Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge discussion
2022 Weekly Check-Ins
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Week 7: 2/11 - 2/17
Mod
Hey, we are here whenever you can make it! And always glad to have you join us!
"Book published in 2022
I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetys. YA historical. The best book I've read so far this year. Set during the Romanian Revolution. Highly recommend."
Oohhh...that reminds me that I own three more of her books after I read and adored Salt to the Sea. I keep looking at them... 😁
"The Belle and the Beard by Kate Cantebary. Contemporary romance. I just picked a random book I had in my kindle app (either a twitter or tik tok recommendation I'm sure, I buy them and forget them) and I really loved it."
It's so cool when a book pleasantly surprises you like that!
"The Golden Couple by Greer Henricks and Sarah Pekkanen. Contemporary thriller. Seriously readable…kind of fell apart at the end for me but I enjoyed it the most out of their books"
I need to catch up with their books! I loved the first two!
"Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson. YA fantasy. I gave it 3 stars when I finished it a couple of weeks ago but I don't remember much of it now so…."
You made me laugh! I never cease to be amazed at the way I remember much of some books and very little of others!
"Reaper of Souls by Rena Barron. YA fantasy. I hate the multiple POVs that pervade fantasy. If this was a straight 3rd person narration, I'd probably continue the series but I got lost among all the voices who didn't have distinctive enough voices."
I think it would be difficult to track numerous characters when listening if the voices are not distinctively different from each other.
Mod
I've managed to come down with some sort of respiratory illness since my previous update, so it’s been kind of a lousy week. I don’t think I’ve been exposed to Covid, but as a precaution, I went and got tested yesterday morning. I’m currently waiting for the results."
Sure hope it's negative!
"I haven’t felt like doing very much this week, and I’ve spent most of my time lying on the couch in front of the television, alternating between re-watching Father Brown and sleeping."
Sounds like good medicine!
"As a result, my reading has slowed down considerably. I did decide to take a little break from reading manga to focus on Gail Carriger’s The Custard Protocol series, which has been fun. I’m currently on the final book in the series, and hope to finish it before the weekend."
"QOTW:
I don’t know if I would choose to have a contemporary author as a roommate, but if I could choose an author from another time I would pick Agatha Christie"
It doesn't need to be someone still alive! LOL
I wonder what she was like in real life? It would be intriguing to find out, I think!
Happy check-in! So At some point this past week I was outside walking in ankle deep puddles because it was warm and melty... today it's -35 again. Not so fun. Last night I watched the awesome hockey game and I'm still so happy about the Women's gold medal.
Finished Reading:
Heartstopper: Volume Four ⭐⭐⭐ (2022 becoming a tv show or movie in 2022)
So I really like what the author is trying to teach her audience every book and I like scenes with the big group of friends. I unfortunately find the main character obnoxious.
Red, White, and Whole ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (2015 book that made you cry)
I loved this. I'm nearly at 50 books on the year and this is the best book I've read. It's perfect for the 1980s prompt as well but I don't cry over books a lot so I had to use this one. This is written in verse and it's about a 13 year old who is first generation American and struggling to fit in to either of her cultures.
Slightly Wicked ⭐⭐⭐
The main character got a little obnoxious when she kept being stupid to further the plot.
Year of the Reaper ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (2022 Pacific Islander author)
This prompt has been stressing me out and there was no way I was waiting until March to get it done. I dislike the prompts where you have to research personal details about authors. I really enjoyed this book. It counts as fantasy but really it's historical fiction for those who do not like SFF. Be warned this is a plague book.
PS 2022 19/50
PS 2015 15/20
Goodreads 49/200
Currently Reading:
I'm struggling to wait for House of Sky and Breath to come in so I can read it.
Allegiant
Sweep of the Heart
A short story collection of Guy de Maupassant
QOTW:
First thought was if I pick an author who is dead does that mean I don't have to have a roommate? Otherwise I have no answer for this.
Mary wrote: "I didn't realize how much reading I got done this week until I went to write this post. I also did a massive reorganization of my list, because I realized that I wasn't feeling excited for a lot of..."You make such a good point for the QOTW. Thanks for the laugh.
Katy wrote: "I'm about halfway through 1812: A Novel as my book with blurbs on the cover. John Jakes AND James Michener. Two of my favorites. Frankly because of that, I was expecting a bit better."I read 1812 when it came out, and I remember liking it. I don't think I've read it since then, but the parts about the burning of Washington still linger in my brain, and my view of James Monroe is forever colored by that chapter. I also recall clearly the author's note at the end about which main character was completely made up. Hope it gets better for you!
Carmen wrote: "I spent a credit on it though so I don't just want to waste it but *sighs* It's hard to pick back up when you have absolutely no clue who's who and barely know what's going on. Hopefully I'll be in a mindset soon where I can give it another go, and if it doesn't work, I'll just email audible to return it." You don't even need to email them. It's super easy to return. On the website hover over your name, go to Account Details, then Purchase History. Beside each book you got in the past year should be a link to return it. Easy Peasy.
poshpenny wrote: "You don't even need to email them. It's super easy to return. On the website hover over your name, go to Account Details, then Purchase History. Beside each book you got in the past year should be a link to return it. Easy Peasy."I wish! If you do that a certain amount of times, that option disappears and you have to email them each time you want to return something. It's super awkward for me so I guess their tactic works because I don't return as much anymore. They can even block you entirely if they decide you do it too often. I once got a warning, oops.
