Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge discussion
2022 Weekly Check-Ins
>
Week 9: 2/25 - 3/3
Ashley Marie wrote: "Thanks for the sound note! I'll have to make sure and watch this when my husband isn't around because it'll bother him to no end, but a friend of mine is a serious SebStan fan and she's been talking my ear off about this movie for weeks now! Excited to finally see it!"Of course, glad to help! Also I could very well be your friend, haha! I was seriously tempted to get a Sundance ticket, but unfortunately the International options didn't work for me so I had to wait. Then got a link for a preview! I know it's just the one day early I ended up seeing it, but you know, still cool!
For some reason today, I am just more tired than usual. At least I get to chill in bed with books and puzzles and a warm beverage the rest of the day. This week I finished up my Black History Month reading and I've started WHM. I liked it last month when I had my little theme at the start to kick it off. This month so far I just keep starting books before finishing one! Ack! I have at least 24/50
Finished:
Picture Books
Ten Ways to Hear Snow
The Year We Learned to Fly
The Tea Party in the Woods - Fun illustrations
Visiting Day
Lost and Found
The Black Count: Glory, Revolution, Betrayal, and the Real Count of Monte Cristo -
Pet - For some reason I did not think it was going to be about what it was about.
Still Life - Hey I've finally started Inspector Gamache books! Although, this is not my first visit to Three Pines. *Cue mysterious music*
Currently Reading:
Marion Lane and the Deadly Rose
Women Warriors: An Unexpected History
A Fatal Grace
Mr. and Mrs. Bunny — Detectives Extraordinaire!
QOTW:
Yes! I have a H U G E list of possible reads in the other thread. Some I'd recommend:
The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper
The Soul of a Woman
The Woman They Could Not Silence: One Woman, Her Incredible Fight for Freedom, and the Men Who Tried to Make Her Disappear
Eighty Days: Nellie Bly and Elizabeth Bisland's History-Making Race Around the World
Fighting for Space: Two Pilots and Their Historic Battle for Female Spaceflight
Invisible: The Forgotten Story of the Black Woman Lawyer Who Took Down America's Most Powerful Mobster
I keep thinking about a documentary I saw a few years ago. If anyone hasn't seen it, I highly recommend it. It's excellent, and Oscar nominated. It's from less than ten years ago and could give some context.Winter on Fire: Ukraine's Fight for Freedom
Trailer
https://youtu.be/RibAQHeDia8
These aren’t the best days over here. Carnival ended with a deadly stabbing in the town I work (not live). A young men of 21 years old died (I don’t know him or his family, so it doesn’t affect me personally). His He only tried to soothe a quarrel… The square where he died was a strange quiet place when I walked there yesterday. I know it’s nothing compared to the useless brainless bloodshed in Ukraine. I don’t want to even imagine how that’s like. In good news: our favorite ice cream shop opens again tomorrow!
PS:4/40
Read 2022: 9
Finished
Viktor by Judith Fanto ⭐⭐⭐
Not for PS
A book with my name in it!! My name is very rare, even in the Netherlands. There’s 1 other book my name is in. It was so weird. 999 out of 1.000 times when I read or hear my name it’s for me. So this was really really weird.
Madam President by Nicolle Wallace ⭐
Not for PS
Okay, you’re writing about something groundbreaking as a female president of the United States having a female chief of staff. And this book is all about men… Booo!!
Currently reading
To Hell and Back: Europe, 1914-1949
Los pacientes del doctor García
QOTW
I’m not planning any books this year. But… since this is one of my favorite topics… a few recommendations. And here I was planning a big list, but it turned out my favorite ones are Dutch. And not translated. So that won’t help you except Carmen I guess.
Fiction:
A Thousand Splendid Suns
The Help
Nonfiction/ based on a true story:
Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men
The Sisters of Auschwitz: The True Story of Two Jewish Sisters' Resistance in the Heart of Nazi Territory: this one is Dutch, but translated. Highly recommend it. It's about 2 Jewish sisters during WW2, in the resistance, into hiding and transported to Auschwitz.
The Last Train to London. About another brave Dutch woman during WW2.
Harmke wrote: "These aren’t the best days over here. Carnival ended with a deadly stabbing in the town I work (not live). A young men of 21 years old died (I don’t know him or his family, so it doesn’t affect me personally). His He only tried to soothe a quarrel… The square where he died was a strange quiet place when I walked there yesterday. I know it’s nothing compared to the useless brainless bloodshed in Ukraine. I don’t want to even imagine how that’s like."God I heard about that! Here everything went peacefully as far as I know, but damn, I'm sorry. Can't even imagine how surreal that must have been.
And not translated. So that won’t help you except Carmen I guess.
I feel very special. But it's another testament to how more books should be translated!
Mod
I know exactly how you feel, because it's extremely rare to meet another Nadine or read a book with a character named Nadine, so when I do, it's jarring,
My name seems to be getting more popular! But then one of the best known Dutch books has my name in it, and another popular older YA has as well, and for a while I really thought characters named Carmen were doomed to get cancer or be around cancer!
Mod
Uhm. I assume you may have already posted further details about this due to several queries? LOL
"I am 43/50. I was pretty worried about finishing the challenge this early in the year, but now I'm starting to get excited, and I figured out this morning that if I read 75 pages per day, I will be done by the end of March."
Wow. I am impressed! YAY YOU!!
"This week I finished:
The Paris Apartment: Sister city (Paris, I'm going to read a book set in Chicago for the other city): I have been a pretty big fan of Lucy Foley's other books, but this one wasn't nearly as engaging. I thought the suspense was overdone, and the characters seemed like characters rather than complex people. There were definitely a few twists that I did not see coming, but it didn't hold up to the others by this author."
That's too bad.
