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It¡¯s Thursday! That means I get to connect with all you wonderful people yet again!!! YAY ME!!

Happy Eid al-Fitr to those who celebrate this holiday at the end of Ramadan!

I¡¯m officially back at work this week, which is bittersweet in so many ways¡­ I miss being home, but admit to being relieved at being able to leave home without my husband in tow. I¡¯m so grateful he seems to be healing just fine with very few mild challenges. And¡­I miss being with my furbabies during the day! I¡¯m pretty sure they miss me as well. (At least I tell myself they do! LOL)

I purposefully asked one of my best friends among our faculty how his family is faring back home in India, given the COVID resurgence there. He got very sad. His mother and father are both infected and suffering through at home, with basically no understanding of what is going on. They live in a rural region and have been isolated their whole lives and have no concept of infection or disease, let alone pandemic. One of his cousins recently married and there were 1,000 people in attendance, his mother and father included. He has had 2 cousins die from COVID in the past week, one 30 years old and another who was just 4 years old. Rajesh is spending 2-3 hours every night and morning on the phone trying to get his family, especially his mother and father, to understand what they should be doing to isolate themselves, etc., but nothing works. They still have people come in to clean all the time with no regard to the fact they are personally exposing anyone who enters their home to COVID-19. I feel so very sorry for him. He is obviously extremely frustrated and grieving, because he realizes his parents, who are older, may not make it. Fortunately, his wife¡¯s family is from an urban area of India and many of them are medical professionals themselves, so they have an understanding, etc. I just feel so very sorry for everyone in that country to not only be so exposed and vulnerable to this virus, but to fear for their loved ones¡¯ lives. Let¡¯s all send positive, healthy, healing energy to people in that country right now, whatever form that takes for you¡­ Well, I guess around the world, but it seems the major surge right now is in India¡­ My heart hurts for them all. And if you are there, I hope you will protect yourself as much as possible and quarantine! As we should all still be doing anyway¡­

Admin Stuff:
Ayesha at Last by Uzma Jalaluddin is the May Monthly Group Read and Brandy B is leading the discussion. This book will fulfill prompt #4 A book written by a Muslim-American/Muslim-British author in honor of the Islamic holiday Eid al-Fitr on May 13, 2021. I am really enjoying it!

And here is the link to post the book you read to fulfill prompt #4 A book written by a Muslim-American/Muslim-British author.

We are still looking for a ¡°luminous leader¡± for July¡¯s Group Read discussion of The Guest List by Lucy Foley! This will satisfy prompt #22 A book set mostly or entirely outdoors. And we need a ¡°mover and shaker¡± to lead August¡¯s Group Read discussion of Catherine House by Elisabeth Thomas, which will satisfy prompt #5 A dark academia book. Finally, there is the September discussion of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab to satisfy prompt #11 A book about forgetting. PLEASE MESSAGE EITHER NADINE OR MYSELF TO VOLUNTEER FOR ONE OF THESE!

I did create a separate folder for the ¡°Current Monthly Group Read¡± so it would be easier to locate that discussion without hunting through the ¡°2021 Monthly Reads¡± folder. Hope that helps!

Question of the Week:
Adaptations. Are they ¡°real¡± books? Do they serve a purpose? Or should only the original texts be published?

I read The Secret Garden last week and only when I opened the book did I realize I had actually purchased an ¡°adapted¡± text with illustrations from the library book sale years ago, rather than a book with the original text. I was shocked that I hadn¡¯t realized it until now, though there is nothing on the front cover to forewarn you. (I thought the book had seemed like a very slim volume¡­ ?) The text was adapted by Devra Newberger Speregen and it was an enjoyable read. I did not like the illustrations. But it prompted me to wonder about this whole idea of ¡°adaptations¡± in literature. Are they valid? Should we purchase and read them just as we might do with the original version? I guess in answer to my own question, I have a copy of the original book on hold at my favorite used bookstore to be picked up this weekend so that I can read and compare these two versions. This was one of my all-time favorite reads as a pre-teen! And I admit I was very disappointed this wasn't the original text!

In my heart, I do not think they are the same. But¡­I do realize they might be good for introducing ¡®younger¡¯ readers to a text they might not be able to tackle until they are more experienced readers and/or older. What do you think?

BTW, I just realized a copy of White Fang I also purchased from the library is also an ¡°adaptation¡± of the original text. Sheesh!

Then I considered Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America and Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You. The shorter version is an adaptation of the original. Though of course these are nonfiction rather than fiction¡­ And I believe the obvious difference is the adaptation for younger/less experienced or skilled readers.

Have you ever read an adaptation?

POPSUGAR: 36/50
ATY: 46/52
RHC: 8/24
Reading Women: 9/28

FINISHED:
I just cannot say enough good about Inside Out & Back Again by Thanhha Lai! ?????????? This is mostly free verse poetry and does an excellent job or depicting a child¡¯s emotions throughout grieving her father¡¯s loss, abandoning her homeland to emigrate to the US for safety and a future with possibilities, and dealing with discrimination once in the US due to her country of origin, Vietnam. I read it Sunday morning before continuing with the other books I wanted to finish and am so glad I did! Really, this must be a gift for my grandchildren¡¯s libraries. It is beautiful!
POPSUGAR: #18-immigration, prejudice/discrimination, and bullying, #21-Historical Fiction, Juvenile, Poetry, #26, #29-Vietnam, USA, #30-Vietnam, #34-Immigration, Prejudice/Discrimination, Bullying, #37, #40-From 2016 POPSUGAR Challenge-prompt #2 A National Book Award winner (for Young Peoples Literature 2011), #43, #46
ATY: #7-A book that fills a ¡°hole¡± in your typical reading habits¡ªpoetry, #8-Vietnam and Alabama, #15, #18-Difficult for immigrants to forget their past sometimes, #23-Historical Fiction, Juvenile, Poetry, #24, #27-Strength, Justice, Death, Judgement, #34, #39, #40-A papaya tree!, #41, #49, #52-In the end, Ha remained in the US and made a life for herself.
RHC: NEW #19

The Handsome Man's Deluxe Caf¨¦ (The No.1 Ladies¡¯ Detective Agency #15) by Alexander McCall Smith ????? was such a joy! While I have enjoyed every book in this series, I believe this one may have tickled my funny bone more than others! Smith does this while exploring some nitty gritty issues intensely. If I could grant him immortality, I would! Just so he could keep writing!! ? Though I do not consider this is a good fit for prompt #14 A book set in a restaurant. There was just one small scene in the restaurant so it definitely was not set in that location! I have decided to read The One-Hundred Foot Journey by Richard C. Morais to satisfy this prompt since I own it and had already been wanting to read it this year¡­
POPSUGAR: #18-Domestic abuse and honesty/ethical behavior, #21-Humor, Fiction, Mystery, #27, #30-Botswana, Africa, #34-Domestic abuse, Ethics in business, #37, #40-From 2020 POPSUGAR Challenge-prompt #12 A book that passes the Bechdel test, #43, #46, #47-One of my favorite authors and series!
ATY: #7-A book that elicits humor, comedy, or satire, #8-Africa, #13, #16, #19-No matter the past, the present is reconciled to enable a successful future, #23-Fiction, Humor, Mystery, #27-Poor Grace felt as if she was The Fool, #29, #31, #34, #35, #38-DISAPPOINT: Charlie didn¡¯t want to disappoint Precious, Grace didn¡¯t want to disappoint Phuti, and Rra Maketoni didn¡¯t want to disappoint Charlie, #42, #47-Charlie, one of the recurring main characters, #52-In the end everything works out to everyone¡¯s satisfaction.

CONTINUING:
Although I was hoping to have finished Ayesha at Last by Uzma Jalaluddin.by today, I am over halfway through and hoping to finish it before this weekend. Totally enjoyable, IMO! I am very much appreciating the juxtaposition of different interpretations of Islam and different lifestyles among ¡°Muslims¡± as Jalalluddin depicts them. I am forever reminded of what I learned in an Introductory Sociology course: the range of variation is just as wide in any one group as any other group. The longer I live and and the more experiences I have, the more I believe that to be true¡­
Edith Wharton¡¯s The Age of Innocence
The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates. Excellent writing! It really flows and I¡¯m anxious to finally finish it!
The Souls of Black Folk by W.E.B. Du Bois

PLANNED:
The Third Angel by Alice Hoffman is on my list for this weekend. I just decided. Time to do it!
For my favorite used bookstore¡¯s book club later this month: Sharks in the Time of Saviors by Kawai Strong Washburn.
And onward¡­
Hidden Valley Road: Inside the Mind of an American Family by Robert Kolker
Eva Luna by Isabel Allende to fulfill the 2020 Reading Women prompt #26 A book written by Isabel Allende.
Paradise by Toni Morrison to fulfill the 2020 Reading Women prompt #25 A book written by Toni Morrison.
How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi.
Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi. Excellent so far! I love Reynolds' humor!
Learning Race, Learning Place: Shaping Racial Identities and Ideas in African American Childhoods by Erin N. Winkler
White Fragility: Why It¡¯s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism by [author:Robin DiAngelo|5283261

Lynn -- I'm glad your husband is healing. Here's to a full and uncomplicated recovery! And that's awful about your friend... I wish them the best of luck.

