Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge discussion
2020 Weekly Checkins
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Week 17: 4/16 - 4/23
Finished: None.Started: Biased: Uncovering the Hidden Prejudice That Shapes What We See, Think, and Do Received as a gift. Could be used for challenge by a woman of color or a woman who is a scientist. It's very good.
Pandemic!: Covid-19 Shakes the World Not a big fan of Zizek, but couldn't resist the topic. Unlike a lot of people it seems, I'm really enjoying reading things relevant to the pandemic rather than trying to find escapes from it.
Poet Lore: A 2nd Century of New Writing Not really a book, but I'm reading it, so it counts, right?
A Paradise Built in Hell: The Extraordinary Communities That Arise in Disaster Just barely started this one, so can't attest to its quality yet, but I'm expecting great things. Starts off with altruistic acts during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
QotW: I feel like there are quite a few authors who would qualify, so I'll probably miss some. Ones that come to mind are: Naomi Klein, Lynda Mullaly Hunt, Marisha Pessl, Jerry Spinelli, Justin Reynolds (not to be confused with Jason Reynolds), Phillip Pullman Ann Pelo, Mo Willems, Billy Collins, and Mohammad Tamdgidi. Used to be Rick Riordan but I really didn't like his Apollo series, so I became more discerning of his output.
Hi everyone! have to admit all this has been getting to me this week. Having a frustrating week at work, doing dumb stuff (triggered by this situation). Plus my husband's been handling most the shopping, so i haven't done more than go on walks or drive-up banking in a month. Had to pick up some prescriptions and discovered that a mask out in public makes it all seem way more terrifying and made me kind of panicky. I actually left my car running in the parking lot on accident, I was so disoriented getting geared up. Ended up emotionally crashing when I got home, freaking out. So not having the best week.
finished:
Immortal Born - I finished this last Thursday, can't remember if I posted here or not. It wasn't bad, but she's gotten really sloppy over the last few years with details and keeping her own lore straight. Used for Read Harder romance with a single parent, and popsugar book series with more than 20 books in it.
Horrorstör - popsugar book you read because the title caught your eye, and read harder horror book from an indie press. Not a huge horror fan overall, but I liked this. When I do horror, I tend to like the supernatural kind, or creepier psychological kind as opposed to slasher/gore type ones. This was in a sweet spot for me of maybe a BIT creepier than I like but whimsical enough with the Ikea-knockoff nods to keep it from being too much.
The Ten Thousand Doors of January - just finished this, partially why I'm later than usual checking in. I was so close to finishing, I just wanted to tick it off haha. I liked it a lot, though it wasn't a 5 star for me. I really like portal fiction in general, and I thought the idea of world explorers was fun. I like the intertwining stories. Counted it for my book published in my birthday month (September).
Currently Reading:
The Count of Monte Cristo- still plugging away, got past the 500 page mark, woo! ....still not even halfway! booo.
So You Want to Talk About Race. - still doing the audio book. It's a bit heavier than I want in an audio book, but making it through. Books like this is always kind of hard to rate/review, since it's not like I ENJOY reading about racism. But it's important, and I think she does a good job at laying her points out and giving guidance. I appreciate that she directs advice both to white people who want to do better, as well as people of color trying to navigate the conversations.
Space Opera Technically haven't started, but it's up next for my online book club. I need to get it read so I can start writing up questions for it.
QOTW:
I don't tend to preorder books or buy immediately, in general. Honestly i'm always so haphazard with reading lists, chances are I won't get to it for months anyhow so I tend to wait until the library gets it, or it goes on sale. However when I make it to a physical indie bookstore i tend to let myself buy more in the name of supporting the indie bookstore. So in those cases I'll grab stuff by Seanan McGuire, Neil Gaiman, William Gibson, Neal Stephanson without hesitation.
Oh I wish we could have more warmer, nice days so the kids can get outside to run around. We’re getting one nice day, then rain rain rain, and maybe a random bit of snow, and then weather that’s more appropriate for January than mid to late April. Ah well, at least I have Netflix. The Thousand-Dollar Tan Line for a book with a main character in their 20s. An absolute must for Veronica Mars fans! I’m mad that I waited this long to pick this book up. And the audiobook is practically required since it’s narrated by Kristen Bell. Such nostalgic vibes, a great mystery, funny in all the right places and I’m strongly considering rewatching the series since I have nothing better to do.
A Red Herring Without Mustard rereading Flavia de Luce, not for the challenge. Still charming.
Then She Was Gone not for the challenge, a few of my friends are doing an online book club and this was the first pick. Like most thrillers, I flew through this book in no time at all. The mystery being solved ended being horribly sad and senseless but I really enjoyed the ride and will most definitely check out more from this author.
Into the Wild a book by a journalist. I enjoyed the movie years ago, the book was fine but ultimately frustrating. Then my bf goes and tells me he often fantasizes about doing the same kind of wandering wilderness journey the subject and author both embarked on. It makes me wonder what it is about men and toddlers that make them crave death.
I’m at 37/40; 6/10 for the popsugar challenge (wow! Almost done!). 2/24 for book riot. 0/12 for back to the classics.
QOTW: oh, tons. Marisha Pessl comes to mind. Ann Patchett. Katherine Arden. In fact I rarely consider plots when picking up an author I likes new book, and I almost never consider reviews.
I just realized I should have added Fredrik Backman to my list for the QOTW. After A Man Called Ove, Bear Town, and Us Against You I'm very excited for his next book coming out later this year (Anxious People). And of course I'll by anything Trevor Noah or Bryan Stevenson write if they ever publish second books. Love them!
Lauren, I have the Danish edition on my shelf :D Haven't read it yet but it's ready for me.
I was thinking I should have had Fredrik Backman on my list also. I did not know he has a new book coming out this year.
Still not able to read anything requiring too much focus.This week I got through Fullmetal Alchemist, Vol. 2, which I enjoyed. Will keep reading in the series, once the library reopens and I can get the next book.
