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.

Melissa wrote: "Hello! I'm not a very good employee this week either. There's all this end of month stuff I'm supposed to do (which broke), followed by the beginning of month stuff (which was already broken), plus all the emails from being off for a week and a half. And all I wanted to do was sleep. Which I did on Monday, taking a four hour nap after work."
Now that's what I call a REAL nap!! LOL

"I did not finish most of the challenges I had set for myself for 2021, and I returned all of the books to the library that I had no desire to read. And I'm okay with that."
It's all good! 👍😋

"I only started making my spreadsheet for the 2022 challenges today, so I have no idea where I stand for 2022 yet."
There's a whole year ahead!

"Finished This Week:
Up the Down Staircase by Bel Kaufman. A epistolary novel that's also a classic by a woman author. I have zero experience with being a teacher in New York Public Schools in the 50s/60s, so it was not something I connected to. The epistolary format (memos, meeting notes, interoffice communications, letters to a friend, transcripts) made it extremely fast to read, and that's the best thing I can say about it. I'm sure other teachers would connect to it far more than I."
This is on my TBR listing. I didn't remember the formatting...

"Setting Free the Bears by John Irving. I didn't finish this in 2021 like I intended, but I'm fine with that. It was extremely odd and I didn't like it. The middle section told the story of what the parents of one of the characters experienced in Austria and Yugoslavia during World War II, and that was the best part of the novel. The rest of it made little sense. It's John Irving's first book, so I hope his later ones are better."
I've read three of his. He's okay... I don't purposefully seek out his books.

"Across the Green Grass Fields by Seanan McGuire. Reread in prep for the new one. Still very good, even if I wasn't a horse kid."
That last comment made me chuckle!

"Where the Drowned Girls Go by Seanan McGuire. The next Wayward Children book, featuring how Cora is Not Okay after Come Tumbling Down. I loved this one, almost as much as I loved the first in the series. I hadn't connected to the other stories in the series since the beginning, despite being very well told, but I did with this one (despite not being a fat kid). Such a good book."
That's great!

"Ariadne by Jennifer Saint. All my paused library holds came off pause with the first of the year, so this was ready for me. Like Circe, I wasn't aware what became of Ariadne after the events on Crete, except that I knew Theseus didn't marry her. So I was surprised by how quickly everything on Crete happened and how much book was left after Theseus sailed away. But unlike Circe, I was then disappointed with how the rest of the book played out."
Though I'm not into mythology I did love Circe and The Song of Achilles. But I believe that was due to Madeline Miller's writing!

"Here and Now and Then by Mike Chen. This is a book I've had on my TBR for a while, because I love time travel and alternate histories and that sort of thing. It didn't go where I was expecting and kept me guessing about how things were going to play out. And then it did something from the Back to the Future series that I've always loved, and that made me so happy. Highly recommended."
Already on my TBR listing. This sounds unique!

"Up Next:
Deerskin by Robin McKinley, read by Xe Sands. This is my favorite book, which I have read countless times, but I got it on audio because I learned it's read by an narrator I've enjoyed in other books. Not sure how it's going to translate to audio, especially one specific part, but eager to find out."
I hope it proves to be good!

"She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan. The book club pick for October or November that's finally available from the library, but Overdrive wasn't working last night, so I haven't been able to download it yet."
This looks good to me!

"QotW: Let’s talk strategy for this new year! Are you changing the way you approach the 2022 Popsugar challenge from what you did in 2021? Or was your strategy successful and you’re going to simply repeat it this year?
My strategy for PopSugar wasn't that bad, other than not paying serious attention to my longest book until December. But my overall strategy needs to change. Not every book needs fill a challenge prompt, and I don't need more challenges. If a book only fits one prompt, that's perfectly okay. I don't need to find a different book that meets multiple prompts instead, especially if I want to read that first book.

I had ten books to read at the end of the year, none of which I cared about, and six of them were returned to the library unread. (Two I read and disliked, two I still have checked out and intend to read. We'll see.) The strategy this year is to find books I enjoy reading that fit, with a little stretching to go outside my comfort zone as necessary, but to recognize that if I've avoiding reading a book, it means to find a different one."
That sounds like a good plan!

