Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge discussion
2022 Weekly Check-Ins
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Week 5: 1/28 - 2/3
Alex wrote: "I wish I could say, "happy Thursday!" like normal, but it is not a happy Thursday here as yesterday I received the terrible news that a dear friend of mine suddenly passed away due what they think ..."I'm so sorry for your loss.
Happy Thursday! It was an uneventful week for me - a little busy at work, but not too bad.Finished last week:
Vespertine - 4 stars - really enjoyable YA story about a novice nun who accidentally winds up summoning an "evil" spirit to protect her convent. Used it for a book about or set in a nonpatriarchal society.
A Night to Remember - 3 stars - a fast, short narrative nonfiction book about the Titanic. I had read a post about the Carpathia, the ship that came to the rescue of the Titanic survivors, and was curious to find out more. Read for a book featuring a man-made disaster, since all of this tragedy would have been so avoidable.
Manga - How Do We Relationship?, Vol. 2
Currently reading:
The Duke Who Didn't - I'm really enjoying this so far. I love Milan's writing and characters. Right now, I have this slotted in a BIPOC romance, but may move it to a book with a recipe instead, since those are harder to come by.
QOTW: I actively diversify my reading, but the library doesn't always cooperate with scheduled reading during a particular month. I am hoping I can get to Get a Life, Chloe Brown for the group read in February, though. I also have The City We Became on tap, hopefully also this month.
Happy check-in! This week has been maddening due to protestors. On a happy note, last night the Canadian Men's Soccer/Football team broke a CONCACAF record with their 6th straight win in the final qualifiers. They are very close to qualifying for the world cup.Finished Reading:
Cyclopedia Exotica ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (2015 graphic novel)
This was surprisingly funny despite being a metaphor for racism.
Fearscape ⭐⭐ (2015 set in highschool)
This was disappointing. I decided to give a fave reviewer's books a try and this was the only one the library had. This isn't quite my genre and I got mad at the main character. There are 4 sequels but I'm going to pass on them.
The Poet X ⭐⭐⭐⭐� (2015 popular author's first book)
This was fantastic. I could really relate to fighting with your parents about religion and going to church.
Paper Girls vols. 4-6 ⭐⭐�
I'm glad I revisited this series because I was impatient for Saga. (It's back 🥳) Some of the times they travel to were fun.
Hunt the Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (2022 constellation on the cover)
This was a great start to a new series. The instalove made it lose a star but it has definite Firefly vibes.
PS 2022 15/50
PS 2015 10/50
ŷ 37/200
Currently Reading:
Mansfield Park
The Bounty it's better than the last one but still not right without Lee Goldberg
Every Step She Takes Fave author and I'm possibly dnfing this. Thriller's where women are stalked/framed don't seem to be my thing
QOTW:
I don't have anything planned yet. I'm a mood reader so we'll see how it goes. I did request Chloe Brown but I doubt it will come in in time for the BOTM. I want to accomplish BIPOC romance prompt this month for sure.
Late check in today, but at least I didn’t completely forget like last week! I'll drop this here, then try to find time to read the thread!Feeling super stressed this week, just by general life stuff, and I’m sad I can’t even have a glass of wine or a cocktail to take the edge off because I’m taking medicine incompatible with alcohol. :(
At least I have my book mojo in full gear!
Finished
The Swords - Book recommended by podcaster (a favorite prompt) - this is a short story recommended by my HP Podcraft (Strange Studies of Strange Stories) guys. They inspired me to try Aickman after I had disliked him, and I really liked The School Friend, so I tried this other story they raved about. It’s definitely unsettling, but I didn’t enjoy it that much. So I think Aickman is a one-hit wonder for me!
The Consuming Fire - A book about or set in a nonpatriarchal society - This got 3 stars “I liked it.� Not as good as other Scalzi I’ve read by a long shot, but a decent diversion.
Persepolis Rising (The Expanse #7) - A Hugo Award winner - Hot damn, this is a page-turner! 608 pages, and I never would have guessed it was that long (read on a Kindle) by the pace and the time it took me to finish. I URGENTLY recommend this to anyone who watched the show - you can pick up here and basically be up to speed if you watched seasons 1-6. (I fudged the Hugo thing a bit - the book series got a Hugo.)
Currently Reading
The Other Black Girl - A social-horror book - I managed to align my library ebook and audiobook loans (I ADORE the “Deliver later� function on Libby!) just in time for February! The epigraph is ‘Black history is black horror� - Tananarive Due. Seems like a good way to kick off Black History Month while staying true to my genre proclivities.
QOTW
Speaking of which, I don’t necessarily go out of my way to read along with specific monthly observations, but I am generally trying to diversify the authors and/or characters in my reading.
From my Read list, 4-to-5 star reads that feature Black characters, have Black authors, or both:
Anansi Boys
Kindred
Bloodchild and Other Stories
Lovecraft Country
You'll Never Believe What Happened to Lacey: Crazy Stories about Racism
Dawn (Xenogenesis #1)
The Ballad of Black Tom
Binti
Those are all horror, science fiction, and/or fantasy, or humor - some of my standby genres.
Good morning, everyone! I couldn't settle into much this week and ended up starting and discarding a number of books. Still, I finished something, which is good. Progress: 6/50
Finished:
Mrs. Martin’s Incomparable Adventure by Courtney Milan. I slotted this in as my sapphic book. I loved it. Absolutely! It was so refreshing seeing a romance between women in their 60s and 70s, and their adventures with the Terrible Nephew were hilarious. Five stars.
Did Not Finish:
Life of Pi, The Breeding Season, and The Happiness Machine. None really captured my interest. I picked up The Breeding Season from the library as a book I know nothing about, and learned my lesson. My next book I know nothing about was chosen at random from my parent's bookshelves because I know we have similar tastes.
Currently Reading:
Orphan X, the book chosen from my parent's bookshelf. I haven't actually started it yet, but I will later today.
Novelista: Anyone can write a novel. Yes, even you! Still plodding along with this one.
