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.

K.L. wrote: "Good morning, everyone!

I've managed to come down with some sort of respiratory illness since my previous update, so it’s been kind of a lousy week. I don’t think I’ve been exposed to Covid, but as a precaution, I went and got tested yesterday morning. I’m currently waiting for the results."
Sure hope it's negative!

"I haven’t felt like doing very much this week, and I’ve spent most of my time lying on the couch in front of the television, alternating between re-watching Father Brown and sleeping."
Sounds like good medicine!

"As a result, my reading has slowed down considerably. I did decide to take a little break from reading manga to focus on Gail Carriger’s The Custard Protocol series, which has been fun. I’m currently on the final book in the series, and hope to finish it before the weekend."

"QOTW:
I don’t know if I would choose to have a contemporary author as a roommate, but if I could choose an author from another time I would pick Agatha Christie"
It doesn't need to be someone still alive! LOL

I wonder what she was like in real life? It would be intriguing to find out, I think!

Chandie wrote: "I promised myself I would do these check ins regularly but then it's been like 3 weeks..."
Hey, we are here whenever you can make it! And always glad to have you join us!

"Book published in 2022
I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetys. YA historical. The best book I've read so far this year. Set during the Romanian Revolution. Highly recommend."
Oohhh...that reminds me that I own three more of her books after I read and adored Salt to the Sea. I keep looking at them... 😁

"The Belle and the Beard by Kate Cantebary. Contemporary romance. I just picked a random book I had in my kindle app (either a twitter or tik tok recommendation I'm sure, I buy them and forget them) and I really loved it."
It's so cool when a book pleasantly surprises you like that!

"The Golden Couple by Greer Henricks and Sarah Pekkanen. Contemporary thriller. Seriously readable…kind of fell apart at the end for me but I enjoyed it the most out of their books"
I need to catch up with their books! I loved the first two!

"Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson. YA fantasy. I gave it 3 stars when I finished it a couple of weeks ago but I don't remember much of it now so…."
You made me laugh! I never cease to be amazed at the way I remember much of some books and very little of others!

"Reaper of Souls by Rena Barron. YA fantasy. I hate the multiple POVs that pervade fantasy. If this was a straight 3rd person narration, I'd probably continue the series but I got lost among all the voices who didn't have distinctive enough voices."
I think it would be difficult to track numerous characters when listening if the voices are not distinctively different from each other.

Tania wrote: "Hello! Happy Thursday. February is a big birthday month in my family so the celebrations continue. I'm sending out more cards today for those who don't live nearby, and we've had some nice outings this month with those who do."
Sounds fun!

"Good luck on your readathon Lynn!"
Thank you!

"Finished this week:
Jack & Jill by James Patterson - a reread, but it's been so long since the first time that I read it that it really felt new lol. I love the Alex Cross series although I have never read them in order (nor have I read the whole series). Used as a prompt for a few other challenges, including my 50(51) states challenge (for DC)."
That was not my favorite thus far... I am just finishing #9 in the series.

"Back When We Were Grownups by Anne Tyler - this has been on my TBR for a long time, and I enjoyed it more than I expected to. Used for "a book featuring a party.""
I've had it on my TBR forever as well! LOL

"Alone in Rehoboth Beach by Susan Parker Rosen - did not care for this book (or the series), but I was struggling for a book set in Delaware so I gave it a try. Do not recommend. Used for "a book you can read in one sitting.""
At least it was short! 😋

"I'm at 5/50 for the challenge, and now that Lynn is worried about picking up the pace (and is at 20) I'm super worried lol. But my goal this year was to complete the 50(+DC) states challenge first this year and I'm 8/51 there."
LOL If not for that Women's Prize prompt last year I probably would have finished much earlier. I simply put off (and kept putting off) Bel Canto which I ended up enjoying much more than I thought I would...but that ending proved to be just as tragic as I had feared from the beginning... *sigh*

"QOTW: Fun - and difficult - question! I think I would like to be roomies with Janet Evanovich, who was really down to earth and personable when we met her."
I can't imagine that she wouldn't have an excellent sense of humor and be fun!

