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: "Happy Thursday again!!! We've been having some cool weather here, and today started out with low clouds and high humidity. It's still cloudy, but the sun is breaking through now and it's a pleasant late August day. The crickets or cicadas or whatever they are outside are making an unholy racket that I'm sure is at least 75 decibels loud. My yard is full of Queen Anne's lace, and the goldenrod is about to start blooming."
Interesting. Queen Anne's Lace is treated like a weed here! ;) Though I learned a very long time ago, a "weed" is simply an "unwanted plant" and any plant can be considered to be a weed by any one person. :)

"I'm back from the beach and sad about it, but also happy to be back home. My mom does not have a fenced in yard (AND she lives one block from the bay) so I would walk my dogs to the park by the bay first thing every morning (even before my coffee!), and that's a habit that I really should work into my daily life, but ... have I? No of course not! But I have the BEST of intentions. I'll take them for a walk again later today ... tomorrow ... this weekend. I'll for sure be walking a lot tomorrow, because we move my daughter back into college tomorrow."
Isn't it weird how we know we should change something but it seems so difficult to do that sometimes? You'll be plenty busy driving and moving I'm sure! I hope she enjoyed her first year and is looking forward to the second!

"This week I finished 2 books, 1 for this Challenge, so I am now 40/50."
So it will be interesting to me to see which of us finishes first. I venture to say you will...but we shall see! :)

"Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel - this was amazing! I have loved the last three books I read by Mandel, so I went in with HIGH expectations, and I was not disappointed! I never say this, but: her writing is just so beautiful!!"
Oh, my, I clicked to see what this was about since I have yet to try one of her novels, and I guess the main character is much like me..."exiled from polite society following an ill-conceived diatribe at a dinner party"! Sounds exactly like something that might be said about me! LOL This is the first of hers that truly sounds interesting to me. I guess because I can identify with the MC! :)

"Little Threats by Emily Schultz - this was my choice for "blurbed by a favorite author" - It was entertaining but not amazing (especially since I guessed the killer right away!). I'm not sad that I read it, anyway. I rarely have good luck when I have to pick a book recommended by a favorite author, so I'm please that this was at least a fun read. It's like the authors I love do not read books I love, so I'm pleased that I at least enjoyed the book. Of course, she may have been contracted to blurb this and maybe she didn't actually love it at all - I don't know how those things work."
I don't know how that works either although I've heard authors say that books are simply sent to them sometimes and then if they want to 'endorse' it they can or not...

"QotW
Great question! I've been doing this Challenge since 2015, so I do not have ONE simple answer. Most of my favorites are from that first challenge, actually - I had never done a reading challenge before, and I guess the sheer thrill of it made everything feel more fun.

When the category is "your favorite past category" I always fall back on the 2015 category "read a graphic novel" because I love graphic novels and they don't always fit into any other category very well. But that's not necessarily my favorite category!

Also, in 2015, I read AND LOVED two books that I never would have read otherwise: Station Eleven (for "a number in the title") and Big Little Lies (for "antonyms in the title") so those two books were my most memorable challenge experience, but I also wouldn't say that those were my all-time favorite categories.

I guess the category I liked best, that managed to combine an eye-opening experience and a fun scavenger hunt and a good book, was in 2018: "read a sub-genre you've never heard of." That was the year I learned that "cli-fi" was a subgenre! (I read The Water Knife, or maybe The WindUp Girl, I don't really remember - I didn't LOVE love the book, but I learned about a sub-genre that I'd already been reading and enjoying.) Of course, I don't particularly want to see that category again, because after researching it for the 2018 challenge, I doubt there are many sub-genres left that I have not heard of!!"
You always make me laugh! It is amazing what we can learn or discover anew via reading challenge prompts!

"I brought 18 books with me on my vacation, and I only read THREE of them, so I've got quite the backlog of library books staring at me right now. I wish I had time to read all of them!!!"
I am laughing so hard! You and I should NEVER vacation together! I would have packed at least 10-12 books myself! LOL Although our vacation would most likely be inexpensive in that we would simply sit and read? LOL

"Did anyone watch Buffy? You remember that scene from season 6 when Willow becomes Dark Willow, and she marches into the magic shop and grabs a bunch of magic texts and puts her hands on the pages and just ... absorbs all the words? I wish I could do that!!"
Ah, yes. THAT! That is the superpower I want! LOL

Ellie wrote: "Urgh, I picked up a stomach bug somewhere. I guess now I don't travel on gross trains and use shared office toilets, my immune system has got lazy!"
Those are no fun! Hopefully you'll recover quickly!