QOTW
I hadn't planned anything in particular for Black History Month, beyond reading a BIPOC romance. I just picked up a Rebekah Weatherspoon novel for that and I'm hoping to read it over the weekend.
However, The Underground Railroad should be coming into the library for me this week, and my copy of Beloved is out and ready for me to read, so I may end up being to theme even though it wasn't really planned.
Morning everyone. Still in the middle of nowhere in Balranald, NSW, Australia. It's been up around 40C until the last couple of days where it's been around 13C in the mornings and gets to about 21C. Beautiful. Darcy is happier when it's cooler with his long coat. I'm much happier too. 40C is disgusting. Haven't done much at all this week. We went to the next small town in our Local Government area for a meeting on Monday and we had dinner at their very nice Club on the banks of the Murray River. That was good. Then it was a friends birthday on Tuesday and we went for a not very nice dinner at our local pub. New chef only works Wed-Sun and they had someone on who can't cook at all on Tuesday. But then again the new chef is pretty shit too. But at least he can do curries OK.
Other than that it's been very slow. Going shopping 160km away tomorrow so that should be fun. Last time we went over there it was Sunday and most of the shops were closed. At least they're mostly open on Saturday morning. I was going yesterday or today but don't feel like driving there and back (320km round trip and I've been pretty tired lately) so Hubby said he'd take me.
My daughter has finally got another job. Her maternity leave finishes next week and they've finally found a job she can go back to. Up until a couple of days ago it looked like I was going to have to go back home early so that I can look after my granddaughter one day a week because they couldn't get her into daycare that day but a place opened up so I don't have to run home after all. She hasn't worked for over 18 months because she couldn't do her job while she was pregnant and since she was a casual she still had a job technically with the company but they just didn't pay her. She used to look after foster kids in motels. Not all foster kids get placed with families and there aren't institutions for them in Australia anymore. Orphanages just aren't a thing here anymore. So any that aren't placed live in motels or houses with care workers rostered on to stay with them. She did that until Covid and the only kid they had was a runner who was violent and being pregnant she couldn't run after her and she couldn't risk being attacked so she couldn't work. And now after her baby has come she can't work nights anymore anyway. She's doing Social Work at university so she wanted to get out of that side and into the Case Worker side but she has been put on full time now to work with the foster parents. Her partner is self employed and works 4 days a week 9 hours from home and will be home with my granddaughter 3 days a week but it still looks like I'll have her one morning a week when I'm there as he gets home at 3 or 4 am that morning so if I have her he can get some sleep. At least I don't have to go home early for that. He just has to suffer with 3 hours sleep on the days I won't be there.
This week I read
Reading Beauty by Deborah Underwood
Interstellar Cinderella by Deborah Underwood
These two were cute picture books that will probably fill in a few prompts when I sit down and actually think about them.
Under the Whispering Door by T.J. Klune
Loved this book and gave it 5 stars.
Popsugar: 7. A book with an onomatopoeia in its title, 9. A book about a "found family", 12. A book about the afterlife, 39. An #OwnVoices SFF (science fiction and fantasy) book,
ATY: 23. A book that features loving LGBTQIA+ relationship (this is why it's own voices in Popsugar as the author is gay), 40. A book related to one of the 22 Tarot Major Arcana cards (Death), 41. A book with a theme of food or drink (it's set in a tea shop where the taking of tea is serious).
Currently reading
The Ship of the Dead by Rick Riordan been reading this for a couple of weeks and will get back to it this afternoon.
488 Rules for Life by Kitty Flanagan yeah still going and still in the 300s.
The Girl and the Mountain by Mark Lawrence I'm hoping I'm back in the mood for this on the weekend. I love Mark's writing and the last one is due out in April.
ŷ: 10/50
Popsugar: 20/50
ATY: 17/52
QOTW
Black History Month in Australia is July. Might read something by or about our local indigenous peoples around then.
I do have Hidden Figures (something that would fit into your Black History Month) on the list to read for another prompt though but since the book is up at the beach house and I'm not then it will have to wait until I'm up there to read it so that might be in a couple of months.
Hi all! Watching the snow pile up! We should get at least 10 inches overnight. :D If I'm going to put up with winter each year, gimme a pile of snow! That's about the only good thing going on. I'm trying to get back to work after covid and it's complicated. It's stressing me out, and I'm still dealing with some fatigue, so that's not helping. Sigh... :/
Started getting back to reading, mostly read The Organ Thieves: The Shocking Story of the First Heart Transplant in the Segregated South. For some reason, I was having trouble keeping people straight, though. Can't tell if it was the writing or my brain still being sluggish.
With the stress of work stuff, I think I'll put that aside for a few days and get back to The Lost Apothecary that I never finished last year.
QOTW: I always SAY I'm going to get to these CAM, but mostly, they just add to my TBR for someday...
Though I did start Organ Thieves, so at least I'm trying! :)
Some recs: Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice
The Port Chicago 50: Disaster, Mutiny, and the Fight for Civil Rights
Make Me Rain: Poems & Prose
Dear Martin
On the Laps of Gods: The Red Summer of 1919 and the Struggle for Justice That Remade a Nation
The Lynching: The Epic Courtroom Battle That Brought Down the Klan
Can I Touch Your Hair? Poems of Race, Mistakes, and Friendship
Mod
Please recommend Wonder Woman comics!!
And I hope you get your power back soon.
Mod
What is the protest?
Mod
are you in Ontario, too? What is going on? Is it anti-vax stuff?
The Canadian government put a vaccination mandate in place for truckers and they organized a protest at our capitol city of Ottawa, Ontario. Before the protest, the US put in an order that to enter your country you must be vaccinated making the original protest futile. Nationwide people still drove to Ottawa last Saturday to protest and some are still there. Other provinces have had protests at the legislative buildings. They have blocked the highway to the US in Alberta. Saskatchewan used the protest as an excuse to declare covid over, despite having the highest hospital rates ever, and reaching 1000 deaths. Mostly so many other people, including the racists, joined in. The opposition party used their leaders interaction with the protestors, and it's subsequent backlash, as an excuse to punt the leader for losing to Trudeau.
