Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ

Happy Thursday everyone!

We are almost a quarter of the way through the year already! How are you progressing on your list? I’ve already hit my first reading rut of the year. January and February were very productive, but March? Not so much. I need to take a day off from work just so I can be absorbed into a book for the day!

Progress report:

I finished an advanced copy of P.S. from Paris by Marc Levy. What I found most interesting is that, while this book is a pretty typical boy meets girl and falls in love story, in the middle of it is a really interesting twist involving the male main character’s popularity as an author in South Korea. It was a subplot in the middle of the story, but it was far more interesting to me than the romance. If someone were to flesh out that story as a full-length book I would buy it! Currently this book is not filling any prompts for me.

I also finished Coraline by Neil Gaiman. This is my audiobook selection.

I started two books this week:

The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America's Shining Women (being released May 2).
The Shoemaker's Wife � This book is fantastic! It’s a great audiobook choice, but I am using it for a book with a family member term in the title.

I’m also still working on The Count of Monte Cristo and The Arabian Nights.

This puts me at 14/40 & 4/12 (18/52)

**UPDATE** - I have closed the nominations poll for the May group read. A poll has been created and will go live at midnight tonight eastern time. I will send a reminder message out to everyone later this evening.

Question of the week:

I saw an interesting article this week about a bookstore that was

While I am not a fan of clickbait (the use of an eyecatching title or wording to encourage people to click the link which often leads to something less than expected), I think this particular use of it is hilarious!

So my question is - how do the classics of literature fit into your reading life? Do you love them? Hate them? Think they are overrated? And do you think these clickbait headlines would tempt you to read one of the books?

I was not a classics reader for many years. I lucked out in high school and fell in love with Jane Eyre. I didn't voluntarily read another classic until I was in my late 20's or possibly into my 30's. For me, I think I needed the maturity of an older age to appreciate the subtlety and timelessness of some classics. There are some I do not like and never will, but I try to read a couple of new classics every year. There are also some I reread every couple of years.

A book that is still in print hundreds of years after it was written (and often continues to have significant impact on current pop culture) has something special that not all writers can achieve.

Good morning from sunny South Bend!!

Good week for me:

I finished The Outsiders for my Book You Loved As A Child. Still love it, and I was surprised by how much of it I had forgotten in the 30+ years since I last read it. I listened to an audiobook this time around so it would feel like less of a reread and I could get a new experience out of it. The author sounded authentically like he was from Oklahoma, so the accents were right as far as I could tell.

Also finished Psycho for Book Set in a Hotel. I had never read it before, and I have never seen the classic movie (other than the shower scene, and I knew the twist before I read the book). Now I want to see the movie. A short book, but a real page-turner.

That puts me at 15/52 (14/40, 1/12)

Currently reading Love Is a Mix Tape for Been On My TBR List For Too Long. Another short one.

On deck next is Our Man in Havana for Espionage Thriller. Thank you to whoever suggested it. Looks right up my alley.

QOTW: I do not view classics as "Must Read Before I Die" material. If one catches my eye, I'll read it. Sometimes I love them (Psycho, Wuthering Heights), other times...not so much (I'm looking at you, The Catcher in the Rye)

This week I have not read any books which is very unlike me, but my husband and I are moving next weekend so I have been pretty busy getting everything ready for that. I feel like I also have found myself in a little reading rut because, when I do have spare time this week,I just haven't really felt like reading. I think I just need a really good book to help me out, so if anyone has suggestions, let me know!

QOTW: I'm not usually one to read classics because they don't generally draw/keep my attention, but I do try to read a few every year anyway. I'm not sure if click bait would entice me to read classics any more, but I do think it's an interesting tactic!

I am progressing very well - both with Popsugar and my other challenges. Fingers crossed that it will continue :-)
This week I finished The Big Four for Popsugar, and that puts me at 26/40 - but as I have already come this far, I will most like go for all 52!

QOTW: I set out to read all the classics on a BBC list, that I found a couple of years ago. Some of them I love! Like Austen, Eyre and Brontë... But many of them have disappointed me, and a few are so new, that I am not really sure, that they belong there, haha...

And then there are some, that I seriously doubt, I will ever get to read - heavy classics of more than 1000 pages. Don't think, I have the patience :-D

I finished Life from Scratch: A Memoir of Food, Family, and Forgiveness this week for my book about food. I enjoyed it, and it was an easy read. I have started and will finish 84, Charing Cross Road today or tomorrow for my book of letters. It is fun, and very short. That puts me at 9/40. I've been working on getting caught up in March, and I'm back on track.

QOTW: I do read classics fairly regularly. Some because they catch my eye and some because I think I should. I tend to only read about 2 books by any one author. I usually find myself getting bored if I try a third, but I'm tempted to try more of Austen since it has been awhile.

This week I finally got back to reading. Last week didnt read any books at all as life got in the way. Didnt even get to do the weekly update. Happy to be back. With this week I am now at 34/52 (27/40 & 7/12)

I read:
6. A book with one of the four seasons in the title Summer at Tiffany I loved this book. Just what I needed. It was such a cute and nice read.

41. A book recommended by an author you love The Edge of Never Liked this one aswell. Just few small issues but those could be overlooked as the story was quite good.

49. A book you got from a used book sale Under the Tuscan Sun Not my cup of tea. skimmed a lot in this book.

I am currently reading:
48. A book that's more than 800 pages Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix as an Audiobook to try it in a new way. It is Stepehn Fry reading it and as always he is just great. I gave up on some other 800 pages books as they were just to borring for me. Didnt want to end up doing that again so Even though I have already read Harry Potter before I decided to this anyway. I can always read Harry Potter. I am within 3 days already 27% along in the book so I hope to finish it pretty quick.

31. A book where the main character is a different ethnicity than you The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency

15. A book with a subtitle The Midnight Assassin: Panic, Scandal, and the Hunt for America's First Serial Killer I was really looking forward to reading this as I found the whole idea that it might have a connection to Jack the Ripper interesting. I am now 1/3 of the way and it is dragging along. So much extra info and very little on the actual killings. I hope it will pick up.

QOTW: I love Jane Austen and I do want to read more classics than I do. However a lot of them tend to be really dark, slow and borring. Sorry. I have at least come to the conclusion that maybe when I am older (retiring age) I will appreciate them more than I do right now.

For now I will just once in a while pick up a classic and see if it catches my interest. If not, I will DNF and leave it for later on in life. And then just stick with Jane Austen; great humor, ironi and sarcasm in her stories, which is why I like them so much. And I Love P.G. Wodehouse too, especially Jeeves and Wooster. Great humor.

