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.

Laura wrote: "I recommend middle grade trilogy by Yoon Ha Lee:
Dragon Pearl
Tiger Honor
Fox Snare"

Wow! This series looks like one I would enjoy! Thank you for posting!

Here are some basic questions:

1) What, if any, expectations do you have for this book?

2) Was this book already on your TBR listing?

3) Are you reading this book for the express purpose of fulfilling this specific Popsugar prompt?

4) Do you find the title of this book to be particularly interesting?

5) What about the cover image? Does it motivate you to read this book?
Or does it make you hesitate to read it?

6) Do you typically read books in this genre/subgenre?
(e.g. Mystery, Historical Fiction, Historical Fiction Mystery…)

I belong to 3 IRL book clubs that meet once a month, John currently has 2 physical therapy sessions per week, and I teach at the gym 3 evenings per week, plus all day-in and day-out activities of daily living. I find I barely have the energy for all this at my age and physical condition, but I’d rather be active than not… Every once in a while life just becomes overwhelming to me and that happened to me this past Tuesday, but I did recover by Wednesday morning!!

Following along with Nadine’s Question of the Week from last week, here is a Book Riot summer reading booklist for different types of summer readers…https://bookriot.com/summer-book-reco.... Interestingly, I own personally signed/inscribed copies of the first two books since I met those authors within the past 9 months!!

ADMIN STUFF:
AUGUST MONTHLY GROUP READ FINAL SELECTION POLL IS LIVE!
Help select the ONE book for the 2024 August Monthly Group Read! This book could be used to fulfill Prompt #23 A book that features dragons. National Lizard Day is August 14!

It is between these two books:
Fourth Wing
The Tea Dragon Society

This poll will be open through Tuesday, June 4! Vote HERE!

The MAY MONTHLY GROUP READ IS All Boys Aren't Blue by George M. Johnson
This book could be used to fulfill prompt #41 A memoir that explores queerness. I was so very impressed by this book! Thanks to Jai for leading this discussion! 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏

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!! And who is the "cool Captain" who will volunteer to lead this discussion? Please message either Nadine or myself to volunteer!

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:
From Doni: What is a book that you often find yourself thinking about?
Such a great question! And I have SOOOOOOO many answers!! LOL Of course, I remember different books for very different reasons! 😉

Although The Secret History felt VERY noirish to me (and I dislike noir overall), it has stayed in my head for years now… As has Tartt’s The Goldfinch, which I actually enjoyed reading!

Just a few of my favorite books that I will NEVER forget:
The Art of Racing in the Rain
The School of Essential Ingredients and The Lost Art of Mixing
Where the Crawdads Sing
The Witch Elm
(both of the books immediately above deal with the same theme)
Jason Reynolds’ Track series: Ghost, Patina, Sunny, Lu
Long Way Down
When They Call You a Terrorist: A Black Lives Matter Memoir
The Poisonwood Bible
The Confession
The Hundred-Foot Journey
The Tortilla Curtain
The Storyteller's Death
Cemetery Boys
This Is How It Always Is
An American Marriage
City of Girls
The Reluctant Fundamentalist
The Cellist of Sarajevo
The Inn at Lake Devine
How to Be an Antiracist
Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line
Just Mercy
The Lemon Orchard
As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow
Until We Reckon: Violence, Mass Incarceration, and a Road to Repair

You can thank me later for stopping there!! 👏👏👏👏👍👍👍👍

2024 READING CHALLENGES:
Popsugar: 29/50
Around the Year (AtY): 49/52
Read Harder: 16/24
52 Book Club: 40/52

FINISHED:
*How to Train Your Dragon (How to Train Your Dragon #1) by How To Train Your Dragon ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ is a book I picked up on a whim last Friday night when I arrived home from the gym and we had no electricity. I read using the flashlight on my phone and then finished it the next afternoon. Ostensibly, I had this selected for prompt #23 A book that features dragons. I found it to be enjoyable, though, IMO, probably much more appreciated by the younger readers to whom it is targeted!
POPSUGAR: #2, NEW #23, #31
ATY: #3-A book with gold on the cover, #6, #7, #12, #17, #23-Boats and Beaches, #24-Orange, #25, #28, #29, #33, #36, #37, #40-Dragons are wild!, #49
RHC: #16, #24-2016: prompt #5 Read a middle grade novel
52 Book Club: #2-Lots of descriptions of horridly putrid smells, #30, #38, #43, #47, #51-Dragons are wild!

