Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge discussion
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2017 Weekly checkins
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Week 32: 8/4 � 8/10
Hi! It's been a productive week for me at work, and I still had some time to get some reading done in the evenings.I finished up Lord of the Flies by William Golding, which I used for the advanced prompt A book recommended by a favorite author (Stephen King recommends it as a must-read). I don't remember if I've read the book before, or just watched the movie in high school, but it's a chilling reminder of how easy it is to lose our civility.
I also finished one long on my to be read list, Finding Ultra: Rejecting Middle Age, Becoming One of the World's Fittest Men, and Discovering Myself by Rich Roll. I won it a few years ago, but thought it would be boring so I kept putting it off. It's actually the opposite of boring, and very motivational (even if your goal isn't to become an elite athlete, Rich Roll's life-altering transformation will inspire you to relook at your choices and get off your couch).
I powered through A Spell for Chameleon by Piers Anthony, which I thought was terrible but I really wanted to finish up an alphabet challenge I was working on and the story was set in the magical land of Xanth. It's a shame, I liked the story idea, and the summary made it seem like this book was a good fit for me.
Finally, for another challenge I needed to read a book in 24 hours. I chose The Ghost Next Door by Wylly Folk St. John which is a great YA offering from my childhood. I haven't reread it in years, and I liked it even more than I remembered.
QOTW: What a fun question. How do I decide? I think I'll have to go with the professor's house in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, it seems like it would have been so much fun to explore and it always reminded me of the farmhouse my grandparents lived in when I was young with all the nooks and crannies. Or else it would have to be Hopeful Farm from the later Black Stallion series books, like The Black Stallion and the Girl, but that would be for the stables and land and not for the house. Although I like your kid's choice of Pippi's house, because what kid wasn't fascinated by that!
Tania wrote: "I think I'll have to go with the professor's house in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, it seems like it would have been so much fun to explore..."Oh that's a fun one! Sign me up for that one too! :)
I had a lot of books in progress during last weeks check in so I finished up those and started a new one. Sadly, none of them fit for popsugar. Finished Roar. I love Cora Carmack but this one was a miss for me. I might still pick up the second book when its released because there was a lot of set up in this novel and not a lot of anything was done.
Finished The BFG. I had never read this before and saw the movie trailer and wanted to see what the book was about.
Finished A Monster Calls. I enjoyed this one and it was a fast read. Loved the drawings in the book too.
Finished Does This Beach Make Me Look Fat?: True Stories and Confessions. This was just a bunch of short essays. I didn't really see the point in this book (which sounds harsh). I read a couple of the stories each day.
Started Eliza and Her Monsters and I'm loving it. I wanted to stay up longer last night to read it. This would be perfect for story in a story but I filled that one already. So this book won't count for the challenge either.
I've got a busy weekend so I'm not sure how much reading I'll be able to get done. Still at 30/40 and 7/12. After Eliza the next three books I have lined up are for the challenge so I'll get my groove back soon.
QOTW I don't know why but the first house I thought of was the Cullens house from Twilight.
Hey everyone! An early Thursday morning in the office for me. Seems like all the deadlines coalesce into the same week -- or is it just me? But before work: checkin!I finished the audiobook of Nevertheless: A Memoir by the actor Alec Baldwin. I've begun following his family on Instagram and have been amused by his Trump portrayal in the last year on SNL. I read a lot of memoirs and this one is good. He sheds a fair light on himself throughout his life including his drug addiction, marriage/divorce and upbringing but also points a lot of fingers in Hollywood which really threw me. Like he lets off on this rant against Harrison Ford, who was chosen as Jack Ryan while Baldwin was still under contract. I felt that was a bit petty but it was honest for sure.
That brings me to 24/40 and 3/12. So I am still 5 behind for the challenge and a few more if I'm to hit my annual goal of 60 books read.
I am reading The Summer Before the War for my book club now and will use it for "with a season in the title" and am also plodding through the audio of The Hobbit, the enthusiasm this book draws from so many is beyond me. I can't imagine reading it but I've had a long commute this week and will be able to finish it during my two-hour drive home to Grand Rapids this afternoon.
Question of the week
I have absolutely no idea. It's definitely a question worth pondering. I may come back to this one.
Bonjour,Back to work for me.
Two more books finished:
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone just for fun. I haven't read it in years and I didn't remember how well it fits with the whole serie.
Etiquette & Espionage for the steampunk prompt. It was a really fun book if you don't take it seriously. I will look into her more ''adults'' books.
I am still reading The Martian Chronicles for one of the books being on my TRL for a long time. I don't like it so far, but I should finish it today.
Reading also Chroniques de Jérusalem and as usual, I love Guy Delisle's work. I am learning and I am being entertain at the same time.
QOTW: My first idea was also the professor's house but I could go with Howl's moving castle as well. Or Anne's house in Anne of Green Gables. For the view from her room.
Week 32 - 38/40 & 11/12 (49/52)Hi, everyone! It's been a long week for me, too, and I don't get a break this weekend, at least not until Saturday evening. Then, it will be church on Sunday and getting ready for another work week on Sunday evening, so hopefully my Saturday evening will be restful and lazy and just lovely!
Anyway, I finished one more book last week, so I've only got three to go to finish the challenge, and I'm currently reading two of them. So excited!