Mod
Wow what a mess. I can see why you'd all be hoping the snow would send everyone home
It's getting late here in NYC and I've had yet another intense work day glued to my computer revising legal documents and sending emails. Exhausting, let me tell you. However, I need to do an update!While some had big snow, we had fog and rain. Temps in the 40sF here but the temps plummet to the teens either tonight or tomorrow night - I can't remember what the weather app on the phone showed me. I'm just hoping it stops raining early enough tomorrow afternoon that I can make a run to the post office and maybe get a hair cut (if he can fit me in) without either getting wet or freezing. It also requires the litigation papers I've been working on all week to be finished and filed early.
I have a sneaking feeling the PO will be Saturday and I'll be going yet another week with no haircut.
On to books: I'm at 9/50 for PS!
Finished:
Grand Hotel - it was so much more poignent that I expected from the Broadway musical adaptation! Or even the movie version (which TCM kindly aired this week and I recorded). Prompt: Book starting with last letter of prior read: "G" from Becoming.
Ruby Red Herring - an Edgar nominee, first in a series involving antique appraisers and not for PS. It was fine, mostly quite enjoyable and I'd probably read at least the next in the series if one is published But...that dragon medallion on the cover not only does not look like a dragon, but is nothing like the description in the book except for the rubies! It had flaws that I think stood out to me more than they would normally because I had just read several P.D. James short stories that were gems of construction.
My reaction to a book can be either adversely or positively affected by whatever I just read before, especially in the same genre.
Currently reading:
Blueprints by Barbara Delinsky - this read is for Nadine! Not really -- it is part of a challenge over on PBT and has been in my ebook TBR Towers for years. It's enjoyable, solid women's fiction about relationships. I have a few nits to pick like mentioning that one character attended Harvard to play hockey.... ummmm NO way! does Harvard even have a hockey team competing anywhere? Does ANY Ivy League? Such easily avoided mistakes like that drive me nuts - can you tell? Anyway, there is a lot to like in the story and relate to -- and it will likely get 3 stars from me.
Lab Girl - really likeing this - not for PS.
Dragonflight - for my IRL Feminerdy Book Club - need to start and make serious headway this weekend.
The Journey to Atlantis - reading for a challenge in another group - cute and easy on the tired eyes and brain after a long day working.
Long term readaongs:
A Game of Thrones
The British Are Coming: The War for America, Lexington to Princeton, 1775-1777
QOTW: Given the pile of books I have to read/fnish this month, I seriously doubt I will squeeze in any specifically for BHM except I have an Edgar nominee set in Ghana in the line up - Sleep Well, My Lady. Here are some suggestions that may or may not have been recommended already:
Anything by James Baldwin
The Sellout - this will make you very uncomfortable and rethink a lot of preconceived ideas- deliberately so.
Speak No Evil - such a beautiful painful book.
A Brief History of Seven Killings -
in fact any book by Marlon James. But not for anyone that can't read violence and about violent behavior. A Brief History is absolutely hands down brilliant, compulsive reading, and a complete chunkster. He paints a picture of Jamaica and its history that makes the hair stand up on the back of your neck. And you know it is true.
Theresa wrote: "It's getting late here in NYC and I've had yet another intense work day glued to my computer revising legal documents and sending emails. Exhausting, let me tell you. However, I need to do an updat..."Currently Harvard has men's and women's hockey teams. I did double check before posting even though I was pretty confident. I watch a lot of hockey and there seems to be more notable players from the women's team.
Nadine in NY wrote: "Erica wrote: "The Canadian government put a vaccination mandate in place for truckers and they organized a protest at our capitol city of Ottawa, Ontario. Before the protest, the US put in an order..."Sorry I didn't see this, but Erica explained it well. Our protesters are a mixed bag. Some are just concerned about the vaccine border mandate. Some are concerned about all health mandates, most of which are provincial. Their manifesto also includes dissolving Parliament and having the Governor General and Senate run the country. And then there are the racists who are here to just bully people and fly hate flags. And there are people who think Canada needs a "January 6" like the US had.
Fortunately, I work at home. I used to work at a building that is two blocks from Parliament. All the streets to my former building are blocked off.
I'm sorry I dragged politics into it. I was trying to make a joke because everyone was commenting on snow. I make sarcastic jokes when I'm stressed.
Erica wrote: "Theresa wrote: "It's getting late here in NYC and I've had yet another intense work day glued to my computer revising legal documents and sending emails. Exhausting, let me tell you. However, I nee..."Wow. Now I have to look up how long they have had a competitive male team... and wht other ivies have one. It was a male character in book. Now if it was one of the female characters...interestiing. one of 2 main characters is a woman carpenter.
Happy Thursday! At work we're getting tomorrow off for Chinese New Year- very excited for a three day weekend! I'm meeting up with my parents for lunch- I haven't seen them since Christmas, so that'll be niceFinished:
Colorful- I loved this book. I thought it was really funny, in a bleak gallows humor way. and then it also made me cry. It's all about being tired of the world, before you even feel like you've had the chance to experience it. And finding reasons to keep moving forward. I loved it.
12. A book about the afterlife
Currently Reading
Why Paul Ferroll Killed His Wife- I picked this up for the book you know nothing about prompt. It's pretty short and was only $1 at the used bookstore, and I've never heard of it or the author before. I'm half way through and no one has been killed and there's no character named Paul Ferroll... so I still don't know what it's about
QotW
I usually don't plan anything specifically for what the month is, but I might read for the romance by POC author prompt. I'm thinking A Duke, the Lady, and a Baby. I also might pick up Between the World and Me, since it's on my 2022 books to read list. But I'm still reading pretty slow, so I'm not making too many plans
Theresa wrote: "Erica wrote: "Theresa wrote: "It's getting late here in NYC and I've had yet another intense work day glued to my computer revising legal documents and sending emails. Exhausting, let me tell you. ..."I pay zero attention to hockey, but Cornell has a very competitive team! :)
Work has been just a LOT recently. I'm glad we're not getting snow though my parents have already gotten 11 inches. Yikes. I've been picking up shorter books recently while I wait for some library holds to come in.
