Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge discussion
2021 Weekly Check-Ins
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Week 50 12/9 - 12/16
Good morning - how exciting to have the time off. Our break is the last week of the year, and I'm looking forward to it. Normally I would work that week, but this year they are forcing us all off and now it doesn't seem like such a bad idea, lol.I have chosen which challenges I want to participate in for 2022 and have my prompt lists ready, but I'm not really feeling into the "slot a book" portion of this planning so I'm not doing that for now. I think I managed to brainstorm picks for about 10 prompts before I acknowledged that I was not having fun doing that. I do know which book I will start the year with, and which prompt it will fill.
I am still 49/50 for the challenge - working my way through the book that was on my TBR the longest. It is a very slow read, which is probably why it hung around so long.
Read this week:
All This I Will Give to You by Dolores Redondo - slow and not really suspenseful, I thought it was an ok mystery but more of a family drama than the thriller it was billed as. Read for another challenge.
Hardcore Twenty-Four by Janet Evanovich - it didn't fit any challenge prompts but I treated myself to a nice light Evanovich read, because reading has felt a bit chore-ish over the last month as I power through all the challenge prompts I put off until the end. It's the typical Stephanie Plum novel, loads of fun.
Pioneer Stories by Lincoln County Historical Society - I picked this book up on our trip out to Lincoln County, NM a few years ago, it's a great peek into personal stories from the era in which the town of Lincoln was preserved.
A Stroll Thru Old Lincolntown by Walter R. Henn - for anyone who has done the walking tour of Lincoln, this will make you feel like you are back on that main street again, walking through the historic houses and buildings preserved through time. Great resource for the history of Lincoln and the structures that remain.
QOTW: The prompt that surprised me was A book by a blogger, vlogger, YouTube video creator, or other online personality, because I thought it would be hard to fill but then I realized that I do read books by my favorite online personality (James Breakwell) and always preorder his latest release (the only author I actually consistently do this for).
Happy Thursday!It's been a bit of a week over here -- I got a new car and handled all the registration/e-check/new plates/etc stuff on Monday (and swung through Starbucks for a pick-me-up on the way home because I was EXHAUSTED), and yesterday/today/tomorrow I'm handling shipping at work bc our shipping guy is off.
Finished:
4 stars to Ali Wong's Dear Girls: Intimate Tales, Untold Secrets, & Advice for Living Your Best Life. Not my favorite comedian memoir of the year but Ali's wonderful.
2 stars to Moon of the Crusted Snow. It lost me at some point and I zoned out. Whoops.
Currently:
I'm neck-deep in Jade Legacy right now and loving it! So much intrigue.
Unfortunately, due to not being in my office for much of the week, my audiobook Island Beneath the Sea is suffering. I must admit I'm not hooked on it and am keeping it on as background noise; it's for another group challenge.
Next:
Hoping to get through these by the end of the month
The Long Way Down
So Many Beginnings: A Little Women Remix
The Mountains Sing
The Bone Shard Emperor
QOTW: Which prompt from a 2021 reading challenge surprised you the most?
I might also go with a 1990s bestseller. I picked up The English Patient expecting to hate it and ended up deeply enjoying myself!
Hi everyone! I have the bestest news (that will also free up many more of my brain cells for reading). My recent yearly mammogram had shown something suspicious near my lumpectomy scar from six years ago. So I had to have a biopsy, and of course was really worried and distracted. But it came back BENIGN - I'm celebrating and feeling so thankful that I can live my life without that extra layer of worry/doctors/hospitals added!@Nadine - hurrah for epic vacation, AND child coming home. Enjoy! I also have my freshman on her way home - but her dad is doing the drive, lucky me!
I'm "working" most of the time through year's end, but I have a cushy enough job that it'll be pretty light, and they also let us go at noon on the day before a holiday. So I'll have plenty of time to relax.
More good news: I FINISHED! Latest ever finish for me, I think, and I got creative with some prompts, but my challenge, my choices, right?
-- Finished --
It'll Be OK: 101 Brilliant Cartoons and Intelligent Oxymorons - shameless manipulation to get this prompt finished! The book had some mildly amusing cartoons. No regrets!
After the Funeral - *A book with a family tree* - Loved this! I need to read at least one Christie each year for sure. I love her characters and narration, even if I never figure out the mystery!
A Study in Emerald - *A book with a gem, mineral, or rock in the title* - I tried to start The Empress of Salt and Fortune for this, but I just couldn't concentrate on the worldbuilding. I was so happy to discover that one of my favorite Sherlock Holmes & Lovecraftian short stories had been made into a graphic novel!
Plus this meant my 2021 challenge was bookended by Sherlock - Fry's reading was the first book I started, and Gaimain's story my last finished. Beautiful.
-- QOTW --
I think *The book that's been on your TBR list for the longest amount of time* - this made me realize I need to curate my list better. Maybe create a tag/shelf that's called "Someday/Maybe" for books of interest that I'm not sure I actually WANT to read.
That said, it also inspired me to pick up The Count of Monte Cristo and give it a whirl, now that the time pressure is off!
Happy Thursday! I spent most of yesterday thinking it was Thursday and checking to see if this thread was open yet. Oops! I got boostered on Tuesday so I blame my dopeyness on that.It seems really hard using up holiday entitlement during the pandemic. I had one away-from-home holiday where I saw my parents and a lot of the things I would take days off for were just easier to fit in working from home. I can carry some days over, but after tomorrow I'm off work until next year too.
Finished:
The Apollo Murders by Chris Hadfield. This was interesting from a 60s spaceflight point of view, he likes describing technical things, and I liked Svetlana the cosmonaut, but the murder wasn't really the point of it, so if you're after a mystery it might be a let down.
In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren. This was a fun groundhog day inspired Christmas romance. I haven't read any of their books before but would read more.
QOTW:
Maybe the longest book on my TBR, I initially hated this prompt but in the end I cleared off some books off my TBR that I realistically was never going to read and then I gave House of Earth and Blood a chance and ended up enjoying it a lot more than I expected.
I finished My Sergei: A Love Story. It was a beautiful story of her life, but not the best written book.I read Help the Poor Struggler. Just a mystery. I was enjoying it until the end. Didn't love the resolution.
I'm about halfway through The Homecoming. Based on the reviews, I'm liking it more than I thought I would.
I'm also reading Intimacy with God: Revised and Updated: A Bible Study in the Psalms which is a bible study of Psalms.
QOTW: Shoot. I specifically remember there was one prompt maybe last year that I thought I was going to hate, wouldn't be able to find a book, was only able to find one, thought I would hate it, but ended up loving it. But, I'm old and I don't remember which one:)
Mod
It's been a bit of a week over here -- I got a new car and handled all the registration/e-check/new plates/etc stuff on Monday (and swung through Starbucks for a pick-me-up on the ..."
