Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge discussion

I apologize for being a bit late in posting this morning!

I had a very pleasant surprise when I walked into my local used bookstore the other day. Someone had left $20 on my account to be used however I pleased. “In honor of my birthday!” So the three books I picked up were free! 😊 I love it when that happens!

Then another good friend *wink* sent me an electronic gift certificate to Better World Books for $50!! Also in honor of my birthday! I am in “hog heaven,” as they say!!! Whoo! Whoo!

Still battling with my husband’s health. Another 7+ hours in ER on Tuesday evening/Wednesday morning and with just 4 hours of sleep we spent Wednesday at his pre-admission testing for 3+ hours and then running errands another 3 hours. Needless to say, we both crashed when we got home! He seems to be getting more and more “down” about this whole situation, obsessing that he’ll be stuck wearing diapers for the remainder of this lifetime. Poor guy! I keep trying to tell him that this surgery is the treatment to prevent that from happening! I feel for him…

Oh, and my gym is closed again! Not due to COVID, but rather inspection due to several members being diagnosed with Legionnaire’s disease. I hadn’t thought of that particular ailment for many years! This is just another impetus for me to get off my butt and start working out at home! My plan is to force myself to do so every day at 3PM if I haven’t already. Maybe setting a boundary will help motivate me in the mornings! LOL

I completed the 2021 Reading Challenge 25K Readathon with a prize for reading the most books to complete the original 50 prompts: 13! While there were two longer books in there, most of them were 150-250 pages with about half being juvenile/YA books. But still…I did persevere to succeed! 😊 My team was the ONLY one that had to use wild cards to complete all 50 prompts—3 of 18 earned—but that’s okay. I read some books I’ve really been wanting to read and enjoyed the whole event. That is the goal, after all! LOL

I trust everyone is well, or at least as well as can be! Happy Thursday to us all! And here’s to a wonderful week ahead!!

Admin Stuff
VOTING IS DONE! Final selections for July-September Monthly Group Reads:

July (27 votes submitted)—for prompt # #22 A book set mostly or entirely outdoors (summer in the northern hemisphere/winter in the southern hemisphere):
The Guest List by Lucy Foley

August (25 votes submitted)—for prompt #5 A dark academia book (typical month for the academic year to begin):
Catherine House by Elisabeth Thomas

September (27 votes submitted)—for prompt #11 A book about forgetting (#2 in selection poll):
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab
(Voting was really close on this one!)

We still need a discussion leader for May: #24 A book by a Muslim American author (Islamic holiday Eid al-Fitr on May 13, 2021) Ayesha at Last by Uzma Jalaluddin. This is one I am very excited to read. Please message either Nadine or myself to volunteer to lead! It is a great way to get to know some of the Popsugar members better!

Here is the link to the April monthly group read discussion of The Midnight Library by Matt Haig. Brandy B is leading this discussion! YAY BRANDY B! I am preparing to read it this coming weekend!

And here is the link to post the book you read to fulfill prompt #28 A book with magical realism.

Question of the Week: Is there any one book you could recommend to POPSUGAR members that perfectly fit a 2021 Challenge prompt and you absolutely adored? (Or just simply really enjoyed?)

I was kinda blown away by how much Tana French’s The Trespasser (Dublin Murder Squad #6) fit prompt #34 A book about a social justice issue. For me, that issue was “Morally and ethically correct behavior by police.”

How about you?

Popsugar: 34/50
ATY: 45/52
RHC: 7/24
Reading Women: 5/28
Some progress on all of them!