*Sanditon by Jane Austen ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ is one of two of her unfinished works that has been published posthumously. (Over 100 years after she died!) It was a bit of a slog for the first third or so and then picked up into typical Austen. Manipulators were trying to establish relationships among younger folks that would blossom into financially advantageous marriages for the person with little money… 😊
POPSUGAR: #2
ATY: #2, #3-A book you could read in 24 hours, #10-Historical Fiction, #15, #17, #20, #23, #27, #28, #33
RHC: #24-2018: prompt #1 A book published posthumously
52 Book Club: #9, #24, #26-Romance/Historical Fiction, #30, #31, #33,

I will document later today…or next week! LOL 😯😉
*Educated by Tara Westover ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ for the IRL book club I facilitate. I found it remarkable that the other members were much more ‘disturbed’ by this book than I was. I am uncertain of the reason, other than the fact that I typically expect such behaviors from the males in a Mormon community rather than not. Perhaps because I have read several books set in a Mormon community and others had not? I don’t know, but Westover and her siblings who were able to successfully get themselves out of the community in which they were raised were to be commended for overcoming obstacles that would likely prove to be too overwhelming to overcome by many. (Three of the seven children went on to earn PhD degrees.) Her writing was amazing, IMO! We were all in agreement on that! Though two members did not finish reading it due to their reactions to Westover’s parents’ behaviors. They found it too upsetting and depressing.
POPSUGAR: #2, #4
ATY: #3-A book related to a mountain, #12, #17, #24-Orange, #25, #27, #33, #36, #41, #45, #48, #49
RHC: #24-2016: prompt #20 A book about religion
52 Book Club: #4, #10, #14, #30, #31, #39, #43, #51

CONTINUING:
*...And Ladies of the Club by Helen Hooven Santmyer
*By Hook or By Book by D.R. Meredith

PLANNED:
*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

Ellie wrote: "Went to a chilli and cheese festival at the weekend and it was super chilled out. We took the dog and she made loads of friends (lots of ex-Labrador owners about), and the live music was great."
Oh, my! Chili and Cheese! I would be so there!!!

"It's Paws and Portals release day today! If you were one of the 28 people who pre-ordered it, thank you! I understand that's quite good numbers for a first time self-published book. Hopefully now it's out in the world I can direct my brain capacity at actually getting caught up on challenges."
CONGRATS!!

"QOTW:
I am totally a FOMO reader. I want to know what the fuss is about but I also want to read my TBR. What do I do?! Read something that is neither buzzy nor on my TBR probably. 🤣."
Sounds familiar! LOL

Nadine in NY wrote: "Happy Thursday!!   My computer is being so pokey today - first it wouldn't "wake up" and then Chrome was "Not Responding" and then the page won't load, etc etc  - I suspect Norton is running some s..."
Yeah, my old computer which I finally replaced not too long ago kept giving me the message about no longer supporting my version of software, yada, yada, yada. It was annoying!

Nadine in NY wrote: "Back when I was all "rah rah dystopians!" I added The Iron Heel to my TBR. But then I never really wanted to read it. I finally took it off my TBR. I know where to find it if I want it."
It's interesting. I'm not necessarily enamored with dystopian novels, but interested in some of the first ones to be published as a comparison with modern-day renditions...

Jennifer W wrote: "L Y N N wrote: "but the electricity at our house went out at 5:22PM and wasn’t restored until 4PM today (Saturday). Ugh.

As well as Jack London’s The Iron Heel..."

Ugh indeed! Did you have storms..."
There were definitely storms. There was evidently quite a lot of hail here at home. I was on the road to and at the gym all evening... There was just thunder and rain while I was at the gym. Weird how much difference 40 miles can make in the weather!

Jennifer W wrote: "L Y N N wrote: "but the electricity at our house went out at 5:22PM and wasn’t restored until 4PM today (Saturday). Ugh.

