L Y N N’s
Comments
(group member since Nov 10, 2018)
L Y N N’s
comments
from the Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge group.
Showing 401-420 of 4,909
Cornerofmadness wrote: "Nadine in NY wrote: "L Y N N wrote: "Nadine in NY wrote: "Happy Thursday! Lynn is temporarily under the weather so I'm starting this week's check-in for her.It's summertime! It's hot, it's humid, it's muggy, it keep..."
It is an interesting question one I suspect will varying. I don't get a lot of images as I read but I love descriptive writing"
Way to blow my hypothesis! LOL 😯😁👍 I'm sure you're correct and there will be readers all over the spectrum, per the usual!
Nadine in NY wrote: "L Y N N wrote: "Thank goodness Nadine was able to step up and salvage this week’s check-in! This has been one helluva week for me. I lost my phone, driver’s license, debit card, and our Medicare cards all in one f...That sounds like a terrible adventure, but at least it has a happy ending and you got all your stuff back!"
Oh, yeah, and I neglected to mention that our internet was down on Tuesday evening and all day/night Wednesday into Thursday afternoon so I couldn't even contact you here! Ugh.
Nadine in NY wrote: "I wonder if not seeing images makes a reader less appreciative of detailed descriptions?THAT is a really interesting question!!! I'd never considered that before. But yes, perhaps my complete impatience with overly descriptive writing is because none of that matters to me, I'm not creating a detailed picture in my head so I don't need to know those details, it's just getting in the way of the plot.
So, do people who see detailed images in their heads appreciate detail-heavy text?
Do most people who do not see detailed images also have no patience with descriptive writing?"
I don't know, but it makes sense, doesn't it?
K.L. wrote: "QOTW:To be honest, it really depends on the author’s writing style."
I can relate to that. Some are probably easier than others to create images from their words. Though I always have distinct images...
Harmke wrote: "QOTWOh yes, I have movies appearing when I'm reading. I can't even imagine how you can read fiction without pictures in your head."
Exactly! Or even nonfiction! LOL
Brandon wrote: "Question of the Week:I will sometimes picture things in my head as I read, but it is not constant, and sometimes it is not consistent with what is described in the text."
LOL So just any image appears randomly? That might be confusing!
"Crowdsource:
Has anyone visited Connecticut or Rhode Island and can recommend any awesome family-friendly locations, lodging, or activities?"
Sorry, absolutely no knowledge to impart... :(
Doni wrote: "Finished: The End of Your Life Book Club This was quite good."It has been 10 years since the book club I facilitate (and I, of course!) read this one! We all really enjoyed it!
"Elbow Room: The Varieties of Free Will Worth Wanting"
This looks interesting!
"Started: Being Seen: One Deafblind Woman's Fight to End Ableism This was for a IRL book club and was so poorly written that I couldn't make myself read it."
Oh, my... How sad! Was it self-published?
"Journey of the Mind: How Thinking Emerged from Chaos This is so good! Follows developments in thinking through less complex to more complex creatures."
Oohhh...another interesting one!
"QotW: Not only do I not visualize, I have recently read two books where I got halfway through them before I realized that they had pictures at the beginnings of each chapter that related to the contents! I'm just not a visual thinker at all unless I'm about to fall asleep. Then I often replay movies in my head."
Wow. That is...different! LOL
Laura wrote: "QOTW: No, my reading is not cinematic. I get vague impressions, but they don’t coalesce into a cohesive picture. Maybe that’s why I so admire people who can (successfully) adapt/reinterpret the written word for the screen."I wonder if the people who do that get images as they read?
Nadine in NY wrote: "Happy Thursday! Lynn is temporarily under the weather so I'm starting this week's check-in for her.It's summertime! It's hot, it's humid, it's muggy, it keeps raining, the air is like soup, and t..."
You were definitely busy!!