Hahah I thought you were going to say you spilled coffee all over your new car's seats!! Because I did that with my last car (and the car before that). I was starting to think I was cursed to have to baptize all new cars, but the one I've got now is six years old and never baptized by coffee. Curse is lifted!!
congrats on your new car :-)
Mod
Yeah that book was massively over-hyped. I was so disappointed.
Mod
And I am always entertained by your postings, Nadine! As I read through this week’s, I just kept chuckling and laughing! Thank you for that! 😊
It looks as if I’ll have more reading time (time off work) at the end of the year than I had anticipated and I’m so happy for that! Although I only finished two books this week, I made progress on others and am hopeful to finish at least two more for Popsugar this coming weekend, leaving just two more before year’s end! I don’t have as much time as you, Nadine, but more than I expected!
EDITED TO ADD:
ADMIN STUFF:
Ack! I totally overlooked including a reminder of THIS MONTH'S Monthly Group Read! And here I am all excited because my copy should arrive early this next week meaning that I'll be able to read it over the Christmas break! YES!!
December's Monthly Group Read is Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid and that discussion is here. Teri is the most gracious volunteer who will facilitate this discussion. As always, there is also a thread for you to post any books you have finished reading to fulfill prompt #1 A book published in 2021 as well.
Question of the week:
Which prompt from a 2021 reading challenge surprised you the most?
I guess prompt #8 A book that has won the Women’s Prize for Fiction from Popsugar. Most of the ones I was at all interested in I had already read. So I selected a book that I already own to read for it and I imagine it will be the last book I finish reading for the challenge this year. I’m not exactly ‘anxiously anticipating’ it but I had purchased a copy for just $1 and feel as if it is a book I should read—Bel Canto by Ann Patchett.
From the 2021 ATY Challenge: 3 books, one each relating to “past,” “present,” and “future.” Also, prompt #1 “In the beginning…” and prompt #52 “In the end…” I found these made me really think about the book I had read and I liked that, but at first I was “What?!?” 😊
The 2021 Read Harder Challenge: A book written by/about a non-Western world leader. I own a copy of Cleopatra: A Life and although I have yet to read it this year (This is most likely one that will be pushed into January 2022!) I was surprised and also gratified by the prompt for making me think about more diverse “world” leaders.
Reading Women Challenge for 2021 listed these bonus prompts:
25) A Book by Alexis Wright
26) A Book by Tsitsi Dangarembga
27) A Book by Leila Aboulela
28) A Book by Yoko Ogawa
I have read Elsewhere, Home for 27 and The Housekeeper and the Professor for 28 and really enjoyed both of them. I own books to fulfill 25 and 26. Now all I have to do is find time to read them!
Popsugar: 46/50
ATY: 52/52 DONE!
RHC: 19/24
Reading Women: 15/28
I realize I really need to stay more focused on these four year-long challenge reads next year so I can have a better chance of finishing them. We’ll see if that happens!! 😉
FINISHED
The Summer Wives: A Novel by Beatriz Williams ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ was quite enjoyable. Although I had the mystery’s solution in my mind as “the most likely scenario,” that didn’t deplete my enjoyment of the book at all. Williams’ characters resonate with me just as if they were my friends/close acquaintances, and that is one of the aspects of reading/writing I enjoy the most! These people’s lives were messed up! I could understand the “Families” versus the “year-rounders” since I participated in just such a community as a young adult. It is interesting the hierarchy the more ‘elite’ folks can impose upon a community at times… Interesting and deplorable, IMO! We are all humans! Period! My sympathies were with Bianca, Joseph, and Miranda. Terrible situations for them, as well as most of the characters!
POPSUGAR: #7-An actor!, #18-The “rich” folks (“Families”—read “white”) exploiting the “poor” folks (“year-rounders”—read ‘less-than-white’)!, #19, #21- Family, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Marriage, Mystery, Romance, #22, #27, #30-Massachusetts, #33, #34-domestic violence, exploitation of the poor, #37, #38-Miranda is an actor, #46
ATY: #3-the marshalls brought in a dog to track Joseph, #6, #8-Massachusetts, #10-poor Bianca, #20-The future should be much brighter for everyone left!, #23- Family, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Marriage, Mystery, Romance, #25, #27-The Lovers, Death, Judgment, The World, #34, #42, #45-Papa, Whiskey, #49, #51, #52-In the end, I trust it turned out well for Joseph and Miranda.
Reading Women: #18
A Yellow Raft in Blue Water by Michael Dorris ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ seemed a bit of a downer to me, and yet, in the aftermath, all I can think is “Kudos to these women for persevering to the best of their ability in unexpected and unjust situations.” So maybe it wasn’t as much of a downer as I initially thought… This is my next to the last book for the 2021 Reading Challenge Color Challenge. Fun fact: Dorris was married to Louise Erdrich 1981-1995 and they evidently helped each other with their writing during that time. And they had six children together!
POPSUGAR: #18, #19, #21- Classical Literature, Contemporary Literature, Family, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Native American, #27, #30-Colorado, Montana, #33, #34- A woman’s right to make her own decisions regarding her health and well-being and to be safe!, #37
ATY: #1- In the beginning, it was very difficult to understand why a mother would treat her own daughter this way…, #8-Colorado, Montana, #10-Clara was definitely a villain, IMO!, #19- I can only hope the present will make-up for the past and create a much better future for Rayona!, #23- Classical Literature, Contemporary Literature, Family, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Native American, #24, #27-The Lovers, Death, Temperance, Judgment, The World, #31, #34, #36, #41, #45-Papa, Whiskey, #49
RHC: #1-I had no idea what to expect, #19
CONTINUING:
Until We Reckon: Violence, Mass Incarceration, and a Road to Repair is so informative! Her organization Common Justice is doing exactly what needs to be done, IMO! Our prison system and whole ‘justice’ system are based upon the wrong philosophical theories. Put simply, they do not work. But our society refuses to change…
Waiting to Exhale by Terry McMillan
I am so anxious to finish this one this next weekend! I love McMillan’s writing!
Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid
I’ve wanted read this in forever!
Gold by Chris Cleave
Perhaps there’s a reason this one has persisted on my TBR list the longest? LOL I really want to read it…but it is one that has evaded me until now. So I guess I have that advanced Popsugar prompt #45 to thank for FINALLY getting to it!
Bel Canto by Ann Patchett
I am really hesitant about this one, but determined to conquer it once and for all! 😊
Eva Luna by Isabel Allende to fulfill the 2020 Reading Women prompt #26 A book written by Isabel Allende AND the 2021 Reading Women prompt #6 A book written by a Southern American author in translation. I am determined to finish this one in 2021! I guess it’s obvious that I am not finding it to be a compelling read.
PLANNED:
Hidden Valley Road: Inside the Mind of an American Family by Robert Kolker
Paradise by Toni Morrison to fulfill the 2020 Reading Women prompt #25 A book written by Toni Morrison. I admit the beginning of this really threw me off. But I feel as if I really need to finish it!
Many others for the Reading Women and Read Harder challenges...
