Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge discussion

The only books I have been reading are Harry Potter books on audio. I've been in a reading slump since I finished the PS challenge a month ago. But I did start reading two other books this week, so maybe the slump is over. But the NBA season is starting now (Go Jazz!) so it is a good thing I finished the PS challenge already.

So this week I finished Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling
I haven't read these beginning books of the series for over 15 years, and I am really enjoying the re-read. They are just amazing!

My GoodReads challenge is now at 75/90.

QOTW:
I used to browse libraries and bookstores, but my health and lack of bookshelf space has limited physical browsing. It is probably just as well - I'm getting overwhelmed when surrounded by lots of books because I want to read them all. OCD'ish, I suppose.

So I browse online and make good use of my library's hold system. And I almost always get more books than I can read in the time allowed.

Hello everyone,

I was going to check in yesterday but realized that it was Wednesday so I figured I would wait till today for a new feed so I have missed a week or two, I don't really know at this point.

Winter hit early in our province this week and we had a quite large snow storm go through. So for those wanting it "Winter is coming". It also has me working 10 to 12 hour days as I work at a mechanical/Tire shop and everyone wants their winter tires on last week. So reading time has been greatly reduced till we get through the deluge.

I did manage to get a couple of reads in. The Lost Library Which honestly I don't know why I wasted my time. Very Poor writing ( example.... On the flight they all sat strategizing except for the pilot because he of course had more important things to focus on.) Well Duh!!!!. and really poor story line the girl didn't even discover her "book reading" powers until the last 20 pages of the book. I continued reading hoping it would get better with no such luck.

Then I indulged in a dirty little read called The Devil's Kiss. I enjoyed it quite a bit it, was a one sitting read. I know that a few of you are not into the Erotica/BDMS but if you do like your fantasies a bit rough maybe over the top. I highly recommend.

Right now I don't have a book going. I have downloaded a bunch of news stories to my Kobo and have been browsing through them when I get the chance.

QOTW

I get most of my books from the library which I order in usually from recommendations off Goodreads. Or downloaded on to my Kobo from Book bub but only the free ones cause I am cheap.

I love Browsing book stores but I usually don't buy. I have a few books that I have on a list that I want to own (favs I know I will read again or lend to friends or my kids) We used to have a awesome used book store in town. But the lady who ran it found she either needed to move to a bigger space and get more staff or close her doors unfortunately she chose the latter.

Happy Reading everyone.

SOOOOOOO BEHIND...... I am distracted. By basically everything. Plus, my currently reading list keeps growing while finished stays the same.

34/52

Currently Reading









QotW

Do you like to browse at libraries and bookstores, or do you arrive with a specific list?

I tend to hold my books at the library but I will browse around for ideas for future reads. Barnes and noble sometimes I will have one thing I want but generally I just wing it.

Hi all! Today was so completely hectic, but everything I needed to get done today got done so I'm counting it as a win! I'm hoping I have a lot of time to get some reading in this weekend as I have three highly anticipated romances on my Libby app.

I finished one book this week, which was Champion by Marie Lu. I felt like a bit of it lagged, but I really was hit by the ending. I was tearing up! A solid ending, but I wish I could've read this series at age 16, because I would have loved it so much. It didn't count for the challenge, but I'm happy to have this series under my belt.

Currently, I'm still working on Don Quixote, which I'm liking, but I don't love the tangents that aren't focused on Quixote. I'm also determined to finish Unmasked by the Marquess this weekend! I haven't put aside time to finish it, but I will (hopefully) this weekend.

QOTW: I'm a mixture of browsing and having a list. I'll look up books I want and head to the library if I see it online as available, otherwise I'll put it on hold. But I always end up browsing! Books are just so addictive, and there's so many interesting ones out there. I'm very proud of myself if I stick to a list at a library or the bookstore, but I'm often driven by random finds or realizing another book I've been meaning to get to is there!

Johanne wrote:" Pride and Prejudice - alliteration. I have managed to live 43 years without reading Austen. Not because I didn´t want to. Guess there was just too much fantasy, steampunk, sci-fi etc to be read instead. And I may have been afraid I didn´t like it."

LOL, you're not alone Johanne, 43 years for me too. I have it planned for ATYs 7 deadly sins.

Theresa wrote: "Chrandra wrote: "Tania wrote: "Books finished:
The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, it's annoying when a supposed must-read classic is this unpleasant, but there it is; I really didn't like thi..."

