Week 2: 1/3 – 1/9

[Laura]

Hello, my kids went back to school this week so I got some more reading done. Unfortunately I didn’t like the book I was reading so I went slow. I tried to find the least western western book I could find and still was not a fan. I read God of animals. Interesting characters no story. I am starting pride and prejudice today, can you believe I’ve never read it?

[Tara]

Happy Thursday! My kids finally went back to school today and I'm definitely ready to get back to our regular schedule - and I think they are too!

Finished
The Stationery Shop I'm using this book for the book with a three word title prompt. This book really surprised me in the greatest way. I just joined the Modern Mrs. Darcy book club and this is the January book. I wasn't super excited because I've been burned by some really mediocre historical fiction lately, and I was worried this would be more of the same. But I absolutely loved it. It's the story of two young Iranians who at 17 in 1953 fall in love and plan to get married. But then something happens that separate them for the next 60 years. The story was compelling and the writing beautiful, and I did a lot of googling of Iranian history while reading.

Currently reading
Ask Again, Yes (meant to read in 2019)
Parable of the Sower (book with a book on the cover)
Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America (more than 20 letters in title)

QOTW
I wanted to start out the year strong, so I grabbed books this month that I felt pretty confident about. There aren't any that I'm specifically saving, but I will try to intersperse ones I'm less excited about with ones I'm very excited about. And I may try to save some page-turners for the summer.

[Storm]

ps 1/50

Finished:

The Gunslinger I enjoyed it. It starts slow but by the end, it is super great. And I am loving Roland. great first line prompt

CR:

The Drawing of the ThreeOnly a little ways in.

QOTW:

I am a big mood reader. So I tend to only read books I'm excited to read. So that means I read them and save them lol

[Doni]

Finished:

I Wish You All the Best for by non-binary/trans author. I enjoyed it a lot.

The Prince and the Dressmaker for book with pink cover. This one was just okay. It was definitely less believable, especially compared to I Wish You All The Best.

Music Therapy: An Introduction, not for a challenge. Focused more on possible applications of music therapy rather than on music therapy itself. I didn't find it all that enlightening.

Border Wars: Inside Trump's Assault on Immigration for book about a world leader. This one was a slog because of the subject matter, but it was well written and worth reading.

Tilly and the Bookwanderers for book with a book on the cover. I didn't think the author used known book characters in a very innovative way at the beginning, but I warmed up to it towards the end.

Started:

A Dream About Lightning Bugs: A Life of Music and Cheap Lessons for favorite prompt from last year, book by musician. Ben Folds seems like an interesting, but not especially nice person.

How the Light Gets in: Writing as a Spiritual Practice for book published in April. I saw this suggested on someone else's list for book with just text on the front. It appeals to me because, while being a book about spiritual development, it deviates from standard Christianity, in ways that parallel my own faith journey.

QotW: The only books I really hold out for are ones that have yet to be published or that I'm on hold for at the library. I'm excited about Justin Reynold's Early Departures coming out in May because I enjoyed Opposite of Always. I'm on hold for How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy at the library, which currently has 43 holds.

[ｄａｎｉｅｌａ]

Finished
Dear Girls: Intimate Tales, Untold Secrets, & Advice for Living Your Best Life
A book by a WOC
3 stars - Audiobook
At first the book started out awkwardly, Wong’s voice, both in writing and her actual narration, felt disjointed and nervous. Had I only listened to an exert of the beginning, I wouldn’t have picked up the audiobook, which would have been a shame. Wong’s voice changes and becomes much more natural and less self-deprecating, while still being able to poke fun at herself and her situations in life. Intermingled are actual hints of life advice and honest confessions to her children, and an in depth look at second-generation cultural disparity. Just as dirty as her comedy, I would recommend you NOT listen to the book in public.

Currently Reading
Gods of Jade and Shadow- I wish there was a bit more prose. The setting is compelling and I wish the author had delved more into beauty of the era. Physical books are always a slow read for me.

The Shadow of the Wind- Listening to the translated English version because last time I tried to read a few pages in Spanish, I had to google one word in every other sentence. Also, despite listening to the first chapter already, I will need to place it on hold because I got a library book in.

A Study in Charlotte- Almost done with the audiobook, and although I thought I wouldn't like it at first, its turning out quite entertaining.

Question of the week:
Do you reserve some books for reading later in the year or do you dive right in to your most exciting reads right away?
Some of my books are via the library, so I read those as they are downloaded. Some books I already own, so I'm reading those first. From then on I'm not sure how I will decide what to read next.

[Lia]

Hi all. Got a bit slower of a start this first week than I wanted, but finished two, and have several others in progress.

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie for an Author that has written 20+ books. I'll be honest; I've never read any of her books. Classic mystery isn't a genre I've ever really been into, but I picked this one up at a book sale last year figuring it's supposed to be the classic of all classic mysteries. It was fine. Did keep me guessing a bit, but I found it to have little depth.

