L Y N N’s
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(group member since Nov 10, 2018)
L Y N N’s
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from the Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge group.
Showing 1,981-2,000 of 4,908
Brandy wrote: "Sorry for going a it MIA for a while. Real life real lifed in the most unexpected and tragic way there last week."I am so sorry about that! Sending you positive coping energy. Thanks so much for picking this back up when you could!
Nadine wrote: "I've had some time to look through my past reads. Great debut novels that I've read:The Mothers by Brit Bennett
Homegoing by [author:Yaa Gyasi|14..."
Ah, yes! So many great ones!!
Heather wrote: "I think The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet...and The Song of Achilles were debut novels. Someone correct me if I'm wrong about any of those. I've read everything (or want to read everything) those authors have published since.."Ah, yes, both of those books! 👍😁
Catherine House is Elisabeth Thomas's debut novel. How do you normally find new authors?Through Goodreads members and also email messages from publishers, bloggers, and authors.
What are some great debut novels you have read that made you take notice?
Oh, wow.
The School of Essential Ingredients by Erica Bauermeister
The Friday Night Knitting Club (Friday Night Knitting Club #1) by Kate Jacobs
Tell the Wolves I'm Home by Carol Rifka Brunt
Season of the Dragonflies by Sarah Creech
(Book club members STILL talk about all four of these years later!)
A Lost Wife's Tale by Marion McGilvary
The Blue Rose (English Garden Mystery #1) by Anthony Eglin
Commencement by J. Courtney Sullivan
The Expats (Kate Moore #1) by Chris Pavone
The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend by Katarina Bivald
The Girl Who Fell from the Sky by Heidi W. Durrow
Your Heart Is a Muscle the Size of a Fist by Sunil Yapa
Fireworks Over Toccoa by Jeffrey Stepakoff
(Pretty much straight romance, fairly unique for me...)
The Dressmaker of Khair Khana: Five Sisters, One Remarkable Family, and the Woman Who Risked Everything to Keep Them Safe by Gayle Tzemach Lemmon
The House Girl by Tara Conklin
Did You Ever Have a Family by Bill Clegg
Big Stone Gap (Big Stone Gap #1) by Adriana Trigiani
Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng
Serafina and the Black Cloak (Serafina #1) by Robert Beatty
Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line by Deepa Anappara
Jam on the Vine by LaShonda Katrice Barnett
The Middle Place by Kelly Corrigan
The Atomic Weight of Love by Elizabeth J. Church
Finding Jake by Bryan Reardon
Looking for Alaska by John Green
Safe from the Sea by Peter Geye
(Kinda depressing but an amazing "atmospheric" novel!)
Okay. I am stopping now! 😉
How much do you rely on reviews before you pick a book?Not at all. If I want to read a book, it goes on my TBR, though since I've become much more active in Goodreads reading challenges, I constantly am adding to my TBR from the reactions of other Goodreads members... So maybe I kinda do? LOL
As you will see, I finished 5 books this week! That is a lot for me. However, much of that is due to the fact that I had a severe reaction to my second Moderna vaccine shot and spent the next 5 days trying to recover and get back to work and my typical daily routine. It has not been easy and I am not happy about being forced to get the vaccination shots. And if I still contract COVID, I will be very very angry! AAARRRGGGHHH!!! But the good news is that whenever I wasn’t sleeping, I was still able to read. And now I hopefully am better protected against COVID. The data seems to reinforce this as fact, so that’s a good thing! Admin Stuff:
Brandy B is leading August’s discussion of Catherine House by Elisabeth Thomas! I will plan to tackle it this weekend. And don’t forget to post the book(s) you have read to fulfill prompt #5 A dark academia book here!
WE STILL NEED DISCUSSION LEADERS FOR THESE TWO MONTHLY GROUP READS:
October: #13 A locked-room mystery
(“Spooktober”/Halloween)
Anxious People by Fredrik Backman
Are you the "fascinating facilitator" needed to lead discussion of this book?
December: #1 A book published in 2021
(Because it’s the end of the year!)
Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid
There is need of a "gifted guide" to lead this discussion!
Message either Nadine or myself to volunteer!
Question of the Week
This week’s question was suggested by Jennifer:
Are there any book villains you love to hate? :
Ooph! I know I am in the minority here, but I truly do not LOVE to HATE... It just doesn’t work for me. And, interestingly, while I love to use the word LOVE I try to never use the word HATE. Semantics aside, while I can sometimes have some sympathy for villains when informed of disastrous and horrifying childhoods/life experiences, I don’t want to hate… I may disagree with them and dislike them.
