Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge discussion
2021 Weekly Check-Ins
>
Week 5: 1/29 - 2/4
Mod
I am always ready for spring! Especially in December, January, and February! LOL
"My husband got his first COVID shot (he works an essential governmental job); Seth and I are still waiting our turn."
I got online yesterday to schedule my husband and couldn't find any appointments! Granted, I do live in Indiana, a Republican-controlled state...but still...
"Completed:
Binti: The Complete Trilogy: The first novella is clearly the strongest and the second the weakest, but hooray for strong characters and excellent world-building! I'd love to see a graphic novelization of this series. (I don't know why I was able to review this book, but there's not a link for it here.) (PS2 - An afrofuturism book) ★★★★"
If you haven't already, I hope you'll join in the monthly group read discussion!
"Mitch, Please!: How Mitch McConnell Sold Out Kentucky (and America, Too)"
I just don't have enough respect for this man to read anything about him... :( But I'm glad you did and posted your thoughts about it.
"Red Rising (Red Rising Saga, #1) by Pierce Brown (Note: The action is really brutal. If readers are at all squeamish, this is a book they should avoid.)"
Thank you for that warning! I had already considered this probably wasn't for me, but that confirmed it! (I'm such a wuss!)
"THIS IS SO RIDICULOUS! WHY ISN'T THE "ADD BOOK/AUTHOR" LINK FINDING ANY OF MY BOOKS??? I'LL COME BACK AND FINISH THIS LATER. ARGH."
And still the next day! :(
Mod
I love the fact that so many people feel the same about this, which may be the opposite of what you would expect...?
Nadine wrote: "Parts of the Great Lakes are freezing over here! I've seen video of people walking on Lake Superior. And our Finger Lakes are starting to freeze (if one can count little Onondaga Lake as the smallest finger, it's all white). My mother even sent me photos of the Barnegat Bay frozen over in NJ, which is particularly surprising since that's salt water and NJ doesn't usually get so cold. A river otter was spotted on the bay ice."We've got a decent amount of ice buildup on Lake Erie as well: https://www.wkyc.com/article/entertai...
I had a great reading week. I finished 3 books. 1. Deacon King King by James McBride. 5 stars & a new favorite author. A book by an author who shares your zodiac sign. James McBride is a Virgo.
2. Freshwater by Akwaeke Emezi. 3 stars. I didn’t pay attention to reviews & the synopsis. I was in way over my head with this book. The writing is beautiful. The story is semi autobiographical. Hard story. I used it for a magical realism book.
3. The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin. 4 stars. A book found on the Black Lives Matter reading list.
QOTW: I have to read things in order. I will read the first books before I read a recommended book in the middle of the series.
I held off on posting so I wouldn't have to deal with the linking issue. It seems to be fixed.Finished:
The Relentless Moon
Cemetery Boys
Soviet Daughter: A Graphic Revolution
Concrete Rose
Currently reading:
Jane Eyre
War and Peace
Aya: Life in Yop City
The House in the Cerulean Sea Sneak Peek
I take it back it's still having some issues. I had to search for Jane Eyre and War and Peace by starting with the author.
QOTW:
This is a timely question. My book club wanted to read The Wife Upstairs this month, but some were concerned about long library holds. So I suggested we read Jane Eyre this month, and The Wife Upstairs next month. I have seen Jane Eyre movie adaptions but have never read it. I have also read at least 3 Pride and Prejudice retellings and seen movie adaptations, but have never read the original.
Sometime I don't even know that a book is a retelling. I read Home Fire without knowing it was an Antigone retelling. Finding that out made me want to read Antigone. And I wanted to and did read The Iliad after reading The Song of Achilles.
Neither search function nor add book/author function working fir me...at least on books I was trying to find and add yesterday, like The Cabinets of Barnaby Mayne.
It has been a pretty good week for reading. I finished three books. And have started several others.Challenge Progress:
PopSugar Regular: 9/40
PopSugar Advanced: 3/10
Around the Year in 52 Weeks: 14/52
Finished Books
Sacrifice of the Heart by Gary J. Darby
This is the last book of a series I mean to finish last year. As a result is qualifies for #46 -A book from your TBR list you meant to read last year but didn’t. I highly recommend this series, especially if you are into dragon fantasies! Note that you will have to start with book 1 of the series (If A Dragon Cries) because the books do not stand alone.
Divergent by Veronica Roth
I have been listening to this on CD while driving to and from work each day and I finished it this Monday. I have just recently decided to try audio books and have been enjoying it. As a result this book covers # 35 -A book in a different format than what you normally read (audiobooks, ebooks, graphic novels). Good read, but has a lot of violence in it.
