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

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

Yeah I have about 30 books for this prompt right now. I'll probably use Blood Heir for this prompt though.

I see how a different format can be impossible if you have a disability but I think it's important to promote other formats so publishers make them to be more accessible in the long run.

I think maybe if something is translated it could work. Also you could pick fiction or non-fiction depending on what you read the most.

Sarah wrote: "I love the advanced list too. I have to say- the prompt for book by a blogger/vlogger/booktuber/online personality I am not just unexcited about but flat out noped it.

I'm thinking about generali..."

I don't like that prompt very much either. I'm just going to use a book recommended by one of the book reviewers I follow on goodreads. Some of them have booktube channels I never watch.

Okay so the prompts look mostly good. There are a few duds, and a few good challenges. I like the tbr inspiration but I don't know that I will when I actually look into what books accomplish the prompts.

Does an author using a pen name count as anonymous?

Not impressed by this prompt, but oh well.

Happy Thanksgiving to those celebrating. I finally braved some stores to start some Christmas shopping this week. I'm concerned we will be locked down again pretty soon here, our numbers are significantly worse than they ever were in March.
I achieved my goodreads goal this week with number 200. Keep in mind I have a lot of novellas and graphic novels that are quick reads in that number. I'm now going to have to force myself to focus on the last four prompts I have to finish.

Finished Reading:

LaGuardia ⭐⭐⭐⭐
I loved the creativity of Binti so I sought out more from Okorafor. This graphic novel follows a pregnant doctor as she smuggles an alien into New York through the LaGuardia airport.

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue ⭐⭐⭐⭐
This was lovely but it lost a star because it required patience to read. I struggle when authors jump around in time and perspective to tell a story instead of being direct. At the same time I appreciate it somehow???

Home ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This was even better than Binti. Same strong world building and characters but a better story line for me.

Love Your Life ⭐⭐⭐
So I thought I was done with Sophie Kinsella after the last few have not been great. This seemed like a very generic plot too. Anyway it still had her excellent friendships and ended so well. There's an aspect to the main character that I think a lot of book lovers will get a kick out of.

PS 2020 50/50
PS Summer 20/20
PS Fall 9/10
PS 2016 37/40
goodreads 201/200

Currently Reading:
Soap and Water and Common Sense: The Definitive Guide to Viruses, Bacteria, Parasites, and Disease
Daughter of the Pirate King

QOTW:
Oh I've had a few surprises excluding publishing dates being set forward. (that's so weird)
Serpent & Dove The Girl in Red Fangirl and Binti we're all great surprises from new and old to me authors.
The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires In a Holidaze Upright Women Wanted we're all disappointments.

Lynn wrote: "Happy Thanksgiving (US) for those who celebrate or Happy Thursday or Happy ‘Whatever’ for everyone else…like me! My husband and I decided years ago not to celebrate the attempted annihilation of na..."

Two things.
Binti Home is even better than Binti. I just read it this week and will be reading The Night Masquerade this coming week.

I am a fan of Sophie Kinsella and Shopoholic is my favourite. If you do try the series the first three are really good then they drop off a bit. Sophie Kinsella was in finance before becoming an author so the downside of shopping is definitely mentioned in the series. I had picked up Cocktails For Three free at the library a couple years ago and hadn't read it until this summer popsugar challenge. It also surprised me because I kinda thought I was done reading her books but this was a 5 star for me. I just read her new one this week and it was good.

LaGuardia by Nnedi Okorafor

The main character is a doctor who treats aliens and humans alike.

poshpenny wrote: "Today I finished my 200th book this year!! A first! I picked the perfect book, too! I loved it! It might be my fave of the year. Now I want it in hardcover. Bonus: It won the National Book Award.

..."

Congrats. I'm two away from two hundred myself.

Laura wrote: "I'm done! I'm done! I'm done!

My complete list is #75 in the "Post Your 2020 Reading List" thread: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

I read a total ..."

That's an impressive way to challenge yourself. I just did this year and 2016s challenges plus the summer and fall. I'm nearly done. 4 books left and 6 weeks seems completely possible.
What were your best and worst prompts for fiction vs. non-fiction?