Nadine in NY wrote: "Happy Thursday! It's another SUPER WINDY day here! This is the fourth or fifth major windstorm we've had this winter - I don't remember so much WIND in the past years, I have to assume this is another sign of massive global climate change. Our house number hangs against the house on hooks, so it goes BANG BANG BANG in the wind. I finally just took it down - we're not expecting any packages today, no one needs to find my house! It's 50 degrees F outside, which feels so warm and balmy to my winter-adjusted skin. We are getting some rainy drizzle, if this keeps up, soon the snow in my yard will melt and I'll be dealing with MUDDY PAWS every time I let the dogs out."
Oh, yeah. Yet another advantage of felines! I do not allow my kitties outside... They entertain themselves quite well inside. 😊

"A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry - this was on my personal challenge list of books I must read this year; it was phenomenal, just as several of you had said it would be. I have no idea why it took me so long to get around to reading it. My daughter had it assigned in high school English class. I think I was reading A Glass Menagerie or something assigned at that age; this play would have been more meaningful."
Isn't it just great?!? I thought it was just about perfect!

"No One Is Talking About This by Patricia Lockwood - another Tournament of Books choice, this was very weird, and I gave it five stars (which makes it my highest rated ToB read). The audiobook was well done, and it was a quick listen because it was oddly compelling. CW, however, for death of an infant (which no one warned me about!! - I generally avoid books that involve missing, kidnapped, or dying children), and I finished this on a day when my college daughter made an impromptu overnight visit home, and the combination of a baby daughter dying and my own daughter leaving again was too much for me. This book made me cry, and I don't like crying when I read books."
Ooohhh...wrong book, wrong time! But at least you felt it to be a worthwhile read!

"Playlist for the Apocalypse: Poems by Rita Dove - I just finished this last night. I loved her previous book so much, I actually pre-ordered this one, but I was disappointed, most of the poems did not connect with me."
Poetry is so hit and miss IMO.

"coming soon:
I put the audiobook for Moon Witch, Spider King on hold as soon as I could, and I guess I got in at the front of the line, because a copy is available to me NOW and I am very excited to start!! (And it's 30+ hours of audiobook so I need to start NOW if I'm going to finish within the borrowing term.) Sorry, Mona Awad, your book (which I have not started) is going back to the library for now. Move over, Klara, I'll have to finish you later!"
How exciting!

"QotW
LOL that is such a difficult question. I have no idea what these authors are really like in real life, but their characters are always very chill and their social media personas seem good, so I'm going to say Bryn Greenwood or Kristen Lepionka"
I have not read any of their books...

Nadine in NY wrote: "Lynn wrote: "I keep reminding myself I really do NOT want to be finishing the 2022 POPSUGAR challenge at 11:30PM on December 31! (As happened in 2021!) Planning to work on Popsugar prompts more in March as a result! t..."

I share the same concerns hahah! Finishing at the end of December last year was PAINFUL.

You're already at 20/50, so I'd say you're in excellent shape and in no danger of a last-minute finish!"
Fingers crossed! 🤞😁

Katy wrote: "I finished Buenos Aires: The Biography of a City as the first of my two sister city books.
This looks very informative.

I'm about halfway through 1812: A Novel as my book with blurbs on the cover. John Jakes AND James Michener. Two of my favorites. Frankly because of that, I was expecting a bit better.
Nonfiction can read rather blandly a lot of times... Hope this picks up for you!

"QOTW: I haven't the foggiest clue. Just because I like someone's work output doesn't mean that we would be at all compatible. And i don't follow author's personal lives. Maybe JK Rowling."
Fair enough. Rowling certainly has a unique life experience! And boy, is she ever prolific and talented as a writer!

And here it is again! A happy Thursday! Good day to you all! And Happy Week Ahead!

We've gone from close to 0 temperatures with ice and snow to near 60 degrees and LOTS of rain! Weather! You just never know what to expect...

An ATY Team Readathon begins this Saturday, February 19 and runs through Sunday, February 27. The 27th just happens to be my middle son’s 42nd birthday! Gee! He’s getting to be middle-aged! LOL I’ve been pulling some shorter books aside to consider once I see what the prompts are, and now am trying to determine which of these shorter books are written by black authors so I can hopefully fit them into the Readathon prompts! My list thus far:
1) Beasts of No Nation by Uzodinma Iweala
2) The Butler: A Witness to History by Wil Haygood
3) Quicksand by Nella Larsen A Harlem Renaissance book!
4) Twelve Years a Slave by Solomon Northup
5) The Chase (Lionboy #2) by Zizou Corder
6) The Truth (Lionboy #3) by Zizou Corder
(Zizou Corder is a pseudonym for a mother-daughter duo, one of whom is black.)
7) Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates I've wanted to read for forever!
8) Granta 148: Summer Fiction edited by Sigrid Rausing
A collection of short stories from diverse authors:
Nuar Alsadir (poetry)
Julia Armfield
Jem Calder
Te-Ping Chen
Matthieu Gafsou (photoessay on transhumanism with introduction by Daisy Hildyard)
Ben Lerner
Sara Majika
Magogodi oa Mphela Makhene
David Means
Haruki Murakami
Thomas Pierce
Adam O’Fallon Price
Amor Towles
9) Our Time Is Now: Power, Purpose, and the Fight for a Fair America by Stacey Abrams
10) So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo
(the last 100 pages)
11) Get a Life, Chloe Brown (Brown Sisters #1) by Talia Hibbert
(last 100 pages)

