Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge discussion
2019 Weekly Checkins
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Week 43: 10/17 - 10/24
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I did not know that! I thought SYRACUSE was on record as having the least amount of sunshine! hahah it probably just depends on which year you look at the data.
QOTW:I have done this! I'm not sure I've taken an entire trip just to do it, but I did sort of live on Greyhound for a year, so I saw a little. (Short version: People died, life fell apart, I bought repeated three-month passes. My friend called it my "hobo trip.")
Biggest memory of this: When I was Greyhounding in Seattle, I noticed I could get to Forks, WA, home of Twilight. I arranged a bed in a hostel (basically some guy's house) and he said he would be at the Quileute drum circle in La Push, and told me how to get there. I happened to be in town the same week and this big organised group of Twilighters, so I didn't stick out. This was awesome, and First Beach was gorgeous. Forks was hilarious. It's the size of a postage stamp and EVERY business wanted your tourist dollars. The teeny hospital even had a sign out back reserving a parking space for Dr. Cullen. Hotels had on their signs things like "Welcome to the Twilight Zone" and "Edward Cullen didn't sleep here!" This is where I got what I refer to as an ironic sunburn.
I live now in Portland, and the Beverly Cleary books are set blocks from where I used to work. The library has a walking tour map, and I did a chunk of it one day. I saw Beverly's old house, the school named after her, and Klickitat Street. Then I sat with the statues of Henry Huggins, Ribsy and Ramona in Grant Park while reading the story of Henry digging night crawlers in Grant Park. A lovely day out.
When in Salem, MA we happened past the The House of the Seven Gables, but it wasn't selling any more tickets that day. We just got to see a bit of the outside and the gift shop. It's cute. I'd go back.
We saw the Make Way for Ducklings statues in Boston's Public Garden.
Sorta close:
I saw part of the Hemingway Look-alike contest at Sloppy Joe's in Key West.
When I was in London ages ago, we stayed in the Sherlock Holmes hotel on Baker St. 221 was still part of a bank, before they renumbered the street and made the museum. If I were ever to go back, I'd visit, and pay attention on the Tube for the Neverwhere stations while trying to play Mornington Crescent.
Hello all!!! Fall is starting to be kind here and it's a lovely 71 today. It's wonderful. 30/40 Regular
5/10 Advanced
Finished(finally finished one!!!)
Wouldn't have finished had it not been my book club pick for the month. High expectations. Huge Disappointment. 9. Meant to read last year
Currently Reading
DNF
Amendment:I was sitting here reading in it and realized I had more than 100 pages left and not the 60 that I thought and I just can't right now. It's good but I am lost as is. Will return to it when my brain power returns.
QotW:
This week’s question was submitted (at different times!) by both Jen and poshpenny:
Have you ever visited a place from a novel? Was it recognizable?
I don't think that I have. I definitely would if it is somewhere that is convenient or interesting to me. I know when I have read books set in places I have been I get annoyed when they are off. HAHA. Hard to please a reader I guess.
Sara wrote: "Life has been super busy lately and yet I can't put my finger on why exactly. I have been struggling to find the time to settle down and just read which means my progress on current reads is super ..."For book set in space.. Have you tried To Be Taught, If Fortunate? I'm not hugely into science fiction but I found this novella wonderful. The audio book is barely 4 hours.I think the paper copy is only 150 pages. Just an option if your current one doesn't work.
Reading The Apothecary Rose by Candace Robb, Autumn by Karl Ove Knausgård to finish the challenge and The Thirty-Nine Steps by John Buchan for book club.
Quite a "meh" reading week for me. Not bad, just... resoundingly average.Nothing much happening life-wise, except missing a dentist appointment, booking a ticket for an Erin Morgenstern event, and my aunt coming for a wee lunch visit. I just recently discovered she likes reading, so in my exuberance of finally having someone to talk to about it, I loaned her about a dozen books. With accompanying dire warnings that not a page may be allowed to come to harm. Obviously. 😋😈
Finished this week:
Cooking With Bones - This was just sort of odd. Weird mix of dystopia and rural dark fantasy and coming-of-age and (view spoiler). Had a lot of ingredients (haha, pun) I usually enjoy but didn't quiiiite click.
