Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge discussion
2023 Weekly Check-Ins
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Week 6: 2/2 - 2/9
I finished Dream Town as my book that takes place in Hollywood. I liked it.I'm aboutt 50 pages into The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America as my book that i think my best friend would like. I'm not really all that into it.
QOTW: I generally love classics, so I expect to love them. So, I'm more often unpleasantly surprised when I don't like one. Having said that, I read Anna Karenina years ago and hated it. I read War and Peace a couple of years ago, assuming I wouldn't much like it, and I really ended up liking it. Even passed it on to my mom, who is not as much of a lover of classics. It took her about 4 months to read, but she also said she liked it.
Thursday again already? This week flew! We're getting plenty of rain here in NEOhio this morning, and still keeping an eye on the train derailment in East Palestine (that's Pal-es-teen for you out-of-towners), not to mention the horrible earthquake and aftershocks in Turkey and Syria. On the home front, the opening weekend of my show went well, and I have friends and family attending this weekend! Must brush up on lines this afternoon.Finished this week:
In the Hand of the Goddess - 5 stars. I'd forgotten so much of what happens in this book!
A Mirror Mended - 4 stars. A definite tonal shift from the first book, but I liked the twist of ending up with a villain instead of a hero.
Rebel Seoul - DNF. My first DNF of 2023! I gave it 100 pages but I wasn't connecting with the characters. It felt like it would work better as a video game or film.
The Hemingses of Monticello: An American Family - Wrapping this one up today! It's been a JOURNEY. Most likely 4-4.5 stars at this point, as the narrator grated on me from time to time, but the sheer amount of research and information Annette Gordon-Reed compiles is incredible. Book about a family
PS 10/50
ATY 7/52
Mount TBR 6/60
Currently:
The Crown Conspiracy, aka the first part of Theft of Swords. It's early yet but it seems like a good heist book so far!
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, steadily working my way through a story here and a story there when I needed a break from Hemingses
Upcoming:
Song of Blood & Stone, I need something shorter before I dive into The Count of Monte Cristo!
QOTW: Have you ever been pleasantly surprised by a classic book or author? Perhaps you were dreading reading this specific book/author but then found you enjoyed it/them?
This happened to me with The English Patient a few years ago. I'd owned a secondhand copy for ages and kept putting it off, convinced I'd be bored to tears, but I finally picked it up and fell in love with it!
I also remember my excitement at enjoying things like 1984 and Beowulf when we read them in high school.
Nadine, so funny that you mention Doyle! I'd already read Study in Scarlet, Sign of the Four, and Hound of the Baskervilles in years previous and was very pleased to get back to the Adventures last week :) happy reading!
Nadine in NY wrote: "I am so glad that last fall I finally FINALLY remembered to order some bulbs to pot up for forcing - it's so nice now to have crocuses and muscari and hyacinths popping up and blooming in my kitchen...."My outdoor daffodils and tulips are starting to pop up now. I'd never thought of forcing them but we don't have very cold winters so they tend to be early anyway.
Nadine in NY wrote: "And Jamaica Inn is a real place!..."
I've been! They have a little Daphne/smuggling museum on the side of the pub. I listened to a dreadful audiobook narration of Jamaica Inn so I think I might have liked it more if I'd just read it.
Heading out of town this morning to go visit my sister and her family. Just figured I'd take a moment to do my weekly checkin before I pack the car and leave. Hey, I look forward to Thursdays for this reason...Books read this week:
The Last Gargoyle -- for “book with mythical creatures.� A creepy and fun story about gargoyles and the city they protect from dark creatures. Reminds me of The Graveyard Book in some places.
Point Pleasant -- for the PopSugar prompt “book that was originally fanfiction� and the Extreme Book Nerd prompt “self-published book.� Paranormal book about Mothman that includes a queer romance? Sign me up. Sadly, this wasn’t as good as I hoped it would be, and (view spoiler)
Spaceman of Bohemia -- for the PopSugar prompt “book you bought at an independent bookstore� and the Extreme Book Nerd prompt “book about another culture.� Not as funny and quirky as I hoped it would be, and the middle chunk of it got weird, but it became oddly beautiful towards the end and changed my opinion of it. And I learned a LOT more about the history of the Czech Republic/Czechoslovakia than I expected.
Legends & Lattes -- for the PopSugar prompt “book by a first-time author� and the Extreme Book Nerd prompt “book with an LGBTQ author or protagonist.� This book is the equivalent of a warm cup of coffee -- heartwarming, cozy, and refreshing. We need more laid-back fantasy novels; the genre doesn’t have to be nothing but grand epic plots.
Magical Boy Volume 1: A Graphic Novel -- graphic novel, not for the challenge. A tongue-in-cheek look at the “magical girl� genre of anime/manga that also deals quite frankly with the issues that transgender kids have to go through on a daily basis.
Currently Reading:
The Goblin Emperor -- for “book with two languages�
Victories Greater Than Death -- for “book with a queer lead�
No-No Boy -- for “historical fiction�
This Is Not the Jess Show -- for “book by an author who shares your initials�
QOTW:
The Sherlock Holmes books surprised me for sure -- I enjoyed them a LOT more than I expected to. I can see why these books have endured for as long as they have.
Also, Fahrenheit 451 surprised me with how good it was way back in high school. It was assigned reading for an English class, and I ended up finishing it over a weekend instead of reading it slowly along with the class. It sparked my love of Ray Bradbury's work and led me to The Martian Chronicles, probably one of his best works.
I start my new job on Monday! After waiting forever to hear back it's all moved very quickly. I do know someone that works there and apparently they'll be showing me the ropes, so that's reassuring. Obviously my reading time will be much diminished from now on.Finished:
Wolf Pack by Will Dean for ATY (disability). I love Maya Lindh's narration of this series, I can't tell if it would be rubbish without her but I am always transported to the remote Swedish location by her voice. I do think I liked this story about preppers and it dealt with the previous book's cliffhanger with tenderness.
You Are Here by Eva Woods for author who shares my initials. This is the book where the character has my name, and she does like to write it out a lot. Usually a character's surname is mentioned once or twice and forgotten about, but not here. I thought this would be more fun than it was, the results of some of her choices are quite severe and lots of serious issues are crammed in and not given much time. Not really my kind of book.
QOTW:
I loved We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson so much, after having read Hill House (interesting for its influence on the haunted house genre but nothing that really wowed me) I wasn't expecting too much from it, but it was brilliant.
Mod
I've been! They have a little Daphne/smuggling museum on the side of the pub. ..."
That is so cool!!!
Mod
that's very cool assigned reading !!! In senior year we had Vonnegut's Cat's Cradle assigned, and even though I'd already read quite a bit of sci fi (Asimov, Zelazny, Varley, Wolfe) I had never read Vonnegut, I didn't even realize he was sci-fi-adjacent, and I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. I went on to read most of his other books that were out at that time.
