Week 7: 2/10-2/16

[Juanita]

Happy Thursday, friends! How boring is my life if this check in is a highlight of my Thursday and my week? Alas, I do enjoy our group ...

In the last week, I read The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace: A Brilliant Young Man Who Left Newark for the Ivy League, which continued my streak of depressing nonfiction THAT I MUST BREAK AWAY FROM. This was a book that's been on my TBR for a long time and I finally committed to reading it after a Kindle Daily Deal.

I read a lot of nonfiction and I read a lot of memoirs and biographies. This one was tough. I went into the book not actually knowing how the book becomes a tragedy. The circumstances of Rob Peace's life and the choices he made frustrated me as a reader (and a first-generation college graduate from the City of Detroit). The book was well done and the author, a college roommate of Peace's, did a great job. I rated the book high (4 stars) but it definitely turned my mood dour after finishing it. I used this book for " A book with a title that's a character's name" but may switch it to "character who is a different ethnicity than you." If I interpret the former too strictly, character would imply fiction and this is nonfiction. We'll see how much of a stickler I become as we get further into the year.

After my spate of depressing nonfiction, I am turning to Truly Madly Guilty for something a little lighter. It may not fit a prompt but I need a change and a friend recommended it.

This brings me to 7/40; 1/12 for the year.

Question of the week:
Many thanks to those of you who have been sending suggestions for our QotW. It is much appreciated. Today's question comes again from Cheri:

"People talk about comfort food, but do you also have a comfort book that you read when life gets hard?"

I'm going to let her share her own answer but for me ... I have characters that really resonate with me. For whatever reason, these tend to be characters in romance novels, usually those of Nora Roberts. I'll think to myself that I miss "Brianna" and pick up Born in Ice to visit Brianna and Grayson. Same is true for a number of her books.

I also think that The Nightingale and Eleanor & Park will be my contemporary comfort books. Though there's not much comforting about The Nightingale. I just absolutely love that book.

And now I turn things over to you. Can't wait to see what you're reading.

[Tara]

I had a great week! After finishing Great Expectations last week I soared through Winter for a book over 800 pages and absolutely loved The Winter People!! I really kind of wish I could have followed along with the group read because it was so good. I'm tentatively placing it in a book with a season but may switch it to set in two times. I'm also working on stars above and Alice I have been plus I got Underground Railroad yesterday and am pumped to start it.

QOTW: books in general tend to be a comfort for me (not all books but reading a good book is) but I have a few I'll read over and over. Alice in Wonderland always makes me happy

[Nadine in NY]

Happy week 7! The weekly checkin is my highlight too :-). It's finally winter here in northern NY - after a mild January, we are getting some real snow in February.

I finished four books this week, and I managed to find a Challenge category for each of them, so I am 23/52 now.

11/22/63 - my 800+ page book, finally finished after two months of whining about it! I don't recommend this one (although, please note, my opinion is a minority opinion).

A Separation - this was surprisingly short, I read it in less than 24 hours. I enjoyed this. I'm using this for "published in 2017," but it could also work for "set in a hotel."

Feminist Fight Club: An Office Survival Manual for a Sexist Workplace - my "career advice" book. I had been dreading this category, but to my surprise this book was a lot of fun (and quite short - read it in just a few hours).

The Bear and the Nightingale - I loved this book! I'm so glad it's going to be a trilogy, I want more!! I didn't intend this for the Challenge (since I'd already checked off "published in 2017") but it turned out to have quite a few creatures from Russian and Slavic myths, so I checked off "mythological creature."

QOTW Not really. Reading is a comfort, but I don't have a particular book. Looking back a few years ago, during some stressful time, I read A LOT of historical romances, so I guess that's my "comfort genre."

[Brooke]

Greetings from Dallas!

This week I only finished one book: You by Caroline Kepnes. Talk about a creepy novel! The whole story is about the thoughts of a stalker-turned-serial killer. I’ve never read anything quite like it, and I haven’t been this weirded out since reading Helter Skelter years ago. There were graphic parts, but since it is from the mind of a male who is deranged, I can’t really fault Kepnes for writing it that way. I read it for the “book with a chilling atmosphere” prompt for the AtY challenge, but it also fits the “first in a series you’ve never read” prompt for PopSugar. I might end up reading a different book for the PopSugar prompt at a later date, but for now I’ll use You.

I am still reading:
The Invisible Bridge by Julie Orringer – 28. A novel set during wartime (now doing this as a buddy read so I will be forced to concentrate on this instead of continuing to start new books)
Word of Honor by Nelson DeMille – Advanced 8. A book that is 800+ pages long (little by little…)
The Winter People – 6. Book with one of the four seasons in the title (just started late last night)

5/40 ; 4/12. I want to get through 2-3 books before the next check-in. Fingers crossed!

QOTW: I don't have one book I go to as a comfort read, but when I am feeling down for any reason or not feeling well, I just like curling up with a book on the couch in general. I tend to pick more light-hearted books during this time, unless I need a major distraction in my life. Movies, though, are a different story. My go-to's are Dirty Dancing (just watched last week, actually!) and Love Actually. :)

[Megan]

I had a good reading week last week which is good because this upcoming week is pretty busy so I won't have much time for reading.

Finished Love, Chloe for book with pictures. This was a quick read for me. Very much of a fluff book in that I didn't have to think too much about it. I need those every once in a while. I was close to finishing this at last weeks check in but officially finished late afternoon last Thursday.

My copy of A Dog's Purpose came through the library so I dropped everything and read that this weekend. It was very good. Still on the fence about seeing the movie since the controversy but if it comes to the movie channels on TV I will probably tune in to it. And I am using it for became a movie in 2017.

