Joanna’s Comments (group member since Dec 27, 2013)

Joanna’s comments from the CPL's Book a Week Challenge group.

Who's ready for a hurricane? Okay. We're just getting rain and maybe some wind over the weekend. Nothing too crazy (thankfully!). But a rainy weekend is the perfect time to curl up with a book so hopefully you all have a nice stack to keep you company.

What is everyone reading this week? I just finished The Heart Forger, the sequel to The Bone Witch. I was pleasantly surprised. I enjoyed The Bone Witch but it was a solid three stars due to how it dragged for me. The Heart Forger on the other hand really picked up the pace and I flew through its 500 pages. I just had to know what was going to happen next. It's a trilogy so I now have high hopes for the final book.

This week, I'm reading The Bone Houses and What Souls are Made Of. Souls is one of the remix classics and retells Wuthering Heights. It's been so long since I've read the actual classic that I fear I won't pick up on all the little nuances but I'm 100 pages in and still loving it. These remix classics are my favorite. The Great Gatsby one just came out so I'm eagerly waiting for the library to get a copy.

Happy reading! Stay safe this weekend!

Happy Monday! I hope everyone's week is off to a terrific start.

What are you all reading this week? Loving it? Hating it? Just liking it?

I'm in the middle of rereading Pride and Prejudice at the moment. Of course I'm loving it. This edition I have is actually illustrated by a manga artist so it's fun seeing the scenes brought to life. Are you a fan of illustrations in your books? I actually am! I think a book is improved with illustrations, even if it's just a couple here and there. I love seeing scenes brought to life (though maybe if I liked illustrations less, I wouldn't spend so much money on special editions).

Once I finish it, I'm hoping to start The Hear Forger as part of a buddy read. It's a sequel to The Bone Witch which I read last month. I enjoyed the first book but it was definitely more a 3 star read so here's hoping the second book is better.

Happy reading!

Happy Read a Book Day! I hope everyone was able to find some time today to read. Maybe we should declare this Read a Book Week? Gives us all a bit more time to get some chapters in.

I'm sorry there wasn't a thread last week! My brain could have sworn I posted but when I looked at the last post, it was from two weeks ago. Eek.

If you managed to read a book for Read a Book Day, what book did you read? What are you reading this week? I managed a few pages of The Two Towers this afternoon and hopefully I'll get a bit more in tonight. Besides that, I just finished a reread of The Murder of Roger Ackroyd and started Summer Sons. Spooky season is here!

Happy Read a Book Week! ;)

Susan wrote: "The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and Brain on Fire"

How is Seven Husbands? I've been debating if I should add it to my tbr.

I have just discovered that apparently week 33 posted twice? Oops. I must have accidentally hit the post button twice while it was still loading. Guess I'll have to be more careful with that button.

What is everyone reading this week? Good books, bad books, mediocre books? Hopefully they are all good books! I went on a trip this weekend and while I managed to read all the manga I brought (I was catching up with Persona 5), I didn't make any dents in my book reading. I just zoned out in the car and watched the scenery. Sigh. A bit mad I wasted that opportunity but oh well. So my goal this week is to finish the two books I brought along: Shadows by Robin McKinley and Suspicious Minds which is a Stranger Things tie-in novel (when I get obsessed with something, I find all its tie-in books and binge read them lol).

Hope everyone has a good week of reading!

A happy Monday to you all! I hope everyone is having a great start to the week.

I saw a very relatable quote the other day that buying books and reading are two very different hobbies. How true! Where do you fall when it comes to these two hobbies? Are you more one than the other? Both?

A long time ago, while I bought books, I was mostly able to keep up reading them. So we can say reading really was my main hobby. Now though, well, my book buying hobby has gotten a bit out of control.

Part of it is the number of books I see that I just want to read and trust I'll want to own too. I generally don't buy books just to read them and get rid of them (books I question my interest in, I get from the library). But with so many books on my tbr, I don't always get to the ones I buy anymore in a timely manner.

