Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge discussion
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2017 Weekly checkins
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Week 7: 2/10-2/16
Hi everyone,Posting from central NC, where it truly can't decide if it's winter or not.
Still plugging on Alexander Hamilton and Rebecca.
I also started Guards! Guards! as my "too long on the TBR list" book, and Good Charts: The HBR Guide to Making Smarter, More Persuasive Data Visualizations for my career book. Because I can rarely restrain myself from reading multiple, multiple books at a time!
I also started and finished The Wendigo for a book set in the wilderness, and I'm so glad I did. It does a fantastic job of making the unknowable nature of our wild spaces viscerally understandable.
Pat wrote: "QoW-when I need a break from more serious/sustained reading dip into my substantial collection of horror/dark fantasy/ghost stories :-)..."
I'm glad I'm not the only one! Lovecraft, Poe, M.R. James, and so on tend to be my comfort reading.
![Marisa Poltrack [book whisperer] | 194 comments](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1484855164p1/43799286.jpg)
Hello everyone from New York!! This past week I finished two books which puts me at 8/40. I did read another book but, not for this challenge so goodreads has me at 9/40.
This week I finished Crenshaw for the prompt a book with a cat on the cover. It was a quick read and thought you how valuable it is to be honest, caring and not to care about what others think. I also read Me Before You for a book by or about a person who has a disability. I loved this book. It made you go through every emotion on the scale and I can not wait to read the sequel to it!!
I am currently reading #GIRLBOSS for a book with career advice and The Perks Of Being A Wallflower for a book a letters. So far I seem to like both of them.
I do have a question though. I see many prompts with people posting how many books they are in for the challenge but, then they are also posting another number. I understand there are other challenges and usually they state them when they are in them. However, some don't and I think the number is out of 50 or 52. What is that for?
Thanks and happy reading all!!
Opps I forgot I also finished You Are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life for a book I bought on a trip. It was okay... took me forever to read and not really my type of self help book. Who knows, you might like it!
Jessi wrote: "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 boardin..."
Jessi, have you come across Sybil Exposed: The Extraordinary Story Behind the Famous Multiple Personality Case? I remember reading Sybil in school years ago, and of course the Sally Field movie, so I was completely fascinated by this book. It talks about Sybil, the doctor, and the journalist who made her famous as well as their motivations for going public. Let's just say that all is not what we were originally taught about her!
Mod
Nadine wrote: "Marisa, do you mean when someone says they are #/52? (Which is what I do.) 52 is the total number of categories in Popsugar, the 40 regular and 12 "advanced." Or some people are splitting that up, ..."yes that is exactly what I meant!! Thank you so much!!! :)
Hello everyone! I just joined this group, but I have been slowly chipping away at my list since the beginning of January. I am in the last term of my MBA program, which finishes next week, so I'm hoping to read faster after. I finished Queen Sugar as my book by a POC, which takes me to 4/40, and started The Wangs vs. the World as my main character is a different ethnicity. I've also been listening to The Paris Wife as my audiobook, which takes me forever to finish, but I should get there in the next week or so.
Krisn wrote: "Hello everyone! I just joined this group, but I have been slowly chipping away at my list since the beginning of January. I am in the last term of my MBA program, which finishes next week, so I'm h..."Welcome! And congrats on the MBA. :)
Brooke wrote: "Krisn wrote: "Hello everyone! I just joined this group, but I have been slowly chipping away at my list since the beginning of January. I am in the last term of my MBA program, which finishes next ..."Thanks Brooke!
I finally finished Summer of Night by Dan Simmons for a book with a season in the title. Very well written -- really draws you into the characters. It's not as scary as I was hoping, but I'll definitely read more Dan Simmons in the future. Now I'm in the middle of Left for Dead: My Journey Home from Everest for a book written by someone with a disability. This is the third book I'll have read about the tragedy that happened on Everest on May 10, 1996 (including Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mount Everest Disaster and The Climb: Tragic Ambitions on Everest. The author of Left for Dead, Beck Weathers, is one of the most intriguing stories of survival in Into Thin Air. Beck was literally left for dead by several climbers and still somehow survived. The book talks about this but it is more about his life before and after Everest.