Mod
Well, as of last weekend I am officially a college student! :D Enrolled at my local community college and aiming to get my Associate's Degree in English with a focus on creative writing. I take my placement tests tomorrow to determine what math and English courses I take.
It's been twenty years since I graduated high school (my last bit of schooling), and I'm nervous but excited. Wish me luck, y'all."
YAY for YOU!! Congrats!
"Year of the Reaper -- for “a book by a Pacific Islander author.” I haven’t read a traditional fantasy book like this in awhile, and I really enjoyed this one. I liked that, though it hints at a grander history of the land it’s set in, it doesn’t get hugely weighty like some “epic” fantasies do but focuses on the characters and on its murdery-mystery-esque plot instead."
This is encouraging! I've added it to my TBR
"Sorry Please Thank You -- for “a book with the name of a board game in the title.” I usually enjoy at least one story in a short-story collection… but this one was just painful to read."
Sounds like one I could definitely pass on...
"Light from Uncommon Stars -- for “a book about gender identity.” How the heck does a book that involves both deals with the devil and aliens from outer space manage to not only be good but wrench my heart to pieces in the process? This was so GOOD!"
This is already on my TBR listing but sounds as if I need to boot it up higher on my list!
"QOTW:
Probably Catherynne M. Valente. Not only do I love her writing, but I follow her on social media and her personality seems to align nicely with mine. And she's a delight to listen to. (If you happen to see this, Cath, I promise I'm not a creepy stalker...)"
Definitely not! We allow no creepy stalkering in POPSUGAR!! LOL
Good evening from soggy, soggy Louisville. Luckily, since I work from home, I've had my crockpot bubbling away with homemade chicken stock all day and it smells AMAZING. Looking forward to chicken and noodles in a few hours 🤤Didn't finish anything this week. I'm about 1/3 of the way through The Old Drift, which is... kind of a slog? The writing is very evocative, which is nice; I don't mind at all imagining myself in Zambia while I'm shivering under my weighted blanket at night! But I'm about 200 pages in, and nothing has really happened. So far it's been "here's a woman, let me tell you about some bad stuff that happens to her. Now, moving on to the next unfortunate soul..." with no resolution. Perhaps it entwines the stories together later, and everything will become clear, but right now, I'm kind of just waiting for the end.
If I can make some useful progress in that one, I might start We Were Never Here, which I anticipate will be a much quicker read.
If you could select one author as a flatmate/roommate, who would you choose? Why?
As much as I may love a given book, I don't really need or want to know more about the author's life or personality, so I'm not sure how to answer this question. That said, I would definitely be willing to go undercover as George RR Martin's roommate, if only to sneak a peak at TWOW...
Hi all! I'm so stressed out over 1,000 little things and 2 big ones- I still don't know what is going on with disability. I was supposed to have a doctor's appointment this morning to discuss, and my doctor no called no showed! I was most of the way to the appointment when the receptionist called me to cancel because they had no idea where the doctor was! She was just running late, but I missed the call to reschedule, and I've twice tried to call back and been on hold so long that the phone hung up on me... Grrrr.And, my boyfriend caught the stomach bug, so I'm once again washing hands with abandon and walking around with Clorox wipes. I thought I had avoided it with the kiddo last week, but now I have to dodge again. Sigh....
Not much reading, a little more in The Organ Thieves: The Shocking Story of the First Heart Transplant in the Segregated South and started Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? for a buddy read.
QOTW: I'm definitely in the introvert crew, but I think Allie Brosh would keep me in stitches. And I'd like to see how she illustrated me!
Hello,It's Thursday. I'm at work. So I've been hitting at this every once in a while.
My fur bearing children thing 3 and 4 am are the proper times to wake up! I've been a little tired so I haven't read as much because I'm nodding off at 7/8 o'clock.
So I've been slowing down on my reading. I only finished four books.
Popsugar Challenge:
For prompt #26 -- A book with a misleading title - A Good Girl's Guide to Murder I gave it 4 stars. I really want to read the British version now. I dropped it one star for a part of the book. I was very sad and it made me a little upset.
Books because I can:
I finished Again!! 1, which I got from another library. It was okay. I liked the time travel part of it. Gave it 3 stars.
I also got Among the Beasts & Briars from same library. It was an okay 3 stars as well. Fantasy with curses and chosen one sort of thing.
Lastly, I found The Awakening Book One of the Zodiac Academy on prime reading. I wanted to see what all the fuss was about. Let me tell you the non-consent issues were bad. It was squeaking in on the very low side of 2 stars. The only characters I kind of liked were Sophia, Darcy, and Orion. But I also wanted to take a sledge hammer to Orion a couple of times as well.
I've started book two of GGGTM, Good Girl, Bad Blood. I'm only a few pages in.
