Week 12: 3/16 - 3/22

[Fannie]

Hello from still not spring enough Montréal. I saw the snowstorm from New-York and since we didn't have that one, I can't complain.

I finished 2 books this week:

Timeline for the time travel prompt. It started out at 4 stars then drop to 2 stars so I gave it three. Some parts were fun enough, but many times it felt like an old Batman on TV (Zap - Bang -Paf).

Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore for the book set it a library. That one was good. I read some less than glowing reviews but it worked for me.

I don't know what will be my next read but I have out from the library I Capture the Castle and Gut: The Inside Story of Our Body’s Most Underrated Organ.

QOTW: I love reading books that are set in Montréal. I recognize all the landmark, the specificity of language.

[Naina]

Currently Reading
My Dead Parents: A Memoir -- book about death/grief. Still working through this ARC that I received from FirstToRead. I'm nearly done (about 20 or so pages left), but I've been taking my time. It's been a very interesting read, but because it involves such a heavy topic, I've been putting it down more frequently than I would have if, perhaps, the story was fictional. It follows the author, Anya Yurchyshyn, after her mother's death. Her father had passed away several years before, but had been emotionally abusive towards Anya during his life. Her mother more or less drank herself to death, and the author never felt like she truly "knew" her parents. However, as she is going through her mother's belongings, she finds photographs and love letters between her parents that introduce her to a new side of their personalities. It's interesting to think about how much we don't know about our parents' lives before we were born and how much being parents can change people. This has been a very thought-provoking read for me, and I highly recommend to all.

Challenge Progress
I'm currently at 14/52 (11/52, 3/10) for the challenge.

QOTW
I have lived the vast majority of my life in the D.C. area, and I do think it's interesting to read books set here. Not necessarily political books, but others as well.

[Christy]

Hello everyone!
I finished two, almost three, books this week, which is a lot for me.
Read
Tempests and Slaughter (weather element) I just love Tamora Pierce, and it was so fun and nostalgic for me to read her new book. I was hardly in a critical mindset, so I have no idea if other people will enjoy it, but I had a wonderful time reading it.
Frankenstein in Baghdad (villain/antihero) I also really enjoyed this book, but in a completely different way. It's such an interesting way to approach American-occupied Baghdad and the crushing everydayness of death there. I love it when genre fiction tropes are used to make the reader see things with new eyes.
Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic (stage play/musical; will finish it today) I'm loving this one as well! I find it so immersive I almost missed my train stop yesterday. I love the drawings in particular; you can see the facial similarities in her father at different ages, including 2 years old. I also like all the literary comparisons.

Paused
Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America was due at the library and wouldn't let me renew, so I have to wait until I can get it again.

Starting Tonight
War's Unwomanly Face I'm excited about this one, because I enjoy Svetlana Alexievich's writing style.

QOTW: I'm trying to read as many books as possible from other countries/ethnicities/life experiences than mine, so I haven't read many local authors recently. I do keep intending to read some Joan Didion, though. Soon!

[Susanna]

Christy wrote: "Hello everyone!
I finished two, almost three, books this week, which is a lot for me.
Read
Tempests and Slaughter (weather element) I just love Tamora Pierce, and it was so fun and..."

Yes, another Tamora Pierce fan! I was a bit skeptical of The Numair Chronicles, but ended up LOVING Tempests and Slaughter. She really expanded magic and magic theory, it was fascinating!

[Eujean2]

Jenn wrote: "I'm sure there are a few books set in Toronto, but the only ones I've read and can think of are the Scott Pilgrim series. It is neat to see places you know referenced, but I think I prefer to escape to other places through books."

Are the Maureen Jennings "Detective Murdoch" books set in Toronto? Because Murdoch Mysteries, the tv series based off of them, certainly is.
I've been watching a lot of it and kind of want to visit turn of the century Toronto, but only if I can hang out with Constable Crabtree.

[Eujean2]

It’s been rainy here in San Francisco, though those of you living with snow storms would laugh at our weather. More than usual it has me daydreaming of curling up in bed with the kittens & reading.

I know March isn’t even over yet, but I’ve been stressing out about being able to finish all the books on my list for 2018. I know it’s silly as I am actually on-track with reading. Plus, I am doing this FOR FUN. It’s a challenge to get me reading more. It’s about the process, not the product. Some days I just need to remember why I am here. Does anyone else have this problem?

Finished:
The Black Tides of Heaven - (#30: twins) I loved the world building and the characters in this book. I am definitely reading the second one.

Wild Beauty - (AtY: secret) The book was delightful. It is about a family of women who use magic to grow flowers. (That description doesn’t do the book justice.) I felt like I was in a beautiful garden while I was reading. I am eager to check out more books by Anna-Marie McLemore

She Persisted: 13 American Women Who Changed the World - (no prompt) Just a fun picture book in honor of Women’s History Month. I loved the illustrations.

The Big Feminist BUT: Comics about Women, Men, and the IFs, ANDs & BUTs of Feminism - (AtY & Read Harder prompts) I love these challenges because they get me to read some great books that have been sitting on my shelves for way too long. This is another great one for WHM – a collection of comics about feminism, all of which were very strong. It gave a nice sampling of a range of thoughts about feminism.

A Right to Be Hostile: The Boondocks Treasury – (AtY: make you laugh) A hold over from Black History Month and a fun read. Since the book is a collection of comics from the papers, it was a little like reading a time capsule.

Fire Starters – (no prompt, yet) My school library does a monthly list of what is new and this “own voices” comic that takes place on a reservation caught my eye.

12/42 for books, 9/42 for comics, & 4/10 for extended

Currently Reading:
The Thrilling Adventures of Lovelace and Babbage: The (Mostly) True Story of the First Computer – I didn’t expect such lengthy footnotes in a comic! I can’t read this if I am sleepy. But I am enjoying it.

