L Y N N’s Comments (group member since Nov 10, 2018)

L Y N N’s comments from the Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge group.

Nadine wrote: "Lexi wrote: "I'll add a few of mine that might work for titles:
Jamaica
Pandemic
Calico
Cascadia
Parks
Villanous"

There's a game called Jamaica??? Nice! Maybe 2022 is the year I read Jamaica Inn!!!"
Ooohhh...me, too!

Kristy wrote: "The 80s were crazy. If it was a TV show, especially if it was a kids cartoon, there was probably a board game to go with it. My husband had (and still has) an A-Team themed board game called "The Mr, T Game..."
That is hysterical!!

I assume books set in places such as Minneapolis-St. Paul, Seattle-Tacoma, Dallas-Ft. Worth, Akron-Canton, and Raleigh-Durham in the US, and Leeds-Bradford in the UK.

See below from Wikipedia...

I also think the definition for "twin cities" would count--
Twin city or twin town may refer to:
(1) Twin cities, two towns or cities that are geographically close to each other, and often referred to collectively
(2) Sister cities, distant cities or towns that agree to partner each other, for various reasons

(1): Twin cities are a special case of two neighboring cities or urban centres that grow into a single conurbation – or narrowly separated urban areas – over time. There are no formal criteria, but twin cities are generally comparable in status and size, though not necessarily equal; a city and a substantially smaller suburb would not typically qualify, even if they were once separate. Tri-cities and quad cities are similar phenomena involving three or four municipalities.

A common – but not universal – scenario is two cities that developed concurrently on opposite sides of a river. For example, Minneapolis and Saint Paul in Minnesota – one of the most widely known "Twin Cities" – were founded several miles apart on opposite sides of the Mississippi River, and competed for prominence as they grew.

Though I'm not sure this helps me at all in locating specific books for this prompt! LOL The "sister cities" may be much easier...

Dubhease wrote: "London twins with Beijing, Berlin, Bogata, Kuala Lumpur, Moscow, New York City, Santiago, Chile, Shanghai, Tehran, Tokyo,

New York twins with Beijing, Budapest, Cairo, Brasília, Jerusalem,
Baku, Azerbaijan, Johannesburg, London, Madrid, Rome,
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Tokyo

I am going to make this one easy on myself by just reading a book set in New York and one in London. I don't think there's been a year I haven't read a book set in both those places."
I LOVE that! So true!

Nadine wrote: "Great category! This is an under-represented group of authors.

Will this finally be the year I read The Whale Rider??"
I enjoyed it!

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 holiday...

I can't add any more to my original posting above, but I am truly relying on you-all to help me fulfill
11. A #BookTok recommendation
I am not on TikTok nor do I intend to be. I refuse to download another app! 🤨

Debbie wrote: "Charlsa wrote: "Ugh...SFF is not my jam. Binti would work, but I've read it. "

Did you read all three novellas? So, there's Binti, but then The Night Masquerade and Home. Unless you read the complete trilogy in one compilation, which I know exists now, but didn't originally."
I have and I loved them all. I was glad I read all three.

Lilith wrote: "For all who are wondering about social horror:

I kinda love this category.

Social horror books can be scary, but the main thing is that it illustrates a greater social problem or evil. It's not just a horror story that happens to one person.

Tender Is the Flesh fits perfectly, but it might be too gruesome for some.

Frankly, any book about slavery or Indigenous genocide would be social horror to me. Try An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States is way more terrifying to me than anything Stephen King could ever dream up!"
Bless you for this posting, Lilith! That is a perfect book for me to read. And I totally relate to that being even scarier than Stephen King!

I feel as if anything involving violent oppression of people (especially a specific group of people) would qualify. Anything set during WW II and the Nazis' oppression, perhaps even something as mild as Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet about US internment of Japanese people in the US.

I think this prompt should be easy for those who read and enjoy true horror books. I hope so! LOL

Second time trying to post this... Thanks, Goodreads! 😒

Nadine wrote: "I had never heard this term, either, so I was googling it earlier. It looks like they do mean part of the horror genre, where a whole group of people is involved.

