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

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

Cendaquenta wrote: "Evenin'. Been a while since I last checked in. No life news because hey it's quarantine and all I've been doing for the past 6 months is being the human embodiment of this hamster:



But wonder of..."

Thank you for the creepy and adorable hamster.
That squirrel book sounds disturbing. If you like dragons The Priory of the Orange Tree is a good fantasy option. Also I've seen this series recommended but have not read it. A Natural History of Dragons

Mary wrote: "My reading progress is still not where I want it to be at all, in my efforts to be kinder to myself and to not make the challenge feel like a chore, I have been doing a lot more rereads than I was ..."

I agree. I pushed myself to read new things during this lockdown but sometimes I just felt bad/anxious and needed to cheer up with a reread.

Happy Thursday. I went back to the library today for the first time and did the curbside pickup. (All you have to do for my library is go into the mall and stand in a hallway and scan your card through the window and then the library staff set your stuff on a table outside the door. No curbs involved.) It now feels like lock down is over and the new normal is settling.

Finished:

Poison Study 3 stars
This was a unique story and well written. It was going to get a higher rating from me but the end suddenly went all ya romance and killed it a bit. Book two in this series is BOTM for my book club I don't know if I'll continue to the next book.

Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood 5 stars
I've wanted to read this for years and it has been sitting in a pile in my room since last spring. I was so dumb for taking this long to read it. I really want him to write another book about how he ended up in America. I recommend this book.

Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda and Leah on the Offbeat both 4 stars
Cuteness overload and Harry Potter love. Also watched the movie Love Simon this week and it was a good adaptation with excellent casting, although I missed Simon having two sisters. I will probably read more from this author because she creates excellent characters and banter. Be warned that the Simon book will make you eat Oreos.

Currently Reading:
Thick: And Other Essays (really interesting)
Blood Heir
The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs: A New History of a Lost World

QOTW:
No I have not.

To me it just seems magical realism is a term to sell light fantasy books to people who don't like fantasy. Anyway that's just my perspective because I read mostly fantasy/science fiction and things labelled magical realism tend to be nothing I want to read. Anyway Seanan McGuire writes constantly so if you read one thing by her and don't like it I wouldn't give up on her as an author. She has loads of ideas that may work for you. I loved the wayward children series because it seemed like she was answering an unanswered question from every fantasy book I've read. However I tried to read Middlegame it just did not work for me because of the constant change in perspective and heavy descriptions of alchemy. I think I needed the information laid out more directly to hold my attention.

Lilith wrote: "Erica wrote: "I guess the question becomes is a political commentator a journalist?"

Sorry to say, but he does not consider himself a journalist. He also says the "correspondents" like Roy Wood, J..."

Thanks. I'm using this for my 2016 challenge but I like to see how many prompts books that I read tick off.

I guess the question becomes is a political commentator a journalist?

Hi all, hope you're as well as can be.

Finished:
The Girl in the Spider's Web 4 stars
It's not the same with a new writer but there characters are still there. Very glad to get this off of my to read list.

The Sun and Her Flowers 4 stars
I liked this one better than her first collection. It definitely had poems that touched on current events.

Beach Read 3 stars
I was looking forward to this one but it didn't quite live up to my expectations. It was enjoyable none the less.

The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo 4 stars
I was not expecting such painful life experiences for her to talk about. As always she's honest and funny.

Fantastic Beasts - The Crimes of Grindelwald: The Original Screenplay 5 stars
Finally bothering to read a book in my house that I've been meaning to read. I'm not letting J.k. Rowlings idiocy ruin the Harry Potter world.

PS 2020 41/50
PS 2016 30/40
Goodreads 99/150

Currently reading:
Thick: And Other Essays
Blood Heir
The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs: A New History of a Lost World

QOTW:
I found Beach Read to be unputdownable. But the last book I stayed up reading late into the night was House of Earth and Blood.

Does Trevor Noah count as a journalist?

I think this works

Dedra ~ A Book Wanderer wrote: "I just finished Beach Read and while the book is not about a book club, there is one in the book. There's also a book on the cover, if you still need to fulfill that prompt. I enjoy..."

I was just about to suggest this.

Hey this is take two. The power went out in my neighbourhood when I was trying to post last night. My library is accepting returns this Monday and curbside pickup starts the following Monday so yeah. There has been peaceful protesting where I live and that has started a lot of important conversations in my community. Hopefully it follows through to the upcoming elections here. Can you imagine the future where they look back on 2020? We're only halfway through.

Finished:
Men Explain Things to Me 1 star
This book is a collection of essays that don't say much except mention upsetting statistics. The first essay actually fits the title and explains a specific situation in the authors life. The rest is out of date. Maybe this would have been better reading it in 2014 but in 2020 some of her comments are just wrong.

