ŷ������

Happy Thursday! Wow I slept LATE today, it's so unlike me!!

We woke up on Wednesday to another surprise snowfall!  it's all fluffy and white like someone dropped a bunch of marshmallows on us and then heated them up to get puffy.  There is now so much snow on the back steps that my dogs are struggling to get back up the steps to get in the house. We're supposed to get more snow today. (Update: in the time it took me to post this and then go make coffee, it started snowing! big fluffy flakes! so pretty! And I'm so glad I pay a guy to plow my driveway!)  I might have to go shovel them a path.


Admin stuff
The final poll for our March group read (for "music")  is now live here:
/poll/show/3...

The February group read ("non traditional education") will be A Deadly Education - let us know if you want to lead the discussion!

January's group read of Out of My Mind is happening here:   /topic/show/...
Thank you to Jennifer for leading the discussion!!



This week I finished 4 books, and all four fulfilled Challenge categories.

The Blue Hour by Paula Hawkins - this was okay.  It was actually really good until the ending, which was disappointing, I really thought there was going to be more to it than that.  I checked off "a book set near a body of water" for Popsugar, and "a book involving art" for AtY.

Selfies a Tor short by Lavie Tidhar - I read this for "book with less than 3 stars" - originally I planned to read a local author's novel about zombies, which had an average rating of exactly 3.0, but that kept bothering me since the category was not "3 or less" but "less than 3" so it didn't exactly fit and I guess I'm a stickler sometimes.  So I looked at the Tor shorts I had on my TBR and found several with ratings less than 3, and I picked this one.  It was ... fine.  I gave it two stars.  Usually Tidhar is better than this.

All Fours by Miranda July - omg I LOVED this book!!  This was such a rollercoaster experience for me - I started out loving it, then gradually became extremely disenchanted, and when my library copy was due back I would have DNFed it except it fit a challenging challenge category (a women experiencing menopause), so I borrowed the audiobook this month, and I hated it still, but I kept going, and gradually I started to come around, and I by the end of this book I was LOVING it!! This book is super polarizing, you either love it or you hate it.    I am so glad I did not DNF it.  I checked off "menopause" for Popsugar, and "fewer than ten letters in the title" for AtY.

All Through the Night by Mary Higgins Clark - this is one of the most boring and thin mysteries I've ever read.  I expected so much more from Clark - are all her books like this???   There was no detective work, no solving a mystery, and when the amateur detective did "investigate" she neglected to ask very basic questions so she had to go back again and again before finding a clue, which padded this very short mystery and fluffed it up to "short novel" length.  And other aspects of the mystery were just ... magically solved.  It was as if baby Jesus stepped in to resolve things.  (I am serious about this - there's a strong implication in the book that Jesus intervened.)  The only reason I read this, and the only reason I did not DNF, was because it is the same title as another book I've been wanting to read, so I checked off one of the "two books with the same title" category for Popsugar, and "set in winter" for AtY.


I've been making excellent progress on Popsugar (and, incidentally, on AtY too) but ZERO progress on reading NetGalley books or the books on my 2025 "must read" list.  (I'm not tracking Book Riot or the AtY bonus categories right now so I took that off my tracker - in a few months I'll go back and see if I've managed to check off any of their categories.)

Popsugar 12% 6 /50
Must Reads 0% 0 /10
AtY 8% 4 /52
2025 pub 0% 0 /50
NetGalley ratio 67%




Question of the Week
Does it bother you if the book's title doesn't seem connected to the plot?

YES!  I get really annoyed when the title doesn't make any sense, and I LOVE it when I get to a line in the book that explains the title perfectly.

For example, in "The Blue Hour" - not ONCE did she mention a "blue hour."  She talks a lot about the tide tables, and the weather, and storms, and the color of the ocean, and the golden light at the end of the day, but nothing specific ever happens at that twilight time,  no "blue hour," so what was up with that title?? 

But in "All Fours" towards the end of the book you DO get a scene that explains the title perfectly.  I was so happy.



(If this question seems familiar to the old-timers, YES I delved into old QotWs and picked this one from seven years ago.)

Library TBR: 0/9
Popsugar: 21/50

Finished: The Last Bookstore on Earth for prompt has "book" in the title. This gave me hope that there might be a path for me in a post-apocalyptic world. :)

The Peculiar Life of a Lonely Postman Very avant garde. This renewed my desire to be a postman. Better fit for prompt bucket list.

Started: Something in the Woods Loves You I love this book!!!

Gates of Light: Sha'are Orah

Kind of a Big Deal reading for prompt got less than 3 stars on ŷ������. I'm enjoying it so far!

Inkworld: The Color of Revenge for prompt has snake on cover.

QotW: I don't feel like this happens very often. The closest I can think of is The Shape of Thunder. The title DOES relate to the plot, but it takes getting most of the way through the book before you find out and I kept wondering why.

Happy Thursday!

Finished:
Heavenly Tyrant by Xiran Jay Zhao - 4 stars - a book that features a character with chronic pain. I am really looking forward to the third book now. I really want to see how the author ends this series.

Comics & manga:
Chihayafuru, Vol. 21
Chihayafuru, Vol. 22
Chihayafuru Vol. 23
Chihayafuru Vol. 24

I am currently at 5/50 for Popsugar (4/40 and 1/10).

Currently reading:
Swordcrossed by Freya Marske - a book I got for free since it's a library book. This has been taking a little time for me to get into and I've been reading it slowly due to life, so not the book's fault. I'm going to try to really get into it this weekend.

Upcoming/Planned:
Floating Hotel by Grace Curtis - a book about space tourism

QOTW:
I don't mind if it's not connected to the plot specifically, if I can connect it to something else in the story - a character or something in the setting or a line in the book. What bugs me is if I can't figure out any connection at all, and I can't find any info (author notes or interviews) saying why the title is what it is or how it relates.

Happy Thursday!

I was surprised how many books I finished last week…well, the impetus to read did not continue to this week. I spent the weekend sitting on my bed in my robe bingeing on TV shows with strong women…and working on a jigsaw puzzle. Oh, and playing games on my phone. The weather cooperated in that it was cold with sleet, snow, and rain.

My extension classes began again at USC-Aiken. The first one was on AI by a Savannah River scientist who has been working in AI for a long time. His talk had a lot to do with the “miracle�� of AI and its advancement, use, and the future. He allowed the class to ask questions, and we spent most of the time addressing those concerns (about AI and education and trying to avoid it) rather than following his slides.

And I am fighting off a cold that made its presence known yesterday with sinus drainage, coughing and sneezing. I think I am going to have to cancel coffee with Sharon (my neighbor and friend) as respiratory illnesses are not fun for the elderly. Bah humbug! That will be two weeks in a row!

Finished:
Xoe: or Vampires, and Werewolves, and Demons, Oh My! - PS #18 (magical creatures, not dragons). Kindle. Surprising to me, I enjoyed this book and will continuing the series. 4*

High Noon �� ATY winter. Favorite author. Stand alone book. Suspense, romance...and just all around good. 4*

Mistletoe Murders �� 6 podcasts. Audible. Unfortunately I listened to the second edition before this one, where many of the characters and their relationships were first introduced. 3*

Currently Reading:
The Beginner's Photography Guide: The Ultimate Step-by-Step Manual for Getting the Most from Your Digital Camera �� 27%. No progress.

Shaman �� PS #38 (same title). 10%

Magic for Liars �� PAS, PS #14 (nontraditional education). 34%

Shuna's Journey �� no prompt. GN. 12%. I love the art work!

Murder in Jerusalem �� No prompt. 27%

Just Starting:
God Is in the Small Stuff and It All Matters: Stop Worrying and Invite God into the Details of Your Life �� ATY seasonal (nonfiction) . 8%

The Aviary �� ATY winter, PAS. Kindle

Face the Fire �� PAS, PS. Audiobook. 8%

On Deck: (owned)
Kate: The Journal of A Confederate Nurse �� PAS.
The Pony Wife �� PAS
Moving Target �� PAS

PS 2/50
ATY 3/52, Anniversary 2/10, Winter 6/15
GR 9/200

QotW: Does it bother you if the book's title doesn't seem connected to the plot?

Yes, I have been known to wonder as the book progresses where a particular title comes in. I love it when I figure it out.

Happy Thursday!

Currently writing this in my notes so I can paste it when the thread goes up, as I want to pick up my book and continue reading, haha!

Completely forgot to mention last week the fun I’ve had looking at the visible planets at night (when there was no fog or clouds, of course). It’s so wild being able to see Jupiter, Venus, Saturn, and Mars without any kind of tool. Knowing that Uranus and Neptune apparently require nothing more than a good pair of binoculars, is insane. I cannot wait for January 21, when they’re officially in planetary alignment. Fingers crossed for clear skies!