Liked the idea of clickbait. Great desciptions of the books.

I'm ahead of schedule on the challenge right now 17/40.
This week I finished MacKinac Rhapsody for a book set in a hotel. I love Mackinac Island, but was disappointed in this book. There were parts that were too descriptive and wordy, and could have been cut out without affecting the main story. I'm not sure I would recommend it, but it would also fit for these other categories.
*A book that is a story within a story
*A book involving travel

I am in the middle of two books right now:
The Screwtape Letters
My Life in France

QOTW: I love reading classics. I wish I would read them more. Its just hard for me to do a reread when there are so many good books out there.

I started to read My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry. I got 10% in and had to put it aside because it wasn't holding my attention.

Picked up my book published in 2017: My Not So Perfect Life. I like it but its not my favorite of hers. But I'm close to finishing - I'm at 87%.

QOTW I'm not big in to reading classics!

Good luck with your move, Megan!

I finished 4 books this week, 3 of them for challenges.

For Modern Mrs. Darcy's "a juicy memoir" prompt, I listened to The Purple Diaries: Mary Astor and the Most Sensational Hollywood Scandal of the 1930s, which was great fun! I prefer biography to memoir (I like the distance from the narrative), so I cheated a bit on this prompt - but if you like Hollywood gossip, I'd highly recommend this one on audiobook! Now at 5/12 for this challenge.

For Popsugar's "book with a title that's a character's name," I read My Mrs. Brown, which was really just lovely. It brings me to 14/40 for this challenge.

For Around the Year's "a category from another challenge," I decided to read another book recommended by a librarian and chose One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich, which a coworker loves. I did not love it as much as she did, but I was certainly glad that I read it! Gut-punch ending. Now at 15/52 for this challenge.

I also finished Why I March: Images from The Women’s March Around the World, which I didn't use for a challenge, but which was exactly what I needed to see this week.

I also DNF'd Eloisa James's When Beauty Tamed the Beast. I'm in the mood for a romance right now, but I'm having such a hard time finding something that hits the spot!

QOTW: Classics for me are like every other genre: some I'll like, some I won't like. There are many that I love, but I don't feel like I have to read them just because they're classics.

I finished two this week.
Sekret by Lindsay Smith. It’s a YA book about teenagers with psychic abilities that are used by the USSR during the Cold War. I’m using it for my espionage prompt. It was okay but I’ll probably not pick up the second of the series unless I come across it really cheap.
And
Missing, Presumed by Susie Steiner. I’m using it for the author from a country other than mine. It’s set in England and it’s a missing person “suspense�. But it lacked in suspense and was really a character study. I think if it had been billed as something other than suspense I would have liked it a lot more.

I've knocked off 16 prompts on Popsugar and 7 on the Book Riot Read Harder challenge, so I'm a happy camper. This last month and a half of school is always crazy so I know my reading will slow down.

QOTW: I majored in English so I’ve read a ton of the “classics.� There are always more that I need to read. Some of them do nothing for me. I re-read some with my English classes: TKAM, Lord of the Flies, Frankenstein, Animal Farm, The Great Gatsby, etc. Although most of those are more modern classics. Kids don’t respond super well to the earlier classics. The only reason I keep Frankenstein on my AP list is because it’s useful for the third prompt on the AP test. My students who actually read The Great Gatsby have a lot of opinions about it. But, again, that’s more modern than most “classics.�

I finished Mr Churchills Secretary and got a good chunk finished of Midwives. Not a great week but my goal is a book a week so I'm still on schedule. I'm also on vacation this week so was able to pick up a couple for the used bookstore and bought on a trip prompts at a local thrift store where they had paperbacks for .25!

QOTW: I majored in English and theatre studies so have read a fair number of classics and I like some, dislike some. I have a handful on my tbr ranging from the typical classics to more modern ones but I am done with the days of reading things because I "should." I used to do that and I'd get bogged down in something I wasn't enjoying and for me reading shouldn't feel like homework. So while I usually will read a couple every year, I won't force myself to finish something I'm not enjoying regardless of the genre.
The idea of click bait articles is interesting to me. I think it might help to actually introduce what some of the stories are to people who have seen the genre and thought boring. Like a person might see "Shakespeare" and say no thank you, but something titled "14 year old couple commits suicide after feuding families forbid relationship" might entice someone to dig deeper. I don't know if it would work for me specifically but I do think it's a neat concept.

Good morning from San Francisco!

This week I finished one book, A Man Called Ove, which I read for a book club and am also using for a book that take's place over a character's lifetime (prompt 44). That puts me at 19/40.

I'm also in the midst of several other books:
Shady Characters: The Secret Life of Punctuation, Symbols & Other Typographical Marks (book with a red spine)
The Case Against Sugar (book about food)
Pippi Longstocking (audiobook, though it would also work for a book I loved as a child)

Question of the week: I'm trying to read more classics that I didn't read in school or get to otherwise. I'm enjoying some of them quite a bit (like Their Eyes Were Watching God) and some of them much less (like Fahrenheit 451). I thought the clickbait was cute, but I don't know whether it's enough to sustain interest in a tough book.

THis week I finished 3 books from the challenge, putting me at 28/52. I did get distracted and read a few other books that don't fit for any challenge prompts this week.. oops!

Dumplin': an audiobook

A Dog's Purpose: a book becoming a movie in 2017

The Break: I read this because it's part of the Canada Reads competition this year, and it ended up working for "book about a difficult topic" advanced prompt.

QOTW: For the most part I really enjoy reading classics. I actually finished this list challenge last year: /list/show/1... which has quite a lot of books that are considered classics on it. There were only very few that I did not enjoy AT ALL (Moby Dick and Ulysses are the two biggest examples) and a few that I was surprised about how much I loved (Like Gone with the Wind, Count of Monte Cristo and Anna Karenina).

Week 12 - 21/40 & 2/12 (23/52)

I have been in a bit of a reading slump this month, too, but I think I'm starting to get past it. Last week, I wasn't able to add any finished books to my list, except for one that didn't count towards the challenge, but this week, I added two finished books. Hooray!

I finished The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky. It was an interesting read, but I'm not sure that I actually liked it. I didn't dislike it, but I just don't know what to think about it. I used this for prompt #3, a book of letters.

I started and finished Rain Reign by Ann M. Martin, which was for prompt #1, a book recommended by a librarian. I just happen to have a close friend who is a librarian at an elementary school, and she had just finished reading this book when I asked for a recommendation. She highly recommended it, and I'm glad she did.