Happy Thursday, everyone!Yesterday evening I had the opportunity to go see Neal Shusterman at a local library event. It was a great evening, and I really enjoyed listening to him talk about his books.
Reading-wise this has been a very fiction heavy week. Most of the books I read were from my New Books list, but I’ve managed to finish a few books from my TBR as well.
ŷ Challenge: 110/400
Mount TBR Challenge: 81/150 (Climbing Mount Olympus)
📚Physical TBR: 72/634
📱Ebook TBR: 6/236
Audiobook TBR: 3/13
TBR Checklist Total: 81/883
The New Books list has expanded once again!
Given how much I enjoyed the Bridgerton and Rokesby series last month, it probably won’t come as a surprise that I’ve bought more of Julia Quinn’s books this week. I ended up getting the Smythe-Smith Quartet series, along with the Bevelstoke and Splendid trilogies. I’m really looking forward to reading all of these new books!
At last night’s library event, I also picked up a box set of Neal Shusterman’s Unwind series. I’m really looking forward to reading it.
Finally, I picked up a copy of The Cradle of Ice, which is the second book in James Rollins� new Moonfall series. I’ve been looking forward to this new release ever since I read the first book last year, and will probably be starting it over the weekend.
“New� Books Bought in 2023: 40
“New� Books Read in 2023: 24/40
Here are the books I finished this week�
Finished Reading (Fiction):
~Scythe� This was the second time that I’ve read the first book in the Arc of a Scythe, and I was really impressed by it. 📚: ⭐⭐⭐⭐�
~Thunderhead� This is the second book in the Arc of a Scythe. I enjoyed this book just as much as the first one. 📚: ⭐⭐⭐⭐�
~The Hobbit, or There and Back Again � I love this story so much! Andy Serkis was an awesome narrator. : ⭐⭐⭐⭐�
~The Toll � The third book in the Arc of a Scythe was a great ending to the original trilogy. 📚: ⭐⭐⭐⭐�
~Gleanings: Stories from the Arc of a Scythe� The fourth (and newest) book in the Arc of a Scythe series is a collection of short stories featuring some of the side characters from the original trilogy. I found that I enjoyed some stories more than others, but overall it was a good read. 📚: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
~A Mirror Mended � I really enjoyed this sequel to A Spindle Splintered! 📚: ⭐⭐⭐⭐�
~Nettle & Bone � I thought this was a really interesting book. 📚: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Finished Reading (Nonfiction):
None
Finished Reading (Manga, Comic Books, & Graphic Novels):
None
DNFed:
None
Currently Reading:
~H.H. Holmes: The True History of the White City Devil � I’ve actually made a decent amount of progress on this book this week, but it is still slow going. 📚
~The Count of Monte Cristo � I’m really enjoying this book so far. I decided to read three chapters each night, so I’m currently 12 chapters into the book. 📚
~Robin Hood: The Complete Series 1 � This audiobook has been a lot of fun to listen to so far. The narrator is Richard Armitage, who played Sir Guy in the BBC series.
~The Wishing Spell � This book has been delightful so far! I can’t believe it has taken me this long to read this series. 📚
QOTW:
I’ve actually been very pleasantly surprised by The Count of Monte Cristo. I was a little intimidated by the size of the book, which is the approximate size and weight of a brick, but I’m really enjoying it so far. It’s actually been hard to limit myself to my three chapter reading goal each night…I want to keep going! Dumas has a writing style that I’ve found very readable, and I will definitely be reading more of his books in the future.
Good morning, everyone!Wow! I must be living right this week to catch this thread so very early in the day.
I have finally put away and donated all the beds, leashes, food, etc that was Roxie's. I still miss her and dream about her, but it is easier knowing that another dog is enjoying her things.
The yard guy finally came to complete the project (cutting down the pampas grasses) that we discussed last November. Weather and illness had delayed that plan, but he got it done on Monday. He also cleaned up both front and backyards, and I was left with a huge pile of debris to burn. I have worked diligently for two days on that pile, and, if the rain and wind hold off, I hope to complete it today. However, I am down to the pampas grass which is long and doesn't fit well in my burn pit. Oh, well. I will do what I can do.
I also managed Tuesday to get my little trailer covered to prevent pine pollen accumulating on the roof solar panels. That stuff is sticky! It was tough as the cover is heavy, and I am a bit short, but I got it done! So proud of myself.
My reading this week took me out of my life and into fun places. Just what I needed.
Books I read:
The Witch's Heart - PAS, PS Quarterly, RwS, SRC. I did use this for PopSugar...but not the regular list. Rather it fulfilled the Norse mythology prompt in the Quarterly Challenge. I gave it 4* as I thoroughly enjoyed the adventure and life struggles of the witch. Definitely was a book I needed this week, which helped me to divorce myself from the grief of the week.
The Cat Who Saved Books. 4* (no prompts). I enjoyed this fantasy of a cat who befriends a young teen that is grieving the death of his grandfather. His grandfather bequeathed the teen the secondhand bookstore that he had owned and the teen was facing having to move and give it up. This story was about the teen learning through several adventures that the cat led him on more about himself and doing some maturing in the process. I loved it!
Aunt Bessie Believes - Audiobook. ALCM. 4*. What fun! This was book 2 of the series and I most definitely will go back and get book 1...and then continue on. Aunt Bessie is elderly, nosey in a good way, kind, and who I would like to know. She lives on the Isle of Man, a place I would like to visit...and she solves mysteries. Loved her!
Reading:
An American Princess: The Many Lives of Allene Tew - SRC. Kindle book. Haven't really gotten started on this one.
H is for Hawk - ATY, PAS, RwS, old challenge Monthly read for PAS (January). Should finish later today or tomorrow. 65% done
The Note - Ebook. SRC. Will finish soon. 78% done.
Horse (finally came in and due back on 2/14). Just barely started so it will be my focus this weekend.
On deck:
Alpine for You for ATY Quarterly
The Book of Names - old challenge
Start Shooting - old challenges
PS 3/50 and 3/10 for Quarterly Challenge
ATY 5/52 and 7/12 for Quarterly Challenge
GR 35/200
RwS 19/30
SRC 20/67
QotW: Have you ever been pleasantly surprised by a classic book or author? Perhaps you were dreading reading this specific book/author but then found you enjoyed it/them?
What comes to mind immediately is Charles Dickens. I have found myself really enjoying his books and short stories.
Overall, I am not a lover of classics. Few hold my interest or delight me. However, occasionally I find someone that I enjoy...and then it is worth delving into an old classic book.
Congrats on the new job, Ellie.
Mod
Congratulations!!!!
fave past prompt: microhistoryThe Housewives: The Real Story Behind the Real Housewives by Brian Moylan. This was kind of dry.
