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Happy Thursday!  June is over so I think it's time to take our Pride flag down, but first we have to wait for it to dry after our thunderstorms.  (More coming today so that flag might have to fly for another day or two.)

 It was a HOT and busy week for us in northern NY.  The news keeps talking about how hot it is in the northwest, and we sympathize, because it's been in the 90s here, too, which is very unusual here.  I hope everyone is staying safe and as cool as you can be.

Luckily on Friday it was only in the upper 80s for our high school graduation. (Now my daughter is a high school graduate!!)   We get a lot of rain here, so I think our hot and cloudy day counted as good weather.  Then the real heat started on Saturday for her party - I mean, at least it didn't rain?  I guess?  It's been pretty much nonstop heat and humidity ever since, with plenty of thunderstorms to keep the air feeling soupy.  


Admin stuff

Q4 polls are finished!  Our final three group reads will be:
October (locked room mystery):  Anxious People
November (indigenous author):  a TIE* between There There and Firekeeper's Daughter.
December (published in 2021):  Malibu Rising

* I've set up a TIE BREAKER VOTE for November's read!  I'm leaving the votes visible as the poll goes, so you all can see what's what and break any tie that forms.  Theoretically.

And, as always, we are looking for some volunteers to lead the discussions!  Let me or Lynn know if you're interested.

New month means new group read!  July's book is The Guest List, for "a book that takes place mostly outdoors."  Join the discussion here:  July Group Read Discussion



I didn't get much reading done since I've been so busy.  This week I finished one book.  But it was a great book!!

We Could Be Heroes by Mike Chen - I LOVED this book!!  The basic plot (wacky science experiments result in superhumans) has been done before, but I loved this take on it.  It's not about the hero vs villain, it's about regular people in extraordinary circumstances who learn they work better together than alone.  Both main characters have forgotten who they used to be, so this would work quite well for "book about forgetting."  Chen thanks David Bowie in his author's note, so I put this book in "title same as a song title" even though it's not exactly the title, but the intent was there.  I already had a different book in that category, so this doesn't change my overall progress of 33/50.



Question of the Week
What is your favorite setting for a summery book?
Note: this doesn't necessarily mean a book you read in summer, just a book you associate with summer for whatever reason, whether it's because it's set in summer or you read it in summer or it just reminds you of summer.

I go to the NJ shore every summer, so I LOVE reading books set on the ocean, any ocean, doesn't have to be New Jersey.  New England, Long Island, Outer Banks, California, Mediterranean ... it's all good!

Beatriz Williams is really good about setting a lot of her books on a coast, even if only part of the plot takes place there.  Maybe that's why I like her books so much!!
A Hundred Summers - Rhode Island, Long Island sound
Along the Infinite Sea - Mediterranean (but most of the book doesn't take place there)
The Golden Hour - Bahamas
Her Last Flight - Hawaii
Cocoa Beach - Florida
The Wicked Redhead - Long Island

And of course TJR's new book, Malibu Rising.

I always eye Barbara Delinsky's books because they have such gorgeous beachy covers, but I've never read one, because when I read the blurb it doesn't really sound like my thing.  But the hydrangeas on the cover of Blueprints!! that is such a gorgeous cover.


Karen White's books catch my eye for the same reason.  I've got The Sound of Glass on my TBR.  I love seaglass! How can I resist that cover?!

I finished The Neighbor, my book with an ugly cover. Really liked it.

I'm about 3/4 of the way through The Last Tudor as my book with a family tree. I love PG even though she might not be THE most historically accurate novelist. She's also not the worst.

QOTW: Probably the beach. I can only take the beach in small doses. The sun's too bright, it's too hot, I always get burned, the salt messes my hair up, I get sand in my bathing suit. But, if I'm just reading about it, no problem:)

It has been ages since I have checked in. I'm up early today so have time before work (and let me just say I am never working summer school again). Of course, on the day I check in I have nothing to report. I am only eight books away from finishing the challenge but am in a little bit of a reading funk. I do have three books started, so I am currently reading:
Midnight Blue- prettiest cover
The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America- DNF on TBR (not my DNF, I got it off the list here. Thank you, thank you to whoever had that stroke of genius because I just couldn't face one of my own DNFs.)
They Came to Baghdad- chosen at random off TBR list.

I hope I get all three finished this week so I have something to report next week.

QOTW:
I am just happy to have summer reads. I like them set by water of any kind. The ocean, lakes, rivers- just give me water!

Happy Reading!

Gosh, Thursday again already? Where did the week go??

We had a good time camping Tuesday evening even with the heat wave and the rain; our cabin had a small covered porch so we were able to stay out of the wet and still enjoy nature.

A few DNFs and a few finished reads for the past week (thankfully, because I was starting to wonder if I'd ever finish anything!):
Dead Dead Girls - DNF. Grabbed me at first then steadily let me down.
Queen of the Conquered - DNF. Couldn't hold my attention via audio or paperback, unfortunately.
How We Get Free: Black Feminism and the Combahee River Collective - 4 stars. A lot of good, important stuff here.
Marlene - 3.5 stars. I liked this one, just wish it had expanded on Dietrich's later career and not stopped when she was in her mid-30s.
Dear Martin - 4 stars. Finished this in a day on our camping trip. Hard-hitting.
Dear Justyce - 5 stars. Somehow better than book one?? I love this duology.

Still PS 40/50

Currently:
Open Veins of Latin America: Five Centuries of the Pillage of a Continent - For my summer reading challenge and also my Radical Reading summer group read. Isabel Allende's introduction was marvelous.
An Unkindness of Ghosts - Getting back to this as soon as I finish Justyce!
The Jasmine Throne - Still early bc I've been distracted, but I'm loving the India-inspired setting.
The Cat of Amontillado - Started this on a whim and it's stinking CUTE.
The Unbroken - Feeling a bit heavy for now but definitely still invested!

QOTW: What is your favorite setting for a summery book?
I don't feel particularly drawn to summery books, mostly because I don't read a lot of contemporary fiction. I do appreciate historical fiction in tropical settings, like Brennert's Moloka'i duology.

I hope those in the midst of the heatwave are coping OK. Puts our weather grumbling into perspective, it's mostly wet or humid here, but I just sat outside in the sunshine for my lunch and it actually felt like summer again.

I've randomly had a week of mysteries!

Finished:
The Box in the Woods by Maureen Johnson for ATY (mystery or thriller). This a standalone mystery set after the Truly Devious trilogy and I liked spending time with the characters again and the summer camp setting. Not quite as good as the rest but I enjoyed it.

Arsenic and Adobo by Mia P. Manansala for set in a restaurant. This was cute, the right level of cozy crime tempered with some seriousness and so many delicious sounding dishes. Very much about friendships and family as well as the mystery and food. I'll definitely be grabbing the second book next year.

Lock Every Door by Riley Sager for ugliest cover on my TBR. I just really dislike this edition so I knew I'd read this book the moment I saw the prompt. Was a pretty grabbing mystery/horror, read it super quickly, even though I felt the main character spent a bit too much time reminding us how she was all alone because dead parents/missing sister.

PS: 31/50 | ATY: 31/52 | GR: 67/100

QOTW:
I don't feel I read particularly summery books in summer but looking back at recent reads I'd say I like summer camp and island settings.

Happy Thursday, y’all.

Mom's recovering from her broken wrist. It's a slow process, and she's getting impatient and antsy, but so far it seems to be healing well. Now if we can just survive this heat wave...