The other part is the rise of collector's editions. Who can relate to this? Nowadays, every book company seems to have their own edition featuring different covers or art work or bonus stories. It's hard to resist, especially when there is artwork involved (I'm a sucker for art). For example, I own 4 copies of Pride and Prejudice. Why? One is my original copy and one came as a special gift in a book crate I subscribe to. But the other two... one is an edition with artwork inspired by the manga style and the other is an absolutely gorgeous edition with gilded edges, a fancy cover featuring our protagonists, and artwork throughout the book. How could I say no?

So what brought this topic to mind? I'm about to buy the special edition of Red, White, and Royal Blue because the end pages are being done by one of my favorite artists and there's a bonus story. Someone please save me from my book buying/collecting!

Do you have any special book editions? Or any that you are hoping to purchase? If you could have any book get a special edition, what would it be?

A happy Monday to you all! I hope everyone is having a great start to the week.

I saw a very relatable quote the other day that buying books and reading are two very different hobbies. How true! Where do you fall when it comes to these two hobbies? Are you more one than the other? Both?

A long time ago, while I bought books, I was mostly able to keep up reading them. So we can say reading really was my main hobby. Now though, well, my book buying hobby has gotten a bit out of control.

Part of it is the number of books I see that I just want to read and trust I'll want to own too. I generally don't buy books just to read them and get rid of them (books I question my interest in, I get from the library). But with so many books on my tbr, I don't always get to the ones I buy anymore in a timely manner.

The other part is the rise of collector's editions. Who can relate to this? Nowadays, every book company seems to have their own edition featuring different covers or art work or bonus stories. It's hard to resist, especially when there is artwork involved (I'm a sucker for art). For example, I own 4 copies of Pride and Prejudice. Why? One is my original copy and one came as a special gift in a book crate I subscribe to. But the other two... one is an edition with artwork inspired by the manga style and the other is an absolutely gorgeous edition with gilded edges, a fancy cover featuring our protagonists, and artwork throughout the book. How could I say no?

So what brought this topic to mind? I'm about to buy the special edition of Red, White, and Royal Blue because the end pages are being done by one of my favorite artists and there's a bonus story. Someone please save me from my book buying/collecting!

Do you have any special book editions? Or any that you are hoping to purchase? If you could have any book get a special edition, what would it be?

Every day that's over 90 degrees, I remind myself that fall is almost here and maybe we'll have more moderate temperatures. Anyone else counting down the days? I hope you all have been managing to stay cool.

What are you reading this week? I've been in the mood for detectives so I'm reading The Murder on the Links by Agatha Christie. A couple years ago, I made a plan to read all the Poirot mysteries but I only made it a few books in before getting distracted (story of my bookish life). I'm not sure if this time around I'll be able to do it, but I'm hopeful. I'm also reading The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco with a friend. I read this book back in 2017/2018, right after it first came out, but I have no memory of it. So this reread is basically like reading it for the first time. Does that happen to anyone else?

Happy reading!

Happy August! I hope everyone is having a great start to your month!

What books are you starting the month off with? I'm currently reading The Dead Romantics by Ashley Poston. Roughly 100 pages in and so far, it's been excellent. But that's not surprising because I've read almost everything else she has written and loved them. I'm also reading The Raven Spell on my Kindle app.

Let us know what books you're reading!

Happy Monday, everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful weekend and are surviving the heat.

What is everyone reading this week? I'm working up on finishing Beasts of Prey, in honor of our keynote speaker, Ayana Gray, at FantaSci this coming weekend. It's going to be an amazing event so be sure to come on out!

Also reading The Murder of Mr. Wickham which has been an absolute delight. I love how she writes the Austen characters; they feel like themselves. I'm only 100 pages in so excited to find out who the murderer is!

Happy reading!

A most happy 2nd week of July to everyone! I hope you’re managing to stay cool and reading some great books.