I've always viewed the book as the story of a bipolar kid in the midst of a manic episode. The whole time I was waiting for him to finally go home and for his parents to take one look at this kid and realize he needs help. I felt cheated when we never saw that happen!

Good afternoon from the Beach. Wednesday, last week, I had a lump thing off my back in hospital near the farm and decided that I wanted to come down here and just look after me for a while. I got down here Monday afternoon and I’ve been reading ever since. Well except for when my father in law shuffles in and wants his dinner. Can’t completely escape them unless I head to the Mountains house and I can’t do that until after I get my stitches out.

I’ve read a book a day this week since I got here so I’m pretty pleased with myself.

Whiskey in a Teacup by Reece Witherspoon (hardback) This really is a lovely memoir/how to/cook book. It has a bit of everything.

The Single Ladies of Jacaranda Retirement Village by Joanna Nell (paperback) I hope when I’m old I get to grow old disgracefully 🤪 Great book.

Magnus Chase and the Sword of Summer by Rick Riordan (paperback) I enjoyed this as much as I did Percy Jackson and I loved Percy Jackson.

Ancillary Sword by Ann Leckie (paperback) A great second book in the Imperial Radch trilogy which sets everything up for book 3.

Ancillary Mercy by Ann Leckie (paperback). Loved this finale to the trilogy. I hope we get to go on some more adventures with Breq at a later date.

Currently reading
We are Legion (We Are Bob) by Dennis E Taylor (audiobook) I was going to finish this in the car on Monday but didn’t turn the CD player on until I was nearly here. I have one chapter left so it can go in next weeks checkin.

Coraline by Neil Gaiman (paperback/audiobook) started listening to this in the car weeks ago and then picked up the paperback to go with the rest of my Gaiman collection last week. Since I’m by myself I’m not reading anything scary or that has my triggers in until I get home. This can wait until then as it’s creepy.

And of course there are the ones that I’ve been reading for months that I keep putting on here. Beartown, Bear and the Nightingale, Leviathan Wakes, The Immortalists, Cinder....I’ll get back to them eventually.

I just finished Ancillary Mercy so I’m trying to work out what’s next.

QOTW
When I see books I want on here I screenshot them and when I go to bookshops or library I see if they have them. Once I have done that, if I have the time, then I start browsing.

I was actually much more productive than I thought!

- Finished the rest of War Storm for my book over 600 pages for Modern Mrs. Darcy
- The Big F for my book that takes place in a school setting for my ATY Top Picks challenge
- Even When You Lie to Me for my book with a pronoun in the title for ATY Top Picks
- I Was Anastasia for my novel based on a real person for PopSugar
- Just over half of Of Fire and Stars for my book with a celestial body as part of the title or author name for ATY Top Picks

QOTW:
I kind of do both. I don't physically go to my library often since up until recently my mom was working there, and she would pick up my books for me. I'd place holds on the specific books that I want, and she'd bring them home for me. But, when I do physically go to a library and especially to a bookstore, I usually end up browsing even when I'm not intending to get anything. I love to just explore the shelves and see what catches my attention, and it's also fun to see how many books on a shelf are on my TBR.

Johanne wrote: "I don´t always take piles home, but I like to look. I also play a game of "how many books on this exhibit have I read" with myself. You can also extend it to "and how many of the rest of the books do I want to read". That´s fun if you are me."

Hah I do that in bookshops. It's kinda nice to know the people running them have a similar taste even if it means I can't find anything to buy because I've got them all already!

Sarah wrote: "Chrandra wrote: "Tania wrote: "Books finished:
The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, it's annoying when a supposed must-read classic is this unpleasant, but there it is; I really didn't like thi..."

Don't know why everyone seems to hate it. I didn't mind it but I know I'm odd as I didn't love THUG like everyone else seems to.

Jacqueline wrote: "Good afternoon from the Beach. Wednesday, last week, I had a lump thing off my back in hospital near the farm and decided that I wanted to come down here and just look after me for a while. I got d..."

Try: Growing Old Outrageously
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
I thought this provided a great way to grow old.