Books read this week:

The Ride of Her Life: The True Story of a Woman, Her Horse, and Their Last-Chance Journey Across America -- I loved The Eighty-Dollar Champion: Snowman, the Horse That Inspired a Nation and The Perfect Horse: the Daring U.S. Mission to Rescue the Priceless Stallions Kidnapped by the Nazis by the same author, and this book -- about Annie Wilkins, a woman who rode a horse from Maine to California in the 1950s -- is a delightful read, one that shows America on the cusp of change and celebrates one woman’s grit and determination.

Convenience Store Woman -- a short, weird little novel about a convenience store worker that nonetheless has a lot of valuable things to say about finding one’s place in life�� even if society has other expectations.

The Angel of Khan el-Khalili -- Tor short. Gorgeous short story, and whets my appetite for A Master of Djinn, set in the same universe.

PrimerPrimer -- graphic novel. Kind of hits a lot of the cliches of a superhero story and a YA novel (troubled kid in foster care, military experiment gone rogue, etc.), but still a lot of fun to read.

Currently Reading:

Project Hail Mary
Boy's Life
My Mother She Killed Me, My Father He Ate Me: Forty New Fairy Tales
Survive the Night

QOTW:

I... don't really save certain books for summer or any other season. I do like books set in small towns, though -- for whatever reason they have a summery feel to me.

Good Morning all. Hot & humid in Virginia too. I read 3 books for the week. None for Pop Sugar.
One For The Blackbird, One For The Crow by Olivia Hawker. 3 stars. Western, historical fiction,magical realism. I read it for my face to face book club. I thought it was a little long. Good story.
The Memory Police by Yoko Ogawa, Stephen Snyder (translator), Markus Juslin (Translator). 3 stars. Science Fiction,dystopia,Japan. I read if for another face to face book club. I'm glad I read it because I used it for an ATY prompt I was having a very hard time filling. It was interesting.
The Last Thing He Told Me, Laura Dave. I borrowed the book & wanted to return it. 5 stars. I read it in a day.
Question of the Week
What is your favorite setting for a summery book? Coastal towns.

Happy Thursday! It's not getting into the 90s today! I feel bad even saying that. Yesterday was 94, but that seems mild compared to the temperatures that have been happening in the Northwest.

Congratulations to you and your daughter, Nadine. What a milestone.

Finished:
Malibu Rising I have reached that point where I am having trouble fitting books I want to read into remaining prompts.
Just Last Night Can't for the life of me remember why I requested this book from the library.
Brat: An '80s Story for a subject I am passionate about. I am passionate about the '80s: music, movies, general pop culture, everything. This book was kind of scan though, I was hoping for more.

Currently reading:
The Bad Muslim Discount
Stonewall
Cleopatra: A Life
War and Peace
The Thursday Murder Club on audio

QOTW:
Greek isles, Hawaii, any island really. I like to read about the beach, not so much experience it in real life. I rarely go on beach vacations.

Kenya wrote: "... The Angel of Khan el-Khalili -- Tor short. Gorgeous short story, and whets my appetite for A Master of Djinn, set in the same universe..."


Oooooh I did not know about this short!! Thanks! I'm definitely reading it, I've been loving this series and the characters.

Milena wrote: "Just Last Night Can't for the life of me remember why I requested this book from the library. ..."



LOL that happened to me with this book too!!! Then I remembered I'd really enjoyed another book I read by her, so I must have just put this new one on hold when it came out. Sadly for me, I did not get a chance to read it before my hold expired.

Sherri wrote: "The Memory Police by Yoko Ogawa, Stephen Snyder (translator), Markus Juslin (Translator). 3 stars. Science Fiction,dystopia,Japan. I read if for another face to face book club. I'm glad I read it because I used it for an ATY prompt I was having a very hard time filling. ..."


I've been sort of passively checking off AtY categories, I haven't fully committed to doing that challenge this year. But I've got this book penciled in for "Warwick Prize" - is that what you used it for?

Work continues to be heinous, and therefore continues to affect my reading progress (although that's also because of the book I'm currently reading - more on that below!).

Finished:

The Bad Beginning for A book that was published anonymously. Yep, really not getting what all the fuss is about here!

Started:

Wolf Hall for A book with a family tree. This is already turning into a bit of a slog, and I'm not even halfway through yet! I think I would be getting on with it better if I wasn't so tired from work at the moment - although equally, being tired wouldn't be so much of a factor if the book was easier to read! Still, I shall persevere!

QOTW:

I don't consciously search out 'summery' books, or have any that I particularly associate with summer. But if I am reading a book set in summer, I enjoy it when it's some kind of British coastal setting (e.g.Cornish coast or little Scottish island).

Good morning! Work is busy, Texas is hot (although it's been "cooler," which means lower 90s), same old same old!

Finished:
How Emotions Are Made: The Secret Life of the Brain - a book on a topic you're passionate about. This was truly fascinating! There were a couple of times I didn't really follow the conclusions she came up with (in a "I don't see how you got to that conclusion, it seems to me this other thing makes more sense based on what you've found") but I'm not a neuroscientist.

Up Next (I haven't technically started anything yet but plan to today):
Piranesi - I'm really excited for this and have actively avoided reading anything that's been said about it in these weekly posts. 😉

Crazy Stupid Bromance - I plan to listen to this on my drive to my parents' this weekend.

QOTW:
I don't have a preferred setting, really. I do avoid anything that takes place in a cold climate when it's hot out (and vice versa). I do tend to read more realistic fiction in the summer (unless I'm trying to work on the challenge and just need to get some books done). The other three seasons just seem (in my head) to be better settings for magical things. HOWEVER, I will plan to read any fantasy/folktales that take place in hot climates in the summer (like Arabian Nights).

I just want it to match up with the weather where I am, I guess.

Shannon wrote: "I don't have a preferred setting, really. I do avoid anything that takes place in a cold climate when it's hot out (and vice versa). ."

That's funny. Sometimes I like to read something "cold" in the summer so that I can feel cooler and vice versa. I read Into Thin Air in Jan or Feb and kind of wished I had saved it for summer.

Greetings from the Pacific Northwest where temperatures this last week were higher than Phoenix, Las Vegas, and Dubai. My car clocked 112 degrees, my apartment didn't get below 92 for 3 days but my work has AC so I was thankful to go to work on Monday. It would be great if this area was equipped to handle that type of heat but apparently we are the "least air-conditioned metro city in the nation" or something like that. We had 2 tower fans blowing around hot air, the dog was covered in ice packs to cool him off, and my AC unit is expected to be delivered by tomorrow (not super helpful). Most restaurants had to close due to lack of AC. Flash-forward to today where it is 64 degrees and cloudy (my favorite!). But it could have been worse so I am thankful it was only a few days of that heat.

Finished:

The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead. This was good and he told the story of the school really well. I liked The Underground Railroad better though.

It was mostly too hot to read so I laid down and listened to an audiobook with fans blowing around the hot air.

Currently Reading:

The Year of the Witching by Alexis Henderson. I almost gave up on this one. I found myself not really listening and having to "rewind" when I had no idea what was happening. But I persisted, something to do that didn't take any electricity and I am glad I did - it is starting to pick up now.

Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid. Just started this one yesterday when it finally cooled down enough to be a functional person. I really like it so far and am pleased there have been some The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo tie-ins.

QOTW:
Oddly enough most of the summery books I read are thrillers or mysteries. Something about sitting at the beach flipping page after page of a crime/thriller/horror book just makes me so happy. Books that take place at weddings where there is a mystery is probably one of my favorite types of summer reads. The Other Woman is a good one.