Lucy stopped eating her pellets again, so she currently hates us again for picking her up twice a day to give her her pain meds. Which of course means she’s not keen to eat when we’re nearby. It’s a circle xD Luckily she eats her veggies and hay well enough! Life is never dull with pets, that’s for sure. Starting Monday we will finally be adjusting their enclosure, so we can move the cage to make room for a larger, less steep stair for her.

In other pet news, Thor (cat), is glued to me. He will literally follow me around and eep at me if it takes me too long to sit down. I wonder if this behavior will continue when mom gets back home!

No new movies watched, but I did watch a documentary about the Spider-Man movies (fun, but also heartbreaking when they went into how 9/11 impacted them) and about the AIDS crisis in the UK. It had tapes in them that were recorded back then. It was a hard watch, but I’m glad I did. One gay man talked about how he was a nurse on the AIDS ward back then, and how that’s where he learned gay men could love each other, that no one had ever told him that. It broke my heart.

I also restarted Schitt’s Creek, with my dad this time, to see if I click with it better this time around. Almost finished season one (I gave up 2 episodes before the season 2 finale last time), and the jury’s still out. I enjoy watching things with him though, so that’s a plus for sure! 

Last but not least I watched the pilot of This Is Us, finally. I went in blind beyond knowing people adored this show, and what a twist! Can’t wait to continue.

Game wise I’ve (re)started Epic Mickey! I played the demo and loved it, so with the actual game you have to redo that bit and then continue. Defeated my first boss battle yesterday, and it only took two tries! (almost one, but it took me just a bit too long to figure out how to do it, so I was near dead already xD)

OH I ALSO STARTED A NEW BULLET JOURNAL. Ohmygod this is getting so long I’m so sorry. I was looking for an old photo of Zira (cat) and came across my handlettering stuff and bujo pages and it rekindled the flame and I went for it. It’s all small to not overwhelm me, and hopefully I can keep it up! If not, I made sure I can just continue whenever without it feeling as if it’s two separate things. I even came up with some book picking games with the games I got from book boxes!

And besides all of that (and having more pet responsibilities due to mom not being home) I still managed to read!

Read
Lily's Just Fine
Server Challenge: Set on an island
Popsugar: Set in or by body of water

I can’t believe I finally read this book. I got the eARC for this back in March 2019, met the author and bought a physical copy in July 2019, pulled it from my TBR jar in 2020/2021, took it from the shelf to read in 2023, but I never actually managed to read it. And now I have! I can finally draw a new TBR jar book! Hopefully it won’t take so long again xD

I enjoyed it. It’s a YA contemporary that doesn’t really bring anything new to the table, but sometimes that’s exactly what you need. Lily herself is in my opinion quite unlikeable, but it was still fun to be able to read about someone so energetic and hands on. I could relate to Sarah very much, given she has the same chronic illness as I do. It’s also why I wish I read this back in 2019, so I could thank the author for bringing attention to it!

Currently Reading
The Three Musketeers
I’m at 50%! I’m usually reading more than one chapter a day, and it’s coming along quite nicely. It’s exhausting to read though. While it’s quite easy to read for a classic, there are also a lot of words I have to look up/double check, so I burn out pretty quickly, instead of being able to keep going. It’s why it’s a one-chapter-a-day-project, but I’m having fun with it so I’m reading ahead, haha! When I picked this back up I should be finished in the first week of March, but now I’m almost thinking I might finish this month!

I am also hoping to start The Wild Robot (I caved and got it on Audible, as I took advantage of their discount offers) or I Haven’t Been Entirely Honest With You today. But it’s already almost 3pm (6pm posting!) as I type this and I want to read some Musketeers and play Epic Mickey and watch episodes as well, soooo, hahah!

QOTW
So. Much. Like Jen W, if it's connected to something I'm good, but not if there's nothing! Just like when song titles don't seem to have any kind of link to the song. It just bothers me! I know from writing fics titles are hard, but come on *sobs*

Update: we've got the final poll open for March!

/poll/show/3...

Another week has whooshed past. Work isn't that busy but because I'm new, it's hard to me to find things I can be getting on with between tasks. Hoping my main project kicks off soon as I prefer to be busy.

Finished:

Nothing But Blackened Teeth by Cassandra Khaw for less than 3 stars. This wasn't that bad, some odd word choices and it was a bit rushed at the end, but it was creepy, and it was short. So happy to have this prompt out of the way.

Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez which I am going to use for the bucket list prompt. I don't really have a list but I like the idea of staying on an island in the middle of a lake just for the summer. I loved this book. I came for the let's break a curse fake dating and stayed for a super emotional story about dealing with childhood trauma, even if she didn't see it as such. Also ticks off cover lover - season.

Black Woods, Blue Sky by Eowyn Ivey for ATY's author I haven't read in a while and cover lover - shadow. Love her writing on Alaskan nature but I thought the characters were a bit basic and annoying. Not enough about how the bear was dealing with his repeat trauma if you ask me. Ending was very moving though.

Two Can Play by Ali Hazelwood for cover lover - number. Short audiobook set in the gaming industry. I enjoy her writing but I wish she would stop trying to shoehorn everything into enemies to lovers, because it didn't work so well here.

Currently reading An Academy for Liars and listening to Bookshops & Bonedust.

PS: 5/50 | ATY: 3/52 | CL: 6/50 | BR: 0/24

QOTW:
Yes! I feel like I've missed something. Often it's because they've picked a quote from something else I'm not familiar with and then I'm left wondering if I was lacking some inside info to fully understand things. Sometimes I think a title can just be deliberately misleading too, like they're trying to make the book sound like another, bestselling, title when it's not.

Finished:

Mars (4/5, a book you got for free (library check-out))
Brinkmanship (4/5, reread)
Star Wars: The Rise and Fall of the Galactic Empire (4/5, no prompt)

Currently reading:

Powersat
Captain Nemo (reread)
The DC Comics Encyclopedia New Edition

Question of the Week:

I do tend to prefer titles that have obvious meanings, even if they also have another layer of meaning. All six titles from this post are exactly what they say on the tin. Sometimes, an author will put an excerpt of poetry or some other source for the title at the start of the book. I can live with that, since at least it is some indication of what the title means, but those connections tend to be less memorable for me.

Skeleton Crew stuck the landing and ended the story in a very satisfying way.

In Scooby watching, I am just about to start one of my favorites, which is set in the abandoned amusement park.

Bea wrote: "Shuna's Journey �� no prompt. GN. 12%. I love the art work!..."



I bought that a few years ago when it was first published in English, and .... it's sat by my bedside ever since, gathering dust. Who was it who said that buying books and reading books are two completely different hobbies? they are right!

Have you read (or seen) Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind? This was supposed to be like a sequel or prequel or something, but the description does not sound like a sequel to Nausicaa, so I was wondering if it really is.

Happy Thursday, everyone!

The third week of the new year has been a busy one. In addition to a couple of doctors appointments, my dad came over to help me with some long overdue household projects. As a result, I now have two additional bookcases in my home office! This was a big help, since I was finally able to unpack the tubs of books I’ve been keeping under my desk. I don’t have any room left on the new shelves, but at least now I can stretch my legs out when I’m working on the computer.

Despite my busy schedule, this has been an excellent week for reading. I was able to check off quite a few titles from my TBR list this week, but more importantly, I am officially caught up on all of my manga and graphic novel series! This has been a long time coming, so I’m feeling pretty proud of myself right now.

Here are my current challenge and TBR totals��

ŷ������ Challenge: 047/250
Mount TBR Challenge: 044/150

📚Physical TBR: 42/731
📱Ebook TBR: 1/218
��Audiobook TBR: 1/15
TBR Checklist Total: 44/964

I did pick up three new releases this week, including: SPY×FAMILY 13, by Tatsuya Endo; Britain According to Very British Problems: the new book from Britain's favourite humour brand, by Rob Temple; and Death of the Author, by Nnedi Okorafor.