Mod
CONGRATS!!! My very first mammogram came back irregular, just because it was the first, and I was honestly shocked at how stressed I became before results came from the second saying I was fine. So I can imagine your stress over this!!
Enjoy having your college student back for the month :-)
Hello, all. I'm afraid I've been lurking for a while now with respect to checking in, but I'm in the run home for my last prompt. Sadly, it's "41. Longest book", which for my sins is Les Misérables. I started it with great hopes way back at the start of the year...and I'm still only just under halfway through it. I'm going to do my best in the remaining 19 days of 2021, but it might be 500pg too far!
Progress thus far:
Basic prompts: 45/45
Advanced prompts: 9/10
Question of the Week
Which prompt from the 2021 reading challenge surprised you the most?
"Nadine wrote: For me, it was the "1990s best-seller." I was dreading that prompt, until I found an old Dick Francis book in a box of books I was planning to donate.
I really liked Dick Francis back then, as well. Maybe I should reread some of them. I'm also wondering about re-reading the P.D. James Adam Dalgliesh books, as Channel 5 here in the UK has started remaking them, and they've reawakened my interest.
The same prompt was a good one for me, too. I finally read The Green Mile and really enjoyed it.
There were a few I struggled with, especially "26. Oxymoron" - I was so pleased when I saw Black Sun on the listopia, as I was totally stuck for ideas.
Mod
He had a very complicated life and left a complicated legacy. As a result, I've always been a little leery of reading his books. (view spoiler) Erdrich has remained silent, so far as I know. It must be very difficult for her.
Christine wrote: "Hi everyone! I have the bestest news (that will also free up many more of my brain cells for reading). My recent yearly mammogram had shown something suspicious near my lumpectomy scar from six yea..."That's great news--no wonder you're feeling a sense of relief!
Happy Thursday! It's too warm today. Where's my snow??? Today's the last day before our festivities. Birthdays, gatherings, Christmas...the fun begins this weekend!Finished 50/50
Yay!!!! Still can't believe I finished so soon!
Currently Reading
Jesus and John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation (not for a challenge). This was recommended to me by a family member so I'm eager to finish it before the New Year since it doesn't fit a prompt very well. It's good so far!
QotW
I was (pleasantly) surprised to see the "book on someone's bookshelf" prompt because I clean my grandparents/dad's house every month and my dad had this Brandon Sanderson book on his shelf that I've always been curious about. Well, I'm curious no more! The Emperor's Soul was great!
Work is being especially prickly, and the anxiety about my job has had me too stressed to read. The only reading I am getting done is either audiobooks or novels while a passenger in the car. I don’t think I will get anything else completed before the end of year, because I’m bouncing between books. I am also struggling with the longest book, but only because I love the book and don’t want it to end. PS: 36/50
RH: 14/24
RW: 7/28
GR: 438/365
HP: 62/62
ATY: 30/52
Currently Reading:
Out of Character- still dislike
Brown Girl Dreaming
Everything Inside
Tender Is the Flesh- also dislike
The Lincoln Highway
The Cousins
The Getaway
James Potter and the Hall of Elders' Crossing
All the Young Dudes
Finished:
Mr. Dickens and His Carol
Absolutely Nat: A Graphic Novel
The Crystal Kingdom
Happy Thursday! I'm currently at a hotel three towns north of home for a mini writing retreat to work on my novel. It's going pretty well so far! This week I finished:
All That She Carried: The Journey of Ashley's Sack, a Black Family Keepsake Sometimes this dug a little too far into small historical details, but otherwise I thought it was great and I learned some new perspectives on how historical knowledge is passed down. 4 stars
Doctor Zhivago This was for a book club and I knew it was going to be tough. I struggle with most "classic" literature and it's difficult to explain why. It's fine on a sentence level, but all together I get lost easily and this was a long one. I tried. 3 stars
Several People Are Typing This was funny, especially since I'm very familiar with Slack workplace culture, but I was hoping for more in the end. 3 stars
I'm currently reading a bunch of things:
The Trees
Life in the City of Dirty Water: A Memoir of Healing
Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants
Pep Talks for Writers: 52 Insights and Actions to Boost Your Creative Mojo
The Writer's Field Guide to the Craft of Fiction
QOTW: I'll say I was pleasantly surprised with what came from the "shares your astrological sign" prompt since that helped me find Edwidge Danticat who is fantastic. I'm now working my way through all of her books.
Mod
hahaha the weather gods are smiling down on me!! I'm driving from Syracuse to Binghamton and back again - this can be a rough drive in the snow, my home gets dumped on with lake effect snow off Lake Ontario, the entire stretch through Cortland County is subject to white outs from blowing & drifting snow, and the hills through Nedrow, Lafayette, & Tully can be Blizzard Central. So! I'm really REALLY glad to see it's like 50F out today, and even a little bit sunny!!! It can snow tomorrow, I'm not going anywhere tomorrow.
got off my butt and started buckling down to work on The Tenant of Wildfell Hall. It's interesting, so I don't know why I had a mental block about it.I finally got a copy of the 3rd book I will be reading this December - Mind the Gap, Dash & Lily. I love Dash and Lily and associate their books with December (since they all take place in December.)
Currently reading:
The Tenant of Wildfell Hall - About 1/4 done
Mind the Gap, Dash & Lily - About 1/3 done
The Flame - My Advent calendar book. Almost 2/3 done.
A Slow Fire Burning - 60% done. Waiting to get another copy - will probably happen in 2022
QOTW:
Set in a Restaurant. Often, I just pick a book off my TBR list that meets the prompt. For this one, I had to dig. I read Midnight at the Blackbird Café and loved it. The book that is the same title as a song also surprised me by being my worst read of the year.
Nadine in NY wrote: "Hahah I thought you were going to say you spilled coffee all over your new car's seats!! Because I did that with my last car (and the car before that). I was starting to think I was cursed to have to baptize all new cars, but the one I've got now is six years old and never baptized by coffee. Curse is lifted!!"Bahahahaha thankfully not (yet)!! There are stains on the seat from the previous occupants and husband wants to get it looked over and detailed, so we'll see how that goes. I'm happy to just drop $20 on seat covers and call it a day :D
Mod
We don't use Slack. We've got Outlook, Teams, Sharepoint, Windchill, and Zoom. Any of those similar? Will I "get it"?
It's been a rough week. I'll leave it at that.It's also in the 80s here and I'm really hoping we don't have another too-warm Christmas. It always makes me sad when it's warm on Christmas.
Finished:
Nothing
Currently Reading:
Mentalligence: A New Psychology of Thinking--Learn What It Takes to be More Agile, Mindful, and Connected in Today's World - A book by a vlogger, blogger, youtuber, etc. This is interesting so far! I'm reading it for work.
The Real James Herriot: A Memoir of My Father - a 1990s bestseller. Also loving this so far!
How to Listen to and Understand Great Music - I'm not using this for anything and will probably put it on hold for next year.