I wonder if not seeing images makes a reader less appreciative of detailed descriptions? As I recall, you aren't wild about that, but I love it. Just a thought... :)
Thank goodness Nadine was able to step up and salvage this week’s check-in! This has been one helluva week for me. I lost my phone, driver’s license, debit card, and our Medicare cards all in one fell swoop. I even searched through trash bins and walked around the parking lot and out to the highway searching. That was Tuesday night. I ordered a replacement phone, purchased a duplicate license online, printed out a temporary license, blocked my debit card and requested a new one on Wednesday morning. I taught and worked out as usual on Wednesday night and came home feeling pretty rotten. Somewhat of a stomach bug. I didn’t sleep well Wednesday night, so stayed in bed all day/evening on Thursday, dozing off and on and reading a bit. Until. The store called my husband’s phone (per the detailed note I had left with them) on Thursday afternoon to alert me that my lost items had been found. (Thank goodness, because now I could contact Nadine! I plan to create a Word document on my laptop with all necessary phone numbers, etc., so I am not stuck if I'm without my phone again!) By this time, the replacement phone had arrived, but fortunately, I didn’t feel good enough to even open it… I drug myself back to the store to pick up my “lost” items, and then proceeded to try to repair the damage already done. LOL I guess it must be common for “lost” phones to be reclaimed since they include a return label in the package with the replacement phone. Fortunately, it didn’t even cost me to return it and they will delete the charges to my account. No one seemed to know how or where my lost items were located, but I guess I really don’t care. It’s just good to have them back! And I ended up feeling well enough to teach and workout on Friday. My one friend with whom I work out in the heated therapy pool had had a tough week as well, so we commiserated with each other… Though in reality, our lives are easy. We don’t live in a war zone. We have not been displaced from our homes or our country. We have reliable food sources, (relatively) safe drinking water, reliable income, and reliable housing. We are better off than the vast majority (80+% as I recall) of the world’s population. That helps to put it in perspective a bit better! A listing of the best-selling books in May 2024 by Circana as presented on Book Riot:
https://bookriot.com/with-print-sales...
Note: They only track physical copies, excluding ebooks.
Book Riot’s listing of 10 Excellent Black Historical Audiobooks: https://bookriot.com/?p=570843
I rarely ‘listen’ to a book, but I know many of you do!
Bookperk’s listing for Sunday, June 23: https://link.harpercollins.com/view/5...
I inevitably add 2 or 3 books to my TBR listing whenever I read these!
ADMIN STUFF:
Per the poll results, our Goodreads group name will not be changed to reflect the rebranding! We are still the “Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge” group! (The vote was almost 3 to 1 against changing the name.)
THE SEPTEMBER FINAL SELECTION POLL IS ONGOING!
This book could be used to fulfill prompt #6 A book about pirates. Talk Like a Pirate Day is September 19! John Baur and Mark Summers created this international day in 1995.
Cast your vote to select ONE book for the September 2024 Monthly Group Read! Two of the three possibilities are classics!
Peter Pan
Fable (The World of the Narrows #1)
Treasure Island
Vote HERE!
And get a load of that pirate image! Even I could STILL be a pirate!! Even if I am old and wrinkled! LOL 😁 This poll will be available through July 2!
Only 25 people have voted thus far and the top two books are separated by only one vote!!
THE JUNE MONTHLY GROUP READ IS The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet (Wayfarers #1) by Becky Chambers!!This book could be used to fulfill Prompt #18 A book set in space. This is one of my all-time favorite books and series!!
THE JULY MONTHLY GROUP READ IS Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner!! This book could be used to fulfill prompt #44 An autobiography written by a woman in Rock ‘n’ Roll. Erin is the “savvy superstar” who has graciously volunteered to lead July’s group read!! Thank you, Erin!
THE AUGUST MONTHLY GROUP READ IS The Tea Dragon Society (Tea Dragon #1) by Kay O'Neill!
This book could be used to fulfill Prompt #23 A book that features dragons. National Lizard Day is August 14! And who might be the "official organizer" willing to lead this discussion? Please message either Nadine or myself to volunteer!
The comprehensive listing of 2024 Monthly Group Reads resides HERE for your perusal and reference throughout 2024!
***
Question of the Week:
Do visual images appear to you as you read? Or are you a reader who doesn’t necessarily or ever have visual images in your mind as you read.
MY ANSWER! YES!! This discussion occurred spontaneously at one of my recent IRL book club meetings last week. I was amazed that some readers (and authors) claim to NEVER have a visual image in their mind as they read! I can’t imagine that!! One fellow member commented that John Green (list books) claims to just read the words and no visual images are created as he reads. Nothing! Wow.
That got me wondering… Of the 5 book club members in attendance, two said they get visual images sometimes and three of us always do.
How about you? I just cannot imagine reading would have the same impact without the mental images, but I guess that’s because I definitely get ‘pictures’ in my brain. Vivid ones! (Maybe that's one reason horror is such a no-no for me!)
2024 READING CHALLENGES:
Popsugar: 30/50
Around the Year (AtY): 50/52
Read Harder: 16/24
52 Book Club: 42/52
FINISHED:
*Revenge of the Wrought-Iron Flamingos (Meg Langslow #3) by Donna Andrews ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ will most likely be a favorite installment in this series for me. I especially appreciated the research Andrews must have done to accurately recreate the war-filled reenactment in this book. Not that those particularly interest me, but they mystery was well-woven into that backdrop. Anxious to continue with this series!