"It finally rained. If course when I had a hospital appointment and had to walk in it. But it's cooled down lots now which is nice. Shame the water companies can't cope with too much rain and flushed all the sewage into the sea. If you visit Britain, don't venture in to the sea a day or two after heavy rain!"
Oh, my! I had no idea...

"Finished:
The Monsters We Defy by Leslye Penelope for ATY (second of three continents). The author describes it as a fantasy heist novel set during the Harlem Renaissance. I liked learning that a lot of the characters were real people and I feel I understand this movement a bit better."
That's so cool! It's on my TBR listing and she wrote the Earthsinger Chronicles of which I need to read the second installment. (Hopefully in September) I am planning a Harlem Renaissance Challenge for myself in 2023. I already have at least 10 books sitting here to read for it!

"The Secret of Life: Rosalind Franklin, James Watson, Francis Crick, and the Discovery of DNA's Double Helix by Howard Market for ATY (Jewish author). This was so dry and the audiobook narrator was also dry. It seemed like he'd just put all his research into book form, like I don't need to know about everyone's parents. I only gave it three stars since it does attempt to right the wrongs against Franklin."
Yeah, Isaacson gave a rough timeline for how they screwed her over in The Code Breaker: Jennifer Doudna, Gene Editing, and the Future of the Human Race.

"The Cat Who Saved Books by Sōsuke Natsukawa for ATY (fauna). Not my favourite Japanese cat book, felt it was edging into book snobbery at times."
I've read two Japanese cat books this year! But, ooohhh, I definitely want this one!!

"My Killer Vacation by Tessa Bailey for a book I know nothing about and this is why it's probably not a good idea to read books at random. More sex than plot and I didn't like the possessive alpha male in it."
Ugh. Definitely not one I would enjoy...

"QOTW:
I am not sure I can remember all the good ones, the terrible ones stay with me longer!"
That happens sometimes!

Dubhease wrote: "Happy Thursday.

I feel behind in my reading because of having Covid on vacation. I am still reading one of the books I thought I'd be done by now. But, Goodreads is saying that I'm 2 books ahead, so I guess it's just perception."
I do that to myself as well. I expect to have something completed and then feel completely behind if it isn't...

"Finished:
The Halloween Tree"
Looks to "horrorish" for me...

"Currently reading:
The Summer Tree - about 60% done
Bunny - about 10% done
Reading with my kids:
At Home in Mitford - 19/24 chapters
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - 28/37 chapters"
Quite a varied list! :)

"QOTW: So many to pick. Sometimes the prompt was great, but I picked a "meh" book, which wasn't the prompt's fault.

Over the years, PS and other groups have had cover colour prompts. I've discovered some great books because of that. PS had a mostly pink cover and I discovered Riley Sager and started reading his backlist. Lullabies for Little Criminals was a great discovery for a mostly green cover."
That's so cool!

Nadine in NY wrote: "Lynn wrote: "Happy happy THURSDAY and POPSUGAR CHECK-IN! :)

The sun is shining so brightly this morning! It’s only 73°F but so BRIGHT! That always makes me automatically more cheerful!

I have been naive all this time, because it never occurred to me that slaves built our Presidents' homes in the South. I always just pictured the slaves working in the fields or doing domestic work like laundry or cooking, or nannying, or maybe clearing land for roads. I never pictured them building houses and digging wells. And I definitely never considered that they built Monticello."
Perhaps not all president's homes were built using slave labor, but when slavery was the way of the land, I guess it was the most logical alternative? The whole thing wreaks, IMO, but it was a different time...

K.L. wrote: "Happy Thursday, everyone!

It has been a very busy week! I am currently house hunting, and trying to get all of the excess junk out of my condo before my upcoming move. I’ve done a decent amount of work this week, but there is so much left to do!

My current project is cleaning out the storage closet. I’m currently about three-quarters of the way through my clean out, which means that the storage closet looks great, but my bedroom is an absolute disaster. I’ve managed to get rid of a ton of junk though, which is awesome. I’m hoping to finish today and move on to my bedroom and office closets tomorrow.