The Only Good Indians was an example somewhere. I STILL haven't read this book, and I really want to, so I kind of stopped looking after that, this is my book.

BookRiot has this article:
https://bookriot.com/social-horror-no...
(The Circle is mentioned here - it's only a bit disturbing, and definitely social ... so the level of "horror" seems flexible.)

Goodreads has a shelf (only nine books, but ...): https://www.goodreads.com/genres/soci...

Probably zombie books where a group of people work together would also fit here.

Popsugar's example is Sorrowland, which makes me think Wilder Girls would also fit quite well here. (And it's not horror horror, for those of you who are squeamish. Although it is unpleasant.) And, really I see a lot of overlap with some dark academia books, like Catherine House.

BUT, I mean, if we are all confused, then it seems fair for us to all use our own interpretation of "social" and "horror" - A Brief History of Seven Killings is DEFINITELY about horrible things in society. It's not in the horror genre, but ... who's to really say that this category must be in the horror genre, if someone really doesn't want to read horror?!

LOL how's that for a waffling non-response?!"
LOL Thanks for allowing me my own wimpy interpretation! I still stand by the concept of self-interpretation for reading challenge prompts.

Reserving this spot. I'm currently down to 20 pages left in a book I want to include this week...PLUS...THE 2022 PROMPTS!!! YIPPEE! YAHOO! 👍😲😁🎇🎆✨
Edited to add:
I spent time with two of my favorite people over Thanksgiving break. It was so much fun to reconnect and share! I adore people with whom I can talk for hours at a time! And with no effort…conversation just flows!

And now I’m sick! The rapid COVID test and flu test Urgent Care performed yesterday were both negative. Currently awaiting the results of the more involved COVID test which should be done tomorrow or Friday. The fatigue is almost overwhelming and all my other symptoms are there but rather mild. Though I admit this feels different than other illnesses in the past. I’m just very fortunate that so far the congestion in my chest/lungs is mild. I’m taking probiotics like crazy and did finally take some Aleve. And unusual for me, as long as I am sitting down, I can stay awake for extended periods and read/work on the computer. That was what enabled me to complete my half of the 2022 prompt listings yesterday. So I guess there is something positive of this illness so far.

This isn’t even book-related—I, who rarely watches movies or anything else, am thrilled that Matrix Resurrections is due to be released December 22. I love these movies! I’ll have to catch it on the weekend of 12-25—12-26. Yes! 😊 My present to myself!

Okay, back to it! Whoo! Whoo! The 2022 Popsugar prompt listing has been released!! I am soooo pumped!

Admin Stuff:
Well, we are finally here! It is the final monthly group read of 2021! December's Monthly Group Read is Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid and that discussion is now posted in the Current Monthly Group Read folder. Teri is the most gracious volunteer who will lead this discussion. Thank you so much to her and all the other “Adorable Angels” who have led the 2021 book discussions!! As always, there is also a folder for you to post any books you have finished reading to fulfill prompt #1 A book published in 2021 as well.

You can still access the November discussion of The Firekeeper's Daughter by Karola Renard in the 2021 Monthly Group Reads folder. (This was yet another amazing read for me this year!) You can also post any books you have finished reading for prompt #16 A book written by an indigenous author in the November Challenge—I finished! topic in that folder. And that folder will always be there in the archives for reference as of January 1, 2022. Sheesh! Another year gone and another new one to anticipate! Just doesn’t seem possible. I always try to express my gratefulness for every day, but to realize I’ve made it through yet another whole year is remarkable! LOL 😉