Secret Passages: autobiographical graphic novel; I'm not sure I really 'got' this one. Still don't know why it's called secret passages. Not bad, just trying to do a lot in a small space
Lumberjanes, Vol. 15: Birthday SmartyLumberjanes, Vol. 16: Mind Over MettleLumberjanes, Vol. 17: Smitten in the Stars
Catching up on one of my favorite series. So fun!
On the Horizon: this didn't really work for me and I think a lot of it boils down to a disconnect between the style of the poems and the subject matter. maybe teachers find this useful for the classroom, but I just feel like there's better options
A Thousand Mornings: I had a feeling I would like Mary Oliver and I was right. I love being right.
QOTW: Possibly? I don't plan far enough in advance to stay on top of these things so the odds are low of me getting anything from the library in time since the wait lists are astronomical.
Two week check-in. I'm sad I haven't been able to spend much time on here lately and haven't read most of the weekly threads yet. Life happens.Finished
I've now finished my Daniel Hurst thriller backlog and need to read his current book before his next one comes out. Keeping up with this man is crazy!
The Promotion - 3 stars
He Was a Liar - 4 stars
The Wrong Woman - 4 stars (my favorite of the bunch)
No Time To Be Alone - 3 stars; PS #25 (book about secret)
The New Friends - 4 stars
Between Two Kingdoms: A Memoir of a Life Interrupted by Suleika Jaouad - 4 stars
I think I will use this for #32 (favorite author quote). I don't have one favorite author, but I have a list of several. Elizabeth Gilbert is quoted on the Amazon page, and she's on my list. This is an excellent medical memoir.
ŷ: 19/100
Popsugar: 9/40, 2/10
QOTW:
This is what I'm hoping:
Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson [non-fiction]
The 1619 Project: Born on the Water by Nikole Hannah-Jones [children's]
Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [Anisfield-Wolf fiction winner]
Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert [BIPOC romance]
Call Us What We Carry by Amanda Gorman [poetry]
Wow, I have not read a lot lately. Bad brain week.Completed:
Futures & Fantasies - Hm, nothing much to report here. Pretty standard anthology. Liked most of the stories but the last few were a bit odd and didn't do it for me, which I think slightly affected my impression of the book as a whole.
Lore Olympus: Volume 1 - Man, I had suuuch high hopes for this, and I just did not like it. Too much emphasis on the contemporary modern-day elements rather than the mythological fantasy side. Character designs were awfully similar, particularly Eros and Apollo - they're just different shades of purple - which made parts of the last few chapters kind of confusing.
And, well, I don't want to be harsh, but... I could tell it was a hobby project that got big. It felt... fanficcy. (Oh, man, someone find me a better way to convey the sentiment. I got nothing against fanfic. *ducks thrown tomatoes*) Everything felt so stilted, especially the dialogue. Character interactions were abrupt and unrealistic, nobody had any kind of filter, they all seemed to start shouting at the drop of a hat, every conversation devolved into "OMG you're in loooove with [x]!" type of gossip. Drama dial was constantly tuned up to 11.
Just, nope, not for me.
(Would work for prompt #24, one sitting.)
When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit - Really charming little children's book. I did feel like it somewhat sanitised the refugee experience though. It's casually mentioned every now and again that the parents are worried about money or the kids are outgrowing their clothes, and there are a handful of scenes where the tone shifts just about 180 degrees and the audience is bluntly informed of what is going on in Nazi Germany. But for the majority of the book, the impression is of some sort of jolly globetrotting adventure.
There's a postscript in my edition from Judith Kerr talking about her experience of writing the book, it's pretty interesting... she does say that it's based on memories of her own childhood from ~40+ years in the past and thus it's not all true to life, and praises her parents for managing to shield her from so much of the real danger and hardship.
Currently reading Beasts of a Little Land. About halfway through, feeling pretty so-so about it.
(Prompt #4, tiger on the cover.)
Question of the Week:
Are you planning to read any specific books during February in honor of Black History Month being celebrated in the US and Canada? And/or, do you have any books to recommend?
I'm trying to take it easy this year, so if I get to things, I do, and if I don't it's nbd, but I would definitely like to participate. (Even though I'm in the UK and our Black History Month is in October!)
For my alphabetical-order TBR, in among the next few books by complete coincidence are Silence is My Mother Tongue, Natives: Race and Class in the Ruins of Empire, and The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colourblindness, so I have to at least try to pick them up at some point this month. Though I suspect "The New Jim Crow" may be too harrowing right now.
Others that spring to mind:
Black Tudors: The Untold Story
Bluebird, Bluebird
At Night All Blood Is Black
The Prophets
The Mermaid of Black Conch
Well..this was interesting. Per Wikipedia, east Coast College hockey conference started in 1961 but has not had an easy time keeping schools in it. Most of the traditiinal Ivies are part, but not Columbia. Phew...given my degree is from both Columbia and Barnard, it would have been really wierd if there was a hockey team and I had never heard of one at either Barnard or Columbia! There is a women's ice hockey club...wonder what NY rink is its home base.
Another slow week for reading, but we went back to the office starting Monday after a month of working remote, so that's been crazy. I took off today and took advantage to sleep in, regain my brain, and read 2 books lol. For ATY, I read Spooky Business for an auther with 2 sets of double letters in their name. There were parts of this book that made me cringe (the main character's interactions with a guy), so I kept reading fanfic instead lol.
For Popsugar, I read Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass for a book by a Latinx author. This was good, I really liked the main character.
I also read The Body in the Attic for ATY's source of light on the cover. This was a good cozy mystery, but some parts were sad.