Finished
The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield for prompt #7, a book that is a story within a story. I have read this book before, but it has been at least 15 years ago or so, and all I could remember was that I liked it. I am so glad I went back & read it again. It was almost all brand new to me, so I loved peeling back the layers of the mystery with Margaret.
Currently Reading
Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance by Barack Obama for prompt #3 on the advanced list, a book with a family member term in the title. Still haven't picked this one up in a while, because I've been trying to read other things that were library books due soon, or ARCs that were going to be pulled back soon. I do really like this book, so I'm looking forward to getting back to it.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, the illustrated version, by J.K. Rowling for prompt #30, a book with pictures. My son & I will finish this one tonight (we only have two chapters left). He was reluctant to start reading the HP series, but now he's begging me for "just one more chapter!" every time I tell him we're finished reading for the night. I may have another Potterhead in the family, for which I couldn't be more excited! On a side note, I love how each time I read it, I see new details that I hadn't noticed before that foreshadow other events that will happen in the future. Jo is a genius!
Started Reading
12 Days at Bleakly Manor by Michelle Griep. This book is not for a prompt in the challenge, but it is an ARC I received from NetGalley & I thought it said it was going to get pulled back on August 1st, so I thought I had missed it, but it's still available to me, so I'm trying to hurry up and read it, before it vanishes!
QOTW
Does the Hogwarts castle count as a house? I would absolutely love to live there! Between the grounds, the kitchens, the great hall, the library, and the smaller common rooms, I would never need to leave if I didn't want to! If not, maybe the Burrow, but that might be a little crowded & hectic for me. I really want the castle to count as a house, because I would totally live there and love it!
I also like the house that Vida Winter lives in in The Thirteenth Tale, with it's plush carpets and wall coverings that make everything silent throughout the house, until you get to the library with wood floors and shelves upon shelves upon shelves of books. This would definitely be my second choice if I couldn't live in the HP world.
Megan wrote: "Finished Does This Beach Make Me Look Fat?: True Stories and Confessions. This was just a bunch of short essays. I didn't really see the point in this book (which sounds harsh). I read a couple of the stories each day. ..."Megan, I read that book earlier this summer and felt the same thing. I love reading humorous essays, but these fell flat for me. If it wasn't for a very specific prompt I was using the book for, I would have DNF.
Hello from Cleveland! It's actually been chilly at night, which is perfect cozy reading weather. I'm so ready for fall! No Popsugar books for again this week. I have two audiobooks planned but will I ever get to them? I plan to use My Cousin Rachel for a 2017 movie release, and I've literally been on hold for two months! I also am going to use Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea for a book recommended by a favorite author, and it has been a nightmare. My library originally had four copies, but three got damaged (!!!), and the last two people have kept it way past the due date. I should've had it in time for this week, but whoever has it is just sitting on it. So frustrating! (OK, rant over...just had to complain to people who would understand!)
One strange thing I did encounter this week, that I'm hoping someone can help with: I read For Want of a Nail: If Burgoyne had won at Saratoga for ATY. This is an alternate history, if the US had lost the Revolutionary War, hinging on a loss at Saratoga. But it was shelved as nonfiction! I did some research, and the Dewey decimal number is for 1777 Revolutionary War campaigns. While the first 2.5 chapters, up to where the Battle of Saratoga changes, are factual, the book is 400+ pages, and I'm curious as to why it's considered nonfiction. Any librarians out there who can explain?
QOTW: I have to say either Bag-End or Rivendell. Maybe I could move between the two seasonally, if I want to be cozy or in nature. My childhood pick would've been the boxcar from the Boxcar Children!
Hello from Bizarro Dallas! The weather has been weird this week. Below normal temperatures and a chance of rain daily. I’ll take it for now, though, since I’m not a fan of 100+ degree days, especially with the humidity here.This is a 2-week check in for me. I was on vacation last week, so I avoided computer screens as much as possible. I usually get a lot of reading done at the beach and by the pool, but this vacation was with friends and family, so I didn’t read as much as I planned.
I’m still at 33/40, 8/12 or 41/52.
I read:
You Will Know Me by Megan Abbott. I was sucked into this even though I had a feeling I knew the end simply because Abbott’s writing is so eloquent and descriptive. I will definitely read more of her novels.
Between Sisters by Kristin Hannah. This was okay. I’m glad I read other books by Hannah first or I might not read others. I liked Firefly Lane much better, which is actually a similar story.
My Mother Was Nuts by Penny Marshall. I really enjoyed this one. She is most well-known for playing Laverne, but she has done so much more than that, including directing entertaining movies, helping during 9/11, charity work, and surviving brain cancer.
The Widow by Fiona Barton. This was her debut novel, and I liked it. She tells the story from multiple POV and jumps around in time, but it is easy to follow. And that style adds to the suspense of the story.
The Rumor by Elin Hilderbrand. An easy summer beach read.
I am currently reading:
Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay. I will get this finished either later tonight or tomorrow. I've got this on audio, so I listen to a couple of essays at a time while driving or doing things around the house.
A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab.
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien.
QOTW: This is a great question! I think I would choose Kay Scarpetta's house. It isn't necessarily featured in the series, but she cooks a lot, and the description of her kitchen sounds amazing. I'm sure based on her style and personality the rest of her house is beautifully styled as well.