FINISHED:
Blue Asylum by Kathy Hepinstall ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ is a book I began to read during the Readathon for a specific prompt and then one of the team members changed their reading plan, so I ended up reading a different book to fulfill a different prompt. But I wanted to finish this one, so I did. The story, setting, and some of the themes were reminiscent of Neverhome by Laird Hunt which I read 6 years ago, though I much preferred Hepinstall’s writing style and the story arc was not so depressing and bleak as Hunt’s. I won this through a Goodreads giveaway and am so very glad I did! I might have never discovered her otherwise!
POPSUGAR: #21-Fiction, Historical Fiction, Historical Nonfiction, US Civil War, #22, #27, #33, #34-Many of them!, #36-779 reviews on Goodreads, NEW #50-Won in a Goodreads giveaway!
ATY: #6, #7-A book related to one of the United Nations 2021 “International Year” themes: Peace and Trust, #14, #16, #18, #23-Fiction, Historical Fiction, Historical Nonfiction, US Civil War, #24, #25, #27-The Lovers, Death, Temperance, Judgement, The World, #34, #38-DRESSING: Wendell’s dressing of his wounds, patient “dressing” for dinner, #47-HOTEL, #49, #52-The end of Iris’ marriage.
RHC: #13-I hate the heads cut off, #24-Wendell’s lamb
Reading Women: #18

I read The Trespasser (Dublin Murder Squad #6) by Tana French ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ for an April Buddy Read. French just never disappoints me! And this one was no exception. In fact, this is one of my favorites. While she allowed many questions to be answered, there were still some aspects that remained nebulous, which is one of the reasons she is an absolute all-time favorite author for me! I’m certain I will be pondering about this one for many days/months, perhaps even years! I trust this will not be the last in this series. French’s take on writing a series is very unique, IMO, in that you never know which of this group will be the narrator or from whose perspective the story will unfold…
POPSUGAR: #18-Justice being served, #27, #30-Ireland, #34-Morally and ethically correct behavior by police, #37, #46, #47-French is one of my all-time favorite authors!,
ATY: #7-A book featuring a theme of women overcoming systemic obstacles, #8-Ireland, #20-The future looks brighter for some, and definitely different for others, #27-The Lovers, Justice, Death, Judgement, #34, #38-PEDESTRIAN: Several pedestrians played large roles in this book, #40-Flowers in the pattern on the curtains, #42, #49, #51, #52-The end of life as they know it for Breslin and McCann.
Reading Women: NEW #14

CONTINUING:
I made some progress on Edith Wharton’s The Age of Innocence and have decided I am sick and tired of the “upper crust” of New York’s elite’s useless and sometimes extremely harmful “traditional” behaviors. Good grief! Just say what you mean and mean what you say! 😊 I assume she meant this as a satire. Anxious to read the analysis section of my edition to see if I’m correct about that!

My favorite used bookstore’s book club meets this Sunday and we’re due to discuss Olga Tokarszuk’s Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead. I had pretty much decided I didn’t need to read this one, but I am now almost 25% into it and I think I may end up liking it!

PLANNED:
For April Buddy Reads:
Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line by Deepa Anappara
Yes No Maybe So by Becky Albertalli
Anxious People by Fredrik Backman
And I still keep looking anxiously at The Third Angel by Alice Hoffman. My very special gift that makes me smile every time I see it or think about it! 😊

I am so hoping to finish at least 2-3 of these in April!!! (Made progress in one!)
Eva Luna by Isabel Allende to fulfill the 2020 Reading Women prompt #26 A book written by Isabel Allende.
Paradise by Toni Morrison to fulfill the 2020 Reading Women prompt #25 A book written by Toni Morrison.
Hidden Valley Road: Inside the Mind of an American Family by Robert Kolker
The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates. Excellent writing! It really flows.
How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi.
Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi. Excellent so far! I love Reynolds' humor!
Learning Race, Learning Place: Shaping Racial Identities and Ideas in African American Childhoods by Erin N. Winkler
White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism by Robin DiAngelo
The Souls of Black Folk by W.E.B. Du Bois

We’ve had a couple really nice days this week so I’ve spent some time outside reading on my patio. I’m so happy I invested in patio furniture last summer. It’s been wonderful to be outside again after a winter cooped up. Thanks to all the extra reading time, I was able to finish a couple books this week!! I also went to the drive-in on Friday night. That’s always a fun experience, especially now when there is so little else I feel comfortable doing.

