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Hey guys! I dropped the ball in opening this week's thread. Sorry about that :) It's been a crazy busy week and I had some training first thing this morning at work.

I will post later with my update, but for now.

Question of the week:

Are you in a "real life" book club?

I finished up one I was reading on Saturday and plowed through a deplorable Young Adult on Sunday.

Completed 13/50:
#6 Novel based on a real person: On This Rockne� Darling plot with a sophisticated, witty prose! As the university debates honoring their great football coach, through the gift of a wealthy Irish loving alumnus by perhaps relocated Knute’s grave to the campus. The university staff repeatedly inquired as to where he was buried and we got repeated reference to Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar’s Brutus soliloquy was brilliant. The layers of this book were wonderful! This also could have been #19 for sports; lots of football. 4 stars!!

#16 Book about mental illness - We Were Liars � I need to stop accepting recommendations for Young Adult books. I am not impressed by the teen protagonists� angst. In this book, which I read for mental health, as I thought pathological lying would fall, perhaps was a stretch. Fortunately (not really), we had dementia and brain trauma as additional mental disorders. I normally love reading about people with wealth and privilege, but not this time (view spoiler)[� it was more pretentious teens than anything else. Plus, two dogs were killed � I can handle human murder and death just fine and I am cool with people who hunt, but the insensitive rush by these teens to right a falsely believed wrong resulted in the needless demise of two golden retrievers and three of them. (hide spoiler)] I wish I could give it less than a star�..

Currently reading:
#44 Book tied to your ancestry -Tana French’s The Secret Place- Antoinette Conway was handed an easy case to launch her murder squad career � the murder of a prep school boy on the grounds of an all girls� Catholic school. The easy case was screwed up (turns out it was the landscaper) and Antoinette, who despises privileged mean girls, is determined to set it right. One of the possible suspects brings additional information forward to a Stephen Moran, a cold case detective, a year later. He’s paired with Antoinette and needs to use every ounce of his charm to coax the secrets from the teenaged girls. As for ancestry, I am Irish and I come from a long line of Catholic school alums and police officers.

#34 Book that is published in 2016 - The Queen of Hearts by Dr. Kimmery Martin � I can’t remember the last time I enjoyed a hospital drama! We follow the lives of two best friend doctors, Emma, and, the unfortunately named Zadie. As a young medical intern, Zadie dated her superior, Dr. X. Additionally, ‘something� happened (don’t know yet) that rocked Emma and Zadie’s young lives. Over a decade later, Dr. X shows up in Charlotte, where Emma and Zadie have settled, married, started families, and launched their careers. So far, this debut novel is impressing me. (My only pet peeve is the sappy endearments, especially by Zadie’s youngest child Delaney. And the silly names like Zadie (is Sadie too hard?) and Delaney (Elaine perchance?) and a girl named Rowan- I still can’t get past someone naming a daughter after Mr. Bean.)

QOTW -- No "real' book clubs -- I tried one once and hated the book.

Good Morning,

Hope everyone is enjoying their Thursday so far.

Finished:

Turtles All the Way Down - for a book about mental health. I didn't love this book but also didn't hate it. It was just okay for me.

Bonfire - for your favorite prompt from the 2015, 2016, or 2017 POPSUGAR Reading Challenges. I really liked this one. I love a good mystery/thriller. I look forward to what Krysten Ritter writes next.

That puts me at 4/52.

Currently Reading:

After You - for the next book in a series you started. This is one I've been meaning to read for awhile and I'm glad that I can fit it into this challenge. Haven't actually started it yet but can't wait to dig in.

The Girl with All the Gifts - for a book set in a country that fascinates you. The prompt is a bit of a stretch for the book but it does take place in England and England does fascinate me. I'm about half way through it and really enjoy it. I actually saw the movie first and loved it.

QOTW:

Nope I'm not in a real life book club. I'd like to be but haven't joined one yet.

Hello,

Nothing new to report on my side. I am still reading The Eye of the World for another group, but really slowly. I've been in a bit of a reading slump since the beginning of the year. I sometime think that I should stop the challenge and read anything I want for a while.

QOTW: I've been in a book club and loved it, but I don't participate in any right now.

wow...I got here early this week. Anyways, I am still in the middle of a very depressing reading slump. I only finished 1 book last week, and it was a book that took me a week and a half to finish (completely unheard of for me), and it doesn't even fill any prompts for the challenge. Apparently the flu has decided to visit my house. My middle daughter has spent the last 4 days home sick from school, thankfully she is feeling better today and should be back to school tomorrow.

Finished:
Renegades - non challenge book
It seems like it took me forever to finish this one. Like I said, it took me a week and a half to finish it. Don't get me wrong, it was a good book, I really enjoyed it and am looking forward to the next in the series to come out, I just had no interest in reading for a while.

Progress:
4/42 regular challenge
2/10 advanced challenge

Current (and upcoming) Reads:
Wonder Woman: Warbringer - a book with alliteration
American War - an author of a different ethnicity
Seabiscuit: An American Legend - a book about or involving sports

QotW
I am not currently in a "real life" book club, but I have always wanted to be. I am just afraid that I would never read the books that were chosen because I am not a fan of being told what to read.

Hi all, good morning! Busy day ahead so figured I'd check in now.

Finished:
- The Clockwork Dynasty -- 2017 prompt of a steampunk book. AND WITH THAT I AM DONE WITH THE 2017 CHALLENGE! WOHOO! Can you tell that I'm excited about it? I actually really enjoyed this book more than I was expecting. The alternating story lines were pretty compelling and interesting.

- Dear Martin -- 2018 prompt of book about a problem society is facing today. This book has fantastic reviews for a reason--it is so good and moving and thought-provoking. One of my favorite reads so far this year. The one mistake I made was to start this at a time when I had other things to do. I could not put this down and spent a good part of my day ugly crying.

I'm at 3/52.

Currently Reading
- The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society -- 2018 prompt of book with a fruit or veggie in the title. I've heard so many rave reviews of the book (some in this group) and the movie is coming out this year, so expectations are high. I'm about half-way through and I like it so far, but I wouldn't call it my favorite just yet. I hope it reaches those levels in the next half.

QotW
I'm not in a "real" life book club; I'm a member of Book of the Month, which kinda feels like a book club. I would like to join a more intimate in-person book club, though I'm not sure I have the time for it.

This week I finished:
Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas for time of day in the title
The Hole: A Novel by Hye-Young Pyun for a book by an author who's a different ethnicity than me.
Chariots of Fire William J. Weatherby for a book based on a real person.