Robin and Marian by Stephanie Fowers
This book is a modern take on the classic tale of Robin Hood. I really enjoyed it and would recommend it to others that are into re-told tales. This book qualifies for Prompt #36-A book that has fewer than 1,000 reviews on Amazon or Goodreads. I am glad that this is one of the prompts. I have a lot of friends that are trying to make their way in the Indi novel world and prompts like this encourage people to read lesser known novels.
Books I am currently reading
Insurgent
The Secret Prophecy
The Complete Works
Before We Were Yours
Happy reading everyone!
QOTW:
If you see a book is a retelling or based on another book, do you feel compelled to read the original first?
Not necessarily, I am pretty familiar with fairy-tales and folk tales and love to read retold stories. However, if a book is based on another book in a series, I do feel the need to read the books that come before.
I had thought it was just the pop-up you use over here that wasn't working but the main search bar at the top of the webpage isn't working for me either! I want to start reading another book, Quantum by Patricia Cornwell, and it won't come up at all..I get 100 pages of the wrong book! So I tried using a search of "quantum cornwell" and that gave me 0 results. So I did the author search and about half of the book titles were in kanji?? But no quantum! The funny thing is the page is running an ad for the sequel to Quantum, Spin! But I can't find quantum. It's like the page forgot the book even exist! 😔Maybe I'll have better luck with another book...🤔
Sarah wrote: "I had thought it was just the pop-up you use over here that wasn't working but the main search bar at the top of the webpage isn't working for me either! I want to start reading another book, Quant..."Sarah, I had that problem as well when trying to add The Secret Prophecy by Brennan Herbie. I ended up finding it by going to the author and scrolling through ALL of his books. Very frustrating. Hopefully they fix this soon.
Theresa wrote: "Neither search function nor add book/author function working fir me...at least on books I was trying to find and add yesterday, like The Cabinets of Barnaby Mayne."Same
Happy Friday everyone!Busy week here. I’m back to work, in person, and it has been so wonderful seeing people again! Public transportation is not the nightmare it was pre-COVID, and masks are mandated here. Most people who are working are lucky enough to work from home, so there are fewer people riding, and more seats.
I felt like a little kid returning to school in September: new shoes, new purse, new suit jacket! I couldn’t wait to see my pals after a long summer. Unfortunately, I have the same busted up spine. I’m not used to sitting, and it did a rough job on those herniated and ruptured discs. By the time I got home Wednesday, I was felled, just like an oak, on my floor. It was pretty obvious I was not going anywhere Thursday.
My spine specialist is a gem, but he won’t help put me on disability forever and ever, so I can stay home reading books forever. I like him anyway.
Finished:
The Housekeeper and the Professor If you need a feelgood book, and you loved The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, this could be for you. It doesn’t share much in common with Guernsey: It takes place in Japan, there are really 3 major characters, all unnamed, except for the housekeeper’s son, Root. But it has that wonderful thread of people doing as much good for one another as they possibly can, and building a small family/ community based on love. Highly recommend! I needed tissues at the end. Just Mercy kind of tears.
A book about forgetting.
Life on Mars. I really wanted a book with a song title of David Bowie’s, and this looked perfect. How did I miss out on Tracy K. Smith , our 2011 Poet Laureate? She’s brilliant. There are plenty of allusions to Bowie lyrics, deep elegies, and… formal poetry! Published in the USA. I expect formal poetry love in the UK – one of the reasons I wanted to stay forever and ever. If you love SFF, there is plenty here, with a gorgeous scientific exploration of the universe.
Thank you, David, for guiding me to this incredible book and poet. I knew you wouldn’t let me down.
A book with a song’s title, or for Black History Month, or a form you don’t usually read.
Continuing:
The Mueller Report Deep in documents now. Fewer than 200 pages to go! I have learned so much.
QOTW: : I agree with Mark Twain. “I hate quotes. Tell me something you know.”
I don’t like retellings. Tell me something brand new that no one has ever heard before.
That said, I think that, if the author is writing well, it won’t matter if you read the source material first or not. Personally, I would most like read the source first. That is just me.