Not All Diamonds and Rose was better.
no prompts
Whatever: or How Junior Year Became Totally F$@ked by S.J. Goslee. Contemporary YA. This took about 50 pages for me to get into and there were things that needed to be addresses�.why did the kid beat him up in middle school. But this honestly was a cute read in the end. (CW: main character is gay and one of his friends does not take the news well).
Damaged by Onley James. Novella in her Necessary Evils series and I generally do not like criminal romances but I devoured this series.
No Rings Attached by Rachel Lacey. Contemporary romance. This is my 2nd book by Lacey and probably my last because her characters are kind of whiny. Also this seemed to be incredibly light on romance until the 2nd main just did a turnabout and decided she wanted a relationship.
QOTW:
Hey everyone, hope you all are doing well. So far so good on my end, sort of. I just found out that a friend whom I've known since I was 12, is moving to a different state. I know we didn't see each other as much but just knowing he was here was enough. It's really gonna be a drag without him, but at the same time I'm excited for him and his new adventure.Other than that I haven't done much. I did go to a school to do observation hours because I'm planning to become a teacher. I was nervous all day. Since I don't have a job I'm not around people so doing the whole people thing was filled with anxiety to the max. LOL! I survived it though so that's what counted.
Okay book time.
Finished:
Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You - I was kind of surprised I liked this one more than I thought I would. Only took me 3 days to read and gave it a 5-star.
Was able to use this one for the banned book prompt.
Currently Reading:
Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America - I'm using this for the longest book on my tbr prompt. I know I'm not going to finish it this month because I struggle with long reads. My average is between 300-350 pages. I'm still going to count it for my February read though.
Tomboy: The Surprising History and Future of Girls Who Dare to Be Different - I read this one at the start of the pandemic back in 2020, but with the paperback copy out I wanted to give it another go. I find that I'm annotating so much more of it than I did the first time.
Planning:
Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents- This book is being released in paperback next week so I'm hoping to start it then.
It's too early to start planning for my March reads, but I certainly won't have a direct plan. I've seen people on TikTok wrap their books and then let fate decide so I thought that would be a fun thing to do.
As a result, I wrapped 33 books and I have no idea which books they are. I'll then draw numbers from a cup. My only rule was that they have to be related to the reading challenges I'm doing (PopSugar, BookRiot/Read Harder, and Booklist Queen).
QOTW:
Have you ever been pleasantly surprised by a classic book or author? Perhaps you were dreading reading this specific book/author but then found you enjoyed it/them?
For me it was The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde. I had seen the book around, especially on TikTok, and wanted to get to it. And while that was the case, at the same time I just didn't think it was my style of book. Then I had to read it for a class and sure enough I annotated more than I thought I would and enjoyed it a lot too.
Happy Thursday once again! It's raining in NE Ohio but it's better than snow! I finished quite a few books this week. I'm proud of myself. FINISHED:
The Book of Night Women I read this book for Prompt# 34-A historical fiction book. I really loved this book. It was a brutal account of a young girl's experience being a slave in on a sugar cane plantation in Jamaica. It was raw and real. 5 stars
The Taking of Jake Livingston I read this for Prompt #16-A book where the main character's name is in the title. WE.NEED. MORE. BLACK. QUEER. HORROR! This book made me realize we don't have enough black queer characters. Jake was going through so much and I actually felt sorry for the villain.
So You Want to Talk About Race I read this for Prompt #25- A book with just text on the cover. I initially thought that this isn't for me. Why do I as a black woman in America need to talk about race when I deal with it everyday of my life. But, the author brought up some of my privileges as a light skinned able bodied cis woman that is middle class. The people that NEED to read this book unfortunately won't.
Question of the Week
Have you ever been pleasantly surprised by a classic book or author? Perhaps you were dreading reading this specific book/author but then found you enjoyed it/them?
I was pleasantly surprised when I read The Picture of Dorian Gray I have a love/hate relationship with the classics mainly because of the casual racism, sexism and misogyny.
Mod
I read Unwind and I found it just completely, ludicrously, unbelievable that society as a whole would just agree to kill teenagers. I know it's a very popular series but I could not suspend my disbelief. I've never read anything else by him as a result, although I know Scythe is also very popular and I keep thinking I should read it.
Ron wrote: "Hey everyone, hope you all are doing well. So far so good on my end, sort of. I just found out that a friend whom I've known since I was 12, is moving to a different state. I know we didn't see eac..."My best friend since kindergarten (over 30 years now) moved a few years ago from Washington state to NYC. That was really hard since she is now on the other side of the US (a 6 hour flight away). BUT we facetime all the time and text and check in. Her parents live here so she does visit. It has definitely been challenging but our friendship is still strong.
Happy Thursday! This week has FLOWN by. I have been in a deep Love Island UK dive recently so my reading has slowed - but I am still way ahead. Plus You Season 4 Part 1 starts tonight.
Finished:
Hook - the book was great, few changes from the film but not enough to change the story.
It Happened One Summer - predictable and fluffy. But it takes place near my hometown so it was nice.
Currently Reading:
The Paris Apartment - probably not the BEST book to read right before your Paris trip, but its a good read so far.
Big Summer - Romance-ish, mystery-ish, so far pretty good.
QOTW:
I was pretty blown away by To Kill a Mockingbird and I remember reading Wuthering Heights in high school and enjoying both of those. I was supposed to read TKAM in high school but like with most assigned books, I read something I wanted to read instead. Now I am grateful to have read it.
Jai wrote: "Happy Thursday once again! It's raining in NE Ohio but it's better than snow! I finished quite a few books this week. I'm proud of myself. FINISHED:
The Book of Night Women I read..."
All three of these books have been on my radar for some time, and this definitely feels like the year for them! I liked Oluo's MEDIOCRE very much last year. Excellent reviews, Jai!
Happy Thursday.Nadine - I love reading up on your tie-dye adventures. I've never done it and you're almost making me want to try. I'm not crafty though.
I started 2 new books this week, and shockingly for me, I finished one. Granted it was only 250 pages and a thriller that grabbed you from page one.
Finished:
Woman on the Edge
ATY prompt: A book with a cover or title that includes a route of travel
Popsugar prompt: A book you think your best friend would like
Nadine's 23 prompt: A title that starts with W (23rd letter in the English alphabet)
Series - 3/15
Series Completed: 2 - Lying Games, Bronwyn the Witch
Nobel laureates - 0/7
Random books - 1/7
ATY - 7/40
PS - 7/30
Nadine's 23 challenge - 5/10
Around the year in 52 movies - 7/52
7. A movie with ONE of the five "W" question words in the title - Where'd You Go, Bernadette
Currently reading:
A Ballet of Lepers: A Novel and Stories - 65% done
The History of Rome, Vol 1: The Period Anterior to the Abolition of the Monarchy - 50% done
Allegiant - 40% done
QOTW: I used to read a class or two a year. I got off track last year reading to too many prompts. I usually assume they will be interesting, so I'm shocked when they aren't instead of when they are.