The Vile Village and The Hostile Hospital by Lemony Snicket aloud to my son. Both I haven't put in the challenge.

I'm working on:
Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon which I am finally almost finished with. I'll be using for ancestry.
The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith. Listening to this one on audio for the female author using a male pseudonym.
The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan on audio with my son, for the weather in title
The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie. I'll probably put this in death or grief.

I'll be starting Beartown for the group read when it becomes available at my library!

QOTW:
I was. I created it 2 years ago with about 6 people I was going to miss when I quit my job. It dissolved in November. Just got harder and harder to meet and a couple people weren't very motivated to read the books.

Good morning, everyone!

I finished only one book this week, The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America's Shining Women (for the advanced prompt of a microhistory). It's so well written and researched, and really made me feel for the young women and girls who were sickened and even died so the factory owners could make a lot of money. I'd like to think our laws protect us from that now, but I'm not so sure.

I'm currently reading Purple Hibiscus for a book with my favorite color in the title. I had read and really liked another of the author's books, Americanah, and so far I like this one even more.

Question of the Week

Yes, I belong to a book club in real life. It's great to have a group of people to discuss a book with!

Fannie wrote: "I sometime think that I should stop the challenge and read anything I want for a while...."

This has happened to me a couple times, too. When I do just read whatever I want, I often find it fits one of the prompts after all! That's especially true early in the year when most of the prompts are still waiting to be finished. Whatever you decide, enjoy your reading!

Hi everyone,

I have finished 10 books for the challenge, which is a lot for me for only 6 weeks in. Audiobooks have definitely helped.

Finished:
The Bear and the Nightingale in Kindle format. I absolutely loved it, my first 5 star rating here so far. I used this for the animal in the title prompt.

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe in audiobook. Very grateful to the participants of this challenge for recommending the audio version read by Lin-Manuel Miranda. I loved it. I used for the LBGTQ+ protagonist.

Currently reading:
Beartown on Kindle for book about a sport. Halfway in and I really like it so far.

The Romanovs: 1613-1918 in hardcover for borrowed book. I am about 2 pages in over two weeks, so good luck to me.

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings on audiobook read by Maya Angelou. Not sure I will be able to fit this book in anywhere, but that doesn't matter, I will have extra books.

QOTW:
I do belong to a real life book club. I am in it with my sister, but it's near her, so it's not always practical for me to go. And they cancel it a lot. They have not met since I have been participating in this challenge.

I've not made much progress on the challenge this week, I read Spare and Found Parts, which had a Frankenstein vibe to it and a had a society that blamed computers for everything. Some days I can see where they're coming from :D Alas it doesn't fall into a POPSUGAR prompt.

I'm currently reading River of Teeth (hippo western!) for Read Harder and I might be able to wedge it into the anti-hero slot here.

I also started The Stone Sky and I'm excited about finishing this trilogy (again, not a challenge book unless I get a brainwave whilst reading it).

QOTW:
I was in a book group for years and even ran it for a bit, but near the end they were picking books I just didn't feel like reading. When I moved house it was a bit trickier to attend so I used it as an excuse to quit. I'd probably join another one nearer to my home if I found one, especially if they read lots of genres.

Slow week for me. Finished A Dirty Job, by Christopher Moore, for a book about death or grief. A fun read, given the subject! I think I’m at 10/104, need to pick up the pace a bit!

QOTW - yes, I’m in a real life book club. 6-8 ladies, and an occasional gentleman, in our little mostly-retirees condo community. A little food, a little drink, a little gossip, and a lot of great reading and discussion.

Good afternoon from the Netherlands!

I've been having some trouble reading lately, because I've just been so tired and am currently getting sick, but I did manage to read two books and half of another, so all in all, I don't think I did too badly, considering.

9/42 - 1/10 (- 1/12 for Read the Classics)

Read
The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend - non challenge read. I read this mostly as a Hartwin AU, and am honestly considering buying this book so I can write it. Nice fluffy read.

De autist en de postduif (The Autist and the Carrier Pigeon) - wasn't planned for the challenge, but it fits the "different ethnicity" prompt, so I decided to bump Marie Lu's 'Legend' off the list and use this one instead. 'Legend' will still remain on my list for BTB so fingers crossed I'll get to it later this year. As for this book, I had/have my issues with it, and the first half was quite slow, but I actually did enjoy it, so that's good. Unfortunately not translated into English.

Currently reading
Fighting Fatigue: A Practical Guide to Managing the Symptoms of CFS/ME for the two authors prompt, and yes, still. However, I finally hit the halfway mark, so I'm finally making progress. Am going to buy this book soon, because it has so many good tips I want to try, and I can't just keep this book from the library forever. Given the fact somebody reserved it, the fees would be out of this world haha!

Call Me by Your Name for the book recommended by someone taking this challenge. Remember how I said I was gonna start this during last week's challenge? ...yeah. BUT, I finally started it today. I'm not far in yet, because I can't read on my phone, but the start is there, and I plan to continue on my laptop soon.

I hope to finish both of these before next week's check in, and have started The Shadow of the Wind for the weather element in the title.

QOTW
I have never been in a book club before, and I don't think it would work for me either. The books would most likely be in Dutch, which is something I can only take so much of, and I don't like to be told what to read. Besides, the meetings would be very exhausting to me, and I'd hate to cancel all the time. But I wish I could, because it seems like fun. Long live reading with people online!

This week was a very productive reading week for me, but all the books were for the very young. If you have third through fifth grade readers and are looking for recently published chapter books, this post is for you.

First Cousins at the Farm: A First Cousin Shenanigan Book- a grandma's memoir about when her nine grandchildren stayed with her for two weeks. Not worth anyone's time.
Beatrice Zinker, Upside Down Thinker- a solid chapter book for second and third grade readers. I would recommend it to kiddos who are looking for something that isn't too difficult.
The Secret Sheriff of Sixth Grade- I like Sonnenblick, but am not sure where to put this book. It reads like a fourth/fifth grade book, but the boyfriend hits the mom and a dad hits his son. I am not sure I'd recommend this book.
The Unlikely Story of a Pig in the City- a young girl ends up with a pig and is supposed to find a home for it. Some kiddos will love it and some will find it meh. It was written well- so for kiddos who like animals and realistic fiction this is for them.
Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus- a girl without arms solves a mystery about her past. I didn't love this book, but I did love the optimism and the determination the girl showed in the face of her disability.
Tumble & Blue- I enjoyed this book about a boy who is 'cursed' and his efforts (with his friend) to overcome the curse. There is a healthy dose of fantasy mixed in with a book that reads like realistic fiction.
Confessions from the Principal's Kid- another solid chapter book for kiddos from third through fifth grade.
Greetings from Witness Protection!- I enjoyed this book about a girl helping a family in the witness protection program. Not realistic at all but a fun read for a fourth through sixth grader.
Everless- A great YA book that I would recommend to any teen who likes fantasy
Hunted- a YA retelling of Beauty and the Beast. Only meh.

