Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge discussion
2019 Weekly Checkins
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Week 31: 7/25 - 8/1
I'm still plodding along with the challenge (now at 31/50) while continuing to read a lot of other things along the way.This past week I was on a bit of a mystery/thriller kick as I needed some quick e-book reads to tide me over until I had time to get to the library and pick up some physical books.
Finished
Thin Air - Not for the challenge. This was a pretty standard detective story, with both a present day and cold case murder to solve. It was good enough.
The Frame-Up - For #30, a book featuring an amateur detective. I got this as my Kindle First Reads book some time ago, and it was really fun! There's a mystery/thriller element to keep the plot moving, but there are some parallel plot threads that made it feel more well-rounded. And it is steeped in geek culture - the main character is a woman who works for a comic book company.
So, then I decided to read the sequel, The Queen Con, right after (not for the challenge). This one was a little more over the top and I didn't love it as much as the first one, but it was still good.
Binti - For #20, book set in space. This is really a novella (less than 100 pages) and, while it tells a complete story, not a lot happens. It feels more like a setup for a longer story. Which, since it is part of a trilogy, it is. I thought it was OK and I might check out the next book in the series
Currently Reading
American Spy - For Camp ToB
Question of the Week
I almost always push through books. I don't know why, but I feel compelled to finish what I started. The only time I give up is when I am just making no progress. My two most memorable DNF books were Ulysses and Naked Lunch. I've tried multiple times to read both because they seem like books I would like, but I just can't get anywhere with them.
I can't think of any book I've wanted to DNF, kept reading anyway, and ended up loving. But there are some books I've DNFed and decided to try reading again later. Those work out better. The Raven Boys is a good example. I DNFed at about 100 pages, but gave it another try later and ended up loving the series. I just wasn't in the mood for it when I tried to read it the first time.
Hi All- I had a good week- hope you all did also.This week I completed:
Head Games This is getting really strange. (although I'm not sure I would expect any different from Stephen King's son!
Of Ash and Spirit and Of Fire and Storm: A Curse Keeper Novel. I'm enjoying this series more than I have others by this author.
Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity. This was my audiobook this week and it was interesting.
I am currently reading:
Of Blood and Monsters I thought this was the last book of this series and then found out there is one more that will be released in September (and yes, I've already pre-ordered it!). I should finish it today.
The Door. This is not my typical book at all. I am glad that I realized I can read literary fiction if I read it slowly. I've been reading 1-2 chapters a day until the last couple days. I've gotten to where I really want to know how it ends. I should finish tonight or tomorrow (probably tomorrow).
I Can't Make This Up: Life Lessons This is my current audio book and I am really enjoying this.
Going Postal just started this one- I'll spend more time on it when I finish the others above.
A Woman Is No Man I haven't started this yet but I have it because my library hold came up. I'll hopefully start it before next week's check in.
QOTW:
I do not make myself keep reading a book I'm not enjoying. I typically give it 50-100 pages but just last week I DNF a book on page 2. I hated the way the author was writing one type of people in the book. I flipped through to see if that group of people were handled differently further down and when it didn't I just gave up.
Now I do only put some of my books in my DNF shelf. They are ones I know I'm not going to pick back up. I'm finding it is about 10% of the books I start. I just created a new shelf for books I quit but may try again- I think it may just be about my reading mood at the time. I don't have any data on how much of that I do. I just don't understand forcing myself to read something I'm not enjoying. I will try different approaches to many books before I give up. Is it better a chapter a day? Is it better as an audiobook? Is it better not as an audiobook?
Nadine wrote: "Happy Thursday! I’m in the middle of my summer vacation. We spent four days in Montreal and now we are heading to the beach. My library news: my library's online system is STILL not working! You ..."
Apparently I read Villette the year before I joined Goodreads and gave it 5*s retrospectively. All these years alter I couldn't tell you a single thing about the book!
Raquel wrote: "I finished the Popsugar challenge this week! Yay! Now I just have to catch up ATY and Back to the Classics and decide if I'm doing NEWTS... Oh, and plan for Dewey's Reverse Readathon happening in a..."Congrats on finishing the challenge!
Happy Thursday. I finally made some progress on the challenge this week after a few weeks of having none of my books match open challenges. I'm at the point where I've read books for all the easy challenges (like 7. A reread) and all the hard ones (like 42. Choose your own adventure)Popsugar 2019 - 42/50
Popsugar 2018 - 38/50
Books I finished:
Boneyard - I used this for LitRPG, even though it doesn't really have the sections dealing with hit points etc. It was based off a tabletop RPG so if that doesn't count as LitRPG then there is something wrong. Seanan is one of my favourite authors so I did really like it, but it wasn't one of her best in my opinion.
The Kingdom of Copper - I finally finished this. It was good, but I just haven't been in the mood to read about people trying to overcome millennia of racial hatred and atrocities. But it's a really good series and now I'll have to wait for book 3. I use it for the Own Voices prompt.
Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch - This has been on my TBR list for a while, and with miniseries out it got bumped up. I loved it. In a weird way, it reminded me of Hitchhikers Guide crossed with Beartown.
