Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge discussion
2023 Weekly Check-Ins
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Week 2: 1/5 - 1/12
Hey everyone, Hope things are well. I haven't done any reading this week because I've been too anxious for several books I ordered to arrive. As a result, this week I'll be starting these three:
The Words We Keep
Life on Delay: Making Peace with a Stutter
Spare
Yes, like many, I'm curious about the Prince Harry book so that will be an interesting read.
Out of this list though I'm most interested in The Words We Keep because it deals with a lot of the same mental disorders that I do and I like finding gems like those. It's kind of annoying though that so many books with mental disorders tend to be YA. I have a hard time coming across any with regards to general fiction.
Happy Thursday, everyone!This turned out to be a fairly busy week, but I was still able to do quite a bit of reading.
I really didn’t have a specific reading goal for Week Two, but wanted to start reading some of the books that I’ve bought since the first of the year. I did manage to do that this week, when I started reading Julia Quinn’s Bridgerton series. I became obsessed with the Netflix adaptation when I started it at the beginning of the year, and I’m just as obsessed with the books!
ŷ Challenge: 30/250
Mount TBR Challenge: 27/150 (Climbing Mount Olympus)
I’m really pleased with the amount of progress that I’ve made so far on this year’s TBR!
📚Physical TBR: 24/634
📱Ebook TBR: 3/236
Audiobook TBR: 0/13
TBR Checklist Total: 27/883
While I was only planning to pick up one new release this week, I actually ended up buying three books. The new release I had planned to buy, and did, was Lost in the Moment and Found, by Seanan McGuire.
I also ordered copies of two more Bridgerton-adjacent books this week: The Further Observations of Lady Whistledown, and Lady Whistledown Strikes Back. I’m not planning to read them until after I’ve finished the main Bridgerton series (just in case of spoilers), but I’m so excited that I was able to get them.
“New� Books Bought in 2023: 18
“New� Books Read in 2023: 3/18
Here are the books I finished this week�
Finished Reading (Fiction):
~Daughter of the Deep � This book has been sitting (unread) on my bookshelf ever since it came out, and it turned out to be my first five-star book of the new year! I absolutely loved this story! 📚: ⭐⭐⭐⭐�
~The Woman from Planet X: A Hilarious Cozy Mystery � I really enjoyed the sixth book in the Doyle Cozy Mystery series! 📱: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
~Night of the Cupid � The seventh book of the Doyle Cozy Mystery series was a fun story set around/on Valentine’s Day. 📱: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
~Barbarian Alien � I really enjoyed the second book in the Ice Planet Barbarians romance series. It was a fun read. 📚: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
~The Duke and I � I absolutely adored this book! I can’t wait to read the rest of the series! 📚: ⭐⭐⭐⭐�
~The Viscount Who Loved Me � This was such a wonderful book! 📚: ⭐⭐⭐⭐�
~Crazy Scottish Love � This was a cute romance. 📱: ⭐⭐�
~Lost in the Moment and Found � This was a great continuation of the Wayward Children series! I do recommend checking the content warnings (found at the beginning of the book) prior to reading. 📚: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Finished Reading (Nonfiction):
~This Much is True � This was such a fantastic read! I’m so glad my dad got me a copy of this book for Christmas! 📚: ⭐⭐⭐⭐�
Finished Reading (Manga, Comic Books, & Graphic Novels):
~Maison Ikkoku Collector's Edition, Vol. 9 � 📚: ⭐⭐�
~Maison Ikkoku Collector's Edition, Vol. 10 � This was a great ending to the series! 📚: ⭐⭐�
~Spy x Family, Vol. 1 � I’m thoroughly enjoying this series! I can’t wait for the next volume to be released later this year! 📚: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
~Spy x Family, Vol. 2 � 📚: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
~Spy x Family, Vol. 3 � 📚: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
~Spy x Family, Vol. 4 � 📚: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
~Spy x Family, Vol. 5 � 📚: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
~Spy x Family, Vol. 6 � 📚: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
~Spy x Family, Vol. 7 � 📚: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
~Spy x Family, Vol. 8 � 📚: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
~Lore Olympus: Volume Two � The artwork in this series is so beautiful! 📚: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
~Lore Olympus: Volume Three � I’m already looking forward to the release of the fourth book! 📚: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
DNFed:
None � I know it’s still early in the year, but I’m really excited that I haven’t encountered a single book that I’ve wanted to DNF in the past couple of weeks!
Currently Reading:
~H.H. Holmes: The True History of the White City Devil � I’m currently only on the second chapter of this book, but it has been interesting so far. 📚
~An Offer From a Gentleman � I'm loving this book! 📚
~Robinson Crusoe � I'm currently on the second chapter of this book. 📱
QOTW:
I have a lot of favorite quotes, so it’s tough to choose just one. Here are a couple of my favorites�
“If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.� (The Hobbit, J.R.R. Tolkien)
“All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.� (The Fellowship of the Ring, J.R.R. Tolkien)
I finished Rainbow Valley as my book about a family.I read Soul Surfer: A True Story of Faith, Family, and Fighting to Get Back on the Board as my book about a sport or athlete.
I'm reading The King's Curse, possibly for a book about divorce, but if it doesn't deal with Henry and Katherine's divorce, I'll use it for a book I meant to read last year. I'm 1/3 of the way through and Mary's just been born, so not sure if it's getting that far, but I think it would.
QOTW : "If you want one thing too much it’s likely to be a disappointment. The healthy way is to learn to like the everyday things." Lonesome Dove.
and:
"Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way." Anna Karenina-hated the rest of the book, but that's probably my favorite opening line ever, I don't necessarily think it's true, but I still like the quote.
Nadine in NY wrote: "Happy Thursday!! I spent the last week of December refining all my 2023 reading goals, and I pulled together a really great plan, and now I've reached that time in the year when I want to just th..."Man, same about the reading goals. In the past couple of weeks I've swapped out and rearranged my reading list several times because I looked at a book I'd chosen for a prompt and realized I didn't feel like reading it.
Happy Thursday everyone!Not much to report this week... except that school starts back up next week. I'm a little excited and a little nervous at the same time, though not as nervous as I was last semester. Just need to tell myself I can do this...
Books read this week:
Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke -- for the PopSugar prompt “book you meant to read in 2022� and the Extreme Book Nerd prompt “book with an ugly cover.� That was [expletive-deleted]-up� that’s really all I can say about it. DO NOT read if you have a weak stomach!
Lord of the Flies -- for the PopSugar prompt “book you should have read in high school� and the Extreme Book Nerd prompt “book with a child main character.� I get the message that the author was trying to impart� but boy does it make for an unpleasant read.
One to Watch -- for the PopSugar prompt “romance with a fat lead� and the Extreme Book Nerd prompt “book about body positivity.� This was actually a lot more fun than I was expecting. If you enjoy shows like “The Bachelorette� (even as a guilty pleasure) you’ll probably like this one.
The Unfinished Corner -- for the Extreme Book Nerd prompt “a graphic novel.� The author described it as “Percy Jackson but with Jewish mythology.� It was fascinating, and the characters made it a lot of fun too!