I hit a milestone in PT this week and finally feel like I'll be able to walk semi-normally again. I also got a little reading done

For the prompt A book that has won the Women’s Prize for Fiction I read Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell

I admit it, I'm always leery of award winners. They almost never match the hype for me. Also you don't get to my age without knowing what genres work for you and which don't and this sort of award almost inevitably go to contemporary lit which is one of my least favorites. I looked over the list of winners picked the one I thought I was most likely to enjoy. I like Shakespeare. I know we know very little about his family. this might be called Hamnet but it's about Anne/Agnes Hathaway in a sincere attempt to link her to the lady of the lake/forest legends you see in the UK. I did not enjoy it.

I also read The Solstice Kings by Kim Fielding after culling through my LGBT backlog on the eReader trying desperately to find one that wasn't about gay pain. (seriously it's okay to write about more than that when dealing with marginalized groups) This novella had pain and magic and wasn't a bad read at all.


QOTW Honestly I don't have one. I mostly read SF/F so it's all fantasy settings anyhow. I suppose if you held my feet to the fire I'd pick out some cozy mysteries set at the coast.

Katy wrote: "Shannon wrote: "I don't have a preferred setting, really. I do avoid anything that takes place in a cold climate when it's hot out (and vice versa). ."

That's funny. Sometimes I like to read somet..."

I wish I could like this post. I feel exactly the same way. I love to read books set in really cold places in the summer.

Shannon wrote: "... I just want it to match up with the weather where I am, I guess. ..."



I think I'm the same, a book works best for me when I'm experiencing the same climate. I read a dystopian set in a humid flooded city one year when I was at the NJ shore, which is full of humid marshes ... it was perfect.

Nadine wrote, I've been sort of passively checking off AtY categories, I haven't fully committed to doing that challenge this year. But I've got this book penciled in for "Warwick Prize" - is that what you used it for?
Yes Nadine, I used Memory Police for the "Warwick Prize" prompt. I was so happy when my book club chose it for our monthly read.

Hi everyone. It has been a really stressful month at work so I'm glad to see the back of June. Here's to a better July. At least the sunshine has returned!

This week I finished The Viscount Who Loved Me. I watched the Bridgerton series and thought Anthony was annoying and overbearing; same with the first book, so I was a bit apprehensive going in to this one but I actually really liked it. I think it was the realistic sibling relationships that made the book.

I also finished Go the Distance which is one of the better Twisted Tales in my opinion (and the series is VERY up and down). I loved that they didn't try to change Meg's sassy, sarcastic personality (Wendy and Alice were pretty much unrecognisable in their books) and Pegasus is my favourite Disney character so I'm glad he got a lot of page time.

Currently reading: Tentacle but not sure what I think about it so far. It seems like a LOT smushed into one pretty small book and I find it hard to follow the train of thought sometimes.

QOTW: I can't really think of a "summery" book. I guess The Beach which is set in Thailand. I loved that book when I was a teen...and now I want to re-read it!

Nadine wrote: "Shannon wrote: "... I just want it to match up with the weather where I am, I guess. ..."



I think I'm the same, a book works best for me when I'm experiencing the same climate. I read a dystopia..."

There's something jarring for me about being in a cold, snowy (fictional) place and then coming out of it to very hot temperatures in the real world. Like when you see a movie at the theater and it's sunny out when you leave--it just feels wrong lol!

Oh it's been very hot here too in southern PA. The heat just cracked today with rain bringing us down to a more manageable weather. I cannot even fathom what the West is going through. Lord have mercy. Those temps are terrifying.

Finished 26/50

Ten Dates for Mates for "book on your TBR for the longest amount of time". It was pretty good. Dated and not exactly what I was looking for, but not bad. It was more "different things to talk about to boost your marriage" than actual date ideas, but the concepts weren't bad.

Crime and Punishment for "book you meant to read last year". Oh I've been DYING to reread this and finally did! It's just as good as I remember. Seriously one of the best novels ever written. I could barely put it down!

Currently Reading

Seeds Of The Word: Orthodox Thinking On Other Religions for "book with something broken on the cover". Ok, so, I think I'm stretching the prompt a bit with this one. The cover is a pomegranate split open to reveal the seeds inside. Not really "broken" but....I'm going with it! So far this book is really respectful and more about creating dialogue than telling people they're wrong. I'm learning a lot!

QotW

Uh....I don't read "summer" books. I'm a winter girl! Ha! Technically Crime and Punishment takes place during a hot Russian July. And The Voyage of the Dawn Treader has a summery feel with all the islands and such. So....I guess those? This really isn't my season. Ask me again when it gets cold. :D

Thanks for the birthday wishes last week. It was a good one and a special one to have 2 families over for a small barbecue party. The little things you appreciate after a lockdown.

Stay safe everyone who suffers in the heat. I wish I could send you some of our weather: grey, drizzly rain and temperatures about 18 C (65 F). I’m grateful we don’t have those silly temperatures at the moment.

Now on to reading. I am in a reading flow! Finished 2 books last week. That’s kind of a personal best, I am so on schedule for another record amount of books read this year.

23/40
Finished
Ze kwam uit Marioepol (original title in German: Sie kam aus Mariupol) by Natascha Wodin ⭐⭐��
Prompt: #32, a book whose title starts with Q, X or Z, also fits #29, a book set in multiple countries

I really thought this could be a special one during the first chapters. Sadly, the writer starts fictionalizing her mother’s life in the second part of the book. The more journalistic part of the book is much better.

There There by Tommy Orange ⭐⭐
Prompt: #16, a book by an indigenous author

As usual, I don’t understand a thing about books that try to make some statement. I just don’t get it. This is another one. And it was too negative for my taste. Like every native American is an alcoholic or depressed.

Currently reading
De Dertigjarige Oorlog: De allereerste wereldoorlog 1618-1648
The Beekeeper of Aleppo

QOTW
Summer is time for reading non-fiction books. On those hot summer days I can’t do anything but sit quiet and read. At least I feel that I’m doing something useful.
Or a chick lit, for just reading and NOT thinking.

Hi all,

Uneventful week, glad to see some of the rain moving off. I could use some sun and actually being able to use the yard!

I said I was going to buckle down and finish the challenge...and yeah went and read a bunch of stuff that doesn't fit anywhere haha.

This week i finished:

The Library of the Dead - This was fun, although I wish the world building was a little more clear. I had a hard time trying to place if it was near future or more alternate history or what. They kept mentioning "the catastrophe" and apparently resulted in things like plumbing being difficult to come by, and the NHS being disbanded...but also cell phones with games and googling things on the internet were still a thing. but with kinetic charging. Also the magic seemed to be just a legit thing, valid career etc. Wasn't entirely clear if that was just the rules for the world, or if part of the catastrophe was what caused that to happen.

The House in the Cerulean Sea- re read this, yes again, because it's the july book club pick for books & brew. I loved it just as much the second time, and reading it physically was still good.

Currently reading:

Fugitive Telemetry - hold for murderbot came in, so of course jumping on that asap. Should be done later today.

Then I'll start Stealing From Wizards Volume 2: Burglary which just came out today and i'm REALLY EXCITED. I loved the first one, it was so charming and fun. Also the author is in one of my Discords and he's a really nice guy.

QOTW:
I don't really seasonally read. I've 100% read Neuromancer on the beach. I read whatever i feel like, or whatever comes up with library holds. Even if there's something I might think would be a great summer read, library holds rarely cooperate. Although I will say that I do like to finish challenges early so end of year I can wind down with totally mood reading without feeling like I "should" be reading something else. I'll pack a lot of re-reading or getting caught up on series etc towards end of year.