If I'm looking for a comfort book, I reach for one that I really enjoyed reading in the past. Something fun like Valley of the Dolls or one of my favourite horror novels such as 'Salem's Lot, The Stepford Wives, or The House Next Door.
I finished three books this week for this challenge:- The Underground Railroad for "a 2016 bestseller"
- Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic for "a book with pictures"
- Normal for "author from a country you've never visited" (England)
I liked all of these books but I didn't love any of them. This puts me at 10/52.
QOTW: Almost any book is a comfort to me, but I definitely gravitate towards a few favorites (though which ones specifically is always changing). Right now if I had to reach for a comfort book I'd probably grab Persuasion or Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch.
I finished both Jim Henson: The Biography and Hamilton: The Revolution this week to round out the "Book with pictures," and "Book with an eccentric character," catagories. Starting into Life and Times of Frederick Douglass and Endgame: Bobby Fischer's Remarkable Rise and Fall - from America's Brightest Prodigy to the Edge of Madness this week. Those are covering "Takes place over characters lifespan," and "Book with subtitle," respectively.
I finished two books this week:1. Smilla's Sense of Snow: A Novel by Peter Høeg for "a book where the main character is a different ethnicity than you" (Inuit--Greenlander).
2. The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead for "a historical fiction."
QOTW:Comfort reading, for me, is any book that doesn't require me to work to hard to keep reading. Books that are pretentious, preachy, or provocative are not comforting.
Hi, everyone -- I'm a little late with check-in this week, partly because I started a new book that I can't put down! (Alif the Unseen) I'll talk about that at next week's check-in, after I finish it. I'm also in the midst of Tangled Vines: Greed, Murder, Obsession, and an Arsonist in the Vineyards of California, also really interesting.
The only book I actually finished this week was Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi which I was disappointed in. I read it as a book that's been on my TBR list way too long, but it would also work for other categories: a country I've never visited, a book about an interesting woman, a book about an immigrant or refugee, or a book about a difficult topic.
Question of the week: Since I came up with the question, I have a ready answer -- when I want to curl up with a great book and let the world go by without me, I reread Pride and Prejudice. I practically know it by heart now, but it still draws me in every time. My daughter feels the same way about the Harry Potter books, her go-to when she wants some reading comfort.
Hi everyone!I can't believe another week of the challenge passed so quickly!
Greetings to all the people who have to finish studies or write their thesis - I've been struggling with mine and I must say, I prefer to read, not write :)
What have I read this week?
- Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency (a book with a title that's a character's name) - I've seen the TV series and was curious if it has anything in common with the book series. So far it doesn't.
- Americanah (a book about an immigrant or a refugee) - I really liked it. I don't think I've read many book about the USA from immigrant's perspective (except for non-fiction).
- The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (a book with an eccentric character) - it is a short book, but quite fun to read. I'm surprised that I haven't read it before, however, I was familiar with the whole Jekyll-Hyde concept :)
I also started Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea for the steampunk prompt, but I suppose I will mention it at least once (if not twice) more in a weekly check-in. For me, it's difficult to read, the language is quite hard and so far, the plot is not very fascinating... But I'm determined to finish it!
QOTW: As many people have already mentioned, I'm more of a comfort movie / music person than a book one. But there are a few books that never fail to make me smile. I guess if I had to chose, my comfort books would be stories about Nicholas by Rene Goscinny with illustrations by Sempe. Harry Potter series would albo be a good pick for me - I re-read it last year after about 10 years and truly enjoyed it. I really forgot how good it was.
This past week, I finished one book for the Popsugar challenge:Marcelo in the Real World, for the "person with a disability" prompt. I really enjoyed it, and it was a quick read too. The characterization of a 17-year old neuroatypical boy was well done, I thought, and the plot resolved nicely.