Books I made progress on:
City of Golden Shadow
QOTW
I am bad at picking up books, and then setting them aside without finishing them (although I generally do mean to finish them eventually). But if I know for sure I'm not going to finish it I have no problem giving up on it. It's just not worth it to waste time reading something if you don't enjoy it. That being said, I have finished books I hated just because I wasn't going to let the book beat me. I almost gave up on The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle. The first few chapters just did not grab me and I hadn't been that interested to read it to begin with. But I had been struggling to find a book for the all in 1 day challenge, so I pushed through, and in the end I loved the book.
Lauren wrote: "Hope wrote: "Happy Thursday all! I read 4 books this week, 2 of which are for the Popsugar Reading Challenge, bringing me to 48/50. Finished:
The Complete Persepolis (A book that c..."
Thank you for the recommendation- I'll have to check that book out!
Mod
Completed
The Ho..."</i>
Welcome, Linda! [book:Where the Crawdads Sing is one of my favorite reads ever!
Hi everybody. The rain is back in Yorkshire. This summer really needs to pick a weather and stick to it!This week I finished The Girl King. I find a lot of YA fantasy is the same story just tweaked a little but this one felt pretty fresh.
DNF The Lighthouse Keeper's Daughter. I was obsessed with Grace Darling when I was a kid. We went on a school trip to see her lighthouse and used to sing a song about her in assembly so I was pretty pumped to read a book about her, except it wasn't really about her. There were a bunch of random other people's stories interwoven which I just didn't care about and then the famous rescue happened within the first few chapters so I didn't really have a reason to keep reading.
Also DNF The King Must Die. I hated the writing style and found Theseus so obnoxious that I gave up pretty quickly
Currently reading: The Call of the Wild. This book is brutal so far! Poor doggos.
QOTW: This is pretty timely because I DNF'd 2 books this week! I don't normally DNF that many a week, I promise, haha. I normally read on my commute so if I've given a book a journey to and from work and don't want to go on, I'll give up. I have so many books I want to read that I don't want to waste time on one I'll hate - unless I neeeeeeeeeed to finish a certain book to complete a challenge (I'm looking at you over one million ratings prompt!)
It's Thursday? Well, that sneaked up on me. I'm not making a lot of progress on the challenge. Most of my reading right now is purely for pleasure, but I'm still on track to finish without too much trouble.Challenge Progress: 39/50
Completed:
1984: Although it's wrapped up like a novel, 1984 is more like a political treatise. And oh, what a political treatise it is! Orwell's prescience is uncanny. Just take a look at politics today and the cognitive dissonance (doublethink) displayed by approximately 40% of the US's voting populace. (#50, a book that inspired a common phrase or idiom)
If I Only Had a Duke: A road-trip regency that was lots of fun! Thea made a pretty quick shift from being painfully shy to out-and-out brazen with Dalton, but once she did the book became compulsively readable with lots of little side plots and interesting characters.
My Lovely Wife: Well, that's one way to spice up a marriage. So twisted.
The Queen: The Forgotten Life Behind an American Myth: A fascinating look at the life of Linda Taylor, the woman who inspired the phrase "welfare queen," and the sociopolitical climate that allowed the epithet to grow to malign a group of people who are most at risk and in need of help. Incredible that one woman could have caused so much chaos!
The Farm: A troubling account of the vastly wealthy taking advantage of young, poor, immigrant women as gestational surrogates (as well as maids and nannies). Even more troubling? I don't think this sort of surrogacy center is out of the realms of possibility...
Currently Reading: The Lager Queen of Minnesota, I Like to Watch: Arguing My Way Through the TV Revolution, Alpha & Omega, Dapper Dan: Made in Harlem, Gingerbread, Hope Never Dies (#30, a book featuring an amateur detective)
QOTW: If a book hasn't captured my interest and attention within the first 50-100 pages, I'll DNF it... but that's rare for me. I'm pretty good at choosing my reading material. Also, I find it easier to DNF something I've borrowed from the library rather than something I actually purchased.
Happy Thursday! I haven't checked in for two weeks and I read very little in that time. I spent some time enjoying life and games at a mountain lake in Montana, my daughter graduated from college then got married to following weekend, my other daughter had a birthday, and I went to a Youth Reading Committee meeting. That made a lot of planned events I don't usually have during the week. In the last couple of weeks I've read:Silence for the Dead- a decent ghost story
Searching for Lottie- a children's book about a young girl searching for her great aunt that went missing during the Holocaust.
Sweet Tea and Sympathy- complete mind candy that was not very well written. I wouldn't recommend it.
Limelight- a cozy mystery where it felt like we were spinning our wheels. The dialogue was stilted and I didn't really enjoy it, which was disappointing because I was looking forward to reading this one.
The Judges of the Secret Court- I enjoyed this historical fiction about John Wilkes Booth and his conspirators. I did feel like the farce of a trial got a little long and we circled back to the same point several times in the book. That wasn't enough to ruin my read.
QOTW: I will now DNF books. For a long time I wouldn't, but I decided my time was worthwhile and books I don't enjoy aren't. I will usually give a book 50 to 100 pages, then if I am struggling I am out.
Happy Reading!