An Unkindness of Ghosts by Rivers Solomon for an Nonbinary Author. I love SSF novels, but particularly those that fall outside the typical storylines and tropes. This reminded me of The Underground Railroad in that it combined the horrors of southern slavery and culture with something fantasy. Since Unkindness is set on a generational spaceship, it was a complete mash-up. The main characters were unique, in that they were racially mixed, neuro-diverse, orientation diverse, and wonderfully well fleshed out. The society imagined by Solomon was at once bizarre and recognizable. A very interesting read.

Currently active are:
Burial Rites
Euphoria
The Eye of the World
The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek

[Stephanie]

Happy Thursday! I only finished one book this week (Naked in Death) and I used it for #27 a book featuring one of the seven deadly sins.

I'm currently reading Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch for #34 a book you meant to read in 2019.

QOTW: I tend to read whatever I grab next. But this year I'm trying to read the harder prompts early to get them out of the way.

[Anne]

I'm always amazed at our numbers at the beginning of the year. My TBR just grows and grows. I haven't had a chance to read everyone's posts yet, but I did want to check in since I didn't last week.

I am especially excited for the Challenge this year because we have a group of people in my family doing it. We've made a family group chat and it is fun to see the variety from my parents down to my eighth-grade nephew. And again my TBR just grows and grows.

This year I've read:
Roam- This book was fluffier than I thought it would be. It is about a homeless teen trying to make her way through her new high school with no one finding out her living situation. I just felt there was more potential in the idea.- A book with a bird on the cover
Count Me In- a young girl and her neighbor witness a hate crime committed against the girl's grandfather. It is a good chapter book about inclusion for young children.
Stepsister- I really enjoyed this fractured fairy tale about what happens after Cinderella leaves her stepsisters behind. -Past prompt: Told from multiple POVs
The Color of Bee Larkham's Murder- An excellent story about an autistic boy and him grappling with what really happened the night their neighbor was murdered. -a title that caught my eye
Someplace to Call Home- a chapter book about three kiddos trying to make it during the Dust Bowl. Again, a good book for young readers.

Now that I am back to work the amount of reading time I have will take a nose dive. I hope I can get the challenge done as usual.

QOTW:
I usually try to get my harder prompts done early and save some of the books I'm really looking forward to until later in the challenge. I do mix books I have been looking forward to in with my harder prompts, but there are some that I am absolutely saving for last.

[Britta]

This week went quite well for me:
Nocturne for a Widow by Amanda DeWees for no. 36, pink cover,
by Luis Sepúlveda for no. 20, title caught my attention,
by Lee Strauss for no. 45, set in the 1920s,
by Claire Douglas, not for Popsugar,
by Ben Bova, not for Popsugar,
by J.A. Whiting for no. 12, passes the Bechdel test and
by Rivers Solomon for no. 02, trans/nonbinary author.

I also started 2 door-stoppers:
by Thomas Pynchon, for no. 03, great first line and
by Donna Tartt for no. 06, bildungsroman.
Pynchon is going to take me a good while because of that damn wiki. That is tripling the reading at least.
Tartt may take a while, too. I usually read crime and scify/fantasy, so this takes some getting used to.

QotW:

I used to dive right into the most exciting books.
But the past 2 challenges taught me to moderate somewhat and now I reward myself with those when I get to certain points in the "not quite my cup" books/prompts. Well, that is the plan and it worked this week... ask me again next week! ;-)

[Lisa]

Hi all. Hope you’ve had a good week. Mine was pretty good.

Popsugar 2020 5/50
Popsugar 2018. 26/50
ATY. 1/52

This week I’ve completed:

Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats. This was ok. I’m not big into poetry. I read this for the PS 2018 prompt of a book that is also a play.
The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt's Darkest Journey. This was the audiobook I was listening to at the end of last week. It was interesting. Read for the PS prompt of a book about a world leader.
Garlic and Sapphires: The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise. This is an audiobook I started and finished this week. I loved this and kept finding things to do so I could keep listening.
Kindred. This was a good book. Not really what I was expecting. I read this for ATY- a book without A, T or Y in the title. And for PS a book by an author of color.
The Lamb Will Slaughter the Lion was read for a book with a trans author. I’m not sure what I expected from the synopsis but I really enjoyed it.
Red Sister for the PS prompt of a book with a good first line. It was also the January group read. There were parts where I felt it was getting a little long but overall I enjoyed the books.

I’m currently reading:
The Library Book for the PS prompt of a book by a reporter.
And The Barrow Will Send What it May which is a follow up to the Lamb will Slaughter the Lion. I’m reading that for a book that received an award in 2019.

QOTW-

I don’t save books. I read what I’m interested in. One exception would be books I think I might want to read for the later ATY prompts. I read that one in order so I have to wait until I get to them or pick a different book for that prompt.

[Maggie]

So far I've read:
The Friend Zone: Book with 3 word title
The Wives : author with flora or fauna in name.

I'm currently reading:
No Judgements: : but I'm not sure if it fits a prompt, but will go towards my overall book goal this year.

QOTW: Our library lets us put books on hold, but "suspend" them until a date of our choosing, so I have done this for some books that I want to read, but just not right now. I'm also on a waiting list for 3 books right now. I've mainly been looking through books I want to read and seeing if they fit any categories that I need to fill.