Confession: I was a Folklore & Mythology major. I wish I could tell you that meant sitting around drinking gin, getting high, and reading about mermaids. It’s more like a very specialized branch of anthropology with a little deep psychology. We read most epics, mythic cycles, sagas – usually in the original language. We had to pass lots of language tests, and learn new ones. I'm in love with those orally composed myths and lore, "passed down orally generation to generation within a homogenous community". I can still hear Albert Lord :)
I am interested in English translations, and have done some myself – I enjoy seeing how other translator/authors try to preserve meter and other lit devices. Those works feel more like retellings to me.
I'm too in love with the sources that I’m not likely to pick up a retelling written in the modern era. But I will make an exception and read a retelling if a friend (Alice Randall ) writes a great book ( The Wind Done Gone ) from a new viewpoint, especially if I am never going to read the original (Gone with the Wind).
It seems to be all over the place. I was able to tag An American Marriage now when I couldn't yesterday, but I was trying to mark The House in the Cerulean Sea as currently reading and i COULD NOT find it in the search. I finally had to go to the goodread awards and mark it from reading from the page where it won. And I was trying to find The Old Guard: Force Multiplied to mark it as reading too, and i could only find the individual issues, even though I know I saw someone else mark the volume as read. finally had to go to the author's page and mark it as read from there.
Sheri wrote: "It seems to be all over the place. I was able to tag An American Marriage now when I couldn't yesterday, but I was trying to mark The House in the Cerulean Sea as currently reading ..."I also had trouble earlier today with The House in the Cerulean Sea.
Carmen wrote: "Did you see about the temperature feeling like -20C up there this weekend? NO THANK YOU! I'm happy with the 4-5cm we're supposed to get down here xD"Me too! Just a nice little bit of winter.
Nadine wrote: "Parts of the Great Lakes are freezing over here! I've seen video of people walking on Lake Superior. And our Finger Lakes are starting to freeze (if one can count little Onondaga Lake as the smallest finger, it's all white). My mother even sent me photos of "Wow, that's pretty freezing stuff :-) We're just not used to real cold winters here anymore. We'll see what happens. I'm glad I work remote now 🙂
Mod
I'm getting around that by Googling. Google can still find the GR page that GR cannot find.
Maybe this means GR is actually working on making improvements?
My account also has problems today with finding anything via the search button.
One book down this week! Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid is a book that deals with a social justice issue. A 25-year-old black girl cares for a 2-year-old white girl and they love each other dearly. But things start to fall apart when they are stopped at a grocery store late one night, the babysitter accused of kidnapping the child. Not only does this book explore the differences in race, but the inherent differences in social class and income. Very good book!
Mod
Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid is a book that deals with a social justice issue. A 25-year-old black girl cares for a 2-year-old white girl..."
I really loved that book, Reid is such a great writer, she sucked me right in! Until the ending. I thought it fell apart in the last Part, it became ridiculous with characters being Good and Evil in their actions. How did you feel about the ending?
Allie wrote: "Elaine wrote: "The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang for my book of a different format (a graphic novel ebook). This was so charming and delightful and wholesome! I do wish I'd had a physical c..."You should also check out "Fence". There are four volumes of comics and a graphic novel that I need to read.
Nadine wrote: "Carri Carey wrote: "One book down this week! Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid is a book that deals with a social justice issue. A 25-year-old black girl cares for a 2..."
I didn’t like Alix from the beginning but they all did get extremely good or obnoxious by the end. Like caricatures. But I liked the Elmira did what was right for herself, even though it hurt. And the last scene was so fitting in that the difference between her and the family never changes.
Wow, after such a good week last week I'm sliding in here late with no books read, mostly to answer the question of the week. Honestly I'm pretty well over retellings. I tend to just skip them but yes if it is one that catches my attention I do prefer to read the source material
I'll do all the checkins this year, I say, as I only remember in week 1 then week 5 lol. This week I'm reading:
Faerie Tale by Raymond E Feist (I'm using this for magical realism). I'm really enjoying this book. It's probably one of my favourites of his that I've read (I've read a fair few).
Pestilence by Laura Thalassa. SHOOT ME. I always finish what I read (or in this case, listen to) but I'm also buddy reading this so I won't give up but... ugh. This story is not badly written in the sense of the author is actually a decent writer and I like her style. But she's wasting her talents on romanticising Stockholm Syndrome and I am not here for that. It's mostly my fault because the cover alone should have told me it was romance, as did the summary, but apparently I saw the word apocalypse and four horsemen and thought I was reading some kind of end of the world story. How wrong I was.
I'm still waiting for the main character to do something more than admire the horseman's abs. I am slowly losing faith.
On a positive note, someone told me there's a song called The Pestilence, so I'm knocking off a prompt with it.
