Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge discussion

Thanks! Just put Agnes Grey on my Kindle!

Kacey wrote: "I finished 5 books this week. 2 fit this challenge.

FINISHED:
32. A book from a celebrity book club Good Me, Bad Me I didn't care that much for ..."
I hear you! My currently reading says 18 but I'm only really doing 5. Went through a spell of adding books to currently reading as I bought them a few years ago and then didn't start them and also have the ones for work which are read gradually over the year. Certainly help with insomnia.

It's been a truly messy week in Hong Kong. First layers of fog so thick that it felt like swimming through air, with higher temps, then crashed down into winter again (winter here is a very damp and windy 50'F, more like 20'F anywhere else as we don't have full house heating or insulation), and now the sun has returned with some nicer temps. Great for reading in my favourite spot, which is my rooftop overlooking mountains.

Finished:

The Thing About Jellyfish (prompt - book from a celebrity book club, or it could fit the book about grief/death). Great insight into how a young teen's mind works and the intricate and confusing changes between elementary and middle school, along with the process of grief. However, the jellyfish metaphor dragged it down a bit. While I found the narrator to be rather genuine (I'm a middle school teacher of many years now), I had a hard time with characterization of others.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time - prompt was a book turned into a musical or play. I loved the story, and I loved Christopher. The setting was so real on the train and in the Tube that I could reach out and touch the surroundings. I enjoyed the ending most of all, when Christopher realizes just how much he's grown through the process. Whilst I missed the play dates in Hong Kong, I managed to get one of the last few tickets for the play when it goes to Singapore. Yay spring break!

A Night Divided - for the prompt a book with the time of day in the title. I can't say enough about this book - READ IT NOW. It takes place in Berlin, during the Cold War. The narrator's family is separated overnight when her father and younger brother end up in West Berlin when she, her mother, and older brother remain in East Berlin with the wall going up. The book is tense and poignant, and it'll have you checking your room for spy bugging! I read it in a few hours because I couldn't put it down. Each chapter left you wanting to read more to find out what happens to Gerta and Fritz, her friends, and ultimately, her freedom. Of all the books I've read so far this year, this is one of my tops. Great YA novel. Gushed about it to my students and now they're picking it up to read.

Next week:

I'm a good ways through The Boleyn Inheritance for the prompt a book based on a real person. It actually follows the rise and fall of three women in the Tudor court - Jane Boleyn, former wife of George Boleyn and sister-in-law to Anne Boleyn; Anne of Cleves, Henry VIII's fourth wife (divorced); and Katherine Howard, Henry VIII's fifth wife (beheaded). If you're a fan of The Tudors TV series, it is a good, easy read that dives a little more deeply into these women's lives in the way that Philippa Gregory is able to do. I'm enjoying it, but seriously, the descriptions of Henry VIII are really ... gross, but probably accurate to a degree.

A Wrinkle in Time - for the prompt of a book set on another planet. I've read this in the past as I used to teach it to grade 6, but with with movie coming out soon and it being a Battle of the Books title, I figured I could do worse than pick it up again!

Reservoir 13 - for the prompt recommended by a Popsugar Challenge reader. I saw it on one of the posts, and it looks really good.

Maybe I'll get to Booked for the sports prompt.


QotW: I usually don't get into recommended books because I've been disappointed by many of them when I have picked them up. I refused to read the Harry Potter series for ages because I thought they'd be too cliche, but when I got to uni, I picked up the first one and couldn't go back after that. I've devoured them a few times over now. I read The Help years after it was *the* book to read. However, if a lot of close friends with similar tastes are reading a book and tell me to get on it, I'll probably pick it up.

A little tardy this week with my update, but it has been a busy week.

This week I read The Half-Drowned King and Meddling Kids. The Half-Drowned King was pretty good. I enjoy historical fiction, so this appealed to me. It is going to be a series, but I don't know if I will keep reading it. As for Meddling Kids, I wasn't sure what to expect. I did enjoy it. Cantero has a knack for subtle humor and description that is just fun to read. I counted Meddling Kids for the prompt about a LGBQT character.