Not for any challenge, I read The Last Cuentista because I impulse borrowed it from Overdrive. I think it could fit the Latinx author and maybe Ownvoice SFF. This was a good book, though sad. I apparently read sad books today lol.
QotW: I've really been trying to balance in diverse books for the year, but I got lucky enough that my library got Akata Woman from my recommendation, so now I have it borrowed. I also have The Scenic Route that I think I got for free, so those are next on my list. And since I have all of the Chloe Browne books, I might reread the first and read the other three.
This week started great (birthday!) but has dragged on. Weather is great, though, so I feel for those dealing with storms and cold.I finished:
The Maid ⭐️⭐️⭐️ For published in 2022
A Snake Falls to Earth ⭐️⭐️⭐️
They were both fine, but my expectations were high and unmet.
In progress:
The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois
Finlay Donovan Is Killing It on audio
QOTW:
I’m underway with a chonk (see above) and might fit in Goliath, but since I’m doing AtY in order and trying to finish the ToB books, there’s not tons more room in my Feb list.
Morning all. Had a rather busy week but managed to make some time for reading / listening to books still (priorities and all that!)Finished:
Scythe on audiobook and have to say the experience was more enjoyable than I thought it would be. I used to be an avid consumer of audiobooks when I was a lot younger but seemed to fall out of it and into reading a physical book more. However, the library has updated their e-book offerings and now they have access to an app so it made it so easy to download and listen to (for free!) through my phone. Anyway back to the book itself; the world building was good, not too different a concept to other "dystopian" novels I've read. Characters were ok, in that while some annoyed me, it wasn't a constant annoyance. Have downloaded the second one in the series to listen to now and will see how it pans out.
Also finished Red at the Bone in one sitting which I wasn't expecting but I found it very gripping and interesting to see how the relationships between the characters actually evolved; the jumping back and forwards was actually very enjoyable rather than annoying as it can be when a little breadcrumb is dropped and you then have to wait agggeeess to find out what led to that.
Finally, I just about managed to read You and Me on Vacation / People We Meet on Vacation just in time for the end of the month but not in time to really join in with the discussion. I'm not a romance novel person but I actually find Emily Henry's books easy to read and hard to put down because while I can predict what is going to happen, there's always a twist or two. I found Poppy's character slightly grating at points but later on the deep-down reasons for her actions kind of redeemed her. Glad I read it and another prompt ticked off the list.
Continuing into this week:
Killing Commendatore which I started in December but kept putting down and picking other things up instead. Not that it's a bad book, but I find with Murakami, I need to take a break from time to time to absorb what he's saying. Really want to get this finished this week.
Thunderhead is my current audiobook of choice and so far it's ok, not enjoying it as much as Scythe but want to see what happens with the story.
QOTW
I want to try and pick up Beloved to read this month, which will also fulfil prompt #23 for the challenge. It's been on my TBR for years.
As for suggestions of books to read, I really enjoyed Queenie and The Hate You Give for novels (as well as anything by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie for a window into the experiences of those from Black backgrounds. From a non-fiction perspective, I think the book that has stayed with me the most has been The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness which was just so eye opening to an issue I knew next to nothing about, being in the UK, but made me take the time to investigate the similar issues in my own country.
Mod
We are getting so much snow up here that they actually cancelled school the night before! (That happens maybe ... 1% of the time.)
Blueprints by Barbara Delinsky - this read is for Nadine! Not really -- it is part of a challenge over on PBT and has been in my ebook TBR Towers for years. It's enjoyable, solid women's fiction about relationships. I have a few nits to pick like mentioning that one character attended Harvard to play hockey.... ummmm NO way! does Harvard even have a hockey team competing anywhere? Does ANY Ivy League? Such easily avoided mistakes like that drive me nuts - can you tell? Anyway, there is a lot to like in the story and relate to -- and it will likely get 3 stars from me
LOL! You are not making me want to read it with this mini-pre-review though.
I can't speak for Harvard, but Cornell is DOMINANT in ice hockey, and has been for years. Cornell has teams in all of the usual sports in NCAA (football, basketball, etc), but they usually suck, except for ice hockey, lacrosse, water polo, and horse polo.
Lynn wrote: "Tuesday was a very happy day for me! Not so much for our savings� But, we have a working plumbing system again!..."That's exciting news, and a big relief for you that it went so well. Yay!
I finished one book this week, the group read for January, so I'm at 2/50 for the challenge.Books finished:
People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry - I was happy that many of the group reads this year are for categories that I found difficult to choose for, so I'm going with the group pick for many of those. First up, #booktok - and I absolutely loved it. I laughed, I cried, I think it's the best friendship/romance book I've read in a very long time.
Reading now:
I'm working my way through Norfolk Historic Southern Port by Thomas Jefferson Wertenbaker, it's nonfiction history and though very well-written it's taking me a very long time to read, so I'm well behind where I thought I'd be for my 2022 reading challenge. But it's only February, so I'm trying not to panic. I don't want to skip ahead because I'm determined to finish the 50 states challenge this year and the only way to do that is to read them first. Which means that other than a break for People We Meet on Vacation and a few other group reads that I want to do, I set up an order in which I'm reading the states starting in Florida (based loosely on how I'd be able to drive them) and I'm in Virginia right now. Interesting but very long route Virginia. LOL
QOTW: I couldn't get my hands on this month's group read from my library so I chose another author, still planning to complete the romance novel by a BIPOC author prompt this month. I'm using You Sang to Me by Beverly Jenkins. I've added several authors to my TBR but I'm not sure whether I'll read them this month. I agree with others, though, seeing representative reading lists always helps me expand my reading, even if its not in a specific timeframe.
Mod
No apology needed. I'm right across the border in NY and I didn't know what was going on - that's what I get for not paying more attention to the news.
Mod
Nice! Even though 2/3 of my department is literally in China, we in North America do not get time off. We get some special lunch in the company cafeterias next week (which I will not participate in since I'm 100% at home).