The Crow Garden - Also didn't work for me. Littlewood has the faux-Victorian writing style down, but the plot was pretty so-so and you could see the ending from miles away, and it still didn't make hardly any sense.
It was basically a rather inferior, heterosexual version of Affinity.
Pinion - Plot didn't necessarily grab me, but the world did. Liked the mix of sci-fi and religion, with a bit of Arthurian mythology sprinkled on. Reminded me a wee bit of An Unkindness of Ghosts.
Should probably add a content warning for (view spoiler). However everyone is a consenting adult and it's one of those far-future societies where it's not taboo any more.
Good Omens - A reread. Had fun with this. Reading it after the show is a bit... underwhelming, though. There isn't all that much extra in the book, and the best bit of the show, i.e. Aziraphale and Crowley's relationship, isn't really focused on at all.
(And I hate to say it, but there's some small instances of bigotry that really haven't aged well. I had entirely forgotten the scene in which an 11-yr-old calls Aziraphale a f*gg*t, and the "joke" about setting fire to same, in the sense of "f*gg*ts of wood". Then there's the Japanese-made car with the automated voice going "Prease to fasten sleat-bert"...)
Temp-DNFed North and South. I was liking it, but got waylaid by other things and was too far in to easily pick up where I'd left off, so I'll get back to it another time. So far I don't think it's as good as Wives and Daughters though.
Currently reading In a Glass Darkly. Honestly, I picked it up entirely for Carmilla. The other stories have been quite ho-hum, mostly, though The Familiar wasn't bad. I do like Le Fanu's writing, it's easy reading by Victorian standards.
QOTW: Have you ever visited a place from a novel? Was it recognizable?
Not specifically, that I can recall. I've travelled to a few popular destinations which happen to feature in novels, like various parts of London (including Fitzroy Square and Tavistock Square, both places where Virginia Woolf lived), Paris, York, and so forth.
I have been to Sarehole Mill in Birmingham, for the Middle-Earth Weekend. JRR Tolkien lived there as a child and parts of the Shire are based on it. It certainly feels very hobbity.
Books I finished:
Mansfield Park by Jane Austen - This isn't my favourite Austen, but I still love it. 
Late Eclipses by Seanan McGuire Book 4 of the October Daye series. I love every book in this series.Currently reading:
One Salt Sea by Seanan McGuireQOTW
Not really. I don't travel that much, and a lot of what I read isn't set in the 'real' world. I did visit Niagara Falls once for a family reunion and while there, I went to a local fort for the day. And then when I got back home, I picked up a book of Canadian ghost stories and apparently the fort I visited is supposed to be haunted.
Lauren wrote: "I just finished The Haunting of Hill House on audio, which was not a good format for it. The narration was garbled and kind of whispery so it made it really difficult to follow. I'm refraining from rating it since it might have been fine in print. I am interested in seeing the movie (or is it a show, or both?) to find out what was going on..."The Netflix show is excellent but it's not the same story as the book. It was just inspired by it. I don't know if there's an older film version that's more faithful though.
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I have done this! I'm not sure I've taken an entire trip just to do it, but I did sort of live on Greyhound for a year, so I saw a little. (Short version: People died, life fell apart, I bou..."
Dang, I had no idea that Forks was a real place.
Been awhile since my last post. Between PT for a knee replacement & some meh books, I haven't done too much reading. Two books I did finish are Queen Sugar by Natalie Baszile and Love Medicine by Louise Erdrich.
Currenty reading Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.
QOTW:
Never had the opportunity to visit the local of some of my novels. Could be fun for a future vacation.
Happy Friday! It's my birthday weekend, and I plan just to relax all weekend and read! Finished:
The Husband's Secret - I listened to this. I liked the story, but I found the narrator a little irritating. 3 stars
I Will Make You Pay - I had an ARC of this. I liked the story, but I thought there were some red herrings thrown in that weren't necessary. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4
Behind Her Eyes - this book has a great premise however, I just didn't love it. I thought it tried to get into sci-fi when it could have just been a great thriller. Although I did not see the ending coming, I did think it was way far-fetched. I'm still thinking of a rating for this one.
Challenge Progress:
49/50
Currently Reading:
The Lies We Told - I should finish this tonight.