After reading a couple of the comments here, I wanted to add something about my DNF habits. It makes sense that some 'choose well' by carefully selecting books they're most likely to enjoy, and so don't have to DNF often, but that's not actually a goal of mine. I love the fact that being willing to give up on a book frees me up to try out a lot of books that are outside my comfort zone, or from very obscure (usually self published) authors. I'm still somewhat choosy about what I try, and typically check reviews, see if there's likely to major content that will disturb me, and that sort of thing, but I'm a lot less locked in to certain genres or writing styles because I know I can always ditch it if it's not working for me.
Which certainly isn't to say that being more choosy and never DNFing is bad, just pointing out the giving up on a lot of books doesn't mean I chose badly either. I just chose with different goals.
Nadine wrote: "@Fannie - we had a great time in your city!! It was my kids’ second visit and my mother’s first. My kids wanted to go back to the planetarium and Juliette & Chocolat, and my mother wanted to see No..."That pizzeria seems good. I just had a look at the menu. I'm always curious to know what people like to visit here, it gave me idea too. The planetarium is one of my favorite place. One day I would love to visit the one in New York.
OK, I opened Goodreads in a browser on my phone so I could link, but now it will only show me the mobile pages, even though the url isn't mobile and I don't have the app on this phone. Harumph!Edit: Home now and adding links, dagnabbit!
There is a book club meeting in like 4 hours and I am only 133 pages onto a 300 page book. Yikes
Finished:
The Unlikely Escape of Uriah Heep - SO FUN. One annoying trope in there for a bit but otherwise, so fun. Big silly grin when I recognized a new bit from a classic book. Also really nice to read a book set in New Zealand.
Currently Reading:
Illuminae - on hold while trying to binge the book club book
The Word is Murder - This series amuses me. It cracks me up that he made himself a character. Bonus points for narration by Rory Kinnear
Fruit of the Drunken Tree - I thought I had another week before book club, so trying to binge it. 165 pages in 3.5 hours? Probably not happening. Print makes me too sleepy.
QOTW:
Most of the books I DNF I don't do intentionally. I usually just don't pick them up again. Sometimes I'll finish them another time. Or not.
Urgh, I was so hoping to get two books read this week, but I'm only halfway through the second. So that means I'm still behind on my reading challenges, and I was hoping this weekend's reverse readathon would help but I've managed to a) buy tickets for a music festival tomorrow night and b) miss out on my child-free Saturday as my husband took the kids all last weekend. I remain ever hopeful, but for now PS-wise I'm sitting at 29/55 (22/45, 7/10).My book this week was my second book for prompt #40 favourite prompt from past Popsugar reading challenges. I'm doing one for each year, and for 2017 I went for book about an interesting woman, and read Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys. I read Jane Eyre maybe ten years ago, and loved it. I was intrigued by the woman in the attic and I'm so glad that someone decided to tell her story. I really enjoyed this imagining of it, and fully believed that this was the history which paved the way to the events in Jane Eyre. I haven't read any post-colonial stories either, so that was fascinating to me too. The bitterness and tension between the former slave owners and the emancipated slaves creates such an uneasy atmosphere for a story which is tense enough on its own. Rhys has a beautiful way with words, the descriptions of people and surroundings in this book were so vivid, but the story doesn't get lost in that, it still moves forward. I don't know how this would land with readers who haven't read Jane Eyre first though, as the ending in particular would probably be confusing without context, but it definitely makes me want to do a reread with this new perspective. And of course, to read more of Rhys' work too.
QOTW - Are you the type of person who has to finish a book once started or are you ok with DNFing. If the latter, how far into a book do you read before deciding not to finish?
I can probably count the number of DNFs on one hand, but I am getting better now that I do reading challenges and time is precious and of the essence! I still hit pause rather than DNF though. This year I DNF'd Ladders to Fire, about 10 pages in. I know I'm going to have to pick it up again though as it's for a "book in a series" prompt and I really struggle with that as I don't do series...the types of books I enjoy just don't tend to come in that format. Plus, I think it was a case of me not the book - it's literary, which as a rule I love, but I was in a horrible period in my life and couldn't even concentrate on a menu let alone wordy word books.
I suppose there are books I should have DNFed in my reading past. But then again, I think those were valuable experiences as they taught me what I don't like and also gave me the chance to
Last weekend, my brain fried, I declared it a Christmas in July weekend ... so I read Christmas themed books - and enjoyed every second! I don't believe a single finish fits PS or AtY challenges - meaning any of the very few prompts I have left to fill. Some might fill prompts for others.Finished:
The Christmas Spirit - this turned out to be something very special, a true Christmas story that explores all the different possible meanings of Christmas Spirit. Have the box of kleenex handy. It's a keeper - I will likely re-read it regularly at Christmas.
The Usual Santas: A Soho Crime Holiday Anthology - a superb collection of holiday short stories by Soho Crimes stable of writers. Some are historicals, some contemporary, some feature series characters. All were good, some were exceptional. Even found a couple new authors to read. Hands down the BEST cover art!
The Earl's Mistletoe Bride - a serious disappointment. First and foremost, there is almost no Regency Christmas in it. Mistletoe does feature but only as a trigger for recovering memory...and I'm sorry but how in heck is a relationship going to survive if the wife who has no sense of direction keeps running off at night into the woods during a storm needing to be rescued from certain death?