DNF:
Noughts & Crosses -- intended for “book about a forbidden romance.� I’m sure this is a great book, but it’s just getting too depressing to read. I get that racism isn’t a pretty topic, but I’m just not in the right headspace for this book right now, I think�
Challenge stats:
Regular challenge -- 4/47
Advanced challenge -- 1/10
Extreme Book Nerd Challenge -- 6/50
Extreme Book Nerd Advanced Challenges -- 0/20
Not for either challenge -- 0
Currently Reading:
Some of the Best from Tor.com, 2019 edition
Illuminae
The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl
Lost in the Moment and Found
QOTW:
This is a tough one -- I have a ton of quotes I've enjoyed from various books, but now that I'm put on the spot I can't remember any of them. XD
Happy Thursday! It feels like it has done nothing but rain this year. It's so miserable and dark, and Nadine I sympathise with the muddy dogs. Scully is well grumpy when she can't go on the sofa because she's wet. I do think we're feeling the effects of climate change, in summer we were desperate for rain and now we get too much. It's all the extremes now.Finished:
World Running Down by Al Hess (ARC) for queer lead, SFF Title Challenge (down) and ATY rejects (on the road). This was adorable, a post-apocalypse brimming with kindness.
The Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean for ATY (books are important) and ATY winter challenge. I loved this, a dark story about book eaters who live apart from society, but mostly a book about a mother doing whatever she can for her child, who happens to eat minds for sustenance.
Five Survive by Holly Jackson for a book set in one day (I'm interpreting that as 24 hours, as this takes place over one night). This was gripping and fast paced, even if I did start to think things behind the event were getting a bit unbelievable.
The Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi for ATY (name popular in 1923) and ATY rejects (crossing over to another world). This was nerdy fun! Not a lot of plot but I loved learning about the kaiju.
Currently reading Hell Bent.
PS: 4/34 | ATY: 3/52 | SFFT: 1/25 | GR: 6/100
QOTW:
I don't think I remember quotes well enough to have favourites.
Hello!I can't say it's a Happy Thursday, given my hands have worsened dramatically and I now have an appointment with the doctor tomorrow as a first step to find out if it's rheumatism. I tick all the boxes, but damn, if it is that... rheumatism at 28 isn't what I expected.
I am supposed to go to the movies tonight to see Babylon, but I am frankly so tired and worried and just want to curl up and read instead. I already have to go see my food consultant in half an hour so maybe that's enough for one day, haha!
Alright, let's wrap up the past week! It was super productive and I'm quite happy with it.
Read
A miracle! I read all the books I put down for Currently Reading last week!
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes for ...damn. My sheet is upstairs xD Long live Storygraph! I read this for becoming a movie in 2023, because it is the sole reason I picked it up. It was exactly what I expected it to be, and am still wondering what the point of writing this book was. At least I can now dislike the movie informed. And I did a jigsaw puzzle, so that was fun.
2,5 stars
Alfie Bloom and the Secrets of Hexbridge Castle for main character's name in the title. Self explanatory, I'd say, hehe. I picked this book up at a book fair back in 2018 because I liked the cover and even if a MG is terrible, it's hardly ever a waste. I really enjoyed this! Loving parent alert! Only downside was that everyone seemed way to easy going about everything that was happening at the start, and that it was incredibly predictable. But then I remember it's a Middle Grade and that kids probably won't find it predictable at all, haha!
4 stars
Changeling for takes place entirely in one day. It has a bit before and after the day, but the main story of the book takes place in about 24 hours so I counted it. Some choices were made by the author (Kull and Cole for example are two different characters, which in the audio was .. interesting) but I really enjoyed this! I ended up reading the audio for this instead of the eARC because I wanted to do another jigsaw, and I missed bits of the ending because I was so tired, I was already logging it everywhere. Oops. But I got all the important bits!
This book is about two brothers, one a changeling goblin, one human, but no one knows who's who. They have to find the goblins before it's too late, or else magic will disappear. Thing is, they have to cross the Wild Wood for that, and the Oddmire. Along the way they find help in the form of Fable (whom I adore).
4 stars
The Unready Queen for features two languages. The sequel to Changeling, and I'm hoping to fit the third book for Mythical Creatures. They were very present in this book, but in this one multiple languages were spoken (goblish, spriggish, for example) so I might switch that around if that happens that again in book 3 (for which I am super excited). I loved this one so much! I did read the eARC for this, as my hands hurt too much to even consider a jigsaw puzzle or holding a book, so my phone was a nice compromise. I expected to read about half of it, tired as I was, but damn that second half! Couldn't put it down.
This one is mostly about Fable's journey to master her magic so she can be ready to follow in her mother's footsteps as the Queen of the Wild Wood, and human fear and anger towards the unknown.
5 stars
This all brings me to:
Popsugar: 12/50
ŷ: 6/50
Physical off my shelves: 2/30
Color Coded Challenge: 3/9
Currently Reading
Moby-Dick (6/136)
For book I should have read in school. Sorta. This prompt was always going to be a stretch, as this doesn't apply to me; not really. This became a challenge as soon as my teacher said he couldn't get through it. 14 years later, I'm hoping to complete that challenge! I am reading one chapter a day, at least (I'm ahead at the moment), and should finish on May 24th at the latest. So far it seems to be the right approach. Wish me luck!
Deepest, Darkest
for mythical creatures, hopefully! This is the last book in the Oddmire trilogy, and I hope to read it today!
QOTW
Bold of anyone to assume I can remember any quotes off the top of my head that would class as favorites. I did particularly love "We will run together again one day" from the end of (view spoiler). It hit me at the right (or wrong, depending how you look at it) time, and it gave me serious cathartic tears.
OH AND I CANT BELIEVE I ALMOST FORGOT
"My tears for your loss" from the Shattered Sands series by Bradley P. Beaulieu (Twelve Kings in Sharakhai being the first). It's how they say they're sorry for someone's loss, and I've always found it a weird thing to say, logically, and 'my condolences' just feels so formal. So when I read this I went ... wow, I'm keeping this.
Alright I gotta go put on my shoes; watch me remember about 500 more quotes when I can't write them down, haha!
self-publishedThe Sunset Job by Max Walker. Like a mix between Ocean's Eleven and National Treasure but gay. I mean it as absurd but I enjoyed it and am reading the 2nd in the duology.
debut author
Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson. A family drama. I really like it.
no prompts
Lex by Cora Rose. My favorite of this series. Contemporary romance.
Unspoken Vow by Eden Finley. Contemporary romance. It was okay but I did end up reading the brother's book as well.
Unwritten Law by Eden Finley. Contemporary romance. Again, it was okay. CW: domestic abuse (from a previous partner not the one in the story).
Mod
I am very excited about the fact that Paula McLain will be visiting Indianapolis on Thursday, February 16! I loved both The Paris Wife and Circling the Sun and she is one of my favorite authors! I already own a copy of When the Stars Go Dark and will obtain a copy of Love and Ruin before then! So excited!! I was really disappointed that I wasn’t able to meet her in 2021 due to the cancellation of the Christamore House Guild’s Book Author Luncheon due to COVID. Whoo! Whoo!