Hello hello! In the month of June I read ten books and they were all Pretty Gay™️ so I think I get to keep my imaginary queer membership card 😂 Also: yesterday I met a miniature scottie dog whose name was Beverly and her fur was long enough that you couldn't see her stubby little legs so it looked like she was gliding around the farmer's market and I am 90% sure she is a detective and solves mysteries on the side and did I mention her name was BEVERLY. This has been your Very Important Dog update.

Finished:
One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston - oh I loved this so much. I was worried it could not possibly live up to my expectations for it but it DID and I just want to hug it to my chest and sigh happily. I used it for the favorite person/place/thing prompt because it heavily centered on my absolute favorite trope, which is found family, AND it was queer found family, which only made it better!
The Art of Heikala: Works and Thoughts by Heikala - an art/process book by an artist whose work I find really soothing! A pretty and interesting read and a great coffee table book.

Currently Reading:
Elatsoe
Gmorning, Gnight!: Little Pep Talks for Me & You
Orpheus Girl
Shadow and Bone

QotW:
You know, I have autumn and winter books, but I don't necessarily have summer books? I just have summer music playlists. I guess they would be books that have things I associate with summer - hot weather, sunlight, a lot of time in the outdoors. Feelings of nostalgia but in a good way, if that makes sense?

Happy Thursday! Work has been a lot, but in two weeks I get to use my first vacation days in 2 years, so I'm just holding out for that!

Finished:
She Come By It Natural: Dolly Parton and the Women Who Lived Her Songs- I really liked this! I love Dolly Parton, and I liked how the book uses her experiences to explore how feminism and being a "strong woman" can look different depending on who you're talking about. I'm using this for book that reminds you of favorite place/person, since country music always makes me think of my grandma, and the author dedicated the book to her grandma betty, and that was my grandma's name too

Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things- this was fine, but the her humor just doesn't really work for me. But the author also reminds me a lot of someone I know and don't get along with, so that might have something to do with it... Using it for oxymoron in title


Currently reading
I'm Waiting for You and Other Stories- sci-fi short stories, so far it is very good! Murderbot fans should give it a try

QotW:
I don't know if I have any summer settings I prefer.

This week has been an absolute nightmare, but I have the next 4 days off, so I'm letting it go and looking ahead. On the bright side, the extreme stress caused me to want to read constantly, even though my eyelid won't stop twitching.

I finished:

Little Deadly Secrets: What a ridiculous story. This was a book of nothing but conflict. It was in every relationship, conversation, setting of this book and it was unrealistic and exhausting.

The Night Swim: I liked this one, but didn't love it. It kept me engaged, but there was something missing for me.

Love and Protect: As always when I'm stressed, I reach for some trashy (no offense intended, I love trash) romances. This trope has been done to death and has been much better executed than it was here. It raced to an ending and was unsatisfying.

Courting Trouble: Speaking of trash...I rated books pretty hard this week. I thought this one totally missed the boat. The male lead was a complete jerk, and not in a redeeming way that is supposed to slowly happen over the story. Having said that, I was super interested in some of her other dates. I would read a whole book about an escort that gets paid to go on girls day trips with busy business women or who goes to art exhibits with a friendly older gentleman in a wheelchair. That's a missed opportunity for a whole different kind of book that I would pay money for.

One Last Step: This book had some big problems at the end, but I still enjoyed it and I would read the second one.

Currently reading:

The Vanishing Season: This one is decent, but if I had it to do over, I would not have paid for it. I would have waited to borrow it.

QOTW:
I don't really think about things that way, but I suppose like others in the group, coastal towns always feel summery to me.

Happy Thursday. I'm finally fully vaccinated 🥳🥳🥳🥳 So far, a slight headache is the only side effect, but that might just be caused by the heat wave. I just remind myself that this weather is better then the -40 stretch that happens ever winter.

Books I finished:

Just Last Night ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - I loved If I Never Met You so I was looking foreward to this one, but I was not expecting the sobfest it turned out to be. I still really enjoyed it. I used it for A book set somewhere you’d like to visit in 2021. (England & Scotland)

Siege and Storm ⭐⭐�� - If I hadn't read and loved Six of Crows & Crooked Kingdom I really would have DNF'd this. The world building is great and the characters were better in this one then they were in book 1, but the pacing was so off and NOTHING happened in this one. I used it for ATY A book set in a made-up place.

House of Earth and Blood ⭐⭐⭐⭐�� - So I read the first few chapters on this the first week in June, then stopped because other books kept taking precedence. But once I really got into this book, I just couldn't put it down. Given it's an 800 page book, the fect that so much happens in it shouldn't be a surprise, but it also has time for the quiet character driven moments. I used it for A long book (by pages) from your TBR list.

How Iceland Changed the World: The Big History of a Small Island ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - This was really well written. The humour made it sparkle and it was filled with things I didn't know. I had mostly picked it up on a lark so it ended up being a nice little surprise. I used it for A book published in 2021

Once Bitten, Twice Shy ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - I decided to reread this series next. It's been so long since I last read them that it's almost like reading them new.



Made progress on:

Another One Bites the Dust
Ruin and Rising



QOTW

I love books centered around house shows cuz that brings me back to my childhood summers.

Happy check-in! We are officially under this heat dome thing. Lytton BC set new records for Canada three days in a row to come out of the dome and be burned up by a forest fire. As far as I know they managed to evacuate people in time. While I don't have air conditioning I am grateful to have my home with a basement. Hopefully my part of the country is better prepared than BC has been.
This week also I spent 6 hours in the drive through to get my second jab. Totally worth it seeing as how they kept running out last week. Naturally I got a really stiff arm and needed to wash my hair. 🤦‍♀��
I read a lot of books, 27, in June because of a bingo challenge that was a lot of fun.

Finished Reading:

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time ⭐⭐ (2017 a book involving travel)
This started off great and got very tedious in the middle. It died as soon as Christopher solved the murder. This caused a great BOTM discussion.

10 Sure Signs a Movie Character Is Doomed, and Other Surprising Movie Lists ��
A book of lists that has not aged well. I don't think the author would have got away with some of these lists had it been published today. It does show that the movie industry has made some improvement on diversity in 20 years. This quickly solved a bingo prompt.

Child of the Hunt ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (2017 from a used book sale)
This is a new story set during the 3rd season of the tv show. Christopher Golden and Nancy Holder write the best Buffy novels. It felt like a new episode of the show. $4 well spent.

Star Daughter ⭐⭐
A girl in New Jersey who is half star half human following Hindu mythology. Buddy read this with someone in India who was very helpful to explain anything I didn't understand, no glossary. We all gave it 2 stars. The mythology and writing style were good but the characters and plot needed a lot of work.

Fruits Basket Collector's Edition, Vol. 3 ⭐⭐��
I seem to get more and more confused by this series. The take on the Chinese Zodiac is great though.

The Curse of Tenth Grave ⭐⭐�� (2021 TBR favourite thing: coffee)
10 down 3 to go. Although there may be a novella or two. This urban fantasy series about the grim reaper is on my craptactular shelf.

PS 2021 36/50
PS 2017 35/52
ŷ������ 140/200

Currently Reading:
And Then There Were None BOTM
Dial A for Aunties I may dnf this, I didn't realize it was the covering up a murder trope which I don't like

QOTW:
Not really it just has to be easy on the brain. So rom-coms and urban fantasy.

I haven't finished anything this week, but will finish one of the books I have in progress because it's due tomorrow and will be auto-returned regardless if I finish it since there's a waiting list at the library! So, I'm still at 16/40 and 2/10 for this challenge and 35/100 for my overall ŷ������ Reading Challenge.

