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.

Chandie wrote: "A book set in a restaurant
A Pho Love Story by Loan Le. YA romance. Kids of two competing restaurants end up working on the school paper together. Cute."
This sounds cute! (BTW, I couldn't get the link to work... Darn Goodreads! LOL)

"QOTW
I blew past my goodreads goal a couple of months ago."
Cool!

"I have a hand full of prompts left for the popsugar challenge but I pulled those books off my shelf so I have them ready to read."
Sound as if you are ready and organized! 👍😊

Posting a bit later than usual this morning. Just as I feel I’m back into the hang of working with everyone face-to-face and getting all the details of the routine back, I’m exhausted again! LOL I guess it’s my age showing. This past weekend proved to be very frustrating for me, so am trying to concentrate on one thing at a time and complete tasks before moving on. And unfortunately, I’ve not found the time to complete my current obsessive read, so am a bit disappointed and yet I realize it will be on my “finished” listing for next week!

I trust your week did not include as many frustrations as mine did, and that whatever you have encountered you have been able to deal with in a positive way. It took me a day or two, but I worked through the emotional turmoil and am definitely feeling better now! YAY!!

I just realized that this coming weekend I will be finishing Project Hail Mary and The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, as well as reading Cat & Mouse, and Children of the Mind! LOL Of course, I'll have PLENTY of time to get all that reading done AND complete the other typical weekend tasks of errand running, cooking, and yes a bit of cleaning! Never. Enough. Time. 😉

ADMIN STUFF:
The monthly group read for September is
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab and that discussion is here. It will officially wrap up tonight! (Unfortunately, I have yet to read this one, but that is a top priority for this coming weekend, so I’ll look forward to reading everyone’s reactions once I’ve finished!)

Don't forget to post the book(s) you've read to fulfill prompt #11 A book about forgetting which was #2 in the selection poll here.

I’ll plan to move these two back to the Monthly Group Read folder tomorrow. That means a new month and a new discussion!

October’s book is Anxious People by Fredrik Backman and that discussion is here in the Current Monthly Group Read folder!

And you can post the book(s) you’ve read to fulfill prompt #13 a locked-room mystery here!

I already created a document with 2022 monthly listings to be prepared to begin our Monthly Group Read selection process just as soon as the 2022 POPSUGAR Challenge prompts are announced! (I do love to make book lists! LOL)

Question of the Week:
As we enter the LAST QUARTER of 2021, how are your reading goals faring for the year?
I, myself, am quite pleased with my progress. In reviewing the challenges I have completed thus far across all Goodreads groups to which I belong these are my totals:
Monthly Challenges: 26
1st, 2nd, and 3rd Quarter Challenges: 9
Year-long Challenges: 0
But I am so close on 5 of these year-long challenges! And most of the books I’ll be reading to complete these year-long challenges count for more than one challenge! (That always gives me a thrill!)

And most importantly, I reached 100 books read for 2021 on September 13! That is quite the achievement for me!

Plus I set myself the challenge of catching up completely with the No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series and am on track to complete that goal!

Trying to decide which series to catch up with in 2022 now! I decided to select a series each year to work on and I think that is working for me. I still read books in other series, but purposefully am scheduling books in that one every month or so. I love it when a plan works! LOL

While I adore the larger challenges such as Popsugar and ATY, I really enjoy the more specific prompts of Reading Harder and Reading Women as well. I have been better organized this year and obtaining books for those smaller challenges throughout the year and purposefully fitting one into my reading every now and then and I’m quite pleased with my ‘slow but steady’ progress. Admittedly, I have more remaining for Reading Women than I would like, but it’s okay… There are still 3 months remaining!! And that’s 25% of the whole year, right?!? LOL I am really limiting the buddy and group reads these last 3 months and that should help me reach my challenge goals! 😊

How about you?