I also finished another couple books for the Read Harder challenge:
The Bear and the Nightingale for the "debut novel" prompt. This was 4-stars good, but not great to me. I liked Uprooted better, in this genre. The protagonist was interesting.
Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void for the "nonfiction about technology" prompt. I really enjoyed this - it was informative, funny, and surprisingly deep at times.
QOTW: I don't really reread specific books much, but there are types of books that are extra-comforting I suppose. The Narnia series is something I do reread occasionally, and Maeve Binchy is an author that gives me warm fuzzys. I agree with whoever said that reading itself is comforting to me!
I finished two books this week for the challenge, leaving me at 6/40. The first was an espionage thriller, Our Kind of Traitor. I really enjoyed this - it seemed very slowly paced for most of the book and then ended in a rush with an ending that I absolutely didn't see coming, and found quite shocking. I think I will probably read more John Le Carre based on this, but probably not until I've finished this challenge!
The second was The Woman in Cabin 10. I really enjoyed this as I was reading it, I thought it was very well written and paced, but overall I found it so implausible that I only gave it 3 stars. I read this for the travel category.
QOTW: Yes, I have several comfort reads. When times are really dire, I retreat into Jilly Cooper novels - particularly the 'name' novels such as Emily and Imogen. They are extremely old fashioned but I read them a lot as a teenager and know them so well that they are extremely undemanding and comforting. Plus she's very funny and always makes me laugh. My other comfort read is Brother of the More Famous Jack. This one is a lot more demanding but I love both her style of writing and the cast of characters.
Hello from Texas!This week I started reading:
I'll Give You the Sun. This one is for our local book club. I have a love/hate feeling for it so far.
Everything Belongs to UsThis is an ARC and comes out at the end of the month. I will most likely use it to fulfill prompt 31 (different ethnicity)
Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith I'm listening to this on audio. I just realized it will fulfill the prompt for a book with subtitle. :)
QOTW: Reading is a comfort to me in general, but if I'm needing a little more comfort than usual, the Bible is usually where I need to go.
This is my first weekly check in as I was a bit late to the game, but I'm so excited! I have read a total of 6 books so far, but tonight should finish off number 7.#7. Smoke Gets in Your Eyes: And Other Lessons from the Crematory I'm about 10 pages from finishing. This is my 'On your TBR list for too long' book. It is a fabulous and strangely uplifting book about death. I recommend it wholeheartedly. She is a mortician and goes into great detail about the realities of the corpse, but if you aren't easily grossed out, this should be on your to read list!
#6. Water for Elephants Loved this book. Finished it this week. I wasn't a huge fan of some of the more graphic sexual scenes but I loved her writing style and her details. I added another of her novels to my reading list because I was so engrossed in her storytelling. I chose this one for my 'Book set in two different time periods.'
#5. The Martian This book was my 'From a genre you don't normally read' category. I'm not a fan of anything even remotely scifi, but I really enjoyed this one. It would likely be considered pretty light in the scifi category, but it was definitely out of my comfort zone.
#4. The Revenant My 'Wilderness' choice. This was an incredible story and I'm glad I read it. I wouldn't read it again because I'm not terribly into the time period but it was very interesting given that it took place very near to where I currently live. It was interesting to be able to see places I'm so familiar with through the lens of a different time period.
#3. Concussion I put this book in the 'book where the main character is a different ethnicity from you' category. I read it for my local library's reading challenge, as I did most of the others listed here and this is the category where this particular book fit best. The main character is a male Nigerian neuropatholigist and I am a white, female, stay at home mom. So it works. The book was alright. Easy read. I liked learning more about the topic, for sure, but the writing wasn't necessarily my favorite.
#2. For the Advanced category, A Book with an Eccentric Character, I chose Love That Boy: What Two Presidents, Eight Road Trips, and My Son Taught Me About a Parent's Expectations. The author's son and the main focus of the book is a young man with Aspergers. My oldest son is quite eccentric and very likely on the spectrum, although he is only 7 and is still being evaluated. This book was a wonderful view into a father's struggle and eventual acceptance of the ways in which his son is not what he expected. It really resonated with me. I'm sure I will read it again many times.