Finished
Cat Among the Pigeons by Agatha Christie (a book where the main character works at your current or dream job). Sign me up to be an independently wealthy eccentric private detective, please. I liked the mystery, and I liked that the clues were easier to piece together than usual. But Poirot was in so little of the book. I know that Agatha Christie hated him, but I like reading about him.

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig (a magic realism book). This book is so good! I can’t tell you the last time I really, really wanted to sit down and read. It’s been a slumpy few months. This book changed all of that. I’m really glad the monthly group read prompted me to pick up this book! I don’t think this book is actually magic realism, but I’m using it for the prompt because I read it in good faith. I’m classifying it as fantasy, though.

Reading
Watership Down by Richard Adams (a book set mostly or entirely outdoors)

Breath The New Science of a Lost Art, Just Breathe, The Oxygen Advantage, What Doesn't Kill Us 4 Books Collection Set by James Nestor (a book about a subject you are passionate about)

QOTW
The two challenge books I’ve adored are This Is How You Lose the Time War and The Midnight Library. I used This is How You Lose the Time War for an advanced prompt, so that’s probably subjective. The Midnight Library is a perfect fit for the “a book about do-overs or fresh starts” prompt.

Lynn, sorry to hear you husband is still not well.

I just bought myself a little Android tablet so I can read digital comics a bit easier. I have loads of them from various bundles but my phone is too small and the iPad is too big, and reading on my laptop is just a big nope. I might even stop pausing my Scribd subscription repeatedly if it means I can borrow graphic novels on there.

Finished:
Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley for social justice. I loved this! I've seen a few people say it's slow, and it is if you're expecting a thriller but that slowness is caused by telling us all about the culture and community of the Ojibwe. I was so absorbed in it. It covers a few different social justice issues, and I suppose some of them are just regular justice issues, but I needed a prompt for it.

Exit West by Mohsin Hamid for ATY (Are You Well Read in World Literature). The author reads the audiobook himself and I felt his delivery was a bit monotonous and lacking emotion. Felt the doors weren't really an important part, it just made things a bit easier for the refugees to get to a new country each time, but essentially it's about the plight of refugees. Think maybe I just wasn't in the mood for it but at least I ticked off a trickier prompt.

Currently reading A History of What Comes Next and listening to Clap When You Land.

PS: 16/50 | ATY: 18/52 | RH: 7/24 | GR: 37/100

QOTW:
I don't know, I've been struggling a bit with the prompts this year and not many of my reads have been perfect fits. I did thoroughly enjoy The Cousins by Karen M. McManus which has a family tree in it...and you could use Firekeeper's Daughter for indigenous author.

Lynn wrote: "I apologize for being a bit late in posting this morning!

I had a very pleasant surprise when I walked into my local used bookstore the other day. Someone had left $20 on my account to be used how..."


Sounds like your friends know exactly the right birthday gift to give you!!!


Congrats on your readathon! that's a lot of books

Good Morning All, I finished 2 books for the week. I'm making myself step away from the jigsaw puzzles so I can accomplish other things in life. I read The Mummy Case (Amelia Peabody#3) by Elizabeth Peters. 3 stars. I used it for a genre hybrid,historical mystery. Also cozy mystery.
No Man's Land (John Puller,#4) by David Baldacci. 4 stars. Not for this challenge. I started this series in 2014. There's only 4 books in the series. I enjoyed the whole series. I was wondering if anyone else has read this series. I have talked with a lot of people that read different series of his but haven't read the John Puller series.
QOTW: A book that fits a prompt perfectly. The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J.Klune for the advanced prompt the book on your TBR list with the prettiest cover.

I agree, the weather has been gorgeous and I have also been sitting outside a lot. It's so nice before the mosquitoes get here. Today is gloomy and rainy. Oh well, makes it easier to work.

Finished:
Norwegian Wood for book with the same name as a song
Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents for book seen on someone's bookshelf. I happened to catch PBS Newshour one day, and two different people had this book on their bookshelves.