Popsugar: 41/50
ATY: 48/52
RHC: 13/24
Reading Women: 11/28
Some movement!
FINISHED:
Precious and Grace (The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency #17) by Alexander McCall Smith ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ was so very enjoyable! I love reading Precious’ own musings about philosophy and interpersonal behaviors! This book dealt much with forgiveness. (As did another one I read this week!)
POPSUGAR: #18-Forgiveness, #19, #27, #30-Africa, #34-Fraudulent pyramid schemes, #43, #47-All-time favorite writer and series
ATY: #3-…when the dog bites…Fanwell’s stray dog!, #8-Africa, #10-The woman who mistreated the child she was to care for, #13, #18-Forgiving those who have wronged us in the past, #27-Justice and judgement, #29, #31, #35-Africa, #40, #42, #45-Charlie, Hotel, #52-In the end, forgiveness wins out over revenge!
RHC: #24
The Alcatraz Rose (English Garden Mystery #6) by Anthony Eglin ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ was a revisit to a series I so enjoyed about eight years ago. While this wasn’t a favorite in the series for me, it was definitely enjoyable. I (supposedly) own the last one in the series I’ve not yet read, so I hope to read it within the next 12 months.
POPSUGAR: #27, #36-17 reviews on Goodreads, #48
ATY: #8-UK, #18-Difficult to reconstruct the past, #28-Death, Judgement, The World, #29, #34, #36, #40, #42, #49, #52-In the end, there were still unverified details.
I definitely enjoyed Force of Nature (Aaron Falk #2) by Jane Harper ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ much more so than I did her debut novel, The Dry. I think I could just relate much more to the plot and characters in this book and female back-biting, etc. She covered many issues in this one and, IMO, did it very well! I buzzed right through it once I started reading it.
POPSUGAR: #18-Bullying and mean-spirited people, #19, #22, #27, #34-Fraudulent money laundering, #37, #46, #47-An absolute favorite genre
ATY: #8-Australia, #10-the sister, #19-The past intrudes upon the present to make for uncertain futures, #27-Death, Judgement, The World, #34, #35-Australia, #40, #42, #49, #52-In the end, it was a series of small incidents…
RHC: #1-I wasn’t sure this mightn’t be too scary for me
Reading Women: #18
The Hundred-Foot Journey by Richard C. Morais ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ was such a pleasant surprise! I enjoyed this book so very much! I particularly appreciated the historical background of Hassan and his family, as well as the ‘insider information’ of the famed Michelin stars, etc. I am certain details of this book will remain with me for quite a while…
POPSUGAR: #7-Prize-winning chef, NEW #14, #18-Cooking!, #21-Contemporary Fiction, Cooking/Food, Cross-Cultural, Family, Fiction, Immigration, Prejudice/Discrimination, #27, #29, #30#-India, France, #33, #34-prejudice against immigrants, racial discrimination, #37, #43, #46#47-Cooking and eating!
ATY: #3-…bright copper kettles…-LOTS of copper kettles!, #8-India, France, #17, #20-Little did Hassan know what his future might be…, #23-Contemporary Fiction, Cooking/Food, Cross-Cultural, Family, Fiction, Immigration, Prejudice/Discrimination, #24, #27-Death, Judgement, The World, #29, #32, #34, #35-India, #39, #40, #49, #52-In the end, Hassan set records!
Black Klansman: Race, Hate, and the Undercover Investigation of a Lifetime by Ron Stallworth ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ was an absolutely excellent read! Full of historical facts and I cannot believe the cojones on Stallworth! Wow. The hoax he pulled on THE Grand Wizard David Duke and his organization, the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, is so absolutely appropriate! A great read! So grateful for that Read Harder Challenge prompt #12 Read a work of investigative nonfiction by an author of color! Otherwise I might never have discovered and read this incredible book!
POPSUGAR: #7-Undercover investigative black cop who undermined David Duke and the KKK back in the 70s!, #15 [the hardcover edition], NEW #15, #18-Undermining white supremacy and other similar hate groups in the US and around the world, #20 [If not, it should be!], #21-Autobiography, Historical Nonfiction, Nonfiction, Political, Prejudice/Discrimination, Social Justice, True Crime, #26, #27, #30, #34-The existence of white supremacy and other hate groups, #47-Those who work to undermine white supremacy and other hate groups!