Katelyn wrote: "New year, new challenge! I finished the 2021 challenge about 1 week later than the 2020 challenge. So my goal is to try and finish around December 20th."
Goals are good! 😁

"I am reading 2 books currently, haven't finished either of them but still pushing through. The Pacific Northwest is being hit with snow storm after snow storm so finding time to read isn't too hard."
I'll let you keep the snow! LOL

"We also have another COVID scare - my boyfriend picked up two co-workers on his way to work in the snow and both tested positive. He is vaxxed and boosted so hopefully his test comes back negative, but getting results is taking forever - so at home I sit trying to work and read and enjoy the snow from my window."
Here's hoping he tested negative!

"Reading:
The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley (A book featuring a party). I read The Guest List last year and really liked it so I figured I would give this one a shot. So far so good. She really keeps the mystery going without dragging it out to the point where I stop caring. I can tell this is going to be a 5-star for me!"
Cool! I enjoyed The Guest List and assume I would also enjoy The Hunting Party.

"Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders (A book about the Afterlife). I struggled through the beginning of this book, it is written in a very different format than I am used to. I watched an interview with George Saunders about this book and he said there are over 163 characters in the book! It is written in a "script" style but the person who is speaking is mentioned after rather than before."
Wow... That sounds like a lot of work!

"QOTW:
I would like to think that I have a strategy but really I just pick up a book. I try to read along with the monthly picks if I have the same book (even if I chose it for a different prompt). I would really like to get less distracted by new books and stick to the books I have chosen for each prompt - but you know what they say about planning LOL."
😁

Samantha wrote: "Happy New Year! I finished the 2021 Popsugar Reading Challenge on December 27th. I cut it close, but I did it!"
Whoo! Whoo! Congrats! 🎆✨

"Finished:
The first book I finished this year was The Ballerinas. I'm not sure if it works for any of the prompts so for now I'm not using it for the challenge."
That looks intense!

"Currently Reading:
The Last House on the Street - I'm using this for either a book with two POVs or two books set in twin cities."
Sounds intense.

"The Lost Apothecary - I'm using this for a book with a recipe in it."
A favorite for me! I hope you enjoy it!

"Instructions for Dancing - I'm using this for a romance novel by a BIPOC author."
I'm planning to read Everything, Everything this year.

"Question of the Week:
Let’s talk strategy for this new year! Are you changing the way you approach the 2022 Popsugar challenge from what you did in 2021? Or was your strategy successful and you’re going to simply repeat it this year?

I don't really have a strategy for completing the challenge. I make a list of books I own or want to read for each prompt and as I read them I check off those prompts. If I read something that I realize fits in a prompt I'll use it for that. I just hope I finish earlier in the year than I did last year!"
Whatever you did in 2021 worked! 👍

Nadine in NY wrote: "Week 1! Fresh start!
Back to work this week. I'm so cold & tired, I want a nap. I want to lie in bed and read books."
My thoughts exactly!

"I finished four books this week, two of them for the 2022 Challenge, so I am now 2/50! I was not joking about how distressing it was to slog through that long book last year. I've intentionally chosen some very short books for some categories in this year's Challenge, so I can make some speedy progress at the start."
Whoo! Whoo! And just remember, it may have been a real slog, but you conquered that L-L-L-L-O-O-O-N-N-N-G-G-G-G book!! 👍😃

"Second First Impressions by Sally Thorne - this was an absolute delight and I don't understand why it's not getting more buzz. I even had a dream about it after I'd finished it! If you like contemporary romance with opposites attract, read this!"
I just added this to a challenge listing yesterday! Glad for the recommendation!

"Chew, Vol. 7: Bad Apples written by John Layman - just as fun as expected."
Great!

"A Very Beery New Year by Jackie Lau- this was a lot shorter than I expected, but it helped me get my Challenge year off to a strong start with an easy finish in the first week! It was a fun read, obviously set during New Year's Eve (as well as the rest of the year leading up to NYE), and I checked off "set during a holiday.""
Love it!

