Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge discussion
2021 Weekly Check-Ins
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Week 27: 7/2 - 7/8
A thing happened at work and I accidentally had a three day weekend! I took the opportunity to do a blended read of Captain Bluebear (with annotation tabs!) and had a lovely time. I need to go in and mark off more of the prompts with things I read for them so I'm not quite sure where I sit at the moment, but I'm doing fine.
Finished:
Shark Lady: The True Story of How Eugenie Clark Became the Ocean's Most Fearless Scientist - Picture book - Woohoo, Eugenie Clark! I liked this quite a bit. Her story was done pretty well and then there was a nice timeline in the back!
Dinosaur Lady: The Daring Discoveries of Mary Anning, the First Paleontologist - Picture Book - Same series, See above
Wood, Wire, Wings: Emma Lilian Todd Invents an Airplane - Picture book - Meh, it was OK.
Blackfish City - Not bad but boy howdy the anti-capitalist message is not even remotely subtle.
Oscar Wilde and a Death of No Importance - Oscar Wilde solves crime in front of Arthur Conan Doyle. Kept weirdly skirting around the topic of Oscar's sexuality, which felt kinda odd.
Of Thee I Sing: A Letter to My Daughters - Picture book - This was OK. That might be because of the ebook formatting. Sometimes in picture books it seems a bit weird.
The 13½ Lives of Captain Bluebear - Yay! I flipping love illustrated books (obviously) and I love it so much when they are adult books! Illustrations throughout plus my lack of being able to read print for very long without falling asleep led to my blended read. I borrowed the audio from the library and kept my copy of the book to follow along/see the pictures.
Also, tabs! Woohoo! There are just some books that as I read them, or afterward, there are things I would like to easily find again. I'm not gonna lie, this is often me daydreaming of a themed party and wanting to reference food and decor. (What? It could happen!) Not that I think I will ever host or attend a Zamonia-themed party, but if so, I'm ready!
This book was pretty fun for me! There was even a gourmet island, which reminded me of my beloved The Twenty-One Balloons. The book is huge but the only part that really dragged was a chunk that just listed different creatures that lived somewhere. I will say, this is one of those kinds of books with very visual elements in it (illustrations, changes in font/size, frequent encyclopedic entries) that it would be Not Easy to do as an audiobook. Super kudos to Bronson Pinchot for going all in with his narration.
At 704 pages, I'm counting this as my Longest on my TBR. I have two longer. One is on architecture and is mostly photos and blurbs, and the other is a collection of Arthur Conan Doyle's letters, which is only two pages longer. I'm comfortable counting this as my prompt book.
Blue: In Search of Nature's Rarest Color - I have the audio and this really must be better in print. It was fine. Blue in flowers, animals, dyes, language. Lots of blue.
Currently Reading:
The Areas of My Expertise: An Almanac of Complete World Knowledge Compiled with Instructive Annotation and Arranged in Useful Order - Books I've been listening to lately have either been kinda involved or a bit darkish, and I keep opening new ones when it's time for bed or maybe some work. John clearly had some fun coming up with a way to make a book of charts and diagrams into audio.
Radiance - Decopunk! It has old Hollywood movie making! And spaceships! And weird names that are hard to remember! Luckily I have a paperback of this to use with the audio.
Eighty Days: Nellie Bly and Elizabeth Bisland's History-Making Race Around the World - Another blended read, this time non-fiction about some awesome women having adventures inspired by my favorite book.
QOTW:
Meh, I'm not too bothered usually. I figure you really can't go wrong reading things in publication order, since that's how most people read them as they came out. I shouldn't be confused by anything that way. Decimal ordered books are usually just prequels, and if I have to pick between chronological order and publication order, I'll choose the second. I want to experience whatever it is (books, movies) they way they were released to the world. It would be TOTALLY weird to me to watch Star Wars in chronological order since I lived through release order! The prequels came to us assuming we have the knowledge of the previous series, it's how they expected them to be viewed. So, I just tend to go with publication/release order and I'm good.
It's only ever weird if I don't know it's a prequel. (I'm looking at you, Fugitive Telemetry)
Hi all! Been hot and humid and stormy around here this week. I don't know if it's the weather, but all I want to do is play video games. Even so, I can't settle on a game, not sure what I really want. So then I go back to reading... and repeat! :)I finished Reasons to Live this afternoon, which coincidentally is by an author who shares my zodiac, Sagittarius. I wasn't sure where I was going to put it. It's on the 1001 books to read before you die, and I could have gone my whole life without missing this book. But I don't like short stories, and most of these were even more abbreviated than most.
On the other hand, I'm currently reading The Housekeeper and the Professor, and I'm already so in love with it! It's such a sweet book!
I also read the prologue of The Perfect Horse: the Daring U.S. Mission to Rescue the Priceless Stallions Kidnapped by the Nazis, I wanted to read more, but another case of indecision and by the time I picked it up, I was too tired to read much. I'm looking forward to it.