People bash Dickins, but I really liked David Copperfield. Even though it was long, it didn't feel long.
I was surprised by Dracula, only because he was only in about a quarter of the book. That's the reason why we've never had an accurate Dracula movie - Hollywood can't get how the title character isn't the main character.
On a related note, I think I was shocked in grade 10 to find out that Julius Caesar died so early in the play. I thought since he was the main character that his death would be the final act.
Happy Thursday! My intent to get back into the regular PopSugar check-ins has failed miserable so far this year. My grandpa passed away a couple of weeks ago (and since my grandma just passed in November, I no longer have any grandparents. Processing that along with three jobs and trying to get my new house ready for me to move in at the end of February means that I've had very little capacity for reading, much less checking in.I haven't finished a single book this year, which makes me sad. But I'm trying to give myself grace and recognize that life's been crazy and it's understandable that I haven't done much in the way of hobbies.
Currently Reading:
Heidi
The Penguin Book of Christmas Stories: From Hans Christian Andersen to Angela Carter
QOTW:
Like Katy, I typically enjoy classics. However, I do have two that were pleasant surprises! We had to read Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, which I was dreading because I HATE scary things. But I absolutely loved the book and have read it several times since! It's what helped me figure out that I like creepy, not scary.
The other was Farenheit 451. I read it for a PS prompt a couple of years ago. I'd put it off because I'm not a fan of science fiction or dystopian stories. But again, I really enjoyed it!
Happy Thursday! We've got our storage unit move set for the middle of next week. Honestly, looking forward to being done with it. Other than that, things here have been pretty quiet.
Finished:
The Strange Case of the Alchemist's Daughter - 4 stars - historical fiction. This was more historical fantasy, but I'm counting it. Speaking of the classics, I really enjoyed this mashup of classic fictional figures, running the gamut from Sherlock Holmes to characters from Dracula.
Long Way Down - 5 stars - book that takes place entirely in one day. This was a very fast read, because it's written in verse, and also very powerful.
Almost American Girl - 4 stars - book that features two languages (Korean and English). This was a moving graphic novel memoir, about the author's sudden immigration to the US from Korea and her fraught relationship with her mother, who suddenly uprooted her, as well as Korean cultural norms in contrast with American.
I am currently at 8/50 for Popsugar (4/40 and 4/10). I am also at 4/10 for Nadine's Mini-Challenge #1.
Currently reading:
The Wedding Date - Reading this to fulfill a book written during NaNoWriMo. I'm about halfway through and this is, so far, a solid three-star read. Nothing special, but I don't dislike it really either.
Planned:
The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea
QOTW:
I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed Rebecca when my book club read it several years ago. I think, like a lot of classics, I was expecting the language to be stodgy and hard to get through, but it was very easy to read.
I used to love Dracula, which I read during my vampire phase in the 90s. I also enjoyed The Count of Monte Cristo.
I had a similar experience to Nadine's with Vonnegut in high school. I think it was Cat's Cradle that was the assigned reading, and then I ran off and devoured everything else I could find by him.
Hello! It's been a mild week and the deep snowpack has started to melt a little. The next storm is missing us to the south, which is appreciated. Our bathroom remodel finally started this week (we signed the contract in mid-May last year) and is supposed to wrap up today. It's been three (now four) days of early mornings, loud noises and weird smells. It'll be good when everything's finished, from the updated bathroom to having our basement back (the replacement toilet is in front of the downstairs tv) to being able to work without interruption. I have informed my husband I'm sleeping all weekend as I am just exhausted.Finished This Week:
No Quest For The Wicked / Kiss and Spell / Frogs and Kisses by Shanna Swendson. Finished my reread of the Enchanted Inc series. I still dislike Kiss and Spell, but was surprised to realize No Quest for the Wicked takes place in a single day. Useful if people have already started the series or don't mind reading the whole thing, since you can't really jump in at book 6.
Enchanted Ever After by Shanna Swendson. And the final book in the series, which was new for me. It was good to finish the series, and even though it was about a wedding, I was able to enjoy the story for what it was. It also seemed like the author was out of ideas about what else to throw at Owen and Katie, so I'm glad she says the series is over. Using for PS # 44, Self Published.
A Thousand Ships by Natalie Haynes. I enjoyed this retelling of the Trojan War from the perspective of all the women, although it's mostly pre- and post-war. There's little told during the war, except for a chapter told by Briseis and Chryseis. It mostly made me want to reread The Firebrand, which is told from Cassandra's POV. Using for PS #34, Historical Fiction. Bit of a stretch, but I don't expect it'll be my only historical fiction this year. It's mostly for last year's Read Harder prompt of Nominated for Women's Prize.
PS: 9/50 RH: 0/24 ATY: 9/52 GR: 21/150
Currently Reading:
The Shaadi Set-Up by Lillie Vale. Something completely different from fantasy and mythology that I've been immersed in for the past two weeks. About halfway through and enjoying it so far.
QotW: Have you ever been pleasantly surprised by a classic book or author? Perhaps you were dreading reading this specific book/author but then found you enjoyed it/them?
I was surprised how much I enjoyed Emma, but I guess because I liked Clueless, I was predisposed to enjoy the original work.
I guess also Agatha Christie, as I'd only read And Then There Were None by her, and read the ending first to see who did it, forever ruining that book. When I started reading her Poirot books, I was surprised at how good they were. I need to read more of her stuff.
Hi all! I was planning on finishing a book and then posting, but I have a sick kid home today, so I figure all plans are out of whack, why not this, too? I expect either my boyfriend or I will get it on Sunday and ruin watching the Super Bowl. At least we aren't entertaining this year, I decided it's on too late to have people over if I want to get kiddo in bed. I am looking forward to watching Rhianna, but I haven't heard anything new by her in a long time, so I hope she does her older stuff.Also, we had our furnace crap out last weekend, on the coldest day of the year- of course! We got it kinda working, but it took 3 total trips by the repair guys to fully get it back to snuff (a bad wire had to be replaced).
Otherwise, life is great! (rolls eyes)
I haven't finished anything this week, but I'm very close to being done with both 67 Shots: Kent State and the End of American Innocence and Secrets of the Nile both are very good. They're both due back Tuesday, so I gotta keep trucking along (another thing I'm worried about getting ruined by illness :/
The last thing I was reading in 67 Shots absolutely shocked me. The reaction of people all over the country, but especially right in town was horrible. People sent letters to a guy who was paralyzed saying he should have died, they sent letters to the parents of one of the dead boys saying that he was "a destructive, riot-making communist...be thankful he's dead." One of the parents of a student said they should have killed more of them, and she responded that she could have been one of the dead. The level of vitriol is shocking to me, though it helps me place some of the hatred I see now in context that we as a nation haven't all of a sudden become a-holes (good news! we always were!!). Definitely interesting to see how opinions change on events over time.