Also, Legendary, which I did not enjoy. Or kind of enjoyed in a hate-reading way. It just feels like there wasn't actually a thought out setting/world, or people with actual characterizations - just various excuses to hang plot twists on. Like the whole idea of the competition doesn't make sense when there is literally only one person who could even possibly win - why exactly are people flocking to this? I rolled my eyes so many times while reading this.
Currently reading
The Count of Monte Cristo and Madder Carmine. I really like how the latter started off - posted about it in the great first lines thread, but unfortunately it's turned into a bit of a slog. It's just written in a specific voice, and it's hard to sustain following that. Had put it down for a couple of days, then actually went back to it and started over to see if I'll have more momentum on a second run at it.
QotW
The authors whose books get added to my to-read as soon as I know they have a new book coming are Neil Gaiman, N.K. Jemisin and Alberto Manguel.
I went back to work from my birthday vacation days today. At 1:30am. I got about 15 minutes of sleep. I'm fading fast!Finished:
Forensics: What Bugs, Burns, Prints, DNA and More Tell Us About Crime - Does what it says on the tin
To Be Taught, If Fortunate - I thought this was fine, perfectly passable... until the very end, and it got me!
Odd Dog Out - Yes, again.
Welcome: A Mo Willems Guide for New Arrivals - Friends plan to have a kid later this year and I am SO getting this for them
Murder is Easy - A Christie I hadn't read, yay
Currently Reading:
The Talented Mr. Varg - Sequel to that random book I read recently. I guess it's the cozy version of a book set in Sweden, Nordic Blanc :)
A Damsel in Distress - Bedtime Wodehouse
Hurricane Child - Lost it, found it, back to reading a few pages here and there
QOTW:
Sure, let's see who I can think of before I fall asleep. Oooo and the power just went out. Dang, the perfect time to read paper but I know I'll sleep through it! OK back on task...
Erin Morgenstern, Erik Larson, Torben Kuhlmann, Angie Thomas, Jason Reynolds, Brian Selznik, Alex Gino, The Fan Brothers
My sleepy brain can mostly think of kids authors it seems
Power is back, which is good because my first thought when the power went out was no prob my laptop has a pretty long battery... before remembering the router needs juice too. Sigh.
Hi All,still hanging in there & doing a lot of reading this week. I’m doing the ATY Quarantine Read-A-Thon this week. Also I’m doing the Dewey 24 hour Read-A-Thon Saturday. I finished 2 books this week both for this challenge. The Mirror & The Light by Hilary Mantel for a book published in 2020. I gave it 5 stars. The second book was Death At La Fenice (Commissario Brunetti #1) by Donna Leon. I used it for the advanced prompt a book published in the 20th century. It was published in 1994. This is the first book in this series I have read. I enjoyed it & will read others in the series.QOTW: I would buy anything Pat Conroy wrote without reading synopsis or reviews. Also if I’m deep into a series I’ll buy the book without knowing anything about it.
So another week done and nothing much has changed. The weather has started to improve and I'm looking forward to when it'll be nice enough to go outside and read in the sun.Books I read:
Me - I loved this book. It was interesting, funny and just left me feeling really positive. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Huntress - Another book I loved. The book follows 3 MCs and switches between their stories until they all connect in the end, but one of the storylines dragged a bit in the beginning which kept this from being a 5 star read for me. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Book Love - There is one comic in this book that shows the woman returning a book to the library then going to a bookstore to buy the book and that is how I feel about this book. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Mage in Black - So I finally felt like reading fiction again so I finished this reread. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Books I made progress on:
Bellweather Rhapsody
The Colour of Magic
Scams, Scandals, and Skulduggery: a Selection of the World's Most Outrageous FraudsQOTW
I have never read a book by Seanan McGuire/Mira Grant, Ilona Andrews, J. K. Rowling or Fredrik Backman that I haven't loved, so even though I would by a book by anyone one of them sight unseen.
I've kind of settled into this quarantine life now and because of that I've been able to get a lot of reading done. Basically if something else isn't required of me in that moment, I'm reading.Finished this week
Reconstruction: America's Unfinished Revolution 1863-1877 I did it! I finished this monster of a history book for the book on a subject you know nothing about prompt that I've been reading for the last 3 months. This book is cited in many other nonfiction books I've read and so I've wanted to read it for awhile. To be honest, it was drier than I expected and so detailed that I actually wished I had read the abridged version, but alas - I'm still glad I read it. I think I may seek out the Henry Louis Gates documentary series about Reconstruction so that I can see the larger themes that I may have missed because I was so bogged down in the details.
The Widows of Malabar Hill Set in India in the 1920s and is a bit of a mix of mystery and historical fiction. I really enjoyed it.
Writers & Lovers Loved it. Insightful reflections on life and writing and debt and love.
Patina This is the second in the Track series. My 9-year-old has been reading these and loving them and she wanted me to read them too. I enjoyed the first in the series, Ghost, more, but this was enjoyable and engaging as well.
The Grand Sophy May I make a case for Georgette Heyer to fill your author who has written more than 20 books prompt? Heyer wrote in the early 20th century and she wrote more than 50 novels during that time. Most of her books are historical romance, and she was considered to be an undisputed expert of the Regency period. Her writing is sharp and witty and just makes you feel good. I've only read a couple by her so far but I look forward to reading many more.
Currently reading
What Truth Sounds Like: Robert F. Kennedy, James Baldwin, and Our Unfinished Conversation About Race in America Started this for the only words on the cover prompt and it's fascinating so far. It's about the 1963 meeting between Robert Kennedy, James Baldwin, and other prominant African American leaders of the time.
Queenie Malone's Paradise Hotel I recently won this in a Goodreads giveaway and I'm enjoying it so far. It's heavier than I expected but I'm hopeful.
Long Walk to Freedom Listening on audiobook for the world leader prompt and enjoying learning about Mandela's life.