QOTW:
Women's Prize for Fiction, hands down. The only reason I ended up filling it was because I was reading Piranesi anyway and it ended up winning this year. (Also, I absolutely LOVED it. I know several people here weren't fans, but this was absolutely a favorite for me this year.)
Shannon wrote: "QOTW: Women's Prize for Fiction, hands down. The only reason I ended up filling it was because I was reading Piranesi anyway and it ended up winning this year. (Also, I absolutely LOVED it. I know several people here weren't fans, but this was absolutely a favorite for me this year.)"I wasn't a fan of that one, either - probably because the choices were limited, and my reading taste often differs from prize panels of all stripes. But I'd read Piranesi before it won (I liked it, but not as much as Jonathan Strange), so I was relly pleased that it one, so I could use it there.
Mod
How exciting! I hope she has had good experiences in this her first semester of college! And I'm so glad you have so much time off. Well, I'm glad for you, but certainly jealous of you all at the same time!! 😄
"Admin stuff:
RESULTS ARE IN!
The November group read category will be: FOUND FAMILY
Family gatherings common for holidays/holiday season!
Thank you to all who voted to select the November prompt!
All group categories for 2022 can be found here: 2022 Monthly categories"
And it should be easy to locate many books that fit this prompt!
"Nominations have been collected for the January group read, and the FINAL POLL is posted for January. Voting ends on Tuesday.
Vote here: January Group Read Poll"
Ooohhh...what will it be? I like all of them, but have already read one of them!
"The Nomination poll for February's group read (BIPOC authored romance) is open, nominations close on Tuesday.
Nominate a book for February
**If you wish to write-in a book, please do so early so others can have the opportunity to vote for your nomination!** This poll closes on the evening of the 21st!
NOTE: This is the NOMINATION round, which is step one. We will select the top results from this round to create a new poll for a Final Vote to choose ONE book for the February 2022 group read. The final selection poll will be posted in next week’s Check-In. We’ll also have a nomination poll for the March 2022 group read at that time."
Can't help it! I am always so excited for these selections!!
"This week I finished 4 books, one for this Challenge, and I DNF'ed another book. I am now 49/50. So close! And yet ... that longest book continues to darken my sky. I am speed-reading it right now, yesterday I crunched through three chapters, only 27 more to go. I just want to be done. I sure am glad to see the 2022 Challenge does not require any long books. I'm boycotting long books."
You are too funny, Nadine! I have faith that you can finish that behemoth you've started! Especially now that you're not working!! YAY!!
"Books I finished:
The Echo Wife by Sarah Gailey - this was riveting, and yet also annoyingly slow. I didn't realize until I finished that this is the same author as River of Teeth (another book that I was intrigued by but ultimately did not like). Maybe I just don't like Gailey's writing style."
I am interested in reading this but assume I will either LOVE it or HATE it!
"Hunting by Stars by Cherie Dimaline- absolutely fantastic. If you loved The Marrow Thieves, you will love this book. The ending, while completely satisfying, leaves quite a few plot lines still moving forward, and I hope this means that Dimaline has a third book in the works with these characters. I checked off "random book on my TBR" with this one (it would also be perfect for "found family" next year!) This makes it official now: Dimaline is one of my favorite authors!"
Hmmm...The Marrow Thieves is on my TBR...
"The Removed by Brandon Hobson - meh. This never felt cohesive, or logical, and for the most part I didn't care about any of the characters. I wish it had just been about Maria and her foster son Wyatt, then I would have loved it. This is the first book I've read by Hobson, so I'm not sure if it's the author I didn't like or just this one book."
When I read a first book written by an author I much prefer either loving it or hating it, but when I have mixed reactions, then I feel compelled to read at least one more just to see if it is the writing style or something else that throws me off.
"Leaving Tulsa poems by Jennifer Elise Foerster - some fantastic poems in here, but also a lot that didn't work for me, they were heavy on symbolism and I didn't understand the symbols."
I love that you admit you didn't understand some of the symbolism! I feel as if many readers won't admit that. Perhaps that's one reason I avoid most poetry. 🙄
"And I DNF'ed:
Popisho by Leone Ross - what is this madness?? This is like Jabberwocky in full-length book form. If there's some sort of actual plot buried under everything, I was not attentive enough to find it. Not for me. What an AWESOME cover though, right??? Popisho by Leone Ross Note: Popisho is a synonym for poppycock, aka nonsense. It was accurately titled, and clearly the author tried to warn me."
I laughed so hard at this! Yep! I do believe that was a sign!! LOL
"Question of the Week
Which prompt from a 2021 reading challenge surprised you the most?
I think, for me, it was the "1990s best-seller." I was dreading that prompt, until I found an old Dick Francis book in a box of books I was planning to donate. It was a re-read for me, but it's been so long that I'd completely forgotten it, and it was wonderful!! I had forgotten how much I enjoyed Francis's writing!! I'm definitely going to pick up some more of his books for re-reads next year! See, mom, this is why it makes sense to OWN books! (My mother never understood that - she always says: "you're not going to read it again, why buy it?")"
Awwww...that's so cool! Glad you kinda rediscovered a favorite!
Happy Thursday!I wanted to check in later when I actually finished my current book - but I only have 30-ish pages left so I am basically done.
I, too, need to join the new car club. After 12 years my VW is falling apart piece by piece. Every day a new problem. Sigh.
Finished (kinda): UPDATE! Finished...I loved it! This was just the book I needed to finish the year.
These Silent Woods by Kimi Cunningham Grant. This was a fast read for me and I am glad it was short >300 pages. If it was longer it would have dragged on and I wouldn't have been so enthralled. Great writing - will definitely read more of her.
Currently Reading:
Girl A by Abigail Dean. I am glad I switched to the audiobook for this one. The writing is good but the story is only so-so.
On Deck:
I only have 1 more book left to read for Popsugar (2 for ATY) before the end of the year. My next (and final book) for PS is Plain Bad Heroines (a book with an oxymoron in the title). UPDATE: After receiving my copy of the 640-page doorstop I was prepared to read in 2 weeks, I have changed my decision and grabbed something else. The Little Giant of Aberdeen County has been on my list for so long and fits the oxymoron prompt to a T.
QOTW:
I was surprised by "A book with the same title as a song" - I thought it was going to be a harder to find a book but I just googled the name of the book at Youtube and found a song immediately. It wasn't a "popular" song or one I had even heard of by an artist I never heard of. But it worked!
Hi all, Having a very frustrating morning, looking forward to some time off at the end of the year. was storming this morning, the power went off just as I was convincing myself to get out of bed and start the morning. I have a lot to do today, so rather than calling it an unexpected day off, I then had to have a sad breakfast of a cliff bar and water (no way to cook anything) and didn't want to open fridge in case it was out for a while. Was just about to start packing up my whole desktop set up to head to my parents who do have power, when it came back on. So that was good, just really threw my morning off. Also having trouble with some of my work tools and i just...want to be done.