I'm STILL reading my NetGalley book Relic and Ruin. I'm about 85% done with it. It took a turn and I'm sort of losing interest.
So that's me this week.
I finished a book AND found a prompt that fit, so I finally have some movement! Technically, I was reading it to close out the last regular prompt I needed to complete for the 2021 PS challenge, but, I read most of it this year, so I'm going to use it for both. I may do a bonus read for the 2022 prompt since there were a bunch of good options that I own copies of and want to read. I'm at 2/40 and 1/10 for this challenge, and 7/75 for my overall Goodreads Reading Challenge.Finished:
* On Beauty by Zadie Smith, which I used for the 2021 prompt "a book that has won the Women's Prize for Fiction;" the 2022 prompt "an Anisfield-Wolf Book Award winner" (I own copies of several, so will likely end up reading a second one for this prompt :)); and, a 2022 BookRiot Read Harder prompt (they had a Women's Prize prompt this year). It took me so long to complete it that I was happy to slate it into multiple challenges!
Currently Reading:
* The Winter Fortress: The Epic Mission to Sabotage Hitler’s Atomic Bomb by Neal Bascomb, which one of my book clubs will discuss on Saturday. I'm not sure if I'll have it finished in time but I should be close;
* Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear, which is one of my other book clubs' picks for February. My library hold on the audiobook came in, so I'm listening to it. I'll likely skim the ebook copy when I'm done;
* Something to Hide by Elizabeth George, which was a Giveaways win. I've set it aside this week to focus on the book club book I'm supposed to discuss on Saturday; and,
* The Labyrinth of the Spirits by Carlos Ruiz Zafón, which I set aside a couple of weeks ago, so it's still more of an "in progress" vs. "currently reading situation." I really do want to get back to it soon.
QotW:
If you could select one author as a flatmate/roommate, who would you choose? Why? This was a tough one because I've been lucky enough to meet a bunch of my favorite authors and think many of them would be great roomies! However, I decided to go with Lisa Scottoline because she seems like she'd be a lot of fun to be around and we'd get to eat a lot of amazing food. The only potential snag would be whether we'd make it through football season since our teams are rivals in the NFC (L)East and I wouldn't want that to ruin our friendship :) Maybe I could room with Sara Paretsky, Louise Penny, or Sujata Massey during football season. Yes, I do realize I didn't stick with just one author for this QotW (heh, heh).
Morning everyone. Still here in Balranald. Heading back to the Farm next weekend so that will be good. And cooler. It's been pretty hot down here. Got up around 40C the other day and has been high 30s for most of the week. Cooler today thankfully. Darcy isn't a fan of the heat either.Didn't do much this week. Went to a Gallery opening last Saturday. That was sort of fun. Got another opening tomorrow night. The opening of the new Tennis courts. It's not much but it's my job. Stand beside my Hubby and smile and be nice.
Went to the next town yesterday to do some shopping and to see if I can pick up a Lego set that's retiring soon that I can't find anywhere. It's part of a series of 4 and I have the other 3 sets. Didn't find it but came home with the Sesame Street set as well as the bunch of flowers. Can't do any until I get home because I can't transport the finished build safely and I'm not going to take it apart again once I've done it. Too many pieces and it's much easier to do stuff when you can just do a bit at a time and not have 1300 pieces sitting there all mixed up. Anyhoo....
Tomorrow morning we're going on a trip down the Murray River on a paddlewheeler so that should be fun. Since I'm leaving next week and probably not coming back here we decided that it would be a good thing to do before I go.
Apart from that I've been reading and fart arsing around on my computer. I'm pretty sure I've read more than I've got on my list though. I think I accidentally swiped something on the app and deleted it and can't remember what it was.
Finished
A Dead Djinn in Cairo by P. Djèlí Clark (can't remember if I put this one in last week or not) Great story and if I can find it I will definitely be reading Master of Djinn. Popsugar: 24. A book you can read in one sitting ATY: 19. A book that involves alternate reality, alternate worlds, or alternate history
Snow, Glass, Apples by Neil Gaiman Yet another fractured fairytale for my list. As usual I loved it. Neil Gaiman....what can I say. Popsugar: 24. A book you can read in one sitting, 3. A book about or set in a nonpatriarchal society, ATY: 12. A book related to glass.
Hiss and Hers by M.C. Beaton Love Agatha Raisin. I love the TV show and the books are an easy read. Popsugar: 7. A book with an onomatopoeia in its title ATY: 43. A book set in a small town or rural area, 32. A book where the main character is a female detective/private eye/police officer, 21. A book with one of the Monopoly tokens on the cover, 15. A book without a person on the cover, 1. A book with a main character whose name starts with A, T, or Y.
The Last Emperox by John Scalzi the last and probably best of the trilogy. John Scalzi doesn't wow me like he does some people but his books are enjoyable. Popsugar: 3. A book about or set in a nonpatriarchal society. ATY: 17. A book from NPR's Book Concierge, 4. A book that fits your favorite prompt that did not make the list (NPR list of 50 favorite sci-fi and fantasy books of the past).