Mine!: A Comics Collection to Benefit Planned Parenthood – I kickstarted this book. It is another one where I am taking my time as it is pretty dense. Though it is a great fit for Women's History Month.

We Are Never Meeting In Real Life – I was hooked on the first page where her bachelorette application lists her age as “35ish (but I could easily pass for forth-five to fifty-two, easily; sixtysomething if I stay up all night)”. Some stories are more humorous, some more heartbreaking, but all very honest. I am flying through this one.

The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America – I try not to have too many books on the go, but I happened to start reading the intro when I was waiting for my ride share to arrive and was so interested that I went and borrowed a copy from the school library when I got to work. Now have a copy at home and a copy at work. This seems crazy to me because typically I am so hesitant to read any (non-memoir) non-fiction. Hopefully the rest of the book stays this engaging.

QotW:
I may be one of those annoying people who loves their hometown a little too much. I am a born & raised San Franciscan who now lives in the downstairs flat of my family home. My last two jobs are at places whose names include “San Francisco” and my living room is decorated with artistic versions of San Francisco maps. It’s kind of gross. But it is not surprising that I love reading books that take place in San Francisco. (They are typically much more fun than movies that take place here, but completely disregard local geography.) I recently started a list on GR with San Francisco books. In case anyone was wondering (& you probably weren’t) my favorite recommendation for folks newly moved to this area is Tales of the City. It started out as a regular column in the newspaper and is filled with quirky San Francisco personalities. It is the only kind of soap opera I actually enjoy. Currently I am waiting, not so patiently, for the next October Daye (starts with Rosemary and Rue) and Heroine Complex books. It makes me feel better to know that my city is full of fae and protected by kickass female superheroes.

[Siri]

Hi from Bergen, Norway!

QotW:
I love reading books from my hometown! You can "visit" us in The Storm Sister

[Nikki]

Hi from Iowa, United States where the weather switches between Winter and Spring with the blink of an eye.

This is my first check in on this group as I only joined this week. But, I have completed 3 books this week.

1. Without You There is No Us by Suki Kim (#7 - set in a country that fascinates you)

2. The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle (#29 - a childhood classic you've never read)

3. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L'Engle (#1 - a book made into a movie you've already seen)

That takes me to 12 completed on the challenge so far. After a slow-reading February and early March thanks to the flu running through my family, I'm getting back on track.

QOTW: If it is a good story, I will read a book set anywhere but I don't typically seek out books set in the area where I was born or where I currently live.

[Christy]

Susanna wrote: "Christy wrote: "Hello everyone!
I finished two, almost three, books this week, which is a lot for me.
Read
Tempests and Slaughter (weather element) I just love Tamora Pierce, and i..."

Yay Tamora Pierce love! I generally am great with critical readings and fine if people don't like the books/authors I enjoy, but with Tamora Pierce the best I can manage is a stiff, "Agree to disagree." I was a bit nervous that the shine wouldn't be as great now as when I was a child, but no worries there. Still so shiny. Now to wait for the next book to get written... sigh.

[Carmen]

Eujean2 wrote: "I know March isn’t even over yet, but I’ve been stressing out about being able to finish all the books on my list for 2018. I know it’s silly as I am actually on-track with reading. Plus, I am doing this FOR FUN. It’s a challenge to get me reading more. It’s about the process, not the product. Some days I just need to remember why I am here. Does anyone else have this problem?"

I doooo! It's so frustrating! And then I feel better when I've been reading a lot, but then it gets worse when I read stuff not for any of my challenges. It's a struggle haha!

[Jess]

Hey guys. Terrible day today. Husband's car and our garage got broken into today. Really frustrating not being able to feel safe in your own home. Anyway any distraction is a good distraction.

14/52

Completed

48. Allegory

27. Set on a different planet

Currently Reading

Audiobook



I was doing very well on the challenge but now I'm starting to fade out. Gotta keep up.

Hope everyone has a fantastic week.

[Trish]

I feel so bad for my friends in New Jersey and family in Pennsylvania who have been getting so much snow while in Texas it's warmed up quite a bit! I'm happy for the good weather, but also sad this winter was so disappointing. I can't wait to move somewhere with some more difference between the seasons!

I've been really busy and haven't really read a lot lately. White Teeth is so good, but it's hard to have been zipping through shorter books and then slam into a much longer book. All I'm hoping for is to finish it by the end of the month!

Finished:
- The Tales of Beedle the Bard

Currently:
- White Teeth (book with twins)

QOTW:
I'm from Kansas and I think I've only read two books from there before (In Cold Blood and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz). I now live in Texas and have also only read one book that takes place here (All the Pretty Horses), which I had read in Kansas. They're both kind of uneventful places which is probably why I haven't heard of a lot of books with a setting in either state haha. I would love to read more of Kansas for nostalgia, but I'll probably pass on Texas except for two reading challenge books I have ready I know that will take place in Texas. I love reading about other places and Texas isn't really "home" enough to be drawn to it.

[Sheri]

Hi Everyone!

Michigan seems to finally settle down and maybe, possibly, consider the fact that spring MIGHT happen. Some day. It's sunny, but still colder than I like. Still no crocuses in sight, usually they're in bloom by now.

Didn't get much read this week in terms of actual books. I went on a comics binge and ALMOST cleared my ipad of backlogged comics. of the ones I keep in comic zeal. Not comixology. or kindle. still, progress! I don't like to put in individual issues, so Aquaman, Volume 1: The Trench is the only one that really counts towards my reading totals. Everything else was catching up on ongoing series. I add them once they're in a trade.

