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.

This is the March Monthly Group Read discussion for The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See to satisfy prompt #3 A book about or set in a nonpatriarchal society. Celebrating Women’s History Month in Australia, UK, and US!

We will need a "literary luminar" to facilitate this discussion!

Every person reads at a different pace, so please use spoiler tags if you are sharing any plot-related surprises. This allows others to decide whether this information might reveal surprising information they have not yet read.

It can also be helpful to other readers if you post the location within the book noting your progress (chapter and/or page number) with the spoiler. That way, if someone else has read that far they can go ahead and open the spoiler, but if not, they'll know to skip it for now and return later...

TO ADD SPOILER TAGS:
Use this for spoilers, just remove the spaces:
< spoiler > write your spoiler here and close with < / spoiler >

Posts here should only be contributions to discussion about this book.

This is the April Monthly Group Read discussion for A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson to satisfy prompt #26 A book with a misleading title. Happy April Fools' Day! LOL 😲

Sherri graciously volunteered to be our "guru guide" for this month's discussion! Thank you, Sherri! ✨🎆🎇

Every person reads at a different pace, so please use spoiler tags if you are sharing any plot-related surprises. This allows others to decide whether this information might reveal surprising information they have not yet read.

It can also be helpful to other readers if you post the location within the book noting your progress (chapter and/or page number) with the spoiler. That way, if someone else has read that far they can go ahead and open the spoiler, but if not, they'll know to skip it for now and return later...

TO ADD SPOILER TAGS:
Use this for spoilers, just remove the spaces:
< spoiler > write your spoiler here and close with < / spoiler >

Posts here should only be contributions to discussion about this book.

This is the May Monthly Group Read discussion for Year of the Reaper by Makiia Lucier to satisfy prompt #15 A book by a Pacific Islander author. In celebration of AAPI Appreciation month in the US!

Stormie ~ Book Dragon ~ is the "bubbling bibliophile" who will guide this month's discussion! Thank you!!

Every person reads at a different pace, so please use spoiler tags if you are sharing any plot-related surprises. This allows others to decide whether this information might reveal surprising information they have not yet read.

It can also be helpful to other readers if you post the location within the book noting your progress (chapter and/or page number) with the spoiler. That way, if someone else has read that far they can go ahead and open the spoiler, but if not, they'll know to skip it for now and return later...

TO ADD SPOILER TAGS:
Use this for spoilers, just remove the spaces:
< spoiler > write your spoiler here and close with < / spoiler >

Posts here should only be contributions to discussion about this book.

This is the June Monthly Group Read discussion of Beloved by Toni Morrison to satisfy prompt #10 An Anisfield-Wolf Book Award winner. In honor of the United States' most recently added holiday--Juneteenth on June 19, 2022! (aka African American Freedom Day or Emancipation Day) This award "recognizes books that have made important contributions to our understanding of racism and human diversity."

I am/Lynn is the "vivacious volunteer" who will facilitate this discussion! :)

Every person reads at a different pace, so please use spoiler tags if you are sharing any plot-related surprises. This allows others to decide whether this information might reveal surprising information they have not yet read.

It can also be helpful to other readers if you post the location within the book noting your progress (chapter and/or page number) with the spoiler. That way, if someone else has read that far they can go ahead and open the spoiler, but if not, they'll know to skip it for now and return later...

TO ADD SPOILER TAGS:
Use this for spoilers, just remove the spaces:
< spoiler > write your spoiler here and close with < / spoiler >

Posts here should only be contributions to discussion about this book.

This is the Monthly July Group Read discussion for Piranesi by Susanna Clarke to satisfy prompt #47 A book featuring a parallel reality. Reality based upon geography? It is winter in the Southern Hemisphere and summer in the Northern Hemisphere!

Teri is the "terrific team leader" who has graciously volunteered to guide this discussion! Thank you, Teri!

Every person reads at a different pace, so please use spoiler tags if you are sharing any plot-related surprises. This allows others to decide whether this information might reveal surprising information they have not yet read.