Despite how busy I’ve been, I did manage to do quite a bit of reading this week! My biggest accomplishment for the week was definitely finishing the Fairy Tail manga, but I was also finally able to catch up on my ongoing manga series.

I never got around to starting a new novel this week (too focused on my manga collection, I suppose), but I did have the chance to finish reading a couple of really interesting nonfiction titles."
Sounds like a very productive week!

"Goodreads: 426/200
TBR Checklist: 369/1058"
Wow. Just wow. :)

"Finished Reading (Nonfiction):
~Lucrezia Borgia: Life, Love, and Death in Renaissance Italy
~The Art of the English Murder: From Jack the Ripper and Sherlock Holmes to Agatha Christie and Alfred Hitchcock

Finished Reading (Manga, Comic Books, & Graphic Novels):"
Sooooo many! :)

"QOTW:
I don’t know that I have an absolute favorite reading prompt, but I did really enjoy how last year’s POPSUGAR advanced prompts were all related to our TBRs. I really liked that I didn’t have to borrow or buy something new to complete those prompts."
Yeah, you're right! Those were some good prompts!

Happy happy THURSDAY and POPSUGAR CHECK-IN! :)

The sun is shining so brightly this morning! It’s only 73°F but so BRIGHT! That always makes me automatically more cheerful!

I discovered what seemed to me to be an exceptionally interesting listing of books here: https://www.womensprizeforfiction.co.... The Women’s Prize is coordinating a new competition to celebrate 100 years of Good Housekeeping. They have launched a “Women’s Prize x Good Housekeeping Futures Award.” Each author must be female and under the age of 35. A panel of judges composed this list of 10 finalists for the Futures Award and I had only one of these books on my TBR listing, but now have all but 2 included! The majority of these sounded like amazing reads to me! Thought some of you may be interested!

ADMIN STUFF:
It’s a poll! LOL ;) The nomination poll for our 2022 December Monthly Group Read is HERE! This will satisfy prompt #1 A book published in 2022! I would normally add that before you nominate a book, PLEASE do NOT forget to check the listing of those books that CANNOT be considered/nominated for the December 2022 group read HERE! But, as Nadine mentions in the poll posting, we haven’t had a book published in 2022 as a monthly group read this year, so we should be good to go!

The August Monthly Group Read discussion of The Dog Stars by Peter Heller which can be found HERE! Erica is the "marvelous manager" leading. The August "I Finished!" thread is HERE! This book can be used to fulfill prompt #35 A book with a constellation on the cover or in the title. The theme was selected for August to coincide with the Perseid Meteor Shower which is typically from mid-July to around mid-August. It was expected to peak August 11-12 this year.

We currently have THREE Monthly Group Reads still needing discussion leaders:
1) September: a “savvy superstar” to lead the discussion of Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas
2) October: a “knowledgeable navigator” to lead the discussion of The Ex Hex (The Ex Hex #1) by Erin Sterling
3) November: an “official organizer” to lead the discussion of The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune
Please message either Nadine or myself to volunteer!

The comprehensive listing of Monthly Group Reads for 2022 is HERE.

QUESTION OF THE WEEK:
List one of your absolute favorite reading prompts of all time and the book you read to fulfill it. (This could be from any reading challenge, not just POPSUGAR!)

Interestingly, I have discovered that in the aftermath of challenges my favorite prompts are those for which I discovered totally unexpectedly exceptional-to-me books! That is the case for this answer…
Prompt #10 from the 2021 Read Harder Challenge: Read an SFF anthology edited by a person of color

Although when I first read this prompt I thought “What?!?” I doubted there were many books available to fulfill the prompt… And although there were not a ton, I did read A Universe of Wishes: A We Need Diverse Books Anthology edited by Dhonielle Clayton which was an outstanding compilation of SFF short stories! I ended up with many books authored by these same writers on my TBR and now in my “I own it!” piles!

Tracking the ATY process for 2023 prompts got me thinking about this and trying to create some of my own prompts!