QOTW - I sometimes will read the "it" book. It really is a cost thing for me. Usually the "it" book remains as a hardback, is rarely on the discount shelves, and is hard to find at the library. I'm pretty cheap about buying books. I usually like to wait until they are available in paperback, can be found used, or checked out. So, if I find an affordable copy and the description of the book actually appeals to me, I will probably read it.

@eujean2, actually, I don't like Tulip much in the series, so I should be fine then haha! Thanks for the head's up though!

Greetings from snowy Minnesota! Here’s my book update.

Regular: 10/40
Advanced: 0/10

FINISHED

‘The Art of Fielding’ by Chad Harbach for *Book Involving Sports*: The sport in question is baseball. I enjoyed this book even though it felt a bit too long. It was kind of a slow read for me but the writing was beautiful so it didn’t feel like a slog. The themes of getting in your own way of growing up and being happy really worked for me.

CURRENTLY READING

Nothing at the moment but I think I may start ‘Euphoria’ by Lily King next for the *book based on a real person* prompt. I actually picked it up from the library not knowing if it would meet any prompts and then I googled it and found it’s based on Margaret Mead.

Jen wrote: "Kacey wrote: "I finished 5 books this week. 2 fit this challenge.

FINISHED:
32. A book from a celebrity book club Good Me, Bad Me I didn't care ..."

I have three books on my 'currently reading' list that are on hiatus, so I can completely relate to that part. The funny thing is though, I'm slightly obsessive about not adding a book to my currently reading list until I'm at least a few pages in. For some reason the idea that I might get interrupted and not start a book after I'd added it to the list really bothers me. Getting distracted and not finishing a book for months apparently bothers me less though...

Hello everybody hope your year and challenges are going well.
Books completed this week:
Challenge related:
What the F: What Swearing Reveals About Our Language, Our Brains, and Ourselves this a REALLY interesting take on the language and usage of swearing in our culture. (#4 of the challenge)

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking-Glass I've only read the first part of this book since it's two books in one I'm gonna count it as #5 of the challenge. I've never read this book before and it was odd as all get out but it kept me riveted.

Non challenge books:
Secret Origins, Vol. 1 just a collection of a lot of DC's biggest hero's origin stories.

The Walking Dead, Vol. 29: Lines We Cross, The Walking Dead, Issue #175, The Walking Dead, Issue #176, The Walking Dead, Issue #177 just catching up on one of my favorite comic series this was issues 168-177.

Currently reading:
Bear Town trying to catch up to the monthly reading, Feb was a really bad month for me so I got way behind on my reading.

I do try to read what's the new "it" books but if my friends are reading it and suggest it then I'll try to check it out.

Completed:
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin

Currently reading:
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline - chosen for the Advanced challenge 'A cyberpunk book'. Started this today and have to say it's one of my least favourite categories so well outside of my comfort zone with this genre and hoping it's a good read.

QOTW:
I like reading the hype about new or 'it' books and do tend jump on the band wagon... eventually but always make a call whether I want to read the book based by reading the synopsis, checking the Goodreads ratings and reviews and then make a final decision.

Total prompts completed: 12/50
Total books read in 2018: 15/50

Raquel wrote: "Jen wrote: "Kacey wrote: "I finished 5 books this week. 2 fit this challenge.

FINISHED:
32. A book from a celebrity book club Good Me, Bad Me I ..."

Yep. That spell has ended and I have slowly finished most of the ones I kept putting off. Still a few to go which may not be till next year as there are too many books I can't wait to read (joining this group has not helped).

John wrote: "Hello everybody hope your year and challenges are going well.
Books completed this week:
Challenge related:
[book:What the F: What Swearing Reveals About Our Language, Our Brains, and Ourselves|291..."

Have you read The Walking Dead Psychology? Shame you have done your mental health book or you could have related the two. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...

Elizabeth wrote: "Book about a Real Person - The Paris Wife by Paula McClain. I enjoyed it! I listened to it on audiobook so it took a little while, but it was good entertainment while I was scrubbing my house and driving to work. Made me very interested in Hemingway and the whole "Lost Generation."
..."

Later this year, the author has a similar book coming out about another of Hemingway's wives. I too enjoyed The Paris Wife, and it triggered a desire to read Hemingway's early work again. Definitely gave me a different persprctive of 'the lost generation'.

Didn't get around to posting last week, and once again running late, but I did get a few books done in the last week.