[Heather]

Hi everyone (and Happy New Year!),

I thought the year was getting off to a slow start with reading since we had family in town and I didn't do much reading for the first couple of days. I've somehow managed to finish 5 books in the last 4 days, so things are looking up :).

Book set in a city that hosted the Olympics - Giovanni’s Room. Most of the book takes place in Paris. James Baldwin was brilliant - this book is heartbreaking and beautifully written.

Book that passes the Bechdel test - Maisie Dobbs. This one was ok, I'll probably read the next one in the series at some point to see if I really enjoy them.

Book with only words on the cover - The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life. Overall I enjoyed this book, there were some good points but it was a bit repetitive.

Book you meant to read in 2019 - The Water Dancer. Beautiful, heartbreaking, powerful read

Book by or about a journalist - The Day the World Came to Town: 9/11 in Gander, Newfoundland. I really enjoyed this book, such a wonderful thing to read to reinforce that people can be good even in the most horrific circumstances. I also loved the musical Come From Away that tells some of these stories.

Currently reading
Olive, Again
The Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life and Freedom on Death Row
Cibola Burn

QOTW:
Most of the books I read come from the library, so availability usually dictates the order in which things are read. I also have an Audible subscription and occasionally buy ebooks.

[Lynne]

Finished:
Iron Gold and Dark Age by Pierce Brown. I love this series, but now I have to wait for the next to be published. I did the first for the “gold, silver, bronze” prompt, and I ended up using the second for the “four star Goodreads rating” prompt because I just had to read it after finishing the first.


Currently reading:
La Belle Sauvage by Philip Pullman for the “three word title” prompt, and I am listening to Dark Matter by Blake Crouch on audio for the “only words on the cover prompt.”


Qotw:
I am trying to do the ATY challenge in order this year. Otherwise I just read whatever I am in the mood for.

[Teri]

Happy 2020! Wishing you all a wonderful year.

My start to the new reading challenge is delayed because I had two books left on the 2019 challenge. I had started both of them but hadn't yet finished them, and I'm not allowing myself to start anything else until they are done. Unfortunately, I have only finished one of them as life has thrown a few curveballs.

Finished:
Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler - 3 stars; cli-fi for 2019 challenge
I should not have put off this particular prompt until so late in the year. I normally love a good dystopian novel, and I loved Kindred by this same author, so expected to like it much more than I did. Perhaps I'm just not in the mood to read about a world that is falling apart when sometimes it feels like the real one is as well.

GoodReads: 1/90
PopSugar: 0/40, 0/10

QOTW:
I read whatever strikes my fancy at the moment. There isn't a lot of planning involved, especially this year. I may wish later in the year that I had been more deliberate.

[Jess]

Hello everyone. I had a week off from work and was not productive at all. I got mostly caught up on Doctor Who (loving it) and my daughter had her very first sleepover! Not a ton of time to read but that's. I am going to try to focus on what I do get done and not the stuff I don't!

1/40 Regular
0/10 Advance

Currently Reading



Finished Reading

#29. Bird on the Cover

DNFI know. Already. lol

I am going to try to finish this when I can get the print copy from the library but I hate the narrators of the audio book. I got through one of the 3 stories and the narrator was rough but I powered through. Unfortunately the second narrator was also rough and I couldn't do it.

QotW:
Do you reserve some books for reading later in the year or do you dive right in to your most exciting reads right away?
I don't really. I tied to save prompts last year to fit my book club prompts. That didn't work. I intend to read more new releases this year. So that will be whenever the library can give me things.

[Ruby]

Hi everyone!

GR: 5/60 . PS: 2/50 . ATY: 3/52

Finished:
Reverie - Favorite prompt from a past PSRC (one word title)
My Dear Hamilton: A Novel of Eliza Schuyler Hamilton - First book you touch with your eyes closed
Ms. Marvel, Vol. 1 - Favorite prompt from a past PSRC (a graphic novel)
This One Summer - Favorite prompt from a past PSRC (number in the title)

This year I decided to pick 4 books instead of 1 for prompt 40.

Currently Reading:
Next Year in Havana - Book set in a country beginning with C

Question of the week:
Do you reserve some books for reading later in the year or do you dive right in to your most exciting reads right away?
It depends on the book. Some books can wait while other books have to be read right away. The one type of book that I reserve for later are the Christmasy books. I will not read these books until mid-November. I can read everything else anytime of the year.

[Jennifer W]

Christy wrote: "Happy 2020, everyone! This is my first check-in of the year, and I'm 3 books into my challenge. I read:
Big Little Lies (about a book club; kind of a stretch on that prompt if I'm b..."

The Seamstress by Frances de Pontes Peebles takes place in Brazil and the author lives there. I read about half of it a few years ago and then it was due back at the library. I never got around to finishing it, but I enjoyed what I read.

[Jennifer W]

Hi all! Had a bit of a bummer of a week. I work in a satelite office, so I'm pretty isolated from the rest of my team, but there is 1 guy that works part time with me. He's been my "little buddy" for 2 1/2 years. Well, the jerk went and got himself hired with a better paying job! (the nerve!) I hate it when new people come on board cause it changes the dynamics etc. Plus this new person will have to also be my little buddy and I'll have to train him or her... sigh... and I'll have to do the part time work until we get the new person up to speed... double sigh...