Good morning from surprisingly temperate Maryland! I had a lovely weekend with lots of reading time (like.... hours at a time with a cup of coffee and my dog laying beside me... grand) so I have read so much!Finished:
Pieces of Happiness: A Novel of Friendship, Hope and Chocolate by Anne Ostby. This was an ARC I needed to read so I could give feedback but halfway through I really just wanted to DNF it. Nothing specific, I just didn't care (demonstrated by the fact that I abandoned it after a few days and read another book before coming back to it).
Dreamland Burning by Jennifer Latham. The book that I started and finished before going back to Pieces of Happiness. I loved this book and cried several times. I think it's just as important as The Hate U Give but not getting nearly the buzz it deserves.
Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie (audiobook by Dan Stevens). I had to finish this because it was due back to the library (I listened to half of it in one day while I was doing a lot of driving but then stopped because I was not driving anywhere and wanted a long stretch of time to get through it).
It Happened One Autumn by Lisa Kleypas. BOOM, a book with a season in the title gives me an excuse to read a romance. I like this and want to read the rest of the series.
The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware. I saw this being mentioned as a book with an unreliable narrator, so thanks, team! Definitely engaging and quick, it got me out of my "I'm sick of the same old thrillers" slump.
Currently reading:
We Were Eight Years in Power: An American Tragedy by Ta-Nehisi Coates. This compiles eight of Coates' Atlantic pieces, each written during a year of the Obama presidency, and includes a piece before each one explaining where he was in his life and career at the time. I've only just started it, but Coates is a beautiful and powerful writer and I'm enjoying revisiting his work with new context.
QOTW: I think one of the sprawling estates in a Jane Austen novel would be lovely (are we assuming cost of upkeep is not important?) Perhaps Kellynch Hall from Persuasion?
My parents are here visiting (arrived less than 24 hours after our other two guests left), so I don't see much reading getting done. Yesterday Kait turned three and tomorrow Maddie turns one! It's an exciting week. This month's book club read was Guilty Pleasures. I read it ages ago when I was on a vampire kick but barely remembered any of it. I see why I didn't continue the series though. I ended up missing the meeting, which is too bad because I'm sure the discussion was hilarious but Maddie was teething and miserable.
And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer - I didn't love this, which is too bad because I was such a fan of Ove.
Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail - I really enjoyed my audiobook of Wild but man, are many reviewers here on Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ savage about this book. It made me want to go hiking. As I was reading this a friend was dying of cancer and she passed away as I finished, so the sections on grief and loss really moved me.
The Guild and The Guild: Knights of Good - I really like Felicia Day but I associate her with Dr. Horrible and had never watched The Guild. Having heard her speak twice now, I think it's time to watch it.
I'm in the midst of three books just now, Kindred, City of Lies: Love, Sex, Death, and the Search for Truth in Tehran and The Umbrella Academy, Vol. 1: The Apocalypse Suite. None of any of these fit any empty spaces for me in challenges, so maybe I should hunker down a bit and choose things that do!
QOTW: probably Green Gables, though I've never been to PEI to visit it.
Hello, everyone!!! It is very sunny today in Arequipa Peru and I have a good feeling about this month. This week has been very productive.La Odisea by Homer. I re-read it because it is one of my favorite classics and I used it for a book about mythology prompt. Loved it as the first time. I think it was the first book that got me into fantasy and adventure.
Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor. I've been meaning to read this to know what the fuss was about and I can understand now. I loved the characters and the author really got me wanting to accompany them in this world she created. Dying to know how it follows. Didn't use it for any prompts though.
We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson. Another one which has been there lying in my TBR pile. What an experience!!! Such an eerie feeling all the way!!! Loved the narrator, little silly Merricat. Anyway, I found this article about female killers and I'll be going through it ASAP.
http://lithub.com/10-female-killers-in-fiction/
La niña del azúcar by Javi Velásquez. This is from a series of mystery/horror books from Peruvian authors. It was amazing. Well written and the story blended perfectly with the Amazonic scenario.
Working on: Red Sparrow by Jason Matthews, for the spy novel prompt. So far it is really good.
QOTW: I also think it is a great question. I think I would choose as a magical house the one in Garden Spells because of the magical tree that protected the sisters. And I would also choose Gatsby's house in The Great Gatsby, because who doesn't want to have a huge beautiful house where you can throw awesome parties and have a great library? :)
Would you like to buy a home used in Harry Potter?
Good morning! This week I forced myself through The Sheltering Sky for my book club and I hated it! It actually made me angry at the characters AND the author. I can't even use it for the challenge because it doesn't fit any of my open slots. What a relief to finish it last night!
On the up side, I did start two other books: Cress, which I'm doing with a group in another challenge, and Broken Ballots: Will Your Vote Count?, which is being used as a text in an online course I'm taking from Coursera called Digital Democracy.
I currently stand at 40/52 (regular list: 34/40, advanced list: 6/12).
Question of the Week
I had to think a bit to come up with something. I'm not sure it's my favorite, but I did like the house that Charlotte had after she married Mr. Collins in Pride and Prejudice. After all, it had shelves in the closet -- happy thought indeed! ;)
Hello! I was able to get through a few books this week and am now at 25/40.