Ashleigh wrote: "I'll do all the checkins this year, I say, as I only remember in week 1 then week 5 lol. This week I'm reading:
Faerie Tale by Raymond E Feist (I'm using this for magical realism). ..."
I love that book Faerie Tale! It's one of the few that I read many years ago, actually remembered and then reread the other year! 😁
It’s been a pretty rough week. We found out that my Mum has developed a fourth brain tumor (located in the same spot as the one that was removed prior to Christmas). We’re currently waiting to find out if she is eligible to receive an experimental bio-therapy treatment.Right now we're basically taking things one day at a time, and trying to make the most of every day.
POPSUGAR: 6/50
Goodreads: 46/200
Finished Reading:
~Father Brown: The Complete Collection
~A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking
If you’d like to read my thoughts about this book, you can find them at https://theunapologeticbookworm.com/2....
~The Art of The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien - “a book about art or an artist”
If you’d like to read my thoughts about this book, you can find them at https://theunapologeticbookworm.com/2....
~Yu Yu Hakusho, Volume 1: Goodbye, Material World!
~Yu Yu Hakusho, Volume 2: Lonesome Ghost
~Yu Yu Hakusho, Volume 3: In the Flesh
~Yu Yu Hakusho, Volume 4: Training Day
~Yu Yu Hakusho, Volume 5: Focus Your Mind as One!
~Yu Yu Hakusho, Volume 6: The Dark Tournament
~Yu Yu Hakusho, Volume 7: Knife-Edge Death Match
~Yu Yu Hakusho, Volume 8: Open Your Eyes!!
~Yu Yu Hakusho, Volume 9: The Huge Ordeal!!
~Yu Yu Hakusho, Volume 10: Unforgivable!!
~Yu Yu Hakusho, Volume 11: Eat or Be Eaten!!
~Yu Yu Hakusho, Volume 12: The Championship Match Begins!!
~Yu Yu Hakusho, Volume 13: The Executors of a Dying Wish!!
~Yu Yu Hakusho, Volume 14: A Bloody Past!!
~Yu Yu Hakusho, Volume 15: Showdown at the Eleventh Hour
~Yu Yu Hakusho, Volume 16: Into the Demon Plane!!
~Yu Yu Hakusho, Volume 17: Showdown!
~Yu Yu Hakusho, Volume 18: The Demon Plane Unification Tournament
~Yu Yu Hakusho, Volume 19: The Saga Comes to an End!
Currently Reading:
~The Silmarillion
~The Time Traveler's Guide to Medieval England: A Handbook for Visitors to the Fourteenth Century
~Binti: The Complete Trilogy
QOTW:
I’m usually only interested in reading a retelling if I’ve already read (or are at least familiar with the plot of) the original book. Most of the retellings I enjoy are based on fairy tales, mythology, or children’s stories.
Erica wrote: "I hope your furbaby/bunny gets well. I am slightly confused because it's sounds like they live/go outside. (I know nothing about rabbits clearly) Do you not have winter right now?It's taken a few days but she's alright now, thankyou <3 And yes, all my bunnies live outside! And it is indeed winter, though you can hardly call it winter so far. Starting tonight we should get a proper winter week, so yesterday I cleaned all the cages and added a thick layer of straw, but I'm expecting Ferb and Ezra to sit outside anyways, haha!
If they lived inside, I couldn't let them outside, the change in temperature is too big, but if they live outside they get their winter furs! Bunnies can handle cold better than heat. They can handle up to -5C without problem (when healthy of course) but start struggling from 20C upwards. So I stress a lot more during heatwaves than I will during the upcoming week!
Sarah wrote: "Carmen, I'm glad you were able to find the books I had read even though I wasn't able to provide the links. Hopefully you'll enjoy them all!And I hope your bunnies will be ok..I learned lots of stuff from your post on bunnies because I really didn't know anything about them and never dreamed they had to eat so much all of the time! Or that they could get sick so quickly..makes me wonder how in the world they ever survive outside (wild ones I mean) especially in winter when food is scarce. It's always so stressful if your pets are sick."
It's a lot of work to get the links right but it's worth it if it's gives others easy access! I hope so too! One of them is on Storytel so woohh! I had to think of it as well when last night my parents watched the Grey's Anatomy episode where a boy gets brought in after being shot for climbing into his own window. They mentioned Tamir (although not by name) and just. The anger I feel is insane, so these books are definitely priority!