#1. Also for the Advanced list, I chose This is Where I Leave You for my book about a difficult topic. This book includes all manner of difficult things, death, infidelity, divorce, difficult family relations, you name it. And yet it is funny and engaging and heartwarming in so many ways. Again, I wasn't a huge fan of the graphic sex, but it was limited, so I wouldn't discount the book altogether because of it. Definitely a good read.
So, those are my seven completed. I'm in the process of reading Letters of Note: An Eclectic Collection of Correspondence Deserving of a Wider Audience and The Case Against Sugar.
QOTW: I am a mom to 5 kiddos ages 7 and under and one baby due literally any moment. (I'm having contractions while I type this.) I am also married to my beloved husband who suffered a traumatic brain injury in Iraq in 2007 and is 100% disabled. So, reading hasn't been at the top of my list for a long time. But I grew up finding all manner of comfort and freedom in books. There has not been a moment of my adult life that my home hasn't been full of books I want to read, or love for a variety of reasons. I homeschool my children and we spend a great deal of time with our noses in books and our bodies in libraries. I would say that books have provided great comfort to me throughout my life. Even just having them around me reminds me that my struggles are not exclusive to me and that there is great and profound beauty in the world. The books that have provided the most comfort have been those that have allowed me into the depths of someone else's pain, in order to see good that flows from trial. One that has stuck with me, that I think about frequently, is A Mother's Reckoning: Living in the Aftermath of Tragedy. Sue Klebold takes you into the depths of her pain and humiliation in order that you might see her tragedy in all its layers and not just what lies on the surface. I find such comfort in her bravery and I think about her often after reading her book.
Anyhow, that is an incredibly LONG post. Thanks for bearing with. My next check ins should be much shorter!
I finished three books this week, but for other challenges. I was all set to focus on something for this challenge when the two year old and six month old got sick, then the sim month old got her shots and I caught their illness. So I switched to just listening to podcasts, which don't require as much sustained attention for me. I read Wonder Woman, Volume 1: The Lies for Read Harder's prompt about female superheroes. It is, I thought, supposed to be a Rebirth of the storyline but it was super confusing and clearly requires some sort of backstory.
Eichmann in Jerusalem: A Report on the Banality of Evil - I listened to this because it was the only book by Arendt that my library had available on Overdrive and I slotted it into Read Harder's book about war, since this challenge is looking for fiction for that prompt.
I also listened to Soldier Girls: The Battles of Three Women at Home and at War, which I'm using to fill last year's reading challenge by Bustle for women in war.
At the moment I'm reading The Burning Page and listening to My Life in Middlemarch. I also plan on starting The Fifth Season soon.
My comfort reads are Anne MacCaffrey novels, especially the Pern series. I read them starting around 10 years old and aside from the Ancirna series, I've read and loved them all. I also sometimes skim the Clan of the Cave Bear series, which always brings back reading them all night and having to skip school the next day to catch up on sleep. More recently, in my early thirties I got really into reading vampire books, especially the romances, as a relaxing fluff read.
Hello, this was a very busy week for me workwise and could not get much reading done. I finished reading Love stories that touched my heart for a book by multiple authors.It is a collection of short love stories by various budding writers. Then I read A Christmas Carol ,for a book by an author from a country never visited.I now know why the movie 'Ghosts of girlfriends' past' is not named ghosts of past girlfriends.I absolutely loved the book.I should have read it earlier. And I made some progress on Aiwa Maru.This week I'm planning to finish aiwa maru and start with The truth about me and also The girl with the dragon tattoo.
This week has been a bit of a challenge. I had a friend who was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer and passed away on the 15th. It'd been hard to concentrate, but I turned to books to distract and comfort me. I finished Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance and I'm almost finished with The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead, which I'm loving. I'm so glad this was picked for the monthly read.My comfort read usually ends up being Harry Potter or The Lioness series by Tamora Pierce.