"Accidentally Engaged by Farah Heron - this was okay, I found the characters annoying and the dialogue was clunky at times. I had this borrowed from the library because I meant to read it in 2021, but didn't get to it ... and it fits several categories for this year's challenge. I'm not actually sure what I'll end up using it for!! For now I am checking off "book with a recipe" but it also fits "romance by a BIPOC author" and "book about a secret." Note: this does not have super explicit sex scenes, so if anyone is looking for a "closed door" BIPOC romance, this is a good choice for you."
It looks cute!

"As soon as I finished Accidentally Engaged, I looked at the pile of books next to me, and chose Downbelow Station as my book with a title that starts with the last letter of a book I just finished. I'm so glad I now have a book slated for that category!! (Of course, I am currently reading four other books, so I won't be finishing Downbelow immediately after Accidentally. But I CHOSE it immediately after finishing Accidentally, so I feel it still counts.)"
Excellent! I admit I'm watching out for that one myself! Most of the books I'm reading or plan to read next end in "E" and I've realized that I have few books with a title beginning with "E"! LOL And, sure, you selected it immediately afterwards, so that works!! Your interpretation! 👍😊

"QotW
Every year when the list comes out I write down a bunch of ideas for each category, pick a favorite for each, and then more or less read whatever I want and check off categories as I go. I'm following that same approach this year.

It really stressed me out to not finish the Challenge until the last week of the year last year, so I made a point of choosing short books for each category, and this year I'm going to be a bit more intentional with my reading. So, at least for the next few months, I'm going to stay focused on the categories, and my list of "must reads" for 2022 (which is shorter than 2021 because 2022 is my year to keep everything short! short books, short lists!). I'm also going to try to rein in my enthusiasm for Cultural Appreciation Month reading, instead of adding 12 more books to my reading in those months, I'll try to keep it to just a few. (hahahaha I SAY this, but I already have jotted down 12 books to read for Black History Month ...)"
Of course you already have 12 books selected for Black History month!! I don't know, I think many of us look forward to your Cultural Appreciation Month lists! Maybe you just don't have to try to READ them all! 😊

I'm not doing any other challenges, just Popsugar and my own list. I'm in a book club this year, and I'm half-heartedly trying to follow along with the Tournament of Books this year, so that's enough assigned reading for me."
Huh. The Tournament of Books listing looks interesting!

Ashley Marie wrote: "Happy Thursday! I haven't finished anything yet (and GR is helpfully reminding me I'm already a book behind on my challenge), but I tend to finish things in a bit of a cluster at the start of the year. It may take me another few days, but I'll probably finish three of my four current reads within a day or a few hours of each other."
I had to laugh at the GR reminder of your being behind. Already! LOL Very helpful, I'm sure!

Currently:
The Silmarillion - I wasn't planning on reading this to start the year, but here we are!
Women, Race & Class - My third Angela Y Davis book!
Brimstone - Pendergast #5. Getting caught up on the series is a goal but not a priority (I think we're up to 20 books total as of right now), but I've been enjoying this series very much.
The Bone Shard Emperor - Carryover from December. I need to get this wrapped up but I'm irked by editing and writing choices that didn't bother me in the first volume.

Let’s talk strategy for this new year! Are you changing the way you approach the 2022 Popsugar challenge from what you did in 2021? Or was your strategy successful and you’re going to simply repeat it this year?
My strategy last year worked out well so I'm sticking with it -- I slot books into categories as I go, which is helpful because sometimes you don't expect a book to fit a certain prompt and then it does, freeing up other book ideas for other prompts. Like Lynn, I'm also doing my best to read more of my already-owned backlog 😅"
I just counted and I know I own books that will fulfill 25 of the Popsugar prompts! Wow. I am determined to read these first. Good to know you have landed on a successful strategy! Good for you! 👍😊

Kenya wrote: "Happy Thursday, y’all.