I listened to Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?. I was underwhelmed with this one - also being the minority opinion on that one. I just didn't think there was enough substance in this. I enjoyed the parts about the Office but other than that this was very much 'meh' for me. Bummer. Used for book about an interesting woman because I do still find her intriguing.

8/40; 0/12

QOTW Going to give the answer of Harry Potter although admittedly I usually turn to the movies for comfort. I do however want to give the audio versions a listen. I also love Sophie Kinsella books - she knows how to make a person laugh. Good Question!

[Abigail]

I finished Fall of Giants for a book set in wartime taking me to 12/40. I decided to marathon my way through the Century Trilogy so I started Winter of the World last night.

QOTW: I love the The Princess Bride and reread it every five years or so. I added it to this year’s challenge for a book that always makes me smile. Even when I don’t do a full reread I’ll go back to my favorite parts and just reread those. I love the first chapter, “The Bride” as well as the section with Inigo’s backstory. This book will always cheer me up.

[Mie]

Hello all over the world :-)

Finished 2 books for Popsugar this week - 17/52 in total:
A book by an author from a country you've never visited - The Handmaid's Tale
A bestseller from 2016 - Ting, min søn skal vide om verden

The last one I don't believe is translated into English yet, but when it is, I highly recommend it! It's one of the funniest books I've read.

QOTW: Harry Potter used to be my comfort reads, but I have discovered so many great books and genres, that I haven't read them for a while. Maybe now with the new re-read feature I should revisit my old favorites? :-)

[Mike]

Finished The Underground Railroad this week. Liked it, not loved it. Glad I read it, though.

Continuing to make my way through the audiobook of Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal for Book that Never Fails to Make Me Smile. 53% done. Only listening in the car, so it's slower than it usually would be.

Started Blackass for Author from a Country You've Never Been To (Nigeria). Liking it a lot so far. Short, fast read. I'm starting to see a lesson developing too.

8/52

No comfort books, sorry.

[Sarah]

I had a good week! I finished Randall Jarrell's Book of Stories for a book by multiple authors and A Wild Sheep Chase by Haruki Murakami for a book by an author from a country you've never visited. It is a mish mash of genres so I found myself off balance for most of the book and had to read reviews to get a handle on it but like others said -the meaning and interpretation just keeps evolving in your mind after you finish. The Japanese title literally translates to An Adventure Concerning Sheep but A Wild Sheep Chase conveys it much better I think. You are just kind of scratching your head but then you....get it...like life.

I started Hillbilly Elegy, A Bridge Over the Drina for book set in two different time periods and The Marriage of Cadmus and Harmony for book based on mythology.

QOTW: the best way I could answer this is I get into the weeds about whatever problem I'm facing or experiencing with on-topic books. If it's a health concern I use a book to find out everything I can - if it's a political or international concern I read up on how things developed the way they did. I find just reading itself to be the panacea - not a particular book. That being said though , If it's just the general " seriously, I must be on the wrong planet" type of despair I am feeling Leo Buscaglia's book Loving Each Other is a go to tonic. I received it as a wedding gift and didn't read it until 30 years into my marriage - big mistake. Easily a beneficial yearly read for anyone. A book I read in my youth that I return to to reap more benefit from with advancing years and *cough* wisdom is Don Quixote.

So good week, great question and I'm 16/52 overall.

[Allie]

Hello from Kansas City, Kansas!

This week I feel very accomplished. I ended up finishing 3 books!

First, I finished Alice in Wonderland for my "book with a cat on the cover". It was very odd, obviously, but it was a good light read.

Then, I read Giant Days, Vol. 1 for my "book with pictures". I am now obsessed with this graphic novel, and am reading the other issues online when it's slow at work every day.

This morning, I finished listening to Talking as Fast as I Can: From Gilmore Girls to Gilmore Girls, and Everything in Between for my audiobook, and oh my god, you guys, it's amazing. If you're a Gilmore Girls fan, I highly recommend it.

That brings me to 9/52 books so far.

QOTW: I'm going to have to go with the obvious answer here, and say Harry Potter is always going to be my comfort read. I always love going back to that world if I can. However, I also turn to The Thirteenth Tale. It's my favorite book besides Harry Potter, and I have more than one copy. I love gothic novels, and this definitely has the feel of a classic gothic novel. You also don't get told what time period it's set in, so it's perfectly timeless.

[Thegirlintheafternoon]

Good morning, everyone! I also look forward to Thursday mornings as check-in day. I love seeing what everyone has been reading! I finished 4 books this week, which felt good because last week I DNF'd 5 and was quite depressed about it.

His Majesty's Dragon for Popsugar's "a steampunk novel" - This probably doesn't really fit the category except in the sense of being alternative technology (dragon-flight) in a historical period, but I'm counting it anyway. I LOVED this book! And usually anything with dragons is a no-go for me. Can't wait to read the rest of the series.
The Garden of Small Beginnings for Modern Mrs. Darcy's "a book you chose for the cover" - This wasn't great literature, but it was a fun, engaging read that I suspect will be a movie sooner rather than later.
The Lawrence Browne Affair for Read Harder's "an LGBTQ+ romance novel" - Excellent historical romance!
Roller Girl for Read Harder's "an all-ages comic" - SO GREAT. Read this immediately, do not delay, do not pass go, etc.

This brings me to 8/40 for Popsugar, 1/12 for Modern Mrs. Darcy, 8/24 for Read Harder, and 9/52 for Around the Year.

I'm currently listening to the audiobook of The Demon's Lexicon for Modern Mrs. Darcy's "a book you've read before" and re-reading Désirée: The Bestselling Story of Napoleon's First Love for Popsugar's "book that's a character's name."