Question of the week:
Which 2022 prompt do you think you’ll need a lot of help with to find a good book?
Uhm. Admittedly, my first response is, “So many!” LOL
Before I start my list, I admit to having to lookup the following words to either confirm my memory or educate myself:
sapphic, ace, onomatopoeia, palindromic
These are prompts I definitely feel as if I’ll need help to find books that are interesting to me to fulfill.
7 A book with an onomatopoeia in its title
39 An #OwnVoices SFF (science fiction and fantasy) book
44 & 45 A duology
I have found it difficult to find a duology I want to read in the past. It seems like everything that interests me has at least 3 books…or more!
49 & 50 Two books set in twin towns, aka "sister cities"

And, of course, I am such a wuss that prompt #33 A social-“horror” book had me…well…”horrified”! LOL But in revisiting that posting, I see there are quite a few I would be happy to read. Though I do own a copy of A Brief History of Seven Killings and would really like to see if it’s possible for me to make my way through it or not.

I actually love the fact that we are all here helping each other with suggestions, etc. This is where our group excels, IMO! And thank you to all who participate!

Popsugar: 45/50
ATY: 52/52 DONE!
RHC: 19/24
Reading Women: 15/28

FINISHED:
I managed to read two nonfiction books this month as planned for Nonfiction November! I am stoked about that! Plus I did complete one of the two books I had planned for November whose authors are indigenous people. I still didn’t manage to get to There, There but it is one of the first books I’ll read in December.

I just can’t say enough good things about The Firekeeper's Daughter by Karola Renard! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Yet another absolutely excellent read for me this year!! It was just as good or maybe better than I expected it to be. And my expectations were really high! 😊
POPSUGAR: #1, #16, #18-Justice!, #19, #21- Contemporary Fiction, Debut Novel, Fantasy, Fiction, Mystery, Native American, Young Adult, #27, #33, #34, #37
ATY: #6, #10-Dana!, #15, #20-I would love to know more about these characters’ futures!, #21, #23- Contemporary Fiction, Debut Novel, Fantasy, Fiction, Mystery, Native American, Young Adult, #24, #25, #27-Justice, Death, Temperance, #30, #34, #41, #42, #45-Mike, Whiskey, Papa, #50, #51, #52-In the end, justice was not done in many ways.
RHC: #5, #24
Reading Women: #14, #18

The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ was an amazing read, IMO! It didn’t quite make a 10-star rating for me, but it was pretty close. Thankfully, Coates does use quotation marks, however, I did find myself having to reread conversational passages to determine who was speaking when, so perhaps a few more “he said”/”she said”s would have helped. Such a strong feminist message that I didn’t expect! I believe this is one of those books whose details will stay with me for a long time. I am very anxious to read Between the World and Me, a copy of which I now own…
POPSUGAR: #18-Thwarting slavery and feminism!, #20, #21- Fantasy, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Historical Nonfiction, Magical Realism, #27, #28, #30-Virginia, Pennsylvania, #31, #33, #34-Self-determination—ending slavery!, #37
ATY: #3-When the dog bites…the tracking hounds, #4, #5, #6, #15, #20-The future can be different from the past by actions in the present…#23- Fantasy, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Historical Nonfiction, Magical Realism, #24, #34-Travel by “conduction”, #41, #43, #45-Papa, #51, #52-In the end, Hi learns true respect for a woman!
RHC: #19

I did manage to sneak in my copy of Game On: Tempting Twenty-Eight (Stephanie Plum #28) by Janet Evanovich ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ over this holiday break! I don’t know if it is me as I age, or Evanovich’s writing that has perhaps changed somewhat, but these are not as hilariously funny as the first 25 or so were for me! They are still entertaining, and I will continue to read them as they are released (for now), but I miss laughing my way through these books.
POPSUGAR: #1, #21-Fiction, Humor, Mystery, #27, #33, #36-709 reviews on Goodreads, #47-One of my favorite authors and series!
ATY: #1-In the beginning, Stephanie just thought she was after another FTA, #13-I read Fortune and Glory: Tantalizing Twenty-Seven in 2020!, #20-I hope future installments in this series will be as funny as they have been in the past!, #23-Fiction, Humor, Mystery, #27-Justice, Death, Judgment, The World, #29, #31, #34, #42, #45-Papa, #50
RHC: #24