Books read this week:

Moon of the Crusted Snow -- for ¡°book by an Indigenous author.¡± An apocalyptic novel set on a reservation, this was a short-ish, chilling read¡­ though I found the ending a little unsatisfying. Could have been a little longer.

Killer Show -- not for the challenge. After reading Trial by Fire: A Devastating Tragedy, 100 Lives Lost, and A 15-Year Search for Truth and realizing that, as informative as it was, it was a rather biased retelling of what happened at the Station Nightclub fire, I decided to read another book about it. This book might also be slightly biased (it¡¯s written by one of the attorneys involved in the ensuing court case, while Trial By Fire was written by a friend of the nightclub owners), but it was fascinating, if terrible, reading, and offered more information about the fire and its aftermath.

Broken -- not for the challenge. While not as funny as her two previous books, this still made me laugh hysterically¡­ and tear up as she talks frankly about her illnesses and struggles. Probably her best book yet.

Sparks! Double Dog Dare -- graphic novel, not for the challenge. Wacky and silly but a lot of fun, and with some unexpected heart to it.

Challenge stats:

Regular challenge books -- 37/45
Advanced challenge books -- 10/10
Not for the challenge -- 33

Currently Reading:

Neither Here nor There: Travels in Europe -- for ¡°book set in multiple countries¡±
The Galaxy, and the Ground Within -- for ¡°favorite prompt from the 2018 challenge (book set on a different planet)¡±
The Line Between -- not for the challenge
Bob -- for ¡°book written by an author sharing your zodiac sign¡±

QOTW:

I think adaptations have their place, such as the abridged versions of classics for younger readers. And I actually enjoy graphic novel adaptations of various books. I do think that, in many cases, one's much better off reading the original work.

I make an exception for The Epic of Gilgamesh, though, my pick for "book published anonymously." I made the mistake of picking up a scholarly work that translated and analyzed every single fragment of it ever found and was bored. Probably should have read the modern retelling by Stephen Mitchell instead...

No prompts again so just from favorite to least favorite

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir. The sun is dying and a junior high science teacher ends up in space trying to save humanity. I didn't enjoy it as much as I liked The Martian but it was still a fun read.

Kingdom of Souls by Rena Barron. YA fantasy. It's a good read. I'll probably read the second.

I finished Great Expectations as my DNF book. I thought we read a condensed version in HS, but I'm beginning to wonder if we only read the first few chapters, because I legit remembered nothing except for the first sentence and Miss Havisham's yellow dress. I liked the book. Hopefully I can remember more from this time.

I read Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis as my social justice book. I liked that book also.

I have started Order in Chaos as my longest book. I predict my next week's check in will consist of "still working on Order in Chaos." About 100 (out of just over 900) pages in. Nothing much has happened yet.

QOTW: Last year I bought the Wind in the Willows in the used book store. Like you I didn't notice it was an adaptation until I got it home. I haven't read it yet. Plannign on reading it as my shortest book. I've never read it before so I will have no basis for comparison. Other than that, I don't know if I've ever read an adaptation before. I'm wondering how is it different than condensed? Did they totally rewrite sections? Why did they do it? Is it to censor? If condensed books count as adaptations, last year I think I read the abridged version of Les Miserables. It did not say so anywhere on the book, but it did not look as long as I have been led to believe that book is. And when I was in Jr high/high school my mom bought those Reader's Digests condensed books and I read several of those. I think those were fine for my shorter attention span, and that I was already reading stuff for school, so didn't want long books for my pleasure reading. Maybe. So long ago, I can barely remember.

I too feel sad for those in India suffering from COVID. Especially with older parents/relatives who just don't understand.

This is the first week all year where I barely read anything. I just haven't been in a reading mood and I was full steam ahead all year - maybe I just needed a break. Hopefully this weekend will kick me into gear again.

Still Reading:
The Book of Longings by Sue Monk Kidd - I am at a lull in this book but I am aiming to finish.

Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata. I am almost half way through this short book. I like the story, but again I am at the lull moment.

Legendborn by Tracy Deonn. I started this on audiobook but it feels like a lot of action happens which I don't enjoy over audio because I feel like I will miss something. I am considering moving to the print book. Has anyone read this or listened to the audio? I would love to get opinions of the text/audio.

QOTW:
I think adaptations are necessary when they are adapted for young adult/kids. Generally I steer clear of adaptations and just read the original. Especially if it has become a movie and they adapt the book to the movie - I won't generally read those.

Kenya wrote: "Lynn -- I'm glad your husband is healing. Here's to a full and uncomplicated recovery!"
You and me both! ?

"And that's awful about your friend... I wish them the best of luck."
Yes, I feel so sorry for him! He happens to be the same age as my oldest son and he and I bonded immediately upon meeting. His wife is pregnant with their second child and of course, he can't travel back home. It's very tough for him...

"Books read this week:
Moon of the Crusted Snow"
Definitely way too scary for me! ?

"Killer Show -- not for the challenge. After reading Trial by Fire: A Devastating Tragedy, 100 Lives Lost, and A 15-Year Search for Truth and realizing that, as informative as it was, it was a rather biased retelling of what happened at the Station Nightclub fire, I decided to read another book about it. This book might also be slightly biased (it¡¯s written by one of the attorneys involved in the ensuing court case, while Trial By Fire was written by a friend of the nightclub owners), but it was fascinating, if terrible, reading, and offered more information about the fire and its aftermath."
I admire the fact that you read another book from a different perspective!

"Broken -- not for the challenge. While not as funny as her two previous books, this still made me laugh hysterically¡­ and tear up as she talks frankly about her illnesses and struggles. Probably her best book yet."
Wow. That's quite a recommendation! I listened to Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things years ago and really enjoyed it.

"Currently Reading:
The Galaxy, and the Ground Within -- for ¡°favorite prompt from the 2018 challenge (book set on a different planet)¡±"
Oh, I am soooo jealous! ?

"Bob -- for ¡°book written by an author sharing your zodiac sign¡±"
And this looks like such a good one!

"QOTW:
I think adaptations have their place, such as the abridged versions of classics for younger readers. And I actually enjoy graphic novel adaptations of various books. I do think that, in many cases, one's much better off reading the original work.

I make an exception for The Epic of Gilgamesh, though, my pick for "book published anonymously." I made the mistake of picking up a scholarly work that translated and analyzed every single fragment of it ever found and was bored. Probably should have read the modern retelling by Stephen Mitchell instead..."
Wow. That had to be very intense! I think you must be in the right frame of mind for such a scholarly analysis.

Chandie wrote: "No prompts again so just from favorite to least favorite

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir. The sun is dying and a junior high science teacher ends up in space trying to save humanity. I didn't enjoy it as much as I liked The Martian but it was still a fun read."
I enjoyed both of his other books so much that I can't imagine him writing something I wouldn't consider to be a "fun read"!

Happy Thursday!? We are having lovely?weather today in northern NY.? I planted some carrot seeds in a deck container this week - it feels late, but we still had overnight frost a few days ago so it's still been quite cool here.? And I got my shipment from Bluestone Perennials!? I'm trying out an orange coneflower this year, among other things.? ?I just made an appointment?for my fifteen year old daughter to get her Covid vaccination, I'm so happy they are making them available to teens now.


I have several Indian coworkers in the USA, and so far their families have stayed safe.? However, our departments in India have been hit hard, they are completely shut down right now.? There are just so many people in India.??



I finished three books this week (and DNF'ed one), one for this Challenge, so I am now 28/50.


˜OÖ÷·òµÀ¡´1¡µThe Way of the Househusband vol 1 by Kousuke Oono - so cute! and this was my first ever manga! so I COULD use it for "format I don't usually read" but I'm saving that for the manga I PLAN to read soon (which was going to be my first).? "Househusband" was a spontaneous?borrow from my library because I fell in love with the goofy cover art.? It's gimmicky?gag manga, which at first annoyed me, but I finally got into the spirit of the silliness and I really enjoyed it.? I want to read more in the series, and I want to check out the anime show.