Though I am STILL not quite caught up with documenting books, (I have made some progress!) my challenge totals are:
Popsugar: 43/50
ATY: 50/52
RHC: 17/24

FINISHED:
A SPECTACULAR READING WEEK FOR ME!
*Parable of the Sower (Earthseed #1) by Octavia Butler (5 STARS) was an amazingly scary and yet thought-provoking read for me. This book epitomizes “found family,” IMO. I appreciate the spiritual foundation for Earthseed—God is change. (I would personally delete any reference to a deity, but that’s just me.) Change is performed by people and as a result people change. (Yes, I’m definitely paraphrasing.) Though there was brutality sprinkled throughout, unfortunately, I could see the US becoming just this backward and uncivilized. Though as an eternal optimist, I trust there will be a critical mass of humans who will finally motivate positive change in our world. I have ordered a copy of the sequel Parable of the Talents to read and venture to say I will try more of Butler’s books in the future. I was impressed!
POPSUGAR: #9, #25, #31-Climate Change, #36, NEW #39, #40-2019: prompt #43 An “own voices” book, #44/#45, #46
ATY: #4--A book related to Shelley's poem Ozymandias (Nadine’s proposal): …passion…despair…decay…, #7, #16, #24, #29, #31-1993, #34, #35, #36, #37, #40-The Lovers, Strength, Justice, Death, Temperance, Judgment, The World, #41, #43, #44, #49
RHC: NEW #8, #13, #24-2021: Read a book you’ve been intimidated to read

*Chirp by Kate Messner (5 STARS) was so very much more than I expected! It tackled several very important issues and did it very well: climate change/food sources, sexual harassment, family changes, small business entrepreneurship. The characters felt realistically portrayed. Highly recommended, especially for younger females! Thoroughly enjoyable and enlightening!
POPSUGAR: NEW #7, #19, #24, #25, #28-during summer break from school, #36, #38, #40-2017: prompt #51 A book about a difficult topic
ATY: #1-Anna, #4-A book whose cover depicts your favorite kind of weather, #7, #14-2,148 ratings, #16, #21-a dog, #34, #36-Crickets=Protein, #40-Strength, Justice, Judgment, The World, #41, #49, #50
RHC: #24-2016: Read a middle-grade novel

The Locked Room Mystery mystery (Nursery Crime #2.5) by Jasper Fforde (5 STARS) was a hilarious short story published in the Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/books/200...
Not using for any challenges. Just curious about Fforde’s writing which I found to be enjoyable to read.

*A Study in Honor (The Janet Watson Chronicles #1) by Claire O'Dell (5 STARS) was a great read! Anxious to read the second installment. Also anxious to see what others in the book club thought!
POPSUGAR: #9, #25, #31-War, #40-2015: prompt #41 A book written by an author you’ve never read before, #44/#45
ATY: #4- A book related to Shelley's poem Ozymandias (Nadine’s proposal): …lifeless things…hand that mocked them…, #7, #13-Janet is a surgeon, #14-1.408 ratings, #19, #40-Strength, Death, Judgment, The World, #44, #49
RHC: NEW #21-Sherlock Holmes & Doctor Watson, #24-2020: prompt #21 A book with a main character or protagonist with a disability

* One Italian Summer by Rebecca Serle (5 STARS) was an excellent read for me. Not only did I experience Italy via Serle’s vivid depiction, but this was a story I could relate to in so many ways. An oppressive overbearing mother and the aftermath of her death while only in her early 60s. The difference between Katy and myself is that I refused to allow my mother to rule my life as an adult. I also had the influence of my grandmother’s constant presence in my life to help offset my mother’s obsessive behaviors. But poor Katy had to totally remake her life… I even shed a few tears…
POPSUGAR: #1, #19, #25, #27-Holiday=Vacation, #36, #40-2016: prompt #25 A book that takes during the summer, #42
ATY: #1-Adam, #4-A book whose author is younger than you, #7, #15, #22-Katy and Carol, #29, #30, #37, #40-The Lovers, Strength, Death, Judgment, The World, #41, #42, #43, #51
RHC: #24-2020: prompt #10 A book that takes place in a rural setting

*Mrs. 'Arris Goes to Paris (Mrs. ‘Arris #1) by Paul Gallico (5 STARS) was absolutely charming and not nearly as “Pollyannaish” as I feared it might be! First released in 1958, it was straightforward and succinctly told! Anxious to read the second installment in the series. It will be a nice and enjoyable bit to rotate among some heavier reads! In the end, people matter much more than a brand-new designer dress!
POPSUGAR: #9, #22, #24, #25, #28-Holiday = Vacation, #40-2015: prompt #3 A book that became a movie, #42, #46, #49/#50-Paris, France
ATY: #1-Ada Harris, #4-A book written by an author you might like to meet, #7, #11, #14-2,862 ratings, #25-157 pages, #27/#28-Mrs. ‘Arris Goes to, #31-1958, #35, #40-Strength, Judgment, The World, #41, #50
RHC: #11, #24-2020: prompt #7 A historical fiction novel not set in WW II