QOTW
Yes! I have a few must-buy authors and I'm adding more all the time. Right now my go-to's are Khaled Hosseini, Fredrik Backman (who has a new one coming out in September!) and Wally Lamb. I've recently added Elizabeth Strout, Jesmyn Ward, and J. Ryan Stradal to that list.
Hello all, hope everyone is managing to find a new routine that's working for them in this funny time. I've found I've settled into it and, now I've managed to get an outdoor chair delivered, am getting quite a bit of reading done on my balcony.Finished
Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel - great first line "So now get up" - loved this book, I didn't manage to finish it in my first library loan and had to wait to get it again. So been reading this since the start of March.... Already got holds on for the next ones so hope they come in soon!
Things You Save in a Fire by Katherine Center - character with vision impairment (the protagonist has to move in with her mother following loss of sight in one eye) - I adore Katherine Center books, always some slightly daft, feel-good, hopeful books.
Stay with Me by Ayobami Adebayo - 3 word title - this was much more hard-hitting than I had expected. I thought it was going to be a book about marriage and jealousy but it was just savagely sad. It's been on my TBR forever and I did like it but wish I'd read it at another time.
Ghost Wall by Sarah Moss - another one that was much more hard-hitting than expected. I had thought a book about a dress-up, reenactment camping trip would be somewhat comedic but it turns out this book is an exploration of domestic abuse.... Another one I should have read at another time.
All Systems Red by Martha Wells - book about AI - following some grim books, decided to read about a sarcastic robot instead, just what I needed!
Kiss the Girls and Make Them Cry by Mary Higgins Clark - a thriller set in a 'me too' tv broadcasting world. A good quick read.
Currently Reading
Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia - set in 1920's - whimsical story that reads like a fairy tale
The Kind Worth Killing by Peter Swanson - just started this today but can't wait to get off the computer and pick it back up!
QOTW
I don't really allow myself to buy books anymore as I spent many years buying books and never reading any of them. I mainly do library and, when I've built up a list of things to listen to, sometimes do an odd month of scribd. I guess I mean to say that picking something up on sight isn't much of an investment for me!!
I don't really read the back properly of any book which might be part of the reason that I ended up with a load of heavy books this week that I wasn't really in the mood for haha....
I really love Naomi Novik and Lionel Shriver and would definitely put a hold on any new books of theirs that were available from my library without a second thought.
Mod
I LOVED this book! It was the first book I read by Swanson and after I finished it I became dedicated to reading everything he's written. (I haven't made much headway in that pledge, but that's okay, that just means I still have a bunch of great books ahead of me.)
I missed last week's check-in and was going to skip out on this one as I feel I'm pretty late to the party, but I've managed to catch up on reviews so I'll keep the momentum going and update here. It's been a tough week with my mental health, and really the only thing that I've been able to focus on has been books.I've read three books since last check-in, two for PS, which brings me to 18/54 (15/44, 3/10) and I'm on book 25 of the year.
First up was Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger for prompt #12 passes the Bechdel test. I read The Time Traveller's Wife years ago and really loved it, so I had high hopes for this book. And the premise sounded great - American twins are bequeathed a flat in London from an aunt they never knew existed, on the promise that they never let their parents cross the threshold. As they cross the Atlantic to their new address, what mysteries await? And I have to say, it is the setting of this book - the antique strewn rooms of aunt Elspeth's home in the shadow of the historic Highgate Cemetery, and of course the cemetery itself, that made this such a gorgeous read. This book is so gothically atmospheric, Niffenegger's wonderful prose literally brings the dead to life. With creepy twins, family secrets and a cast of characters all negotiating their own troubles, there was so much in this book that kept me turning the pages. I do think that in the wrong hands this story would have quickly gone from the sublime to the ridiculous, but although this story does require quite the suspension of disbelief it does manage that tightrope walk with barely a wobble. So whilst I think The Time Traveller's Wife is still Niffenegger's strongest book, this one is a close contender.
My next book wasn't for a challenge, and it was a NetGalley of Saint X by Alexis Schaitkin. This is the story of Claire, who was seven when her idolised older sister Alison was found dead on a family holiday. As an adult, she jumps in to a cab which just happens to be driven by one of the men suspected of Alison's murder, and an obsession to discover the truth takes over Claire's life. I'm just going to jump right in an say it - this book is brilliant. It had me gripped right from the beginning and I thought it was intelligent, layered and incredibly well written. This is not your average mystery novel, it is so much more. How people cope with loss, how circumstances shape a person, how family dynamics play out and how our perceptions of people evolve as we ourselves develop are all explored in this book, so well that the whodunnit aspect almost becomes secondary. I adored the stories of both Claire and suspected killer Clive, Schaitkin has a real talent for crafting complex characters and backstories. This book is a slower pace of mystery, but that is what makes it such a great read. As each layer unfurls you get more involved. I love a book with depth, and this certainly has that. One of my favourite reads of the year so far.
And then finally, The Diary of a Bookseller by Shaun Bythell for prompt #20 picked because the title caught your attention. So let's list things that I love. Scotland, bookshops, books about books, heavy doses of sarcasm, and (when I worked in a bookshop myself) snarking about customers. So given that all of these boxes are ticked in this book, it was a open goal. I cringed and laughed in equal measures, and given that my own bookselling career was pre-Kindle, early Amazon and in a high street chain brand which has since eaten most of the competition, I learned so much about the used book trade and the realities of an independent book shop. I particularly enjoyed reading about the Wigtown Book Festival, which is top of my newly-single-freedom bucket list to visit. Bythell is curmudgeonly, but underneath it lies a man who is passionate about books, generous with his hospitality and very obviously cares about the people around him. I warmed to him a lot in his entries of striving to keep a threatened business afloat whilst not repeating his Kindle-shooting incident with certain incredibly rude and/or ignorant customers (or gawpers, given how rudeness and ignorance usually coincides with tightfistedness). I can't wait for the end of lock-down so I can start planning my Wigtown visit.
