Week 8 Check In

[Sheri]

Hi everyone,

Hope you are all doing well this week! I'm happy that it's been sunny and above freezing. I'm so ready for spring. This is Michigan, so I 100% know we'll get more cold and nastiness before weather really improves. But I'll take the brief reprieve! I think we might actually go down into Detroit this weekend just to get out of the house. Walk around, pop into a couple stores, get some take out from some of our favorite places to eat in the car. (obviously while masked, distanced etc.) .

This week I finished:

Plain Bad Heroines - This was a lot of fun, I'm here for queer gothic horror! I picked it up based on the title and the cover, not really paying attention that it was a 600+ page book along with the other two 600+ page books I also picked up, haha. At least library's being generous with the auto-renews. I counted it for popsugar magical realism, book nerds book with illustrations, ATY book related to "my favorite things", Reading women featuring a queer love story. (i wouldn't call it a romance, but there were multiple queer romantic interests)

Pushout: The Criminalization of Black Girls in Schools - this was well researched and written, though it's hard to say "enjoyable" for stuff like this. I am glad I read it, learned more upsetting things about our US school system. Using it for popsugar social justice book, book nerds book with odd number of pages, ATY book by an author whose name doesn't have ATY in it, Read Harder investigative nonfiction by a PoC author.

Currently Reading:

1Q84 - put in another few chapters, i don't love it but I don't hate it either. Hopefully starts coming together more. Just kind of weird right now. Popsugar's longest book on my TBR

Fables Compendium One - this was the other 600 + (more like 1000+) page book i picked up at the library at a whim. Man, it's HEAVY. Would qualify as a melee weapon, I think. First 40 issues or so.

The Testaments - my next Books & Brews read for March. Liking it so far, but it took me a while to realize the first person perspective was shifting, i didn't realize the icons at each section part indicated a character shift, just thought they were general art.

QOTW: Kathy suggested that since several people in here are doing the BookNerds challenge, and one of the prompts is a book recommended by someone doing the challenge, that we have a recommendations question. So what books would you all recommend?

I personally tend to tailor my recommendations to who I'm specifically talking to. Mainly because I know everyone has different tastes, so I wouldn't recommend a romance to someone I know hates them, or something sci fi to someone I know doesn't read it.

If anyone would like any specific recommendations, feel free to ask for those!

But here's a few of my general favorites:

Gideon the Ninth - This is still a standout book in my mind. I love the genre mashing of fantasy-horror-sci-fi-mystery. I can't resist space magic! I also find Gideon to be hilarious, loved her banter with Harrow.

The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet - I know we already read this as a group, but hey there's new members here that might have missed it. Love the space crew on a long voyage vibes, I thought it was well written and a lot of fun. And the rest of the series is also very good! I am very excited for the 4th book coming out soon.

The City We Became - NK Jemison is great, I know most of us really enjoyed the The Fifth Season. This is the start of another series, set in a more real-world scenario. I found it really powerful, was blown away after I finished.


I've read a lot of good books, so I'd certainly give more recommendations if anyone has any specific they'd like!

[Rebecca]

We had fake spring here for about three days, and now we are supposed to get another week of rain, woo.

I was finally able to get my hands on Blanche on the Lam. My hold came in a couple days after I saw it was on Goodreads' "Mysteries by Black Women" article, which was a funny coincidence. Having now read it, though, I would say that it's barely a mystery novel. It's not really a whodunnit; there's no "it" until over halfway through. However, I DID NOT CARE because it was funny and incisive and just generally fun. I give you an example sentence: "Blanche had learned long ago that signs of pleasant stupidity in household help made some employers feel more comfortable, as though their wallets, their car keys, and their ideas about themselves were all safe." It did get maybe a little too didactic at times, but overall a good time.

After some confusion over the UK vs US title, I got An Outsider's Guide to Humans: What Science Taught Me about What We Do and Who We Are. This one wasn't really for me. It's not actual behavioral science but science analogies, such as "different personality types are like different kinds of proteins," and, "bonds between people are like chemical bonds." The author is non-neurotypical but frames the advice as useful to anyone, but some of it I think many people already do without thinking about it, and some of it I wouldn't even know how to mentally implement. There were some little hand-drawn charts that I couldn't make much sense of, partly because it was really hard to read the handwriting. Maybe this would resonate more with people with ASD, ADHD, etc, but it didn't really work for me.

