Week 1: 1/1 - 1/7

[Mary]

Thanks everyone for your condolences. I have the next 5 days off for bereavement, so I'm planning to crack open one of the books she gave me from her favorite genre (books set in Amish societies) and think happy thoughts.

[Sarah]

Shannon wrote: "Oh, one more thing to anyone considering Ivanhoe (again, I'm not trying to argue against those who disliked it--your opinions are completely valid and I'm not trying to convince you to like it): it..."

I think I was expecting more of the knights and crusades so I guess I had the wrong expectations going into it!

I agree with you about Highfire though. I didn't hate it but the premise promised so much more than what was delivered.

[Carmen]

Lilith wrote: "You definitely gave Gabriel García Márquez a most worthy try. He does have some truly objectionable material. I can wrap my head around the political symbolism and all, but Alice Hoffman is the Queen of Magical Realism. Or Sarah Addison Allen. Her symbolism works beautifully too."

I still find it so weird that authors like Alice Hoffman are praised for a genre that's inherently known as Latin-American.

Personally my heart sank when I saw the Magical Realism prompt because I'm not good with proper literature, and I therefore really struggle with this genre as most of it is just that. I used to think Magical Realism was just any book set in the real world with fantasy elements but I found out last year this is not the case! Consider my mind blown, then, haha!

[Lilith]

Carmen wrote: "Lilith wrote: "You definitely gave Gabriel García Márquez a most worthy try. He does have some truly objectionable material. I can wrap my head around the political symbolism and all, but Alice Hof..."

I know, it is strange, depending on how you discovered the genre. I read a lot of Gabriel García Márquez and Isabel Allende in uni and beyond. But somewhere in the late 80s, I read Alice Hoffman, and wow, she transformed my brain lol. Her 'magical elements' have so much resonant symbolism that I am in awe, all these years later.

ETA: Welcome back! I think I had just discovered the challenge when you were around more often - glad to have you here :)

[Melissa]

Kenya wrote: "Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk. I'm sorry, but David Sedaris isn't nearly as funny as he thinks he is, and this book was just nasty for nastiness' sake.."

I've read two of his books now (Holidays on Ice and Naked) and I couldn't agree more. He's not funny. I found some of the anecdotes from Holidays on Ice more cruel than anything else.

[Carmen]

Lilith wrote: "ETA: Welcome back! I think I had just discovered the challenge when you were around more often - glad to have you here :)"

ThankyouThankyou, I'm so happy to be back! Hopefully this year I'll actually manage to stick around- last year was just a disaster and ironically none of it was covid related haha!

[Sarah]

I'm off to a good start on the challenge this year. And I have decided to be a bit crazy and to read two books for each challenge! 😅 Why not?

7/100 (double the challenge)
GRC: 7/150

So these are the books I have read so far:

A Distance to Death this book had 8 reviews when I read it and it also turned out to be a very lousy book! The mystery part wasn't even very mysterious or anything. It was boring.

The Autism Puzzle: Connecting the Dots Between Environmental Toxins and Rising Autism Rates this book had only 3 reviews and now it has 4 since I wrote one. I found this book very insightful!! I think reading it has explained a lot.

The Shores of Another Sea a story that mostly takes place outdoors. I really enjoyed this classic science fiction tale. And yes, that is a baboon on the cover!

Dragon and Herdsman this was so good and exciting I used it for my second outdoors book! The challenge never said the outdoors had to be on Earth! This is the 4 the book in the Dragonback series.

Grooks 1 I used this for my short book. It's short but I really don't like it very much. I just find it rather boring and pointless..

The Clockwork Crow fresh start. This is about an orphan girl who goes to live with a wealthy godfather and his son is missing. It's part mystery and part fantasy and part historical fiction. Great story!

Painting with Metro: How a Crippled Racehorse Rescued Himself (and Me) with a Paintbrush artist category. Both Ron and Metro (the famous Metro Meteor!) are artists. Especially Metro..he must be the only horse to have had paintings sold at a gallery. I had loved this one!

Currently reading:

The Tommyknockers I'll probably use this for the Ugly Cover. It's a group read in the Creature Creature group. I'm 64 % done with it.

The Mare this will be one of the Books for a Best friend. I'm 21 % done with it. I know my friend Mahleah would love this horse book as she's just as horse crazy as I am.
...

Question: a recent book I disliked...well that's easy! It's A Distance to Death listed above. I had thought it was going to be an adventure story about a long distance horse race and the book was so close to the end and the race hadn't even started!! Awful!! Also it was blabbing too much about business deals I didn't understand.

I must admit I got very excited when I saw the new lists of categories on Jan 2. Then I had fun searching through my books finding what I had on my shelves to fit what category. It was like an exciting scavenger hunt! So I have placed books on the side on top of a desk with little bits of paper in them saying what category it's for, in case I forget. I haven't had so much excitement in I don't know when. Yes, I live a mighty boring life! 😅

And this year I'll try to finish the popsugar challenge a tad earlier. Because I had gotten sidetracked in summer and early autumn... didn't read anything really. But I did finish the 2020 challenge on the last day of December with 2 hours to spare! 😀 I suppose I could have been finished earlier that day if I had double dipped but I didn't want to. In some ways I feel the challenge this year is easier??