QOTW: I have to second Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, I really enjoyed the deep questions the book posed in such a short book.
I also really enjoyed The Great Gatsby. I was a little intimidated by its reputation, but it didn't take long until I was sucked in.
Commenting before reading due to food being imminent; let's see if I can get this done!Weather: Cold, but the sun has been coming out which has been super nice!
Chaos: All bunnies behaved, all cats behaved, and today we picked up Ezra and his (hopefully) new girlfriend from the shelter. Second try! Chaos here came in me planning to clean the shed today so I wouldn't have to rush it when I got the message, and... then the message came last night xD Other than that I think this was a calm week. Got my hair cut (it's shorter than I wanted but that's okay; my hair is so thin, it needed a break- the top of my head is a disaster)
Crap. Food's here, jkahsdkf
Alright I'm back!
This wasn't the best reading week. Chaos levels might have been low, but I was still busy. Bring Ezra to the shelter to start dating again, and bring Sjaan back, Saturday needed us to give Jesper his meds (but it was a quiet day beyond that!), Sunday was the Pathé Festival (Till, Tár, A Man Called Otto, The Whale), Monday was game day with a friend of mine (we played It Takes Two, and ended up crying from laughing because I truly am as bad as I say I am at gaming xD), Tuesday my carer and I went for lunch, which was very nice, Wednesday was my hair dresser's appointment, and then we're at today, where I had to speedclean the shed; luckily dad finished up when I had to leave.
I've just been too tired, and found a new game (Calm Colors) that I think will work with an audiobook. Sadly I haven't had the energy yet to pick a new book to listen to to try it out xD
Read
The Bad Guys: Episode 1 for based on popular movie.
This prompt is a bit of a stretch, but I bought and read the full color edition, which came out a month before the movie did, so no one can convince me that wasn't done because of the movie. And I adore the movie (damn, Mr Wolf) so when I found out by accident it was based on a children's bookseries? I snatched the first one up immediately and read it the day it came in. I really enjoyed it, and hope to read the other 16 one day, albeit not in full color.
Slaughterhouse-Five for only text on the cover
I count the 5 as a text even though it has little planes in it. This took me much longer than I expected, for the very simple reason of a 41 page chapter. Dear authors, let's not ever do this again. Sincerely, someone who can't pause in the middle of a chapter.
I recognize the genius of this, but I think I couldn't wholly appreciate it, due to me not being able to recognize metaphors and allegories unless they are 10000% obvious, like in Animal Farm. I still really enjoyed it for the straightforward story it was for me, though!
Popsugar: 22/50
Nadine's Q1: 8/10
ŷ: 16/50
I also read a 81.5k fic, if that counts for anything, haha!
Currently Reading
Moby-Dick read 40/136
After 32 days, I'm well ahead of schedule. But damn, this book could be hundreds of pages shorter I'm sure. Still eternally grateful for my one chapter a day approach.
In the Lives of Puppets
I'm almost too embarrassed to still mention this. I'm sorry, Klune, I promise it's not you.
QOTW
For sure. But right now all I can think of is Slaughterhouse-Five, which had a rough start for me, but which I fell into eventually and really enjoyed. I also loved ACD, but I wasn't surprised by that, given it was in the height of my Sherlock trashcan.
I am currently forgetting every single classic I've ever read. I'm sure there was one I loved but ... oops.
Editing to add some things after reading comments:
I was unpleasantly surprised to hate 1984 and Handmaid's Tale. I want to give the latter another shot one day, but not 1984. I was also surprised that Frankenstein was barely horror and nothing like what people think it is. Someone also mentioned the surprise of Dracula and how little he's in it, and I agree! Loved both.
K.L. wrote: "~Robin Hood: The Complete Series 1 � This audiobook has been a lot of fun to listen to so far. The narrator is Richard Armitage, who played Sir Guy in the BBC series. ."I *loved* this series so much! Meeting some of the cast was a dream. Immediately put this onto my TBR, thanks!
Melissa wrote: "A Thousand Ships by Natalie Haynes. I enjoyed this retelling of the Trojan War from the perspective of all the women, although it's mostly pre- and post-war. There's little told during the war, except for a chapter told by Briseis and Chryseis. It mostly made me want to reread The Firebrand, which is told from Cassandra's POV. Using for PS #34, Historical Fiction. Bit of a stretch, but I don't expect it'll be my only historical fiction this year. It's mostly for last year's Read Harder prompt of Nominated for Women's Prize."Ohh that just bumped A Thousand Ships even more up to the top of my TBR. Recently read The Silence of the Girls and The Women of Troy. And I love seeing so much love for the Firebrand lately! I read the Dutch translation when I was 14; Cassandra has been my favorite ever since! I have been wanting to reread it for ages, but it's so hard to find. At least the author's dead, so if I ever buy a copy she's not getting any money from it, haha!
Shannon wrote: "Happy Thursday! My intent to get back into the regular PopSugar check-ins has failed miserable so far this year. My grandpa passed away a couple of weeks ago (and since my grandma just passed in No..."So sorry for your loss Shannon.
Ellie wrote: "I start my new job on Monday! After waiting forever to hear back it's all moved very quickly. I do know someone that works there and apparently they'll be showing me the ropes, so that's reassuring..."
Congratulations!!
Not much to report this week. Life goes on, everything fine.PS: 8/50
Total 2023: 8
Finished
Still Alice by Lisa Genova ⭐⭐⭐⭐
PS #44, A book that was self-published
Intense read, respectful and compelling. Genova gave me the honour to be in Alice’s shoes for a while. And Alzheimer is a mean disease.
Currently reading
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
QOTW
I was surprised by Buddenbrooks: The Decline of a Family by Thomas Mann. I thought it would be very German so very slow and boring, but it turned out to be a pleasant read. It’s German, so it truly is slow and a little boring after all, but it was entertaining along all the 600+ pages. Maybe because the theme is timeless: a wealth family in decline with all the family issues you can imagine.
Oh! I've started so many things the past week and finished practically nothing! ŷ says its add book search bar isn't currently working, so I'll come back later to add in the links.Finished: Kurashi at Home: How to Organize Your Space and Achieve Your Ideal Life Didn't find this very inspiring. Shouldn't have been surprised because I didn't particularly care for her original books either.
Started: Social Justice Parenting: How to Raise Compassionate, Anti-Racist, Justice-Minded Kids in an Unjust World Good so far!
The Castle of Llyr
Children of Ragnarok for Nadine's mini-challenge about Norse mythology
Do You Think What You Think You Think?This has some really fun surveys to try to learn better what kind of thinker you are. I'm finding I'm consistent, but not logical.