Popsugar: 44/50
ATY: 48/52
RHC: 16/24
Reading Women: 12/28

FINISHED:
I enjoyed A Gathering of Shadows (Shades of Magic #2) by V.E. Schwab ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ even more than the first installment, A Darker Shade of Magic! That rarely happens for me. I do believe it was greatly due to the further details of characterization and less action seemingly mainly just for action’s sake! I am enthralled and can’t wait to obtain a copy of the third and final installment in this trilogy, especially since this one definitely ended in a cliffhanger!
POPSUGAR: #18-independence and respect for young females, #21-Adventure, Fantasy, Fiction, Magic, Romance, Young Adult, #27, #46, #47-definitely a favorite fantasy series!
ATY: #1-In the beginning I thought Lila’s situation was impossible!, #8-London, #10-Lila, #13-I read A Darker Shade of Magic in 2020, #14-Three different Londons: Red, White, Grey, #20-A definitely cliffhanger into the future, #23-Adventure, Fantasy, Fiction, Magic, Romance, Young Adult, #28-The magicians use water to create weapons and shields of ice, #34, #43, #49

CONTINUING:
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir. I am seriously in LOVE with this man! Well, at least with his writing!
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab
City of Silver: A Mystery by Annamaria Alfieri
How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi.
The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates

PLANNED:
September Buddy Reads:
Fortunately both of these are carrying over into October. My reading buddies are also running a bit behind…
Children of the Mind (Ender’s Saga #4) by Orson Scott Card
Cat & Mouse (Alex Cross #4) by James Patterson
And…
The Souls of Black Folk by W.E.B. Du Bois
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.
Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi

Theresa wrote: "I'll just start off by saying I wish GR would stop messing around with things! Especially with zero notice or even seeking feedback to see how it affects groups! Fortunately I moderate only 3 very small private groups on GR and members are all friended.

I've had sufficient discussion on that this week!

I discovered that my PS completed list was out of wack, missing a couple of finishes. Plus realized a recent finish perfectly fit 'three generations' prompt far better than what I had there so made the switch (and how perfectly does that fit this week's prompt? That book was Black Water Sister which has as key characters a grandmother, mother, daughter. If still looking for a book for this, this was a 3 star read for me - very enjoyable and quick. All that to say I only have 9 prompts left, 3 regular for which I have books lined up to read already, and 6 in the Advanced which pull from TBR. Those are easy to fill. One is of course the longest in pages....which I have started!"
Wow. Isn't that cool when you realize a book inadvertently fulfills a prompt? 😁

Finished:
Physical Forces - last of a studly men and hunky dogs series I was reading."
I love that description! "studly men and hunky dogs" 😊

"Currently reading - I'm having trouble settling on one. All currently in rotation until one really grabs me:
A Suitable Boy"
Man, that is one heck of a chunkster!

"This Cold Heaven: Seven Seasons in Greenland"
This is now on my TBR listing. Definitely looks unique and informative!

"The Secret of Santa Vittoria"
Oooohhhh...another one for my TBR!

"Serve 'N' Protect - I'm pretty sure this one will be finished first🤣"
You crack me up! LOL

"QOTW: Oh for sure. In fact, if I read a book later in the year that I think fits better or just a book I want to show up as having read for that prompt more than the one I used, I swap out. I don't preplan my reading - just fill as I read.

Three Generations - I had used The Country Guesthouse which had a grandmother, foster mother/guardian and child/son in it central to the story but in a suspense plot more than a family relationships one. It was fine. However I just swapped it out for Black Water Sister which has all 3 generations and their relationships and history key to story which I think fits better than one with a foster mother. Plus I just wanted that book showing up in the list!"
I do that as well! I make sure some books are listed.

"The City We Became - afrofuturist. I'm not sure if it truly fits the definition but it does show up on lists and discussions - outside GR specifically. If I happen to read something that I think fits more straightforwardly before end of year, I'll swap it out."
I keep wondering if I would enjoy this one or not.

"Turn to Stone - locked room mystery - It's constantly described as a locked room mystery but no so much IMHO - it's not even that isolated or limited a situation in which the murder occured. It is likely I will read something that fits better my definition of locked room mystery by year end."
There are a ton in the listopia. 😊

Sarah wrote: "Hi everyone. Work has been insane lately but still managed to squeeze in some reading."
I hear ya! Every minute I can read through the week is wonderful!

"This week I finished a re-read of Heidi which I haven't read for about twenty years. I really wish I was in the Swiss Alps right now! I could totally live in a little hut with goats...for a day or two at least"
That is one book I have never read, but am placing it on my list for (hopefully) next year.

"Currently reading: Zulu Dawn. I have no idea where this book came from or why I own it because it is not something I would normally read but it is quite interesting so far."
Good to know I am not alone in forgetting where or why I obtained a certain book! LOL 😂

"QOTW: I thought I'd stretched the Woman's Prize with a nominee but apparently Piranesi won it after I read it."
Maybe you're just good at recognizing a prize-winner!