A Christmas Promise - a classic Mary Balogh from 1992 which has been periodically reissued with new cover art. Absolutely terrific Regency Christmas Country House setting, fun characters. I did have a problem -- and I'm not a prude nor do I have triggers! -- with the unusually harsh (for this genre) sex scenes.
The Tower, The Zoo, and The Tortoise - After getting my fill of Christmas, I started this charmer set in the Tower of London among the Beefeaters. Oh is it a delight! So cleverly written and crafted - filled with quirky characters, bits of history, and under it all real pathos. I'm reading this author again!
The Unknown Ajax - a fine Georgette Heyer regency that actually pushes the romance far to the side. Tells the story of a long lost heir being brought back into the fold of a rather despicable family. So much wit and humor! I must have read this back in my teens or twenties but no memory of it remains. It was truly a treat to read.
Currently Reading:
Malevil - for PBT Trim my TBR monthly challenge. A friend recommended this OOP book to me years ago and I found it in ebook for free after a quick google search.
Cocaine Blues - for PBT Horizons August (Australia) challenge. Since my Trim book is long, I'm going with short and fun for the Horizons monthly challenge. And its a book in my TBR!
Guy in Real Life - my LitRPG choice - a YA - hopefully it will be fun and readable.
Meant to Be - I'm about a third through and it got pushed aside so I could finish PBT July challenges. Need to finish this so I can read the second in the series which will fit a PS prompt!
Between the World and Me - for PBT monthly theme -- 21st Century - since it addresses issues of racism in the 21st Century, and its been in my TBR and I've been wanting to read it after hearing Ta-Nehisi speak, I started it and it's a good one.
In the wings:
Remembrance of Things Past: Volume I - Swann's Way & Within a Budding Grove - I start a reading group on this in September so need to read Swann's Way.
Snowdrift and Other Stories
The Master and Margarita
Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk
QOTW:
I rarely officially DNF. I sometimes start a book and put it aside to read later or finish later for any number of reasons -- but I don't consider those DNF. And I pretty much always do go back and read them.
I actually give books a real shot -- I don't think I can generally tell within a few pages or a chapter or two if I'm going to like it. I also read pretty fast -- when not working so much I read 4 to 5 books a week. Even with my heavy work schedule, I'm averaging 3 books a week. Commuting makes it easy to finish books.
Christine wrote: "Jai wrote: "Periods Gone Public: Taking a Stand for Menstrual Equity . . ."Interesting - on the relatively-privileged-but-still-unacceptable front, I found out this week that there's no medical r..."
Yep, I've been on that bc pill for "silent periods" for over ten years now and it is the best thing ever. The only possible side effect is that I'm a few pounds heavier than I might be if I weren't on the pill, but it's 100% worth it for me. I don't bring it up often because I know women have strong opinions about this stuff, and I don't have the energy to get lectures on why I should give up this wonderful gift of not having to deal with the monthly mess. ;)
Just one book finished this week.Finished
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - 34. A book that includes a wedding
Even after all this time, this book still fills me with so many emotions. ♥
Progress
PS - 32/52 | ATY - 31/52 | BR - 19/24
Currently Reading
Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk
Where'd You Go, Bernadette
Tell Me How You Really Feel
QOTW
I don't DNF often, but I will if the book is not holding my interest enough or I'm not enjoying it. I don't have any set place before I decide. Sometimes I know right away and sometimes I get half way through a book and just don't want to read it anymore.
Raquel wrote: "After reading a couple of the comments here, I wanted to add something about my DNF habits. It makes sense that some 'choose well' by carefully selecting books they're most likely to enjoy, and so ..."That's a really interesting point, Raquel! I never thought about it that way before. I guess it just shows how different each person's reading process can be. Exactly why I love these discussion questions!
Christine wrote: "Jai wrote: "Periods Gone Public: Taking a Stand for Menstrual Equity . . ."Interesting - on the relatively-privileged-but-still-unacceptable front, I found out this week that there's no medical r..."
Using hormonal birth control isn't always the best for some people. It can cause weight gain, acne, hair loss amongst other things. Also everyone doesn't want to get rid of their periods. The point of the book was to highlight the need for EQUALITY.
Mod
Mod
A new month - this year is sailing by. I set too many reading goals for July and finished very little of them. But I don't learn and am doing the same for August.I finished one book this week.
Shoot for the Moon: The Space Race and the Extraordinary Voyage of Apollo 11 by James Donovan - 4 stars
Read in honor of the 50th anniversary of the moon landing. I really enjoyed it, and I realized I knew very little about the Soviet space program, although at the age of 9 I was dimly aware that we were trying to beat them to the moon.
PS #33 (astrology term)
ATY #43 (STEM)
GoodReads: 44/90
PopSugar: 29/50
ATY: 38/52
I haven't been doing the ATY challenge until this week, but many of my books fit in nicely as I double dip.
QOTW: I am the worst at permanently DNF'ing a book. I frequently do not finish books due to library deadlines, but I have a DNF shelf that keeps track of the ones I need to go back to. However, I also have a Dropped shelf for books I never intend to finish, and that has a grand total of 5 books in it. I'm not a quitter, for better or worse. Goodreads really helps me do a better job of picking books that I will like, so I rarely read things I dislike.