Nadine, I have to chuckle at Upstate NY weather. We had totally clear blue skies all day yesterday! (I'm only an hour and a half away from her, yet completely different weather!)

I haven't finished squat! I was looking through my library books and they were all depressing subjects. I mean, really depressing- child kidnapping, Nazis, murder at an abortion clinic, false arrest based on racial profiling, just to name a few! So they went back, I scoured goodreads for some uplifting books and came home with The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry and Hissy Fit. Hopefully one of those will click.

QOTW: Not a chance! I only save books if I'm planning on joining a group read that's a ways off. Usually the opposite happens to me, I put a hold on a book, by the time it comes in, I'm over it, but I make myself read it because I put in a request and someone made it happen so I feel guilty if I don't... lol!

[Kyra]

Happy Thursday and Week 2!!! I hope everyone is cruising right along and enjoying the challenge.

Finished:
Circe by Madeline Miller
The End of Your Life Book Club by Will Schwalbe
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon

Currently Reading:
The Library Book by Susan Orlean
The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd

QOTW:
I organized my books by hardest to access (for example, a library book that requires a lengthy wait on the hold list) to easiest to access (for example, sitting on my shelf for years and years). I try to tackle the hardest to access first. That way if I get to December and have three books left to read, I'm not stuck without access. I can just go to my bookshelf and read.

[Andrew]

Finished The Andromeda Strain A Medical Thriller. I found it to be a quick and enjoyable read that really exemplifies that no amount of planning can prevent failure.

I'm currently on The Aeronaut's Windlass a book I meant to read last year. So far 30% in but I do find Jim Butcher's style of writing to be easy for me to read so should be done with it in a week or so.

Question of the week:
Do you reserve some books for reading later in the year or do you dive right in to your most exciting reads right away?

My current plan was to read my books in the largest to smallest but if a monthly reading prompt might help break it up and there is of course the one to be held back for banned books month. I do not see myself deviating much from this current plan.

[Andrew]

As to weather it can stay mild a little longer as I work outside I want to have some energy to read when I get back home and unfortunately for my line of work snow does not count as inclement weather so I'd have to go out into it.

[Cornerofmadness]

I did managed to get a few read this time out.

For the prompt A book that's published in 2020 I readA Bad Day for Sunshine by Darynda Jones. I had an ARC of this (it's not available yet). Honestly had mixed feelings. I liked parts of it and other parts made me want to yeet my reader across the room. Every time we got to see either love interest (both mother's and daughter's) it was paragraphs of how HOT these men were. Every. Time. Eye rolls hard

For A book about a book club The Whispered Word by Ellery Adams. Another one I had mixed feelings about but the last third absolutely killed it for me (killed the series for me as well)

And from the advanced list A book from a series with more than 20 books Purity in Death by J.D. Robb This one wasn't in the 20s but I think the series is edging on 30 books. This is your typical Eve Dallas stuff. I read it all out of order (as the library chucks the books out I swear they're getting these on donation) This one had a particularly unbelievable plot.

QOTW This makes it sound like I think about my reading list way more than I do. I'm more of whatever tickles my fancy at the moment sort of reader.

[poshpenny]

I just got back from book club and oh, we had such a good time! We read The Night Circus, and I nerd vomited all over the bookshop. Black and white striped tablecovers everywhere, black and white plates, napkins, etc. We had black and white popcorn and oreos and caramel corn and wine in black/silver/red bottles. Just myself and the leader had read the book before, but everyone liked it, even though most of them never read fantasy. It was just a really good time. Oh and if you're interested, the most popular fave character was Poppet and fave tents were the Ice Garden and Wishing Tree.

[Chinook]

What a week! Trying to get ourselves into some semblance of organized after two weeks of vacation with sick kids and hence nothing but being lazy...

This week I only finished The Revolution of Birdie Randolph which fitted nicely into Bildungsroman. It’s a really lovely story about a first love, pleasantly sex positive, with some family drama thrown in. There’s a lot of diversity - her sister’s a lesbian, her aunt bisexual, her best friend gay and her ex possibly ace.

I’m currently only reading Text Me When You Get Home: The Evolution and Triumph of Modern Female Friendship which is surprising one two fronts: one, that I’m only reading one book and two, it’s somehow not at all what I expected. It’s interesting though.

QOTW: I don’t purposefully delay reading anything but other readers at the library do it for me, by also wanting to read the books I’m interested in ;-)

What I generally do is whack a half dozen books onto my holds list and maybe borrow a couple as well, per prompt. Then I read whatever I’m feeling that’s available as I need a new book. Sometimes I’ll end up reading several that I picked out for one prompt and end up working for other prompts as well. Sometimes I end up letting all those holds expire and read something totally different.

I did put some of the Canada Reads longlist books on hold and I even went so far as to buy Dear Scarlet since my library doesn’t have it and it’s about post-partum depression, which ruled the last couple of years of my life and so that one I’m interested in reading whether it makes the short list or not.