The Furies - I have an ARC of this
The Broken Girls - I just started listening to this, but it feels like the perfect spooky book for Halloween!
QOTW - Have you ever visited a place from a novel? Was it recognizable?
I love this question! I haven't specifically gone to a place because of a book. I think I might start doing this now though! I love Newport, RI, and just found a mystery series set in the Newport mansions so I might have to check those books out.
Late checking in, but worth it because I finished two books this week and am just one book behind on both PS and ATY - I'm going to finish them!! I got worried after my huge reading slump in the spring, but I am on fiya with my reading just now and it's the 24hr Readathon this weekend too!So I'm now at 44/55 (35/45, 9/10) for PS.
My first book this week was for prompt #32 written by an author from Africa. I've also done the South America and Asia options this year. I went for Under the Udala Trees by Chinelo Okparanta. This is a really special book, combining the experience of a young gay woman, Ijeoma, with the political and religious culture of Nigeria during and following the civil war. It is beautifully told, and perfectly paced. Considering it deals with some incredibly difficult topics, such as war, violent persecution of gay people, the death of a parent and the mistreatment of children, this is not a dense or dark book. I think a lot of that is due to the voice of Ijeoma, who has insight and questions the ways of things around her, whilst not being destroyed by the negativity which surrounds her or internalising the hate and ignorance directed at gay people in her country. She is strong and brave, but without the coldness that is often given to female characters with those traits. I loved sharing her journey through childhood and into discovering herself as an adult, and couldn't put this book down. A really wonderful read that will stay with me.
My second book only ticked an ATY prompt. It was The Testaments by Margaret Atwood. I was so nervous about this book. I have adored The Handmaid's Tale ever since I first read it over ten years ago, and loved seeing it elevated by the Hulu tv series. When I heard this book was coming, especially since reading the unimpressive The Heart Goes Last, I was dubious. Was it needed, would it be any good? Well, having flown through this book I can answer those two questions. Was it needed? No. Was it any good? Yes! To expand on that, I don't think this book adds anything to the Gilead story. I would almost say that it takes something away, as I always liked the unknown quantity of the ending of Handmaid's and of the single-person narrative. But Handmaid's is such a classic that this is almost like a fan-fic or homage. It's a fun way to revisit a world so many of us have been left curious about, but with the safety of knowing that nothing will touch that original work. And on it's own merit, this book is really good. I enjoyed Aunt Lydia's perspective so much, and also that of Agnes who had grown up as a child of Gilead. Atwood's writing is flawless - witty and insightful, but still light enough to keep the pace of the book crisp. And the pace of this one is quicker than Handmaid's, it's very much an adventure and feels totally different. Standalone I'd have enjoyed this, but its links to a classic I hold very dear just made it even better. I know others hold different opinions, so it wont be for everyone, but I loved it.
QOTW - Have you ever visited a place from a novel? Was it recognizable?
I've read a lot of books set in London and Paris, and I'm familiar with those places. But I think I knew them before reading books set in them and didn't visit them with the books in mind. I've read a book set in my own town, and that was exciting to recognise it on the pages. But I don't think I've ever visited anywhere because it was set in a book or with the book in mind when I visited. I like the idea though, something to look out for with future reads!
Theresa wrote: "they had the same mission I did in visiting Venice: to visit all the locations from Helen MacInnes' The Venetian Affair. Off we went together and it was one of the best and most memorable days of what was an amazing time in Europe as a student..."I love this story! I feel like I missed out on so many adventures when I was young because I didn't travel or just GO places! Hoping to change that now that my years of direct parenting are nearly an end :)
Hi all. Dealing with a very demanding client at work, and it's exhausting, so I haven't had the energy to read at home, even though I desperate want an escape. And I'm so tired that I only manage a couple of innings of baseball. Couldn't the games start at 6? Would that kill the ratings?? I can't imagine. I'm a Yankees' fan, so I am thoroughly approving of the Nationals taking it to the Astros! ;) I actually watch a few Nationals games during the year (mlb.tv is my annual tax return gift to myself- SO worth it!), so I do know most of the players. With almost no reading this week, I didn't finish anything. I did start Monday's Not Coming for an own voices book and Challenger Deep for next month's read (come join me!). I'm not far into either of them, but they both are making me question everything!