Occasionally I will read a book that I "should" read but that I really don't like, but I push through because I want to know what people are talking about and it fits into some "before you die" list. The Catcher in the Rye and A Prayer for Owen Meany come to mind.
Of the 5 books I've permanently DNF'd, I knew within the first 50 pages. The reasons are usually because I'm offended in a way that I will not get past, and I don't offend that easily.
Welcome to those who are checking in with this group for the first time; it is great to have you here with us!Books Completed:
Murder on the SS Rosa- This is the introductory novella to the Ginger Gold Mystery series. They are set in the 1920’s and this first book finds war widow Ginger Gold crossing the Atlantic with her friend Haley Higgins and dog Boss to settle her late father’s estate in England. During the journey, the ship’s captain is discovered to be dead and Ginger quickly puts her wartime operative skills to use to crack the case. With a delightful cast of characters I am eagerly looking forward to continuing on with the adventures of Ginger and company!
Prompt: Read a book during the season it is set in (Summer)(Popsugar)
Prompt: A cozy mystery (Read Harder)
By Balloon to the Sahara- I have not read a choose-your-own adventure book for quite some time. This one had tons of zany pathways (42 in total and yes I did read all) involving everything from aliens to whaling ships and desert nomads to scientists. It did get repetitive with multiple instances of heads or tails being choices and two sets of different colored doors. Overall, a 2.5 rounded up to a 3 because of the dog Harry and eccentric Professor Hardly Wright.
Prompt: A choose-your-own-adventure book (Popsugar)
Prompt: A book with a weird or intriguing title (ATY)
Currently Reading:
Vintage 1954
A Thousand Ships
If You Ask Me: Essential Advice from Eleanor Roosevelt
QOTW:
I have yet to DNF a book because I have always found something to keep me going even if I have been skeptical about a beginning. If I truly was not connecting at all with a book I would definitely DNF as my TBR is too long to spend time focusing on something I absolutely abhor.
Raquel wrote: "After reading a couple of the comments here, I wanted to add something about my DNF habits. It makes sense that some 'choose well' by carefully selecting books they're most likely to enjoy, and so don't have to DNF often, but that's not actually a goal of mine. I love the fact that being willing to give up on a book frees me up to try out a lot of books that are outside my comfort zone, or from very obscure (usually self published) authors. I'm still somewhat choosy about what I try, and typically check reviews, see if there's likely to major content that will disturb me, and that sort of thing, but I'm a lot less locked in to certain genres or writing styles because I know I can always ditch it if it's not working for me.
Which certainly isn't to say that being more choosy and never DNFing is bad, just pointing out the giving up on a lot of books doesn't mean I chose badly either. I just chose with different goals."
Well said. Something to consider.
Theresa wrote: "In the wings: . . .Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk"
I keep waiting for you to read this. I've never been to New York and I was rather fascinated by her walk through the city and history, so I want to see what a New Yorker thinks of it. Can you get on this, please? :)
Hello one and all! Hope everyone is well. We have a lovely cricket infestation on Vegas. It's super gross. Can barely leave the house at night. I have not finished any books this week. I am working on more than a few intermittently and I'm happy with my progress.24/40 Regular
4/10 Advanced
Currently Reading
QotW:
This week’s question was suggested by Raye:
Are you the type of person who has to finish a book once started or are you ok with DNFing. If the latter, how far into a book do you read before deciding not to finish?
I used to be WAY worse about DNFing. If I wasn't into it in the first couple pages, bye bye. I now give a book 50 pages and if it is not worth my time I don't waste my time. My TBR is way too big to waste on books I don't like. Sometimes I will push through (for bookclub or classes definitely).
Teri wrote: "Theresa wrote: "In the wings: . . .Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk"
I keep waiting for you to read this. I've never been to New York and I was rather fascinated by her walk through the city and hist..."
🤣🤣
Teri - She's starting to yell at me! In fact, I did start it in January, then got caught up in a few demanding reads. I liked what I had read but part of tbe reason I so readily put it down is because I literally want to walk and eyeball her route - refresh my recollection - of tbe streets and buildings. I had an office in Murray Hill for many years where it starts off.
I am thinking i have to read it and Bugakov before I get sucked into Proust.
I finished Drama and The Mars Room this week.Drama was a cute graphic novel for kids which lived up to its name. If you like graphic novels, middle grade, fun quick reads, and/or LGBT characters, give this a read.
The Mars Room was not it for me. I didn't like it at all, though I did finish the audiobook during commutes as it was a prompt book and I was listening not reading.
QOTW:
Yes I will DNF a book. I actually have a shelf for it. I do try to give the book a chance to win me over, the length of which is determined by the book. Sometimes if its for a prompt or other people love it, I'll really try to finish. If I know it's supposed to have a twist, I'll try longer. But I'm not going to spend time reading what I don't enjoy. Sometimes I won't finish it then due to my mood and will pick it back up later as well.
Since the summer holidays started here in the UK, I've read/finished reading:- The Thirteen Problems, Agatha Christie (39. A book revolving round a puzzle or game)
- Killing Floor, Lee Child (Started reading last Nov. and so very nearly DNF'ed it. Long-winded.)