Finished Reading:
Argo: How the CIA & Hollywood Pulled Off the Most Audacious Rescue in History for an espionage thriller. I actually listened to the audiobook and really enjoyed it. There were some really funny parts and it actually makes me want to go back and watch the movie from a few years ago.
Murder on the Orient Express for a book involving travel. This is my second Agatha Christie book and I loved it. I did randomly guess the ending before I got there but was still surprised by it.
The Princess Bride for a book that is a story within a story. I enjoyed it and actually the movie is a really great adaptation of it, I was surprised by how similar they were.
Currently Reading:
Hidden Figures: The Untold True Story of Four African-American Women Who Helped Launch Our Nation into Space for a book about an interesting woman. I am listening to the audiobook. It's "due" tomorrow or Saturday so I'm actually hoping to have it done by tonight or tomorrow morning. I'm actually really glad I'm listening to this, I don't know if I would have been able to finish actually reading it.
The Winter People for a book with one of the four seasons in the title. I'm only around 100 pages in and really like it. I would have more read but I'm also trying to get through my stack of comics that I have let pile up.
QOTW:
I would love to live in the Burrow. The Weasley family were always so kind and loving and I think spending Christmas at the Burrow would be wonderful.
Sara wrote: "Happy Thursday to you all! It’s been a long, tiring week for me. Last night I indulged in a night to myself which I desperately needed. I spent a good bit of time reading plus watched some of Miss ..."I tried Cocaine Blues but stopped after about 3 chapters or so. The writing style just wasn't for me. Too much tell, not enough show.
Hi Everyone, It's a nice summer week here in Michigan, not too hot but still feeling summery. Woke up with a really sore back which isn't fun, but some walks outside are helping.
Finished this week:
Information Doesn't Want to Be Free: Laws for the Internet Age - Using this for Read Harder's nonfiction book about technology. I enjoyed it a lot more than expected. I don't really like reading nonfiction in general, and you wouldn't think copyright would make for interesting discussion. Maybe because Cory Doctorow is a sci-fi writer, and blogger so has a more narrative/informal writing tone, so it felt less lecture-like and more like a discussion. I kind of wish i'd read this for my career advice book instead of the junk one I read instead. This is a good read for anyone who creates for a living. Or really anyone, since it also deals with general ramifications of how the increasing enforcement of digital content can start to affect our lives as more and more things have computers in them.
Silence Fallen - I love Mercy Thompson books in general, but this one in particular was fun to read. I liked the shifting perspective from Mercy to Adam, it kept me guessing and interested.
I'm currently struggling through The Beauty Myth which is due back at the library tomorrow with the rest of my stack. I really don't want to have to make two trips, or mess with renewing books if I can help it so trying to just get it done. It's the current pick for Emma Watson's feminist book club. Really am not feeling it though. Part of it is that it's outdated. It's not that it doesn't make good points, but it was before the internet was the presence it is today. So while there's certainly still a problem, it doesn't really acknowledge the current movements of things like fat acceptance, hair acceptance, of come clothing companies pledging to not retouch their models etc. it feels like a new book could really be written on the topic for more modern struggles and perspectives. I could go into more, but I can feel me devolving into a rant and I don't want to go there. I'll just say that i'm getting through it as fast as possible so I can mark it off the list and be done.
QOTW: I'd love to live in Chandaresh's mansion in The Night Circus, especially if it got me invited to his midnight parties. I've considered trying to throw my own midnight parties but I don't think my culinary skills are up to something as magical as they are in my head. I'd also agree with Hogwarts, if that counted. But I'd want my own room, not a dorm. Maybe I can just teach and have my own suite.
Mod
This week I finished three books:
The Broken Kingdoms by NK Jemisin, book two in the Hundred Thousand series - loved this one! Even better than the first book.
I Found You by Lisa Jewell - loved this, it was a real page turner ( it had plenty of flaws, but none of them bothered me while I was reading).
The Other Daughter by Lauren Willig - I usually love Willig, but I was very meh about this book.
QOTW I have no idea!
I've recently taken a bit of a break from my reading list, doing a bit of mindless reading last weekend while I enjoyed the bit of a break we're having in the SoCal heat (it at least cools down pretty well at night). I did read Twenties Girl for my book by an author using a pseudonym. It was fun and quirky and a good read.
I went on a bit of a scavenger hunt last night looking for a list book I knew I already owned and actually found a couple books I picked up on vacation probably back in junior high, many, many years ago, so I finally have a book to fill my 'bought on a trip' prompt.
I'm currently at 34/40 and 46/52.
QOTW: It is a very interesting question and not one I really have an answer for, though a lot of you had great suggestions!
Hi everyone. After a long week of non-stop rain the sun is finally back shining like it should be.To my shame I haven't finished any books this week (Shock horror!) but I am a lot further through Red Seas Under Red Skies. I should be finished tomorrow or maybe Saturday.
QOTW: I second the votes for Howl's castle or Mistlethwaite Manor. I can't pick between the two.
Slightly related, but not really, if I ever decide to be a "proper" grown-up and buy my own house I want to call it Kiamo Ko after the witch's castle in Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West but it would be a bit creepy to live there
Question of the WeekPopping in again to answer this week's question. And I'm with those above who picked Gatsby's house. It's my favorite novel. The house is on the water (which I would love) and it The Hobbithas a pool (sorry Jay!)