You are much better behaved than me....Last time I had a couple of melanomas chopped out (face and chest) I ended up pushing my Hilux by myself so it could be jump-started. The time before I grabbed my backpack and went back to Turkey for 6 months (split one lot of stitches). Then again I never go in to get stitches out. So long as they have clear borders I chop em out with a school scalpel (though a colleague did do the ones out of my face as I'm not good at cutting using a mirror and I wanted to keep my nose).

Monkiecat wrote: "still working on Le Songe D'Une Nuit D'Été, and have started Emperor Pickletine Rides the Bus with son (11), Neil Patrick Harris: Choose Your Own Autobiography (audiobook, in choose your own adventure format, which somehow still works) with daughter (17) [who, in case you're wondering, Nadine, is seriously considering trying to get "his balls were empty, but his chest was full" worked into her senior quote], .."

OMG! It's a good thing I'm done drinking my coffee for the morning because otherwise I would have spit coffee all over my keyboard with that one!!!! Good luck to her! :-)

This week I finished one book taking me to 34/40 and 5/10. I originally only planned to do the standard prompts but got carried away with a few prompts that fit the advanced so I'm going all the way now. But if I had stuck to only planned reads for the standard prompts I may well be done by now which is madness! Last year I struggled to read half this amount of books.

Completed
The Phantom of the Opera - I didn't like this book at all. It's a shame because I love the musical but I realise now that that is mainly due to the music and I never really liked the story. I found it over dramatic and silly. This fit the prompt of the book which is also a musical which I fit in just in time for the themed month

Currently reading
The Sellout - I am finding this book very interesting but the story jumps around a lot and I feel like a lot of it is going over my head. The author has a lot of interesting thoughts and opinions but I think I can't fully appreciate them now being from his background. Still I'm glad I am reading it. This will fit the advanced prompt as the book I saw being read in public as last year I felt like I could not get away from it's distinctive cover. This was 'the book' for London hipsters and intellectuals in 2017!

QOTW
I do all of my browsing on the internet. I mostly see things that I am interested in on Goodreads or Booktube and look to see if it is in my library catalogue. If it is I will add it to my library list which I bring with me on library trips. If it's not I will add it to my amazon wishlist or maybe buy it if it's cheap on kindle or second hand. I like the fact that I can fulfil my browsing habit from the comfort of my home!

Don’t know about much better behaved mate. I’ve been doing stupid things and carrying heavy shit and pulling on them since I got them. They’re in an annoying spot and carrying anything makes for an interesting experience. Especially a 20 litre fuel drum when my fil ran out of fuel in the ride on. Yeahhhh hurt like a bugger. But he’s nearly 91 and past the hauling 20 litres of fuel stage and the stupid thing ran out well away from home. What can you do eh Also got strict “no getting wet for two weeks” instructions. Yeahhh about that..... But I am trying to be good which is why I came down here instead of staying where I have to do heavier work. I can mostly keep away from heavy shit and sit and read. Even though the sitting thing is rather uncomfortable too.

Mostly I take my own stitches out (had a few laparoscopic operations over the years and a hysterectomy and took those out myself and don’t get me started on the silly things I did after that one) but I can’t reach these ones. Also I have to go to the Doctor anyway for meds and pathology results before I head back to the Outback so I’ll let them do it.

Y’all are crazy, taking your own stictches out!!!

This week flew by! I finished:
The One-in-a-Million Boy - I enjoyed the idea and structure of the book (and the ending) but it lost my attention from time to time. Overall it was still a good read (or listen, since I did the audio version).

The End of White World Supremacy: Four Speeches By Malcolm X - this was a struggle. I'm a fan of Malcolm X in general, but these speeches had more content about religion than I was hoping for and it's frustrating to see how dedicated he was to "the honorable Elijah Muhammad" when that crook had him killed soon after. I recommend the book Blood Brothers: The Fatal Friendship Between Muhammad Ali and Malcolm X for a good background on what went down with the corruption in that NOI church. And I have a friend who grew up in the church that confirmed the allegations in the book. Interesting (and frustrating) stuff!

I also listened to The Bear and the Nightingale after seeing it mentioned here multiple times. It was ok... one issue I had with it was that it was the same narrator as We Were the Lucky Ones which was a tough/emotional read that I listened to when my health was really bad. So it's not fair to judge the book by the connection I have with the narrator, but it created a slight feeling of uneasiness the whole time. And I'm not big on fantasy, but it was a decent story otherwise.