I'm still listening to the audio version of Soulless by Gail Carriger. Well, I should say it hasn't been finished yet. I actually haven't listened to any of it this week, but I think I'll start back today & try to make some more headway. It's an interesting book, but I think I would like it better if I was reading it instead of listening to it. This is for prompt #22, a steampunk novel.

I think I am going to try one more time to pick up Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race by Margot Lee Shetterly. I haven't read any since I first start it two or three weeks ago, after I had picked up the book in lieu of listening to the audiobook. I really want to read it, but if I can't get into it, or if I don't make myself pick it up again by the next check in, I'm going to put it to the side and pick another book for prompt #37, a book that's becoming a movie in 2017. We'll see how it goes.

I started one more book this week, The Stranger in the Woods: The Extraordinary Story of the Last True Hermit by Michael Finkel. I am reading this for prompt #24, a book set in the wilderness. It is the true story of a man who disappeared in 1986 and lived in the woods of Maine until he was found (stealing food from a camp) in 2013. It's really quite interesting, and I'm curious to see how it ends. I'm only about 35% of the way through, but I expect to finish it by this weekend. It's a pretty short book, and a quick read.

QOTW: I really don't ever read the classics. Even in high school, I skimmed more than actually read any assigned books that were considered classics. I keep thinking that maturity, as you mentioned, might have given me a little bit more insight into them and that perhaps I should give some of them a try. Maybe once I finish this challenge, I will pick one up. That would be a good challenge prompt for next year's list.

Hello everyone from supposed-to-be-sunny Kansas!

This week I finished 1 book for the advanced challenge, Norse Mythology for the "book based on mythology". I am a big lover of mythology but typically only have read about Greek and Roman mythology, so this one was full of stories I didn't know. I really enjoyed it! It was hard to get the Marvel Avenger's Thor out of my head while reading though. The actual stories and legends are a big different!

I have now finished 11/52 (8/40 and 3/52).

Up on deck are:
- The Sun Is Also a Star which I'll use for "a book by a person of color"
- The Lightning Thief. I'm not sure if this one will fit a prompt since I already filled the book about mythology and the first book in a series I've never read before. But I've always wanted to read it and thought I'd give it a chance.

I'm so sad that I'm still on hold for our March group read at my library!!! I'm hoping I get it soon and can finish it really quickly before the end of the month.

QOTW: I enjoy reading some classics, but definitely tend to get bored with some. I love Jane Austen but admittedly haven't attempted many others. I would like to include more classics in my reading but I get so caught up with other books that I see on here or new ones coming out that I don't take the time!

Hi readers!

I finished two books this week: The Conspiracy of Us and 13 Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl.

Both of these books were just alright. The Conspiracy of Us is a trilogy (I think?) and I did like the story line. It is kinda like a YA version of the DaVinci code. I liked it enough to continue on with the series. The one thing I really didn't like is that the author would leave every chapter (and the end of the book!) with a cliffhanger. It just felt really gimmicky to me. It's okay to wrap stuff up!

13 Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl is a collection of short stories, surrounding the main character, Elizabeth. Some are told in her view, some in other characters. It follows her from high school up until she is an adult. The stories were raw, honest, and a bit uncomfortable, but I found there to be a film of sadness hanging over all of them. If that is what the author was going for, then I think she achieved that, but I think she missed some different perspectives she could have had when trying to tackle this topic. I'm using this for a book about food.

QOTW: TBH, classics scare me. All I think about when I hear that word is high school english. I do think if I read some classics now, I would really enjoy them, but I just have to get through that place in my mind where I think I'm automatically going to hate it because I'm being forced to read it. Anyone else feel like this?

Hello from very sunny Montréal,

This week I finished one book (a classic): Rebecca for the prompt with the title that is a name. I liked it a lot. Very visual and atmospherique (is a an english word??).

I started Illuminae for the book with picture prompt. Pretty decent start except that I feel old when reading it. I am always having trouble with 17 years old relationships in books. :)

QOTW: I saw those clickbates last week and thought it was clever. I read many classics and some I loved (Anna Karenina, all Jane Austen and Asimov) and some I didn't (Tess of the D'Urbervilles and Fahrenheit 451).

Good morning from gorgeous southern Alberta. Spring decided to come visit us (for now) the other day so we've been enjoying the nice weather outside (11 degrees yesterday! Which after the -30s we've been having is a sauna).

It seems like I've had a slow week but that's just because I haven't really finished many. I did finish The 6th Extinction which I wasn't able to slot into any prompts. I did make more progress in Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell which I'm loving. I kinda don't want any more library books to come in and interrupt it but oh well. I also started on A Conjuring of Light, haven't figured out where I'm going to slot it yet, maybe for an author that uses a pseudonym. I also started reading Five on a Treasure Island to my daughter and I think I'm going to use for a holiday other than Christmas (summer holidays).

I've read 37 books so far this year which puts me at
28/40 for the regular
5/12 for the advanced
28/52 for ATY
4/24 for BRRH

QOTW:
I love the Classics; I always try to read a couple a year. Jane Austen and Shakespeare are favourites

It's been a week of polishing off shorter reads for me, which has been quite nice.

First I read Full House because by serendipity my hold became available on St PAtrick's Day and I thought it would make sense to read an Irish author. It's a Vintage Short and it turns out I'd previously read this, so I'm not going to slot it anywhere.

Then I read Native Guard: Poems. I'm not a poetry reader but I loved this collection. It deals with the death of the author's mother, the marriage of her parents whenninterracial marriages were illegal and black soldiers during the Civil War. Love it. Should perhaps read more poetry. I'm redoing last year's Bustle Challenge and I used it theee, as my book of contemporary poetry.

Next up was the audiobook of Brave New World. This was a reread for me, so it's slotted into my reread for the Book Riot challenge. The rather old-fashioned accent of the narrator didn't help me out with this one - it made the book feel even ore dated than the bad technology guesses. I was never a huge fan of BNW and I'm still not. But it was for a face to face book club and so it's done.

Then I read Brave New World Revisited because I figured that might make the reread more interesting. It's a short book and very much of its time but it did have some interesting things to say about propaganda and freedom. I'm slitting it into Book Riot's technology prompt for now, though it's a bit of an odd fit so I may go back and read another for that.

I finally finished Step Aside, Pops: A Hark! A Vagrant Collection. I've slotted it into Bustle's graphic novel by a woman, though I hope to replace it since it's technically a collection of comic strips rather than a graphic novel. Really enjoyable as always.

And then I read DC Comics: Bombshells, Vol. 1: Enlisted. I really loved this. I've already filled Book Riot's superhero comic with a female lead but just added this on. It's fun and funny and my really basic knowledge of the backstories didn't matter. Can't wait to read the next one.