I hope this helps someone find a book for their kiddos.

QOTW: I am not currently in a 'real live' reading group, but have been in several in the past. I enjoy them, I just haven't found the right one for now.
Happy Reading!

I managed to get some reading done so I'm happy this week.

From the regular challenge I read Wintersong for the prompt A book by an author of a different ethnicity than you (I have several for this one but this is the one I got to first). It was an excellent historical book dealing with the Germany Goblin King mythos.

For the prompt A book about death or griefThe Whispering Skull. I picked this middle grade series book up simply because I loved the first book then realized wait, it's all about ghosts and what happens after we die so.... Loved this book too.

And for the Advanced challenge prompt of A book by an author with the same first or last name as you I read A Night Too Dark My first name is Dana.

I also read The Thunderbolt Affair This was meant for the at sea prompt since it's about the race to get submarines as workable parts of the British navy on the heels of a world war but the darned thing never got out of dry dock and the only water it saw was the Thames River. Oh well. I still enjoyed it.

QOTW I do not belong to a real life book club, not in years. Almost everywhere I go they're exclusively contemporary fiction which I do not enjoy. I've tried to get one going for mystery or SF/F but there just hasn't been enough interest locally I'm sad to say.

Hello, fellow readers! I got to do a lot of reading this week not as much finishing as I would like so next week I might have made more progress. Weather in Oregon is cool and more spring like but not currently raining.

Finished:
Eddie Red Undercover: Mystery on Museum Mile (read aloud to the girls, favorite color in the title)- fun mystery, great characters and middle school humor that wasn't totally disgusting

Currently:
The Inquisitor's Tale: Or, the Three Magical Children and Their Holy Dog (separate Newbery Challenge) I was so close to finishing this but I LOVE this book! At first I wasn't sure but now that I got into it- it is so unique and funny and adventurous and faith challenging. Can't wait to find out what happens in the end.
Truevine: Two Brothers, a Kidnapping, and a Mother's Quest: A True Story of the Jim Crow South (True Crime)- I am not very far in this book but it is well researched even if the main story doesn't seem to be the main story.
Beartown (a book involving sports and Feb. Group read)- I am almost afraid to say it, but I do NOT like this book. I didn't read A Man Called Ove so I don't feel any obligation or loyalty to the author. This book pretty much reminds me why I hate sports culture. It might be that I am only a quarter of the way done. It might be because it is depressing and angsty and I am not in the mood. It might be because I am listening to it. It feels predictable, full of cliches, and overly profane. There are WAY too many characters. Sorry, but I don't get the great praise for this book- MAYBE as I get farther along- but so far not loving it.

Progress: 6/40 & 0/10

QoTW
I am not in a "real life" book club right now, but I REALLY REALLY REALLY want to be. I have thought many times about starting one myself. I use to participate in my library's book club but they meet when I have church obligations so once I don't have to volunteer there I want to go back eventually.

An unseasonably warm hello from Idaho! Trying to dodge the flu bug here and work on the second draft of my novel -- no small feat when I'm easily distracted by other people's books and by the Internet... XD

Books I finished this week:

Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, and the Prison of Belief -- book mentioned in another book. This is, hands-down, the most frightening book I have ever read. More so than even standard horror novels, because it tells a horrifying true story about one of the world's most controversial religions. (For the curious, this book was mentioned in The Unbreakable Miss Lovely: How the Church of Scientology tried to destroy Paulette Cooper, which I read for the "book about an interesting woman" prompt last year.)

The Man Who Loved Books Too Much: The True Story of a Thief, a Detective, and a World of Literary Obsession -- book involving a heist. I thought I would love this one, but I ended up despising the book's central character, and while the world of rare books was fascinating, the writing was merely okay.

Room -- past Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ Choice winner. This was a heartwrenching read, but ultimately hopeful, and told a fascinating story. And being told from the point of view of a child helped soften what could have been a horrifying subject matter.

Dandelion Wine -- not for the challenge. I love Ray Bradbury's writing, and while this book was a change of pace from his usual sci-fi fare, it was still a lovely reminiscence of his childhood in a small Midwestern town.

The Language of Thorns: Midnight Tales and Dangerous Magic -- not for the challenge. I love Leigh Bardugo's "Grisha" series and Six of Crows duology, so reading more stories set in the same world was a treat. And just further whets my appetite for King of Scars next year...

QOTW:

I've never been part of a book club. Mostly because the book clubs I do find never seem to read books I'm interested in...

This week I finished The Hate U Give (prompt 32), and I definitely recommend it. The acronym phrase really stuck in my head: "The Hate U Give Little Infants F*cks Everyone." Powerful stuff.

I also finished Books for Living, which didn't fit a prompt, but I love books about books, haha. And Barking Up the Wrong Tree: The Surprising Science Behind Why Everything You Know About Success Is (Mostly) Wrong, which I enjoyed (except they missed the whole racism issue that is tied to success in every sector) but I would recommend it for any fans of Freakonomics stuff.

Now I'm reading Beartown (prompt 19) for the reading group. I'm almost done with it, and it's been tough. I didn't realize it would hit so close to home, but it's a really important subject and well-written.

I just started The Virgin Suicides after hearing about it so many times in Dear Fahrenheit 451: Love and Heartbreak in the Stacks: A Librarian's Love Letters and Breakup Notes to the Books in Her Life.

So far I'm only at 13/50 for the challenge. I keep reading books in between that don't count, but I think I'll be able to finish pretty quickly anyway (audiobooks definitely help).

QOTW:
I'm in four in-person book clubs. They're all pretty different, and I love them. Two of them are at work, one is a friends group, and the other one is a social justice group that I volunteer with. I really enjoy discussing books with others, and sometimes think about joining more, but I don't have time for more in-person meetings.