[Theresa]

Greetings from NYC! Since about Christmas, I have had a hard time getting back into work and reading and anything but hiding in my blanket nest. Definitely have been in a mild pandemic funk, but I'll manage. Yesterday was of course a total loss in accomplishing anything except sit riveted to the tv and work on a jigsaw puzzle to keep my jitters in line. And I put aside the perfectly fine historical fiction set in WWII that i was reading and pulled out a regency romance.

Finished:
The Priory of the Orange Tree - I slotted it into Book from favorite prior prompt - 2020 book with a map. I read this for my Feminerdy Book Club which is discussing it on Sunday. It was a delightful escape - high fantasy with a definitively inclusive feminist perspective, full of big world building, mythology, adventure, mages, dragons etc. I'm not a big reader of fantasy but this hit what I like - not too much magic and exotic creatures and relatable in the same way historical fiction can be. I had some issues with it = not a lot - and while it is a standalone, there are seeds, and a complex world, that suggest the author might return.

Currently Reading:

The Confounding Case of the Carisbrook Emeralds - the regency romance I have escaped into.
Last Train to Istanbul - the perfectly fine WWII historical fiction I have been reading this week. Set in Turkey and France, it tells the story of turkish diplomats efforts to save Turkish Jews living in France.
The Last Book Party - library won't let me renew it any more so it has to be read next. It's my book in a format I don't usually read -- a dead tree print library book (I only borrow from library in ebook). I just happened to be meeting someone in a local branch of the NYPL just before quarantine last March and I borrowed it on impulse. Still have not read it though, LOL.

These 4 books were started in 2020 and I am determined to finish them in January:
Grand Hotel
Rebecca
From Sand and Ash
The Crescent Spy

QOTW:

The last book I read and truly disliked was The Grilling Season - part of a series by Diane Mott Davidson, I was actually offended by the book. Goldie, survivor of an abusive marriage and now married to a lovable bear of a cop, interacts with her ex in a way in this book that is just so unrealistic, and her teenage son behaves in a way that was offensive. I have liked others in the series just fine like Dying for Chocolate - this one set my teeth on edge.

The other book that always comes to mind at this question: Wolf Hall - so poorly written! I can't at the moment think of a better book to read -- except to say anything would qualify as it is bound to have better writing!

[Hayjay315]

I'm excited to be starting another year with this group and learning about awesome books based off what you all share! I do not have anything completed from this past week.

Currently Reading:
Tell Me More: Stories about the 12 Hardest Things I'm Learning to Say
Olive Kitteridge
Anxious People
A Curious Beginning

QOTW:
The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared had such an intriguing title which made me excited to read it. The repetition made it feel like a slog to get through, and the supposed humor did not strike me as funny at all. The only reason I finished it is because it was a buddy read in a different Goodreads group. I would highly recommend A Man Called Ove instead.

[Hayjay315]

Mary wrote: "Reading is going to take on a whole new significance for me as this point. They say that children become readers in the laps of their parents, or in my case, my grandmother, who passed away yesterd..."

My condolences to you upon the loss of your Grandmother. What a special bond the two of you had through books. Hoping as you read the books she gave you in the future that fond memories of the time you spent together will being comfort.

[Britany]

Happy New Year everyone- lowered my GR goal by 20 books this year since I barely hit my goal of 100 last year.

0/40 PopSugar
0/10 Advanced PopSugar
0/80 GoodReads

Finished Reading:
1.) Paris for One and Other Stories by Jojo Moyes ⭐️⭐️⭐️- Short story collection that I finished late on the 31st. Enjoyed this, but just struggle to connect with short story collections.

Currently Reading:
1.) Les Miserables - starting this now on serial
2.) Dear Edward

QOTW: What was the most recent book that you really really disliked? What made you dislike it? What book in that genre or about that topic do you recommend instead?
The last book I hated was Followers - it was just so dumb, and not worthwhile at all. I get so frustrated with the amount of work that it takes to publish a book to see it burned up with terrible characters, writing and plot.

[Carmen]

Wow. I looked up The Autism Puzzle because the title immediately set my teeth on edge (given the puzzle piece so often used is so incredibly harmful), and well. I read the reviews, too, as I have no intention to read this, and they told me that I made the right call.

As an autistic person, I take offense at the fact that people are still looking for causes (and cures, too), instead of making this world a friendlier place for us all, instead of forcing us to be like allistics (and neurotypical beyond that). If we're only talking about genetics, what your parents pass on to you, and circumstances of birth, that's fine, up to a point. It's not a disease. Meaning you can't 'get' it, or 'end up with' it, after you're born. You're born autistic. Not sick. Sick implies it can be cured. Our brains are different. Not better or worse. Different.

Sorry for the little rant but books like these, views like these, are really hurtful. People have always been autistic (people like Einstein, Thomas Jefferson, and Michaelangelo were most likely autistic, for example). Just because we are getting better at recognizing it and realizing it's not as rare as we once thought it was, doesn't mean it wasn't always there without us knowing.

Anyways, I don't mean to turn this into an entire debate. I probably shouldn't even post this. I've cried enough. I'll just read some fanfiction to try and calm down before I go to bed. It's already 2:30am, but there's no way I can sleep now, ha!

(Dearest Mods, if you feel my message should be deleted, please feel free to, I'd totally understand <3)

[Britany]

Mary wrote: "Reading is going to take on a whole new significance for me as this point. They say that children become readers in the laps of their parents, or in my case, my grandmother, who passed away yesterd..."