The Souls of Black Folk by W.E.B. Du Bois ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ was such an education for me. I have marked chapters I want to reread in the future just to make sure I remember THIS history, THE history that truly oppressed, subjugated, and abused so many…for so little-just the color of their skin. And it is ongoing in our policies and political systems. I can only hope and trust that we white people who are still in power will FINALLY see the light and change our society and cultures to reflect a true acceptance, respect, and finally appreciation for others/all!
POPSUGAR: #7-A civil rights activist!, #15, #18-Equal rights for all!, #20, #27, #30-Virginia, Mississippi, #34-Equal rights for all!
ATY: #2, #8-Mississippi, #20-Though racism from the past has persisted into the present, let us hope for a future without it, #21, #24, #27-The Hanged Man, Death, Judgment, The World, #31, #33, #41, #47, #51, #52-In the end, endemic racism persists in the US over a Century later!
RHC: #1-Just not sure what to expect!

We Are Everywhere: Protest, Power, and Pride In The History of Queer Liberation by Leighton Brown and Matthew L. Riemer ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ was not only informative, but rather poignant for me as so many of the photos were from the 60s and 70s, when I was coming of age and a teen/young adult. However, I rue the fact that I am so ridiculously ignorant regarding so much of this history! At least now I am a bit more informed! I can never completely stop thinking, “Why are we so close-minded about people having the freedom to be who they are?” *shaking my head*
POPSUGAR: #7-LGBTQ+ rights activists!, #15, #18-LGBTQ+ rights!, #27, #31, #34, #36-35 reviews on Goodreads, #37, #43, #47-Some of my favorite people are queer!
ATY: #18-A gorgeous photographic history of the past LBGTQ+ fight for rights!, #27-Queen, The Lovers, Death, Justice, Judgment, The World, #32, #36, #47, #49, #51, #52-In the end, though much progress has been made there is still such a long way to go for equality to truly happen.
RHC: NEW#4

Roses Are Red (Alex Cross #6) by James Patterson ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ was...predictable and unpredictable. It’s very strange to read this series in sequence. I will give Patterson his due—boy, can he write suspenseful mysteries! However, with this series, he is rather repetitive in the overall theme of each book thus far, though he does provide enough character development through Alex and his family that it keeps me reading them… That, and the fact that these are buddy reads and my buddy and I usually have the same reaction to each book. I find it interesting that this series is so compelling to me… Though I admit they are incredibly fast reads which probably makes a difference.
POPSUGAR: #4, #18-Justice for guilty criminals!, #27, #30-Washington, DC, Virginia, Florida, #33,
ATY: #3-Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens—Roses in the title and Rosie the Cat, #10-Nurse McGuigan and Brianne Parker, #20-The cliffhanger makes me dread the future for Alex Cross!, #24, #27-The Lovers, Justice, Death, Judgment, The World, #31, #34, #42, #52-With this cliffhanger revelation, I don’t know how Cross will be able to defend himself.
RHC: #24

CONTINUING:
For Literary Wives December 6:
The Summer Wives: A Novel by Beatriz Williams
Loved her book, A Certain Age.
There There
Until We Reckon: Violence, Mass Incarceration, and a Road to Repair

PLANNED:
Hidden Valley Road: Inside the Mind of an American Family by Robert Kolker
Eva Luna by Isabel Allende to fulfill the 2020 Reading Women prompt #26 A book written by Isabel Allende.
Paradise by Toni Morrison to fulfill the 2020 Reading Women prompt #25 A book written by Toni Morrison.
In the future sometime, G.Willow Wilson's books I want to read:
The Bird King
Alif the Unseen

I'm pulling from titles I've already read that would work for me since there is no way I can read what most would classify as "horror"...

Would A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier by Ishmael Beahwork? I think so...

The First Circle by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn should work.

The Hiding Place: The Triumphant True Story of Corrie Ten Boom by Corrie ten Boom might work.