Also, I'm listening to the audiobook of The Hobbit and it is crushing my will to live. I am just not sure what all the fuss is about. I'm 60% into it and I just don't get it. It's on my list of "100 books to read in your lifetime," recommended by two savvy reader friends and I'll use it for first (and last) in a series you haven't read before. Anyone else? Just me? OK.
Hello everybody!I only finished 1 book this week: Thunderstruck. Erik Larson's writing really appeals to me, and this book was just as meticulously well researched as Devil in the White City. I enjoyed it, but not as much as Devil. The story lines just weren't as interesting to me this time around.
I've started Giant's Bread, which is one of Agatha Christie's romance novels written under the pseudonym Mary Westmacott. It'll be interesting to see how I like her writing in a different genre.
QOTW: There are so many good answers here...Hogwarts, Rivendell, and Pemberley would be wonderful for sure. My first thought actually was the house Nancy Drew investigates in The Hidden Staircase or maybe Samantha's victorian home (from the American Girls series). I fell in love with old houses at a young age. Looking over my shelves a few other awesome fictional homes I wouldn't mind spending a weekend in: the Nautilus from 20000 Leagues Under the Sea, the Amsterdam rowhouse in The Miniaturist, or even Willy Wonka's marvelous chocolate factory (which is definitely not a house but he *does* live there).
Hello!!!!So my list this week:
Lies, Damned Lies, and History by Jodi Taylor LOVE this series.
Libriomancer by Jim C. HinesThis book was very good, interesting magic system, and TONS of literary references.
Magic to the Bone Devon Monk I'm hooked! Add another series to my list. LOL
The Novice by Taran Matharu I liked this one, too!
The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman I'm luke warm on Gaiman novels. This was fabulously written, just weird. :)
Something Tattered by Sabrina Stark I received an ARC of this book. I enjoyed it. Read it in one sitting! There were a few things that I didn't care for, but that happens in almost every romance.QOTW: I immediately thought of the Weasleys! The Burrow always sounded amazing, but it would have to come with the family, too! Then I thought about the Berenstein Bears' Treehouse! Either would be fine with me!
Juanita wrote: "Question of the WeekPopping in again to answer this week's question. And I'm with those above who picked Gatsby's house. It's my favorite novel. The house is on the water (which I would love) and ..."
I am a huge Tolkien fan, but my mom *hated* The Hobbit so much I wasn't allowed to read it as a kid, or even listen to the audio version. (This was the only time she ever censored my reading. I think she had a moment when I moved from YA to Adult in high school, but she didn't say anything.)
I think it's important to remember that it was written for Tolkien's children and is very different from LotR. I find a lot of people don't like it because of their expectations going in, whether from reading or watching LotR or just pop culture. It's definitely not my favorite either (blasphemy!), but I think it can be less painful to read once you understand the context. A lot of the innovations he made don't seem innovative to a modern reader, so just reading it as a fun children's story can make it more fun!
Juanita wrote: "Also, I'm listening to the audiobook of The Hobbit and it is crushing my will to live. I am just not sure what all the fuss is about. I'm 60% into it and I just don't get it. ..."I am so with you on this!!! I tried this and other Tolkien books and just cannot get into them. Most of my female friends who like it read it when they were middle school age -- maybe we missed the golden window of opportunity! ;)
Juanita wrote: "Question of the WeekPopping in again to answer this week's question. And I'm with those above who picked Gatsby's house. It's my favorite novel. The house is on the water (which I would love) and ..."
I prefer the movies! *gasp!*
Juanita wrote: "Question of the WeekPopping in again to answer this week's question. And I'm with those above who picked Gatsby's house. It's my favorite novel. The house is on the water (which I would love) and ..."
Juanita, I am reading it now and had the exact same thoughts just today! I figured it was written for children because of its simplistic writing. I read LotR years ago, which I absolutely loved, so admittedly I started this with expectations of equal greatness. I am sure I would have loved it more if I read it 30 years ago, but reading it as an adult is slightly painful. *hides in corner*
Good afternoon! My biggest baby turned three yesterday ðŸ˜ðŸ˜ðŸ˜ so we've been busy but I did manage to finish Ella Minnie Pea for a book of letters. I lived the fun and clever writing style of this book! I'm still going through the Prisoner of Azkaban a chapter a week with the Harry Potter and the Sacred Text podcast, so that is ongoing. I have started Trafficked by Sophie Hayes but I don't think it will fit a category. I've been reading far too many outside of the challenge and am starting to worry I may not finish 😨 but at least I have definitely expanded my breadth of topics, genres and also have read a bit more from/about people of colour and other cultures.
Also, I actually love the Xanth series but A Spell for Chameleon is not the one I would recommend, if someone wanted to read a Xanth book I would recommend Demons Don't Dream. Piers Anthony is my guilty pleasure, I rank them as similar to someone who loves cheesy romance or agatha christie; easy to digest, formulaic but ultimately just fun.
QOTW
This is a tough one because I have so often wanted to step into the worlds of which I'm reading! I'd love to live in Hogwarts or the Pevensies' castle in Narnia. I am from Nova Scotia just across the Northumberland Straight from PEI so if I didn't want to go far, green gables would be great lol also if I can pick a house from any pop culture fictional house, I think I'd have to go with the McAllister house in Home Alone! That house is gorgeous!