ATY: #1-In the beginning I thought it impossible for a black man (an undercover cop) to infiltrate and undermine the KKK!, #8-Colorado, #18-Unfortunately, these past events are still pertinent in today’s world, #23-Autobiography, Historical Nonfiction, Nonfiction, Political, Prejudice/Discrimination, Social Justice, True Crime, #24, #27-The Emperor, The Hanged Man, Death, Justice, Judgement, The World, The Fool, #36, #41, #44, #51
RHC: NEW #2, NEW #12
CONTINUING:
Edith Wharton’s The Age of Innocence
How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi
The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates
PLANNED:
For August Buddy Reads:
Little Men (Little Women #2) by Louisa May Alcott
And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini. Still need to dig this one out.
Xenocide (Ender’s Saga #3) by Orson Scott Card.
Giving the Alex Cross series one more try with Jack & Jill (Alex Cross #3) by James Patterson.
For our August Monthly Group Read, my copy of Catherine House is top priority this next weekend!
For my face-to-face book club at my favorite used bookstore, The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich. Since I was ill last weekend, I’ll be picking this up this weekend!
****The Third Angel by Alice Hoffman
And…
The Souls of Black Folk by W.E.B. Du Bois
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
Ellie wrote: "Lynn, you always seem to be dealing with broken things! We've had a few minor plumbing issues this year but my partner has had better luck fixing things himself."I know... It is my lot in this lifetime it seems! LOL
Whoo! Whoo! It is THURSDAY!!I was without a working kitchen sink for 10 days. I let my husband mess with it for 4 days. Took me 5 more days just to locate a plumber willing to come to the house and evaluate the situation. Finally got it fixed and then a leak had started under the sink. The plumber returned and fixed that, replacing the faucet and some of the piping under the sink and I have yet to be billed, but I already know it will be just under $400 at minimum. Although he was very apologetic about the fact that the person he sent to fix this somehow missed the trouble with the actual faucet and piping under the sink. I appreciated his honesty... I hope all of you have working plumbing without any of these headaches! I admit I rather enjoyed the time off from cooking, however!!😊 Gettin’ lazy in my old age!
Admin Stuff:
Brandy B is leading August’s discussion of Catherine House by Elisabeth Thomas! I will plan to tackle it this weekend. I assume I will need to skip over some of the more “horror-y” parts… And don’t forget to post the book(s) you have read to fulfill prompt #5 A dark academia book here!
WE STILL NEED DISCUSSION LEADERS FOR THESE TWO MONTHLY GROUP READS:
October: #13 A locked-room mystery
(“Spooktober”/Halloween)
Anxious People by Fredrik Backman
Are you the "fascinating facilitator" needed to lead discussion of this book?
December: #1 A book published in 2021
(Because it’s the end of the year!)
Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid
There is need of a "gifted guide" to lead this discussion!
Message either Nadine or myself to volunteer!
Question of the Week: Have you ever thought that you would like to be friends with a character from a book you’ve read? What is that book and who is the character?
(I co-opted Allie’s answer to last week’s question to use this week! Thank you, Allie! Sneaky, aren’t I? LOL)
Oh, so many! Since I typically read for characterization, I end up with a ton of characters I would like to meet IRL and befriend! Since I just finished reading The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax, the first in the Mrs. Pollifax series by Dorothy Gilman, definitely Mrs. Pollifax! For a woman in her sixties she is remarkably stalwart and steady. In this first book she already proved she could kill a man to save her own life and plan an escape from a seemingly impenetrable remote prison facility! Whoo! Whoo! You go, girl! This is one of my favorite characters, which I’m certain has to do with our shared characteristics, mainly that we are both white women in our sixties! But I can live out some fantastical situations and actions vicariously through Emily. 😊
There really are too many to try to mention here, so in the interest of getting this posted and starting the conversation, I’ll desist!
Popsugar: 39/50
ATY: 48/52
RHC: 11/24
Reading Women: 11/28
FINISHED:
I read and thoroughly enjoyed Good Wives (Little Women #1, part 2) by Louisa May Alcott ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for a 2021 Reading Challenge August Buddy Read. I was definitely in the mood for just this type of book. I love Alcott’s writing! Anxious to read the next two installments September and October.