Interestingly, I inadvertently ended up reading two books involving Jewish families this week. I’m so glad I have purposefully diversified my reading list(s) so that can happen spontaeously! :)
ADMIN STUFF:
We are currently reading Rock Paper Scissors by Alice Feeney for the January 2023 Monthly Group Read! Teri is the "powerfully provocative facilitator" for this month’s discussion! Thank you, Teri! You can find both January 2023 Monthly Group Read threads HERE in the Current Monthly Group Read folder!
Thanks to those who voted, the book selected for the March 2023 Monthly Group Read will be The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea! This book can be used to fulfill prompt #7 A book with “Girl� in the title. Wowza! Who is the “fascinating facilitator� to lead this discussion? Perhaps YOU!?! Just message either Nadine or myself to volunteer! Although I have another book selected for this prompt, I plan to read this one as well!
The results are in! The Monthly Group Read prompt for May 2023 is #24 A book with a rabbit on the cover! In honor of springtime in the Northern Hemisphere. The prompt for September 2023 is #14 A modern retelling of a classic! Since September is typically a time for returning to school and the reading of “classics�! Thank you to all who voted!
The February Monthly Group read is The Sun Is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon!! This book can be used to fulfill prompt #43 A book that takes place entirely in one day. In honor of Groundhog Day, a North American tradition observed in the US and Canada on February 2! The search is on for a "knowledgeable navigator" to facilitate this discussion! Please message either Nadine or myself to volunteer! I'm excited to read this one!
Question of the Week
This was suggested (a long time ago!) by Jennifer: What is your favorite quote from a novel?
While I love this question. It is so difficult for me. I rarely note specific lines to remember from a book�
However, I really liked Tristan Strong’s recurring comment of “sweet peaches� and plan to incorporate it into my own daily language when frustrated, etc! �
Other than that, Kate Atkinson’s recurring statement from Jackson Brodie: “Coincidence is just an explanation waiting to happen.� My jaw dropped the first time I read this in one of the Brodie books! It just seems so accurate and providential!
There may be others, but they are not coming to mind right now! :) I’m rather surprised I could remember two!
2022:
Popsugar: 50/50 FINALLY DONE!! YAY!!
2023 Popsugar: 16/50
Nadine’s Q1 Mini-Challenge: 2/10
2023 AtY: 21/52
2023 RHC: 4/24
I'm counting all the double-dipping! :)
FINISHED:
*Five Days at Memorial: Life and Death in a Storm-Ravaged Hospital by Sheri Fink ✶✶✶✶✶✶✶✶✶✶ is one of the most informative, well-researched, and well-written nonfiction books I’ve read. Period. Fink’s narrative contained tension that read very much like a mystery which compelled me to keep reading. I just had to know what happened next! She covers so much territory: (1) the almost total lack of preparedness, not only at Memorial (and other facilities) during Katrina, but basically throughout the US, (2) the danger of profit-making medical facilities, (3) the seeming impossibility of creating a comprehensive, fair, and equitable disaster-management policy for medical providers and facilities, (4) a review of some of the attempts to create medical disaster-management policies in the US, and (5) If or when it is appropriate to “ease� a patient’s discomfort to extraordinary measures? And really so much more. Interestingly, there was a facility in much the same predicament as Memorial where staff and volunteers managed to a superior degree to treat and rescue even more patients than Memorial had to manage. But as Fink emphasizes, without policy in place, disaster management falls to individuals who have power and oversight to manage at that time, and that creates even more complications and worse crises, just as happened at Memorial and other healthcare facilities in New Orleans due to Katrina’s flooding.
One important strategy that is often overlooked is to constantly reassess resources, elicit input from all involved, etc, during a crisis, as has been done in successfully managed medical institutions during such crises. (That’s just good management in any scenario, IMO. Communication is the foundation for success!) Some institutions are involving the general public in discussions to create such policy, but as Roger Benier, a senior advisor to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention noted, They are the holders of our public values and are in the best position and in the most nonpartisan position to weigh competing values�.I’m not sure we believe in democracy in America, we don’t make good use of the people. We don’t make good efforts to access public wisdom on public policy choices. That pretty much sums it up. In rare instances when medical professionals actually involved patient families, etc., they were amazed at the results—much more effective and egalitarian then they ever expected!
I’ll definitely read Fink’s other book, War Hospital: A True Story of Surgery and Survival, and she has been following along during the COVID pandemic to report on successful strategies and those that proved to be unsuccessful, and how medical professionals/administrators can improve crisis management. Katrina was an absolute breakdown of all emergency services from the Federal government on down through the local level…resulting in so many deaths that probably could have been prevented... Here is an interview with Fink on Slate.com from September 2021 regarding COVID:
2022 POPSUGAR: NEW #17, #25, #31, #40-2015: prompt #18 A book written by a Pulitzer Prize winner, #47
2022 ATY: #1-Anna Pou, #3, #4-A book related to Shelley's poem Ozymandias (Nadine’s proposal): …passion…desolation…despair—hopelessness, #7, #12, #13, #15, #16, #19, #24, #25-558 pages, #29, #36-the pets, #40-The Chariot, Strength, Death, Judgment, The World, #41, #44, #49, #50, #52
2022 RHC: #24-2020: prompt #16 Read a doorstopper (over 500 pages) published after 1950, written by a woman
For those who may be helped with the current challenges:
2023 POPSUGAR: #1, #19-2015: prompt #18 A book written by a Pulitzer Prize winner, #23, #46
2023 ATY: #3-A book you wanted to read in 2022, #10-Scary, #18, #28, #37, #43
2023 RHC: #3, #24-2020: prompt #5 A book about a natural disaster
*Starring Sally J. Freedman as Herself by Judy Blume ✶✶✶✶� While this was a YA book definitely written for the target audience, it was intriguing to read how Blume handled issues in the world of 1947: Hitler’s genocide of Jews; pregnancy out of wedlock; racism and prejudice against dark-skinned folks with separate water fountains, etc., in the southern US; sexual maturation; religion; secrecy; and childhood crushes. I was thrilled to realize a YA book originally published in 1977 had a Jewish family as the main characters and tackled such issues of everyday life! Good for Judy Blume! A good book for children to wonder about their own lives... Interestingly, Blume claims “Sally is the kind of kid I was when I was ten.� Unlimited imagination! I am trying to read Blume’s writing since I only had the opportunity to share her juvenile literature with my own children in the past�
POPSUGAR: #2, #16, #19-2017: prompt #14 A book involving travel, NEW #28, #31, NEW #34, NEW #46, NEW #47, NEW #48, NEW #50
ATY: #3-A book from your favorite sub-genre: Historical Fiction—Fiction, #5, #12-Sally had to learn about “the birds and the bees�, NEW #15/16/17-20th Century, NEW #25-Miami, Florida, NEW #29-the cover, #37, #40, NEW #43-relatives killed in a concentration camp, NEW #45, #52
RHC: #24-2020: prompt #7 A historical fiction novel not set in WWII
*Grey Mask (Miss Silver #1) by Patricia Wentworth ✶✶✶✶� was a well-plotted mystery but I was a bit underwhelmed by Miss Silver as an investigator. I’m anxious to continue the series to see if this character becomes more developed� This was first published in 1928, so I was a bit surprised that this “engaged� couple were lovers. Not that Wentworth supplied details, but it is stated rather bluntly. I thought that rather brave for the time period...