QOTW - Do you have any authors that you'll buy/borrow their new books without checking the description or reviews first, since you're sure you'll like it.
Probably not. I have authors I love, but I will only read them if the premise appeals to me. If I was a normal reader, I suppose I'd probably be less picky, but because I have such an extensive and ever-growing TBR I haven't ever felt like making a concerted effort to read any one author's entire back catalogue. I suppose if I had to pick I'd say Toni Morrison, Zoe Strachan, Diane Setterfield, Donna Tartt, David Mitchell and A.L. Kennedy are up there with priority reads.
Hey, everyone! I'm back! It's been about 3.5 months since I've checked in and holy cow have things changed since then. I hope everyone is safe and are doing well during these crazy times. I did end up giving birth to my son at the end of January and have been pretty much self isolating since then. You would figure I would have knocked out a ton of reading but I've actually only finished a handful of books. My tv consumption, however, has been off the hook. Seriously, it's pretty impressive (or disgusting) if you were to see how many shows/movies I've watched since then. I would love to have seen how many books I would have read had this happened last year when I was in peak reading form. I have finished off a grand total of 3 books since I last checked in. I didn't read anything in February but finally in March I managed to read The Bookish Life of Nina Hill which I enjoyed. I remember it being light reading and an overall easy read but honestly, about one month later and I can't really remember a thing about it.
I followed that with Dead Until Dark which for me is unusual because it was a reread. I read it originally years ago around the time that the show came out but it's been so long that I didn't quite remember what happens so it was pretty much like reading it fresh. Enjoyable enough but it didn't really pull me in so I think I won't follow up with the rest of the series.
And lastly, I managed to get a hold of The Hand on the Wall to finish off the Truly Devious series. I liked how this tied up the series although I did have a few issues with one or two things. Overall I thought this series was well done and I quite liked all of the characters and the two plotlines.
QOTW: Do you have any authors that you'll buy/borrow their new books without checking the description or reviews first, since you're sure you'll like it.
In general, I don't think I've ever really read a book without reading the blurb, but I am going to definitely read the next book in the Cormoran Strike series regardless of what it's about and how it's reviewed. JK Rowling is probably the closest thing I have to an answer of this one as I'm going to read anything she writes that's Harry Potter related and I adore the Cormoran Strike series. The reason that she's not the answer is I really have no desire to read The Casual Vacancy and I hate how they have made up books that are just the screenplays to the Fantastic Beasts series.
The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz by Erik Larson. This really looks only at the events from when Churchill is made Prime Minister until the US enters the war. So a pretty short slice of history There are some fun stories here I hadn't heard. I'm glad I read it. But it likely won't stick with me. 
Red at the Boneby Jacqueline Woodson I liked this Didn't love it. 
Red at the Bone by Andy Weir I started this on my birthday in Februrary and I had a lot going on and I've let it check itself back into the library several times and figured it was going to be a DNF. I love the idea of Alice, Wendy, and Dorthy hanging out in their various dimmensions but it just wasn't working for me. Then today I decided either I needed to read it or stop renewing/requesting it. So I sat down with the rest of it and today? It was the kind of mental engagement that I needed. Everything with Peter Pan in particular was really funny to me.Currently reading
Bunny by Mona Awad. QOTW:
Harlan Coben irritates me because he goes to the same tropes over and over and over agian and one of those tropes that partiularly irritates me. And yet I don't think I've missed out on the first week of any of his books even when I said "I'm so done with this guy" at the end of the last one.
Fredrik Backman, Alan Bradley, J.K. Rowling, Louise Penny, Nnedi Okorafor... I could keep going it is a large group. If I liked the last thing I read by you I'm going to read the next thing without worrying about what the next thing is.
Then if I stop liking what you are writing I drop you like a hot potato. Lee Child, John Grisham, Patricia Cornwell... the list goes on and on.
Once again, I don't know what happened to my reading week. Three books finished, but a lot of time between them just lost. Oh, for a schedule again!This week I read:
The Last Voyage of Poe Blythe- A YA book that was not my favorite. Pretty predictable, but if you like YA fantasy this one is for you.
Crown of Oblivion- another YA fantasy. Again, pretty predictable but I liked it better than the Condie.
Twenty-Eight and a Half Wishes- total escapism reading. You must suspend belief all through the climax (and on a few other occasions) but it was a nice way to get away.
QOTW:
I always read the blurb.
Mod
congratulations!!!!!! I wasn't able to read much when my daughters were born, either. Just too tired, I guess. I did watch EVERY episode of every season of: ER, Alias, Buffy, Angel, and a good chunk of Judging Amy and Law & Order (by taping them on TNT and then watching whenever the baby woke me up) ER, in particular, was with my second, and maybe some of those episodes were inappropriate for my three-year old older daughter, but the bad stuff went over her head and she's 17 now and wants to be a doctor. yay, me!
Potty training this week. Wow. I feel like I got run over by a truck. Finished 15/50
Oh Crap! Potty Training: Everything Modern Parents Need to Know to Do It Once and Do It Right for "book on a subject you know nothing about". Technically I finished that this week, though I'm waiting to review it until I'm further along in actually potty-training my child. So far, it's only "eh" in my book.
Currently Reading
Orthodoxy and Heterodoxy: Finding the Way to Christ in a Complicated Religious Landscape for "book published in the month you were born". So excited to get back into this. It's been amazing so far.
The Wilderness Journal: 365 Days with the Philokalia for "book with title that caught your attention". Still here. Still plugging along.
QotW
CLAMP usually. And Frederica Matthews-Greene and C. S. Lewis. And anything by Dostoyevsky. Brandon Sanderson is catching my attention though, so maybe he'll make the list. Otherwise, I'm pretty picky with my books and pretty clueless about their authors, unfortunately.