1. The Mermaid's Sister Listened to this book on audio and enjoyed the tale. I'm not sure if I can fit it into any of the categories on Pop Sugar.
2. The Great Dog Escape read this for the #26, book with an animal in the title, but this really didn't work for me. I applaud the reason for writing the book, but it needed further work before publication. May end up reading another book for this category.
3. They Both Die at the End fits both #10 (death or grief) and #12 (LGBTQ+ protagonist). Interesting premise and very good read.

This week:
I started Farmhouse #1 which I'd downloaded on Bookshout for the ugly cover prompt, but was disappointed to discover that it was a comic, and not a book, and even more disappointed when I started reading and couldn't make it past the first few pages. I mean really, a DNF for a comic book?!?

Finished books:
1. The Fog Seller, which I chose for #24, weather element. Great read! Can also be used as literary fiction for ATY (it's been honored both as a mystery and as literary fiction...). Maybe also as an antihero book. And, for #10 for the advanced list, since I do definitely recommend this one.
2. Letters from Skye This one I've put down for the ATY prompt about unique style (it's written entirely in letters). This might work as another antihero book, debut novel, prompt from 2017, etc. While the book was well done, I had some personal issues with it, so couldn't give it a high rating.
3. The Perfect Girl This is the book I chose for the antihero protagonist, although I do wonder if it might fit another category as well. While I wasn't surprised by the ending, I did think the book was well executed.

Books I'm reading:
1. rereading I'll Take Manhattan just because I found it in the house
2. started White Rose, Black Forest for #34, book published in 2018
3. started Coming Clean for the narrative nonfiction in ATY, but I'm wondering if I can use it also for Popsugar mental health prompt, since it deals with the author growing up with a father who was a serious hoarder (to the point of rats in the house, etc.). What say you, does that qualify?

I'm sorry, don't remember who it is here that bemoaned the fact that we can't see interaction here. I'd also love it if we could respond directly to someone and see when someone responds back to us!

As far as "IT" books, located abroad, I'm never really aware of IT books. But if I hear from enough people or people I respect recommendations for a book and the ratings and critiques sound interesting, then yes, I might look for the book. Many of the books I've picked up since I started doing the challenge last year are books that I heard about through fellow challenge fillers...

Olá, in a very late check in, I could tell a lie and say that was fault of the weather(rain and quasi-tornados), that's true now in Algarve - Portugal! Last week I finnally finished the nordic noir book, that also have a LGBTQ protagonist, and is the next book of a series: A Rapariga Que Sonhava com Uma Lata de Gasolina e Um Fósforo(5*), I'll see if I read the next. Also read 2 microfictions O Mistério Da Beleza * Ringue. Re-started the book about feminismMrs. Dalloway.

Mirel wrote: "... 3. started Coming Clean for the narrative nonfiction in ATY, but I'm wondering if I can use it also for Popsugar mental health prompt, since it deals with the author growing up with a father who was a serious hoarder (to the point of rats in the house, etc.). What say you, does that qualify?..."

Yes, I would say that hoarding is a mental health issue. I don´t know if it´s a certified mental disorder, but I think that´s beside the point of the prompt.

...I'm sorry, don't remember who it is here that bemoaned the fact that we can't see interaction here. I'd also love it if we could respond directly to someone and see when someone responds back to us!..."

I would also love that!

@Mirel and Johanne; it was me! I'm so glad I am not the only one!

Hello Hello!

forgot to update last week. I read 2 books this week making my total 19/50.

Completed:
Wires and Nerve, Volume 2: Gone Rogue 34. A book that's published in 2018 - A great book, I wish this story would continue because I just love the characters!
Murder on the Orient Express 31. A book mentioned in another book - I loved the beginning of this book but the ending wasn't what I wanted. Not as surprising as I wished. But now I can watch the movie!

Currently reading:
Gemina for 18. A book by two authors.
Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine for 16. A book about mental health

QOTW:
I read books that some people talk about. I watch a lot of booktube because none of my friends read but I guess they will be more popular there. There are a few Booktubers that I have very similar taste to so if they like it I will put it on the list!