"The Moonstone only has a chapter near the end that is sort of a locked room mystery but that was enough for me."
This is one I was hoping to read this year, but it may have to wait...

"I might have to stretch a few of my leftover ones. I've DNF'd every magical realism I've tried this year so I might just read a full on magical book instead of struggling through."
So sorry about the magical realism not working for you! Have you tried Sarah Addison Allen?

Nadine wrote: "Shannon wrote: "The Wizard of Oz park was quite fun, thoug..."

Now, I just wish I could go back on vacation. And there are SO MANY EMAILS. Even when I'm out for just a day, I can barely keep up with my emails. I'm starting to see why people read their emails while they're on vacation."
Oh, no! Vacation is vacation! Period! Unless the building blows up or burns down, I don't care...

Nadine wrote: "Shannon wrote: "Is anyone else getting the beta book pages here? I hate them and really hope this isn't the direction they actually go -- it looks like a shopping page.
..."

I tried it for a day when they first offered it, didn't like it, switched back to the "classic" format, and done. It's been a long time now that they've had that beta option, I was hoping that meant they were never going to switch over. Why do they make all these changes we don't like, but they aren't fixing the things we want them to fix???."

I just always assume Amazon doesn't really care...

Melissa wrote: "Hello! This week was calmer after the discovery my furnace was broken of last week. The installer came on Monday, and while it took double the amount of time he claimed it would (I resisted laughing in his face when he said it would only take four hours), I have a new furnace and should be set for winter. Last night was in person book club, but it was in a friend's back yard next to a fire pit, which was actually quite nice. Fall arrived on Monday, and the evenings are quite chilly now, making the fire very welcome."
Cooler here as well! So glad you will have reliable heat during the colder months! YAY! 👍 The fire pit sounds so cozy and fun!

"Finished This Week:
I Almost Forgot About You by Terry McMillan."
I love her writing! I am anxious to finally read Waiting to Exhale this year!

"The Cruelty Is the Point: The Past, Present, and Future of Trump's America by Adam Serwer."
Ooph! That sounds like a tough one.

"Notes from a Young Black Chef by Kwame Onwuachi. My food memoir by an Author of Color for Read Harder."
I keep looking at that book! I did select Yes, Chef for that Read Harder prompt, but have this one on my TBR for the future!

"Currently Reading:
I have six books with bookmarks in them on my coffee table, plus my Kindle. I need to stop starting new ones and finish the existing ones."
I keep telling myself that every single weekend! LOL 😳😂

"Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle by Emily Nagoski. Book club wanted to read this for this month, so I started it up again after DNF-ing it in April."
I hope it isn't a slog for you to get through!

"The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah."
I thought this was one of the best books set during WWII I've read, especially regarding the exploitation of women. Not an easy read... But I love Hannah's writing!

"Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents"
Definitely one I intend to read.

"QOTW: Is there a book you read for the 2021 Popsugar challenge that you didn’t feel was a perfect representative for that prompt, but it fit well enough to serve your purposes and you used it for that prompt? What was the book and the prompt?
Oh, so very many."
That made me smile! 😊

"I took some of the TBR prompts as a guideline rather than an only. The one I'm reading (under the current plan) for most pages on TBR list has the 8th most (At Dawn We Slept: The Untold Story of Pearl Harbor)."
I think many of us interpreted these a bit loosely. Which is fine, IMO!

My Muslim American author is British (Minaret)."
I just finished her book Elsewhere, Home and loved it. I also own Minaret and am very anxious to read it now!

"My dark academia book had the academia part, but the dark is questionable (We Ride Upon Sticks). I took everyone's word for it that Fugitive Telemetry counted as a Locked Room Mystery. There's controversy about if Rebecca Roanhorse counts as an Indigenous author (Trail of Lightning)."
Hmmm...I don't recall hearing anything about Roanhorse not being considered an indigenous author... I wasn't overly-thrilled with the one book of hers I read...

"The only ones of the above that actively bother me are the 90s bestseller and the Indigenous author. I have Murder on the Red River on hold at the library to cover the latter"
Oohhh, added that to my TBR listing!

"and still searching for something that actually was on a bestseller list in the 90s that I want to read and haven't already.