It can also be helpful to other readers if you post the location within the book noting your progress (chapter and/or page number) with the spoiler. That way, if someone else has read that far they can go ahead and open the spoiler, but if not, they'll know to skip it for now and return later...

TO ADD SPOILER TAGS:
Use this for spoilers, just remove the spaces:
< spoiler > write your spoiler here and close with < / spoiler >

Posts here should only be contributions to discussion about this book.

Allie wrote: "Mid week note: I am halfway through reading The Great Alone (Which I know Nadine disliked, but I need it for a prompt) and the tension is starting to make me sick to my stomach. So, has anyone ever read a book where it just stressed you out too much? And do you look for spoilers to alleviate that, or do you just ride out the anxiety?"
Yep. This is one reason I typically read 4-5 books in tandem. Then I can put one down for a bit if it's too intense! I do that alot any more, in my old age!

Britany wrote: "Lynn wrote: "And I totally forgot to mention Hanukkah! Happy Hanukkah holiday for those who celebrate it!

Any books you could recommend set during Hanukkah? 2022 prompt #28 A book set during a hol...

Have you seen The Matzah Ball?"
I had not! But I have now! Added it to my TBR listing!

This is the August Monthly Group Read discussion for The Dog Stars by Peter Heller to satisfy prompt #35 A book with a constellation on the cover or in the title. In honor of the Perseid Meteor Shower which is typically from mid-July to around mid-August. It peaked August 11-13 in 2021 and is expected to peak August 11-12 in 2022!

Erica is the "marvelous manager" who volunteered to lead the discussion this month!

Every person reads at a different pace, so please use spoiler tags if you are sharing any plot-related surprises. This allows others to decide whether this information might reveal surprising information they have not yet read.

It can also be helpful to other readers if you post the location within the book noting your progress (chapter and/or page number) with the spoiler. That way, if someone else has read that far they can go ahead and open the spoiler, but if not, they'll know to skip it for now and return later...

TO ADD SPOILER TAGS:
Use this for spoilers, just remove the spaces:
< spoiler > write your spoiler here and close with < / spoiler >

Posts here should only be contributions to discussion about this book.

This is the September Monthly Group Read discussion for Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas to satisfy prompt #6 A book written by a LatinX author. Honoring National Hispanic Heritage Month September 15-October 15 in the US!

A "savvy superstar" will graciously facilitate this discussion! Or just someone willing to fill in! Like me. I'm picking up a copy from my favorite local bookstore this afternoon and will squeeze this in tonight and tomorrow and post some opening questions tomorrow.

Every person reads at a different pace, so please use spoiler tags if you are sharing any plot-related surprises. This allows others to decide whether this information might reveal surprising information they have not yet read.

It can also be helpful to other readers if you post the location within the book noting your progress (chapter and/or page number) with the spoiler. That way, if someone else has read that far they can go ahead and open the spoiler, but if not, they'll know to skip it for now and return later...

TO ADD SPOILER TAGS:
Use this for spoilers, just remove the spaces:
< spoiler > write your spoiler here and close with < / spoiler >

Posts here should only be contributions to discussion about this book.

This is the October Monthly Group Read discussion for The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling to satisfy prompt #16 A book about witches. For “Spooktober”/Halloween!

Sherri is the "knowledgeable navigator" who will lead this month's discussion! Thank you, Sherri!

Every person reads at a different pace, so please use spoiler tags if you are sharing any plot-related surprises. This allows others to decide whether this information might reveal surprising information they have not yet read.

It can also be helpful to other readers if you post the location within the book noting your progress (chapter and/or page number) with the spoiler. That way, if someone else has read that far they can go ahead and open the spoiler, but if not, they'll know to skip it for now and return later...

TO ADD SPOILER TAGS:
Use this for spoilers, just remove the spaces:
< spoiler > write your spoiler here and close with < / spoiler >

Posts here should only be contributions to discussion about this book.