Currently reading:
Palace Walk
First Comes Like
War and Peace
Midnight at the Blackbird Café
The Secret Lives of Church Ladies

QOTW:
Norwegian Wood, obviously, since it's named after the song. And I loved it.
I thought Jane Eyre was perfect for a book everyone seems to have read but you. Everyone I know has read it. I was reading it for another challenge, but it fit perfectly here.

Lynn wrote: "I read The Trespasser (Dublin Murder Squad #6) by Tana French for an April Buddy Read. French just never disappoints me! And this one was no exception..."


I haven't read The Trespasser yet, it's the one I have left to read. With two other books in between, I'd been thinking she must be done with the DMS series. A lot of books in that series dealt with "moral and ethical behavior of the police" - starting from the very first, when Rob withheld key info about his past.

I'm reading (well, listening to) The Searcher right now. I'm about 3/4 of the way done and so far it hasn't won me over, mostly because I don't like Cal and I'm sick of books about men whining that their marriage ended because they sucked and didn't know it. But I know her books can come at you with a surprise at the end that makes it all worthwhile.

The trees are just starting to bud, which means soon I will have to keep my windows closed until June due to allergies.  Early spring gives me that little tantalizing offer of warm nights and open windows, and then the pollen hits and I have to close up again.

  
 This week I read 4 books, none for this Challenge, so I remain 20/50.

Rent a Boyfriend by Gloria Chao - this started out so cute!  and then it got really boring.

Dust Tracks on a Road by Zora Neale Hurston - fantastic memoir! I'm really glad I read this.

Alias, Vol. 3: The Underneath - a Jessica Jones graphic novel series written by Brian Michael Bendis- fantastic graphic novel!  I'm sad that there is only one more volume in this series.

Hard Child poems by Natalie Shapero - I chose this book randomly from my library shelf because I had just finished my other book of poetry and the one I had on hold wasn't in yet. I'd never heard of this author before; it was kind of weird - at first I didn't really like it, but by the time I finished it, I realized I liked it a lot. I'm glad I read it.



QotW
That's an interesting question!!

I went back through my list, and so far I've loved five books that I read for this Challenge (and I might not have read them otherwise):
Catherine House - dark academia (and our group read for this category!!) This book has been hit or miss for other readers, not everyone likes it, but I really did.
Home Fire - a Women's Prize winner (definitely a book I would not have read if not for this Challenge)
The Other Americans - Muslim-American author
White Ivy - three generations
Valentine - social justice issue (racism and sexual assault) - this was recommended to me by NYPL when I asked for a rec based on a previous book I'd read (Disappearing Earth) - I never would have read this if not for the recommendation.

Is anyone else not getting notifications for updates today?

I'm visiting my parents this week (I'm so going to miss working remotely and being able to do this sort of thing) and it's been surprisingly chilly! I definitely should have checked the forecast before coming because I brought clothes for warm weather. But their garden is BEAUTIFUL and I don't have to cook, so I'm happy to be here haha.

Finished:
The Little Book of Cottagecore: Traditional Skills for a Simpler Life - this was one of those "that looks interesting, I'll get it from the library!" reads. It was fine--the things from it that I'd want to do, I already do. But I'm not really interested in making my own soap or candles.

The Cardturner: A Novel about a King, a Queen, and a Joker by Louis Sachar - a book with a card suit on the cover. This was a good read; I always love Louis Sachar!

Currently Reading:
Boy: Tales of Childhood - I only have 30 minutes left on the audiobook, so I'll finish it this week. I love Roald Dahl and I'm pretty sure I've read this before (a long time ago), but it's been a good listen (especially since Dan Stevens reads it *heart eyes*). Man, English schools were abusive! I'm glad that he condemns that.

This was going to be my book that's also a song, but now I'm debating about making it my book with multiple generations or my book with a family tree.

Alice's Farm: A Rabbit's Tale - This is ADORABLE. It's my book with fewer than 1000 reviews.

The Artist's Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity - We'll do week 12 next week and then it'll be over, and I'm sad!

QOTW:
Using The Cardturner: A Novel about a King, a Queen, and a Joker for the card suit prompt was so, so perfect. Not only does my copy have all the card suits on the cover, but the title references cards, and the book itself centers around Bridge. It's like the prompt was made for this book!