As well as Jack London’s The Iron Heel..."

Ugh indeed! Did you have storms..."
There were definitely storms. There was evidently quite a lot of hail here at home. I was on the road to and at the gym all evening... There was just thunder and rain while I was at the gym. Weird how much difference 40 miles can make in the weather!

I fully intended to post this when I arrived home from the gym last night (Friday), but the electricity at our house went out at 5:22PM and wasn’t restored until 4PM today (Saturday). Ugh. I don’t mind a few hours. And thankfully, it wasn’t super hot either day. But almost 24 hours? At least it did get fixed. We were one household of only 90 affected by this outage. It certainly makes you more grateful for things we take for granted every single day!

I always seem to get a lot of books that interest me from Ann Patchett’s blog posts! https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog...

No matter how you feel about Bill Gates, he is doing some good in the world… https://www.gatesnotes.com/Amazing-st...

ADMIN STUFF:
AUGUST MONTHLY GROUP READ FINAL SELECTION POLL IS LIVE!
Help select the ONE book for the 2024 August Monthly Group Read! This book could be used to fulfill Prompt #23 A book that features dragons. National Lizard Day is August 14!

It is between these two books:
Fourth Wing
The Tea Dragon Society

This poll will be open through Tuesday, June 4! Vote HERE!

The MAY MONTHLY GROUP READ IS All Boys Aren't Blue by George M. Johnson
This book could be used to fulfill prompt #41 A memoir that explores queerness. I was so very impressed by this book! Thanks to Jai for leading this discussion! 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏

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!! And who is the "cool Captain" who will volunteer to lead this discussion? Please message either Nadine or myself to volunteer!

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:
What type of summer reader are you?
I am the same type of reader as at any other time of year—eclectic! I will read for my book clubs and whatever else I wish to read all through the summer as with any other season of the year!

2024 READING CHALLENGES:
Popsugar: 28/50
Around the Year (AtY): 49/52
Read Harder: 16/24
52 Book Club: 40/52

FINISHED:
*1984 by George Orwell ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ What a difference 55 years can make! LOL I first read this at age 13 and was petrified by it! I could still remember one scene from this book all these years later! However, since I now have had more exposure to and gained much more knowledge about politics and political leaders, etc., I had to kinda force my way through this to a degree. Still one of the best warnings of what could result if power-hungry political leaders are not stopped… And now I want to read Julia by Sandra Newman! As well as Jack London’s The Iron Heel.
POPSUGAR: NEW #13, #19 (published 1949, set in 1984)
ATY: #3-A book set in a group living situation, #17, #20, #24-Orange, Purple, #25, #32, #33, #35, #41, #48
RHC: #24-2015: prompt #12 Read a sci-fi novel
52 Book Club: #22/#23, #24, #31

*Rumpole of the Bailey by John Mortimer ⭐⭐⭐ was not exactly my ‘cup of tea’… I own the next two installments in this series and will read the second one, but no promises about continuing beyond that. If I hadn’t purchased the first 3 installments very cheaply at a library sale I wouldn’t bother. But I will give this series a second chance. Mortimer’s sense of humor in several of these stories did not jive with what I consider to be humorous. Mortimer wrote the scripts for the TV series and then turned them into this series of books…
ATY: #1, #3-A book that includes a trial or has a legal term in the title, #15, #23, #25, #37, #49
RHC: #24-2015: prompt #3 Read a collection of short stories
52 Book Club: #30

*The Bandit Queens by Parini Shroff ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ was definitely more intense than I expected it to be after reading some of the reviews emphasizing the humor. There was a bit of humor. However, make no mistake—this book is about females abused by their spouses and the only way they can escape their situation. That theme definitely overrides any humorous aspects of the book for me… I do feel this is amazing writing for a debut novel and would definitely consider reading more of Shroff’s writing! It’s not the author’s fault that my feelings about the book overall disagreed with many of the reviews! 😊
POPSUGAR: #2, #14, #17-India
ATY: #3-A book title that seemingly refers to one or more characters in the book, #14, #17, #24-Orange, Purple, #25, #33, #41, #48
RHC: #24-2015: prompt #7 A book set in Asia
52 Book Club: #10, #20, #30, #40