And finally, I finished the audiobook for How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character. Since I have two young children and I spent a decade teaching, I find books like this interesting. How to teach grit and curiosity and character? It was a good look at the issue and gave a lot of recommendations for other books as well, which is like to check out. I've tentatively slotted it in as my book with a subtitle, but I was torn between that, audiobook or perhaps book with a family member name in the title, so this one may move later.

Totals:
Pop Sugar: 16/52
Book Riot: 6/24
Bustle: 4/20

So, I feel like I'm doing fairly well. I'm a third through Pop Sugar, a quarter through Book Riot and a fifth through Bustle. As long as lee up this pace , I should get everything finished by the end of the year. I have an overall goal of 150 books, but I include books I read with the girls, so I've also in theory decided to aim for 30,000 pages. That would put me just over my previous best year since I joined Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ. We shall see.

QOTW: I feel like I haven't read enough classics at all and sometimes contemplate trying to start some sort of organized reading plan to get through more of them. I envy people who seem to have read more of them in high school. I really should buckle down on the 1001 list or something similar. Sure, I've read some duds in the classics, but I often enjoy them. I do find that some require greater concentration and that's often why I avoid them. That and the length. I admit that at this stage in my life, the drive to pole through longer books, even ones that aren't classics, is pretty low. Maybe once the girls are older.

Hello from Manchester, England where it's been very rainy and miserable but today is a little more Spring like!

I finished 2 books this week, so I'm 13/40 for main challenge. I've not started the advanced challenge yet, aiming to at least half of the first 40 prompts done then will see where I am.

I finished The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins. A Victorian classic I have never read because I always thought it was a ghost story! I don't 'do' ghost stories so read it (well mix of reading and audio - with clever audible syncing to the correct page each time, we truly are living in the future) for the 'genre you don't usually read' prompt. Anyway, it's not a ghost story at all, not sure why I thought that, but more of a mystery. I do read mysteries, however I am still counting this book for the prompt as I would never have read it without the challenge, and it's definitely of a type that I don't usually go for. It is described on wiki as the first 'Victorian sensation novel' and I definitely don't usually read those, so it counts as far as I'm concerned! :)

I also read Soulless by Gail Carriger for my steampunk novel. I think it's steampunk lite with elements of urban fantasy and romance thrown in. Would never in a million years picked this up without this prompt, but I really enjoyed it as pure silly escapism, and am almost definitely going to continue the series.

Stuff that's still ongoing:
- Exposure - my espionage thriller. I need to put some time into 'getting into' this one as I started it then kind of forgot about it.
- She-Wolves: The Women Who Ruled England Before Elizabeth - for my book about an interesting woman (women in this case).
- A Mindfulness Guide for the Frazzled - not currently thinking of this one for any prompt

QOTW - I have read many of the classics - Shakespeare, Marlowe, Thomas Hardy, the Brontes, Jane Austen, Elizabeth Gaskell , some Tolstoy, lots of the French classics because that was my degree at University. I have huge gaps though that I always mean to fill - not read much Dickens, no Hemmingway, no Virginia Wolf, no Russians apart from Tolstoy.

I reread both Wuthering Heights and Pride and Prejudice fairly regularly, and some other classics now and then.

A book set in two different time periods: Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe
A book by a person of color: P.S. I Still Love You
A book with a cat on the cover: Crenshaw

QOTW: I really enjoy classics and plan on re-reading a couple of them. I think those clickbates for classics are pretty clever

Hello everyone!
This week I finished a book with multiple authors (Welcome to Night Vale by Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor) and am almost done with a bestseller from a genre I don't normally read (Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain [sidenote: ugh]). I'm also making progress on my book with a subtitle (River of Shadows: Eadweard Muybridge and the Technological Wild West) and a book I bought in a used bookstore (The Game of Kings).
I am currently at 13/52.
QOTW: I've always loved classics, but the experience of going to graduate school for literature has made me a lot more critical of "the canon" in both German and English. I firmly believe that a great literary experience isn't necessarily the experience of liking a book, but the thoughts, insight and conversations you have about/because of the book, so I have a high tolerance for slow-moving or difficult reading. However, I am SO DONE with books about How Difficult it is to the Be a Wealthy White Man with Intimacy Issues (I'm looking at you, The Sheltering Sky, Brideshead Revisited, and Werther), and I struggle to get through them at this point. I tend a lot more toward classics by women and people of color these days.

I wasn't expecting to get much reading done during Lent but we found a library book that had been lost for at least 2 months and I had already paid for at this point and it was for my daughter to read for her homeschool assignment. So I was determined to get it done. We read it together Who Was Abigail Adams? and it fits prompts 32- A book about an interesting woman. I did some shuffling but I think I can still read Bossypants as a book written by someone I admire. That was my original title for prompt 32.

So far I am determined to do the advanced reading so I am going to count all them together: 10/52 I promise to catch up after Lent and during summer!

QOTW: I am all over the board when it comes to classics. I really want to like and understand why they are "classics" but some I just don't get. Plus classics tend to be dark and depressing (except for Jane Austen, thank goodness for a breathe of fresh air). I try to fit them in prompts if I already own the book and know I have time. I guess I have a vague goal of at least attempting 1-2 classics a year. Also since I did major in English Humanities I have read a number of classics (Wuthering Heights, Brave New World, and To Kill a Mockingbird were my gateway to classics) and am embarrassed by the ones I was not able to finish (I am looking at you Great Expectations and The Great Gatsby). I guess I have to reread Fahrenheit 451 as that one made a huge impact on me and I loved it- it seems to be going in the dislike pile for many and I am wondering why.

Only one book to report this week: As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride which was a reread (but one I enjoyed a lot). It's been busy and will probably continue to be so I don't think I'll be conquering a lot of books next week either. So it goes.

QOTW: I've read a fair amount of classics, and sometimes they're great (Jane Austen) and sometimes they're just terrible (anything by any of the Brontes). But I've been meaning to try more of the American classics (Steinbeck, Hemingway, Fitzgerald) which weirdly we read very little of in high school.

Hi everyone!
Back to 'ole rainy Vancouver....

I am at 17/40 for the challenge, and think that's pretty good for this time of the year.

This week, I finished the book of letters with 84, Charing Cross Road. What a LOVELY book. I want to thank all of you who recommended this to me! It was fantastic.
My library edition also has notes at the end, so I am just finishing up those.

Next to start, will be The Little Old Lady Behaving Badly: A Novel...I am thinking of using this for the book with a subtitle. I like this series a lot, those old folks get up to some crazy stuff and books 1 and 2 were great.

