Jess’s Comments (group member since Oct 04, 2017)

Jess’s comments from the Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge group.

Happy New Years Eve friends and readers! Hope everyone stays safe tonight. We are doing appetizers at home and card games.

I have not been very good with reading this month. My head has not been in the game especially the last two weeks. Although I read 89 books this year I missed the challenge by 3. Not too bad.

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Question of the Week
What is the first category you plan to tackle in 2021?
I am not sure where the 3 books I am currently reading fit but I will figure that out.

REGULAR
1. A book that published in 2021
2. An Afrofuturist book
3. A book that has a heart, diamond, club, or spade on the cover

4. A book by an author who shares your zodiac sign
5. A dark academia book
6. A book with a gem, mineral, or rock in the title
7. A book where the main character works at your current or dream job
8. A book that has won the Women’s Prize for Fiction
9. A book with a family tree
10. A bestseller from the 1990s
11. A book about forgetting
12. A book you have seen on someone’s bookshelf (in real life, on a Zoom call, in a TV show, etc.)
13. A locked-room mystery
14. A book set in a restaurant
15. A book with a black-and-white cover
16. A book by an indigenous author
17. A book that has the same title as a song
18. A book about a subject you are passionate about
19. A book that discusses body positivity
20. A book on a Black Lives Matter reading list
21. A genre hybrid

22. A book set mostly or entirely outdoors
23. A book with something broken on the cover
24. A book by a Muslim American / Muslim British author
25. A book that was published anonymously
26. A book with an oxymoron in the title
27. A book about do-overs or fresh starts

28. A magical realism book
29. A book set in multiple countries
30. A book set somewhere you’d like to visit in 2021
31. A book by a blogger, vlogger, YouTube video creator, or other online personality
32. A book whose title starts with “Q,” “X,” or “Z”
33. A book featuring three generations (grandparent, parent, child)
34. A book about a social justice issue
35. A book in a different format than what you normally read (audiobooks, ebooks, graphic novels)
36. A book that has fewer than 1,000 reviews on Amazon or Goodreads
37. A book you think your best friend would like

38. A book about art or an artist

39. A book everyone seems to have read but you
40. Your favorite prompt from a past POPSUGAR Reading Challenge

ADVANCED
41. The longest book (by pages) on your TBR list
42. The shortest book (by pages) on your TBR list
43. The book on your TBR list with the prettiest cover
44. The book on your TBR list with the ugliest cover
45. The book that’s been on your TBR list for the longest amount of time
46. A book from your TBR list you meant to read last year but didn’t

47. A book from your TBR list you associate with a favorite person, place, or thing

48. A book from your TBR list chosen at random
49. A DNF book from your TBR list
50. A free book from your TBR list (gifted, borrowed, library)

Has anyone read The Knife of Never Letting Go? Would that work for this prompt? It sounds like it would but not sure.

Hello everyone!!! I can't believe the year is almost over. I hope everyone enjoys whatever Holidays they celebrate and keep safe throughout!

38/40 Regular
8/10 Advanced

Finished


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Question of the Week
Now that Goodreads has rolled out our year-in-review stats, this seems a good time to ask:
What are your favorite books that you read this year? (Any book you read, not just for this challenge.)
The House in the Cerulean Sea

Hello everyone. I cannot believe this year is almost gone. Good riddance and hopefully next year does not follow the theme!

38/40 Regular
8/10 Advanced
I have a feeling I am not going to win this year. I want to read what I want for the remainder of the year.

Finished




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Question of the Week:
Have you ever read two books back-to-back or at least relatively close together that appeared not to be connected to each other in any way and were surprised to discover a similar theme or plot or writing style or…?
I am certain that I have but I do not recall any examples

Hello. Hope everyone is doing well. I missed last week caught up in my little family holiday. It was just the three of us but it was absolutely wonderful.

I am doing a read-a-thon on bookstagram. Found a bunch of short audios to do one a day and some novellas and whatnot. It is going well so far.