Well we got a big old snow storm yesterday and instead of staying cozy and reading, I shoveled and the watched a lot of youtube. But I did make a lot of progress this week!

I'm at 7/42 in the main challenge.

Finished this week:

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: The Original Screenplay: As I said last week, there's not a ton of point to this book and it definitely doesn't add any insight into the movie. The cover is gorgeous and I love the illustrations inside. And Newt is such a sweetie. It's not often that you get a male fantasy adventure lead whose main trait is his compassion.

Pretty Deadly, Vol. 1: The Shrike by Kelly Sue DeConnick: IIIIIIIII am torn about this one. I found it annoying that I spent the first three or so issues having no idea what is going on. I think there are much more effective ways of introducing a reader to your world. But the art is some of my favorite comic art I've seen.

Saga, Vol. 1 by Brian K. Vaughan: I loved this so much!!!! It was so fun!!!!!! I can't wait to read more. The world is really immersive, the characters talk like people actually speak (which I find to be rare in comics), and it's genuinely funny.

Beauty Queens by Libba Bray: Last week I talked about this book and so many people warned me it would only get worse. They were right. It's not as clever as it thinks it is, it's misogynistic and racist and tries to use tokenism to make a point but falls prey to the worst aspects of it. I thought it was obnoxious and unenjoyable from beginning to end.

1808 by Laurentino Gomes: This is a super fun history book about the years when the Portuguese court fled to Brazil to escape Napoleon. I would highly recommend this book if you're looking for a light historical nonfiction read. The tone makes it really easy to read (not academic at all) and it's well-researched and sourced.

Currently reading:
Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House: Will I ever finish this book? Who can say?

The Handmaid's Tale: Just started it last night and am on an Atwood kick.

About to start either Jane Eyre or Wuthering Heights but can't decide which I'd like to start first.

QotW:
I tried to be a part of a suffrage and women's rights book club last year, but it was at the height of my busiest semester and I ended up flaking. I'll have to try again some time.

I've been on a huge reading spurt so far this year, and would be at about the part where it would taper off to a more sustainable level, and I would go back to occasionally watching Star Trek TNG with my free time instead of JUST reading, but... I had a free two month trial of Kindle Unlimited that I had to start by January 31st or it would expire, so I want to read all the KU books from my TBR in the next two months and I just discovered NetGalley, and of course I still have a stack of print books that I want to get to soon... The upside of this is that as long as I don't burn out, I may break my yearly reading record this year. :-)

Currently Reading:

The Secret Piano: From Mao's Labor Camps to Bach's Goldberg Variations Almost done with this audio book. I've been listening to it in a lot of spare moments to try to get it over with. It's not bad, I'm just not loving it.

A Gospel Primer for Christians: Learning to See the Glories of God's Love A KU book I started Sunday afternoon and will probably finish next Sunday.

Castle of Wizardry I started this because I needed a print book to read in the bathtub. :-) I'm enjoying this series the most of anything I have going right now, but I keep getting distracted by e-books.

The Splitting The next in a YA sci-fi series that I started last time I had a KU trial. I'm using this for my book set an on another planet.

Perfectly Creamy Frozen Yogurt: 56 Amazing Flavors plus Recipes for Pies, Cakes Other Frozen Desserts A NetGalley cookbook. I haven't tested any of the recipes yet, but I have several I want to try.

Finished Reading:

The Fringe Hours: Making Time for You I was almost done with this at the last check in, and my assessment then still stands--if a woman is going to read one time management book this is a good one to pick, but it's still not quite the time management book that I'm always hoping for.

Rumpled One of the KU books from my TBR. This would make a good 'villian or antihero' book if I hadn't already filled that prompt. I rated it two stars because I found some elements disturbing, but it was well written and compelling regardless.

Immersed Maybe I would have enjoyed this more if I didn't feel like I have a giant TBR towering over me while I read. I remembered really enjoying the first book in this series, but when I went book and looked at the review for that one, it turns out I actually couldn't get into it at the beginning and only got hooked later, so maybe it's more a series that I want to like. In addition, I tried to convince myself that it could count for the cyberpunk prompt, but really it's only cyber with no punk.

Food Wars!, Vol. 1 For 'favorite previous prompt--graphic novel'. This was fun. And weird. But mostly fun.

QOTW:

As an opinionated introvert I can only see enjoying a book club if it was made up of people I liked hanging out with anyway and I got to have significant input on which books we picked to read. And even then, I don't think I'd enjoy it any more than just casually chatting with my friends and online acquaintances about books we've read.

Hi everyone! Hope everyone is having a good week.

I finished 2 books for Popsugar this week, so I’m now at 10/50.

Books I read this week:
The Refugees by Viet Thanh Nguyen for a book by an author of a different ethnicity than me (14). I usually don’t pick up short story collections, but this one was beautifully written and crammed so much emotion into a small amount of writing.

Forever Odd by Dean Koontz for the next book in a series you started (3). This is #2 in the Odd Thomas series, and I just read the first book a few weeks ago. Like the previous book, this one jumps right into the action and has witty dialogue. I liked Odd Thomas better, but I will continue with the series.

One Pink Line by Dina Silver for the Around the Year challenge. This was predictable in a Hallmark movie kind of way. I needed something light to read on a road trip, and this fit perfectly.


I am currently reading:
Fool Moon by Jim Butcher for the Around the Year challenge. This is #2 in the Dresden Files series. I've got this one on audio because James Marsters is the narrator, and I'm a fan.
Big Red Tequila by Rick Riordan for the Around the Year challenge.

QOTW: I used to be in a real life book club, but it was really more of a "book club." Actually, it is how I met most of my friends when I moved to Texas several years ago. We did have a book each month, but I don't think it was ever discussed. It was more about drinking wine and trying out hot new restaurants in town.

Hi all missed last Thursday's check in as I had the flu. Ugh, lets leave it at that. I finished The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry what a great book. Loved it. Then I read Wallace: The Underdog Who Conquered a Sport, Saved a Marriage, and Championed Pit Bulls-- One Flying Disc at a Time another great book. I then went to the library and picked up 3books ( I get all my books at the library) and I could not get into any of them. So I took them all back and picked up 12 years a slave which so far I'm finding interesting. I wouldn't say enjoying because slavery is not an enjoyable topic! Feeling much better so should be a better reading week coming up. My sympathies to all going thru the flu!
I'm going to a book discussion later this month but not sure where I'll fit the book in the prompts. Still looks interesting Dinner With Edward

Cheri wrote: "Fannie wrote: "I sometime think that I should stop the challenge and read anything I want for a while...."