“New�� Books Bought in 2024: 7
“New�� Books Read in 2024: 3
“New�� Books DNFed in 2024: 0

Here are the books I finished this week��

Finished Reading (Fiction):
~The Mysterious Affair at Styles: An Audible Original Full Cast Audio Drama �� While I did enjoy Peter Dinklage’s performance as Hercule Poirot, I was somewhat disappointed in the full-cast audio drama adaptation of this book. Because there was no narrator, I occasionally had trouble identifying which characters were involved in conversations, which made the story a little difficult to follow at times. And although the music and sound effects did add to the atmosphere, they could also be distracting. Overall, I definitely prefer the more traditional audiobook adaptation. ��: ⭐⭐��
~Map of Bones �� I really enjoyed the second book in the Sigma Force series! Although the team of heroes was different than the one in the previous book, I found that I really liked the characters. The story was also very exciting. Content Alert: (view spoiler)[ This book does include references to rape, as well as some animal deaths. (hide spoiler)] 📱: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
~Adrift in Currents Clean and Clear �� The newest book of the Wayward Children series was a really good story! I especially liked the characters. 📚: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Finished Reading (Nonfiction):
~Not Your Average 5K: A Practical 8-Week Training Plan for Beginning Runners �� I thought this was a pretty good book, and I will definitely be implementing a lot of the author’s ideas. That being said, I was disappointed to find that the training plan is not included as a reproducible in the book, but actually has to be downloaded from the author’s website. 📚: ⭐⭐��

Finished Reading (Manga, Comic Books, & Graphic Novels):
~Garfield Donut Disturb: His 76th Book �� I really enjoyed this collection of new Garfield comics! 📚: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
~Lonely Castle in the Mirror, Vol. 4 �� This was a fabulous continuation of the manga adaptation! I’m really looking forward to finishing the series when the next volume is released. 📚: ⭐⭐⭐⭐��
~Love's in Sight!, Vol. 8 �� I really enjoyed the final volume of this series! 📚: ⭐⭐⭐⭐��
~That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime 25 �� The most recent volume of this series was a fun read. I’ll definitely be reading the next volume as soon as it’s released. 📚: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
~Enola Holmes: The Graphic Novels: The Case of the Missing Marquess, The Case of the Left-Handed Lady, and The Case of the Bizarre Bouquets �� I really enjoyed this graphic novel adaptation of the first three Enola Holmes novels! The artwork was fantastic! 📚: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
~Enola Holmes: The Graphic Novels: The Case of the Peculiar Pink Fan, The Case of the Cryptic Crinoline, and The Case of Baker Street Station �� I also really enjoyed this graphic novel adaptation of the second three Enola Holmes novels! I really hope that the artist will adapt the three newest books from the series at some point. 📚: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
~Lore Olympus: Volume Seven �� It had been a while since I read the sixth volume of this series, so I had a difficult time remembering where the story left off, but I did enjoy this book. Content Alert: (view spoiler)[ This book does include references to rape. (hide spoiler)] 📚: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
~Ghost Hunt 12 �� My copy of the final volume of Ghost Hunt is in Japanese (because it was never published in English). Fortunately, I was able to find a translation of the text, which finally allowed me to finish reading the series. I thought this volume was a good conclusion to the series, as it answered a lot of questions about one of the main characters. 📚: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
~Nights With A Cat, tome 4 �� I thoroughly enjoyed having a chance to continue this series! The vignettes were really cute, and many of them reminded me of my own cat. 📚: ⭐⭐⭐⭐��
~The Alchemyst: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel Graphic Novel �� This is the graphic novel adaptation of the first book in Michael Scott’s Nicholas Flamel series, which I read back when I was still teaching. My dad got me a copy of this graphic novel for Christmas, and I really enjoyed it. It’s been a long time since I read the original books, but the adaptation seemed to be pretty good. The only downside is that there do not seem to be any more graphic novels available at this time, and I can’t find any indication that the series will be continuing in this format. So if you’re interested in reading the series, I recommend focusing on the original novels for now. 📚: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
~SPY×FAMILY 13 �� I thought this volume was a great continuation of the series. I’m looking forward to finding out what happens next. 📚: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

I also had a chance to get caught up on the Toilet-Bound Hanako-kun manga this week. I am continuing to really enjoy this manga. I especially love the artwork! Content Alert: (view spoiler)[ Some of these volumes include references to suicide. (hide spoiler)] The volumes I read this week include��
~Toilet-bound Hanako-kun, Vol. 11 �� 📚: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
~Toilet-bound Hanako-kun, Vol. 12 �� 📚: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
~Toilet-bound Hanako-kun, Vol. 13 �� 📚: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
~Toilet-bound Hanako-kun, Vol. 14 �� 📚: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
~Toilet-bound Hanako-kun, Vol. 15 �� 📚: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
~Toilet-bound Hanako-kun, Vol. 16 �� 📚: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
~Toilet-bound Hanako-kun, Vol. 17 �� 📚: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
~Toilet-bound Hanako-kun Vol. 18 �� 📚: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
~Toilet-bound Hanako-kun, Vol. 19 �� 📚: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
~Toilet-bound Hanako-kun, Vol. 20 �� 📚: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Finished Reading (Poetry and Drama):
None

DNFed:
None

Currently Reading:
~Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare: The Desperadoes Who Plotted Hitler’s Downfall, Giving Birth to Modern-day Black Ops �� While I did have somewhat of a slow start, I’m finding this to be a really interesting book. I’m currently about 70% of the way through, and hoping to finish today. 📚
~The Arabian Nights: Tales of 1001 Nights, Volume 2 �� It’s been about 8 months since I finished the first volume of The Arabian Nights, but I haven’t had any difficulty getting back into the story. I’m currently reading at a rate of about 10 pages each night (which is 2-3 nights worth of tales), so progress on this one will probably be pretty slow. 📚
~The Fellowship of the Ring �� This is the first book of The Lord of the Rings trilogy. While this is a re-read for me, it is my first time listening to my copy of the audiobook edition, which is narrated by Andy Serkis. I’m really enjoying it! ��
~Black Order �� This is the third book in the Sigma Force series. I’m about 15% of the way into this book, and I’m enjoying to so far. 📱
~The Witcher Omnibus, Volume 2 �� This was one of the comic book collections that I got for Christmas. I just started reading it this morning, so I’m not very far into it yet, but I’m loving the story and artwork. 📚

QOTW:
It doesn’t really bother me if the title doesn’t seem to be connected to the plot, but I always enjoy that “ah ha�� moment when a confusing (or seemingly unconnected) title finally makes sense.

Happy Thursday! Wow, 2 more weeks until the end of January. How is that possible already?!

Let's see this week has been okay. Lots of babysitting. Went to a place to sign up to do some volunteer work. Did that on Tuesday, but they haven't called me back yet so we'll see what happens there. I've unfollowed some musical artists due to politics (one of which, as a millennial hurts to the core). Other than that though not much else is going on.

Oh school has started this week. Easy week there though. Assignments not due until the weekend so I've got time which will work since I'm waiting on some textbooks to arrive anyway.

I'm one of those who is bummed about the end of TikTok. That app has been a lifeline for my book community and it's also helped my mental health. I can be myself without strings, no holding back. So I'm really gonna miss that place. I've gotten rid of my other social media. Just no longer see the point in them.



Book News:

We're already at the end of the 3rd week of January and I've read quite a lot. Roughly 11 books at this point so it's been an awesome reading month. Some of them have been group reads so it's been fun discussing the books with other people.

****

Currently Reading:

Generations: The Real Differences Between Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, Boomers, and Silents―and What They Mean for America's Future - The paperback of this book has finally been released! I've waited for the PB since 2023 when I first read it. It was among my top 3 favorites of that year so I'm excited to re-read it.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story - 34% done with this one. I'm liking it a lot more than I thought I would. Annotating a lot too.

Y2K: How the 2000s Became Everything - 34% done. I was hoping to really like this one and I do to some extent. It's depressing as hell but what do you expect from us millennials? LOL!

The Hunger Games - 12% done here. I'm glad I'm getting back into this what with Sunrise on the Reaping just a month or so away.

Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage - 37% done. Had to take a break from this especially after the moment (view spoiler)[when they started eating the dogs (hide spoiler)]



In other book news, I'm currently scanning my books on Libib with my book scanner. I have over 1,000 so that's gonna take a while.



Question of the Week

Does it bother you if the book's title doesn't seem connected to the plot?

I try not to think about it much. Sometimes it bothers me, other times it doesn't. If it's fiction then it might bother me, but I don't have that problem with a lot of nonfiction books since the nonfiction titles basically tell you what the narrative is about.

Reading a lot this week to hide from the fact I'm back to work after being on a semester long sabbatical

I read The Paranormal Ranger: A Navajo Investigator's Search for the Unexplained by Stanley Milford Jr for PS1. A book about a POC experiencing joy and not trauma

This is such a fun memoir (and I'm not a memoir reader) Stanley is Navajo and this about him basically being Fox Mulder on the Navajo reservation. he loves his job even when there are UFOs, Bigfoot or skinwalkers.

I might slip The Lost House by Melissa Larsen into the challenge if I can't find something better for the nature is the antagonist prompt as it's only one of two antagonists in this (but it is out to kill faster than the actual killer is)

Whisper of the Woods by Ennun Ana Iurov is a graphic novel set in Romania's Hoia Baicu woods known for its violent supernatural encounters

QOTW honestly no. I mean, it's cool when the title really matches the story but if it doesn't it doesn't much bother me, especially knowing titles can be changed wily nily especially if it goes from the UK to America and vice versa

The last book I finished was so awful it put me into a reading slump. I didn’t even want to touch another book last week, and I only made progress on the books I’m currently reading by going to the gym and listening to an audiobook. My hold on the new Wayward Children book came in, and I’m hoping that cures the slump.

We have a three day weekend coming up. I have a full day on Saturday. I’m going to see a stage play of Murder on the Orient Express, which I'm really looking forward to, and I hope I can have Sunday and Monday for reading.