QOTW: I'm actually more likely to do the reverse, I've picked up lots of books because I've been to a place. A few that come to mind: The Day the Falls Stood Still, Empire Falls, Ticket To Ride: Lost And Found In America, and I just borrowed Virgil Wander because I spent some summers in Minnesota.
Although, I did make a trip a few years ago to OZ... or rather, OZ's birthplace, Chittenango, NY. The sidewalk is yellow bricks, and many businesses have an OZ reference, even the casino!
It was another insanely slow reading week for me. I abandoned two debut novels (not so much because they were bad they were just not for me)I did finish Quill Me Nowby Jordan Castillo Price for the alphabet challenge. It was fun if you could look past some of the epically foolish choices of the protagonist.
QOTW Oh yes I've visited many places I've read about (though not specifically because I've read about them and wanted to see them). Mileage varies on how well the authors captured the places. I had an agent once tell me something along the lines of 'what does it matter how accurate your description of a place is? it's called fiction for a reason. Sometimes however, including places that aren't iconic, can date a book because bars/restaurants/stores come and go but still I do like those details.
Perfect timing for QOTW. I am planning a trip to see some of the Laura Ingalls Wilder sires including where she lived when she wrote the books. So excited!!!
I also always try and read a book set in a city I am vacationing in prior to the visit. Past visits to Niagara Falls, Savannah, Paris, etc. have all had books set there read prior to my visit. This summer I read Gift from the Sea while vacationing on Sanibel/Captiva Islands where the author wrote the book and talked about the shells she saw and related them to her life. I think it adds to my vacations quite a bit!
I finished Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch this past week. It was really good and funny.I am currently reading The Hound of the Baskervilles
QOTW:
I have not, but there are plenty of places I'd like to visit due to reading about them.
Not much finished this week, I've been working on Notre-Dame de Paris. The language is a struggle for me to a much greater extent than Les Mis. Possibly because he's writing about the middle ages and so the vocabulary is just that much further removed from what I'm used to. Most of the time I just struggle along and trust that I'm getting the gist of things from context clues without resorting to looking things up, but I did break down and google "le moine bourru" because I was lost.
Just a quick update before Game 3 of the World Series kicks off tonight (LET'S GO NATS!! #finishthefight :-D). I finished two books, both of which worked for challenge prompts. I'm now at 36/40 and 7/10 for this challenge, and have read 111 books so far this year. Finished:
* A Spark of Light by Jodi Picoult, which I used for "a book that takes place in a single day;" and,
* Wonder Woman: Warbringer by Leigh Bardugo, which I used for "a book about someone with a superpower."
Currently Reading:
* The Prison Letters of Nelson Mandela by Nelson Mandela, which I'm using for a BookRiot prompt;
* Because Internet: Understanding the New Rules of Language by Gretchen McCulloch, which is one of my book clubs' picks for October -- we're supposed to discuss this weekend; and,
* If Today Be Sweet by Thrity Umrigar, which I'm using for "a book with a title that contains "salty," "sweet," "bitter," or "spicy"."
QotW:
This week’s question was submitted (at different times!) by both Jen and poshpenny: Have you ever visited a place from a novel? Was it recognizable? I can't think of a specific trip I've made to visit a place from a novel, but I've definitely been to places mentioned in novels. I love it when authors add real details from locations that I'm familiar with or have visited -- it helps me immerse myself in the story even more.
I finished three books this week, and I'm slowing finishing my challenges.The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman; 4 stars - not for challenges except for monthly read
I rather enjoyed these stories of Bod, a baby who grew up in a graveyard. Entertaining and not too spooky.
Lost Roses by Martha Hall Kelly; 4 stars - not for challenges
This is the prequel to Lilac Girls, set during World War I. I have not read much historical fiction (or nonfiction) about WWI, and it was interesting to learn more about what life was like during that time, especially the Russian and French stories.
Life of Pi by Yann Martel; 3 stars - PS #5 (million reviews), ATY #27 (1001 books to read before you die list)
I finally did it. I bought this book a couple of years for a book club and didn't even start it. For some reason I was dreading it. While it isn't my favorite book ever, I enjoyed it much more than I expected. It was quite different than I thought it would be. Planning to see the movie soon.