QOTW: Pride and Prejudice or Ravishing the Heiress are my go-to comfort reads.

[Fannie]

Hello group from Montréal under the snow. We got around 40cm of snow this week so everything is very white. Beautiful!

I finished only one book for the challenge: Tell No One for an audiobook. I am still not a fan of audiobook, but maybe it's because the translation didn't do any good to that one. I liked the book just ok, but again, crime is not my cup of tea. Except for Sherlock Holmes and Agatha Christie.

I had a kobo deal yesterday and bought Everything, Everything. I think it could fit many categories so I'll see what I do with this one.

Still reading House of Suns. I had trouble at first understanding who was who, but after a quick look on Wikipédia I understood that the chapters were divided between the two main characters. Now it's getting really good, but the fact that I know that it's an unreliable narrator make me think about what's going on a little too much.

QOTW: Anything Jane Austen. I love her and can't understand why. Nothing happens during 500 pages, but it's always so good. And for more comfort I could watch the BBC version of Pride and prejudice right after.

[Larissa]

Nothing new from me to report from last week. When I got over my cold I thought I would get right back into my reading groove but it turns out I had left many grown up responsible things unfinished. I am reading Emma and A Nest for Celeste: A Story About Art, Inspiration, and the Meaning of Home- a book that has been on my TBR list for way too long and a book with a subtitle.

6/52 now I am officially behind, but still hopeful.

QOTW: I do have comfort books. I almost always read the Harry Potter series if I have gone through a really hard book or if I am feeling down. The Little House books are also a big comfort for me because I use to listen to an audio version when I was young and it would help me fall asleep. My most recent comfort books that were recommended by a friend are the Joanne Fluke books because they are light mysteries and include RECIPES! I always thought there should be books like that and was excited to see that it already existed.

[Jacque T]

This week I finished Winter Solstice116054] for a book with a season in the title.

I'm continuing to read The Birth of the Modern: World Society 1815-1830,Dubliners, and The Broken Road: From the Iron Gates to Mount Athos, all of which will meet challenge prompts.

I also started The Secret Scripture this week, not sure if it will meet a challenge prompt or just be for pleasure.

QOTW: The only comfort reading that I consistently go back to is the Bible. I may go back and read a chapter or so from books that I've enjoyed (mostly non-fiction), but I can't think of anything else that I just re-read for comfort.

[Pat]

QoW-when I need a break from more serious/sustained reading dip into my substantial collection of horror/dark fantasy/ghost stories :-)...

[Lindi]

Pretty much all I've been doing this week is reading. Only one for the challenge though.

Holes by Louis Sachar for "a book you loved as a child". Everyone needs to read this! Brings back many good memories - I've probably read this book a dozen times. 5 stars of course.

Darkfever, Bloodfever, Faefever, and Dreamfever by Karen Marie Moning. I have been plowing through a lot of re-reads and memoirs. I really wanted to take a break and engross myself in something I couldn't put down, and this came highly recommended by a good friend. Wow, this series. I started last Thursday and finished the first 4 books in 5 days. I didn't really love the main characters at first, but the author does a great job of developing them. I stayed up until 2 AM reading until I finally succumbed to sleep at 11 the past two nights. I think I'm going to use the latest installment for my book published in 2017.

QOTW: Harry Potter, of course ;)

Okay, back to Shadowfever now!

[Megan]

Hello from very snowy Vermont this week!

This week I read Truly Madly Guilty (a bestseller from 2016), The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo (book with pictures), and Do Chocolate Lovers Have Sweeter Babies?: The Surprising Science of Pregnancy (a genre you don't normally read).

I'm still chugging along on The Count of Monte Cristo. Wow, that book is long! It's definitely good but I'm ready for it to be over!!! I also started reading The Memory Keeper's Daughter for a book with a person with a disability.

QOTW: I don't think I have any specific books I go to for "comfort reading" but I would call reading a comfort to me.

[Kaitlyn]

I choose an easy book this week to give my brain a break from the challenging nonfiction books I've been reading. I am reading "Go, and Come Back" for my book set in the wilderness. It is YA Fiction so it is an easy read but it is such an important topic as well! Two American anthropologists go into the Peruvian Amazon to study the Isabo tribe. It is interesting to see two cultures collide.

I am also still listening to The Shining on audible but I should finish that this week.

This makes me 5/52.

QOTW: I don't usually reread many things but one book I have fallen back on many times is "Beauty" by Sheri S. Temper. In fact, I plan to read it as the book that always makes me smile as soon as my sister gives it back to me.

[Antonia E Iacampo]

No real progress on the challenge front this week. I did finish a couple books, but not for the challenge since they are both from series I've already used.

Zoe's Tale - Old Man's War #4
The Inheritance Trilogy - Book 2 & 3 plus novella

I started The Woods Out Back but didn't even finish the first chapter before I put it down. Couldn't get into the writing.

Currently Reading
The Fifth Season - Not sure where this will fall yet, at the very least it could be an audiobook or first of a series
As Always, Julia: The Letters of Julia Child and Avis DeVoto: Food, Friendship, and the Making of a Masterpiece - This is my book of letters
Tesla: Man Out of Time - Still plugging along with this...I have a harder time getting through non-fiction, will be for the "span of a lifetime" category

[Lindsay]

Howdy from a very rainy Northern California,

I didn't post last week, because I sort of got stifled and didn't end up reading any books. However, I got my mojo back this week and finished 3 books:

The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas - a book with a title that's a character's name. Finally (!) finished this. I'm glad I read it, but I wouldn't recommend it. It's pretty pretentious and it's more like a who's who of 1915-1932. Think of it as a review of all the people the Kardashian's hung out with, but it's 100 years ago. I added this for the category, "a title that's a character's name." It's also non-fiction. Juanita, you don't think we can use non-fiction books in this category?