I tried to read The Hobbit in middle school (in the 80s) and hated it then. I enjoyed the movies OK, but preferred LOTR. I never even attempted to read LOTR after the fiasco of The Hobbit! And I'm not ashamed.Anyway, back to this week's reading. I read 2:
A Fall of Marigolds, which I counted as a book set in 2 historical periods (1911 and 2011, with flashbacks to 2001). I liked the plot, themes, and characters, but found the writing style too simple to put it into the "loved it" category. 3 stars
The Autobiography of Malcolm X, which was my final book for the Read Harder challenge, about a POC on a spiritual journey. I learned a LOT reading it, and found him to be really prescient about race relations. His attitudes about women and Jews were repulsive. Given how much he learned and changed throughout his life by seeking out new ideas and experiences, maybe if he had lived longer he would have seen the error of his ways in those areas as well. Reading it also made me think a lot about how hard it is to know the "truth" about historical events, when all we have are the reports of people who are inherently limited to their own view of the situation.
QOTW: The first thing that came to mind was one of the cozy framed houses in the Little House series... Maybe the one the Ingalls lose after the locust plague? Or the one Laura and Almanzo move into when they are first married. Others have made lots of good suggestions, too!
Hi all! Stressful week, but I'm medicating myself with books. :)I finished Futuristic Violence and Fancy Suits
(author who uses a pseudonym) and wound up very much liking it. It had a slow and slightly bumpy start for me, but on reflections a lot of that was setting up the main character in a believable way. Looking forward to a sequel if he decides to write it.
Today I wrapped up The Little Book of Hygge: The Danish Way to Live Well (book with a subtitle) and this snip from my review sums it up: This was cute and had some neat ideas about making happy coziness a part of your life on the regular. It also has nicely designed illustrations that really add to the atmosphere of the book, and it gives a small window on Danish culture that was interesting.
The big demerit for this was it felt like it had a couple/three blog-posts worth of actual content, padded out into a full book.
Now I'm looking at the remaining 10-ish prompts I have left and not feeling excited by any of my proposed books. Might need to troll my TBR list to find stuff that I could shoehorn into a prompt category!
QOTW: My mind immediately went to the Italian castle in The Enchanted April and the Navidson house in House of Leaves. Talk about both ends of the spectrum!
(Upon reading other answers, I would totally live in Bag End if I could!)
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Thrilled for another weekly check-in as I am 2 books closer to being finished -- well really 2 and 3/4's! Plus this weekend is going to be great - kicking off on Saturday with my stitching group meeting at the Cloisters Museum (part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art) - think sewing bee but held in a medieval cloister with amazing art and gardens all around. Finishes:
While a friend was discussing her find for book set at a holiday other than Christmas (The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club which revolves around Armistice Day, a very important European holiday), I suddenly realized that a book I read a couple of weeks ago actually fit the prompt! So I'm counting it as a finish this week...since I only recognized it as a challenge finish this week!
The Greatest Challenge Of Them All - my book set at a holiday other than Christmas - Guy Fawkes Day, which is critical to the intrigue in the story as well, not just a coincidental timing. This is the 3rd book in Laurens' latest trilogy referenced as Devil's Brood. Early Victorian Era historical romance with serious political intrigue running through it. One of my favorite historical authors, loved the trilogy as a whole and the use of Guy Fawkes Day in the final book was inspired.
Zorba the Greek - my final choice as book mentioned in another book (Kingsolver mentions it and even quotes from it in Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life). As I discussed at length last week when I mentioned currently reading it, get the Peter Bien English translation from 2015 as only one from original Greek. Really liked this! Zorba is such a bigger than life character, you can't help but love him. The writing was much more descriptive and lush than I had expected. Really is a discussion of life vs. death and fully living life as opposed to being a mere observer on the side (as the narrator is). This is a very masculine book yet almost delicate in how it is written. FYI - from a 21st Century POV, the portrayal of all the women (and there are not many) is pretty offensive - they are weak, simple, a possession, devils and sirens -- but you have to remember that this was written in 1946, was set in 1916 in a remote area of Crete, and as such it is going to reflect how women were considered in that time in that place. This is not the book for you if that is going to be upsetting and ruin the book for you.
That puts me at 9/12 and 32/42 = 41/52!
Currently Reading:
The Name of the Wind - first book in series not read before -- LOVE LOVE LOVE this! Oh my goodness - it is so wonderfully Dickensian! I am not your typical fantasy reader - read very little fantasy in fact. What I have read and loved tend to cross genres, read more historically or as adventures (GRRM, Tolkien, Juliet McKenna's Tales of Einarinn). This reads so much like Dickens, as well as T. H. White's and Mary Stewart's Arthurian books, they appeal to me. Oh, and this book came my way through my favorite local independent bookstore's 'Blind Date with a Book' - a table filled with brown paper wrapped books all sporting a description to lure you to try it, cover unseen. This one said "Read me if you liked: GRRM Game of Thrones, JK Rowling Harry Potter, Pullman Dark Materials, LeGuin Earthsea (only one I had not read). Best blind date I've ever had!