Mod
I would GLADLY give you all the snow! Just got another couple of inches overnight and it was only 10 degrees F this morning when I got up. So grateful to be able to work remotely for these few days!
What kind of protest is this? I forget where you are located, if I did know. I trust you are safe! I wish all of us were safe...
"In book news, I finished 3 books. And I'm reading a cute middle school story that fits a PS and ATY prompt."
Cool!
"Finished:
Eragon
ATY prompt: A book connected to the phrase "Here (There) Be Dragons"
Popsugar prompt: A book that features two languages"
Literally...DRAGONS! 😊
"The Bippolo Seed and Other Lost Stories
ATY prompt: A book with 22 or more letters in the title
Popsugar prompt: A book you know nothing about"
Ooohhh...Dr. Seuss stories! Yes!!
"Currently reading:
Jelly Bean Summer"
Oh, yeah, this definitely looks like my jam! Added to my TBR listing!
Hello All, I finished two books for the week. Names For The Sea: Strangers in Iceland by Sarah Moss. Not for this challenge. Get A Life, Chloe Brown (The Brown Sisters, #1) by Talia Hibbert. # A romance by a BIPOC author. Question of the Week:
Are you planning to read any specific books during February in honor of Black History Month being celebrated in the US and Canada? And/or, do you have any books to recommend? I'm reading specific books during February for Black History Month. I'll be reading The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration by Isabel Wilkerson. Passing by Neila Larsen. I do three challenges so I'm filling prompts with Black Authors.
I
How do I find the current poll to choose a book for the April group read?
Mod
If you're using the browser version, you can just scroll to the top of this page, and in the right margin you'll see links for Group Home, Bookshelf, etc ... and one of those links is "Polls"
Or, you can just follow this link:
/poll/show/2...
Sherri wrote: "How do I find the current poll to choose a book for the April group read?"/poll/list/1...
On a web browser, under the group name on the right hand side of the screen at the top of the page, there are a bunch of links to Discussions, etc. Polls is under there. On the app, may the book gods be with you.
Mod
LOL! accurate!
Nadine in NY wrote: "Theresa wrote: "It's getting late here in NYC and I've had yet another intense work day glued to my computer revising legal documents and sending emails. Exhausting, let me tell you. However, I nee..."I attended ivy - Barnard at Columbia. I was relieved to see they have no competition level hockey team, just club. I am an active alum living in the neighborhood so really could not believe there was a team competing and I did not know.
Mod
Your turn!! 😋
"This week I finished 2 books, none for this Challenge, so I remain 12/50."
12 books for the challenge in just the first month! Whoo! Whoo!
"The Bees poems by Carol Ann Duffy- not for me."
Too bad...
"Beautiful World, Where Are You by Sally Rooney - I was surprised by how much I liked this (finally! a Tournament of Books book that I really enjoyed!!). I'm one of those contrary grumps who hates liking popular things, but, hello! I'm on the Sally Rooney Fan Wagon now!!"
I enjoyed Normal People though I did miss QUOTATION MARKS! Come on... I have this on my TBR since you enjoyed it! I really want to read her Conversations with Friends too.
"QotW
Yes!! Every year I like to select books to read for various Cultural Appreciation months. Come on over to Black History Month reading!"
And I depend upon that!! LOL 👍😀
"This month I'm hoping to read:
general fiction:
Passing by Nella Larsen - this is on my list of books I must read in 2022"
Oohhh...I'm planning to read Quicksand this year!
"A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry - this is also on my list of books I must read in 2022 (maybe I can read this in one sitting?)"
I would definitely think this could be read in one sitting! I read this about 2 1/2 years ago and was so impressed! Such a masterpiece, IMO! I would like to read more about Hansberry herself.
"romance:
Can't Escape Love by Alyssa Cole - my mobility aid book (I am currently reading this and expect to finish today or tomorrow)"
I have yet to read one of her books.
"Seven Days in June by Tia Williams - my BIPOC romance. I have this book borrowed from the library right now."
This one really piques my interest! I'll be anxious to see what you think of it!
"SFF:
Riot Baby by Tochi Onyebuchi - I've been meaning to read this for two years now. No time like the present?"
Another one I'm interested in reading!
"graphic novel:
Making Our Way Home: The Great Migration and the Black American Dream by Blair Imani - a copy is waiting for me at the library."
Cool!
"mystery:
Children of the Street by Kwei Quartey - part 2 in the Darko Dawson series (I need part 3 for this Challenge, but I don't have a category for this one).
Blonde Faith by Walter Mosley - (I'm currently listening to this one) The Easy Rawlins series books are always good for an audiobook
The Big Gold Dream by Chester Himes - I'm slowly making my way through Himes' Harlem cycle; haven't read any in just over a year now."
I have some of the better known Harlem Renaissance books that are waiting for me. Hoping to read them in 2022!
"general non-fiction:
Memorial Drive: A Daughter's Memoir by Natasha Trethewey - this is an Ainsley-Wolfe award winner; I'm definitely going to read it this year, and use it for the Challenge, but I'm not sure if I'll fit it in February."
Oohh, this looks like a good one! I also want to read Somebody's Daughter. For some reason I have associated these books with each other... 😊
"poetry:
For Christmas I bought myself some poetry books (because my library has a crappy selection). I now own, and I know I won't have time to read all of these in one month (but, yay! they are all women! Women's History Month is right around the corner):
Rita Dove - Playlist for the Apocalypse: Poems (currently reading this one)
Amanda Gorman - Call Us What We Carry
Yona Harvey - Hemming the Water
Tracy K. Smith - Eternity: Selected Poems"
Ah. Amanda Gorman. Can't imagine whatever she writes won't be wonderful!
"And books to suggest? SO MANY!!! But I'll keep my list short, because this is already long enough."
Nah. Go ahead! LOL
"Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America- this was so well-written, comprehensive, and informative."
Another one I hope to finally get to this year!