QOTW: I don't usually read series, so I haven't run into it in my reading life as of yet. But in theory, they make me angry! If you, the author, had such important info to the story or characters, then it should have been put in the story at the appropriate point, not backfilled! lol
Jennifer W wrote: "I'm currently reading The Housekeeper and the Professor, and I'm already so in love with it! It's such a sweet book!" I get a little hit of joy every time The Housekeeper and the Professor gets some love in the threads.
Mod
yeah that was a little weird. Just a little bit, though. The weirdest thing was how well it worked whether the reader knew it was a prequel or thought it was a sequel.
I just read Fugitive Telemetry last week, I don't think i realized it was a prequel. Although I guess I did find find myself struggling to connect to to network effect so I guess that's why? I guess i need to go and re-read the series again later and see haha.
I had just re-read the series, which I never do, so I was waiting to see what Murderbot would do with... how things ended in Network Effect. I kept waiting for a character to appear and the longer they didn't I was all... wait why are we ignoring that potential next chapter for Murderbot? If I hadn't just reread them I doubt I'd have noticed.
2-week checkin - can't remember why I didn't post last week.Lots of home improvements going on this week. The tree out front got cut down (which was honestly rather emotionally devastating - oh hey maybe that's why I wasn't around last Thurs), we've had a roofer round the last few days to do some cleaning and maintenance up there, tomorrow the same guy is dismantling the ancient, dilapidated garden shed and assembling the new one.
Meanwhile, after my Big Lockdown Blowout with the bookshop crawl the other week, we are, er, going straight back in. Cases shooting up and reopening clownery from England. Swanning about town is just not worth the risk. Unfortunately means I'm missing out on In the Heights at the cinema but oh well, small potatoes.
So, fun times.
Books:
The Jasmine Throne - mixed feelings. Will have to reread at some point before I decide if I want to continue with the series.
The religions/magic systems were absolutely fascinating though, easily my fave bit.
The Death of Vivek Oji - Again mixed, though I love Emezi's writing. Was slightly disturbed by the romance subplot (view spoiler)
Summerwater - again well-written but not much of a point. And then at the end, just when I think it's committed to being a slice-of-life piece, it throws in a massive tragedy for shock factor. Bit odd really.
The social-commentary side was also a bit overhyped - a few lines from the POV of a middle-aged white English bloke grumping about the Polish/Romanians/Bulgarians (all referring to the same characters, he can't tell the difference) and suddenly it's being lauded as some sort of meditation on Brexit or something.
The Secret Life of the Owl - Lovely little book. I knew a fair few of the facts already 'cause I've developed an owlbsession in lockdown, but still learned a bit, and the whole book was just very well done. Would be a nice stocking stuffer. Planning to seek out more of Lewis-Stempel's work.
Speak Easy - Just a lil hit of Catherynne Valente. This was pretty typical Valente, by which I mean of course it was quite genius. I've read better from her though.
Slumdog Millionaire - The movie's far better. I'm just glad I finally read it, I bought the tie-in edition way back when and it's been floating around my house and/or garage for about a decade.
(4 S titles in a row, that wasn't even intentional!)
Currently reading Never Have I Ever. Adoring it. ❤ I have a bit of a backlog of short-story collections, might go on a slight spree.
QOTW: I usually skip in-between installments, unless they're put together and published as a collection later. Can't be bothered hunting them down.
If it's full-length books with a different chronological vs publication order, I just read in publication all the way.
Nadine wrote: "The Bone Shard Daughter by Andrea Stewart- this was an engaging story, but it ended with every loose end still very very loose. That made me angry."I believe it's supposed to be a trilogy, and the second book is due in November. It can't get here soon enough!
poshpenny wrote: "Jennifer W wrote: "I'm currently reading The Housekeeper and the Professor, and I'm already so in love with it! It's such a sweet book!" I get a little hit of joy every time The Housekeeper and t..."
:D
Poshpenny, yeah I did keep waiting for that and wondered why it wasn’t happening, but just thought that was maybe being saved for later. Didn’t occur to me that it wouldn’t be in chronological order, since it was listed as book 6, not book 4.5 or wherever it took place
Melissa wrote: "Brandon wrote: "DNF:The Stainless Steel Rat by Harry Harrison
Rosemary and Rue by Seanan McGuire"
Those are the first books in two of my all-time favorite book series..."
For the Harrison book, it's pretty dated in its technology and gender attitudes. The narration style and problem solving in it were pretty good, so I made it to 50% before deciding to abandon it. It's this month's book club pick, so I will hear if there are any wonderful parts in the second half.
Rosemary and Rue was the August pick for that same book club. However, my aversion to Fae and urban fantasy stories was not overcome by what I read, and I am giving it a pass. I've liked her work in the Alien and Star Wars universes as Mira Grant, so I may try another book from her under that name.
Whew! Another awesome reading week! My local library is amazed at what I'm getting through - probably because I haven't checked out anything since I was home back in December for Christmas holidays. Read
The Last Exiles - about two people who fall in love, and through a million awful circumstances, end up trying to leave North Korea. Excellent historical fiction based on a real story.
The Next Wife - an ok domestic thriller. The dialogue, though, was like reading notes passed between middle school kids.