ATY: #3-A book that features a hobby, #12, #17, #24-Green and Purple, #25, #28, #33, #34-Meg’s father is a retired doctor, #36, #37, #40-flamingos, #41, #46, #52
RHC: #23, #24-2019: prompt #14 A cozy mystery
52 Book Club: #4, #20, #24, #29-2001, #30, #32
*Crouching Buzzard, Leaping Loon (Meg Langslow #4) by Donna Andrews ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ is perhaps my new favorite for this series? The good news is that the more books I read in this series, the more I enjoy them!
POPSUGAR: NEW #1, #22
ATY: #3-A book with at least 247 pages (297), #6, #17, #25, #33, #34-Doc—Meg’s father is a retired M.D., #36, #37, #40-George, #41, #46, #52
RHC: #23, #24-2019: prompt #14 A cozy mystery
52 Book Club: #20, #24, #30, #32
*We'll Always Have Parrots (Meg Langslow #5) by Donna Andrews ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ was yet another excellent installment to this series. Parrots, monkeys, tropical foliage, all inside the event site!! Hilarious interactions occur! As well as a murder…of course! 😉
POPSUGAR: #31
ATY: #3-A book set mostly in or around a building, #6, #7, #16, #17, #25, #29, #34-Doc, #36, #37, #40, #52
RHC: #23, #24-2019: prompt #14 A cozy mystery
52 Book Club: #1, #3, #18, #20, #24, #30, #32, #51
CONTINUING:
*The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet (Wayfarers #1) by Becky Chambers
*...And Ladies of the Club by Helen Hooven Santmyer
*All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely starts with a bang! Just as I would expect!
*Brief Answers to the Big Questions by Stephen Hawking has me thinking so very much that I have delayed reviewing it until I can finalize my thoughts…
PLANNED:
Wool (Silo #1) by Hugh Howey for the July meeting of the IRL book club I facilitate My copy arrived and allthough our meeting isn't until July 30, I went ahead and started reading it! LOL)
*Fear No Evil (Alex Cross #29) by James Patterson
*11th Hour (Women’s Murder Club #11) by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro
*Riders of the Purple Sage by Zane Grey
*The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin
Nadine in NY wrote: "Happy Thursday!! We are having a heat wave in NY again. AND It's a big day in my household. Tomorrow my youngest will graduate from high school!! It's been a long hard road for her, and I'm so proud of her for never giving up and I'm thrilled that she made it."
Congratulations to your younger daughter!! YAY!!! 🎊🎉🎇🎆🤗
"Swordheart by T. Kingfisher - I chose this for my "cozy fantasy" and I think it fit perfectly (based on my murky understanding of the sub genre, at any rate) and the book was an absolute DELIGHT! I'd say I'm planning to read everything Kingfisher has published, but she's publishing so many books each year, I can't keep up. I'm going to try though!! I also checked off "author who goes by initials" in AtY."
I might eventually read one of hers...
"Husbands & Lovers by Beatriz Williams - this was my first NetGalley book (it publishes next week) and I LOVED it. It's one of my favorites from Williams. No challenge category, but it counts towards my goal to read 50 books published in 2024."
I enjoyed the two books I've read that were written by her and I own several more. I have a feeling I would enjoy anything she writes.
"Dog on It by Spencer Quinn - I adored this book!! thank you to those of you who recommended this for the "animal POV" category - I'd never heard of this series, I never would have found it without you, and I loved it, and I'll be reading more."
I literally jumped up and down in my seat and said, "Hurray!" when I read this. One of my favorite series!!
"Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder by Joanne Fluke - this was dreadful - she is sooooo judgy about everything, including (especially) working mothers, but also there's fat shaming and stay at home mom shaming as well as working mom shaming and it was all just UGH. This was going to be my book published in 2000, but I'm sure I can find something better."
I read one of hers many years ago, before Goodreads, and don't remember which one, but was not impressed.
"Question of the Week
How do you learn about new books?
I see this question asked now and then on various social media platforms, and it always stumps me, because how can you NOT know about new books?! My life is structured around learning about new books the way other people's lives are structured around following sports or politics or top 40 music. I'm constantly learning about new books."