Laura wrote: "Year One (A book with the same title as a movie or TV show but is unrelated to it)"Oh thanks for mentioning this! I have Year One on my shelf and had forgotten that it was also the name of an unrelated movie! Plus, I'm iffy about the book that I currently have slotted for that prompt so it's great to know that I already have a backup option ready to go! :D
Happy Thursday Check-In! I am emerging from my latest novel completed with a total book hangover! This would be a good QOTW for the future.Completed:
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn- The quietly moving story of Francie Nolan growing up in Brooklyn between the years of 1902-1919 had me utterly absorbed in the world of her and her family. Betty Smith's prose is simple, yet profound and she has created a heroine whose story will stick with me for a long time. An absolute classic I am thrilled to have finally read.
Prompt: A bildungsroman (Popsugar)
Currently Reading:
Frenchman's Creek
The Golden Tulip
QOTW:
Authors who would fall in to this category for me would be Liesl Shurtliff and Grace Lin for Middle Grade books and Kate Morton, Erica Bauermeister and Antoine Laurain for more adult books.
Hello everyone,Hope you are all safe and well and staying secluded as best possible. I have had a slight turn around on my inability to read lately. My girlfriend told me that she listens to audio books WHILE playing video games (which has been my escape these past ages...) so I started and listened to two whole books (albeit short ones) in the last two days. Yay!
20/40 Regular
3/10 Advanced
Finished
25. No images on cover
34. Meant to read in 2019 (I even started to read it with my daughter but we got side tracked)
35. Three word title
Currently Reading
I use this term losely as I am waiting to get one back from overdrive as the loan suspended and the other has been sad on my nightstand for a while
Do you have any authors that you'll buy/borrow their new books without checking the description or reviews first, since you're sure you'll like it.
I am very weird in my book choosing habits. I also will buy books I know nothing about because I like the cover. I buy everything Amanda Lovelace writes. I also pre-ordered the prequel to The Hunger Games The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes w/o any details. That is more for the series than the writer. Same for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child: Parts One and Two. I don't actually care for Rowling's writing style but I adore the story and they are my childhood so I was on that fast.
I just remembered that today is Thursday! It's been a week. I didn't realize I could still feel busy and over-scheduled without leaving my house, but here we are. I skipped checking in last week because I hadn't finished anything, so I'm glad this week progressed better on actually finishing some things. I'm at 15/50 for the challenge, and 36 books for the year.
Has anyone else bought a ridiculous amount of cheap ebooks since lockdown?
I've definitely been buying more from Bookbub deals, and I put off cancelling Kindle Unlimited after my 3-month trial even though I don't think the content is necessarily worth it ...
Finished
Patsy - This was the second Nicole Y. Dennis-Benn book I have read and I really like her style. She does a great job of creating flawed characters who you really like and root for, even if you disagree with some of their decisions. Some heavy subjects in here but overall really enjoyable. (I read this for a Reading Women prompt not for PS)
The Dutch House - I read this for a virtual book club meeting that I then ended up missing. Also a really good family story as they try to overcome trauma of their past. I struggled with the reality of some of the plot points, but hey, it's fiction.
Astrophysics for People in a Hurry - For a book on a subject you know nothing about. Science is interesting to me but was never my strong suit. This was a slow read for me but organized well so you can take just a chapter at a time and not get bogged down. I liked that Neil deGrasse Tyson connects the science to history and how scientific discoveries affected other things.
Currently Reading
Little Voices - Mystery/thriller for a brain break
Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants - For a Reading Women prompt
Educated - A book with the same title as a movie or TV show but is unrelated to it
QOTW
If I have read and liked an author before, I am likely to read them again without much attention to the specifics of the book. But I don't really track new book releases and therefore often end up reading books later on. And unfortunately some of those who came to my mind first with this question (Toni Morrison, Kurt Vonnegut, Octavia Butler) won't have any new books - but if I've missed any of their past works I will definitely read them. I will give a chance to basically any book by Barbara Kingsolver, Stephen King, Ta-Nehisi Coates.
I didn't finish a book this week. I've been busy planning a family birthday parade, and then my father who is on hospice took a turn for the worst yesterday and is not expected to survive the weekend. So I've spent today trying to figure out how to write an obituary. Enough already, universe! I need a break.Goodreads: 27/90
Popsugar: 15/40, 7/10
QOTW:
I will read anything written by Fredrik Backman, Felix Francis, John Grisham, Liane Moriarty, Brandon Mull, and Taylor Jenkins Reid without knowing anything about their books.
Nadine wrote: "congratulations!!!!!! I wasn't able to read much when my daughters were born, either. Just too tired, I guess. I did watch EVERY episode of every season of: ER, Alias, Buffy, Angel, and a good chunk of Judging Amy and Law & Order (by taping them on TNT and then watching whenever the baby woke me up) ER, in particular, was with my second, and maybe some of those episodes were inappropriate for my three-year old older daughter, but the bad stuff went over her head and she's 17 now and wants to be a doctor. yay, me!"Thank you and that's awesome! So far I've knocked out all of the Marvel movies (in chronological order because when am I ever going to have enough time to marathon that), all of the Star Wars movies, and the Hobbit and LOTR movies (extended editions), every season of The Mentalist, The Circle, Love Is Blind, Tiger King, seasons 1-4 of Community, 1-3.5 seasons of Murder She Wrote (until they removed it from Amazon Prime), 2 seasons of Private Practice, Season 4 of Nailed It and dang near every Pixar movie on Disney+ and so many Disney movies. I'm basically binging TV like I usually binge on books. Hoping that now he's sleeping a bit more regularly I can get back into books.
poshpenny wrote: "Don't forget to download the last Murderbot novella today!
https://ebookclub.tor.com/
"Thank you to poshpenny and all the other people who mentioned the Tor.com ebook of the month and Murderbot downloads!! I'm totally bummed that I just found out today and could only snag the last one. I love the first one but haven't been able to talk myself into paying that 10.99 for novellas for the rest. Going to have to pull the trigger now on the others now that the next book is coming out.