Oh Mary- so sorry to hear about losing your grandmother. I'm glad that she left her love of reading in your heart.

[Kaitlyn]

Hi,

I've been trying to complete this challenge for years but I'm trying to do it again this year and more seriously by also trying to do these check ins. This week has been a lot and my reading is behind for sure.

Popsugar Challenge: 1/50
Goodreads Challenge: 1/150
30 Before 30 (personal): 0/30

Finished
Dolly Parton, Songteller: My Life in Lyrics
Counting this for 35: A Book in a Format You Don't Normally Read
So this is counting for me here because the story is written in such a weird format, where it's a mix of interview, lyric, song, commentary, memoir. If you are a Dolly Parton fan (like love her and know most of her music), you will like this. If not, it'll probably go over your head lol

In Process
Call of the Bone Ships- My boyfriend and I buddy read every night and this is a sequel in a series we read last year, so we're in the midst of this. This is a mix of historical/fantasy/nautical (pirates and dragons), I think the first one is an underrated gem (you should start there)

Shuggie Bain- Buddy reading this on Bookstagram, I love literary fiction and am about half way through. I'm not super in love with this but the writing is wonderful. My problem is the dialect is getting me kind of confused but I'm getting used to so we will see...

Where the Light Enters: Building a Family, Discovering Myself- I love Jill Biden so I picked this up and I'm enjoying it.

Happily Ever Afters- This is my light YA romance read, it's slow and I'm not loving it, but it's fine.

AOTD
Last book I didn't love was Seven Days of Us, I really found the characters whiney, in addition this is a pandemic book so it wasn't the best read here. But mostly, I didn't like how unlikable all the characters were in a holiday book...oops

[Theresa]

Christy wrote: Currently reading:
Midnight at the Pera Palace: The Birth of Modern Istanbul (fewer than 1000 reviews): I know very little of the history of Turkey/the Ottoman Empire, and I'm fascinated! It's not very focused as a history, but that actually suits me and my lack of knowledge. I need the background!

Added to my TBR! I have traveled in Turkey and it is a fas cinating country on every level. Actually been to the Pera Palace!

I am reading Last Train to Istanbul about WWII.

[Ann]

Popsugar 2/50
TBD TBR 2/ 50
Goodreads 2/50

Finished:
The Final Girls by Riley Sager: A book my best friend would love.
I love this book its my first book by this author and I will be reading more 100 percent I love a thriller were the ending I wasn't even close to guessing.
White Fragility: A book about a social issue.
This book was hard for me, I don't know if its cause the author is right or so wrong.. From my views I can see how it is right but I hate to think that it is.

In Progress:
7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Tuton
Incarceron by Catherine Fisher
Skinful of Shadows by Frances Hardinge

QOTW:
I really didn't enjoy Middlesex. I didn't like the writing or the characters they just fell kinda flat for me.

[Cendaquenta]

Carmen wrote: "Wow. I looked up The Autism Puzzle because the title immediately set my teeth on edge (given the puzzle piece so often used is so incredibly harmful), and well. I read the reviews, too, as I have n..."

Thanks for saying something. ❤

[Jenn]

Hello everyone! Happy New Year!

Finished
Memento - 42. The shortest book (by pages) on your TBR list [59 pages]
Makes we want to reread Illuminae again. Great addition to the series.

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe - 45. The book that’s been on your TBR list for the longest amount of time, ATY8 - State I've never visited [Texas]

Concrete Kids - 35. A book in a different format than what you normally read (audiobooks, ebooks, graphic novels) [ebook]

PROGRESS
PS - 3/50 | ATY - 1/52

Currently Reading
Truly Devious

QOTW
I had to DNF Children of Virtue and Vengeance last month. Disappointing since I did enjoy the first book. Not sure what happened with this one.

[Jeanne]

GRC - 6/100
Popsugar - 5/85

Finished:
The Betrothed - Loved The Selection but the best word for this book is “rushed”, and nothing more so than the romances, neither of which I particularly enjoyed. The protagonist was also not the best and definitely not up to Selection standard.
Queen's Peril (#32 - a book whose title starts with “Q”, “X”, or “Z”) - Prequel/Companion to the Phantom Menace focusing on Padmé Amidala. Very enjoyable for what it was. I greatly enjoyed learning more about the Naboo political scene, which I am fascinated by.
Artemis (#17 - book with same title as a song) - Not up to the standard set by The Martian. All I'll say about the protagonist is this - I can tell the book was written by a man.
The Hunger Games (#22 - a book set mostly or entirely outdoors)
Catching Fire (#17 - book with same title as a song)
Mockingjay (#11 - a book about forgetting) - An old favorite series. One of the best of the YA genre, definitely of the dystopian sub-genre. After rereading I'd have to say Catching Fire is the best of the 3, followed by Mockingjay and then The Hunger Games. It has the best mix of themes, action/plot, and romance/interpersonal dynamics, whereas The Hunger Games is more action/plot focused and less on the themes and romance, and Mockingjay while comparable on the themes and romance/interpersonal dynamics suffers in the action/plot portion.

Currently Reading:
War and Peace (#41 - the longest book (by pages) on your TBR pile) - 5/365 chapters in and already struggling to keep track of all the characters, lol. Wish me luck!
The Picture of Dorian Grey (#5 - a dark academia book) - Not super into this so far but well written.
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (#37 - a book you think your best friend would like) - Read all the Hunger Games books in preparation for this one, which I received as a gift. Liking it a lot so far.
Rocannon's World (#44 - the book on your TBR list with the ugliest cover) - Always wanted to read Ursula Le Guin.
I Am Number Four - A reread. I plan to finally finish this series this month.