That is exactly how I am, too! LOL
A day late and a dollar short! LOL That's me! The BBC World Book Club contacted me regarding their Kevin Kwan interview scheduled to be recorded on Thursday, July 20. They targeted me from Goodreads because I have read his Crazy Rich Asians trilogy and posted positive reviews. Unfortunately, I was not available due to medical appointments. They offered me the opportunity to make an audio recording of my questions, so I did and now we’ll see if they include it or not. And if not, at least it forced me to learn how to make an audio recording and successfully email it! Not bad for an old woman! LOL 👏👏👏👏👏😁👍The edited interview is to be made available on July 6. I’ll post the link here.
In the meantime, while on their website, I discovered an interview with Percival Everett regarding The Trees. Since I saw him in person, I own a copy of this which he signed and personally inscribed to me. I know I avoid horror novels like the plague, but I feel as if this will be a valuable reading experience and I also feel as if Everett will eventually win the Pulitzer and/or a Nobel prize for his writing. Also, he is just 9 months younger than me. LOL His attitude is, in my opinion, not typical for a writer. When asked how he felt about a book once it is released, he stated (I am paraphrasing) that he simply puts it out there into the world and it doesn’t matter to him if readers like it or not. He simply writes about what interests him. (And then he shrugged!) I feel as if he is silently flipping off the world with each book! He just doesn’t care what anyone else thinks and I admire that! I am also very interested in reading his newest release, James. I have a rather specific history with Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn since I loved both that book and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer as a pre-teen and I taught TAoHF to fifth graders while completing my student teaching experience many years ago.
ADMIN STUFF:
Nadine discovered that Popsugar announced they are rebranding as PS. She has created a poll HERE for you to vote on whether the Goodreads group name should be changed to "PS Reading Challenge." Help us decide! 😉 This poll will be open through June 26.
THE SEPTEMBER NOMINATION POLL IS LIVE!
This book could be used to fulfill prompt #6 A book about pirates. Talk Like a Pirate Day is September 19! John Baur and Mark Summers created this international day in 1995.
Cast your vote to select ONE book for the September 2024 Monthly Group Read! Two of the three possibilities are classics!
Peter Pan
Fable (The World of the Narrows #1)
Treasure Island
Vote HERE!
And get a load of that pirate image! Even I could STILL be a pirate!! Even if I am old and wrinkled! LOL 😁 This poll will be available through July 2!
THE JUNE MONTHLY GROUP READ IS The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet (Wayfarers #1) by Becky Chambers!!This book could be used to fulfill Prompt #18 A book set in space. This is one of my all-time favorite books and series!!
THE JULY MONTHLY GROUP READ IS Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner!! This book could be used to fulfill prompt #44 An autobiography written by a woman in Rock ‘n’ Roll. I’m certain there is a “savvy superstar” among our members to lead an amazing discussion of this one! Please message either Nadine or myself to volunteer!
THE AUGUST MONTHLY GROUP READ IS The Tea Dragon Society (Tea Dragon #1) by Kay O'Neill!
This book could be used to fulfill Prompt #23 A book that features dragons. National Lizard Day is August 14! And who might be the "official organizer" willing to lead this discussion? Please message either Nadine or myself to volunteer!
The comprehensive listing of 2024 Monthly Group Reads resides HERE for your perusal and reference throughout 2024!
***
Question of the Week:
How do you learn about new books?
I learn of newly released and new-to-me books from all kinds of places. Many times from email messages from publishers and/or prize-awarding institutions, and bloggers I follow. Sometimes from social media other than Goodreads. Sometimes from fellow IRL book club members. But mainly from fellow Popsugar members such as yourselves!! And the extra advantage to that, IMO, is reading your reactions to what you’ve read!
2024 READING CHALLENGES:
Popsugar: 29/50
Around the Year (AtY): 50/52
Read Harder: 16/24
52 Book Club: 42/52
FINISHED:
*The House of Unexpected Sisters (No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency #18) by Alexander McCall Smith ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ was just as enjoyable as the prior 17 installments! This series is a definite “go-to” for me!
