Caitlin’s Comments (group member since Jan 04, 2015)

Caitlin’s comments from the Pop Sugar's Annual Ultimate Reading Challenge group.

If you're up for romance kind of like Hallmark Original movies there are romance books for pretty much every major holiday.

Did you have a particular holiday in mind?

Meg wrote: "Sarabeth wrote: "ok so hears an odd one for the category of book about food....does breast milk count ???? I am currently breast feeding and I am reading a good amount of books on it and well for m..."

I'm agreeing with Meg here! In general I try to let this group be flexible when it comes to what fits what. You could always tentatively count on e and then kick it out if you read a different book about food later.

Meg wrote: "That would be great!--- I have no idea what is considered "Steampunk" when it comes to books...I was hopeful I had found one already on my bookshelf."

I might be wrong, but typically I think of steampunk as kind of modern novels in the style of H.G. Wells or Jules Verne. It's Sci-fi but with the science of the Victorian Era extended out so airships and phrenology and steam-powered everything.

Monstress is beautiful, but more inspired by eastern cultures than western ones, I think (also it's just crazy original in general.) IDK, now I think I'll have to re-read it just to look for Steampunk elements but you should read it anyway because it's gorgeous and fabulous.

Meg wrote: "txncupcake wrote: "I completed the 2016 Reading Challenge and now I'm trying to find books for this new list for 2017. Any ideas on a steampunk novel?"

An option I found...is Monstress. It is a gr..."

Monstress is awesome. Pretty dark, very violent, some nudity, risky amazing beautiful art best story.

I personally don't think of it as steampunk but I've only read through Vol. 1.

I actually have read a bunch of Steampunk and can make recommendations but I'm on my phone right now so I'll edit this comment when I'm on a computer

Edited to add Steampunk book thoughts:

Gail Carriger has a couple Steampunk series, one for YA and one or two for adults. Her work reads kind of like a fantasy of manners style book but with steampunk elements instead of magic. Exception: There's a supernatural cast of characters including Werewolves, Vampires, and the like who are out and about in society. There's also definitely a romance element to her work.

Meg - you might like these since you liked some of Lauren Willig's work but then again, maybe not?

The Infernal Devices trilogy by Cassandra Clare - I've only read one of these, but have heard the trilogy has a very controversial ending. These are YA urban fantasy set in Victorian England, so with plenty of steampunk/clockwork parts. They're part of Clare's popular ShadowHunters world but this book is actually a fairly good introduction to that world because the main character is new to it. If you don't like demons/supernatural elements or YA love triangles you should skip this one.

Airborn by Kenneth Oppel - this is also the first in a trilogy, but the third book was written much later so the first two can really be read without it. I really enjoyed this, it might be my favorite of the books on the Pop Sugar list. It has airships and adventure (scientific treasure hunt, IIRC) and just a sprinkle of love.

Scott Westerfeld's Leviathan trilogy - this trilogy is a little different than the typical steampunk because rather than an alternate Victorian Era, it gives us an alternate WWI. The "Clankers" (i.e. steam technology nations) and "Darwinists" (i.e. nations whose naturalists have used Darwin's theories of Evolution to manipulate creatures into species that function like machines might. Like, a living airship full of creatures evolved to be functioning airship parts) have been at each others throats for so long that the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand is just what's needed to set off a war between them. But what if a hidden heir could stop the war? and what if that heir is picked up by a British airship? Also Tesla appears in book 3 and the whole trilogy is beautifully illustrated.

Steampunk! - I've read some but not all of the stories in this anthology but I wasn't terribly impressed. IDK I think I prefer steampunk novels to short stories personally.

I haven't read The Time Machine but I have read The Invisible Man and, it certainly showed its age.

The Iron Duke - oh dear, here's where I have to admit I've read this. It's kind of a trashy Alpha Male romance novel with a steampunk setting. The setting is pretty unusual (an England that was previously controlled by an invading species that used techniques to control the populace and treated them all like slaves. the Titular Iron Duke saved everyone by destroying the mind control tower years before the start of the novel, but our heroine lives daily with the stigma of being half human and half err... not human.) Anyway, the setting and premise is actually really interesting but it's absolutely a romance and the plot suffers a bit because of that. ALSO, there's some shady possible lack of consent that mars some scenes. It's... it's hard to explain without going into plot details. I would say skip this one unless you're pretty sure you'll like it. Although the plot is concluded in this novel so if you NEED a standalone...

As for off-list recommendations. I would definitely recommend it's a duet that's fantasy/steampunk in the American West. I really enjoyed this duet, inhaled it a few years ago and there's a much darker related duet that I haven't read because I'm a scaredy cat, but if you want something pretty dark then go for it. <- actually apparently the author considers this duet "Bustlepunk" so not quite Steampunk???