Admin Stuff:
It’s a final selection poll for May’s monthly group read! Please vote here! This can be used to fulfill prompt #15 A book written by a Pacific Islander author. The four top vote-getters were:
The Whale Rider by Witi Ihimaera
The Bone People by Keri Hulme
Breadfruit by Célestine Hitiura Vaite
Year of the Reaper by Makiia Lucier

You can find the ongoing February discussion thread for Get a Life, Chloe Brown (Brown Sisters #1) by Talia Hibbert here. You can post the book(s) you have read to fulfill prompt #18 A romance novel written by a BIPOC author here. Sherri is doing an amazing job of providing questions and prompting discussion! Thank you, Sherri! I am leaving a bit over 100 pages to finish it this weekend for the ATY Readathon.

Question of the Week:
If you could select one author as a flatmate/roommate, who would you choose? Why?
I have met quite a few authors and the one who probably impressed me as possibly being a compatible personality with mine was Laurie R. King. She is just who she is. She isn’t all fancy and dressed up, no matter the location or event. And she strikes me as being a very straightforward, approachable, and honest person. She is one of the few authors I felt I would like to be friends with just for her personality…

Popsugar: 20/50
ATY: 38/52
RHC: 6/24
I keep reminding myself I really do NOT want to be finishing the 2022 POPSUGAR challenge at 11:30PM on December 31! (As happened in 2021!) Planning to work on Popsugar prompts more in March as a result!

FINISHED:
*The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ was a great read! Perhaps Amy’s life wasn’t as perfect as it seemed... And in the end, Ethan and Olivia become a couple and I can only hope for a “happily ever after” ending for them!
POPSUGAR: #25, #28-“holiday” as “vacation,” #38, #40-2019: prompt #21 A book written by two female authors, #46-Ethan and Olivia, #47
ATY: #1-Amelia/Amy, #4-A book relating to Catch-22, #7, #15, #19, #29, #35, #40-The Lovers, Strength, Justice, Judgment, The World, #41-food poisoning, #49
RHC: #24-2019: prompt #4 Read a humor(ous) book

I was so impressed with Bluebird, Bluebird (Highway 59 #1) by Attica Locke ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ that I ordered the second installment, Heaven, My Home, after having read only 47 pages of this book! And boy, do I wish I had that book right now! What an ending! I want to see what's next for Darren!
POPSUGAR: #25, #26, #38-honoring his friend’s ‘innocence’, #40-2017: prompt #51 A book about a difficult subject—ethics
ATY: #4-A book whose author is younger than you (born the year I graduated from high school!, #29-the bayou, #36, #40-The Lovers, Strength, Death, Justice, Judgment, The World, #41-Geneva Sweet’s Sweets served food and was one of the few places serving people of color over a large area when established, #43, NEW #48, #49
RHC: NEW #19, #24-2018: prompt #21 A mystery written by a person of color or LGBTQ+ author

I read Black Water Rising (Jay Porter #1) 9 years ago and although I remember much of it, as time allows in 2022, I am going to reread it before launching into Pleasantville, the second installment in Attica Locke's Jay Porter series. She is one of my all-time favorite authors!

Murder at Kensington Palace (Wrexford & Sloane #3) by Andrea Penrose ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for a February buddy read. Another absolutely excellent and enjoyable installment in this series!! Can’t wait for next month and the fourth book! We all agree that watching these two young boys grow and develop is one of the most enjoyable aspects of this series!
POPSUGAR: #9, #25, #40-2020: prompt #27 A book featuring one of the seven deadly sins: PRIDE, #46-Both Julianna and her father as well as others!
ATY: #3, #6, #11, #14-3,935 ratings, #21-Top hat, #26/#27, #33, #35-A very rare plant was used as a snuff ingredient which helped identify the murderer(s), #37, #40-Justice, Death, Judgment, The World, #44, #49
RHC: #24-2016: A book of historical fiction set before 1900

