Wrapping up Popsugar

[Debra]

Casceil wrote: "I finished Witches' Bane for 2017 - A book set around a holiday other than Christmas. It's a Halloween murder mystery."

Good news! Thanks!

[Lilisa]

Started Confessions of a Public Speaker for 2017 - A book with career advice.

[Debra]

Lilisa wrote: "Started Confessions of a Public Speaker for 2017 - A book with career advice."

Awesome! We are doing great!

[Lilisa]

Debra wrote: "Lilisa wrote: "Started Confessions of a Public Speaker for 2017 - A book with career advice."

Awesome! We are doing great!"

Check this one off the list!

[Debra]

Did you have to take one for the team, Lilisa? Boring or enlightening?

[Lilisa]

Debra wrote: "Did you have to take one for the team, Lilisa? Boring or enlightening?"

How'd you guess, Debra? :-) it was pretty lame but hey, it was fairly short and we knocked off a book. Now I'm back to enjoying The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August for the ZZ challenge.

[Saar The Book owl]

Don't mind me. I think I'll will be the last one to finish my book ;)

[Laura (Lclwags)]

I finished A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership last night for 2018 - Advanced - A book that was being read by a stranger in a public place. It was actually really interesting. Definitely not something I would have chosen on my own, but I enjoyed listening to it.

[Debra]

Lilisa: A good guess, then. At least you got it over with! Thanks!

Saar: No worries. Thanks for letting us know.

Laura: Good your book turned out better than expected. Thanks!

[Debra]

We are waiting on Amanda, Carol, Valerie and Jessica.

How are you doing ladies? If you've started your books, but are finding any of them to be total losers, let us know. We've got Lanelle and Almeta available to take any leftovers on.

[Debra]

Jessica finished her book. Hooray! Only 3 more to go!

We are quite a team!

[Lilisa]

Debra wrote: "Jessica finished her book. Hooray! Only 3 more to go!

We are quite a team!"

Nice going everyone - thanks for shepherding the team Debra!

[Debra]

It's been a pleasure and hardly any work! You gals have made it so easy for me!

[Carol]

Debra wrote: "We are waiting on Amanda, Carol, Valerie and Jessica.

How are you doing ladies? If you've started your books, but are finding any of them to be total losers, let us know. We've got Lanelle and Alm..."

I’m a little more than halfway through mine and will finish it, but have been reading too many books at the same time and had to step away from it for ten days or so. If almeta wants to cover the task it won’t offend me, of course. I expect to finish it before Thanksgiving in any event.

[Debra]

Carol, we appreciate you checking. Nice to hear from you.

If you want to finish your book, then we can certainly wait for you. Almeta or Lanelle would only step in if you aren't enjoying it and want to abandon reading it.

[Almeta]

The group read Who Fears Death fits this task as well. You may find someone who has completed it to report for Popsugar Wrapup!

I've not started my copy yet.

[Debra]

Almeta wrote: "The group read Who Fears Death fits this task as well. You may find someone who has completed it to report for Popsugar Wrapup!

I've not started my copy yet."

I'm reading it now!

[Carol]

Debra wrote: "Carol, we appreciate you checking. Nice to hear from you.

If you want to finish your book, then we can certainly wait for you. Almeta or Lanelle would only step in, if you aren't enjoying it and w..."

I don’t want to hold up the group’s completion, Debra. And I appreciate what it takes to run one of these threads, as well. I’ll finish my book some time soon, but why don’t you wrap the challenge up with whatever reader-member has finished a qualifying read? Okay?

[Debra]

That's fine, Carol. Just keep in mind we set November 30th as our end date, so you have 3 more weeks. Since I'm reading a book that fits the task, I'll mark it complete when I'm done. However, if you finish yours in time, I'll give you the credit for it. I don't want you to feel any pressure, or to feel left out.

[Debra]

Just in case, does anyone want to read the following tasks as alternates in the event they can't be completed by the people who chose them?

2015 - A book you were supposed to read in school but didn’t
2016 - A political memoir

[Carol]

Debra wrote: "That's fine, Carol. Just keep in mind we set November 30th as our end date, so you have 3 more weeks. Since I'm reading a book that fits the task, I'll mark it complete when I'm done. However, if y..."

no problem at all, Debra. Thank you!

[Jannene]

Would Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman work for a political memoir? I’m reading that now. It seems like it would fit as it is all about her rise and the politics behind Russia.

[Debra]

Jannene wrote: "Would Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman work for a political memoir? I’m reading that now. It seems like it would fit as it is all about her rise and the politics behind Russia."

I think it would. Kristie?

[Almeta]

Big book, but sounds interesting. Makes history sound intriguing.

[Jannene]

I’m about 30% in and it is very interesting. Peter the Great sounds like a jerk then again his upbringing was not that good.