Always willing to educate on bunbuns, so you are most welcome :D And I feel you- bunnies are incredibly resilient and super fragile at the same time. When they're healthy they can conquer the world, but when they get sick and you don't catch it in time? The window you have is generally so short, especially when it comes to not eating. If they catch RHD or Myxomatose... Mine are all vaccinated, but it's not a 100% guarantee. I've heard so many stories from people who gave breakfast to 6 bunnies, and lunch to 1 or 2, because they had all died in the meantime, out of nowhere. Most of those stories even ended with them not having any bunnies at all by next morning, as those diseases are extremely contagious and by the time you see it, it's too late.
As for the wild.. They manage somehow, haha! I think climate is important, as for example over here, there is plenty for them to eat still, and the real 'danger' comes from the dogs that pee on the grass, which can carry something that the bunnies might eat. It's not even that they have to eat A Lot, it's more that they gotta keep eating throughout the day, so their bowels keep moving. If they stop, that's when it gets dangerous and you gotta act fast. This is why hay is the most important part of (pet) bunny's diet, and why they need access to it 24/7!
But like I said, when healthy (and not super old ha) they are very resilient, especially with cold! It's the heat you gotta worry about.
Nadine wrote: "Maybe this means GR is actually working on making improvements?"I laughed way too hard at this, hahahahaha!
Ashleigh wrote: "I'm still waiting for the main character to do something more than admire the horseman's abs. I am slowly losing faith.."I'm dying- someone kept reccing it to me and I was like 'going by the cover it's not for me' so she showed me a different cover and I was like 'yeah still no'. She kept insisting it was so good so I told her to love it but that we all have different tastes and it wasn't gonna be for me.
Reading this just has me cackling because I would NOT have been able to read that, hahah!
I hope it gets better for you!
K.L. wrote: "It’s been a pretty rough week. We found out that my Mum has developed a fourth brain tumor (located in the same spot as the one that was removed prior to Christmas). We’re currently waiting to find out if she is eligible to receive an experimental bio-therapy treatment."I am so sorry to hear that, that sounds absolutely devastating!
Since I saw The Silmarillion and The Hobbit mentioned here, I wanted to recommend a related podcast called The Prancing Pony. This is two megafans of Tolkien talking about a chapter or part of a chapter ever week. They are going in timeline order, so they started with The Silmarillion, covered The Hobbit and The Fellowship of the Ring, and are currently discussing Book 3 from The Two Towers (the Aragorn/Legolas/Gimli/Gandalf section).
I'm SO over work this week-- will it ever end?? Just trying to take deep breaths in and out, and living for the weekends when I can turn off my computer.5/40 PopSugar
1/10 Advanced PopSugar
6/80 GoodReads
Finished Reading:
1.) The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles (#7 Dream Job) ⭐⭐⭐.5- The beginning was SO good and interesting, the dual timelines came together and I was annoyed at some of the "out of character" actions some one took.
2.) Binti by Nnedi Okorafor (#2 Afrofuturism) ⭐⭐⭐⭐- this was the perfect read for this prompt. Short/sci fi with a lovely main character.
Currently Reading:
1.) Les Miserables
2.) The Fiery Cross
3.) The Survivors
QOTW: If you see a book is a retelling or based on another book, do you feel compelled to read the original first? I actually feel the opposite- if there's a retelling of a book that I love *cough* Gatsby *cough*-- then I feel like I MUST read it. Definitely don't feel obligated to read any original book if I'm interested in a retelling.
Carmen wrote: "Ashleigh wrote: "I'm still waiting for the main character to do something more than admire the horseman's abs. I am slowly losing faith.."I'm dying- someone kept reccing it to me and I was like '..."
I would say just give me the actual HORSE and forget about the horseMAN! I totally agree with you on that! Some steamy cover or something along those lines wouldn't interest me at all. The other week I saw this one cover pop up on my feed. It showed some couple acting all kissey on the one side and on the other side was a bay horse with a white star on the forehead. Everyone in the comments was talking about that couple. Not me! I only saw the horse! Who cares about the couple when you have an equine right there?? I just have a very narrow focus on things due to the Asperger's ... People have to understand that not everyone is interested in the same things....
Carmen wrote: "Sarah wrote: "Carmen, I'm glad you were able to find the books I had read even though I wasn't able to provide the links. Hopefully you'll enjoy them all!And I hope your bunnies will be ok..I lea..."
You'll be glad to know I had edited my original post once the glitch was fixed and added links to all the books. 😁
And the bunnies sound a lot like reptiles in an odd way. I do watch a few reptile channels on YouTube and some of them can get ill very fast apparently.. and I know a lot of animals don't show their sick until they are really sick as they can hide it pretty well.