CONTINUING:
*The Big Bad Wolf (Alex Cross #9) by James Patterson I am almost done with this one. More surprises for Alex and crew!
*Raybearer (Raybearer #1) by Jordan Ifueko for my favorite used bookstore’s book club meeting this Sunday.
*So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo for my University’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion group read. The discussion group meets again next week but I plan to go ahead and finish this, hopefully this weekend.
*Get a Life, Chloe Brown (Brown Sisters #1) by Talia Hibbert for our February Group Read! I am going to finish this since it is our monthly group read AND I have it listed on quite a few challenges, but overall, WTMI with the sexual details for me. I won’t be continuing the series…
***I am leaving at least 100 pages in each of these three above so I can finish them this weekend and use them for the readathon! (I've never strategized so much in advance of readathon!)
*Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston. Really want to get back to this one, but assume that probably won’t happen until March given the team readathon and my emphasis on black authors for February.
*Yes, Chef by Marcus Samuelsson to complete two 2021 challenges! And I want to finish in February, if possible!
*Hidden Valley Road: Inside the Mind of an American Family by Robert Kolker
*Paradise by Toni Morrison to fulfill the 2020 Reading Women prompt #25 A book written by Toni Morrison

PLANNED:
4 for March Buddy Reads:
*Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt
Daddy-Long-Legs (Daddy-Long-Legs #1) by Jean Webster
Murder at Queen's Landing (Wrexford & Sloane #4) by Andrea Penrose
*London Bridges (Alex Cross #10) by James Patterson
*The Comforts of a Muddy Saturday (Isabel Dalhousie #5) by Alexander McCall Smith
*The Lost Art of Gratitude (Isabel Dalhousie #6) by Alexander McCall Smith
To complete some 2021 year-long challenges:
1) *Marjorie Morningstar by Herman Wouk
2) *The Beautiful and Damned by F. Scott Fitzgerald
To complete the 2021 Read Harder Challenge:
*Ordinary Girls by Jaquira Díaz
*Death Comes to Pemberley by P.D. James
*Cleopatra: A Life by Stacy Schiff

Questions for chapters 8-14
Just a note: If not for the monthly group read I would DNF this book now. Too many sexually explicit details. Just don't need them. And this is why I always avoided romance... 😳

1. Chloe had developed skills to handle chronic illness & pain. While these skills have helped her stay independent have her coping mechanisms hindered her social life?
I believe so. It appears that it has. I get that. It is rather difficult because you feel as if you really can't make plans with others since you don't know how you will feel on that specific day...

2. Chloe's sisters & grandmother are good at respecting her independence without smothering her. How do her sisters & grandmother view Chloe without seeing a need to always mother her?
Her own mother should be as respectful! Not every mother would be as overprotective and overly-dramatic as is hers...

3. Chloe has an epiphany regarding her "Get A Life List" during her drunken night list with Red. What are your views on her insights?
I guess you're referring to the fact that she learned she needed to be flexible, so for instance, asking him what he would like to do...

4. Chapters 12-14 have many pivotal moments. Discuss moments that were pivotal to you.
My own "pivotal moment" was on the public monument. That combined with explicit description of Red jacking off absolutely made me want to DNF this. However, I'll finish it and be done with Hibbert's books.

This is just not my cuppa tea! 🙁

Sherri wrote: "Happy Valentines Day Everyone, I'm struggling with Good Reads. I haven't received notifications from any group in 3 days. I don't know if it's just me or everyone is having troubles. I will post ne..."
I struggle with Goodreads not working correctly so very often! I've just expected it not to work correctly and then I am very pleasantly surprised when it does! I often wonder if Goodreads would be better maintained if NOT a part of Amazon/Bezos' freakin' empire. *sigh* But we'll never know...

Katy wrote: "I finished Cloudsplitter as my Annisfield-Wolf award winner. I thought it was too long. I actually like long books, but only when they need to be so. This book was 758 pages and I think it could have been 400 and not lost anything."
This one sounds compelling!

"QOTW: I don't feel like I do enjoy short stories as much as longer books for the most part. I do like Washington Irving and Poe. But, given the choice, I prefer full-length books.."
I think I am the same way...

Mary wrote: "My pace continues to slow down. I'm not sure if it is because my workload has significantly increased, or if it is because I refuse to give up on a book that is just not working for me anymore."
You crack me up!

"I am 26/50."
That is impressive! 👍😁

"This week I finished:
See Her Die:
Drown Her Sorrows:
Right Behind Her:"
These look to be a bit too grisly for me though I do have the first one on my TBR listing...