Sherri wrote: "No Man's Land (John Puller,#4) by David Baldacci. 4 stars. Not for this challenge. I started this series in 2014. There's only 4 books in the series. I enjoyed the whole series. I was wondering if anyone else has read this series. I have talked with a lot of people that read different series of his but haven't read the John Puller series. ..."


I enjoy listening to an audiobook by Baldacci now and then, but I have not tried this series. I'll put it on my list to look for!

Shannon wrote: "Is anyone else not getting notifications for updates today?

..."


Yes. I hate this. I get a little hit of dopamine or endorphins or whatever it is when I have notifications! I'm missing it!!!

I finished The Rescue as my book that I saw on someone else's shelf. It kind of made me a little (lot) ragey.

I'm now reading Keep Australia On Your Left: A True Story of an Attempt to Circumnavigate Australia by Kayak as my book that takes place outdoors. I'm mostly find it boring. Plus, I don't think it helps that I'm geographically challenged and know nothing about kayaking.

QOTW: My fave book ever is Lonesome Dove which would fit the book that takes place outdoors or a book about fresh starts, or a place you want to go if you want to go to Montana, Texas, or anywhere in between.

Finished: The King's English: Adventures of an Independent Bookseller Her anecdotes had me laughing out loud! Very fun to witness all the trials and tribulations of running a bookstore so that I don't have to!

Speaking to Think Thinking to Speak: The Importance of Talk in the Learning Process This was a re-read. More practical than theoretical, which surprised me, but it had some good stuff.

Started: I haven't started anything that I've actually committed to finishing yet.

Qotw: I know this doesn't really need more promotion, but I really enjoyed The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue for book about forgetting.

Also, Special Topics in Calamity Physics is one of my all-time faves and it would work for dark academia.

Heather wrote: "We’ve had a couple really nice days this week so I’ve spent some time outside reading on my patio. I’m so happy I invested in patio furniture last summer. It’s been wonderful to be outside again after a winter cooped up. Thanks to all the extra reading time, I was able to finish a couple books this week!!"
That sounds wonderful!

"I also went to the drive-in on Friday night. That’s always a fun experience, especially now when there is so little else I feel comfortable doing."
Oh, my gosh! What a great idea!

"Finished
Cat Among the Pigeons by Agatha Christie (a book where the main character works at your current or dream job). Sign me up to be an independently wealthy eccentric private detective, please. I liked the mystery, and I liked that the clues were easier to piece together than usual. But Poirot was in so little of the book. I know that Agatha Christie hated him, but I like reading about him."
Those last two sentences made me laugh!

"The Midnight Library by Matt Haig (a magic realism book). This book is so good! I can’t tell you the last time I really, really wanted to sit down and read. It’s been a slumpy few months. This book changed all of that. I’m really glad the monthly group read prompted me to pick up this book! I don’t think this book is actually magic realism, but I’m using it for the prompt because I read it in good faith. I’m classifying it as fantasy, though."
This is one I've been very hesitant about reading, so glad to know you enjoyed it!

"QOTW
The two challenge books I’ve adored are This Is How You Lose the Time War and The Midnight Library. I used This is How You Lose the Time War for an advanced prompt, so that’s probably subjective. The Midnight Library is a perfect fit for the “a book about do-overs or fresh starts” prompt."
Cool!

It's been... how long since I last checked in? And I've read how many books since then? ... oh, gawd.

Not-good update is I had a truly terrible spell with my mental health and that's why I haven't been around. REALLY GOOD update is that I have a new dog! Adopted him from Dogs Trust (UK rescue organization) - he's a 6-year-old terrier mix and his name is Tom. He's an absolutely superb pup. Hasn't put a paw wrong in the almost 2 weeks we've had him.

I don't know if it's related to either of those last 2 events but I seem to have got my reading mojo back. Threw myself into "comfort reads" for distraction and have devoured a bunch. Which now I shall have to attempt to talk about. Hoboy. They'll be getting a sentence or two each or this'll turn into War and Peace. (Highly unusual for me, I know.)

