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.

Nadine in NY wrote: "L Y N N wrote: "Hello, all! Apologies for not being here when I should have been! I went from supporting my dear friend through implantation of a combination pacemaker/defibrillator directly into m..."
Oh, yeah. You know, I am superhuman since I'm female, right?!? 😯🤨

I wondered how it might have been different if our roles were reversed, if I had the impairments and he had to care for me...

Anyway, at least he's much better today. Slow improvement is still improvement and he is properly channeling his frustration into trying harder to coordinate the right arm and leg. Also, the speech has improved a bit, though I am learning that is an automatic "tell" that he is tiring--his speech becomes very garbled. At least I know to watch for that now.

I am finally going to have spinal and hip Xrays done just to make sure I can document my own disabilities for reference. I got 12 hours of sleep last night so I am not quite as angry today, but I am very glad to be isolated at home without the possibility of interacting with someone who might make me want to choke them, 'cause I might just do it! LOL 😉😦

Carmen wrote: "I am so sorry, Lynn, that's horrible. Sending all the hugs <3"
Hugs are welcomed, needed, and so very much appreciated! LOL

LeahS wrote: "Yes. When my mother had a fall, I was asked to provide after care for her, although I lived over 100 miles away, had a job and young family. My brother wasn't asked, although he, um, actually lived with her......"
That is crazy!

Hello, all! Apologies for not being here when I should have been! I went from supporting my dear friend through implantation of a combination pacemaker/defibrillator directly into my husband suffering a stroke. Life is tough for me right now, mainly due to the “medical professionals” (I use that term lightly) who in all their miniscule overrated wisdom sent him home with me, requiring 24/7 oversight rather than prescribing residential rehab which he so obviously needs. It is now Sunday morning. I took him to the ER Friday night and they released him late yesterday afternoon. I am so angry right now I could easily strangle a roomful of people. In fact, I would relish identifying the victims and just doing it! 😊 Of course, I won't have the opportunity, but I can enjoy imagining it! LOL

I have my fingers crossed that after a full night’s rest he will be much better able to at least balance, etc. However, I cannot maneuver the equivalent of a 6 foot 2 inch 'doll'. *sigh* So I have no idea how my life will be in the immediate and long-distant future now. So many issues to resolve, not the least of which is my own health and well-being. I honestly believe the discharging doctor felt that since I was a female, there was no reason to consider my health or me. I just got that impression, which needless to say, makes me soooooooo angry! So wish me luck. My emotions were definitely over-the-top yesterday/last night since I was only able to grab 3 hours of sleep yesterday morning when I came home to feed felines, etc. I am a bit less volatile today...though not by much! LOL

I have our PCP involved and am hopeful he can help me. I somehow have to get my husband to his office for an appointment on Tuesday. So just two more days… I’m just so scared he will fall and will be in even worse shape. And all because the doctor and Medicare in all their wisdom felt it was okay to send him home and make me somehow provide comprehensive care. *sigh*

But I am using my connection to this group as my “grounding” force beyond my everyday life right now more than ever! Thank you for being here!

The good news is that my friend is progressing beautifully through her own recovery and her daughter is pitching in to help care for her now that she is home. Gotta concentrate on the positives! I must believe it will only go "up" from here!

***
ADMIN STUFF:
JUNE MONTHLY GROUP READ FINAL SELECTION POLL IS LIVE!
The June Monthly Group Read Final Selection poll is HERE! This book could be used to fulfill Prompt #18 A book set in space.
Here are the books to consider:
Floating Hotel
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy #1)
The Deep Sky
Illuminae (The Illuminae Files #1)
The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet (Wayfarers #1)
Project Hail Mary
Go vote, please! 😁

DISCUSSION LEADER NEEDED FOR MAY!
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'm certain there is at least one member out there fitting the description of "guru guide" to lead this discussion! Please message either Nadine or myself to volunteer! I have wanted to read this one so badly!! Glad it was selected!

THE APRIL MONTHLY GROUP READ is The Mystery Guest (Molly the Maid #2) by Nita Prose
This book could be used to fulfill prompt #29 A book with a neurodivergent main character. April is Autism Awareness Month! I'm certain there is at least one member out there fitting the description of "knowledgeable navigator" to lead this discussion! Please message either Nadine or myself to volunteer! I really enjoyed The Maid and have started reading The Mystery Guest, so am posting comments/questions as I go. Please join in if you are reading or have read it! Discussion is so much better with more input!