EDIT 30 minutes later: Turns out Moon Shot: The Inside Story of America's Race to the Moon made the bestseller list in July 1994, so I've got that prompt covered now without qualifiers."
Very cool! LOL

Shannon wrote: "Is anyone else getting the beta book pages here? I hate them and really hope this isn't the direction they actually go -- it looks like a shopping page."
Honestly, I don't even know what "beta book pages" are! LOL

:The Wizard of Oz park was quite fun, though the logistics weren't the best. Evidently the architect chose the Oz theme because the area is so green and it made him think of the Emerald City. So that's why it's in North Carolina (and it really is beautiful)! You basically walk through the movie - it starts with the farmhands dancing, Dorothy meeting Mr. Marvel then singing Over the Rainbow, and the tornado looming. You walk through Dorothy's house and a simulated tornado (which was cool--not anything crazy, but a neat set-up), and come out to Oz.

Then it's down the yellow brick road! The reason I said the logistics aren't great is that they have characters set up for people to take pictures with, but the show also keeps going, so you basically have to choose if you want pictures or to see the full show. Luckily, most of the employees were teenagers (who are typically less strict), so I asked if we could go through a second time (the website says you can't) and the guy let us lol."
Oh, my! I LOVE North Carolina! It is beautifully green!

"Our trip was really nice - we went to the Biltmore, which was incredible and educational, and spent a couple days at the beach."
Ahhh. I am so jealous! I love the Biltmore and surrounding area. There is a bakery there that is unsurpassed, IMO, it is Well-Bred Bakery and Cafe and if you didn't make it there this time, maybe next... Their original shop is in Weaverville, TN, which is a kinda cool place as well...at least to us since they have a very interesting pottery shop and jewelry shop! We have friends who live near there. And the beach... Glad you enjoyed yourself!

"Then I came back to an absolutely packed work week. I know it's supposed to be refreshing to go on vacation, but really it just makes me go "Shouldn't THIS be life? Not the work grind day-in and day-out??""
Agreed!

"Finished (yay trips and audiobooks!):
Finding Dorothy by Elizabeth Letts - A book your best friend would like (convenient, since my best friend is the one who chose it for our drive). The beginning of it, when we went through Maude's childhood, was very cutesy and overly sweet (even when she was describing some terrible things, Letts did it in this weird, overly-flowery way). But once we got into her adulthood and marriage, as well as the disaster that was the treatment of young Judy Garland, it got a lot better."
Added this one. Looks like one I would enjoy!

"Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie - A locked-room mystery. I'd read it before, but it had been awhile. I love Agatha Christie!"
Her books seem to be pretty consistent.

"Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald - A book that starts with Q, X, or Z. Hoo boy, this was HEAVY. Really good but so upsetting/frustrating/sad. So similar to Finding Dorothy -- about the same time period, strong women who marry writers, some Hollywood stuff -- but SO different in how their lives turned out."
I thought this book was really well done!

"From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg - A book everyone seems to have read but you. I enjoyed this but it's not my favorite Konigsburg."
Oh, my! I remember reading this one to my sons!

"Currently Reading:
Eragon by Christopher Paolini - A book you saw on someone's shelf. I put it down earlier this year because I wasn't in the right mental state for it, but I'm flying through it now! I'm still enjoying it but also sad because I know what happens to some of these characters haha."
Gosh! It's been forever since I read this series!

"QOTW:
Absolutely! I put Eragon on the "someone's shelf" prompt because, while I don't have a specific time in mind, I'm sure I've seen it on a shelf at some point lol. I mean, I've seen it on MY shelf, and don't I count as "someone"??"
This definitely made me laugh! Yes! Yes, you are "somebody"! LOL

"Only a few scenes of Crazy Stupid Bromance were in a restaurant, but since the female lead owned said restaurant (cafe), I counted it. And I'm not even sure what my actual longest book is, I just decided it would be the longest book on my list of books to read this year."
That doesn't seem so far off to me!

"I've also swapped some of the prompts I had trouble finding anything for with prompts from previous years. I'm swapping out "A book by a blogger, vlogger, YouTuber, or other online personality" with "A book more than 100 years old." I already swapped "A book with a family tree" with "A book by an author you love but haven't read.""
Hmmmm...I never thought of doing that... Food for thought!

"It's unlike me to these things, but this is not a year to focus on perfection."
This year has been tough...

"Sorry for the hella long post!"
Ha! Never apologize for a long post...from a person who often has a long post! LOL 👍😁

Brandon wrote: "I'm going to see KISS in concert this weekend, and I'm really pumped to see them for only the 2nd (and probably last) time."
Oh, my goodness! KISS! That brings back some memories. Though I never saw them in concert...