GoodReads: 71/80
PopSugar: 40/45; 7/10
Around the Year: 49/52
QOTW: I wish, but as far as I can recall, I have not had the opportunity to do so.
Life of Pi is one of the few movies where I feel the movie and the book are about equally as good. The visuals in the movie are excellent!
Christy wrote: "Hello everyone! I'm soooo close to finishing my challenge, just one book left, and then I'm going to enjoy reading some books I've seen you all recommend (never read Riley Sagar, gonna try him), an..."Breadfruit....yummo! Must go get some haven't had it in ages.
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But on the positive side one of my sons finally reached out to me for a listening ear and that felt good. I will revel in that for a while! And since I wasn’t at work I could spare the 8+ hours to listen to him (spread over 3 evenings). Though it is difficult for me to know details of how much another person has manipulated and used my child. I keep telling myself to ‘get over it’ since I now know the details, but that protective (sometimes vengeful) mother instinct just takes hold! I don’t care if he is almost 40 years old! I still wish I could protect him! lol Ironically, I raised my sons to be self-sufficient without protecting them from life as they grew. *Shaking my head at myself*
I only read about 60 pages over the weekend and Monday-Wednesday. Definitely pushed back my “reading schedule,” but such is life…
Finished:
God vs. Gay?: The Religious Case for Equality by Jay Michaelson. Organized religion holds no attraction for me. It hasn’t for more than 30 years now. However, Michaelson reiterates the inherent contradiction I have felt for my whole life regarding religion, particularly protestant religions: if believers are to emulate God and love everyone, how the hell can they discriminate against “some”? I don’t get it and I have never really gotten that main tenet and its seeming lack of enactment. Nothing but hypocrisy, IMO. My mother was a perfect example of a self-professed “good Christian” who pretty much hated everybody for one reason or another… This is for the campus LBGTQ book club. No one else had read this at the book club meeting and there were only three of us there so I basically summarized it. It was interesting, though I admit to skipping the section where he dissects each of the main 7 Bible verses used by homophobic “Christians” to deny homosexuality and those identifying as homosexual, or even gender-diverse. They want to believe only heterosexuals exist in this world. I appreciated Michaelson’s rationale. Uncertain whether I will sacrifice an evening’s workout to attend his presentation on campus. Since he is a believer/follower of religion I am only semi-interested…
Popsugar: #12-Michaelson calls “God vs. Gay” a myth, but for me the whole Christian religion/Bible is a myth humans have created to try to understand our world, #43
ATY: #7 or #8-Political/Social Oppression, LGBTQ, #9-Religious, #23-religion, myth, #24-interpreting the Bible to be inclusive of gender diversity, #50-psychological, spiritual, social, interpersonal, #52
RHC: #15-I consider the Bible and organized religion to be “myth”
DNF’d and then finished:
WARNING! RANT! My Best Friend's Exorcism by Grady Hendrix. I ended up despising this book so much I refuse to give it even one star. I rate this book as a zero. Zilch. Nada. Nothing. UGH! I made it to page 274 and then…TRIGGER WARNING! Animal/pet. Death. (Actually MURDER!) I found no humor in this book at all. Though it did make me roll my eyes in frustration quite often! I found the first 30 pages or so rather interesting and it proceeded downhill on a very steep decline after that. Definitely just not my thing… So the next time I feel relatively certain I will NOT enjoy a book, I plan to follow through on that gut feeling and choose not to participate in future book club reads as appropriate! Seriously, this thing gave me a headache! I texted the club facilitator to inform her I would NOT attend the discussion. Good thing I did that since I awoke that next morning too sick to contemplate going anywhere! But…keep reading…
I am so compelled to finish a book, especially when I am counting it to fulfill challenge prompts/tasks, that I admit to reading those last 62 pages the next morning. Fortunately it ended much better than I feared it might, but this was such a waste of my time. I should have just read the first 30 pages and final 10 pages! :) No more HORROR for Lynn!