- The One, John Marrs (04. A book you think should be turned into a movie)
- Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (40. Your favourite prompt from a past POPSUGAR challenge)
Currently reading:
- Mythos, Stephen Fry (Jolly, but not gripping)
- Wind in the Willows, Kenneth Grahame (audio) (ALL THE HEARTS)
QotW: I never used to and I still don't like to, but the older I get and the more books that get added to my 'Read Me!' pile the more I see it as a sanity saving necessity. If a book of choice isn't pleasing me, I let it go.
Chandie wrote: "Only two books this week and neither one fulfill a prompt but they were both greatBrazen and the Beast by Sarah Maclean. Historical romance that was absolutely delightful.
I.M : A Memoir by Isaa..."
This would have to be one of the most apt descriptions I've seen in a while "I made it about a quarter of the way through Fifty Shades before I couldn’t handle her describing the way his pants hung from his hips."
Christine wrote: "Jai wrote: "Periods Gone Public: Taking a Stand for Menstrual Equity . . ."Interesting - on the relatively-privileged-but-still-unacceptable front, I found out this week that there's no medical r..."
Not necessarily..... I can't they have tried lots of different pills etc and all that happens is it gets lighter and lasts 3 weeks instead of 10 days even if I don't do the break/have an implant etc. Still ovulate too. Same is true for several other girls/women I know. Lucky for those who can though.
I didn't have a great week with reading so only finished one book. However, I'm really happy that I was able to finish 11 books in July. I hadn't had as much time recently, but this month was able to get back into it. Finished:
Fangirl - I really loved this book. I think Levi is one of my all time favorite characters in a book. The ending was a little abrupt, but I still gave it 5 stars. I used it for prompt #17 - a book set on a college or university campus.
Challenge Progress:
Regular Challenge - 35/40
Advanced Challenge - 6/10
Total - 41/50
Currently Reading:
China Rich Girlfriend - I had to pause listening to this because I had two other audio books become available that I wouldn't be able to renew. I'll start it back up next week.
Winter Flower - still working on this ARC that I got from BookSirens.
Circe - haven't made much progress because I haven't been home much this week.
Daisy Jones & The Six - I'm listening to this and using it for a Book of the Month book club summer reading challenge.
QOTW - Are you the type of person who has to finish a book once started or are you ok with DNFing. If the latter, how far into a book do you read before deciding not to finish?
I honestly have not DNFed many books. I really try to finish them. Maybe it's like a challenge to myself to get through it!
Two books that I DNFed were Fifty Shades of Grey just because I thought the writing was really bad and Great Expectations because I just couldn't get into it.
Jen wrote: "Christine wrote: "Jai wrote: "Periods Gone Public: Taking a Stand for Menstrual Equity . . ."Interesting - on the relatively-privileged-but-still-unacceptable front, I found out this week that th..."
There's a lot of irony in this for me, as I've been on a variety of meds and dosages to try to MAKE my body ovulate, and it only seems to work about half the time.
Kind of like the conversation a while back about some of you desperately trying to gain weight while most of the rest of us are trying to figure out how to lose it. There's always someone out there with the opposite problem...
Raquel wrote: "Jen wrote: "Christine wrote: "Jai wrote: "Periods Gone Public: Taking a Stand for Menstrual Equity . . ."Interesting - on the relatively-privileged-but-still-unacceptable front, I found out this ..."
May i ask a question? Do you have PCOS because I have it and even though i'm not interested in more children I don't regularly have a period or ovulate so I understand.
Jai wrote: "Raquel wrote: "Jen wrote: "Christine wrote: "Jai wrote: "Periods Gone Public: Taking a Stand for Menstrual Equity . . ."Interesting - on the relatively-privileged-but-still-unacceptable front, I ..."
Technically I'm right on the edge of officially having the diagnosis, but I do have some of the symptoms of PCOS, so we're treating it more or less as actually being PCOS.
The really funny thing is that I do get my period every month, and as much as that's not fun, it's nice to have a good sign that my body is trying to work the way it should, even when it's not ovulating. I know a lot of women in the Facebook infertility group I'm in get really excited when they have a period because even that is a kind of victory over PCOS!
Happy August everybody! I'm doing the NEWTs too so I'm going to power through as many short books as I can this month. I went to the library yesterday to stock up and polished off a couple books just to get that nice feeling of having a couple of prompts checked off. You Deserve a Drink: Boozy Misadventures and Tales of Debauchery: Funny memoir, would recommend to fans of hers.
Big Mushy Happy Lump: I've seen lots of these comics online, but they still make me smile.
A Fire Story: 3 stars. Good, but not great. I was expecting too much I think.
QOTW: I will absolutely DNF books. When I was a kid, I had it drilled into me by teachers that I had to finish every book I started. That took some time to get over, and I still feel like I have to finish every book I buy. These days I borrow a lot from the library and it gives me the freedom to pick up books I'm not so sure about without feeling like I'm committed to it. I'm a lot more open-minded about giving books a shot now that I'm ok with dropping them.
Hi everyone!Got busy yesterday, didn't have a chance to update.
House stuff continues to be nuts, every time i think a step's going to be done, something else goes wrong.
This week I finished:
Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine - reading woman book about a woman with a mental illness. I loved this! It was unexpectedly charming and touching. I don't know why I was dubious about it going in, but I thought it was so great. Made me cry a little too.