Currently (actively) reading
Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder by Joanne Fluke for book with a recipe. Also the main character is a crime solving woman. That's an ATY prompt. I'm close to halfway through. I watched the Hallmark movie for this one. I think I prefer the TV version but I'll persist.
The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion very slowly because it's pretty heavy and just because.
Caught in the Act by Shane Jenek for a gender identity prompt in one of the challenges. Popsugar and ATY run into one another.
The Girl and the Mountain by Mark Lawrence I was reading this anyway because...Mark Lawrence but it probably fills some prompt. It's the second in a trilogy and the third will be my 2022 book.
Shards of Earth by Adrian Tchaikovsky started reading this on my ipad and I do go back to it every now and then.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling. Doing my yearly reread (even though I haven't got past book 3 in the last couple of years) but this time it's an audiobook in the car.
Popsugar: 22/50
ATY: 27/52
Goodreads: 19/52
QOTW
Yeah no idea who I'd want as a roommate. I honestly would prefer to live by myself.
Good morning from Australia! I've been having health and computer problems, which has meant plenty of time for lying about in bed reading. I also looked through the Adelaide Writers Week line-up and planned out my attendances. It's all outside and they had plenty of space between chairs last week, so it should be safe. There's also a couple of authors I'd planned to read for the challenge who will be there. Hopefully I'll be able to get a signed books from Isabel Allende and Claire G. Coleman
PopSugar 10/50
Finished:
Death on the Nile - My first Agatha Christie! I've resisted for years because I often find the pacing of older novels too slow. I was pleasantly surprised by this book, which had interesting characters and moved along quickly. I did pick whodunnit early, but it was more "this would make the best story" rather than thinking they'd done it. I think if I hadn't been brought up reading and watching things inspired by Christie, I wouldn't have picked it. And she did have me thinking I was wrong multiple times. A four-star read. Prompt: Book becoming a movie or TV series in 2022
The Lamb Will Slaughter the Lion A horror-ish book about an anarcho-punk community living in an abandoned town in... Idaho (I think). I enjoyed it, though I didn't find it particularly scary. There were a number of non-binary characters and the politics involved were interesting. This was the first book in a duology, so I'm interested to see where the second book goes. I have it on my kindle, but haven't read it yet. Prompt: Book one of a duology
Did Not Finish
I'm going to stop listing these because there are too many of them!
The Boyband Murder Mystery Not particularly bad, it was just aimed at a much younger audience.
11/22/63 Ugh, don't even get me started! I made it about 200 pages in, and was still wondering when the story was going to really get started. It could have been half as long and it probably would have been a better read. To top it off, a lot of that part of the book was set in Derry, with references to the history and people of the town that I didn't understand, since I haven't seen or watched It. I had to stop reading so I could google Derry, then read It's wiki page, then go back to the book. And, as far as I could see, setting these scenes in Derry did nothing to forward the story, it was just self-indulgence on King's part. I guess he wants to make sure people understand the King Literary Universe (TM). One-star, and that only because I was curious enough to flip to the end and see King's vision of the dystopian future.
Sorry, clearly I had to get that out of my system.
Currently Reading:
Seveneves I found this buried in my kindle library when I was looking for something to read because the library was closed. I had it penciled in for the palindromic title, but didn't realize I already owned it. Now my holds are in, but I'm completely enthralled in this book and have to finish all 800-odd pages before I can move on.
Planned
Books I just got from the library:
The Underground Railroad
Dog on It
Dread Nation
Neverwhere
Outside the Magic Square
QOTW
Can I pick someone who's deceased? Because I choose Lord Byron. Admittedly, there'd be a lot of drama when he was at home, but he travels a lot so I'll mostly have the flat to myself.
Happy Thursday (take 2). I had my post all ready to go and then I accidently hit exit instead of post and lost it all. Anyways... I went to the library this week to get ready for the ATY read-a-thon and the sale table ended up calling to me. So much for making my physical TBR go down this year....Stats:
Popsugar: 8/50
ATY: 15/75
ATY Reread: 4/52
Wheel of Time: 2/5
Books I finished:
Patient Zero: A Brief History of the Science Stories Behind the World's Worst Diseases ⭐⭐⭐
Prompt: ATY: A book related to each one of the 22 Tarot Major Arcana cards. (The World)
So I read another disease book. I don't know why I find them comforting but I do. But this ended up being a mixed bag. Some sections really worked, and some didn't.
The Great Hunt ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Prompt: ATY Reread: A book that involves alternate reality, alternate worlds, or alternate history.
This is book 2 in The Wheel of Time series. I'm back on track to read the whole series this year. I'd forgotten how much I loved them.
Books I made progress on:
Crooked Kingdom
House of Sky and Breath
QOTW
I don't really pay attention to what authors are like in real life - I just want to enjoy their books - but I do follow writing duo Ilona Andrews's blog. And she seems to love baking, crafting and watching TV, so at least being neighbors would be okay.