The Companion - I put this in for prompt #30 - a place I wanted to visit in 2021. I was thinking to put something crazy exotic in here, but let's face it - I was happy to just go home to the Chicago suburbs. So, there it is. This book is listed as YA, and dang, it's creepy AS. If you like slow-burn creeper books, ones that give you that little chill in each chapter, it's a good one.
The Sun Down Motel - used for prompt #21 - genre hybrid. I enjoyed the combination of true crime and supernatural elements. Another creepy one. The setting is fantastically rendered.
Dear Child - I apparently was going for a thriller/creeper run here. Dear Child is an English-translated book from the original German, but it keeps German-language quirks that are authentic-feeling. It's a combination of Room and Then She Was Gone ... and full-on shivers.
Accidental Archaeologists: True Stories of Unexpected Discoveries - an MG book about crazy strange ways major archaeological finds were discovered. I've enjoyed reading about the discoveries and the history of the objects. The author definitely carries a current historical perspective.
Next Up
- In the Garden of Spite: A Novel of the Black Widow of La Porte - historical fiction about Belle Gunness, a female serial murderer in Indiana.
- The Four Winds - I've enjoyed the last 2-3 books by Kristin Hannah, so I'm looking forward to this one! Finally got a copy!
- Interior Chinatown - written like a movie script- so far, very interesting
- The Dictionary of Lost Words - really looking forward to this one!
I'm hoping to finish another few books this week. I have Frankenstein: The 1818 Text on my TBR for prompt #25 - a book published anonymously. Just got my own copy - a gorgeous faux-leather soft copy book.
Happy reading this week!
Happy check in! I managed to read a bunch of short books this week. I got my most dreaded prompt finished! 😀 14 users labeled the book as magical realism on goodreads so that's enough for me.Finished Reading:
Strange Planet: The Sneaking, Hiding, Vibrating Creature ⭐⭐⭐⭐
So didn't realize this was a picture book until I started reading the ebook. I liked this so much more than the collections aimed at adults. This was cute and actually funny.
Weird Things Customers Say in Bookstores ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (2021 dream job)
This finally came in from the library and I read it immediately. It did not disappoint. I giggled out loud throughout reading it. I thought it was a graphic novel/comic but it just had some artwork every now and then. I wanted to use this book for a prompt and this was the best option available.
The Lightning Thief ⭐⭐⭐⭐
I now understand why Riordan books are so popular. I'm really looking forward to continuing this series. I love how the Greek mythology has been used. Also I can go and watch the movie now.
The Deal of a Lifetime and Other Stories ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The two main short stories/novellas were beautiful the final really short story was a dud.
Cairo: A Graphic Novel ⭐⭐⭐ (2021 magical realism)
I wanted to like this more but it was so light on the mythology which is what made me pick this up in the first place. Plus it's such a gorgeous cover. The author was very careful in how people of different perspectives interacted with each other.
Cook Korean!: A Comic Book with Recipes ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (2021 different format)
It never occurred to me that you could have a graphic novel cookbook. I really enjoyed this although what I find easy when cooking and what the author finds easy are a bit different. I like to avoid dishes and I think rinsing everything multiple times is bad water usage. I did learn lots and the artwork is great. The instructions seem straight forward but I don't have time to try things out before this has to be returned to the library. Definitely made me hungry while reading this though. I think I need t borrow this again.
New Moon: The Graphic Novel, Vol. 1 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
I finally got around to reading this. It made me want to reread Twilight. Also it made New Moon better. :)
The Giving Tree ⭐⭐
What a depressing little children's book. Now I know why my mom hated this and never read it to me. I'm unsure why this is so popular, although I do love the tree.
PS 2021 39/50
PS 2017 35/52
goodreads 148/200
Currently Reading:
On the Way to the Wedding
And Then There Were None
Ironskin
QOTW:
If I'm obsessed with the series then I will need to track down every little thing pertaining to it. :) Which makes it very frustrating when they can't be found or are unreasonably priced.
I'm currently reading the Bridgerton series for the first time and all the books have a second epilogue that was created many years after the series was finished. The epilogues have technically spoiled books to come but it hasn't bothered me because these aren't the books you read if you want to not see things coming. Some of them have been good and others have been boring.
If I don't care about the series as much then I'm good to leave the extras alone.
I delayed posting as I only had 60 or so pages to read on a book giving me another solid finish. Now it is done!I have read 33/50 PS!
Finished:
The City We Became - N.K. Jemisen's latest and a 5 star read. I slotted in as my Afrofuturist book. So good, I was checking out the window regularly to make sure world had not changed. It is a light rollercoaster of a read with some serious underpinnings. It is also a total love story to New York City.
It's a Wonderful Regency Christmas: Six Merry & Bright Holiday Novellas and An Enchanting Regency Christmas: Four Holiday Novellas - a Christmas in July fix. Good too.
The Mysterious Benedict Society - enjoyed so much.
Frederica - my favorite Georgette Heyer and a comfort re-read. Just as wonderful as always.
Currently reading:
Murder on Black Swan Lane
The Lacuna for womens prize prompt
QOTW: Never noticed so never bothered me.