*Lady Susan by Jane Austen ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ was very well done. I don’t know how you could read this and NOT believe Lady Susan to be one of the most manipulative bitches ever! I always enjoy epistolary novels, and this was no exception to that…
POPSUGAR: #34
ATY: #2, #3-A book told from multiple character POVs, #10-Historical Fiction, #15, #33, #48
RHC: #24-2019: prompt #1 An epistolary novel or a collection of letters
52 Book Club: #7, #9, #10, #12, #26-Romance/Historical Fiction, #30, #33

CONTINUING:
*Educated by Tara Westover for the IRL book club I facilitate
*Sanditon by Jane Austen (one of two of her unfinished works)
*...And Ladies of the Club by Helen Hooven Santmyer

PLANNED:
*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: "Hi all! Woke up with a wicked headache, so gonna post and then go lie down.
As expected, long term dis asked for another extension. They should get back to ..."
Having worked as a mental health advocate, I can tell you that IF disability/SSI is approved more quickly than 1-2 years, you are VERY lucky. It is unbelievable how many times the system forces applicants to reapply, provide further documentation, etc. I always hope I am never put in that position. My patience runs thin with such bureaucratic nonsense!

Nadine in NY wrote: "LOL I woke up CONVINCED that today is Thursday. Y'all almost got the weekly check-in one day early 😃😃😃"
LOL Better that than the other way, I guess!

Theresa wrote: "L Y N N wrote: "This week has been quite busy. I had an IRL book club meeting on Tuesday for Pizza Girl which prompted good discussion, though wasn’t exactly a favorite read for the..."
That would have been only one complaint of many! For example, there was a "smoking room" right next to the jury deliberation room! Unbelievable!

This week has been quite busy. I had an IRL book club meeting on Tuesday for Pizza Girl which prompted good discussion, though wasn’t exactly a favorite read for the majority of us… (It felt noirish to me…) And I have another this coming Sunday to discuss The Bandit Queens which I hope to enjoy more than I did PG! Interestingly, both of these are debut novels.

I had been called for jury duty, but after I submitted a completed form listing my husband’s stroke and resultant symptoms and care needed, they called yesterday to let me know they had removed me from their list for possible service this time around. The last time I had to deal with them was years ago when I was overseeing my mother’s health care and she had two operations scheduled, etc., and they called me in anyway and the judge gave me a really rough time in front of a whole court room full of people and he ended up embarrassing others and finally one girl ended up crying in front of all of us, due to him exposing her medical/emotional/mental history and medications, etc. It was awful. I actively campaigned against his re-election to be judge and am proud to say he did lose in the next election. What an asshole he was. So obviously, there is a completely different attitude now. Glad to see it. I don’t mind serving and have done so, but if there are other people who need me to help them… Anyway, that was a relief! One less thing to stress over!

ADMIN STUFF:
AUGUST MONTHLY GROUP READ NOMINATION POLL IS LIVE!
Nominate a book for the 2024 August Monthly Group Read! This book could be used to fulfill Prompt #23 A book that features dragons. National Lizard Day is August 14!

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:
Fourth Wing
The Tea Dragon Society
Anne McCaffrey's Dragonflight #1
Dragonfruit
Eragon
The Priory of the Orange Tree
To Shape a Dragon's Breath
His Majesty's Dragon
Dealing with Dragons
A Tale of the Secret Saint (Light Novel) Vol. 1
Invisible Born

This poll will be open through Tuesday, May 21! Vote HERE!

JULY MONTHLY 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 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!! And who is the "cool Captain" who will volunteer to lead this discussion? Please message either Nadine or myself to volunteer!

The MAY MONTHLY GROUP READ IS All Boys Aren't Blue by George M. Johnson
This book could be used to fulfill prompt #41 A memoir that explores queerness. I have wanted to read this one so badly!! Glad it was selected! I am grateful to Jai for volunteering as the "guru guide" who will lead this discussion! Thank you!! 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏

The comprehensive listing of 2024 Monthly Group Reads resides HERE for your perusal and reference throughout 2024!
***
Question of the Week:
Is there a book that literally caused your jaw to drop as you read it? Do you remember which book or what surprised you?
I ask because Pizza Girl caused my jaw to drop several times… Once when she walked in on her boyfriend who was standing in front of a mirror with both hands wrapped around a gun, just looking at himself! And, of course, this was at the end of a chapter… Immediately all kinds of thoughts went through my head, the first being, is he preparing to shoot himself? Or someone else? Yikes!