QOTW: I agree that recommendations are really personal. I also agree about Small, Angry Planet: I don't read much sci-fi but I did really love that one. I mostly read mysteries, and I guess my general suggestions would be Magpie Murders if you like extremely clever plotting and detail, and The Thursday Murder Club if you like fun and funny.
I do have one book that I like to recommend whenever the chance arises, because I loved it but never see it mentioned: A Guide to the Birds of East Africa. It is ostensibly about a birding contest, but it is actually about the surprising depths hidden inside most people. It's hilarious, poignant, insightful, and warm.

[Jen W.]

It's been rainy this week, pretty typical for the pacific northwest. I took the week off from work for my birthday, so it was nice to sleep in and have some time to myself.

I had a couple of finishes this week.

Where the Crawdads Sing - This was mostly engaging, but really sad, too. I wavered between 3 and 4 stars. I would give it 3.5 stars if I could. This was my Popsugar book everyone seems to have read but you.

Just today, I finished Girl Gone Viral. It was a cute, slow-paced romance. I am using it as my Popsugar book featuring three generations, since the male lead's story involves his conflict with his grandfather, and his mother trying to play peacekeeper. Since most of the book's action takes place at his family's farm, owned by the grandfather, they play a significant role in the story.

One manga finish so far this week: Komi Can't Communicate, Vol. 10

Since I just finished one book, I haven't really picked a new one yet. I have one more digital library loan right now, but I might fill in the gap with some manga and read Paladin's Strength which comes out Sunday next.

QOTW: I agree that book recommendations are usually really personal. Lately, I've been recommending T. Kingfisher's fantasies to a lot of people. I just really enjoy her writing style, and her worldbuilding and character building. There's a new one out in two days!

[Sheri]

Oh nice! I loved A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking

[Daniele]

I'm enjoying the respite from winter too, although these freeze/thaw cycles make for a lot of ice and potholes! Spring can't get here soon enough for me.

Just one finish this week: The Obelisk Gate, which I thought was just as solid as The Fifth Season. Used for the Book Nerds "related to earth" prompt. 15/100.

Since book 3 is available, I'll be polishing off the trilogy next, until my hold on Dune comes up.

QOTW: I tend to read things way past their hype heyday, so I always feel silly recommending books, because I figure everyone who might be interested has already read them. I will mention that Sarah Galley has a new book out, and I find her style very enjoyable.

[Shel]

Hi all! Count me as another Northerner who is REALLY ready for spring. Although it usually doesn't settle in here in Massachusetts until at least early April. So it'll still be cold for a while, but at least the sunlight is coming back!

Last week I read a few chapters of Wildflower by Drew Barrymore - I've always thought she was a fascinating person and a podcast I heard recently mentioned the book, so I requested it from the library and found it ...meh. I admire her in so many ways and she's overcome so much and has such an interesting story, but a writer, she is not. I would love to read more about her if someone else wrote it, you know?

After I gave up on that I raced through Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng, which was so lovely. I used it for author with last name of one syllable after debating with myself whether it should count as a redemption story or not. I couldn't decide, so I'll save that prompt for another time! But I highly recommend the book. Every single character was so well drawn and the way the plot builds is masterful.

When I sat down to read last night I didn't feel like I had the mental energy to start something new, so I picked up a re-read - Last Call by Tim Powers. I've read it at least twice, but it's been more than a decade. Question for Book Nerds challenge (or other challenges, for that matter) - do you count re-reads (other than the "re-read an old favorite" prompt which I've already fulfilled)? I tend to re-read pretty often, especially when I'm drained like I have been lately. I'll have to ponder which prompt I would use this for, if I do use it.

Kiddo and I are about halfway through The Son of Neptune at this point.

QOTW: I'll try to think of some that might be more obscure. Definitely the abovementioned Little Fires Everywhere. And the Tim Powers, for that matter. Powers is brilliant. He loves to play with history and he works actual historical figures into speculative fiction that defies categorization. In addition to Last Call which I mentioned above, my other favorite of his is The Anubis Gates.

If you enjoy historical fiction and are up for a challenging read, I always recommend Dorothy Dunnett's Lymond Chronicles. You will spend the first 200 pages feeling completely lost but then her style and setting will click and you'll be suddenly enraptured - at least, that's the experience that pretty much everyone I've spoken with who made it through the beginning had. The first book is The Game of Kings and it does stand alone, but if you enjoy the character you'll want to continue with the rest. They are not easy, but they are SO worth it.