POPSUGAR: #17
ATY: #3-A book set in a different hemisphere than where you live, #12, #14, #15, #17, NEW #22, #24-Orange and Green, #25, #33, #37, #38, #48, #52
RHC: #23, #24-2015: prompt #2 A book written by someone when they were over the age of 65
52 Book Club: #6-Mingi is a nurse, #9, #14, #30, NEW #34, #46
*Real Life by Brandon Taylor ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ for an IRL book club was a fascinating read and excellent fodder for discussion! This man can write! We all agreed we are definitely up for reading more of his writing, and he has released two more books: Filthy Animals and The Late Americans
POPSUGAR: #2, #14
ATY: #3-A book involving a STEM topic (Biochemistry), #6, #14, #17, #24-Orange, #25, #27, #33, #36, #40, #41, #46, #48
RHC: #24-2015: prompt #6 A book written by or about someone who identifies as LGBTQ (both)
52 Book Club: #6, #9, #10, #14, NEW #17, #24, #30, #32, #43
*Ms. Demeanor by Elinor Lipman ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ for an IRL book club was a quite enjoyable read. I admit that after meeting Lipman and listening to her 10-15 minute presentation during which all 800+ people in attendance at the event were rolling on the floor laughing, I thought perhaps this book would contain more humor than it did. Though it did feel similar to the other six books of hers I’ve read…so definitely enjoyable, just not nearly as funny as she is in person! 😊
POPSUGAR: #11, #17-NYC
ATY: #3-A book with at least 247 pages, #5-NYC, #12, #17, #24-Orange, #25, #27, #48, #49
RHC: #24-2015: prompt #2 A book written by someone when they were over the age of 65
52 Book Club: #3, #4, #6, #9, #26-Romance/Humor, #43, #44
CONTINUING:
*...And Ladies of the Club by Helen Hooven Santmyer
*Brief Answers to the Big Questions by Stephen Hawking has me thinking so very much that I have delayed reviewing it until I can finalize my thoughts…
*Revenge of the Wrought-Iron Flamingos (Meg Langslow #3) by Donna Andrews
*All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely starts with a bang! Just as I would expect!
PLANNED:
*The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet (Wayfarers #1) by Becky Chambers
Wool (Silo #1) by Hugh Howey for the July meeting of the IRL book club I facilitate (I hope my copy arrives next week. Although our meeting isn't until July 30, this is a brick of a book! LOL)
*Crouching Buzzard, Leaping Loon (Meg Langslow #4) by Donna Andrews
*Fear No Evil (Alex Cross #29) by James Patterson
*11th Hour (Women’s Murder Club #11) by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro
*Riders of the Purple Sage by Zane Grey
*The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin
Jennifer W wrote: "Nadine in NY wrote: "Jennifer W wrote: "The problem is that we're down to 1 car, so we're mostly stuck at home unless I drop him off at work and go pick him up again after ..."ah so you need stu..."
And there are so many opportunities to teach by doing. I used to have my boys help bake cookies. That's how they 'learned' (unconsciously) fractions! I would have them divide the cookies
among all 5 of us, or the 3 of them, etc. They can help stir and measure, etc. as you cook. I was a full-time stay-at-home parent, so had time to do all that stuff! One of their favorites was when I made cake donuts (applesauce or pear sauce! Yum!) and they got to shake them in ziploc bags with powdered sugar!
They also liked stirring as I made pudding, etc., where you can see the chemical/physical changes as the solution cooks.
Yes, my kitchen was usually a mess, but we got it cleaned up afterward...for at least a few minutes!
And they loved eating the results! LOL
Theresa wrote: "Nadine in NY wrote: "Theresa wrote: "... First adult book by author (all previous were YA) ..."There seem to be SO MANY YA authors who are publishing their first adult fiction lately!!! Maybe i..."
Your point regarding the use of pseudonyms is so true! When I research writers from the 20th Century and may be even further into the past it is surprising how many times they did that! And some still do it!
Theresa wrote: "@L Y N N - I really enjoyed The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet! It was fun and I will at some point read the next in the series."Cool!
Carmen wrote: "QOTW
I gave up. I've hardly read books this year and it's better if I've given up so I don't feel bad about it. If I hit a book reading streak later in the year I can always come back on it, but for now, it's a lost cause. A shame, but not worth the stress or guilt. Hope you guys don't mind my check ins without progress!"
Absolutely NO problem!! Glad to have you here! 👍😁
Nadine discovered that Popsugar announced they are rebranding as PS. She has created a poll HERE for you to vote on whether the Goodreads group name should be changed to "PS Reading Challenge." Help us decide! 😉I am so excited to reread The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet for this month's group read, but have two IRL book club reads to finish for this coming Sunday and next Tuesday, so probably won't start it until next Wednesday! I adore those characters!! They are beyond diverse and yet so relatable!
Around the Year in 52 Books has begun their Summer Reading Challenge (June 1—August 31) and the ultimate prize is creating one prompt for the 2025 AtY Reading Challenge!! YAY!! I always hope my name is drawn for this, but *sigh* it hasn’t happened! Yet! LOL 😊
HERE is the information!
Lists!
Book Riot—Books to Read this Summer: https://bookriot.com/books-to-read-th...
Book Riot’s posting of Barnes & Noble’s Listing of the Best Books of 2024 so far: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/b/the-...