Lilith wrote: "Title: Starfish

Author: Lisa Fipps

Would you recommend this book? YES! I read this by accident lol, and loved it!"
What a great recommendation. It looks as if you are not alone in loving this one!

I'm hopimg to get a copy before mid-month and join in!

Ashley Marie wrote: "What a week it's been! Husband and I wanted to get a live tree for Christmas this year and weren't planning on picking one out til this week or next, but we ended up calling a local place for pricing last weekend and getting one that same day! We've got it all set up and the cats have (mostly) left it alone, so... accomplishment!"
Wow. You must have "good kitties", 'cause there's no way I would even attempt a tree! It would be in tatters and all the needles would be off within minutes with my feline herd! LOL

"I've been having a rough time personally since Thanksgiving; my dad dropped a bombshell that wasn't intended for me to hear, and it's thrown my relationships with my parents all out of whack. We talked things out a bit more yesterday and it seems like we're all back on the same page (and he's very sorry, which I appreciate), so all we can do now is move forward and heal. Perhaps slowly, but it'll happen. I can be an optimist sometimes."
Optimism is good! I am sorry to hear this. Sending you positive coping energy!

"I've also decided to set Where White Men Fear to Tread: The Autobiography of Russell Means aside and come back to it later. It's been waiting so patiently on my nightstand but the early section felt so circular/repetitive that I need a mental break. I do appreciate Means's work as an activist so I fully plan on coming back eventually, but I don't have the time just now."
Sometimes you just need a break!

"Currently reading:
You Can't Touch My Hair: And Other Things I Still Have to Explain - I picked this up as a break from Ice Limit yesterday and Phoebe is hilariousssss. This is the first of three (standalone) books she's published and you can bet I'm going to read them all!"
Looks good! Added it to my TBR listing!

"Upcoming:
Saga: Book Two and Saga: Book Three
The Long Way Down
The Bone Shard Emperor
Jade Legacy
A Memory Called Empire
Get a Life, Chloe Brown
Moon of the Crusted Snow

Part of me thinks my Upcoming list is ambitious, and the other part of me says "It's only Dec 2nd! You got this!" Time will tell."
Sounds like my pep talks with myself! LOL

"QOTW: Which 2022 prompt do you think you'll need a lot of help with to find a good book?
I'll be keeping an eye on a lot of Listopias for this one, especially
- onomatopoeia
- palindrome
- BookTok (I'm enlisting my sister, cousin, and several friends for help here)

I'm trying to cut back on how many challenges I participate in for 2022, and the PopSugar challenge is one of the ones where I can usually slot books into various categories as I go along, so I'm not feeling stressed about it (yet, bahahahaha)"
Ha! Ha! We'll see how that strategy plays out for 2022! I hope it is a winning strategy!

This is the November Monthly Group Read discussion for The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune. This will satisfy prompt #9 A book about a "found family" in recognition of family gatherings common for the holidays/holiday season, as decided earlier by a poll.

Jennifer W. is the "official organizer" who has graciously volunteered to facilitate this month's discussion! Thank you!

Every person reads at a different pace, so please use spoiler tags if you are sharing any plot-related surprises. This allows others to decide whether this information might reveal surprising information they have not yet read.

It can also be helpful to other readers if you post the location within the book noting your progress (chapter and/or page number) with the spoiler. That way, if someone else has read that far they can go ahead and open the spoiler, but if not, they'll know to skip it for now and return later...

TO ADD SPOILER TAGS:
Use this for spoilers, just remove the spaces:
< spoiler > write your spoiler here and close with < / spoiler >

Posts here should only be contributions to discussion about this book.

This is the December Monthly Group Read discussion for Book Lovers by Emily Henry to satisfy prompt #1 A book published in 2022. Because it’s the end of another great reading and book discussion year!

JessicaMHR is the "rambunctious reader" who has volunteered to close out the year leading this discussion! Thank you!!