[Sheri]

Shel, reading challenges are meant to be fun, not stressful. Usually I don’t count re-reads unless it’s been so long since I read it that I can’t remember it. But that’s me and I know I read a lot so won’t have trouble finishing. Also pretty sure first year I did a challenge at all I did use rereads. So I’d say if it makes it less pressure for you, go for rereads. You can always go back and switch up your list if you end up reading things that fit that aren’t re reads if it bugs you later

[Kathy]

Shel wrote: "Hi all! Count me as another Northerner who is REALLY ready for spring. Although it usually doesn't settle in here in Massachusetts until at least early April. So it'll still be cold for a while, bu..."
Book nerds is the first prompt-based challenge I'm trying, although I've been doing the Goodreads annual challenge for a few years now. Rereads certainly count for that. I would say 1/3 to 1/2 of my books are rereads. especially now (gesturing at world.) I also find myself taking a different approach to the prompts, reading mostly what I was going to anyway, and then using a book for any of the prompts it covers. So far, my first 18 books of the year have covered 61 prompts, between 2 and 7; only one of them was specifically selected to match a prompt, although I have requests for 7 more books in to cover some other prompts. I will usually hit over 100 books in a year, so I'm hoping that I will get down to one prompt per book. But this seemed an easier strategy for a rookie than only counting one/book to begin with.

[Kathy]

Also enjoying the Michigan above 40 degree weather this week! Thanks for all the suggestions-I have a much better success rate of enjoying things from here than from my IRL book club.

I haven't updated for awhile but have been reading steadily. I'm in the middle of the third Gunnie Rose book by Charlaine Harris. Love all her stuff, but these have been a really interesting mashup of western, alternative history, and romance, plus some magic. I've been rewarding myself for avoiding recreational in-person shopping by some Thriftbooks orders to fill in missing books from favorite series, so bought the first two Gunnie Rose books and some of the Kelling and Bittersohn series from Charlotte Macleod; they are cozy mysteries that have a lot of humor. I read a lot of long-running mystery series, and finished the 24th Faith Fairchild, 27th Stephanie Plum, 27th Meg Langslow, and #20 V.I. Washawski. I'm rereading the Grishaverse in preparation for the Netflix show-excited that the trailer matches what was in my head pretty well. I also read White Fragility for my IRL book club and was glad I did.

Books I would recommend here include the Gunnie Rose series by Charlaine Harris, anything by John Scalzi, and Swords and Fire series by Melissa Caruso. I know there are lots of Amelia Peabody fans at FoE, but I also really love the other two series by Elizabeth Peters-Vicky Bliss and Jacqueline Kirby if you like funny mysteries. I also recommend the Deborah Knott series by Margaret Maron, who sadly passed away this week. If you like more thriller mysteries, I like the David Loogan series by Harry Dolan, partly because they are set in Ann Arbor where I live.

[Trystan]

i have one finish this week - This Is How You Lose the Time War - an interesting read.

when i opened the book, there was a date due receipt from last year when someone else had the book out, and there was a second book listed, The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle. i'd never even heard of it! but i checked it out here on goodreads, and now it's on hold at the library.

monday i'll be picking up The Desolations of Devil's Acre from the library, but in the meantime i'm working on my Sidney Sheldon reread with Windmills of the Gods.

QotW: i don't generally recommend books because i'm not a fan of unsolicited recommendations. i know, that sounds harsh. there was one time i posted on one of my blogs the book i was reading at the time - just a post i was reading it - and next thing i knew i had suggestions coming out of the woodwork. there are a few people who i'll take recommendations from though. :)

[Rebecca]

Kathy, I'm doing the same thing with the challenge, and my numbers are looking similar! I'm interested to see what categories end up with the highest total. So far "author you've never read before" is ahead.

Trystan, you should totally read - just kidding. ;)

[Trystan]

Rebecca wrote: "Trystan, you should totally read - just kidding. ;)"
LOL!!

i mean, that's also how i use goodreads. i smile when i see a book that i've just added or read appear on a friend's list - and i've also added books from my friends. :D

[Daniele]

Shel, rereads officially count under Book Nerds challenge rules :D

[Shel]

Nice :) I won't count it if I'm rereading one of my comfort reads that I know by heart, but something like this that I haven't read in at least a decade I think can work :)