Wreckage by Ha Jin- yet another book of poetry that I did not enjoy this year!? 2021 is the Year that Nadine Does Not Enjoy Her Poetry Selections.? ?These poems are not very "poetic" they are more like little short stories from China's past, and some of the stories are so brutally gruesome that they border on body horror.


China Rich Girlfriend by Kevin Kwan- super entertaining, and took place in multiple countries (USA, UK, China, Hong Kong if that counts as a country, Singapore, and France), so I checked that one off.? I'm honestly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book!? I'm now committed to read everything Kwan has published.


My DNF:
A House of Rage and Sorrow by Sangu Mandanna- I just wasn't in the mood for YA fantasy full of posturing teen warriors, not even one based on the Mahabharata with an AI spaceship character named Titania.? I've found I have zero patience with YA fantasy these days.? Have I finally gotten too old for YA?? (Edited to correct the title. I DNF'ed book 2 in the series, I already read book 1.)



QotW

I have never read an adaptation.? I did pick up the abridged version of Count of Monte Cristo, and didn't realize it was abridged until I was a few dozen chapters in (the abridged version was still over 900 pages!!).? I don't really understand the point of "Readers Digest" types of adaptations.? I can see adding illustrations to the original text of a novel (like the illustrated Harry Potters), and other types of adaptations have their own value and I can see why they would have a market, such as graphic novel adaptations, radio plays, abridged versions of SUPER long books like Count of Monte Cristo, youth versions collaborated with the original author (such as Stamped), modernized translations of classics in Old English, and of course movies.? But The Secret Garden and White Fang are already pretty short and accessible even to young readers, so I don't see the point, it feels like some kind of way to trick people into buying something.

Katy wrote: "I finished Great Expectations as my DNF book. I thought we read a condensed version in HS, but I'm beginning to wonder if we only read the first few chapters, because I legit remembered nothing except for the first sentence and Miss Havisham's yellow dress. I liked the book. Hopefully I can remember more from this time."
I never cease to be amazed at how well some books 'stick with me' and how others do not at all!

"I have started Order in Chaos as my longest book. I predict my next week's check in will consist of "still working on Order in Chaos." About 100 (out of just over 900) pages in. Nothing much has happened yet."
Wow. That is a long one! I sure hope something happens soon for you! LOL

"QOTW: Last year I bought the Wind in the Willows in the used book store. Like you I didn't notice it was an adaptation until I got it home. I haven't read it yet. Plannign on reading it as my shortest book. I've never read it before so I will have no basis for comparison. Other than that, I don't know if I've ever read an adaptation before. I'm wondering how is it different than condensed? Did they totally rewrite sections? Why did they do it? Is it to censor? If condensed books count as adaptations, last year I think I read the abridged version of Les Miserables. It did not say so anywhere on the book, but it did not look as long as I have been led to believe that book is. And when I was in Jr high/high school my mom bought those Reader's Digests condensed books and I read several of those. I think those were fine for my shorter attention span, and that I was already reading stuff for school, so didn't want long books for my pleasure reading. Maybe. So long ago, I can barely remember.."
I think my main complaint about my version of The Secret Garden was that it should have been noted on the cover somehow/somewhere that it was an adaptation, then I would have at least had the opportunity to make an informed decision before purchasing it. I just didn't take the time to look inside... Funny you should mention the Reader's Digest condensed books. My former mother-in-law read each and every one of those at least once in her lifetime, I think! I was never attracted to them. My thought was if I had the time to read, why not read the original text.

This week is feeling eternal, glad it's finally Friday tomorrow! Have also just booked my Covid jabs this morning, and annoyed my husband by getting the vaccination centre just down the road, when the closest one available when he booked is a 30-minutes drive away!

Finshed:

Ayesha at Last for A book by a Muslim American author. This didn't rock my world, but it was an interesting take on a romance/'Pride and Prejudice' interpretation.

Dear Reader: The Comfort and Joy of Books for A book in a different format than what you normally read. Enjoyed listening to this in audiobook format (although I am now reminded that I need to go and cancel my free Audible trial before I get charged!), and a memoir about reading and books is never going to be a bad thing!

In progress:

The Shell Seekers for A book featuring three generations (grandparent, parent, child). So far only two generations are really prominent, but both an older and younger generation have either appeared briefly or been mentioned a lot, so I think I can count it!

QOTW:

I think the only books I've seen that would be adaptations in this sense are those ones that have been adapted/abridged for children. I know I certainly has some of those Ladybird book abridged tales when I was a child! Other that that, though, I'm not sure whey you would bother to adapt a book in that way?

Katelyn wrote: "I too feel sad for those in India suffering from COVID. Especially with older parents/relatives who just don't understand."
He's usually so upbeat and positive, but he is really down about all this...understandably so. ?

"This is the first week all year where I barely read anything. I just haven't been in a reading mood and I was full steam ahead all year - maybe I just needed a break. Hopefully this weekend will kick me into gear again."
Yep! I have those times as well! I think everyone does to some degree! ?

"Still Reading:
The Book of Longings by Sue Monk Kidd - I am at a lull in this book but I am aiming to finish."
I really need to read one of her books!

"Legendborn by Tracy Deonn. I started this on audiobook but it feels like a lot of action happens which I don't enjoy over audio because I feel like I will miss something. I am considering moving to the print book. Has anyone read this or listened to the audio? I would love to get opinions of the text/audio."
Sorry. I am of no help with this. ?

"QOTW:
I think adaptations are necessary when they are adapted for young adult/kids. Generally I steer clear of adaptations and just read the original. Especially if it has become a movie and they adapt the book to the movie - I won't generally read those."
Yes, I would agree about the book adaptation of a movie. In fact, I can't think of one of those I've read... I am really bad about reading a book and then never watching the movie adaptation!

Lynn wrote: "... I just cannot say enough good about Inside Out & Back Again by Thanhha Lai! ?????????? This is mostly free verse poetry and does an excellent job or depicting a child¡¯s emotions throughout grieving her father¡¯s loss, abandoning her homeland to emigrate to the US for safety and a future with possibilities, and dealing with discrimination once in the US due to her country of origin, Vietnam. ..."



I haven't read this book, but I LOVED another book by her, Listen, Slowly. She's a great story teller and I'll definitely be reading more of her books.

Had my review with the endocrinology nurse this week and we've decided to try stopping my anti-thyroid meds to see if my hyperthyroidism has fizzled out. So fingers crossed I don't turn into an anxious mess.

Haven't read much this week, just Morgan Matson's Take Me Home Tonight for ATY (present). This had such a bizarre side story in, I don't know what she was thinking including that. I didn't like one of the characters very much either, but I liked the other's adventures in New York, while bonding with her step-siblings. I usually love her books, so this was a bit of a let down.

I started reading Sorrowland which is the complete opposite of the light and easy books I've been reading lately. I'm hoping I can use it for Afrofuturism. Then I've been listening to The Circling Sky: On Nature and Belonging in an English Forest about the New Forest (near where I live).

PS: 22/50 | ATY: 23/52 | RH: 7/24 | GR: 50/100

QOTW:
I was going to say I never read adaptations BUT I realised I do enjoy graphic novel versions of classics. I like seeing the artists' interpretations of familiar stories.

I don't think I'd read an abridged novel, either I want to read it or I don't. I'd honestly rather just watch a film version if I just want to know the story of something famous, rather than slogging through text I'm not engaged with.

Kenya wrote: "... Moon of the Crusted Snow -- for ¡°book by an Indigenous author.¡± An apocalyptic novel set on a reservation, this was a short-ish, chilling read¡­ though I found the ending a little unsatisfying. Could have been a little longer. ..."



I was really disappointed in that book - it gets so much praise, but I found the writing to be wooden and clunky, the plot was slow & ham-handed, and the foreshadowing was obnoxious. There was so much tobacco smoking! I thought the big climax was going to be everyone in town going crazy from nicotine withdrawal when they ran out of tobacco! And then the end was ... like, what? what was that?

Hello! I got my second shot last weekend, and spent the day on the couch, but otherwise felt fine. My arm hurt, but that was it. Now to convince my brain it's safe to do things again. Still no word from work about returning to the office, but I did agree to have in-person book club in June in one of my friend's backyard, a bring your own food/drink/chair kind of deal.