Happy Thursday everyone! Man, these weeks just get shorter and shorter. I haven't bought any cheap ebooks because I've never really gotten into ebooks. I'll check out library ones on my phone, but only out of absolute necessity (like quarantine situations). This week I read:Bel Canto for the first book you touch on a shelf with your eyes closed: this was...eh, okay? It took me a while to get absorbed in it but I eventually did. I've never met a book so blasé about hostage situations.
How to Murder Your Life, not for challenge: This was RIVETING. I get why all the bad reviews on this memoir were so mad about it, but also....I don't think a book's content automatically makes it a bad book (amphetamine addiction, in this case). It was like watching a train wreck and I really enjoyed it.
Little House in the Big Woods, not for challenge: needed a palate cleanser after the last one. Did the job! This was my favorite out of the whole series as a child, mostly cause no one was ever in mortal danger or went blind and they had a nice time making cheese and things. A+ book if you ask me.
I have four challenge prompts left and it's getting real hard to fill things in. No idea what I'm going to read for a medical thriller because all the options I've found look kinda dumb. Does anyone have one written by a woman or nonbinary author that they've liked?
Currently reading:
Things in Jars
The Kingdom of Little Wounds
QOTW: I'll pick up anything Naomi Novik or Silvia Moreno-Garcia writes. Sarah Gailey's fast headed that way too.
I finished The Painted Veil for the prompt "A book set in a country that begins with "C."" The majority of the book takes place in China.
This week I finished Catch 22 and Julia Alvarez's Afterlife. I'm using Catch 22 for baked book, and Afterlife for book published in 2020. Loved, loved loved Afterlife! I loved Alvarez's in the time of the butterflies, and this was good too. Some of the mental health things going on with Antonia's family stuck pretty close to home, and while most things that strike that close can be triggering, the sister's relationship, and the way Alvarez handles it, seemed more validating that yes, these things do happen to people and families, and yes the pain is real, but things go on and we can cope. The scene when the sister's report their sister missing is exactly like my experience reporting my mom missing 2 years ago. Police response and reaction to that. Alvarez is real, in a down to earth kind of way.I'm currently reading Bad Blood with my husband and plan to use this for a book with only words on the cover. I work in medical research, so that this could happen blows me away, very interesting.
I'm also still reading Christina Rickardsson's Never Stop Walking, which should be required reading material for all foster and adoptive parents. I see a lot in Christina's story that matches material we cover in our trainings. Its a beautiful story of a very resilient young lady. I found out this was not set in Rio De Janeiro as I'd thought, but Sao Paulo, so I'll have to shift things around, but can use as a book by a woman of color.
QOTW: I buy Robin McKinney's books without knowing what they're about, but she doesn't publish very often. I could probably also do Naomi Novak, although I've only read Uprooted.
Browsing through other answers, Fredrik Backman is another one who I'd read anything by.
Brittany wrote: "Thank you to poshpenny and all the other people who mentioned the Tor.com ebook of the month and Murderbot downloads!! I'm totally bummed that I just found out today and could only snag the last one. I love the first one but haven't been able to talk myself into paying that 10.99 for novellas for the rest. Going to have to pull the trigger now on the others now that the next book is coming out..."I listened to the first two with a Scribd free trial, I think they have them all on there. Tor novellas are usually £2-3 here so I have always felt like Murderbots are priced a bit high too.
Bree, I read Strange Practice by Vivian Shaw. It doesn’t have anything to do with diseases or pandemics, but it was on a list of medical thrillers recommended by medical practitioners. A woman doctor serves her local supernatural community, and when some of her patients get attacked or go missing, she steps in to try to solve what’s happening. Parasite by Mira Grant might work, it’s about a designer parasite that cures diseases and secretes designer drugs that everyone gets implanted start going rogue. I haven’t read it yet, but I read basically anything by Seanan McGuire/Mira Grant
Sara wrote: "What a week. I've been staying with my parents to help care for my mom while she was in hospice. She died yesterday morning from complications of her leukemia (no COVID, thank goodness). It was a s..."I'm sorry for your loss. I love to hear that your mom passed down a love of a reading to you. It's a gift from her that you'll never lose.
Finished Station Eleven this week (set in a country beginning with “C”—I know not the entire book takes place in Canada, but it features heavily so I figured it counts).Just started Doomsday Book by Connie Willis (it has a 4+ star rating so I’m using it for that prompt!)
Lot of plague books lately it seems lol
QOTW: I’ll read anything by V.E. Schwab, Mindy McGinnis, or Neil Gaiman. Oh, and Ruth Ware, too!
Brittany wrote: "Hey, everyone! I'm back! It's been about 3.5 months since I've checked in and holy cow have things changed since then. I hope everyone is safe and are doing well during these crazy times. I did end..."Congrats! You're doing way better on both counts than I did! I think I read 1 or 2 books in the first 6 months. And I still haven't finished the show I started 2 years ago!!
Alex wrote: "Potty training this week. Wow. I feel like I got run over by a truck. Um.... yeah.
Sara wrote: "What a week. I've been staying with my parents to help care for my mom while she was in hospice. She died yesterday morning from complications of her leukemia (no COVID, thank goodness). It was a s..."So sorry for your loss, but glad you were able to spend the end with your mom, given how chaotic everything is now. Also glad that you and her had a common love of reading that will continue and hopefully be a source of comfort for you.
I started the week finishing a book and thought maybe I'd turned the corner with my reading block..but nope slow reading week for me. This month has been the slowest reading month for me also! In February I read 15 books, so far this month 6!Progress:
Popsugar - 34/50
ATY - 27/52
Goodreads - 48/100
Finished:
An American Marriage by Tayari Jones ATY Abe list of 100 essential female writers
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck POP Published in 20th century - this was a very difficult read for me. My son had to read it for school so I read along to help with his assignment.
Currently Reading:
The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Away from the Dark by Aleatha Romig
QOTW: I do tend to read books by authors I love, Jodi Picoult is probably the only one I don't read the description for.