Reading
His & Hers

Homecoming

The Haunting Season: Ghostly Tales for Long Winter Nights

QOTW
Yes, so much! I always assume titles are meaningful, and I really dislike it when the author (or publisher, in some cases) doesn't agree.

Ron wrote: "The Hunger Games - 12% done here. I'm glad I'm getting back into this what with Sunrise on the Reaping just a month or so away."

This was my reminder to check the library catalog and place a hold on the book. I am now 809th in line. I guess I have plenty of time to reread the series then LOL.

Greetings this wintry day from NYC! No snow but it is cold. I played hooky from work on Tuesday to catch the Holiday Train Show with friends at the NY Botanical Garden. It's quite something - model trains running through landscapes of tropical greenery in the Haupt Conservatory, passing buildings and using bridges made of natural materials - bark, seeds, nuts, dried grasses, etc. All the bridges and buildings are NYC landmarks, past and present, and this year there were many of the mansions located in the Hudson River Valley on display. It's put up annually - and while a few buildings are the same, there is quite a bit of change - for the Christmas season and is incredibly crowded always. Except - if you go during the week during the last 2 weeks it is open after New Years, you almost have it to yourself! So nice. Here's a link to it - worth seeing if visiting NYC during Christmas season:

4/60 PS and 4/62 ATY

Finished:
Reykjavík: A Crime Story PS prompt from 2015 - set in another country and ATY group of non family
Ten Lords A-Leaping- PS from 2024 'Leap' in title and ATY - set in manor or estate.

Currently reading:
Five Little Pigs

QOTW: Generally, no, it doesn't bother me. Or maybe the correct answer is I don't notice unless it's really egregious. I can't even think of the last book I read (and I read at least 160 books a year) where a title stood out to me as being unrelated to the book. There are times where the meaning of the title clicks in my head only at the very end. I also revel in clever titles that at the end you realize have layers of meaning.

Happy Thursday!

Things have been pretty good this week. My sister called and said they were thinking of moving back here some time after school gets out. Logistically, it could work, but things can go awry. It will be good for my mom and the babies to see each other more often. I definitely want to hang with my sister more too.

I'm not liking the new setup for the goodreads challenge other than that the read books are listed by newest to oldest. I miss seeing my friends challenges too, and the "did you read this book this year" widget.

Not much else is happening.

I still haven't looked at PS challenge or ATY for any of the books I've read. Work is busy and it's much easier on a full screen and not my ipad.

ABC Challenge:

Book Title: 10/26
Author (Last Name): 7
Author (First Name): 9

ŷ������ Challenge 25/400

Kids Books:
Fiona's Train Ride: Level 1
Bubbly Beautiful Kitty-Corn: A Picture Book
Dot the Ladybug: The Perfect Spot

Light Novel:
Since I Was Abandoned After Reincarnating, I Will Cook With My Fluffy Friends Volume 3

Manga:
Possibly the Greatest Alchemist of All Time：Izure Saikyou No Renkinjyutsushi Vol.��
Possibly the Greatest Alchemist of All Time：Izure Saikyou No Renkinjyutsushi Vol.��
Possibly the Greatest Alchemist of All Time：Izure Saikyou No Renkinjyutsushi Vol.��
Possibly the Greatest Alchemist of All Time：Izure Saikyou No Renkinjyutsushi Vol.��
Possibly the Greatest Alchemist of All Time：Izure Saikyou No Renkinjyutsushi Vol.��
Possibly the Greatest Alchemist of All Time：Izure Saikyou No Renkinjyutsushi Vol.��
Possibly the Greatest Alchemist of All Time：Izure Saikyou No Renkinjyutsushi Vol.��

Romance:
Texting Mr. Mafia
Texting the Mafia Prince
Secret Indulgence: Forbidden Age Gap Older Man Younger Woman Story
Baby, You're Mine
Devour Me, Baby
Phantom
Echo

Currently Reading:
Immortal
Since I Was Abandoned After Reincarnating, I Will Cook With My Fluffy Friends Volume 4
Dance With Me, Baby

QOTW:

Sometimes, and sometimes not. It usually doesn't bother me because if it's catchy or intriguing I'll look at it.

One word titles can be telling or not. Immortal doe clue you into the stroy. Or the super long light novel names can have nothing to do with the story. Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? Light Novels, Vol. 1 is one in which the mmc does not try to pick up a girl in the dungeon. He meets her and has a crush on her after she saves his life in the dungeon. He can't even speak to her at first.

Happy Thursday.

I am sick. It's just a cold, but for 2 days I've been home sleeping, watching TV, and reading. I got more time to read than my usual life allows. As a result I made good progress on my fantasy and legal thriller book, and even had time to start a third book.

Does it bother anyone else when you have a book lined up for a prompt and can't get it. I thought the ATY prompt "A book connected to something mentioned in the Do Re Mi song" loaned itself to a zillion connections, but none were at my library on on Libby. I finally centered on one only to find out that you can't do inter-library loans for books published in the last year. The publication date on ŷ������ can be a international publication date and not the date published in Canada, which means it can be a 2022 or 2023 book, but still caught by this in the last year rule.

I finished 2 children's books. When I dislike a prompt, I sometimes use a children's book just to get it out of the way. To achieve 40 PS prompts, I need to do 10 per quarter. This was me getting a jumpstart on things.

Finished:
Curious George and the Ice Cream Surprise
Popsugar prompt: A book about a food truck
ATY prompt: A book by an author you enjoyed but haven't gotten around to reading again for some time

The Berenstain Bears Get Their Kicks
Popsugar prompt: A book about soccer
ATY prompt: A book by an author you enjoyed but haven't gotten around to reading again for some time

Series - 0/10
Reading Across Canada - 0/10
Nobel laureates - 0/5

PS - 3/40
Regular ATY - 2/40
Anniversary ATY - 0/10

Currently reading:
Inheritance - 51%
We Sold Our Souls - 20%
Denial - 75%
Are You Sara? - 45%

Buddy Reads:
none at present

QOTW: I can't think of a specific book where this happened, but I think it has. No one wants to feel stupid, so if a book title feels like it's not explained it's easy to feel like you missed something. I think it's easier with songs where the song title is not in the lyrics as some DJ or interviewer is going to bring it up.

Hi all! This week has felt long and busy. It has been a little bit, but I dunno, it feels out of proportion to how busy it actually was. I (still) do not have the snow Nadine does. Although it is snowing hard now, it doesn't seem to be sticking or adding up.

I found a new hobby! If I stick with it... Anyone can do it, I don't even think you need to be a US citizen. But you do need to be able to read cursive handwriting. The National Archives need people who can read cursive to decipher and transcribe old documents so they can be easily searched. AI can't read cursive (using that as the plot for a dystopian novel has definitely crossed my mind! lol). I tried a document from the 1940s that was about people having to leave California. The collection's blurb said it was related to the internment of the Japanese, but the document I transcribed was about a housekeeper who didn't lock up valuables or stay after midnight. (??) I did see that they are currently working on documents related to pensions for Revolutionary War soldiers, so I might check one of those out next!

I finished reading A Quilt for Christmas. It wasn't really a Christmas story, most of the action takes place between 2 Christmases. It was a decent story, but probably won't stick with me. Using it either for a book you got for free, or for the first PS list, a Christmas story.

And then I've been bouncing all over the place! Read some more in Out of My Mind, still enjoyable. Started a few chapters in Their Eyes Were Watching God, but the dialect (is that the right word, brain not coming up with anything better) is making it hard to read atm. Picked up The Poet X last night and read a few chapters, not yet decided on that. My hold for the audiobook of The Fox Wife came back around, so I listened to a few chapters of that- I feel like things should be winding up, but I'm only at the halfway point, so more must be coming. And then I got grabby hands and put 3 books on hold at the library and 2 of them have come in, The Dew Breaker for interconnected stories and An Anarchist's Story: The Life of Ethel MacDonald possibly for overlooked woman. Books from other libraries have less renewals, so I guess I have to prioritize them.

QOTW: It bothers me sometimes, but once I learned that publishers usually have a lot to do with the title, I just chalk it up to someone else putting their fingerprints on it. Though I do love when a title makes a ton more sense once you've read the book!
Much more irritating to me is when the blurb doesn't match up, or gives too much away.

QOTW: adding to my previous comments ...

I do know that publishers have a lot of say over titles. Also translations - lots of issues with translations of titles- not just into English but the reverse. Even with British to English as famously with HP 1.

So all those considerations have me being non-judgmental about titles.

PS Challenge: 6/50

Completed
All were challenge books this week!

I, Robot
Rabbit, Run
The Miracle at Speedy Motors
A Caribbean Mystery

Currently Reading
Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit
Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly
Nemesis

Dubhease wrote: "Happy Thursday.

I am sick. It's just a cold, but for 2 days I've been home sleeping, watching TV, and reading. I got more time to read than my usual life allows. As a result I made good progress o..."