Hamilton: The Revolution - decided I need to read this as I'm seeing Hamilton for the second time at the end of the month and want to milk everything I can from it (saw originally during Broadway preview and was blown away, stunned, awed, there are not sufficient adjectives but being that overwhelmed, you miss things). Having the song lyrics to read while listening to the cast album is an added boon, and I love all the creative development stories interspersed throughout the 'book' from the musical. Has great pictures too. While this isn't a challenge read for me (doesn't fit any of my remaining categories), it will fit some categories if you need them (i.e. book with photos, genre don't normally read).
Non-challenge reading: one of my clients published his first book - novella really - available only in ebook across all platforms: 'The Weekend' by Alan Winnikoff. Of course I had to read it! Cover is a tad cheesy, we all agree, but it's actually a decent read -- about a young couple around 1999/2000 in NYC who are attracted to each other and spend a weekend together. Story is about whether true intimacy (not just sex) can be achieved in just a weekend. Alan has a wonderful dry wit that shines through, and he brings SoHo so alive it's another character in the story. [and need I mention how pleased I was to say I enjoyed it?]
I also had a stage 2 finish on a previous finish - my NYPL ebook hold on the 10th Anniversary edition of Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life finally came up (the copy I read was the original 2007 edition), so I was able to read the Epilogue which brings us to 2017 -- quite interesting, especially reading how the locavore lifestyle has led both daughters down interesting career paths.
QOTW: A friend and I were just last night talking about how ficitional locales can have such a grip on us. I still lust after the NYC brownstone inhabited by Henry Gamadge in the mystery series by Elizabeth Daly (finally back in print in ebook - Unexpected Night is first in series). Henry is a rare book dealer so of course the rooms are full of rich wood paneling and books books books everywhere. Having actually rented an apartment in a brownstone some years ago, I of course know that all those stairs are not for me any longer, but I still lust after that brownstone....
What a fabulous QOTW! And I have a suggestion for next week's QOTW - what is the best bookstore you have ever visited and why.
Juanita wrote: "Question of the WeekPopping in again to answer this week's question. And I'm with those above who picked Gatsby's house. It's my favorite novel. The house is on the water (which I would love) and ..."
I've tried to read The Hobbit twice and never made it more than 20 pages in.
Juanita wrote: "am also plodding through the audio of The Hobbit, the enthusiasm this book draws from so many is beyond me. I can't imagine reading it but I've had a long commute this week and will be able to finish it during my two-hour drive home to Grand Rapids this afternoon...."You are not alone! I am in the school of not liking The Hobbit. On my last attempt (when movies were coming out) I made it about 1/3rd of the way through. Just don't get the appeal. However, absolutely adore The Lord of the Rings, have read it 3 separate times. If The Hobbit is your only experience with Tolkien, try LOTR - there are various audio versions to be found but I'd listen to a sample before picking one. I liked narrator Rob Inglis but not Ian Holm, for example.
I read The Hobbit and middle school and liked it ok. Read the first of the Lord of the Ring books for a book report following it, and just...never felt the need to go finish the series. But then when all the movies were being made, I tried to start over re-reading the Hobbit, intending to give the whole thing another try and I couldn't even get through the Hobbit again, much less start the actual trilogy. Even for the movies, I watched them and just felt like they were very long. Didn't really inspire me to try to read again. I think you just either like Tolkien or you don't.
For QOTW, I actually have a more recent fictional house - the upstate NY farmhouse (or more aptly 'witches house') from A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness. I loved that house - it was a full character in the book, with it's pocket doors, changing rooms, suddenly revealing items it had hidden for years, etc. It would have to come with the resident cat, the one who loathes all except for the vampire boyfriend of the narrator, of course. Still smile when I think of the house and that cat!
Read:Son - book four in The Giver Quartet. This was my least favorite in the series. Some parts dragged on and there were many unanswered questions.
Perfect - I liked it, but there were some things in the book that irritated me.
A Game of Thrones - A book that’s more than 800 pages
I FINALLY FINISHED IT! Biggest accomplishment of the year.
Currently reading:
Holding Up the Universe - so far I'm liking it!
QOTW: Bilbo Baggins's home! It just seems so cozy!
I've officially run out of excuses. I didn't finish a book this week because of who I am as a person. Hopefully next week I'll get my shit together 😂QOTW: I always wanted to live at Bilbo's home. Or in the Shire in general. Or Rivendell.
To weigh in on the Hobbit discussion...I'm one who doesn't "love it" but it's still decent. It's a kid's book. The second half or so is definitely better, so maybe hang in through to the end? Also, put yourself in a children's book mindset. To me, the book works best if read a chapter or two at a time, just before bed. It reads like a series of short stories that are chronological parts of a broader context.
Hi all,Hot, hot, hot in Vancouver. We have now had one month... no rain!
I'm at 31/40 and 1/12.
Still reading Station Eleven, for the book covering more than one time period. But, I am loving this book. We are getting deeper into the story!
QOTW: Perhaps the house and yard in Charlotte's Web? That has a special spot in my heart.
Dani wrote: "I've officially run out of excuses. I didn't finish a book this week because of who I am as a person. Hopefully next week I'll get my shit together 😂...."
Hahaha! You made my day, Dani. Been there.
Well, I finished The Hobbit. And the only thing is I can cross this off the list(s).Jackie wrote: "To weigh in on the Hobbit discussion...I'm one who doesn't "love it" but it's still decent. It's a kid's book. The second half or so is definitely better, so maybe hang in through to the end? Also, put yourself in a children's book mindset. To me, the book works best if read a chapter or two at a time, just before bed. It reads like a series of short stories that are chronological parts of a broader context."