"Gulp: Adventures on the Alimentary Canal: A book with an onomatopoeia in its title: Like all of Mary Roach's books, this is interesting and as entertaining as a book about the digestive system can be. The only reason I'm not rating it higher is because, despite her best efforts, the book is gross, and I think I'm going to have anxiety about my digestive system now. Also, I have a problem with anything about teeth and had to force myself not to fast forward through that section."
Oh, my! You made me laugh sooooo hard!! 😂 Teeth, huh? LOL
"Phoenix Rising: A book with a constellation on the cover or in the title: I remember reading this on the school bus when I was 11 and I noticed the girl in front of me reading too. I asked what she was reading and she was reading a different book by the same author. It was her favorite book. This was mine. 22 years later, we're still best friends, so when I found this book at a used booksale I had to buy it."
What a neat story of friendship and reading!!
"None Shall Sleep: Cutlery Prompt"
Ooohhh...I'll leave that one alone. Definitely looks too gory...
"Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone: after some flipping in my list, I'm using this for 2 languages (there's a good bit of latin and also parseltongue): I have read this book so many times, but I will always come back to this series. I decided that for this reread, I was going to really take my time and read one chapter per day. It has been a highlight of my mornings and has really let me sit with the story in a way that I never have. Something that I noticed, as I keep track of all my favorite quotes in a journal, is how wonderfully executed the end is, and I know I'm going to experience it throughout the series. I can't say enough about a good ending. I'm not even talking about the big reveal or action scenes, which are always epic, but rather the scenes afterward, when the characters are talking about what happened, asking their questions, showing their emotions for one another, and looking forward to the years/summer ahead. Just beautifully done and probably the first time I've ever taken longer than 2 days to read this book. Well worth it."
Wow. That shows real patience. I cannot imagine rereading one of these books just one chapter per day. Although I can imagine it does give you a different perspective to have a whole day to mull over just one chapter... I seriously doubt I'll ever do anything but inhale that series as I have in the past, however.
"No Exit: A book becoming a TV series or movie in 2022"
Ooph! Another one I'll leave for you!
"Currently reading
The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper: I need to switch to the ebook of this. The audiobook isn't working for me."
I rarely do audiobooks but I can see how they might not work well for some books...
"Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets: continuing with one chapter at a time"
Again, you sure do have patience!
"QOTW:
I like Lynn's idea of Furious Hours: Mur der, Fraud, and the Last Trial of Harper Lee: I have wanted to read it for years. I even started it once and put it down again, not because it wasn't good, but it just didn't feel like the right time."
It's weird how that can happen, isn't it? I have my copy right by my "reading chair"... We'll see how that goes! LOL
Carmen wrote: "Of course, glad to help! Also I could very well be your friend, haha! I was seriously tempted to get a Sundance ticket, but unfortunately the International options didn't work for me so I had to wait. Then got a link for a preview! I know it's just the one day early I ended up seeing it, but you know, still cool!"Very! My IRL friend has a bunch of us watching Pam & Tommy on Hulu right now, and salivating for Fresh, and I still need to track down Monday and watch that.
Mod
A great fit for that prompt! I've enjoyed the first two and realized the other day I have a copy of the third/last book and have yet to read it. I hope you enjoy this one!
"QOTW: Nope."
Concise and precise answer! LOL 😊
Ashley Marie wrote: "Very! My IRL friend has a bunch of us watching Pam & Tommy on Hulu right now, and salivating for Fresh, and I still need to track down Monday and watch that."Pam & Tommy is .. wow! Enraging for sure, but incredibly well done. Pamela shared today she's doing a documentary for Netflix and I cannot wait to finally get *her* story! Also after all this time, she deserves to make some money off her own story.
I still gotta watch Monday, too! I have it but haven't gotten to it yet, though I did see one particular scene already jksdflasdg. Next up for me is the first episode of Kings. If I like it, I'll have to get the DVDs from somewhere cuz it's impossible to find!
Once you've seen Fresh, let me know!! The one downside of watching it early is that there is no one you can yell about it with haha!
Being in Switzerland right now, with students of multiple international backgrounds, is providing a learning experience beyond boundaries. As a history and social studies teacher, I am having a great lot of conversations this week, especially with grade 8s who were already in a unit on government, leadership, and domestic/international policy. I am by no means an expert on anything, and this is a chance to educate myself on how we are all bringing different worries, concerns, and perspectives to what's occurring in Ukraine. Finished in February:
The Book Thief - How I've not read this before is unknown, but it was heart-rending and beautiful. Prompt #49 - sister cities (Munich)
Luckenbooth - Imaginative and odd, magical, strange, and part historical fiction ... not entirely sold on the premise. Took me awhile to get through, even though I was trying to read it in Edinburgh during my travels there. Might appeal to magical realism/horror readers. Prompt #50 - sister cities (Edinburgh)
Fingersmith - I can see what the book was trying to be, but I don't think I bought it. Characters felt flat, it started to get repetitive and boring about halfway through. I liked the history, and I started with enjoying Susan's narrative, but the second and third parts crashed for me. Prompt #34 - a book set in Victorian times
Currently Reading:
If Walls Could Talk: An intimate history of the home - book with cutlery on the cover - been nursing this for a bit as I can read it in fits and starts
The Sanatorium - given to me by a co-worker - set in the French Swiss Alps, so I'm all for the setting, but it's already starting to put me off with the pseudo-Swiss stereotypes and I'm only 25 pages in. But, I'm interested in the weird hotel history and see what happens as a locked-door mystery. Not sure what prompt I'll fit it to yet, if I will at all. Might just be a wash.