Planned:
The Song of Achilles (#8 - a book that’s won the women’s prize for fiction)
The Silence of the Girls (#50 - a free book from your TBR list)
A Gentleman in Moscow (#30 - a book set somewhere you’d like to visit in 2020)
The Fellowship of the Ring (#22 - a book set mostly or entirely outdoors)
Knife Edge (#15 - a book with a black-and-white cover)
The Power of Six

QOTW:
I really was not that impressed by The Hobbit, or There and Back Again. I read it in December thinking I'd finally read The Lord of the Rings after I'd finished, but like I said - I wasn't very impressed. Frankly, for all the criticism the movies get, I liked them a lot better than the book. At least there, the characters had definable personalities! We get to know none of the characters save the protagonist, who we also don’t really get to know very well either in my humble opinion. Maybe the point was the journey but that honestly wasn’t even that entertaining. All in all, I will not be rereading this anytime soon. I started thinking about partway through I’d likely enjoy it more as an audiobook though - it reads like a story narrated to someone.

[Johanne]

@Carmen, as a non-autistic person with non-autistic kids I wholeheartedly agree: If the world were made for people on the autism spectrum it would be easier for everyone. I mean what kid actually thrive on noise, chaos, and unpredictability in the classroom (or as an adult in the work place for that matter)?
Before I had kids I worked as an extra in an afterschool for children with different disabilities and some of that time with kids high on the autism spectrum (several also combined with brain damage, so the opposite of highly functioning basically). Anyway, what I learnt there I actually applied when necessary to my own kids. My eldest had a hard time when he was little when we had to go somewhere out of the ordinary (like just visiting grandma) especially new places, so I quickly figured out it helped for him if he was shown a picture, told who would be present, told in intervals in advance etc. He has none of those difficulties now, but for a while he had. My middle son is a creature of habit, and if he doesn't have the habit internalised he forgets what to do and gets very distracted. This was the basis for a lot frustration in the mornings, until I ended up drawing pictures of the things he was supposed to do, and hung it on the fridge (picture of a bowl, school bag, lunch pack, clothes, tooth brush). After a while he didn't need the pictures anymore, and he remembered what he was supposed to do.
My youngest just tags along, and knows where our misplaced things are, so more or less the opposite. Except he also hates changes (like now with homeschool, he hates that with a vengeance) and he hates noise in the classroom, so there's that.

[Cameron]

Finished:

Dear Edward. Really loved this book and how it handled the protagonist's character progression as he grows up throughout the book.

Also about to finish up The Magician's Nephew. I've read both this and The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe before, but this time I'm trying to read the entire Narnia series from start to finish.

Currently reading:

War and Peace. I've wanted to read this for a while and am trying to finish it by the end of the year (reading a chapter a day).
The Body: A Guide for Occupants
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. About to start this today actually :)

QOTW: just got back into reading near the end of 2020, so I don't have any recent books that I remember strongly disliking (maybe I'm easy to please). I remember reading Pride and Prejudice in high school and not really enjoying it. I didn't really care about the main characters and their love lives and whatnot. I plan to re-read this in the near future, so I'll see it I like it any more then.

[E.R.]

Carmen wrote: "Wow. I looked up The Autism Puzzle because the title immediately set my teeth on edge (given the puzzle piece so often used is so incredibly harmful), and well. I read the reviews, too, as I have n..."

Thank you for saying this!!

[Allie]

Ashley wrote: "I DNF'd a few books toward the end of December. The last two were The Duke and I (Bridgerton 1) and The Roommate. I was actually pretty bored by The Duke and I and just wasn't into it. "

Oh bummer... I just watched Bridgerton on Netflix and was considering reading the series. Did you watch before reading?

[Carmen]

Thank you so much for all the support, guys 💜💜💜

[Samantha]

Happy New Year! I'm looking forward to this year's challenge and reading some books that I normally would not have picked for myself.

I haven't finished anything yet, but will tonight.

Currently Reading:
Possession - this is my first ARC for the year. One of my 2021 goals is to actually read all of the ARCs I request to try to get my NetGalley percentage up. I will be finishing this tonight.

Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly - I'm reading this for prompt #14 - a book set in a restaurant. I loved Anthony Bourdain and have really wanted to read this book since he passed away. I'm listening to the audiobook because he narrates it. He really was a talented Chef.

The Inheritance Games - I admin a YA book club on Facebook, and this is our monthly discussion book. I am loving it so far! It's very clever, and I have no idea how it's going to end.

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland - I'm reading this as a readalong in one of the Facebook book clubs I'm in.

QOTW - What was the most recent book that you really really disliked? What made you dislike it? What book in that genre or about that topic do you recommend instead?

There aren't a lot of books that I really really disliked, but the last book I rated a 2 was The Haunting of Hill House I didn't like it because I wanted more of a haunting aspect which I just didn't feel was there. I would recommend Home Before Dark if you're looking for more of a ghost story.

[Kat]

It's been a much slower start to the year than I expected and I have only managed to finish one book. I read The Infinite Noise for prompt 24 a book by a blogger, vlogger or online personality. Lauren Shippen writes fiction podcasts and this was the first book based on one of them.