POPSUGAR: #1, #2, NEW #4, NEW #9, #19-2017: prompt #26 Author from a country I’ve never visited, #28
Nadine’s Mini: NEW #2-the 23rd book in a stack of books! :)
ATY: #3-A book with a door on the cover, #5, NEW #13, #14, NEW #27, NEW #28, #37, #45
RHC: NEW #23, #24-2016: Read a horror or mystery/thriller
*Bye-Bye, Black Sheep (Mommy-Track Mystery #7) by Ayelet Waldman (5 STARS) was an extremely well done mystery with very well-drawn characters! Superb! I "get" Waldman’s humor!
1POPSUGAR: #9, #19-2018: prompt #22-A book with alliteration in the title, #28, #31, #50
Nadine’s Mini: NEW #5
ATY: #3-A book including addictive behavior, #5, #13-flowers, #15/16/17-21st Century, #37, #43, #45, #52
RHC: NEW #14-404 ratings, #23, #24-2020: prompt #9 The last book in a series
CONTINUING:
*The London House by Katherine Reay for my book club meeting next Tuesday! At one-third in I am really enjoying this!
*The Cat Who Saved Books by Sōsuke Natsukawa for the second IRL book club meeting next Tuesday! LOL Yes, I ended up with two book club meetings on the same day, one in the afternoon and one in the evening! It’ll be a great day! Just started this one! A talking ginger tabby! Yep! Sign me up! My own ginger tabby is such a sweetheart!
*Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe for a Buddy Read. This is a reread some 53 years later and I'm anxious to see what I think now!
*The Hemingses of Monticello: An American Family by Annette Gordon-Reed.
*The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story by Nikole Hannah-Jones
*Festival Days by Jo Ann Beard
*Mrs. 'Arris Goes to New York (Mrs. ‘Arris #2) by Paul Gallico
*Beloved by Toni Morrison
PLANNED:
*The Seagull (Vera Stanhope #8) by Ann Cleeves for a Buddy Read
*Cold Earth (Shetland Island #7) by Ann Cleeves for a Buddy Read
*Alex Cross, Run (Alex Cross #20) by James Patterson for a Buddy Read
*Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen for a Buddy Read
Mod
I love the tie-dying updates! :) (Still think the leggings would be cool!) I hear ya about "the plan"! That's why I picked up two other books and read them this week!
"After those late December super-cold single digit days, we've had unseasonably warm weather in the 30s & 40s F, even rain. I'm tired of muddy paws. My younger daughter has been complaining that she misses the cold. I'm wondering if global warming is truly here now and the days of long cold winters and feet of snow are over? Or am I going to be snowed in for all of February?
Ha! Ha! Time will tell...
"This weekend my older daughter goes back to college, so that's a small sadness. It's a long time until she comes home again. I need to make some plans to drive down there and see her for a day - I'm lucky her college is less than a 2 hour drive away.
Sounds like a great plan!
"Admin stuff"
So glad we have so much of this "stuff" done now for 2023! A new poll to nominate books for April's group read for next week! Whoo! Whoo!
"This week I finished 3 books, 1 for this Challenge, so I am 1/50.
The Violin Conspiracy by Brendan Slocumb - this is a Tournament of Books choice, I never would have read it otherwise. I'm not mad that I read it, it's different than my usual thing and I love diversifying my reading by picking up books I never would normally read (which is almost the entire ToB shortlist!!). But I also didn't exactly love this book. It had some pacing issues, but I enjoyed spending time with the character, so I gave it 4 stars. This would be a good choice for someone who likes reading about music, or who needs to (or wants to) read a mystery, but does not want anything violent. The mystery is: "who stole Ray's violin?" - no one is raped or assaulted or murdered, quite refreshing!"
I think I would enjoy this one!
"Hench by Natalie Zina Walschots - I really loved this one!!! I picked it up because I saw a few GR friends give it good reviews, and I didn't really know what to expect. It was a rather slow read, but I LOVED it, and I'm so excited to see there will be a sequel. Five stars!"
This looks like one I could skip. :)
"Normal People by Sally Rooney - my first Challenge book of the year!! My daughter has been urging me to read this for a year now, so I used it for "book your best friend recommended." It was fantastic. I had all the squishy feels - five stars. I'm so lucky my daughter & I have the same reading taste. (I also used this for "set in 21st century" in AtY, AND it is on my list of 12 books I must read this year. I love finding books that work for multiple challenges.)"
Funny you should mention this book. A teenage girl and I got into a book discussion about it at the gym one night last week. She was carrying it around and I typically MUST stop anyone with a book to see what they're reading, etc. (Yes, I am THAT obnoxious person! LOL) While I felt it was extremely well-written it also left me in a 'downer' mood...
"Question of the Week
This was suggested (a long time ago!) by Jennifer.
What is your favorite quote from a novel?
I've got two favorite quotes, and I don't know why these two have decided to stick in my head, because these aren't my favorite books, but here we are.
"Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again" - the first line of Rebecca (which I did like A LOT, but it's not in my top ten of favorite books)."
That is such a great one!
"Reader, I married him." - the last line of (view spoiler) (spoiler tagging just in case there's someone out there who doesn't recognize it!) - I didn't really like this book, but I loved the cheekiness of this line!!"
:) I love your use of "cheekiness"! :)
Good morning and happy Thursday!We've been getting a decent amount of rain this week, although we're due for more snow tomorrow.
Took our oldest cat to the vet earlier this week to have a cyst above his eye removed, which went well and while he refuses to wear his cone he doesn't seem to bother his stitches at all *crosses fingers that this continues* Holiday sweaters came in the mail for the other two cats, one of whom has decided she likes hers while the other haaaaates it. Like, stiff-arm-fought-against-putting-it-on hates it. But they're adorable and I don't care lol.
And we've reached the point of nightly rehearsals for my upcoming production of The Children's Hour, in conjunction with working late hours, so I've been sleeping in --> work --> rehearsal --> bed, which left minimal reading time this past week save for my audiobook at the office.
Finished this week:
Year of the Tiger: An Activist's Life - 5 stars. An excellent essay collection that covers a wide range of topics.
PS: Book featuring two languages
ATY: Book featuring a person with a disability
B is for Burglar - 3 stars. A solid mystery, although I would've preferred more closure.
PS: Book with alliteration in the title
PS 2/50
ATY 1/52
Currently:
The Secret History - A buddy read with my sister! I'm enjoying this one quite a bit so far. Also glad I already read Babel, as RFK considers it a "thematic response" to the Secret History.
The Ten Thousand Doors of January - This is fascinating, and the audiobook is beautifully read.
Upcoming:
Spare
Baggage: Tales from a Fully Packed Life
Cold Spectrum
What is your favorite quote from a novel?
Oh gosh, I just lined up a few of these from the end of 2022 AND I already have a few new ones from one of my current reads, so let me see.
"I should have spent more time thinking about your life than worrying about your death." - A Spindle Splintered, Alix E Harrow
"She accumulated the dust of other worlds on her skin like ten thousand perfumes, and left constellations of wistful men and impossible tales in her wake." - The Ten Thousand Doors of January, Alix E Harrow
Alix Harrow's writing is just that luscious and I'm head over heels in love with it.