Brandon wrote: "Rosemary and Rue was the August pick for that same book club. However, my aversion to Fae and urban fantasy stories was not overcome by what I read, and I am giving it a pass..."I remember not being that impressed by the first book in the series but I had a few of them so carried on and ended up loving it. Though since you don't like Fae, it gets a lot more into Fae mythology, so probably not your thing anyway. I highly recommend Middlegame which isn't a Mira Grant one but very different to October Daye.
This discussion has just reminded me that I had the Hugo voting packet to download! I paid for a supporting membership this year because Seanan McGuire said it would have ALL the October Daye stories in it, and it does! So happy to have all those shorts I failed to find in the past. And now no excuse for not getting caught up.There's also a bunch of Lady Astronaut shorts included that I didn't know about. Whee!
Lynn wrote: "Just curious, have you read All Systems Red? For me, it depends upon the writer, but I am really enjoying Martha Wells' Murderbot series. Just in case there is another reading challenge prompt like this in the future..."I haven't read that yet. I know it is possible that I am just not choosing properly, but the whole concept is just not for me I think. I am sure we will revisit the topic in the future though, so I will remember this recommendation for sure.
I've been terrible about checking in! Just busy with life, vacation, good things in general. And right now I'm taking every spare moment to read The Ten Thousand Doors of January because I NEED to know what happens next!!! Maybe I'll do a proper post next week! ❤
Mod
I live for Fridays! LOL 👍😁
"Finished:
Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid (A book about art or an artist). I really like TJR's books I read Daisy Jones & The Six and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo last year. But this one wasn't as good as the others. There wasn't any sort of twist or reveal at the end, still written well and a good story so I gave it 4 stars."
I am so happy this was selected as our December Monthly Group Read! A valid excuse to get a copy! 😄
"On Deck:
Arsenic and Adobo - excited to start this one."
Yep! This looks like fun!
"QOTW:
I am not really big on series unless I start them from the beginning. Series with more than 3 books out now seem daunting and I like the variety of reading. I got sucked into Robert Galbraith's Cormoran Strike series when it first came out and I am dying for more of them."
I need to read these as well!
Mod
It's good to "see" you!! even fast check-ins are better than no check-ins!
Erica said: “The Lightning Thief ⭐⭐⭐⭐ I now understand why Riordan books are so popular. I'm really looking forward to continuing this series. I love how the Greek mythology has been used. Also I can go and watch the movie now.
One of my favorite book conversations was with a friend’s son about this book. His 9th grade English class had just read the book, then watched the movie and wrote a paper comparing them. We had great fun dissing the movie. Fair warning about that, they butchered the book, and not just a little. They took out one of my favorite laugh-out-loud scenes, too — or rather, relocated and completely rewrote it. The book is DEFINITELY better!
Heather L wrote: "Erica said: “The Lightning Thief ⭐⭐⭐⭐ I now understand why Riordan books are so popular. I'm really looking forward to continuing this series. I love how the Greek mythology has been used. Also I ..."
Agreed - the cast is excellent, but the writing is horrendous. I have high hopes for the upcoming Disney+ series, since Rick and his wife are personally involved!
Mod
That IS exciting! Travel safely! And I had no idea there was a Wizard of Oz theme park!
"I also finished TWO WHOLE BOOKS this last week, which hasn't happened in a LONG time!"
Whoo! Whoo!
"Finished:
Piranesi by Susanna Clarke - I discovered this is shortlisted for the 2021 Women's Prize for Fiction. Even if it doesn't win, I'm keeping it in that slot because I hated that prompt lol."
Ha! Ha! I like that plan!
"Also, I FLIPPING LOVED THIS. I immediately wanted to reread it when I was done. Absolutely beautiful and my goodness, Clark has an incredible imagination! It's now on my "faves" list."
Even more reason to use it for the challenge!
"Crazy Stupid Bromance by Lyssa Kay Adams - A book set in a restaurant. The female protagonist owns a cat cafe
That's what I need to do! Run a cat cafe!! 😺
"QOTW:
LOL. Series. I love when a QOTW is about series because I'm the opposite of a finisher. Even when I absolutely LOVE a series, it'll take me YEARS to finish it, if I ever do. That's one of the reasons I like this challenge - I can fit series books into prompts so that I have to read them."
I agree. I like to have installments yet to read so I can work them in periodically. But then I sometimes get the urge to at least get caught up with a specific one! (Though I don't always follow through on that urge! LOL)
"All that to say: I don't care one way or the other about in-between additions because it's unlikely I'll ever read them! Granted, I also can't think of a book series I've read that did that...but unless the story requires it, I also don't always try to read them in order. Nor am I bothered by prequels released later (looking at you Who Could That Be at This Hour?)"
You are a very easy-going series reader! 👍😄
Ashley Marie wrote: "Heather L wrote: "Erica said: “The Lightning Thief ⭐⭐⭐⭐ I now understand why Riordan books are so popular. I'm really looking forward to continuing this series. I love how the Greek mythology has ..."
Ooh, I hadn't heard that Disney+ was doing a series! I think the books get better as they go, too. I listened to them all on audiobook, I recommend them that way if you're a fan of audiobooks. I don't recall the narrator's name, but he was great!