"Currently reading:
Mexican Gothic: Will it ever end?!?!?!?...The writing is really well done, but the plot is blah! I know that's an unpopular opinion though."
Every reader's reaction is valid. Doesn't matter what others think... 🤗

"Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire: I think this might be one of the only times in the history of me listening to audiobooks that I listen to it at regular speed. I just never want it to end, but I'm also committed to finishing it by the end of the day. I have about 2 hours left to go."
I'm WAY overdue for my fourth reread of this series!

"QOTW:
I love short stories, especially within series. The best one that I can think to recommend though is not a part of a series. And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer was a beautiful, devastating read for me last year."
Of course! It's Fredrik Backman! I hadn't even considered the novellas within series! Good reminder!

Ashley Marie wrote: "In good news, we are experiencing a bit of a melt here in northeast Ohio; things are warming up for a few days before we get back to cold over the weekend. In good-and-also-meh news, the Olympics are back! I lovelovelove the games but they really eat into my reading time. Case in point: I was up til nearly 1am with figure skating last night and didn't read a word all afternoon/evening (also caught up on the newest Gilded Age episode. Loving this show). So my reading suffers, and I feel guilty, but I don't actually mind."
After not having had TV in my house for over 20 years I can honestly say that the ONLY think I genuinely miss is figure skating! I'm a bit jealous! LOL 😁

,"As such, I have finished nothing this week. And I've got the day off tomorrow for a dentist appointment, so I'm hoping I can get through one of my two audiobooks this afternoon."
They'll be there when you get to them. 👍😀

"Do you enjoy reading short stories in addition to full-length books? What are some of your favorites?
One of my other groups has a section specifically dedicated to contemporary short stories and through them I've really gotten into the format; I didn't used to read shorts, but it's really fascinating what people can do with fewer words. I'm also still working my way through Sherlock Holmes, and I have a handful of favorite spooky short rereads specifically for October."
It's fun when you discover something new-to-you that you enjoy, isn't it?

Leona wrote: "I have a copy of The Original Illustrated Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle. I read a story from time to ti..."
I have a copy of this same book and have yet to read any of it! 🙁

Nadine in NY wrote: "Good morning, good afternoon, and good evening, readers! Happy Thursday! Thursdays are the highlight of my week, I'm so glad we all found each other and can happily chat about our books."
Agreed! YAY US!

"It's still the middle of winter here in northern NY, but I'm sure some of you are seeing signs of spring (and some of you are maybe seeing signs of fall and some welcome cooler temps). If I did not have deep snow cover, I'd have snowdrops blooming under my maple tree right now."
You know, for most of my life I never even considered that different seasons were unfolding/playing out in various regions of the planet, but I think it is a neat concept! Climate varies in similar ways but at different times! I'm somewhat jealous of those who experience little to no snow and/or ice! ( I really should move south! LOL)

"*******************************************************************
Admin stuff
Our tie breaker poll results are in for April:
A Good Girl's Guide to Murder will be our group read for April's misleading title."
Haven't yet decided about this one...

"And we have a nomination poll open for May (a book by a Pacific Islander author):
Nominate a group read for May"
YAY POLLS! so many great suggestions...I'm really having trouble selecting just one!

"I always become unreasonably excited about a new poll. Why are polls so fun? It's not just me, right?!"
Me, too! 💘😁

"Weather Girl by Rachel Lynn Solomon - I had high expectations for this one because I loved The Ex Talk, but I was disappointed this time."
That's disappointing!

"Can't Escape Love by Alyssa Cole - this was a completely adorable romance! It might be my favorite in this entire series. It was a novella, and my only real complaint is that it was too short. I checked off "protagonist uses a mobility aid" with this one, since the heroine uses a wheelchair."
That's cool! I always wonder if her romances might be a bit too "romance-y" for my taste...

"Intimacies by Katie Kitamura - Another Tournament of Books choice; I was very meh about this book. It was good, but ... that's as far as it goes for me. I don't get all the raves."
Huh. I still need to read A Separation...and it is rated much lower than this one! Interesting...

"Question of the Week
This question was suggested last year by Lauren:
Do you enjoy reading short stories in addition to full-length books? What are some of your favorites?
Here are some of the five star reads on my shelf that I don't see mentioned very often around here:
A Lucky Man by Jamel Brinkley - this would be an excellent choice for Black History Month. I STILL think about some of these stories, and it's been a few years since I read them. I can't wait to see what he writes next!! (I check every few months to see if he's got anything coming up - nothing yet.)"
Ooohhh...I had that on my TBR listing, but have boosted it up!

"This Is Paradise: Stories by Kristiana Kahakauwila - this one would be perfect for a book by a Pacific Islander! This is another collection that has stayed with me over the years, and scenes from these stories will randomly pop into my head. And this is another author that I would love to read more from, I keep checking to see if she's had another book published. Nothing yet."
That's sad when there is no other publication! I added this one.