POPSUGAR: #7, #18-Supportive family, #21-Classics, Coming-of-Age, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Romance, Young Adult, #27, #33, #37, #38-Jo is a writer, Amy is an artist, #46, #47-Alcott is one of my favorite writers,
ATY: #1-In the beginning it was just four sisters, #3-…whiskers on kittens…Beth loved her kitties!, #6, #8-Massachusetts, #13-I reread Little Women in 2020 after 50+years!, #15, #19-Interesting to see how the four sisters adjust to changes as they enter adulthood, #23-Classics, Coming-of-Age, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Romance, Young Adult, #27-Strength, Death, #29, #31, #32, #34, #39, #40, #49, #51
The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax (Mrs. Pollifax #1) by Dorothy Gilman ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Love me some Emily Pollifax adventures!
POPSUGAR: #3-A playing card of diamonds, #7-She’s a spy!, #22, #27, #29-US, Mexico, Albania, #30-Mexico, Albania, #34-Rescuing unjustly imprisoned people, #47-One of my favorite series!
ATY: #1-The beginning of a series, #3-...warm woolen mittens... The wool dress she had to wear as a disguise, regardless of the intense heat during the day!...cream colored ponies... The donkeys they had to ride!, #8-Mexico, Albania, #19-Little did the doctor know just how much his seemingly harmless question would impact Mrs. Pollifax’s future, #27-Death, Judgement, The World, #29, #31, #34, #35-Mexico, #40, #42
Reading Women: #5, #18
CONTINUING:
I wanted to finish Precious and Grace (The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency #17) by Alexander McCall Smith, but am only about halfway through… Only four more installments to go to be caught up with the series and ready for book #22 to be released this October!
How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi. Cannot count the number of times I nod my head in agreement while reading this! It is so very sad how much the underlying racist U.S. policies and mores had indoctrinated his own mind. Kudos to him for being able to recognize it and not only deal with it, but use it to advance his own and others’ understanding and development.
Edith Wharton’s The Age of Innocence
The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates
PLANNED:
For August Buddy Reads:
And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini
Xenocide (Ender’s Saga #3) by Orson Scott Card. Can’t wait! Card’s writing just draws me in…
Force of Nature (Aaron Falk #2) by Jane Harper. I so enjoyed Harper’s writing in The Dry, though not so much the story. Anxious to see how this one goes!
The second book in the Alex Cross series grossed me out quite a bit, but I’m giving it one more try with Jack & Jill (Alex Cross #3) by James Patterson. If this one is too grisly for me, I’ll not continue with the series.
For our August Monthly Group Read, my copy of Catherine House arrived!
For my face-to-face book club at my favorite used bookstore, The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich, which is a historical fiction novel based upon her grandfather’s experiences. It won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction this year. I will pick up a copy this weekend.
I so want to make time for this next one…
The Third Angel by Alice Hoffman
And…
The Souls of Black Folk by W.E.B. Du Bois
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
Lauren wrote: "Happy Thursday! I have a super long workday ahead of me but I'm squeezing in this check-in first..."I feel honored that you did manage to squeeze us in! 🤗
"This week I finished:
Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don't Know I used to read a ton of books like this but have been less interested in them lately. This one had a ton of relevant ideas so I was pleasantly surprised. 5 stars"
This looks like it is a bit different from the what I would usually expect...
"This Close to Okay I had high expectations for this but it just wasn't a great fit for me. 3 stars"
Huh. I would have thought this would be a good read as well!
"The Woman in the Purple Skirt This was strange, mostly in a good way, but I wasn't sure what to take away from it. 3 stars"
So many times those are books that stay with me as I keep wondering about them, especially the ending/take-away.
"Ghost Forest Sad but in a good way? 4 stars
Bolla Wow, this provided a lot to think about. Oof... 5 stars
Jesus and John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation Good information, even though it was infuriating to listen to. 4 stars
Here for It; Or, How to Save Your Soul in America: Essays So fun, I enjoyed listening to this. 5 stars
At the Edge of the Haight We need a lot more books about homelessness, ideally more written by those with direct experience, but this author did a decent job. 4 stars"
Ugh. And there goes my TBR listing again...blowing up! LOL
"QOTW: Oh, this question was from me? You'd think I'd have a good answer for it then... Ah! This is awkward since I'm white, but the only one coming to mind is Starr in The Hate U Give since I'm also a justice advocate and have been working on policing policy/issues. I'll keep thinking about this one."
But in all fairness I'm sure it has been there at least a couple of years... 😀
Chandie wrote: "I've had a pretty good reading week"Great!
"Concrete Rose by Angie Thomas. YA. Prequel to The Hate U Give. Super enjoyable read."
Ack! I have yet to read The Hate U Give!
"Stamped from the Beginning: A Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America by Ibram X. Kendi. Nonfiction. Excellent read."
YAY!