Islands of Abandonment - picked this up at Topping & Co Books in Edinburgh, and it's super-interesting. It might save me from my *good* reading drought lately. I picked up a few books there, and funny story, it was absolutely bucketing rain. They had no plastic bags for the book (very poor planning on my part!), so I put my hood up and used my umbrella to shield my books in a paper bag ... managed to get them all back without being waterlogged. Got some strange looks as we tried to make it to M&S for rainboots.
Question of the Week:
I'm not necessarily planning any particular books, but I can highly recommend Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men and Unwell Women: Misdiagnosis and Myth in a Man-Made World as great nonfiction about the struggles women undergo in the general world and also medical field.
Unrelated to International Women's Day, but for current events:
I can recommend Prisoners of Geography: Ten Maps That Tell You Everything You Need to Know About Global Politics and Tim Marshall's other books in the same series. Whilst the books don't explain everything, it is a way to open conversations about what is occurring at the moment.
Happy check-in! We're awaiting a huge snow storm here so I'll be shoveling. The situation in the Ukraine is heartbreaking and I feel bad for the innocent Russian people especially those with family in the Ukraine. The pros and cons of social media means that we can't look away and pretend war isn't vile.
I finally have some books that I really want so I went to the bookstore to spend Christmas gift cards. Two of the three books I wanted were in stock. I didn't feel like ordering the one book today so it will wait for another day. The bookstore had a 'Blind date with a book' promotion going on that was a really cool idea. They took donated books and wrapped them, wrote genre and a quote on the outside and priced them all $5-$15 dollars. All proceeds went to their children's charity which supplies children with books. I bought the only fantasy option on the shelf, that was the first book of an epic series... The Way of Kings which I have not read so I'm happy with my present. :)
Finished Reading:
Allegiant ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (2022 non patriarchal society)
I finally finished this off. 🥳 I did not see the ending coming which was great. It makes me sad that they never finished off the movies though.
An Elderly Lady Must Not Be Crossed ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (2022 mobility aid)
I was surprised to find this in overdrive and I tore through it. A sequel to An Elderly Lady Is Up to No Good that you need to read before this one. More short stories from a Swedish senior citizen who keeps uses murder to solve her problems. Maud uses a cane to appear more elderly and avoid suspicion fyi.
The Graveyard Book Graphic Novel Single Volume ⭐⭐ (2022 afterlife)
Graphic novels generally improve a story for me after reading the original but not in this case.
Prairie Dreams ⭐⭐⭐
This book isn't properly entered into goodreads so it has no picture and has the wrong publishing date but oh well the cover only has my favourite picture from this photography collection. It's a picture of a sunset with pink, purple, orange, and yellow with a few black horses running. This starts with a great concept of a photographer reaching out to people on the Canadian prairies and asking them what the prairies mean to them. This was published late eighties so I think the rules about citing pictures and poems probably has changed. I needed more information and this seemed to not have much from indigenous peoples. :( The photos were still nice.
Kingdom of the Cursed ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (2015 book from a trilogy)
This was even better than the first book and I went out and bought it. September is too far away for book 3. :( This author's books are big on BookTok fyi.
Fearless Females: The Fight for Freedom, Equality, and Sisterhood ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (2015 Female author)
A graphic novel with a timeline overview on feminism. Definitely more focused on the US and United Kingdom but still informative.
Coraline ⭐⭐ (2022 Hugo award winner)
So Neil Gaiman books keep being underwhelming/boring. He does have a clear viewpoint but so far it just doesn't work for me.
PS 2022 25/50
PS 2015 18/50
Goodreads 59/200
Currently Reading:
Sweep of the Heart This is shaping up to be my favourite of this series.
QOTW:
Well I didn't have anything planned but Fearless Females: The Fight for Freedom, Equality, and Sisterhood looked at me in the library so I went with it. Most of what I read is by female authors anyway but I should read more non fiction to begin with.
Nadine in NY wrote: "Chandie wrote: "the hero has been shot and they decide the frozen tundra is a great place to get it on and no...."I hate that in romance novels when one character has been injured and then they have sex. I mean, I stub my toe and I can't think of anything else. If I fall in the parking lot and scrape up my arms and legs, I am NOT thinking about sexy times as the sexy guy cleans me up in the bathroom (I can't remember what book this was, but I hated it). If I got into a fist fight and my lip and face are cut and swelling, no I am NOT going to be kissing someone, but this happens all the time!!! If I've sprained my ankle or dislocated my shoulder or broken a bone, nope I am NOT having sexy times (Weather Girl I am SO looking at you). And if I've just been SHOT, NO I am NOT having sexy times. I mean, what are these authors thinking???..."
Exactly! I agree so completely with what you are saying, I'd even consider it a pet peeve for me.
Mod
It’s actually been a fairly productive week, both with respect to reading and getting things done around my home. I finally managed to make some headway on several projects that I’ve been avoiding, and I’m feeling pretty good about what I’ve managed to accomplish so far."
Good for you! Way to go! 👍😁
"This week I had the opportunity to finish reading the Vampire Knight manga, which I started reading last week. I knew this particular series had been sitting unread on my shelves for a long time, but it wasn’t until I found a price sticker from Borders on the back of one of the volumes that I realized just how long it had been. (I miss that store so much…)"
I had to laugh! I miss that place so very much! No way I could afford to work their full-time, but working there part-time as a second job in the evenings and weekends was marvelous! My store was blessed with an excellent manager who demanded we know our stock, even those areas with which we were unfamiliar, etc. He would even come out on the floor and quiz us about new releases, etc. It was definitely my dream job...well, with the exception of someone actually paying me to read! LOL Yep, you've definitely had those a while!
"In other news, I decided to participate in the March Mystery Madness readathon this month. Although I will probably continue to get caught up on various manga series throughout the next few weeks, my primary focus is going to be reading mystery novels. I’m in a major Agatha Christie mood right now, so I’ll probably spend most of March continuing her Hercule Poirot series. I’ve really enjoyed the books I’ve read so far."