This has happened to me a couple times, too. When I do just read whatever I want, I often..."

You're right. Anyway I could not stop reading, so I may try to fit books in my challenge and I will most probably start back later.

Thanks.

Good morning guys! I've started like 5 books this year and finally finished one haha.

Finished:

Beartown by Fredrik Backman for a book about or involving sports. I really loved this one! I think it would be a great pick for someone dreading the prompt, as it really is about so much more than hockey. I'm still a little unsure about the choppy writing style, as it can sometimes seem lazy to me, but I don't think that was Backman's intention.

Currently Reading:

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon. I'm really disappointed with this one. I got about halfway through and started so many other things and have yet to go back and pick it up. I will push through, but probably won't continue with the series.

Still Me by Jojo Moyes. I have to admit I was surprised to see Moyes come out with a third installment in this series. I was underwhelmed with After You, and by the end I almost wished she hadn't continued at all. But I'm happy to see this is getting excellent reviews!

The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah. I think I might use this for the local author prompt. Hannah is originally from California, but she graduated from the University of Washington and, I believe, has lived here ever since. She lives a short drive and a ferry ride away from me now.

Question of the Week:

No, I'm not part of a real life book club, but I would like to be! Many of my friends read but we are all so busy I don't think we could commit to meeting in person. I do have a friend who we often read the same books at the same time and discuss after.

I finished my re-read of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Towards the end of last year I started re-reading the entire series but I couldn't squeeze this one and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in. I'm listening to the audiobook as I don't commute in with my husband to work anymore so this is a good way to be able to fit reading in to my schedule. I'm about to go on a lunch break so I'll be able to read/listen to some more!

I'm also still working on The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest.

Nothing for the challenge so I'm still at 3/52.

QOTW No real life book clubs for me.

Hi all!

Looks like Michigan is going to be hit by a big pile of snow tomorrow, that'll be fun to run through on Saturday for my Undie Run. Boooo.

This week I finished:

The Strange Case of the Alchemist's Daughter I think I was still reading htis last week, but I finished it after check in. I really liked it, fun victorian fictional mash up. I'm looking forward to book two coming out later this year. I got this in a book exchange, so I'm counting it as my gift book.

Timebound - Book about time travel. I was mixed on this. It wasn't terrible, but I don't love time travel in general. it often just gets sloppy and confusing, and I felt that's what this did. However now I'm kind of miffed because the plot didn't get resolved enough for me to just call it good, I feel like I need to read the rest just to know what happens. Sigh. Maybe in a few weeks I'll see if i can get them through the library loan.

Midnight at the Electric - Book with a time of day in the title. I loved this one. It was short, but impactful. It was written as a woman finding a diary and a stack of letters and piecing together a story of two women from different generations, and how their stories were related. It was bittersweet, but in a good way. Like really dark chocolate.

Currently reading:

Britt-Marie Was Here - book about sports. Doing audio on this one because it's what my library had. However the narrator is pretty good, at least for the Britt-Marie parts. Same author is Beartown, but I already DNFed Beartown last year and didn't feel like giving it another go. I like this one SO MUCH MORE. I didn't love the character Britt-Marie from My Grandmother Asked.... but this book is making me 180 on my perspective.

Eleanor & Park - book set in the decade I was born (80s). This is just ok for me. I think it's well written, and maybe I'd have liked it more as a teen. I just don't love straight up romances, where the entire plot revolves around the couple. And being a teen romance means you get all the teen drama of families, siblings, cruel teenagers etc. More of a me thing than a book thing.

puts me at 12/50 for the challenge, not counting my in progress.

QOTW: No on the in person book clubs. My library always has notices for book clubs, but they all meet during the day, during the week. So clearly are meant for retired people, or those who don't work 9-5 jobs. I like the idea of a book club, but I tend to stick to online ones because I just can't be bothered to hunt for one. Also I wouldn't want to drive very far, so if it's not local I probably wouldn't join.

Same as last week in terms of quantity - 4 books, 2 being graphic novels, 1 memoir, 1 short-story collection. Only 1 counted for Popsugar.

The Thing Around Your Neck - Really good collection. I think I've finally figured out how to read collections right - one story at a time, taking it slow, whereas in the past I've just rushed right through and not absorbed the individual stories properly.
[This counted for the Feminist Lit February readathon, challenge 4, "read a book by a black woman".]

Adulthood Is a Myth - Sweet little comics, very relatable. Kept showing the comics I enjoyed most to my mum and eventually she read it and thought it was great too. :D Looking forward to reading the other Sarah's Scribbles volumes.

How to Be a Woman - Mixed feelings about this one, her rants/essays on womanhood and feminism were on-point and very entertaining, but I didn't really enjoy the memoir bits - a lot of it was samey-samey anecdotes about sex, drugs and drink, with gratuitous namedropping thrown in. The essays were good enough that I'd like to read her next book, though.
[This counted for Popsugar #32, "a book from a celebrity book club" - it was a pick for Emma Watson's Our Shared Shelf group.]

Queer: A Graphic History - This was more a light-hearted textbook with cartoons than a graphic novel, not quite what I was expecting. Very interesting, learned a few things, but I think I need to reread it with a clearer head - I was pretty tired at the time.

I'm currently reading The Glass Town Game, an Alice-in-Wonderland-style fantasy novel about the Brontë siblings. It's very good but perhaps a bit too madcap and I also think it's a bit too chunky (500+ pgs) for this style of book. I'll be using it for prompt #6, "a novel based on a real person".

QOTW: No, I've never been in an IRL book club. I don't think there's many in my area and even if there were, I doubt it would be my taste in literature. I have this mental image of a book club being nothing but 50-year-olds discussing James Patterson and Danielle Steel, and uh, more power to them, but that's not my bag. (Yes, I know this is a very unfair stereotype of book clubs. Sorry.)

Hi all! We got some more snow and ice this week, and I am dreaming of warm weather.

I finished Redefining Realness: My Path to Womanhood, Identity, Love & So Much More by Janet Mock, which I counted as a book with an alliterative title. I really enjoyed it and look forward to reading her other memoir.

I last minute decided to only read black authors for black history month, so I'm putting Little Fires Everywhere on hold for now. I started An Untamed State by Roxane Gay since I've never read fiction by her. I have some other books planned for this month, but I'm not sure what else is next.

QOTW: I'm not in a real life book club, but I would probably join one for the sole excuse of having a chance to get together with friends and drink wine!