Newbie here. I just found this challenge a few weeks before the lock down, and I'm trucking my way through my list! I live in CA, but my area isn't too hard hit, and we're seeing some minor openings (parks and recreation areas). I'm off work, as I work at a bookstore, so we're "non-essential". I beg to differ. ;) I'm an introvert, as are the rest of my family, so while we're a bit antsy, we're doing fine overall. I've completed several books towards my challenge!Tombs of Endearment by Casey Daniels (Pun in the title)
Someone to Watch Over Me by Judith McNaught (same title as a movie or show, unrelated)
Not for my challenge I've read:
Legend in Green Velvet by Elizabeth Peters
Duchess By Night by Eloisa James
Ghosts of Averoigne by Krista Wolf
Hard Cut and Deep Cut by Dani Wyatt
QOTW
I definitely have authors I'll grab without reading a synopsis first, but if they disappoint me a few times, I'll wait. So far Simone St. James is always a winner for me.
Happy Friday, everyone! I hope that you're all having a wonderful week. I don't know about you all, but I am really looking forward to participating in tomorrow's Dewey's 24 Hour Readathon. When I told my mum that I was going to be participating in the Readathon, her exact words were, "I can't wait to see how many books you manage to finish." I think it's going to be a lot of fun!
POPSUGAR: 35/50
Goodreads: 79/150
Finished:
Rurouni Kenshin, Volume 16
Rurouni Kenshin, Volume 17
Rurouni Kenshin, Volume 18
One Hundred Leaves: A new annotated translation of the Hyakunin Isshu
Spinning Silver - "a book with 'gold,' silver,' or 'bronze' in the title"
If you'd like to read my thoughts about Spinning Silver, you can find them at https://theunapologeticbookworm.com/2....
Currently Reading:
N/A - I will be waiting to start a new book until the beginning of tomorrow's Readathon.
QOTW:
I generally read the descriptions of books prior to buying them, unless they are the next book in a series that I am currently reading. I do make exceptions for a couple of authors whose books I always enjoy, such as Charlaine Harris, J.K. Rowling/Robert Galbraith and Mira Grant.
Sara wrote: "What a week. I've been staying with my parents to help care for my mom while she was in hospice. She died yesterday morning from complications of her leukemia (no COVID, thank goodness). It was a s..."My condolences, and so sorry to har about your loss. I wish you peace and lots of good memories. It was lovely to read that she shared her love of reading with you - what a timeless gift.
Brittany wrote: "Hey, everyone! I'm back! It's been about 3.5 months since I've checked in and holy cow have things changed since then. I hope everyone is safe and are doing well during these crazy times. I did end..."Congratulations to you, Brittany! Hope you and your little one are having great times together!
Teri wrote: "I didn't finish a book this week. I've been busy planning a family birthday parade, and then my father who is on hospice took a turn for the worst yesterday and is not expected to survive the weeke..."I'm so sorry to hear this news! I hope that you have some peaceful time with your father, and that you are surrounded by kind loving family and friends (virtually, too!).
Mod
I am so very sorry for your loss, Sara, but so glad you had that time with her at the end. People we love may pass from their physical body, but they remain in our heart and soul.
Mod
I need to get this posted so I can start on dinner. Homemade pizza! Yum…
I am happy with my progress on the challenges as well as those mini-challenges in which I participate: monthly, quarterly, etc. It really makes my reading more diverse and so much fun to share reactions and recommendations with others! I am still making sure I fit in 2-3 books per month for specific prompts and I think that is helping a lot. Plus…no gym. :( The only good thing about that is…more reading time! ;)
Popsugar: 39/50
ATY: 43/52
RHC: 13/24
Reading Women: 8/26
Finished:
A Fistful of Collars (Chet and Bernie #5) by Spencer Quinn. This series is “the cutest” as Lori Rader-Day stated! They are narrated by the canine partner of this investigative human/canine duo. Very entertaining! The mystery is always worthwhile and this series is one of my dependable ‘escape’ reads! I think Quinn keeps improving in his ability to insert bits and pieces of Chet’s humor into the narration. And we got a bit of Charlie in this one as well. And Leda…the ex-wife. Ya just gotta love Chet and Bernie!
Popsugar: #3-“Heard you drove another one off a cliff,” said Nixon Panero.”, #20, #24-I know nothing about tracking down a killer, NEW #26, #27-Greed, Envy, #33-4.07, #34, #46
ATY: #2, #3-I read the 4th book in the series in 2019, #4-I cannot imagine living in the desert, #9, #16, #22, #25-Chet and Bernie are overseeing a famous actor, #41, #43, #45-Read The Dog Who Knew Too Much (Chet and Bernie #4) in 2019
RHC: #3-3 murders, 1 male victim, #10
A Separate Peace by John Knowles. I thought I had read this at the ripe old age of 14, however, as I began reading, I was certain I had not previously read it. I finally figured out I confused this book with Death Be Not Proud by John Gunther which I did read when I was 14. Do not ask me how that happened…but at least I did figure out my error! This was quite a grim book—not exactly depressing, but certainly not uplifting. Though I did feel as if it was realistic in many ways. I appreciated the juxtaposition of these boys’ privileged lifestyle with the typical teenager who was volunteering and/or being drafted into WWII. For some, this created quite a conundrum: should they volunteer or wait? Just enjoy their privilege while they can or jump in to the war effort?
Popsugar: #3-“I went back to the Devon School not long ago, and found it looking oddly newer than when I was a student there fifteen years before.”, #6, #24-I know nothing about living at a private boarding school, #27-Pride, Envy, #35. #48
ATY: #4-I cannot imagine living at a boarding school, #9, #13, #16, #22, #27-historical fiction and history, #43-Death, War, NEW #47, #49
RHC: #10
A Long Walk to Water: Based on a True Story by Linda Sue Park. 10 stars! I loved this juvenile/YA book! I love the way Park used dual timelines to eventually merge Nya and Salva’s lives. I was reminded of Ishmael Beah’s A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier. Although Salva did spend many years of his childhood living in refugee camps, at least he was more fortunate than Beah who was recruited as a child soldier by the rebels--forced to live on drugs and alcohol and to murder people. But Salva used this experience to give back in one of the best ways possible. I have so much respect for him! This should make every child in any of our families/friend’s families more appreciative of their life.
