Erica’s Comments (group member since Apr 05, 2019)

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

Correction it was Breaker High not Sweet Valley High.

@Nadine I love Murder by Numbers. It’s also a Sandra Bullock movie. Anyway I would skip Blade Runner 2049 so boring. Haha

Anyway you’re missing out on Young Hercules and I think it was Sweet Valley High two tv shows he did when he was very young.

Happy Pi Day! Pizza and pie for supper, nice and healthy. Haha
Anyway it was a weird week that has had spring, freezing rain, snow, fog and winter.

Finished Reading:

The Christmas Guest ⭐⭐⭐ (PS genre I avoid)
This was really good until the very end. :( I'd explain but it ruins the whole point of the novella.

Homegoing ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (PS one word title look up in dictionary)
So Homegoing wasn't in the dictionary, oh well. I listened to the audiobook because the ATY rejects challenge needs an audie award winner. I really loved this book even though the subject matter is upsetting. Every chapter is a different descendant's pov of the two sisters. Every character could of had their own book.

I Want My Hat Back ⭐⭐⭐
Nothing Rhymes with Orange ⭐⭐⭐⭐
A couple of picture books just because.

The Stand-In ⭐⭐⭐ (ATY crime not murder)
Good rom-com set in Toronto.

Punderworld, Volume 1 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Persephone and Hades comic with gorgeous artwork like Lore Olympus.

Blood Stain Volume 1 ⭐⭐
I tried this because Punderworld was great and inspired by these characters. Artwork was still great but there was no story so it was boring.

Once & Future, Vol. 2: Old English ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Still a cool idea with making old stories real.

Strange the Dreamer ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (recommended by librarian)
I finally finished this. I started it last spring and got stalled at the halfway mark. Grabbed the audio and finished it.

Odder ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (PS animal POV)
So cute! Novel in verse with lots of info on otters.

PS 21/50
ATY 19/52
Goodreads 63/150

QOTW:
Robert Munch books, especially Purple, Green and Yellow and Paperbag Princess.

I loved The Very Hungry Caterpillar and his other books for the artwork.

Into the Land of the Unicorns series by Bruce Coville

Harry Potter

Across the Wall: A Tale of the Abhorsen and Other Stories and To Hold the Bridge These have some stories set in the Old Kingdom from the Sabriel series by Garth Nix.

Snow White Learns Witchcraft this is a collection of short stories and poems. World Fantasy Award winning author Theodora Goss.

An Elderly Lady Is Up to No Good Old lady serial killer who feints being senile to get away with it. There's a sequel that's also good.

The Language of Thorns: Midnight Tales and Dangerous Magic stories from Leigh Bardugo's Grishaverse. A physical copy of this book was gorgeous because there were illustrations throughout.

Take Us To Your Chief And Other Stories indigenous sci-fi stories all by the same author.

Shifting Shadows all spoilery stories for the Mercy Thompson/Alpha & Omega series by Patricia Briggs.

This Is Paradise: Stories read this for the Pacific Islander heritage prompt. Just slice of life stuff.

Kelley Armstrong created The Women Of The Otherworld series and eventually had 5 books full of short stories called Otherworld Stories series.

There's always the classic The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories by Angela Carter it's horror/fantasy. It wasn't scary to me.

Happy check-in! The blizzard we got over the weekend wasn't a severe as they thought which meant less shovelling yay!

I'm so confused about all of your living rooms without coffee tables. Haha Needless to say I have one for the coffee, coffee table books not so much.

Finished Reading:

A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking ⭐⭐ (ATY cozy mystery)
Well a dreaded prompt down. Fantasy and a known author didn't help me get through this prompt. The book was boring and it should have been under her children's author name. Anyway it made me bake some new cookies, Pumpkin Harvest Cookies. They were tasty.

The Battle of the Labyrinth ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (ATY Edgar Award author)
This book following a 14 year old was so much better than Defensive Baking.

One Piece, Volume 1: Romance Dawn ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (ATY Jimmy Buffet)
Annoying prompt done. Many scenes on beaches or in bars. Cute story idea.