Christie is a classic for mysteries! This sounds fun! Good luck!
"Goodreads: 177/200
TBR checklist: 143/962 — I’m so close to the end of my book buying ban, and I can hardly wait! Only 7 titles left to go!"
Wow! That's great! Almost...there!
"Finished Reading:"
Amazing list!
"QOTW:
Since I’m already participating in March Mystery Madness this month, I’m not currently planning to read any books specifically for Women’s History Month."
It sounds as if you'll be reading mysteries written by a woman. I think that counts! 😊
My thoughts are with the Ukraine as well, and I don't see any end in sight unfortunately.I'm very happy to say my reading is almost back on track this year, according to Goodreads I'm now only 2 books behind on my yearly reading challenge. I'm 9/50 for PS, and hoping to finish the current book I'm working on tonight.
Read this week:
Women Are Amazing by Armando Guerra - shameless plug, this short book was written by a friend of ours. We took him to a few bookstores in town to make some connections, we're hoping it turns into some book signing opportunities. I'm describing it as one man's take on love, marriage, and family. Used for "a book by a LatinX author."
Port Mortuary by Patricia Cornwell - just ok, honestly I jumped into this series solely because it sounded like this one was set in Delaware (only for a chapter or two, so I used it for Massachusetts instead). Because of that, I used it as "a book you know nothing about." I thought it dragged on way too long.
After Alice Fell by Kim Taylor Blakemore - historical fiction, and a bit of a thriller (set in New Hampshire).
I'm Not Dying with You Tonight by Kimberly Jones and Gilly Segal - fantastic YA book that deals with police brutality and urban riots, I was invested in the two main characters and felt we really got to understand them and their perspectives on events that unfold over the course of one night. Used as "a book with two points of view" - chapter narration alternated between the two main characters.
Why We Fly by Kimberly Jones and Gilly Segal - I was so taken with I'm Not Dying With You Tonight that I picked up another book written by the same authors. This one was about high school sports and the "take a knee" movement, set in 2019 to ensure it was at the height of the controversy. The book dealt with important themes such as speaking up against unjustness and the right of athletes to participate in peaceful protests, as well as how unfairly punishments are meted out based on race and gender. I did not like the main characters, but I did care about the story line and the writing was fantastic. This could also be used as "a book with two POVs."
QOTW: I expect to read some books that fit the Women's History month theme. The first two I've read already, the others are planned:
I'm Not Dying with You Tonight by Kimberly Jones and Gilly Segal
Why We Fly by Kimberly Jones and Gilly Segal
Harbor Me by Jacqueline Woodson
The Night Diary by Veera Hiranandani
All I Ever Wanted: Jessie by Athina Paris
Furia by Yamile Saied Méndez
Radio Silence by Alice Oseman
Kelsey wrote: "Hi Everyone,It's been quite the week and I haven't done much reading. I found out on Monday that my mom passed away. I was adopted as a kid by my grandparents so I haven't had much of a relations..."
I'm so sorry for your loss.
I am also heartbroken over everything that is happening in Ukraine, and for all the people in Russia who are protesting the war. :(Closer to home, things have been quiet. Rainy early spring in the PNW.
I had a few finishes this week:
Knife Children - 4 stars - for a book with cutlery on the cover or in the title. I only remember a little of the rest of the series, but I still enjoyed this a lot.
XOXO - 3.5 stars - for a book you know nothing about, since I received this one last December in a gift exchange, and had never even heard of it before then. It was cute, fluffy YA romance about a Korean-American cellist falling in love with a K-pop idol.
Comics & manga:
Our Dreams at Dusk: Shimanami Tasogare, Vol. 1
Our Dreams at Dusk: Shimanami Tasogare, Vol. 2
Our Dreams at Dusk: Shimanami Tasogare, Vol. 3
Our Dreams at Dusk: Shimanami Tasogare, Vol. 4
Komi Can't Communicate, Vol. 16
Boys Run the Riot, Vol. 4
Snow White with the Red Hair, Vol. 17
20/50 Popsugar
I'm currently reading If This Gets Out for the book about a band or musical group prompt. It's kind of thematically interesting to be reading this one right after XOXO, because they are both about boy bands, and members having to keep romantic feelings and relationships a secret in order to fit the band's manufactured image. I'm not really much of a boy band person, so I don't know if this inspired by any real bands, but so far it's fun.
QOTW: I'm not planning on reading anything specific for Women's History Month, but the majority of what I read already is by female authors so I'm sure I'll read plenty of female authors in March.
Sarah wrote: "Also reading Alone in Antarctica: The First Woman To Ski Solo Across The Southern Ice. Antarctica books are one of my niche obsessions." Antarctica is also one of my niche obsessions, so thank you for the rec. I'll see if I can find it somewhere :)
Hi Everyone!Summer Reading Program is getting close so I'm starting to finalize my plans for the six weeks of it. As Bartok say, "Stress. It's a Killer."
It's been okay weather wise here, but I think there's another cold front coming in this weekend.
I've not had a great PopSugar week, but that doesn't mean I haven't been reading. 😂
In truth, I've been reading fanfiction this week. Archive of My Own has gripped me in its grasp and has not let go yet.
I did finish A Touch of Malice and Punderworld, Volume 1. Both are Persephone and Hades.
I am currently reading Blood and Moonlight and A Magic Steeped in Poison as well as fanfiction. They are both from NetGalley.
I also have a few pages in As Good As Dead.
I found a box set of the British versions of GGGTM series. I'm looking forward to reading those later.
My Reading Plans (I think this will be a running gag for me)
I will try to finish As Good as Dead, my two NetGalley books, and for the love of everything try to get off the fanfiction kick quickly.