Okay just throwing this out there to share what I learned this week. A trusted reporting tv show, imho, that does investigative reporting pertaining to consumers released an episode where they compared 20 types of masks/face coverings (not shields) for safety. In Canada there aren't regulations about what type of masks we need to wear and this was helpful. Here's the link on youtube. It's about 8 minutes of your time if you're curious.

Marketplace from the CBC
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHVyy...

Happy Thursday. I went outside to places with people for groceries. It was weird. It had been a week since I went anywhere. Also I just clued in to the fact that it's almost December and I have to get presents bought and shipped pretty quick here. AH How has November been really long yet passed by so quick?

Finished Reading:

Binti ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Thanks all who've recommended this over the check-ins. I really enjoyed the concept and the main character is great. Another winning series published by Tor. I'm going to read more from this author.

Seventh Grave and No Body ⭐⭐⭐
Coffeelove plus sarcasm galore. Yet again the book start well, droops in the middle, and ends with a bang that makes me read the next one. (That and I feel like I need to complete the series)

home body ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rupi Kaur keeps getting better. Having read her three collections this year, I don't notice any difference between the collections. Maybe I've just been reading more and more poetry that I can better appreciate it now.

PS 2020 50/50
PS Summer 20/20
PS Fall 9/10 (brown and orange cover is very challenging)
PS 2016 37/40
goodreads 197/200

Currently Reading:
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
Soap and Water and Common Sense: The Definitive Guide to Viruses, Bacteria, Parasites, and Disease (This woman has been kicking butt since covid hit in BC)
Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You

QOTW:
2020 surprising???? ;)
Anyway I've been surprised at how much poetry I've read despite hating the genre before this year.
I dislike westerns and it was an even tougher prompt than I thought it would be. I just find them boring.
I thought I'd read more books that I owned but that didn't happen either.
I too found the about a book club prompt to be problematic as well. The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires was the worst thing I read all year, it made the westerns look good.

Shannon wrote: "I have been a useless garbage person this past week, so I have no reading to report on! I'm not sure if that will change--one of our students passed away a couple days ago and I offered to help our..."

I think the fact that you are stepping up to help others through grief is very much the epitome of not being a garbage person.

@Nadine so I have not seen the add you mentioned, knock on wood. Also glad you enjoyed Black Sun. I ended up giving it 3 stars because it moved to slow for me until the end and then it just sorta stopped. I definitely loved the multiple characters and cultures she created. However I want more Maggie yesterday.

@poshpenny that's awesome you went to Forks.

Happy check-in! The major snow storm that came through the prairies mostly missed us so we only had to shovel once. :) Otherwise it's just the usual covid scariness to contend with, not much to do but read.

Finished Reading:

Split Tooth ⭐⭐⭐⭐
A little weird and disturbing but interesting art none the less.

The Cruel Prince The Lost Sisters The Wicked King The Queen of Nothing All ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐s or more
I love this series! There is a new book being published Nov. 24 that I can't wait for.

Laughing All the Way to the Mosque ⭐⭐⭐⭐
This is a memoir from the creator of Little Mosque on the Prairie. (which was a fantastic Canadian sitcom) Zarqa is hilarious and a talented writer. I wish she had other books.

The Far Side Gallery ⭐⭐
This was disappointing. A lot of the comics were the same joke over and over again.

PS 2020 50/50
PS Summer 20/20
PS Fall 8/10
PS 2016 36/40
goodreads 194/200

Currently Reading:
Don't know what's next

QOTW:
I use the goodreads choice awards to find new books a lot. This year I have not gone through the nominees yet for new books.
There are 17 nominees on the tbr/maybe lists and I've read 21.
I think I want to read Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You and The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue before the awards are done. I currently have them both from the library.

Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse was good epic fantasy. One of the main characters is blind.

So it's not a wolf on the cover but a fox. My bad.

Take a moment and recognize like one of the only positive things about 2020. (worldwide I mean)

Kamala Harris is the VP of the United States.

@Shannon I love those movies too. Spent Tuesday watching them to avoid all news.