7 Generations: A Plains Cree Saga ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (ATY related to land)
I picked this out because I read about how this book had been banned in Ontario during freedom to read week. Tough subject matter. This started out with a mom rushing home to find her son had overdosed. Then it's about teaching him about his ancestors to start healing. Gorgeous artwork.

PS 17/50
ATY 18/52
Goodreads 53/150

Currently Reading:

Homegoing audie award winner for aty list rejects
The Christmas Guest

Kenya wrote: "Counterweight -- for “book set in the future.” I have no idea what just happened here. There were some promising concepts, like the space elevator and the fact that AI runs most corporations in this world, but it feels like nothing was done with them. Instead we got one of the most convoluted mystery plots I’ve ever read."

Yay it wasn't just me!! I felt dumb when I finished and couldn't tell anyone what had happened in it.

Jennifer W wrote: "Doni wrote: "Felicia wrote: "I reread The Giver last year (which I first read in 4th grade). After rereading it, I think I was a bit too young for it because there is a lot of heavy stuff in it. Ho..."

I read The Giver in grade eight for school and thought (view spoiler)[ he died (hide spoiler)]. I didn't like the book so I never paid attention to the sequels so it is interesting to learn this week that (view spoiler)[ he lived to be in sequels (hide spoiler)]. 😀

1. Yes, I'm a big poetry reader. I will be rereading this book in hardcover. I first read it as an ebook and some of the poems are written to makes shapes and it didn't always fit the ebook which took away from the poems. The 2016 PS challenge had a poetry collection prompt that is responsible for me reading poetry now. That's the past favourite prompt that I would use.

2. I love novels in verse as well as more traditional poetry.
For novel in verse
Kwame Alexander
Elizabeth Acevedo
Jason Reynolds
Rajani LaRocca
Thanhhà Lại
Starfish

More typical poetry:
Shakespeare's sonnets
Kate Baer
Amanda Lovelace
Some Things I Still Can't Tell You: Poems
Rupi Kaur
Dearly: New Poems
Dumpty: The Age of Trump in Verse
Snow White Learns Witchcraft
In Flanders Fields

I'll stop there.

Happy check-in! We too have had weather whiplash this past week. -30 to plus 5 C and now to a snow storm.

@Marie that Save Me Shelf sounds awesome! For the Freedom to Read week my library had various banned books wrapped and a bit of basic info written on them and you could guess what books they were.

Finished Reading:

Powerless ⭐⭐ (ATY single word title)
Wow Hunger Games + Red Queen but not as well written as either. Continuity errors, and I usually don't get to hung up on them. This author liked to write similes in threes and it was very annoying. BookTok recommend fail.

Sparrow Hill Road ⭐⭐⭐ (ATY on the TBR for over a year)
Well this has been on the tbr for many years so I was happy to finally read this. Unfortunately the McGuire didn't use chapters and every time it got interesting she would switch to a different time line. Then there were many sections that did not further the plot and were unnecessary. I always struggle with her books because she focuses on the things I don't care about and thus I don't connect to the characters as well. She has great ideas so it frustrates me a bit.

A Business Proposal, Vol. 4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
K drama fun.

Something is Killing the Children, Vol. 7 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Don't know where the series will go now.

PS 16/50
ATY 14/52
Goodreads 48/150

Currently Reading:
One Piece, Volume 1: Romance Dawn

QOTW:
My parents didn't restrict what I read as a child because I didn't read then. If I picked up a book they were happy I was reading. I remember running around the library a lot!
I don't have kids but I would not want to restrict their reading, but movies and tv I might because those can cause nightmares.

Happy check-in! The ATY read-a-thon ended and Freedom To Read Week started here and ended on Friday. This is Canada's banned books week. I didn't end up reading anything for the week but I did add to the tbr and make requests from the library. I'm a little read out from ATY. Oh well.

Finished Reading:

House of Flame and Shadow ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (PS year end in 24)
This took me forever to read. It made me want to go back and reread other SJM books. I was a little disappointed that Crescent City seems done when there is one more house for a book. Hopefully the series does get more and it follows one of the characters I have questions about.