Hope you feel b etter. I tend to use graphic novels/manga for the prompts I don't really want to do for the same reason you pick the kids' books

Hello from Columbus and happy Thursday! Not much to report this week other than my cat has a UTI that hasn’t responded to antibiotics so now I’m looking at probably a very hefty vet bill soon. I pray fervently every day that it isn’t something serious, his first birthday is next week so he’s just too young 😭

Finished:
Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop for the healing fiction prompt. I can see why people said this would fill that prompt. It was a warm and cozy book but it was just fluff, people were processing very real and adult problems but the way the characters cared for each other and found a space to exhale was nice. This wasn’t the most engaging read, I had to sometimes force myself to pick up the book and pay attention but for the most part I really enjoyed it.

As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride for read harder prompt. This was my second time with this audiobook, and is the January read for my book club. I adore this book, probably because I adore the movie and anything to do with it. This is another book that is just so warm and comforting, it’s made me eager to make time to rewatch the movie.

Salt to the Sea for another read harder prompt. I also put this down as Lithuania for my European tour reading challenge. This is the second book I’ve read by Ruta Sepetys. Both have been great in that terrible sad and makes your heart ache kind of way.

Currently Reading:
House of Leaves
Catechism of the Catholic Church
The Great Adventure Catholic Bible
The Guncle

Challenges:
Popsugar - 1/40; 0/4; 0/3; 0/3
Read Harder - 2/24
Classics - 0/12
European Tour - 2/10
12 Friends - 0/12
Yearly Goal - 4/180

QOTW:
Yes lol but I mostly only notice in those kinds of books that are like, Coffee Beans and Blue Jeans, or Little Bookshop Next to the Sea in a Cozy Lighthouse in Scotland kind of vibe. I guess what typically gets listed as beach reads. Like yeah those things are kind of featured in the books but never to the degree that I wanted them to be.

Woo-hoo, my first update of the year! I was around but behind for the last two since I was trying to catch up on the last few months of posts while I was away. Now I'm caught up and can check threads and respond in a reasonable time!

Finished
So far in the year, I've read:
The Comeback This was just my holdover book that I started last year but finished in 2025. Read it because I read The Stand-In at the end of last year, and liked it enough to keep going with Lily Chu's book. Fun fantasy-fulfillment rom com with enough serious moments to stop it being saccharine. Since I didn't have a prompt in mind, I looked it up, and found another book with the same title, so used it there.

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly: A Memoir of Life in Death This has been on my TBR for awhile, and I realized it would work for non-verbal character, since he communicates by blinking one eye. I was really moved by how he seemed to revel in the life he had left, even stuck in his hospital bed and so dependent on other people for everything.

Jane Steele My AI rec'd book. I enjoyed it, but wished it pushed the premise (Jane-Eyre esque heroine, but willing to get murderous to achieve her ends) further. (view spoiler)[All her kills were arguably justifiable, defending herself or others. Maybe it's just an expectations thing, because I went in thinking she'd be like an unremorseful serial killer, so there was a bit of an 'oh, that's it?' effect. (hide spoiler)]

More Joy in Heaven Under 250 pages. Picked this up when I was sorting through some book piles and decided to read it. Story of a just-released convict in the 1930s I think, who is trying to mend his ways, but the fact that he's a bit of a celebrity at his release doesn't make that easy. It was a little surprising to me how timeless this story felt, it would only take a few small detail changes to set it today.

The Comeback Picked to be my second book of the same title, I quite enjoyed it as well. Grace was a child actress, always under the abusive thumb of the producer who shaped her career. She left Hollywood for a year, but has now returned, and is trying to reestablish herself while still dealing with a lot of demons from what she went through. Really enjoyed this as well, although it goes some dark places.

Welcome to the Goddamn Ice Cube: Chasing Fear and Finding Home in the Great White North For some reason, I started the year requesting a bunch of random books that have been on my TBR for awhile from the library, even though I didn't know what prompts they'd fit. Fortunately this one had a married couple that live in separate houses. Towards the end, the husband moves into the wife's space, and she moves out. So, woo-hoo. This also disappointed me, again due to expectations. I guess I didn't read the blurb well, because I thought it was going to be about her running the Iditarod, but it wasn't at all. She works with sled dogs a bit, but that isn't even the majority of it. It also jumps around in time in a way that was confusing because she makes a lot of trips to Norway, and I couldn't keep straight which was which.

Currently Reading
The Justice of Kings
All I Ask
A Clockwork Orange
Memory's Legion

QotW
Not really. I'm not really concerned about a title once I'm into it. I'm also used to not seeing the connection - maybe because I also read a lot of fanfic which often has overwrought titles with little to no connection to the content.
Since I'm reading Memory's Legion now though, I will say The Expanse series frustrated me a little. It seemed like the titles were significant, but I often didn't know the source or interpretation. That said I didn't care enough to look it up though, so clearly not a big problem for me!

Happy Thursday! It's been a weird weeks, but this weekend I have 3.5 days off, so that'll be nice.

Finished:
We Do Not Part- it took me a little while to get into this book, but by halfway through really affected me. Deals with a lot of grief and trauma
-26 A book where an adult character changes careers (they talk about a character going from filming documentaries to being a woodworker)

How Long 'til Black Future Month?- loved this short story collection! Definitely a new favorite.
-20 A book that fills a 2024 prompt (complete sentence as title)

The Girl Who Smiled Beads: A Story of War and What Comes After- honestly, I think this memoir would have been much more effective if we got a little more insight into what the rest of her family experienced, or even more background into the history that lead to the genocide
-25 A book where the main character is an immigrant or refugee

The Influencers- I loved this mystery! Deals with family vloggers, parasocial relationships, internet "sleuths" who make really appalling claims with no real evidence. I think people who liked Listen for the Lie will like this one. Out in April
-10 A book you got for free (netgalley)


Currently reading:
Scrappy Little Nobody- I love Anna Kendrick, so finally listening to her memoir. I needed something light to listen to, it's a fun time so far


QotW:
I think I only really notice if the title really doesn't fit the book. I think the only one last year that annoyed me was Interstellar Megachef, cause it was described as GBBO in space, and then the competition took up like two chapters. That was clearly just a marketing choice to get suckers like me to pick up the book- but I guess it worked!

Happy Thursday!

2025 Reading Challenges:

52 Book Club: 4/52
ATY: 1/52 (ATY Anniversary Challenge: 1/10, ATY Winter Challenge: 10/15)
The Book Girls�� Guide: 5/74
Booklist Queen: 0/52
Cover Lovers: 8/50
Popsugar: 4/50

My Ever-Growing TBR: 5/209 �� 2.4% (My goal is 33.3%.)

Recently Completed:

How to Read a Book: ŷ������ Giveaway. (BGG Book Lovers #1 �� characters connect through books/Cover Lovers #6 �� an illustrated scene) ★★★★
A Painted House (BGG Lifetime of Reading #1 �� a child protagonist) ★★��
The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics (52 Books #26 �� sold more than 1 million copies/BGG ICYMI Backlist #1 �� published in 2013) ★★★★
Migrations (52 Books #14 �� climate fiction/BGG Read Around the World #1 �� Arctic or Antarctic) ★★★★
The Book of George: George is a complicated character�� sometimes not even very likeable, but the end was so great. Oh, George. <sigh> (Cover Lovers #46 �� a proper noun in the title or design/Popsugar #4 �� books on the cover or “book�� in the title) ★★★★��
The Most Beautiful Girl in Cuba (52 Books #15 �� includes Latin American history/BGG Decades Challenge #1 �� 1880s or 1890s) ★★��
Jane Austen at Home: Jane Austen Book Club. (Cover Lovers #33 �� a shadow or silhouette) ★★★★
Kind of a Big Deal: I completely understand why this book has less than a 3-star rating. It’s a mess, and I can’t say that “peaking in high school�� makes for an intriguing or sympathetic character, and the dream/fantasy sequences are ridiculous. (Popsugar #13 �� less than 3 stars) ★★
The Second You're Single (ATY Winter Challenge #7 �� features a winter holiday: Valentine’s Day) ★★��
The Ghostkeeper: A Graphic Novel (ATY Winter Challenge #10 �� a mostly blue cover) ★★★★



Currently Reading:

Braver Than You Think: Around the World on the Trip of My (Mother’s) Lifetime (52 Books #38 �� an adventure story/BGG Read Around the World Bonus �� spanning continents/Popsugar #33 - bucket list)
Cassandra in Reverse: 2023 NPR Books We Love. (Booklist Queen #8 �� title starts with C/Popsugar #34 �� a neurodivergent author)
Wild Faith: How the Christian Right Is Taking Over America: Reasonable Doubt Book Club. (Popsugar #5 �� a snake on the cover or in the title)
The Saint of Bright Doors: Adventures Underground Book Club. (ATY #5 �� a weird or intriguing title)
Astor: The Rise and Fall of an American Fortune: 2023 NPR Books We Love.
The Running Club (Popsugar #17 �� about a run club)
Mad Honey (52 Books #3 �� title starts with M/BGG Read Around the USA �� set in New England)
Rental House: 2024 NPR Books We Love. (ATY Winter Challenge #13 �� fire on the cover)
The Woman in Me: 2023 NPR Books We Love. (52 Books #44 �� a celebrity on the cover/Booklist Queen #50 �� a bestselling memoir)
Limitless: The Federal Reserve Takes on a New Age of Crisis



QOTW: I don't know if it bothers me, but I do want the title to be meaningful and I love finding the title within the book's text.