So I finished The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks which will be my microhistory. It was really good, if sad and anger-inducing. I know the medical industry is important for obvious reasons, and a lot of good comes out of it, but man are there a lot of shady practices that still exist today.

This puts me at 25/50 so halfway, woo!

Up next is Palimpsest, no idea if it'll count for anything yet.

QOTW:

I live in the suburbs of Michigan, not much is set there. Sometimes there's books set in Detroit, I enjoy it it if it's obviously written by someone who visited/lives there. I get annoyed if they just picked a random location and obviously have no idea what Detroit is like. Or Michigan weather. I read a book last year set in Detroit and it mentioned some teenagers dressing for a party in typical party clothes...to an outdoor party..in November. Not one word was mentioned of being cold, the annoyance of covering their cute clothes with bulky winter wear, it either being unseasonably warm for November or how dumb it was to have an outdoor party in that weather etc. I also get annoyed when shows are set in "Michigan" but are clearly not filmed there. The OA on Netflix claimed to be in Michigan, but there were mountains. There's a few ski hills in Michigan, and one small range up in the UP, but none in suburbia, that make a rolling skyline.

[Lois]

Hello from Portland, Oregon. We're into our usual spring with occasional sunshine but mostly damp and cool.

I finished two books this week for this challenge:

Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore for #8 time of day in the title. I loved this book, though it was not the cozy I was expecting, just going by the title. It was dark, tragic and scary in places, but also full of plot twists, books, and memorable characters.

White Rage: The Unspoken Truth of Our Racial Divide for #49 a book about a problem facing society today. This is a fairly short book, but it is packed with details of racism and oppression of black Americans, from the Civil War era and Reconstruction, up to modern times.

Question of the Week
I love finding the occasional book set in Oregon. Molly Gloss is a favorite Oregon author. Alafair Burke set one of her series in Portland. Greg Rucka's Stumptown series is also set in Portland. Just a few examples.

[Anabell]

I keep starting new books and not finishing any so my goal this week was to finish some which I did but I also started some new ones. So my goal for next week will be to finish some of those. I am now at 22/52.

Finished:
A book about a problem facing society: American Kingpin: The Epic Hunt for the Criminal Mastermind Behind the Silk Road Really liked this book.

A book about death or grief: Surrender to the Highlander needed something really light and easy to listen to. It did the job.

Currently reading:
A Woman's Place Is at the Top: A Biography of Annie Smith Peck, Queen of the Climbers
Women Who Run with the Wolves
Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch
The Taming of the Shrew
Always

I have so many library books waiting for me to read so really need to get a move on and get some reading done.

QOTW: I don't read anything that takes place where I live. I prefer to 'travel' to other places when I am reading. Besides most books that takes place in Copenhagen is either Nordic Noir or biografi which I really don't likle reading. The only book I read which took place where I live is a true crime book about a man called 'Amager manden' (Amager is the island I live on) he murdered and raped for over 25 years and wasn't caught until a few years ago as he would go for years without doing anything and then never using the same way or method. Turned out he worked at the football/soccer club I used to train in. Everybody was chocked when it came out that he was the one.

I do like to read books that take place where I have traveled to or am going to travel to in the near future...

[Jenn]

Eujean2 wrote: "Are the Maureen Jennings "Detective Murdoch" books set in Toronto? Because Murdoch Mysteries, the tv series based off of them, certainly is."

Looks like they are. I've never actually seen the show or read the books, but I think I'm going to stick the first one on my tbr shelf and check them out!

[Chrissy]

This week, I finished 2:
My Brilliant Friend as my longish-term commute audiobook, which I slotted into "a book about a country that fascinates me" (Italy). I don't quite get all the praise this has gotten - I'm not sure I'll continue reading the series. It reminded me a bit of a Neapolitan version of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (which I love!) in tone and setting. Also in the sense that not a whole lot happens, but while that didn't bother me about ATGiB, this one dragged for me.

Future Home of the Living God, which was my AtY book for last week, a literary fiction. It was pretty different from the other Louise Erdrich I've read, and I liked it a lot but found the end kind of abrupt and definitely depressing.

Hopefully I can get back on track to finish my list for the month, but it isn't looking good! Somehow my reading speed took a nosedive after the clock "sprung forward".

QOTW: I agree with one of the first posters that I really enjoy reading about new places and cultures, but I still am really tickled when a book setting is hyper local and written by someone who has a deep knowledge of the place. For example, in All the Birds in the Sky, the main character was just a few blocks from my house at one point!

[Sarah]

Hi everyone. It is finally brightening up here after all the snow we've had recently.

This week I finished The Invisible Library. This was a light and fluffy fun book, just what I needed after a few DNFs. I was a little surprised because I hated the steampunk books I tried last year but this was enjoyable. Maybe because the steampunk aspects weren't shoved in your face every other sentence.

Currently reading: The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet. I am really loving this so far. Each of the crew are well rounded, fully formed characters, each with their own plot line. It sort of reminds me of Firefly minus guns plus aliens. I have almost finished the book and there is a lot of story still not told so I am hoping my library has the sequel.

QOTW: I live in an ex-mining town in Yorkshire so not much mention of the actual town where I live in literature. I have noticed the nearest city, Sheffield mentioned in a few classics; Lady Chatterley's Lover and North and South but neither actually set there.

I did an internship in Orlando so I did quite enjoy some of the local references in Paper Towns when I read it.

[Theresa]

Greetings from a very wet NYC! yes, we had snow yesterday - very wet and very slushy and today just about all gone on sidewalks and streets. At least we got snow with this nor'easter rather than just wind and rain! While I worked from home, I did have to go out as I had theater tickets. Saw an excellent semi-staged production of the musical Grand Hotel as part of City Center's Encores! series. BTW, if anyone looking for a book turned into a stage play or musical - try Grand Hotel - it's short and wonderful!