QOTW
A book I read last year that I was thoroughly underwhelmed by was The Tattooist of Auschwitz. I know so many people who enjoyed it but I didn't like it at all. I felt the characters weren't well developed and I didn’t really care about them so it just became a long list of horrific things happening to them. I have read a lot of historical fiction and non-fiction and think that a first hand account works better to really get the point across. I would recommend The Complete Maus.

[Katelyn]

Britany wrote: "Happy New Year everyone- lowered my GR goal by 20 books this year since I barely hit my goal of 100 last year.

0/40 PopSugar
0/10 Advanced PopSugar
0/80 GoodReads

Finished Reading:
1.) Par..."</i>


I hated [book:Followers too! I got about 50 pages in and threw in the towel. I am glad I didn't waste my time on this book.

[Shannon]

Carmen wrote: "Wow. I looked up The Autism Puzzle because the title immediately set my teeth on edge (given the puzzle piece so often used is so incredibly harmful), and well. I read the reviews, too, as I have n..."

Thank you for posting this--really, the people we should be listening to about autism are the people with actual, lived experience with autism! Anyone making you feel guilty about speaking up about your personal experience and feelings, or for stating the truth about it not being a disease or illness, is a dumb meany-face (using nicer language since we want to keep things fairly kind here).

[Harmke]

Kat wrote: "A book I read last year that I was thoroughly underwhelmed by was The Tattooist of Auschwitz. I know so many people who enjoyed it but I didn't like it at all. I felt the characters weren't well developed and I didn’t really care about them so it just became a long list of horrific things happening to them. ..."

I felt exactly the same on this book. I thought I was the only one...

[Elaine]

2021 started with four days that I could (mostly) devote to reading so that was fantastic! I also read three 5-star reads in those four days, so no complaints reading-wise!

The Highlights:

The Perfect Cover (5 Stars) First book of the year and I loved it! It was both realistic and absurd - so finely balanced without tipping too far one way or the other.

The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper I felt that I learned so much about not only these women, but the society that shaped their lives. This book turned the narrative that I had learned on its head and emphasized once again how the "facts" of history are often erroneous and unjust.

Dear Edward (5 Stars) I checked this out from my library willing to give it a try but honestly not sure if I would like it or not. I loved it...I loved the structure and the relationships (oh my romance loving heart ADORED that ending!). I worried I would feel manipulated by the author due to the subject matter, but I didn't. A book I have already recommended to friends.

Fated This Urban Fantasy series opener hit all of the sweet spots for me...

The Hating Game (5 Stars) As a romance reader, this book owned the "Best of" lists at the end of 2016 on many of the blogs that I follow. I hesitated to read due to concerns that it could never live up to the hype. I am happy to report that this book absolutely deserves all of the praise that it has received.

Up Next:

Cut & Run (reread so I can continue with the series)
Borrowing Blue
The Honey-Don't List
First Grave on the Right

[Jess]

I had written a post last night but I actually hit back instead of x when adding a book and lost everything. SMH. I had decided to put a little info about finished books this year. So that was a frustrating loss. Oh well.

I am off to a pretty good start.

0/40 Regular
2/10 Advanced
3/75 Overall

Finished

48/8A-Chosen at random from TBR
This has been sitting on my audible shelf for a couple years. It is so good. I can't believe I put it off so long!

44/4A-Uglies cover on TBR
This was not good.

Really cute way to introduce kids to classics

Currently Reading




QotD: Last book I really disliked
Pizza Girl. I think the author was trying to go for damaged but everything just seemed for shock value or continuing previous shock statements. It wasn't good.

Usually I DNF a book if I hate it. So books don't usually get me unless they turn south at the very end. I have accidentally read the author Gail Giles twice (about 10 years apart) and both times the book has potential until the end where she jumps the sharknado into suck town.

[L Y N N]

Laura wrote: "A new online book club just started here in Santa Fe that focuses on Pulitzer Prize winners. We've chosen our first book (Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout), and our first Zoom discussion is on February 7. I'm so looking forward to this - I've missed my book clubs!"
How exciting!

"Completed:
In a Holidaze: What a fun holiday read! Sure, the premise is kind of silly (a time loop to get the holiday right...), but Maelyn and Andrew's romance was hot and sweet. This is my second Christina Lauren book, and I'll be reading more. (P40: A previous prompt - 2015 A book that takes place during Christmas) ★★★★"
The book club at my favorite used bookstore read this for our December meeting and everyone loved it! Glad you enjoyed it as well! I have also read and loved The Unhoneymooners

"Seth (my 28 year old son with autism) and I read 4 books this week. We're trying to finish up all the Christmas books we checked out from the library... Three more to go!
Merry Christmas, Mr. Mouse ★★★
Samurai Santa: A Very Ninja Christmas ★★★
'Twas the Fright Before Christmas ★★★
The Christmas Humbugs ★★★★"
Those all look like fun reads!

"Currently Reading:
A Curious Beginning"
Another series I would like to start.

"Dear Edward (P27: A book about do-overs or fresh starts)"
I invite you to join the January Monthly Group Read discussion, if you wish!

