Sheri’s Comments (group member since Jul 25, 2016)

Sheri’s comments from the EPBOT Readers group.

Ohh thanks I’ll look into it!

Daniele, did you like Riders of the Purple Sage? I'm not familiar with Zane Grey, but I need to read a western for Read Harder and I did consider that one. I don't super love westerns so I really need it to be super engaging.

Hi Everyone! Hope your reading has been going well!

Weather keeps alternating between lovely and rainy here in Michigan, so I keep alternating between "extremely busy" and reading a lot.

This week I finished:

The Golem and the Jinni - I ended up picking this based on it being pretty with blue edging on the pages. Luckily it was really good, and worked for two challenges! I counted it for Popsugar's previous year prompt, nonhuman perspective. Also for ATY's past monthly goodreads pick. (april 2013 for those curious). I really liked this, lovely story. It was a little slow, but in a good way. I still couldn't put it down.

The Serpent's Shadow - reread that i've been poking at for a month or so when I need a break before bed. It's one of my favorite Lackey books.

Childhood's End - I didn't think this counted for anything, but I just googled the cover for it. Almost all iterations of it have really terrible covers, so there I go. I'd read it because I'd recommended it to the library digitally years ago, and they finally got it, and I got up on the list. This can also count for Read Harder's cover I hate. Hate's a strong word, but most versions are pretty bad.

Currently reading:

The Halloween Tree - this will be my book set on Halloween. I mostly picked it because I like Bradbury in general, it was short, and my library had it available digitally for immediate check out. It's fine so far, nothing I'm going to remember forever.

What is your favorite fictional villain (or antagonist)? What makes you like a villain?

The first one that pops to mind isn't actually in a book, it's Killmonger from Black Panther. (I haven't actually read the comic). He's not so much a villain as an antagonist, and I think that's why I like him. He has distinct motivations and and a clear point of view, instead of just being evil because...well..he's evil ok?

For books I rather liked Uprooted, where the Forest itself was the antagonist. I don't want to go into what all happened with it, because spoilers, but I found it really interesting.

Happy reading everyone!

Travelgirl - haha i discovered that too! I was reading at night and my phone light fell over, leaving the room in darkness and I was all "hey! my book glows!" Which is a better surprise than when I was wearing nail wraps from the shining that had the carpet pattern on them, and i discovered at night in bed that they glowed in the dark to say "REDRUM" all over XD

Stephanie, I read Turtles All The Way Down, and I did really enjoy it. I couldn't put it down, I think I read it in less than 24 hours. However at the same time it really threw my mood for a swing, made me more self conscious about my own anxieties and I had to take a break and read several comics before attempting anything else. So....it could go either way? If nothing else, it does help in terms of empathy. The main character KNOWS when her thoughts are spiraling and when they are getting unhealthy, she can't STOP the thoughts though, and that's the problem. And it deals with the struggles of trying to be a teenager and maintain friendships and date while also battling all these thoughts.

Hi everyone!

Hope your reading is going well!

This week I read :

Purple Hibiscus - Book with favorite color in title. This was a really good book, I just was not in the mood for it at all. Read too much darker/serious stuff all back to back and it was really dragging my mood down. I did enjoy it, and it was interesting reading it right after Song of Solomon, there were a lot of parallels. I liked this one much better though, felt the characters were more relatable.

Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore - Book taking place in a bookstore or library. I really liked it, nice and short and a fun sort of mystery to it. I also am using it for ATY book involving a secret. Also, being a designer, I appreciated all the font nerdery in it.

Injection, Vol. 3 - Just needed a break with a nice quick read. Newest volume in the ongoing story, I really enjoy it. Computer virus that is breaking into the real world and causing supernatural occurrences.

Currently reading:

The Golem and the Jinni - This will be for my favorite previous popsugar prompt, book from a nonhuman perspective. Fudging it a little bit, since 100% of the book isn't from the Golem and Jinni's perspective, it shifts around to other involved characters to. I'm still counting it though, because those perspectives are generally focused on their reactions and interactions with the nonhuman characters. It's really interesting so far, about half way through.

Branching off from last week, does your opinion of the author of a book affect your opinion of a book itself? Or your likelyhood of reading something? For example, if you found out something really unsavory about an author, do you still read and enjoy their work, or does it taint it? Or if you find out they're really lovely people, do you enjoy it more, or make more of a point to support them?

For me, I sometimes have trouble separating my feelings about an author and their works. I read Enders Game before I found out that Orson Scott Card is something of a jerk, super homophobic etc. That made me more reluctant to read more of his work, even though I enjoyed Ender's Game. I did see the movie made from the book, but I waited until I could stream it as part of an already paid subscription, rather than spending money to go see it. I don't know if that really makes logical sense, but it makes me feel conflicted. I met Cherie Priest, like I mentioned, and I did enjoy her work already. But her stuff isn't super re-readable for me, so normally I wouldn't buy a lot of it, I'd just check it out from the library. But I really like her as a person, so I do tend to actually buy her work, at least if I can get it at a decent price, just to support her.