I hope everyone's having a good and restful Thursday evening! I'm snuggled up in bed listening to the rain outside.As of this week, I have two less teeth than I did last Thursday (huzzah for getting wisdom teeth out later in life) and a new baby cousin was born the day after Valentine's Day :) Excited to meet him eventually, but I'm not about to rush things. Still very leery and conscious of the pandemic here. One of the actors I'm collaborating with on a staged reading just tested positive for Covid yesterday; fingers crossed he gets well soon and we're able to carry on.
I added a slew of Seamus Heaney books to my TBR, because I realized I'd never read any of his poetry (cue shock and horror!), and otherwise the week has been devoted to more Olympics (though I do wish the main NBC channel would show more than skiing and figure skating; I wanna see curling without having to have cable or streaming!) and another deep dive into genealogy. The 1950 census information is supposed to be released in April, so I'm doing as much prep work as I can on my family trees!
In book news, I finished four reads on the 14th! Might be a new record for me haha.
Take a Hint, Dani Brown - 5 stars. I thought I loved Chloe, but I adored Dani. Book with 2 POVs
Cover Run: The DC Comics Art of Adam Hughes - 5 stars. Some beautiful artwork in here featuring Wonder Woman, Catwoman, Supergirl, and others.
Over Sea, Under Stone - 4 stars, reread. Enjoyed it considerably, once again, and excited to move forward with the rest of the series.
HausMagick: Transform Your Home with Witchcraft - 2 stars. Some good ideas and reminders but overall a bust. I'm not one to tell other people how to practice their craft, but the crystal elixir idea this book presents is not something anyone needs to attempt. Book about witches
PS 12/50
Currently:
The Lies of Locke Lamora - Another reread
Catwoman, Volume 3: Under Pressure - Continuing my Catwoman comics kick
Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky - My first Rick Riordan Presents book!
If you could select one author as a flatmate/roommate, who would you choose? Why?
My fantasy-brain wants to say Oscar Wilde but I'm positive he would actually annoy me to no end. I'm happy with no roommates! Bahahaha
It was a busy week, not a lot of reading. I did finish Werewolf by Night: New Wolf Rising by Taboo for fun. It was okay but nothing spectacular.Might get more read over the weekend as I'll be recovering from minor surgery on my hand
QOTW Probably Leanne Renee Hieber as I do know her a little from steampunk cons. I think we'd have fun together.
Happy Thursday! One week I'll finally remember to check-in before work- I never remember it's Thursday until halfway through the day. Finished
Voices from Chernobyl: The Oral History of a Nuclear Disaster- this was a remarkable piece of journalism. It's so interesting to see so many different views of the disaster and it's aftermath. I definitely need to read more from Svetlana Alexievich.
31. A book featuring a man-made disaster
Currently Reading
No Comfort for the Lost- a historical mystery set in San Francisco- for part of the twin cities prompt. My friend is a huge fan of this series and has been telling me I should read it too. It seems like it could be a nice break after the Chernobyl book- a little bit lighter.
QotW
Long term, I don't think there's any author I'd want to live with. But short term? It'd have to someone who lived a big life, just to enjoy the ride for a while. Like the Fitzgeralds or Dorothy Parker in their heyday.
The weather here has been typical for this time of year, going down really cold one day and then warm the next. My hands are so dry and that is driving me nuts. I read 4 books this week, mostly because the one was too creepy to read late at night and my brain said one book at a time.
A Mango-Shaped Space was for ATY A book related to psychology, neurology or the mind. The main character has synesthesia. Typical younger YA plot, but it has a sad climax.
My hold for Akata Woman came in, apparently I was the first to recommend it to my library. Typical me, I waited until it was expiring in 3 days and devoured it lol. This was a good book and since it was published in 2022 I counted it for Popsugar's published 2022.
The Diviners was the creepy book I was talking about. I read this for ATY 3 books set in 3 continents. I am being extra and all three books are set in the 1920s lol.
Solutions and Other Problems was not for a challenge, I just impulse borrowed it. I thought it was going to be a funny book to balance out the creepy one, but this was more about grief than I expected. Still good, just sad.
QotW: I don't really have a concrete answer to this one, since I don't really follow authors. Maybe Chip Coffey, because he is a wonderful person that I have never met and maybe I could put up with the ghosts and spirits lol.
Thanks for that Tatra. You mentioned Akata Woman so I looked and I had Akata Witch and Akata Warrior on my iPad so now I’m reading Akata Witch. I have 28 books that I’m currently reading. Make that 29….. Quite enjoying it so far. Hopefully I’ll keep reading it and it can tick off a few prompts for next week.
Lynn wrote: "'m about halfway through 1812: A Novel as my book with blurbs on the cover. John Jakes AND James Michener. Two of my favorites. Frankly because of that, I was expecting a bit better.Nonfiction can read rather blandly a lot of times... Hope this picks up for you! ..."
Actually, 1812 is historical fiction. It's just not really holding my interest very much. It could be my fault. I'm having a lot of anxiety right now and it's affecting my concentration. Or, it could be the book's fault in that I don't think i'm really all that interested in the war of 1812.