And last, but by no means least, the 2024 Lambda Literary Award winners! https://bookriot.com/the-2024-lambda-...
ADMIN STUFF:
THE AUGUST MONTHLY GROUP READ IS The Tea Dragon Society (Tea Dragon #1) by Kay O'Neill!
This book could be used to fulfill Prompt #23 A book that features dragons. National Lizard Day is August 14! And who might be the "official organizer" willing to lead this discussion? Please message either Nadine or myself to volunteer!
THE SEPTEMBER NOMINATION POLL IS LIVE!
This book could be used to fulfill prompt #6 A book about pirates. Talk Like a Pirate Day is September 19! John Baur and Mark Summers created this international day in 1995.
If you do not see the title you would like to nominate, please write it in. But please check that book's eligibility first! Only books that have NOT been discussed within the past two years (2022-present) are eligible. Please remember to consult the listing of these books that are NOT eligible for this month HERE before nominating! :) There is an alphabetized listing by title as well as a chronological listing.
Current nominations:
Cinnamon and Gunpowder
The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi (Amina al-Sirafi)
Peter Pan
Cup of Gold: A Life of Sir Henry Morgan, Buccaneer, with Occasional Reference to History
Treasure Island
Sodomy and the Pirate Tradition: English Sea Rovers in the Seventeenth-Century Caribbean
Running Close to the Wind
Frenchman's Creek
Fable (The World of the Narrows #1)
The Princess Bride
VOTE HERE THROUGH NEXT TUESDAY! Only 26 people have voted thus far and there is currently a 3-way tie! Interesting...
THE JUNE MONTHLY GROUP READ IS The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet (Wayfarers #1) by Becky Chambers!!This book could be used to fulfill Prompt #18 A book set in space. This is one of my all-time favorite books and series!!
THE JULY MONTHLY GROUP READ IS Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner!! This book could be used to fulfill prompt #44 An autobiography written by a woman in Rock ‘n’ Roll. I’m certain there is a “savvy superstar” among our members to lead an amazing discussion of this one! Please message either Nadine or myself to volunteer!
The comprehensive listing of 2024 Monthly Group Reads resides HERE for your perusal and reference throughout 2024!
***
Question of the Week:
We are now just a bit more than halfway through the 2024 Challenge year. How do you feel regarding your progress on the 2024 Popsugar challenge?
I admit, I’m starting to feel the pressure! Mainly because I have selected books further along in series that I have been reading slowly but surely, and so now I am beginning to read through those books:
Donna Andrews’ Meg Langslow series
Installment #4 is Crouching Buzzard, Leaping Loon for prompt #1
Alexander McCall Smith’s No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series
Richard Osman’s Thursday Murder Club series
Any/all installments for prompt #8
I am also starting to fit in at least 3-4 other books that I have listed for open prompts every month.
For June:
Brace for Impact by Gabe Montesanti for prompt #7
Little Mercies or These Things Hidden by Heather Gudenkauf for prompt #9
The Conjure Man Dies: A Mystery Tale of Dark HarlemThe Conjure-Man Dies: A Mystery Tale of Dark Harlem or The Good Earth for prompt #16
The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet for prompt #18 (This will be a reread for me and one I look forward to since this series is one of my favorites!)
How about you? (I realize some of you have already finished the 2024 Challenge… All I have to say is that you-all are over-achievers!! (And good for you!! LOL)
2024 READING CHALLENGES:
Popsugar: 29/50
Around the Year (AtY): 49/52
Read Harder: 16/24
52 Book Club: 40/52
FINISHED:
*The China Garden by Liz Berry ⭐⭐⭐⭐ didn’t work well for me. I found Berry’s writing to be a bit dull and boring, though I enjoyed the plot. Perhaps I just wasn’t in the mood for this, but it was staring at me from the top of a pile… So now I’ve read it and it is going to my favorite used book store this week! 😊
POPSUGAR: #2, #11-Romance
ATY: #3-A book involving pirates, maps, or treasure, #15, #17, #24-Orange and Green, #25, #27, #33, #36, #41, #44, #49
RHC: #16, #24-2015: prompt #11 Read a YA novel
52 Book Club: #4, #14, #26-YA/Fantasy/Romance, #30, #43
*High Times in the Low Parliament by Kelly Robson ⭐⭐⭐⭐ for an IRL book club meeting next week. The person who manages this store for the owners recommended this book. Her recommendation? “There isn’t a male in it!” (Yes, she is a female who identifies as lesbian.) I had to laugh! This provided some fodder for discussion, but we all agreed it was definitely left open to interpretation and felt confusing as we read and also by the book’s end. After reading a bit more about the book, I feel this was an absurdist interpretation of “Brexit.”