Mod
Hope things are well. I haven't done any reading this week because I've been too anxious for several books I ordered to arrive. As a result, this week I'll be starting these three:
The Words We Keep
Life on Delay: Making Peace with a Stutter
Spare"
Isn't it great to have those feelings of anticipation? :)
"Yes, like many, I'm curious about the Prince Harry book so that will be an interesting read."
I am also very curious. I'll probably wait until I can get a used copy later, however. I just imagine their mother would be quite troubled to know her two sons were not getting along in adulthood. Though I can imagine her easily understanding Harry and Megan's leaving the family...
"Out of this list though I'm most interested in The Words We Keep because it deals with a lot of the same mental disorders that I do and I like finding gems like those. It's kind of annoying though that so many books with mental disorders tend to be YA. I have a hard time coming across any with regards to general fiction."
I hope this proves to be a good read for you! I definitely added it to my TBR listing!
Finished this week:Back From the Future: A Celebration of the Greatest Time Travel Story Ever Told by Brad Gilmore (3/5, no prompt)
Brad Gilmore is a lot of fun as a podcast and YouTube host. Those skills did not necessarily translate to being able to write a great book. However, it is a fun exploration of the Hill Valley trilogy, and it can be read in one sitting if anyone is repeating that prompt.
Fate of the Jedi: Apocalypse by Troy Denning (3/5, reread, a book I meant to read in 2022)
I completely forgot about what happened in the final chapter, which does leave the Legends universe with about as happy an ending as the previous books would allow (I ignore Crucible, which was not my cup of tea).
His Majesty's Dragon by Naomi Novik (4/5, a book by a first-time author)
I love spending time with Laurence and his dragon Temeraire. The book can exist as a satisfying stand-alone, but I will check out at least the first sequel to see what happens to these characters. This is a lot more relaxing of an escape than her Scholomance books!
Immortal Coil by Jeffrey Lang (4/5, reread)
If you like Data or any of the Star Trek original series androids/AIs, then you will probably enjoy this story.
Rock Paper Scissors by Alice Feeney (3/5, a book about a divorce)
The book has incredible momentum, and I finished it in a few days. The twists are fun, but there may have been a couple too many of them in the final portion of the book. It holds together under its own logic, but it is not what I would call believable, and I was not really rooting for any character.
DNF: Dragonsbane by Barbara Hambly (~20% finished, a book by an author with the same initials as you)
I wanted to see if I would do better with this author when she was separated from my Star Wars expectations. There were some interesting ideas in the first part of the book, but the actual reading of the story was feeling like a slog. I feel I gave this one a fair chance, and I did skim the last chapter, so I know it did not get better later.
2023 PopSugar challenge progress: 13/50
I am in the middle of a few longer books right now, so we'll see if I have anything to report next week.
Question of the Week:
I may notice good sentences or passages in books, but I cannot pull quotes too readily. I'll put a very memorable opening line from the Star Wars: X-Wing series as mine.
"You're good, Corran, but you're no Luke Skywalker."
We're having a snow/storm advisory tomorrow. Is it bad that I'm already over winter?I made progress on the too many books I'm reading. I actually read two short stories (they might even be too small to be called novellas). I read both The First Lie and True Lies, but because they were so short, I'm only counting one as having been read. The Lying Games series started with a murder and these stories were both prequel as they were about the victim when she was a alive. So, that was fun. And I am not longer in the middle of 12 series, but now 11.
I am neither doing the whole ATY nor the PS challenge. But I am doing something I call "Around the year in 52 movies" using the ATY prompts for movies. Since this is a book discussion group and not a movie group, I'll just mention what I watched each week without commentary.
Finished:
True Lies
ATY prompt: A book set in a location that begins with A, T, or Y (Arizona)
Popsugar prompt: A book about a family
Nadine's 23 challenge: A book less than 230 pages long
Series - 1/15
Series Completed: 1 - Lying Games
Nobel laureates - 0/7
Random books - 0/7
ATY - 2/40
PS - 2/30
Nadine's 23 challenge - 2/10
Around the year in 52 movies - 2/52
1. A movie set in a location that begins with A, T, or Y - Rescuers Down Under (Australia)
2. A movie by an actor/director you watched in 2022 - Sweet Home Alabama (Reese Witherspoon)
Currently reading:
A Ballet of Lepers: A Novel and Stories - 45% done
The History of Rome, Vol 1: The Period Anterior to the Abolition of the Monarchy - 25% done
City of Lost Souls - 75% done
Charmed & Deadly - 55% done
QOTW:
We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars (Lady Windemere's Fan)
All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us. (Lord of the Rings)
It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities. (The Chamber of Secrets)
Not much new today. I'm going with my parents to see William Shatner present Wrath of Khan tonight. I've somehow never seen it, so I'm excited! My mom is a HUGE Star Trek and Shatner fan, so I'm also just excited for her.Currently Reading:
The Penguin Book of Christmas Stories: From Hans Christian Andersen to Angela Carter
Heidi - using this for a book with the character's name in the title. I'm about halfway through and I'm enjoying it. It's very pleasant. That's the word that keeps popping up. It's slightly less pleasant now that we've transitioned to Heidi being in Frankfurt, but I imagine it'll shift back to pleasant soon.
Finished:
Nothing, but I should finish Heidi this weekend.
QOTW:
So I have an entire notebook filled with favorite quotes, but since I'm out of town at my parents', I don't have access to it! I'll describe the two that come to mind because I can't remember the exact phrasing.
From The Goose Girl: When she's (MC) working as the goose girl and has met a handsome, kind man from the palace, there's a short passage where he brings a picnic. She says something about how someday she knows she'll have to (try) to go back to being royal but for now, she wants to be a regular girl, having a picnic with a nice, regular guy, so that's what she did. :)
From East: Each chapter switches between characters and the prince-as-a-bear's are all written in short, poetry-like phrasing (to reflect that he's only partially able to think like a human). When Rose (MC) makes herself a beautiful pearlescent dress, he sees her try it on, and the poem ends with something like "Glowing. The moon through a doorway. And in it's light, hope." It's beautiful and I love it.
Dubhease and Shannon,I am glad to see The Rescuers Down Under and Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan mentioned in this thread. I enjoy them both a lot, and Khan is one of my all-time favorite movies.
Brandon wrote: "I love spending time with Laurence and his dragon Temeraire. The book can exist as a satisfying stand-alone, but I will check out at least the first sequel to see what happens to these characters. This is a lot more relaxing of an escape than her Scholomance books!"Oh yay, another Temeraire fan! I loved this series so much. I spaced it out over several years but if you do read all nine books, I found the conclusion very satisfying.
L Y N N wrote: "I am in disbelief that we are already at January 12 in this new year! Geeminy! Time does fly� We’ve had some springtime-like temperatures and then some colder temps. Today is rainy, gloomy, and coo..."I watched the TV series of "Five Days At Memorial" and it was so intense, I immediately put the book onto my TBR!
Happy Thursday! My days feel so off this week, I thought Tuesday was Wednesday and today was Friday! Very disappointing.
BUT I did manage to finish a book this week:
Finished:
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (Book you should have read in High School). It was a good book and I understand why so many teachers assign it. Great for discussions.