I really need to buckle down on my writing. I fell way behind while moving in November, and since then I've gotten caught up on challenge planning and playing the Switch and Christmas stuff. I hope I can get back into the swing of things..."
Ugh. Moving is definitely an all-consuming project, isn't it?

"Books read this week:
Kiki's Delivery Service -- for “book about witches.” I love the movie, and the book, while it has some differences plot-wise, is still a lot of fun and very cute."
This sounds adorable!

"Entry-Level Cancer: My First Six Months in the Club No One Wants to Join -- for “book with a constellation on the cover or in the title.” The parts where the author fanboys over Lance Armstrong did not age well (he even acknowledges as much in the foreword), but still a surprisingly lighthearted but interesting look at how a cancer diagnosis affects one’s life."
Another one that looks to be fascinating. He is not alone in "fanboying" Armstrong, at least prior to the truth being exposed and proven.

"The Girl from the Other Side: Siúil, A Rún, Vol. 6 -- manga, not for the challenge. Still loving this eerie but lovely fantasy series."
Isn't it lovely to find an enjoyable series? YAY!!

"Currently Reading:
Hidden Figures -- for “an Anisfield-Wolf Book Award winner”"
I LOVED this one! I also enjoyed the movie adaptation...

"Carmen Miranda's Ghost is Haunting Space Station Three -- for “a book about the afterlife”"
What a unique concept!

"Winter Tide -- for “a book with a quote from your favorite author on the cover or Amazon page”"
Ooohhh...a lot of people categorized this as horror. Otherwise, it looks very interesting!

You are knocking out a lot of prompts right away! Good for you!

"QOTW:
Nope... same old tactic as always. Though I'm debating picking up and finishing the 2016 challenge after I've finished the 2022, because I missed that year and I can generally finish the challenge proper in half a year."
That's so cool! What a great goal!

Katy wrote: "I finished Intimacy with God: Revised and Updated: A Bible Study in the Psalms

I'm a little over half way through Lonesome Dove which I'm reading for a previous fave."
Two very different reads in many ways! Theme. Length. 😄

"QOTW: I'm going to do it the same way I did last year. I cut the lsit into strips and pick one out when I start the last one. This way I don't procrastinate on the prompts I don't want to do. I will throw back the 2022 if I draw it before June or so, though, as I'd like more choices."
Wow! What a great idea! So organized!

"I'm kind of doing a big stretch on my next category, but there's no challenge police, right?"
You are correct! We each can interpret a prompt as we desire! YAY!! 👍😂

Dani wrote: "Good morning! It’s been so long since I’ve posted, I fell off last year and felt too discouraged to jump back in. Hopefully this year I’ll make more time to keep up with the group. I’ve been very busy at work, and I’ve also decided to get another BA, this time double majoring in Art and Theology. So, busy busy busy."
Oh, my! That IS busy!! I would encourage you to never feel as if you can't just jump right back in whenever you're able to do so! We're always glad to welcome whomever! 👍🤗

"For 2021 I finished popsugar, read harder, back to the classics and the seasonal buzzfeed challenges. I don’t think they did a winter one which makes it feel very incomplete to me lol. This year I plan on taking the same challenges, but am open to another if anyone has any suggestions. I finished 166 books last year, less than past years but still a decent amount considering my schedule."
I am impressed! 👍😁

"This week, all I’ve finished has been The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet, a book I surprisingly enjoyed. I’m not one for sci-fi usually but I do tend to enjoy the genre when it leans on the funnier side and focus more on characters than spacey sciencey stuff."
While I DO love the "spacey sciencey stuff," Chambers' writing is phenomenal, IMO! But I do love detailed and personal characterization and I feel as if that is where she excels. So glad you enjoyed it!

"I’m in the middle of The Way We Live Now"
That looks interesting and is a new one to me!

"Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil"
I've decided I really need to read this in 2022! I've owned a copy for along time...