QOTW
I'm not planning anything to read for Women's History.
It's finally starting to cool down on a consistent basis here in South Australia, which has been nice. But I'm waiting to hear about kidney surgery and dealing with a bit of pain in the meantime. Lying flat helps ease the pain, but I can't work flat on my back, so I've had plenty of time for reading. PopSugar: 15/50
Finished:
Neverwhere: A Novel. This was the first Gaiman book I read, some 20 years ago, and I loved it. It was equally good on this reread. I picked up the author's choice version. Apparently he added some scenes and took others away, but it's been so long since I last read it, that I have no idea what changed. Prompt: Book about parallel realities
Dog on It. The first of the Chet and Bernie mysteries. I'm planning to read It's a Wonderful Woof for the onomatopoeia prompt, and decided to read one of the earlier books as well. It was a fun mystery narrated by the dog. His voice is what makes it, really, with the human reasoning missed at times because Chet is distracted by a cheeto under the bed or something. On the other hand, Chet solves part of the mystery early, but can't speak English, so can't communicate what he knows. Makes for a very cleverly written story. Prompt: A book with the name of a board game in the title - the board game is Dog Gonnit!)
Legends & Lattes Someone on Twitter recommended this as a warm hug of a book, and she was right. It's a coffee shop AU plonked down into a Dungeons & Dragons setting. It's your party's level 20 orc retiring to open a cafe. There's enough intrigue to keep it interesting, but it mostly concentrates on building friendships and a successful business. Great book. I read it for the season prompt, but it also fits found family and published in 2022. Prompt: Set in your favorite season - autumn
Currently Reading
Seveneves is still waiting for me to finish library books. As it's on my kindle and easy to transport, I'll probably save it for my upcoming overnight hospital stay.
Zorro I just picked this up from the library and it's next on my list, though I haven't started it just yet.
QOTW
I hadn't planned anything in particular. I bought The Dictionary of Lost Words the other day, which is about words that women use being excluded from the dictionary. I'll probably try to get to that this month. Upright Women Wanted is also currently on the way to my library, so I'll be reading that one in March as well.
Mary wrote: "Katy wrote: "Thank goodness. I thought you were teaching people how to sext. I mean, probably nothing wrong with 2 consensual adults sexting, I was just wondering what kind of institution would tea..."And here I thought you were doing a texting version of Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows.
Mod
LOL I haven't seen this show but I'm guessing you mean the penis conversation?!
Hey all, happy Thursday.Finished reading: (3/50)
Bonds of Brass (about a secret, booktok rec) - This had such a promising start: a cute space opera romance with star-crossed lovers. But the main character, Ettian, was so angsty/wishy-washy about whether he should be with Gal that I didn't like him. And Gal didn't have much of a personality himself. And a lot of the plot seemed contrived/unrealistic to set up maximum romantic tension. It still had some cute moments, and I liked the ending, but overall the idea was better than the execution.
Currently reading:
Moon Witch, Spider King (about witches) - Sequel to Black Leopard, Red Wolf. Excited to read this because I hated Sogolon in book one but I want to see if a book from her perspective will change my mind.
QotW: Honestly, I've been in a moderate reading slump for a while (see: my completed book count) so I don't have particular plans for the month. I'm just going to keep impulse reading and hope to pull out of it.
Mandy wrote: "Hi Everyone!Summer Reading Program is getting close so I'm starting to finalize my plans for the six weeks of it. As Bartok say, "Stress. It's a Killer."
It's been okay weather wise here, but I..."
Welcome to the AO3 trashcan! It's very nice here. Cozy. *hands you blankets*
Nadine in NY wrote: "LOL I haven't seen this show but I'm guessing you mean the penis conversation?!"Nahh that's in Pam & Tommy! That scene was ... well it was something khasjdlasdg as disturbing as it was hilarious! I was very glad I knew it was coming xD
There's a full frontal scene in Monday, no prosthetics or nothing. I was very surprised it wasn't all over Tumblr to be honest. It's completely non-sexual as well! Sebastian has (or had, but we all know those issues don't go away easily) serious insecurity issues about his body, so him agreeing to do a scene like that? *proud mushu gif*
Greetings! Now that I have recovered from the sexting class discussion....I'm now at 20/50 I believe.
Finished:
Sapphire Flames and Emerald Blaze brings me current on the Hidden Legacy series. I love these Urban Fantasy Thrillers!
The Address - set in The Dakota -- if you like reading about NYC, this is a must.
Angels Landing by Rochelle Alers -
for prompt romance by BIPOC author. 2nd in the Cavanaugh Island series and I found it far weaker than the first in the series. I do like the setting in the Gullah culture of SC. Thea Stilton and the Ghost of the Shipwreck - gorgeous underwater illustrations accompany this young middle grade book. I am still enjoying these though I am far too old.
Currently Reading:
A Game of Thrones
The British Are Coming: The War for America, Lexington to Princeton, 1775-1777
A Psalm for the Wild-Built - I think this will fit the ace spectrum prompt.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Behind a Mask: The Unknown Thrillers of Louisa May Alcott
QOTW: I don't do those monthly themes. Plus a lot of my reading generally is womon-centered, and my book club is all about a deep dive into women and gender in SciFi and Fantasy.
However, I would recommend a few classics: Sexual Politics, Against Our Will: Men, Women and Rape, The Feminine Mystique, all non-fiction. Fiction: The Women's Room and Fear of Flying. Those are some of the books I read in the 1970s as my feminist education.
Mod
It's been quite the week and I haven't done much reading. I found out on Monday that my mom passed away. I was adopted as a kid by my grandparents so I haven't had much of a relations..."
I am so sorry for your loss.