Popsugar: #27-the demon, #31
ATY: #9-Horror (the FIRST and LAST time you’ll see me read a book from this genre!), #17, #23-demonic possession, #39, #42-a demon, #52
Reading Women: #21
Continuing:
Beloved by Toni Morrison. This is the September-October Shared Shelf read. I read it years ago but don’t believe I truly absorbed it, so will try again! :) I’ve only managed the first chapter, but hope to finish this over the weekend.
Buried Bones (Sarah Booth Delaney #2) by Carolyn Haines. I picked up 5 different books and began reading from them while sick and this was the only one that appealed to me at the time. They’re rather simplistic and just pure enjoyment. They read quickly. And make me laugh! And I do appreciate the mystery!
And this was my intention for the campus author event I missed on Thursday…
The Ten-Year Nap by Meg Wolitzer. (I own this and now must locate it!) Anxious to see what I think of it. In preparation for her October 24 visit to campus. I really enjoyed The Wife and hope to purchase The Interestings and The Female Persuasion for her to sign/inscribe.
So…none of that occurred, but I am determined to locate The Ten-Year Nap and finally read it!
Planned:
The Orchid Thief: A True Story of Beauty and Obsession by Susan Orlean. In preparation for an author event with her in November. It will also fulfill several challenge prompts.
Wise Children by Angela Carter. Mainly to fulfill the ATY #5 prompt—a book by Shakespeare or inspired by Shakespeare. This was very difficult for me as I intend to never read another work by Shakespeare if I can avoid it. This book is about the two illegitimate and unacknowledged daughters of Sir Melchior Hazard, the greatest Shakespearean actor of his day.
Love, Lucy by Lucille Ball. This is the first Bookworm Bitches monthly Pen Pal read in which I have participated! My assigned partner and I have selected this book which will also count for Nonfiction November!
The Home for Unwanted Girls by Joanna Goodman for the Bookworm Bitches November monthly read. I have been rather intrigued by this book and obtained a copy very cheaply, so decided I’ll try to read it this next month. I rather assume I may like or hate it, but don’t think I’ll love it.
And finally! The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah which is the 2019 Reading Challenge November read. I have been meaning to read this ever since I purchased it last year!
Question of the Week:
This week’s question was submitted (at different times!) by both Jen and poshpenny:
Have you ever visited a place from a novel? Was it recognizable?
No, I have not. All I lack is time and financial resources to travel! ;) There are quite a few locations I would like to experience for myself though…mainly to see how romanticized I feel the author made them or how accurate/realistic.
Back to my book! Happy reading all!
Ellie wrote: "Lauren wrote: "I just finished The Haunting of Hill House on audio, which was not a good format for it. The narration was garbled and kind of whispery so it made it really difficult to follow. I'm ..."There's an earlier movie version called The Haunting--Julie Harris is in it. It's very close to the book. I never watched the recent series, but I knew from looking at the listing on IMDb that the series differed from the book.
The old black and white movie is well-regarded. An early Robert Wise project (director of The Sound of Music. The trailer is fun: "Whose hand was I holding?"
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0057129/...
This week I read Educated and absolutely loved it. I'll be thinking about this book for a long time, I'm sure. I actually knew very little of what the book was about before I started it, and I think that made it even better :)I also read, and loved, The Graveyard Book. This was my first Neil Gaiman book, because I couldn't get into or finish American Gods (admittedly, I gave up quickly on that one, and it was years ago).
This week I also read In the Woods and definitely enjoyed it, though not quite as much as the other two books I read. Enough to read more in the series, though, for sure.
QOTW:
I did actually do this once! A couple years ago, I discovered Louise Penny's books and read them all pretty quickly. I learned that she loosely based her characters' town on the town where she lives (Knowlton, QC). My husband and I drove up and spent the weekend there and it was really cute and pretty small. It wasn't really how I pictured the town in her books, though, but I think I may picture her newer books a little differently now.