The Full Cupboard of Life - "a book by an author from a country you've never visited." Alexander McCall Smith was born in Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) and now lives in Scotland. I've never been to either of those places. This is the 5th book in the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series. I absolutely adore this series! I had to fit one into the prompts on the list.

The Girl on the Train - "a book with an unreliable narrator." I've wanted to read this for awhile, and it finally came up at the library for me. It's an easy read; definitely entertaining.

I've currently picked up 2 new ones right now: Starr Bright Will Be With You Soon & #GIRLBOSS

Comfort books for me would be something from childhood - Shel Silverstein, Peter Rabbit, Paddington, etc.

[Kelly]

Hi, I'm new here! :) I started late so I'm speed reading to make up for lost time. I'm at 4/40 and 2/12.

This week I finally finished To the Lighthouse for a book involving travel. I can't decide if I loved or hated it. There were moments where I felt like, "God, she's a genius and understands the reality of being human with such clarity." But so often getting through the beautiful, complex prose just feels like a slog. Somehow reading this book feels like hiking through undergrowth -- not sure if that's a good or bad thing.

I also read The Handmaid's Tale, which I think I'm going to call "a book that's being made into a movie in 2017," because it's being made into a TV show this year. This book was sooo good and so deeply disturbing.

As an aside: In my challenge, I'm also only reading books written by women and books that are free to me. I'm currently living overseas, so my bookshelf is limited to books that are out of copyright & free to download on Kindle, gifts, and books I already own.

QOTW: Harry. Potter. All of it. I reread the whole series straight through for the first time in years (I usually just pick up the first or seventh for comfort reading) after receiving the series on Kindle for Christmas, and ugh, it just makes me feel so good.

[Rebecca]

This week I finished Three to Kill for a 2017 movie release. (I saw this on a few lists despite there not being much information on IMDB - I will swap this out later in the year if I need to.) The translation was absolutely awful - I'm not sure if no one proofread it or what, but it barely sounded like English in places. I suppose it could be interesting if you were well-versed in 1970's French politics, but it's definitely not a thriller like the blurb says!

I also started The Count of Monte Cristo for my book over 800 pages. It's a little intimidating to have read 300 pages but be less than 25% done, but it's a pretty easy read and the plot is gripping. I have to say it's a lot easier to read than Les Mis was, if less poetic.

QOTW: When I was little, I listened to Harry Potter and Redwall on audiobook to fall asleep at night and had my favorite sections. As an adult, I don't necessarily re-read Lord of the Rings, but there are certain quotes from it that I go back to a lot!

[Sara]

I was so disappointed last week that, even though I was on vacation, I had very little time to read and did not finish a single book. Thankfully, this week has been much better. I finished 3 books.

Steampunk Fairy Tales - for the steampunk category. Not my favorite, but it was a quick read. I think the genre is interesting though so maybe I will explore other books at some point in the future.

The Cruelest Month - third book in the Inspector Gamache series, and my choice for a book set around a holiday other than Christmas (Easter). The series continues to improve with each book, and now I am trying to resist dropping my other books to pick up the next one in the series.

Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End - on track to be one of my most favorite books of the year. This is my book about a difficult topic.

This puts me at 11/40 and 3/12 (14/52).

Currently I am reading:

The Count of Monte Cristo
A Perilous Undertaking

Question of the Week: My comfort reads vary depending on why I need comfort, but usually it's Harry Potter, Outlander or some sort of royal romance (my guilty pleasure) a la The Royal We

[Johanna]

12/52 books

I am still plodding along with 4 3 2 1 for my more than 800 page prompt. I'm enjoying it but finding myself getting confused trying to follow these four different paths the main character's life is taking.

As a break I also started reading Voracious: A Hungry Reader Cooks Her Way through Great Books for my book about food. I randomly picked it up off a display at the library and am LOVING it!!!!! The author has picked some of her favorite dishes from well-known literature and I can't wait to try some of the recipes!

I also finished reading Beyond the Kingdoms as a story within a story with my son for the Children's Literature challenge, but for now I'm adding it to my own as well.



QOTW: My go to book is The Vanishing Point. I pull it out every year and read it over and over and over again. It's the book that got me started on historical fiction.

[Caity]

Hello! I am still slowly plodding my way through books, despite having more than enough time to read. The last week has been very ugh, as February tends to be for me.

It's like the Tuesday of the year for me, seriously. Tuesdays are almost always horrible and February is almost always horrible.

I found out yesterday that the horrible horrible pain I've had since the 3rd is most likely just costochondritis. I say just because the symptoms mimic heart attack symptoms enough that three friends told me to go to the ER, but it's mostly a benign thing. But seriously, it hurts like !!$@I)# and has had me immobile a couple of mornings for longer than I could really afford. It's also made reading really, really difficult because focusing on books is so hard when I can barely breathe without screaming into the void. If anybody else has this, I seriously feel for you.

That said, I have been reading when I can. I'm continuing Hag-Seed when I can find the motivation, but it's just not catching my attention at all. I also haven't touched The Scribe of Siena in weeks because reading on my iPad is not fun. I'm still working my way through A Study in Silks, although lately I've been more interested in Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race, which I've decided to use for a book about an interesting woman so I can use a different book for the movie prompt.

I really enjoy reading about history like this, so I personally don't find it dry at all and have been greatly enjoying learning about a different side of the history of aviation and space exploration, not to mention WWII, the Cold War, and Civil Rights. It's utterly fascinating for me and my boyfriend and I are planning on seeing the film tomorrow (finally) since we didn't get to see it Sunday like we planned because I woke up in tremendous pain. I'm going to try to hit at least the halfway point in the book today.