"Jesus' Son by Denis Johnson - this is a set of interconnected short stories, I listened to the audiobook read by Will Patton while I was on a business trip, and every time I'm back in that area I remember the stories vividly."
The only book of his I read was so noir that I really didn't enjoy it...

I try to resist the temptation to wash a small load of clothes at least once a day, and just run water in the kitchen sink…because I can! And to flush the toilet every time I am close to it. It is so nice to have working plumbing all over the house again!! LOL It’s the ‘little things’! 😊

We got at least 10 inches of snow last week and in an unprecedented move, our University allowed supervisors to determine whether staff could work remotely last Wednesday and Thursday, and then extended it to last Friday as well! I was sooooo grateful to not have to get out in that very cold weather and risk getting stranded. It did remind me that (at least for me) there were some benefits to the COVID lockdown, because that would have never even been a consideration in the past. Staff would have been expected to get here one way or another or use paid leave time to cover time off. Grateful, grateful, grateful!

Seems as if everyone close to me has now contracted COVID. Fortunately, my best friend who is very high risk (A-fib, diabetes, allergies/asthma, etc.) is experiencing no symptoms! Again, I am sooooo grateful for that! The others seem to be finally healing and coming through it. I just hope none of them become “longhaulers”! I am also grateful that my husband is simply home all day, every day, and therefore not exposed.

Just to build up your TBR pile(s) a bit higher…
1) 15 Fiction Books by Black Authors to Fall in Love With in 2022: https://www.nbcnews.com/select/shoppi...

2) Wow. For those of you who are interested, Goodreads has a listing of 60 Highly Anticipated Debut Novels here.

3) Tor.com article on Five Flawed Books That Are Still Worth Rereading: https://www.tor.com/2022/01/31/five-f...

Admin Stuff:
While I have already read Such a Fun Age, I’ve been uncertain about reading A Good Girl's Guide to Murder, but perhaps I’ll relent and join in the April monthly group read.

You can also post the book(s) you have read to fulfill prompt #18 A romance novel written by a BIPOC author here.

Looks as if we still need group discussion facilitators for March and April! Please message either Nadine or myself if you're interested! It's fun and a valuable service to our POPSUGAR community!

I plan to read more in Get a Life, Chloe Brown tonight and then continue participating in the monthly group read discussion that Sherri is brilliantly leading.

Question of the Week:
(from Lauren) Do you enjoy reading short stories in addition to full-length books? What are some of your favorites?
I don’t particularly search out short story collections, and I’m usually very picky about them, but I have discovered a couple of collections that I truly enjoyed.
1) The most recent is A Universe of Wishes: A We Need Diverse Books Anthology, edited by Dhonielle Clayton, which I read to fulfill the 2021 Read Harder Challenge prompt #10 An SFF anthology edited by a person of color. I got so many author names from this collection and have been watching for books written by them so I can try them in the longer format.
2) When I began getting back into reading a lot, one of the books that still sticks in my memory was The Secrets of a Fire King by Kim Edwards (author ofThe Memory Keeper's Daughter and The Lake of Dreams). Just excellent stories that made such an impression on me…

Popsugar: 20/50
ATY: 37/52
RHC: 5/24

I needed two books to finish an ATY Winter challenge that ends February 28 and the last two did that! Plus I’ve owned them for years and really wanted to read them! (And I thought I was being tricky because after reading The Guest Cat I would read The Lionboy and thereby fulfill Popsugar prompt #20 A book whose title begins with the last letter of your previous read, BUT there is no “The” before Lionboy in that title! LOL So the joke’s on me!) ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

FINISHED:
The Guest Cat by Takashi Hiraide, translated by Eric Selland ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ was just as poignant as I expected. I admit this was one time when I purchased a book for multiple reasons and one of those was for the cover! Not only is the kitty’s head adorable, but the title and its eyes are a reflective (metallic-looking) green! This wonderful little book describes a shared relationship with one cat between two different neighboring households. Chibi was a dear sweet companion.
POPSUGAR: #9, #24, #36, #40-2017: prompt #10 A cat on the cover, #49/#50 London and Tokyo
ATY: #1-Takashi, #7-Amazing how an animal companion can open people up, #14-2,803 ratings, #15, NEW #18-Asian, #21-Cat, #25-140 pages, #36, #40-Strength, Death, #41, #46-Chibi!, #50-the landlords
RHC: #24-2017: 11 prompt #11 Read a book that is set more than 5000 miles from your location. (>6,000 miles)