This week I finished:
The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek - This was my books & brew pick. It was pretty meh. There was interesting info about the book women, and I really wish that had been the focus. But the author decided to introduce the blue people, and while those were real people, she seemed bound and determined to prove that white people with a blood condition was just as hard as being Black in the 1930s. So yeah it was pretty cringey. Also there was a a LOT of violence towards Cussy, and the writing was pretty flat. Everyone was either really perfect and infallible, or they were evil villains with no motivation beyond being evil. I should probably reduce my rating, i thought it was ok at first but then after book club on Tuesday so much more wrong with it was pointed out that i'm feeling like i was too generous.
Midnight Blue-Light Special - fun read, don't like it as much as the October Daye books, but it's still a good read.
Winter - re-read on audio
Currently reading:
Fairest - audio re-read
Termination Shock - Neal Stephanson's newest, it'd work for the manmade disaster for next year.
QOTW:
I don't know if any of them were very surprising for me. I guess anonymous? I felt like it was a really restrictive prompt, but I did finally find Elizabeth and Her German Garden and I enjoyed it.
Hello! It's been a very weird weather week. Last Friday, when I was getting my booster shot, we had our first winter storm, with parts of the Twin Cities getting 18+ inches of snow. My house got about six, and we stayed inside once we got home from the pharmacy. Then on Tuesday/Wednesday morning, it all melted with temps in the low 50s. Last night, a line of thunderstorms with stupid high winds blew through, with at least a few tornadoes. If those are confirmed, they'll be the first ever recorded tornadoes in Minnesota in December. Behind the winds was another winter storm, with temps back below freezing. It's now 18 degrees and snowing again. All the rain and melted snow from yesterday have turned to ice, with a layer of the currently falling snow on top. Climate change is weird.I finished no books this week. I am on page 553 of At Dawn We Slept: The Untold Story of Pearl Harbor by Gordon W. Prange. I have 200 pages to go. I'm at Part 3, Aftermath, covering the fallout and investigations. The actual attack started on page 499, meaning only 7% of this massive book about the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor was about when the bombs were actually falling. I no longer feel bad calling this my longest book at only 897 pages - it's way harder to read than a 1200 page novel. There's been multiple parts that weren't in the many other books I've read on Pearl Harbor, and I'm glad I'm finally reading it. (Although I had to get Day of Infamy off my shelves for reference because it had actual maps.)
After some maneuvering, I have two books to go for the challenge, Longest book and Oxymoron. I have Bittersweet ready to go for that one, and told the person I borrowed it from that I'd have it done by the end of the year. Finishing At Dawn We Slept will also finish ATY. I have everything checked out that I need to finish Read Harder and Reading Women, but running out of time. We'll see on those.
QOTW: Which prompt from a 2021 reading challenge surprised you the most?
I guess #36, With fewer than 1,000 reviews on Amazon or Goodreads. I knew I read books that weren't mainstream, but I didn't realize just how common it was. Fully half of the books I read this year qualified for this prompt.
Happy Thursday, y’all.Yay, it's finally snowing! And of course, just in time for me to have to drive four hours tomorrow in the stuff... yaaay. /sarcasm
Books read this week:
What Mad Universe -- old-school science fiction (it was published in 1949), and while both society and science have marched on, this was still a fun alternate-universe romp that isn’t afraid to poke fun at the pulp sci-fi tropes of its day.
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever -- figured I should get in a Christmas read this season. I’ve seen the movie and a stageplay of this book, but experiencing the book was a delightful treat!
I'm a Stranger Here Myself: Notes on Returning to America After Twenty Years Away -- Bill Bryson can be a grumpy codger at times, but when he’s at his best he’s delightfully funny and observant. Thankfully this book is him at his best.
The Girl from the Other Side: Siúil A Rún, Volume 5 -- yes, still reading this manga series. Yes, still loving it.
Currently Reading:
Skeleton Crew
Wolf by Wolf
The Petrified Flesh
QOTW:
I'd say "book you saw on someone else's bookshelf." It turned out that looking at other people's bookshelves was fun!
@Christine: congrats, and enjoy the holidays even more now!Work is crazy. People really think I’m doing nothing all day but waiting for their request to publish their stuff online in 1 hour. Content writing is a profession. It takes ridiculous amounts of time to write good content for a page (my average is about 8 hours per page). #EndOfRant #EndOfYearMadness
Finished
Nothing
Currently reading
Marking Time by Elizabeth Jane Howard
QOTW
I thought it would be difficult to fulfill the prompt #31, a book by a blogger, vlogger, YouTuber, or other online personality. I don’t know any of them. Until I realised that podcast personalities are also online personalities. That was a lot easier, ‘cause there are lots of journalists hosting podcasts and writing books.
Mod
I hear ya!
"I have chosen which challenges I want to participate in for 2022 and have my prompt lists ready, but I'm not really feeling into the "slot a book" portion of this planning so I'm not doing that for now. I think I managed to brainstorm picks for about 10 prompts before I acknowledged that I was not having fun doing that. I do know which book I will start the year with, and which prompt it will fill."
Good for you!
"I am still 49/50 for the challenge - working my way through the book that was on my TBR the longest. It is a very slow read, which is probably why it hung around so long."
You and Nadine!
"Read this week:
All This I Will Give to You by Dolores Redondo - slow and not really suspenseful, I thought it was an ok mystery but more of a family drama than the thriller it was billed as. Read for another challenge."
Hmmmm...looks interesting!
"Hardcore Twenty-Four by Janet Evanovich - it didn't fit any challenge prompts but I treated myself to a nice light Evanovich read, because reading has felt a bit chore-ish over the last month as I power through all the challenge prompts I put off until the end. It's the typical Stephanie Plum novel, loads of fun."
Kinda like a breath of fresh air, aren't they? I love the Stephanie Plum series!
"Pioneer Stories by Lincoln County Historical Society - I picked this book up on our trip out to Lincoln County, NM a few years ago, it's a great peek into personal stories from the era in which the town of Lincoln was preserved.
A Stroll Thru Old Lincolntown by Walter R. Henn - for anyone who has done the walking tour of Lincoln, this will make you feel like you are back on that main street again, walking through the historic houses and buildings preserved through time. Great resource for the history of Lincoln and the structures that remain."
These two books seem like an excellent to learn even more about the town/area and to relive the experience of visiting there!
"QOTW: The prompt that surprised me was A book by a blogger, vlogger, YouTube video creator, or other online personality, because I thought it would be hard to fill but then I realized that I do read books by my favorite online personality (James Breakwell) and always preorder his latest release (the only author I actually consistently do this for)."
That sounds entertaining as well as true to life!
4/50Finished: The Art of Running Away So good!!! The problems were so realistic, the characters so engaging, the dialogue so fresh. Thoroughly enjoyed this.
Stuntboy, in the Meantime For the prompt book about a secret. (His superhero identity is a secret.) This felt very much like it was geared toward a tween African-American boy audience aka not me.