QOTW: Harry Potter is my ultimate comfort read. If things are going particularly terribly in life, I'll reread the series. I also turn to Crown Duel by Sherwood Smith regularly, as I love that book and find parts of it very gooey and romantic and comforting. Sherwood Smith is one of my favorites, but her books tend to be rather hefty in length so I'm limited in how many I can read in a year.

[Shannon]

This week I finished four books-

I read Milk and Honey for the book by a person of color prompt. I don't know much about poetry but I was intrigued by it.

In search of more poetry I also read The Princess Saves Herself in this One for the bestseller from a genre you don't normally read prompt.I thought this one aimed at being a Milk and Honey type of collection but didn't quite get there. It seemed a bit more tumblr-y if that makes sense.

I also read One Person/Multiple Careers: A New Model for Work/Life Success for the book mentioned in another book prompt. It was okay but felt like it should have been a series of blog posts rather than a book.

Lastly, I read Norse Mythology for the book based on mythology prompt. I am so much more familiar with Greek/Roman mythology so this was a good read. I have Nordic ancestry so it was doubly interesting to me.

QOTW- I had to ponder this one for a bit, but I don't think I really have any comfort reads.

[Ann]

Hi all,
Vancouver has been a bit drier...no snow, just some rain.

I am at 11/40 (also thinking about the advanced challenge, but haven't done anything yet).

I finished number 12 - A bestseller from a genre you don't normally read.... Of Mice and Men. I don't read many classics....and I am so surprised I never read this in high school. Arrrrrgh, the ending is SUPER SAD!

I also finished my audiobook, for the 4th prompt. I thought I would do something fun, and a little bit different so it was Murder on the Orient Express. This link takes you to the audio version. I enjoyed it, it was about 2 hours long, and the BBC hires actors to do the different parts.

And now, for something completely different! I am working on prompt #26 - a book by an author from a country you've never visited. I thought of a few things, but I have actually been to England and France....so not those....

Ha ha, I went for North Korea. I am reading The Girl with Seven Names: A North Korean Defector’s Story.
So far, it's excellent. I like memoirs, and I have read one before, by someone who escaped North Korea. I am around 50 % of the way through....I actually stayed up late reading last night!

QOTW: One of my favorites, of all time is Maeve Binchy. I love her books. I have been reading her stuff for years, and my mom has now started reading them too. A couple of her novels, would definitely be on my favorites list. I find her novels "easy" but the stories are great, and there's nothing stressful about her books.

[Mirel]

OK, back to reporting. Last week was crazy, so didn't manage to finish any books. This week finished 3 and started 2 more, so I'm staying on target for now.

Books finished this week: The Underground Railroad Interesting read, although I wish he would have included context since I wasn't sure what was based on fact and what was pure fiction. I think it qualifies for 1 (book recommended by librarian),* 5 (book by person of color)*, maybe 7 (story within a story), 14 (book involving travel), 23 (red spine), 31 (different ethnicity), 32 (interesting woman), and of course, 4 (difficult topic) 7 (bestseller from 2016) and possibly 10 (book about a refugee) from the advanced list.

Second book: The Things We Wish Were True
Found this as a free audio offered for prime members on Amazon. I like being able to listen to it while I drive, but outside the car I find it hard to focus on it. Listened a little while doing household chores, but found my attention wandering. Ending up reading between audio bits, which I found worked best for me. I enjoyed the read, although I figured out relatively early how a few of the various stories would end.

Third book: In Farleigh Field: A Novel of World War II this book also qualifies for a number of categories: 9 (espionage thriller), 13 (disability-one of the characters can't be drafted since he has a bum knee), 14 (travel), 15 (subtitle), 16 (published in 2017), 28 (novel set during wartime) This is a VERY light read and went very quickly. Some of the characters (e.g. the female protagonist's parents and oldest sister) read like caricatures, still, started it yesterday and finished it today.

Books I started this week: Everything We Keep another audiobook. Reads a bit too much like a romance for my taste, so might qualify as a genre I don't normally read. Thought it might qualify as a book about food (the heroine is a sous-chef looking to open her own café), but while the promo talks in very culinary terms, the book doesn't really seem to be ABOUT food. I see that a sequel was written, so maybe it can also qualify as first in a series. I guess I'll have to wait and see.

Second book: Auschwitz: A Doctor's Eyewitness Account I'm only in the preface, which is long and has already succeeded in getting me upset. This book qualifies for 15 (subtitle), I wonder if it would qualify for 24, as wilderness might be a good description of Auschwitz..., for some might qualify for 26 (author from a country not visited, although personally, I've been to Hungary). And it definitely qualifies for 4 (difficult topic) in the advanced category.

Of course, this has been at the expense of my writing...

Have to figure how to even this out.

QOW- I agree with Sara. My comfort reads also vary depending on why I need comfort. I'll turn to Nicholas Spark anytime I need a good cry to get things out of my system, Pride and Prejudice when I just want to relax with a guiltless pleasure that makes me smile, although honestly, I'll take comfort in most familiar, loved books.

[Michelle]

This week, I finished Wonder for a book about someone with a disability, which brings me to 8/40. I've started The Glittering Court for the first book in a series that I haven't read before and more than a hundred pages in, I'm still not feeling it. Which is really rather disappointing for me. I've been a huge fan of Richelle Mead for years and years, enough that I've read all twelve books of her Vampire Academy and Bloodlines series twice. But for me, The Glittering Court just doesn't compare to her other books. I've also started The Gum Thief. I'm participating in a "pick it for me" challenge this month, and my partner picked The Gum Thief. I was going to use it as a book that's been on my TBR list for way too long, since I've got it at a book sale more than a year ago. But to my utter pleasure, it's actually got a story within the story, which was a category I was undecided on. So far, I'm really enjoying it.