Mod
yeah these books are dense!! I'm listening to Moon Witch. I've been working on it for about two weeks now and I'm only halfway through.
Mod
hahaha me too!! I am once again amazed at James' skill. I LOVE Sogolon now!
Mod
I LOVED that series when it first came out, I was a loyal reader. But after a while it just became old and stale and tired and ridiculous. In my mind, I kept reading through book 13 or 14, but on GR I've only marked the first 7 books as read (that's not entirely reliable, of course, since GR didn't exist yet when I was reading those books, but I think it's accurate). I can't believe she's still going with this same series! Another book comes out this year!!
Checking in for two weeks since last Thursday was packed with work, then I was canvassing in Laredo for three days, but now that the Texas elections are (mostly) over, I have a little breathing room. I'm almost at the halfway mark for the challenge! 24/50
The past two weeks I finished:
The Arsonists' City Great story 4.5 stars
The Night Watchman Re-read for a book club. Still love this! 5 stars
A Lie Someone Told You about Yourself Wow, very unique and powerful. 5 stars
I Came All This Way to Meet You: Writing Myself Home I enjoyed the writing life parts of this. 4 stars
The Sentence This had a pretty slow pace after the first few scenes, but it was still worthwhile. 4.5 stars
How the Word Is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America This is a must-read. One of my new favorite writers. 5 stars
Violeta This was good, but I've already forgotten most of it... not sure why. 4 stars
Black Cake Great story. 4.25 stars
QOTW: This is the only CAM I don't really pay attention to since most books I read are by women. I guess I could read more feminism-focused books in March, but I already have a lot planned.
Mod
That does sound really cute!!!
I hope your surgery goes smoothly and you're feeling better soon.
Hi all! It's actually been a quiet week for me... but my kiddo and boyfriend have colds and my mom slipped on ice and broke her ankle and had to have surgery! She's doing all right, but can't walk on it and is already bored. I cleaned out my office yesterday, but I haven't heard from disability yet. I can't see why they would deny the claim...
Nadine, you're going about it wrong. In the winter, you have to be surprised when there's NOT snow!
As I was scrolling through everyone's posts, the local news was talking about sexting cases where teens have died by suicide as a result. I'm glad this stuff wasn't around when I was a teenager, those years were hard enough as it was.
I'm usually a news junkie, but the images and stories coming out of Ukraine are just brutal. This morning I heard an orphanage was hit. Seriously?? Like those kids don't have a sh*tty enough life as it is... now they've lost their freaking orphanage?? So it's made me turn off the TV and computer and read a little more. Cause a murder mystery is a better world to escape to at this point...
I had to return The Organ Thieves: The Shocking Story of the First Heart Transplant in the Segregated South, but I requested it again, :), so I should be back to it in a couple of days.
In the meantime, I picked up The Overnight Guest. It's been a while since I've read a murder mystery, and it's a good diversion. I'm reading it for a book published in 2022.
I also started Bucking the Tiger for a book with tiger in the title.
QOTW: I picked up 2 books I want to read this month related to women's history, A Woman of No Importance: The Untold Story of the American Spy Who Helped Win World War II for the mobility aid prompt and The Woman They Could Not Silence: One Woman, Her Incredible Fight for Freedom, and the Men Who Tried to Make Her Disappear, which I don't have a prompt for yet. I guess I'll have to squeeze them in along with the other reads I've got going on!
Mary wrote: I am 43/50. I was pretty worried about finishing the challenge this early in the year, but now I'm starting to get excited, and I figured out this morning that if I read 75 pages per day, I will be done by the end of March.I too want to finish early this year. I literally finished at 12 o'clock on 12/31 last year. Not doing that again!
Mary wrote: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone: after some flipping in my list, I'm using this for 2 languages (there's a good bit of latin and also parseltongue): I have read this book so many times, but I will always come back to this series. I decided that for this reread, I was going to really take my time and read one chapter per day. It has been a highlight of my mornings and has really let me sit with the story in a way that I never have.
A few years back I got the chance to go on a college exchange and the school I chose had an English course that was a Harry Potter class. We had to read the books and write papers on 5 different aspects of them. Race, culture, gender, and I can't remember the other two. But, it really made me see the books in a different way. It had been quite a few years since I had first read them and I realized how much I liked them but also how much you miss the first time around.
Nadine wrote: Lynn wrote: "I feel the need to mention the people of Ukraine who are, in my opinion, enduring most people’s worst nightmare right now. I am hopeful that somehow such unbridled aggression at empire-building can..."
Every morning I wake up hoping to learn that global pressure, blockades, negotiations, etc have finally ended this. But the entire thing makes no sense so nothing sensible will end it.
I feel like Putin is just having a temper tantrum and the world will have to suffer for it.
Nadine wrote: Ellie wrote: "I'm worried that Putin has just detached from reality and is living in his own fantasy world, where he believes the lies he's spun over the last eight years. ..."
I've had that thought too. Like, things went so well for him with the previous US President, maybe he thinks he can manipulate everyone that way? idk - who knows what goes through that guy's head, I've never understood. I still think back to that weird shirtless horseback photo op ... just so odd.
Aaakk...Don't give him Voldemort powers! Just say it... bwwaahhh! Also, shirtless horseback photo op....*spits food out laughing*
Chandie wrote: I generally don't deviate from my TBR pile which is in order from oldest to newest (except I read my BOTM when they come in).
Wow! I admire your dedication. I tend to go all over my TBR. I planned out my ATY list this year and I think of the 19 I have read about 5 of them were the book I actually had planned.
Ashley Marie wrote: Sing, Unburied, Sing - 2 stars. This one felt very Toni Morrison-esque, but I just couldn't connect with it and it felt like a slog. Palindromic title
Same
My Condolences to Kelsey.