I have one finish this week:
Strangers on a Train - my book of a movie I've already seen. LOVED it! Give it a very high rating! It's quite different from the movie, in many respects, and I think in the end I like the book much better. However, Hitchcock's vision - and visuals in the movie - did add a layer to my reading experience. Oh, and it was also made into a stage play at some point so it fits that prompt as well.

That brings me to 16/50 - 15/40 and 1/10.

Currently reading:
The Travelers - this was a library hold that finally popped up and at first wasn't sure it fit any prompt but then I discovered that the author resides in NYC - bingo - my book by a local author. This is an espionage thriller about an international travel magazine writer who gets blackmailed into becoming a spy and suddenly everything and everyone around him starts to unravel. I'm enjoying it.

Also sitting on the nightstand and demanding attention:
A Wrinkle in Time - my book set on another planet
The Phantom Tollbooth - my allegory
Proust and the Squid: The Story and Science of the Reading Brain - my book with an animal in the title - and the only non-fiction read I have going.

And in ebook I have another library loan - The Girl in the Tower but have a couple weeks to read it. That probably won't be a challenge read.

QOTW: I live in NYC - we are awash with local authors. In fact, several books I have read or am planning to read are by local authors. Now, if I had to read a book by an author from my hometown ... that would be very difficult as I grew up in a very small rural town. Local authors are practically non-existent from Owego, NY.

[Julie]

Hi everyone!

This week I finished two books, bringing me to 23/50.

Luna I read for a book by an author who has the same first or last name as you (Julie Anne Peters). This one was a fictional portrayal of a transgender child's struggles growing up, as seen through the eyes of his sister. I really loved it. It tackled important issues without feeling too heavy, and was such an engrossing story I finished it in less than 24 hours.

The Night Circus as a book with a time of day in the title. I thought this one was truly amazing. The level of detail and the mystery sucked me in from the beginning. It's rare that I re-read books, but I almost want to turn around and re-read this right away. I would have given it more than five stars if I could.

In progress:
Not sure. I still have to finish the audio of My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry, which I say I'm going to do every week and then don't. I'm not sure which physical book I'm going to start next, though.

QOTW: Yes, I love reading books set in my hometown, although I don't typically seek out books for that reason. Honestly, though, of all the places I've lived, I really haven't read many books set there. I was born in Boca Raton, FL, grew up in a teeny town in upstate NY, and now live in Phoenix. I know The Legend of Sleepy Hollow was set in the Hudson Valley, and Twilight (eye roll) is partially set in Phoenix. But I can't remember any others.. although I'm pretty sure there I've read more that I just can't think of. Oh, Rubyfruit Jungle does at least partially take place in FL near where I was born.

[Theresa]

Actually I realize I misread the QOTW. It has been a crazy work week again and my multitasking skills are suffering!

I love reading books set in NYC just as much as ones set elsewhere. It particularly pleases me when the book catches the 'essence' of N.Y. as I know it or as it was in another era. I also love reading books set anywhere on New York State.

[Lois]

Jenn wrote: "Eujean2 wrote: "Are the Maureen Jennings "Detective Murdoch" books set in Toronto? Because Murdoch Mysteries, the tv series based off of them, certainly is."

Looks like they are. I've never actual..."

Yes, set in Victorian era Toronto. I'm a fan of the TV series, though have not read the books.

[SadieReadsAgain]

I'm simultaneously struggling with both coming to terms with it only being four weeks before I go back to work from maternity leave, and trying to do some assignments for my MSc. Reading is my safe place.

I'm at 10/50 now, one book finished this week - Slaughterhouse-Five for prompt #23 time travel. I can't say I loved this, but it got to me. I liked the pace and tone of it. I far preferred the war stories to the time travel or alien abduction parts, and it makes a powerful anti-war statement. I loved the characters, very vivid and even though I didn't like a single one of them I enjoyed how their stories played out.


Do you like to read books set in the area that you live (or have lived)?

I love it! I've never read one set in my immediate stomping ground (around Loch Lomond and Clyde, in case anyone has suggestions), but Glasgow, Edinburgh or Scotland in general always sell a book to me. I like seeing these places through someone else's eyes, and seeing if we share a vision or not. I read a lot of American fiction (not intentionally but that's just the way it's gone), and so when I read a Scottish book it's always exciting for me. I lived in England as a child, but I've never come across books set where I lived (Gravesend in Kent, and in a village called Woldingham in Surrey, on the off chance!).

[Ashley]

Happy Thursday! I missed checking in last week, so I have included that update as well.

Read last week:
The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue ★★★★ (12. A book with an LGBTQ+ protagonist)
The BFG ★★ (17. A book you borrowed or that was given to you as a gift
Adulthood Is a Myth ★★★★★ (35. A past Goodreads Choice Awards winner)

Read this week:
Fantastic Mr Fox (Colour Edn) ★★★★ (4. A book involving a heist)
Odd and the Frost Giants ★★★★ (4A. A book tied to your ancestry)
Children of Blood and Bone ★★★★★ (9A. A book about a problem facing society today)

If there’s only one book I could recommend in the entire year, it would be Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

QotW:
I really enjoy reading books by Minnesota authors! I do not enjoy reading books about the Upper Midwest by an author who has never set foot in the area however... The most recent book I’ve read by a Minnesota author was a children’s fantasy book called The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill ★★★★★

[Larissa]

It is a lovely very wet spring day in Oregon.
I didn't check in last week because we were on a mini-vacation/conference and I made no progress whatsoever so here I am- making some small progress.