2024 READING CHALLENGES:
Popsugar: 26/50
Around the Year (AtY): 49/52
Read Harder: 15/24
52 Book Club: 40/52

I’ll finish documenting these later today…let’s just get the conversation started! 😊
FINISHED:
*Pizza Girl by Jean Kyoung Frazier ⭐⭐⭐⭐ for an IRL book club…and what exactly did I just read?!? Hmmm… These two main characters are so dysfunctional as to make this book certainly an unsettling read at best. Admittedly, my jaw dropped several times as I read this. It will definitely, IMO, make for some interesting discussion!
POPSUGAR: #2, #17-California
ATY: #3-A book with girl, boy. man or woman in the title, #14, #15, #17, #24-Orange, Green, Purple, #25, #33, #36, #42, #46
RHC: #24-2015: prompt #18 A book someone else has recommended to you
52 Book Club: #4, #10, #14, #30, #43, #51

*All Boys Aren't Blue by George M. Johnson ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ was an exceptional book! Especially for a YA memoir. I can imagine this might not work for everyone, but I found it to be ground-breaking, unique, and though somewhat emotionally intense and realistic, very understandable and easy to relate to… There is more sexual detail than I would have imagined, but it felt very necessary, especially for others who are biologically “male” but not heterosexual. This was so heartfelt and natural! Highly recommended!
POPSUGAR: #2, #4, NEW #41
ATY: #3-A book you meant to read in 2023, #12, #14, #15, #17, #24-Orange, #33, #36, #45, #48, #49
RHC: NEW #15, #16, #24-2015: prompt #5-A book written by or about someone who identifies as LGBTQ (BOTH!)
52 Book Club: #10, #14, #18, #19, #30, #43

*Sunny (Track #3) by Jason Reynolds ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ was a bit different from the first two books in this series. This character spoke in more “rap” talk and overall slang, which I found to be very interesting. Definitely different from what I’m accustomed to reading. Honestly, this is more what I would expect from Reynolds, who writes for an audience quite different from myself. That is one more reason to thoroughly enjoy his writing. I appreciate being able to immerse myself into another world with people expressing themselves in a manner unfamiliar to me!
POPSUGAR: #2, #10
ATY: #1, #2, #3-A book that features a hobby, #12, #14, #15, #17, #20, #24-Orange and Green, #31, #36, #37, #38/#39
RHC: #24-2015: prompt #6 A book written by a person whose gender is different from your won
52 Book Club: #4, #14, #30, #43

*Lu (Track #4) by Jason Reynolds ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ was quite enjoyable and felt very realistic. Lu is albino and as you can imagine, must endure much verbal abuse from his peers. One thing I so appreciate about Reynolds' writing is his ability to include such diverse characters and realistically depict their lives.
POPSUGAR: #2
ATY: #2, #3-A book whose title seemingly refers to one or more characters in the book, #12, #14, #15, #17, #20, #24-Orange, Green, #25, #31, #33, #36, #37, #38/#39
RHC: #24-2015: prompt #11 Read a YA novel
52 Book Club: #4, #10, #12, #14, #30, #43

CONTINUING:
*Rumpole of the Bailey by John Mortimer
*The Bandit Queens by Parini Shroff
*1984 by George Orwell (I admit this is boring me a bit…)
*...And Ladies of the Club by Helen Hooven Santmyer

PLANNED:
*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

Harmke wrote: "Happy Thursday! I officially opened 'garden season' today. Cleaned our lounge set. And now I'm enjoying the great weather outside by reading in our garden."
Jealous! That sounds wonderfully relaxing!

"QOTW
Uhm... everything by Taylor Jenkins Reid"
Ooohhhh, yes!

Kenya wrote: "Happy Thursday!

This week marks the end of another semester at college. Whoo, I have a summer off! Just two more years to go..."
Way to go!!