"a book that reminds you of your favorite thing
I'll Fly Away by Rudy Francisco. He is one of my favorite contemporary poets."
I admire those who truly 'get into' poetry!
"A Single Light by Tosca Lee...Didn't like this book as much as the first."
I have the first one on my TBR listing.
Allie wrote: "I also spent the last few days at the beach/pool. I always pack way too many books and plan to get all kinds of reading done. But this is the first time I have had my children with me, so I didn't even get 100 pages completed. I don't know if it was the constant pool time or the fact that the book I am trying to read is a bit tedious, but hopefully I can complete it this week."Understandable. Besides, the children won't be children forever... 🤗
"I also was in the middle of a great audiobook Get Well Soon: History's Worst Plagues and the Heroes Who Fought Them, and when asked to renew (three days early) the library no longer has it. Now I have to find a paper copy."
Oh, no! This seems to be occurring more often!
"QOTW:
I don't know if I find myself in characters, as I find characters that I know I would be best friends with."
Ah, yes! Good point!
Heather wrote: "I feel like I haven’t been nearly as engaged with the challenge or this group as I usually am. I’m really struggling to fall back into my old routines. Every part of my schedule is off. My sleep, exercise, meal times, reading, everything! I think my mind and body haven’t adjusted to the difference in light at different times of the day. Being in a different part of the same timezone is really strange. 8pm “looks” like 6pm. I keep realizing it’s later than I thought, and I’ve run out of time to read books or check-in posts."Ah. It will come with time. Be gentle and patient with yourself! You'll get there! 🤗
Finished
The Power Behind the Throne by Steven Savile (a book with less than 1,000 reviews). This book was not good...It’s probably the worst Stargate novel I’ve read. Definitely skip this one."
Okay!
"Reading
After the Funeral by Agatha Christie (a book with a family tree"
Ah. Agatha!
"I was listening to the audiobook version of Get a Life, Chloe Brown, but I didn’t finish it. I went back to check it out again and my library doesn’t have it anymore! This is the worst!"
Oh, no! That's terrible! 😣
"QOTW
Yes, but answering feels self-incriminating :'D"
Well, you have certainly piqued my interest! LOL 😄
Ashley Marie wrote: "Happy Thursday! Tonight kicks off another weekend of shows for me, which again means less reading on my weekend evenings (and less time for the Olympics), but as long as the weather's clear I don't mind :)"Sounds like fun!
"DNF: Shōgun - I had wanted to push through on this one as it was for both Popsugar and a separate challenge, but after 7hrs and with 46 still to go I was not feeling it."
Ah, man! 46 hours is a lot! Good call.
"Currently:
Terms of Surrender - I have every intention of blasting through the rest of this once The Unbroken is out of the way.
Open Veins of Latin America: Five Centuries of the Pillage of a Continent - Need to get back to this as well!"
Gratified that someone else is listing things they hope to return to as well! 😀
"Have you ever come across a character in a book that reminded you of yourself? What was the book and who was the character?
Ehhhh does Hermione Granger count? I was the know-it-all in school, to the point where the boys would all OOOOOHH if I got a question wrong lol"
Oh, my! I was that way as well! LOL That's an excellent connection!
Nadine wrote: "@Lynn - The Other Black Girl is not at all scary. It’s mostly about office politics at a publishing company, in particular about how office politics change when a second Black employee is finally h..."Okay. Thanks!
Admin Stuff: Don’t forget! The July Monthly Group Read discussion of The Guest List by Lucy Foley is ongoing! Thanks so much to Lindsey for leading this one!
Brandy B will be leading August’s discussion of Catherine House by Elisabeth Thomas! I have unlocked the two August Monthly Group Read postings and they now appear in the Current Monthly Group Read folder. I’ll move July’s discussions on Sunday morning.
WE STILL NEED DISCUSSION LEADERS FOR THESE TWO MONTHLY GROUP READS:
October: #13 A locked-room mystery
(“Spooktober”/Halloween)
Anxious People by Fredrik Backman
Are you the "fascinating facilitator" needed to lead discussion of this book?
December: #1 A book published in 2021
(Because it’s the end of the year!)
Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid
There is need of a "gifted guide" to lead this discussion!
Message either Nadine or myself to volunteer!
Yikes! I though I had already posted this! 😀Happy Thursday! I can’t imagine life without the joy of checking in with you-all each week! It would be much less meaningful…so thank you all for that!