This week was pretty boring but I'm excited for today. The library cart I ordered is out for delivery!

My husband has been complaining about the pile of books overtaking my nightstand. I have to agree it's a bit out of control because they are piled right up to the lamp shade and we can no longer turn on the light without moving some. (I asked him how many he thought I had. His guess 30... well he'd be right if I removed 45 of them. Good thing he doesn't look under the nightstand or in the drawer.)

A few nights ago I announced I bought the library cart to help the book problem. My husband said," Doesn't that just give you more room for more books?" My son replied, "What are you going to do with that, push them around the house?" I just can't win.

I did not finish reading any books this week but I did start A Man Called Ove. Ove reminds me of my father's personality trapped inside my grandfather's body. Weird..

QOTW
I have never been in a real life book club but I long to be involved in one. My fear of not being able to participate in the group discussion holds me back. I read for the story. I do not read between the lines for the underlying hidden meanings and character traits.

Hello everyone! Allergy season has started already in Sacramento, and I am so bitter about it. Silly blooming flowers. It does mean I am motivated to stay inside and read, though! That is, until backpacking season starts. :-)

I finished two books this week, bringing me to 6/52 for my challenge. I finished Homegoing for the book I meant to read in 2017, and I'm so glad I finally got to it. I usually loathe multigenerational sagas, but this one did such a good job of keeping the characters distinct but running various motifs through multiple generations. The ending was a little abrupt, but it's a small quibble. Overall it definitely lived up to the hype.
I also read Rich People Problems (celebrity book club), which is the third book in the Crazy Rich Asians trilogy. It's a very silly book, but super fun.
I'm still working on At the Existentialist Café, and I am starting The Wedding Date (published in 2018) at lunch.
QOTW: My brother and I have a book club, creatively titled "Brother-Sister Book Club", and we read a ton of great books (and a few duds). We generally switch off picking books, and try to hit a wide variety of genres. We're currently reading At the Existentialist Café: Freedom, Being, and Apricot Cocktails, and next up is Frankenstein in Baghdad. We can't meet in person, since I'm in California and he's in Germany, but we Skype regularly.

Diane wrote: "I read for the story. I do not read between the lines for the underlying hidden meanings and character traits."

Same though! Whenever I look at book club questions I just blank, because that's not how I read at all!

Hello from Columbus! Yesterday was a snow day for us, but thankfully it hasn’t been bitter cold. I thought I’d have a fifth book done by the time I posted this, but the last two days have been migraine hell so I didn’t feel like digging in.

Darkly Dreaming Dexter was my villain or anti-hero pick. The second my eyes glazed over the reading list this year, I knew Dexter was going to be my pick for this category. Dexter was on of my favorite shows (and what does it say about me that the two fictional characters I most want to marry are Dexter Morgan and Hannibal Lecter?). The first book is essentially just the first season, but from what I understand the show and books go in different directions at that point. I don’t think I would have enjoyed this book as much if I didn’t have a “relationship� with all of the characters. The book kind of lacks depth but I could imagine it was there since I was already so familiar with it. The second book just came up in my overdrive app so I’m going to see where that goes.

The Night Gardener was another pick for the time of day prompt. My daughter got this one year for the barnes and noble kids summer reading club (you get a free book when you finish the form, it’s a cool program if you haven’t checked it out). She read it and liked it, and the premise piqued my interest enough to make me want to get to it too. It’s pretty good for a book geared toward middle schoolers.

The Last Winter of Dani Lancing was my book about death or grief. And you guys. This book was not good. I was so excited to find a book with a character named Dani but I was so disappointed in it. The audiobook was awful. The characters where unbelievable and just... bad people. The only redeeming quality that I wanted to know how and why Dani died but otherwise it was all just melodramatic nonsense. So if anyone has a book recommendation with a girl named Dani please let me know haha.

Lily and the Octopus was my lgbt protagonist prompt pick. This book made me ugly cry. But I loved it regardless. It has that small dash of magical realism that I adore and it touches on the topic of coping with the realization that pets age and will eventually die, which is very near and dear to my heart. I had a husky for 13 years, he was my baby and coming to terms with his aging was an emotional journey for me. It’s been almost 4 years and I still miss him daily. The book had a sweet ending, so I was really thankful that it ended on an upswing.

So I’m at 11/40; 0/12 with 15 books read this year.

QOTW: I started a book club in November. It usually just me, my sister, and two of my friends brunching. We briefly talk about the book and then end up catching up most of the time.

This week I finished The Goldfinch. I was excited to read it because everyone was talking about it a few years ago and it has been on my TBR for ages and I was not disappointed. It seems to be a book that splits opinions but I am firmly on the love it side and it is my first 5 star book of the year. I read this for my book about a heist prompt. It's not a typical heist book but I think it still counts. I could also use it as a book about death or grief, a book about mental health (addiction), a book with an animal in the title, a book mentioned in another book or a book from a celebrity book club so I can move it if I read something that better fits the prompt.

This takes me to 5/40 books

I started two books this week. The first is Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince a reread for the Wizarding World Book Club. This book club reads 4-5 chapters a week so I won't be done with this for a few more months. I will probably use this for the female author with a pseudonym prompt.

The second book I started was The Taliban Cricket Club for the book about a sport prompt. I am not far into it but I am liking it so far. It is about a woman who secretly trains a men's cricket team to enter an international competition and have a chance to escape Afghanistan. It has been a long time since I read The Breadwinner but it has a similar feel to it (although aimed at adult readers). Life under the Taliban regime was so brutal.

I'm not part of any book clubs but I'm trying to convince my boyfriend to bring me along to his. He says its a work thing though :(

Hi all!

8/52 so far :)

Finished:

24. A book with a weather element in the title - The Name of the Wind - This was a doozy! I didn't really get into it until I was 60% through it. But then I couldn't put it down. I'll definitely be trying to find a prompt for the second book in the trilogy. I also noticed that the 3rd book isn't out yet, which is a bummer.

Currently Reading:

8. A book with with a time of day in the title - Midnight Crossroad - Not really the best book, but I'm a sucker for a Charlaine Harris series. Plus it's been on my Kindle for ages.

30. A book with characters who are twins - Three Wishes - Okay, so I'm cheating on this one a bit, because they are actually triplets. But, 2 of the triplets are identical, and one isn't. So I'm counting it. Mainly because I need a light book after finishing The Name of the Wind. And it's another one that has just been sitting in my Kindle forever.