King Leopold's Ghost by Adam Hochschild works.

City of Thieves by David Benioff was an excellent read and would fulfill this prompt!

Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay qualifies for me.

Ooohhh...Beloved by Toni Morrison

Tania wrote: "Is this the same thing as a Social Thriller?
"A social thriller is a film genre using elements of suspense and horror to augment instances of oppression in society" (wikipedia)"
I am totally guessing that it is?

poshpenny wrote: "Happy food day y'all. Less reading this week because I was binging the new Cowboy Beebop."
There ya go! Call it what it is! LOL
I did lookup Cowboy Beebop. It is definitely unique! 👍😋

"Finished:
Remote Control"
I'm a bit uncertain about this one...

"Picture books:
Shoot for the Moon, Snoopy!
Aaron Slater, Illustrator
Stella's Stellar Hair
The Stuff Between the Stars: How Vera Rubin Discovered Most of the Universe
Clarinet and Trumpet"
Awww...cute!

"Currently Reading:
The Borrower"
This looks soooo good!

Kendra wrote: "Happy Thursday, and Happy Thanksgiving to those who celebrate it today. It's just a normal Thursday for me, but I've been starting my Christmas prep so I'm looking forward to decorating and whatnot. Plus it looks like I'll actually get to have a proper Christmas with extended family this year. *Knock on wood*"
Here's hoping! 👩‍👧‍👦👨‍👧‍👧👩🏻‍🤝‍👩🏻👩🏻‍🤝‍🧑🏼👩‍👧👨‍👦‍👦

"Stats:
Popsugar - Done
ATY - Done
ATY Rejects - 24/25"
Very jealous! 😁 May I ask what ATY Rejects refers to? I guess I've not noticed that before...

"Books I finished:
Diamond Fire & Sapphire Flames ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The God of Lost Words ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Snowstorms & Sleigh Bells ⭐⭐⭐⭐"
Looks like a good reading week!

"In Real Life ⭐⭐⭐ - I read this because of the artist, and yes the artwork was great. The story not so much. It had some promise, but having a unrealistic happy ending just ruined it."
Oh, boo! 🙁

"Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - This definitely deserves it's nomination for Goodreads Choice. I laughed my way through this, but it still managed to be really interesting."
You make this sound amazing!

"QOTW
I'm grateful for my family. It's not a very inspired answer, but it's the truth."
The truth is inspirational, IMO! 😀👍

"If we're going with book related things, I'm grateful for Ilona Andrews blog, which makes my day and was especially great for my mental health during covid lockdown. I'm grateful for this group and the other Goodreads groups I belong to. I've found some amazing books because of these groups."
Sounds like a good resource! Thanks!

Doni wrote: "Happy Thanksgiving! I'm glad we're still doing the QotW today even though it's a holiday. I look forward to it. :)"
Good!

"This will be my first Thanksgiving as a "veggan" and I'm making plenty of food to fill my tummy up, so it should be good: chik'n pot pie, mashed sweet potatoes, onion dip & chips."
Good for you. I have greatly decreased my consumption of red meat per my new DO's suggestion to decrease inflammation and it is working. I find the older I get the less meat I eat.

"Finished: I've got a lot this week!"
Wow. That is a lot! Looks like some really good ones! I love your brief comments!

"Seen and Not Heard: Why Children's Voices Matter Very on target to my interests, though after doing some transcribing of my own, I wonder how she got hers so crisp and succinct. (Hint: editing.)"
That cracked me up! LOL

"Zenobia July A new queer bookstore opened up and its owner recommended this book to me. It was perfect! About a transgender boy, who the owner had to edumify be about and was very nice about it."
This looks great!

"Big Thinkers and Big Ideas: An Introduction to Eastern and Western Philosophy for Kids Too sound-bitey."
Chuckling again!

"Started: Stamped (For Kids): Racism, Antiracism, and You

Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You I'm comparing all three versions and so far, this is my favorite.

Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America"
What an amazing idea! I have the last two and am working my way through the middle grade/YA one.