Freedom Summer book you can read in one sitting. It was fine. Maybe a little bit too assimilationist, but I guess in the segregated south, that's what they were going for.
Started: The Book of Disquiet: The Complete Edition for book recommended by one of your favorite authors. I want to really like this book and it's interesting. But it also doesn't flow very well, since it was edited posthumously into somewhat a random order.
This Year I Will...: How to Finally Change a Habit, Keep a Resolution, or Make a Dream Come True Inconsistent with the excuse of different strokes for different folks. Very mediocre. But at least on topic for new years' resolutions
Qotw: This question could be interpreted two ways: What PROMPT surprised you the most and what BOOK read for a prompt surprised you the most? The prompt dark academia surprised me the most because I had never heard of that genre before. The book that surprised me the most for fresh starts was The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue because I enjoyed it so much and I wouldn't have read it had it not been for the challenge and all the recommends!
I came home from my nearly overnight shift this morning and was enjoying my new book so much I nearly forgot it was Thursday!49/50 and I'm currently reading book 50!
Finished:
The Mysterious Island - Reading to prep for Daughter of the Deep. Both interesting and boring. I feel like it would be a good book to keep in your survival shelter, it might help you make some cool stuff after the apocalypse. The Thing I knew happened was so short! Pffttt! Still, glad I read it.
Daughter of the Deep - I really enjoyed this while also thinking it was outlandish. If they had been older it would be easier to buy, but hey, middle grade needs fun adventures too. It was fun to have just re/read 20,000 Leagues and Mysterious Island. I'm sure it works fine if you haven't read them, but I enjoyed knowing the backstories more fully. I adore the Nautilus!
The Woman They Could Not Silence: One Woman, Her Incredible Fight for Freedom, and the Men Who Tried to Make Her Disappear - OK, I knew this would make me mad, but holy cow.
The 1619 Project: Born on the Water - Listened while looking at the ebook. Lovely illustrations.
Santa Baby - Kinda weird but OK
The Little Prince - My 49th PopSugar book
Murder Under Her Skin - The shiny new Pentecost & Parker mystery. I quite like them.
Currently Reading:
Piranesi - Having a good time listening to this so far. Quite enigmatic. This is my last book for the challenge!
QOTW:
I guess the author who shares your zodiac sign. Since I'm on a cusp the only people with my actual sign would have my actual birthday. I found and author and a book I didn't hate. I thought the odds would be pretty low, but it turned out OK.
Wow, Thursday already?!Finishes:
Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore - this was comletely different from what I expected and I loved it. Definitely nerdy quirky vibe.
Dog on It - a reread in audiobook while traveling at Thanksgiving and last week. Narrator was so good, capturing Chet's voice so perfectly, I forgot all the reasons I hate audiobooks except when driving or traveling, and bumped it up to 4 stars because all the written irritants dissolved away too.
Still at 48/50. Both current reads are for PS and are chonksters...but I expect to finish by end of month.
A Suitable Boy longest in pages - 1460...I am about 40% through and it is really starting to move along. I am quite caught up in it.
Dune - DNF prompt - I have tried to read this at least 3 times and never got far. Last effort was about 30 years ago. My IRL Feminerdy Book Club chose it for our January discussion, and when I downloaded it in ebook to start (my in bed reading as light in bedroom not good for reading the dead tree version of A Suitable Boy), I realized I could count it for PS if I hustle! I have a 250 page DNF back up if I find work cutting too much into reading time.
QOTW: my anonymous author read Frankenstein: The 1818 Text. I was caught by just how contemporary the language was even though it is clearly from tbe early Romantic Era.
Hello and happy Thursday! After lurking for a while, I thought I'd finally stop being a scaredy-cat and post!Finished this week:
The Kiss Quotient Finished on 12/9, I didn't think I was going to enjoy this book but I surprisingly did. Michael and Stella were a fun couple to follow but it did seem to rely on the whole missed communication trope, which is not my favorite types of stories to read. I did like this as an introduction to this larger family that the next two books follow. Fun, light read, 3/5 stars.
Station Eleven Finished on 12/14. I decided to pick this up on a whim on Libby since the HBO miniseries came out today, knowing pretty much nothing other than that it was about a pandemic. I did enjoy this book, which is light on the plot but is very character heavy. It did mess with my anxiety a bit during the early pandemic days scenes, it was eerily reminiscent of the early days of Covid. I enjoyed seeing how all the characters fit together and how art, music, and theater play an important role in human nature. Would definitely recommend (unless pandemic stories are triggering), 4/5 stars.
The Bride Test Finished 12/15. After finishing The Kiss Quotient, I placed a hold for this book with my library. I pretty much devoured this book in one sitting last night. I really thought I was going to hate this book going into it because Khai is not really that interesting of a side character in first book, but boy was I wrong. Khai was not a very fun romantic lead but Esme was such a compelling and interesting character that I just couldn't help but root for. This felt less like a typical romance to me, the relationship fell to second behind watching Esme struggle as an immigrant in the US. I can't wait to get my hands on the third book and read more about Quan! 4/5 stars.
The Inheritance Games Finished 12/16. My hold came in today and I jumped right in. As the Goodreads reviews suggest, if you are a fan of Cinderella retellings and mysteries like Knives Out, you will enjoy this book. I really did not care for the romance and love triangle in this book at all, as the two brothers involved feel like they were plucked straight out of Wattpad, but the mystery was what drew me in. I enjoyed following Avery as she attempted to solve the riddles and find out why she was left the inheritance. Though I'm weary, I've placed a hold for the sequel since the premise sounds interesting. I guess more YA teen drama is in my future! 3/5 stars.
QOTW: I've been surprised by the prompt "A book where the main character has your dream job." I found it hard to think what my "dream job" actually is, since my real job isn't very glamorous. I ended up going with Beach Read because I think deep down I'm still tickled by the idea of being a full-time author. Plus Gus' fascination with cults felt oddly relatable.
Mod
Ugh I run into that a lot, and it always cheapens the book for me. I bet I would hate this one. I shall try to never read it (unless it gets chosen as a book club read).
I think you were the one who told me about Elizabeth and Her German Garden and I am really glad you did, I was having a hard time finding a book to read for "anonymous" and that was a book I ended up really enjoying.
Mod
We have been having crazy weather in NY too. Right now it's 65F!!! And we've had a few really bad wind storms in the last few weeks - one night my roof was making awful noises, like being on board an ancient ship, and that's not what you want your roof to sound like.
Nadine, I wouldn't recommend it. There were maybe 3 people who liked it, the rest of the group of 12 all were either kinda meh, or outright hated/didn't finish due to being pissed. And no problem! I think i saw it mentioned in the recommendation thread, and it sounded semi interesting. I was pleasantly surprised how readable and funny it was! I don't tend to like classics in part because it always just seems like i don't "get" the humor, and find the writing so stodgy and laborious to get through.
Mod
Finished this week:
The Kiss Quotient Finished on 12/9, I didn't thin..."