Do your bunnies like being held? Do they make any kind of sounds? I must say I don't know much about bunnies at all. They do look very soft and furry though. 😁 And cute. Sometimes I see wild ones around here as there are lots of woods and parks in this area. But I tend to see them on front lawns instead.
I had no idea bunnies could die so quickly. I watched a video this morning that was a reminder that one should wash your hands when you touch or handle a sick animal and then touch another animal, to hopefully you won't spread anything. This is presuming the pets are in different cages.
Mod
I am so sorry, that must be so stressful.
Mod
I'm glad she's feeling better!!!
I knew that rabbits didn't do well with heat (and I've seen wild rabbits laid flat and panting on super hot days here). But I've always wondered what do pet owners do when it gets really cold? Where I am it will get down below -15 C a few times each year, and we routinely have a few weeks below -10 C each year. Do you bring the rabbit inside? Maybe people have heated hutches that keep it above freezing inside? Or maybe the rabbits are acclimated to it?
I know horses are okay here in sub-freezing temps without heat, so long as they have a shelter, and someone to come break the ice on their water buckets!
Mod
I laughed way too hard at this, hahahahaha!"
Hahah ! Cynic!!
Mod
Yiiiiiikes. I just looked up that book on GR and it's everything I would not want to read. "New Adult" combined with "Urban Fantasy" is like the Perfect Storm of Bad for me.
Plus - he drags her down the street tied to his horse? Wouldn't that ... kill her? It certainly would not make me interested in seeing a romance develop.
Mod
We get a lot of snow each winter, and I don't know how the wildlife manages - maybe they learn to dig under the snow to get to the grass? (That's definitely how the voles & field mice do it - I find their trails in the grass when snow melts in spring.)
I have birdfeeders, and I spill some seed when I fill them, so I get critters on my deck sometimes eating whatever the birds didn't get. This year, two rabbits have discovered this bounty. So, I'll be lying on the couch at night watching Netflix, and see two shadows jumping around on the snow on my deck!! This has never happened before! They leap around for some reason - why are they doing the cavorting thing? They are so cute!!! But I'm sure the poor things are just desperate if they are coming up on my deck for sunflower seeds. I'd help them more if I could, but ... it's not wise to encourage rabbits in my back yard. My dogs will kill them if they catch them. (My dog gets this "are you SHITTING ME?!?!?!?" look when she sees them on the deck at night LOL.) I don't let my dogs out at night because of this. Luckily the local rabbits are MUCH faster and always get away when they are spotted, but I still don't want to encourage them, or next thing I know I'll have a little rabbit nest of babies and that will NOT end well.
Nadine wrote: "I knew that rabbits didn't do well with heat (and I've seen wild rabbits laid flat and panting on super hot days here). But I've always wondered what do pet owners do when it gets really cold? Where I am it will get down below -15 C a few times each year, and we routinely have a few weeks below -10 C each year. Do you bring the rabbit inside? Maybe people have heated hutches that keep it above freezing inside? Or maybe the rabbits are acclimated to it?
But aren't the rabbits already inside?? I mean if they are pets don't you keep them in your bedroom or something? Like people who have pet gerbils or hamsters or guinea pigs or pet rats? Why would they be outside? When pet stores sell pet rabbits they are inside the store, in a little cage. And surely you'd want to relax with your pet, wouldn't you? Lie on the bed or the sofa with the pet rabbit on your lap?
I know from watching YouTube that there are heated mats many people who have reptiles use. Or heat lamps. I suppose those could be useful in very cold weather? But I don't know about the habits of rabbits. They are rodents and rodents chew. I don't think one has that chewing problem with reptiles so..??
The horses here the winter of 2018/2019 they had handled -50 F windchill outside with their shelter and they have heated water. They do have a stable with a few stalls for any sick horse, but the ranch I visit mainly keeps them out in the pasture year round. They do seem to be more active in colder weather than in summer. I have noticed that. It makes me think they like it cold.
It's very cold here today! It's -30 windchill! The normal temperature is -7 F. I'm going to stay in and read books!!
K.L. wrote: "It’s been a pretty rough week. We found out that my Mum has developed a fourth brain tumor (located in the same spot as the one that was removed prior to Christmas). We’re currently waiting to find..."What a horrible news! I keep your mum and your family in my prayers.