Pet ⭐⭐ (ATY African author)
I scoped this out for BIPOC horror but went a different way. This had too much philosophy for my tastes.

Orbital ⭐⭐(PS 24h)
Again, this had too much philosophy for me.

Brown Girl Dreaming ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (ATY BIPOC MC)
I like novels in verse.

The Titan's Curse ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (ATY 25 cities)
I keep intending to use this series for the ATY Edgar Award winning author but they work for so many other prompts too. This book was set in both San Francisco and New York which are two of the 25 cities.

PS 16/50
ATY 12/52
Goodreads 44/150

Currently Reading:

Powerless Hunger Games and Red Queen had a baby

Nadine in NY wrote: "Erica wrote: "The Collected Essex County ⭐⭐⭐
I saw this at the bookstore in a banned book display so I was curious as to why. Same author of the Sweet Tooth, Vol. 1: Out of the Deep Woods series. A..."

I agree with you about his artwork and male-centric view point. I did like Descender and Essex though. Essex was black and white artwork with less detail so his style wasn't has annoying and it fit with his story better. His characters were believable, which they weren't in Sweet Tooth. (I hated Sweet Tooth) I also like hockey so the hockey bits were interesting. Essex was a Canada Reads book so I was hopeful but that just was a sign it was a depressing storyline, which I was in the right mood for because I gave it three stars. I still wonder why slice of life stories can never have humour if they're to be award worthy.

Happy check-in! Well I've enjoyed the ATY read-a-thon this past week.

@Jackie congratulations on the new edition to your family!

Finished Reading:

Fence, Vol. 6: Redemption ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Still so cute.

Wynd, Book Two: The Secret of the Wings ⭐⭐⭐ (ATY wings on the cover) Wynd, Book Three: The Throne in the Sky ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Book three didn't feel like a series ender so hopefully there is more to come.

Dinosaur Sanctuary Vol. 3 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Still awesome.

Fullmetal Alchemist, Vol. 19 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Still swimming through this series.

Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku, Vol. 2 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
This was much better than the first volume.

Me: Moth ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (PS unreliable narrator)
Young adult novel in verse.

Once & Future, Vol. 1: The King is Undead ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (ATY senior character)
Good take on King Arthur.

And I Think to Myself ⭐⭐⭐
Poetry collection spanning a lifetime.

To Woo and to Wed ⭐⭐⭐ (PS set 24 years before born)
Good ender to this fun series. Glad to knock off an annoying prompt.

The Collected Essex County ⭐⭐⭐
I saw this at the bookstore in a banned book display so I was curious as to why. Same author of the Sweet Tooth, Vol. 1: Out of the Deep Woods series. Anyway it's a slice of life comic about small town Ontario. It had a lot about hockey and farming, so it being banned was confusing.

PS 15/50
ATY 9/52
Goodreads 40/150

Currently Reading:

Pet

QOTW:
Not a writer but I would use a pen name.

QOTW:

Short books, but 300 pages isn't a short book. Although I am working on House of Flame and Shadow right now ;).

Happy check-in! I've missed a few weeks and I only have one new book and a couple of rereads in all that time.
I'm really looking forward to the ATY read-a-thon this weekend to get back into reading.

Finished Reading:

Bride ⭐⭐⭐ (PS enemies to lovers)
Like always, I can't put her books down but there were things I loved and hated in this one.

PS 12/50
ATY 7/52
Goodreads 28/150

Currently Reading:

House of Flame and Shadow %33

QOTW:
I don't pay attention to this it's always new to me authors. Discovering/finally reading Kwame Alexander,T. Kingfisher and Heather Fawcett last year are my recommendations.

Just re-read a fave and the main character is 24.

Magic Bites by Ilona Andrews. (This is book one of a series but no cliffhanger ending)

Happy check-in! I missed last week's so two weeks of reading to mention.