Ellie wrote: "Today's been hectic. Was release day for a project and the client has been making changes right up until people were due to be using the site. Why is so hard to understand that every change runs th..."I hope the project release went well after all. Enjoy your weekend, despite of a turbulent visit of Eunice (I guess you're in the UK).
Storm Eunice is hammering us right now. Level of impact: I just got a breaking news notification: all food delivery services throughout the country are cancelled. So, if that’s the worst… We’ve already had storm Dudley yesterday. Dudley cracked a dead tree in our garden. At least we don’t have to dig it out ourselves.
But.. best news this week: our USA-trip is on!! Travel safety code is green again, so insurance and everything is covered. In 6 weeks we’re flying to Florida. Looking forward to it, but part of me still can’t believe it’s really going to happen.
PS: 4/40
Read 2022: 7
Finished
Lost Roses by Martha Hall Kelly ⭐⭐⭐
Not for PS
Nice story of the impact of the Russian Revolution on the aristocracy. It’s quite one-sided: the book only points out the impact on the aristocracy. Not the poor living conditions and treatment of the working class.
Currently reading
Viktor by Judith Fanto
To Hell and Back: Europe, 1914-1949 by Ian Kershaw
QotW
The only one I tolerate is my boyfriend. Other people are fun for a visit, but I’m glad they leave and I have my peace, calm and silence back.
Mod
I like making homemade chicken or turkey stock, but for some reason I hate the smell!
I found Old Drift to be a complete slog, too. I was extremely underwhelmed by that book. I read it when it first came out, and all I remember now is a lady with A LOT of hair, and some goofy astronauts in training (I'm sure you haven't gotten to the astronauts yet). None of it builds to anything. There's not really a point. It's just "here's this person, and random stuff happens, and then there's this person and stuff happens, and then this other person and stuff happens ..."
Mod
Wow sorry you're having such a time. I hate when doctors call to reschedule like that, because you know they get all huffy about extending that same grace to us.
I learned today that I'm not getting laid off! At least not THIS week! (There's nothing special going on, I just worry about this perpetually, and when my boss schedules a special meeting with me, my worry skyrockets. I've been laid off twice now from this same company so it's not like it would be unprecedented.)
A 24 hr norovirus swept through Binghamton two weeks ago like wild fire, kids were almost literally dropping like flies. EVERYONE on campus was sick. I guess it's moving north ... does this mean it will arrive in Syracuse in a few more weeks? Ugh.
Mod
Right there with you on that one!! I read that entire book, and it was NOT worth it. I know it's very popular and a lot of people rave about it, but it did nothing for me, and there were a few plot holes that really annoyed me (at one point he writes that he's still wearing the slippers he received, but then later in the story he loses everything, so how is he still wearing the slippers???). I despised the protagonist, he had a supercilious attitude toward everyone else, and all of the women were mere plot devices with no agency of their own. Maybe you already have to be a solid member of King's fan club to enjoy it, I don't know.
QOTW
Can I pick someone who's deceased? Because I choose Lord Byron. Admittedly, there'd be a lot of drama when he was at home, but he travels a lot so I'll mostly have the flat to myself.
LOL but you just KNOW he would leave food wrappers lying all over the place, refuse to clean up after himself, bring drunk friends home, OD in the bathroom, and borrow money that he never pays back.
Kaia wrote: ". To top it off, a lot of that part of the book was set in Derry, with references to the history and people of the town that I didn't understand, since I haven't seen or watched It."I first read this book before I read or watched It and it personally didn't bother me. I didn't even register any of it, haha! Now if I were to reread I'd be fangirling at seeing Richie and Bev! To me they're little easter eggs for fans, but not a problem if you're not. Interesting to see such a different perspective!
Harmke wrote: "But.. best news this week: our USA-trip is on!! Travel safety code is green again, so insurance and everything is covered. In 6 weeks we’re flying to Florida. Looking forward to it, but part of me still can’t believe it’s really going to happen."I am currently squinting against the sun, thanks Eunice xD But so much stuff has been cancelled and stopped. I think I'm lucky to be living in the South East of Brabant.
As for Florida! Yayyy! I'm so jealous, though I have very specific reasons to be wanting to go to Florida, hahah!
Nadine in NY wrote: "Jennifer W wrote: "Hi all! I'm so stressed out over 1,000 little things and 2 big ones- I still don't know what is going on with disability. I was supposed to have a doctor's appointment this morni..."I finally got through to reschedule, and the receptionist was like, "you missed your appointment?" and I was like, "no, the *doctor* missed the appointment!"
Glad you've still got your job!
Beware the virus!
Tatra wrote: "The weather here has been typical for this time of year, going down really cold one day and then warm the next. My hands are so dry and that is driving me nuts. I read 4 books this week, mostly b..."
Chip would be fun
Happy Thursday!I'm currently reading The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan and it was interesting to read:D
I'm also currently reading You Go First by Erin Entrada Kelly and I love it:)
Question of the Week:
If you could select one author as a flatmate/roommate, who would you choose? Why?