Congrats on the de-lurk, welcome to our check-in!!! :-)
Mod
It's been a bit of a week over here -- I got a new car and handled all the registration/e-check/new plates/etc stuff on Monday (and swung through Starbucks for a pick-me-up on the way home because I was EXHAUSTED), and yesterday/today/tomorrow I'm handling shipping at work bc our shipping guy is off."
Congrats on the new car! Hoping you have the energy to sustain you through the shipping work!
"Finished:
2 stars to Moon of the Crusted Snow. It lost me at some point and I zoned out. Whoops."
That made me laugh!
"Currently:
I'm neck-deep in Jade Legacy right now and loving it! So much intrigue."
Sounds like this is one you are enjoying!
"Next:
The Mountains Sing"
This is one I definitely hope to read at some point in the future!
"QOTW: Which prompt from a 2021 reading challenge surprised you the most?
I might also go with a 1990s bestseller. I picked up The English Patient expecting to hate it and ended up deeply enjoying myself!"
That's one I have yet to read... Good to know you enjoyed it!
Mod
Yay! That is excellent! I despise waiting for news like that! But so glad yours was good news!
"@Nadine - hurrah for epic vacation, AND child coming home. Enjoy! I also have my freshman on her way home - but her dad is doing the drive, lucky me!"
Ah, college aged kids reunited with parents! 😁
"I'm "working" most of the time through year's end, but I have a cushy enough job that it'll be pretty light, and they also let us go at noon on the day before a holiday. So I'll have plenty of time to relax."
That's great! I wish everyone had extra time off!
"More good news: I FINISHED! Latest ever finish for me, I think, and I got creative with some prompts, but my challenge, my choices, right?"
YAY! And...definitely!!
"-- Finished --
It'll Be OK: 101 Brilliant Cartoons and Intelligent Oxymorons - shameless manipulation to get this prompt finished! The book had some mildly amusing cartoons. No regrets!"
Very very clever! Congrats on that!! I do not consider that to be manipulation!
"After the Funeral - *A book with a family tree* - Loved this! I need to read at least one Christie each year for sure. I love her characters and narration, even if I never figure out the mystery!"
I had to chuckle at that. She is also one of my favorites, but I don't believe I ever figured out the solution before reading it!
"A Study in Emerald - *A book with a gem, mineral, or rock in the title* - I tried to start The Empress of Salt and Fortune for this, but I just couldn't concentrate on the worldbuilding. I was so happy to discover that one of my favorite Sherlock Holmes & Lovecraftian short stories had been made into a graphic novel!"
Great!
"-- QOTW --
I think *The book that's been on your TBR list for the longest amount of time* - this made me realize I need to curate my list better. Maybe create a tag/shelf that's called "Someday/Maybe" for books of interest that I'm not sure I actually WANT to read.
That said, it also inspired me to pick up The Count of Monte Cristo and give it a whirl, now that the time pressure is off!"
Amazing how we can sometimes be motivated, isn't it?
Mod
Hysterical! 😂
"It seems really hard using up holiday entitlement during the pandemic. I had one away-from-home holiday where I saw my parents and a lot of the things I would take days off for were just easier to fit in working from home. I can carry some days over, but after tomorrow I'm off work until next year too."
Now I'm glad for you but also jealous of you, as well as Nadine! 😁
"Finished:
The Apollo Murders by Chris Hadfield. This was interesting from a 60s spaceflight point of view, he likes describing technical things, and I liked Svetlana the cosmonaut, but the murder wasn't really the point of it, so if you're after a mystery it might be a let down."
Not exactly what the title implied, huh?
"In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren. This was a fun groundhog day inspired Christmas romance. I haven't read any of their books before but would read more."
I've read 2 of theirs and want to read more...
"QOTW:
Maybe the longest book on my TBR, I initially hated this prompt but in the end I cleared off some books off my TBR that I realistically was never going to read and then I gave House of Earth and Blood a chance and ended up enjoying it a lot more than I expected."
That sounds like a definite WIN!!
Happy check-in! I've got three books to read by the end of the month. So Naturally I can read anything but those three books. :)Finished Reading:
Covet ⭐⭐
Way too long! Over a 150 chapters some of which were completely pointless.
Dirty Magic ⭐⭐⭐⭐
After years of waiting my library purchased the first book in this series. I really enjoyed this urban fantasy. Basically magic potions created through alchemy are society's new drugs and the book follows a reformed potion cooker who is now a cop.
The Hating Game ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Wait list on this was crazy and I though it wouldn't be in until 2022 but oh well. This was an addictive rom com and I now want to see the movie that just came out this month.
PS 2021 50/50
PS 2017 50/52
Goodreads 265/250
Currently Reading:
Malibu Rising
Beartown PS 2017 bestseller of 2016
The Barrow Will Send What it May PS 2017 month in the title
QOTW:
Probably #8 women's prize for fiction. I read The Song of Achilles and did not think I would love and enjoy this book so much.
Mod
It looks interesting!
"I read Help the Poor Struggler. Just a mystery. I was enjoying it until the end. Didn't love the resolution."
I haven't yet read one of her mysteries.
"I'm about halfway through The Homecoming. Based on the reviews, I'm liking it more than I thought I would."
I added to my TBR listing!
"QOTW: Shoot. I specifically remember there was one prompt maybe last year that I thought I was going to hate, wouldn't be able to find a book, was only able to find one, thought I would hate it, but ended up loving it. But, I'm old and I don't remember which one:)"
But it still makes for a good story! 😁
Mod
Lurking can be fun! Congrats on only one more prompt!
"Sadly, it's "41. Longest book", which for my sins is Les Misérables. I started it with great hopes way back at the start of the year...and I'm still only just under halfway through it. I'm going to do my best in the remaining 19 days of 2021, but it might be 500pg too far!"
At least you know you are not alone in having the longest book remaining as your last hurdle to completion of the challenge!
"Question of the Week
Which prompt from the 2021 reading challenge surprised you the most?
"Nadine wrote: For me, it was the "1990s best-seller." I was dreading that prompt, until I found an old Dick Francis book in a box of books I was planning to donate.
I really liked Dick Francis back then, as well. Maybe I should reread some of them. I'm also wondering about re-reading the P.D. James Adam Dalgliesh books, as Channel 5 here in the UK has started remaking them, and they've reawakened my interest."
Ooohhh...I have yet to read a P.D. James, but plan to do so soon!
"The same prompt was a good one for me, too. I finally read The Green Mile and really enjoyed it."
I loved the movie but was a bit disappointed in the book. Unless they've had King do a rewrite, each chapter was simply thrown in even though this was originally published in serial form, so you always had a recap at the beginning of each chapter which I found to be disruptive.
"There were a few I struggled with, especially "26. Oxymoron" - I was so pleased when I saw Black Sun on the listopia, as I was totally stuck for ideas."
That is one of my absolute favorite parts of these challenges, helping and being helped to select appropriate books!
Mod
He had a very compli..."