Finished:
* nada

Currently Reading:
* Arsenic and Adobo by Mia P. Manansala, which is the book I need to finish tonight! I'll use it to check off the "book set in a restaurant" prompt; and,
* The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles, which is one of my book club's picks for July. I'm on a waiting list for the book my other book club picked for July (You're Not Listening: What You're Missing and Why It Matters by Kate Murphy), so hopefully it comes through soon :) Not sure if either book club pick fits any of my open prompts yet.

QotW:
What is your favorite setting for a summery book?
Note: this doesn't necessarily mean a book you read in summer, just a book you associate with summer for whatever reason, whether it's because it's set in summer or you read it in summer or it just reminds you of summer. I'd say books set near a body of water, maybe in a beach town or near a lake (likely near a cabin in the woods?). Or if the book setting is related to a vacation of some sort (even if it's not summertime in the book), that reminds me of summer.

I just want to say that I am really damn glad it is no longer 115 flipping degrees. I start getting annoyed when it hits 70. Thank goodness I work early mornings at least, so I could get home and into the basement.


Finished
Not Your Villain 🏳️�č�� - Second in the series. I'd continue but book three isn't on audio so oh well.

The Ghost and Mrs. Muir - I liked the TV show better, but it was so long ago I can't tell you why.

Who Is Vera Kelly? 🏳️�č�� - This was fine. I don't think the cover art goes with the tone of the book.

Krakatoa: The Day the World Exploded: August 27, 1883 - I'm going to use this as my book that reminds me of something. One of my favorite books from childhood is The Twenty-One Balloons, which involves Krakatoa. I also live on the Ring of Fire so a nice volcano book is always fun.


Currently Reading:
Oscar Wilde and a Death of No Importance 🏳️�č��
Blackfish City 🏳️�č��
An Atlas of Extinct Countries


QOTW:
I don't love summer, and I don't really think about summery reads. Maybe I mostly avoid them? So, I guess I'll say my favorite setting for a summery read is Krakatoa.

More car troubles. I don’t even want to think about it. May have to rent a car again�� Which might not be so bad (except for the cost) since I have been driving in 90+ (F) degree heat with no A/C! Ugh.

I did meet with a D.O. recommended to me by two of my friends at the gym. I really like him. I’ve not had a “GP��/”PCP�� (General Physician/Primary Care Physician) since mine died about 5 years ago. (About 18 months later my favorite therapist EVER died��) Probably a sign of limited longevity if you are a medical professional I like and use! 🙁 Anyway, I’m going to try the osteopathic manipulations for a year and see how this goes.

Other than that, job hunting is a priority, along with my reading, of course!

ADMIN STUFF:
I moved the July Monthly Group Read discussions to the Current Monthly Read folder and moved the June discussions back to 2021 Monthly Reads folder. I still need to revisit the Dear Martin discussion! I love seeing everyone's reactions. I’ll update the comprehensive listing with the two additional books and I’m excited to see which one is eventually selected for November! So excited to read Malibu Rising in December! “Anxious�� to see what everyone thinks of Anxious People in October. 😉 I really enjoyed it.

Question of the Week: What is your favorite setting for a summery book?
I am not a good person to ask about this since I rarely think of settings with regard to seasons��

But I have read one Beatriz Williams book, A Certain Age, and loved it. I own two more of her books and hope to read at least one of those yet this year. So there’s an author Nadine and I agree on! 😊

I am drawn in by the same types of cover images Nadine listed but admit that so many times when I read the blurb I am not convinced I would really enjoy it. Although I loved Patti Callahan Henry’s The Bookshop at Water's End earlier this year��

I really enjoy Terri DuLong's Cedar Key series and own them all but have yet to sit down and read them. I want to binge the series! I have not tried her Ormond Beach series, but I can’t imagine I wouldn’t enjoy virtually anything she writes!

Gil McNeil’s Jo Mackenzie series is another I have really enjoyed, though I don’t believe it is really a “summery�� setting! 😊

As I recall much of Elizabeth Gilbert’s City of Girls was set during the summer, though not in a seaside or oceanside setting�� I really enjoyed that book.

POPSUGAR: 37/50
ATY: 47/52
RHC: 10/24
Reading Women: 10/28

FINISHED:
I read First Meetings in Ender's Universe (Ender’s Saga #0.5) by Orson Scott Card ⭐⭐⭐⭐�� as a precursor to continuing the series with the second installment, Speaker for the Dead, as a July Buddy Read. (I also plan to read Ender in Exile next as it is Ender’s Saga #1.5). I admit I’m a bit obsessed with this series. I find it to be compelling reading. And First Meetings was very informative, giving a prequel with John Paul and Theresa meeting, then I found it so interesting to read the original short story that eventually became Ender’s Game! “The Investment Counselor�� is the final story which provides a glimpse of Ender’s life in the aftermath of his humanity-saving war win. Not what you might expect��
POPSUGAR: #18-Exploitation, Political maneuvering, War, #21-Classic, Fantasy, Fiction, Science Fiction, Short Stories, #27, #34-Forced conscription of children into the military, #36-645 reviews on ŷ������, #37
ATY: #1-Meeting Ender’s parents as young adults, #6-Ender’s parents, #14, #18- It is valuable to know about Ender’s parents in the past, #23- Classic, Fantasy, Fiction, Science Fiction, Short Stories, #27-Death, Judgement, The World, #31, #34, #39

The Amazing Mrs. Pollifax (Mrs. Pollifax #2) by Dorothy Gillman ⭐⭐⭐⭐�� was another excellent action-oriented quick mystery. Emily Pollifax is an almost-perfect decoy, IMO! Her ability not to panic in the face of adversity is unparalleled!
POPSUGAR: #7-She’s a spy!, #22, #27, #29-Turkey and US, #36-673 reviews on ŷ������
ATY: #8-Turkey, #20-Mrs. Pollifax gave a future to the mother and son that would not have been possible otherwise, #27-Justice, Death, Judgement, The World, #31, #34, #39, #40, #42, #45-Hotel, #49, #52-Mrs. Pollifax rescues the spy and her child in the end.
Reading Women: #5, #18

Moonflower Murders (Susan Ryeland #2) by Anthony Horowitz ⭐⭐⭐⭐�� was so very intricately plotted and yet readable and easy to follow. I admit I read the first 40 pages of the first/investigative section and immediately skipped to the Alan Conway novel, then finished the investigative sections. I still missed most of the clues, however! LOL I love reading mysteries but am not particularly astute at solving them!
POPSUGAR: #4, #18-Unfair/unjust arrest, charge, and incarceration, #21-Books About Books, Fiction, Marriage, Mystery/Thriller, #27, #29-Crete and US, #30-Crete, #33, #34-Unfair/unjust arrest, charge, and conviction/incarceration, #37
ATY: #8-Crete and UK, #14, #15, #20-As the past is brought into the present, a very different future emerges, #23-Books About Books, Fiction, Marriage, Mystery/Thriller, #24-Locke was a law enforcement official and a racist!, #27-The Lovers, Justice, Death, Judgement, The World, The Fool, #30, #34, #39, #42, #45, #52-In the end Susan did solve both the murder and the disappearance.
RHC: #24

CONTINUING:
How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi
Edith Wharton’s The Age of Innocence
Ender in Exile (Ender’s Saga #1.5) by Orson Scott Card as a precursor to the July Buddy Read.
(I keep wondering who Jane really is��)

PLANNED:
Origin (Robert Langdon #5) by Dan Brown a June Buddy Read but will be reading it this weekend. This L-L-O-O-O-N-N-G-G weekend!
Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo is my favorite used bookstore’s book club selection for July. Really looking forward to reading this!
July Buddy Reads:
Kiss the Girls (Alex Cross #2) by James Patterson
Speaker for the Dead (Ender’s Saga #2) by Orson Scott Card
And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini is scheduled for an August Buddy Read and I plan to participate in that as well as Jack & Jill (Alex Cross #3) and Xenocide (Ender’s Saga #3). And that’s it for August except the bookstore’s book club selection which has yet to be determined. Then my priority is Challenge books, beginning with the following!
The Third Angel by Alice Hoffman
The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates.
The Souls of Black Folk by W.E.B. Du Bois

PLANNED/CONTINUING:
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.
Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi.

