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

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

Title: Allegiant
Author: Veronica Roth
Would you recommend this book?
For sure to people who like dystopian ya. I watched the movies first and still liked the books.

This An Elderly Lady Must Not Be Crossed has a couple at the end.

I'm using An Elderly Lady Must Not Be Crossed for this prompt. This is a sequel of An Elderly Lady Is Up to No Good. They are short story collections about a Swedish senior citizen who keeps murdering people that bother her. She plays hard of hearing, and uses a cane to appear incapable of murder.

Anyone else think that the Divergent series works for non patriarchal society?

AF wrote: "Erica wrote: "3. Did you like the ending?

Yes because the book was over."

*spits out tea after reading this*
So funny! Yet, you're considering reading more...."

Well I'm all for comedy in a rom-com and less the romance. The humour of this book was great and the sequels follow the sisters so it could be better. The sequels are not on my tbr lists.

Theresa wrote: "Erica wrote: "Theresa wrote: "Wildfire - 3rd in series - loving it and I believe this ends the initial story arc though much more in series. Looks like it's a series with trilogies within the serie..."

Innkeeper is very science fiction and space opera and less romance overall because the authors wrote them and posted them free online as opposed to having a contract with a romance imprint.
Their Edge series (4 books with different main characters for each) has characters that showed up in the Innkeeper series so I would try that first but you do not need to. The first in the series is On the Edge.

Does the Divergent series work for this?

1. Did you like Get a Life, Chloe Brown?

Not really, I gave it a 2 star rating. I really liked the side characters and the email exchanges but the two main characters bothered me.

2. Will you read more of the series or have you finished /DNF the series?

Not sure at this point. My sister says that the sisters are better characters so that helps me lean towards yes.

3. Did you like the ending?

Yes because the book was over.

4. What are other books you read for Black History month you would like to suggest. Others may be looking for a read to end the month with.

Well I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings was very interesting. Maya Angelou's writing is something special for sure.

My library is culling the collection too. I grabbed The Left Hand Of Darkness for 50 cents so maybe I’ll read it this time.

To jump on the Buffy tangent, I've enjoyed the reboot. Although I'm behind because I was reading individual comics from the library and I feel like a jerk borrowing them and it hasn't been okay to go and read them in the library.

Buffy and Angel are for sure OTP.

Also saw this a week or so ago in the bookstore.

In Every Generation by Kendare Blake
It is supposed to follow Willow's daughter attending the new Sunnydale High who suddenly gets super strength and the synopsis made it seem like she might not be Willow's daughter. It was very pretty and tempting.

Theresa wrote: "Wildfire - 3rd in series - loving it and I believe this ends the initial story arc though much more in series. Looks like it's a series with trilogies within the series. ..."

Three book story arc with Nevada as the narrator, then a novella following Catalina, then three book story arc following Catalina. (Ruby Fever still to be published this year)

You might also like their The Kinsmen Universe This is book/novella one and two. Fated Blades book 3.

Happy check-in! I'm a little bit sad that the Olympics are over, but House of Sky and Breath came in so that helped.

Finished Reading:

Get a Life, Chloe Brown ⭐⭐ (2022 BIPOC romance)
I wanted to like this but it didn't work out. I liked side characters and email exchanges, the rest I could leave.

House of Sky and Breath ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (2015 non human characters)
Finally! Had some things I didn't see coming so that was great. Unfortunately, one thing was quite predictable unlike the first book where I didn't figure anything out. Also made the mistake of looking at my feed while reading this and saw a spoiler. I think SJM books work for you or they don't, I haven't seen much middle ground in reviews.

Kingdom of the Wicked ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (2022 witches)
This was entertaining and I couldn't put it down. It has some Cruel Prince vibes for sure. This has blown up on Booktok and my feed so I gave it a shot, and it didn't disappoint. Ya fantasy set in historical Italy although it never actually says when and where. So many descriptions about Italian food that it made me hungry and I think you could stretch this for the recipe prompt.

PS 2022 21/50
PS 2015 16/50
Goodreads 52/200

Currently Reading:
Allegiant
The Graveyard Book Graphic Novel Single Volume
Many other things I've started but put down we'll see if I pick them back up.

QOTW:
So from what I've read this year so far I would suggest Red, White, and Whole. I can see a bunch of different topics that would come up to discuss, plus I just think it's worth reading.

Kingdom of the Wicked This is also huge on booktok for those that like to knock off multiple prompts.