Welcome Jessie! Thanks for joining :)

Sorry your author experiences weren't all amazing!

Stephanie,

That's so sweet of him to do! My husband waited in line with me for Danielle Corsetto, and it was i think 2.5 hours and I think he was regretting saying he'd come by the end haha. But he did get to eat at Jolly Pumpkin after, so I think all was forgiven.

Hi everyone!

Hope your reading has been going well!

I had a busy week last week with my husband's birthday prep and birthday weekend. (Which is why last week's post was so late.) So don't have a lot going this week.

I finished: The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl, Vol. 1: Squirrel Power since I'd accidentally read vol 2 first, I came back and read vol 1. It's such a fun comic!

Sex Criminals, Vol. 4: Fourgy! - love this comic too. On the surface it's all about sex and sex jokes, but under all that it's about relationships and mental illness and how they affect each other, as well as a look at roles sex plays in society etc.

Song of Solomon - I drug my feet a lot on this, but finally finished. It's my Read Harder Oprah Book Club pick. It wasn't really my thing. I found I didn't relate to any of the characters or care about any of the plot lines. I really liked Beloved, so I'd hoped I would enjoy this too, was kind of disappointed. Oh well.

Currently reading: Purple Hibiscus - this will be my popsugar book with my favorite color in the title. Hopefully it marches along a bit faster.

also currently reading The Death of Captain Marvel which is the original storyline where Carol Danvers gets her powers and becomes Ms Marvel. Figure I should read it, looks like the movie's going to mesh that origin with her Captain Marvel origins, skipping over the whole "Ms Marvel" part. Which is probably for the best since she was also Warbird and Binary, too much history to go through for this late in the MCU.

Has anyone ever met an author? Did you enjoy it, or were they not what you expected?

I met Cherie Priest a while back, she was super sweet. I'd only read a couple books by her at that point, but she signed three books for me! She also personalized it with "To the Sheri who spells her name more sensibly" which I thought was funny. I also met Danielle Corsetto who writes and draws Girls WIth Slingshots, amongst other things. She's really awesome, and something of an art hero of mine. I'd like to meet more, but a lot of times the tours seem to hit Michigan mid week, and often in Detroit or Ann Arbor which are harder to get to after work, i have to REALLY want to meet them to make it work.

Sorry for the delay! I had a really busy week prepping for my husband's birthday, plus a busy week at work. I'm just going to go over the books that should have been on Thursday's update, so I actually have something to post this Thursday.

Finished: The Red Tent - this was my bestseller from the year I graduated. ALso counting it for ATY's literary fiction prompt. I liked this more than I expected, there was a lot of Sumerian mythology and it was well written. However I am glad I got through it, because I don't have kids and I don't particularly want kids, so that was a LOT of mensuration and birthing talk in one book.

Children of Blood and Bone - Book with alliteration in the title. Also counting for ATY's book with a body part in the title. I really loved this. I got sucked in and couldn't put it down, and it's been a while since I read a book and immediately wanted the second. Which wont' be out for another year at least, considering this just came out a month or two ago.

Turtles All the Way Down - I tore through this one in a day, it was really good. However it did really affect my mood, since it's my mental illness prompt and it's basically watching someone spiral down into a breakdown. Still was really good.

Currently reading:

Song of Solomon - This will be my read harder Oprah book club pick. I've been dragging my feet on it so not very far yet.

QOTW:

When you are on vacation, are you more or less likely to read a lot?

I tend to find that while I'll read on the plane, I usually end up doing SO MUCH on vacations that I read far less than normal. This is as an adult. My husband and I are not really beach people, so when we go on vacations it tends to be places where we DO stuff. Hiking, going to museums, walking around gardens etc. When I was a kid, a lot of our vacations WERE beach vacations and I did read tons on them.

I realized I forgot to answer my own question!

I think The Bear and the Nightingale and Britt-Marie Was Here were probably my favorites so far this year. They were very enjoyable, and I still remember them.

I'm really looking forward to reading Children of Blood and Bone, which I have out from my library. Trying to finish the red tent first, because it's only got a couple days before it expires, and then will move onto it. Trying to not expect it to be THE BEST BOOK EVER so I don't get overhyped, but I've been hearing a lot of great things about it.

Hi Everyone!

Actually posting on a Thursday this time.

Lovely weather here in Michigan, so glad to see it! Hope others are getting some good weather too!