Currently Reading:
Razorblade Tears by S.A. Cosby (book I meant to read in 2022). I just want to go home and curl up and finish this book! So good!
The Echo Wife by Sarah Gailey (a book you think your friend would like). I have added this book to the last 3 challenges and ended up swapping it out for something else. I finally started this book and I love it so far.
QOTW:
I am terrible at remembering quotes. I would love to be able to quote beautifully written lines at the drop of a hat.
However, I do remember from Something in the Water the author says "Sometimes you are the lamppost, and sometimes you are the dog" and I have used the quote recently.
Dubhease wrote: "We're having a snow/storm advisory tomorrow. Is it bad that I'm already over winter?I made progress on the too many books I'm reading. I actually read two short stories (they might even be too sm..."
I love the movie idea!
Nadine in NY wrote: "After those late December super-cold single digit days, we've had unseasonably warm weather in the 30s & 40s F, even rain. "Here in Texas, it's been in the high 80s the last couple of days and it's AWFUL. It's making everyone's allergies go crazy, too. I'm worried about a bad cold snap happening in February, though, because I'll still be working on my new house but I won't be living there yet. I have visions of burst pipes dancing through my head.
Happy Thursday once again! One more day until the weekend...This week I finished Homegoing I used this book for Prompt #18 A book that's been banned or challenged in any state in 2022. I'm not sure why it's banned or challenged but hey it was on the list.
This is my review:
I enjoyed this sweeping family history. I like the comparison and contrast of both families throughout history. I’ve never read a book that talks about the African slave trade and how feuding tribes participated. I knew this was historical accurate but just never knew. I never knew why but now I know a few reasons.
At first I thought the book needed to be longer to fit the hundreds of year time span but the author did a beautiful job of putting the characters in the time period and taking as much time as needed to fully flesh out who they are what they were dealing with.
Currently Reading:
The Gilded Onesfor Prompt #28. I just started reading it yesterday, and so far so good.
Lakewood for Prompt #1 I'm listening to it on Audible. I listened to it but didn't finish or pay any attention to so I'm listening again.
Bitter Root, Vol. 2: Rage & Redemption I'm enjoying this graphic novel series so far.
QOTD:
Surprisingly, I just read a quote from Homegoing that really hit me. "When you study history, you must always ask yourself, Whose story am I missing? Whose voice was suppressed so that this voice could come forth?
Hi, everyone!Currently reading:
Still working on The Way of Kings, which will be my longest book. Work's gotten in the way a little bit, but I am determined to finish this week.
QOTW:
This one from Lois McMaster Bujold has always stuck with me:
"Reputation is what other people know about you. Honor is what you know about yourself."
This week I finished one book, bringing my grand total for the challenge this year to... 1.Lethbridge-Stewart: The Showstoppers
Currently reading - Lethbridge-Stewart: The Grandfather Infestation
QOTR
"In the beginning the universe was created. This has made a lot of people very angry and been widely regarded as a bad move."
Mod
That is brilliant!! I look forward to your updates on this every week!!!!
I've got lists and lists of movies I want to see, movies I want to share with my kids, movies we all want to re-watch, etc.
Will you watch The Sun is Also a Star for "takes place in one day? It was a cute movie, quite loyal to the book, although the ending was changed a little bit. And ... I mean ... Charles Melton
Happy Thursday!The sun is finally out today. It's only a reprieve from the storm systems that will come and go in the next few days.
Not much is happening this week. It's all been routine because of the bad weather and the grey days. People will probably come out today to come into the library since it's (so far) a lovely day.
Popsugar 2/50
Finished: The Poisoner's Ring Not quite as good as the first one, but we get to meet more people and expand the world a little bit. ps 12
The Misfit of Demon King Academy: Volume 1 The demon king decides to stop the war of attrition with the humans and creates walls that will stop the the four species (demon, human, spirit, and god) from intermingling for 1000 years. He reincarnates 2000 years later and the world has forgotten his name with a false demon king. Love the anime totally jazzed when the light novels became available. ps 20
Reading: None
Aty: 2/52
Finished:
The Poisoner's Ring aty 18
Reading: None
Nadine's Mini Challenge 1/10
Finished: None
Reading: None
ŷ Challenge 22/400
Finished:
Turtle Says Hello
Mountain Man Obsessed
Mountain Man Taken
Wanting Her Older Comedian
Enticing the Older Man
Grumpy Christmas Mountain Man
The Bodybuilder's Shy Girl: Instalove Romance
The Stranger
The Apothecary Diaries 01
The Apothecary Diaries 02
The Apothecary Diaries 03
The Apothecary Diaries 04
The Apothecary Diaries: Volume 1
Reading:
The Apothecary Diaries, Volume 2
The Apothecary Diaries 05
Mount TBR:
4/150 Ebook
3/150 Physical
QOTW:
I don't really have one. I can quote Shakespeare better than book quotes. Or some Middle English from the beginning of the Canterbury Tales, which makes me laugh when I see time travel to this period and everyone can understand each other. Even Shakespeare was Early Modern English. So I still giggle. Of course Dr. Who has the Tardis translate everything so there's that. We need a universal translator. That would be cool.
Mod
I've never seen the Wrath of Khan either. When the Star Trek movies first came out, I was definitely a ST fan, in the sense that I had seen all the episodes, some multiple times, but I thought the idea of movies made with those characters was kind of stupid and I assumed the movies would be cheesy, my parents weren't interested, & none of my friends were interested. As they continued to make movies, I did eventually see a few (there was one that involved humpback whales?) but I never really felt like the show translated well into movie form and I haven't seen most of them
Mod
I didn't know there might be a sequel."
Yes I think it's new news! I was excited, because when I finished the book, I DEFINITELY wanted to know what happens next. I was sad the next night to not be spending time w/ The Auditor and co
Mod
Here in Texas, it's been in the high 80s the last ..."
your house should be okay if you turn the water off at the main
Nadine in NY wrote: "Shannon wrote: "Not much new today. I'm going with my parents to see William Shatner present Wrath of Khan tonight. I've somehow never seen it, so I'm excited! My mom is a HUGE Star Trek and Shatne..."Star Trek does tend to work better on the small screen. However, the movies are overall worthwhile, too. The Wrath of Khan, The Voyage Home, The Undiscovered Country, First Contact, and Star Trek (2009) are some of my favorites. The Motion Picture, The Search for Spock, Insurrection, and Beyond are also pretty good. The other four have enough problems in my book that I don't pass them out as general recommendations.
If nothing else, the actors, composers, and ILM are putting in some great work.
Mod
This week I finished Homegoing I used this book for Prompt #18 A book that's been banned or challenged in any state in ..."
I was confused about that, too. Apparently it's got a brief sex scene? Starting with "He pushed into her as she squeezed her eyes as tightly as she could ..."
Mod
"In the beginning the universe was created. This has made a lot of people very angry and been widely regarded as a bad move." e ..."
LOL that is a good one :-)
Brandon wrote: "Dubhease and Shannon,I am glad to see The Rescuers Down Under and Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan mentioned in this thread. I enjoy them both a lot, and Khan is one of my all-time favorite movies."