"QOTW: I have a tendency to wander off my reading challenge lists and then spend nov and dec in a panic trying to race through what needs finished. So I’m hoping this year to get through the challenges before I let myself get distracted by other stuff."
Ha! All those "shiny objects" like newly published books, new-to-you books, etc! I hear ya! LOL 👍😃

Emma Lou wrote: "Happy New Year everyone. I'm determined to be more involved in the challenge this year; last year I literally set my target and never visited the group again! I missed said target by about 6 books, but I just didn't have it in me to get through them by the end of the year."
And we will be thrilled to have you more involved! 👍😁 But you did get most of the books in your target read! That's great! Life can interrupt our reading plans...

"I've taken a different approach this year and managed to list out what I want to read for each category, with some doubling up because I'm also part of a "real-life" book club so need to make space for 12 other books in my reading life (and people have a habit of picking some rather long reads!) That being said, I've managed to weave January and February's choices into the challenge so may be able to do that with future ones too."
Yep! I never cease to be amazed at the way some of the books I end up reading for other purposes (book club, etc.) magically fulfill challenge prompts! That's so much fun!

"So far this week I've finished My Year of Rest and Relaxation as my choice for #12 A Misleading Title, because that year was anything but restful in my opinion and Midnight in Chernobyl: The Untold Story of the World's Greatest Nuclear Disaster as my choice for #22 Featuring a Man-made disaster which I loved (I'm one of those weird people who's fascinated by Chernobyl and the impact of the catastrophe)."
Not weird! I am definitely interested in that one as well! (Of course, I may not be the best judge of "weird"! LOL) What a great start you've made! 👍😁

"I'm about 25% of the way through Around the World in 80 Trains: A 45,000-Mile Adventure which is my choice for #3 Set on a plane, train etc. and should get that finished by next week. Then who knows, I'm off to the library this evening so might see what else on my list is available to pick up."
That looks like a good one!

Ellie wrote: "Happy New Year and new reading challenges! It's been a struggle getting back into work mode this week, and why am I getting up in the dark?! At least the nights are getting shorter now but I miss sunlight."
I know! I keep reminding myself the shortest day is done and over so daytime/daylight is just getting a bit longer every day! 😋

"Finished:
Roxy by Neal + Jarrod Shusterman, my last read of 2021 so not for any challenges. Interesting idea of personifying drugs but not sure it fully worked. ⭐⭐⭐"
Sounds like quite a unique theme!

"The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood for ace spectrum (and Beat the Backlist). This was as adorable as everyone has said. I think the main character is demisexual, but google tells me that's on the ace spectrum so I'll stick with it. My copy has "TikTok sensation" on the cover so if anyone reads it for ace and feels it's not a close enough fit, then there's always that prompt! ⭐⭐⭐⭐"
Thanks for the recommendation!

"Currently reading A Pho Love Story and I need to finish listening to Where the Deer and the Antelope Play: The Pastoral Observations of One Ignorant American Who Loves to Walk Outside which I started last year."
That looks like two completely different books! LOL

"QOTW:
Last year I did not overlap ATY and Popsugar at all and I'm not sticking to that rule this year. Which has opened things up to MORE CHALLENGES. I'm not even entertaining the idea of Read Harder, but I picked a few fun ones that I can easily overlap and vary the numbers on depending how well I'm doing, so Pick Your Poison, Books and Lala Buzzwords and Beat the Backlist."
Cool! Some different challenges!

"I usually free read for a few months and then make sure I get some of those hard prompts done early."
Sounds like a good plan!

Nadine in NY wrote: "Lynn wrote: "I did manage to finish the 2021 POPSUGAR reading challenge…at 11:30PM on December 31, 2021! Nothing like cuttin’ it close, huh? ..."