Sunstone Vol. 6 - part of my powell's haul, wanted something light after the big drama bomb of Elanor Oliphant. No challenge.
Middlegame - ATY book by an author with more than one book on your tbr. Still working my way through Seanan McGuire's books, have a few left for October Daye and haven't touched her incryptid yet. Picked up one of her ghost books too. I just love her writing though! This was so good, i tore through it. It reminded me a bit of the magicians, but way better (in my opinion).
Currently Reading:
De Profundis - Read harder book written in prison. The writing is lovely, but sad. kind of hard to get into though, it's just one big long sort of stream of conscious writing. Not really a plot or even real stopping points.
QOTW:
I used to be bad about forcing myself to finish books I hated, people in this group actually helped me get over this with the attitude of "life's too short to read bad books". There's so many books i WANT to read, I'm learning to just stop if I'm not feeling it or just not getting anything out of it. Occasionally I'll still push through if it's for a challenge and I just couldn't find another option.
I dnfed Conversations With Myself this week. I was interested in reading more about Nelson Mandela after reading Born A Crime, and I saw it come up on "written in prison" lists for the read harder prompt. It's just a bunch of fragments of writing that someone else stitched together though, I simply wasn't getting anything out if it. It felt like a book for someone who was an expert on Nelson Mandela and just really needed something more to add that extra dimension.
I don't have a set page number or anything, it's usually just a gut feeling. Either I'm dreading reading it instead of looking forward to it, or i just am not enjoying the experience at all as I read. Sometimes there's just a triggering event where i just can't do it anymore. If i'm close to the end i might push through, but not if it's a big tome.
I didn't check in last week because I was on vacation in Maine. We had a lovely and relaxing time. Last night I had a work sunset cruise around NYC. It was such a beautiful and mild evening, for a change. The sunset was spectacular. I usually just commute to work, grumble about everything, and go back to hiding in my suburban hole. The cruise was a great reminder about everything to love about this city.The check in reflects two weeks of reading.
Finished:
The Satapur Moonstone for book with astrology term in the title. It has the word moon, close enough for me. I really liked this book even better than the first.
The Accidental Beauty Queen Cute and relaxing for a vacation listen.
The Grand Sophy for classic bingo challenge.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix for ATY.
Currently reading:
The Secret History for book set on a college or university campus.
Tweak: Growing Up On Methamphetamines
QOTW:
I very rarely DNF permanently. I usually set aside meaning to go back to them later. The only one I am still unsure about is Milkman. I stopped at about 50%. Still not sure if it's worth the effort to finish.
Heather wrote: "I can't think of any book I've wanted to DNF, kept reading anyway, and ended up loving. But there are some books I've DNFed and decided to try reading again later. Those work out better. The Raven ..."That's a really good point. I think my moods effect how much I enjoy (or don't enjoy) a book. There are some days where I'll read anything and other days that every book I start is a big NOPE!
Raquel wrote: "I finished the Popsugar challenge this week! Yay! Now I just have to catch up ATY and Back to the Classics and decide if I'm doing NEWTS... Oh, and plan for Dewey's Reverse Readathon happening in a..."I enjoyed Armada, it was a fun read.
Ashley wrote: "Good Morning and Happy Thursday!I got a lot more reading done yesterday than I normally would on a Wednesday. It was my birthday so I took it off and did things that I love (i.e. seeing a superhe..."
I really loved Reading Lolita in Tehran. I read it when I was much younger, in my early 20s, and it was an eye-opening book for me for sure!
Samantha wrote: "I didn't have a great week with reading so only finished one book. However, I'm really happy that I was able to finish 11 books in July. I hadn't had as much time recently, but this month was able ..."I love Fangirl! And also Daisy Jones and the Six. Its my favorite read of the year so far!
Hi everyone! I hope everyone is having a good weekend so far!Finished Reading
The Lady's Guide to Petticoats and Piracy 4 stars
This wasn't for this challenge, but another one I'm trying. I adored this book! The MC was so funny and witty, and there was so much fun adventure!
Currently Reading
Nevernight I'm reading this so slowly, but I'm really enjoying it!
Summer of Supernovas Just started this for a light pool read
The Art of Racing in the Rain Going to be starting soon!
QOTW
Are you the type of person who has to finish a book once started or are you ok with DNFing. If the latter, how far into a book do you read before deciding not to finish?
I'm okay with DNFing a book I really hate, but it doesn't happen often. Sometimes I'm reading a book and I realize I'm just not in the mood for it, and I'll set it aside for later. I actually have a Goodreads shelf that I put these books in. I'll check it every so often, to remind me which books I started that I still want to finish at some point. I think I have 12 books currently in there. And as far as far I'll read before I DNF, I try to give it 100 pages or so. There have been a few times I couldn't make it that far though! The Lost Boys was one that was so absolutely ridiculous, I gave it pretty quickly. Luckily, it was a free eARC I'd gotten from the publisher, and I didn't spend any money on it!
Raquel wrote: "Jen wrote: "Christine wrote: "Jai wrote: "Periods Gone Public: Taking a Stand for Menstrual Equity . . ."Interesting - on the relatively-privileged-but-still-unacceptable front, I found out this ..."