CONTINUING:
*Beloved by Toni Morrison
*Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston is nothing like what I expected. I consider it a glimpse into everyday life.
*The Hemingses of Monticello: An American Family by Annette Gordon-Reed continues with a closer look at Jefferson’s actual life with the Hemingses once he has them at Monticello. He did separate some of the children for a few years, but then reunited the family at Monticello once it was finished enough to do so. Just the building of Monticello was quite an undertaking. First, enough dirt and rock had to be removed to “shave the top off the mountain” before digging foundations and basements for building construction could even begin! And then the well. That required 46 days to excavate 65 feet of mountain rock they hit water—almost twice the depth of a ‘normal’ well in Virginia at the time. As you might guess, in the 1770s there was no machinery to aid in these tasks—slaves had to do it all manually. Quite a thorough discussion of slave women: working in the fields vs working in the household. None of the Hemings women worked in the fields. This would be considered highly irregular among African cultures where fieldwork was mainly the responsibility of females. However, in the US black females were NOT typically treated more like white females, but that is exactly how the Hemings females were treated at Monticello! TJ kept Hemings males working closest to him as Butler, manservant, etc. It is rather assumed from what little evidence is available (and some DNA testing of descendants in the 1990s), that some of the Hemings women fathered children with white workers/craftsmen who were hired to help oversee the building of Monticello. So, to my mind, they were to serve as “entertainment” for the white males… Ugh.

PLANNED:
August Buddy/Group Reads: (only 4 more to go!)
*Last Call at the Nightingale (Nightingale Mysteries #1) by Katharine Schellman
*The Ghost Bride by Yangsze Choo
*Alex Cross's Trial (Alex Cross #15) by James Patterson

STILL PLANNING THESE BELOW AS WELL!
*Marjorie Morningstar by Herman Wouk
*The Beautiful and Damned by F. Scott Fitzgerald
*Ordinary Girls by Jaquira Díaz
*Death Comes to Pemberley by P.D. James
*Cleopatra: A Life by Stacy Schiff

Felicia wrote: "Challenge Progress: PS 30/50

Finished:
The Space Between Worlds (PS book with a parallel reality) 4 stars. I really liked chemistry of the main couple. I also thought it was an interesting detail that the only people who could survive to travel to multiple worlds are people who were dead in multiple worlds. In other words, people who don't generally live safe lives. It made for an interesting backstory to the main character."
I am intrigued by this one.

"The Song of Achilles (PS #BookTok book) 3 stars. I did love the relationship with Achilles and Patroclus. The author's writing style was also excellent and very readable. It's just sometimes hard to read the Greek myth stuff with its not good treatment of women and the extreme cruelty of their gods."
While I love both of Madeline Miller's books and while it was fascinating to hear her talk of mythology, I have never really been attracted to or read mythology. I had a best friend while in grade school who inhaled all mythology, but not me. Your reasons kinda hit home for me. Both of those things are abhorrent to me...

"Coming Up:
Year of the Reaper (PS pacific islander author)"
I really loved this one! Hope you enjoy it!

"The Romantic Agenda (PS book with ace character)"
This looks like it might be fun!

"QOTW:
If you could vacation in any bookish location you’ve read about, which would you choose?

I'm gonna choose my favorite book from childhood. I always wanted to go to the Kingdom of Wisdom and taste the letters in the Word market from The Phantom Tollbooth"
I have yet to read that book!

Tania wrote: "It is so hot here. Like walk outside and you are already dripping with sweat hot and humid. My husband was like this should be the last month, right, and I'm like it will be like this until October... he has selective temperature memory I guess lol."
Or maybe just wishful thinking? LOL

"I finished a couple of books this week:
Flesh Worn Stone by John A. Burks Jr. - I have no idea why this was on my kindle, I could not have known the content and still purposely bought it, it is so graphic. Warning - rape, cannibalism, extreme violence, and more. I almost didn't finish. Used for social horror prompt."
Oh, my... At least you fulfilled that prompt, I guess. And you survived the experience!

"QOTW: Having read so many novels about the Tudors and English royalty, I'd really like to visit England. Also, if fantasy worlds count, Narnia."
I imagine wherever you would like works!