Finished:

Gentlemen & Players - Can't go wrong with a bit of Joanne Harris. Quite enjoyable mystery with a great twist near the end, really turns the reader's assumptions on their heads. But mostly I just liked it for the writing and atmosphere.

Flush - Was getting keyed up about impending dog adoption and couldn't really get my mind off the subject, so shook down my TBR for a doggo book. This was just... nice, though Virginia is as always inclined to overdo it a bit. Cue dog having long introspective monologue on the nature of life or something.

Journeys in the Wild: The Secret Life of a Cameraman - The first of the aforementioned comfort reads. Very fun, though it did seem to jump around in time quite a bit - it's based off diary entries but they were arranged in non-chronological order with not much of a clear pattern. You'd go from a story taking place in say, 2010 into a different one from 1997 and there wasn't an obvious connection. Personally, I would perhaps have preferred it arranged chronologically, but it didn't significantly hamper the reading experience. Loved the wildlife stories, and found out that being a documentary cameraperson is significantly more perilous than I'd assumed - not only is there the obvious encounters with dangerous animals but also having to travel vast distances through active warzones just to get to said animals! No thank you please.
I'm really in the mood for more wildlife-related memoirs now - recommendations appreciated!

Lowborn: Growing Up, Getting Away and Returning to Britain’s Poorest Towns - Quick read but tough. Though Kerry talks at one point about living in a certain town that's quite near me, and roundly condemns the whole region - which is a sizeable area and in many parts rather lovely! Just 'cause you (general "you" here) experienced hellish circumstances in a particular location doesn't mean everywhere under the same local council is hell. So yeah, I spent a chapter or two being mildly offended. Good book otherwise though.

The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox - I'm getting to be a real Maggie O'Farrell fan! The first book of hers I read I didn't think terribly much of, then I adored Hamnet, and this one was pretty great too. It did get rather predictable in the last quarter-ish, though.

Avatar: The Last Airbender: Team Avatar Tales - This one was a bit of a letdown. Mostly republished material. Also, favourite-character bias talking here, but Zuko was almost entirely absent. :c

The Blue Fox - I don't get it. And that's that, really. I'm sure there was a point to this novel, somewhere, but alas I utterly fail to see it.

The Red Tent - Reading a Biblical retelling is slightly out of character for me, I'm not religious at all, but I suspect that might've been a bonus in this case as the characters are not treated with any sort of reverence. Also, I understand why kid-friendly versions of the Joseph story omit Dinah because oh boy, the "main event" in her story is not only NSFW but absolutely bonkers.
Really liked this, and would actually once again appreciate similar recommendations. (The "Readers Also Enjoyed" page was not helpful - just ended up with a bunch of historical fiction bestsellers rather than books which actually resembled Red Tent.)

Never Let Me Go - Blue Fox was a case of "didn't get it", this was a case of "got it immediately and was thus disappointed". I keep seeing this book discussed in terms of there being something under the surface of the plot which it would be practically a crime to spoil, and to me that supposedly under-the-surface thing was glaringly obvious, as I imagine it would be to really anyone who's grown up exposed to a significant amount of dystopia and/or sci-fi. Oh hey, a world in which (view spoiler)[there's an underclass of people who exist only to have their organs, tissue, etc. used to prolong the lives of the privileged (hide spoiler)], never seen that before. 🤷‍♀️
The writing was pretty good though - I already have a couple other Kazuo Ishiguro books on my Kindle and am quite looking forward to reading them.

When I Had a Little Sister: The Story of a Farming Family Who Never Spoke - Just rather sad, as of course any book dealing with suicide would be. I liked the anecdotes of growing up on the farm, before mental illness took hold.
(In hindsight maybe not the best book to read right after getting over a bad spell myself.)