WOW!!! And here I thought I was cutting it close by finishing in the last WEEK of the year! You finished in the last hour of the last day!!!! Congratulations :-)"
Never underestimate my ability to come in just under the wire! LOL 🙄😊

"Violets Are Blue (Alex Cross #7) ... NEW #4-A book related to Shelley's poem Ozymandias (Nadine’s proposal)

I am honored!!! It was a cool prompt idea, wasn't it? Alas ..."
Told you I was going to use it. You're just surprised I remembered! LOL 😁

2021 Challenges:
Popsugar: 50/50 DONE!!
ATY: 52/52 DONE!!
RHC: 19/24
Reading Women: 18/28
I will concentrate on those last 5 for the Read Harder Challenge in January 2022 (and February if necessary.).
Since there will not be a 2022 Reading Women Challenge, I have listed all the prompts from 2018 through 2021 and will work to fulfill those over time. It is fun to revisit that listing periodically and select books to fulfill some of those prompts using books I’ve already scheduled to read in the very near future!

2022 Challenges:
Popsugar: 6/50
ATY: 12/52
RHC: 1/24

FINISHED:
Bel Canto by Ann Patchett ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I’m rather flabbergasted after finishing this book. I was afraid all the way through it would end this way. I don’t know that I can say I “enjoyed” this reading experience. It was heartbreaking. As I read I kept thinking, “Surely she isn’t going to do what I’m so afraid she may do… Surely not…” But, oh, yes, she did exactly that. I admit Patchett drew me right in. Her writing was excellent, IMO!
POPSUGAR: NEW #8, #18-Humans connecting with other humans and music!, #21-Classic Literature, Contemporary Fiction, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Music, Romance, #27, #30, #34-Equal opportunity for all!, #38-Opera!, #46
ATY: #6, #8-South American, #14-An imagined “South American” country, #20-There is no real future, #23-Classic Literature, Contemporary Fiction, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Music, Romance, #27-The Lovers, Death, Justice, Judgment, The World, #31, #32, #35, #49, #52-In the end, the real world intervened.
RHC: #1

FOR 2022 CHALLENGES
Violets Are Blue (Alex Cross #7) by James Patterson ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for a December Buddy Read! I admit to rolling my eyes several times during the first 200 pages or so. I just don’t do ‘vampires’ even if they are ‘humans’ who just believe themselves to be vampires… I read this part as fantasy though I couldn’t truly “suspend my disbelief.” I did appreciate the eventual capture of the “Mastermind” and the fact that Alex did it alone, one-on-one. That was nice, as well as following his thought process to solve cases. And we have a new love interest now, though they’re each located on opposite coasts in the US!
POPSUGAR: NEW #25, NEW #29, NEW #40-2021 Popsugar prompt #4 A book written by an author who shares your Zodiac sign, NEW #46, NEW #49/#50-all Alex Cross books are set in Washington, DC (Sister cities: Bangkok, Dakar, Beijing, Brussels, Tshwane (Pretoria), Paris, Athens, Seoul, Accra, Sunderland, Rome, Ankara, Basilia, Addis Abab)
ATY: NEW #1, NEW #2-Read Alex Cross #1-6 in 2021, NEW #4-A book related to Shelley's poem Ozymandias (Nadine’s proposal): All victims were left “bare” or naked, NEW #5, NEW #6-Moon, NEW #7-Alex holds a PhD degree in psychology, NEW #8-North America, NEW #31-2001, NEW #33, NEW #35/#36-FLORA, NEW #37 (title), NEW #40-Justice, Death
RHC: NEW #16

Four Blind Mice (Alex Cross #8) by James Patterson ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for my January Buddy Read of this series. I admit this one made me lose a bit of faith in Alex and John. Who the hell would tackle these three paid assassins/former Rangers in Vietnam without backup? These two idiots, apparently! Sheesh! Not too smart. And then Alex repeats this same mistake on his own! But there are surprises in this one! YAY! But…he “lives to tell the story,” so to speak, and there is a HUGE surprise at the end of this installment!
POPSUGAR: #25, NEW #26, #29, #40-2015 #5: A book with a number in the title, #46
ATY: #1, #2, #4-sneer of cold command-Hutchinson, #5, #6-Moon, #7-Alex holds a PhD degree in Psychology, #8-North America, NEW #15, #31, #33, NEW #36, #40- The Lovers, Justice, Death, Temperance, Judgement, The World