Happy Christmas in July! Wait? You don't celebrate Christmas in July? Well, when I think of summer, I think fiction set at Christmas, especially cozy mysteries and contemporary and historical romance. Lots of novellas and short stories. Over in another group I started everyone on a Christmas in July reading challenge a couple of years ago and it is now an annual event. So, in case you are wondering, my answer to QOTW: favorite summery reading is....anything set at Christmas!

Why? Two reasons really. First I live in NYC where hazy, hot and humid weather rules during the summer months. I'm a lover of snow cold ice and winter, don't cope well and just hate it. I also prefer cool mountains and lakes to hot sandy beaches. I have fair Irish skin so I have to hide from the sun and heat. Hatred of heat and hot weather and an aversion to crowds also means I don't do summer vacations. Give me the off season! Also, usually my legal practice is extremely busy in the summer --- I represent buyers/sellers of real property and summer is when everyone moves.

Second reason: I love Christmas. It's always been a big deal in my family. Yet every year when November/December come around, work and social commitments of all kinds end up taking up so much time, I don't get a chance to read the holiday books I have accumulated, my Christmas spirit is sadly challenged from exhaustion and overwork, and it all slips by in a nanosecond. Yet I always get a huge whiff of Christmas spirit in July, August and September -- watch Christmas movies, listen to Christmas music, shop for presents. I stopped fighting it years and years ago and now just revel in it. Of course, reading Christmas themed mysteries and romances fits right in.

BTW - those beach locales appeal to me around February ....

I'm at 32/50! Finished:

The Country Guesthouse - next up in the Sullivan Crossing series and fit the multi-generation prompt -- about grief, loss, and creating new family bonds in the aftermath.

Return to Virgin River - the latest in her Virgin River series and unbeknownst to me, set at Christmas (in part)! Another story about overcoming grief and loss and starting over.

Merry Me - Christmas again and a total loser. First in a series I will not be reading further.

I'm now done with my 2 week escape into romantic spec op thrillers, Christmas stories, and contemporary romance, I'm now currently reading:

The Mysterious Benedict Society - challenge in another group
How Much of These Hills Is Gold - buddy read in another group
The City We Became - for my Feminerdy Book Club July pick
Frederica - beloved book rereading for umpteenth time for a regency challenge in another group.

In high school, some friends and I liked to put Santa hats with our swimsuits and sing carols on the beach.

@Lynn I'm curious how you label James Patterson books for genre. Do you they count as horror to you? I ask because I've only read one of his books and have watched a couple of movies and found them gruesome, yet I'll read horror genre books.

Whew, it's been a stormy week here in the Midwest. One day, we had a total of four tornado warnings before 5 PM, so we nearly spent some time reading in the bathtub, waiting for the all-clear!

Since it's been so stormy, and I've not felt like doing anything lately, so I've been taking walks, catching up on podcasts, and doing A LOT of reading. I finished 6 books in the first week I was home, The Push being one I wrote about last week.

Finished this week
The Divines - a book that could fit prompt #5 [dark academia] or prompt #23 - something broken on the cover. Technically, it does have a broken/incomplete image. So, I used it for 23. While the premise was good [something scandalous happened in the main character's past at her all-girls' boarding school and now she's trying to make sense of it years later ...], I felt like it didn't entirely deliver. Almost too much was revealed in the beginning to make the ending sort of meh.

Madam - this one I used for prompt #5 - dark academia. And boy ... it was DARK. Creepy. A Separate Peace meets Rebecca meets Jane Eyre, perhaps. I won't say much more but ... yikes. Creepy as. Definitely a gothic feminist tale, as it's billed.

The Missing Treasures of Amy Ashton - I read this for prompt #1 - a book published in 2021. I picked this off the 'new books' shelf at the library, and I really enjoyed it. If you liked A Man Called Ove or Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, then I think you'd enjoy this book, too. It was a fast read, I completely felt for Amy and her foundering about in the world.

The Thursday Murder Club - for prompt #3 - a book with a diamond, heart, club, etc on the cover. My library copy had diamond shapes on the cover, so wha la! I really enjoyed this book, as I had fun imagining the book as a series on BBC or ITV, like Midsomer Murders. Osman has a spot-on sense of humor when it comes to writing his characters.

The Beauty of Your Face - I put this for prompt #50 - a book given, borrowed, etc. This was a dark horse candidate for 5 stars. I was absolutely sucked in to the story, feeling the palpable fear at the beginning, horrified at what was occurring - and the steps that had taken to get Afaf where she was and also the gunman in the school. So many layers, the back and forth of her memories, 'hearing' the gunman's voice ... wow. Read this.

Currently Reading
The Last Exiles - halfway through this book. Can't fit it to any prompts, but so far, wow. It takes place in modern North Korea [with Kim Jong-il as Heavenly Leader, not Jung-un yet] and is told between two perspectives. Suja is from a relatively well-to-do Pyongyang family, and Jin is from a poor family in the north. They meet at their university, and when circumstances force them apart, Suja is unwilling to let Jin go. Pretty powerful narrative so far!

Underground: A Human History of the Worlds Beneath Our Feet - hope to finish this by next week's check-in! I've been distracted by my English-language library and its infinite choices ...

Other Books on the docket
The Last Green Valley - WWII historical fiction
Light Perpetual - also WWII-modern day historical fiction
The Next Wife - domestic thriller
The Sun Down Motel - sounds thriller/horror/creepy?
Sorrowland - gothic horror, I think?
Dear Child - reminds me of Room so far.
Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant - oldie but goodie
The Companion
The House in the Cerulean Sea - seems to be everyone's favorite, so I'll definitely get on it soon!

I DNF'ed Girl in the Walls - tried but I guess just not what I was hoping for.

QotW
I practically grew up on a lake in the American South, so I love books set on lakes or lazy creeks. Give me a book on a lake, or a Southern Gothic thriller, and I'm sold.

Another place that I associate with summertime is the UK ... the Cotswolds, Lake District, or even bustling London. Many of the times I've visited, it's been in the summer, with English gardens in full bloom, long days, sunny afternoons, and cold pints in a pub garden with a rainy day thrown in for authenticity.

Hi all! Holy cow! It's July!! Finally cooled down today to reasonable summer weather here in NY, but even the past few days would have felt cool to the NW. Stay safe out there!!

Getting back into work, reconnecting with a few clients, discovering a few are causing problems- the usual.

I've been cranky this evening for reasons I can't place. I think I'll play some classic SNES on the Switch and eat Kit Kats (in case you don't know, they're mostly wafer, which is almost cardboard and air, so they are healthy chocolate- happy to spread the word!). Even though I've only been back to work for a week, I'm glad it's a long holiday weekend coming up. Happy 4th to US members! Stay cool and safe!

I finished A Town Like Alice for a book set in multiple countries. It was good, but I heard so many rave reviews that it didn't live up to the hype. There wasn't a lot of plot, and I like my plot.