Coming of Age in 2020: Teenagers on the Year that Changed Everything, an anthology submitted by teens to the NY Times
Evil and the God of Love. I'm loving this!
How to Win the War on Truth: An Illustrated Guide to How Mistruths Are Sold, Why They Stick, and How to Reclaim Reality, in graphic novel format.
QotW: I actually don't read classics very much anymore even though I used to as a kid. The one that springs most readily to mind is Jane Eyre I didn't know what I would think of it going into it and I quite enjoyed it!
Harmke wrote: "Not much to report this week. Life goes on, everything fine.PS: 8/50
Total 2023: 8
Finished
Still Alice by Lisa Genova ⭐⭐⭐⭐
PS #44, A book that was self-published
..."
Still Alice is on my shelves, good to know it was self published! Scared it'll hit too hard right now, though, with my grandpa rapidly declining.
I read 5 books for the week1. The Color of Water: A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother. 5 stars. #28 A book you bought second hand.
2. Giovanni's Room. 5 stars. #13 A book published the year you were born.
3. The Silver Palate Cookbook. 5 stars. Not for this challenge.
4. We Are the Light. 5 stars. #26 The Shortest book (by pages) on your TBR list. I liked the book but it's a hard read. Matthew Quick does a good job writing about mental health. The subject matter is hard.
5. From Scratch: A Memoir of Love, Sicily, and Finding Home. 5 stars. # 4 A book by a first-time author. I loved this book. The cover drew me to the book. Again it's a hard read. The book is about grief & food.
QOTW: I avoid classics because I don't enjoy them. I was surprised by The Count of Monte Cristo. I read it years ago & can't remember why I picked it up now. I did like it.
Key West was glorious! But it's been a rough transition back to the Pacific Northwest. Even today's sun pales in comparison. Challenge Progress: 10/50 And I'm making progress on Nadine's First Quarter Challenge: 6/10.
Completed:
Living the 1.5 Degree Lifestyle: Why Individual Climate Action Matters More Than Ever (PS2: a book you bought from an independent bookstore) ★★★★
American Fire: Love, Arson, and Life in a Vanishing Land ★★★★
The School for Good Mothers ★★★★
Wish You Were Here (Q1.8: a book set on an island) ★★★★
Anatomy: A Love Story ★★★★
Love in the Time of Serial Killers ★★�
Phaedra (Q1.9: a book about or set in an ancient civilization) ★★★★
Star Wars: From a Certain Point of View ★★★★
Lore Olympus: Volume Two ★★★★
Flamer (Q1.6: a book with flames on the cover or in the title) ★★★★
Currently Reading:
Ms. Demeanor
The Removed
The Big Sheep (Q1.5: a book about sheep or shepherds)
How the Word Is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America
Bad Cree
Liar, Dreamer, Thief
Hell Bent (PS24: a book with a rabbit on the cover)
Norse Mythology (Q1.4: a book based on Norse mythology)
QOTW: My dad (director of libraries at the local university) caught me reading trashy romances when I was in high school. The next day, when he returned from work, he tossed "Tess of the D'urbervilles" at me and said, "If you're going to read trash, at least make it classic." I loved it!
Happy check-in! I read a lot this past week but it felt like I accomplished nothing. Probably because most of the books were not on the tbr before I started reading them. :)@Elllie congratulations on your new job!
@Shannon I'm so sorry for your loss.
Finished reading:
Buffy the Last Vampire Slayer ⭐⭐⭐⭐�
The artwork is so much better than the cover. This was fantastic, it follows Buffy in her 50s and the world has no sunlight anymore...
The Crossover ⭐⭐⭐⭐� (ATY text is not horizontal)
I wanted to read some poetry and this was a random overdrive pick. Basketball and poetry who new. Why do I keep finding middle grade poetry collections that make me sob.
Booked ⭐⭐⭐⭐� (ATY faceless person on the cover)
This is a sequel to The Crossover but this is about soccer instead.
Light for the World to See: A Thousand Words on Race and Hope ⭐⭐⭐⭐� (PS only text on the cover)
I've found a new author to read everything by.
Must Love Books ⭐⭐⭐⭐� (ATY books are importanbt)
This isn't your typical rom-com. It actually deals with the main character's mental health. Lots of career advice.
Kinauvit?: What's Your Name? the Eskimo Disc System and a Daughter's Search for Her Grandmother ⭐⭐⭐⭐� (PS something you should have read in highschool)
This is an aspect of Canadian history that I knew nothing about. It was published last year but the Eskimo Identification Disc System should have been/should be in school curriculums.
PS 14/50
ATY 9/52
Mini 6/10
ŷ 29/200
Currently Reading:
Strange the Dreamer BOTM
QOTW:
Well three come to mind.
All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque This was a book I chose from a list of books in highschool and I had very low expectations. It was interesting at the time to read a book from the perspective of a soldier.
Summer by Edith Wharton I needed a book with summer in the title and this was a short option. I really enjoyed the writing.
The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare I needed to read a book my mom loves and this is what she suggested. It was so cute.
Happy Thursday! Things are very calm for the moment. Nothing untoward has happened lately, which is lovely. I like having a very boring life. Less stress and more reading time. Of course, I've been reading other things and not challenge prompts or mount tbr things.
I've been trying to get through all the books in my office that I need to make records for. It's a slow process.
The library got the British dramas based off of the Coroman Strike series recently. I started the first one last night. It's pretty good. Definitely like watching my mysteries better than reading them.
I'm also really liking The Last of Us. I can't wait 'til this Friday for the new episode.