CONTINUING:
Murder on Black Swan Lane (Wrexford & Sloane #1) by Andrea Penrose
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:
People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry for our January Monthly Group Read
For January Buddy Reads:
1) Murder at Half Moon Gate (Wrexford & Sloane #2) by Andrea Penrose
2) The Code Breaker: Jennifer Doudna, Gene Editing, and the Future of the Human Race by Walter Isaacson
I Am Not Sidney Poitier by Percival Everett
To complete some 2021 year-long challenges:
1) Yes, Chef by Marcus Samuelsson
2) Marjorie Morningstar by Herman Wouk
3) The Beautiful and Damned by F. Scott Fitzgerald
To complete the 2021 Read Harder Challenge:
*Get a Life, Chloe Brown (our February Group Read! How convenient! LOL)
*Red, White & Royal Blue
*Ordinary Girls
*Death Comes to Pemberley
*Cleopatra: A Life
*Yes, Chef

Happy First Thursday of 2022! I admit, that for someone such as myself born in the middle of the 20th Century it is surprising that I have made it to 2022!! That’s a lot of years for a human body to remain viable!

I did manage to finish the 2021 POPSUGAR reading challenge…at 11:30PM on December 31, 2021! Nothing like cuttin’ it close, huh? LOL ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Interestingly, as I compiled some stats…
I read a total of 141 books in 2021! That is NOT counting the 10 or so short stories I read that were edocs and in-between the installments of series. This is definitely a record for me! I’m thrilled with that and now want to maintain that level of reading for however many years I have remaining in this lifetime! I’m very happy with that!

I am still reading a few books to complete 2021 year-long challenges, but am not worried about them. After finishing Bel Canto for Popsugar on New Year’s Eve, I launched into the next Alex Cross book for the “December” Buddy Read that both of us had missed until the new year, and then read the next installment for January. I am catching up with a brand-new-to-me mystery series to Buddy Read in January and February. (A Goodreads friend messaged me about this one, asking me to join her and I’m so glad she did! Murder on Black Swan Lane is compelling ! They read it in December, so then I’ll need to read the second installment, Murder at Half Moon Gate, this month.) As I was perusing the Buddy Reads schedule I realized there is a discussion for The Code Breaker: Jennifer Doudna, Gene Editing, and the Future of the Human Race by Walter Isaacson. One of our faculty had purchased and read this and then left it in the mailroom with a note for anyone interested to take it and read it, A free book! Guess who took it? Yep! And I want to read it as soon as possible and then place it back in the mailroom for the next person! Looking forward to this one! I love to read nonfiction science books but rarely make time for them! 🙁

And then I realized yesterday that Percival Everett will be here January 25th, so I need to get the one book of his I already own, I Am Not Sidney Poitier read, if possible!

Admin Stuff:
We will be reading Lisa See’s The Island of Sea Women for the March 2022 Monthly Group Read per the recently completed poll! Thank you to all who voted! YAY! I’m so happy this was the winner! I own a copy and really want to read it! And this will be my first Lisa See book!

I have updated the comprehensive listing of 2022 Monthly Group Reads and now we are anxious to include names of those literary luminaries volunteers who will lead these monthly discussions! Please message either Nadine or myself to volunteer! *HINT! HINT!* 😊

The January 2022 Monthly Group Read discussion of People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry is here. This can be used to satisfy the 2022 POPSUGAR Reading Challenge prompt #11 A #BookTok recommendation! I’m excited for this one! Erica is leading this discussion and I’m so anxious to pickup my copy at my favorite used bookstore this weekend and join in! I’m hoping this will be a bit lighter fare between the Penrose mysteries and nonfiction science book in January!

Please post the book you read to satisfy this prompt here.

Question of the Week:
Let’s talk strategy for this new year! Are you changing the way you approach the 2022 Popsugar challenge from what you did in 2021? Or was your strategy successful and you’re going to simply repeat it this year?
Oh, boy… I failed miserably at completing the Read Harder and Reading Women challenges, although I did complete a bunch of shorter/smaller challenges throughout 2021.