I really hope you get what you want from your body. It is a little sad when mother nature plays irony. My back is too messed up to carry to term though so if I want to keep mobile I also don't have a choice. Fertility but have to not use it.
I just got back from vaca. We went up to Quebec City and Montreal. Very nice.Anyway. I finished up Who Murdered Chaucer?: A Medieval Mystery as my book with a question it before I left Pretty interesting.
And since I wasn't driving, I got a lot of reading done in the car and read Joan of Arc as my novel based on a true story. I really liked it.
And then I started Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch as my book with no chapters. I think it's pretty funny so far. The pastor at my church may not think I should be reading it, though. So, maybe nobody tell him.
QOTW: I like to finish books that I start. But, sometimes I just can't. So, my rule is 100 pages. I think I've only broken that rule once. I was reading RAbbit, run, which is about 200 pages and I hated it, got to page 100 and said to myself, I can finish. I read 4 more pages and said "NO I CAN'T." But, I can probably count on 2 hands, maybe 3 how many books I've started and haven't finished over my entire life. So, definitely not something I make a habit of.
Finished a whole bunch of books so that I could start NEWTS with a mostly clean slate!Thunderhead was an interesting sequel. One twist and turn after another.
Mama Does Time was a book I got for free years ago. It was an okay mystery.
An Academic Question I counted for Popsugar published Posthumously, since this was published after she died. It was a classic Pym novel.
Less Than Angels was another Pym novel. I really do like her novels.
34/50 for Popsugar, but I folded a lot of challenge books into my NEWTS tbr.
QotW: I DNF a lot more when I was younger, before I started tracking my books. But that was mostly because I was reading adult books and just didn't click with it. I know that I can set up a shelf for DNF, but I still tend to just skim the book to reach the end of it. Mostly because there was a reason why I picked it up in the first place and I always want to see if it gets better or how it ends.
I read four books this week, but am only using one of them for an open prompt. I'm at 29/40 and 4/10 for this challenge, and am at 84/100 for my overall Goodreads Reading Challenge. Finished:
* The Night Tiger by Yangsze Choo, which I used for "a book with a zodiac sign or astrology term in the title." I also used it for a Modern Mrs. Darcy Reading Challenge prompt;
* The Bad Seed by Jory John and illustrated by Pete Oswald, which was an Amazon Prime read;
* Codename Villanelle by Luke Jennings, which I picked up on a whim at the library last weekend since I like the tv adaptation; and,
* The Incendiaries by R.O. Kwon, which I also picked up on a whim at the library last weekend since I've had it on my TBR list for awhile and it was so short (just over 200 pages).
Currently Reading:
* The Kill Club by Wendy Heard -- I received an ARC as a member of the "street team" (the book comes out in December); and,
* The Strange Disappearance of a Bollywood Star by Vaseem Khan, which is the third book in the series.
I also picked up the last two books in the Shetland series by Ann Cleeves at the library yesterday, so I will probably start Cold Earth today or tomorrow.
QotW:
This week’s question was suggested by Raye: Are you the type of person who has to finish a book once started or are you ok with DNFing. If the latter, how far into a book do you read before deciding not to finish? I tend to finish books once I start them, but I am willing to set books aside if they aren't the right fit for my reading mood at the time I start them. I can usually tell within the first few pages if I need to set it aside for later. There have been a few books I likely would have DNFed and never returned to if I hadn't been reading them for a reading challenge or for one of my book clubs. A fairly recent one that comes to mind is Love the One You're With by Emily Giffin -- it started out promising but my opinion shifted by the end. I waited on the library hold list SO LONG to get a copy of it that I thought surely it must have some redeeming quality. Oh, how wrong I was. If it had started irritating me earlier, I would've swapped out another book for that prompt (it was the "book being read by someone in public" prompt from last year; it was the first book I saw being read in public, so that factored into my decision to try it). The lengthy wait list plus the amount of time I'd already invested is why I ended up stubbornly sticking with it. The Reader's Guide was its saving grace.
Hi All. I completed one book this week,not for any challenge. Till Death Do Us Tart (Oxford Tearoom Mysteries #4) by H.Y. Hanna. I have enjoyed this series in the past but this book felt too formulated. I may have to let this series rest for awhile before reading more in the series. QOTW. I am definitely the type that has to finish any book I pick up. I wish I had not finished Ship Of Fools by Katherine Anne Porter. It never got better for me. I DNF Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace. I gave it 100 pages then gave up.
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Finished:
Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery for a book that has inspired a common phrase or idiom
The Pearl by John Steinbeck for AtY
The Language of Thorns: Midnight Tales and Dangerous Magic by Leigh Bardugo for Game of Booksathon and because I can't get enough Grishaverse right now :)
Currently reading:
Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders for a ghost story
Beautiful Chaos by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl for a book by two female authors
The Hangman's Daughter by Oliver Pötzsch for the GR summer challenge.
QOTW: If it's a book for a difficult challenge prompt, I'll usually try to tough it out. But otherwise I try for 50-100 pages. If it's feeling like a chore and not getting more interesting, I'll DNF it...even though I really hate doing that. Sometimes I'll try to pick it back up later to see if it's better.