"DNF:

Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation -- maybe this was funny when it was first published, or if you like British humor… but it just didn’t click with me."
Ha! A former coworker at Borders was FOREVER recommending that I read this! I never did...

K.L. wrote: "This week I’ve had a rather forceful reminder of how important it is to take care of your mental health. I was diagnosed with anxiety and OCD back in 2017, and it has been a roller coaster of an experience ever since the diagnosis. Some days I do great managing my symptoms, and other days the OCD pretty much manages me.

Over the past few months, I’ve really been struggling to deal with my symptoms, but things got really bad this week. I am feeling almost completely out of control when it comes to resisting compulsions (especially hand washing), and my executive functioning is almost nonexistent. I’m doing a lot of sleeping, mostly to avoid dealing with the OCD, but also because I’ve just been feeling really down.

I did make an appointment for this coming Wednesday with a psychiatrist that my therapist recommended, to talk about medication options. I know that medication won’t take away the OCD, but the right one could at least make the symptoms more manageable, so I am really looking forward to the appointment.

If you wouldn’t mind, I’d really appreciate good vibes and prayers as I finish out this week. Thanks!"
Wow. Emotional well-being is so very damn important and sometimes so very damn difficult to maintain! "Better living through chemistry" is a possibility and I hope you can discover a medication treatment that will work for you. You must be patient with these meds, however, and definitely follow the dosages and do not miss any doses! The very best of luck to you along with TONS of positive energy!

"On the plus side, it has been a great reading week! I’ve had a chance to read several fantastic books, and even finished a book that I’ve been reading since the beginning of the year."
That's amazing!!

"QOTW:
I would really enjoy seeing a movie adaptation of The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet."
Ah, yes!! Agreed!

Ellie wrote: "I've really lost my reading mojo. Just feeling a bit mentally blah and having trouble focusing on anything."
I think everyone goes through that every once in awhile. I have had the same experience the past few weeks since my husband's stroke. I think mine is adjustment to a new relationship...

"I don't think a lot of the books I read would make good adaptations though. I do remember thinking Leave the World Behind might work better as a film, and I was right. I much preferred the film to the book!"
That rarely happens for me...

Nadine in NY wrote: "I guess I'm NOT aligned with the masses.."
And that is perfectly okay! It would be boring if we all had the same opinions and preferences, likes and dislikes, wouldn't it?

Late posting this week!

AtY is hosting a Mini-Readathon May 12-18! Info is HERE!

Powell’s Books—new releases for each month of 2024! https://www.powells.com/picks-of-the-...
***
ADMIN STUFF:
AUGUST MONTHLY GROUP READ NOMINATION POLL IS LIVE!
Nominate a book for the 2024 August Monthly Group Read! This book could be used to fulfill Prompt #23 A book that features dragons. National Lizard Day is August 14!

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:
Fourth Wing
The Tea Dragon Society
Anne McCaffrey's Dragonflight #1
Dragonfruit
Eragon
The Priory of the Orange Tree
To Shape a Dragon's Breath
His Majesty's Dragon
Dealing with Dragons
A Tale of the Secret Saint (Light Novel) Vol. 1
Invisible Born

This poll will be open through Tuesday, May 21! Vote HERE!

JULY MONTHLY 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 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!! And who is the "cool Captain" who will volunteer to lead this discussion? Please message either Nadine or myself to volunteer!

The MAY MONTHLY GROUP READ IS All Boys Aren't Blue by George M. Johnson
This book could be used to fulfill prompt #41 A memoir that explores queerness. I have wanted to read this one so badly!! Glad it was selected! I am grateful to Jai for volunteering as the "guru guide" who will lead this discussion! Thank you!! 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏

The comprehensive listing of 2024 Monthly Group Reads resides HERE for your perusal and reference throughout 2024!
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Question of the Week:
Is there a book you think would make a great movie?
Ha! This is from last week’s posting!
Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan, Ben Kingsley are set to star in ‘The Thursday Murder Club’ with Chris Columbus to direct. I love all three of them, but especially Pierce! (Yes, I consider us on a ‘first name’ basis! LOL) I loved this book and although I’m usually not overly-thrilled about adaptations, this is one that truly interests me!
https://twitter.com/Screendaily/statu...