38/40 Regular
8/10 Advanced

Finished

7. Picked without looking






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Question of the Week
Which topic on our new list are you most excited about? Which topic are you dreading?
I just looked over the list and I'm not gonna lie I'm pretty excited. I think the most exciting is Afrofuturist. I saw something on GoodbooksAtl insta yesterday that fits the genre and looks pretty cool. Plus it's a genre I have never read.

I'm least excited for the astrology prompt. I don't really want to have to track down authors ages or birthdays. It's often very difficult when the authors aren't super famous. I didn't like an author in their 20's this year for the same reason.

I'm not thrilled for the internet star one either but I guess that will force me to finally read Lilly Singh's book as she is about the only person I can think of that I could tolerate.

Hello friends and readers. Hope everyone is doing well. Excited for my school year to be coming to a close in 3 short weeks. I am not looking forward to taking my German final but I am looking forward to a month with no homework.

37/40 Regular
8/10 Advanced

Finished

This was such a good book. I can't believe it has been sitting on my shelf for so long.

Amazing. Beautiful. Wonderful. Perfect.

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Question of the Week
Which prompt from a 2020 reading challenge surprised you the most?
The first book you touch on a shelf with your eyes closed is harder than anticipated. I know my bookshelves blindfolded so I had planned to go to the library for this and then COVID hit. I tried it at home and picked a few I had already read followed by one I was in absolutely no mood for so it has been a struggle.

Nadine wrote: I'm listening to this audiobook right now!! I love Cormoran Strike and I love Robert Glenister (who reads the audiobooks), but - to my surprise - I'm having a hard time separating the artist from the art, so to speak. I'm finding myself excessively annoyed with some aspects of the writing, because I was so disgusted by the author. I'll finish it, but ... This might have to be my last Cormoran Strike book :-(

I am so happy to read this. Separate the art from the artist seems like something that should be attached to dead artists. Artists that can do no more damage AND are not making royalties. Rowling is alive and in the spotlight and she is making bank off of people ignoring the fact that she is toxic. Obviously it sucks to let go of characters we love but it's worth it to oppose that behavior.

Hello. Hope everyone is doing well. I'm a bit overtaxed the closer it gets to the end of the school year but keeping my head above water the best I can. Still at a stalemate on the challenge but we will see what happens.

37/40 Regular
8/10 Advanced

Finished

Super fun and twisty

38. A book by or about a journalist
Decent book with possibly my most hated protagonist of all time.

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Question of the Week:
Do you (like me) use the Goodreads Choice Award nominee listing as a resource for evaluating books to add to your TBR listing?

If so, how many of the 2020 Goodreads Choice Award nominees have you added to your TBR listing? Or how many did you already have on your TBR listing?
Nah. I already have already heard of most of the nominees in the genres I read and I have added to my TBR long before the nominees come out. 60 of them are on my TBR already. lol. I have read a bunch of them as well.

Hello. Hope everyone is doing well and staying sane. I set myself a goal last week on Thursday that there were 3 books I wanted to finish before October ended and I succeeded. Woohoo.

37/40 Regular
8/10 Advanced

Finished


14. A book by an author with flora or fauna in their name

17. A medical thriller I'm at the "well it mostly fits" point in the challenge. This book is about a "cure" for witchcraft and the witches trying to stop it. It's thrilling, a portion is set in a medical testing facility. I'm taking it.

Currently Reading

Narrated by Colin Firth...Not mad at that


Question of the Week
What book are you most anxiously anticipating to read before the end of 2020? Why did you wait until now to read it?
Mood reader here so although there are always books I want to read they don't really build up in excitement. I am really stoked for The Cousins to come out next month. But that's about all I have.

Hello everyone. Tomorrow is my birthday and although it is weird with isolation I am still pretty excited. My in-laws gave me some B&N gift cards so I can buy some books. Woohoo.

I am very ready for the election to be done. I'm so hopeful it works out in favor of human rights and protecting our citizens from the virus. I could also live without the calls and texts but I get it.

35/40 Regular
8/10 Advanced

Finished

A#5. Set in Japan

Need a longer TBR, check this one out.