Geekerella 3 stars
Thanks to last weeks recommends I read this cute book. The sci-fi tv show love is wonderful. Unfortunately the Cinderella part was annoying. I love Cinderella movies but I guess the books just don't work for me.

Chaos Reigning 4 stars
This series is over :( It was the second best in the 3 book series for me. I liked the world the author created but the books a very formulaic.

Network Effect 5 stars
The best Murderbot yet. I love Murderbot but the novellas haven't always been the greatest plots for me. This book is the best so far. Can't wait for #6.

PS 2020 40/50
PS2016 28/40
Goodreads 94/150

Currently Reading:
The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo
Ryder
The Girl in the Spider's Web
The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs: A New History of a Lost World

QOTW: With covid I have been resorting to comfort reads to get through. Mostly because anxiety/worry/stress just shut my brain down and I need something easy. Hopefully this week I break that streak.

Title: Upright Women Wanted
Author: Sarah Gailey

Would you recommend this book?
Unfortunately no I would not. Female spies in the old west was a great starting point but by half way I was ready to dnf it. I ended up being bored and distracted by the hot desert descriptions and the plot fell flat for me. (The western challenge is going to be difficult for me.)

Is this the first book you've read by a trans/non-binary author or have you read others?
No idea. I read a lot of F & SF as opposed to biographies. I pick books on the story not the author generally. That being said I like having a few prompts that promote different perspectives to challenge me.

Do you think the author's gender identity played into the story?
Yep there was a character who used they as their pronoun.

Pumpkinheads this was an awesome graphic novel. This is the only thing I've read by Rainbow Rowell so I can't say whether her other books would fit what you're looking for for your daughter.

oh forgot to mention this series by Seanan McGuire
Indexing
Reflections
A world where all the fairy tales can happen and the secret organization that goes around cleaning up after these stories.

Happy Thursday. I got more reading done this week then previously this month but only finished one thing. Don't have much to say life is a little boring but as long as we're safe that's good.

Finished:
Aurora Burning 4 stars
This series is entertaining but not the best ya you'll ever read. I've seen lots of people complain that the characters aren't very different and I see that but it doesn't bother me in this case. Lot's of sarcasm and a fast moving plot through space. I need to read the next one.

PS 2020 39/50
PS 2016 27/40
Goodreads 90/150

Currently Reading:
Men Explain Things to Me
The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs: A New History of a Lost World
Ryder
The Girl in the Spider's Web

QOTW:
Love retellings. I have a soft spot for Cinderella so all of you posting about Geekerella are responsible for it being in the tbr pile. (Thanks) Naturally I recommend Cinder but the series does deal with a plague so you may want to give it a shot in the future. (I'm glad I got through this series last year) Oddly enough I do not like the beauty and the beast or Alice in wonderland storylines but I have read retellings for both this year and enjoyed them.
A Heart So Fierce and Broken
The Hazel Wood

Shannon wrote: "Sarah wrote: "Random side note, in spite of the title, I totally thought the image on this cover was an octopus until this week

"

I'm so gla..."


I saw a scorpion so...

This works.


I watched The Witcher on Netflix first, then read Blood of Elves then read this. I probably would have found things confusing without the Netflix series first.

Title: White Cat

Author: Holly Black

Would you recommend this book?
For sure. Holly Black is one of my favourite authors.

Sometimes these off-kilter categories can seem difficult, but once you pay attention to it, you find that a lot of the books you read would work. Have you found that many of the books you read this year would fulfill this category?
So far it has only been the three books from the curse workers series that fit.

Whoo it's actually Thursday. I got excited to post in the checkin that Holly Black is publishing a collection of Cardan's perspective in November... only to discover it was Wednesday. This week was over all busy. My niece had a social distancing 6th birthday party throughout the day in the garage. Weird people thought it was a garage sale?? Then I was finally able to hit the highway and visit some family. Singing along to music in the car is so much more fun than at home.

Finished:
The Last Wish 4 stars
These short stories had a lot of fairy tales thrown in that they cut for Netflix.

Goodreads 89/150
PS 2020 39/50
PS 2016 27/40

Currently Reading:
The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs: A New History of a Lost World I learned that the Jurassic park movies don't keep me up to date on dinosaurs with last weeks QOTW.
Ryder Awesome novella that is ongoing.
The Girl in the Spider's Web
Little Women

QOTW
I'm another non dreamer. However I do daydream about the books I've read and beautiful libraries.

Ladiibbug wrote: "Hi Everyone,

My most recent move (4/20) in the midst of the Q .... with a high maintenance, super hearing sensitive and troublemaker in general in this large house has discombobulated me. I now kn..."

If you enjoyed The Witch of Duva then you should check out The Language of Thorns: Midnight Tales and Dangerous Magic. The Witch of Duva is included in the collection.