Currently reading An Alchemy of Masques and Mirrors. It's been shelfwarming for years but now I've picked it up, I'm enjoying it more than I thought! It's a bit like "Treasure Planet", the Disney movie - the setting is basically France and Spain circa a few centuries ago, but in a world where humans live on landmasses floating in the sky above a neverending storm, navigating between them on literal flying ships, masts and all. And unlike Treasure Planet, the nobility in this world possess magical powers, often sinister ones, preserved through carefully arranged marriages. So we have alt-history, steampunk, fantasy, and rather a lot of politics too! Good fun.

QOTW: I haven't been filling the prompts this year... just been a bit stressed and all with the... *gesturing at world*. Haven't been able to face opening up the list and sorting through to figure out which one fits. So can't answer this question.

Ellie wrote: "I just bought myself a little Android tablet so I can read digital comics a bit easier. I have loads of them from various bundles but my phone is too small and the iPad is too big, and reading on my laptop is just a big nope. I might even stop pausing my Scribd subscription repeatedly if it means I can borrow graphic novels on there."
Good for you! It's always great to hear of people figuring out how to make their life a bit more enjoyable and then being able to do it! :)

"Finished:
Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley for social justice. I loved this! I've seen a few people say it's slow, and it is if you're expecting a thriller but that slowness is caused by telling us all about the culture and community of the Ojibwe. I was so absorbed in it. It covers a few different social justice issues, and I suppose some of them are just regular justice issues, but I needed a prompt for it."
Oh, my! This looks right up my alley! And it was just released a month ago and already has such a high rating and so many ratings/reviews, especially for a debut novel! Thanks for posting!

"QOTW:
I don't know, I've been struggling a bit with the prompts this year and not many of my reads have been perfect fits. I did thoroughly enjoy The Cousins by Karen M. McManus which has a family tree in it...and you could use Firekeeper's Daughter for indigenous author."
I have read 2 of her books and really enjoyed them. This is definitely on my TBR...

Nadine wrote: "Lynn wrote: "Lynn wrote: "I apologize for being a bit late in posting this morning!

Sounds like your friends know exactly the right birthday gift to give you!!!"
Nothing pleases me more than books at this stage of my life! :)

"Congrats on your readathon! that's a lot of books"
I really admire the moderators who organized that event...and I'm thankful we're not doing anything similar! LOL 😬😵

This week I finished:

A Crime in the Neighborhood: Women's Prize for Fiction: I did not enjoy this book. I think it was well-written in some ways, but overall was boring and unlikeable.

The Bookish Life of Nina Hill: Favorite thing: I did not enjoy the first half of this book. The character development felt forced and fake to me and I had really high hopes for it. At about the half-way point, it started to get a lot better. I still thought the whole book was pretty over-the-top, and not in an endearing way, but there were some minor characters (Clare, for example) and some laugh-out-loud funny moments that got a 3 star review from me. If I hadn't paid actual money for this book, I might not have finished it.

Currently reading:

Cross Her Heart: Past prompt - This one is not shaping up to be as intense and engaging as I had hoped, but I'm still enjoying it a bit.

Percy Jackson's Greek Gods: Ugly cover - I had planned a different book for this prompt, but I found myself wanting to listen to an audiobook (aka bedtime story) and settled on this at 1am when I was curled up on my couch with my dog unable to fall asleep. I think this was a good choice.

In other news, I have 5 books to go to finish the challenge and I have convinced myself that I am going to start all 5 by next week's check in, and hopefully finish most of them. I haven't read 5 books at the same time in a long time, but I'm up for a challenge. So along with the two I have started, I'm going to read An Accusation, One Night at the Lake, and Don't Turn Around.

QOTW:

I have read so many books that really nailed the prompts this year. I have actually rearranged my list a dozen times probably, because a book worked out so well for a different prompt than I had originally planned. The one that comes to mind first is And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer for a book about forgetting. It is a spectacularly beautiful book and I refuse to believe that there is a book that would fit that prompt better. It is also very short, under 100 pages.

Lynn wrote: "I apologize for being a bit late in posting this morning!

I had a very pleasant surprise when I walked into my local used bookstore the other day. Someone had left $20 on my account to be used how..."