Dani wrote: "QOTW:
Yes lol but I mostly only notice in those kinds of books that are like, Coffee Beans and Blue Jeans, or Little Bookshop Next to the Sea in a Cozy Lighthouse in Scotland kind of vibe. I guess what typically gets listed as beach reads. Like yeah those things are kind of featured in the books but never to the degree that I wanted them to be...."



LOL you've reminded me of how ANGRY I got when I read Beach Read and found out that it's set on a lake, not an ocean. Because, to me, a "beach" is on the ocean. If you're by the lake, you're on the lake or lakeshore or water's edge. A "shore" can be either lake or ocean, but a "beach" is always the ocean, unless previously agreed to be otherwise (example: everyone knows that "Fair Haven Beach" is a NY state park Lake Ontario, so that's okay - the Great Lakes are practically oceans anyway.)

So when I read "Beach Read" and it was set on a LAKE grrrr that's not a beach read. I was so ludicrously upset by that, I'm amazed that I ever read another book by Emily Henry. (I did, and I love her books.)

The Santa Ana winds behaved this week and allowed the firefighters to get some needed control over our fires. The recovery process has begun but it will be a long road

I finished no books this week and saw 3 movies instead. One of my book clubs and a few other friends shift to movie watcher mode in Jan/Feb, trying to watch the probable and actual Oscar nominated films in time for our Oscar party.

Question of the Week
Does it bother you if the book's title doesn't seem connected to the plot?
Not really.

Ron wrote: "Happy Thursday! Wow, 2 more weeks until the end of January. How is that possible already?!

Let's see this week has been okay. Lots of babysitting. Went to a place to sign up to do some volunteer w..."

That generations book sounds amazing, I'm definitely adding it to my ever expanding TBR. I also have The Generation Myth: Why When You're Born Matters Less Than You Think at home

Happy Thursday, all!

School starts next week. I hate spending over 200 bucks on books and not being excited about them, haha... Textbooks are a freaking scam.

Books read this week:

We'll Prescribe You a Cat -- for the prompt “a book considered healing fiction.�� For anyone who’s joked about the “cat distribution system�� or just loves cats, this is a sweet book with a bit of a confusing ending that in my opinion doesn’t detract from the magic.

The Island of Dr. Moreau -- for “a book by the oldest author on your TBR.�� I’m now reminded why I tend to avoid reading a lot of classics. The language is usually very dry compared to more modern prose and there’s often a LOT of racist and sexist content that’s uncomfortable to read.

The Art of Trapeze: One Woman's Journey of Soaring, Surrendering, and Awakening -- for “a book about an adult character who goes through a career change.�� A memoir about a woman who quits her job to pursue graduate school in Paris. Neat as a travelogue, but it takes a weird spiritualist turn towards the end.

A Fish Caught in Time: The Search for the Coelacanth -- for “a book set in or around a body of water.�� The fascinating story of the coelacanth, a fish that was thought to have been extinct for millions of years before being caught off the coast of Africa in the 1930s.

Currently reading:

The Witch King -- for “a prompt you want to try/retry from the 2024 challenge (a fiction book by a trans or nonbinary author��
Alligators Eat Marshmallows (And Other Things I Learned On My 10,000 Mile Road Trip Around The USA!): A Comedy Memoir -- for “a book featuring an activity on your bucket list��
The Stepford Wives -- for “a book under 250 pages��
Adrift in Currents Clean and Clear -- for “a book by a neurodivergent author��

QOTW: Yes, it bothers me. I generally like the title to have SOMETHING to do with the story, even if it's only in a symbolic way...

Happy Thursday! I too woke up to snowfall! It was lovely!

Finished 02/50

Monk's Hood for "book about a chosen family". I like this series. It's a nice historical mystery with a fun plot. Easy read.

Currently Reading

Wind and Truth for "2015 prompt [book over 500 pages]" Soooooo looking forward to reading this! I love the Stormlight series and this book has been highly anticipated!! But it's MASSIVE. Over 1300 pages. I'll be reading this for awhile.

Everyday Saints and Other Stories for "interconnected short stories". Still going. Still fantastic.

QotW

Eh. It's not a huge thing to me. It's annoying but not a dealbreaker. As an author, thinking up titles is so freaking hard. My publisher did it for both of mine, actually. I don't know why that is. Writing a whole novel is fine, but a title for that novel? Impossible. So I don't hold it against other authors.

This is my third attempt to post this...again! Sheesh!

Bitterly cold (for us) here in the midwestern U.S. We got below zero this week. BRRRR!!! And we’re getting snow off and on so far this winter…though fortunately not much accumulation. And we’re due to go below zero again this next week. Ugh. I’m over it. Already! LOL 🙄

ADMIN STUFF:
THE JANUARY 2025 MONTHLY GROUP READ IS...Out of My Mind by Sharon M. Draper!
This book could be used to fulfill prompt #43 A book that includes a nonverbal character!
National Dress Up Your Pet Day is January 14, 2025
Thank you to Jennifer W who volunteered to facilitate this discussion! 😊
You can find it HERE
I loved this one!

THE FEBRUARY 2025 MONTHLY GROUP READ IS A Deadly Education (Scholomance #1) by Naomi Novik! This book could be used to fulfill prompt #14 A book about a nontraditional education. World Thinking Day is February 22, 2025! I’m really hoping there is a “crafty chronicler�� who will volunteer to lead this discussion! Please message either Nadine or myself to volunteer! (This is a book I do not intend to read��)

THE MARCH 2025 MONTHLY GROUP READ FINAL SELECTION POLL IS HERE! This book could be used to fulfill prompt #31 A book where music plays an integral part of the storyline. World Music Therapy Day is March 1, 2025! THIS POLL IS SET TO RUN THROUGH TUESDAY, JANUARY 28!! GO VOTE! 😊
There are four books from which to choose:
The Cellist of Sarajevo
Daisy Jones & The Six
Station Eleven
The Violin Conspiracy

THE LISTING OF 2025 MONTHLY GROUP READ TOPICS IS HERE!
***

QUESTION OF THE WEEK:
Does it bother you if the book's title doesn't seem connected to the plot?
Rarely does it bother me. There have been several times when I finish a book and wonder aloud why in the world that title was selected�� (e.g. The Uttermost Farthing) But I do realize that many times an author has little input as to title. Authors have mentioned that they were sometimes overruled by publishers with regard to a title selection.

But�� I do consider it a plus and bonus enjoyment factor when the title is truly and well connected to the book! That always just makes the overall reading experience seem more fun and/or pertinent to me! Wool Omnibus is one of the books where I felt the title was cleverly linked to the book. You didn’t realize it until you’d read the book, which IMO is cool!

2025 READING CHALLENGES:
Popsugar: 20/50
Around the Year (AtY): 39/52
AtY 2025 Anniversary List: 8/10
Read Harder: 10/24
52 Book Club: 32/52

2024 Popsugar: 47/50
Yes, I realize I have 2 1/2 books to finish the 2024 challenge, but this month I'm having so much fun just reading whatever I pick up!