I'm currently listening to Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life, reading the hard copy of On the Other Side of Freedom: The Case for Hope, and just started Factfulness: Ten Reasons We're Wrong About the World – and Why Things Are Better Than You Think on my kindle.

QOTW:
I love browsing through book stores (preferably local ones or Half Priced) to see what is popular and what the employees recommend. It's fun when I've already read a lot of the books I see displayed and I get a quick trip down memory lane with each one (especially if I really enjoyed them). I rarely buy books since I read too much to afford it, and my library has a great selection. I also prefer to get books on kindle or audio, so buying everything in hard copy would slow down my reading consumption considerably. But I love to purchase the book for book talks when authors I love come to town (usually hosted by our local book store). If I want to purchase a few books that my library doesn't have I like to get used ones (for great prices) through betterworldbooks.com.

This week I finished the entire PopSugar Challenge, and I celebrated with a nice pumpkin spice latte. I'm eagerly waiting for the new PS list to come out ... next month already??? I came into the PS challenge this year in February so I'm eager to start out ASAP for the 2019 list.

I finished Swastika Night for my final challenge prompt, a female author who uses a male pseudonym. Originally published in the 1930s, it details a Nazi dystopia 700 years in the future. While there was not a massive driving narrative, not like in 1984 or The Handmaid's Tale, the ideas in it were scary enough.

Currently working on Property: Stories Between Two Novellas - the book is at times funny, heartwarming, and thoughtful. I'm enjoying the short stories/novella aspect.

I still have Meet Me at the Museum, The Taste of Empire: How Britain's Quest for Food Shaped the Modern World, and The Victoria Vanishes on my shelf from the library.

QofW:

I'm so guilty of browsing, so I leave plenty of time at the library and bookstores. I may go with a particular book in mind, but I love scanning shelves, looking over covers and the book jackets, reading the possible story inside. Inevitably, I walk out with more books than I planned going in - but that's the fun of discovery, like digging in the ground for treasure. I never know what I'll find!

Chinook wrote: "Y’all are crazy, taking your own stictches out!!!"

Seriously. I'm a qualified midwife and wouldn't bat an eyelid taking out someone else's, but the thought of even touching my own stitches makes me feel a bit queasy...

Jess wrote: "This week I finished one book taking me to 34/40 and 5/10. I originally only planned to do the standard prompts but got carried away with a few prompts that fit the advanced so I'm going all the wa..."

Your challenge experience sounds just like mine. I never expected to nearly be done with the regular prompts by this stage, let alone the advanced. I barely managed 30 last year, and already I'm at 47.

Go us, smashing 2018!

Sheri wrote: "Hi everyone!

Didn't accomplish a lot this week, been busy with Inktober and other projects.

I finished the audio book for Moon Called

I re-read The Night Circus beca..."

Hey! I finally got around to googling "Inktober" and this is AWESOME and I have never heard of it and I am so IN!!!! I'm 5 days late but what are you gonna do ... I didn't know what to draw so I looked up the official list and today is a chicken so I drew a chicken. Now I just have to post it on Twitter to make it official :-)

Yeah I’ve been called crazy a lot in my life. Among other things. If you’ve got to do it you’ve got to do it. Mostly my doctors tell me to get them out in 10-14 days and either come back for their nurse to do it or do it myself. Sometimes it’s too far to go or too crowded at the doctors. Or too expensive. Sometimes Hubby does them for me. He always misses bits though. I do his too. A lot of them dissolve nowadays but my last couple of ops haven’t.

Sarah wrote: "Chinook wrote: "Y’all are crazy, taking your own stictches out!!!"

Seriously. I'm a qualified midwife and wouldn't bat an eyelid taking out someone else's, but the thought of even touching my own ..."

I love taking out stitches.... so satisfying. I've never had any of my own though, only staples ( and I definitely wasn't trying that lol) so I'm not sure how squeamish Id be , but id probably do it lol.

You guys are hardcore! After my last surgery I had to get my mum to help me take the plaster-type dressing off because I couldn't deal with the ickyness. I definitely didn't touch my own stitches!

Jacqueline wrote: "Don’t know about much better behaved mate. I’ve been doing stupid things and carrying heavy shit and pulling on them since I got them. They’re in an annoying spot and carrying anything makes for an..."