This week I finished:

The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay - Book recommended by someon doing the popsugar challenge, recommended by Stephanie. It's also my ATY book with A, T & Y in the title. I feel a little bad, I really wanted to love this, but I just didn't. I liked the beginning well enough, but around page 300 I was gong .."why am I not even half through this yet?". Even after finishing, I kind of feel like it could have skipped over 200+ pages in the middle. I'm guessing it's another case of me not really connecting with the main thrust of what the author was doing. I just was there for a cool story about the start of the comic industry, and I didn't really feel connected to the characters that much to feel like I needed an exhaustive look into their lives. Kind of felt like when I was reading game of thrones, I was going "please just tell me about the magic and dragons, and skip over all the politics and relationship drama". Sorry Stephanie!

A Study in Scarlet Women - This was an audio book, so was listening to it while cross stitching. I really liked it! It's my read harder mystery by a person of color or lgbt author. I liked that while there were enough familiar notes in the story to say "oh yes, I get that reference", it was it's own story enough that it wasn't just a boring retread. I also really liked the perspective of intelligent women who are stifled by the restrictive society they are living in.

Descender, Vol. 5: Rise of the Robots - I love this comic. The art is so beautiful and the story is great. Stopped at a comic shop downtown and stocked up a bit.

Currently reading:
The Red Tent - This is my popsugar bestseller from the year I graduated high school. I didn't love the selection I had to pick from, so i wasn't really looking forward to this. I'm liking it more than I expected, there's a lot of sumerian mythology and it's interesting seeing people I recognize from the Joseph story, from the perspective of the seldom-mentioned sister Dinah.

Anyone have a favorite book of the year yet? Or any that you just can't wait to read?

Hi everyone, sorry for the late post. I was on a mini vacation staying in Detroit a couple nights. Back home now!

This week I finished:

Impostor Syndrome I think I’m just going to use this for book published this year, even though it does work for mental illness upon consideration. I might change it later, we’ll see. I liked it overall, but not as much as the other two in the series.

Batman: Detective Comics, Volume 1: Faces of Death spent some time catching up on comics. This was alright, not amazing.

Steadfast reread just for fun, wanted something easy to get through.

Currently reading :
A Study in Scarlet Women - listening to the audio book for this. It’ll be my read harder mystery by a person of color or lgbtq author. I’m enjoying so far, it’s an imagining of Sherlock Holmes as a woman.

The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay - this is my book recommended by someone else doing the challenge, recommended by Stephanie. I like it ok but it’s feeling SO LONG. I’m not even to 300 pages and feeling like it should be over soon, but I’m not even halfway yet. Might end up reading something else for a break.

Do you have books from your childhood that stand ou in your mind, even today?

Earlier this week someone posted a picture of a dog dressed as a lion and I instantly remembered The Little White Horse. I was surprised how much I could remember from it, even though it’s been years since I read it. I remember more than some books I read earlier this year!

Hi everyone, here are some reading questions to get the discussion started. (questions found online)

If anyone else has any questions to ask, feel free.

Had you ever heard of The Radium Girls before reading this book? If so, where? If not, are you surprised that you hadn’t?

Whose story struck a chord with you the most and why?

Do you think anything like this could happen today? Why?

How do you think the story would have been different if it had been a man’s job?

If the girls had lost their cases, how different do you think today’s world would be?


Besides radium, what other world-altering discoveries can you think of that led to both advancement and tragedy?

Susan, thanks for the suggestions! I'll see if my library has either of those!

Hi everyone!

Michigan's finally decided it's spring (today) with almost 70 degree weather! That makes me happy.

This week I finished:

The Hate U Give - My past goodreads choice winner for Popsugar, and own voices for ATY. It was really good, if hard to read in terms of difficult subject matter. It really breaks down how a police shooting ripples through a whole neighborhood, in ways that are understandable but I wouldn't have considered before.

Maplecroft - I thought this would be my book about a real person, but I forgot I covered that already. But it does work for a book related to water for ATY. I didn't like this as much as I expected. I like Cherie Priest, but this felt very slow moving. I also didn't particularly connect with any of the major characters. It wasn't awful, but it wasn't my favorite of hers by any means.

Overwatch: Anthology Volume 1 - fun set of backstories for various characters in overwatch.

The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl, Vol. 2: Squirrel You Know It's True Accidentally bought vol 2 instead of vol 1. Read it anyhow, it was still good.

Mockingbird, Vol. 2: My Feminist Agenda - This was great, i'm so sad they cut the series short. I'd love to read more. She did show up in the Unstoppable Wasp, but they cancelled that too. Give me more science ladies, marvel!