I sort of did this. I listened to it while driving to Detroit and then during my 20-30 minute commute back to my parents' house every day this week. The audio book was set up in 20 minutes segments.
I hear all the LoTR love and I have seen two of the three films (gasp!) but I don't see myself reading that series. At least not any time soon.
Now to 25/40; 3/12! Woot woot!
Dani: You go, girl! We are who we are.
First time checking in! I'm at 12/40 and 3/12, for a total of 15/52. I just discovered the challenge in May, so it's my first time doing it. I'm an avid reader, but had trouble finding time to read when I first started working this year, and the challenge has been a great motivator to still make "me" time during the day. I finished up Hidden Figures: The Untold True Story of Four African-American Women Who Helped Launch Our Nation into Space (book with a subtitle) and The Nightingale (set during wartime). I loved the movie, Hidden Figures, but the book was a little dry and repetitive at times. I LOVED The Nightingale and finished it in 24 hrs or so. I couldn't stop crying the second half of the book, and have already encouraged everyone I know to read it as well. I have two younger sisters, and I loved how the story, at its heart, is about the bond between two sisters as well.
I'm now reading The Diary of a Young Girl for the red spine prompt. I don't know if I'm in a WWII mood or a mood to cry, but I'm sure that'll be happening during this book as well. My family visited Amsterdam in June, and we got to go to the Anne Frank house and museum, which were incredibly moving, and inspired me to re-read the book.
For the QOTW: Misselthwaite Manor -- I loved the Secret Garden as a child, and I still think that a garden on a sunny day is the perfect reading spot.
Ann wrote: "QOTW: Perhaps the house and yard in Charlotte's Web? That has a special spot in my heart."The house that inspired the book can be yours for a cool $3.7M. I thought it would make a lovely B&B.
I read The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Vol. 1 for the Steampunk prompt. Wasn't a fan. That makes 40/52.QOTW: I will second wanting to have the garden from The Secret Garden. You can keep the manor - too much upkeep - but give me ALL THE PLANTS.
QOTW: Not a literary house, but I've always adored the house from the movie Stepmom. The exterior was also used in the movie The Bounty Hunter, but the way they did the interiors in Stepmom were so cozy. I loved all the little nooks - perfect for reading!
I finished two books this week but can't make one of them fit the challenge. The first, for book recommended by an author you love, was Brush Back, which leaves me at 3/12 for the advanced challenge and 22/40 for the regular challenge.
The second, which I can't fit anywhere, was The Silence Between Breaths. I really enjoyed this, it was a gripping thriller and I found it surprisingly moving.
QOTW: What a great question! And some brilliant options shared so far. I'm torn between the castle in I Capture the Castle or Malory Towers, the boarding school on the Cornish coast written about by Enid Blyton.
Oh!! Boarding school reminds me!Mademoiselle Geraldine's Finishing Academy for Young Ladies of Quality -- a finishing academy located in a giant caterpillar-like dirigible floating over Dartmoor!
Hello, all! It's gorgeous here in Kansas today.Finished:
- An Unsuitable Heir - This is the last book in K.J. Charles's Sins of the City trilogy, and it's far and away my favorite! I liked it a lot. Using it for Modern Mrs. Darcy's prompt of "a book you were excited to buy or borrow but haven't read yet" (I had an ARC of this for a couple of weeks before I picked it up, which is VERY unusual for me with KJ's writing). Brings me 10/12 for the MMM challenge.
- Grace and the Fever - If you are/were ever really involved in fandom, this book is a must-read. Gorgeous and thoughtful! Using it for Around the Year's prompt of "a past suggestion that didn't win," for which I went with the suggested prompt of "a book about entertainment/show business." Now at 31/52 for ATY.
In Progress:
I just started League of Dragons, the final (sniff) book in the Temeraire series, and I'm still working on Pictures Of The Floating World bit by bit.
DNF:
I picked up Dear Emma because I adored Heaney's co-written book Public Relations, but I did NOT like this one. The main character spends the book obsessing about a guy she "dated" for literally 2 weeks and why he doesn't like her anymore. I think many of us have been there, but it was deeply frustrating to read.
QOTW:
I could never choose! So many great ones out there.
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This week I finished my audio reread of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.
Still reading:
The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden� book set in the wilderness. It started off a little slow, but it has picked up. I love the tie in with a Russian fairytale. I'm about a third of the way through.
The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux � I tried to read this as a teen (when I was at the height of my POTO craze), but I guess it just wasn’t the time for it. This week I found an audiobook narrated by Ralph Cosham (who narrated most of the Inspector Gamache series), and I am enjoying it! Also about a third of the way through.
I did some more rearranging on my list this week and am now at 41/52! Woo hoo!
Question of the week:
Inspired by this article:
What is your favorite fictional house?
I had some trouble deciding on just one for this. I think my first choice would be Misselthwaite Manor from The Secret Garden. Who wouldn't want a secret, walled garden that comes with it's own English manor house in Yorkshire?? :)
Tara from Gone with the Wind (minus the slave population) would be my second choice. And if I was still a kid I might be tempted to go with Villa Villekulla from Pippi Longstocking! :)