Posting late. Thursday and Friday just caught up on me. I want to tell everyone that I love hearing what they read. Every week I get good ideas for my books. This week I was pretty productive, but mainly because I loved two of the books. Both of these books were recommended on the site.
The Wedding Dress - For #33 a book set in two different time periods. It could also count for #7 A story within a story.
A Long Fatal Love Chase - For #2 Book on my TBR. It was not my normal style and not like Louisa May Alcott other books. I wouldn't recommend it. But it could also go in. #14 A book involving travel.
Love & Gelato - For #14 a book involving travel. It would also work for #3 Book of Letters - The main character reads the journal of her mom. I think of the journal entries as letters. #7 A story within a story. #19 a book about food. There are bits and pieces about the food the main character eats in Italy. #33 book set in two different time periods. I really enjoyed this book and read it in two days. The author is the daughter of Richard Paul Evans.
My comfort reads include: Anne of Green Gables, And Then There Were None, and These Happy Golden Years.
I finished 3 books this week: Crime and Poetry by Amanda Flower for an author who uses a pseudonym. Nice, light cozy mystery. This book also has a cat on the cover so it could be used for that prompt.
The Secret History by Donna Tartt for PopSugar Advanced, genre or sub-genre you've never heard of. Loved this book. Such detailed and engrossing writing. This is an "inverted mystery," where you know the crime and then the story goes back and shows how it happened.
In a German Pension: 13 Stories by Katherine Mansfield. I read this for a different challenge.
QOTW: My comfort reads are usually Agatha Christie mysteries or books by Barbara Pym.
Hi everyone -This week I finished:
The Underground Railroad for #31 A book where the main character is a different ethnicity than you. As others have said, the book was a difficult topic.
Strangers in Their Own Land: Anger and Mourning on the American Right for #1 [Advanced list] A book recommended by an author you love. Rick Steves, my favorite travel author, recommend this book.
1984 for the Book Riot challenge
Humans of New York: Stories for #30 A book with pictures
QOTW: Reading is always enjoyable - and I rarely reread. But I do like a mystery or a light read from time to time.
Hi everyone!Had a more productive week this week than the last couple.
I finished The Kept Woman but I don't think it fits into a challenge, at least without stretching the categories a bit. It was a good read though, I enjoyed it.
I read Blueprints for Building Better Girls: Fiction for my book with a red spine. It also counts for Read Harder's book of stories by a woman. I picked it up on a whim while wandering through the new library location for my branch. Figured it was easier to find red spines by actually looking at real books, rather than trying to figure out if my digital ones would have red spines if they were physical. It seemed like a promising book full of empowering stories about women, and it did not deliver. The women were all white, cisgender heterosexual middle-to-upper class women. All the stories mostly revolved around their relationships to men. Most of them ended really abruptly leaving me to wonder what the point even was. Bleh, do not recommend.
I also read Ready Player One that I am counting for book with an eccentric character. Really, all of the main characters are pretty eccentric, considering they are devoting their lives to playing the ultimate game to win an eccentric dead man's fortunes. It's also my book club's current book, so bonus for that. I really enjoyed it, made up for how little I enjoyed the other one.
I read Redshirts which I think can count for a book taking place in two different times. Really funny, I enjoyed even though I'm sure I missed most of the nods to Star Trek. The ending codas were a little weird, but the overall story was excellent.
Currently I am reading Ancillary Justice which might count as a book from a nonhuman perspective. I need to finish it and see if it really works. As far as I'm gathering, the main character used to be a space ship but somehow got locked into a human form. I'm not entirely clear if she used to be human before turning into a space ship or not. So I guess I'll have to see! If not, it can count for the first book in a series I've never read before.
This takes me to 13/52 for the main challenge. 7/22 for Read Harder.
QOTW: I have a lot of books that are my comfort books. In particular, The Black Swan by Mercedes Lackey, and the Godmother also by Mercedes Lackey. Mostly I just like books that are light and easy to read, that have happy endings without too much depressing stuff in the middle. Obviously drama is ok, because what's a story without a little. But if i'm upset or tired or just can't concentrate I want something that isnt' going to make me cry or make me feel worse.