Country people are bred tough! Possibly when doc isn't super close it is just easier? I know driving for an hour each way when it was avoidable and I had a doc who would do pathology over the phone (He knew even if it sucked it was better as at least I wouldn't have to drive home after getting them), why waste time? Besides once you have been fixed by your dad most of your childhood (no doctor or nurse on Vaitupu) just because he had a steady hand and wouldn't stab the wrong bits while you wriggled (no anaesthetic either since no doc), stitches=meh.
The getting wet bit is all well and good if you live in a cold climate but here even if you don't deliberately get them wet that thing called sweat would get them wet and probably make them much worse. Don't think they even bother to tell you that here since the water is the cleaner option. I do keep the dogs dry with theirs though (which I also take out).

I’m at the Beach at the moment and it’s a tad humid. Not too bad though. I have to keep my back off my Father in laws lounge chairs though. They’re leather and I sweat heaps on them. I was just a bit worried it would get infected. Father in law said it’s going along ok when I got him to look yesterday.

A lot of the time I get results over the phone but this time I need tablets anyway so I’m killing three birds with one stone. Pity the doctor I go to doesn’t bulk bill. He was the only doctor I could get into. The doctors in Armidale all fill their books and then don’t take new patients. This guy was the only one I could get into when I first went there. There are so many doctors surgeries in the town and it was the third or fourth I’d rang for an appointment. They have about 10 doctors in that particular practice and he was the only one taking new patients at the time. Hubby got into him too. Our daughter couldn’t though. The whole practice was full and she was lucky to get into a different one after a number of phone calls. It’s ridiculous. It took more than 6 months to get into the surgeon and get it off. I just want it over. I don’t know what’s worse though. A marble sized lump on the bottom of my shoulder blade or a huge scar....

I’ve been brought up that if something has to be done there’s no use worrying about it or kicking and screaming or crying because that just makes it harder. So yeah it’s a case of suck it up and do it. My kids are the same. My 24 year old daughter still hates needles and will shake uncontrollably while she’s getting her needle in her teeth for fillings and that and I have to go with her for dentists appointments still but she somehow keeps her head completely still and just takes it even though it looks like she’s going to take off. She at least can have blood tests without me now.

Taking stitches out is the least of my yucky accomplishments. I lived on a farm for ages in my early 20s and we had to kill and butcher our own sheep. No use running away because if I didn’t do it I’d go hungry. Recently saw a meme about not pissing off country girls because they could slit you and gut you and dispose of you without breaking a nail. Yep....that is part of my skill set.

Nadine, post your link! :D I follow a ton of artists on Instagram all participating. I had a bad day so I didn’t do one today but I’m going to wake up early tomorrow and catch up.

Johanne wrote: "Ruby wrote: "...I'm thinking about re-doing same first/last name with one of Laura Ruby's books. I'm hoping my library doesn't have a long waiting period for her books...."

I really enjoyed and re..."

Thanks for the recommendation, I think my library has that one available in Libby. :)

It is well and truly fall now. It is rainy and windy today. Tomorrow I will trudge out to the soggy soccer field to watch my boys play. When that's done, I think I'll find a cozy place to snuggle up with a book and a hot drink!

This week, I finished two books, neither one for the challenge. I finished up the series by Ursula LeGuin with Powers. LeGuin is a master storyteller, and these books are beautifully written. If you're looking for fast paced action, however, these are not the books to read for it.

I also finished reading The Horse and His Boy which I've been reading aloud with one of my boys. This is my first time through this series, and I'm glad to have finally read them!

I'm starting to feel a little panicky about finishing the challenge. Which is silly because it's supposed to be fun. I think I'm still on track though. I just need to quit reading so many "extra" books.

QotW:
I love browsing bookshelves. Any bookshelves. If I have the time for it. Once in awhile I'll go wander the library, or take my time looking at all the titles in a thrift store book section. Sometimes I'll find something I want to read. Most of the time, however, I put a book on hold at the library and just go in to pick it up. Or I'll have a list to look for at my favorite local bookstore. Browsing there can be dangerous and could lead to overspending.

Sheri wrote: "Nadine, post your link! :D I follow a ton of artists on Instagram all participating. I had a bad day so I didn’t do one today but I’m going to wake up early tomorrow and catch up."

It didn't even occur to me to post on Instagram hahahah! I posted it on Twitter (where I am @nnthom266, but I don't post about books or anything. Really I don't post much of anything.) I do have an instagram acct ... that I never use ...I think I can go dredge it up. I will report back when I manage this. Everyone else's inks are better than mine but I don't care I'm doing this anyway.