Susan Dennard's Something Strange and Deadly trilogy is YA steampunk with Vodoo Zombies. Her Zombie hunting crew has a Chinese-American and is led by a black man, but the main pair is white. The first book is set in Philadelphia during the World's Fair and has a nice sense of setting, but a fairly predictable twist. The second book takes everyone to Paris and the third is in Egypt. I think the third book might have a m/m pair but I might be misremembering. The books also reference necromancy (zombies and all), FYI.

Meg, I noticed that you've read a lot of excellent comics. I think Alan Moore's might fall under steampunk but I personally wasn't a big fan so, use your own judgment.

I'm sorry I don't have more standalones to recommend and that my reading has leaned heavily to the YA/romantic side of steampunk. There's definitely more out there, I just haven't read it so can't really comment. Sorry!

Bonnie wrote: "I just added a tab to the spreadsheet with the 2017 challenge. Last year, someone had added all of the columns with the statistics, % complete, etc. If you would care to do that again, that would b..."

Thanks Bonnie!

I think I'm going to admit I didn't do 2016 that well so I was going to bow out in 2017, but then I read the list and it sounds SO DOABLE with some of my other goals SO, I'm going to go for it.

BUT I won't be offended if any of you decide to switch to what is apparently the more official group they call out in the piece itself.

Thanks for being awesome the past two years.

Sam wrote: "I'm planning on reading that too Christina. Doubt it will fit into any of my remaining categories though, unless I close my eyes in a book store and get someone to lead me to the shelf it's on. Mig..."

Can we recommend it to you Sam? As strangers? That's a category right?

Jill wrote: "I am new to the group, may I add my name to the spreadsheet? I have been using Pinterest to keep of my books. I have a boar for last year's challenge and one for this year's."

Hi Jill, feel free to add your name! Pinterest board seem like a great way to keep track of books for this challenge too.

JenLin wrote: "I'm currently reading Taliban Shuffle which is going to be released as Whiskey Tango Foxtrot. I'm interested in seeing how a journalist's memoir of her time in Afghanistan/Pakistan translates into ..."

That's a great suggestion! I've seen those trailers but didn't know what the source material was.

Anna wrote: "This is amazing, thanks! So, so much easier to get ideas than searching comment threads.

I took the liberty of freezing the first column, so those of us at the far end can see the category withou..."

Thanks, Anna! Freezing the first column is a great idea.

I restored everything that was there yesterday. No blame, but if you accidentally deleted things could you let us (or just me) know?

If not we should to discuss whether it was malicious and think about whether we should restrict who has editing access

Katie wrote: "I made a list on my blog as well. I was going to post it but Bonnie beat me to it LOL.
Here's the link: https://bookmouseblog.wordpress.com/2..."

I think we can take all the book-movie lists we can get for this category. Thanks for sharing Katie!

Thanks Bonnie, you rock!

I updated the spreadsheet by adding a new tab:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...

It should be linked in the group info now too.

I'm undecided at the moment whether I will be participating. I've tentatively put my name down in a "super casual let's see if what I read fits into these categories" way BUT, if I change my mind I'll delete myself from the sheet.

Let me know (in this thread or by DM) if there's anything else you need in the transition to 2016!

Sheally wrote: "Alrighty who is getting the 2016 group going? And with the spreadsheet?"

We can use this group for 2016, is there a new tab in the spreadsheet? I can add it on Monday if not.

If you all want to make this a PopSugar 2016 group I'm open to that. I won't be actively participating in the challenge but I'm open to this group accommodating 2016 goals and lists

Bonnie wrote: "The 2016 official challenge is posted on the PopSugar website.

http://www.popsugar.com/love/Reading-..."

Thanks Bonnie! I just saw that and... I might do it. But unofficially. If I can fit the things I read into it, great, if not, I'm not going to care.

Anyone else?

Thanks Sam! I will try not to burn in jealousy at your being finished BUT, I did want to ask, have you put these in the spreadsheet? It's at the top of this thread: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

I've actually been thinking about starting a thread for us all to discuss constructing a challenge of our own for 2016. Perhaps 25 categories instead of 50?

I know two I would vote for would be:

-Read a book of poetry
-Read a book that features or contains mental illness

I also ALWAYS support reading more non-fiction so I'd probably vote for that category to be carried over here :-)

Would nay of you be interested in something like that?

Heather wrote: "Caitlin, people keep recommending Watership Down, but I don't want to read anything that depressing right now. lol. And sadly, I read Animal Farm last year and I don't want..."

Ah, nothing depressing. How do you feel about paranormals? I really enjoyed Anne Bishop's which is neither depressing nor exclusively about humans but is the beginning of a series.

I read which was adequate, but I personally prefer something like .