The comprehensive listing of 2024 Monthly Group Reads resides HERE for your perusal and reference throughout 2024!
***

Question of the Week:
What’s the best book you read in March?
Great question, Nadine! Especially since you had to create one quickly! 😊 Thank you for stepping in!

My challenge lies in the fact that there was only one book I didn’t LOVE in March! LOL (So unexpected, I know!)
I read and loved (in no particular order):
Miss Benson's Beetle by Rachel Joyce
Joyce is one of my favorite authors!
Legends & Lattes and Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree
These were rereads for IRL book clubs!
Days at the Morisaki Bookshop (Days at the Morisaki Bookshop #1) by Satoshi Yagisawa, translated by Eric Ozawa
Definitely want to read the second installment which has also been translated. This book was short but provided much fodder for discussion!
Call Us What We Carry: Poems by Amanda Gorman was just as creative and approachable as I expected!
The Maid (Molly the Maid #1) by Nita Prose
A much more complex main character than I expected!
Partners in Crime, N or M?, By the Pricking of My Thumbs (Tommy and Tuppence #2-4) by Agatha Christie
One of the things I've loved most about this series is the immense diversity among these five books. If my life hadn't been disrupted, I would definitely have finished the fifth and last book in the series, Postern of Fate, but it'll be there whenever I get to return to it!

The one exception was We by Yevgeny Zamyatin, translated by Clarence Brown
I'm guessing that if I had never read a dystopian novel this would have been much more enjoyable for me. It tracks the main character's disillusionment with having been stealthily attracted to and recruited into a rebellious subgroup of the totalitarian-ruled society. This has been identified as the first dystopian novel which in turn inspired 1984 and Brave New World.

2024 READING CHALLENGES:
Popsugar: 22/50
Around the Year (AtY): 49/52
Read Harder: 13/24
52 Book Club: 37/52

FINISHED:
*N or M? (Tommy and Tuppence #3) by Agatha Christie ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ was amazingly well done! Christie is a master! I swear I suspected everyone, but a couple of my favorite ‘solutions’ did prove to be correct!
ATY: #2, #3-A book where at least one character is trapped, #23, #24, #25, #28, #33, #34-Doc, #37, #41, #43, #49
RHC: #24-2017: prompt #7 A book published between 1900 and 1950 (1941)
52 Book Club: #24, #29-1941, #32

*By the Pricking of My Thumbs (Tommy and Tuppence #4) by Agatha Christie ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ was surprising! I simply had no idea of the solution! Christie truly misled me! I’m thrilled to finish this series!
POPSUGAR: #31
ATY: #2, #3-A book where at least one character is trapped, #7, #17, #23, #25, #33, #37, #41, #43, #49
RHC: #23, #24-2015: prompt #2 A book written by someone when they were over the age of 65
52 Book Club: #14, #24, #30, #33

CONTINUING:
*Postern of Fate (Tommy and Tuppence #5) by Agatha Christie
So enthralling how Christie can weave a mystery!
*The Mystery Guest (Molly the Maid #2) by Nita Prose
Join the Monthly Group Read discussion if you are reading or have read it!
*I Have Some Questions for You by Rebecca Makkai looks as if it may be dark academia
*1984 by George Orwell (pen name)
*...And Ladies of the Club by Helen Hooven Santmyer
A priority forApril!

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

Just FYI: my husband has suffered a stroke and I am using this discussion as my one grounding activity beyond trying to care for him!

I do have one question...

How does it make you feel to have (view spoiler)[the death announced right away in the beginning and then spend the rest of the book trying to figure out how, why, and by whom? (hide spoiler)]
This doesn't bother me at all. Especially for this series since I particularly enjoy following Molly's thought process as she works to identify the details. I contend that if humans would simply make room for each of us to understand our world in our own unique ways life would be ever-so-much better for all of us! We do not all think in the same ways and we should accommodate all individual thought processes. End of rant... 😁

I hope to have an opportunity to read more later today and will post comments/questions. However, I highly encourage anyone reading this currently or having read it in the past to post your own thoughts... That makes for a much better discussion, IMO!

AF wrote: "1) Have you read the first installment in this series, The Maid? I did and I LOVED it. I just love Molly. I listened to it on audible and the narrator did a fantastic job."
I love her as well! Good to know the audiobook is a good one!

"2) If you have read the first installment, did you enjoy it? Did anything about it surprise you? The ending. :)"
Ah! I was a bit surprised as well. Using spoilers can you list what surprised you?"
(view spoiler)[I was surprised by her willingness to be in a relationship with Juan! Surprised but very happy for her, as long as he continues to treat her well! :) (hide spoiler)]

"3) What specific expectations do you have for this book? I just hope it's as good as the first."
Me, too!