QOTW
Fangirl tends to be my go to comfort book. It's only been out a couple of years and I've read it/listened to the audiobook at least five times. (I sometimes need a lot of comfort...) And, of course, there's always the Harry Potter books. They are always excellent for making me happy.

[Charlotte]

I finished two books since our last check-in. First I finished Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire on audio for a book that never fails to make me smile. Really any Harry Potter book will make me smile and I would classify it for the QOTW that these books are comfort books to me.

The other book I finished was Wanderlost for a book about travel. It's about a girl who takes her sister place leading a senior vacation tour around Europe. It was rather shallow and not very engaging for the majority of the book but it hit a deeper note toward the end so it wasn't a total waste.

I'm at 9/52 now.

[Katie]

Luckily this past week has been fairly quiet, so I was able to finish off a number of half read books/audiobooks. It looks like I'm on target to reach my reading goal, which is somewhat promising.

1: Norse Mythology: This was interesting, but not quite what I was expecting. It actually reminds me a fair amount of the just-so stories. It would make a pretty good book to read to your kids (presuming that you don't mind the gore that is inherent in the myths).

2: Brain Rules: 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and School: This was my career advice book. It didn't really have a whole lot of new information, but it did reinforce the fact that I probably would have been better off if I had actually slept in high school or college.

3: The Little Prince: I finished the audiobook for The Little Prince. It wasn't nearly as good as reading the actual book, but it was nice to listen to the story as I did other chores. That, and I've read this book enough that I've pretty much memorized most of the book.

4: The False Prince: I enjoyed this book... possibly in part because it reminded me of The Thief, which was a favorite book of mine. That and it has a thief in a fantasy setting, which is a particular literary kink of mine.

5: The Runaway King: The sequel to the False Prince. It was okay, but not as enjoyable as the previous book... despite the pirates.

6: Alpha & Omega: This is a novella, so it went by pretty fast. I think I was finished within an hour or so. It was enjoyable, although the characters were not very fleshed out.

7: Cry Wolf: The sequel to Alpha and Omega. This was a fun book. The characters gained some more depth, so that was nice. I'm also tempted to use if the challenge as the majority of the book took place in the wilderness.

I've also started Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore, The Shadow Throne, and the audiobook for The Call of Cthulhu and Other Stories. I'll be traveling next week, so hopefully I'll be able to read a few more things.

[Linnie]

Hello everyone! This Thursday snuck up on me! When I saw that Juanita had posted our weekly check-in, I swore she had gotten on it early because it so feels like Wednesday! It's a beautiful day here in Kansas though with temperatures in the low 70's, and they'll stay there the next couple of days. I see a lot of reading on the porch in my future!

This week I finished City of Bones and it will fulfill the first book in a series you've never read prompt. I enjoyed it and really sped through it. I can't say that I loved it. The characters got on my nerves a little bit, but the story was good enough to keep my attention. I think I'll eventually go on and read the rest of the series, but it's not really on my radar right now. So I guess, on a whole, I give it a meh.

Currently reading, and probably will finish tonight or tomorrow, Wonder. I'm really loving it!! It's funny and then heart breaking and I just love it.

QOTW: My comfort books have always been the Harry Potter books, especially Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. When I read it, no matter what is happening in my life, I'm instantly a 5th grader again reading it for the first time while staying at my aunt's in the summer. I just get completely immersed in the story and everything else melts away. Another book I read almost yearly and truly love is Little Women. So it would definitely be another comfort read.

[Jessi]

This week:

35. Set in a Hotel (for Juvenile list): The Last Boy at St. Edith's This totally didn't satisfy the category (I was already stretching...thinking it was set in a boarding school but it was just a regular day school) but I'm counting it anyway. I read the book BECAUSE of the category so I'm counting it. Done and done lol

37. Becoming a movie in 2017: Murder on the Orient Express I REALLY liked this book. I've never read an Agatha Christie novel but I enjoyed it and I can easily see it 'on the big screen'. I'm excited to watch it now!

13. By/About a person with a disability: Sybil: The Classic True Story of a Woman Possessed by Sixteen Personalities I enjoyed this book in the beginning but it really lost me along the way. I can't put my finger on exactly what it was but I would not read this again and probably wouldn't recommend it.

QOTW: Not one comfort book in particular (I'm not a huge fan of rereading) but my fun go-to genre is British Chick-Lit. Always lifts my spirits.

[Lynette]

This week I finished Before I Fall. It is my book for the prompt "a book that's becoming a movie in 2017."

QOTW: Twilight was always a comfort read for me (I was a fan before it became what it is.) Harry Potter is also a comfort read for me.

[Ana]

I'm at 13/52 so far.

For a while I thought I wouldn't have anything to report this week, because I started Perdido Street Station and that was 600 pages long and dark and gritty, but so well written that I had to read it. It is a horrible story, though. But I am counting it for the genre I've never heard of, since it is New Weird (and I have seriously heard of a lot of genres).

And then I read two books today, short kids books that were light enough to make up for Perdido Street Station.

Miss Bianca is what I am counting for a book from a non human perspective. Mice on a rescue mission, but an interesting blend of animals and humans.

My Side of the Mountain is my wilderness book. I loved reading these kinds of books when I was young, and even now. I get all of my adventure in through reading. :)

QotW: Discworld is one of my comfort series. I have read them about once a year since I got the first four. And then there are all of the books I loved as a kid, rereading them is like seeing an old friend.

[Nadine in NY]

Tatra wrote: "I'm at 13/52 so far.