"QOTW: I read two books last year that I absolutely hated. And yes, I actually read them. I was using them for a challenge and felt compelled to keep going. I DNF'd four other books, but not necessarily because I disliked them so much but because I wasn't in the mood or I wanted to try a different format."
It's weird how that happens sometimes. I'm just not in the mood for a certain book, but later I will be. :)

[L Y N N]

Sheri wrote: "Hi everyone,

I'm already over this year, doesn't bode well for the rest. sigh."
I'm trying to view this as the bottom for 2021 and there is no place for it to go but UP from here! :)

"Currently reading:
Mediocre: The Dangerous Legacy of White Male America - talk about timely reading. I honestly had to stop reading this around dinner because it's just...too relevant right now. I'll get back to it later today or tomorrow, but...yeah. I think I'm going to use it for BLM reading list. Technically i've not seen it on a list, but it came out late last year, after the big wave of reading lists came out. But I already read her How to Talk about Race and figure the themes are ones that would fit in with the content. I also will probably read other books later in the year, but this one I have out now and i've been wanting to red since I heard about it. Will also work for Read Harder's nonfiction book about racism or anti-racism."
I would think this book is definitely pertinent to BLM!

"QOTW:
I really hated Dare Me, for a list of reasons I went into last week. Mostly that I don't particularly like really edgy teen dramas to begin with, most of them do NOT even remotely resemble my teenage experience. So I just don't find them relatable. Always wonder where their parents are, mine were hardly authoritarian, but I had to check in and let them know what I was doing and when and with whom. Add in bad writing, flat characters, just wasn't much to like there. I don't know if I have a book to recommend in the genre, like I said I don't really go for them to begin with. It's a book club read or I'd probably not have picked it up in the first place."
That is the joy of book clubs...you just never know what your reaction will be sometimes... :)

[L Y N N]

Charlotte wrote: "Happy Thursday! Or at least, that's what I'm telling myself. Is it just me or has 2021 not gotten the memo that it's supposed to be a good year. When I got home from work yesterday and saw the news I was flabbergasted, to say the least, and I had to get off social media because all the ugly just made me sad. And work has been trying the last couple of days so I'm trying to stay positive."
Some days that positivity is tougher to come by than others! Here's hoping yours just keeps increasing!

"I made progress on two books but I haven't finished anything yet. I'm hoping to not fall into a melancholy reading slump like most of last year."
Ugh. NO! Sending you 'unslumpy' reading vibes!!

[L Y N N]

Caroline wrote: "Hello everyone!

This is my second year doing the Popsugar challenge, but this year I am trying to be part of the community a bit more so I'll be posting here instead of lurking :) I've also made a bookstagram to help me discuss more (@carolines_windowseat). I look forward to chatting books with you all!"
YAY! While lurkers are certainly welcome, selfishly it is always makes it more fun for the rest of us when you also participate! Welcome!

"Planned: Dear Edward
I am planning on reading this month to join the discussion but I'm sneaking it into another prompt: A book everyone seems to have read but you."
Great!

"QOTW: Hmmmm I really couldn't get into Things in Jars because although I love both historical fiction and fantasy, I don't like mixing them together. I'm also not a detective story fan so that didn't help either. So many people have loved this though, so I think I was just the wrong reader."
The beauty of reading is that each of brings our own unique perspective and interpretation! :)

[Carmen]

Shannon wrote: "is a dumb meany-face"

A++ for word usage, haha! Will remember this one! (I realize it's a pretty standard one but I'm not a native speaker so I forget the PG approved words, hahah!)

Also thank you <33

[L Y N N]

Sara wrote: "Yesterday was a super crazy day here in the DC area. We ended up with a curfew starting at 6pm where I live and the hotel right behind my house was full of people who were here for the Trump events. I will say that, whoever was staying there didn't cause any trouble around our house. Now the city is under a state of emergency until election day and a curfew can be called at any time. Hopefully it won't be necessary, since I think most of the rioters have left the area. We're planning to go in to Black Lives Matter Plaza this weekend, so we can see the fence one more time before it comes down, since it sounds like the new administration will finally be restoring access to the park. I hope the fence makes its way into the Smithsonian so that we can continue to feel inspired by it."
How scary! I'm so glad there was nothing going on around your home! And I must live under a rock. Had to Google about the fence, etc. Glad it will be housed in the Smithsonian! I love those museums!

"I've only finished one. BUT, it was a great one! I read The Office of Historical Corrections: A Novella and Stories by Danielle Evans for the under 1000 reviews prompt. It was wonderful. Certainly one of the better books of short stories I've read."
YAY!

"If anyone has some great recent fiction by and about native women, I'd love to read some."
The only one coming to mind right now would be Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants, but I'm sure there are more!

[L Y N N]

Sherri wrote: "The book I hated most in 2020 was Tidelands (Fairmile #1) by Philippa Gregory. I don’t like storylines where women are persecuted by their community. I didn’t like the time period. I don’t have a recommendation of a book set in the location or time period as this book. I recommend any other book involving women persecuted for being witches by a superstitious community."
Thank you for the warning! I have The Witches: Salem, 1692 by Stacy Schiff at home. It is a bit intimidating because it is almost 500 pages long but I hope to finally get to it this year. It is nonfiction.

[L Y N N]

Gemma wrote: "Initially wasn't sure if I was going to join the challenge again this year, but then I looked at the prompt list and my brain started working to allocate books to prompts, and after that it was pretty much a foregone conclusion!"
Ha! Ha! Yeah, just looking is usually enough for me...then I immediately start planning. It's like an unconscious reflex! LOL

"Have made a pretty good start, with a couple of books finished this week. But I go back to work on Monday, which will drastically cut into my reading time... *sulk*"
Yeah, that old 'adulting' thing again... BLAH!