:4) Are you planning to use this book to fulfill prompt #29? If not, which Popsugar prompt will you use it to fulfill? It will be for prompt #29."
👍😊

Britany wrote: "I'm about halfway through (I think) - I'm listening to the audio and I'm enjoying it."
Wonderful!

Rose wrote: "I read this book earlier this year and enjoyed it!"
Great!

My copy is in hand and I’m starting to read. Stay tuned!

Just FYI: No one else volunteered to lead a discussion of The Mystery Guest for this month and my copy is to be delivered tomorrow, so I have posted some pre-reading questions and will do my best to lead a discussion!

Having just finished The Maid, I'm really anxious to see what she does in this second installment!

I'll begin...
1) Have you read the first installment in this series, The Maid?
I sure did!

2) If you have read the first installment, did you enjoy it? Did anything about it surprise you?
I did enjoy it. It made me think and consider just how complex people can be, regardless of diagnoses and subsequent expectations for behavior, etc. It did surprise me. I was not expecting Molly to do some of the things she did...

3) What specific expectations do you have for this book?
I will alter my initial expectations I had prior to reading the first installment and expect Molly to be a much more complex character than I initially expected!

4) Are you planning to use this book to fulfill prompt #29? If not, which Popsugar prompt could you use it to fulfill?
Maybe someone will die in the first chapter? (prompt #27)
Maybe it will take place over the course of just 24 hours? (prompt #24)

I find it interesting that each book I read fulfills just 2-3 prompts for the 2024 Popsugar challenge, when in the past, each book usually could be used to fulfill at least 5-6 prompts! Wild!

Some pre-reading questions:
1) Have you read the first installment in this series, The Maid?
2) If you have read the first installment, did you enjoy it? Did anything about it surprise you?
3) What specific expectations do you have for this book?
4) Are you planning to use this book to fulfill prompt #29? If not, which Popsugar prompt will you use it to fulfill?

I read five books this week! That's more than I've been finishing, so I am pumped! LOL

And I had one that didn't fulfill ANY Popsugar prompts! I can't remember that ever happening before... Interesting!

2024 READING CHALLENGES:
Popsugar: 22/50
Around the Year (AtY): 49/52
Read Harder: 13/24
52 Book Club: 37/52

FINISHED:
*We by Yevgeny Zamyatin ⭐⭐ was definitely not my jam! I became aware of this book as I prepared for the author event with Masha Gessen. Gessen had written the forward to this 2021 Penguin Classic edition. This book is cited as the first dystopian novel written/published and supposedly served as inspiration for 1984 and Brave New World. I reread BNW after 50+ years just 4 years ago and definitely got much more out of it than I did as a preteen! As expected… I am now rereading 1984 after the same amount of time, as a follow-up. What I mostly remember about Orwell’s book is that it was scary…and it is! 😊
POPSUGAR: NEW #19, NEW #21 (English translation first published 1924), NEW #26 (According to Wikipedia!)
ATY: #3-A book with a “leap,” #4-green and/or blooms are only in the world beyond the wall, #6, #7, #15, #20, #24-Orange, #25, #27, #29, #33, #34-HAPPY, NEW #35, #36-“O” was a teacher, #41, #48
RHC: NEW #5, #8-Russia, #24-2016: prompt #7 A dystopian or post-apocolyptic novel
52 Book Club: #24, #26-Classic/Sci-Fi/Dystopian, #30, #33, #36, #47

*Bookshops & Bonedust (Legends & Lattes #0) by Travis Baldree ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ for an IRL book club held up so very well on a reread! I just adore Baldree’s writing and everyone at the book club meeting hopes for many more in this series…and soon!!! LOL Typically all I would have to read is the word “necromancer” to be totally put off, but Baldree makes it work so well!!
POPSUGAR: #2, #10, #11, #14, #38
ATY: #1, #2, #3-A book that helps you reflect or recharge, #23, #24-Green, #28, #33, #34-DOC (Highlark), #37, #38/#39, #40-Stonebacks, #41, #44, #52
RHC: #1, #20, #23, #24-2017: prompt #3 A book about books
52 Book Club: #2-I could small all the lovely odors emanating from Maylee’s baked goods as described!, #3, #14, #24, #26-Romance/Fantasy/Mystery, #30, #43, #49-Murk