- I think I'm going to choose Mia P. Manansala because of her personality. She is from a Filipino family and she knows the traditions in the Philippines. One of her books I want to read is Arsenic and Adobo. Also, I like Mae Respicio because she is a Filipino author too and one of her books I want to read is Any Day with You:D
Nadine in NY wrote: "I found Old Drift to be a complete slog, too. I was extremely underwhelmed by that book..."Aww, that's disappointing. I was hoping it tied together at the end because I'm already about a third of the way through! Guess it's time to decide if it joins the dreaded DNF pile or not...
Mod
Aww, that's disappointing. I was hoping it tied together at the end because I'm alr..."
It absolutely does NOT tie together. It's very meandering. It's one of those books that follows the "this happened and this happened and this happened" pattern. The characters are loosely connected, each generation descended from the one before, and there is no overall plot arc.
We had one day of 41 degree weather and everything melted and as quick as that happened, the very next day we got heavy snow and now the ground is covered again. It's a high of 20 degrees today but hoping for more 40 degree days next week. Researching cute suburbs outside of Chicago to explore for my birthday next weekend.9/80 GoodReads Challenge
9/50 PopSugar Challenge
Finished:
1.) Never Saw Me Coming by Vera Kurian (#40- 2021 Pub) ⭐⭐: This was too all over the place for me. I loved the cover (the best part of this entire book) but just way too much shoved in that didn't work well for me.
Currently Reading:
1.) Seven Days in June
QoTW: If you could select one author as a flatmate/roommate, who would you choose? Why?
Hmmm... probably Kristin Hannah or Taylor Jenkins Reid. They seem more mature and confident in who they are. Quiet and focused and very normal people.
Kenya wrote: "Well, as of last weekend I am officially a college student! :D Enrolled at my local community college and aiming to get my Associate's Degree in English with a focus on crea..."Congratulations Kenya!! Way to go!!!
I only managed to finish 2 books by Thursday. Whomp-whomp.I hadn't heard of the ATY Read-a-Thon until seeing it mentioned here (haven't been really following ATY too much lately) and now I am going to try give it a shot.
2022 Challenges:
Popsugar: 20/50
ATY: 17/52
A to Z: 17/26
50 States:
2021.....26/50 (Have until end of June)
2022.....7/50
Read Harder: 4/24
Goodreads: 32/100
Finished:
2 finished this week, 0 for Popsugar
When We Left Cuba
ATY #33, '22 50 States
The follow up to Next Year in Havana. I liked it but, not as much as the first one.
Déjà Dead
RH #14
For YEARS I have been wanting to read this series. I read one many, many years ago (I think it was Bare Bones, the like 4th book?) and I remember liking it. This one seemed less enjoyable to me. I'm hoping it is mostly due to it being the first one. I will continue to read this series this year as I have decided this is the year for it but, not before bed because I had some weird dreams the night I did that.
Currently Reading
To Kill a Mockingbird
Hell of a Book
Magic Lessons
On the Backburner
Overdrive
Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI
Deacon King Kong
QOTW:
I've never given this much thought. But the first person who popped into my head was Lindy West just because I think I might get to laugh more with her around. But, you never know how people are, really are, until you live with them. maybe they are the one who never washes the dishes or is too noisy, etc. Besides as it stands right now I got enough roommates. My sister and her 4 yr old son live with me. I don't get time to myself too often as it is I don't need to add a person.
Finished:Sisterhood of Dune by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson (4/5, reread)
This book had a lot of forward momentum, especially in the second half. It makes you really hate the villains and gives you people to root for throughout. The Butlerian leaders in this novel would be promoting the same anti-vaccine sentiments that we are unfortunately seeing in our current time, which gave this second read a bit of added resonance.
Harmke wrote: "Storm Eunice is hammering us right now. Level of impact: I just got a breaking news notification: all food delivery services throughout the country are cancelled. So, if that’s the worst… We’ve al..."
How exciting for your US adventure Harmke. What part of Florida are you heading to?
This week I finished two.The first was With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo for my book with a recipe in it. And ohmygoodness... I loved this book. It was so sweet, and funny, and I found the main character to be delightful.
Second was Deacon King Kong by James McBride. There were so many characters and story lines that I had trouble getting into it. But towards the end, I was enjoying it more and got use to the style of the writing. I'm glad I read it but am glad it's done, too. This was for Anisfield-Wolf Book Award winner prompt.
Currently reading:
Dawn by Octavia E. Butler and One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston
PopSugar ThursdayNow everything is back to normal at home, so I can get back to reading.
QOTD: I have no idea which author I would pick to live with.
I only have a few more for last year
PS: 3/50
RH: 0/24
GR: 6/365
HP: 0/52
ATY: 0/52
Currently Reading:
Witch Please
James Potter and the Hall of Elders’ Crossing
All the Young Dudes
The Carrow Haunt
Goblin
Cackle
Spells like Teen Spirit
The Dictionary of Lost Words
Oddball
People We Meet on Vacation
The Greatest Thing
Waiting for the library to renew:
Space Boy: Vol. 11
The Witch King
Finished:
Nothing…
Britany wrote: "How exciting for your US adventure Harmke. What part of Florida are you heading to?"The center, we're heading to the Orlando area. Right in the middle of everything. And nice weather.