Popsugar:7/50
Finished:
An Enchantment of Ravens This was a fun book. The Fair Folk want the Craft that humans can make, and Isobel is a portrait artist. The Autumn prince comes to get his portrait painted and all hell breaks loose from there. It was interesting to see the differences were between the fair folk and the humans were. The unmalicious thoughtlessness, disdain, and ennui of infinite beings and the vitality of the humans was such a contrast. Fair Folk: ‘Oh, this dress is falling apart, but I will fix it with glamour so it doesn’t matter.� Human: ‘Umm, I can’t wear that cuz I have no glamour and I will be exposing myself to everyone.� Fair Folk: ‘Let’s eat this great looking food!� Human: ‘Gross! Rotten food! Yuck!� ps 1 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Their One-Night Rio Reunion This starts at the end of the marriage after a year. It was a marriage of convenience. For her, freedom from her oppressive father. For him, the look of respectability and stability as a businessman that an unmarried ‘playboy� doesn’t have. The first pages were of them signing the divorce papers. Then, a kidnapping plot had their bodyguards moving them to an island for safety. ps 35 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Reading: None
Aty: 7/52
Finished:
An Enchantment of Ravens Aty 19
Reading: None
Nadine's Mini Challenge 7/10
Finished:None
Reading: None
ŷ Challenge 104/400
Finished:
An Enchantment of Ravens
Their One-Night Rio Reunion
Psyche and Eros
The Cookie Fiasco
Oh My Goddess! Volume 8
Oh My Goddess! Volume 9
Oh My Goddess! Volume 10
Oh My Goddess! Volume 11
Abe-kun's Got Me Now, Vol. 9
Bare for the Alpha
Spread for the Alpha
Wet for the Alpha
Ripe for the Alpha
Beast's Castle
Noble Love
Mr. CEOooooooo
I Look Good On You
Guarding Her Body
Pay Up Buttercup
The Virgin Auction
Stepbrother Weekend: Filthy Dirty Desires
MC Daddy Possessive Biker
Spying On My Roommate
First Everything
Reading:
Queens of Wonderland
Mount TBR:
21/150 Ebook
15/150 Physical
QOTW:
I'm not sure. I was surprised at how much I didn't like War of the Worlds. I was surprised when I kept hearing Mrs. Bennett's voice (P&P 1995) when I read Pride and Prejudice. I read the classics because I want to touch the time period they are in with the original work. I try to read at least one classic a year.
Mod
GASP!!! I did not know!!! I think I'm going to have to wait for my college kid to come home - she might get upset if I watch it without her (and my other kid doesn't really like the show anyway). But maybe I'll just ... sneak a little peek.
Mod
oooh who can resist fun surveys??!! I want it! (but my library doesn't have it - must look elsewhere)
You also live in NY? Dope, me too! But this isn't even winter, it is more like early early spring. This week has been pretty eventful, i went to two different job interviews and i think one of them i did better than the other so i hope i get that job. They said they would contact me in a few days with their decision. I am a quarter done with Hidden Figures for the "First time author" prompt and i am enjoying it. It isn't as dense as some non-fiction books i have read in the past.
QOTW: I was surprised to enjoy Frankenstein. I had to read it for two college semesters in a row for me junior year. I enjoyed it more the second time i read it tbh. The Bell Jar is another one. I related to the main character more than I thought I would. i saw that you mentioned that you read A Postman Always Rings Twice! I read that book in junior year of high school and also enjoyed it. It was the first book I read that was a crime fiction novel. I would love to own a copy of the book and read it once more.
Mod
Nadine - I love reading up on your tie-dye adventures. I've never done it and you're almost making me want to try. I'm not crafty though.
I started 2 new books this week, and shoc..."
Oh I am glad!!! You don't have to be crafty, you just need cotton fabric, soda ash, and good dye.
Mod
I'm so sorry for your loss.
Mod
Wow! I must be living right this week to catch this thread so very early in the day.
I have finally put away and donated all the beds, leashes, food, etc that was Roxie's. I still miss her and dream about her, but it is easier knowing that another dog is enjoying her things....."
It is so hard to adjust. I bet you still hear her, too.
Mod
I really need to read this!!! I keep wanting to read it, but it looks so brutal and intimidating, I pick up something easier instead. But I need to read it, I'm sure it will blow me away
Good morning! After last week's beautiful, cold weather, summer's come back with a vengeance. 37C (that's 99F) and I discovered that my new home's airconditioner doesn't work that well. I'm working at the library today to take advantage of their a/c. PopSugar: 6/50
ATY: 6/50
Finished
The Sting by Kate Kyriacou (search isn't working at the moment - I'll come back and link later). This is a true crime novel about how the police caught a child's killer. I'm bragging to everyone that my cousin wrote it - she's a crime reporter. It was a pretty harrowing read, as there was detail about the guy's past crimes. But, very well-written. Prompt: Author with the same initials.
Currently Reading
Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell. I'm enjoying it so far, but ŷ tells me I'm only 1% in. That's why it's the longest on my TBR.
Making Dogs Happy. Very informative dog book with lots of pictures of cute dogs.
QOTW
In the past I've avoided classics because the ones chosen for my uni English class were long, slow, and boring. So, I've avoided reading Jane Austen and Agatha Christie for years. But I read both authors last year and loved them. I was especially surprised by Pride & Prejudice. Given that I first encountered the story in a 6-part miniseries, I thought it would take a while to get through the novel. But I finished it really quickly. I've penciled in Sense & Sensibility for the alliteration prompt this year.
Mod
wow I had no idea!! I was much too young when it happened to know about it at the time. Kind of amazing that the same amount of vitriol existed back then, because it feels so modern. I guess the only thing that's changed is the presence of social media allowing that vitriol to be spread to everyone immediately.
Mod
I count the 5 as a text even though it has little planes in it. This took me much longer than I expected, for the very simple reason of a 41 page chapter. Dear authors, let's not ever do this again. Sincerely, someone who can't pause in the middle of a chapter...."
That happened to me while reading HENCH (Walschotts). The chapters are SO LONG!! Why are the chapters so long???
(I didn't like Handmaid's Tale either. I feel like I'm the only person on this planet who did not, so good to know I'm not alone.)
Mod
I bet!! that transition back to home can be rough!!
I look forward to hearing how you like Bad Cree (since I just finished it and did NOT like it).
My dad (director of libraries at the local university) caught me reading trashy romances when I was in high school. The next day, when he returned from work, he tossed "Tess of the D'urbervilles" at me and said, "If you're going to read trash, at least make it classic." I loved it!
LOL that's too funny!!! (And I've never read Tess, nor anything else by Hardy. I saw the Natasha Kinski movie though!)
Mod
The artwork is so much better than the cover. This was fantastic, it follows Buffy in her 50s and the world has no sunlight anymore......"
WOW somehow I have never heard of this!! I am DEFINITELY reading this.
Mod
Yes at least five of us are NYers here!
Greetings all. Once again it's raining and too warm in NYC for winter! Rumor has it that there was snow one weekday afternoon but as I was working I seem to have missed it -- or it was rain in my neighborhood which can happen given the heat given off by buildings into the atmosphere turns it to rain before reaching the ground. This feels like late March and as someone who truly loves winter and snow and cold and blizzards I'm really really unhappy. Doing well with my reading though.
PS - 13/50; ATY - 15/52; GR - 16/165
Finished:
Improbable Patriot by Unger - a biography of Beaumarchais - PS Prompt 2 languages - French and English, ATY prompt - charachter is a tinker, tailor, soldier, spy - Beaumarchais was all but a soldier.
The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware - PS - classic retelling of Henry James The Turn of the Screw; ATY - geometric shape - keyhole. Not just on cover but a theme throughout.
Currently reading:
The Sentence is Death by Anthony Horowitz
The Turn of the Screw by Henry James (a re-read actually)
The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict
QOTW:
I tend to like classics, old and modern, so I'm not surprised. It's easier to list the ones I disliked. But let me see what I can come up with by looking at my read classics shelf.