*Call Us What We Carry: Poems by Amanda Gorman ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ for our monthly group read was absolutely amazing!! Gorman is so creative in so many ways! What a talent and skill this woman possesses!! Definitely up for reading anything she writes! This was a collection of some of the most accessible and relatable poems I’ve ever read!
POPSUGAR: #2, #4, #11-poetry, #31, NEW #48
ATY: #1, #3- A book written by a female or non-binary author which won an award that’s also open to male authors (2022 Goodreads Choice Award for Poetry), #7, #14, #17, #25, NEW #42, #45-Nonfiction/Poetry, #48-#3 A book that fits a suggestion that didn’t make the final list--
A book related to “civil rights” or “human rights”
RHC: #24-2015: prompt #17 A collection of poetry
52 Book Club: #14, #26-Nonfiction/Poetry, #30, #43

*The Maid (Molly the Maid #1) by Nita Prose ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ left me questioning in the immediate aftermath of reading it… Mainly questioning whether I believed it, but when I reviewed Molly’s other actions, I discovered I did. It fit. This was really not what I was expecting, but read quickly and I felt Prose’s depiction of Molly was genuine and realistic. One thing I have learned in life—each individual displays varied symptoms/behaviors for whatever affliction they may have to deal with. And many times, given the correct encouragement and environment, individuals may well exceed anyone’s/everyone’s expectations with unexpected development. However, never underestimate the possibility of a person being much more complex than one might expect! My copy of the second book in this series, The Mystery Guest, should arrive later this week or early next. I am anxious to read it!
POPSUGAR: #2, #27, NEW #29, #33
ATY: #3-A book featured on a list for a media or celebrity book club (GMA), #17, #25, #33, #38/#39, NEW #47
RHC: NEW #19, #24-2019: prompt #13 A book written by or about someone who identifies as neurodiverse
52 Book Club: NEW #1, #10, #14, #24, #31, #32, #41-GMA Book Club

*Partners in Crime (Tommy and Tuppence #2) by Agatha Christie ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ was even more enjoyable to me than the first book in the series! Christie’s sense of humor is perfect for me! There were some intriguing mini-mysteries! (Finished this while waiting for my husband to finish his medical test!)
ATY: #2, #3-A book where at least one character is trapped, #5-London, England, #17, #25, #33, #37, NEW #43
RHC: #24-2017: prompt #7 A book published between 1900 and 1950 (1929)
52 Book Club: #24, #29-1929, #30, NEW #50

CONTINUING:
*I Have Some Questions for You by Rebecca Makkai looks as if it may be dark academia
*1984 by George Orwell (pen name)
*...And Ladies of the Club by Helen Hooven Santmyer
A priority forApril!

PLANNED:
*The Mystery Guest (Molly the Maid #2) by Nita Prose
*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

I came home from the gym last night and completed this draft and almost went ahead and posted it at 12:39AM this morning), mistakenly thinking I was to start the thread this week and then realized as I was preparing to paste this into the comment box…it was Nadine’s turn to start! Whew! 😉

My husband had a medical test scheduled late this afternoon, and I had received a birthday coupon from Benihana, so I treated us to supper there this evening before coming home! Excellent food, and of course it is an experience to have them cooking right in front of you. We shared a table with a family of 5 (mom, dad, 3 daughters aged 14, 8, and 3) and they made it fun! Whew! No more going there for a long time…too much food and a bit out of my price range! LOL But both of our birthdays are in March, so I called it a joint celebration! And I have leftovers! 😁👍

A list! 😊 National Book Foundation’s 5 Under 35 honorees for 2024:
https://www.nationalbook.org/awards-p...

A Dewey Readathon is scheduled for 8AM on Saturday, April 13, to 8AM on Sunday, April 14! And they have prereadathon challenges and activities!! Check out their facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/groups/dewey...) for weekly Bingo sheets! Very creative!!

***
ADMIN STUFF:
The MARCH MONTHLY GROUP READ is Call Us What We Carry: Poems by Amanda Gorman! This book could be used to fulfill 2024 prompt #48 A collection of at least 24 poems. World Poetry Day is celebrated on March 21!
Joanna is the "marvelous manager" leading this discussion! Kudos to her!! THANK YOU, Joanna! 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏 I assumed I would greatly enjoy this poetry collection, and I did!

JUNE MONTHLY GROUP READ FINAL SELECTION POLL IS LIVE!
The June Monthly Group Read Final Selection poll is HERE! This book could be used to fulfill Prompt #18 A book set in space.
Here are the books to consider:
Floating Hotel
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy #1)
The Deep Sky
Illuminae (The Illuminae Files #1)
The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet (Wayfarers #1)
Project Hail Mary
Go vote, please! 😁

DISCUSSION LEADERS NEEDED FOR APRIL AND MAY!
THE APRIL MONTHLY GROUP READ is The Mystery Guest (Molly the Maid #2) by Nita Prose
This book could be used to fulfill prompt #29 A book with a neurodivergent main character. April is Autism Awareness Month! I'm certain there is at least one member out there fitting the description of "knowledgeable navigator" to lead this discussion! Please message either Nadine or myself to volunteer! I did read The Maid and am awaiting arrival of my copy of The Mystery Guest!