Popsugar: #3-“Going was easy.”, #6, #9, #12, #20, #24-Fortunately, I know nothing about being displaced from your home and family as an 11-year-old and forced to survive on your own., #27-Greed, Wrath, #32, #33-4.26, #47
ATY: #2, #4-I would not want to live in a war-torn country like Sudan., NEW #7, #9, #16, #22, #27-historical fiction and history, #29-hidden gem and lesser known, #31, #34-Young Adult, #43-Death, War, Famine, #49, #50, #52
RHC: #7, #10, NEW #19, NEW #20
Reading Women: #20
The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren was an absolutely delightful read! Seriously, I could not put it down and stayed up late two nights in a row to finish it asap! Although a typical rom-com in many ways it also had a more complex character development than I might have expected and also very accurately addressed sexual harassment and how isolating and oppressed a woman can feel when she is not believed…by those who are closest to her and mean the most to her in her life. Very well done! This will not be my last book written by the duo Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings, better known as Christina Lauren! It was just what I needed and wanted!
Popsugar: #3-In the calm before the storm—in this case, the blessed quiet before the bridal suite is overrun by the wedding party—my twin sister stares critically down at a freshly painted shell-pink fingernail and says, “I bet you’re relived I’m not a bridezilla.”, #6, #12, #20, NEW #22-Olive has a degree in biology and works in the pharmaceutical industry and then with a nonprofit explaining vaccines, #24-I know nothing about big weddings or a romantic honeymoon or even vacation! ,
#27-Pride, Lust, Envy, Wrath, #29, #46, #50
ATY: #4-Too far north. Too much snow in Minnesota! But Hawaii! Now there’s a place!, #8, #9, #10-400 pages, #12-Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings, #26, #34-Romance,
Reading Women: #20, #22-Favorite—Simon & Schuster
Continuing:
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
(I have made a pledge to myself to complete this book in May!)
Minority Leader: How to Lead from the Outside and Make Real Change by Stacey Abrams
The Dutch House by Ann Pathett
Planned:
Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee
I plan to read this one tomorrow, Saturday, April 25 for the Dewey Readathon! (Since I just realized I had agreed to read it as a Buddy Read for April!) ;)
Question of the Week
This week’s question was suggested by Lauren!
Do you have any authors that you'll buy/borrow their new books without checking the description or reviews first, since you're sure you'll like it.
Oh, my, too many to remember them all, but here’s a start:
Tomi Adeyemi, Susan Wittig Albert, Sarah Addison Allen, Katherine Arden, Fredrik Backman, Annie Barrows, Erica Bauermeister, Elizabeth Berg, Marie Bostwick, Dan Brown, Alafair Burke, Becky Chambers, Lisa Genova, Janet Evanovich, Tana French, Roxane Gay, Hank Green, John Green, Carolyn Haines, Kristin Hannah, Jane Harper, Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen, Susanna Kearsley, Laurie R. King, Mary Robinette Kowal, Ariel Lawhon, Madeline Miller, Kate Moore, Celeste Ng, Susan Orlean, Spencer Quinn, Lori Rader-Day, Taylor Jenkins Reid, David Rosenfelt, Ruta Sepetys, Anita Shreve, Josie Silver, Alexander McCall Smith, Garth Stein, Annie Sullivan, Menna Van Praag, Andy Weir, Jacqueline Winspear
I LOVE to follow authors and read everything they’ve written whenever possible! (Not that I have done that for many of them on this list, but that is certainly my intention… Too little reading time! lol)
Here's to another super weekend and amazing week of wonderful reads for us all! Here! Here!
Sara wrote: "What a week. I've been staying with my parents to help care for my mom while she was in hospice. She died yesterday morning from complications of her leukemia (no COVID, thank goodness). It was a strange and terrible experience, but I feel pretty at peace about it now. Sad, but at peace. "Sorry to hear about your mother. My father is likely to pass away today. It's a weird thing to have a parent die, especially in this coronavirus era. It sounds like you are much closer to your mother than I am to my father, but there are still a lot of emotions involved. Best wishes to you and and all that loved your mother.
BoobBub is easy and inexpensive and has some great books. Some are old, but there are still great books.
Teri wrote: "Sara wrote: "What a week. I've been staying with my parents to help care for my mom while she was in hospice. She died yesterday morning from complications of her leukemia (no COVID, thank goodness..."Deepest condolences to both of you. The passing of a parent is a difficult threshold to cross.
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That's fair! :) I wasn't particularly attached to Sadie herself as I was reading, and most of my complaints/irks with it were due to the writing style (those flashbacks that weren't distinguished, that it felt repetitive because we basically saw the story twice but from different POVs with the podcast, the fairly linear/predictable investigation portions). I get why people compare it to the Serial podcast but it also is missing the same amount of mystery/unknowns especially in the podcast/investigation portions.
I was more so invested and enjoyed this one because I liked that there were pieces that didn't spell everything out at the time and had to be guessed and then discovered much later in the story, I always find that satisfying in thriller type books especially when the answers are hinted at and don't just come out of nowhere. Even though those elements were definitely here, I still think there could have been more of them and that they could have been done better. I can remember enjoying some of the more thoughtful type quotes along the way too. I also wasn't a huge fan of the mysterious more open type ending in this one! I feel like at times I can be more plot driven or more character driven and it might depend on the genre or even my mood and I think I was just in the right mood for this when I picked it up. :)
I can also definitely relate to really disliking a writing style! There are some popular or hyped books that I have either tried or actually finished where the writing style has completely ruined my enjoyment! I can understand why they're well loved and popular but I can also understand why I just didn't care for it! xD