"Finished:
Sparkling Cyanide by Agatha Christie (3/5)"
I feel as if Christie always delivers!

"Sarek by A.C. Crispin (5/5, reread)
I love Sarek (Spock's dad) so much. He is most definitely a flawed character, but his portrayal by Mark Lenard was extremely appealing to me, and I aspire to achieve the level of serenity he showed in the movies.

Besides the title character, we get tons of Amanda (Spock's mom), Spock, Klingons, Vulcans, and Romulans thrown into the mix. The story focuses in almost equal measure on relationships and a political thriller plot.."
You may actually get me to read a Star Trek book! 👍😁

"Currently reading:
The Trials of Morrigan Crow (Nevermoor) by Jessica Townsend"
This is on my TBR. Looks intense and like one I would enjoy.

"Question of the Week:
I have kept to the prompts and their intent pretty closely with no major cheats. I have, however, come across a lot of DNFs, so I feel like a lot of my challenge reading has been unsuccessful this year."
Awww... I hope your luck improves with the challenge reading! 😊

Britany wrote: "Struggling this week to continue to remember to let things go. One friendship that is truly draining my energy, but is always there for me when I need her, so then I feel bad and enable the relationship on her terms. Friday, a few minor things (dog got bit at the park, friend ruined my pan by scraping the inside, and the other went thru my desk drawer while I was out at said park to make a list of "things I'm missing in my kitchen") led to my being tense and then got teased at a game night. I just am feeling like I need to re-evaluate how I handle scenarios to not dwell and waste energy on things. Today, my brother called to tell me about a grudge my parents are holding from almost 11 years ago about me that I had no idea about... Just feel pretty pushed at the moment. Any tips for letting things go, or setting boundaries?"
I read this and just had to reply even thought it is out of sequence! First, I'm so sorry for all of that hitting at once. It sounds awful! Or at the very least very challenging to deal with!

I just had some similar experiences this weekend and was so angry and frustrated I actually considered quitting my part-time job teaching at the gym. 1) On Friday, my supervisor at my full-time job suggested I "ask her" for some specific information at the beginning of each semester rather than asking the various faculty members, since they all send it to her ahead of time. (I've worked here over 7 years and she just NOW tells me this?) All I allowed myself to do was mentally flip her off and imagine myself angrily suggesting she could have just been forwarding that information to me all along!!! 2) Sunday I drove the 35 miles one way to my gym from home to substitute for another instructor. I NEVER go to the gym on the weekend. And when I get there learn that my supervisor there selected a different instructor to sub and NEVER INFORMED ME, even though she had spoken to the other person about it TWO WEEKS AGO! AAARRRGGGHHH!!! I had basically lost Saturday due to not feeling well and sleeping on and off all day. Then Sunday I still felt pretty puny, but decided I had volunteered to do this and would NOT back out and forced myself to go...and then THAT HAPPENED! 3) My husband frustrated me so much Sunday evening--that's a long story--and basically his health isn't great, so...I must forgive and overlook... BUT...I was soooooo angry and frustrated by Monday morning!

Monday evening after my usual workout class is another class that is Yoga in the heated therapy pool and is always very calming to me. She always has us select one word or phrase at the beginning of class to concentrate on as our mantra for ourselves. I selected "forgiveness"... And I truly felt better about everything afterward. I guess meditation, Taichi, Yoga, something similar. Sometimes just closing my eyes and concentrating on big deep belly breathing for a few minutes helps me a lot. (In through the nose and out the mouth.) But boy. Some of these people should feel lucky that I've devoted my adulthood to overcoming my innate temper!! And that I refuse to allow myself to pick up anything that could be considered a lethal weapon!! LOL 😳 They are unaware of their immense good luck, I'm sure!

And the yoga instructor stopped by my locker and we walked out together and she really made me feel so much better. I don't know if she sensed I was in a mood or what, but I was grateful for that positive interaction.

There are times when I realize I could imagine 'going postal' just because... I don't believe I ever would, but I can relate to feeling overwhelmed with negativity, anger, and frustration!

"Finished Reading:
1.) Us Against You by Fredrik Backman (No PS Prompt) ⭐⭐⭐⭐: I actually may have enjoyed this more than the first book, it was a little longer than needed, but Backman has a nice way to twist and pull your emotions until you fall in love with almost every single character."
Yep! I've read almost everything that's been translated into English and I adore this man and his writing!