QOTW - I am in a real life book club! We meet the second Monday of every month at a bar/restaurant. I found it on Meetup a year and a half ago, and it has been spectacular!

Happy Thursday! I forgot that it's Thursday!! It's ... still snowing here.

I had this feeling that I didn't finish many books this week, so I was really surprised to see that I finished six books this week! Four novels, one picture book, and one graphic novel; two of them count for this challenge, so I am now 15/50.:

Arbitrary Stupid Goal by Tamara Shopsin - this was rated 5 stars by a Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ friend, for the AtY category. I was disappointed in the writing style, and did NOT give it 5 stars!

Batman Vol. 2: I Am Suicide - the title of this volume plays off of "I Am Gotham" from the first volume, and Batman does say "I am suicide" but I thought that whole passage was kind of awkward, sort of there to be there, and didn't NEED to be there. Batman teams up with a band of villains, headed up by Catwoman, in order to free another villain (Psycho-Pirate) in order to save someone else. Most of this volume is about the relationship between Batman and Catwoman. I was down with that. 4 stars!

The Mother of All Questions by Rebecca Solnit - This was SO GOOD. I checked off "book about feminism" with this book (instead of the previous book I had read for this category, Sex Object, because this book was so much better). 5 stars.

The Wolves of Winter by Tyrell Johnson - this was a fun adventure/dystopian story, not as meaty as I expected, and the title never made sense. Still, I enjoyed reading it, so I gave it 4 stars. This book would work for alliteration, animal in title, or published in 2018 (all of which I've already filled - I did find an AtY category to slot it in though! "debut book")

Enormous Smallness: A Story of E. E. Cummings - a picture book biography by Matthew Burgess - this was delightful, perfectly suited to a 4-7 yo kid, with a few poems. I am planning to read it to my 11 & 14 yo kids, but we just haven't found time to sit down with it.

The Alice Network by Kate Quinn - this was my "celebrity book club" book (Reese Witherspoon recc'ed it), it would also work for "based on a real person" because several of the major supporting characters were real people, and the details in this book are accurate. (So don't google them or you'll be spoiled for some of the plot!) This was pretty good but not amazing.

QOTW: I used to be in a great book club that met in a downtown bar. Mostly I was there so I could have a beer with some interesting folks. I read some great books that I never would have chosen for myself. As time went on, membership changed, new members didn't want to meet in a bar any more, and all the books chosen were REALLY depressing, so I just bowed out. I enjoyed being in a book club though, and someday I'll do it again, but for now I sure am grateful to have all of you to be my online sorta-book-club!!

No finishes this week but a good chunk into 3 books so probably will have a finish or two next week.

QOTW I’m in my library book club but I miss my 2 I was in in Calgary before I moved :( I also started a true crime related one in a fb group.

@Dani, when Hannibal Lecter looks like Mads Mikkelsen it’s hard to not want to marry him..

I finished one last week and I am slowly slogging my way through another.

Completed: 4/50

Finished prompt #32: Celebrity Book Club

Truly Madly Guilty: Reviews on Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ are mixed, but I really enjoyed this one. I liked the back and forth between both perspectives and when the chapter was occurring, and how everyone reacted very differently to the events of the barbecue. I continue to enjoy Lianne Moriarty's books, and I'm looking forward to reading more!

Working on prompt #17: A book that was borrowed or given as a gift.

Gardens of the Moon: Working my way through this, just a bit slowly. This is high fantasy, which was never really my jam. Give me Tamora Pierce over Robert Jordan any day. But my boss has been raving about this series and loaned me the first book, so I feel a bit obligated to give it a try. Now that I've gotten into it it's moving faster, but I had to fight my way through the first hundred pages. I did warn him that after I finished it was going to be a fair amount of time before I picked up the next in the series - I've got this reading challenge to catch up on!

As for the QOTW: I am not currently part of a real-life book club. A few years ago I was in one with a group of couple-friends, and we read three or four books before giving up. The same group then formed a cookbook club which only had one meeting. (But it was delicious!) I think we'll probably try the cookbook club again now that our lives have calmed down a bit.

Another friend who lives nearby is trying to form a book club for 20's - 30's women in our area, and I've agreed to join. Nothing firm yet, so we'll see what happens.

And a group of women in my leadership course have created a group chat where we discuss and recommend books, which has caused my To Read list to grow even longer.

Susanna wrote: "Gardens of the Moon: Working my way through this, just a bit slowly. This is high fantasy, which was never really my jam. Give me Tamora Pierce over Robert Jordan any day. But my boss has been raving about this series and loaned me the first book, so I feel a bit obligated to give it a try. Now that I've gotten into it it's moving faster, but I had to fight my way through the first hundred pages. I did warn him that after I finished it was going to be a fair amount of time before I picked up the next in the series - I've got this reading challenge to catch up on!"

I feel obligated to warn you the next book is about 900 pages... and there's 10 in the series, all similar size.

Hey from Chicago,

I'm 3/50 so far, with 2 challenge books completed this week:

*A Book about a Heist: The Perplexing Theft of the Jewel in the Crown: Book Two of the Baby Ganesh Agency series. After having completed The Ministry of Utmost Happiness and The Librarian of Auschwitz this week; I needed a light and happy read and so this book was perfect. I really enjoy Detective Chopra (retired) and love Baby Ganesha and am tickled when I recognize sites in Bombay. A fun series.

*A Book set in a Bookstore or Library: The Librarian of Auschwitz. This book is certainly not set in a conventional library and indeed, if exposed, the librarian would have faced punishment or death. I do not think I will ever forget Dita or the other characters in this book. As horrifying as this story is, I leave it feeling hopeful. Highly recommend!

Doodle Luna continues to enjoy listening to me read but asks for more books about dogs. Happy reading!

QOTW
No, I am not a part of a physical reading group though I would like to be.

Books that tick off prompts

Book about time travel:

The Jane Austen Project by Kathleen A. Flynn. Two people travel back in time to get an unpublished manuscript from Jane Austen because in this future, everyone is obsessed with old England. It was not very good. The main character was unlikable, yet everyone loved her instantly and there was a romance that was just kind of squished in without much lead up. Did not enjoy.

Alliteration:

Dream a Little Dream by Kerstin Geir. YA novel about a new girl in town who is totally normal and not like other girls, yet the impossibly hot guys want her (eye roll at that trope-especially as she is described as having silver highlights). So new girl in town finds out that impossibly hot guys can dream walk and need her virgin blood to appease the demon that gives them this and she agrees without thought. Did not enjoy. Won’t pick up the next one.