I am glad to hear the Lightning Thief books get better. I found the first one a little juvenile, so I never moved on with the series. But I love Greek mythology, so maybe I will give them a try on audio.
Mod
That IS exciting! Travel safely! And I had no idea there was a Wizard of Oz theme park!..."
I didn't know that either! I just wasted a lot of time reading websites about it.
It seems like an odd location, since the movie starts in Kansas, and Baum wrote the books up here in NY. So I googled. Apparently it was opened in 1970 as a way to attract tourists to a ski slope in the area, it closed in 1980 after a fire in 1975, and has been intermittently re-opened from 1991 to now. You can arrange a private tour in the summer (sold out for this year) and there is some sort of event in September.
I'm wondering how the tour works. Do you enter the park in an area set up to look like a Kansas farm, and then go through a tornado cellar and come out on the yellow brick road and end up at the Emerald City?
" An immersive experiece including a journey's end in the magical Emerald City. The event also includes unique shopping experience, delicious food & beverage options, and eight live performances throughout the park!" It must be pretty good, tickets are $55!!
What exactly is it, other than a walk on yellow bricks and a gift shop? I can't tell. Maybe there's an arts & crafts fair during the fall festival?
Mod
I don't know - I think if you didn't like the first book, you won't like the rest. I did enjoy that series. (I still haven't read the last one.)
I did listen to the audiobooks, and I recommend them! They were good to listen to on car rides when my kids were young.
But the first movie was pretty much not good, and the movie based on the second book was worse than the first.
The cast was great too! Sean Bean & Pierce Brosnan, Joey Pants, & Uma Thurman in the first movie, then Anthony Stewart Head, Nathan Fillion, and Stanley Tucci in the second. How could ANY movie starring ASH, Fillion, and Stanly Tucci be bad???? I don't know how they pulled it off, but they did. It was bad.
I also waited to post so I could finish a book last night.Finished:
I used it for ugliest cover on my TBR. That hovering wolf head. I think this style was common in the '80s and '90s. I reminds me of this one
, which I also considered using for this prompt. I had a very hard time with this prompt, I find few covers ugly.The Bad Muslim Discount
The Thursday Murder Club
Currently reading:
Stonewall
Cleopatra: A Life
War and Peace
The Odyssey audiobook
QOTW:
I never really noticed them until I joined Goodreads and people talked about them. The only prequel I have ever read was The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, mostly because of the hype before it came out. I have never read any of the in-between books of any series. Just the idea of Discworld intimidates me, I have never been brave enough to try to figure out how to read those.
Nadine wrote: "Milena wrote: "I am glad to hear the Lightning Thief books get better. I found the first one a little juvenile, so I never moved on with the series. But I love Greek mythology, so maybe I will give..."I felt like the first one seemed a little too much like Harry Potter but with Greek myths, and the others moved more into the mythology and its own storyline. But its been a few years since I listened, so I might be forgetting some of the juvenileness of them.
I don't think I ever got around to watching the first movie, and I know I didn't see the 2nd, I think I'll keep it that way and stick with the books and check out the Disney series when it comes out!
I never checked out Riordan's other mythology series because I couldn't figure out which books came first and which books went with what series. A little effort here on goodreads would clear it up for me, but.... maybe later.... (effort, meh!)
Mod
Same! I've never read any of his other books because there are just too many of them and I don't know which other series to try and it's all too much to think about. So I just don't. Also, the series held more appeal for me when my kids were "middle grade" ages. Now they they are too old for those books, I'm not as interested. I like picture books, and I like YA, and I'll read both on my own, just for me, but I'm not a big fan of middle-grade books, in general. (There are always exceptions, like Listen, Slowly and the entire Zita the Spacegirl sereis, which were awesome.)
The Percy Jackson and the Lightening Thief musical was actually pretty fun. I liked the songs, and they embraced their low-budget ness haha. (For example Chiron the centaur was just a dude who walked in a “horsey” way while flicking a hand held horse tail behind him with exaggerated formality. Sounds kinda dumb but it was hysterical to watch haha )
Mod
I trust you were safe and hopefully had some fun as well!
"Read: Language And Learning
The Social Construction of Reality: A Treatise in the Sociology of Knowledge Read for prompt that has been longest on my TBR list.
Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs, and Wear Cows recommended by a friend who is vegan. Didn't persuade as much as Peter Singer did.
How to Order the Universe for prompt of somewhere you want to travel (Chile). Short enough that it never fully developed.
High Fidelity for 90's bestseller. The main character wasn't very likeable but was self-aware enough that he kind of became endearing. Didn't like his taste in music though.
Xander and the Lost Island of Monsters pretty good.
The Art of Communicating I found myself underlining a lot in this book. But I still liked the Lost Art of Good Communication better."
That is quite a list!!
"Started: I started a whole bunch of books and have been entirely undisciplined about finishing them before starting more!"
Ahhhh...welcome to my world!! It gratifies me just a bit to see someone else in this same situation!
"Eating Animals
Hello World: Being Human in the Age of Algorithms
The Beekeeper of Aleppo This one's a book club book.