Finished Reading:

Fullmetal Alchemist, Vol. 17 Fullmetal Alchemist, Vol. 18 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Number 24 of this series will be my 24th book by an author.

Six Scorched Roses ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (PS sleep 24h)
Good novella but I wished for an actual book. ;) Still waiting for book 2 of this series to come in at the library.

A House with Good Bones ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (ATY author known by initials)
First Kingfisher of the year, her books fit so many prompts between PS and ATY.

Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (PS cozy fantasy)
A dreaded prompt but I loved the book. I enjoyed this more than the first, probably because I listened to the audiobook on this one. The mc of this series is a book dragon for those annoyed with the dragon prompt.

Mislaid in Parts Half-Known ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (PS magical realism)
Loved the book hate the prompt. Antsy's door world was definitely my favourite of all the worlds, and then this has dinosaurs for fun too.

The Bright Spot ⭐⭐⭐ (ATY ends in A, T, or Y)
This was going so well and then the author copied and pasted a couple paragraphs from within the same book. Anyways this author makes me laugh.

Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku, Vol. 1 ⭐⭐⭐ (PS video games)
I kept seeing this on the bookstore staff recommends shelf and has picked this out for that prompt, but it fits video games or the dictonary prompts better. Anyway there were great things and irksome things in this manga. I borrowed volume two as well but I don't know if I'll need to read the whole series.

The Sea of Monsters ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (PS neurodivergent)
Why did I wait so long to finally get back to this series. I love Greek mythology. The two main characters are both dyslexic.

Arch-Conspirator ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (PS Future)
So so so good. A sci-fi dystopian retelling of Antigone. It's just over a 100 pages so the plot moves.

PS 11/50
ATY 7/52
Goodreads 24/150

QOTW:
Generally no. If I buy a copy of a book I already own it means I forgot I have it.

The Matthew Perry book has been suggested for the sleeps for 24h prompt due to a coma.

This seemed straight forward when I first read the list but now so many authors have pen names and it’s hard to count. I might just pick the 24 book by an author on their goodreads page.

They made the next booster available when the flu shot came out here (October) for whoever wanted it. I’ve gotten all of them so I think that was number six. I cant remember when they stopped with age requirements.

Happy check-in! It is extra cold here, I'm so happy to be inside where it is warm. -27C with wind chill -39C and tomorrow will be colder. An excellent time to read!

Finished Reading:

Born to Be Badger ⭐⭐⭐ (ATY cats and dogs)
Urban fantasy series that does fit the prompt even though the title doesn't.

Fullmetal Alchemist, Vol. 16 ⭐⭐⭐

Wynd, Book One: The Flight of the Prince ⭐⭐⭐

Dinosaur Sanctuary, Vol. 2 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
So good. If you love Jurassic Park read this manga series.

Divine Rivals ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (ATY nominated for Goodreads Choice Award)
This won the ya fantasy award and for good reason. Set in not WWI England/Europe with gods waging war.

Rat Queens, Vol. 8: The God Dilemma ⭐⭐⭐ (ATY What a wonderful world)
My library had the first 7 volumes in print only when I started this series a couple of years ago. The final volume was recently bought as an ebook so I was happy to finish this series off. Also happy to knock off an annoying prompt.

Snow White Learns Witchcraft ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (ATY Snow White)
I randomly found a collection of short stories and 23 poems based on fairy tales. The synopsis says 23 poems but the one short story has a witch who's spells are poems so this works for the 24+ poems prompt.

Three Holidays and a Wedding ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (PS set in snow)
I actually read a Christmas gift. This was so good. In 2000 Christmas, Hanukkah, and Ramadan all lined up within a few days of each other. The author duo created a holiday story where people are snow stayed in a small town Ontario where not Hallmark movies are filmed. Both authors are from Toronto and they understand how much the rest of the country was not impressed with Toronto for needing the army to deal with a snow storm.

PS 5/50
ATY 5/52
Goodreads 14/150

QOTW:
Stag's Leap: Poems was the plan for my first read and I accomplished that. Everything else has been a detour from my 'plan'. 🤣