FINISHED:
*No Nest for the Wicket (Meg Langslow #7) by Donna Andrews ⭐⭐⭐⭐�� was another extremely well done installment in this series. Though the editing was a bit sloppy�� I identified no less than 10 errors in spelling, grammar, etc. Definitely glad I discovered this series. Andrews is amazing at weaving in some bizarre trivia along with bits of historic information, unique characters, interesting animals, and twisty-turny plots with red herrings galore that are logical, reasonable, and misleading to a great degree!
POPSUGAR: #2, #6, #20, #24, #43
ATY: #2, #5, #16, #23, #32, #40, #41, #42, #45, #48
52 Book Club: #2, NEW #4, NEW #7, NEW #28, NEW #29, #41

Simplexity by Kiley Reid ⭐⭐⭐⭐�� was a quite thought-provoking short story. Reid has a clear-cut way to write about the dilemmas created by prejudice and discrimination, not only for those being oppressed, but also for supportive “others�� advocating against oppression. I am anxious to read her newest release, Come and Get It!
POPSUGAR: #6, #8
ATY: #2, #5, #13, #16, #33, #36, NEW #37, NEW #43
52 Book Club: NEW #10, NEW #13, #41

*A Magical Girl Retires by Park Seolyeon, translated by Anton Hur, illustrated by Kim Sanho ⭐⭐⭐⭐ definitely felt like reading manga in many ways. And since I have read and not really enjoyed two manga books in the past, this was also not super enjoyable for me. Although I enjoyed it a bit more than actual manga. The writing felt a bit choppy to me, lacking much ‘flow��. I read this for an IRL book club at one of our local used bookstores. Unfortunately, the weather was bad that evening and I ended up not attending�� I was sorry to miss the meeting and discussion since many times as a result of hearing others�� reactions I end up appreciating a book more��
POPSUGAR: #6, #8, #20
ATY: #2-A book with illustrations, #5, #14, #16, NEW #22, #24, #26, #48
RHC: NEW #6, #21, #24
52 Book Club: NEW #3, NEW #14, #18, NEW #24, #27, NEW #33, NEW #37

*The Underworld: Journeys to the Depths of the Ocean by Susan Casey ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ was one of the most absolutely amazing books I’ve ever read. I loved Casey’s writing in her debut nonfiction book, The Wave: In Pursuit of the Rogues, Freaks, and Giants of the Ocean, and I meant to read more of her writing, but hadn’t managed to do that until I was in Half Price Books the other day and just couldn’t resist acquiring this book to fulfill that intention as well as the 2025 AtY prompt #4 A book set underground, under sea or in an underworld. I had no idea what to read for that prompt and this book just jumped out at me!😊 Off the shelf and right into my hands! LOL Everyone should read this book so that perhaps we humans might finally be smart enough to at least stop destroying our world, top and bottom! Ugh. So many unknowns and yet obviously, the basis of life on this planet in so many ways, lie in the water!
POPSUGAR: #6, #14, #16, NEW #46
ATY: #2, NEW #4, #16, #26, #33, #41, #45
RHC: #4, NEW #9, NEW #13, NEW #17, #21, #24
52 Book Club: #10, #38, #39, #42, #47, #51-384 pages

*Now or Never (Stephanie Plum #31) by Janet Evanovich ⭐⭐⭐⭐�� was almost back into the groove of Stephanie Plum novels I recall from the past! Still not quite as laugh-out-loud funny, but definitely more humorous and outrageous than the last 4-5 installments in this series, IMO! That last sentence was worth reading the whole book, IMO!! I’ll be interested to scan some of the reviews to see what others thought!
POPSUGAR: #2, #6, #20, #28, #43
ATY: #2, #5, #15, #16, #24, #32, #33, #34, #37, #40, #41, #43, #45, #47, #48
RHC: #4, NEW #11, #24
52 Book Club: #4, NEW #5, #13, #41, #51

The Uttermost Farthing (A Savant’s Vendetta) by R. Austin Freeman ⭐⭐⭐⭐ was not only ‘mentioned��, but was a main plot point in Owls Well That Ends Well and I was intrigued because I had never heard of this book nor the author…and I almost DNFd it within the first few pages! I typically am not interested in being ‘inside the criminal’s head.�� But after the first 5 pages or so I was interested enough to continue reading�� It was short and definitely very different from what I typically read! I would describe it as macabre. It is available free on Gutenberg if you’re interested:
POPSUGAR: #6, #8-129 pages, #10, NEW #11, #20
ATY: #2, #5, NEW #7, #15, #16, #24, #26, NEW #30, #32, #41, #44, #45, #46, #48
RHC: #4, #11, #24
52 Book Club: NEW #30, NEW #32, #33, NEW #35

*The Voyage Of The Frog by Gary Paulsen ⭐⭐⭐⭐�� is a juvenile/YA adventure book that I can't imagine any younger person NOT enjoying! Glad to recognize some details from the nonfiction book The Underworld: Journeys to the Depths of the Ocean that I just read. Also, quite detailed information regarding sailing that was intriguing. I have never sailed but always felt it must be a beautiful feeling to be out on the water sans motor power...
POPSUGAR: #2, #6, #8-141 pages, #14, #16, #20, #39, #46
ATY: #2, NEW #3-FA/Far!, #5, NEW #18, #20, #21, #24, NEW #25, #33, NEW #38, NEW #39, #45, #48
RHC: #4, #9, #24
52 Book Club: #33, #38, #42, #47

CONTINUING:
*Somewhere Beyond the Sea by T.J. Klune
*The Trees by Percival Everett (#40)
*Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer (#42)
*Labyrinth by Kate Mosse
*The Lost Story by Meg Shaffer
*Brief Answers to the Big Questions by Stephen Hawking has me thinking so very much that I have delayed reviewing it until I can finalize my thoughts��
*The Birthing House by Kathy Taylor
*...And Ladies of the Club by Helen Hooven Santmyer

PLANNED:
*21st Birthday (Women’s Murder Club #21) by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro
*22 Seconds (Women’s Murder Club #22) by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro
*23rd Midnight (Women’s Murder Club #23) by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro
*23 1/2 Lies (Women’s Murder Club #23.5) by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro
*The 24th Hour (Women’s Murder Club #24) by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro
*Fear No Evil (Alex Cross #29) by James Patterson
*Riders of the Purple Sage by Zane Grey
*The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin

L Y N N wrote: "This is my third attempt to post this...again! Sheesh!

Bitterly cold (for us) here in the midwestern U.S. We got below zero this week. BRRRR!!! And we’re getting snow off and on so far this winte..."



One of your previous attempts worked already, because you are message #12!! 😂

Nadine in NY wrote: "Have you read (or seen) Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind? This was supposed to be like a sequel or prequel or something, but the description does not sound like a sequel to Nausicaa, so I was wondering if it really is."

No, I haven't heard of that book.

Nadine in NY wrote: "Have you read (or seen) Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind? This was supposed to be like a sequel or prequel or something, but the description does not sound like a sequel to Nausicaa, so I was wondering if it really is."

It's not directly related to Nausicaa. It's based on a Tibetan folktale. It's got some similarities to other works by Miyazaki, but it's definitely not a prequel or sequel.

I finished A Holly Jolly Diwali as my book about a POC experiencing joy. I honestly didn't care for this that much. The whole thing seemed ridiculous with flat characters and contrived misunderstandings.

I read So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish. I was going to read this for space tourism but probably 95% of the book was on earth so I moved it over to a book with fewer than 250 pages.

QOTW: I can't think of any example off the top of my head of this happening. So, I don't really know.

Lots of reading for me since the last check-in and I checked off my first prompt! I'm at 1/40 and 0/5 for this challenge and 5/85 for my overall ŷ������ Reading Challenge. I've also checked off at least one prompt in each of the other challenges I'm working on. It's been a busy reading week!

Finished:
* The Committed by Viet Thanh Nguyen and narrated by François Chau, which I used for "a book where the main character is an immigrant or a refugee;"
* The Nosy Neighbor by Nita Prose and narrated by Sherri Slater (Busybodies Collection #4);
* Ultra-Processed People: The Science Behind Food That Isn't Food by Chris van Tulleken, which one of my book clubs will be discussing on Saturday; and,
* One Lucky Subscriber by Kellye Garrett and narrated by Jordan Cobb (Busybodies Collection #5).

Currently Reading:
* The Penguin Book of Murder Mysteries edited by Michael Sims;
* Mindful Self-Compassion for Burnout: Tools to Help You Heal and Recharge When You're Wrung Out by Stress by Kristin Neff and Christopher Germer; and,
* Lula Dean's Little Library of Banned Books by Kirsten Miller.

QotW:
Does it bother you if the book's title doesn't seem connected to the plot? It doesn't often bother me when there's a disconnect between the title and the plot. I might scratch my head after I finish reading the book and wonder how the title fit but that's about it. Now, non-fiction titles that seem to be disconnected from the content? That's another story 🙃

It's raining in Mesa, Arizona for the first time since August 22nd. Yay! I've come to love rain since I've been here.

in "The Blue Hour" - not ONCE did she mention a "blue hour."
I read that, I could swear she mentioned the 'blue hour'. I remember a sense of oh, okay but I couldn't tell you what it was now.

Finished: Impossible People by Julia Wertz
Out of my Mind by Sharon M Draper
Harry Potter und der Gefangene von Askaban by J K Rowling
Zero Stars, Do Not Recommend by MJ Wassner

Started:
Middlegame by Seanan McGuire For a neurodivergent author
Kingfall by David Estes You know, when you're bored out of your mind and really really need a different book? I love fantasy, and this is starting out pretty nicely.

Ongoing:
A Promised Land by Barack Obama I'm slow when it comes to nonfiction. This is a library book and I think it'll go back to the library and then I'll get it again and finish it.

Some Other Time by Angela Brown free book, it's not holding my interest so far. And all my books take a bit of a back seat to the library books.

Glass Houses by Louise Penny Rereading the series, I love Three Pines, but again, library books take precedence.

And the rain is done. Boo.

Bea wrote: "My extension classes began again at USC-Aiken. The first one was on AI by a Savannah River scientist who has been working in AI for a long time."