I have been busier than usual, at work, and home. And with medical issues, which is actually very good news for me! Two of my friends at the gym recommended the D.O they use. I met with him and felt very comfortable, so used HSA funds to pay for a year’s ‘membership’ with him/his practice. That includes unlimited consultations/appointments and 6 free manipulations, with any additional manipulations costing just half price. That resets with the beginning of my second year. I have now had two appointments with him and my first manipulation was yesterday morning. Please understand, I have experienced many energy/body/’alternative’ treatments: Reiki, myofascial release, deep tissue massage, craniosacral, acupuncture, acupressure, chiropractic adjustments, NAET, etc. But this was totally different. It was immediately very effective and also a bit disorienting—I was a bit lightheaded and walking rather slowly for 1-2 hours. I didn’t realize these treatments adjust the sympathetic nervous system. I did a bit of reading about that last night. Fascinating. Many different sensations went through various parts of my body throughout the day yesterday and today I am still experiencing mild sensations and some soreness both of which tend to move around to different parts of my body. He warned me this could continue another 2-3 weeks.
I also learned this man has done martial arts his whole life (I’m guessing he is about mid-sixties, so about my age…) including Taichi! And he practices the same Taichi form I do. We discussed body energy, etc. I find him fascinating to talk with and rather than discounting my references to NAET therapy, he referred me to a practitioner he knows to continue with that therapy if I wish to do so. (My doctor who treated me with NAET died about 5 years ago.) He also recommended some books (since he and I are both avid readers) regarding diet and nutrition that he feels are more academically oriented. And…he is the only one in his office and he does everything himself—weighing you, measuring your height, taking your blood pressure, etc. He drew blood for testing and I swear it was the smoothest/best stick I’ve ever experienced. I am very very happy with him. And you cannot imagine what that means to me. I am sooooooooooooooo picky about medical professionals since I basically avoid western medicine unless desperate with no other options (e.g. I can’t walk because my knee joints are locked up with osteoarthritis and must be replaced with “titanium sports model” bionic parts! LOL).
He is careful to make ‘suggestions’ for ‘my consideration’. That’s what I want. I will run my own healthcare, thank you very much! 😊 And since he is NOT at all tied to an insurance plan/company, he can make his own recommendations, etc., without regard to following a faceless company’s dictates and/or justifying treatment or testing, etc. For example, he wants to run two blood tests that no private insurance plan (nor Medicare) will pay for, but he will process them and I will reimburse him. He pays a very small percentage ($5-10 per test) compared to the fees charged to insurance. Very interesting what you can discover outside typical western-medicine insurance-provided care!
I’ve not even had time to address anyone’s posting from last week yet! I hope to have time this weekend to follow-up with you-all! 🙁
Question of the Week:
This week's question was suggested by Lauren, a long time ago …
Have you ever come across a character in a book that reminded you of yourself? What was the book and who was the character?
There were times as I read The Trespasser by Tana French that I thought, “Yeah, that’s what I would do!” regarding Antoinette’s actions and reactions. Then there were times I thought, “OMG! I would have blown up and probably been fired!” She behaved much better than I would have some times.
I think maybe I have more times when a character’s reactions are NOT similar to what I believe mine would be. For example, The Bookshop at Water's End by Patti Callahan Henry. Initially I felt Bonny’s decision to return to her childhood vacation home was rather stupid and wouldn’t help anyone, especially her, but as I learned more about her marriage, etc., it made sense to me.
In reading Dorothy Gilman’s Mrs. Pollifax series, I recognize some of my own thoughts. Not that I am a CIA operative traveling the world well into my 50’s/60’s, but in the last installment I read, The Elusive Mrs. Pollifax, she has a gun pointed at her point-blank and thinks about the fact that she is going to die right there and realizes that although she would choose to continue living, at least much of her life is behind her. I rather feel that way sometimes. My children are approaching middle-aged and fairly settled in their own lives. It’s okay. None of us lives forever… Though I admit Mrs. Pollifax is likely MUCH calmer and more logical than I would be in similar deadly situations! And after all, the Night-blooming cereus on her balcony did bloom! 😁
In The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman I would like to think I am now a cross between Elizabeth and Joyce. Whereas in my younger years, I was definitely much more like Elizabeth. However, I do not drink alcoholic beverages, so I wouldn’t fit in with this crowd in that regard! LOL
I so admire Precious Ramotswe in the No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency that I wish I was more like her in many ways. Though I feel I am much more like her now than when I was younger. And it is rewarding to witness Grace’s growth and development throughout this series. This was especially apparent in the last installment I read, The Woman Who Walked in Sunshine.