Every person reads at a different pace, so please use spoiler tags if you are sharing any plot-related surprises. This allows others to decide whether this information might reveal surprising information they have not yet read.

It can also be helpful to other readers if you post the location within the book noting your progress (chapter and/or page number) with the spoiler. That way, if someone else has read that far they can go ahead and open the spoiler, but if not, they'll know to skip it for now and return later...

TO ADD SPOILER TAGS:
Use this for spoilers, just remove the spaces:
< spoiler > write your spoiler here and close with < / spoiler >

Posts here should only be contributions to discussion about this book.

This discussion thread is to mark your completion of the December challenge to fulfill prompt # 1 A book published in 2022. Because it’s the end of another great reading and book discussion year!

Please include the following:

Title:
Author:
Would you recommend this book?

Mary wrote: "It is so ridiculous how obsessive I am about planning my challenge. I have only chosen books for about half the prompts so far, and I'm not set in stone about some of those."
Not ridiculous to me! LOL

"This week I finished:
Small Town Monsters: Last week I said that I wished I had the audiobook of this instead of the ebook. In a way, I got my wish. This weekend I was snuggled up with my nephew on the couch while he played on his phone and I read my book, and the next thing I knew, he was reading the book out loud to me. His acting skills were wonderfully over the top."
Awwww...that's adorable!

"Currently reading:
My Sister's Grave: I've read this before, but I want to catch up on the series before my Kindle Unlimited series expires in March, so I thought I would start again from the beginning."
I assume Dugoni would be too gory for me...

"QOTW:
What a list! Normally when I see the list, I immediately start plugging books in from my TBR list, but that hasn't been the case this year. I always like to use books from the TBR, but not being able to presents an opportunity to step outside of comfort zones and try new things, which I'm trying to be positive about. For most prompts, I just need to spend time digging in to see which book catches my eye. So far the hardest prompts for me have been:
-nonpatriarchal society (great idea, but I don't like fantasy much, which seems to be most of what's being suggested)
-man-made disaster (I know this one shouldn't be hard, but I want to read something dystopian and most of the suggestions so far seem nonfiction. I just need to spend more time with this one.)"
I was kinda the same way. I feel many of these prompts will require some research! And typically they are more generalized and I'm able to start listing books for almost all of them.

"-OwnVoices SFF (again, I don't prefer this genre, so I'm hoping to find a graphic novel for this)"
Ooohhh. I hadn't thought of it before, but Black Panther: World of Wakanda by Roxane Gay, Yona Harvy, and Ta-Nehisi Coates would definitely work for this! Roxane is queer and so are the protagonists!

Katy wrote: "I didn't check in last week, so here's my two week check in."
Glad you made it!

"I finished A Florentine Death, which I don't remember because I basically read it in one day on my long airplane/airport day. But, I'm pretty sure it would count as a sapphic book."
Ooohhh. This looks like a good one!

"Then I read The Deep End of the Ocean which I think would count as a book with a misleading title as there is no ocean in the book. My sister thought I was reading a beach romance or mystery. It would definitely count as a book with 2 POVs."
And...there are only two books, so it and the sequel, No Time to Wave Goodbye would also work for duology!

"Then I read The Riddles of Epsilon. I think this was definitely meant for a younger audience than me, but the last half of the book was really good."
I like reading children's books/YA! Glad you enjoyed this one.

"Now I'm reading The Fleet Street Murders, which takes place in the Victorian era."
I liked the first book in this series and own the next 4. I hope to read them next year.

"And this is why I wish the list came out sooner.

QOTW: So many. Sapphic book. Palindrome. The award that I can't remember the name, onomatopeia, A duology--a quick scan showed me mostly fantasy/sci-fi and there are already 2 books for that on the list and it's not my fave category, tiger, cutlery, found family, booktok, nonpatriarchal. It would probably be easier to list the categories I won't need help with, LOL."
You made me laugh! 😂

"On the upside, I've been intimidated by Go Tell it on the Mountain for years. Go is a board game. I'm Go-ing for it."
Perfect! I really enjoyed GTioTM. Baldwin is rather intense.