Currently reading The Hypnotist for a book about art.

I have several books floating around that I've kinda read a chapter or might pick up here soon, or might think about picking up soon....
This weekend I'm starting a buddy read of The Housekeeper and the Professor. Beyond that, I don't know what I'll gravitate towards.

QOTW: When I was on summer break from college years ago, I read The Poisonwood Bible, mostly on my dad's back deck. I always associate that book with warm summer days and evenings, and the memory of reading it is so engrained with the book, that even though I would like to read it again, I don't want to replace those memories!

In general, though, I tend to associate books set in hot, dry areas with summer. The Australian outback like A Town Like Alice, the American West, or Africa. Like mentioned above, I do NOT want to read about cold and snow in summer. We have enough of that in winter in NY thankyouverymuch. :)

Howdy and Happy Thursday!

Finished:
The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo. I might have mentioned this book last week, but I'm not sure. I really liked this book and she told a wonderful story in poems.

Dear Martin by Nic Stone. I loved this book. It was a wonderful story Though it was a sad one. I loved how they put actual events in the story. This was a awesome story. I read it in one day.

We Are Family by Patricia Hegarty. This is wonderful picture book about different families.

Almost American Girl by Robin Ha. This is a graphic novel memoir. It's about a Korean girl who is 14 years old who's mother brings her to Alabama. The finds out after they get to Alabama that her mother is going to marry the man they meant at the airport. It is the story follows what happens to her and her mother. I really enjoyed this.

The Hidden Doors (Explorer#3) edited by Kazu Kibuishi. This is the last of this series. I really enjoyed these graphic short stories. The pictures were beautiful and the stories where well told.

Hard-traveling Hero (Green Arrow #5) by Benjamin Percy. Wow. This story just keeps getting better. This time Green Arrow is on the move he is helped by several other heroes including the Flash, Wonder Woman, Superman, Batman, and Green Lantern. I love this series.

Trial of Two Cities (Green Arrow #6) by Benjamin Percy. This is an action pack last graphic novel of this series. I love how the story was wrapped up. I loved this series. I'm sad it's done. Though I have say that Green Arrow is still probably my favorite DC hero as he has his faults, but he always comes through in the end.

Pride (The Story of Harvey Milk and the Rainbow Flag) By Rob Sanders. This picture book I saw at the library and grabbed. I'm so glad I did. I learned a lot about Harvey Milk. I had no idea of who he was. I'm mean I've heard his name, but I didn't know who he was. I really glad I read this and learned about him and the rainbow flag. I had a vague memories of some of the things that happened in the book. It brought a certain bit of reality to the events in the book. I loved this book.

Sumokitty by David Biedrzychi. This picture book is about a cat who hangs out around sumo wrestlers. He is catch and told to keep the mice out of the training area. He does this until he gets too fat then he learns to sumo wrestle and keeps the mice out of the building. I loved this simple story about overcoming.

Reading and soon to be reading:
The Girl And the Galdurian (Lightfall #1) (reading)
The Joy Luck Club (reading)
Escape from Warsaw (book on longest on TBR list. read it in school, but never finished it. really looking forward to the re read and finishing it)
Bleach Volume 7

QotW:
Not sure if there is a certain place I think about when I think about as summery. I manly read books that I want to read. Though I have to admit that in the summer sometimes I like to read books that happen in the winter or cooler climates as they take away from the it's so hot out feel. I can't think of a summer setting that I like best.

Nadine wrote: "always eye Barbara Delinsky's books because they have such gorgeous beachy covers, but I've never read one, because when I read the blurb it doesn't really sound like my thing."

I have same reaction. She has been writing contemporary romances since 1980 and has been a top seller the whole time. I read quite a lot of her early books ...in the 80s ... but not many since as I moved back into mysteries and thrillers. I have read a few in last few years and liked them. Her style has evolved a lot. Try the Crosslyn Rise trilogy which I seem to have archived on my Nook meaning I read them and liked them enough to archive and not delete. Perfect summer vacay at tbe shore read.

Nadine wrote: "Kenya wrote: "... The Angel of Khan el-Khalili -- Tor short. Gorgeous short story, and whets my appetite for A Master of Djinn, set in the same universe..."


Oooooh I did not know about this short..."

Got it lined up to read. Love the series and world!

Alex wrote: "Hello hello! In the month of June I read ten books and they were all Pretty Gay™️ so I think I get to keep my imaginary queer membership card 😂 Also: yesterday I met a miniature scottie dog whose n..."

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Hello! Late check in for me because my husband and I are on the road. We got up at 4 this morning and drove 13 hours. We're in Oklahoma City tonight and got to see my husband's brother and sister for the first time in three years (at least). Tomorrow we'll finish the drive and get to Fort Worth, Texas and spend the weekend there. The long drive wasn't bad, but I didn't get much reading done like I thought I would. I did get a new audiobook started though!

Finished this Week:
The House Without a Key by Earl Derr Biggers. I'd never heard of this author, or Charlie Chan the detective, but I enjoyed this book. It takes place in Hawaii in the 1920s, with lots (and lots) of references to how different it was from the Hawaii of the 1880s. Only gave it three stars because there was a few too many casual references to Japanese and Chinese people that shouldn't be used anymore. The mystery was quite good though.

Douglas Adams's Starship Titanic by Terry Jones. This was my TBR book with the ugliest cover. I was a huge Douglas Adams fan in the 90s, and a big Monty Python fan in college, but this just didn't work for me. At least I finally read it, right?

Brain Rules: 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and School by John Medina. I learned a lot more about how the brain works, and my lasting memory of the book is that the brain evolved while humans were mostly nomadic, before they even had tools, and they would walk like 20 miles a day. So our brains really like exercise. Not for prompt.

Version Control by Dexter Palmer. I had picked this book out a few years ago as an alternate timeline/time travel/doing it all over kind of book, but for the first like 60%, it didn't seem like that sort of book. The MC's husband was a physicist working on a device (don't call it a time machine!) and everything in their world seemed just slightly different, but it takes a while for the payoff. Very intriguing. Five stars. Using for random book from your TBR.

Benazir Bhutto: Favored Daughter by Brooke Allen. Read Harder has a prompt to read a book about a non-Western world leader, and I had picked out a book about Mao I thought looked good. But then I thought I'd rather read about a woman, and went looking again. I found this, about Pakistan's first woman prime minister, who was assassinated in 2007. Her assassination was mentioned in I Am Malala: The Story of the Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban, which I read last summer. This biography was very short, but was very well done, not sugar coating who Benazir was and all the negatives her regimes were accused of.

Currently Reading:
Secondhand Spirits by Juliet Blackwell. the audiobook I'm listening to in the car. In chapter seven, and I like it so far. The clothing descriptions are so detailed. I picked the book for the voice actor, but I'm glad the book seems good too.

Daughter of Sparta by Claire M Andrews. Just started this as well. I deliberately didn't reread the myth background for the story of Daphne, which this is based on. Enjoying it so far, but Daphne's attitude toward Apollo seems like a bad way to treat one of the gods.

QOTW: What is your favorite setting for a summery book? Summery books ... probably would also go with the beach. I don't really read summery books.

poshpenny wrote: "I
start getting annoyed when it hits 70. Thank goodness I work early mornings at least, so I could get home and into the basement.

I am with you on the getting annoyed....hate hot weather.

The Ghost and Mrs. Muir - I liked the TV show better, but it was so long ago I can't tell you why.

I had forgotten about the TV series...I loved it at the time. You must watch the classic movie from 1947 - Gene Tierney and Rex Harrison. Been all over cable lately.