JC wrote: "It's snowing here in Chicago for the second time in a week. Freezing but good, cozy reading weather."Hello from a fellow Chi Town reader!! **waves**
Not much reading done this week. I just got the notice that I need to switch from fully remote teaching to hybrid (which they should just call half-time because that's what it is). My time has been spent this week doing what needs to be done. I feel better this morning, knowing that I am feeling pretty ready, but sad that I didn't get to read much. QotW:
Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't.
Sarah wrote: "Do your bunnies like being held? Do they make any kind of sounds? I must say I don't know much about bunnies at all. They do look very soft and furry though. 😁 And cute. Sometimes I see wild ones around here as there are lots of woods and parks in this area. But I tend to see them on front lawns instead.I had no idea bunnies could die so quickly. I watched a video this morning that was a reminder that one should wash your hands when you touch or handle a sick animal and then touch another animal, to hopefully you won't spread anything. This is presuming the pets are in different cages."
They do not! In fact, most bunnies don't, as it's like being picked up by a bird. Tommie doesn't mind as much and will indulge me every now and then (I had to lift him out of the cage because he refused to come out when I wanted to clean it -idiot- so I gave him a little cuddle :D) but the other 5 are big no-no's. Ezra and Ferb are so anxious they barely let us close enough to give them a snack, everything has to be done at maximum possible distance, and even then they generally have to run away first, haha! Whenever I get to pet them it's a blessing!
Generally, bunnies don't make sounds. If they make sounds, that tends to mean something is wrong. If they're screaming, they're either terrified or in pain. If they're gnashing their teeth, they're in pain (though there is a softer version of this that means they're content). If they're 'grunting' they're angry. Kasper and Shanti sound like pigs when food is coming, haha! (They get in each other's way in their excitement ajkshdf)
They are *very* cute, but they are also prey animals, which means that most don't like to be cuddled. It's why so many of them end up in shelters after impulse buys for kids. It's also why when you can clearly see they're sick, you're often too late- they need to put up a front to not show weakness to the predators.
Yes! If your pet is sick and you don't know what it is, *always* wash your hands! Even if you've been somewhere else. Like when I volunteered at the petting zoo, we had to change clothes and shoes and wash hands when we came in and before we left, to make sure nothing came in or left the zoo. With Ferb, we knew it was either gas or constipation, which isn't contagious, so I could safely go around the other's enclosures.
Nadine wrote: "I knew that rabbits didn't do well with heat (and I've seen wild rabbits laid flat and panting on super hot days here). But I've always wondered what do pet owners do when it gets really cold? Where I am it will get down below -15 C a few times each year, and we routinely have a few weeks below -10 C each year. Do you bring the rabbit inside? Maybe people have heated hutches that keep it above freezing inside? Or maybe the rabbits are acclimated to it?"Thank you!
If bunnies are used to living outside, their winter fur will do a lot to protect them. When it gets really cold (like they're expecting here this upcoming week) what we do is make sure the bunnies have a dry and warm spot, so no direct wind/draft. In our case the cages have a shield in front of the bars so no wind can come in, and a big layer of straw for them to settle in. Ezra and Ferb even have a smaller night hutch kinda thing in their cage which has even more protection. (We took the partition out of the other two cages, which are smaller, so they'd have more space to hop and jump).
They can go out if they want to, and go back inside (the cage) at their own discretion. Ferb was outside for a bit today, all puffed up against the cold, even digging at some point, and when it got too much (or for whatever reason really who knows) she went back up the cage to join Ezra. Kasper and Shanti were outside too, but they stayed underneath the cage, and away from the cold, white stuff, haha! Can't see Tommie and Mia from the windows, but there are no marks in their favorite spots, so they might have come out to pee and poo, but nothing else! (I think this goes for all of them, save Ferb, who is a badass who loves sitting outside!)
Taking bunnies inside is a last resort, or when your bunny is very old, or sick, and can't regulate their temperature very well, as the heat from inside could overheat them. So if you have to, you put them in a cooler room than your living room, for example. Often hallways and bathrooms are used.
The water is the trickiest part. We just check it whenever we go out for their food and refresh it when frozen over, or starting to. A big pile of straw might help, but it'd just get foggy and become useless, and we don't have any heating pads or snuggle safes we can put the pans on. Luckily they get a lot of fluid through eating their veggies!
Nadine wrote: "And about the bunnies needing to eat ... I didn't know that!We get a lot of snow each winter, and I don't know how the wildlife manages - maybe they learn to dig under the snow to get to the gras..."
Good call on the not encouraging if it's not safe!