This weekend is the digital fan festival for the video game I play with my husband and friends. It was originally supposed to be three in-person conventions in North America, Europe and Japan, but because of everything, they're only doing one, without anyone in attendance, in Japan, where the developers are. But that means it's in Japanese (some parts with English translation, some not), and on Japanese time. The keynote address is at 8pm Friday night, with panels after that, and the concerts that typically close each night are at 4:30 am. I have no expectation I'll make it to the piano concert Saturday morning, but I want to see the band that ends day 2, so need to figure out how to last until 4:30 am Saturday night/Sunday morning. My husband picked me as the second most likely to fall asleep in our group.

Finished This Week:
An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth by Chris Hadfield. Picked this up on poshpenny's rec, and enjoyed it. The first part was a little tedious, because I wanted more space stories and fewer life lessons, but the second part of his time on the space station was exactly what I was hoping for. Plus I loved the casual references to Canadian bands. Using for #29, Set in Multiple Countries.

Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston. My book club had suggested this as something light to read, and I realized it would count for Read Harder #8, a romance by a nonbinary author. And then I was delighted that part of it took place in Austin, Texas, so I was able to use it for PS#30, someplace you want to visit in 2021.

PS: 27/50 RH: 6/24 RW: 10/28 ATY: 32/52 GR: 59/100

Currently Reading:
Encyclopaedia Eorzea - The World of FINAL FANTASY XIV - Volume II - the second lore book for the video game I play with my husband and friends. I read the first one a few years ago, but hadn't read the second one, and my husband suggested I read it now with Fan Fest this weekend. It's very tiny print, so it's slow going, but so rich in detail for the world of Eorzea. As the one review says, very much a niche read.

The Forest of Stolen Girls by June Hur. Library hold came in. I saw Nadine DNF'd it, so hoping I have a better experience.

Carrying the Fire: An Astronaut's Journey by Michael Collins. I was able to get this requested from the library as soon as I heard he'd died, but there's quite a line behind me now. Looking forward to reading it.

QOTW: Adaptations. Are they ¡°real¡± books? Do they serve a purpose? Or should only the original texts be published?
I've never read an adaptation of the kind you're describing. I remember reading some Reader's Digest condensed books during standardized testing in junior high, but I never looked for them outside of that very specific occasion. Honestly, when you said adaptation, I thought you meant novelizations of movies, which I have enjoyed in the past. And adapting dense non-fiction texts to be more accessible to a younger audience does serve a purpose, like you said. So, sort of? But I agree, they need to clearly marked.

Nadine wrote: "Happy Thursday! We are having lovely weather today in northern NY. I planted some carrot seeds in a deck container this week - it feels late, but we still had overnight frost a few days ago so it's still been quite cool here. And I got my shipment from Bluestone Perennials! I'm trying out an orange coneflower this year, among other things. I just made an appointment for my fifteen year old daughter to get her Covid vaccination, I'm so happy they are making them available to teens now."
You are one busy woman! We have sunshine and beautiful weather here in Indiana today as well! And it has been cooler lately. We had that one day of 87 degrees F and then cooler for the next 2-3 weeks! Never thought of growing carrots in a container, but that certainly would work!

"I have several Indian coworkers in the USA, and so far their families have stayed safe. However, our departments in India have been hit hard, they are completely shut down right now. There are just so many people in India."
Sounds like shutting down is the smart thing right now!

"˜OÖ÷·òµÀ¡´1¡µThe Way of the Househusband vol 1 by Kousuke Oono - so cute! and this was my first ever manga! so I COULD use it for "format I don't usually read" but I'm saving that for the manga I PLAN to read soon (which was going to be my first)."
Well, if I ever decide to try manga again, I'll pick this one! LOL


"Wreckage by Ha Jin- yet another book of poetry that I did not enjoy this year! 2021 is the Year that Nadine Does Not Enjoy Her Poetry Selections."
I sure hope you find one you enjoy yet this year! ? You deserve it!

"China Rich Girlfriend by Kevin Kwan- super entertaining, and took place in multiple countries (USA, UK, China, Hong Kong if that counts as a country, Singapore, and France), so I checked that one off. I'm honestly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book! I'm now committed to read everything Kwan has published."
I have been surprised at how much I enjoyed this series as well! I have the third book and hope to get to it this year...

"My DNF:
A Spark of White Fire by Sangu Mandanna- I just wasn't in the mood for YA fantasy full of posturing teen warriors, not even one based on the Mahabharata with an AI spaceship character named Titania. I've found I have zero patience with YA fantasy these days. Have I finally gotten too old for YA??"
Bah! I doubt I'll ever age out of reading books targeted to younger audiences! I'm 65 and still love them! ?

"QotW
I have never read an adaptation. I did pick up the abridged version of Count of Monte Cristo, and didn't realize it was abridged until I was a few dozen chapters in (the abridged version was still over 900 pages!!). I don't really understand the point of "Readers Digest" types of adaptations. I can see adding illustrations to the original text of a novel (like the illustrated Harry Potters), and other types of adaptations have their own value and I can see why they would have a market, such as graphic novel adaptations, radio plays, abridged versions of SUPER long books like Count of Monte Cristo, youth versions collaborated with the original author (such as Stamped), modernized translations of classics in Old English, and of course movies. But The Secret Garden and White Fang are already pretty short and accessible even to young readers, so I don't see the point, it feels like some kind of way to trick people into buying something."
That's kinda how I felt about this version of The Secret Garden since there is nothing on the cover to denote that it is an adaptation....so yeah, it makes me suspect that is exactly what they might have been hoping for? Perhaps I'm misjudging, but it is suspicious, at least to me!

Hi all,

I'm fully vaccinated now, so in 2 weeks I'll be good to...well stay home still mostly. Already started seeing (fully vaccinated and in the safe zone) friends, figuring that it's mostly safe since we were 2 weeks in to shot 1. Still not really ready to eat out or do anything overly people-y. But hanging out with friends is really nice!

This week I finished:

The Midnight Library - read this for my books & brew club, ended up having to buy it because all the copies in the whole library system were checked out, and my digital hold wasn't coming up. It was a nice fast read. I didn't love it as much as some people seemed to, but it was pretty good. I think I got a little caught up on the mechanics of things, which I realize aren't necessarily what the author wanted to focus on, but I found distracting. No prompt for popsugar, used it for ATY book related to present (figure the fact that she's in limbo, no time passing counts as the present), and book nerds book with a 3 word title.

The Bloodprint - this was a disappointing read for me. I really wanted to like it, it sounded great on paper. But just...something didn't really click. I found myself bored, even during action scenes. I got really tired with how the main character was constantly described as being so beautiful and how every man she met instantly wanted to take her for a wife. Also having a character taking a vow of chastity as part of her sacred order SHOULD be a good reason to just...not shove in a romance into story, but no. The romance didn't really feel very believable. Seemed a lot of "telling, not showing". I also didn't really get the whole Claim as magic thing. It didn't feel explained well enough. She caused death, made mist, some people compelled people, some people could compel truth or actions...but it didn't really seem related to the verses being said. I get annoyed at magic systems that are just..."oh you know. magic. it just works. whatever." Also it ended on a huge cliffhanger, which i really don't like. Obviously series are a thing, and thats fine. But ending on a major cliffhanger feels like manipulation. You should make me want to read the next book because your writing is good and I want more, not try to force the issue by leaving everything unresolved. I didn't really like it enough that I want to read more. I used it for my Muslim author, also ATY book with a Muslim author, and Book Nerds book with a map.

currently reading:

Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants - just started, no real opinion yet. This will by my reading women indigenous author memoir.

1Q84- no actual progress. i really need to make a point of reading more of this.

QOTW:

I sometimes read graphic novel adaptions, those are interesting because I like seeing the stories illustrated. Otherwise I don't really read them. It makes sense to have simplified adaptions for younger readers, but they should be clearly marked as such.

Sheri wrote: "... The Bloodprint - this was a disappointing read for me. I really wanted to like it, it sounded great on paper. But just...something didn't really click. I found myself bored, even during action scenes. I got really tired with how the main character was constantly described as being so beautiful and how every man she met instantly wanted to take her for a wife. ..."



Uh-oh. All the things you mention are things that would bother me, too. Hopefully her mystery series is better! I'll stick with mystery...

Yes, what's happening in India is horrifying. I think this pandemic is just further proof that we as a global community need each other and have more in common than not. Everyone can relate to the pain and fear of losing a loved one and being unable to help. It is my deep desire that this time will teach us how to band together and care for one another no matter our race, nationality, religion, gender, what have you. COVID cares about none of those things. It kills indiscriminately. I hope we can learn to have compassion indiscriminately too. History is against me on this, I know. But I still hope.