"The classics:
Their Eyes Were Watching God - it doesn't get any better than this; one of the few books I've re-read. (Audiobook is fantastic, too.)"
I pulled this one out for 2022!
"The Street - this deserves a re-discovery in the 21st century."
And there's a new edition published in 2020 with an introduction by Tayari Jones.
"Zami: A New Spelling of My Name- I read in a women's studies class in the 80s; it blew me away, and it deserves a much wider audience."
I have yet to read one of Lorde's books.
"Contemporary fiction:
The Hate U Give for a contemporary YA voice.
Anything by Colson Whitehead, especially The Underground Railroad, The Nickel Boys, and Harlem Shuffle.
The Mothers or The Vanishing Half - both were wonderful
Homegoing - one of the best books I've ever read, an amazing debut."
I've read about half of these and hope to get to the others. Excellent recommendations!
"Crime fiction:
A Rage in Harlem by Chester Himes"
That's a new one for me! Added to my TBR listing!
"Fear Itself by Walter Mosley (audiobook is read by Don Cheadle!)"
I always thought his writing might be a bit too gory for me. But I think John owns some of his, so I might try one just to see...
"If you like graphic novels, the March series was wonderful."
Not particularly a graphic novel fan, but I think these would be worth it!
"... and there are SO MANY books I still want to read!!! In particular: Hitting a Straight Lick with a Crooked Stick: Stories from the Harlem Renaissance and Devil in the Grove: Thurgood Marshall, the Groveland Boys, and the Dawn of a New America. I'll get to them someday ..."
Two more that look to be excellent reads!
Mod
It has been a pretty busy week! I am continuing to work on clearing out the junk that has accumulated in my home over the years, and I’ve made some decent progress.
I’ve also managed to get in a few days of exercise this week, despite some pretty lousy weather. It’s been so cold lately that I’m having to use the elliptical instead of walking outside, and I have to say that I would much rather take a walk instead. My legs feel almost as bad as they did after I tried a CrossFit class on “leg day.�"
I'm gathering CrossFit was not for you! But you are accomplishing great thing!! Purging and exercising! 👍😀
"I decided to continue reading mostly manga this week, and ended up crossing off a considerable number of books from my TBR list as a result, including the entire Inuyasha manga series. I’ve still got 70 books left to go before I can lift my book buying ban, but I’m moving along a lot faster than I anticipated."
You are a dynamo!
"Finished Reading:"
A ton of books! 😁
"Currently Reading:
~The Princess Spy"
Oohhh...added this to my TBR listing. Looks like a good one!
"QOTW:
Since I’m currently focusing on my TBR list, I haven’t selected any specific books to read during February."
You are very focused and achieving so much! Good for you!
Lynn wrote: "K.L. wrote: "Good morning, everyone!It has been a pretty busy week! I am continuing to work on clearing out the junk that has accumulated in my home over the years, and I’ve made some decent prog..."
Thanks Lynn!
Congrats Lynn on your repaired and functioning plumbing! Did you find yourself flushing the toilet extra times just because you could???
K.L. wrote: "Good morning, everyone!It has been a pretty busy week! I am continuing to work on clearing out the junk that has accumulated in my home over the years, and I’ve made some decent progress.
I’ve a..."
again, your taste in manga is superb. Both series are on my tbr list. Rumiko Takahashi is an institution of the manga world. Have you read her new series Mao?
My long book journey continues, so I'm making progress but completing nothing. Maybe I'll carve out some reading time this weekend to try and finish one of them though. I remain at 1/40 and 1/10 for this challenge, and at 5/75 for my overall ŷ Reading Challenge. Finished:
* nada
Currently Reading:
* The Labyrinth of the Spirits by Carlos Ruiz Zafón;
* On Beauty by Zadie Smith, which is the book I'm most likely to finish first since I'm closest to the end of this one; and,
* Something to Hide by Elizabeth George, which was a Giveaways win (woo-hoo!). Part 1 ended with no appearances of Lynley, Havers, or Nkata. Lynley's friend Deborah St. James is the only recurring character in Part 1. At least, I think that's the case. I have jumped around in this series because I watched the adaptation first and then started reading it, so I'm not 100% sure if I've overlooked any recurring secondary characters. Thankfully, Part 2 opens with a chapter in which all three FINALLY show up (on pages 119, 124, and 129, respectively). It feels like two different books at this point but I am sure things will start coming together now that there's actually something being investigated; and,
* Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don't Know by Adam M. Grant, which is one of my book clubs' picks for February.
About To Be Currently Reading:
* The Winter Fortress: The Epic Mission to Sabotage Hitler’s Atomic Bomb by Neal Bascomb, which is another of my book clubs' picks for February...still hoping that one of the library's copies comes in sooner than expected so I have enough time to read it before our meeting; and,
* Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear, which is my third book club's pick for Feb. My library acquired additional digital copies, so the wait time has dropped and I no longer think I have to make a panic purchase to ensure I get a copy before we meet at the end of the month.
QotW:
Are you planning to read any specific books during February in honor of Black History Month being celebrated in the US and Canada? And/or, do you have any books to recommend? I don't normally plan out my reading ahead of time, so I don't have specific titles picked out at the moment but will likely try to read one or two from my TBR stacks. The most likely candidates are:
*The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave;
* Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents;
* A Promised Land;
* Dust Tracks on a Road; and,
* They All Fall Down.
For fiction, I'd recommend:
* They Can't Take Your Name by Robert Justice;
* The Kindest Lie by Nancy Johnson;
* Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi;
* anything and everything by Attica Locke (The Cutting Season and Bluebird, Bluebird are my two faves); and,
* Three-Fifths by John Vercher.
For non-fiction, I'd recommend:
* Walking with the Wind: A Memoir of the Movement by John Lewis;
* The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration by Isabel Wilkerson;
* Year of Yes: How to Dance It Out, Stand In the Sun and Be Your Own Person by Shonda Rhimes; and,
* Barracoon: The Story of the Last "Black Cargo" by Zora Neale Hurston.