Popsugar: 39/50
ATY: 48/52
RHC: 11/24
Reading Women: 11/26
FINISHED:
I finished Kiss the Girls(Alex Cross #2) by James Patterson ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ after having to put it down at least 3-4 times because the content became too grisly for me to just keep reading. There was one terrifying (to me, anyway) scene that created a visual image I cannot yet get out of my head. It even got into my dreams that night and the next. This is why I purposefully avoid reading ANY book I feel might be too scary for me. Once an image is in my head, it stays. Ugh. I am doing another Buddy Read with Jack & Jill, the third installment in this series, and then I’ll decide whether to continue or not. My ‘buddy reader’ admitted to just skipping the grisly parts and feels the same way I do. We’ll read one more and then abandon the series if we must…
POPSUGAR: #4, #18-Preventing abduction, sexual abuse, and murder, especially of females, #27, #30-North Carolina, Washington, D.C., #34-Identification and apprehension of serial killers
ATY: #19-Patterson kept making the statement that serial killers are much more prevalent now than in the past, and it would continue to be so in the future, #24, #27-Justice, Death, The Devil, Judgement, #30, #31, #40, #42, #51, #52-In the end it was one of their own!
RHC: #1-Uncertain how grisly it might be, and it was a bit too much so for me…
The Elusive Mrs. Pollifax (Mrs. Pollifax #3) by Dorothy Gilman ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ was yet another excellently written installment in this series. I consider this series to be brain candy. Pure enjoyment. Sometimes a bit beyond belief, but never enough to throw me off. And this particular installment was rather poignant and more complex in some ways. Loved it!
POPSUGAR: #18-Rescuing innocent victims of oppressive tyrants, #27, #29-US, Bulgaria, Switzerland, #30-Switzerland, #34-Rescuing innocent victims of oppressive tyrants, #36, #47-This is now one of my all-time favorite series!
ATY: #8-New Jersey, Bulgaria, Switzerland, #20-Mrs. Pollifax has assured a safe future for at least innocent victims through her actions, #27-Justice, Death, Judgement, The World, #29, #31, #34, #39, #42, #52-In the end Mrs. Pollifax strategized and rescued many innocent people!
Reading Women: #5
CONTINUING:
August Buddy Reads:
Ever since rereading Little Women last year I have wanted to rest of the series! I joined the Buddy Read for Good Wives (Little Women #1, Part 2) for August! I was immediately reminded why I adore LW so much! Alcott’s writing is so subtle and yet amazing, IMO! Gentle and sweet.
How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi. Absorbing this one a bit at a time and rethinking my own feelings and intentions…
Edith Wharton’s The Age of Innocence
I hope to finish The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates this weekend. I keep thinking about it and wondering how it all ends…
PLANNED:
For August Buddy Reads:
I have owned a copy of And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini for longer than I can remember, so joined a Buddy Read for it.
Xenocide (Ender’s Saga #3) by Orson Scott Card. Can’t wait! Card’s writing just draws me in…
Force of Nature (Aaron Falk #2) byJane Harper.
The second book in this series grossed me out quite a bit, but I’m giving it one more try with Jack & Jill (Alex Cross #3) by James Patterson. If this one is too grisly for me, I’ll not continue with the series.
For our August Monthly Group Read, Catherine House by Elisabeth Thomas which should arrive early next week!
For my face-to-face book club at my favorite used bookstore, The Night Watchman by Louis Erdrich, which is a historical fiction novel based upon her grandfather’s experiences. It won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction this year.
I still just sigh when thinking of this next one…such a good friend! It seems we are both extremely busy and stressed out, so I have some time to consider ways to honor her birthday much later than the actual date!
The Third Angel by Alice Hoffman
And…
The Souls of Black Folk by W.E.B. Du Bois
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
Ellie wrote: "I've been so tired this week, spend all day wanting to go to sleep and then come bed time I just can't get to sleep. Argh! At least the warm weather has meant we now have tomatoes ripening, and the courgettes and cucumbers have started their mass production. It feels like every time I go outside another one has appeared."Ha! Ha! I remember that feeling from when I gardened to feed my kiddos! As if it will NEVER end...they just keep coming and keep coming...like an alien invasion! LOL Though I'm jealous of the tomatoes! Yum...😋
"Oh and we got a new (to us) car. A mouse had nested in the old one during lockdown and my partner had fixed most the things the mouse had nibbled through, but then found the passenger airbag wires were done for. He has been really reluctant to replace it but I feel it was its time as it would have cost more than it's worth to get it to pass its MOT this year."