Happy Thursday. Thoughts and prayers go out to all those in Ukraine and those who have family there. Stats:
Popsugar: 16/50
ATY: 21/75
ATY Reread: 5/52
Wheel of Time: 2/15
Books I finished:
What We Lose - ⭐⭐⭐
Prompt: PS: A book you know nothing about.
This was on my library's display for BHM and I picked it up and added it to my pile on spec. But by the time I got around to reading it, I had forgotten what it was about completely. But the whole book ended up being a big *meh* for me. Nothing bad, but pretty forgettable.
Then Came You - ⭐⭐⭐
Prompt: ATY: A book connected to a book you read in 2021.
Book 5 in the Animal Magnetism series. I'm still working my way through Jill Shalvis's back catalogue. I prefer her Wildstone series, but these are fun, and after I read 2 books in a row about people dealing with losing their mother, I needed something light and fluffy to cheer myself up. So of course the MC in this one was dealing with losing her mother...😋
The Poet X - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Prompt: ATY: A book that won an award from Powell's list of book awards. (Printz Award)
I loved this one. I have yet to read a book in free verse that I haven't loved. But this one definitely deserved all the awards love.
Just Pretending - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Prompt: ATY: A book with fewer than 5000 ratings on Goodreads. (Only 95)
This is a short story collection about various Indigenous characters dealing with identity, belonging, abandonment, trauma, and occasionally, just everyday living. Normally I don't like slice-of-life stories that don't really go anywhere, but the prose was so engaging and I couldn't put it down.
The Graveyard Book Graphic Novel Single Volume - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Prompt: PS: A book about the afterlife.
I loved the original book, and this lost nothing in the translation. I liked some of the artwork better than others, and the 'Dance Macabre' section did not match what I'd had in my head at all. But I still enjoyed it a lot.
An Elderly Lady Must Not Be Crossed - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Prompt: PS: A book with a protagonist who uses a mobility aid. (the MC finds multiple uses for her cane 😋)
I loved the first book, and so when my sister told me there was a sequel, I immediately borrowed it from the library. I tried to read the Inspector Huss series that this was sort of spun off from, but those ones didn't have the humour. This one also has a recipe if anyone is looking for something for that prompt.
Books I made progress on:
The True Story of the Great Escape: Stalag Luft III, March 1944
The Dragon Reborn
The Deepest of Secrets
QOTW
I don't plan a head for monthly themes, but I'm a mood reader, and the library displays have a tendency to catch my eye. But given my reading ends to skew to female authors, at least in fiction. My nonfiction stays 50/50.
I don't have any Women's history books to recommend off the top of my head, but if you're looking for some Irish history, Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland was really well done.
Nadine in NY wrote: "Harmke wrote: "There’s 1 other book my name is in. It was so weird. 999 out of 1.000 times when I read or hear my name it’s for me. So this was really really weird. ..."I know exactly how you feel, because it's extremely rare to meet another Nadine or read a book with a character named Nadine, so when I do, it's jarring."
I have the opposite problem. Jessica is quite common. Funny story in 6th grade there were three Jessica's in my grade and all three of us had the same teacher and caught the same bus! We went by Jessica, Jesi and Rego (my last name).
Nadine in NY wrote: "I know exactly how you feel, because it's extremely rare to meet another Nadine or read a book with a character named Nadine, so when I do, it's jarring"I was always disappointed when I looked for personalized things when I was a kid. then Buffy came along, and I finally had someone else (well a fictional character) who shared my name.🥳
Side note, one of my friends when I was little was named Nadine, so whenever I see your posts I think of her.
Tania wrote: "My thoughts are with the Ukraine as well, and I don't see any end in sight unfortunately.Port Mortuary by Patricia Cornwell - just ok, honestly I jumped into this series solely because it sounded like this one was set in Delaware (only for a chapter or two, so I used it for Massachusetts instead). Because of that, I used it as "a book you know nothing about." I thought it dragged on way too long.
I hate when people say it takes place in one place but most of the book is somewhere else.
After Alice Fell by Kim Taylor Blakemore - historical fiction, and a bit of a thriller (set in New Hampshire). ..."
Thanks for this. I'm doing the 50 states as well and some states are just hard to find. NOTE TO AUTHORS: set your books in more places!
This week was kind of crazy. But after the ATY challenge ended I kind of slowed down a little for the rest for the week. Let me just say that I have never done a read-a-thon before, and MAN is it a lot of work and a bit stressful! I had fun though. I read 8 books in nine days! But not real sure I'm gonna do one of those again.I might be able to pick back up this weekend since I'll be "free" from the kid again. (Are we ever really?) Also, my head cold seems to be subsiding so I should be feeling better this weekend. The kid wears a mask at school and he still manages to bring home a cold, UGH!
2022 Challenges:
Popsugar: 25/50
ATY: 19/52
A to Z: 18/26
50 States:
2021.....30/50 (Have until end of June)
2022.....8/50
BR_Read Harder: 7/24
Goodreads: 42/100
Finished:
5 finished this week, 4 for Popsugar
Transcendent Kingdom
ATY #48, ’22 50 States
I felt like nothing really happens in this book; it is more of a life experience kind of book. It does mention some heavy topics but, I also feel like it never attempted to ‘deal’ with any of it. Which I guess is not really the job of the author but, I guess I’m just used to authors having solutions and attempts to fix the problems in their stories. Also, I HATED the ending.
Let's Talk About Love
PS #22, RH #11
This is a YA ‘romance’ about a college age woman who is Asexual. She is trying to figure out her life and her romantic life as well. It was a decent book but, it was a little to YA whinny for me… It was one of those where you find yourself wanting to yell at the character to just do said problem already. In her case it was that she didn’t want to be a lawyer/go to law school.
Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI
PS #17, RH #22, ’21 50 States, AtoZ
I’m just gonna say I loved this book. It’s a horrible story and a very corrupt injustice but the book was very well written and researched.
Crab: 50 Recipes with the Fresh Taste of the Sea from the Pacific, Atlantic, & Gulf Coasts
PS# 23
I just threw this in at the last minute, on Sunday, so that I could have a book with a shell on it for the ATY read-a-thon. But, bonus, it also worked for Popsugar.
Sing, Unburied, Sing
PS #43, ’21 50 States
I’m still not sure I liked this book. I’m struggling to figure out what the meaning/point of the book was. But, I don’t know… maybe it’s just not my style of book.
Currently Reading
Hell of a Book
Magic Lessons
What Happens in Paradise
The Bees not using it there but it works for Prompt #3
On the Backburner
Overdrive
We Should All Be Feminists WHM
American Spy For Book Riot political thriller by BIPOC author.
Notorious RBG: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg WHM
Burning the Breeze: Three Generations of Women in the American West WHM
The Island of Sea Women March group read
Why Not Me? WHM: For a Female comedian
Under the Wave at Waimea A Hawaii read...My hold came in.
QOTW:
I am going to try to read books for Women's History month. I want to try to read books actually about history and people who have helped change it, more than just reading women author's since I already read a lot of those anyway.
Some of my choices are listed above.
Finished - Great ExpectationsCurrently reading - Sir Elton: The Definitive Biography
4/50
QOTW - Unfortunately I have a few books I have to read for work purposes so won't be able to read anything else this month.
Theresa wrote: "And here I thought you were doing a texting version of Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows.."HAHAHAHAHAH!!! That made me laugh so hard.
Nadine in NY wrote: "I haven't given my kids many hard and fast boundaries, but one thing I've really hammered home is: Never send nude photos to anyone. I really hope they listen. So far as I can tell, they've complied with "don't smoke or juul" and "don't drive if you're drinking" and "no marijuana until you're 18" so I can hope they follow that rule too"I have found that most kids that are getting in trouble with this don't think they'll get caught, first and foremost, but really it is an issue that most kids don't know how to appropriately respond to peer pressure. I have found that most classes teach "just say no", but that is not good enough. It doesn't take into account that relationships are complex and most teens don't respect the word no about something like sexting and will keep asking and then kids get worn down. I role-play in the class and try to convince kids to do something they don't want to (usually eat coleslaw) and I haven't had a kid take the class yet that didn't eventually say "I'd just eat it." I don't even have to try that hard. Maybe that just explains why the kids are in my class, but I think we assume kids will be able to stick to their guns when they don't want to do something, but I know a ton of adults that can't do it. This class is kind of pet project of mine, if you can't tell. I love my job.
Mod
I finished in the last week of December last year, and yep! I'm not doing that again! It was stressful!!
Aaakk...Don't give him Voldemort powers! Just say it...
oh my goodness I never thought about it that way!! But ... I do! I give him Voldemort powers! I hate saying his name! Partly because I just hate thinking about him, partly because his name is like a dog whistle for people I don't want to interact with. And I have to be nice, I'm the admin and all that ... [grits teeth]
Mod
You are correct. I'm doing it backwards. It snowed again last night, and once again this morning I was surprised.
Jessica wrote: "A few years back I got the chance to go on a college exchange and the school I chose had an English course that was a Harry Potter class. We had to read the books and write papers on 5 different aspects of them. Race, culture, gender, and I can't remember the other two. But, it really made me see the books in a different way. It had been quite a few years since I had first read them and I realized how much I liked them but also how much you miss the first time around.."Oh my! I want to take a Harry Potter class. I have a friend who lives hours away who is in a Harry Potter book club, and I keep thinking I need to figure out how book clubs work so I can start one.
Mod
ATY #48, ’22 50 States
I felt like nothing really happens in this book; it is more of a life experience kind of book. It does mention some heavy topics but, I also feel like it never attempted to ‘deal’ with any of it. Which I guess is not really the job of the author but, I guess I’m just used to authors having solutions and attempts to fix the problems in their stories. Also, I HATED the ending...."
I didn't love this book either. Homegoing is one of my all time favorite books EVER, so this was a disappointment.
Kendra wrote: "I don't have any Women's history books to recommend off the top of my head, but if you're looking for some Irish history, Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland was really well done."I did find this one very engrossing! I read it a year or so ago.
Jessica wrote: "Nadine in NY wrote: "Harmke wrote: "There’s 1 other book my name is in. It was so weird. 999 out of 1.000 times when I read or hear my name it’s for me. So this was really really weird. ..."I kno..."
Same! If I didn't have at least 2 other Jennifer's around me, it was weird. Oddly enough, the job I'm just leaving after almost 15 years, I only had a Jenny coworker the last year I've been there.
Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge
Books mentioned in this topic
A Discovery of Witches (other topics)A Discovery of Witches (other topics)
Shout (other topics)
The Bennet Women (other topics)
Muted (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai (other topics)Neal Bascomb (other topics)
Lauren Anthony (other topics)
Sarah Penner (other topics)
James Clear (other topics)
More...
Question of the Week:
We have another month’s celebration for March: Women’s History in Australia, the UK, and the US. Are you planning to read any specific books in honor of this celebration during March? If so, what are those? And…are there any specific books you would recommend? I really excited to begin readT ing for Women's History month. I didn't plan these titles for Women's History month. I have these books at home & they work for the challenges I'm doing.
1. The Women of Chateau Lafayette by Stephanie Dray. I hope this works for PS#3 A book about or set in a non patriarchal society. I can also use it for ATY historical fiction.
2. The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Renner
3. The Tenth Muse by Catherine Chung
4. The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict & Victoria Christopher Murray.