Finished 16/50

Made landmark progress this week!

White Oleander for "book with b&w cover". This was really good but really, really tough. Very sad story about a young girl in foster care struggling to find herself amidst a plethora of abusive situations. Very important read, very hard to get through. It's given me more understanding and respect for my husband's line of work though (he's a therapist working with these kinds of families).

Darkness Is As Light for "DNF on TBR". Loved it. So proud of each and every woman who had the strength and courage to write about all these tough situations in their lives and share them with the world. Still amazed I got to be part of it. Fantastic book. Hugely needed.

A Pho Love Story for "book set in a restaurant". It's cute. Pretty simple story, but the message was great. Perfect teen read.

Currently Reading

The Tokyo Zodiac Murders for "locked room mystery". UGH. I don't like mysteries. They're just not fun to me, and this is a classic, cold-case whodunnit. I'm halfway through and bored out of my mind. But, I will finish it. Only for y'all. XD My husband likes mysteries though, so maybe I'll pass this to him once I'm done.

QotW

Imho, adaptations are really only good for introducing younger, middle-grade readers (or language learners or people with reading disabilities) to classic literature or tough, educational topics. If you're fluent in the language, don't have anything hindering your reading ability, and have graduated grade school, you need to be done with these. Read the original text. Adaptations cut out a lot of the "meat" of the story. They're basically longer Cliff notes. The symbolism, writing style, tone, and much of the author's purposes will be lost in adaptations because they're only focused on giving you the basics of the plot or the highlights of the nonfiction argument/narrative. This is great for beginners, but it isn't a true representation of the original work. If you enjoyed an adaptation as a kid, I would hope that would inspire you to try reading the original as an adult.
As an author, I shudder at the idea of anyone making an adaptation of the things I write for any purpose outside of those I listed. I wrote what I wrote for a reason. Don't mutilate it, please!
(I don't count graphic novel adaptations or illustrated adaptations. That's a completely different medium).

Melissa wrote: "... The Forest of Stolen Girls by June Hur. Library hold came in. I saw Nadine DNF'd it, so hoping I have a better experience. ..."



I hope so too!!! Sometimes knowing that someone else didn't like it is just the thing to lower your expectations, so you end up pleasantly surprised :-) If you've already started it and you're enjoying it, I think you'll do fine - I was unhappy from the start, it was so confusing to me to have a book set in the 1400s but written in such modern language.

Good morning from the West Coast (best coast)! I got my second dose of the vaccine last weekend, and I finally have my normal energy level back. I had terrible brain fog for a couple days from it, but I think the fact that I'm exhausted from work had more to do with it than the vaccine itself. I'm really glad to see how many people on here have been vaccinated recently. Onward to invincibility!

Finished this week:
The Essex Serpent: Not what I expected, but in a good way.
The Rose Code: For about the first half it mostly came off as Bletchley Circle fanfic. It started to have its own voice in the second half, though.
Celestial Bodies: I loved this! It's very stream of consciousness and moves backward and forward in time a lot, but once you get used to it and go with the flow it makes a lot of sense.
Shadow and Bone: Uh oh, Christy's got a fun new SF/F series to read! Not right now, chores, I gotta see how Alina gets herself out of this bucket of syrup.

Currently reading:
One by One (locked room mystery): OMG this is my jam right now. These London tech bros can't get murdered fast enough as far as I'm concerned. My favorite part is when one guy is basically like, "An avalanche?? Does this natural disaster KNOW who I AM?" I laughed out loud.
Slow Train to Switzerland: One Tour, Two Trips, 150 Years - and a World of Change Apart: this will check off Switzerland for my personal countries of the world challenge. I'm only a couple pages in, but I think I will be charmed.

QOTW: I don't like adaptations because if I read the adapted version I'm very unlikely to read the full version. I don't know if that's a personal quirk, or something that's true for everyone, so I don't have an opinion about whether there "should" be adaptations. I just avoid them myself.

Nadine wrote: "Kenya wrote: "... Moon of the Crusted Snow -- for ¡°book by an Indigenous author.¡± An apocalyptic novel set on a reservation, this was a short-ish, chilling read¡­ though I found the ending a little ..."

Oh my gosh, the ending. I'm still not sure (view spoiler)[if Evan survived or not. (hide spoiler)] And the author said something in the afterward about wanting to write a story about the "wendigo" myth, but it wasn't even referenced by name. C'mon...

Kenya wrote: "Oh my gosh, the ending. I'm still not sure (view spoiler) ..."


Same! I don't know what we were supposed to think!!! I hate open-ended endings even when they are done well, but I did not think this one was done well.

Hi everyone. We've had some crazy lightning storms here for the past couple of days but they seem to have calmed down now.

This week I finished She which I enjoyed a lot. There were some obvious problems due to the time it was written and the point of view of "if we don't find what we're looking for, we can at least shoot something" but I liked the actual story and it was well-written. The atmosphere of the caves and the swamps was genuinely creepy and the finale scene will stay with me for a long time.

Also finished Part of Your Nightmare. Two creepy books in a row! This would be quite scary for a middle-grade reader and the ending is actually a surprise, even for "grown-ups".

Currently reading: The Secret Commonwealth I'm about 3/4s of the way through.

QOTW: I think our classics discussion from a few weeks ago shows that some books would benefit from being shorter lol. I think they should clearly state that they are abridgements though

We got new bookcases!! A very modern one with 3D-effects and floating shelves. And a traditional one in our vide at the first floor (from floor to ceiling, about 2.60 meter high!). A local carpenter has designed and made them especially for our home. But oh, the joy of filling those shelves!! I¡¯ve tried 3 options for the ¡®library bookcase¡¯ in our vide: colour wise (didn¡¯t work), a-b-c and finally I chose to pack the shelves by genre. That worked better. Now I have to choose books we want to show in our modern bookcase. And buy some plants. And think of photos and other stuff we can put in that bookcase.

16/40
Finished
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens ?????
Prompt: #22, a set mostly or entirely outdoors

Just loved it. I loved the way Owens described the coastal swamps. And although Kya¡¯s life is so different from mine, I still could relate to her. I loved her sense of freedom and independence.

Currently reading
Home
John Adams

QOTW
Of course they are real books. I think an adaptation depends on the goal. Rewriting to make the book accessible for a new public (like youth) is ok. Just as rewriting old language to modern language. That¡¯s keeping the book accessible for today¡¯s readers. All other adaptations are unnecessary imho.

Super busy day/night so I'll make this quick! This week I finished:

Once I Was You: A Memoir of Love and Hate in a Torn America 4.5 stars
The Joy Luck Club 5 stars
My Year Abroad 3 stars
A Particular Kind of Black Man 5 stars
The Man Who Lived Underground 4.5 stars
Heart of Fire: An Immigrant Daughter's Story 4 stars

I'm currently reading A Kind of Freedom in print.

QOTW: I haven't thought about adaptations before, so I guess I don't have opinions on them. ;)

Happy Thursday!

I covered for our shipping department at work this morning, so posting in the afternoon rather than my usual crack-of-dawn post. Husband roped me into watching Jupiter's Legacy on Netflix with him this week; it's not bad but the wigs are horrendous, bahaha! I'm making a library run as soon as I get home to grab P Djeli Clark's newest, A Master of Djinn, along with a few other things. Can the work day hurry along please?

Four books finished this past week:
These Violent Delights - 3.5 stars. This felt a little uneven and I wasn't sold on the insects/plague/river monster subplot, but as far as the retelling it's a resounding YES from me. Looking forward to the sequel! Oxymoron in the title

The Complete Persepolis - 5 stars. I read this in two days, my second book during Ramadan for a Muslim author, and this graphic novel memoir did not disappoint. Now to track down the film!

Firestarter - 4 stars. This was such a great trilogy, and this installment in particular was packed with Feels. Book about forgetting

Shadows Linger - 4.5 stars. Finally finished my carryover-from-April book! I appreciate Glen Cook's sparse style, especially when the trend seems to be for authors to describe their settings in vivid detail (not that I mind that either! It's just a change), and then I remember this was written in the 1980s... Anyway! Very good, and looking forward to #3. Ugliest cover on your TBR

PS 35/50

Currently:
The English Patient
Havah: The Story of Eve
A Master of Djinn

Upcoming:
Wolf Totem
Never Let Me Go
The Bone Shard Daughter

QOTW: Adaptations. Are they ¡°real¡± books? Do they serve a purpose? Or should only the original texts be published?
This one's interesting, because I tend to think of retellings as an offshoot of adaptations, and they're definitely real books. I also remember a time in high school when I was addicted to reading film novelizations of my favorite movies, which I'm sure counts as an adaptation somewhere. Should those be published... jury's out, bahahaha.