[Cendaquenta]

Heyyy.
Everything is... a bit hectic right now. Just got back from Mexico - 24 hours of travel, which was a strain even though it went relatively smoothly. And wow was it a wee bit of a shock going from temperatures in the high teens/twenties (Celsius) to below-freezing Scottish January. 🥶 Heating is at maximum and I'm wearing several layers!

As to reading... I have finished, uh, big fat nothing this week.

Temp-DNFed Red Mars

Started and temp-DNFed Signal to Noise

Currently reading Newt's Emerald on Kindle (for ATY prompt 2, single-syllable author surname) and The House of Impossible Beauties in physical copy. Might use "Impossible Beauties" for the recommended by blog/vlog/etc. prompt, as several of the Booktubers I follow have read + discussed it.

QOTW
I'm not really someone who plans my reading in advance super strictly, but I do save some books for specific times of year. Spooky books for around Halloween, for example, or stockpiling nonfiction books for Nonfiction November. And sometimes if a specific date is important to a book I'll try to read it on that date.

[Jen K]

Christy wrote: "Thanks so much for the country recommendations, everyone! I've definitely got The Salt Houses and We Need New Names on my list now (and hopefully they'll work for prompts)."

House of Stone is great as well for Zimbabwe if you want options!

[The Chapter Conundrum (Stacey)]

Drakeryn wrote: "Oh man I love this book, great to see someone else enjoying it!"

I just finished it and all I could think for a while was wow! :o
This type of book isn't my usual thing at all but it ended up being a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ read for me. I loved that it kept me guessing right up until the last page!!

[Kendra]

So I caught the nasty cold that my aunt had at Christmas, which she passed on to my sister, who then passed it on to me. But on the plus side, I spent a bunch of time reading so I got through 5 books this week.

Books I Finished:

Immortal Craving - The 4th and final book in this series, it didn't really finish things, but as all the characters have been paired off, I doubt the author will be writing another one. I did enjoy book 3, and the world was interesting, but it still ended up being a bit of a disappointment. I used it for A book featuring one of the seven deadly sins

Silent Blade & Silver Shark - I hadn't read these Ilona Andrews books before, because my sister had said that they weren't as good, but I actually really liked them. I wish they had been longer and more fleshed out, but I still loved them. I used them for A book you meant to read in 2019 & A book by an author who has written over 20 books

Rosalind Franklin: The Dark Lady of DNA - I borrowed this book from my mother a couple of years ago, and it has just sat on my nightstand. It was interesting, although it was a bit too technical so somethings just flew over my head. I used it for A book about a women in STEM

Night and Silence - I'm almost done my reread of the series. But I'm trying to not use any rereads for the challenge this year, so it was just for fun.

QOTW

I'm a mood reader, so if I put off reading something, I run the risk of not getting around to reading it for years. Case in point, in last week's check in, I listed An Elderly Lady is Up to No Good as the book I was planning to read for the challenge first, because I had wanted to read it in November, but put it off till this year so it could count for the challenge, and yet I have now read 5 other books, and I haven't even started it yet.

[Sonali]

So far I have finished 4 books and reading 1:

Finished:
The Blue Umbrella by Ruskin Bond under "A book featuring one of the seven deadly sins" (Greed)

Chronicle of a Death Foretold by Gabriel García Márquez under advanced prompt "A book with more than 20 letters in its title"

Insects Are Just Like You and Me Except Some of Them Have Wings by Kuzhali Manickavel under "A book published the month of your birthday" (July)

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger under "A book with a great first line"

Currently reading: The Big Four by Agatha Christie

[Jen K]

I'm so jealous of the snow! I'm from Vermont but live in the DC area now (which I consider the south :)) and am always desperate for any sight of snow. Unfortunately I'm away for work and the midst of a muggy rain season and missed the snow this week.

Books Finished:
Making Payments: An American Indian, the Vietnam War, Laos, and the Hmong- used for #24, a book about a subject I know nothing about-- I have heard of the Hmong but I really knew nothing of their culture and history. This was a fascinating tale that reads like a true story.
Big Boned- used for Advanced #10, character in her 20's-- fun mystery/ romance-y series, the characters are fun and enjoy the NYC setting
Three Women- started before 2020 and decided not to use for challenge- this book is raw and uncomfortable and like walking in on sex that shouldn't be happening

Books in Progress:
Golden State
An Orchestra of Minorities

QOTW:
I don't purposely save any books to read later. I'm in various challenges so I just pick ones that look relevant to a few and that I feel like reading and go for it.

[Rebecca]

Books finished:
Matilda (a book with a pink cover) - a re-read which I really enjoyed starting the year with!
Where the Crawdads Sing (a book rated at least 4 stars on Goodreads) - I had a lot of thoughts on this one, but overall enjoyed it.

Currently reading:
Hideous Beauty (a book published in 2020) - so far, so good!

Question of the week:
Do you reserve some books for reading later in the year or do you dive right in to your most exciting reads right away?
I don't really save books to read later in the year. Books I really want to read will go to the top of the TBR pile. I try to read books that have been sitting in the TBR pile for the longest, but I try and mix it up as well so I'm not reading two books from the same genre in a row. Really depends how I'm feeling!

[Tracy]

Question of the week:
Do you reserve some books for reading later in the year or do you dive right in to your most exciting reads right away?