Anabell wrote: "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???"Ugh I read that one for the 2015 challenge for "book you started and never finished". I made myself get through it. There were interesting parts scattered through it, and it does get better once the focus mostly shifts to Jonathan Strange. But it was a chore of a book. Honestly, if you don't NEED it for the challenge, I'd recommend just watching the BBC miniseries, I think it's on netflix right now. It's 6 episodes, and they manage to edit out all the really long boring bits, and reorganize it into quite a nice little show. I watched one episode grudgingly and then ended up burning through the rest.
Mod
Ancillary Justice definitely works for "non-human perspective" - Breq is 100% AI
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..."
I really liked Un Lun Dun by him, it's middle grade, so it is lighter and less gritty, but still an amazing world and plot.
Nadine wrote: "Ancillary Justice definitely works for "non-human perspective" - Breq is 100% AI "
Awesome! Thanks for the input!
I didn't finish any books last week, but I made some progress on several:Giants' Bread
A Treasury of Classic Mystery Stories
Democracy
Promises, Promises
A Game of Thrones
Boudoirs to Brothels: The Intimate World of Wild West Women
I'm sure at least some of them will fulfill my challenge prompt needs. :-)
QotW: I was going to answer no to this one, as I rarely re-read books. But it occurs to me that I am participating in a challenge to read all of Agatha Christie's novels, short stories, plays, and memoirs in (more or less) publication order, and this is largely nostalgic for me, as I read nearly all of her mysteries when I was much younger.
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..."
I haven't read Perdido Street Station yet, but my introduction to China Miéville was The City & the City. It messed with my head, but his use of language was amazing!
I finished the February group read The Underground Railroad, and it was excellent. That book haunted my dreams. I read it for the book with a red spine prompt.I don't reread books. but Junot Diaz is my absolute favorite author, and just thinking about his work comforts me. For the two times I reread for this challenge, one of his books will certainly be one I choose! I also find Francessca Lia Block's comforting from when I was much younger.
I can't believe we're in week 8 and I've only just discovered this section of the group!This week I've finished off Barchester Towers for the eccentric character prompt. Quite a few of the characters are borderline eccentric and then Miss Thorne comes along with her obsession with reliving the medieval days and makes the others look normal. Now I want to read Dr. Thorne but can't think which category it would fit into.
I also read The Man Who Was Thursday: A Nightmare for the book with a day of the week/month in the title. It starts off as a solid spy-type story and then quickly descends into utter nonsense. Not for me at all I'm afraid.
My latest read was The Power of Six. I read the first book in the series a couple of weeks ago and I'm trying to figure out how to fit them all in to the prompts. I used this one as written by multiple authors.
That brings me to 13/52. I've just started The Christmasaurus which fits into about five categories so I'm undecided which one I'll be using at as until I finish.
QOTW: Books I go back to comfort are Jane Eyre, The Ruby in the Smoke, The Beach and Ballet Shoes
Sheri wrote: "Anabell wrote: "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 we..."I need it for my over 800 pages... But I am seriously considering giving up. Think I have made up my mind like 90%. I do agree it has gotten slightly more interesting as Jonathan Strange has entered but there is still so much .... (Trying to find a nice word). If that book had been without meaningless notes and endless description of things you really dont need to now or care about. It would have been a 400 page book and could have been interesting as the plot isnt bad. But it moves along sooooo slow... Zzzzzz.... I wonder if the author got paid by the word.
But I think I just got my answer to whether or not to continue reading it. When I read that it was made in to a miniseries I thought "No way am I suffering through that twice".
Sarah wrote: "My latest read was The Power of Six. I read the first book in the series a couple of weeks ago and I'm trying to figure out how to fit them all in to the prompts. I used this one as written by multiple authors...."I have 3 of the books on my list. Last week I read The Rise of Nine a book for to long on my TBR list. And this week I am reading The Fall of Five for Multiple Authors. For a book set during wartime The Revenge of Seven. As they are at war with the mogadorians. Havent found a spot for the 6 book but I am considering using nr. 45 a book about a refugee. They did have to flee their own planet ;-)
How are you liking the books so far?
Anabelle wrote: "I need it for my over 800 pages... But I am seriously considering giving up. Think I have made up my mind like 90%."I can list a bunch of other 800+ page books that are less tiresome, if you like.
For example: Kushiel's Dart which is what I used, Seveneves (fantastic read but it is a little tough since it's an apocalypse) Reamde which is fun if you're familiar with mmo games. I could recommend more if necessary. :)
Anabell wrote: "Sarah wrote: "My latest read was The Power of Six. I read the first book in the series a couple of weeks ago and I'm trying to figure out how to fit them all in to the prompts. I used this one as w..."I am really enjoying them so far. I'm on the waiting list for the next two from the library and the suspense is killing me!
I have already used up my war-time prompt on another book unfortunately but I think I can use one for non-human narrator and the pseudonym at least. I was considering the immigrant/refugee category as well so at least I am not the only one stretching the rules :)
My Dad has been reading the books after to me as well so it's been nice to have someone to talk to about them.
A bit late for the check-in: I was away fooling around in the snow, somewhere in the Swiss Alps...One book read for the challenge this week:
✅A9. A book you got from a used book sale: Leo Perutz, Le Maître du Jugement dernier , Zulma, 2015 (ed. orig. 1923).
I get most of my books from the charity bookstore downstairs anyway - they only sell used books. I chose this one for the challenge because, basically, I didn't know where it could fit! It's more or less a mystery, with a hint of the fantastic, as is usually the case with Perutz; in this one book, also, a hint of Russian influence (Dostoevsky?). Pretty good book, if not as fascinating as Perutz' The Swedish Cavalier (my favorite so far).
Making good progress on several other books, including my hefty 800pp+ book (which is actually 1300pp+). Currently standing at 10/54.
QOTW: That would probably be a book of the Spenser series, by Robert B. Parker. I know them practically by heart, but it feels good to reread them from time to time!
Late on the checkin this week. I've been working through Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell. To break it up I also reread Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. I also read Mary Kay Miracles Happen. It's funny that the QOTW is comfort books as my rereads this week are just that. I needed a break from heavy books so they're my break.
So, I read The Mother Tongue: English and How It Got That Way as my book with a subtitle. Well, I listened to the audiobook. At parts, I wish I had the book to look at as well. Bill Bryson takes on the English Language in his usual manner. Didn't expect a chapter on swearing, but learned a lot throughout the book. Found out that some of the things I thought I knew about English are just plain wrong!Continuing to trudge through The Underground Railroad. I've spent 2 days trying to get past where (view spoiler) I'm on disk 7 out of 9. Hoping to finish next week and move on to Hidden Figures - Screenplay
QOTW: Comfort books? Probably Jane Austen or Sophie Kinsella. Otherwise anything from the "something lighthearted where I don't have to think" category.
Was under the weather last week which meant I got a lot of reading done (8 books!), but only 3 for the challenge.Prompt 33 set in two different time periods. I read Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs. I enjoyed it and will continue the series.
Prompt 50 (Advanced list) mentioned in another book. I finished The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis. I read on the forums that it was mentioned in Wonder. I started reading it aloud to my son (age 8), then we switched to audio book and we're still working our way through it. I really wanted to mark it as read so I picked the kindle up and finished it. I didn't enjoy it as much as I remember from childhood. He sort of likes it but has major problems with it-- sexist Father Christmas really made him mad. :)
Prompt 39 1st in a series I haven't read before. I read Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones. I really enjoyed this book.
QOTW Comfort books? I read some of the earlier Valdemar books by Mercedes Lackey, Tamora Pierce's books, and the Bridgerton series by Julia Quinn as my comfort books.
My son's comfort books are Winnie the Pooh and The Big Red Barn. After being upset at The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe he asked me to read those to him. :)
I didn't finish any new books last week, but I did get to about 50% on Middlemarch and 30% on Pamela; or, Virtue Rewarded, both of which are long books, so it was good progress. Middlemarch was a tough read at first but it's getting more enjoyable as I go along. Pamela, on the other hand...I've pretty much given up actually reading it, and I'm just listening to it on audiobook now. Being able to do something else while I listen to it lessens the pain of reading it.QOTW
In the past, I would have said Harry Potter, but I don't think I have any comfort reads now. To me, the joy of reading is in exploring new books and ideas, so a comfort read wouldn't really be that comforting to me ;)
Megan wrote: "This week has been a bit of a challenge. I had a friend who was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer and passed away on the 15th. It'd been hard to concentrate, but I turned to books to distrac..."Sorry to hear that, Megan. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your friend's family.
A little late to the check in this week, but work has kept me fairly busy. This week I managed to read two books.First, I read Idaho for "a book published in 2017." It was an okay book. Nothing about it was really surprising, and I didn't find myself getting attached to any of the characters. It would also a good read for anyone trying to fill the "a book about a difficult subject" because it does deal with a character who is suffering from dementia.
I also read Caraval for "a book involving travel." This was a really quick read. I was hoping it would be something I could use for a book talk for my sixth grade class, but there are some sexual elements that I can imagine parents would not appreciate me introducing their children to, so I'm going to have to shelve it. Overall it was an interesting read, and I'm already excited for the next book to come out. The biggest downside was the ending was extremely cliched, to the point of annoying me. Hopefully the sequel will redeem that. If anyone is interested in reading it, it could also fulfill the prompts "a book published in 2017" or "the first book in a series you have not read before."
QOTW: I don't have a comfort book. I have a few books that make me happy when I think about them, because I really enjoyed reading them (one that comes to mind automatically is Child 44, which is one of the few books I've ever willingly reread). Most of the time I find I don't have enough time in the day to reread a book - I already have something like four hundred that I know I'm interested in reading for the first time. In addition, most of the books that I find comforting I only find comforting because of where I was in life at that time. I don't think they'd have the same appeal later on. The rereading prompts are one of my absolutely least favorite, and I really wish we could have a year where there are absolutely none. This year's "a book you've read before that never fails to make you smile" and "a book you loved as a child" are two of my least favorite prompts on the list.
This week I listened to Norse Mythology and LOVED it. I'm using it for "book published in 2017" but would obviously work for "book based on mythology".For the QOTW: I tend to return to the Harry Dresden books when I need an "old friend".
It was an ok reading week for me. I read The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society to fulfill the prompt of book of letters. As I wrote last week, I started this book previously. I don't recall why I didn't finish it as it is unusual for me to not finish a book even if I don't care for it. Anyway, it was so-so. It seemed dry to me. I wonder if it is because I've read so many books...the storylines and details seem the same after a while. Does anyone else feel that?I started Leave It To Psmith last Friday and finished it today, so it will appear in my read list next week. I also started (barely) Lamb In Love.
This brings me to 6/40 and 3/12.
QOTW: Yes, I have go-to books, and probably more so, go-to authors, that I read when I want something that reads as warming and comfortable. Some of them I have read many times.
Sheri wrote: "Anabelle wrote: "I need it for my over 800 pages... But I am seriously considering giving up. Think I have made up my mind like 90%."I can list a bunch of other 800+ page books that are less tire..."
Thanks for the recommendations. I will take a look at them :-)
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Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge
Books mentioned in this topic
The Black Stallion (other topics)Winter Men (other topics)
Daring to Dream (other topics)
Moon Nicaragua (other topics)
King of the Wind: The Story of the Godolphin Arabian (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Ransom Riggs (other topics)C.S. Lewis (other topics)
Diana Wynne Jones (other topics)
Sophie Kinsella (other topics)
Jane Austen (other topics)
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QOTW: I don't have a confort book, but have confort personnages, so I remembered them to find some forces when I need it.