"QOTW: Is there a book you read for the 2021 Popsugar challenge that you didn’t feel was a perfect representative for that prompt, but it fit well enough to serve your purposes and you used it for that prompt? What was the book and the prompt?

Yes, I feel like The Midnight Library was a little bit of a stretch for magical realism. It didn't QUITE fit that prompt for my liking, however since it was selected for the group read for that prompt, I went with it."
Yep! No way can the group be wrong! LOL I think magical realism is a more personal interpretation than some other categories!

Nadine wrote: "I just realized next week is Banned Books Week! And THIS week a small group of parents in my school district have become VERY worked up about a book in the school libraries. The book in question: [..."

Oh, my goodness! I totally overlooked Banned Books Week!

And, man, can't people just allow their children to experience something that may be outside their own comfort zone every once in a while. Sheesh!

Nadine wrote: "Lynn wrote: "I typically only give an author two books to win me over or not......"


It really depends on the author, and why I gave it a low rating. I don't have a set rule. Sometimes I'm one and..."

I rather assume I might not enjoy either author...

Ashley Marie wrote: "Lynn wrote: "I now own a copy of the first installment in this series but don't know if I can get it read this year or not...though it is on my list for this year... 😁"

Speaking as someone who STI..."
Good to know!

To start, introduce yourself and what genres you usually read.
Although I love to read nonfiction I seem to mostly read fiction! A few years ago I began to prioritize nonfiction books every month or so and now find I really need to do something similar to that now...again! So mostly fiction. I hadn't read much fantasy until several years ago when I began participating in reading challenges and being more active on Goodreads. I am rather picky in the fantasy novels I read and almost always love them!

Reading status: How far are you?
Uhm. Well, considering I was not feeling well this past weekend, I ended up picking up my copy just this morning. Since I work full time and workout regularly, I seriously doubt I'll get this read by the end of this month, but I will read it just as soon as possible!

Has anyone else already read it? When and why?
Nope.

Is this a genre you frequently read? If not, what made you pick it up?
As I mentioned above I now read way more fantasy than I ever have before. I actually just finished A Gathering of Shadows and now cannot wait to read A Conjuring of Light! Not only have I adored the Shades of Magic series, but she left AGoS on such a cliffhanger! 😁

Have you read any other V.E. Schwab?
As mentioned above, I am super-enjoying the Shades of Magic series, so I have great expectations for this one as well!

What prompt are you using it for?
Whatever prompt I decide to use it for. I always map each book read throughout the year to all applicable prompts and then decide at year's end which book to count for which prompt.

What format are you reading?
A hardcopy. I almost always read the IRL "real" book! I only resort to ebooks if unable to read it any other way and although I enjoy audiobooks, I discover I do not retain the story and details as well as when I've read the words on the page!

One last question: besides checking off a PS prompt and participating in this discussion, what led you to read this now?
If not for the monthly group read I probably would have held off on reading this right now...

Let our journey begin! We are in Villon-sur-Sarthe, France, and it is July 29, 1714....
I am finishing up Project Hail Mary and then this is next! BTW, I am madly in love with Andy Weir! Well, at least with his writing! LOL

Ellie wrote: "Sheri wrote: "Tipping the Velvet - 90s bestseller. This was on the listopia, although when I googled directly I couldn't specifically find it on a bestseller list..."

I interpreted it as a book first published in the 90s that is a bestseller not that it was on a certain bestseller list in a specific period of time. There are a lot of different bestseller lists and not all of them are available to the public. So I don't think that is bending the prompt in the slightest. Her books have sold a lot of the years. I used a Discworld book for that prompt, I doubt it was a NYT bestseller but no one would doubt his books are bestsellers."
AGREED!

Katelyn wrote: "Its Thursday again and doesn't feel quite like fall enough for me. A couple days of rain, then back to almost 80 degrees, sigh."
Well, hopefully it becomes fall for sure...soon! LOL

Finished:
Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie (no prompt). This one was definitely good and kept me guessing. This is only the second Agatha Christie book I have read and I really like her writing style."
I do, too. I have been rereading Agatha Christie a couple of books per year and have also been branching out to other female mystery writers who were her contemporaries. It is interesting to me that she is considered the ONE go-to female mystery writer for that time...