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Question of the Week:
Now that the 2020 Goodreads Choice Award nomination have been announced, what is your reaction? Are you disappointed? Excited? Appalled? Or…?

Do you plan to vote for any of the 20 categories?

Are there any categories for which you will not vote? Why?
I only vote in categories where I have read something (Or this year there have been SUPER DESERVING write-ins).I don't vote if I haven't read or enjoyed any nominees I have read. Like I have read a few of the romances but didn't vote because they weren't good enough in my opinion.

I am so excited about The House in the Cerulean Sea being nominated for Best Fantasy. It has been my favorite book of the year so far and I have passed it along to a number of people who all loved it too. I am also really excited that Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You was nominated. I hope very much they win.

There are a few nominees with drama. A Deadly Education is full of racist microaggressions so it's disappointing that it is still so popular. I haven't read a ton of the books. I did write in a cookbook Trejo's Tacos: Recipes and Stories from L.A.: A Cookbook and a middle grade Wayside School Beneath the Cloud of Doom.

Hello everyone. Struggling to get in enough reading time. Using all the tricks to squeeze in reading time everywhere I can. Listening to an audio while typing this. Hope everyone is doing well.

35/40 Regular
7/10 Advanced

Finished


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QotW from Heather: What book has been on your TBR the longest? Why haven’t you read it yet?
I have 1065 on my goodreads TBR. The Eyre Affair is the first book on my list. I add to my list willy nilly and I'm a mood reader. I haven't had it and been in the mood for it yet.

Hello everyone. I hope everyone is doing well. I am trying to get through a bunch of scary books but I'm kind of in a reading fog so I'm not pushing anything.

35/40 Regular
7/10 Advanced

Finished:
Nada

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QotW:
Imagine that you have purchased or borrowed (from the library, a friend, etc.) a specific book for a specific reading challenge prompt.

Then you discover the book you are currently reading or have recently read (For some other reason--perhaps a book club selection or to fulfill a different challenge prompt.) perfectly fulfills this same challenge prompt!

Did you still read the book you originally obtained for that prompt? Or did you just count the prompt as fulfilled and leave the original book unread?
I'm not good at pre-planning for prompts. I try but then I just go with it as the year goes on and fall into an abyss of books that don't fit at the end of the year.

Hello everyone.

Happy Thursday. Hope everyone is doing well. It is starting to cool off a little bit. Can't wait for it to be nice enough to open the windows and doors!

Finished two books last night now I have to decide what to read next!

35/40 Regular
7/10 Advanced

Finished


31. Gold, Silver or Bronze, Well her last name is Sterling so I'm going with it.

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Question of the Week
Did you have access to many books in your house as a child? If so, what kinds of books were they?
Yes. I don't think that we owned a lot of books but my mom took me to the library all the time. She never limited my reading so I have always been able to read what I wanted to. It's funny because my brother probably has only read 2 books in his entire life and we grew up exactly the same.

Nadine wrote: "Happy October!  The trees are beautiful in northern NY.  The weather is properly autumnal.

I'm having a stressful week - work has been crazy and I'm so sick of it, my kids need so much of my time ..."

I haven't heard of a lot of these books either. There has been a lot of hype for Karla Cornejo Villavicencio, “The Undocumented Americans” on bookstagram. Rumaan Alam, “Leave the World Behind” is a book of the month choice. Charles Yu, “Interior Chinatown” has been on my list for a while.

Hello. Happy October!!!!

Hope everyone is well.I have been a little burnt out on reading this week but that's ok.

Finished



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Question of the Week:
Are there any books or a book that you purposefully plan to read and/or reread at a specific time of year?I have never really read according to holiday but this year I intend to. I have a ton of spooky books picked out for this month. I also don't celebrate Thanksgiving due to the genocidal history but I do plan to read some books related to family in November. I have some fun Christmas books picked out for December. I am a mood reader so my mind may change 16 times throughout but that is the plan as of now.

Hey everyone! Happy fall!

The last few months I have read one book that I just have had a hard time reading. Not like it was unenjoyable, just that it has taken forever. It's good to the point I won't DNF but I will start and finish other books and barely get a few chapters through. This month is no different. IDK. It's weird.