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'm certain there is at least one member out there fitting the description of "guru guide" to lead this discussion! Please message either Nadine or myself to volunteer! I have wanted to read this one so badly!! Glad it was selected!

The comprehensive listing of 2024 Monthly Group Reads resides HERE for your perusal and reference throughout 2024!
***
Question of the Week:
What are some upcoming releases you’re looking forward to this year?
So many!!
I want Mary Robinette Kowal’s 4th book in the Lady Astronaut series, The Martian Contingency, to finally arrive!! I don’t know when, but I will definitely pre-order it! I trust it will appear in 2024…but…
Here is my list thus far:
The Storm We Made-Vanessa Chan (January 2, 2024) DEBUT
First Lie Wins-Ashley Elston (January 2, 2024) Reese’s Book Club
Holmes, Marple & Poe: The Greatest Crime-Solving Team of the Twenty-First Century-James Patterson & Brian Sitts (January 8, 2024)
Come and Get It-Kiley Reid (January 9, 2024)
Soundtrack of Silence: Love, Loss, and a Playlist for Life-Matt Hay (January 9, 2024)
The Curse of Pietro Houdini-Derek Miller (January 16, 2024)
Maude Horton's Glorious Revenge-Lizzie Pook (January 16, 2024)
The Diamond of London-Andrea Penrose (January 23, 2024)
Legacy: A Black Physician Reckons with Racism in Medicine-Uché Blackstock, M.D. (January 23, 2024)
Be a Revolution: How Everyday People Are Fighting Oppression and Changing the World--And How You Can, Too—And How You Can, Too-Ijeoma Oluo (January 30, 2024)
The Excitements-C.J. Wray (pseudonym for Chrissie Manby) (January 30, 2024)
Saint X-Alexis Schaitkin (February 4, 2020)
The Things We Didn’t KnowElba Iris Pérez (February 6, 2024)
The Women-Kristin Hannah (February 6, 2024)
The Framed Women of Ardemore House-Brandy Schillace (February 13, 2024)
End of Story-A.J. Finn (February 20, 2024)
The Other ValleyScott Alexander Howard (February 27, 2024)
Max in the House of Spies: A Tale of World War II-Adam Gidwitz (February 27, 2024)
Wandering Stars-Tommy Orange (February 27, 2024)
Finlay Donovan Rolls the Dice (Finlay Donovan #4)-Elle Cosimano (March 5, 2024)
Paper Dragons: The Fight for the Hidden Realm (Paper Dragons #1)-Siobhan McDermott (March 5, 2024) DEBUT
The Black Crescent-Jane Johnson (March 5, 2024)
The Hunter (Cal Hooper #2)-Tana French READ The Searcher FIRST!! (March 5, 2024)
The Secret Keeper-Genevieve Graham (April 2, 2024)
Clear-Carys Davies (April 2, 2024)
The Widow Spy-Megan Campisi (April 9, 2024)
How to Abolish Prisons: Lessons from the Movement Against Imprisonment-Rachel Herzing, Dustin Piche, foreword by Mariame Kaba (April 9, 2024 by Haymarket Books)
The Secret Language of Birds: A Treasury of Myths, Folklore and Inspirational True Stories-Lynne Kelly (April 9, 2024)
A Short Walk Through a Wide World-Douglas Westerbeke (April 9, 2024) DEBUT
Last House-Jessica Shattuck (May 14, 2024)
Enlightenment-Sarah Perry (June 4, 2024)
One of Our Kind-Nicola Yoon (June 11, 2024) Mystery/Thriller
Children of Anguish and Anarchy (Legacy of Orisha #3)-Tori Adeyemi (June 25, 2024)
Somewhere Beyond the Sea (House in the Cerulean Sea #2)-T.J. Klune (September 10, 2024)

I have yet to purchase any of those that have already been released! But that doesn't deter me from adding to this list! 😁

Documented books from this week to follow in a separate posting!

1. Are you a big poetry reader?
Definitely not. I don't dislike poetry, but I just don't fit it into my reading that often.

2. Whether you are or not, do you have any poet/poem/poetry book recommendations?
The Poet X was so amazing!
I listened to Long Way Down and now have a copy of the book and hope to read it this year. Loved the audio!
And finally, Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats was adorable!