That sounds really interesting! At work I'm part of a Tech Adoption group, so AI is taking up a lot of my time at the moment. It was also a topic in the metaphysics class I took in college back in the 1990s if you can believe that, so I've had an interest in it ever since.

Life update: Of course, having decided to retire, I've been seized with a new passion for what I do at work and am wondering if I'll miss it more than I thought. I guess I may have to look into part-time volunteering opportunities!

Reading update: I made good progress this week, finishing my first book of the year and making good inroads into the second, as well as reading a children's book with my grandson. I also signed up for another challenge, a Star Trek-based one, which was my first fandom and which I still have a deep love for. I'm not sure if I'll be able to finish it in addition to this one, but I have at least made a start on one prompt, which was to listen to a Trek audiobook. I don't normally listen to audiobooks, but if it goes well, perhaps I'll do it more. It would certainly help with completing these challenges!

Stats:
Read for the PopSugar Challenge: 1 this week, 1/50 total
Read outside the challenge: 1 this week, 1 total
DNF: 0 this week, 1 total

Currently reading:
Vanaprastha (A Joyous Journey Toward Liberation) English Meera Seth for the "under 250 pages" prompt
Star Trek: Borg for the Star Trek Series Challenge 2025

Up next: Same as last week:
Was tun, wenn jemand stirbt?: Handbuch für den Trauerfall, for practical reasons
Adult MHFA Course Manual, also for practical reasons
A Fire Born of Exile For the "POC experiencing joy" prompt, and because the author is a mutual of mine.

QOTW: I do like it when the title at least corresponds to the general vibe of the book or to a theme or trope that features in it, if not directly to a plot point. If not, it doesn't hugely annoy me, and I can generally shrug it off. That said, it does annoy me if the title is actively misleading. No false advertising, please!

Sasha, if you are liking the Star Trek: Borg book, definitely check out a playthrough video online. There is one from World of Longplays that is about 100 minutes long. John de Lancie as Q is fantastic, and it is like watching a 1st person POV Star Trek: TNG episode.

The weather has been consistently cold over here, and we keep getting small bouts of snow that don't amount to much or stick around for very long, but there's supposed to be about 3 inches this weekend, so we'll see how that goes.

Finished reading:
Little Monarchs - (Nontraditional Education) I'm still sorting out my feelings on this one. Overall it was an enjoyable, and definitely dense (information-wise), especially for a graphic novel. But it's one of the books I'm reading for a local book award, so I have to also decide if it's good enough to move on as a nominee.
Dog Man: Big Jim Begins - (Author who is neurodivergent) Another fun installment in this series.
Cursed Princess Club, vol. 3 - It's been over a year since I read the last volume, and I forgot a lot more than I thought, but that didn't hinder my enjoyment of this volume.

Currently reading:
The Storyteller
The Lost Year
The Book Censor's Library
Jennifer Chan Is Not Alone

QOTW: It only bothers me when the title gives me the wrong impression of what the book is about. As long as the title fits the vibes of the book, it doesn't have to be an exact match.
For instance, the last time I was on a committee for this award, one of the books I read was The Year of the Reaper, a book I never would have picked up otherwise since the title (and the cover) make it seem like a very dark story about war in medieval times. And while it is set in the 1300s, it's actual about the main character finding a new normal after the plague, with a side of political intrigue, ghosts, and a lot more humor than I would have expected.

Nadine in NY wrote: "L Y N N wrote: "This is my third attempt to post this...again! Sheesh!

Bitterly cold (for us) here in the midwestern U.S. We got below zero this week. BRRRR!!! And we’re getting snow off and on s..."

OMG! Deleted message #12. How did I miss that in scrolling through? Geeminy! I'm old. It's my only viable excuse and I'm using it! LOL Thanks for pointing that out to me, Nadine!

Happy check-in!

Finished Reading:

Ice Guy & Cool Girl, Vol. 2 ⭐⭐��

The Son of Neptune ⭐⭐⭐⭐�� (PS neurodivergent author)
This one had a food truck. It's funny how you don't notice things until there is a prompt.

Fourth Wing ⭐⭐⭐⭐��
Rereads don't count for prompts, so naturally this book fits many. I'm looking forward to book three being published on Tuesday.

PS 4/50
ATY 5/52 1/10
ŷ������ 16/200

QOTW:
It bothers me when the title doesn't fit, or when there is one sentence to make it work.

@Nadine I'm not bothered by land beside water being a beach, but I am annoyed with the book cover for Book Lovers where there are two people in a boat????

Happy Friday.

Stats
PS: 5/50
ATY: 6/52
ATY Anniversary: 0/10
ATY Rejects: 0/28
ATY Rewind: 1/10
GR Choice: 0/30
TBR: 1/10

Finished

Pearl, Vol. 1 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
PS: Same title.
I was not expecting to enjoy this as much as I did.

Adrift in Currents Clean and Clear ⭐⭐⭐⭐
ATY: Set Underwater.
This was a prequel story for Nadya, and it was nice, but I always prefer the main storyline books in this series.

Lobster Is the Best Medicine: A Collection of Comics About Friendship ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Malevolent Seven ⭐⭐⭐⭐
ATY: Group that isn't a family.
I almost DNF'd this and I'm glad I stuck with it, because it got good. The beginning was dark and grim, but then the various characters kept getting introduced and lightening it up. The problem is it's a first book in a series, but I can't find anything on when or even if book 2 will come out. Major content warnings for this btw.

Klee Wyck ⭐⭐��
PS: Older author.
My aunt had this and the cover was gorgeous, and I figured reading some of Emily Carr memoirs would be interesting. A bit to focused on describing the scenery than I usually like, but I didn't mind it as much as I usually do because Carr was able to make the images vivid without using a bunch of overly flowery language.

Over the Woodward Wall ⭐⭐⭐⭐
ATY: 2016 prompt: Author who publishes under 2+ names.
In Middlegame, there is a book within the book that was written by one of the characters. So of course Seanan McGuire wrote the full thing and then published it under the name of the fictional character.

In Progress

Assistant to the Villain

QotW

Not really. Only if there are alternatives that work better. Can someone please explain why Hamnet was renamed Hamnet and Judith in Canada?

Updating my reading journals. Need to find ways to occupy my time. Once TikTok is gone I'll have to find other ways of entertainment. I no longer watch movies or television these days because there's nothing good on anymore. I'm left watching old movies and re-runs of my favorite shows.

At least I still have discord and GoodReads to discuss books with people, but still not the same vibes that I get from TikTok.

Sorry had to rant there a bit. TikTok has been a great community in so many ways so I'm gonna miss it and I don't know what I'm going to do after. I'm gonna miss having that autism and mental health community. It's gonna be a waste of time trying to find other outlets.



Back to my reviews.

I finished reading Y2K: How the 2000s Became Everything . It bugs me that GR doesn't do half-stars. My real rating for this book is a 3.5 but I was forced to give it a 4 on here because the book wasn't bad enough for a 3 star rating. The book was depressing as heck and I get it, millennials were kind of screwed over, but the author isn't afraid to show how depressing we have it and so that made me depressed to even read the book. I stuck around for the nostalgia factor.



Also finished Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage. 4 star, for real. Now this book was awesome! Crazy that it was published in 1959. I felt like I was in the moment with those men so when I stopped reading it was like whiplash back into reality. The description, the personification, the writing style, everything about it was incredible!

Erica wrote: "@Nadine I'm not bothered by land beside water being a beach, but I am annoyed with the book cover for Book Lovers where there are two people in a boat????..."




Oh I've never seen that cover!!! the one I know has them sitting on something (suitcases?? I don't know what those things are), exchanging books as they read. Boats is an odd choice. I don't remember any boating in that book.

Ron wrote: "Updating my reading journals. Need to find ways to occupy my time. Once TikTok is gone I'll have to find other ways of entertainment. I no longer watch movies or television these days because there..."



I can't see the future of course, but I REALLY doubt TikTok is going to be banned. Trump is going to wade in there an be the big hero and save the day for tiktokkers. He's even got the TikTok CEO invited to his inauguration.

Nadine in NY wrote: "Ron wrote: "Updating my reading journals. Need to find ways to occupy my time. Once TikTok is gone I'll have to find other ways of entertainment. I no longer watch movies or television these days b..."

Or Elon will buy it. Or someone will invent a new version of it. (honestly, that would be a good way to become a quick gazillionaire. Too bad I'm useless at tech stuff! lol)

Nadine wrote:

I can't see the future of course, but I REALLY doubt TikTok is going to be banned. Trump is going to wade in there an be the big hero and save the day for tiktokkers. He's even got the TikTok CEO invited to his inauguration

If that happens then I am done with it for good.

Brandon wrote: "Sasha, if you are liking the Star Trek: Borg book, definitely check out a playthrough video online. There is one from World of Longplays that is about 100 minutes long. John de Lancie as Q is fanta..."

Thanks for the tip!