2024 READING CHALLENGES:
Popsugar: 26/50
Around the Year (AtY): 49/52
Read Harder: 15/24
52 Book Club: 40/52

FINISHED:
*The Case of the Crooked Candle (Perry Mason #24) by Erle Stanley Gardner ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ was t my least favorite of the 3 Perry Mason books I’ve read so far. The resolution of the mystery was just a bit more convoluted than the other 2 books. Still enjoyable, however!
POPSUGAR: #17-California, NEW #49
ATY: #3-A book related to X marks the spot, #9-1,046 ratings, #17, #21, #23-BOATS, #24-Orange, #25, #27, #28, #29, #33, #37
RHC: #23, #24-2015: prompt #6 A book written by someone whose gender is different from your own
52 Book Club: #10, #25, #30, #32, #33

*I Have Some Questions for You by Rebecca Makkai ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ is, IMO, dark academia. If you can appreciate a mystery with no absolutely unchallenged resolution, you will enjoy this book! Makkai covers so much territory. And, IMO, she does it well. In the aftermath of reading this, I keep considering her depiction of the #MeToo movement in such an evenhanded way, presenting varied perspectives. It does seem to be true that when someone we know and love/have loved is accused we tend to be much more forgiving…don’t we? 😉
POPSUGAR: #2, #4, #31, #47
ATY: #3-A book related to “civil rights” or “human rights,” #7, #11, #13, #14, #17, #21, #25, #33, #36, #41, #46, #48
RHC: #23, #24-2020: prompt #10 Read a book set in a rural location
52 Book Club: #3, #10, NEW #13, #14, #24, #26-Mystery/Dark Academia, #30, #31, #43

*The Watsons is included in an Oxford World's Classics edition Northanger Abbey / Lady Susan / The Watsons / Sanditon by Jane Austen ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I dove right in and read this months ago, then picked the book up this past week and read the informative introduction written by Terry Castle, then reread this “fragment.” What I find interesting is that Emma, the main character, is described very specifically: “no more than of the middle height – well made and plump, with an air of healthy vigour. – Her skin was very brown but clear, smooth, and glowing --; with which a lively Eye, a sweet smile, and an open Countenance, gave beauty to attract, and expression to make that beauty improve on acquaintance.” Several more times in these 46 pages Emma is described as “dark-skinned.” I expected this to lead to discussion of prejudice and discrimination, particularly as there is no mention as to why Emma was sent to live with a wealthy aunt for over a decade during her childhood/adolescence… I assumed it was due to this “difference” in skin color. And there is no mention how her skin color varies so much from that of her siblings. I immediately assumed her own mother was dark-skinned and not Mrs. W who is deceased when we meet Emma upon her return to her immediate family’s home. Or perhaps her biological father is not Mr. W! This work is called a “fragment” which Castle considers to be “anticipatory” of Mansfield Park published 6 years later (1811). I have never read Mansfield Park but now I find myself motivated to do so!
POPSUGAR: #2
ATY: #2-Read 2 other Austen books in 2023, #3-A book with a character who is a fish-out-of-water, #10-Historical Fiction, #15, #33, #47, #49
RHC: #24-2018: prompt #1 A book published posthumously
52 Book Club: #9, #14, #30, #33, #43

CONTINUING:
*1984 by George Orwell (I admit this is boring me a bit…)
*Pizza Girl by Jean Kyoung Frazier for an IRL book club
*All Boys Aren't Blue by George M. Johnson
*...And Ladies of the Club by Helen Hooven Santmyer

PLANNED:
*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

1. What, if any, expectations do you have for this book?
I expect to learn of one person's experience with being outside the usual 'heterosexual' life.

2. Do you find the title of this book to be particularly interesting?
I do! Especially given that it has been throughout my lifetime that I have been exposed to lives lived outside the 'heterosexual' duology!

3. What about the cover image? Does it motivate you to read this book?
Love it! It challenges what some might still consider 'the norm'!

does it make you hesitate to read it?
Not a bit. But then I typically do not care much about a cover image. If I am interested in reading a book, I don't care about the cover...