Doni wrote: "The Women Are Up to Something: How Elizabeth Anscombe, Philippa Foot, Mary Midgley, and Iris Murdoch Revolutionized Ethics read for a library challenge for women's month. It was only mediocre. I felt like it didn't sufficiently capture the friendship between the women nor did it sufficiently explore their ideas. But before reading it, I didn't really know about any of these philosophers and now at least I have some leads for further reading about them."
It sounds very interesting. I've not read philosophy for a while...

"One Day: The Extraordinary Story of an Ordinary 24 Hours in America for prompt took place in 24-hour period and RL 900's. This was such a cool idea for a book! A journalist chose a day at random, Sunday, Dec. 28, 1986 and researched what had taken place on that day. He did an extraordinary amount of research, following up with people from the news articles he found. The only thing that would have made it better was that if our media focused more on positive stories."
What an interesting concept!

"Love Letters for Joy could be used for either prompt LGBTQIA romance or enemies-to-lovers romance. (Don't you find the THREE romance prompts a bit much?)"
Ha! Ha! I didn't even notice there were 3 romance prompts! LOL

"Started:
X: Straight Edge and Radical Sobriety for prompt title that starts with an X"
Huh. I might enjoy this one!

"QotW: My answer to this would actually be the book I'm currently reading. X is just a bunch of interviews with various straight edge bands. Although I've enjoyed learning a bit more about straight edge, the collection gets boring fast!"
Well, maybe I wouldn't enjoy this one after all!! LOL

I kept adding to this document last week, intending to post it but never did! Ugh. So here it is for THIS week! 😊

Still busy with other people these last two weeks. My husband’s birthday was Saturday so we went to his favorite restaurant with his best friend and his partner. It was such a good time! First time we’ve done that in a very long time. We stayed almost 3 hours talking, eating, talking, laughing, drinking lattes, cappuccinos, espressos, and hot chocolate, and…talking!!

The morning of Wednesday, March 13, I was suffering from a “book club hangover”! LOL 😊 Two book club discussion group meetings in ONE day on March 12! It was a fun day!

The book club I facilitate has grown by one more new member who happens to be our most recently added member’s daughter. Our group now includes people aged 22-81! LOL I personally believe the more diverse a book discussion group is, the more interesting!

***
ADMIN STUFF:
The MARCH MONTHLY GROUP READ is Call Us What We Carry: Poems by Amanda Gorman! This book could be used to fulfill 2024 prompt #48 A collection of at least 24 poems. World Poetry Day is celebrated on March 21!
Joanna is the "marvelous manager" who has volunteered to lead this discussion! Kudos to her!! THANK YOU, Joanna! 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏 I am awaiting my copy to be delivered later this week! I imagine she recorded the audiobook version and can only imagine it must be a wonderful listening experience as well! I will be starting this today!

JUNE MONTHLY GROUP READ NOMINATION POLL IS LIVE!
Nadine has created the Nomination poll for the June Monthly Group Read HERE! This book could be used to fulfill Prompt #18 A book set in space.

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.
Here are the books currently under consideration:
Places in the Darkness
The Spare Man
Far from the Light of Heaven
Renegades (Renegades #1)
To Be Taught, If Fortunate
Floating Hotel
A Big Ship at the Edge of the Universe (The Salvagers #1)
The Scourge Between Stars
Dead Silence
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy #1)
The Deep Sky
Illuminae (The Illuminae Files #1)
The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet (Wayfarers #1)
Project Hail Mary
Since I have read several of these, I voted for one I have not yet read! Please help us out by voting! 😁👍

DISCUSSION LEADERS NEEDED FOR APRIL AND MAY!
THE APRIL MONTHLY GROUP READ is The Mystery Guest (Molly the Maid #2) by Nita Prose
This book could be used to fulfill prompt #29 A book with a neurodivergent main character. April is Autism Awareness Month! I'm certain there is at least one member out there fitting the description of "knowledgeable navigator" to lead this discussion! Please message either Nadine or myself to volunteer!

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'm certain there is at least one member out there fitting the description of "guru guide" to lead this discussion! Please message either Nadine or myself to volunteer! I have wanted to read this one so badly!! Glad it was selected!