Finished:
Afternoon of the Elves (a book with the time of day in the title and for my Newbery Challenge) I had to double up this time and it is also a reread for me. I was wondering if my first thoughts on this book were the same as when I read it as a child. They have pretty much stayed the same except maybe it makes me even sadder.
How to Be a Villain: Evil Laughs, Secret Lairs, Master Plans, and More!!! (a book about a villain?) technically maybe not "about" a villain but that is where I am counting this book. I needed a short funny read and this fit the bill.

Currently:
Hero Tales: A Family Treasury of True Stories from the Lives of Christian Heroes (read aloud)- I don't know when we will get back to this one. One of children has been a little rebellious during read aloud time so it has been hard to get back into it recently.
Who Needs Theology?: An Invitation to the Study of God (reading for Lent and could count for 2 author prompt)- I thought I would have more time but have only read it sporadically at best.
The Handmaid's Tale (feminism and March Group read)- boy have I been slogging my way through this one! Since my routine was interrupted because I usually listen to this one during my walking times and I haven't felt the interest of coming back to it and haven't hit the gym lately. I don't want to say I don't like the book it just isn't riveting enough for me to want to listen to right now.
The Chance (brought to read on vacation and I don't think it fits any prompts)- This was just for some light reading but not sure if I will have time to finish it.
Bad Girls of the Bible: And What We Can Learn from Them (I can't stop myself)
Baby-sitters' Fright Night (reading with my daughter)

So I seriously need to stop adding more books on so I can keep track, but it is just so hard!

Progress: 12/40 & 0/10

QoTW:
No, I don't read many books that take place in my area because they usually just take place in Portland and not in my smallish town. I read for more escape though I do like when Robin Jones Gunn refers to smaller town Oregon places that I know.

[Rachel]

Very, very slow week for me.

- Finished The Silkworm (which took me 5 days!!) for my book by a female author who uses a male pseudonym
- Finished Brown Girl Dreaming for my Pulitzer Prize or National Book Award winner for the Modern Mrs. Darcy 2017 challenge
- Finished Tales from Gombe for my book about nature for Book Riot

And today, I'm planning on starting To All the Boys I've Loved Before.

QOTW:
Not at all! I'm Canadian, and I tend not to like Canadian books in general when they feel the need to constantly point out that they are set in Canada. I just don't find it a particularly interesting setting, nor do I feel any special connection to books that are set near me.

[Biblio-Bound]

I didn't read a lot this week, I have been sick and my youngest is also sick.... WHERE IS SPRING!!!

Finished
On the Road - I'm sorry for everyone that likes this. but I HATE it. It was his journal of how he lived a year or two of his life and it wasn't exciting at all. and the end... Just what!! 2 stars.

Currently reading
The Door to January - well the first 5 pages are okay so far :)
The Cruel Prince - Loving this already!! Holly Black is my girl!

QOTW
I guess it's a little exciting if it just pops up in a book. I live in Maine so Stephen King has a ton but nothing that I know of in my hometown.

[poshpenny]

UGH work has been weird and I forgot it was Thursday! Post now, catch up after.

25/50
Halftime!

Delusions Of Gender: The Real Science Behind Sex Differences- finished for book mentioned in another book.

Mr. Lemoncello's Library Olympics - had been on hold when I dropped everything for Black History Month.

Maisie Dobbs - I'm using this for mental health, because that prompt terrifies me for self-preservation reasons, and there was a major bit about PTSD in here.

Book Scavenger - Fun book. I love a puzzle adventure! (Yes, I thought The Da Vinci Code was fun too.)

Old Man's War - I used to think I didn't like reading spacey sci-fi, but I sure do enjoy listening to John Scalzi books.


Currently Reading:
The Silkworm - listening for male pseudonym

March: Book One - YAY

From Here to Eternity: Traveling the World to Find the Good Death - is in my bag

QOTW:
I do. I don't know if I've tried to seek one out on my own, but if I read a book that happens to be set in/near a place I have lived, it adds a layer. Also fun with places I've visited.

I do intend, when the weather is a bit warmer, to read my local author book while sitting in the place where it is set. That should be fun.

[Ali]

Here, it's also spring with a side of 6 inches of snow! I'm hoping that eventually the sun and warm weather will return.

This week I finished 5 books, although 2 were poetry collections and were very short. Only 2 of them counted for the challenge.

An Extraordinary Union by Alyssa Cole. This was quite a good historical romance, and I really liked Cole's writing. Looking forward to reading more from her!

The Princess Saves Herself in this One by Amanda Lovelace. I was not a fan of this poetry collection.

The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory. This was such a fun and sweet contemporary romance novel. It came out in January, and therefore counted as my book published in 2018.

Teaching My Mother How to Give Birth by Warsan Shire. I really enjoyed this poetry collection. Shire is a gifted writer and has some really striking imagery in this.

Ash by Malinda Lo. I used this as my book with an LGBTQ+ protagonist. There isn't really a discussion of sexuality in the book, but the main character does develop feelings for another woman, so I thought it would suit this well. It was an interesting take on a Cinderella retelling, and I liked it!

I'm still working my through the North and South audiobook. I have about 10 hours left, so I might be able to crank through it this weekend while I do some errands. I'm gonna try and finish a bunch of my library books in the next week since some are due soon.

QOTW: I've read books set in Pittsburgh before and I don't mind it! It really just depends on the book for me. It's funny to get local references the way you know other readers won't appreciate it. I adore The Perks of Being a Wallflower, but I hated Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, so it's a mixed bag! The weirdest part for me was (spoilersish for Me, Earl, and the Dying Girl) that the end reveals the whole book was written as an essay for an admissions counselor at the University of Pittsburgh. That's where I attended undergrad, and I worked in the office of admissions. So hit a little too close to home and felt very weird to me, especially since by the end I realized I hadn't enjoyed the book at all, so it was all very surreal.