I thought this week I'd be reporting I wasn't able to finish any books. But then, I finished reading A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle to my class. I read from the book I had when I was a child, although I barely remember any of it form when I was 10. (That was nearly 4 decades ago!) Today I am going to go see the movie and I invited all the families to come join. I think I'll have half a dozen students with their families joining me later today. I'm looking forward to sharing that experience with them and to finally see the movie. I hope it lives up the hype.

Then I got the shortest book I've ever seen show up for me at my library. I didn't realize it was so short. I knew Diana Gabaldon calls it a novella, but 40 pages? So although I am still reading The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith (female using a male pseudoynm prompt), I paused to read Lord John and the Hellfire Club (book with LGBTQ+ protagonist). So I accomplished 2 books this week.

I'm having trouble getting into Cuckoo's Calling. I like it okay, just never want to pick it up to read. To be fair, I am very addicted to Wordscapes right now. What a word lover's game!

QotW: I would read a book that is hyped up if it sounds good to me or if my mom or other book nerd friends recommend it. I don't like to limit myself by automatically excluding hyped up books. All books are fair game!

A light reading week for me; just one book completed. Here's my list for this check-in period:

Finished
* ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ An American Marriage by Tayari Jones, which I'm using for "a book from a celebrity book club" (and it also works for the BookRiot Read Harder prompt "an Oprah Book Club selection"). This was the first book I've read by this author and it definitely won't be my last. I couldn't put this one down once I started it!

Currently Reading
* Pleasantville by Attica Locke, which will likely be a pleasure read rather than a challenge read; and,
* The Heist by Daniel Silva, which is my book club's pick for March and I plan to use for "a book involving a heist."

I picked up Every Breath You Take by Mary Higgins Clark and Alafair Burke at the library yesterday, but haven't started it yet. I want to make some more progress on the other two books already in progress since they're both 400+ pages. I plan to use this book for "a book with song lyrics in the title" since I immediately hear the Police singing in my head every time I read that title...in fact, it popped in there as soon as I typed this 🎶🎸🎤🎶

My totals for the challenge are 15/40 and 2/10. Overall, I've read 33 books so far this year; my Goodreads Reading Challenge goal is 75, but I think I'm going to be bumping that up soon. At this rate, I may hit triple digits again this year 😃

QotW:
Do you try to read the "It" books that everyone else is talking about? I have read a lot of "It" books, but normally wait to read them until the hype dies down before I read them. The biggest exception was the Harry Potter series. I didn't seek it out immediately, but once I started the series, I had to read the new installments as soon as they came out. The fact that I read an Oprah Book Club pick so soon after it was selected is unusual, but I really enjoyed it and thought it lived up to the hype.

Late check-in again,

not much reading done this week. So much to do at work. In the evenings I couldn't get any reading done, because I was too tired. No audiobooks on the commute because I was too distracted and only wanted music or the Radio. This weekend I went to a private house concert at my brother's with Steve Wynn. so no reading, either.

Well, hope to do better this week.

Have to get the book I am currently reading Rendezvous mit einem Oktopus: Extrem schlau und unglaublich empfindsam: Das erstaunliche Seelenleben der Kraken back to the library by Thrusday anyway.

QOTW:
Like Teri said: "I've never understood the idea of not reading a book because it is popular."
That said, if I think a popular book would interest me, I sometimes read them and often am not disappointed. This year I am going to buy less books, though, so will have to wait longer till they are at the library. Also my TBR is so full already...

Johanne wrote: "Mirel wrote: "... 3. started Coming Clean for the narrative nonfiction in ATY, but I'm wondering if I can use it also for Popsugar mental health prompt, since it deals with the author growing up wi..."

Thanks! So far the book is an interesting "listen." (I got it as an audio), but I'm glad I can use it for a prompt. :-)

Carmen wrote: "@Mirel and Johanne; it was me! I'm so glad I am not the only one!"

Fat chance of the three of us being the only ones. It really is a major shortcoming. But so glad we found each other :-)

I agree that there should be notifications for direct interaction, such as @-ing or quoting. Maybe a like button in threads as well?

Cendaquenta wrote: "I agree that there should be notifications for direct interaction, such as @-ing or quoting. Maybe a like button in threads as well?"

I just pushed the imaginary like button that should be there.

Johanne wrote: "Mirel wrote: "... 3. started Coming Clean for the narrative nonfiction in ATY, but I'm wondering if I can use it also for Popsugar mental health prompt, since it deals with the author growing up wi..."