"Haven't started anything new yet, but I'm planning Journeys in the Wild: The Secret Life of a Cameraman next, which I hope will work for the 'outdoors' prompt."
I hope that works!

[L Y N N]

Dubhease wrote: "The book I disliked was Hysteria. I like thrillers by Riley Sager and Ruth Ware. The Sun Down Motel and Someone We Know were both good as well.

Hysteria was needlessly confusing, had weird dialogue tags that made it hard to tell who was speaking, and the "solution" was so idiotic that I almost feel like spoiling it for people just so that no one else reads this book."
Oh, my! That made me laugh so hard! :)

[L Y N N]

Ali wrote: "Hi all, Happy New Year! I have to say 2021 is looking an awful lot like 2020 for me..."
I'm hoping Wednesday was an aberration and it will only get better from here on out! :)

"Finished
The Heart's Invisible Furies by John Boyne - this is one of the best books I've read for a long long time. I totally loved it! I'm not counting it for a challenge as I started it in December and I'm a bit funny about that personally"
It is your challenge! Whatever works for you! I'll have to check this one out. I have yet to read one of his books!

"Hercule Poirot's Christmas by Agatha Christie - locked room mystery - Christmas, Poirot = Yes!"
*SMILE*

"Currently Reading
I'm reading The Count of Monte Cristo this year for my longest book. I'm trying to do a chapter a day so will be a few months on this but enjoying it so far!"
So many who have read this really enjoyed it!

"QOTW
Hmmm I'm quite brutal with dropping books I'm not liking so I don't have many I've finished that I hated. What comes to mind is Lies She Told by Cate Holahan which is a book within a book thriller following an author when their husband is found murdered. Big disappointment as it was so good for like 75% of the book but the last section was horrific!! Like a mystery book within a book, try Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz!"
Magpie Murders is a book I really want to read!

[Paula]

I've finished one book so far. I seem to be getting off to a slow start this year. I finished The Death and Life of Oliver Queen (Green Arrow #1) by Benjamin Percy. I read it a MC with your dream job (superhero). I really liked it and look forward to reading the rest of the series.

The next two books I'm planning on reading is Pirate Stew by Neil Gaiman (was surprised it was a picture book when I got it from the library) and The Great Pancake Race (Pokemon Sun & Moon). Then I plan on reading The Boy Who Became a Dragon: a Bruce Lee Story (graphic novel), Then I'm going to start Dear Edward.

QOTW
I read a graphic Novel version of The Great Gatsby. I found it hard to follow and it's not my normal read. I would suggest any of the the Manga Classics series. I've not read all of them, but I've enjoyed all the ones I've read. I've read Emma, Great Expectations, Les Miserables, Romeo and Juliet, and Dracula. I look forward to reading the ones I've not read.

[Teri]

Really late check-in for me. It's been a hell of a week in my country, and I was too focused on the drama to deal with reading anything but news articles. On the plus side, I got the first dose of the COVID vaccine yesterday. Yay!

I finished one book this week:

The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett by Annie Lyons - 4 stars; PS #18 [fewer than 1000 reviews - 818 GR; 264 Amazon]
Someone in this group made this book sound interesting, so I picked it up at the library. I really loved it! As I'm aging and death gets closer, a book about an 85-year-old woman who is determining how she wants to die is quite engaging. Great characters, great storyline.

Currently reading:
Dear Edward by Ann Napolitano - hoping to finish this weekend so we can really get into the discussion for the Monthly Read
Go Tell It on the Mountain by James Baldwin - my car audiobook. It is giving me trauma flashbacks to my own past religious days, but thankfully my story does not compare to this one. Rather depressing so far, but I'm only 1/4th through.

Goodreads: 1/100
Popsugar: 1/50

QOTW:
I didn't have any 1 or 2 star reads last year, so I can't think of the last book I didn't like. I suppose the closest is A Clockwork Orange because there were parts of it I hated, but the questions raised in it were so compelling that it ended up as a 3 star read. A book closest to it that I have read, and liked much more, is 1984 by George Orwell.

[Teri]

Mary wrote: "Reading is going to take on a whole new significance for me as this point. They say that children become readers in the laps of their parents, or in my case, my grandmother, who passed away yesterd..."

Sorry to hear about your grandmother. I'm glad she instilled in you a love of reading, and probably many other things. She sounds wonderful.

[Megan]

I've read two books so far this year, but haven't completed any reading challenge prompts. However, I've got a couple of books in progress that will work, so I should be able to check off a couple soon. I just realized I must've needed comfort reads since my list is heavy on mysteries, which is my go to genre.

Finished:
* Double Indemnity by James M. Cain, which I used for the final prompt I needed to complete for the 2020 PS challenge; and,
* The Gate Keeper by Charles Todd.

Currently Reading:
* Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz, which I'll be discussing with one of my book clubs next month -- a few of us decided to restart our monthly meetings (albeit virtually), which was one of the positive things that happened this month;
* The King's Justice by Susan Elia MacNeal, which was a Christmas gift. I love this series and am excited that I can use it for one of the advanced prompts (a free book from your TBR list);
* Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert, which was a BookClub Girls Free Friday book. I plan to use this for "a book that discusses body positivity" since I saw it on the thread for that prompt; and,
* Snowflakes by Ruth Ware, which is an Amazon Originals short story. The Prime Reading version came with the audio version, so I go may give that option a try even though it'll take longer to listen to it than to read it.