"Currently Reading:
Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors, and the Drug Company that Addicted America by Beth Macy. I can see why people gave this book low reviews - it is an interesting topic but not executed the best way. Her writing is a little...choppy. I like the premise and it is good enough to keep me reading."
What makes me so angry about the opioids is that the main blame is on INSURANCE COMPANIES! After my experience with withdrawals from percocet, my surgeon mentioned that he had read in an academic journal about a new pain relieving medication that had been developed that had many fewer and less severe side effects as well as being much more effective than opoids and 'non-habit forming' and insurance companies refused to offer it due to the higher price. UGH!! No one seems to mention insurance companies in all this fiasco, but then they have a ton of money to throw around...

"One of Us Is Lying by Karen McManus. This one is taking me a little longer to get into. I read hard and fast recently and now am slowing down. I am sure I will pick this up once I get back into reading."
I was uncertain about this one when I read it, but I really enjoyed it. Hope you do, too! 😁

"QOTW:
I have this funny habit of reading books that aren't for the challenge then trying to finagle them into it. I find it easier to justify a book working for a prompt after I have read it."
Oh, I think that is so true! Once I've finished a book I obviously have much clearer ideas about prompts it could fulfill. That is one of the things I enjoy best about reading challenges--fitting books into all the possible prompts once I've read them!

"The shortest book on my TBR prompt was only 30 pages but it was more of a short story among a collection so I didn't count that. The DNF prompt is the hardest for me because I rarely DNF but when I do it is for a good reason and won't pick the book up again. So I used this as a "freebie" and stuck a book there that I read but not for the challenge specifically."
That all works! YAY! 😋

poshpenny wrote: "Mary wrote: " I feel that all of my books met the prompts, but I feel I missed the intention of some of the prompts. For example, for the prompt "a book by a Muslim American author," I read a comic book written by G. Willow Wilson, but I think in doing so, I missed an opportunity to learn and raise raise my cultural awareness, which seemed like an overarching theme for a lot of the prompts this year. I wish that I had chosen a memoir or something a bit more informational instead. This was an example of my lazy approach to filling prompts at times."

Please do not feel too bad about this. Yes, reading about cultures other than your own is awesome, but there's this: Authors/illustrators from marginalized communities have been saying that they are only getting hired for work about their identity, and not for other work. I try to mix it up, personally. Some specifically own voices stuff and some less specific, genre, other general stuff. Muslim authors should be able to get published if they write about squirrels in space too."
You definitely made me laugh, poshpenny! I agree. I think there is value to reading all different kinds of books by diverse authors. It doesn't always have to 'educational' and some of the genre works I've read by diverse authors have been just as eye-opening and maybe moreso in some respects.

Christine wrote: "Thanks Nadine and Lynn for dealing with all the ins & outs of running the group - sorry to hear that GR is making it even more challenging in some ways!"
You can mainly thank Nadine. I've been out more than in with this group the past few weeks. Work has me worn out. Though I'm beginning to get caught up and feeling a bit less pressured overall! Goodreads can be frustrating to all of us on occasion, I think! 😣

"I’m getting a little more in the groove, though I am concerned that I’m behind my planned schedule - I’m only through 34 books on week 39. However, I am making progress through my longest book, and I’m planning some short and fun books to get me back on track. Fingers crossed!"
Sounds as if you have a plan! We have faith in you! 👍😊

"Ellie wrote: "The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune for a book everyone seems to have read. This finally came out in the UK and, well I just do not think I like his style of writing. It's very children's books for adults, and I'd rather just read the kids book tbh. Less, weird "inspirational" speeches. I liked all the magical kids, wish it focused more on them than Linus"

I feel the same way - you put it so well! I liked this, but did not love it the way so many people seem to!"
I would agree it did read as more juvenile to me as well, but I'm pretty sure I really haven't 'grown up' much at all, 'cause I still LOVE reading kids lit! 🧸👍

"Finished
Nothing that’s on GR, but I did re-read my friend’s manuscript. It was cool to see some changes she made, but I think I’m done being a beta reader for this one - I’m not keen on re-re-reading a book within a few months!"
Now, see, I think it would be so much fun to do that! (I'm weird...) LOL

"Currently Reading
The Complete Sherlock Holmes - The longest book (by pages) on your TBR list"
I have one of these compilations at home and keep telling myself I really need to read it! Maybe 2022...