QOTW: Classics. Seriously, I had not read any classics since high school! I was very against them. This year, because of this challenge, I read a few! I read Of Mice and Men and also The Time Machine (for the steampunk prompt)....and they pleasantly surprised me. Huh, maybe I should read more of these. In English Lit, I loved Chaucer. I should think about this more seriously...

Checking in from Cleveland, where it's finally starting to feel like spring! It will even get into the 70's tomorrow - I can't wait!

This week I read Never Let Me Go for a book recommended by a librarian. This was on NYPL Recommended Book Club Books list. (The idea of talking to a real librarian was a little too intimidating for this introvert!) I knew there was some sort of "twist" going in but otherwise had no idea what it was about.

And, uh...I just do not understand the hype around this book. I understand the themes it explores (it certainly spent enough time bashing me over the head with them), but the scifi bit was so underdeveloped and the characters generally boring or unlikable, that I found it really hard to get into. I think it *would* be good for a group discussion, so I guess NYPL did OK putting it on that list, though.

QOTW: Now that I've picked reading back up as an adult (following a break during college), I'm trying to encourage myself to check out more classics. They're such cultural touchstones that I want to experience them myself. I think it helps to go in with a mindset that I don't need to like it just because it's a classic, and so far I've been surprised. I loved both Les Misérables and The Count of Monte Cristo! I never would've discovered I liked French classics if I hadn't pushed myself out of my comfort zone. (But I am never touching Dickens ever again, so you win some, you lose some.)

As spring arrives in Yorkshire, it's been a good week, with three books completed for the challenge:

1. Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly for book by a person of colour.
Read this as a follow up to seeing the excellent film (far better than the ovehyped La La Land IMO!). Very different in style, and really showed up where the film took historical liberties, but enjoyed it just as much - fascinating, easy reading history about something I knew little about.

2. While Flocks Last by Charlie Elder for a book bought from a used book sale.
Author tries to tick off the full UK Red List for birds in one year. Am a keen birdwatcher (although not a twitcher), but found this a bit list like, although it was an easy read. Not really fond of half-jokey traveloguey type books like this. So an OK read, but nothing to write home about.

3. The Crime at Black Dudley by Margery Allingham for the first book in a series I haven't read before.
The first Albert Campion book from the so-called Golden Age of crime fiction; I don't think I'm going to bother with the rest of the series either! Horribly dated, awkwardly plotted, cliche setting, stereotypical and thoroughly wooden characters. Not quite the weakest book this year (Ben Elton's Two Brothers will take some beating!), but not much higher. At least it was short.

So, up to 17/52 - a nice hop forward from last week.

QOTW Generally, I love the classics, and have done so ever since I did English Lit A-Level. Three of my 5 favourite authors are Jane Austen, Virginia Woolf and Charles Dickens (I regularly reread the first two, and am progressing through the latter's books chronologically), with a whole host of, mainly Victorian, writers close behind. Over the past few years, I've averaged one every 6-8 weeks (the latest was Lorna Doone). Have mostly focused on European writers in the past, but am starting a US States challenge in the near future which is designed to see me read more from across the pond.

There are a few I don't really get on with, mostly post-war and/or dystopian (Orwell jumps to mind), but also came to a complete halt with Henry James, whilst Finnegan's Wake was for me complete gobbledygook.

Clickbait would have, and has, no influence on my reading.

This week I got the following completed:

Book becoming a movie in 2017: The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon

Book with an unreliable narrator: Room

working my way through a couple others.

QOTW:

"So my question is - how do the classics of literature fit into your reading life? Do you love them? Hate them? Think they are overrated? And do you think these clickbait headlines would tempt you to read one of the books?"

I fit classics in when the topic interests me or they fit into a reading challenge category. I read a lot of them in college so I am less inclined to read them now.

I do not think clickbait headlines would get me to read one though.

This week I finished two books for this challenge.

#1 Clockwork Angel for 'a steampunk novel' prompt - So I decided to read this despite recommendations from others that I should read The Mortal Instruments series first, but I went ahead anyway. I could understand all of the story, which was quite interesting. Perhaps I would have been more into it if I read the other series first? It could be, but I wasn't too fond of the writing style and YA novels are not generally something I am into.

#2 Purple Hibiscus for 'a book by a person of color' prompt. I had tried reading Americanah but I stopped halfway through. Something about it wasn't captivating enough and I could not relate with the main character at all. I could say the opposite of Purple Hibiscus! I was intrigued by the story and the plight of Nigerian people at the time through the eyes of a young girl. African literature is one of my favourites, so I was disappointed that I could not be into Americanah, but I was very pleased with Purple Hibiscus. I will have to read Half of a Yellow Sun next!

This week I have also started Memoirs of a Geisha for 'a book whose main character is of a different ethnicity to you'. This novel would also fit for 'a book that's been on your TBR list for way too long' for me! I also have a couple of stories left from The Tales of Beedle the Bard which I hope to finish in the coming week. I think I will also use it for the 'book with pictures' prompt.

QOTW As an English graduate, I have had to read a fair share of classics! I am not into classic realist novels, such as those by Jane Austen or Charles Dickens, and I am very picky when it comes to choosing to read classics. I generally like modern classics (and by modern I do mean the Modernist period, such as the likes of Virginia Woolf or Henry James).
My favourite classics are two novels from different periods, but both of which I can never have enough of - Wuthering Heights and 1984!

It's been a really bad week, because I've been sick, but on the upside I've gotten a lot read.

Use of Weapons (Ian M. Banks) as a book which takes place in two time periods. It's definitely a clever book and it's fascinating that it's told forwards and backwards with alternating chapters. Last time I read it was in 2003 and I was honestly surprised how little I remembered of a book which is definitely memorable.

The Long Way to a Small and Angry Planet (Becky Chambers) as a book involving travel. I absolutely loved this one! Everyone who's remotely into/curious about sci-fi should read it. It's all about the relationships and experiences of the crew on their long journey to the next gig. Will definitely pick up something more by her.

The Long Dark Teatime of the Soul (Douglas Adams) as a book I've read before which never fails to make me smile. I love the Dirk Gently book and his clever turn of phrases always makes me laugh out loud.

Otherwise I'm listening to Tipping the Velvet for an audiobook and reading Les liasons Dangereuses as a book of letters.

Sofie wrote: "It's been a really bad week, because I've been sick, but on the upside I've gotten a lot read.

Use of Weapons (Ian M. Banks) as a book which takes place in two time periods. It's definitely a cle..."

Last week I read the second one by Becky Chambers A Closed and Common Orbit. It was the same kind of soft sci-fi. More focus on the (interesting) characters.

I really like the QOTW. It's fun to see what people like and don't like classic wise.