Virgil Wander recommended by Boulder Bookstore employee on the theme of community.
Restaurant Psychology for Everyone for book that takes place in a restaurant
Naked Statistics: Stripping the Dread from the Data wanted to use this for easy entry into the subject, but still finding it challenging to focus on it."
Okay, now you forced me to expand my TBR listing yet once again!
"Qotw: I don't feel like this happens enough with series for me to be annoyed about it. I've read some of the Orson Scott Card spin-offs and I enjoyed the creativity he used to explore other characters' perspectives."
Good to know! I fully intend to launch into his other series once I complete Ender's Saga.
Mod
I have never been to Montana. But if I had the time and money to travel that is one state I would like to visit.
"I had a very slow reading week and only finished one book:
The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America"
But...you FINISHED one! YAY YOU!!
"I thought this book was very interesting. I got it off the groups DNF list, so it is a DNF on my TBR. I have decided- after trying again on several of the DNFs I have here at home- that this is my least favorite prompt. If a book falls into the DNF category it is because I did not want to finish it. Thank you all for sharing the books you didn't finish so I could read one I really enjoyed."
That's one I keep meaning to read. And you can thank Nadine for setting that up! What an inventive idea!
"QOTW:
I don't mind the "in between" installments of series. Sometimes I read them and sometimes I don't."
Aha! Yet another person not put out by these at all! Good!
Nadine wrote: "Lynn wrote: "Shannon wrote: "Not much new in Texas, but my best friend and I are planning a road trip to North Carolina (after years of talking about it, we're finally going to the Wizard of Oz the..."I went to the OZ museum in Chittenengo a few years ago, it was cool! I had heard of the theme park, but that it was closed, I didn't know it was open for tours. OZ is my dad's favorite movie (I prefer the sequel Return to OZ, if you've never seen it, it's darker and truer to the books. And on Disney +).
Mod
That sounds wonderful! Good for you! Enjoy!
"Finished:
* Arsenic and Adobo by Mia P. Manansala, which I used for "a book set in a restaurant.""
I assume you enjoyed it?
"Currently Reading:
* The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles, which is one my book club's picks for July"
This is on my TBR as well!
"QotW:
What about ‘between the number’ serial installments? I look at these as happy discoveries of bonus reads. At least for the series that I follow that have these, I've found that they are easily read as standalones. Though I prefer to read a series in order, I don't feel like the in-betweens count and just read them when I come across them."
I would agree that most work as standalones. You sound very sensible in your approach to them!
Mod
YAY!!
"Finished:
Queenie Malone's Paradise Hotel for A book whose title starts with “Q,” “X,” or “Z”. This was cute, although there were a couple of plot developments/twists that made me go "Say what now?" :)"
This one didn't work real well for me on several different levels. Though I do appreciate Hogan's characterization skills and plan to read at least one more book written by her to give her another chance to win me over!
"Haven't actually started anything new. I gave myself permission to put Wolf Hall on hiatus at the halfway mark to read something easier, so now I've gone back to it in order to finish it."
I do that every once in awhile as well!
"QOTW:
I can take or leave those kind of inserted installments - sometimes I'll read them, if it's a series a I really love and therefore I just want to read anything related to it. But sometimes I just ignore them, if I'm not that bothered - part of me thinks that if the content of them was really that important, then it would have been included in one of the original series installments..."
That made me chuckle. That may be absolutely correct.
Mod
So glad you got to visit with family and friends! YAY! Well, at least you didn't have to wait long for the free book to arrive! Cool! 👍😊
Finished This Week:
Secondhand Spirits by Juliet Blackwell. I picked this one for the narrator (Xe Sands) and enjoyed it. The main character runs a vintage clothing shop, and the author describes with exacting detail far too many pieces of clothing. I thought the mystery was good, and most of the character motivations believable. Book 2 is on hold at the library, but as a physical book. Using for #35, in a different format.
Daughter of Sparta by Claire M. Andrews. The ebook I was reading on the road trip. I was so excited for this, and while I enjoyed the story, I hadn't realized that the author was taking a lot of Greek myths, mashing them together, and inserting Daphne into them. I was fine with it when I thought Daphne was just the "forgotten" part of the other myths, but when it became obvious the author wasn't going to let those original myths happen as written, I got mad. Gave it four stars because I did enjoy it, but I wish the author had made different decisions. Not for prompt, but could be #1, Published in 2021.
So Lucky by Nicola Griffith. I read this for Read Harder, an Own Voices book about Disability. The story is about the main character discovering she has MS, and what she goes through in that first year following the diagnosis. It also would have worked for Pride month. It's a tough read, and the author pulls no punches about what the disease is like. It's very short, only 180 pages, told without chapters. Not for PS prompt.
PS: 32/50 RH: 12/24 RW: 15/28 ATY: 43/52 GR: 89/150
Currently Reading:
Wonderful Feels Like This by Sara Lövestam. This is a Swedish YA book translated into English, about a teenager who's bullied at school finding comfort in jazz music, and befriending an old guy at a retirement home who was connected to the jazz scene in Stockholm during World War II. Only about half way, but really liking it. For Read Harder, realistic YA book not in US/UK/Canada.