Sarah wrote: "Hi everyone. Currently melting in yet another heatwave. My fan is my best friend right now."
Oh, ugh! Sorry about that!

"This week I finished Blood of Tyrants. I'm kind of on the fence with this one. I love Laurence and Temeraire's bond but everything seemed extra contrived in this. It's especially convenient that (view spoiler) and then the whole Napoleon section bored me. I'll read the final one still but probably not straight away."
That made me laugh! Definitely contrived! ;)

"Currently reading: The Whitby Witches which is really creepy for a kids book. I would have loved it when I was younger. It is a little dated though. I don't know many people these days who would let an eight year old and an eleven year old they've just met explore their new town alone on their first day and not even give them a curfew. How times change!"
So true about times being different now!

"Also reading Winter's Orbit. I just started this one but I almost missed my bus stop because I was so engrossed; which is a good sign."
Yes. Definitely a good sign!

"QOTW: I'm so hot right now i feel like saying the Antarctic base from Away with the Penguins but I'd probably get cabin fever pretty quickly. Maybe go on an under the sea cruise on the Nautilus or the deserted Thai island from The Beach (just minus the drug dealers)"
Yeah, cooler, and no drug dealers!

Ron wrote: "At this point I'm no longer going to compete with myself as to how many books I read each week. It was fun and everything but my reading goal for the year was 25 and I'm at a little over 50 at this point so I'm good. Anything after 25, and now 50 is just extra.

Plus, I tend to annotate my books so that takes up a lot of time. It also takes time since many of the ones I read are history related and those I don't read linearly. I jump from book to book since they're usually so long. Add in the fact that I'm a mood reader and it's difficult to sit still with just one book cover to cover."
Sounds like a plan! We all have different strategies and processes. Finding what works for us is the key! :)

"Currently though I am working through Touched with Fire: Manic-Depressive Illness and the Artistic Temperament. This is one I've read before but I'm annotating this time around."
Oohh..added to my TBR listing! Intriguing!

Kendra wrote: "Happy Thursday.

Stats:
PS: 41/50
ATY: 69/75
ATY Reread: 29/52"
Good progress!

"I finished:
Under the Whispering Door ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Prompt: ATY Reread: Goodreads Choice Nominee
I wasn't planning to reread this, but it called to me when I was in the library. I loved it just as much as the first time I read it."
I have a copy and hope to get to it next month!

"The Case of the Girl Who Took Her Shampoo (But Left her Mini) ⭐⭐⭐
Prompt: ATY: A book related to a tarot card (Justice)
I think I might have liked this because I liked the tv show. the artwork wasn't great and if I hadn't already been familiar with the character, I might have DNF'd it."
A pass for me!

"QotW
I want to go to the Gertrude Hunt - The Inn from Ilona Andrews's Innkeeper series. A magic inn that can reshape itself to be exactly what you want with an amazing chef - pretty perfect if you ask me."
Ooohhh...that sounds perfect!

Teri wrote: "I haven't been able to read everyone's posts the last few weeks, so I hope no one has been having interesting discussions without me. haha"
Of course not! LOL

"Finished
Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret.: Special Edition by Judy Blume - 4 stars
I've been meaning to read this book for decades, and really wish I had read it when I was 12 (although I suspect it would have been banned in my neck of the woods). It was interesting reading as a 62yo woman, however. It was fun remembering the things that worried 12yo girls. And I had completely forgotten our chest muscle exercises to "We must, we must, we must increase our bust." Delightful!"
They didn't work for me! LOL I have yet to read this one!

"QOTW:
I always think of The Enchanted April by Elizabeth von Arnim. An Italian villa by the sea with lots of beautiful gardens, and a few strangers who become friends sounds like a delightful way to spend April. Since the book was written in 1922, I would like a few more modern features though."
Ooohhh! Ooohhh! *hopping up and down* That sounds like one I would enjoy!

Cornerofmadness wrote: "Did a little reading before the beginning of the semester insanity."
Hopefully that will help you retain some sanity! :)

"For the prompt A book set on a plane, train, or cruise ship I read The Eidlerland Incident by Geoffrey Mandragora. ships and submarines, close enough as far as I was concerned."
Seems obscure, but it certainly has a high rating!