POPSUGAR: #2, #14
ATY: #1, #3-A book set mostly in or around a building (Parliament), #6, #8-Canada, #9-1,475 ratings, #24-Orange and Purple, #33, #34-Dopey, #41, #44
RHC: #1, #24-2015: prompt #5 A book written by or about someone who identifies as LGBTQ
52 Book Club: #24, #26-Fantasy/Romance, #30, #33, #43, #51
*Murder in Volume (Megan Clark #1) by D.R. Meredith ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I did have the mystery solved, but that didn’t decrease my enjoyment of reading this first installment in the series a bit! Anxious to read the remaining three installments!
POPSUGAR: #25
ATY: #3-A book about or featuring a landmark, #9-305 ratings, #17, #24-Orange, Green, and Purple, #25-Assault & Theft, #26, #33, #34-Lieutenant Carr calls Ryan “Doc,” #36, #37, #38/#39, #42, #49
RHC: #20, #23, #24-2023: prompt #14 A book with less than 500 Goodreads ratings (305)
52 Book Club: #6, #14, #20, #29-2000, #30
CONTINUING:
*...And Ladies of the Club by Helen Hooven Santmyer
*Real Life Brandon Taylor for an IRL book club
*Ms. Demeanor by Elinor Lipman for an IRL book club
PLANNED:
The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet (Wayfarers #1) by Becky Chambers
*Revenge of the Wrought-Iron Flamingos (Meg Langslow #3) by Donna Andrews
*Crouching Buzzard, Leaping Loon (Meg Langslow #4) by Donna Andrews
*Fear No Evil (Alex Cross #29) by James Patterson
*11th Hour (Women’s Murder Club #11) by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro
*Riders of the Purple Sage by Zane Grey
*The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin
Some lists!! A Penguin Random House listing of new Audiobooks:
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/th...
I rarely ever listen to audiobooks, but I know many other readers do!
Father’s Day is June 16! Although I never had a “father” in my life, I always honored my uncle! And now all three of my sons are fathers, so I always send them a message. Here is a listing of Penguin Random House books for Father’s Day:
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/th...
My husband had physical therapy today and the therapist was impressed with his improvement! (What he doesn’t know is that my husband would rarely do his exercises if not prompted (forced? LOL) to do so by me!) But so be it. As long as he does them while I critique and encourage him. At least there is improvement!!
ADMIN STUFF:
THE AUGUST MONTHLY GROUP READ IS The Tea Dragon Society (Tea Dragon #1) by Kay O'Neill!
This book could be used to fulfill Prompt #23 A book that features dragons. National Lizard Day is August 14! And who might be the "official organizer" willing to lead this discussion? Please message either Nadine or myself to volunteer!
THE SEPTEMBER NOMINATION POLL IS LIVE!
This book could be used to fulfill prompt #6 A book about pirates. Talk Like a Pirate Day is September 19! John Baur and Mark Summers created this international day in 1995.
If you do not see the title you would like to nominate, please write it in. But please check that book's eligibility first! Only books that have NOT been discussed within the past two years (2022-present) are eligible. Please remember to consult the listing of these books that are NOT eligible for this month HERE before nominating! :) There is an alphabetized listing by title as well as a chronological listing.
Current nominations:
The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi (Amina al-Sirafi)
Cup of Gold: A Life of Sir Henry Morgan, Buccaneer, with Occasional Reference to History
Treasure Island
Running Close to the Wind
Frenchman's Creek
Fable (The World of the Narrows #1)
The Princess Bride
********Jane Eyre was nominated but since it has nothing to do with pirates/piracy/privateers, it has been removed from consideration. The person who nominated it and the people who voted for it may vote again, however!********
THE JUNE MONTHLY GROUP READ IS The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet (Wayfarers #1) by Becky Chambers!!This book could be used to fulfill Prompt #18 A book set in space. This is one of my all-time favorite books and series!!
THE JULY MONTHLY GROUP READ IS Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner!! This book could be used to fulfill prompt #44 An autobiography written by a woman in Rock ‘n’ Roll. I’m certain there is a “savvy superstar” among our members to lead an amazing discussion of this one! Please message either Nadine or myself to volunteer!
The comprehensive listing of 2024 Monthly Group Reads resides HERE for your perusal and reference throughout 2024!
***
Question of the Week:
How do you feel about spoilers?