Lionboy (Lionboy Trilogy #1) by Zizou Corder ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (Zizou Corder is a pseudonym for a mother-daughter writing team!) Oh, my! I loved this book sooooo much! And I’m so glad I ordered the next two installments and they should arrive either today or tomorrow, hopefully by Monday at the latest! A great kids series, IMO! Charlie is a believable and to me, realistically portrayed, somewhat flawed “hero” to all!
POPSUGAR: NEW #2-Set on both a ship and a train, #25-Charlie can communicate in “cat”!, #36, #40-2015: prompt #7 A book with nonhuman characters, NEW #42-More than two, but mainly English and “cat”!
ATY: #1-Aneba, Charlie’s father, #4- A book related to Shelley's poem Ozymandias (Nadine’s proposal): traveller and …sneer of cold command…, Charlie is a traveller and he gets these sneering cold commands from both Rafi and Maccomo, #14-2,409 ratings, #15, #29, #31-2003, #36, #40-Strength, Justice, Judgment, #46-The Young Lion, #49
RHC: #24-2016: prompt #16 The first book in a new-to-you YA or middle grade series

Euphoria by Lily King ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ was an amazing read! I am enthralled by anthropological studies and the whole concept of supposedly ‘subjective’ “observation” as opposed to “exploitation.” This was quite the triangle of researchers to depict. If you are at all interested, I highly recommend it. It was also a quick read. King is now officially a favorite author for me. The first of her books I read almost 8 years ago, Father of the Rain, was such an excellent book that I have retained many of the details.
POPSUGAR: #9-Nell always made family amongst the tribe, #31-Fen definitely created his own disaster which affected them all, NEW #32, #37-There is quite a bit of discussion about gender identity within the tribes studied, #38-There were several, though Nell’s last one with the Tam women was my personal favorite, #40-2015: prompt #13 A book set in a different country—New Guinea
ATY: #1-Andrew Bankson, #4-…traveller from an antique land… All three of them traveled to indigenous tribal lands—definitely “antique”, #7-They tried to determine how the different tribes developed and behaved psychologically, #8/9/10-Australia, #11, #15, #20, #29, #35/36, #40- The Lovers, Strength, Temperance, Justice, Judgment, The World, #41, #43, #44, NEW #47, #49
RHC: #24-2017: prompt #11 A book set more than 5,000 miles from your current location

CONTINUING:
So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo for my University’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion group read. We are now through Chapter 5 and the second discussion will occur later today… I watched a couple of interviews with her and wow, she really pulls no punches, nor should she… I am taking detailed notes. I particularly appreciate the examples she provides to expand discussions to include systemic racism, just addressing “feelings” not being enough. Very interesting discussion of the definition of “racism” and why that matters. I intend to reread portions of Kendi’s How To Be an Antiracist and compare/contrast as well.
*Get a Life, Chloe Brown (Brown Sisters #1) by Talia Hibbert for our February Group Read! Anxious to finish this one!
*Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
*Yes, Chef by Marcus Samuelsson to complete two 2021 challenges!
*Hidden Valley Road: Inside the Mind of an American Family by Robert Kolker
*Paradise by Toni Morrison to fulfill the 2020 Reading Women prompt #25 A book written by Toni Morrison

PLANNED:
2 for February Buddy Reads:
*book:The Big Bad Wolf|6588] (Alex Cross #9) by James Patterson
Murder at Kensington Palace(Wrexford & Sloane #3) by Andrea Penrose
4 for March Buddy Reads:
*Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt
Daddy-Long-Legs (Daddy-Long-Legs #1) by Jean Webster
Murder at Queen’s Landing (Wrexford & Sloane #4) by Andrea Penrose
*London Bridges (Alex Cross #10) by James Patterson
*The Comforts of a Muddy Saturday (Isabel Dalhousie #5) by Alexander McCall Smith
*The Lost Art of Gratitude (Isabel Dalhousie #6) by Alexander McCall Smith
To complete some 2021 year-long challenges:
1) *Marjorie Morningstar by Herman Wouk
2) *The Beautiful and Damned by F. Scott Fitzgerald
To complete the 2021 Read Harder Challenge:
*Ordinary Girls by Jaquira Díaz
*Death Comes to Pemberley by P.D. James
*Cleopatra: A Life by Stacy Schiff

Theresa wrote: "Congrats Lynn on your repaired and functioning plumbing!

Did you find yourself flushing the toilet extra times just because you could???"