32/50

Finished: Love Is a Revolution read for Body Positivity prompt. I really enjoyed this one-- read it in one sitting. Great character development.

Never Work Harder Than Your Students & Other Principles of Great Teaching This one had a self-assessment that seemed so accurate, I really trusted the advice. Though there are controversies in the field of education, the author managed to distill the truths.

Alone Together: Love, Grief, and Comfort in the Time of COVID-19 used for title with oxymoron. I had tried to read Sherry Turkle's Alone Together, but it just wasn't grabbing me, so when I saw this collection of Covid essays and poems with the same title, I was excited!

Started: Just started The Creative Habit: Learn It and Use It for Life last night. I've been waiting for this one since our library only has one copy and it was in use. Good so far.

Qotw: I feel like in general, I would prefer to read an original than an adaptation. But for kids, I think they're helpful. For example, there are kinder guides of Pride and Prejudice and Jane Eyre that expose the stories to kids much earlier than they otherwise would. I'm also thinking of Herman Hesse's Siddartha which is sort of an adaptation that I really enjoyed. I guess I'm not opposed to them on principle, but they can be done artfully or not-so-much. Abridgements too, are sort of adaptations, and I read the abridgement of Emma Goldman's My Life, which I appreciated because I might not have made it all the way through otherwise.

Harmke wrote: "We got new bookcases!! A very modern one with 3D-effects and floating shelves. And a traditional one in our vide at the first floor (from floor to ceiling, about 2.60 meter high!). A local carpente..."

How exciting! I'd love to get someone in to build floor to ceiling bookcases rather than my mismatched collection.

That surprises and saddens me that a country as densely populated as India has parts of it that need the basic facts about communicable disease. They should be getting them from someplace better than the School of Hard Knocks.

In terms of reading, my week has been pretty good. I'll order the finished ones from worst to best.

DNF:

Heartless by Marissa Meyer (a book with a heart, diamond, club, or spade on the cover)

I don't usually go for villain perspective prequels, and a place as timeless as Wonderland needs one less than most settings. Nothing I read was egregiously bad, but it just wasn't the story I wanted to read.

Finished:

The Unifying Force by James Luceno (2/5, reread)

The author's style definitely feels slower and more draggy now than it did earlier in my reading life. You could probably be fine reading Parts 3 and 4 to make this a more manageable reading experience. Boba Fett completists can read his few pages of appearing in the earlier parts if they want to. There is a cool passage of Jacen using the Force in the final showdown section that I enjoy a lot.

My Enemy, My Ally by Diane Duane (reread for fun)(4/5)

If we are allowed half stars, this would get a 4.5. A lot of the book is completely brilliant, especially the characterization and Romulan culture. Ensign Naraht is a hoot (and I love that Ael calls him Ensign Rock). The final battle section got a little bit tedious, especially since the survival of certain characters and ships is a foregone conclusion. Still, I would recommend the story to any Star Trek fan.

Canto Bight by Ahmed, Grant, Carson, and Miller (reread for fun)(4/5)

Forget your opinions of The Last Jedi, whatever they are. The four stories in this anthology are basically about space Las Vegas. It is a land of dreams and luxurious experiences, but it is artificial and built on a foundation of crime and greed. With the exception of Carson's story (the protagonist succeeds but is going to have some constant pain due to their actions), they all end pretty happily.

Currently reading:

I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You by Ally Carter (for fun)

This spy school for girls is a bit far-fetched, but it's been fun in its first quarter, and the author is good at ending chapters on interesting cliffhangers.

The Weapon of a Jedi: A Luke Skywalker Adventure by Jason Fry (reread)

If you like Luke, 3PO, R2, or Jedi stories, then this one is worth looking at.

Spock's World by Diane Duane (reread)

There's a lot of great stuff already, and I'm only through the prologue.

Question of the Week:

I use the word adaptation to mean changing a story to fit another medium. What is being discussed here I would call "modified" or revised editions. I don't agree that a front cover has to advertise that it is different from the original, although it would be nice. It should have something in the front matter (near the copyright details) to indicate a change.

I fully support picture book versions of longer works. My daughter has an illustrated board book of The Wizard of Oz, and that is a fun and short way to be introduced to the story.

read a couple more. Unfortunately when Mom went to the house after my injury she didn't bring the entire bag of books I had set aside for the challenge so I'm going to have to put aside the challenge for a little while once I run through what she did bring (I'm still housebound)

I did get a couple read though. For the prompt A book with something broken on the cover, I read Duck Duck Ghost by Rhys Ford (my cover had a broken doll's head which plays into the storyline). I liked the first book in this series much more than this one I'm afraid.

For the prompt the shortest book (by pages) on your TBR list Catch Me When I Fall by Vicki Leigh under 200 pages. Interesting idea sort of ruined for me by the insta-love plot device


QOTW I don't read a lot of adaptations so I have no strong feelings either way

Hi all! Challenge is going well. Still waiting to hear back from literary agents about my manuscript. Trying to have positive thoughts!

Finished

The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro for a book about forgetting. This was gorgeous. It felt like dreaming to read it. Definitely recommend.

The Galaxy, and the Ground Within by Becky Chambers. I hate to say, but I didn't like it very much. I loved the other three, but this one bored me quite a bit.

Currently Reading

Realm Breaker by Victoria Aveyard. I was so-so on her Red Queen series, but I just couldn't resist the hype and got a copy of this. I like it so far.

They Never Learn by Layne Fargo. Female serial killer who murders assailants and is also a lit professor? Yes please!

The Pleasures of Reading in an Age of Distraction by Alan Jacobs for shortest book on my tbr. Ironically, not terribly enjoyable to read.

QotW

I like adaptions generally. They make some books more accessible, they give a fresh spin on others. I don't know if this counts as an adaption, but I like novelizations, too, because I have a hard time just sitting and watching a movie, but I can sit and read a book. So there are some films that sound interesting to me, and if there's a novelization, I can read it instead of forcing myself to watch it.

Harmke wrote: "We got new bookcases!! A very modern one with 3D-effects and floating shelves. And a traditional one in our vide at the first floor (from floor to ceiling, about 2.60 meter high!). A local carpente..."




Enjoy!!! They sound wonderful. What is the "vide"? - that must be a European term. I'm picturing like the entry hall?

Tomorrow is my last day of work at my current job. I had one goodbye lunch with fully vaccinated people in the library earlier this week, and a goodbye picnic with my unit tomorrow. Then I start my new job on Monday. I wish I could have taken a vacation in between, but that didn¡¯t work out. I¡¯m going to use this weekend as a vacation. No cleaning, cooking, or errands! Just reading and movies.

Finished
Watership Down by Richard Adams (a book set mostly or entirely outdoors). Another children's classic that I did not get to read or have read to me as a child. I liked this a lot, but I don¡¯t know if I would have loved it as a child the way I know I would have loved Anne of Green Gables and The Secret Garden. I think this is one I got more out of by reading it as an adult.

Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art by James Nestor (a book about a subject you are passionate about). I enjoyed this book, but I don¡¯t know how much instruction a book can provide about breathing techniques. That seems to be something that needs a living teacher. Despite that, I like the book for the way it presented the social history and anthropological record that show we breathe differently now than our ancestors did. My three years in braces, three oral surgeries, and lifetime of allergies make me extra resentful of the Industrial Revolution now.

Reading
I¡¯m going to start reading Ayesha at Last tonight.

QOTW
Yes! I¡¯m most familiar with picture book adaptations. Those are clearly meant to introduce young children to a story, and as they get older they can read different versions of the story. I think abridged classics might fall into this category. They also have their place. I enjoyed reading them in school when I probably would not have enjoyed the full length version. I¡¯ve also heard of nonfiction books being adapted into YA nonfiction to introduce a heavy topic in an age appropriate way.

Up and down spring weather in the Alps, here. Wish it would be more consistently warm! But, I am getting my second vaccine soon, it's nearly the end of a long and complicated school year, and I'll be heading home to see my family for the summer holidays.

Today, I officially made it to 25 books, halfway through the challenge.