Only one book finished during this check-in period (a non-challenge read). I'll probably finish up two of the three books I have in progress over the weekend, and may start the book I've picked for the cyberpunk prompt. I'm still at 38/40 and 9/10 for the challenge; and am at 119 books for my overall total. This is shaping up to be my most prolific reading year yet!

Finished:
* ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ The Prisoner in the Castle by Susan Elia MacNeal, which is the latest in the Maggie Hope series (one of my favorite mystery series).

Currently Reading:
* Where the Past Begins: A Writer's Memoir by Amy Tan;
* The Call of the Wild and White Fang by Jack London, which I'm using for a BookRiot Read Harder prompt; and,
* Dark Passages by Kathryn Leigh Scott, which is a book club pick for October and a good Halloween-y read since it has vampires. 🧛🏻‍♀️

QotW:
Do you like to browse at libraries and bookstores, or do you arrive with a specific list? Yes, and yes 😁 I do both but I'd consider myself more of a browser, even when I go in with a list. I end up checking not only for the book(s) on my list, but always browse around to see what else catches my eye.

YOU GUYS! It's a chilly and drizzly October Saturday and the news sucks and my kids are at band practice all day so I've got nothing to do except wash dishes, do laundry and READ ALL THE BOOKS!!! I might even work on my last CHALLENGE READ!!!! and maybe later we can buy pumpkins. If it stops raining.

I finally finished listening to all the Harry Potter books on audible this week! I did books 2-7 this year and I’m so happy I can read posts about the series without being afraid of finding a spoiler! I made it 16 years with only one spoiler! It was a such an entertaining series and now I can watch all the movies!!

Currently Reading:
You Don't Have to Say You Love Me - I don’t know what I think of this yet. I hope to get somewhere better in the book soon because it’s costing to read this at the moment.

When Breath Becomes Air - this came recommended to me by my yoga instructor and wow! What a great recommendation! I love it so far!

Ghosts of Spain: Travels Through Spain and Its Silent Past - I hope to finish this book by the end of October. If you have any interest in Spain, traveled there or have ancestral ties to the country, you will find this to be a very interesting and eye opening book!

The Snows of Kilimanjaro: And Other Stories this is really slow read for me, but I’m in no rush to finish it anytime soon.

Finished:
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - read for the book involving a heist.

36/50

QOTW:
I do both! I like to come in with a list and then browse for others.

Nadine, everyone participating are in different skill levels. If you go through the #inktober hashtag, you’ll see everything from amazing drawings you have no idea how they finished in a day, to kids drawing for the first time. Just have fun with it!

Yeah that's what I'm doing, having fun! My sketches are fast but recognizable and this is a fun creative little thing!

I'm back on Instagram:
https://instagram.com/p/Bom7hzWHTCStz...

Post your link!

Super late check-in for me this week! My husband and I took an overnight road trip, which was a lot of fun, but included one stop at a museum that majorly set off my mold sensitivities, and so my energy and brainpower has not been sufficient to both catch up on necessary chores AND check in (or read much non-fiction) until today.

I'll just do a quick run down of what I finished by Thursday and leave my reading since then until next check in:

Maiden of Iron: A Steampunk Fable A fun little Maid Marion retelling, even if she does annoy me several times during the book. Female adventurers need to learn that being obnoxious about how strong and independent they are makes them look insecure rather than confident.

Swallows & Robins - The Guests In My Garden
A fun, light memoir, though with a few dark patches. (There are some quite disturbed and disturbing people in the world..)

Quest for a Queen: The Lark I enjoyed this, but definitely would classify it as young adult rather than children's. Lots of good historical information, which means it gets pretty dark.


QOTW: I generally browse against a constantly running list, with some spontaneity thrown in. I go into the library when my holds come in, check the book sale areas and pick up anything that's on my TBR or that I've already read and loved but don't own yet or possibly a random book that looks interesting (prices ranges from 25 cents to a dollar, so I only have to be reasonably sure of liking it for it to be worth it), circle through YA and maybe check out something that catches my eye and then head to the desk to pick up my holds.

I don't often spend time at bookstores, though when do I get a chance it will be a used bookstore and I browse, again, mostly against my running TBR or wishlist.