33/40 Regular
7/10 Advanced

Finished

9. A book with a map

39. Banned book (it's not during banned book week but it's the right month so...)

Currently Reading

This one is taking me forever. It's really cute but I speak zero Spanish so I have to look things up alot. Since I'm currently taking 3 college courses it is a lot of extra work and makes the book a little hard)

For another challenge I need to read a book from a genre with J and Juvenile was all I could think of. I loved the Wayside series growing up so I was excited for this. So far it is not letting me down.


QotW:
Are there authors you just will not read on principle - however you define that
I love this question as it is so relevant right now.

Until this year I have honestly never really paid attention to authors. I have made more an effort to diversify.

Basically, If you are a piece of shit person and living I will not give you the time of day. (Still living is because they still benefit from it). Orson Scott Card, JKR, basically anyone who has ever worked for FOX news. I'm sure I will discover more going through this feed.

Human rights issues. That is the drama I can't ignore.

I have a bookstagram account so it also comes up in what people promote. A lot of people have the view that nostalgia and their personal likes outweigh prejudice and I do not agree with that. I am not coming for anyone right now so please do not feel that I am. Not caring about human rights and politics is privilege.

I will never give JKR another cent of my money. Especially with this new book doubling down on her anti-trans message. By anyone else (well not literally anyone but you know what I mean) cross-dressing serial killer would be a storyline. From her it's a continuation of her hate speech and it's fucking garbage. I grew up on HP. Read the 1st 3 when I was 12 or 13 and waited a decade to finish it. I don't think she is a good writer so her other books have never been interesting to me. The juvenile writing style was passable in a kids book but no thanks (which is why before she announced she was Galbraith, the first book didn't sell at all. I have also always been annoyed by her pandering and changing things after the fact. Like stfu lady. Well she likes to talk and she needs to be held responsible for the bullshit she says. Look up Dr. Robert Galbraith Heath. That is NOT a coincidence. She is a disgusting individual and I can't even. Getting rid of all the stuff I had was exhausting but my childhood nostalgia is not more valuable to me than the feelings of trans people.

Hey friends and readers. This has been a good reading week and an ok week as a whole. Found a tone of information I was unaware of for my German course so I'm like 3 weeks behind. Hope everyone is doing well. Sending positive vibes to everyone. I know I need them!

31/40 Regular
6/10 Advanced

Finished



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QOTW: What is the title of the most recent book you read which won or was a finalist for a well-known literary award that you truly did not enjoy?
Ummmmm. I don't know. The last book I can think of that won some awards and had rave reviews that I just thought was OK was Daisy Jones and the Six.

Hello friends and readers. Hope everyone is doing well. I have been hyper focused on BALANCE between school work and fun stuff and I am actually doing a good job.
Hope everyone who is affected by the fires are keeping safe!

31/40 Regular
7/10 Advanced

Finished


Adv 1. A book written by an author in their 20s

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Question of the Week

Mention two (similar) books: one you thought was excellent, one you thought was horrible. Don’t tell us which is which.

This is well timed as I feel the two books I read during the week PERFECTLY fit this prompt

The Inheritance Games

or

A Good Girl's Guide to Murder

Hello friends and readers! Happy Thursday. I have been trying really
hard to balance my responsibilities and my hobbies. The goal is to not push myself too hard but still make time for fun things like movies and reading. Wish me luck.

This week has been good. I have balanced my school work well with relaxing and have already finished a book this month. Go me! I am struggling filling in the blanks for the challenge but hopefully I can figure it out.

58/52 2020 Goal
31/40 Regular
6/10 Advanced

Finished:

22. Woman in STEM (both Jude and Stella)
I wanted to love this. I wanted the hype to be real but I only liked it so that's a bit disappointing.

This is quick and fun ya caper

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QotW:

September is traditionally back to school season in many places, what are some of your favorite books set at a school (grade school or university)?
I loved the Wayside School books growing up. I really love One of Us Is Lying. I grew up on HP. I read a lot of dystopia now so not a lot of schools. lol.