Chasing the Moon: The People, the Politics, and the Promise That Launched America Into the Space Age by Robert Stone. Another space book, this one written in conjunction with a PBS documentary for the 50th anniversary of the moon landing. The first chapter was about Arthur C Clarke. It's definitely different than the other space books. Not for prompt.
QOTW: What about ‘between the number’ serial installments?
I'm fine with in between short stories as long as they're only to add flavor and character development, or focus on side characters. I love Gunmetal Magic in the Kate Daniels series, even though it's technically not part of the core series. There's even a short story that runs in conjunction with it, Magic Gifts, which is one of my favorites in the whole Kate Daniels world. Neither are required to understand book six, but they enhance it.
For the Study series by Maria Snyder, I hate the in-between stuff. I loved the three original Study books, and when I saw a fourth Study book come out a few years later, I bought it immediately. And got very confused, very quickly. It not only required you to have read some short stories, it also required another series entirely. The book doesn't mention this anywhere. I had to go looking on the author's webpage to understand what was going on. Goodreads now shows Shadow Study as book 4 of the Study series and book 7 of the Ixia series. (My review saying all this is the top review on Amazon.) I haven't read anything by Maria Snyder since. I pretend the series ended with Fire Study.
ETA: I used to have extensive debates in middle school about the "correct" order of the Redwall books. Ever since, I read things in the order they were written by the author, unless there's a compelling reason to read them in a different order (which is what I think the Discworld books have). I wouldn't read a book 1.2 before book 2 if it was written 23 years after book 2, despite what the author says the order should be."
Brandon wrote: "For the Harrison book, it's pretty dated in its technology and gender attitudes. The narration style and problem solving in it were pretty good, so I made it to 50% before deciding to abandon it. It's this month's book club pick, so I will hear if there are any wonderful parts in the second half.Rosemary and Rue was the August pick for that same book club. However, my aversion to Fae and urban fantasy stories was not overcome by what I read, and I am giving it a pass. I've liked her work in the Alien and Star Wars universes as Mira Grant, so I may try another book from her under that name."
Valid points. If you ever decide to give the Stainless Steel Rat another try, know that the author continued writing in the series until his death in 2012, and the books get better. The technology and attitudes update as time passes, and the stories get more ridiculous. The Stainless Steel Rat Goes To Hell is one of my favorites in the series, and it came out in 1996.
And yes, check out the Mira Grant books. The Newsflesh books (starting with Feed) might be a bit much for right now because her way to make zombies involved a novel coronavirus, but if you can get past the reading about a pandemic during a pandemic, they're very, very good.
Mod
That's one I keep meaning to read. And you can thank Nadine for setting that up! What an inventive idea!..."
Oh no, I can't take credit for that one, that was CHRISTINE who set that up! And, yes, it was a brilliant idea.
Mod
That sounds like so much fun!
"Books I finished:
Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - This was funny, but short, a little too repetitive and not much substance."
I would love to read this and see if I have any other unique ones to add...
"Books I made progress on:
The Tenant of Wildfell Hall"
This is one classic I've recently added to my TBR listing.
"The Bad Muslim Discount"
Can't help it. This looks cute!
"QOTW
I'm fine with half step stories, provided they're easy to find. I hate when you know there's an extra story out there, but it was only published in a magazine, or limited edition press and therefore not really available outside of the US, unless I want to spend waaaay too much money."
I agree with you. I am especially grateful when they are available free in electronic format from the author's or publisher's website. Although I do not typically read ebooks I find it okay for short stories.
Mod
I wish. I'm convinced I was meant to live somewhere I could and had to always use public transportation. Mechanical vehicles and I seem to be extremely incompatible in this lifetime! 🙁 My son just looked at me and shook his head... LOL That's okay. I feel as if I still owe him one or two more headshakes!! Just to kinda make up for those teen years! 😄
Mod
Oh! I have Disney+! (It came bundled with our Verizon cell phone plan. I am a curmudgeon and would never have signed up. Too many streaming services nowadays!! but ... I confess I've loyally watched Wandavision and Falcon & Winter Soldier and now every Odin's Day evening we settle in to watch the latest LOKI episode and IT IS SO GOOD!)
Speaking of movies, we are going to the THEATER tonight to see Black Widow!! I feel like it's too soon to go out in public and sit amongst other people for an entertainment activity, but all four of us (me, two teens, and their dad) have been fully vaccinated since early June when the youngest finally passed the threshold of waiting after her second shot. And I guess the point of the vaccinations is that we can now go out in public safely. And I knew if Lily went to see the movie with her dad, I'd be jelly, so I have to go too.
Nadine wrote: "Lynn wrote: "Shannon wrote: "Not much new in Texas, but my best friend and I are planning a road trip to North Carolina (after years of talking about it, we're finally going to the Wizard of Oz the..."I can't speak to the tours, but we're going to the first festival weekend in September. Apparently there are actors in costume and shows you can watch, and you do walk down a yellow brick road (you can only go once, though). Honestly, I don't fully know what to expect, but my bestie and I both LOVE the Oz books (and movies -- yeah, Return to Oz is nightmare fuel, but so good!), so we've wanted to go since we learned about it!