There is absolutely no rhyme or reason to how I decide what to read and when LOL. Although I will say I had to get ATY's classic out of the way immediately, so I'm done with that. Also Book Riots Literary Magazine ( still working on it , cant remember the name).

I can't figure out what to count for week one and this week so heres what Ive been up to:

Finished:
Where the Crawdads Sing- Agree completely with the previous post. I was expecting 5 stars and I got 3.5 rounded up. I loved Kya as a little girl and her story but lost interest once she got older and I really was underwhelmed by the "mystery" at the end.

Drama- Love Love Love Raina Telegmeir. This book was adorbs.

The Old Man and the Sea- for my classic. Didnt realize this was a novella :-)
Considering it was about a fish I actually quite enjoyed it.

BookPage- 2020 edition..... a cheat on Book Riots literary magazine. This had some interesting author interviews and tons of book reviews, so my TBR grew.... awesome, just what I needed. I did move on to another magazine though because I dont think this is what they had in mind for this prompt. Cant think of the name of the publication off the top of my head. Something I could try free on my kindle.

In Progress:
A Game of Thrones- 300 something pages in and LOVING it! I was terrified becuase it is so long but its really fast paced. I'm watching the show as I'm reading, so taking my time with this one, especially since I own a copy.

The Things She's Seen- about a ghost and her dad. I'll finish this one today and possibly one more if I dont need a nap and if my million phone calls dont take forever.

The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics- just started this last night but then apparently passed out with my kindle on my face because my daughters slept in my bed last night and cuddling with them puts me right to sleep :-)

Maggie and Abby's Never-ending Pillow Fort- read chapter one out loud to my daughters while they were falling asleep at my older ones request. My heart melts when she asks me to read to her. We started this a few summers ago and never finished so we started over. I think it will be a cute book and shes at an age ( almost 10) where she was relating to a lot of the story and commenting on it.

The Van Apfel Girls Are Gone- on audio. I CAN'T DO AUDIO!!!!!! It is so frustrating to me. I need to just stop trying. I really want to focus on this mystery becuase it seems like I would like it but my brain just goes on auto pilot. I have literally listened to chapters 4 and 5 at least 6 times....not making much progress.

Out from the library and up next:
Shout
The Farm
The Whisper Man
Envy
Elevation
Meet Cute: Some People Are Destined to Meet
The Binding
I need to get going LOL.

I also put some Libby holds in but most are around a 6 month wait :/

[SadieReadsAgain]

Man, I have totally lost my check-in mojo! I was sat on the sofa all evening yesterday, no excuse for lateness!

But I've got my first read of the year down, crossing off week 1 of ATY and PS prompt #14 author with flora or fauna in their name in one.

I read Binge by Tyler Oakley. Very high brow. I didn't really know who this guy was when I bought the book. I've since seen him on an episode of Drag Race and he seemed decent enough. I've still not checked out his Youtube, so all I know about him is what I read in this book, but that is still the impression that I have of him - decent, and also very funny. I actually picked this book up as the title and description lead me to believe he'd be discussing his eating disorder, which is something I'm always interested in reading about. On that point, I'll say I was a bit disappointed. There is only one section of the book where he gets into the topic and it isn't at any great depth. Not that anyone is beholden to share their deepest struggles, and I do respect that he at least chose to share some of his experiences. But this is more about the crazy life of an internet celebrity, and while it's an amusing book with some (sometimes awkward) revelations it isn't exactly a emotional read. If I'd have known who Tyler was before then I'd have probably known that, and been able to enjoy this more for what it is - fluffy, like a chat with your girls when you've all had too many cocktails (that is, if your girls were all pop-obsessed gay guys). And actually, sometimes that's the kind of read you need.


QOTW - Do you reserve some books for reading later in the year or do you dive right in to your most exciting reads right away?

This year I'm trying to stick to reading in ATY order, so I'm dictated by that. I tried it last year and it fell apart sometime after the summer, so I'm determined to stick to it this time. But if I was going freestyle, I'd probably dive into my most exciting ones first but keep some other exciting ones for later in the year. But I often find that books I might not be that jazzed about reading can often be wonderful surprises and worth the chance I take on them. So I'm feeling pretty good about all my reads this year.

[Aimee]

Finished 2/50

A Hat Full of Sky
(a book from a series with more than 20 books)
This was a re-read - I don't usually count re-reads towards challenges, but I have a bit of a Christmas / New Year tradition of re-reading a Discworld sub-series and I ended up starting this one on New Year's Day so figured I might as well count it as my first book of the challenge.
I haven't read the Tiffany Aching books as much as other Discworld books so it was great to revisit them and to read them all back-to-back.

This Is How You Lose the Time War
(a book with an upside-down image on the cover)
Really enjoyed this one, a very different kind of romance book. It was short but I didn't feel I could rush through it, I felt like that wouldn't do the story justice, so I read it in short bursts over about 5 days.

Currently reading:
I'm about to start Sky in the Deep, a book I meant to read in 2019.