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:
What is the most recent (or most memorable) book you have struggled to finish?
I ask this because I am STILL struggling to complete We by Yevgeny Zamyatin!! I know, right?!? I feel as if I’ve been reading this thing for months! And…it is a relatively ‘short’ book at just 199 pages! I am DETERMINED to finally finish it today! And I have my fingers crossed that by the end of this I feel as if it has ‘spoken to me’ in some way. It is supposedly the first dystopian novel published. Anything! Really! At halfway through it has finally appeared that just maybe there will be a tie-together. Finally. Please?!? Pretty please?!? 😉 (See, it even has me babbling! LOL)

Question of the Week: (FROM LAST WEEK!)
What are some of your favorite books from childhood? (up to age 10 or so)
Dr. Seuss are the first books that always come to mind for me! I LOVED them!

From then I went to mysteries: Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys, some Westerns (Zane Grey), and then books with animals, and then to some hard-core classics once I reached 12…

2024 READING CHALLENGES:
Popsugar: 18/50
Around the Year (AtY): 45/52
Read Harder: 10/24
52 Book Club: 34/52

FINISHED:
*Days at the Morisaki Bookshop (Days at the Morisaki Bookshop #1) by Satoshi Yagisawa, translated by Eric Ozawa ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ for an IRL book club. This book provided so much fodder for discussion! There was an usually large group of 12 at this meeting and it grew to be a bit wild, but we all really got a lot out of sharing our varied perspectives! There is a sequel, More Days at the Morisaki Bookshop, which most all of us would like to read, so hopefully that will be one of this group’s selections in a future month!
POPSUGAR: #14, #17-Japan
ATY: #3-A book with a leap (Kakako takes a “leap” by moving into Saturo’s bookshop), #14, #24-Green & Orange, #33, #37
RHC: #8, #20, #24-2015: prompt #7 Read a book set in Asia
52 Book Club: #9, #14, #15, #30, #43

*Legends & Lattes (Legends & Lattes #1) by Travis Baldree ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ reread for an IRL book club. This was the third time I’ve read this and I foresee coming back to it off and on in the future! I just adore these characters as well as the plot! I trust Baldree is working on a second installment, Legends & Lattes #2!!
POPSUGAR: #2, NEW #10, #11-Romance, #14, #27, NEW #37, NEW #38
ATY: #2-Before Your Memory Fades (Before the Coffee Gets Cold #3), #3-A book with a strong sense of place, NEW #19, #24-Green, #27-land to have a coffeeshop, #33, #34-HAPPY-Viv!, #37, #38/#39, #44, #46, #49-Laney, #50, NEW #52
RHC: NEW #1, #24-2015: prompt #6 Read a book written by a person whose gender is different from your own
52 Book Club: NEW #12, #14, #24, #26-Romantasy, #30, NEW #36, #43

*The Seven Year Slip by Ashley Poston ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ was quite an enjoyable read! (I read it back in February and am just now getting it documented.) Although it is a romance it was complex enough to hold my attention. And very few sexual details! YAY! I was very pleasantly surprised and would definitely read more of her writing!
POPSUGAR: #17, #35
ATY: #3-A book involving politics, public service or publicity at any level, #5-NYC, #6, #16, #24-Orange, #32, #33-time travel, #34-HAPPY, #44, #49
RHC: #24-2015: prompt #13 A romance novel
52 Book Club: #3, #4, #5, #9, #10, #14, #22/#23, #24, #28, #30, #43

CONTINUING:
*...And Ladies of the Club by Helen Hooven Santmyer
A priority for March/April!

PLANNED:
*Bookshops & Bonedust (Legends & Lattes #0) by Travis Baldree for an IRL book club
*Call Us What We Carry: Poems by Amanda Gorman for our monthly group read
*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

Heather wrote: "I’m surprise struggling with the prompt “a book set 24 years before you were born.” I need a book set in 1960. It’s really difficult to Google for these books because “a book set in 1960” returns a..."
Wikipedia-Year in Literature for 1960:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1960_in...
That's how I did it! 😁

This is a booklist from February, but I thought there were some interesting books listed…https://link.harpercollins.com/view/5...

Still seem to spend time helping others in my world, but that should be slowing down now…”should be” is the key term!!! I want to get back to more reading!!

Weather has turned more spring-like here. Rain every few days and more temperate/consistent temperatures. Ahhhhh…

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ADMIN STUFF:
The March Monthly Group Read is Call Us What We Carry: Poems by Amanda Gorman! This book could be used to fulfill 2024 prompt #48 A collection of at least 24 poems. World Poetry Day is celebrated on March 21!
Joanna is the "marvelous manager" who has volunteered to lead this discussion! Kudos to her!! THANK YOU, Joanna! 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏 I am awaiting my copy to be delivered later this week! I imagine she recorded the audiobook version and can only imagine it must be a wonderful listening experience as well!