Who Is Vera Kelly? 🏳️�č�� - This was fine. I don't think the cover art goes with the tone of the book.

Have this in my TBR. Someday.

Krakatoa: The Day the World Exploded: August 27, 1883 - I'm going to use this as my book that reminds me of something. One of my favorite books from childhood is The Twenty-One Balloons, which involves Krakatoa. I also live on the Ring of Fire so a nice volcano book is always fun.

I read The Twenty-One Balloons for PS Challenge 2020 and loved it! Would totally have loved it as a kid.

Currently Reading:
Blackfish City 🏳️�č��


I read this for PS challenge either 2020 or 2019. Enjoyed, very promising first novel although flawed. Really liked the Native American lore included and wished there had been more. Will be interested in what you think.

Lynn wrote: "Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo is my favorite used bookstore’s book club selection for July. Really looking forward to reading this!"

I hope you enjoy this one, Lynn! One of my favorites this year!

Lynn wrote: "More car troubles. I don’t even want to think about it. May have to rent a car again�� Which might not be so bad (except for the cost) since I have been driving in 90+ (F) degree heat with no A/C! U..."



Wow Lynn what is going on with that car??!!! what a lemon!


But I have read one Beatriz Williams book, A Certain Age, and loved it. I own two more of her books and hope to read at least one of those yet this year. So there’s an author Nadine and I agree on!


Yes!! alert the presses! We have found common reading ground again :-) Williams, admittedly, writes the sort of books I don't usually like, but I have LOVED every one of her books that I've read!! (At this point, there are only a few of hers I have NOT read!).


I feel the same way about Lauren Willig & Liane Moriarty. Do you like them, too? And since Willig & Williams have cowritten several books with Karen White, I feel like I should REALLY try one of White's books, too.

Theresa wrote: "Happy Christmas in July! Wait? You don't celebrate Christmas in July? Well, when I think of summer, I think fiction set at Christmas, especially cozy mysteries and contemporary and historical roman..."


LOL Theresa when I posted this week's Question, I thought of you and your Christmas books in July :-)

Lynn wrote: "More car troubles. I don’t even want to think about it. May have to rent a car again�� Which might not be so bad (except for the cost) since I have been driving in 90+ (F) degree heat with no A/C! U..."

OMG! The car! If it turned up in an abandoned parking lot and spontaneously burst into flames, no one here would say a word to the insurance company... ;)

Has your husband healed from his procedure? You haven't mentioned in a while.

Happy Thursday. I made it! Barely!

I'm back in NYC and along with about 5000 of my neighbors decided to hit up Orchard Beach for the 99 degree day Wednesday. It actually didn't get crazy crowded until like 3, but people kept going past the red flag (because it was crazy crowded) and eventually the park service lady drove out in her dune buggy and just kept laying on the horn. At that point we left. If they had just had a enough guards for the whole beach, things would have been much better....but, so much for social distancing. Anyway, it was a lot of fun in the morning, and I really do recommend that beach for people with kiddos as there are no waves and it's pretty shallow. It was nice to get out, just ended a bit stressful, come to think of it, most beach days end in a stressful way.

So, I'm at 64 books on the year. 52 was my goal. I'm 40/40 PSR basic, and finished my first advanced this week. So yay!

Anyway, I finished
The Secret History. This was supposed to be my dark academia book, but I couldn't get it when I wanted it, so read Bunny instead. Both take place at fancy colleges in the NorthEast, both involved people called Bunny. Weird, right? Anyway, I liked it. (Hated Bunny). Most people I know weren't crazy about it, but I did enjoy it. I agree with a common complaint that the second half had nothing on the first half, still, I gave it 3 stars. (4 stars means I really like it and 5 stars is reserved for truly special books in my opinion).

Where'd You Go, Bernadette. TBR picked at random. I got this out of a free library a while back and have been meaning to read it. It was fun. I finished it in a day and a half. A literal beach read. It would work if your dream vacation is Antartica. So, that's fun. It also reminded me a lot of Big Little Lies, so if you liked that book, you'll either like or hate this one. Haha.

Galatea. This was a Novella, and I wanted more. It really just felt like an incomplete thought. I LOVED Circe and really enjoyed Achilles. I have never read her other novella, Hercules Bow, so, maybe this was more in keeping with that.

Currently reading Enders Game and Priory of the Orange Tree (Longest book on my TBR).

QOTW: The mediterranean. I want rocky arid land surrounded by clear turquoise water, olives and wine. I can't think of any of the books I've read i this category. But I know there were some.

Good Friday morning readers!

It has been rainy all week in Oklahoma, which seems nice during the heat wave in the west, but is causing quite a bit of damage and flooding, Yikes! There are parts of Oklahoma that has endured over 10 inches of rain throughout the week. I'm ready for some sunshine. I hope everyone has a happy 4th this weekend!

I have finished reading 6 books this week! With all the rain, I've had lots of time to read.

1. Tears of Amber by Sofía Segovia - I used this for prompt #6 - A book with a gem, mineral, or rock in the title. This was a Amazon Kindle exclusive for Prime members, so I got it early, but then had it sitting on my TBR for a bit before starting it. I really enjoyed this book, and would definitely recommend to readers who enjoy WWII historical fiction. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

2. The Jetsetters by Amanda Eyre Ward - I did not enjoy this book, and I didn't use it for any of the prompts. I didn't like the style of writing or the characters in this book, it was too messy. ⭐⭐

3. The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner - I enjoyed this book. It was an interesting take on a murder mystery (woman serial killer). I can see some people not enjoying it because it isn't quite what they were wanting or expecting in this genre of book. I used this book for prompt #3 on the advanced list - prettiest cover. It is hard to narrow a prettiest cover down to just one, but I found myself drawn to this book because of the cover, so that's why I chose this book for that prompt. ⭐⭐��

4. The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo - I used this book for prompt #35 - a book in a different format than what you normally read. I don't read poetry, but this entire book was written in verse. It was very well-written, and I loved this book. It would also work under the BLM prompt, if you are interested in reading it. ⭐⭐⭐⭐��

5. Golden Girl by Elin Hilderbrand - I didn't use this book for a prompt. I just enjoy Elin HIlderbrand books. This was no exception. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

6. Matilda by Roald Dahl - Oh My GOODNESS, I LOVED this book. I wish I would have read it when I was a child. I just finished reading it with my 9yo. We loved every page. ⭐⭐⭐⭐��

Currently Reading:
Seven Days in June
How Lucky
The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz

The next 3 on my TBR pile:
Dear Justyce
The Sanatorium
Good Company

Question of the Week
What is your favorite setting for a summery book? Anything on the beach. I enjoy Elin Hilderbrand books because they take place on Nantucket. I finished reading Malibu Rising a couple of weeks ago, and enjoyed the beach scene in Malibu. It makes me feel like I'm there while I'm reading.

Paula wrote: "Hard-traveling Hero (Green Arrow #5) by Benjamin Percy. Wow. This story just keeps getting better. This time Green Arrow is on the move he is helped by several other heroes including the Flash, Wonder Woman, Superman, Batman, and Green Lantern. I love this series.

Trial of Two Cities (Green Arrow #6) by Benjamin Percy. This is an action pack last graphic novel of this series. I love how the story was wrapped up. I loved this series. I'm sad it's done. Though I have say that Green Arrow is still probably my favorite DC hero as he has his faults, but he always comes through in the end...."




Maybe I should give this series another chance. I liked Volume 1 okay, but I wasn't crazy about Volume 2 so I just dropped it after that.