It depends… If, for example, I have not finished reading a book for an IRL book club meeting, but still attend the meeting/discussion, I have no qualms about learning spoilers, since that was on me for not finishing the book and shouldn’t impede the discussion in any way. I still finish the book even if I have learned spoilers from the discussion and it doesn’t bother me to do that. (I think this has only happened twice since I retired from full-time work!)
However, if someone posts a spoiler without hiding it on Goodreads, so I can make a choice whether to read the comment or not, then I get a bit huffy. However, I do not feel as if it truly affects my reading or enjoyment of the book. Though there is one exception, and that would be in the case of a mystery. I greatly prefer NOT knowing the resolution prior to reading the book.
2024 READING CHALLENGES:
Popsugar: 29/50
Around the Year (AtY): 49/52
Read Harder: 16/24
52 Book Club: 40/52
FINISHED:
*By Hook or By Book by D.R. Meredith ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ was a solid mystery read! The person I suspected most did turn out to be the perpetrator! A good solid mystery and I do like the main character(s)! Definitely continuing with the series!
POPSUGAR: #4, #25
ATY: #3-A book that features a hobby, #9-171 ratings, #12, #24-Green and Orange, #26, #36, #37, #38/#39, #49
RHC: #23, #24-2020: prompt #3 A mystery where the victim is not a woman
52 Book Club: #4, #29-2000, #30, #32
*Murder with Peacocks (Meg Langslow #1) by Donna Andrews ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ was just as enjoyable as I expect it to be! I predict I will love this series! (As I expected I would!)
ATY: #3-A book with disembodied hand(s) on the cover, #6, #18, #24-Green, #34-Doc, #37, #40, #52
RHC: #24-2015: prompt #13 A romance novel
52 Book Club: #3, #4, #9, #14, #26-Mystery/Romance, #30, #43, #44, #45
*Murder With Puffins (Meg Langslow #2) by Donna Andrews ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ was even more enjoyable for me than the first installment in this series!
POPSUGAR: #25
ATY: #3-A book with rock, paper, or scissors on the cover, #6, #16, #17, #23-Beaches, #24-Orange and Green, #27, #28, #33, #34-Doc, #37, #40, #41, #49, #52
RHC: #23, #24-2020: prompt #5 A book about a natural disaster
52 Book Club: #4, #29-2000, #30, #32, #49-Monhegan Island, Maine
CONTINUING:
*...And Ladies of the Club by Helen Hooven Santmyer
*The China Garden by Liz Berry
*High Times in the Low Parliament by Kelly Robson for an IRL book club meeting next week
PLANNED:
*Revenge of the Wrought-Iron Flamingos (Meg Langslow #3) by Donna Andrews
*Crouching Buzzard, Leaping Loon (Meg Langslow #4) by Donna Andrews
*Fear No Evil (Alex Cross #29) by James Patterson
*11th Hour (Women’s Murder Club #11) by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro
*Riders of the Purple Sage by Zane Grey
*The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin
June Group Read Discussion: The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet (Wayfarers #1) by Becky Chambers
(35 new)
Jun 03, 2024 11:10AM
I'll start, and hopefully, some others will comment as well! 😁1) What, if any, expectations do you have for this book?
I don't recall having any expectations regarding this book except that I felt it would be unique and different from my typical book selections...and I was correct!!
2) Was this book already on your TBR listing?
I guess you could say so since I read it in 2020! 😉
3) Are you reading this book for the express purpose of fulfilling this specific Popsugar prompt?
Not necessarily, although I stated I would have never picked this up except for the 2019 Popsugar Reading Challenge Prompt #20-Read a Book Set in Space! in my Goodreads review! I imagine I might reread the first three in this series before finally reading the fourth installment, The Galaxy, and the Ground Within.
4) Do you find the title of this book to be particularly interesting?
I admit I was fascinated by the title! It seemed long and yet also very specific.
5) What about the cover image? Does it motivate you to read this book?
Or does it make you hesitate to read it?
I remember being intrigued by the cover design.
6) Do you typically read books in this genre/subgenre?
(e.g. Mystery, Historical Fiction, Historical Fiction Mystery…)
I read in many different genres/subgenres, but I found this series to be one of my most enjoyable reads ever!! One thing I truly appreciate is that each book contains some of the recurring characters, but also introduces many new characters. Each book is a truly unique reading experience, IMO!
I have listed Becky Chambers as one of my "absolutely favorite authors" and would definitely read anything she writes! (I also adored the Monk & Robot duology!)
Robin wrote: "I read:
Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith by Matthew Woodring StoverFinished: 05/04/20..."
Very cool! I had no idea about Star Wars Day!!