Hoarding is in the DSM 5 so is a mental health disorder.

Happy March! This is late so I'm going to go with what I was on on Thursday.

Finished:
- Nothing :'(

Currently:
- Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (book mentioned in another book)
- White Teeth (book with twins)

QOTW:

I don't really try to read them. Sometimes I end up reading them because of book clubs or something like that, but often no. Usually if there's too much hype I have too high of expectations or I'm too annoyed at it and negatively going into it if I try to read it during or immediately after the hype. I hate how judge-y that sounds, but I can't help but wonder about how good it is until I get a recommendation from a friend, just because my reading tastes are different than people who don't read as often as me. Some are actually very good, and others I wish or am glad I skipped out on.

Also, much more so the real reason, I have a ton of backlist I haven't read yet I'm trying to catch up on. I don't really remember to get back to the "it" books until way later! Plus, they're super cheap by the time they come out in paperback a few years later haha!

Reading all the QOTW answers it seems we all have different definitions of an it book. I do read a lot of new titles, either offered by publicists for my blog or because I like to support the industry by buying books, even though I have hundreds unread already. Some of these are quite popular in certain communities of readers but most the time I could mention them to my colleagues and they'd look blank.

But I think an it book is more the kind of thing that the average infrequent reader would know about. The ones people always ask you if you've read. I only read books that are of interest to me and I understand those saying outright that they don't read it books. I won't read something just because it's popular if there's nothing about it that appeals to me.

I left my book group a few years ago now. They were the only reason I read The Girl on the Train (and I was right that it wasn't for me).

This week I finished The Sound of Gravel: A Memoir on audio. It doesn’t fit any of the reading prompts really but if I do go on to do the advanced list it would fit as a ‘a book about a problem that impacts society today’ as it deals with sexual assault on children which while not a modern problem still exists sadly way too often.

I found this book really interesting. My husband was brought up as a Mormon (admittedly not polygamist family - in fact he vehemently denies any mormons where ever polygamists despite the facts) and while his upbringing was nowhere close to that of the characters in the book it did open up more information to me on the faith.

QOTW
I tend not to pick a book only because it’s the ‘it’ book of the movement and run between the very modern to old classics. If it’s a book I like the look of I’ll read. I’m a sucker for a good cover tho!

Checking in super late this week because I've been away this weekend and hate using the Goodreads app for anything other than updating my progress (they seriously need to improve that app!)

I started off Women's History Month well by finishing two works of classic feminist fiction and I think I will be sticking to female authors for this month.

The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories was weird and wonderful. As with every short story collection, there are hits and misses but the best of these stories will definitely stay with me. This will fulfil the prompt from a previous year (fairytale 2016).

Orlando was another extremely odd book. I read this for the book about feminism prompt but I was a bit disappointed in that regard as I thought that gender roles would be the main focus of the book whereas it was actually a bit unfocused. I came out from it feeling like it was an in-joke that I didn't quite understand. This book is also wildly unbalanced in tone with some parts being laugh out loud funny and others very philosophical and gloomy. I think this might reflect Virginia Woolf's mental health at the time of writing.

This brings me to 11/40 books completed for this challenge. I am whizzing through this much faster than I thought I would. I may even start contemplating the advanced prompts (we'll see).

I am currently reading three books.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince for the WW Book club (Urgh this is my least favourite Potter. Stop it with the teen romance already!)

The Time Traveler's Wife on paperback. I've almost finished this and it's been quite a good book to read on the long train journeys I've had this weekend because the chapters are short so you can whizz through it quite quickly. It's a fairly standard romance with the time travel twist, nothing special. (The main thing I have got out of reading this is that it mentions Brideshead Revisited: The Sacred and Profane Memories of Captain Charles Ryder. I now feel justified in moving that book to the 'mentioned in another book' prompt to leave the 'stage play' prompt for Phantom of the Opera, which I hope ends up as the group read).

Boy, Snow, Bird on kindle. Not very far into this yet but the writing style is quite peculiar. I'm looking forward to seeing where this story goes.