My kids occasionally pull a "We can't watch this movie, until we've seen this other movie" on me. So, we had to watch the original Rescuers first. Which just led me to compare the movies when I loved the original so much. (Also, having to explain who Bob Newhart and Eva Gabor were made me feel 500 years old.)
I absolutely loved (view spoiler)
We sometimes talk about how movies/TV shows/books didn't age well. In their case, their 1990 anti-poaching message keeps aging better and better as more species are threatened through poaching.
Finished: Philosophy as a Way of Life: Spiritual Exercises from Socrates to Foucault could be for book with only words on cover.No Cure for Being Human: And Other Truths I Need to Hear This was a reader's choice from the library and I enjoyed it quite a lot! If enjoy is a word you can use for a memoir about fighting cancer.
Started: Reading for Preaching: The Preacher in Conversation with Storytellers, Biographers, Poets, and Journalists Good so far!
Reflections from the Inner Light: A Journal of Quaker Spirituality Not really what I was looking for... I was hoping for more of a focus on the nature of the Inner Light, more just a memoir
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow reading this for book set in the decade I was born in. It is not over-hyped!
QotW: The first quote that came to mind is "Never be a dream-wrecker" which is from my favorite book A Dream of Silence and was painted on my bedroom at my parents' home for a little while. But then I thought of another from Letters to Theo by Vincent Van Gogh: "There is nothing more truly artistic than to love people." Surprisingly, a lot of my favorite quotes are NOT from books, but are from songs or what people have said to me or other random sources.
Nadine in NY wrote: "Jai wrote: "Happy Thursday once again! One more day until the weekend...This week I finished Homegoing I used this book for Prompt #18 A book that's been banned or challenged in a..."
Yeah I'm not sure why a brief sex scene would cause that. I think it may have to do with slavery and a few things happening in the book.
Mod
LOL it's been my experience that it's impossible to explain to my kids why everyone loved Bob Newhart. We show them clips. They just don't get it.
Dubhease wrote: "Brandon wrote: "Dubhease and Shannon,I am glad to see The Rescuers Down Under and Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan mentioned in this thread. I enjoy them both a lot, and Khan is one of my all-time..."
Rescuers Down Under remains one of my absolute favorites! I never did like the original nearly as much.
Nadine in NY wrote: "LOL it's been my experience that it's impossible to explain to my kids why everyone loved Bob Newhart. We show them clips. They just don't get it."My kids (who are 17 and 20) are old souls. Neither one listens to anything on the radio currently. They had a conversation the other day:
Kid X: What's the name of that blind pianist?
Kid Y: You mean Stevie Wonder or Ray Charles?
So, they know who Ray Charles is, but not Bob Newhart. I find their pop culture knowledge confusing.
It's the same with books. Last year, they'd both heard of the Yellow Wallpaper, but somehow neither one had heard of The Night Circus or The House in the Cerulean Sea.
Hi all! I'm missing snow, a lot. It's a cold windy rain out there now, and blah. I can't remember a winter with this little snow this late in the season. Otherwise, things are good here, nothing much going on. I put away the rest of the house Christmas decorations this week. I need to do some tidying up around the house, but I don't wanna! I haven't finished reading anything this week, but I read about another 100 pages in City of Veils. It finally turned into a real murder mystery and now it's quite good.
I'm also getting started on a buddy read of When Christ and His Saints Slept. It's off to an exciting start, I'm hoping the almost 800 pages will fly by!
Not sure what prompts either will fit.
QOTW: I LOVE a good quote! :D I used to buy quote books, they're around here somewhere... That said, I don't remember a ton from reading. But one that sticks with me is the last line of The Return of the Soldier, it's a major spoiler to the story, though- (view spoiler)
Another quote that I used a lot when I was working in mental health was from The Air Loom Gang: The Strange and True Story of James Tilly Matthews and His Visionary Madness went something like this, "trying to treat psychosis with reason was like trying to cure blindness by showing a blind person a pretty picture."
Mod
I'd never heard of that so I just looked it up - wow, it looks like a mix of a broad sweeping historical epic and a potboiler. If only it wasn't so LONG, I'd be adding it to my TBR now!! but I'm anti-long-books these days ...
Happy Check In. I read one book & listened to one book for the week. 1. The Guncle. 5 stars. Audio book. I think listening to it really brought it to life. # 22 A book with a queer lead.
2. The Winners. 5 stars. This book made my heart hurt. I cried. I knew I would. # 33 A book about an athlete/sport.
I'm still reading ...And Ladies of the Club. I set it aside to read The Winners when that book came in. I'm going to concentrate on just the ladies of the club until the next library arrives.
QOTW: I need to write these down. My favorite quotes from books and movies come out of my mouth at strange times but I can't produce them when asked.
I am checking in late today because I just left a giant book sale at a local fire department. =) I only made it one week in the year, trying to do 2 challenges, before I decided that wasn't for me. I'm back to just Popsugar and I have reworked my entire planned reading list to get more engaged. It's amazing how reading one really awful book can change your whole perspective on the challenge. This week I finished:
It All Began With A Scream: A book based on a popular movie: This started out much more interesting than I expected, but after about 30% it turned into a repetitive slog.
Five Survive: A book with a map: I stayed up late to finish this one. It definitely kept my interest the whole way to the end, but I figured out most of the major twists.
What Happened That Night: A book I meant to read in 2022: I liked this one more than I expected to. It was free with Kindle Unlimited, but I kept skipping over it for another book last year. I thought it was pretty interesting and went dark without being disgusting.
Currently reading:
Under the Whispering Door: A book you think your best friend would love: I loved The House in the Cerulean Sea so much that I've been excited for this one. I haven't made it very far, but it has that same quirky energy that I enjoyed so much.
The Liars Beneath: Not for the challenge, just trying to finish some reads before my KU subscription expires in two weeks. I'm about 20% in and am not sure why I'm still going, except that the reviews are really positive. I'm still waiting to be entertained by this one.
QOTW:
I keep a little notebook full of favorite book quotes so I could never pick a favorite.
Nadine in NY wrote: "Jennifer W wrote: "I'm also getting started on a buddy read of When Christ and His Saints Slept. It's off to an exciting start, I'm hoping the almost 800 pages will fly by!..."I'd never heard o..."
Ooooh I bought a used copy of this a year or two ago! Everyone says Penman is the gold standard for Tudor historical fiction so I'm excited for the day I do get to it lol
Ashley Marie wrote: "Nadine in NY wrote: "Jennifer W wrote: "I'm also getting started on a buddy read of When Christ and His Saints Slept. It's off to an exciting start, I'm hoping the almost 800 pages will fly by!..."..."I can't remember where I heard about it, but it went on my wishlist, and my mom got it for me... and that's when I realized it was a piece of exercise equipment disguised as a book! I'm not even 2 full chapters in and someone's already died in the Crusades, a royal shipwreck has killed dozens, and the handsomest lord in the kingdom is sleeping around!
Week Two of Popsugar is almost over, and I am pretty happy with the pace I have been keeping. I've also been doing a Storygraph challenge on the side, the #2023NetGalleyChallenge, because I desperately need to get through some of my backlog there - but that's more of an informal challenge.QotW: What is your favorite quote from a novel?