Author with different ethnicity:

When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Manon. YA romance about an Indian-American girl who is sent to coding camp to meet her future husband unbeknownst to her. This was a cute read (it kind of fell apart in the middle half and the coding part is practically non-existent) but I would pick up another by this author. A lot of readers on Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ hated the Dimple character but I got her frustration at parents just not letting her be.

QOTW:
I’m the sponsor of the book club at school. The kids (high school) tell me what books they want to read and I’ve had some success with donors choose (thank goodness). I’ve really enjoyed the books we’ve read so far this year (last year was hit or miss): The Hate U Give and Simon v. the Homo Sapien Agenda. The kids loved those 2 as well, the response to The Woman in Cabin 10 was varied. We are currently reading Mosquitoland and one kid is already finished and promised it was good.

Carmen wrote: "@Dani, when Hannibal Lecter looks like Mads Mikkelsen it’s hard to not want to marry him.."

My username on babycenter was MrsMikkelsen, so I’m glad you’re picking up what I’m putting down 😂

That accent he uses in the show? I’d let him murder me.

Hey y'all!

Finished

#5 Nordic Noir - Faceless Killers. It was OK - this genre is just not my jam.

#35 A past Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ Choice Awards winner - Mr. Mercedes. Audio book read by Will Patton!!! Love him, and really liked this story. It was sooo tense though - I couldn't stand the stress and spoiled myself to make it bearable. LOL.

Reading

#3 The next book in a series you started - Feet of Clay. Pretty good so far, and my speed has picked up since I went ahead and got the audio version and I'm Whisper Sync-ing between them. Nigel Planer is an amazing reader. And I find I re-listen to these as I go to sleep, so good investment!

Oh, and that puts me at 10/50 as of week 6. So I'm feeling chuffed about my rate of completion.

I added a little widget in my spreadsheet that tells me my count and what week of the year it is - as long as the former > the latter, I'm good, right?

Hello everyone!

Finished:
Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood (14. Author of different ethnicity) - Great book. Highly recommend.

Working on:
Mrs. Dalloway (31. Book mentioned in another book) - This is my first Virginia Woolf ever, and I'm loving it so far.

The Keeper of Lost Causes (5. Nordic noir) - Okay I need to crowdsource some help on this one. I basically never read or watch anything that's very dark or disturbing or violent, so I was most anxious about his prompt. I went back and forth on if I was even going to attempt it. I don't know how to describe it other than to say I am very sensitive to violent and disturbing images. They stay with me for a very long time, and it's hard or impossible for me to shake the images. So I'm very careful about what I read and watch - just to protect myself. But I decided to give this book a try. I'm listening on audiobook and I'm about 20% through and so far I'm okay. There haven't been any too detailed or graphic descriptions of the crimes, but I'm nervous. Is it going to get brutal? Can someone please tell me so I can stop now if so. You don't have to go into detail so that it's not spoiled for others, just tell me to stop if I should. Thanks in advance!

QOTW:
I've long been interested in joining a book club, but I haven't done so yet.

Tara wrote: "The Keeper of Lost Causes (5. Nordic noir) - Okay I need to crowdsource some help on this one.
..."

Tara, I was dreading Nordic noir, too, and just finished this book last week for the prompt (to get it over with!). I actually liked the book overall, but I read it and that let me skim some of the grisly parts. There are some in there. I would recommend that you read rather than listen to this if you're sensitive to this sort of thing (I am, too). It's pretty easy to tell what you need to skip over. Good luck!

Kenya wrote: "An unseasonably warm hello from Idaho! Trying to dodge the flu bug here and work on the second draft of my novel -- no small feat when I'm easily distracted by other people's books and by the Inter..."

I so agree with you on Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, and the Prison of Belief! I listened to it on audiobook a couple years ago and I found it fascinating, and very well researched and written, but ugh. Every time I finished listening I just felt, I don't know, gross? Disturbed? Horrified?

Christy wrote: "Hello everyone! Allergy season has started already in Sacramento, and I am so bitter about it. Silly blooming flowers. It does mean I am motivated to stay inside and read, though! That is, until ba..."
I loved Homegoing too, even though I tend to shy away from family sagas. I loved how each chapter could stand on its own. I learned a lot from that book!

Hello everyone!

FINISHED

The only book I finished this week - not for any challenge - was Yrsa Daley-Ward's poetry collection Bone, which was a stunner. Highly recommended.

IN PROGRESS

Still (and always) working on We Were Eight Years in Power: An American Tragedy. I also started Brandy Colbert's Pointe and Naomi Novik's Golden Age and Other Stories, both of which are very good so far.

DNF

I moved Sara Ahmed's Living a Feminist Life back to the TBR - I don't have the time to really focus on it right now, so I'll save it for a time when I can devote myself to it more fully.

QOTW

I just took over running my library's anybook book club, where instead of reading a specific book, we all just chat about what we've been reading lately. It's very laid-back, which is great, because I don't think I could handle the stress of "read this book and have opinions about it AND help other people express THEIR opinions about it."

Thegirlintheafternoon wrote: "I just took over running my library's anybook book club, where instead of reading a specific book, we all just chat about what we've been reading lately.
..."

I go to something like this once a month and didn't even think of it as a book club, but of course it is. I love it! I've gotten some great book recommendations that way, and also learned of a few I want to steer clear of. And as you say, no stress!

I’m waiting on another snow storm here... I’ve been shoveling every day this week!
I finished:
Cane River - This was an early Oprah book which sat on my shelf unread for years. I pulled it out for the celebrity prompt and found out it was a fictionalized version of the author’s family history, so I switched it to the based on a real person prompt. I really enjoyed this, even though i was avoiding it as I thought it would be another difficult, depressing story of the South from slavery to present day. It’s not a cheery read, but the women in the book are strong, resilient and positive, making the book hopeful, not depressing. I highly recommend it!
Dark Places- villain or anti-hero prompt. I didn’t love it, and actually it was a struggle to get through it, even though I wanted to know what happened. I love Gone Girl, and liked Sharp Objects, but this one was just too dark for me.
I’m currently reading Let's Pretend This Never Happened: A Mostly True Memoir a very funny book about mental health. Liking it!
QOTW: yes, I’m in a science book club. We read science-y books, things I would never pick for myself, but always lead to interesting discussions.
Now back to shoveling....