[Cornerofmadness]

Eujean2 wrote: "Jenn wrote: "I'm sure there are a few books set in Toronto, but the only ones I've read and can think of are the Scott Pilgrim series. It is neat to see places you know referenced, but I think I pr..."

I think the Murdoch books are set in Toronto but I've only read one. The first book at least is pretty radically different from the show but I enjoyed them both.

[poshpenny]

Lauren wrote: "Call Me by Your Name (prompt 36) - yikes... I wonder if the peach scene was in the movie... :/"

When I was selecting nominee-themed snacks for our Oscar party, I made sure to get some peaches!


Jacqueline wrote: "Hadn't heard of Squirrel Girl before I joined Goodreads at the end of last year and I am glad I did."

My only knowledge of Squirrel Girl is that John Barrowman cosplayed her at Comic-Con

[Cendaquenta]

Evening! Another week by. Profoundly uneventful for me, apart from discovering a charming secondhand bookshop and getting a respectable haul there.
Apparently it's spring now, although the weather hasn't got the memo - we've just had more snow and rain.

3 books completed this week, no Popsugar prompts fulfilled.

The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock - Gorgeous historical fiction, highly enjoyed though it's a bit slow. Really starting to get into this genre, especially when it mixes with fantasy a bit.

Sophia: Princess, Suffragette, Revolutionary - Whyyy had I let this sit untouched on my Kindle since 2016?! Such a fascinating book. Much more than a biography, too - it discusses Indian history and politics, the suffrage movement, both World Wars, etc., etc. I learned so much I can't believe I never knew before, information that should be widely known.

My my, the suffragettes were some bunch, weren't they...

Black Venus - Left this unrated. Very mixed feelings. Angela Carter writes beautifully but I'm just not comfortable with the explicit content in most of her stories.

Next up I'll be reading Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's We Should All Be Feminists and Dear Ijeawele, or a Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions.

QOTW: Not particularly. I've rarely come across a good literary portrayal of Scotland - more often it's either overly stereotypical ("och aye whiskey haggis Braveheart Nessie sheep!") or the setting is so poorly conveyed that there's almost no point setting it here at all. (Sometimes both.)
Granted, one of my favourite books is The Wee Free Men which contains the most "och aye!" characters to grace a printed page and I love them...

I do like to read books set in places I've holidayed to, though, or where relatives live.

poshpenny wrote: "My only knowledge of Squirrel Girl is that John Barrowman cosplayed her at Comic-Con"

...
i love john barrowman even more now

[Hayjay315]

I've only finished one book for this check in period but I'm on a mini Spring Break this weekend as I took tomorrow off work so am hoping to get some extra reading time in.

Book Finished:
Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne for the classic travel/journey narrative category for Back to the Classics challenge and the book of genre fiction in translation category for Read Harder. Surprisingly, this was my first time reading anything by Verne and it definitely won't be my last! I got so swept up in the characters and adventure that I focused on this book and while I was reading a few others only finished this one!

Currently Reading:
Radiance and Sea of Glory: America's Voyage of Discovery, the U.S. Exploring Expedition, 1838-1842 which are both for this challenge and cover the book set on another planet and book set at sea prompts.

QOTW:
I perused through my TBR and there are a few books listed that take place in the Twin Cities and surrounding rural areas including Lab Girl, I Go to America: Swedish American Women and the Life of Mina Anderson and Marcel's Letters: A Font and the Search for One Man's Fate. I'm definitely open to discovering more books set in the area I live as this has not been a focus area of my reading and with the history of the Twin Cities and famous individuals that have come from here have no doubt that with some digging I'll find some other interesting books to keep that TBR growing!

[Jacqueline]

I love John Barrowman :) He definitely knows who buys his bread and butter and he knows how to keep his fans happy. And how to keep his brand alive. His Squirrel Girl costume was pretty cool.

[Carmen]

@Sarah; you live near Loch Lomond?? I love it! Visiting is on my bucket list and I may just listen to John Barrowman sing 'Loch Lomond' on repeat and cry my eyes out for some much needed unloading haha

@poshpenny; YOU SPEAK MY LANGUAGE. PEACHES. JOHN BARROWMAN. (wasn't his Squirrel Girl just amazing??? This dork! -it's all I know about her too btw haha) Sorry- it's 3:15am and I get overexcited xD

[Carmen]

@Hayjay315 Oohhh that sounds like a great book for the Back to the Classics challenge! I didn't know what to put for that prompt so I put down a reread of The Hobbit before I finally start LOTR, but I like this much better!

[Jacqueline]

If you haven't heard of her before girls then read The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl: Squirrel Meets World and introduce yourself to her. Doreen Green. 14 years old and as strong and as good as any Avenger. In fact she beat Thanos in the comics. Which is something the rest of them seem to be having trouble with I'm the new movie due out next month.

[Cendaquenta]

you guys really need to check out the Squirrel Girl comics, just sayin'

It's like if Marvel made a tongue-in-cheek parody fancomic of itself. But it's also sincere and cute and has talking squirrels and Loki.

[Bridget]

Just finished(10 minutes ago!) The Midwives Confession by Diane Chamberlain
I also read my womens studies text book, which Im counting toward #15 A book about feminism
None of my library holds have come through so I think ill read Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah

I am originally from the DC area, specifically Reston VA. There are very few books based in Reston but obviously a million based in that area, I love reading books that are about that area. I currently live in Pittsburgh and havent read anything based here, but I am very interested in reading some. Pittsburgh is a hidden gem, and a really amazing place with a rich history.