Title: Get a Life, Chloe Brown
Author: Talia Hibbert
Would you recommend this book?
Maybe. This book did not work for me because the dialogue was good but the inner mcs thoughts were obnoxious to me. The sisters and other family member characters were entertaining so I might read the sequels but not right now.

Get A Life, Chloe Brown (The Brown Sisters, #1) by Talia Hibbert questions chapters 1-7
1. When the reader catches up with Chloe Brown two months later she now lives in her own flat where Redford Morgan is the superintendent. Both have wrong impressions of each other. What lead them both to their wrong first impressions?

He judged her on her accent and clothes because of his ex. Why she disliked him makes no sense other than she seemed determined not to like someone other people did.

2. What is your initial opinion of Chloe's "Get A Life" list?
Move out, Enjoy a drunken night out, Ride a motor bike, Go camping, Have meaningless but thoroughly enjoyable sex, Travel the world with nothing but hand luggage, Do something bad.

Seems simple enough although hand luggage traveling is just dumb. Especially after covid where you can get stuck in an other country.

3. Red is compelled to help others. Does Red have a super big & kind heart or does he have co-dependent tendencies?

Some people are care givers and like to be helpful.

4. Talia Hibbert's books reflect a change in the romance genre toward explicit consent during intimate scenes. What other changes does the reader, especially female readers, need to see to make the romance genre supportive of women?

Different voices writing and readers putting their money with not the same authors every time.

5. Against his better judgement Red agrees to help Chloe with her "Get A Life List". Is this a healthy decision for Red?

He's reaching out and making a friend when it seems he has shut down, towards women at least, so that seems healthy enough to me.

1. Do you regularly read books during heritage months related to that identity?
2. During heritage months do you read only books related to those histories & identities?
3. Are heritage months important to your reading life?

I go through and borrow things for the heritage months but I'm such a mood reader that actually reading them during the correct month doesn't happen so well. I like these heritage months because I do find new authors and pieces of history to read.

1. Get A Life, Chloe Brown starts with an author's note. Have you read other books before that starts with a trigger alert? Did the note give you pause about reading the book?

Yes I have read books that start with content warnings. I always think it's dumb when you finish a book and the content warning is at the end. No the warning didn't give effect my reasoning for reading this.

2. The first sentence in the prologue grabs your attention. Were you expecting a romance book to begin with a life changing event?

No, although Chloe's perspective doesn't explain enough of what is happening so it seemed so lame for it to be a 'life changing event'. Maybe the prologue needed to be third person for me because I nearly dnfed this during the prologue because it made no sense.

3. Once Chloe is home we get a glimpse into her family life. Is this a safe & healthy environment for Chloe?

No idea, there's no real explanation for what troubles Chloe yet. Chloe is too frenetic for me right now and it's making me lose patience.

Mary wrote: "I didn't realize how much reading I got done this week until I went to write this post. I also did a massive reorganization of my list, because I realized that I wasn't feeling excited for a lot of..."

You make such a good point for the QOTW. Thanks for the laugh.

Happy check-in! So At some point this past week I was outside walking in ankle deep puddles because it was warm and melty... today it's -35 again. Not so fun.
Last night I watched the awesome hockey game and I'm still so happy about the Women's gold medal.

Finished Reading:

Heartstopper: Volume Four ⭐⭐⭐ (2022 becoming a tv show or movie in 2022)
So I really like what the author is trying to teach her audience every book and I like scenes with the big group of friends. I unfortunately find the main character obnoxious.

Red, White, and Whole ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (2015 book that made you cry)
I loved this. I'm nearly at 50 books on the year and this is the best book I've read. It's perfect for the 1980s prompt as well but I don't cry over books a lot so I had to use this one. This is written in verse and it's about a 13 year old who is first generation American and struggling to fit in to either of her cultures.

Slightly Wicked ⭐⭐⭐
The main character got a little obnoxious when she kept being stupid to further the plot.

Year of the Reaper ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (2022 Pacific Islander author)
This prompt has been stressing me out and there was no way I was waiting until March to get it done. I dislike the prompts where you have to research personal details about authors. I really enjoyed this book. It counts as fantasy but really it's historical fiction for those who do not like SFF. Be warned this is a plague book.

PS 2022 19/50
PS 2015 15/20
Goodreads 49/200

Currently Reading:

I'm struggling to wait for House of Sky and Breath to come in so I can read it.
Allegiant
Sweep of the Heart
A short story collection of Guy de Maupassant

QOTW:
First thought was if I pick an author who is dead does that mean I don't have to have a roommate? Otherwise I have no answer for this.

Ooh I think Monday is Family Day here, aka we want a holiday in February day.