I agree that it's a really random location for a Wizard of Oz park...
It's one of those things where even if it's a terrible park, we'll still have fun and then we'll know not to go back. I'll make sure to report back here after the trip to let y'all know if it was worth it. :D
Mod
YES it will be memorable :-) And you'll be with your bestie, so it's fun no matter what. I look forward to hearing about it.
And maybe someday you'll read a book where the characters visit this park! That happened to me when I was reading American Gods, they ended up in a quirky roadside attraction that I had been to! (and of course I can't remember what. Maybe Rock City Gardens in Chattanooga?)
Shannon wrote: "Nadine wrote: "Lynn wrote: "Shannon wrote: "Not much new in Texas, but my best friend and I are planning a road trip to North Carolina (after years of talking about it, we're finally going to the W..."Yes, it'll either be fun, or totally stupid, which with a best friend is almost more fun than if it were just fun (follow that??). I can't wait to hear if it's worth it!
And now I think I need to go watch a certain movie...
Nadine wrote: "Speaking of movies, we are going to the THEATER tonight to see Black Widow!!Oh man! Have fun! And eat some popcorn! I've been jonesing for some movie theater popcorn!!
Thanks everyone who chimed in on The Lightning Thief. It's good to know about the movie and future series. The casting has always made the movie look interesting. Maybe I'll read the series first.
Hello everyone! I haven't actually posted a check in since the beginning of the year. I've just been lurking more than posting, but wanted to say hi. Hope everyone is doing well. I've still been reading, although a lot slower than usual this year.Finished
Firekeeper's Daughter - 43. The book on your TBR list with the prettiest cover
Beowulf - 25. A book that was published anonymously
From the Ashes: My Story of Being Métis, Homeless, and Finding My Way - 16. A book by an indigenous author
Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You - 20. A book on a Black Lives Matter reading list
Heartstopper, Volume Four - 3. A book that has a heart, diamond, club, or spade on the cover
All My Friends Are Dead
The Proudest Blue: A Story of Hijab and Family
PROGRESS
PS - 25/50 | ATY - 28/52
Currently Reading
Notes on a Nervous Planet
Shadow and Bone
Any Way the Wind Blows
QOTW
I don't bump into these often enough to have feelings about them either way. I have read a couple 0.5 prequels, though. I don't mind those.
The weather has been absolutely horrible again this week, but it’s been a great excuse to stay inside and read, so I can’t complain too much.I’ve managed to make a considerable amount of progress on my Goodreads goal this week, and I’m still on-track to finish POPSUGAR and Beat the Backlist by the end of the year.
POPSUGAR: 28/50
Beat the Backlist: 39/52
Goodreads: 186/200
Finished Reading:
~The Case of the Bizarre Bouquets
~The Case of the Peculiar Pink Fan
~The Case of the Cryptic Crinoline
~The Case of the Gypsy Good-Bye
~The Haunted Mansion
~One of Us Is Lying
~One of Us Is Next
~Sir Gawain and the Green Knight/Pearl/Sir Orfeo — “a book that was published anonymously”
If you’d like to read my thoughts about this book, you can find them at https://theunapologeticbookworm.com/2....
Currently Reading:
~Baptism of Fire
~The Hobbit and Philosophy: For When You've Lost Your Dwarves, Your Wizard, and Your Way
~The Lost and Found Bookshop
~The Cousins
QOTW:
It seems like most of the “between the number” installments that I’ve come across in my reading are short stories or novellas that either don’t have a significant impact on the main storyline, or that focus on secondary characters. It doesn’t really bother me if I read those extra stories out of sequence, especially if they were published after the main books in a series.
That being said, most of the series that I’ve been reading lately are already complete, and I don’t have to worry about potentially reading things out of order.
Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge
Books mentioned in this topic
The Bad Muslim Discount (other topics)A Study in Emerald (other topics)
The Housekeeper and the Professor (other topics)
Before the Coffee Gets Cold (other topics)
The Ballad of Black Tom (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Neil Gaiman (other topics)Toshikazu Kawaguchi (other topics)
Arthur Conan Doyle (other topics)
Victor LaValle (other topics)
Richard Nelson Bolles (other topics)
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It's raining. Again. Third time today. The garden is loving it, anyway.
I finished two books this week, neither for this Challenge:
I Must Be Living Twice: New and Selected Poems by Eileen Myles - meh, these poems didn't do anything for me.
The Bone Shard Daughter by Andrea Stewart- this was an engaging story, but it ended with every loose end still very very loose. That made me angry.
QotW
I don't really have strong feelings. If it's difficult to find the stories, or they are really expensive, I get annoyed and don't read them. If I can read them for free, or borrow them from the library, I'll usually read them. If it's a series I'm reading as it gets published, then I scoop up the "in betweens" as they come out, and feel glad for the crumbs. For the Cinder series, I read some as they were published, but most of them I didn't read until I was finished with the series and Stars Above was released as a book. Often I ignore the stories, I see them just as a marketing ploy and not important for full understanding of the series.