I have a very exciting announcement. As many of you know, I run the library’s fantasy/science fiction mini con, FantaSci. This year, it’ll be July 23, 10am-5pm, and July 24, 12pm-4pm. The event is going to be full of panels, activities and crafts, cosplay, vendors, and so much more.

In addition, we are incredibly pleased to announce our keynote speaker: New York Times bestselling author Ayana Gray.

Ms. Gray is a New York Times bestselling young adult fantasy author and a lover of all things monsters, mythos, and magic. Originally from Atlanta, Georgia, she now lives in Little Rock, Arkansas, where she reads avidly, follows Formula One racing, and worries over the varying moods of her adopted baby black rhino, Apollo, and her mini goldendoodle, Dolly. Her debut novel, Beasts of Prey, is being adapted for feature film.

For more information about Ayana and her works, visit: https://www.ayanagray.com/

Ms. Gray will be at the Central Library on July 23 at 1pm. She will be sharing about her new book, "Beasts of Ruin", during her presentation, Q & A, and book signing. Her books will be available for purchase.

You can register for the event here: https://events.chesapeakelibrary.org/...

Y'all, I can't tell you how excited I am. If you're free that weekend, definitely come out.

Happy July, everyone! I hope you all had a lovely holiday and were able to see some fireworks.

A quick psa because Susan asked about it and I'm sure others are curious. We are not doing an adult summer reading challenge this year. It was decided that since adults read all year round, we'd put our focus towards both this yearly challenge and on creating more little pop up challenges through out the year (such as the Pride challenge we did in June). So be on the lookout in the coming months on Beanstack for some new challenges.

As always if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask. :)

What is everyone reading this week? Over the holiday, I managed to finish two books - Ace of Spades and Three Kisses, One Midnight. Three Kisses... was an ARC that I finally got around to and it was so cute. If you all want a book that is full of autumn and Halloween magic and is just adorable, definitely recommend it (it'll be out August 30).

This week I'm hoping to finish Wings of Shadow for a buddy read. I struggled a bit with the first two books in the series (this is the final one) not because I didn't like the characters (I adore the characters and I'm way too invested in their fate) but because there are issues with pacing, logic, and world building in the books. They're very chunky and a good portion dragged for me. I'm happy to report, though, that I'm 230 pages into Wings... and it doesn't suffer like its predecessors. It's been amazing. And I'm scared for my characters.

I'm also hoping to start Beasts of Prey this week (I'll make a longer post about that next week).

Happy Reading!

Susan wrote: "Hi hi! Is the library doing an adult summer reading challenge this year? I couldn’t find it on the website. Thanks ❤️"

Hi, Susan! No, we are not doing an adult summer reading challenge this year. It was decided that since adults read all year round, we'd focus both on this yearly challenge and on creating more little pop up challenges through out the year (such as the Pride challenge we did in June).

Let me know if you have any other question! :)

It’s week 26! And that means we are officially halfway through the year and halfway through our challenge. Woo hoo!

How is everyone doing with the challenge or your personal reading goals? Are you ahead? Behind? Right on schedule?

I think I’m ahead? Which would be a first for me (normally I am incredibly behind at this point). But I’ve been reading more ebooks and I think that has helped me. Now if only I could get ahead on my massive pile of library books. Lol.

I also want to say thank you so much, everyone, for participating, commenting, and engaging with this little program. Words can't describe how much I appreciate you all and how much I love reading your comments (even if I don’t respond back).

Here's to the next 26 weeks!

I feel like this is a common theme every couple weeks, but how can we already be halfway through June? Why is time moving like this? I need it to slow down.

What has everyone been reading? I've been a bit slow in my reading so I've only finished two books the past couple weeks - A Lady for a Duke and Malice. I really enjoyed both and I'm hoping to start Malice's sequel, Misrule, this week. I'm also currently reading Heart of Flame. We'll see how much actual reading I can get done, though, because my brother is getting married on Saturday so what is free time? Lol.

Happy reading!

Happy June! Wishing everyone a wonderful start to the month.