The jumping around can be several things- it can be near fighting as they both want the food, but it can also be sheer happiness. Ezra and Ferb jump at and over each other when pellets come (as if either of them hasn't gotten food before) and settle when the bowl is put down, so I think that's probably what's going on. It's not full blown fighting, but more of a posturing, so to speak. To show that they're here to stay and if the other one leaves, that's just fine with them.
If you want to see the happy jumps, google 'binky'! Ironically this can kill them, if their spine snaps. Can you imagine joy being able to kill you? These damn bunnies can't catch a break!
K.L. wrote: "We found out that my Mum has developed a fourth brain tumor (located in the same spot as the one that was removed prior to Christmas). We’re currently waiting to find out if she is eligible to receive an experimental bio-therapy treatment"I'm so sorry to hear this about your mum KL. Sending all the positive vibes and thoughts your way.
Sarah wrote: "But aren't the rabbits already inside?? I mean if they are pets don't you keep them in your bedroom or something? Like people who have pet gerbils or hamsters or guinea pigs or pet rats? Why would they be outside? When pet stores sell pet rabbits they are inside the store, in a little cage. And surely you'd want to relax with your pet, wouldn't you? Lie on the bed or the sofa with the pet rabbit on your lap?I know from watching YouTube that there are heated mats many people who have reptiles use. Or heat lamps. I suppose those could be useful in very cold weather? But I don't know about the habits of rabbits. They are rodents and rodents chew. I don't think one has that chewing problem with reptiles so..??"
First of all: rabbits are not rodents! Their teeth are different (very different), and rabbits hop instead of walk like rodents do. Their paws are structured very differently. They are very different all around, they just also happen to (like to) nibble!
I also know you mean well, but that first part made me cringe so hard. I'm gonna sum it up a bit, which I know looks very harsh, but I promise you I don't mean harm. I just need to split it up to keep it straight in my mind!
1) No, the bunnies are not inside. My bunnies all live outside, and are much happier for it, if only for the abundance of room it gives them to stretch their paws. A few of mine might be more relaxed in my bedroom, but there's no space for them to hop, which is no way to live. Also, in my case, I have 3 couples that can't live together, so inside is definitely not an option.
2) People who have pet gerbils or hamsters or guinea pigs or pet rats generally have them in way too small cages. They might be in their bedroom, but almost no one knows their enclosure for their pet is way too small. I wouldn't wish that on any pet.
3) Why wouldn't they be outside? Using a pet store as an example is the absolute worst thing you could do. Those cages are cruelly small, for starters. Secondly, they are sold on their own (while bunnies should have at least one mate), and with too small cages. Without even mentioning they need more space! Then they often add the wrong food, give you the wrong sex, etc. Not to mention what happens to them when they're not sold in time...
And of course they're inside? How else are parents gonna see them and buy bunnies for their kids on impulse??? /sarcasm (please guys don't ever do this I am begging you)
4)While a lovely idea, as I mentioned in one of my replies just now, bunnies are prey animals. Out of the bunnies that have lived inside with me in the past, only one came to lie with me and that was because his hormones were raging (he wasn't yet castrated) and it was heartbreaking. I felt honored he thought I was safe enough, but his distress was awful. Bunnies are not inherently cuddly pets. There are always exceptions, of course, but they're not the type of pet you seem to think they are ;) If I want to relax with my pets, I go outside to them and bring a brain game for them, or just snacks, and sit with them.
I'd rather my bunnies be happy than force them into stress because I want to cuddle them. Why force my company on them, when they (can/should) have each other and be much happier for it?
As for the heating pads, they're mostly used for water, but you have to know for sure your bunny won't chew it up. To have them for the bunnies themselves is dangerous, because they can overheat very quickly, which is why bringing them inside is so dangerous!
Wow. Apologies for the big bouts of text. I just ... can't help myself, haha! When questions are asked, I come to the rescue for the bunbuns!
Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge
Books mentioned in this topic
Meet Me in Bombay (other topics)A Hundred Suns (other topics)
Before She Disappeared (other topics)
House of Earth and Blood (other topics)
A Duke by Default (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Anne Morrow Lindbergh (other topics)Dhonielle Clayton (other topics)
Gary Taubes (other topics)
John Grisham (other topics)
William Shakespeare (other topics)
More...
I have been reading a collection of SFF short stories, A Universe of Wishes just before going to sleep at night. As a result I was checking out the books written by Tara Sim and discovered one I thought I might like and in reading the synopsis discovered it is a retelling of The Count of Monte Christo, which I have never read. How serendipitous is that?!? LOL