Yes, I read all that in Wikipedia. I found his writing to be enjoyable and initially felt it was very similar to Erdrich's writing which is when I did some research and discovered everything else about the poor man. I feel for her as well.
Mod
Bahahahaha thankfully not (yet)!! There are stains on the seat from the previous occupants and husband wants to get it looked over and detailed, so we'll see how that goes. I'm happy to just drop $20 on seat covers and call it a day :D"
Agreed! I would definitely go for the seat covers!
I've been going through a pretty rough time lately, but the joys of Christmas are having a lovely effect. Last weekend I went to a movie (West Side Story), a Christmas concert, and brunch with a friend. I was completely wiped out, but it was worth it. COVID precautions were taken, so I feel it unlikely that I will pay that price for my fun. Knock on wood. We had our first big snowstorm (desperately needed after a summer of terrible drought), and everything looks so pretty right now. I haven't been outside, though, and am grateful I work at home. And also grateful that my neighbor loves shoveling snow, including ours.
I haven't finished anything this week, but I did start reading again after a two-week reading slump.
Currently reading
Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid - for the monthly group read. Come join us in the discussion thread.
A Christmas Carol and Other Christmas Stories by Charles Dickens
New Spring by Robert Jordan
Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts
Goodreads: 101/100
Popsugar: 54/55
QOTW:
I was most surprised upon reading the 2021 list for the first time by "Afrofuturist author" as I had no idea what that meant. Turns out I had read a few books that fit that category and was really happy to get a chance to read Binti: The Complete Trilogy.
Christine wrote: "I have the bestest news (that will also free up many more of my brain cells for reading). My recent yearly mammogram had shown something suspicious near my lumpectomy scar from six years ago. So I had to have a biopsy, and of course was really worried and distracted. But it came back BENIGN - I'm celebrating and feeling so thankful that I can live my life without that extra layer of worry/doctors/hospitals added!"Congratulations! That must have been extra terrifying having apparently gone through it before. I had a scare a few years ago, and couldn't believe the anxiety in waiting for results.
Katy wrote: "I finished My Sergei: A Love Story. It was a beautiful story of her life, but not the best written book."I read this a long time ago because I was obsessed with figure skating back then. I loved it, but also felt like she held back a lot emotionally. Maybe that's the Russian way.
I staggered over the finish line and completed the challenge with this by doubling up on two prompts. I read Jade City by Fonda Lee for A book with a gem, mineral, or rock in the title and for The longest book (by pages) on your TBR listIt's a well written but it's family drama ala the Mafia thru a fantasy lens. I love fantasy but hate the other two things so this was SO not the book for me but it was too late in the year to pivot to something else so I bulled through.
I also pivoted to Fairhaven's Forsaken by Susan Fernandez for Magic realism. I had something else planned but didn't have time.
QOTW Prompts that surprised me A book that published in 2021 City of the Plague God by Sarwat Chadda was such a fun YA read.
A book by an author who shares your zodiac sign for which I read Unnatural Death by Dorothy l Sayers. I hated this prompt and the book. I knew Lord Whimsy from the TV Mystery and they improved him immensely.
A book everyone seems to have read but you The Angel of the Crows by Katherine Addison was just delightful wingfic
and lastly A book that has fewer than 1,000 reviews on Amazon or Goodreads Pahua and the Soul Stealer by Lori M. Lee this was another of the Rick Riordan series bringing marginalized groups culture/folklore to middle grade/YA audiences (i really encourage people to check it out)
Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge
Books mentioned in this topic
Binti (other topics)Out of Character (other topics)
Once Upon a Wardrobe (other topics)
One True Loves (other topics)
The Sun Also Rises (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Taylor Jenkins Reid (other topics)Ernest Hemingway (other topics)
Gregory David Roberts (other topics)
Robert Jordan (other topics)
Taylor Jenkins Reid (other topics)
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Admin stuff:
RESULTS ARE IN!
The November group read category will be: FOUND FAMILY
Family gatherings common for holidays/holiday season!
Thank you to all who voted to select the November prompt!
All group categories for 2022 can be found here: 2022 Monthly categories
Nominations have been collected for the January group read, and the FINAL POLL is posted for January. Voting ends on Tuesday.
Vote here: January Group Read Poll
The Nomination poll for February's group read (BIPOC authored romance) is open, nominations close on Tuesday.
Nominate a book for February
**If you wish to write-in a book, please do so early so others can have the opportunity to vote for your nomination!** This poll closes on the evening of the 21st!
NOTE: This is the NOMINATION round, which is step one. We will select the top results from this round to create a new poll for a Final Vote to choose ONE book for the February 2022 group read. The final selection poll will be posted in next week’s Check-In. We’ll also have a nomination poll for the March 2022 group read at that time.
This week I finished 4 books, one for this Challenge, and I DNF'ed another book. I am now 49/50. So close! And yet ... that longest book continues to darken my sky. I am speed-reading it right now, yesterday I crunched through three chapters, only 27 more to go. I just want to be done. I sure am glad to see the 2022 Challenge does not require any long books. I'm boycotting long books.
Books I finished:
The Echo Wife by Sarah Gailey - this was riveting, and yet also annoyingly slow. I didn't realize until I finished that this is the same author as River of Teeth (another book that I was intrigued by but ultimately did not like). Maybe I just don't like Gailey's writing style.
Hunting by Stars by Cherie Dimaline- absolutely fantastic. If you loved The Marrow Thieves, you will love this book. The ending, while completely satisfying, leaves quite a few plot lines still moving forward, and I hope this means that Dimaline has a third book in the works with these characters. I checked off "random book on my TBR" with this one (it would also be perfect for "found family" next year!) This makes it official now: Dimaline is one of my favorite authors!
The Removed by Brandon Hobson - meh. This never felt cohesive, or logical, and for the most part I didn't care about any of the characters. I wish it had just been about Maria and her foster son Wyatt, then I would have loved it. This is the first book I've read by Hobson, so I'm not sure if it's the author I didn't like or just this one book.
Leaving Tulsa poems by Jennifer Elise Foerster - some fantastic poems in here, but also a lot that didn't work for me, they were heavy on symbolism and I didn't understand the symbols.
And I DNF'ed:
Popisho by Leone Ross - what is this madness?? This is like Jabberwocky in full-length book form. If there's some sort of actual plot buried under everything, I was not attentive enough to find it. Not for me. What an AWESOME cover though, right???
Question of the Week
Which prompt from a 2021 reading challenge surprised you the most?
I think, for me, it was the "1990s best-seller." I was dreading that prompt, until I found an old Dick Francis book in a box of books I was planning to donate. It was a re-read for me, but it's been so long that I'd completely forgotten it, and it was wonderful!! I had forgotten how much I enjoyed Francis's writing!! I'm definitely going to pick up some more of his books for re-reads next year! See, mom, this is why it makes sense to OWN books! (My mother never understood that - she always says: "you're not going to read it again, why buy it?")