[Shannon]

I read 2 books this week. Both fit into the challenge. The first was The Art of Fielding which I loved! I highly recommend it - even if you don't like baseball. The other book I read was The Prey of Gods which was written by an author of a different ethnicity than I am. It was a fun, but different, read. It also happened to be book 21 of the challenge -- so I'm over halfway there!

QOTW - I live in the southern US. I have read many books set in the south, but I don't necessarily seek them out on purpose. I don't think I've ever read any set in the exact city in which I live now.

[poshpenny]

Cendaquenta wrote: "och aye whiskey haggis Braveheart Nessie sheep!"

hahahahaha Gets me every time :D


Cendaquenta wrote: "It's like if Marvel made a tongue-in-cheek parody fancomic of itself."

I thought that was Thor Ragnarok


Carmen wrote: "@poshpenny; YOU SPEAK MY LANGUAGE. PEACHES. JOHN BARROWMAN. (wasn't his Squirrel Girl just amazing??? This dork! -it's all I know about her too btw haha) Sorry- it's 3:15am and I get overexcited xD"

*secret handshake*

Looks like I need to get my hands on Squirrel Girl.

[Jacqueline]

If I could find some Squirrel Girl comics out here in the middle of nowhere I would. The only ones I ever see here are The Phantom.

[Cendaquenta]

poshpenny wrote: Cendaquenta wrote: "It's like if Marvel made a tongue-in-cheek parody fancomic of itself."

I thought that was Thor Ragnarok"

The two are not dissimilar...

Now I really want to see Squirrel Girl in the MCU hanging out with the Ragnarok gang.
Or maybe not... there's a running joke in the SG comics where Loki shapeshifts his head into a cat's and that would be terrifying in realistic CGI.

[Brittany]

Hello from the Gulf of Texas! We've had a few days of absolutely stunning weather this past week but I can feel the humidity coming and am dreading it.

I binged a few books this past weekend so I actually finished off more than normal this week. I realized that I seem to keep grabbing YA books to fulfill all my prompts lately. At least 3 of my books this week were YA novels.

So to start I finished off Emperor Mollusk versus The Sinister Brain for a book from the POV of an anti-hero or Villain. I had actually had trouble finding a book for this prompt which interested me. I mainly chose this one for its cover to be honest. I was pleasantly surprised to find it a fairly funny book and while it did not turn out to be a favorite it was still enjoyable.

I went ahead and listened to Breathing Room for a change of pace. This one was the first non-challenge based book I've picked up in a while and I listened to it during work. It was pretty mediocre but was meant mainly to be an easy listen/read and it did what it was supposed to. An alright romance overall but silly in parts which brought my general rating down.

I read Moxie next for a book about feminism. I was feeling in the mood for a fiction novel rather than a non-fiction (although I may come back around to this prompt again to do it justice). I really loved this story. It was one of those books you put down and kind of hug it from all the warm feelings it invoked. Absolutely made me nostalgic for high school again and so proud to be a woman. I also really liked the parallels about high school students standing up for themselves given what is going on right now. Felt really well timed.

After that, I read Agnes and the Hitman as a book recommended by someone else doing the PopSugar challenge and I really enjoyed this one. It just kind of hit all the right notes for a light romance with a bit of mystery. Plus I have a thing for stories about assassins. I'm not sure what it is but I love reading hitman books -- especially if it's a 'good' hitman. I'm a sucker for the not-quite-bad-boy.

So I kind of finished Emperor Mollusk, Moxie and Agnes and the Hitman all in one go over a little more than 36 hours. I actually stayed up until 4:30 am to finish off Agnes and the Hitman since I was enjoying it so much and was rewarded with a migraine from the eye strain of reading for so long. Because of that I reverted back to audiobooks and listened to Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda. I thought this was a sweet story and am glad to see more LGBTQ protagonists. I couldn't help but love Simon and absolutely connected with his situation and felt so involved during the story. Might have to go watch this one in the theaters when it's released.

I just finished reading A Study in Charlotte for a book written by someone with your first or last name. I had scanned the reviews beforehand and they were kind of a mixed bag. EIther people raved about this book or hated the whole idea of it. I found it really enjoyable. There were some things I didn't like but given that it's one of the oldest ideas for a book (there are so many Sherlock remakes) I really enjoyed this take on it. I liked it so much I'll probably seek out the sequel on my next library run if they have it.

That's all for this past week but on deck I have: The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, The Silkworm, The Martian and an old favorite The Outsiders.

QOTW:

I have lived a few places that are frequent locations for stories but I actually prefer not to read them or at least I don't seek them out. I like to get lost in a story and I find the more familiar the location the harder it is to get caught up in the situation. The less I know about a place the easier it is for my mind to forgive details that are incorrect or are left out. Knowing the location almost takes out a little of the magic for me. I actually hate over-familiarity in a story. When the author tries a little to hard to include very specific details about an area.

[Danielle]

Hello all! I hope everyone had a good week!

This week I did a TON of driving for work... We're talking over 12 hours. So, I got a lot of audiobook time in. I was able to listen to Hidden Figures: The Untold True Story of Four African-American Women Who Helped Launch Our Nation into Space, which I greatly enjoyed. I had seen the movie, however I discovered that they took a lot of artistic liberties in the film... I am counting this for my "written by an author of a different ethnicity than you" prompt.

I am also halfway through listening to One Hundred Years of Solitude. I feel like the plot of the book is wrapping up now, so I'm curious to see how it is going to go on for approximately six more hours... Also, it should be illegal in books to have characters with the same names. This has been especially confusing in the audio format, at least for me. I am going to use this for the prompt "set in a country that fascinates me", as it is set in Columbia.