What is everyone reading this week? I have a couple books going right now. I'm still in the middle of The Fellowship of the Ring. I also started Malice and A Lady for a Duke. I'll probably finish one, maybe two of these before the week is out but we'll see. I've not been a reading mood and have been watching Doctor Who, lol.

Happy reading!

Hope everyone has been having a good week despite the dreary weather!

Couple of fun events to talk about... June is Pride Month and we will be running a month long challenge on Beanstack! This is a bit different than Book Quest because you will log minutes as opposed to book titles. Complete the challenge (which is 600 minutes of reading) to be entered to win a prize pack. There are also activity badges you can complete (different than the Take It or Leave It ones). This challenge will appear on your homepage on June 1st.

On June 3rd at the Central Library, we will host author Alex Gino! They will lead a writer workshop (registration required) and then do an author talk (no registration required). The workshop is at 5:00 pm and the talk is at 6:30 pm.

You can find out more information on the library's website - www.chesapeakelibrary.org

What is everyone reading this week? Anything fun or exciting or interesting? I'm in the middle of Nettle & Bone which is a fairy tale-esque story about a princess off to murder a prince (trust me, he deserves it) and the group of misfits who join her. It's been rather wonderful so far. Hoping I can finish it tonight. I also started Fellowship of the Ring.

Happy reading!

It's beginning to feel a lot like summer...

Spring seems to be over and summer is upon us. I love Hampton Roads but I do not love its whole "we have a week of spring and then boom! heat." I am already missing the cooler weather.

What is everyone reading this week? I'm currently flying through Gallant by V.E. Schwab. This is the second book I've read by her and I think it's safe to say I love her writing style. I'll need the rest of her books soon. I'm also buddy reading Crown of Feathers with a friend; I'm enjoying it but there are definitely plot issues.

Have a great week!

These are all such great answers! Thank you to everyone for sharing.

Shannon - I completely forgot about Stardust. I think like you, I prefer the movie to the book but I did really enjoy the book (unlike Wicked).

Hope everyone’s week has been off to a great start so far!

All right! Best and worst book adaptations. We all have firm opinions on this, I’m sure. Well it’s time to share them! What adaptations are the best, that stick to the heart of the book, and leave you feeling satisfied? What adaptations do you think are the worst, that miss the point entirely, and leave you with a weird taste?

And possibly more controversial – is there an adaptation you think better than its source material?

None of you will be surprised when I say that I feel The Lord of the Rings adaptations are some of the best around. I think they really speak to an understanding of the heart of the books. While not perfect, they’re pretty close for me.

On the flip side, The Hobbit movies are some of the worst. The first movie I felt captured the spirit of the book while also balancing it with the tone of the LotR movies, a hard line to do. But then the other two just went off the rails. I know objectively this was because the studio decided to turn what was two movies into three so they had to be padded out (plus I’m pretty sure they’re responsible for some plot developments done during reshoots such as the love triangle). But I still hate them.

Along with The Hobbit for worst adaptation, is the Eragon movie (yes, yes, most of my examples are fantasy). I actually enjoy the movie itself however, I don’t enjoy it as an adaptation of the Eragon book. The plot lines they cut, the changes that were made all lead to a movie that I think just misses. Also, they could never do a sequel because they cut out crucial bits needed to do it. And we won’t talk about the Percy Jackson movies. Just no. I am so excited Disney is doing an actual series for it.

Another great adaptation was Heartstopper (no, I will never stop talking about this lol). The show is a testament to what happens when you let the author have creative control over other media of their works. You get something that while it might do some plot lines a bit differently, still hits the heart of the book and just makes you happy.

Is there an adaptation I feel better than its source material? Yes, I hold one of these controversial opinions lol. Wicked is one of my favorite Broadway plays yet I despise the book it’s based off of. I read Wicked and just couldn’t. I still don’t understand how such an amazing play could come from such a book.

All right! Let us know your thoughts on adaptations even if they disagree with mine. :D