QOTW: Do you reserve some books for reading later in the year or do you dive right in to your most exciting reads right away?
I don't really put much thought into it, I tend to wait until I've finished a book before choosing what I'm going to read next. It often depends what genre I feel like. I'll try and look through my planned challenge books first but if none of them strike my fancy I'll opt for something different and save some challenge books for later.

[Ellie]

Tracy wrote: "The Van Apfel Girls Are Gone- on audio. I CAN'T DO AUDIO!!!!!! It is so frustrating to me. I need to just stop trying...."

Are you doing anything else whilst you're listening? For years I was sure I just couldn't do audio but I tried whilst walking to work and that's perfect for me. I can't just sit and listen otherwise my mind wanders. I also find speeding the narration up helps, if they speak too slowly my brain gets bored.

So if you're not already, try doing something physical at the same time and see if that helps. Sometimes it's just the audiobook though, they are not all created equal!

[The Chapter Conundrum (Stacey)]

Tracy wrote: "A Game of Thrones- 300 something pages in and LOVING it! I was terrified becuase it is so long but its really fast paced. I'm watching the show as I'm reading, so taking my time with this one, especially since I own a copy."

Awesome!! I'm glad to hear you're loving it! I have the first 5 Song of Ice and Fire books planned for my 2020 challenge and I'm excited to FINALLY dive in to these (I've been holding out for forever since the subsequent books take forever to release) but I'm holding back a little bit more until I have a lot more of my 2020 challenge prompts finished because I'm scared I'll just spend like 6 weeks reading these and fall way behind where I want to be ahaha!

Maybe I'm crazy for wanting to tackle these while I'm also in the middle of Outlander & ACOTAR....it works out that because of these I have 10 books on my 2020 list that are 700+ pages each. XD

[Milena]

Ellie wrote: "Tracy wrote: "The Van Apfel Girls Are Gone- on audio. I CAN'T DO AUDIO!!!!!! It is so frustrating to me. I need to just stop trying...."

Are you doing anything else whilst you're listening? For ye..."

Totally agree. I listen while walking, driving, cooking, cleaning, laundry. If I just sit and listen I will fall asleep.

[Jaime]

Finished
I finished An Easy Death by Charlaine Harris (first book you touch on a shelf). It was a great quick first read to get me going!

Currently Reading
In progress are Big Fat Manifesto by Susan Vaught (book with only words on the cover) and Catch and Kill: Lies, Spies, and a Conspiracy to Protect Predators (book by/about a journalist).

Do you reserve some books for reading later in the year or do you dive right in to your most exciting reads right away?
I have some that will wait for specific times of the year, either because they aren't out yet or because I've talked my book club into choosing them for later months.

[Tracy]

Ellie and Milena,

I was cleaning while I listened. Next time I'm going to try coloring and see if that works. Usually I try and listen in the car. I think I just have too many worries stuck in my head :-(

[Milena]

Tracy wrote: "Ellie and Milena,

I was cleaning while I listened. Next time I'm going to try coloring and see if that works. Usually I try and listen in the car. I think I just have too many worries stuck in my ..."

Audiobooks may just not be for you.

[Elena]

Week 2
Sunshine - A book with the same title as a movie or TV show but is unrelated to it
Full Dark, No Stars - A book recommended by your favorite blog, vlog, podcast or online book club
Autonomous - A book with a robot, cyborg, or AI character

Question of the week:
Do you reserve some books for reading later in the year or do you dive right in to your most exciting reads right away?

In years past I dove right in to the books I was most excited about, and this year I'm still doing that to some extent. But this year I'm also doing another prompt-based challenge (Around the Year in 52 Books) that has a weekly reading schedule, and I've never tried one like that before, so now some books are waiting for the right week. Some participants do read in any order, and I'm not saying I'll never break the schedule--in fact I know I will, because I've got The Picture of Dorian Gray down for one of those tasks, but also 'read a banned book during Banned Books Week' here, and it's not the same week! So I have to get it wrong on one side or the other. But I am going to mostly try to follow the schedule.

[Shannon]

poshpenny wrote: "I just got back from book club and oh, we had such a good time! We read The Night Circus, and I nerd vomited all over the bookshop. Black and white striped tablecovers everywhere, bl..."

That sounds so amazing! I am super jealous of how into it your book club went!

[Megan]

I finished my first challenge prompt this week (hooray!) and made progress on two more. I'm at 1/40 and 0/10, and am at 2/100 for my overall Goodreads Reading Challenge.

Finished:
* Hyperbole and a Half: Unfortunate Situations, Flawed Coping Mechanisms, Mayhem, and Other Things That Happened by Allie Brosh, which I used for "a book with at least a four-star rating on Goodreads." I also used it for a BookRiot Read Harder Challenge prompt (graphic memoir).