As of December 31st I had completed 34 monthly challenges, 16 quarterly challenges, and 12 year-long challenges. I left 3 year-long challenges incomplete for which I have only 5 books left to complete all 3. I know I’ll read 3 of those, hopefully in January which will complete 2 of the 3. The other one is a title challenge and I admit I’m not super-motivated to read a book beginning with “Q” or “Z” right away. I may leave that one incomplete. I left only one monthly challenge incomplete and finished all the quarterly challenges. I’m good with this! I am going to try to restrict myself to NOT documenting additional books for these smaller challenges. If I’ve pledged 3 and read three within the first week that counts, I’ll mark it complete rather than increasing my goal, etc. It requires time to document all those! LOL

My plan for 2022 is to try to work in more of the year-long challenge books during the next 12 months and not worry so much about completing the smaller challenges. We’ll see if that helps me or not.

I’m also going to try to resist as many Buddy and Group reads as possible during 2022. (With that said, I just committed to two more Buddy Reads in January/February last night! LOL) Those really distracted me from challenge books in 2021! (I completed 50 Buddy Reads and Group Reads in 2021!) Yikes! That’s a lot!

But truly, my main personal “challenge” is to simply resist purchasing more books and read those I already own. It sounds ridiculous, but this is a huge “challenge” for me! Every. Single. Year.

So I have changed how I plan for these challenges a bit. I am selecting books that I already own and marking those prompts with a double asterisk to remind myself that (1) I really really really want to read this book, and (2) I ALREADY OWN IT!!! I am stacking these on top of my dresser in my bedroom with a sticky not on the cover stating which challenge prompt(s) each book will fulfill. (I’m pretty sure this is basically a repeat of my plan from January 2021! LOL)

I am hopeful these strategies will help me maintain better focus in 2022! Time will tell…

Strategies that did work for me in 2021 included setting my own personal “challenges” which several of you do each year. I purposefully prioritized mysteries and I really enjoyed doing that. I plan to repeat that in 2022, as well as setting some personal goals for which mystery series I will plan to catch up in 2022. The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency is the first one—only 3 more to go! (Yes, that is a holdover from 2021!) That is closely followed by Alexander McCall Smith’s Isabel Dalhousie series and Susan Wittig Albert’s China Bayles series. I also have 7 first installments in other mystery series that I want to read to see if I wish to pursue others in each series.

My overall goal is to read as much as possible and try my best to make sure the books I already own are top priority! Sounds so simple…

My listing of books will have to be included in a separate posting since this was too long to be published... 😲

I think 11/22/63 would qualify... At least it would for me! But I am known to bend prompts as I please!

Nadine in NY wrote: "Lynn wrote: "My first reaction: "Say what?!?" LOL

Popsugar is listing One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston. Actually, I think Fates and Furies would a..."
You are so right! Thanks for correcting me. Although I kinda consider two people's interpretations of the same events as 'parallel realities' it technically is not... And yay! We agreed!!

Nanette wrote: "Finlay Donovan Is Killing It. I picked this because she isn't actually killing anyone."

Oohhh...I forgot about that one!

Dana wrote: "The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery"
Yes! That one is perfect and I enjoyed it when I read it years ago!

Rachel wrote: "I'm thinking of reading Housekeeping by Marilynne Robinson. I've never read any of her books and I'm not sure what to expect, so this would be a good time to find out!"
Oohhh...that's one of hers I have yet to read. I love her writing!

Sofia wrote: "Would Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid fit?

I don't know much about the book besides the fact that it deals with performative activism and racism. For that reason I am assuming that it..."

I would count it as a misleading title. Just read it a couple of weeks ago...

General Questions: What made you decide to read this? Do you like the BookTok prompt? Are you using this book for a different prompt?
I will pick up my copy this coming weekend! I am pumped!

I will definitely use it for the @BookTok prompt. I'm sure there are other prompts it could be used to fulfill as well, but won't list those until I finish reading this and list it on my Weekly Check-In!

Admittedly, I initially freaked out about this prompt, but then other members were so gracious and helpful in listing books that I found it to be a breeze! 👍🤗