Actually, the next morning it overflowed. I refused to call him out on Wednesday or Thursday due to the snow and ice in our area, but when I called him this morning he was here within 20 minutes. The brand-new innards they installed had a broken part which prevented the seal from closing and stopping the water flow. LOL Sometimes I feel as if I just can't win! LOL But it's fixed now! Again. 😀

Jennifer W wrote: "Lynn wrote: "I guess this last Saturday, January 29, was National Puzzle Day, at least according to a Half Price Books email I received. I do miss jigsaw puzzles in my life, but with 4 cats I dare ..."
Oh, boy! That is tempting! Now where to put it... 😁

Jessica wrote: "Chap 1-7
1. When the reader catches up with Chloe Brown two months later she now lives in her own flat where Redford Morgan is the superintendent. Both have wrong impressions of each other. What lead them both to their wrong first impressions?
Red keeps seeing her/catching her yelling at people but, not catching why she is doing so. This coupled with her RBF makes her come off as mean to him. She also is snarky towards him, which doesn't help. As for Chloe, I think she just sees his appearance and job and stereotypes him as this biker loser guy."
I like the point you make about Chloe's initial impression of Red being discriminatory. I don't think I'd felt that was true, but it probably is. And I can relate about pain and discomfort making you seem grumpy and/or grouchy and/or bitchy to others. I have caught myself and I'm sure my husband could attest to the fact that has happened to me intermittently... It kinda feels like I am angry with the world and that I have a right to be! ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Jessica wrote: "Hello everyone! This is my first time participating in the monthly group read with the actual book chosen. I hope this will be fun. I'm looking forward to reading this book and know it will be a quick read, especially since it was technically due yesterday (eek!). They wouldn't let me renew it (there must be other holds on it) so I'm gonna read it quick and return it this weekend. Sorry to anyone out there waiting for this book."
Welcome, Jessica! I trust this will be enjoyable for you!

You have started out strong!

Get A Life, Chloe Brown (The Brown Sisters, #1) by Talia Hibbert questions chapters 1-7

1. When the reader catches up with Chloe Brown two months later she now lives in her own flat where Redford Morgan is the superintendent. Both have wrong impressions of each other. What lead them both to their wrong first impressions?
Each of them has past experiences that seemingly unfairly cloud their perceptions of the other person. Chloe has learned to use "snarkiness" as a way to put a wall up around herself to protect herself from becoming emotionally involved with anyone. (I'm a tad familiar with that coping strategy and being misunderstood when I am actually joking.) Poor Red. This Pippa in his past was obviously a no emotional attachment user of people. At least of Red. Since she was quite well off financially, he is now (understandably) prejudiced against such economically advantaged females. I thought this was all fairly realistic. After my first marriage, I literally had a listing of all the qualities a man must have before I would consider even dating him as well as a listing of the qualities I would never tolerate again...

2. What is your initial opinion of Chloe's "Get A Life" list?
Move out, Enjoy a drunken night out, Ride a motor bike, Go camping, Have meaningless but thoroughly enjoyable sex, Travel the world with nothing but hand luggage, Do something bad.
I thought it was pretty courageous of her to want to break loose from her family as a constant support and to diversify her life experience, especially given the limitations of her chronic pain and other disease symptoms. I was proud of her for trying to take some control over her life and expand her horizons. That took strength.

3. Red is compelled to help others. Does Red have a super big & kind heart or does he have co-dependent tendencies?
I think Red is just kind...perhaps to a fault sometimes, and yet, if you don't take time to be kind to others, what else is there? What other purpose do we really have to be in this lifetime if not for that?

4. Talia Hibbert's books reflect a change in the romance genre toward explicit consent during intimate scenes. What other changes does the reader, especially female readers, need to see to make the romance genre supportive of women?
Glad you mentioned "intimate scenes" since I truly did NOT need an explicit step-by-step description of a guy jerking off. I am quite satisfied with a brief one to two sentence mention. That's all I require... I feel as if this romance is giving the reader a much better insight to the male character's feelings, etc. than in other romances I've read. Though admittedly, I've not read all that many. I was grateful and surprised about all the times a male asked permission in People We Meet on Vacation. It makes me feel much more comfortable reading about sexual encounters and I can only hope this is much more the reality than not...

5. Against his better judgement Red agrees to help Chloe with her "Get A Life List". Is this a healthy decision for Red?
I believe Red is intrigued by Chloe and she has certainly piqued his interest as he gets to know her better and can recognize her intentions when communicating, etc. Red likes to help. Period. Plus I think it is good for him to learn to accept another woman besides Pippa who is well off financially. Perhaps it will help him get over her and to learn to trust others even if they are economically more secure than he is.