QotW:
From Heather (and edited a bit by me…): What was the most recent book that you really really disliked? What made you dislike it? What book in that genre or about that topic do you recommend instead? Of the books I finished in 2020, The Witch Doesn't Burn in This One by Amanda Lovelace was the one that I enjoyed least. The content was very raw and tackled difficult themes, but I was left feeling like I was invading someone's privacy. I listened to the audiobook version and ended up speeding up narration to get to the end just so I could count it for reading challenge prompts. This was the second collection of poems I've tried by this author and don't foresee me picking up her others. I'm glad that she was able to use writing to deal with the trauma she's experienced and hope that the poems give comfort to others who may have had similar experiences, but these just aren't for me.

I'd recommend another poetry collection I read last year in place of this one -- Jimmy's Blues and Other Poems by James Baldwin. While they were also raw and unflinching takes on difficult issues, these poems challenged me to think and question. My reading experience was much different with this collection.

[K.L.]

I’ve done a ton of reading since the first of the year! In addition to starting the POPSUGAR Reading Challenge at the end of last week, this week I have also been taking part in the Bout of Books Readathon (which runs from Jan. 4th through Jan. 10th).

I’ve really been enjoying this readathon, and I like the fact that it is fairly relaxed, with respect to the number of social media-based activities and challenges. I will definitely participate in this readathon again in the future.

POPSUGAR: 2/50
Goodreads: 9/200

Finished Reading:
~Rolling in the Deep — “a book that has the same title as a song”
If you’d like to read my thoughts about this book, you can find them at https://theunapologeticbookworm.com/2....
~Booked: A Traveler's Guide to Literary Locations Around the World
If you’d like to read my thoughts about this book, you can find them at https://theunapologeticbookworm.com/2....
~Murder in Montparnasse
~The Left-Handed Booksellers of London
If you’d like to read my thoughts about this book, you can find them at https://theunapologeticbookworm.com/2....
~The Castlemaine Murders
~Queen of the Flowers
~Clanlands: Whisky, Warfare, and a Scottish Adventure Like No Other — “a book set somewhere you’d like to visit in 2021”
If you’d like to read my thoughts about this book, you can find them at https://theunapologeticbookworm.com/2....
~Death by Water
~Murder in the Dark

Currently Reading:
Season of Storms
Murder on a Midsummer Night

QOTW:
I really did not enjoy reading Twitterature, which was the book I used for last year’s social media prompt.

[Nadine in NY]

Megan wrote: "I've read two books so far this year, but haven't completed any reading challenge prompts. However, I've got a couple of books in progress that will work, so I should be able to check off a couple ..."


I've never read James Cain, but I've got his The Postman Always Rings Twice on my "must read this year" list. I love Chandler so I have high expectations here!! (But I hate Hammett and Thompson, so I realize this could go badly.)

[Britany]

Katelyn wrote: "I hated Followers too! I got about 50 pages in and threw in the towel. I am glad I didn't waste my time on this book."

Yes, wish I would've dropped this one in the can too!

[Andria]

Trying to be more active here this year! So far, I've read 10 books. Some I liked, some I didn't.

Books Read:
Unexpected Hostage by Layla Stone 3 ⭐.
Slave to Sensation by Nalini Singh 5⭐.
Securing Caite by Susan Stoker 5 ⭐
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum 3 ⭐
Her Wild Ride by Heather Van Fleet
3 ⭐
A Stepbrother for Christmas 1 ⭐
(I never give one star ratings. Until now.)
Hero Next Door by Lara Swann 4 ⭐
Saving Samantha by Suzie Grace
3 ⭐
Sing Down the Moon by Scott O'Dell 4 ⭐ (Newbery Award)
The Winter Room by Gary Paulsen
5 ⭐ (Newbery Award)
~•~

Currently Reading: The Strange Case of the Modern Extremists by Alexander McCall Smith (Ebook/short novella/mystery)

The Soul of the Thief by Steven Hartov (hardback library book/historical)

QotW:

The recent book I really disliked was a Stepbrother for Christmas. It was nothing more than poorly disguised rape as a fluffy romance book. It listed warnings for triggers, which I appreciated. I was expecting one thing and got something else so that's on me not the author. The writing was fine. But the whole novella was not to my taste AT ALL. I don't know what I would recommend instead. I'm still dipping my toes into the whole romance genre, trying all sorts of things. I think my favorite romance lately was probably Hero Next Door. That's the kind of feel good fluffy romance I love to read about! Protective single dad, and just the right amount of fluff between the pages!

[Brooke]

I've taken part in the PopSugar Reading Challenge since 2017 and each time, I read a lot of books during the summer and then barely any reading during school. I usually end up getting about half of the challenge done but I'm trying for more this year. I'm a graduate student and have plenty of readings to do there, so I often am too tired to do more reading at the end of a busy day. I've recently found audiobooks though, and have found that they're a great way to fit in reading when I'm driving to work, doing chores, or getting ready in the morning!

This week I listened to Dear Edward by Ann Napolitano for the January monthly read and prompt "A book about do overs or fresh starts." I really enjoyed listening to this book. I wasn't completely glued to it, but I found it engaging and interesting to listen to.

My next book will be Cards on the Table by Agatha Christie for the prompt "A book that has a heart, diamond, club, or spade on the cover."