I don't think I've checked in for several weeks - we were away for a week on a trip to Arizona and New Mexico (to see some of the historic Old West sights like Fort Sumner, Lincoln, Bisbee, and Tombstone, as well as Roswell for the UFO Museum and Capitan for Smokey the Bear). The trip was amazing, and something we've wanted to do for a long time. When we came back there was a lot of catching up to do at work, along with hosting out-of-town family visiting.Books I read in October:
The Last Gunfight: The Real Story of the Shootout at the O.K. Corral-And How It Changed the American West by Jeff Guinn - we visited Tombstone on our recent trip, which was amazing. We've wanted to go ever since watching the movie Tombstone, many years ago. To get the real story on events, I picked up this book, which is very detailed and provides a lot of background on what led up to that infamous day. Visiting the town, they are quick to point out that is only one small piece of the town's story, and it was so interesting to learn about the mining history of that area that was the true precursor to it being settled, as well as their founder.
An Anonymous Girl by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen - I chose this book based on how much I liked The Wife Between Us. This was even better. These two make a fantastic writing team.
Books in-progress:
Billy the Kid: A Short and Violent Life by Robert M. Utley - I started this book on our recent trip to Lincoln County and Fort Sumner, but there wasn't a lot of reading time while we were discovering things in person. Now that I'm getting towards the end, there's lots I'd like to go back and see (things we missed when we were in the area) with a new perspective on events.
QOTW: I have definitely read books about places I've visited. I also like to read books about trips I'm planning. Not necessarily novels, though, often its nonfiction. If I ever make it to England, Ireland, or Morocco, those will definitely be places that I was inspired to visit based on novels I read.
Last year after we booked a trip that would take us to Spain, Italy, and Monaco, I read Cathedral of the Sea (Spain), A History of the Popes: Volume I: Origins to the Middle Ages (Italy), and The Royal House of Monaco: Dynasty of Glamour, Tragedy and Scandal (Monaco) and all 3 choices were inspired by our trip. The Last Gunfight and Billy the Kid were chosen once we planned out our trip to Arizona and New Mexico. I love reading the real stories (and histories) behind places we go.
KF-in-Georgia wrote: "Ellie wrote: "Lauren wrote: "I just finished The Haunting of Hill House on audio, which was not a good format for it. The narration was garbled and kind of whispery so it made it really difficult t..."Good to know - thank you!
Nadine wrote: "Lauren wrote: "... I also finished How to Be an Antiracist to prepare for the event this weekend. It's a bit controversial for those of us trained through PISAB's Undoing Racism program, but I thin..."Yes, I think his new book had good information but was really missing the "what now?" It would have been great if he dug into specifics on which policies we should be fighting for/against. I already do this work so I have a good idea, but I was interested in what he saw as the most pressing, and I think other readers need specific recommendations.
His talk went well though and I had to ask about his health when he signed my book (that part about everything his family went through recently was so sad). He said he's in good health now! :)
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Ellie wrote: "Lauren wrote: "I just finished The Haunting of Hill House on audio, which was not a good format for it. The narration was garbled and kind of whispery so it made it really difficult to follow. I'm ..."Ok - thank you!
Catching up on posting the weeks I forgot to:Week 43
42. Dare to Love -- A book with "love" in the title
Super late reply, but whatever. The Raven King a good end to the series. I was so worried, but it was a good ending.
The Dollhouse Murders a fun book from my childhood, could count as a ghost story.
Blue Dahlia is what I actually decided to count as a ghost story, because this series can still send shivers down my spine.
Black Rose continuing the series.
QotW: I don’t actually travel, but I do enjoy the books that are set around my area. Thanks to the Popsugar challenges I have read several.
Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge
Books mentioned in this topic
Black Rose (other topics)The Dollhouse Murders (other topics)
The Raven King (other topics)
Blue Dahlia (other topics)
The Last Gunfight: The Real Story of the Shootout at the O.K. Corral-And How It Changed the American West (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Neil Gaiman (other topics)Martha Hall Kelly (other topics)
Yann Martel (other topics)
Thrity Umrigar (other topics)
Jodi Picoult (other topics)
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It startles me how often the weather in NYC is..."
Well, having grown up in Binghamton area which is on record as receiving the least amount of sunshine of anywhere in US -- may be continental US - I know what you mean. You are also in the infamous NY snow belt. This time of year is actually one of the nicest in NY. The air is clear and just crisp enough - humidity gone. The light and sunsets are spectacular. And even if it is 50s/60s, it's warmer than your 50s/60s because of the tropical weather passing through from Caribbean.
It's a really good time of year to visit. But it can be awful rain too -- we have rain coming this weekend again.