Currently Reading:
* Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier, which I'm using for "a book with a great first line" and also for a Modern Mrs. Darcy Reading Challenge prompt (a classic you didn't read in school); and,
* The Pioneers: The Heroic Story of the Settlers Who Brought the American Ideal West by David McCullough, which is one of my book club's picks for January and I'll likely use for "a book with a map," as there are several maps included before the first chapter. I may move it to another prompt though. We'll see how I feel when I get to the end :)

QotW:
Do you reserve some books for reading later in the year or do you dive right in to your most exciting reads right away? I don't normally plan out my reading, but do try to pick something fun to kick off my reading year. This year, I started a book at the end of the December and finished in early January that checked that box (Lives Laid Away by Stephen Mack Jones). The other two books I started after the 1st did too: Rebecca and Hyperbole and a Half: Unfortunate Situations, Flawed Coping Mechanisms, Mayhem, and Other Things That Happened. I made a deliberate decision to save Rebecca for January and am loving it. Hyperbole and a Half: Unfortunate Situations, Flawed Coping Mechanisms, Mayhem, and Other Things That Happened ended up being a fun, fast read that wasn't planned. While I do try to pick something exciting for December, I don't pick it until then because I'm a mood reader.

[Harmke]

Hi all,
I had an average reading week. Didn't finish a book, but speeding up to finish at least one book next week.

Currently reading
The Huntress. Almost finished, 30 pages to go... big finale is starting.

Grote verwachtingen. In Europa 1999-2019. Ticked off another chapter.

The Giver of Stars. Started today, because I had a 4 hour train ride and those 30 pages of The Huntress would left me without a book for about 3,5 hours. So I started a new book, covered about half of it.

Question of the week:
Do you reserve some books for reading later in the year or do you dive right in to your most exciting reads right away?
I just read what I like at the moment. Or what's available at the library. And sometimes I save books I own for a vacation, but since we are going to Canada this summer I stick to my e-book saving space and weight in my suitcase.

The only book I save is A Christmas Carol, for obvious reasons.

[Ellie]

Tracy wrote: "Ellie and Milena, I was cleaning while I listened. Next time I'm going to try coloring and see if that works. Usually I try and listen in the car. I think I just have too many worries stuck in my ..."

I hear you. My anxiety spiked at the end of last year and I kept missing huge chunks of audiobook, so I picked things where that didn't matter so much. But yeah, worried brains don't engage well with listening in detail.

[Nadine in NY]

Anne wrote: "... I am especially excited for the Challenge this year because we have a group of people in my family doing it. We've made a family group chat and it is fun to see the variety from my parents down to my eighth-grade nephew. ...."



That is awesome!!! How much fun for all of you!!! I love my family, but I'm envious of yours right now :-)

[Johanne]

Tracy wrote: "Ellie and Milena,

I was cleaning while I listened. Next time I'm going to try coloring and see if that works. Usually I try and listen in the car. I think I just have too many worries stuck in my ..."

Colouring is a great idea. I usually listen on my bike ride (but I can´t do that if I have too much in my head either). I like to do jigsaw puzzles and listen.
For some reason I can´t do housework and audiobooks.

[Johanne]

Happy friday all!
Work has been insane this week. On top of my own, I have taken over the workload of a colleague who got separated over christmas. Horrible shit, separations.

Finished
Monstress, Vol. 4: The Chosen by Marjorie M. Liu and Sana Takeda
I love these dark dark graphic novels. I got this from my son for christmas (life goal completed).

Beautiful Bastard
Beautiful Stranger
Beautiful Player
by Christina Lauren

Smutty romance. My go-to when my brain is overwhelmed with other things.

Currently reading
Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb
almost finished. Loving it.

Watchmen by Alan Moore & co.
Just started.

A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens on audio. About a third in, but the loan expired an hour ago...

QOTW:
This is really funny to me. It implies that you are on top of your reading and don´t have a double-stacked shelf and two high piles of soon-to-be-read books in your living room...
There are just so many books I want to read and too little time. So my reason for waiting for books I am excited about is because I already have too many I am excited about in my piles and shelf.
I will try to consciously spread out some of the prompts I don´t expect to serendipitously fulfill.

Other than that I only have two reading goals this year: To get up to date on ongoing series (around 18) and read less romance. So it´s perfect that I have already read 3 romances and started 2 new series this year! (The self-irony and lack of selfdiscipline is strong with this one).

[Katelyn]

Greetings all! The snow is threatening here in the PNW but have yet to experience any myself. I surprised myself this year (already, I know) by finishing my first Pop Sugar Challenge book for 2020.

Finished:
The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides (Medical Thriller) and it was a good book! Not too wordy so it was a quick read.

Currently Reading:
Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn (Pun in the title)

The League: How Five Rivals Created the NFL and Launched a Sports Empire by John Eisenberg (subject you know nothing about)

Both books are great so far...just trying to push through - started a new job at the beginning of 2020 so haven't had much time to read...but I'm getting on.

Question of the week:
Do you reserve some books for reading later in the year or do you dive right in to your most exciting reads right away?

A: I am constantly buying and trading books - My mother wasn't big on buying toys but any time I wanted a book she was all over it, always encouraging me to read. As an adult I love books (tried the e-reader and never got into it, there is nothing like a good paper-and-ink book in your hand). I have stacks of books at home and when I am in the mood for something, I pick it up.

Happy reading everyone!

[Milena]

Johanne wrote: "Tracy wrote: "Ellie and Milena,

I was cleaning while I listened. Next time I'm going to try coloring and see if that works. Usually I try and listen in the car. I think I just have too many worrie..."

The only reason I can do housework is because of audiobooks.