I'm not a big quotes person, but one that's always stuck with me is from My One Hundred Adventures, a middle grade book I read when I was about ten. The quote goes like this:
“We all belong here equally...Just by being born onto the earth we are accepted and the earth supports us. We don't have to be especially good. We don't have to accomplish anything. We don't even have to be healthy.�
I think it made a big impact on me because it was about the first time I came across that idea and really accepted it.
The books I finished this past week are:
A book that features two languages - The Amish Matchmaking Dilemma (1/6)
The main characters are Amish, and use both English and Pennsylvania Dutch throughout the book.
A book about a family - Normal Family: On Truth, Love, and How I Met My 35 Siblings (1/6)
This is a memoir about a woman and her relationship with her eccentric parents, as well as the many other parent figures she had throughout the years.
A book with a love triangle - A Dowry of Blood (1/11)
This is definitely not a strictly by-the-book pick, as the main characters are in a polyamorous relationship. However, there's plenty of jealousy when the couple first becomes a triad, and I don't really liked love triangles, so I decided to go with this book for the task.
A book your friend recommended - Mr. Perfect (1/12)
I first came across this book through a review written by a ŷ friend, so I think it falls under this prompt.
A book about a holiday that's not Christmas - Feel the Bern (1/12)
This is a kooky cozy mystery which features Bernie Sanders as a sleuth, true. But it also takes place over Columbus Day weekend, in a small town celebrating their annual 'Champ Days' festival.
Currently reading:
A book with a color in the title - Blue Heaven, Black Night
I am about halfway through this book - I was enjoying it, but haven't picked it up in a few days as I've been distracted reading other stuff!
A book that fulfills your favorite prompt from a past challenge (A book featuring a parallel reality) - The Eyre Affair
I picked this prompt because it is a fun one that I was not able to cross off my list last year, and this is a book I've been meaning to read for a while.
A book that's on a celebrity book-club list - Fire Lover: A True Story
The 'celebrities' who recommended this book are the hosts of the podcast My Favorite Murder, which I have been listening to for the past five or so years. They don't actually have a book club, but there's a master list of books they recommend on their website so I figured it's the same thing to me.
I definitely have read for more prompts than I was expecting, but I suppose it's easier to match random picks to prompts this early on. Hopefully I can keep up the momentum!
Nadine in NY wrote: "Happy Thursday!! I spent the last week of December refining all my 2023 reading goals, and I pulled together a really great plan, and now I've reached that time in the year when I want to just th..."You loved Normal People? Oh Nadine, we might need to part ways --- I was so irritated and put off by that book! Enough that I don't have any plans for reading more of her works at this point.
You might be able to redeem yourself - where do you stand on Wolf Hall?
[Imagine how boring it would be if we all agreed all the time?]
Sherri wrote: "Happy Check In. I read one book & listened to one book for the week. 1. The Guncle. 5 stars. Audio book. I think listening to it really brought it to life. # 22 A book with a queer..."
I am *so* sad I couldn't get the Guncle audiobook anywhere! Don't get me wrong, I still adored my eARC (with messed up formatting and all) but I really wish I could have listened to it. They had the hardcover at the store but it was crazy expensive so I sadly had to leave it. Hopefully one day the audio will become available here, and I can find the hardcover at a decent price!
Mary wrote: "Currently reading:Under the Whispering Door: A book you think your best friend would love: I loved The House in the Cerulean Sea so much that I've been excited for this one. I haven't made it very far, but it has that same quirky energy that I enjoyed so much."
Under the Whispering Door is so near and dear to me. Just seeing people read it makes my insides go funny in a good way. I remember finishing the eARC at 2am, crying (in a good way), and immediately emailing Klune to thank him, haha!
My literal words were:
"Cerulean Sea is my new comfort read, and I’ll read it many times over, but this book is something else entirely. I think Cerulean Sea is the book you want, but Whispering Door is the book you need."
Hope you'll like it <3
Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge
Books mentioned in this topic
The Living (other topics)The Secret of Skull Mountain (other topics)
The Fellowship of the Ring (other topics)
The Crisscross Shadow (other topics)
Just Mercy (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Franklin W. Dixon (other topics)Alix E. Harrow (other topics)
Grady Hendrix (other topics)
Charlie Jane Anders (other topics)
Bonnie Garmus (other topics)
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After those late December super-cold single digit days, we've had unseasonably warm weather in the 30s & 40s F, even rain. I'm tired of muddy paws. My younger daughter has been complaining that she misses the cold. I'm wondering if global warming is truly here now and the days of long cold winters and feet of snow are over? Or am I going to be snowed in for all of February?
This weekend my older daughter goes back to college, so that's a small sadness. It's a long time until she comes home again. I need to make some plans to drive down there and see her for a day - I'm lucky her college is less than a 2 hour drive away.
Admin stuff
Our January group read of Rock Paper Scissors is on-going, and you can join the discussion here:
/topic/show/...
February's group read (for "takes place in one day") will be The Sun Is Also a Star - let us know if you would like to volunteer to lead this discussion!!
Results are in for our March group read (for a book with "girl" in the title): The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea - let us know if you would like to lead this discussion!!
And, finally, we have the poll results for monthly categories for May & September! The categories will be "A Modern Retelling" (Sept) and "Rabbit on the Cover" (May).
The full list of monthly categories is here:
/topic/show/...
This week I finished 3 books, 1 for this Challenge, so I am 1/50.
The Violin Conspiracy by Brendan Slocumb - this is a Tournament of Books choice, I never would have read it otherwise. I'm not mad that I read it, it's different than my usual thing and I love diversifying my reading by picking up books I never would normally read (which is almost the entire ToB shortlist!!). But I also didn't exactly love this book. It had some pacing issues, but I enjoyed spending time with the character, so I gave it 4 stars. This would be a good choice for someone who likes reading about music, or who needs to (or wants to) read a mystery, but does not want anything violent. The mystery is: "who stole Ray's violin?" - no one is raped or assaulted or murdered, quite refreshing!
Hench by Natalie Zina Walschots - I really loved this one!!! I picked it up because I saw a few GR friends give it good reviews, and I didn't really know what to expect. It was a rather slow read, but I LOVED it, and I'm so excited to see there will be a sequel. Five stars!
Normal People by Sally Rooney - my first Challenge book of the year!! My daughter has been urging me to read this for a year now, so I used it for "book your best friend recommended." It was fantastic. I had all the squishy feels - five stars. I'm so lucky my daughter & I have the same reading taste. (I also used this for "set in 21st century" in AtY, AND it is on my list of 12 books I must read this year. I love finding books that work for multiple challenges.)
Pop: 1/50
AtY: 1/52
My 2023: 1/12
Question of the Week
This was suggested (a long time ago!) by Jennifer.
What is your favorite quote from a novel?
I've got two favorite quotes, and I don't know why these two have decided to stick in my head, because these aren't my favorite books, but here we are.
"Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again" - the first line of Rebecca (which I did like A LOT, but it's not in my top ten of favorite books).
"Reader, I married him." - the last line of (view spoiler)[ Jane Eyre (hide spoiler)] (spoiler tagging just in case there's someone out there who doesn't recognize it!) - I didn't really like this book, but I loved the cheekiness of this line!!