire (other topics)
Stephanie Barron (other topics)
More...
Now if I can just stay awake for everything!! LOL 🤣😁
ADMIN STUFF:
Final selection polls are now setup for the three 4th Quarter monthly group reads! These are the final polls which will open ***EDITED TO ADD: POLLS ARE OPEN--GO VOTE! PLEASE!***
tomorrowand close on Tuesday, June 29! (I’ll post a reminder here on Monday of the polls closing Tuesday!) Thank you to everybody who participates and helps select these books!October
November
December
The June discussions are in the Current Monthly Read folder. Terri is leading the discussion of Dear Martin by Nic Stone! This can be used to fulfill prompt #20 A book on a Black Lives Matter reading list, in honor of Juneteenth, officially the new US federal/national holiday! This is a must-read, IMO!
By next Thursday we will begin discussing The Guest List by Lucy Foley which is our July monthly group read. I will post that in the Current Monthly Group Read folder by next Thursday, July 1. Lindsey has graciously volunteered to lead this discussion! Thank you to her!!
We still need a “mover and shaker” to lead August’s Group Read discussion of Catherine House by Elisabeth Thomas, which will satisfy prompt #5 A dark academia book. PLEASE MESSAGE EITHER NADINE OR MYSELF TO VOLUNTEER!
Question of the Week:
As we approach mid-year, how is your 2021 POPSUGAR Challenge shaping up for you? Are you “on schedule” or lagging a bit behind? Or are you just simply taking it as it comes?
Overall I am happy with my progress thus far in 2021.
I just recorded book #67 read for 2021. I was hoping to be at 60 by July 1, so I met that goal. I feel as if I should be able to get to 120 for the year. In the past I have set the goal of 100 books for the year, so I have managed to move that up over time.
I have fulfilled 37 of the 50 POPSUGAR prompts, so am definitely on target to complete that challenge this year.
I allowed myself to register for and participate in whatever Buddy Reads/book club reads, etc. I pleased through May. (Too many! LOL) Then I started limiting myself and have only three such reads planned for July and won’t allow myself to schedule any more than that through each of the remaining months of 2021, leaving time for the books needed to complete various challenges. I have every book here that I need to fulfill all prompts for the POPSUGAR challenge, so no excuses but to get them read!! 😊
Popsugar: 37/50
ATY: 47/52
RHC: 10/24
Reading Women: 10/28
FINISHED:
The Future of Work: Compulsory (The Murderbot Diaries #0.5) by Martha Wells ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ was a very very short story (roughly 3 pages of text) that introduces Murderbot. It is available online for free. It was an excellent read, just as I expected! Not counting for any challenges.
Skyward (Skyward #1) by Brandon Sanderson ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ was an amazing read, IMO! I loved Spensa and her not-so-perfect heroics! I think I could particularly relate to her established aggressive attitude and actions to simply stave off any further verbal abuse during her childhood. I understand that…since I did much the same thing. I have the second installment reserved for me at my favorite local used bookstore!
POPSUGAR: #18, #21-Fantasy, Fiction, Science Fiction, Young Adult, #27, #33, #34-Social inequality regarding access to institutions, etc., #37
ATY: 1-The beginning of a new YA SFF series!, #14, #18-Spensa manages to overcome her past to a great degree to improve her present and open up more possibilities for her future, #23-Fantasy, Fiction, Science Fiction, Young Adult, #27-Death, The Star, Judgement, The World, #30, #34, #45-Papa, Uniform
RHC: #24-Doomslug!
The Thursday Murder Club (Thursday Murder Club #1) by Richard Osman ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ for a buddy read. I really enjoyed this one! I think I could especially relate to much of the humor since I am “older” myself! But this also contained good twists and turns and was a bit of a police procedural which I was not expecting! I really enjoyed the humor and can’t wait to see where Chris and Patrice end up as well as Bogdan. Will Stephen tell? Will Elizabeth guess? And it looks as if Joyce has a new man to fixate on…
POPSUGAR: #7-They’re all retired and that’s what I want to do—RETIRE!, #18-Solving mysteries, #19-Chris needs to start working out, #21-Contemporary Fiction, Fiction, Mystery, Thriller, #27, #29-UK and Cyprus, #30-Cyprus, #37,
ATY: #1-The beginning of a new mystery series, #8-UK and Cyprus, #10-Penny, #14-Coopers Chase retirement community, #19-It is important to understand the past in the present, since the future is limited in scope, #23-contemporary fiction, fiction, mystery, thriller, #27-Death, Judgement, #29, #34, #39, #42, #49, #51
CONTINUING:
I made a bit more progress on each of these! Would love to finish both by next Thursday…
How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi is quite compelling.
Edith Wharton’s The Age of Innocence
PLANNED:
Moonflower Murders (Susan Ryeland #2) by Anthony Horowitz for a Buddy Read. Only one other person of the four who signed up seems to be reading this one.
Origin (Robert Langdon #5) by Dan Brown for a Buddy Read although none of the others who signed up seem to be reading this after all…
The Third Angel by Alice Hoffman
The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates.
The Souls of Black Folk by W.E.B. Du Bois
PLANNED/CONTINUING:
Hidden Valley Road: Inside the Mind of an American Family by Robert Kolker
Eva Luna by Isabel Allende to fulfill the 2020 Reading Women prompt #26 A book written by Isabel Allende.
Paradise by Toni Morrison to fulfill the 2020 Reading Women prompt #25 A book written by Toni Morrison.
Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi.