Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge discussion
2018 Weekly Checkins
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week 5: 1/25 - 2/1
Hello! It's been snowing AGAIN in Scotland this week - I never thought I'd dislike snow but this January has done it! Curse you, weather!!! :pFinished 4 books this week, one a picture book and one a graphic novel, so not a great reading week in terms of quantity - been slightly slumpy.
Virginia Woolf - a short picture-book biography. Read this on the 25th as that was Virginia's birthday. Really artistically charming.
The Night Brother - This was... okay. I didn't get too into it. Felt the central premise ((view spoiler)) was a bit underexplored and I really didn't like one of the two POV characters. He was just an awful, awful person and while he does realize that and gets a "redemption" at the end, I felt he'd gone way too far to deserve it.
The Complete Maus - Um. I don't know what to say about this one. Profoundly disturbing. (Rightfully so, as it's about the Holocaust.)
The Girl in The Tower - I loved, loved, loved this, it was just what I needed. This series feels like the winter king's house - a cosy home made of wildness.
Currently a few stories into The Thing Around Your Neck. Mixed feelings so far but it's interesting.
QOTW: I generally find out about new releases through Booktube or just browsing Amazon or Book Depository.
Milena wrote: "The Bear and the Nightingale for a book with an animal in the title. I am really loving this book so far, almost halfway in. I love the use of Russian words mixed in, but I speak Russian. I am wondering how people are dealing with that, considering most of those are slang words that are not in the dictionary. Is there a glossary? I have not looked."
There's a glossary, but (as someone who doesn't know a lick of Russian) I thought the various terms were pretty easy to infer from context and added a lot to the flavour of the story.
Megan wrote: "I didn't read a single thing this week - but I have a good excuse (well - its a good excuse if you like dogs).. We got our puppy over the weekend and I'm now a helicopter pawrent (I follow her arou..."
Megan wrote: "she's a mini goldendoodle turning 9 weeks old on Saturday. She's a honey brown color and currently weighs 4.7 pounds. She's precious when..."
congratulations on the pupper *dies from vicarious cuteness*
Nadine wrote: "(Fair warning: my younger dog has chewed up more than a few books - I've never had a dog chew books before though so maybe she's "special") "
My aunt got a crazy Labrador pup just under a year ago and she's disembowelled a fair few books. But she's such a gorgeous girl that I can't possibly be angry about it.
Jess wrote: "I'd love any recommendations for booktubers who read more adult books"
Simon Savidge
Lauren and the Books
Jean Bookish Thoughts
Portal in the Pages
Mercy's Bookish Musings
Katie Loves To Read
Matthew Sciarappa
abookolive
Laura wrote: "Then I FINALLY re-started and finished The Colour of Magic by Terry Pratchett (Anotheer planet prompt) which i first started and gave up on over 10 years ago. I really want to like Terry Pratchett but I'm just not sure it's for me. I found the tangents a bit distracting."
Even Terry Pratchett himself wasn't overfond of Colour of Magic! Please, please give him another try with one of his later books. (There are several sub-series within the larger Discworld narrative and the sub-series can be read more or less on their own though of course they all interconnect.)
Hello All!I was able to finish The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo over the weekend for the Nordic Noir prompt. I was surprised by how much I loved this book! I was a little nervous to read it after I found out how dark it was. It did have some very dark parts, but I found myself really getting into the mystery. Some readers complain that the book moved to slow, but I was hooked the whole time!
This week I also began reading The Secret Life of Bees for a book that I have already seen the movie for, though I may switch it over to the animal prompt. I am about 1/3 of the way through and I am enjoying it so far. The beginning has been a little slow for me though!
QOTW: I, like many others on here it appears, do not particularly look out for new books. There are already so many great books out there that I haven't read!! I do enjoy looking at lists on Pinterest and sometimes using those to pick new books to read.
Michael wrote: "Happy Thursday PopSugar group! Hope all are well.For example, today 2/1 is World Read Aloud Day, I recommend public transportation as a good place to read aloud. See you next week. ..."
*snort!* you crack me up!
Happy February everyone! I mostly worked on currently reading books this week, but I managed to finish the illustrated edition of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone which was A-MAZING. I can't wait to read the rest - where was this when I was a kid?!
Finished:
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - A book set in the decade you were born
Currently reading:
Quidditch Through the Ages
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?
QOTW:
I don't normally read a lot of new books because my wallet can't keep up, and the library doesn't get a lot of new books! But I do get most of my recommendations for new books (to me) from my book Tumblr community, Instagram (pretty covers!), and sometimes Goodreads.
Ugh, Super tough day at work. Many tears. And I need to get up and go back in 3 or 4 hours so a short one from me tonight.I think I'm at 13/52
Finished this week:
George's Secret Key to the Universe by Lucy and Stephen Hawking. My favorite part of the audiobook was when the story was over, there were about 45 minutes of science facts read by Stephen.
NOS4A2 was fine but I kept thinking that I'm finding most of the King brood could really do with an editor with a lot of red pens. Why are their books so long with so little happening? Both creepy and dull.
This is How It Always Is I liked and finished in a day.
QOTW:
The place I see new books most is Audible, after that probably Powell's. I always check the new releases in the green room when I'm there.
Hi, everyone! I've finally started the challenge. It's been a really stressfull and overall crappy period, or-- well, month actually. I could'nt find the concetration to reading something more challenging then graphic novels. But this week I have finished my first novel for the challenge:Crime and Poetry by Amanda Flower, the "book that involves a bookstore or library". It's cute, engaging and easy to read. Just what I needed right now.
I had hoped to read The Girl with the Dragon Tatoo in January, but I just-- couldn't. I hope to read Bear Town with you guys this month.
Hi from Germany,This week I finished two books in the Dan Sommerdahl series by Anna Grue the fifth Die Wurzel des Bösen: Sommerdahls fünfter Fall and sixthDas falsche Gesicht. Sommerdahls sechster Fall cases, both were really good, but I didn't use them for Popsugar.
Then I finished Unberührbar Mein Leben unter den Bettlern von Benares (i.e. Untouchable, my life among the beggars in Benares) a really fascinating book (5 stars) about the author who has lived with the poorest of the poor in India (in Benares/Varanasi) and has started an NGO to help them (especially the people afflicted by leprosy). It is fascinating to read because Deetjen manages not to sugarcoat or romanticize poverty and also what it does to people, but she still manages to portray the people in a very dignified way. Still, a tough read, which is probably to be expected knowing the topic. I admire the author for her ability to ignore her own wishes just to be able to help. She had to endure quite some attacks herself. I couldn't do it! Additionally, I think she portrays India in an honest, realistic way (I've been to India myself), but still gets across why it is such a fascinating country. I used it for the country that fascinates you (but it could be used for the book about a problem facing society today as well)
Also finished Die Wurzel alles Guten (i.e. the root of all that is good) as an audiobook, a quirky Finnish novel about two half-brothers looking for their father and going on a roadtrip half-way around the world. I didn't use it for Popsugar.
Finished Ich bin nicht alt, nur schon sehr lange jung: Wie dein Leben mit jedem Jahr besser wird (i.e. I'm not old, I've just been young for a long time), easy, quick read, not necessarily to be recommended, some chapters were funny, though. Not for Popsugar.
Currently reading: Im Wald (i.e. In the forest), another crime novel and have started listening to War Horse for the book that is also a stage play.
QOTW:
I get recommendations from the newspaper and magazines, the radio and in bookstores and the library, additionally to goodreads, of course
Laura wrote: "Interesting to know that Terry Pratchett wasn't that fond of The Colour of Magic Cendaquenta! I will give a different one ago on your recommendation :). Maybe for an ugly cover prompt, or if i make..."I never recommend starting at the start with Discworld! The first one I read was Pyramids which is fairly standalone but I know a lot of people suggest starting with Going Postal. The Rincewind books are my least favourite.
Haven't done an update recently, life has got so away from me! So rather than the last week this can be an update for the last three or so. I've read quite a lot the last few weeks but not all that much that was relevant for the challenge. I'd love to hear comments from anyone else who's read these ones! QOTW:
I have no idea how I find new books to read if I'm honest. My reading is often quite focused on 'classics' and famous books so I'm sort of ticking books off from my mental list of 'books I ought to read' but I'm trying to get away from that way of thinking recently cause I don't wanna keep feeling guilty for not having read everything by Dickens when I don't even like Dickens. I love reading books that there's a buzz about or people are talking about so if I see a book being reviewed all over the place I'll try and read that. I find Vogue tends to recommend great books actually. I love a good prize shortlist. I also love just walking through Waterstones or Blackwells (the two big bookshops in central Oxford) and seeing what's in the window or what the booksellers recommend. I'm very lucky to live somewhere with such incredible provision of bookshops. I love buying books on whims when they catch my eye in a bookshop.
So what have I been reading recently?
Peach was my book published in 2018. It was very quick to read and worked great as an audiobook. The prose was so intense and beautifully written, it felt more like poetry than a novel really, and I'd love to see what Emma Glass does next. Having said that, I found it quite 'disgusting' in terms of how icky the discussion of sex and violence was, and I am a bit sick of reading books that focus on sexual violence because I feel like I can't get away from them recently, and I don't like reading it. I'd love to read something else by her with ideally less of a focus on those topic.
Little Fires Everywhere was my Goodreads award winner and I really enjoyed it! It felt like a Victorian melodrama at times but I loved that aspect of it, I definitely think it deserved its award.
Dear Ijeawele, or a Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions and Delusions of Gender: How Our Minds, Society, and Neurosexism Create Difference are kind of sharing being my books about feminism (so far! deeeefinitely gonna read a lot of books that fit that prompt in 2018!). I loved both of them so much. I felt like they showed two different and very important aspects of feminism which is why I couldn't choose between them. Delusions of Gender was fascinating, really stretched my mind and is the kind of book I want to have in my pocket every time I get in an argument with a man talking about women's IQs or women 'just liking to be housewives'. It's the kind of book I think we really need and everyone should read something like that. Having said that, I wished it could have been more intersectional (it mentioned race and sexuality a little but I thought it needed more) and even though its overall argument was very trans-friendly, I wish it had been written with a little more attention to trans issues. Dear Ijeawele was just beautifully written, I'm already planning giving it as a gift to various friends. I loved how concise it was, how perfectly it articulated so much of what the world should be like, how it made me think about the future being better. I do wish it had been longer so it could have gone into more detail and covered more. I know there's nothing wrong with short books, but I just wanted more of it!
The Kalevala was my book about a country that fascinates me. I've been reading a lot about Scandinavia recently and I absolutely adored this epic. I studied Old English and Old Norse at uni so it was kinda breathtaking to read something with similar motifs but a different culture, it had me awestruck and definitely makes me want to read more from Finland.
I'm currently halfway through Another Country, which is my book that was given to me as a gift. It was a Christmas present from my long distance partner and I can't wait to discuss it when I go visit in March. I'm reading it very slowly because the prose feels like it demands that. The writing is absolutely incredible and I can't believe I haven't read it before! Definitely want to read more by James Baldwin.
This week I'm slogging through the fourth-longest book on my Reading Challenge list, The Secret History, for prompt 36 (set in the decade you were born). I also read Lumberjanes, Vol. 1: Beware the Kitten Holy for prompt 26 (animal in the title), and I'm halfway through this year's Costa Book of the Year, Inside the Wave by Helen Dunmore (I probably won't count it towards the challenge, but it would count for prompt 10).Question of the Week:
I find out about new books from Twitter, Instagram, and Goodreads. Also sometimes my students recommend books to me.
I only finished one for this week - The Hate U Give - worthwhile book -- not surprised by the intensity but glad fr the strength in the writing and characters.Qustion of the week:
Find out new books Goodreads, BookPage - Random Pages. NetGalley and library resources since I am a librarian.
Mod
I'm sorry it was tough. What is your job?
I'm finding most of the King brood could really do with an editor with a lot of red pens. Why are their books so long with so little happening?
HONESTLY!!! This is why I've pretty much sworn off King. I bought NOS4A2 for my ex-husband (um, over a year ago now I think!) and he hasn't finished it yet, but he swears it's GREAT and I NEED to read it, and I'm just ... hmm ... maybe? I just have such little tolerance for bloat in a book.
Chloe wrote: "This week I'm slogging through the fourth-longest book on my Reading Challenge list, The Secret History for prompt 36 (set in the decade you were born). I also read Lumberjanes, ..."</i>I really want to read [book:Inside the Wave! how are you finding it??
Happy friday everyone!This week I finished three books:
The Trespasser which is a crimenovel set in Ireland. It took me a long time to read it but I was really enjoying it! Used it for book about a villain or antihero.
Killman Creek LOVED this one!! Used it for a book set in a country that fascinates you.
Verliere mich. Nicht. this was an ok read for me. It was definetly lighter than the other two books I read, but there was too much drama for my taste... Used it for a book about mental health since the protagonist struggles with anxiety disorder.
QOTW
I usually find new books on instagram/bookstagram or via goodreads. May favorite magazine has a section where bookbloggers introduce their favorite books, that's always very interesting to me, too.
I'm now on book 6 for the year. This week I finished an audiobook, and a real book.My real book was Forget You Had a Daughter: Doing Time in the 'Bangkok Hilton', for prompt #2 True Crime. It was better than I thought it was going to be. I bought it years ago, after seeing the film Brokedown Palace (about two American girls who are jailed in Thailand for drug smuggling), but it's sat on my bookshelf for well over ten years without tempting me, as it always looked a bit airport-book-ish.
But it's surprisingly well written, and Gregory is humble in her account. I liked how the story examined why she smuggled drugs in the first place, and the stories of other prisoners were heartbreaking to read. But I did feel the ending was a bit rushed - I'd have liked to know more about how transitioning into daily life was for her.
My audiobook was My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece for prompt #10 a book about grief or death. I hadn't realised that this was a young adult book when I got it, and so it wasn't what I expected. I was hooked in by the idea of the story though - a family dealing with the aftermath of a terrorist attack which killed one of the children, told through the eyes of a ten year old boy. I thought the issues in it were really brave too, given that it was dealing with child death, parental abandonment, alcoholism, racism and bullying. Sadly though, as it was a YA book, it was all a bit fluffy for me. But that's my problem, and actually a strength of the book because it makes those things accessible for younger readers. It was funny, compelling and having it narrated by David Tenant was perfect.
What is your favorite source to learn about new books coming out?
I actually don't really follow new releases. My TBR shelves are heaving, and I don't often buy brand new books. My choice is dictated well enough by my own stash and what's available at the local Red Cross book sale! But I do like the book reviews in Stylist (the free women's magazine given away at train stations, which is an amazing feminist-leaning freebie!), and I've picked up a lot of ideas from this group.
Of course I started reading a different book than the one I planned (another bookstore book, though I’m doubting that atm), but I just came across the most perfect quote:“People are very strange like that. They can act completely indifferent, but the moment you pull out a book, you’re the one being rude.”
I was like TRUTH. It gets worse when you realize pulling out your phone is (somewhat) accepted these days, but books are still a huge no go.
(Also, I said I read 9/42 so far, but that’s wrong. I did read ten books in total, but it’s 8/42, 1/10, and 1/12 for the Back to the Classics challenge. Oops.)
Luna wrote: "Megan wrote: "I didn't read a single thing this week - but I have a good excuse (well - its a good excuse if you like dogs).. We got our puppy over the weekend and I'm now a helicopter pawrent (I f..."Your profile picture is adorable!
I finished The Girl on the Train already. Now I've started Cat's Eye. I joined the reading circle of my student organisation, and before I joined they had already chosen this book, and we have a meeting to discuss it later in February. I can luckily fit it in the challenge, as a book with an animal in the title, if not in any other category.
I slowed down a bit this week to catch up on some other life things. I'm just not a fan of adulting. :)I finished reading Operator Down from last week - my pick for the "next book in a series" prompt. Loved it.
I also finished listening to Caught. Harlan Coben is a master. So many twists and turns.
Speaking of masters, I also listened to Murder at the Vicarage and Mrs. McGinty's Dead, both by Agatha Christie. There's simply no one like her.
I'm currently working on Iron Gold. If you're a fan of dystopian science fiction and haven't read Pierce Brown's Red Rising series, stop what you're doing and go find it. He is brilliant. Note: this is very violent. Makes The Hunger Games look like kindergarten fare. I've also started reading War Hawk and listening to The Alchemist (a plus of long commutes). And for another challenge, I've started War and Peace that I hope to finish by the end of the year. One chapter down, 364 more to go.
QOTW:
My favorite source for new books coming out is The Real Book Spy - a blogger and reviewer of all things thriller and mystery. If you like authors such as Michael Connelly, Brad Thor, Vince Flynn, Daniel Silva, and Robert Crais, this is the place for you. He's on Twitter at @TheRealBookSpy.
Hello everyone!! I hope the reading is going well. I finished two books last week to put my reading up to 5/50.
Everything, Everything
This book was to complete the prompt for an author that is a different ethnicity than me. I jumped the gun on this one and picked a book that was a little out of my comfort zone. Not necessarily afraid of this type of book but they bore me. A YA romance book was just a waste of my time. I finished it but didn't like it. Very predictable. I had plenty of other titles in my TBR that I could've used for this like Kevin Hart's I Can't Make This Up. Oh well, pressing on.
Night
This book fulfilled the prompt with a book with the time of day in the title. This book was really good. A nonfiction account of the author's time in a concentration camp during World War II. It was very moving and sad. I recommend it.
A Wrinkle in Time
This is the book that I am currently reading and I picked it up because i wanted a refresher before the movie came out. I read this when I was a child and that was many years ago. This is my time travel book and it is so good I bought a copy for my personal library so I can read this to my twins when they are older (they're five months now).
As for the QOTW I like to get my new book alerts from Goodreads mostly. I also will take a gander at the books at Costco usually every time I go there and they have the new ones. I also set up a newsletter from my library that sends me out the NY Times Bestsellers each week.
I finished my fifth book for the challenge - American Sniper: The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in U.S. Military History - today. It's a movie I'd seen before reading the book. Good book, but after reading Rogue Warrior right before it, I'm ready for a break from military books!I haven't started anything else but have West Side Story on my computer cart and am going to wander through the school library in search of a happy book that fits a prompt in a few minutes.
QOTW: I notice new listings on Amazon but am typically way behind "new" in terms of books.
Like many other people have mentioned, this has been a slow reading week for me. I’m only half way through In Cold Blood and it’s been very tough to get through. If my memory serves me right, I believe this is the first time I’ve read a true crime book. I read Breakfast at Tiffany's: A Short Novel and Three Stories last year and have continued enjoying his writing style throughout this book too but it’s hard reading about a tragedy such as this one and knowing this actually happened in real life and isn’t just made up. I find myself pausing and closing the book every so often, but my goal is to finish by the next weekly check in!QOTW:
I find out about books through this challenge and Goodreads in general, word of mouth, instagram and from sites such as: refinery29, manrepeller, popsugar, buzzfeed. My all-time favorite place to find books is going to the Strand Bookstore in NYC. If you’ve never been - go! It’s 4 stories of shelves filled with books! I’ve gone several times since my sister told me about it last summer and I’ve never been able to get past the 2nd floor! The books are Fairly priced and they sell a lot of used books!
Laura wrote: "Evening all,Books Read:
This week i finished Anne of Green Gables (favourite colour prompt) which i really enjoyed - it had me actually laughing at one point.
Then moved on to a disney villains..."
I tried starting the Discworld series with The Color of Magic because I have a friend who loves the series, and of course one starts at the beginning... I found the book very meh because I didn't care about the main character at all for most of the book.
Later, I was told that Men at Arms or Night Watch (which I may read for time of day in the title) are better places to start.
I was a total slacker this week. I dabbled in several books but only finished one.Currently Reading:
Middlemarch
The Great Train Robbery
The Witches of New York
Finished:
Between the World and Me (A book by an author of a different ethnicity than you)
A woman in one of my knitting groups on Facebook recommended it and went so far as to tell people that she would buy a copy for anyone that wanted to read it that couldn't afford it. Y'all, there are thousands of people in that group. She talked about how beautiful and important it was. It was completely out of my box, but I immediately went to the library website and put it on hold. It was un-put-downable. Seriously. So beautiful written. Uncomfortable but not off putting. Eloquent but understable. Completely poetic. I can't say enough good things.
Ellie wrote: "Laura wrote: "Interesting to know that Terry Pratchett wasn't that fond of The Colour of Magic Cendaquenta! I will give a different one ago on your recommendation :). Maybe for an ugly cover prompt..."I always suggest Small Gods to start with when I meet someone who wants to start reading Pratchett. Standalone, very funny, and one of my favorites.
I had a pretty productive week. It helped that one of my challenge groups was holding a read-a-thon, so that was pretty motivating. Here's what I read:- Ignite Me, for a book rated 5 stars by at least one of my friends for the Goodreads Around the Year challenge.
- Octopus: The Ocean's Intelligent Invertebrate for my microhistory for PopSugar
- All the Truth That's in Me for a book told in second-person perspective, for a self-created challenge using my top votes for prompts for the ATY challenge that didn't make the final list
- started reading Noteworthy, also for the ATY challenge
In general, I know my weekly updates have been pretty heavy on other challenges, but I think I did well on PopSugar this month. I read a total of 5 books in the month for this challenge (including two that were quite lengthy), and got rid of some of my least favourite prompts.
QOTW:
I mostly look at Goodreads for updates about upcoming releases, but I also follow a few vlog channels and pay attention to the books they mention as well in my favourite genres.
Funny... I seem to be one of the few Pratchett fans that likes The Color of Magic -- I read it for the 2015 challenge and thought it was great. Then again, it wasn't my first Discworld book -- the first one I ever picked up and read was Moving Pictures.
I finished Get Shorty( a book about an anti-hero). I started out liking it, but found that after I put it down for a while , because life intervened, I had trouble getting back into it. I also had some “book hangover” from reading Cinder, which I really enjoyed. 3/5QotW- I find most of my books through good reads and recs from friends.
I didn't get nearly as much reading done this week as I would have liked, but I did finally finish The Magician's Land. I wasn't planning on counting it for the challenge, but it ended up involving a heist, so I was able to use it for that prompt. I'm staring Keeper for my book about sports. I don't know where it came from exactly, but it's been on my bookshelf forever.What is your favorite source to learn about new books coming out?
I don't usually keep up with brand new books. I get recommendations for not-brand-new books from Goodreads or from wandering around bookstores :)
Completed:One for the challenge:
The Whale Rider by Witi Ihimaera - 7. A book set in a country that fascinates you
And one graphic novel not for the challenge:
The Arrival by Shaun Tan - This book is so gorgeous!
7/52 so far
What is your favorite source to learn about new books coming out?
I get all my book info about upcoming releases and the majority of my TBR from booktube.
Completed this week:Cobalt Blue: A Novel finished 1/27/2018, 4 stars, a book with your favorite color in the title
Every Day finished 1/28/2018, 4 stars, no category
Another Day finished 1/31/2018, 3 stars, no category
Currently reading
White Fur I'm in my 3rd week of reading this. I am not a fan of the book and got stuck 1/3 of the way in, so I paused and read Every Day and Another Day instead. I'm back to reading it now and will power through to finish this weekend. It will fulfill the category a book set in the decade you were born (1980s).
Go I picked this book as my Kindle First option for February. I'm about 20% in and enjoying it so far. I'm not going to use it for the Popsugar Challenge.
What is your favorite source to learn about new books coming out?
Goodreads: The monthly emails of new releases is great, especially since it shows me new books from authors already in my book list.
Book of the Month club: Features 5 new books each month and the selections are really good.
Bookstores/publishers: I'm on the email list for a couple of local bookstores and some book publisher websites that send out information for new releases. I also like just going to the book store to look at the new releases area.
BookBub Blog (via Pinterest): BookBub posts lists of upcoming books that are getting a lot of buzz.
Kenya wrote: "Everyone seems to be reading The Bear and the Nightingale this year! I have it picked out for the "book set in a country that fascinates you" prompt but haven't gotten to it yet... ..."That was one of the books I finished last week. It was a book club read. I liked it quite a bit, but I've come to the conclusion that fairytale retellings and/or Russian (or in this case Russian-inspired) lit just aren't my thing. It's a good thing the writing was so good, or I would have been bored to tears. I used it for the "past Goodreads Choice Awards winner" prompt.
The other book I read last week, Owl Dance, was lots of fun but didn't count for a single prompt here. Fortunately, it counts for other challenges.
QotW: I like going to cons and hearing directly from authors what they have coming out next. Various social media venues are good for this as well, especially as I hang out with a bunch of booksellers and library staff both online and IRL.
Milena wrote: "... Currently Reading:The Bear and the Nightingale ... Is there a glossary? ..."
Not in the audiobook version, but it's in the paperback edition I also had. However, it's in the back, so I had no idea until somebody at book club mentioned it. Grrr.
Fannie wrote: "Bonjour,Still snowing in here and still very cold. We'll see what the groundhog will say tomorrow for the rest of the winter. In here it's alway until mid-March anyway.
I finished [book:The Amul..."
I think in Colorado there's a marmot up in RMNP we consult instead. I wonder what he had to say. Probably the usual: alternating light to moderate snow and warm, sunny days that melt it off, but then there'll be a blizzard at the end of May.
Amber wrote: "... Tara Road by Maeve Binchy for my celebrity book club slot. ..."Oh, my, I have such vivid memories of reading this book. I was still with my 1st husband, we were living in this old Victorian that needed some serious work, and things had been rocky between us for several years. I don't know *how* he knew just where I was in the book, but when he suddenly decided it was time to re-finish the floors, I just totally lost it.
Eujean2 wrote: "... Clover - An adorable novella that answers the question of what happened to Patricia's cat from All the Birds in the Sky ..."Oh! I have to find this! I *loved* AtBitS.
Oh, I just realized that I *can* count Owl Dance for my "book with an animal in the title," as I specifically moved The Bear and the Nightingale to another prompt for that reason. Yay! And I also just realized that I seem to have assigned myself 15 books to read this month. Ack!
I finished three books this week:Alice: The Wanderland Chronicles for a favorite prompt from 2016 - a book based on a fairy tale.
The Scorch Trials
The Joy of Writing Sex: A Guide for Fiction Writers
Currently reading The Stranger Beside Me: Ted Bundy The Shocking Inside Story and hoping to join in on the group discussion.
QotW:
I don't generally seek out new releases. If it's an author I already know I love, then maybe (like The Witchwood Crown, I absolutely had to have it!). But for finding books I want to read, Twitter, blogs and more recently, Goodreads have been very useful.
I finished:The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue - Set in a Country that fascinates you
Serving Crazy with Curry - By an Author with a different Ethnicity to you
Currently reading:
I hate everything about you - I have liked reading books using digital formats so wanted to check it out
Summer at Mount Hope - I was really curious about this because I rather liked The Dressmaker
So my current books are not for the challenge categories.... I just wanted to read them.
QOTW:
I can not say I have a particular way about finding new books. But I also don’t usually buy books just as they have come out. I usually discover new books
I finished:The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue - Set in a Country that fascinates you
Serving Crazy with Curry - By an Author with a different Ethnicity to you
Currently reading:
I hate everything about you - I have liked reading books using digital formats so wanted to check it out
Summer at Mount Hope - I was really curious about this because I rather liked The Dressmaker
So my current books are not for the challenge categories.... I just wanted to read them.
QOTW:
I can not say I have a particular way about finding new books. But I also don’t usually buy books just as they have come out. I usually discover new books
Tania wrote: "Like many other people have mentioned, this has been a slow reading week for me. I’m only half way through In Cold Blood and it’s been very tough to get through. If my memory serves ..."Tania, I too am reading
and have 50 pages to go. I found it scary to see what happened to that innocent family by those disturbed men. I had a difficult time sleeping this past week even though it took place many years ago.
My list is going well, 5 books into the challenge!My main issue now is currently thinking of suggestions for some of the categories. 'Book with song lyrics in the title' is proving particularly challenging :/
Liesl wrote: "My list is going well, 5 books into the challenge!My main issue now is currently thinking of suggestions for some of the categories. 'Book with song lyrics in the title' is proving particularly c..."
Well, it doesn't have to be a prominent lyric from the chorus, just anything that's in the song. Or you could interpret it broadly and use a title that's similar to a song lyric...
I'm being nosy and looking at your want-to-read shelf now, sorry. I'm sure there are plenty songs which use the word "Heartless". Or you could use "Do You Want to Build a Snowman" as the song and read The Snowman. :p Or Who Let the Gods Out? since that's based on a song lyric, even though one word is changed.
Kerry wrote: "Tania wrote: "I’m only half way through In Cold Blood and it’s been very tough to get through. If my ..."I grew up in Kansas, so In Cold Blood was basically required reading in high school English class (I can't remember what year I read it, but it was definitely the late 1980's). It was indeed horrifying to read, especially as a teenager. The book created a lot of controversy about the investigation and about what actually happened. Capote always said it was "immaculately factual" but he made several changes from the initial 4-part story in The New Yorker to the book format. There were also a lot of questions regarding how the KBI handled the investigation. A lot of articles about the book & investigation were written around 5 years ago.
This week I finished Beartown by Fredrik Backman. I am using it for the prompt "set in a country that fascinates you", but I'll still check in on the monthly group read to see what people are saying about it.Now I'm reading Dawn by Elie Wiesel. I read Night for the 2016 reading challenge and I wanted to read this one since then. It fits nicely in the "book with a time of day in the title" prompt. It'll be a quick read, with only 81 pages so I need to figure out what I'm reading next quickly.
QotW:
I usually find out about new releases from Goodreads or Amazon. I'm so excited for the new Kristin Hannah book to come out soon, The Great Alone. And it fits the prompt "set in the decade you were born." Thank you, Amazon, for noticing I liked her books and suggesting it. Recently I was made aware of an upcoming sequel to a Beartown on Litsy. If you are not on Litsy and you love books, you should be. Like Instagram, but for books. AF_AF
Jenn wrote: "Completed:One for the challenge:
The Whale Rider by Witi Ihimaera - 7. A book set in a country that fascinates you
And one graphic novel not for the challenge:
[book:The Arrival|920..."
I loved the Arrival!
I had a really good reading week last week. I participated in the 24in48 reading challenge over the weekend which really helped get my book count up.Dunkirk: A Miracle of Deliverance Advanced #8 A Microhistory. This was a Kindle Unlimited suggestion that I picked up. I finished it Thursday and it was a really quick read about one event in World War II.
P.S. I Miss You #12 LGBQT+ protagonist This was an epistolary which I normally really love. This one fell a little short for me - I didn't feel like the other characters in Evie's life were well-developed and had their unique personalities and voice. I also found some of the characters too cliche, rather than real and honest. It was very contrived. This is a young adult book and could be an excellent jumping off point to talk to teens about sexuality but while I don't have a broad experience in this genre, there's got to better options. This book could also count as one that deals with grief.
Jack Staples and the Ring of Time I'm not sure where I'll fill this in. I could count for a book with time travel or one with an ugly cover (personal taste...not my favorite). This middle grade book took some getting into to but by the end I am wanting to find out what happens next for Jack and his friends.
Unwanted #5 Nordic Noir. This wasn't the most graphic thriller I've read but it was definitely creepy and a very good read. It's the first in a series and one I'll definitely be looking for more of.
The Brontë Plot I'm not sure if this fits anywhere on the PopSugar list. Are we supposed to post books we read that don't fit? Not sure of the rules. It was a good read - I expected something fairly light-hearted from the cover but it actually delved a little deeper. Vintage books figure in to the story quite a bit so it could fit there I guess.
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society Advanced #5 Vegetable in the Title. What a delightful book this was! Another epistolary and this one is really well done and what I expect from this style. I received this years ago as a gift and can't believe I waited this long to read it.
Snow Day #24 Weather Element in the Title. This is a debut book and is an absolute gem! It takes place in one day and is full of Godly truth and encouragement.
The Woman at 72 Derry Lane #10 Death or Grief. This book explores how the Christmas tsunami in Thailand in 2004 affected two women and how fate drew them together to heal. It also deals with spousal abuse and mental health so it could hit many prompts, maybe even the one set at sea since it factors so much into the story. Beautifully told, at times hopeless but ultimately ends with healing and love and hope.
Keeping up with the newest releases isn't that big of a deal to me. I add books to my TBR that I come across either from BookTube or Goodreads suggestions or what I see in my feed.
Last week I finally managed to finish some books for the challenge :D At one point I was reading 6 books at once - which is a lot, even for me (I usually read at least 3 at once).I finished:
Living a Feminist Life for the feminism prompt (some parts were really enlightening but it was a rather slow and exhausting read)
Bad Feminist: Essays (by an author of a different ethnicity - really enjoyed this one)
Their Fractured Light (a book set on a different planet)
Currently reading: A Little Life - This book is taking me forever to finish. I rather liked it at first but I am at 80% now and just want it to end. The characters are making it really hard for me to feel bad for them and it could easily be 300 pages shorter...
QotW:
I mainly keep up with new releases via social media (Twitter & some booktubers) but I also like to browse anticipated/best books of X on Goodreads.
Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge
Books mentioned in this topic
No Country for Old Men (other topics)When the Moon is Low (other topics)
A Princess of Mars (other topics)
The Color Purple (other topics)
She’s Come Undone (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Nadia Hashimi (other topics)Allie Brosh (other topics)
Madeleine L'Engle (other topics)
Jane Corry (other topics)
Fredrik Backman (other topics)
More...
5/50
FINISHED:
The Pillars of the Earth - I've heard of this book for years but did not know anything about it. A friend thought I would love it, so I put it on my read list for this year. It was a great book. I will read the next two books in the series during 2018.
The Keeper of Lost Causes for Nordic Noir prompt. I'm not a fun of Nordic Noir, too dark for me. HOWEVER, I enjoyed this story. I'll probably read the next book in this series at some point.
The Castaway's War: One Man's Battle against Imperial Japan - I don't have a prompt for this one, but I think I'll find one that it will fit. I just need to think about it. This was a good not great book. It is a quick read about an American man who was stranded on an island in Japanese territory for 40+ days during WWII.
Astrophysics for People in a Hurry - ...just no...
CURRENTLY READING:
Still reading The Real History Behind the Templars - This really is a good book. It's my bedtime read, so it is taken too long to read it since I don't get much time for it. It's fun to read what this author has to say about people that were also in The Pillars of the Earth.
The Marriage of Opposites - This has been great so far., It has been interesting to read about what St. Thomas was like 200+ years ago and the story is interesting. It is about the mother of the artist Camille Pissarro.
The Magnolia Story - This is just for fun, but it has been surprisingly good so far.
QOTW: I look at the tables an end caps at the library. I wander through tables and shelves at the bookstore, and looks at Goodreads.