MAY MONTHLY GROUP READ FINAL SELECTION POLL IS UP!!
The final selection poll for the May Monthly Group Read is HERE! This book could be used to fulfill prompt #41 A memoir that explores queerness. You will be asked to select just one book from these final 5:
All Boys Aren't Blue
Not My Father's Son
Gender Queer
Pageboy
Another Appalachia: Coming Up Queer and Indian in a Mountain Place
THIS POLL WILL BE AVAILABLE THOUGH TUESDAY, MARCH 12!! GO VOTE!! 😉 PLEASE! 😁👍

DISCUSSION LEADER NEEDED FOR APRIL!
The Mystery Guest (Molly the Maid #2) by Nita Prose
This book could be used to fulfill prompt #29 A book with a neurodivergent main character. April is Autism Awareness Month! I'm certain there is at least one member out there fitting the description of "knowledgeable navigator" 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 you own any “coffee table” books? If so, what is your favorite? If not, what one book might you purchase as a “coffee table” book?
I kinda can’t believe I’m asking this question… I no longer own a “coffee table”! In fact, this got me wondering exactly what I did with mine the last time I moved. (That was 23 years ago, so I guess I’m forgiven for not immediately remembering! LOL) But then I remembered, one of my sons wanted it so I gave it to him. (They moved my bigger furniture that wouldn’t fit in my car for me, and although I paid them to do it, I was also generous in giving them furniture my husband and I didn’t need, etc.) But I kept my “coffee table” books!! Though they now reside on an extra-tall bookshelf! Most of these were obtained as “Bargain Buys” from either Borders or Barnes & Nobles years ago…

Quite a variety! They are:
Leonardo Da Vinci
Izis: Captive Dreams: Photographs 1944 - 1980
Wild & Scenic Indiana
I Dream a World: Portraits of Black Women Who Changed America
Van Gogh and Gauguin: The Studio of the South
Indiana 24/7
Van Gogh's Flowers
The World Of Agatha Christie
Art of the Western World: From Ancient Greece to Post Modernism
Georgia O'Keefe
The Organic Garden
Healing with Crystals and Chakra Energies

My favorites are the Van Gogh/O'Keefe/Gauguin books!

2024 READING CHALLENGES:
Popsugar: 15/50
Around the Year (AtY): 42/52
Read Harder: 9/24
52 Book Club: 32/52

FINISHED:
*Miss Benson's Beetle by Rachel Joyce ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I have previously read and enjoyed two other books and one short story by Rachel Joyce. I admit that while reading this I would intermittently wonder exactly what I was reading! I just kept wondering how it was all going to work out! And I admit to being a bit surprised by the ending... It was quick and quite unexpectedly poignant! I think I enjoyed reading Joyce's notes about how she ended up writing this book almost as much as the book! It certainly provided excellent perspective, IMO! And her interview was quite sweet! Although there was quite a bit of action and plot was relevant and moved along, I still think of this as a character study. I really enjoyed it even if it did throw me off balance several times!
POPSUGAR: #2
ATY: #3- A book with a character dealing with mental health or cognitive challenges (PTSD-Mundic), #6, #10-Historical Fiction, #15, #17, #23, #24-Orange, #25, #27, #28, #29, NEW #31, #33, #36, #46
RHC: #24-2016: prompt #24 A book with a main character with a mental illness (PTSD-Mundic)
52 Book Club: #3, #6, #9, #10, #14, #18, #30, #31, #33, #43, #51

*Cool. Awkward. Black. edited by Karen Strong ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ was such an excellent short story anthology/collection! Glad to read more work written by any/all of these authors!!
POPSUGAR: #2
ATY: #3-A book title that seemingly refers to one or more characters in the book, #9-355 ratings, #14, #24-Purple, #33, #44, #45-short story anthology, #49
RHC: #21, #24-2015: prompt #3 Read a collection of short stories
52 Book Club: #14, #30, #43

CONTINUING:
*Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa, translated by Eric Ozawa for an IRL book club
*Legends & Lattes (Legends & Lattes #1) by Travis Baldree reread for an IRL book club
Both of these book club meetings are on the same day! One in early afternoon and the other in the evening!! LOL What a wonderful day that will be!! 😋
*...And Ladies of the Club by Helen Hooven Santmyer
A priority for March!

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

Denise wrote: "L Y N N wrote: "Denise wrote: "Question of the Week
Did your parents try to restrict what you read as a kid?
My parents wouldn't know what a book was if it hit them on the head. My family at worst ..."
I had to laugh that she can't find anything to read among all your books!