Hello, and happy Thursday folks! I have to admit, I'm moving very slowly through this challenge. I didn't finish any books for this challenge in the past week, but I did finish The Englishman's Boy for another challenge I'm working on.

For this one, I am stuck on The Hobbit, which I'm using as my book involving a mythical creature. The truth is, I'm sooooo bored by this book. I guess the fantasy genre and mythical creatures just aren't my cup of tea, so I'm struggling to complete this prompt. I will press on though, and hope to finish it soon.

As for the QOTW, like many others here, I was an English major, but have never felt tons of pressure to read the classics because of that. I have read some of them, and found them enjoyable (e.g. Jane Eyre, Little Women, etc), and others have been a chore to read (the biggest example of this being The Great Gatsby). I want to try to read more classics, but I don't think the click bait thing would necessarily help me with that.

Hello! I've been absent due to two different viruses and then an abscessed tooth (fun times!) So needless to say, I have been neglecting my stack of books.

Over the last few weeks I've only finished The Cuckoo's Calling and The Tenant of Wildfell Hall. Both are probably staying in the author that uses a pseudonym category. I really enjoyed both! I can't wait to read the rest of the Cormoran Strike books, and Agnes Grey is on my to-read list as well.

Right now I'm listening to a collection of H.P. Lovecraft stories as a best seller from a genre I don't normally read. I really love horror when I read it, but I can probably count the number of horror stories I've read on one hand (The Woman in Black had me anxious and paranoid for a whole damn month). So far I'm really liking them, they're a lot more subtle than I had thought they would be.

So that brings me to 12/40; 1/12.

QOTW: I luuuuv classics. Mostly. Austen and the Brontë sisters are my fave. I do feel the need to seek them out, but even when I enjoy the stories they're usually slow and leave me needing to look up a chapter by chapter analysis because I either don't "get it" or the references go way over my head. Even when I don't like the story at all, and find the characters annoying af (The Great Gatsby), I still enjoy the writing and can appreciate why it's highly praised.

I’ve made good progress on my challenge and have read more YTD than I did last year. The challenges are fun and have helped me read books I own but forgot about. I’ve enjoyed a mostly relaxing week, but today starts my 3 weeks of continuous business travel (I’m in a hotel now!) that involves 5 separate trips to 7 cities in 7 states. It is going to be crazy & exhausting, so hopefully I can find time here and there to read so I don’t go insane. Fingers crossed!

I finished the following for the Popsugar challenge:
The Mothers by Brit Bennett for a book by a person of color (5). It took longer than necessary because I accidentally forgot it in a hotel room a few weeks ago. Oops! Anyway, this was a beautifully written debut about two teenagers in the San Diego area, both of whom share their own secrets.

The Invisible Bridge by Julie Orringer for a novel set during wartime (28). Wow, this is fantastic. Heavy, to be sure, since it is about WWII and the Holocaust, but beautifully written. It is from the perspective of a Hungarian Jew, which was new and educational for me.

I finished the following reads for another challenge:
All the Ugly and Wonderful Things by Bryn Greenwood. This was the runner-up for Best Fiction in the 2016 Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ Awards, and I can see why. I couldn’t stop reading it â€� even though the story made me uncomfortable â€� because I couldn’t wait to see what happened next.

I am at 9/40 ; 5/12.

QOTW: I haven’t read many classics, which I think is unfortunate. I didn’t read many in high school or college, and the few I did read I don’t remember much other than a general like/dislike feeling. I do want to incorporate more into my reading plans, though, now that I am older and will appreciate them more.

Hi Everyone,

I've had a few weeks of being stuck on a book or two, but as a whole i've kept the momentum up.

This week I finished:

The Shining for my book set in a hotel. I hadn't read or watched the movie before, it was interesting going into it with only pop culture knowledge. Also feel kind of dumb for how long it took me to get what REDRUM was. I do want to watch the movie now, at some point.

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe for my audiobook. It was read by Lin Manuel Miranda, which was cool. I really liked the book, it was a great coming of age story as well as a book of self discovery. It would be a good book for any Read Harder participants for the LGBTQ romance, too. I'm using it for my Read Harder challenge also, for the "book where a person of color takes a spiritual journey". The main character is a Mexican American, and the book is about him coming to terms with his family life, his social life, and how he fits into the world.

The Princess Diarist which won't count for a challenge, but was a quick read. It was ok, I liked the parts where Carrie talked about her life. But a good chunk of the middle were passages of her old diary, and it was kind of painful to get through. It's like trying to read someone else's live journal.

Songs of Insurrection for my book from a genre/subgenre I've never heard of. I did some googling for it and came across wuxia, which is fiction based on Chinese martial history. Most of the older examples of it seemed a bit too meaty and daunting for me, but I did some googling for "wuxia novels in english" and came across this series. I think it would be modern wuxia fantasy, which also came up in googling about the genre. It was decent, an interesting story. Some of the action was a little predictable, and some of the interactions felt a bit stilted and weird. Overall it was enjoyable, I might finish the series at some point.

Lizard Radio which is for Read Harder, my YA novel written by an LGBTQ author. I really liked it. It was kind of dystopian, followed a lot of the tropes of the genre. It was not exactly science fiction. In one review it was described as being a love letter to those who don't fit in, which after reading I would agree with.

Currently reading:

Wuthering Heights which I'll count as my book mentioned in another book. It was mentioned in We Were Liars which I read a couple weeks ago. I think it's also been mentioned in other books, but that was the most recent example. Kinda funny I started it this week, considering the qotw.

The Zookeeper's Wife: A War Story I started the audio book for this yesterday. I don't really love audiobooks, but it wasn't available at the library in ebook format. I don't like war books, but this one caught my interest. It will count for both Popsugar and Read Harder for the book about war. At least I figured out I can kind of do audiobooks if I am painting/drawing. I need just the right amount of something to keep me from zoning out and daydreaming, yet not so involving that I tune the audio book out completely.

This puts me at 22/52 for pop sugar (and 9/24 for read harder).

QOTW: I try to make a point of reading a couple of classics every year for the past several years. Most have left me pretty indifferent, I just really prefer a more modern style of pacing. I know everyone just loves Jane Austin, and I simply can't. I've tried both Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility and had to drag my way through both of them. I tend to do a bit better with the sci fi classics. I enjoyed Dracula, Frankenstein, Fahrenheit 451, Brave New World, 2001 Space Odyssey etc. Not enough to really re-read like I do with my favorites, but I liked them well enough while reading. Although Jules Verne, I had a horrible time getting through. 2000 Leagues just had SO MANY pages of just describing what fish they saw that day.