Currently reading:

Impostor Syndrome - Third book in the arcadia project series. I was going to count it for my mental health prompt, but i realize the prompt says "about" mental health, not just involving it. The protagonist has borderline personality disorder, and it's a fundamental part of her character and how she responds to situations etc. But the book isn't ABOUT living with the disorder or anything like that, so not sure it counts? I mean sure i can stretch. It could also work for my book published this year, so I'll think on it while I read.

Does your reading change depending on time of year?

I know some people like to read halloween themed books in the fall, or books about Christmas during Christmas etc, or happy books during the spring. For me, I'm generally going by what my exact mood is on any given day, or else by what is currently up on my library queue. I'm not going to ignore a hold i've been waiting for for six months just because it's a winter book and it's now summer. Unless I changed my mind about reading it in general. That's happened, where I was initially interested, put something on hold, then lost interest by the time it came up. I might read the occasional seasonally appropriate book, but I don't make a point of it.

Hi everyone, it's time to select a new book for April - June ish.

I've created a poll, you may pick one selected or add a choice of your own. Hopefully this works!

http://www.rkursem.com/poll/view.php?...

-Sheri

Hi everyone!

Michigan is deciding to be sunny after being snowy and gross yesterday. It's still way too cold for spring.

This week I read:

The Ship of the Dead - I'd hoped this woudl count for my book set at sea, but the ship part of it was fairly minor. They just used the ship to travel around, most the adventures were off-ship. However it does count for ATY's book by an author with initials beginning with the same letter. (Rick Riordan).

Immortally Yours - Needed a break from one of the books I'm currently reading, doesn't count for a challenge.

currently reading:

The Hate U Give - This will be my popsugar past goodreads winner. I can see why it's getting so much attention, but I'm having a lot of trouble getting through it. It's very sad, upsetting, and too real with all the shootings on the news. I find I can only read it in the middle of the day, I need to start the morning with something lighter, and read something else before bed.

Maplecroft - This is my novel based involving a real person. Lizzie Borden meets Lovecraftian horror. And yes, this is easier to read than the other, because this evil isn't real.

I also am poking through a re-read of Steadfast for right before bed since neither of those are really conductive to a good night's sleep.

I never have this many books going at once, but whatever it takes, I guess.

I keep borrowing questions from Popsugar, so sorry to anyone following around from there. But it's hard thinking up new ones! This week's is interesting so I'm going with it.

Have your reading tastes changed as you have gotten older?


I think they have matured, but not changed drastically. I still read a lot of sci fi and fantasy, but I'm less tolerant of overused tropes and problematic ideas. I'm also trying to be more mindful of authors, and broaden the diversity of who I am reading. When I was a kid, I was horse obsessed so I read pretty much anything that had a horse on the cover. I still enjoy horses, but not to the point of reading a bunch of books about them. Also I never used to read nonfiction unless absolutely forced to by school. Now I'll read the occasional one if it looks interesting, works for a prompt, assigned by a book club etc.

Susan, I read the Strange Case of the Alchemist s daughter, I got it for my bookflood. I liked it! Hope you enjoy!

Hi everyone!

Hope your reading is going well!

This week I finished:

Palimpsest which is my ATY book with a map. It was alright. A lot of moments in it evoked The Night Circus, which is one of my favorite books. But it just failed to overall draw me in. Also, I don't mind sex in books. I have been known to read smut/romance/erotica, books with plots based around sex. But this book had a LOT of sex for a book not really presented as smut. And the scenes were described so briefly that it wasn't really sexy...I dont' know. It just felt weird and kind of unnecessary.

Six of Crows - Popsugar book about a heist. I liked this one a lot, but the ending kind of annoyed me. I know some people are going to read it soon, so I wont' go into too much detail. I mostly don't approve of one of the directions it went, and I don't super love major cliffhangers right in the last pages. If the book's good, I'll read the next one, I don't like to feel like I HAVE to read the next one to finish the story I started. I'll probably still read it, but I don't have time to read it right now which is a little frustrating. I have too many other books to get to first!

Currently reading (or about to start anyhow)

The Ship of the Dead - My library finally got this digitally, and I came up in the waiting list so reading it next. Since it's about a ship, I'm hoping enough of it takes place on water to count as my book set at sea.

How do people feel about spoilers? I know some people hate them, others go out of their way looking for them. Does media or situation matter?

For me, I prefer not to have them. Although I admit it depends on how much I care about the piece. For Harry Potter, each time I got the book I'd immediately sit down and try to finish it as fast as I could manage, avoiding being online or talking to anyone until I was finished. I didn't want so much as a breath of a spoiler. For other stuff I don't really care that much. However if I have a choice, I prefer no spoilers. I find it changes how I read, if I know too much about it. If i know something is going to happen, I'll be reading and watching for it, rather than letting it all unfold. However finding a spoiler won't stop me from reading/watching something in general.