"For the prompt A book about the afterlife i read In the Night Room by Peter Straub. It had a complex afterlife set up in the first half then got very creepy in a bad sexual way in the second half, do not recommend"
Thanks for the warning! Wouldn't be on my TBR anyway with HORROR being the most common GR classification!

"QOTW I decided to limit this question to books read this year and of course I read a lot of SFF so that's an issue.

I would love to go back to Wales as I've not seen the area in On Deadly Tides by Elizabeth J. Duncan Also I'd like to see Scotland such as in Bravely by Maggie Steifvater. Granted this is both historical and fantastical in setting but hey Scottish castles are possible"
Indeed!

Katelyn wrote: "Checking in on time this week!"
You sure beat me! :)

"I have made a mental-health decision to work less and read more this week and I am happy to say I finished two books!"
That sounds like a healthy plan to me!

"Finished:
Once There Were Wolves. This was a beautiful book and I wished I sat down and read it in one sitting but it took me almost a month to finish."
Looks like one I might enjoy...

"Ask Again, Yes. A really good family saga that spans over 30 years. It moves along pretty fast."
Already on my TBR and probably one I should read soon!

"QOTW:
I am torn between The House in the Cerulean Sea and the cabins from The Hunting Party which are remote so I can curl up and read and use the "no reception" excuse for not responding to anyone."
Love it! LOL

Erica wrote: "Happy Check-In!

I've had a great week despite worrying about covid. So onto the BOTM pick The Dog Stars about a post apocalypitic/post coughing pandemic world and survival. Yep great timing, oh well. I'll be posting new questions shortly."
Ha! Ha! Definitely an inviting intro! LOL

"Currently Reading:
Politically Correct Holiday Stories: For an Enlightened Yuletide Season"
I would think there's plenty of opportunity for humor in this one!

"QOTW:
The first thing that jumped into my head was Northern Spain from The Spanish Love Deception. I read this earlier this year and for some reason it stuck. I really like other people's answers of Rivendell and the Crazy Rich Asians vacation."
I'd be up for CRA! :)

Dubhease wrote: "I spent most of the second week of my two week vacation being sick, either with covid or the 'flu (I never tested myself). I lost reading time and didn't get to have much fun. I'm not as far along in the 3 books I was going to read as I would have thought."
Ugh. So sorry you've been sick! And it does suck when you're unable to read much! Trust you are feeling much better!

"Finished:
Home Before Dark
ATY prompt: A book with a time-related word in the title
Popsugar prompt: A book with two POVs
(summer prompt: A book with a twist)"
Well, you did finish one! :)

"ATY - 33/52
PS- 28/35
Series -10/13
Clearing my TBR list: 26/40"
Making good progress!

"Reading with my kids:
At Home in Mitford - 17/24 chapters
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - 25/37 chapters"
Awww...I do miss reading to my kiddos!

"QOTW: Just the location? Or in the book? I'd love to see Dublin, but without a crime-fighting skeleton. I'd like the island in The House in the Cerulean Sea, but without the anti-Christ or the island in And Then There Were None without the serial killer."
I love your qualifiers! LOL

Ashley Marie wrote: "Lynn wrote: "I keep wanting to read this one, but it's difficult to find used copies. I guess I should break down and pay for a new one..."

Mayhap the library has it?"
Perhaps. I just don't do libraries. (Stubborn, aren't I? LOL)

Kim wrote: "I'm going to be reading The Wonder, by Emma Donoghue (It's also becoming a movie in 2022!)"
That is becoming a movie? I love Donoghue's writing and I read this one. But...not sure I can envision a movie from this that I would want to watch. But that's just me...

Nadine in NY wrote: "YOU GUYS!!! There is a new book coming from Deanna Raybourn, it sounds fantastic (if you like books about sexagenarian assassins, which I believe I do), and it's got a KNIFE on the ..."

OMG! I have yet to read one of her books, though I have A Curious Beginning next to my 'reading chair'! The whole theme of this plot is bizarre and yet somehow...intriguing! LOL

Sarah wrote: "Random question for all the Murderbot fans here.

My library has just got Network Effect but I haven't read Exit Strategy yet. (I did download it when it was free f..."
Having binge-read the whole series through earlier this year, I would recommend reading them in sequence. I just feel as if Murderbot's development and progression makes more sense... Plus, previous scenes are referenced in the newer releases...

That said, I don't think you can go wrong reading Murderbot! Period! LOL