The one time I really will take chances on books I just ran across while browsing is during the bag sale part of the annual library book sale. Though, now that I'm almost done with the challenge, I kind of want to do a purely browsing library trip and just pick up random books I might want to read, like I used to when I was a kid.

Nadine, they’re fun! Here’s mine for today. Instagram

Jacqueline wrote: "I’m at the Beach at the moment and it’s a tad humid. Not too bad though. I have to keep my back off my Father in laws lounge chairs though. They’re leather and I sweat heaps on them. I was just a b..."

I don't do needles for my teeth. Don't like them at all but not bothered with normal ones though did have my last dodgy mole shifted without one (it had worn off by the time the doc got to it after doing the others). Have been told my pain threshold is not normal but still don't plan on childbirth. My dodgy moles have all been whapped out by a GP then sent for testing. They usually give me the choice of they do it in the surgery or I wait 6 months to a year for the specialist. 6 months to a year is a long time for melanoma to jump stages so I always let the GP have at it. At least it is then gone. Scars are a record of a lived life as far as I am concerned. Don't mind them at all (lucky as I am covered in them).

I read To the Lighthouse for the book mentioned in another book as it's mentioned in You and Monkey Grip This book mentions Middlesex and Anna Karina. I didn't like this as much as i thought I would, especially with it being a classic and taking place in Scotland. For me 3 stars. I thought more of the story would take place in the lighthouse. It wasn't bad.

I am currently on page 456 of Voyager for the book I meant to read in 20017.

QOTW: I love to browse in the library, bookstore, online and anywhere I can fir books. When I go to the library, I do have a particular book/books in mind but I always end up browsing.

Nadine wrote: "Yeah that's what I'm doing, having fun! My sketches are fast but recognizable and this is a fun creative little thing!

I'm back on Instagram:
https://instagram.com/p/Bom7hzWHTCStz......"

This would be good for me right now, I'll have to catch up.

Jen wrote: "Scars are a record of a lived life as far as I am concerned. Don't mind them at all (lucky as I am covered in them). "

Scars are the mark of a survivor!! my best friend had melanoma and she has many scars from where it was removed. I know they bother her, but to me they are just a sign of her strength and beauty. To survive melanoma is a miraculous thing. I'm glad you are well 😊

I’d definitely rather have the scar than the lump or the mole.

Jacqueline wrote: "I’d definitely rather have the scar than the lump or the mole."

yes! Has your pathology come back yet? Hope all is well. 13 more days until my tonsil comes out 😩

Not yet Tracey. I have a Doctors appointment on Wednesday to find out. And I get these damned stitches out then too. I don’t think I’ve ever had stitches this damned annoying. It’s Sunday afternoon here now so it’s not too long to go.

That will be here and gone before you know it. So will Christmas for that matter. FIL thought it was 3 or 4 months away. Nope....around 2 1/2. I’m not ready.

I’ve decided I don’t like any of the prompts left for Popsugar and AtY. I only have 5 left for the normal one and 5 left for the advanced. And 5 as well for AtY I think. But I have no desire to read books for the remaining prompts. I have the books to fit them in my book pile though. I may fill some without trying but I’m not trying anymore. I’m just reading as much as I can of what I feel like. It’s not as if I’m not reading. I read 7 books last week. Just none of them fit any prompts. If all the prompts were about artificial intelligences and alien worlds I’d have it done. I’ve read 3 different series along that vein lately. And quite a bit of fantasy.

I’ve read 75 books so far this year. I was thinking I wouldn’t get 52 done.

Oh well.....right now I’m dead tired, hot (and not in a good way), got a migraine, someone is annoying the plover and it is getting noisy, my lower back is killing me, as is my neck, my upper back is annoying me, my torn ankle tendon is hurting and I can’t walk properly, I still have to go to my FILs for tea but at least it’s his turn tonight and not mine (but is that really a good thing because he’s become a lazy and somewhat hopeless cook and I only make him cook because he doesn’t cook much anymore and I’ve got to make him do it sometimes), daylight saving started today, Doctor Who isn’t on until tomorrow, and it’s only 4.20 in the afternoon. But there’s no use complaining because there are people worse off than me and complaining won’t change it.

So I shall go and eat the bland corned silverside and see if I can find any new Hallmark mysteries to put on my computer (I made sure he got internet when we changed his phone plan a few months ago) and come home early and maybe go to bed early too. Without a book. That’s dangerous when I take one with me. I keep reading until the early hours.