Reading Challenges Popsugar- 10/40
Goodreads - 10/20
Finished
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue - I adored this read, I joked on my social media of new week/new read and ended up finishing it in the same day. I was really hooked on the characters and the storyline, and opened up a whole new author that I want to binge.
The Tattooist of Auschwitz - I'm going to include a fail here, my intended audiobook of the week is dangerously close to being a DNF. It's strange, I've seen the book a lot whenever I go book hunting and deliberately delayed reading it because I wanted to expand from reading WW2 settings, but I just can't get into it.
In Progress
Hour of the Witch - I always pick up a new book at the airport and this one grabbed my attention for one of the prompts. Halfway through already with the short flight, intending to finish it off today.
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo - Since I'm likely to finish my current read today, this is patiently waiting to be started next.
Harmke wrote: "Britany wrote: "How exciting for your US adventure Harmke. What part of Florida are you heading to?"The center, we're heading to the Orlando area. Right in the middle of everything. And nice weat..."
How wonderful. You hitting Disney or Universal? I'm originally from the Tampa bay area, so very close to my home town.
I did not finish any books this week. I am continuing what has to be the world's longest book A Discovery of Witches (#16). I am reading this as a buddy read with a girlfriend. It was a rocky start but I am starting to enjoy it. I am about halfway through. I don't think I would have made it if I didn't have the audio book. I am also trying to finish Gf Pcmkr Classpride N Prejudice Se C01 (#34). This is an adapted version of Pride and Prejudice. I picked this because it was short and a student book club was reading Jane Austen books and I only had a week to read one. I would never have read this on my own and it is torture. However, because of this, I started The Bennet Women (#18). This is a retelling of Pride and Prejudice. I think I might like the modern take better. I also started Muted with my unit on verse novels with my students (#16 & #38).
I will finish Pride and Prejudice this week and hopefully get 3/4 through Discovery of Witches.
QOTW: If I could be roommates with any author I think I would choose Maya Angelou. She has always been one of my favorite authors and just the history of the experience would be great. However, my new favorite author is Elizabeth Acevedo and that might be fun as well.
Mod
I am continuing what has to be the world's longest book A Discovery of Witches (#16). I am reading this as a buddy read with a girlfriend. It ..."
If you're struggling with that book, you might enjoy this review, one of the funniest reviews I've seen on GR: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Britany wrote: "How wonderful. You hitting Disney or Universal? I'm originally from the Tampa bay area, so very close to my home town."Disney, for 1 or 2 days. We also would like to do day trips to both coastal areas. What recommendations do you have for the Tamba bay area?
Katrina wrote: "I did not finish any books this week. I am continuing what has to be the world's longest book A Discovery of Witches (#16). I am reading this as a buddy read with a girlfriend. It ..."
I bought A Discovery of Witches at a thrift store recently.
hi everyone, this is my first check in and I'm slowly getting used to how everything in the group works. I read #11 A #BookTok recommendation: Cemetery Boys by Aidan Thomas
#24 A book you can read in one sitting: How you lose the Time war by Amal-Mohtar and Max Gladstone
I'm currently working on #6 A book by a Latinx author- Lost in the Never Woods by Aidan Thomas
Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge
Books mentioned in this topic
The Unhoneymooners (other topics)Magus of the Library, Vol. 5 (other topics)
Kiss Me at the Stroke of Midnight, Vol. 12 (other topics)
Bewilderment (other topics)
A Thousand Pieces of You (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Christina Lauren (other topics)Maya Angelou (other topics)
Elizabeth Acevedo (other topics)
Kevin J. Anderson (other topics)
Brian Herbert (other topics)
More...
I took a look at my list the other day and I'm at 21/50.
Finished:
The Marrow Thieves - I have the second book already so I think this will be my duology
The Ground Breaking: An American City and Its Search for Justice - About the Tulsa Race Massacre and it's ongoing aftermath, for Booktube Prize judging
Unspeakable: The Tulsa Race Massacre - Not bad, but I find it a bit odd that the author's note in the back is basically just repeating what was in the text. Illustrator's note was far more interesting.
Love in Color: Mythical Tales from Around the World, Retold - I enjoyed this more than I thought I would! Sometimes both romances and retellings don't really do it for me, but I enjoyed these. Also the cover is gorgeous. I'm glad I got this one for Christmas. It's so purdy.
Currently Reading:
Discovering Architecture: How the World's Great Buildings Were Designed and Built
Stuntboy, in the Meantime
Mr. and Mrs. Bunny — Detectives Extraordinaire!
The Afterlife of Holly Chase
Ain't Burned All the Bright
Yes I am currently reading two different Jason Reynolds books. I have no regrets.
QOTW:
Mary Robinette Kowal! She's an intersectional feminist space nerd audiobook narrator puppeteer/designer who likes The Thin Man, suffers from depression and has those talking buttons for her cat. What more could I want?
Oh and there was that time during lockdown that she livestreamed the entirety of her recording the audiobook of her upcoming release... good times.