"Kill Creek - A book featuring three generations (grandparent, parent, child) - this is such a weird mix. There are really artful components, and I’m super intrigued by the structure of the story - it’s not what I expected from a haunted house book, and I’m keen to see where it goes. However, I’ve had my fill of ridiculous, unnecessary similes, fatphobia, a bit of Woman Written By A Man, and the author’s attempts to write passages in the voices of the author characters. But just when I get frustrated, the author does something interesting or pulls off a truly spooky scene, and I’m back in."
Your description of being pulled back in repeatedly cracks me up! This one went on my "do not read" shelf... 😳

"QOTW
Perfect timing, as I’m getting quite creative about prompts:
- I’m sticking with treating different “generations” of horror authors as “three generations.”
- I’m avoiding One Hundred Years of Solitude by doing “One of the 10 books that have been on your TBR list for the longest amount of time” and switching to The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
- I searched until I found an image associated with Artemis that had something broken, so I could shoehorn it in"
That's great! Good for you!

"I’m a big believer in “my challenge, my rules” and that this should be fun, so no regrets. I’m just not up for anything “sweeping” or super literary, or (hat tip to Nadine) LONG. This year has been too challenging to make myself read books I’m not excited about!"
I love a person who knows their own mind! Yay you! 👍😊

Kenya wrote: "Sad news on the personal front -- my cat Tiger (really my brother's cat, but I inherited him when brother went to college) is going to the vet tomorrow to be put to sleep. His health has taken a nosedive -- unsurprising, given that he's nineteen years old -- and honestly I think it's best if he's no longer comfortable. Still sad, and I'm going to miss him. :("
I'm so sorry, Kenya! Doesn't matter how sick they are, we still miss them so much in the aftermath...at least that's true for me. I'm sending you positive energy to cope.

"Books read this week:
The Story of Doctor Dolittle -- this could have been a perfectly charming children’s classic… if it wasn’t for the racial slurs casually thrown into the text and the cringe-worthy racism. Yes, I know it was published in the 1920s, but it’s still gross to read about…"
Yep. I usually cringe a bit but then remind myself of the time and place...and I try to be grateful for that. Society is evolving in a positive way! YAY! 😁

"The Odd 1s Out: How to Be Cool and Other Things I Definitely Learned from Growing Up -- I admit that I’ve never watched one of this guy’s videos… but reading his book makes me want to start. He’s hilarious, and his comics are simple but fun."
Hmmm...that looks like one I might enjoy...

"Hammers on Bone -- detective story with a Lovecraftian twist. Sound like it should be comedic, but is more on the horror and gore side of things. Don’t read if you have a weak stomach or have just eaten…"
On my "do not read" shelf! Thanks for the warning! Though I doubt I would have been interested...

"Velveteen vs. The Junior Super Patriots -- a super-fun superhero book!
Chunky -- graphic novel, and a delightful story about feeling out of place and struggling with your self-image… but making the best of it with humor and love."
I rarely read graphic novels/comics, but these look interesting!

"DNF: Fool -- okay, usually I like Christopher Moore"
I've always assumed I would not enjoy his books...

"Currently Reading:
All Creatures Great and Small
Good Morning, Midnight
Venture Untamed
Code Talker: A Novel About the Navajo Marines of World War Two"
Sounds like some good reading!

"QOTW:
I was going to say no at first, but thinking about it, there are a couple that would fit...
Heroes' Feast: The Official D&D Cookbook -- I'm still not 100 percent sure this one qualifies for "different format," as it's still a print book... but it's a cookbook as opposed to a fiction or prose non-fiction book, so technically maybe?"
If it works for you, that's what matters! At least IMO! 😁

"Remote Control -- read this for the Afrofuturist prompt, only for someone to come out and say that the author doesn't consider her work to be Afrofuturist. Maybe I misunderstood the term? Still counting it..."
Yes, I think it was Nadine who alerted us to her thoughts on this category. I used one of her books for this prompt, though I also have Parable of the Sower" listed and that is one I really want to read this year, plus it fulfills prompts for other challenges, so I do plan to read it as well...

"Riot Baby -- I don't think this one was on an actual Black Lives Matter reading list, but I found it on a library's BLM recommendation list. And it's still a brutal commentary about the realities of growing up black in America despite being science fiction, so I think I'll still count it."
I would think the subject matter certainly applies.

Sheri wrote: "Hi all,
Fall is here with a vengeance with cold weather, grey skies, and endless rain. Give me my summer back! I don't want to wear itchy sweaters and leggings and SOCKS. I want breezy sundresses ..."
Totally neglected to wish you a happy belated birthday. Glad the weather cooperated to make it even more enjoyable for you! ✨✨🎇🎆🎈🎈