Finished
The Exiles for prompt 27 - a book about do-overs or fresh starts. The book focused on female prisoners sentenced in England to transport - which meant being shipped off to Van Diemen's Land, now called Tasmania. Tragic and triumphant story. Had some twists I hadn't exactly expected. A history seldom recorded.

Queen Bees: Six Brilliant and Extraordinary Society Hostesses Between the Wars for prompt 32 - a book starting with Q, X, or Z. Interesting nonfiction about wealthy women smoozing and hobnobbing with the best of British society and beyond before WWI, during the interim, and after WWII. A look at the effect of soft power on politics and world history.

Currently Reading
Clap When You Land for prompt 29 - a book set in multiple countries. Beautiful poetic writing from Acevedo.

The World That We Knew for prompt 4 - an author with the same zodiac sign. I'm a Pisces, and so is Alice Hoffman.

Might get started soon on my longest TBR book, Fall of Giants.

QotW
I've likely read adaptations but can't honestly remember many of them. I read classics adaptations as a kid and young adult, and I'm glad to have picked up the actual books later on in life. I do think they serve a purpose for younger readers, or for readers to get the gist of the original text. I know there are great graphic novel adaptations out there that I can recommend to students. If that piques their interest, then maybe they'll pick up the original.

Greetings all from sunny NYC! We are having a long cool spring - and I revel in it.

India is heartbreaking. COVID is also ravaging the Orthodox Jewish community in Israel and here in Brooklyn, NYC for many of the same reasons -- insular communities with no understanding who continue to have huge events (weddings and funerals where thousands attend, all in very close proximity) which become superspreaders as those infected attend. It is heartbreaking.

I am 29/50 for PS. I'm really pleased with my progress.

Finished - reading was slower this week for me. I'm having trouble just settling to reading, and instead watching tv or playing games on my tablet.

Mexican Gothic - really loved this! I found so much of interest - how the author took traditional gothic to a new level. I dislike horror so the minimal creepiness was just fine with me. Horror fans - this is really just gothic so don't expect to be checking under the bed while reading this. You might think twice about certain foodstuffs. Not for PS.

Six of Crows - I will always remember my first Leigh Bardugo. I loved this but then I always love a good heist. It also has just the right minimal amount of world building and magic that I like -- I like fantasy that reads more like historical fiction of a familiar world/era. I had some quibbles that really relate to it being YA - not as complex as I would like and I really did not need to be reminded constantly that they are all 17 yo, for example. But this was a pleasure and the sequel was delivered today. Not for challenge.

Currently Reading:

Ten Women - set in Santiago, Chile, the stories of 9 women and their therapist. I find something to relate to in just about every woman. Some are sad, some are tragic, some are just women trying to cope with their lives. Most stories include some body image discussion so I'm counting this as my PS body positivity book.

Proven?al Cooking: Savoring the Simple Life in France - Mary Ann Caws, scholar and acclaimed translator of Provencal poet Rene Char, published this collection of memories of her summers in Provence over several decades. It's charming and has me longing to visit the Vaucluse region of Provence (this is the area northeast of Avignon, the northern-most part of Provence, and location of the the most difficult mountain ascent in the Tour de France). I don't have an open prompt it fits but it certainly fits place you want to visit if I had not already filled it.

This Cold Heaven: Seven Seasons in Greenland

Three Lives by Gertrude Stein

QOTW: Essentially, I do not look to read adaptations. However, there are more of those we read than you would think - graphic novel versions of classics - old and new such as Kindred and A Game of Thrones. There are many adaptations of books for younger audiences - Hidden Figures and Notorious RBG: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg for example - which serve a real purpose I support. Someone who adapts an original text to include illustrations again serves a purpose -- paying homage to the classic but adding something new and expanding its reach. Proust's masterpiece A Le Recherche du Temps Perdu has various versions out there -- adaptations if you will -- with the later volumes to the tome having less or more material depending on which 'edition' you are following based on research and material newly available because Proust died before he finished editting the entire work.

And then there are abridged versions - which are adaptations -- which may make some books like Les Mis¨¦rables more likely to be read.

Nancy Drews and the Hardy Boys have been updated to meet contemporary language (convertible not roadster) and social mores (ethnic descriptions). Those are adaptations as well.

I think the concept in and of itself is not problematic, especially if it is either for a specific purpose to reach a new or expanded audience, or if it is a 'fair use' making it something new (graphic).

However, I want to know something is an adaptation or abridged or otherwise changed from the original before I purchase it, and I don't want to have to dig through the book and copyright pages to figure it out. That angers me. Covers by law should be clearly marked unless it is obvious like a graphic novel adaptation. A couple years ago I wanted to re-read Villette, and I could not find the trade paperback edition I'd bought a few years earlier. I found a really inexpensive ebook on Amazon and downloaded it, only to discover that whoever published this cheap ebook had eliminated sections, including a long one at the very beginning of the book. There was no way to know from the listing of the book or even the copyright page that it had been 'abridged' -- I found out when I stumbled across my print copy shortly after starting my re-read. I was so angry, I made Amazon refund my $0.99! An aside - I've also found I have bought books I already own because when issued in ebook, they put a new cover on it and for a very long time, Amazon and Barnes & Noble did not indicate these were reissues anywhere on the sale pages. I am now very careful when I by a book to be sure I'm getting what I think I am.

This is the first time in a while that I have checked in. I got busy with other things and it just got put on the back-burner. It is nice to be back. I have actually done a lot of reading this week, but the majority of the books did not fit the POPSUGAR prompts

CHALLENGES AND PROGRESS

2021 Popsugar: 27/50

2021 ATY Official: 37/52

2021 Salt Lake County Library Monthly Challenge: 5/12

Side Reads: 8

POPSUGAR BOOKS FINSISHED
Women in White Coats: How the First Women Doctors Changed the World of Medicine by Olivia Campbell

This book covers Prompt #1: A book Published in 2021. Overall I liked it; but it was a bit confusing since a lot of the described people had the same name. In a biography this is hard to avoid, so it is understandable. The author also had a tendency to go on tangents that were not really related to topic of the book. That being said, the women described in this book had a lot of courage and strength. I give it 3 stars.

OTHER BOOKS FINISHED

If You Ask Me by Betty White
The Black Tulip by Alexandre Dumas
The Blue Day Book: A Lesson in Cheering Yourself Up by Bradley Trevor Grieve
Identity by Camille Peters
Reflection by Camille Peters

CURRENTLY READING
The Time Machine by H.G. Wells
Our Man in Belize: A Memoir by Richard Timothy Conroy
The Phoenix Dance by Dia Calhoun

QOTW:
I am for books that are adapted to make them more accessible to a younger audience.

Happy Thursday! Missed last weeks check in, but I hadn't read much of anything, and also time really got away from me!

Finished:
If Cats Disappeared from the World- I really liked this one. The ending was very touching. I liked the discussion about what's important in life, and what makes moments memorable.

The Sick Bag Song- I'm a huge Nick Cave fan, so I'm glad I read this, but I'm not sure really how I feel about it. It's a strange mix of poetry, stream of conscious, travel journal. It feels like one of Nick Cave's albums that I appreciate, but don't necessarily want to play on repeat.

Playing with Fire- book set mainly outdoors, very young ya disaster/adventure story. I would have loved this type of thing in middle school, but there was a new disaster every chapter, and I kept wanting to say "escaping from a fire is dramatic enough!"

Currently reading:
People We Meet on Vacation- so far, very cute
Letters from Iceland
The Count of Monte Cristo


QotW:
So back in high school, I actually read about a third of an adapted version of Count of Monte Cristo, but I didn't realize it was the shorter version. and I remember being really confused because it felt like the book was jumping all over the place, and I couldn't understand why people liked it so much. I finally figured it out, and decided to wait until I had the full version.

I think if it's very clearly a shorter version, or a kids version, adaptions have a place. If it helps beginning readers discover new stories and maybe find ones they want to explore in the full version, I think they can be really helpful.

Happy Eid y'all.

What a weird week it's been. I finally got the library to approve my online card so I've been having fun playing in Overdrive. I can't say I love the Libby app, but eh, I'll live.

AAPI reading! I think it's kinda funny that no matter how long my list of possibilities is each year, I read books that aren't on it.


Finished:
Run Me to Earth - War in Laos - fiction

The Best We Could Do - War in Vietnam - graphic memoir/family history

The Plotters - Assassins in Korea - fiction

The Strangers - Non AAPI Middle grade that was available and wasn't about war/death

City of Secrets - Graphic novel that had fun stuff and I should have liked it more but it was a bit clunky. Really fun concepts and art though!