Happy Thursday all! I only finished one book this week, and that was White Teeth for "set around a holiday other than Christmas." The book opens and closes on two different New Year's Eves so I am totally counting it.

I've had three other books just come through at my local library so next week I'll probably have a bit more to add, as long as I can conjure up some extra reading time ;)

QOTW: I am definitely a fan of the classics (I was also an English major and grew up reading children's versions of major classics at my grandparents' house). I think they're important to read for cultural understanding and appreciation but I definitely understand not enjoying them. I also try to balance all the old dead white dudes out with classics by women and people of color.

The clickbait stuff was funny! I also love flipping through the emoji versions of Shakespeare when I'm in the bookstore, so that kind of thing is right up my alley.

Hi everyone!

I've been progressing really well so far; I'm way ahead of where I expected I would be by now. But, I'm about to get a lot busier and have a lot of longer, more tedious reads coming up, which I assume will slow me down.

This week I finished 3 books, bringing me to 31/52:

Stein On Writing: A Master Editor of Some of the Most Successful Writers of Our Century Shares His Craft Techniques and Strategies for the career advice prompt. Useful editing info, but I couldn't digest more than very small bits at a time without daydreaming, so it took me a long time to get through.

Oryx and Crake. This one I slotted in as a title that was a character's name. Wasn't one of my all-time favorites, but I did really like it.

Life of Pi, used for the wilderness prompt, and I did love this one - definitely a five star read for me.

I'm still working on my subtitle book, Black Elk: The Life of an American Visionary. While I'm very interested in Black Elk's story, it does read like a history textbook so it's slow going. After 2+ weeks I'm only 12% in.

QOTW: Love what they did with clickbait for the classics, even though I'm not fond of clickbait in general.
I'm not currently a big reader of classic literature, but maybe I burned myself out as I took a lot of classic lit classes in college. I could never get into authors like Bronte, Austen, Hemingway, or Homer. I do have a pretty decent list of favorites, though, which includes almost anything by Shakespeare or Tolkein, as well as Bram Stoker's Dracula and Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (to name a few). I have a love/hate relationship with Vonnegut, Tolstoy, Dostoyevsky, Mark Twain, Steinbeck, and Dickens. I don't plan to incorporate many of the classics into my regular reading routine, but can definitely appreciate classic literature and have a good list of favorites.

Greetings from Oklahoma where we like to skip over those pesky seasons known as spring and fall.

I finished two books this week. I read Before I Fall for the "set around a holiday other than Christmas prompt." This book doesn't actually take place on Valentine's Day like I was led to believe but rather on Feb 12 which is the school's celebration of Valentine's Day known as Cupid Day. I'm still counting it though!

The other book I finished was 1984 for my book that's been on my TBR list too long.

QOTW: I also majored in English so I've read quite a few of the classics though there are always holes to be filled. I try to read at least two a year because I think they're important. They're classics for a reason.

This week I finished one book.

I read The Blue Castle for the book by an author from a country you've never been to prompt. It was okay but the later parts had too much nature writing for my taste- Zzzzzzzzzzzzz.

QOTW- I have read a decent amount of classics but I would like to read more. My mother used to read them to my sisters and I when we were younger. I remember liking David Copperfield when I was eight, though of course I didn't quite understand all of it. I think classics are a perfect palate cleanser after reading one too many mediocre contemporary mega bestsellers.

Clickbait makes me rage, even when created for a good cause.

I'm making slow progress in my current reads, but took a day out to read ±á´Ç°ù°ù´Ç°ù²õ³Ùö°ù in its entirety. It's much better than one would expect from a book with the gimmick of aping IKEA catalogs to tell a horror story! I enjoyed it, as you can see from my compulsive reading of it.

I also started Futuristic Violence and Fancy Suits as an audiobook. I found the introductory chapter charmingly silly and compelling, with a female protagonist who isn't constrained from being a real human and a bit of a goofy klutz by being a cute girl. I'm finding the socio-political suppositions of the near-future libertarian city to be hard to believe, but we'll see where it goes.

Going to the mountains for a relaxing weekend, so I'm hoping to read a LOT! :D

I've had a little bit of a slow week on paper, because I am close to finishing a couple of things. I'm also reaching the point in the Popsugar list where I'm waiting for books from the library (some of which I've had on hold since January!) and so I find myself reading books that don't fit any of my remaining prompts.

My only Popsugar book this week was Before I Go to Sleep, which I read to fit the "unreliable narrator" category. I enjoyed it, but for this kind of story it fell short of the movie Memento, which I loved.

I also finished The End of the Perfect 10: The Making and Breaking of Gymnastics' Top Score—from Nadia to Now, which was very interesting and informative but not that well written. It fit the "sports" prompt for the Read Harder challenge.

And finally, a quick, fun read: Tuesdays at the Castle, which would fit at least one Popsugar prompt but nothing I still have left on my list. It was very cute! Anyone with a 10 year old should have them check it out.

ETA: I just now finished listening to the audiobook of Oryx and Crake, so I came back to add it to my list for the week. I liked it, especially the central characters, but the ending was lacking. It is part of a series, but I still think books should "end" even if there is more to come, you know? The narrator was only so-so as well.

QOTW: I do read classics, but often have to kind of wait for the right mind frame. I think one of the issues with older classics is that the language has changed enough that it requires more concentration of a modern reader than something contemporary, even with similarly difficult themes. Noticing sarcasm and other subtleties of language is just harder when the writing is from a very different time period. I am hoping to read The Age of Innocence soon, and maybe an Austin title that I haven't read before, like Northanger Abbey. A couple others on my radar include Pale Fire (1960), Uncle Vanya (1897) and Brave New World (1932).

This week:

19. About food: Housebroken: Admissions of an Untidy Life This was funny - had some really great traditional Italian recipes. The entire time I read it though all I could picture was Bernadette Fox from Where'd You Go Bernadette...made it a little surreal.

2. (Advanced List) Bestseller from 2016: March: Book Three Finished this trilogy. This one was a little longer and more speech-filled than the first two. But all in all, a great collection of books.

21. (Children's List) From a nonhuman perspective: The Bolds Probably really funny for younger kids - almost too silly for me to handle. Animals passing off as humans. Ummmmmm....

8. (Advanced List) More than 800 Pages: Outlander Finally finished!! I listened to the audiobook and it took me probably 2.5 months...whew! Much better than I thought it was going to be however I did have some anger directed towards some of the anti-feminist aspects. Glad I listened and glad I'm done :)

Okay, another late night, but at least I've got what to report.
This week finished five books for the challenge, making it to 32/40 for the challenge, 3/12 for the advanced challenge.