QOTW
I always read my books from the furthest back on my TBR otherwise I know that I will never get to some of the books that I want to read. So if I see a new book that has a lot of buzz and the synopsis sounds interesting, I will usually add it to my huge TBR and get around to reading it a year or two after it is the IT book. With the way this challenge is increasing my TBR that may soon become 3-4 years!

Yes to a liking option!

I was out of town snowshoeing all weekend, so I'm a little late with my check-in this week. I also didn't get quite as much reading done as I would like, but it was worth it for all the fun nature times.
In only finished one book this week: Lair of Dreams. I was pretty disappointed in this book; the first book in the series was a lot more compelling to me. I'll probably continue the series eventually but I'm less excited.

Currently reading: Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America (didn't make any progress), Ballad of the Whiskey Robber: A True Story of Bank Heists, Ice Hockey, Transylvanian Pelt Smuggling, Moonlighting Detectives, and Broken Hearts (starting to get more involved now), and Frankenstein in Baghdad (really interesting depiction of American-occupied Baghdad; we'll see how the horror shapes up)

QOTW: Depending on how you define the "it" book, I would say I am someone who reads them. I'm a member of Powell's subscription service Indiespensable, which keeps me pretty up to date on critical darlings, including some books that are so precious as to be unreadable (looking at you, City on Fire!). On the other hand, it did bring me Sing, Unburied, Sing, Barkskins, and Her Body and Other Parties.

Carmen wrote: "Yes to a liking option!"

Like

Late check in for me. I have been Spring cleaning my house. It is not spring yet, we got 10 inches of snow and a two day blizzard with 50 mph winds.

I could not finish the Handmaids Tale. It was too graphic for my taste. I switched to Little Women for the feminism prompt. I finished Girl in the Blue Coat (my favorite color). Started At the Back of the North (Wind (weather element)

QOTW: I usually don't pay attention to the "it" books. I wait for the hype to die down.

Late check-in again. Last week was my birthday and a few other major events, so I was time crunched and ended up reading lighter things.

33/50

Books I Finished:

1) Golden Son for a past Goodreads Choice Awards winner - Guilty pleasure read, maybe? It's an addictive series, but the ideas in it aren't exactly new or revolutionary.

2) The Ancient Magus' Bride, Vol. 1, The Ancient Magus' Bride, Vol. 2, 魔法使いの嫁 3 Mahou Tsukai No Yome 3 , The Ancient Magus' Bride, Vol. 4, The Ancient Magus' Bride, Vol. 5, The Ancient Magus' Bride, Vol. 6, The Ancient Magus' Bride, Vol. 7, and The Ancient Magus' Bride, Vol. 8 for a book by an author of a different ethnicity than you - A bit of an easy read here, so I decided to read every volume to make up for it. The story was interesting and the artwork was beautiful.

3) Blue Is the Warmest Color for a book with an LGBTQ+ protagonist - I'm a bit late to the party on this one, but I loved it so much. Haven't cried like that over a book in a long time.

Currently reading:

Nothing. Nothing on my list of books left sounds particularly interesting. I may have to go back to the drawing board on some of my picks.

QOTW:
Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't. I won't read a book that everyone is going on and on about if the story doesn't sound the least bit interesting to me. However, I'm not going to turn down something interesting just because a lot of other people find it interesting too.

COMPLETED:
Book about death: 13 Reasons Why J. Asher

Favorite past Popsugar Prompt- Audiobook: An American Marriage T. Jones

Book about a problem facing society: When They Call You a Terrorist P. Cullen

Author of a different ethnicity- Subtle Art of Not Giving a F**k M. Manson

CURRENT READ:
Book published in 2018: This Will be my Ungoing M. Jenkins

IDEAS:
LGBTQ+ protagonist - Simon vs. the Homo Sapien's Agenda

Novel based on Real Person - Assata

Book about Mental Health - Health Berries

Book borrowed - Freakonomics

Book meant to read in 2017 - Awkward Black Girl

@Michelle, happy birtday! Hope you had a good day!

Today at work I brought home four more books. Luckily one works for a challenge xD. The others, hopefully haha!

I honestly shouldn't be left alone when taking in new books! Before I said I shouldn't bring my library card to work, but then my coworker said they can check out my books without a card too, so basically I'm screwed. Ohwell.

EDIT: One of the others is a previous Goodreads Awards winner! SCORE.

Read all the books!