Tracy wrote: "Jen wrote: "Scars are a record of a lived life as far as I am concerned. Don't mind them at all (lucky as I am covered in them). "

Scars are the mark of a survivor!! my best friend had melanoma an..."

Thank you! Lot of my scars are from stupidity including the melanoma ones. Spent most of my youth frolicking about in the sun with my olive skinned family when I am not olive skinned and thus got self-fried a lot.

Monkiecat wrote: "Tracy wrote: " 13 more days until my tonsil comes out 😩"

tonsils out as an adult sucks! I had mine out 7 or 8 years ago and ice cream saved my life!! hint: get the dairy free stuff (almond or coco..."


definitely NOT looking forward to it

Sheri wrote: "Nadine, they’re fun! Here’s mine for today. Instagram"

boo! your link doesn't work for me! I thought maybe the problem was my ancient Explorer browser on my ancient computer, but I tried from Safari on my phone, and it didn't work there either. It's just like an underlined word, it's not "clickable"

Nadine, Boo, maybe html doesn’t translate right from phone or app, or my phone autocorrected something I missed. Here’s just the link, for copying and pasting https://instagram.com/p/BomnOUQHw2D/

Sheri wrote: "Nadine, Boo, maybe html doesn’t translate right from phone or app, or my phone autocorrected something I missed. Here’s just the link, for copying and pasting https://instagram.com/p/BomnOUQHw2D/"

yep that worked! Love your three-headed dog!!

Nadine, yay it worked :D

It was a decent reading week, but I didn't finished anything for this challenge.

Totals so far: 37/40 & 7/10 = 44/50


Finished:

More Things In Heaven and Earth - Good for a debut novel. I'll probably read the second book in the series. A little light, but again, a first novel.

Gaudy Night - Ok, so I have always said that Gaudy Night is my all-time favorite book with Byatt's Possession running a close second. I've read this book 10-12 times but had not read it for probably 10 years. I read it again this month because it is the September book selection for Modern Mrs. Darcy. It definitely pulled ahead to my all-time favorite. I read it slowly and savored it. Is this the first feminist novel? Some say that it is. I never thought of it as specifically being a feminist novel although I think she was daring for presenting the question of women in the academic world or working in then traditional men's jobs as a question that had been asked and answered. Between that question, her relationship with Lord Peter, and her struggle to reconcile the events in her past, the story has many levels to it. This book is a great intellectual exercise. The references to other literature are fantastic and still keep me on my toes. It's a book that I never want to put down. I'm going to go back and re-read all the Wimsey-Vane novels now.

The Arabian nights' entertainments - 1916 - I had high expectations for these tales. I enjoyed the stories of both The Aladdin and Ali Baba very much, but the other stories did not hold my interest. I'm glad I read them, but I don't anticipate reading them again.

Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis - Not what I expected and in the best of ways. I thought this book was more along the lines of historical fiction, but it really a look at lower-income areas and their effects on their residents in all aspects of their lives. The author writes from his own experiences as a child. This was an interesting book that I enjoyed very much.

A Fall of Marigolds - I didn't know much of the history of Ellis Island, so I found the book interesting from that perspective. However, I think the writing is average and not Susan Meissner's best work. The story fell flat for me. I read Meissner's Secrets Of A Charm Life last year and rated it 5 stars. I'm rounding up from a 2.5 for this book.


Currently Reading:

Middlemarch - this is for an MMD group read that isn't scheduled to finish for another month. I couldn't put it down, so I finished it after 10/4. I'll move it to finished in next week's post.

The Red Notebook - Light, easy read so far.


Up next:

Anne of Green Gables - starting tonight for an impromptu mini-group read that popped up out of nowhere last night on MMD.

Interpreter of Maladies - I've wanted to read this all year and just now getting to it.

The Homecoming - this is for the prompt to read a boo by an author with the same first or last name as you.

QOTW: I love to browse in both. I usually go to the library to pick up a hold or with something in mind. When it is the latter, I nearly always end up browsing the shelves. For bookstores, I go in to purchase a specific book then browse the tables and end caps. I'm meeting a group of MMD members at Interabang Books this Thursday night and can't think of one book that I need to get while I'm there. That is always dangerous because I have too much time to browse.