"QotW: I am super grateful for sunshine. This year it makes such a huge difference. For awhile at least, on sunny ideas, I was fine and on cloudy days, I could barely function. It's better now, but isn't amazing that your body can manufacutre Vitamin D just by sitting in the sun?!"
That IS pretty amazing!

"I also am grateful for Almond Nog. Eggnog latte season is something I look forward to and I was happy to discover that this substitute helped me keep my tradition.."
Great!

Harmke wrote: "Happy Thanksgiving for those who are celebrating. In the Netherlands we’ve copied Black Friday for we like to make or save money (I guess, I don’t get the point of Black Friday)."
IMO, "Black Friday" is all about unbridled consumerism. Sales! Lots of sales and supposedly unbeatable low prices. I went out shopping on one of the first Black Fridays decades ago and swore never to do that again. Way too many people, especially rude and pushy ones! LOL

"Leak detective is scheduled for tomorrow, so this mystery continues next week."
I really hope the repair is simple and doesn't involve anything major...

"Finished
Queen by Alex Haley ⭐⭐⭐
This book was written based on Haley's notes and stories. He didn't wrote it himself. I think because of this the message that was in Roots was missing in this one. That book was compelling. This book is entertaining. Due to the focus in the first part on father and son Jackson, the second part is somehow less interesting as it could have been. Because the story of father and son Jackson is a common story about self-made wealth. Which makes that the story only comes alive when the perspective shifts to Queen."
I'm rather intrigued. Although I should read Roots first. I remember the TV series. I imagine the book is a good read.

"Girl in the Blue Coat by Monica Hesse ⭐⭐⭐
Nice and easy read. And well done Monica Hesse for correctly picturing Dutch society and customs."
What an excellent recommendation!

"Currently reading
The Story of a New Name by Elena Ferrante"
I have yet to read one of her books.

"QOTW
Easy question. I’m most grateful for the fact that our families are safe and quite healthy. Although we do have our cracks and issues, it’s not life threatening.
Second is my interim teammanager. She did the right things when I mentally crashed last month. Yesterday we had a good talk and she said: you’re shining again! Sometimes you need to take 2 steps backwards to get 3 steps forward.
And third I’m grateful for books and that I can read.."
What a great list! I'm so glad about the second. It can be difficult to find good support like that!

Lindsey wrote: "27. How does learning that her Uncle David hadn't relapsed and was helping the FBI shake Daunis's world and shape her future decisions?"

I felt as if it restored her faith in humanity and the ability of people to (view spoiler)[stay clean and participate positively to society. I think it also gave her motivation to carry on as a CI in the wake of his death and complete his task. (hide spoiler)]

Lindsey wrote: "Nadine wrote: "Lindsey wrote: "23. What were your thoughts on Daunis and Jamie's relationship? Did you like them together?"


Despite all my complaints about how unprofessional Jamie was ... YES I liked them toge..."

Lol Nadine, i know!!! I'm excited to see what direction she goes with the sequel. I loved them together, and totally agree it was unprofessional. I still loved the relationship."
I agree with both of you as well. Interestingly, I just finished The Water Dancer today and overall, it included this very strong feminist theme of I must be my own person, independent of being anyone's "woman" or possession, etc. I really like that! I believe it is very true...

I love them together. I thought in many ways they complemented each other well. But I was reminded that it is possible to meet people with whom you are an immediate soulmate and nothing else really matters. That happened to me twice in my life. And I am grateful and feel very fortunate for those experiences.

Lindsey wrote: "Lindsey wrote: "6. What character traits does Daunis have that make her good (or bad) for going undercover?"

Daunis is very brave and confident for her age. She has a very strong connection to her community which helps with this job, but also makes it difficult. In a way, Daunis is already leading a double life, so this transition to undercover seems natural. And she has a strong science background."
I had not considered that fact that Daunis already has a dual-identity and that might make it easier for her to assume yet another identity... Thanks for that insight!