The Island of Dr. Moreau by H. G. Wells -- I never really liked or read much horror and sci-fi and this fit both. I found myself quite enjoying it and finding the premise quite contemporary raising questions on ethical scientific research and development, very current in my lifetime with cloning and AI.
Farenheit 451 - again - the whole scifi thing yet this was really awesome.
1984 - yup the whole scifi thing again. Clearly I've gotten over my aversion.
The Sun also Rises by Hemingway - this is the biggie. I have loathed Hemingway's books since I was in my 20s, finding them boring, awful , etc. etc. Especially The Old Man and the Sea which I will NEVER re-read. Trust me. However... after reading Paula McLain's The Paris Wife, I had to read this which showed how his real life inspired it. It was incredible, his life at the time on the page in fiction. I recognized the streets of Paris and the final line It's pretty to think so. I was shocked how much I liked it. Am I now a Hemingway fan? Decidely not but I might find myself trying another book of his.
Happy Thursday everybody! This week I continued on my journey to shampoo all of the carpet in my house one room at a time. I'm beginning to question whether any of the previous owners ever even vacuumed x(Finished:
I'd Rather Be Reading: A Library of Art for Book Lovers: 1 star. I would indeed rather be reading...something else.
The Guest List: 3 stars. Ok, but not great.
What Moves the Dead: 5 stars! I loved this so much. I'm not normally into retellings, but Kingfisher made such savvy smart additions to The Fall of the House of Usher.
QOTW: I think I tend to like classics that fall within my preferred genres. I don't like classic literary fiction, but I don't like contemporary literary fiction either. Sometimes with early genre fiction you can tell that the style still needs polish. Like The Moonstone was ok, but you can tell it's an early entry to the genre.
Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge
Books mentioned in this topic
Spellswept (other topics)Moontangled (other topics)
Thornbound (other topics)
Snowspelled (other topics)
Spellcloaked: A Harwood Spellbook Story (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Stephanie Burgis (other topics)Patricia Hermes (other topics)
Harriet Beecher Stowe (other topics)
Nikole Hannah-Jones (other topics)
Travis Baldree (other topics)
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We're still deep in the middle of winter here in NY (although it's a mild winter to be sure - it's supposed to go up to FIFTY today!!! and then snow tonight . Crazy.), and I am so glad that last fall I finally FINALLY remembered to order some bulbs to pot up for forcing - it's so nice now to have crocuses and muscari and hyacinths popping up and blooming in my kitchen. Even better, I've completely forgotten what I put in each pot, so it's like Christmas morning every time I bring in a pot from the garage and wait for it to sprout! (If you've never done this, let me reassure you that it's super easy if you live in a place with cold winters - those of you in warmer environs will have to find a big fridge to use - just put some bulbs in a pot with soil, water once, and set them in a cold but protected place like an unheated garage - after a few months, when you're ready for spring flowers, bring the pot inside and water thoroughly. Enjoy.)
My tie dye adventures continued. Last week I tried painting with dye for the first time (you thicken it with sodium alginate so it behaves more like a paint) - turns out this technique is not perfect, and the dye WILL bleed, so I got some "interesting" results. Time will yet tell if the final product is good or not. On one shirt, for me, I painted Haku's face (the dragon from Spirited Away) and some soot sprites, and I plan to dye it "evoke" Haku's snakey body in the river, on the other shirt for Neve, I painted a big black spider on the shoulder, and I will fold & dye to look like a spider web on front. I'm pretty happy with it so far, I washed them out and the dye held with just a little bleeding. Today I fold and prepare to dye them.
Admin stuff
Group read for The Sun Is Also a Star continues, and the discussion is here:
/topic/show/...
Nomination poll for May's group read (rabbit on the cover) is open here:
/poll/show/2...
Let us know if you would like to lead group discussions for March or April or May (or a future month - live dangerously!)
This week I finished 1 book, and it worked for this Challenge, so I am now 7/50.
Bad Cree by Jessica Johns - I had high expectations for this book, and they were dashed and ground into the dirt! I did not like this book, it was rambling and pointless, and the protagonist was TSTL. The only reason to read this is if you're looking for a book featuring a Cree family in western Canada. I checked off "about a family" with this one (and "book published in 2023" in AtY).
Pop: 7/50
Winter: 0/10
AtY: 7/52
2023 must-reads: 1/12
Question of the Week
Have you ever been pleasantly surprised by a classic book or author? Perhaps you were dreading reading this specific book/author but then found you enjoyed it/them?
Yes!! I am usually the FIRST to whine that a book is too slow or long or boring, but I keep trying with the classics, because every now and then one will surprise me.
My BIGGEST surprise was Arthur Conan Doyle - I thought his books would be dry and stuffy like Bram Stoker or Wilkie Collins or Stevenson (I am not a fan of any of those authors), but A Study in Scarlet surprisingly fresh and modern! If I didn't know better I would think he'd written them today! I plan to read every Sherlock Holmes book in order, but I kind of stalled out because too many other books got in my way, so I have yet to read Hound of the Baskervilles. And I've never read any of Doyle's other books (but someday I will)
Anne Brontë was another happy discovery. I've loved Wuthering Heights all my life, but never cared for anything Charlotte Bronte wrote, so I wasn't sure about the third sister. But, to my delight, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall was riveting!
And one day I was looking for an audiobook to listen to, couldn't get the one I wanted so for some reason I settled on Thérèse Raquin. During the time that I was listening to it, I was not super amazed by it, but that book has STAYED with me for years. I guess I just love stories about unlikeable people! If you love Wuthering Heights, you should try Thérèse Raquin. (Conversely, if you hate books about unlikeable people, stay far far away from Thérèse!)
The rest of the classics I've loved have been modern classics that for some reason aren't talked about that much:
The Talented Mr. Ripley - I became an instant Highsmith fan after this book, and I try to read something by her every year. I know she's not exactly a forgotten writer, but I don't understand why she isn't far more popular than she is.
Their Eyes Were Watching God - back when I read this, it was rather obscure, but happily it's had a quite deserved resurgence in popularity lately.
The Street - why aren't more people talking about Ann Petry?? This would be a great book for "should have read in high school."
Ann Petry - I worried this would be a downer - I mean, the title! but it was fantastic and moving.
The Ghost and Mrs. Muir - this book is fantastic and so SO charming!!!
The Postman Always Rings Twice - I didn't even know this was a book until I stumbled upon it a few years ago! I'd heard of Chandler & Marlowe, but no one talks about Cain.
Jamaica Inn - I don't know why, but I loved this more than Rebecca & Rachel (perhaps because there is a real love story hidden in it). And Jamaica Inn is a real place! du Maurier stayed there and was inspired to write this novel.