Cendaquenta wrote: "I agree that there should be notifications for direct interaction, such as @-ing or quoting. Maybe a like button in threads as well?"

I know Goodreads has been asked about adding a capability like this. I don't know where it fits on their list of priorities though. If I hear anything I will let you all know!

@Sara, that’s good to hear! Thank you for wanting to keep us up to date :)

Stina wrote: "Sara wrote: "... Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood- This was one of the few celebrity memoirs I actually enjoyed. The audiobook is especially good!"

I concur! I got to see Trevor Noah live Saturday night, and he treated us to some more tales of his childhood. It was a great show."

I recommend the documentary You Laugh But It's True, about him preparing for his first one-man show in South Africa. His family are in there a bit as well. It's on Netflix or rentable on YouTube.


Chrissi wrote: "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time... I managed to get one of the last few tickets for the play when it goes to Singapore. Yay spring break!"

YAY! I'd love to see the big new production. I saw the National Theatre Live performance on screen a few years ago before it transferred to the West End, when it was in the round. I loved how they turned the thoughts in his head into the visuals for the show.

Finished during the check-in period:

The Mirage
For the "alternate history" prompt of the ATY challenge. Awesome, bizzarre, fascinating story about a mirrored world where Christian fundamentalists attacked the center of the modern world, the United Arab States, on 11/9.

Vergessene Welt (The Lost World)
For the ATY prompt of a book containing (reference to) a word "born" (i.e. coined) in the same year as myself: "T. rex".
Sequel to "Jurassic Park", much better than the film based on it (which takes a lot of liberties with the plot, especially in the second half).

QOTW:
Not per se. I do like to keep an eye out for what's hot etc., but if a book does not interest me, I'm not reading it, no matter how successful. Of course, sometimes it happens that you are so swamped with information/reviews/buzz that you end up getting curious, after all. But for my curiosity to be peaked, there must be something about the book which interests me from the start, no matter what (am I making sense?).
For example: I read "Twilight" before the real hype started (at least a year before the movie was even begun) because I have a weakness for vampire novels. Always have.
I read "The Hunger Games" because it genuinely interested me, and I have not regretted it.
I read "Harry Potter" waaaaaaaay back when only a few books were even out and there was no movie anywhere and it wasn't really famous.
I did read "Fifty Shades of Grey" because I had gotten curious about the hype and I had several people either recommend it or get so outraged about it, so I eventually decided I wanted to form my own opinion. I went into it expecting it to be shallow but entertaining, but I ended up hating it with a vengeance. I still ploughed through all three books even though I'd already lost interest by the time I started the second one.

It happens. Good books and bad book both get hyped, sometimes out of proportion, but I firmly believe that I am capable of forming my own opinion about something. The reasons that make me notice it in the first place are somewhat beside the point. I find it wrong to read (do/watch/wear/whatever) something just because everybody does, but I find it just as wrong NOT to do it because everybody does. In both cases, I am basing my opinion/impression on something that is not my own. Either I like something or I don't. But I can only tell once I've looked at it in detail.

Late check in from me this week as well.

I have just finished Our Man in Havana for the stage play prompt.

I started the audiobook of Mr. Mercedes and am about 60% done. I'm completely hooked.
I watched the TV adaptation last year and really enjoyed it too. Brendan Gleeson and Harrry Treadaway are so perfect as Bill and Brady. I'm going to use it for my book mentioned in another book.

QOTW
I won't read a book just because everyone's talking about it, I pretty much just go off whether I think I'll like it.
Like others, I did read (and hate with a passion) 50SoG but only because I loved Jenny Trout's recaps and wanted to see how bad it was for myself.

Katie wrote: "Had several days this week with no internet because the hotel I was staying at charged $14 per day for wifi!!! But I was on a really wonderful trip doing some advocacy in DC and got a bit of readin..."

I also chose Hell's Princess from the free Amazon picks this month because I too needed a true crime book. Not looking forward to reading the n-word often but I am looking forward to reading this.

Diane wrote: "Katie wrote: "Had several days this week with no internet because the hotel I was staying at charged $14 per day for wifi!!! But I was on a really wonderful trip doing some advocacy in DC and got a..."

Hope it works more for you than it did for me! The n-word is mostly kept to the end of the book, except for one mention a bit earlier on.