Currently Reading:
Severance - Asian American millennial in a zombie-ish(?) apocalypse

A Master of Djinn - Fatma! Although... I didn't realize it was going to be quite this long. About 5+ hours in I thought, oh is this going to wrap up soon? Nice. Wonder what I'll listen to next? Wait there are still TEN hours to go? This is what happens when your first story is tiny!

The Magic Fish - I've barely picked this up but the art looks great. I'm off tomorrow so maybe I'll grab it again soon.


QOTW:
I LOATHE abridged editions! When I was young, I thought I had read Little Women. Friends at school were talking about how sad it was when *something happened*. Me: That didn't happen. Three girls: Yes it did. Turns out my version was only the first half of the book! How embarrassing. For the love of Pete, at least make it Obvious And Clear that is it edited! I wouldn't read a book that didn't explicitly state in print "Complete and Unabridged" for about 15 years after that.

poshpenny wrote: "When I was young, I thought I had read Little Women. Friends at school were talking about how sad it was when *something happened*. Me: That didn't happen. Three girls: Yes it did. Turns out my version was only the first half of the book!"

I had the same thing happen to me with Little Women! My mom mentioned the sad thing, and I'm like, no, that's not in there. Library book was only the first half, with no mention that there was a part two.

I am rather relieved to see that the CDC has updated guidelines today for the people who are fully vaccinated for COVID. I believe in the science and the studies being done, and it seems reasonable to me that I am very unlikely now to either spread or get COVID. So I will be relaxing my mask stance and probably only wearing them in very crowded places and in any places that require them (and obviously around vulnerable people). I am starting to plan to see more friends in the near future, and I'm very excited about that.

Finished
I'm still on a Daniel Hurst reading kick and am ignoring my library books, which I'm sure I will regret when deadlines approach.
20 Minutes To Change A Life
20 Minutes In Las Vegas
20 Minutes In The Desert
Influencer
Enjoying all of these books. Fast, easy reads. None for the challenge.

Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ: 42/100
Popsugar: 26/45, 3/10

QOTW: I haven't read adaptations that I can think of (I avoid movie adaptations for sure), but I've read a lot of abridgements. I grew up reading Reader's Digest Condensed Books and loved them. They turned me on to authors such as Dick Francis and John Grisham. Even though I started reading the whole versions, I really couldn't tell much difference.

A friend gave me the unabridged version of Don Quixote back in the 1980s, and I couldn't get through it. Read an abridged version and loved it. So I wouldn't judge people who read a good abridged version, unless it is for a class. Better to have read and finished than not read at all!

poshpenny wrote: "... AAPI reading! I think it's kinda funny that no matter how long my list of possibilities is each year, I read books that aren't on it. ..."



LOL oh SAME!!! Every time. Big long list, I'll never read them all. Oh, hey! What's this other book?!

But it's okay, I love surprise reads, too.

Melissa wrote: "poshpenny wrote: "When I was young, I thought I had read Little Women. Friends at school were talking about how sad it was when *something happened*. Me: That didn't happen. Three girls: Yes it did. Turns out my version was only the first half of the book!"



I had the same thing happen to me with Little Women! My mom mentioned the sad thing, and I'm like, no, that's not in there. Library book was only the first half, with no mention that there was a part two.."



I have seen a lot of people mention this in the past, and I always assumed that the book was at one point published in two parts.

Theresa wrote: "Six of Crows - [...] I had some quibbles that really relate to it being YA - not as complex as I would like and I really did not need to be reminded constantly that they are all 17 yo, for example."

This is interesting because I kind of felt the reverse: All the characters read like adults to me, not teenagers (except for Wylan who is basically the kid of the group). I mostly forgot they were supposed to be teenagers until one scene where they were like "isn't it nifty we're all teens" "haha yeah lol" Other than that, it read to me like any fantasy book, not YA in particular.

Glad you liked it though!

I finished one book, which worked for an open prompt, made progress on my book club read, and started another book. Not sure yet if either of the books-in-progress will work for an open prompt but we shall see! :) I'm at 14/40 and 2/10 for this challenge, and 29/100 for my overall Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ Reading Challenge.

Finished:
* Becoming Duchess Goldblatt: A Memoir by Duchess Goldblatt (aka anonymous), which I used for "a book that was published anonymously." I can't believe the author's been able to maintain their anonymity all of this time -- amazing!

Currently Reading:
* Fighting for Space: Two Pilots and Their Historic Battle for Female Spaceflight by Amy Shira Teitel, which is one of my book club's picks for May; and,
* Fatal Fried Rice by Vivien Chien, which might work for the restaurant prompt. Lana has at least popped into the Ho-Lee Noodle Shop a few more times than she did in the last couple, so fingers crossed!

Question of the Week:
Adaptations. Are they ¡°real¡± books? Do they serve a purpose? Or should only the original texts be published? I wasn't quite sure what an adaptation was, so I had no strong feelings on this when I read the QotW. I'm sure I've read them before but would be hard pressed to name a single title. After reading the other responses that have been posted so far, I'd say that they do serve a purpose, especially young reader adaptations of books. That seems to be a great option for introducing difficult themes or issues in an accessible way.

Hey all, happy Thursday!

Finished reading: (10/50)

My Work is Not Yet Done: Three Tales of Corporate Horror (a book with under 1k reviews) - This was admittedly a dumb sort of junk-food read, but I enjoyed it. It's about a disgruntled employee going postal on his former co-workers, and...he's randomly granted demonic superpowers?? (This is never really explained, it just happens, you gotta roll with it.) It's also surprisingly humorous in the way it pokes fun at corporate culture and the main character's own foibles/pet peeves.


QotW: I read a couple of adaptations as a kid (abridged versions of Ben Hur and A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court). At the time I didn't realize they were abridged. In retrospect it was kinda obvious because they were small handheld books with pictures taking up every other page. I remember getting into an argument with my mom because there was some kind of class contest for reading the most pages, and I wanted to count the book's actual page count (I DID read the whole book and it DID have that many pages), while my mom said I should only count half the pages because of all the pictures.

Anyway, I'm all for adaptations that are sanctioned by an author. Like if an author wants to collab with an artist to make a comic book version of their novel, or if they want to write a version that's more accessible to kids, that's great.

I feel a little iffy about adaptations that are done after an author's death without their input. Like, it's cool if more people get to enjoy/experience the work...but I wouldn't count the adaptation as reading the real thing. And it should definitely be clearly labeled so people don't get bait-and-switched.

On the other hand, I really enjoy retellings that do creative things with their subject matter! e.g. These Violent Delights, a Romeo and Juliet retelling in 1920s Shanghai, or The Child Thief, a dark Peter Pan retelling. They have enough unique material added to stand on their own, but you can also clearly see the inspiration from the original works.

Nadine wrote: "Melissa wrote: "poshpenny wrote: "When I was young, I thought I had read Little Women. Friends at school were talking about how sad it was when *something happened*. Me: That didn't happen. Three g..."

I don't think it was published in two parts, they just later published those annoying super abridged versions for children. I'm assuming they stopped halfway through for the same reason a lot of people I knew back in the day only watched the first VHS of Titanic. That way they got to pretend it was a romance with a happy ending.

poshpenny wrote: "Nadine wrote: "Melissa wrote: "poshpenny wrote: "When I was young, I thought I had read Little Women. Friends at school were talking about how sad it was when *something happened*. Me: That didn't ..."

It was originally two volumes. It is still usually published in two volumes here in the UK. The second part (with the sad bit) is sold as Good Wives. It really confused me as a kid when I saw the movie and it had all this extra story that wasn't in the book :D

Drakeryn wrote: "Theresa wrote: "Six of Crows - [...] I had some quibbles that really relate to it being YA - not as complex as I would like and I really did not need to be reminded constantly that they are all 17 ..."

It is more that it seemed every 2 or 3 pages it was mentioned they were 17....really stood out. Otherwise I would have totally slipped into thinking they were in their mid-20s. Although Nina's and Matthias' bickering were pure older teens who won't admit they like each other (and yes I know they had real reason to be angry with each other but Ivstand by my bickering comment).

Nadine wrote: "I have seen a lot of people mention this in the past, and I always assumed that the book was at one point published in two parts."

I swear I watched a show about Louisa May Alcott that said she had originally published Little Women ending with Jo turning down Laurie, and the fan outcry was such that the publisher asked her to write more (And have Jo end up with Laurie after all) and so that's where the second part came in. But it could have been a 'fictionalized' account. It was a couple of years ago now.....