Lynn wrote: "I guess this last Saturday, January 29, was National Puzzle Day, at least according to a Half Price Books email I received. I do miss jigsaw puzzles in my life, but with 4 cats I dare not try to tackle a large puzzle!..."The best Christmas present I got this past year was a puzzle table! It's about the size of a large corkboard, it comes with little drawers on the side, and a piece of plastic to cover the top when you're not working on the puzzle. My daughter plays dolls on it and my cat walks across it and not a single piece is out of place! I think it was about $80, so it's a bit of a splurge, but I love the convenience!
Mod
Oh, boy! That is tempting! Now where to put it... 😁
Mod
Did you find yourself flushing the toilet extra times just because you could???"
Actually, the next morning it overflowed. I refused to call him out on Wednesday or Thursday due to the snow and ice in our area, but when I called him this morning he was here within 20 minutes. The brand-new innards they installed had a broken part which prevented the seal from closing and stopping the water flow. LOL Sometimes I feel as if I just can't win! LOL But it's fixed now! Again. 😀
Happy Friday. I waited to post yesterday because I wanted to finish my book first, but then it was too late so I just went to bed. And then somehow most of today flew by too...🤷♀� Stats:
PS: 7/50
ATY: 13/75
ATY Reread: 2/52
Wheel of Time: 1/15
Books I finished:
The Irish Assassins: Conspiracy, Revenge and the Phoenix Park Murders That Stunned Victorian England - ⭐⭐�
Prompt: ATY: A book with a language or nationality in the title.
This is a nonfiction book about a political assassination in Ireland, and then the murder of the one assassin who cut a deal to testify. The author's Dad had been working on a book about the informant's death before he died, so she finished it, but it was a little disjointed and occasionally gave way too much detail on unimportant things.
You Can’t Be Serious - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Prompt: ATY: A book related to each one of the 22 Tarot Major Arcana cards. (The Fool)
This is Kal Penn's memoir and it touches on he racism he's faced in his career as well as his time working for the White House. I was really interesting as well as being funny.
The Eye of the World - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Prompt: ATY Reread: A book with one of the Monopoly tokens on the cover.
This is the first book in the Wheel of Time series. I've committed to rereading/finish reading this series this year and I was supposed to have finished by Jan. 24th... I did manage to finish by Jan. 31st and I'm on track to finish book 2 on time, so progress. I remembered more than I thought I did, but now I remember why I got hooked on this series to begin with.
High Jinx - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Prompt: ATY: A book related to mythology.
This is book 2 in the Cursed Luck series. Basically the MC and her love interest are both descended from the Greek 'gods' and have inherited some of their powers. But the gods are still around and getting mixed up with them can be dangerous... The first book took me a while to get into because the one character isn't that likeable at first blush. But now that you know him he doesn't seem so harsh. But the overall story is still lacking a bit so I can't give it 5 stars.
Books I made progress on:
Memoirs of a Geisha - Cuz why finish a book you had planned when you can pick up a random book your mother is reading and get hooked on that?😋
The Great Hunt
The Scarlet Pimpernel
QOTW
I'm too much of a mood reader to confine myself like that. I do try to keep my reading diverse, but I read them when I feel like it. However, my library always does displays based off the various months and that usually results in me checking out a couple.
Doni wrote: "16/50My local library finally has a challenge with prompts which I'm excited about! I'm 3/25 for that one. How do you guys who do multiple challenges keep them straight in your head?? I'm finding that keeping track of 75 prompts is a lot..."
UMM...lists, spreadsheets and multiple word documents.
Doni wrote: "16/50My local library finally has a challenge with prompts which I'm excited about! I'm 3/25 for that one. How do you guys who do multiple challenges keep them straight in your head?? I'm finding..."
Having them all in one place helps. I have a thread at ATY for that. But I don't do a lot of planning - I mostly read and then figure out which prompt I'm going to use it for after. But I do go through the prompts and pull out the ones I don't think I'll read through my normal reading and then I pick specific books for those.
Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge
Books mentioned in this topic
Muted (other topics)2043... a Merman I Should Turn to Be (other topics)
These Alien Skies (other topics)
Beauty's Release (other topics)
Wild Beauty (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Kofi Awoonor (other topics)Audre Lorde (other topics)
Martin Luther King Jr. (other topics)
Ibram X. Kendi (other topics)
Bryan Stevenson (other topics)
More...
Finished This Week:
Blood Heir by Ilona Andrews. I needed a comfort read last week and reread this. Still love it.
Forget the Alamo: The True Story of the Myth That Made Texas by Bryan Burrough. Just finished it over my lunch break. As someone who watched the John Wayne movie in 8th grade history, I found this a fascinating history of Texas, the 1836 battle in San Antonio, and then how history has treated the Alamo siege since. They actually call their book a historiography, a history of the history of the Alamo. It covers the academics who studied the battle, those in Texas who struggled to preserve the site, and how the story went global (blame Walt Disney and the Cold War). It also mentions a lot of brown kids growing up in Texas and being told in 7th grade Texas history class that they killed Davy Crockett, and how the increasing Latino population of Texas would rather they not remember the Alamo, thanks. Not for PS Prompt (I think?).
PS: 5/50 GR: 14/100
Currently Reading:
Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents Isabel Wilkerson. Going to see if I can finish this weekend.
Up Next:
Hunt the Stars by Jessie Mihalik. Came out on Tuesday, and eager to read it. Using for PS#32, as Ilona Andrews has a rec on the author's Amazon page, and had guest post on their blog from Jessie announcing the book with an excerpt.
QOTW:
Are you planning to read any specific books during February in honor of Black History Month being celebrated in the US and Canada? And/or, do you have any books to recommend?
I have Raybearer and Redemptor from the library and will likely read them next. Beyond that, I'm not sure I'm going to get much read for Black History Month.
For YA, I recommend War Girls / Rebel Sisters by Tochi Onyebuchi. Also Legendborn by Tracy Deonn.