Critters can cause a lot of damage to a car! A friend of mine was had squirrels tear up her car. They were storing nuts, etc., in it around the engine and radiator and destroyed wiring, etc. in the process!
"Finished:
Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell for winner of the Winner's Prize. I am relieved to have ticked off this prompt, this is a book I probably would have DNFed if not for me needing to read a winner, and I ended up liking it, but it's not really the kind of book I would enjoy reading a lot of, if that makes sense."
That makes total sense to me!
"A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers. I don't know if she's even capable of writing something I don't wholeheartedly love. This was a lovely little book on the meaning of life and the value of a good cup of tea and someone to listen."
Though I have yet to read this or The Galaxy, and the Ground Within (Wayfarers #4), I wholeheartedly agree with you! 🤗
"QOTW:
To be honest, I read to get out of my own head, so I'd probably be annoyed with a character exactly like me! I do come across characters with elements I can closely relate to, but I can't think of one right now."
An excellent way of phrasing it!
Katy wrote: "I finished A Thousand Splendid Suns as my book by a Muslim American. I thought it was great. I read The Kite Runner a few years back and didn't particularly care for it, but I loved loved loved this book."While I found this to be very informative, it was rather depressing to me.
"I'm currently readingArabian Nights: The Marvels and Wonders of The Thousand and One Nights, Volume 1 of 2 as my book published anonymously. It's long:) Some of the stories are interesting."
I've never tackled that one.
"QOTW: Just once. I didn't even finish the book. It was called Chasing or After someone. The main character was this total loser with absolutely no social skills whatsoever. Yep, that's me. A co-worker loaned it to me unasked, so I'm sure she saw the connection too."
Oh, Katy! You made me laugh! I trust it is not as bad as you believe it is... Perhaps I have more faith in you than YOU have in YOU! 🤗
Title: The Secret Place (Dublin Murder Squad #5)Author: Tana French
Would you recommend this book? Oh, yes! Definitely! I highly recommend every single one of Tana French's books! She is one of my favorite authors!
Title: The Secret History
Author: Donna Tartt
Would you recommend this book? Uhm. Yeah, I guess. It was just sooooo depressing! It definitely felt like 'noir' to me, which I do not prefer. Tartt's writing is excellent, IMO, but I prefer at least a character or two who is a bit more positive than any of these were!
Nadine wrote: "Happy Thursday!!I'm visiting my mother this week, which means, I'm at the beach! I just got back from my daily early morning walk with the dogs to the bay."
I am both so happy for, and jealous of, YOU!! LOL Enjoy on my behalf as well, please! 😎
"Usually I spend the month of July carefully planning which books I will bring to the beach, and strategically putting books on hold at the library so they will come in right before my trip. But this year, somehow, that didn't happen. Luckily for me, I always have a ludicrous backlog of library books stacked in my room, so I just brought what I had."
Ha! Glad to know I am not the only one with PLENTY of unread books on hand!
"Admin stuff
I don't know! I'm at the beach! We probably need a discussion leader for a group read later in the year."
Ha! Ha! I'll post in a bit and include this since you are currently indisposed at the BEACH!! LOL 😁 (I think you technically are required to allow your co-moderator to tag along with you to the beach, but I'm willing to overlook it this one time!)
"This week I finished 3 books, one for this Challenge, so I am now 35/50.
Dial A for Aunties by Jesse Q. Sutanto - this was completely ludicrous, and a lot of fun. This could be used for "diamonds on the cover" (which was not apparent to me until I was holding the physical book in my hands)."
This looks so cute!
"The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris - this was ALSO completely ludicrous, in a different way. It was dark humor, but it wasn't until 2/3 of the way into the book that I understood that. This could be used for "something broken on the cover.""
Hmmm...I put this on my "Do Not Read" shelf because I assumed it would be too scary for me. What do you think?
"Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson - this was fantastic!! I used this for magical realism, a sub-genre I usually dislike, but I loved this book and I’m so glad I saw it suggested for this category."
Ha! My favorite used bookstore has a copy of this cheap! I emailed them to hold it for me!
"Question of the Week
This week's question was suggested by Lauren, a long time ago …
Have you ever come across a character in a book that reminded you of yourself? What was the book and who was the character?
I do not remember this happening to me! But I've seen a few of you mention it now and then, so I thought maybe this could spark an interesting discussion."
I know this has happened to me, but can't remember specific books/characters! Ugh.