1. The Lives of Stella Bain 13. Person with a disability 14. Travel 23 red spine 27 character’s name 28 set in wartime It was an interesting read. I think I'm going to use it for 27, the title with a character's name.

2. The Midwife's Revolt 9. an espionage thriller? 28 set in wartime 39 first in a series This is a story set during the Revolutionary War. Friendship and loss, espionage, a bit of everything. It was well written, and I enjoyed it.

3. Jewish Children by Sholem Aleichem 11. Pseudonym 38 holiday other than Christmas (most of the stories are centered around various Jewish holidays. Despite his humor, the stories were rather sad. :-(

4. Me Before You Enjoyed this book. Fits 13. Person with a disability 14. Travel 23 red spine 39 first in a series I'm using it for the red spine.

5. The Man Who Was Thursdayaudible 9. an espionage thriller 14. Travel 15: it's subtitled The Nightmare 34 day of the week in title 46 genre never heard of (metaphysical thriller, although it's got loads of other obscure genre listings as well 50 mentioned in another book Haven't figured out yet if I'm using it for 34 or 46. The book was very deep, but filled with humor. And I couldn't figure out who narrated it on the audible, but he did a great job. It was very theatrical. Pretty funny that QOTW is about classics, and this is one. I like to throw in an occasional classic among all the books I read. I love many of them, and some I just... don't.

Started Elizabeth Street, which I'm enjoying so far. Story of an Italian immigrant woman in New York's Lowe East Side in the beginning of the 20th century. This too fills a huge number of prompts. I'm using it for the immigrant story.

and also: The Golem and the Djinni for my mythological creature. Will report back on it next week...

Happy reading!



Started: Elizabeth Street 14. Travel 31ethnic 44 lifespan, 45 immigrant
The Golem and the Jinni 14 travel 17 mythical creature

Hello everyone. I'm doing pretty well this week, finishing two books which brings me to 22/52.

The first was Rebel of the Sands which has all of the ingredients of a book I should have loved but I just didn't for some reason. I think it was the main character. She didn't connect with me at all.

I've just (ten minutes ago) finished The Girl with All the Gifts. Not at all what I was expecting but in a good way.

QOTW: Some of my all time favourites are classics (Jane Eyre, Persuasion, Journey to the Centre of the Earth) but so are some of my most hated books (Moby-Dick; or, The Whale, Dracula). I think you just have to find the right ones for you.

My favourite of those clickbait was the one on Dorian Grey � "British guy dies after selfie gone wrong". It totally cracked me up!

I finished two books this week.

A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare for the book about a non-Christmas holiday. I just love Shakespeare's writing so much. It's funny, witty and smart, even all these centuries later.

Revelation: The Vision Statement by Greg Clarke for a book you bought on a trip. I don't usually buy books, especially not on trips, so I counted this book which I bought on a trip to a church for the prompt. I've been using this as a guide while I read the book of Revelation, and it's helped me categorise the visions and understand the book.

QOTW: Most of the fiction I read are classics, though I do include modern classics in that category. I started reading classics regularly when I was 14 or 15, and they became my core reading material when I decided to read books from the 1001 Books to areas Before You Die list. I just find them more reliably consistent in quality compared to modern bestsellers, which are often mediocre and cater to popular tastes rather than being well written, but that's just my two cents. Classics almost always have something good in them, and something to learn from.

One book completed this week: For a book with multiple authors, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Parts One and Two. I know this book causes some extreme reactions for HP fans and that most either love it or hate it. I was firmly in the hate it camp. 19/52

Currently reading The Freak Factor: Discovering Uniqueness by Flaunting Weakness. We're using it in a training at work this week so it made sense to get the career advice prompt out of the way now.

QOTW: Anything that uses clickbait as a force for good and not evil is A-ok in my book. I try to add a couple classics to my reading list every year but many of them end up being more recent classics. Think 20th rather than, say, 18th century. I also find I rate on a curve for the classics. My star rating is usually higher than I'd otherwise give it.

I'll finally get to read the February challenge chosen book. I think I was 100 something on the waitlist for the book at the library back in February. :D

I'm almost done reading The Sun Is Also a Star. I found it quite interesting that the main characters are Jamaican and Korean-American. And, the female character is into science while the male is into poetry. It wasn't until towards the end of the book that I realized that that's outside the norm.

I will start on the The Underground Railroad this weekend.

I have the hardest time reading classics. I'm not sure if it's because I didn't come to the US until I was 7 or what. I think I tried to read Jane Austen a couple of years ago and I couldn't understand it. The language was too difficult for me. I love the stories, though (and the BBC series of her books).

This week I finished my BSN !!! Which means I now have more time to dedicate to reading!

I finished reading Wonder to fulfill my book about a person with a disability. My son recommended it to me, and I really enjoyed the book.

Started reading Between Summer's Longing and Winter's End and I am about 20% into the book, and I think I might quit. I don't know if its the translation or just the writing but I can't keep the story straight. Too many characters and I feel like I need to write them all down. I think I am going to quit and start reading Bite Me

how do the classics of literature fit into your reading life? Do you love them? Hate them? Think they are overrated? And do you think these clickbait headlines would tempt you to read one of the books?

As for classics. I love them and wish I have read more of them. I am trying to use this reading challenge as an excuse to read more. I want to read The Time Machine and David Copperfield and I want to try and work some more in also.

I don't click on click bait headlines very often but I think it isn't a bad idea. I don't want the classics to die and if that is what it takes then so be it.

Emily wrote: "I will start on the The Underground Railroad this weekend. "

I have that on my kindle to start this week also!!

The clickbait headlines are cracking me up, though I think the Dorian Grey one was a little spoilery. :)

I like to mix classics into my reading mix. As an audio book fan there are some really well done versions with fabulous reader/narrators. However, classics were some of the first audios done a couple decades ago when they were still learning what makes a good reader as well as what is good sound editing, etc. So mileage varies.

This week included:

Beyond the Ice Limit. Just say no.

An audio theatre version of Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency. It was fun to return to some of Douglas Adams' sharp wit.

Savage Run. I have a thing for the park ranger/forest ranger/game warden genre. While I like Nevada Barr's Anna Pigeon series better, Joe Pickett is growing on me.

Pope Joan. It's a mix of historical information, accurate to the time period details and a fictional filling in of the rest. While the writing lacked a certain musicality, I was engaged throughout.


I'm on my library's audiobook waiting list for, in the order I'm most likely to get them:

Ready Player One, Visions of Sugar Plums, Last Days of Night, The Underground Railroad, Turbo Twenty-Three, Hidden Figures, Curious Minds, Hillbilly Elegy, and The Alchemist