For a while I thought I wouldn't have anything to report this week, because I started Perdido Street Station and that was 600 pages long and dark and gritty, but..."

Perdido Street Station is amazing!! I listened to the audiobook, and I'm glad I did, because I think I might have dnf'ed early if I had been reading it (I distinctly remember thinking "what is with all the mucous???"), but audiobook was always just there when I drove my car, so I kept listening. It remains the only book I've read by Miéville, because I just don't know what would be a good follow for PSS. Can anything possibly equal it?

Any China Miéville fans want to step in and tell me which book to read next from him?

[Betty]

Hello, All! Well, this week hasn't been very productive for me. I've spent way too much of my spare time playing computer games and watching TV. Hopefully, I'll be back on track soon!
I did manage to read one book, The Guests on South Battery, which I'm using for my book with a cat on the cover prompt. This brings me to 14/40, which, for me, is really good.
I'm still not sure if I'll do the advanced list, I honestly dislike some of the prompts. I was going to start a different reading challenge after this knew, but I haven't found any that really interest me, so I may just work on the advanced list and see how far I make it. I've also considered selecting some of the prompts for the older popsugar challenges, making a list of 20-30 prompts, and just doing those. If I finish the popsugar challenge for 2017, can I still check in here with whatever I'm reading? The feeling of accountability has been invaluable for me.
QOTW: I don't think I have any specific book that I consider comfort reading, but I do read mostly sweet, Christian romances when I'm feeling stressed or unhappy. Their lack of controversy and the guaranteed happy ending make them a very comfortable read for me.

[Nadine in NY]

Betty wrote: "If I finish the popsugar challenge for 2017, can I still check in here with whatever I'm reading? The feeling of accountability has been invaluable for me. "

Yes! I'm the same - I will keep checking in even after I finish the Challenge, because it's so much fun - this is a great group :-)

[Tara]

Oh my gosh yes!! You can definitely! Not only is it fine but I for one love seeing what others have read and enjoyed!

[Jackie]

This week I read three books (see if you can notice a theme):

Smile and be a Villain: I've liked Jeanne Dams' other Dorothy Martin mysteries but this one was just meh for me.

You've Got Murder: This is told from the point of view of a sentient computer, which is an interesting gimmick, but that's kind of all it is. It just wasn't that good overall, and I don't think I'll be picking up any more by that author.

Death at Wentwater Court: Fun! Cozy murder mystery set in 1920s England. If you like Agatha Christie and Dorothy Sayers you might like this series. I'll be reading more of it for sure.

QOTW: I have many books that I enjoy rereading on a regular basis but in terms of "comfort books" I will go to Death on the Nile, Pride and Prejudice, or The Hidden Staircase if I need a pick-me-up.

[Shalayne]

I read All the Missing Girls, which I used for a book with an unreliable narrator. Also The Valentine's Day Murder for a book set around a holiday other than Christmas. Got a whole stack full of books from the library today to look forward to and read this long weekend!!!

QOTW: Every book is a comfort to me! Even if I don't enjoy the writing, just having something to read brings me joy :)

[Emma]

I managed five books this week, three for PopSugar. I've been really good about focusing on my various reading challenges (PopSugar, Read Harder, and The Hub), unlike last year where I'd get distracted by all the other books....

I finally hit the half way point with PopSugar! 22/40

#9 - Espionage - Casino Royale by Ian Fleming. I will leave it at the sentiment that I prefer the movies.

#11 - Author uses a pseudonym - Feed by Mira Grant aka Seanan McGuire. A blood and guts zombie book, this is not. It is political espionage set against the backdrop of a post-zombie apocalypse world. Blogger journalists are part of the staff, covering a presidential candidate on the campaign trail, and end up uncovering a conspiracy. Aspects of it are eerily similar to some of the behind-the-scenes machinations going on in current politics.

#13 - Author/MC has disability - El Deafo by Cece Bell. A middle grade autobiographical graphic novel about the author's experience in elementary school.

QOTW - Most of my comfort books lean towards the dark: Sunshine by Robin McKinley, Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman, Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge, and A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas. The other two are a bit less on the bleak side: Pride and Prejudice and Outlander.

[poshpenny]

I have still not finished a book since Jan 20, but I did make progress this week.

I started The Underground Railroad and am now 68% through both that and The Tales of Max Carrados.

QOTW: I don't usually turn to books for comfort, I go to movies or music. I will sometimes change whatever audiobook I'm listening to at bedtime, though, and find any Agatha Christie book narrated by Hugh Fraser very comforting.

[Nicole]

Week 7! Wow, time flies when you're having fun reading! :)

Currently 16/40 or 17/52.

This week, I finished reading Cress, the third book in the Lunar Chronicles series by Marissa Meyer, but I couldn't figure out a category to put it in, so I guess it doesn't count. However, I used the first & second books to fill prompts for the challenge, and I'm going to use the 4th book, Winter for my book that's more than 800 pages, prompt #8 on the advanced reading list. Looking forward to getting started on that this weekend.

I also finished listening to the audio version of The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead. I used that book to fulfill prompt #5, a book by a person of color. I was interested in reading it, but I probably would have chosen a different book for this prompt if it hadn't also been the group read for February. It was good, but I didn't feel as connected to the characters as I thought I might.

Currently, I am listening to the audio version of The Ice Cream Queen of Orchard Street by Susan Jane Gilman, which I'm using for prompt #19, a book about food. It could also be used for #13, a book by or about a person who has a disability or #4 on the advanced list, a book that takes place over a character's life span. I guess it could also be used for #32, a book about an interesting woman, or #7 on the advanced list, a book with an eccentric character. Lots of choices, but I think I'll still with it for a book about food.