[Kristie, Moderator]

Debra wrote: "Jannene wrote: "Would Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman work for a political memoir? I’m reading that now. It seems like it would fit as it is all about her rise and the poli..."

Totally up to you, Debra. This would be a tough one and I'd be hesitant if this was during the toppler. Royalty & politics don't seem to always have much to do with each other. Plus, it's a biography vs a memoir, which is a minor detail, but it's not her telling her story on a personal level.

However, the summary states that, "...for 34 years the government, foreign policy, cultural development and welfare of the Russian people were in her hands." So, it seems she was running things, not like the current queen of England who, to my understanding, is pretty much not involved in actual governing or politics. (Sorry if I'm insulting anyone here. I have a very limited understanding of what the queen actually does. I think she can appoint people to parliament, but doesn't usually? Or something like that...I think there's more to it than that. But basically she stays out of political decisions, right?)

As far as the definition of politics goes (the activities associated with the governance of a country or other area, especially the debate or conflict among individuals or parties having or hoping to achieve power), I think it fits well enough according to the summary.

So, this was a long winded way of saying it's up to you. lol Just wanted to give you some info to think about, but if you're happy with it, go for it.

[Margo]

You are right Kristie. The Queen,like the irish president, is above politics. She is a figure head and in very limited circumstances acts as a check on the system.

I would regard Catherine the Great as a full on politician. She acted much as a dictator in Russia but was involved in both internal politics and inter-country dealing.

[Kristie, Moderator]

That’s the impression I got from the summary too, Margo. Thanks. Sounds like it fits to me.

[Debra]

Jannene, I'll put you down for an alternate for that task. 😊

[Jannene]

For what it is worth, her journal entries and letters are throughout the book. So, some of it is from her viewpoint. She tried to gain alliances with other countries by arranging marriages and such.

It is a chunkster and I was already reading it for the challenge.

[Jannene]

I finished my book Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman. I’ll put it on the reporting thread too.

[Almeta]

I just read The Comforts of a Muddy Saturday, which could be an ALTERNATE for "A book with a month or day of the week in the title".

[Debra]

I'll mark the tasks Jannene and Almeta completed as done. If the other folks who originally had those tasks report it, then I'll alter the final results.

I also finished Who Fears Death for 2017 - A book by a person of color, in case the person this task was assigned to doesn't finish their book.

That just leaves ONE more task. Anyone interested in completing it just in case? It's 2015- A book you were supposed to read in school but didn’t.

[Lanelle]

Debra wrote: "Anyone interested in completing it just in case? It's 2015- A book you were supposed to read in school but didn’t."

I've been trying to remember what books I read (or didn't read) in high school ever since the list for the Toppler was posted. High school was so long ago that I honestly don't remember. Sorry I can't help with this one.

[Kristie, Moderator]

I had the same problem, Lanelle.

[Margo]

I was a too good: I read everything I was supposed to read!

[Carol]

If it helps, I didn't interpret that prompt as being limited to high school, but also incorporating undergrad classes, and "didn't read" is "didn't finish", in my brain. So if you didn't finish Moby Dick or one of Shakespeare's plays, for example, in that 101 required course you took, and rolled on to the next book on the syllabus, that counts.

[Jannene]

I can’t remember either other than that one book that I did a book report on by reading the book cover. Black Beauty. I still don’t want to read it.

[Debra]

I was too good, too, Margo! This task is a hard one!

[Lilisa]

I'll take the last task - 2015 book you were supposed to read in school and did not - The Catcher in the Rye.

[Carol]

Okay, Debra and Margo, you go sit outside the circle of admitted corner-cutters.

And Jannene, mine is Catch-22 and I’m not reading it now or ever :)

[Jannene]

Carol wrote: "Okay, Debra and Margo, you go sit outside the circle of admitted corner-cutters.

And Jannene, mine is Catch-22 and I’m not reading it now or ever :)"

LOL @ circle of corner-cutters. Hilarious!!

[Debra]

LOL, you ladies crack me up!

Lilisa, thanks for taking this last task! What a team effort!

[Debra]

Saar The Book owl wrote: "Don't mind me. I think I'll will be the last one to finish my book ;)"

Yep, you will be. How's it going?

[Carol]

Saar The Book owl wrote: "Don't mind me. I think I'll will be the last one to finish my book ;)"

We have 6 days. Race you :)

[Jannene]

We are here for you.

[Carol]

Jannene wrote: "We are here for you."

Is that like, we’re from the government and we’re here to help? :)

I kid. I kid.

[Debra]

Carol wrote: "Jannene wrote: "We are here for you."

Is that like, we’re from the government and we’re here to help? :)

I kid. I kid."

lol

[Saar The Book owl]

I've finished yesterday and will now post in the thread :)

[Jannene]

Woot!!!!