"Nadine, just for an example, besides The Deep End of the Ocean, I think I'm going to read the Quaker for misleading title. I thought that would be about a Quaker in PA and it's a murder mystery in Scotland. No Quakers involved as far as I can tell. Or To Kill a Mockingbird is not an instruction manual for killing mockinbirds. I think that's kind of the idea."
Great examples!

Nadine in NY wrote: "Happy Thursday! With all the excitement of the NEW LIST, I completely forgot that it's Thursday hahaha!! sorry this is a bit late..."
Yep! We didn't have much time to think of anything more than the NEW 2022 prompts!! It was fun creating the discussion threads!

"Admin stuff
ALL THE THINGS!!
**the new list is out!!**
SQUEEEEEEE
We've created 2022 folders for all the 2022 goodness. We'll chat excitedly for the next week or two about ideas for each category, and soon, Lynn will step in and bravely guide us toward categories we can use for next year's group reads. But this week, it's all excited chatting all the time."
Ah, yes, Monthly Group Reads! I was ahead of the game this year! 😊 I had a Word document all set up with notes!

"The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs: A New History of a Lost World by Stephen Brusatte - this was one of the books on my list of 21 books I MUST read in 2021, and it was fantastic. I'm not really the biggest dinosaur aficionado, so I wasn't sure how interesting this book would be, but it got good reviews so I wanted to try it. I'm so glad I did!!! A LOT of research has happened during my lifetime, and many theories have changed, so it was really helpful for me to get all caught up."
Wow. I had similar hesitant thoughts about this one, but your rec makes me want to read it. Now! LOL

"That longest book (A History of the World in 100 Objects) is a real albatross around my neck, so at this point I suspect I'm going to close out 2021 with a status of 49/50 for this year's challenge. It's been about two weeks since I picked it up to read. I just don't want to read it. Maybe I can pull off an eleventh hour finish. Maybe I'm more of a microhistory gal, I like books that really dig into one subject. I've read other broad overview histories and enjoyed them, but this one is not doing it for me. Maybe I'll count it as done, or maybe I'll keep plugging away in 2022. I don't know. A lot depends on library availability, and my level of interest (which has been low recently)."
Lots of options! Whatever works for you is good!

"Question of the Week
Which 2022 prompt do you think you'll need a lot of help with to find a good book?
I chose this QotW before the list came out, and wowza there are a BUNCH of categories I'm worried
BookTok
Nonpatriarchal society ( I LIKE this category, but I don't know what to read!!)
Onomatopoeia
Misleading title (like, what? what does this mean?)
PALINDROME (seriously I think I'm just going to read a picture book for this)"
LOL This is a more specific list than in the past, I think. But I'm okay with that...

"I'm SO GRATEFUL for this group!! I know we will all help each other find books to read. I'd be lost without you :-)"
Couldn't have said it better!! It seemed as soon as I created a discussion thread for a prompt, there were immediately several postings! I love that!

This discussion thread is to mark your completion of the November challenge to fulfill a prompt To Be Decided by YOU!
A poll will decide which of the following five prompts will be selected for the November Monthly Group Read:
27. A Hugo Award winner
(Voting for the The Hugos in 2021 ended in November, winners were announced in December)
-OR-
24. A book you can read in one sitting
(Novellas in November is a thing! #NOVNOV)
Cohosted by two bloggers in 2022:
746 Books--https://746books.com/2020/10/19/annou...
Bookish Beck--https://bookishbeck.wordpress.com/202...)
-OR-
9. A book about a "found family"
(Family gatherings for holidays/holiday season)
-OR-
34. A book set in Victorian times
(Just because...)
-OR-
30. A book with the name of a board game in the title
(Also...just because)

Please include the following:

Title:
Author:
Would you recommend this book?