I also started reading The Long Walk by Richard Bachman/Stephen King for prompt #11, a book by an author who uses a pseudonym. It's pretty interesting, though quite morbid. As soon as I finish it, I'm moving on to Winter, but I'm not sure what's next after that. I guess we'll see.

QOTW: Harry Potter is my default for anything. When I'm sad, when I'm happy, when I'm nostalgic, whatever. The only books I want to continuously re-read are my HP books.

[Nikki]

Hey y'all!

I finished two books this week, bringing me to 9/52 (3 ahead of schedule! woo!). The first was The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly. This is a middle grade novel and was so cute. I gave it 4 stars. The thing I liked most about it was the relationship Callie had with her grandfather. It just warmed my heart! I can't wait to dig into the sequel later this week!

The second book I finished was The Star Attraction by Alison Sweeney. This book will be slotted in the "written by an author you admire" category. I picked this book up randomly because I just adore Alison Sweeney. I watched her on Days of Our Lives for years and the Biggest Loser. However, I was very disappointed with the book. The writing was bad and the characters weren't likeable. Just blah. I gave it 2 stars, only for the fact that it was written by Alison Sweeney.

Currently, the only book I am reading is All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven. I am a little more than halfway done and am scared to finish it. I heard it's a tear jerker so I am trying to strategically plan out when I can finish it... by myself... in my bed.

QOTW: This may sound like a weird choice, but my comfort book is The Help by Kathryn Stockett. I am from Mississippi, and my mom was raised by a black maid in Jackson when she was growing up. Whenever I am missing home, I look to this book (and the movie... and the soundtrack...) to bring me back. My mom is still very very close to her maid, Earlene, and she is like a second grandmother to me. She also makes the best lemon icebox pies!

[Caity]

Nadine wrote: "Tatra wrote: "I'm at 13/52 so far.

For a while I thought I wouldn't have anything to report this week, because I started Perdido Street Station and that was 600 pages long and dark a..."

Perdido Street Station is actually the first of three books. I'd say to follow it up with The Scar and then finish off with Iron Council. I also hear great things about Un Lun Dun, The City & the City, and King Rat. I plan on collecting all his books some day. I like the weird, dark, and gritty stuff he writes.

[Carole]

Hi All,

Was able to finish two books this week. For prompt 19. A Book With a Title That's a Character's Name I read Doll-baby. It was just ehh for me. I also finished The Shack for prompt 27. A Book That's Becoming a Movie in 2017. It was also just ehh.

[Rachel]

For once, I had a very productive week where it comes to this challenge. I'm participating in 4 year long challenges, so although I'm always reading, not all of my books count toward this challenge.

This week, I read:
A book involving travel - The Underground Railroad, and I seem to be the only person who didn't really enjoy this book
A bestseller from 2016 - The Way I Used to Be
A book by a person of colour - Everything I Never Told You

QOTW: I have quite a few "comfort books," Harry Potter being the main ones. I also really love going back to books that I loved as a kid, even picture books, and re-reading some of those from time to time so I think those would be my comfort books as well. Reading them brings me back to memories of when I read them when I was much younger.

[Nerdy Panda]

I just finished Love and First Sight for the prompt 'A book by or about a person who has a disability' and really enjoyed it.

QotW: For a comfort read I always reach for The Catcher in the Rye. I always feel better after reading it.

[Anabell]

Yay! Check in day ;-) I feel the same Juanita... When I get to Wednesday it often pushes me to pick up a book instead of turning on the tv just knowing that its check in day the next day. Especially if I know that I have a chance of finishing a book.

Besides I really like reading about what everybody is reading. The plan on making my TBR list smaller has definately backfired. I have added about 100+ since I joined this group. But its good. I have read a lot of books in other genres than I normally do.

Well on to the check-in. This week I read:

2. A book that's been on your TBR list for way too long The Rise of Nine - Love this series and have started the next in the series. Have it on audiobook for driving, cleaning, grocery sopping etc.

21. A book from a nonhuman perspective The Hobbit
- Really liked this one aswell. Hadnt read it before but watched the movies that I loved. Amazing to find that you love the book and the movie even though they are so different. But I think you have to take the book for what it is. A great childrens book.

42. A bestseller from 2016 It Ends with Us - WOW... This one really got to me. It was amazing. I thought it would be another contemporary romance. Dont get me wrong I actually like those (though they have to realistic and have faults and not just sugar on sugar and everybody is perfekt) This book is so well written and the way she moves the book along... just wow... Dont want to give any spoilers. No matter if you like contemporary romance this is a book worth reading. My first read by Colleen Hover and not my last. Been a long time since I have read a book that surprised me in such a way. Sorry Ill stop now...

This brings me to 21/40 and 4/12.

Currently reading:

24. A book seet in the wilderness Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail
8. A book with multiple authors The Fall of Five

And of course my Nemesis.
48. A book that's more than 800 pages - Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell - I have tried reading some more, but I am just not enjoying this book. I think Im going to give it one more week and if I havent made any progress and started liking it I am going to ad it to my DNF list. I am now at around page 300... How are the rest of you feeling that started it???
(I will most likely take up Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.)

QOTW: I have reread a few books but never actually considered them a comfort read. Until this challenge. I tried to use other genres as much as possible but it also meant that I kind of missed my contemporary romance genre that are just nice and easy... So I have ended up reading some of them on the side. Some of the books I read for the challenge has been a bit heavy and I like to be entertained and just feel good when I read. So some of the book in the Sullivan series by Bella Andre and some by Suzanne Wright has sneaked in between some of the prompt books. Besides that I like rereading Jane Austen and some others depending on my mood.