Finally, I am working my way through Under the Tuscan Sun, for the weather related prompt. I a feeling lukewarm about this book. I picked up for a dollar at a used book sale because my aunt said she enjoyed it. I find it mostly interesting, but also slow. It does inspire me to want to visit Tuscany though!

QOTW: Being from western Washington and spending 4 years in Seattle during college, I love it when books are set in Seattle! I like to make connections to the places that I know, and it makes it easy to picture in my head. Though I love reading about Seattle and Washington, some of the books set here have not been my favorite (looking at you "Twilight" and "The Art of Racing in the Rain").

[Darja]

Hi!
I didn´t finished any book this week, I´m slow with one book. I´m still reading The Second Sex and it takes me longer time than I´ve expected. I can´t say it´s not interesting (because it is) but it´s too philosophical, too abstract for me. I would prefer easier language in that case, not so many comparisons, attributes, shorter sentences. Some parts seem difficult to concentrate. But I fight and I´ll finish it! :-)

QOTW:
It depends on author. I´m from Czech republic and I really like when I find mention about my country in a book by foreign author, p. e. Marekors or The Black Angel.
But when I read book by czech author I expected it and I´m exciting only in case when I find mention about my town, about towns where I studied or another places I´m connected with. Unfortunatelly my town isn´t mationed in books often...

[T.]

Hello from rainy Oregon. And just in time for spring break week too. No school, and kiddos stuck inside? Yikes!

This week I finished only two books. The first, Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within for the book with an ugly cover. I recommend this for anyone who writes. It's full of kinds of writerly wisdom and practical advice.

I also read Fool Moon, not for the challenge. I started reading this series on the recommendation of my book club, and I have not been disappointed. I'm officially hooked!

I'm working my way through a few other books right now as well, and should have more finished by next week. I somehow managed to pick up three of the longest books on my list all at one time.

QotW:
I typically read fantasy and sci-fi, so not usually set where I live. Though I wouldn't mind claiming the Shire as my hometown. I haven't encountered many books set in my area, and those that are tend to be set in Portland, where I am from rural Oregon. One book I read recently is set closer to my current home town, Dies the Fire, and it was a fascinating read. It was fun to be able to recognize the locations, and I thought the author did a great job capturing the feel of Oregon.

[Sonali]

Last week I completed book #4: A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth. This was my favourite prompt from the 17 Popsugar Reading Challenge. This book is a detailed narrative of a middle class Indian family in the 1950’s and the social, economic and political situations in the country. At a whopping 1500+ pages book, I am glad I completed it for a reading challenge. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, despite its length.

Currently reading The Scarlet Letter.

Last week I also started reading THE SUBTLE ART OF NOT GIVING A FUCK by Mark Manson, under the prompt “The book with an ugly cover”.

QOTW:
I enjoy reading books set where I live. I love the assimilation of a familiar place into the plot. This adds to the experience as I tend to immerse myself into the plot that I’m reading. Books set in the past also inform and educate me about the history and culture of that particular city.

[SadieReadsAgain]

Cendaquenta wrote: "I've rarely come across a good literary portrayal of Scotland - more often it's either overly stereotypical ("och aye whiskey haggis Braveheart Nessie sheep!") or the setting is so poorly conveyed that there's almost no point setting it here at all. (Sometimes both.)..."

Have you read any Louise Welsh or Zoë Strachan? I think they do a good turn for Scottish lit. I remember loving The Glass House too, but that was a long while back so I can't remember to what extent the setting played a part.



Carmen wrote: "@Sarah; you live near Loch Lomond?? I love it! Visiting is on my bucket list and I may just listen to John Barrowman sing 'Loch Lomond' on repeat and cry my eyes out for some much needed unloading haha"

You should definitely visit. It's so beautiful here, I don't think I could ever leave. I'll need to check out the John Barrowman version - we got married on the lochside and Loch Lomond was our end-of-the-night song, but it was the powerballad Runrig version!

[Jen]

Well this week has been a quieter one than last week. Firstly none of my students have died this week and secondly there isn't a cyclone coming tomorrow and I have almost finished the clean up from the one last weekend.

As for books I have finished 2 this week:
2. A cyberpunk book 1) The Feed
by Nick Clark Windo https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

This one wasn't meant to be part of the challenge but it accidentally fitted cyberpunk so I will probably end up with 2 for this one as I already intended to do ready player one. I really enjoyed this book as it was different to any other I have read recently if at all.

*27. A book set on a different planet Knife of Never Letting Go- Patrick Ness https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
quite enjoyed this one too. Since I hadn't planned to read it at all it was a nice surprise and I will probably read the whole series eventually.

I am still reading:
How the brain works (preview for work)
Hunters in the sea (set at sea......story idea is good but it is longwinded)
Little Women (feminism......not really enjoying it and not sure why I decided to reread it as it hasn't improved, but feminism just isn't for me)
The Hate you Give (confronting and not for the challenge but would fit several prompts)
A life underwater (sport.....diving. First 2/3 was amazing and made me laugh and cry and taught me about how the role of SCUBA was incorporated into Marine Bio in Australia. Last 1/3 is slower going as he seems to have become more arrogant as the book progresses.)

QOTW
Some books set where I have lived I really enjoy e.g.
Getting Stoned with Savages: A Trip Through the Islands of Fiji and Vanuatu
AND
The Sex Lives of Cannibals: Adrift in the Equatorial Pacific
by J. Maarten Troost (Kiribati)
Others I truly hate e.g. The Bit In Between
by Claire Varley (Solomon Islands)
On the whole I do read about places when I first move to them as it helps me develop a connection. I also read about places I have happy memories of when I get a bit homesick and if the book seems insulting to the place it really puts my back up. The bit in between was written as if the author was so superior to Solomon Islanders it really upset me as I loved it there and made some great friends who are still in my life.