Congrats on your readathon prize. Also, I just wanted to say how much I appreciate you taking the time to reply to my posts each week. I always look forward to seeing what you have to say.

Sherri wrote: "Good Morning All, I finished 2 books for the week. I'm making myself step away from the jigsaw puzzles so I can accomplish other things in life."/i
I used to be obsessive about jigsaw puzzles. I'm sure I still would be if I didn't live with four felines in my house! :)

"No Man's Land (John Puller,#4) by David Baldacci. 4 stars. Not for this challenge. I started this series in 2014. There's only 4 books in the series. I enjoyed the whole series. I was wondering if anyone else has read this series. I have talked with a lot of people that read different series of his but haven't read the John Puller series."
Interesting that you mention Baldacci. I have read one of his years ago and decided he was a "conspiracy" writer. Military/political conspiracies seem to be his thing and I don't really enjoy those much. Then I read One Summer 9 years ago and loved it. It is stand-alone general fiction/romance novel, not a mystery/suspense novel and I loved it! My husband owns several of his books so maybe I need to try this series!

"QOTW: A book that fits a prompt perfectly. The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J.Klune for the advanced prompt the book on your TBR list with the prettiest cover."
Not only did I adore this book, but I totally agree about the cover!

Happy Thursday!! Rainy and gray here. Spring is teasing us, lol.

Finished 9/50

The Philokalia, the Complete Text for "longest book on your TBR". Guys. I did it. 4 volumes. Dense stuff. Over a thousand pages. But I did it. The relief is tangible. And I learned a lot! So, thanks for forcing me into this, Popsugar Challenge!

Currently Reading

A Long Walk with Mary: A Personal Search for the Mother of God for "book published in 2021". Very excited to dive into this!! I saw it on the Ancient Faith "coming soon" list and was thrilled when I got my number pulled to review a copy!

The Lost Gospel of Mary: The Mother of Jesus in Three Ancient Texts for "book where the main character works at your current job". I'm a stay-at-home mom. And so was she. Ha! It's interesting that both these books came up for me at the same time. I'm eager to compare!

Darkness Is As Light for "DNF on TBR". I can't gush over this book enough, tbh. Definitely a worthy Lenten read.

QotW

Not gonna lie, I love Wheel of Time and am using the "book set in multiple countries" prompt as an excuse to reread The Eye of the World, because it doesn't say they have to be real countries!! I also love Stormlight Archives and Dawnshard is only available as an e-book, so if you don't typically read e-books, there's that prompt done!
Also, if you're religious and tired of the saccharine, perfect, Stepford Wives type of books, Darkness Is As Light has less than 1,000 reviews and is a gothic women's devo that is not afraid to talk about real life in all its ugliness. Also, I helped write it. So. Not-so-shameless plug. ;)

We've had snow again here in Zurich, but mostly, the days are looking up. I love that it's not getting dark until 8:15 PM, so I can take a nice river walk when I get home from work. Major plus!

Currently at 20/50 books for the 2021 Challenge. Slow and steady progress! Waiting for the summer holidays in only nine weeks to return home to the US [vaccinated!], see my family, and raid my home library like nobody's business. Can't wait to have access to newly published books without buying them.

The only book I've finished this week is The Midnight Library. Absolutely, without a doubt, loved it. It was one of those books that everyone else pretty much has already read, but I finally picked it up for the challenge this year, and something resonated with me immediately. I don't think I've cried this much through and over a book - and even days later, when I think back to its messages. It has made me reevaluate my own perspective and how I approach each day.

Currently reading:
Clothing Poverty: The Hidden World of Fast Fashion and Second-hand Clothes for the social justice prompt. So far, an easy but thoughtful read about our penchant for fast fashion, the environment and social implications, and what happens to our secondhand clothes, which is a pretty dark and underreported thing.

Queen Bees: Six Brilliant and Extraordinary Society Hostesses Between the Wars for the prompt book starting with a Q, etc. Interesting look at feminine influence during the early-mid 20th century when women did not have much power otherwise.


QotW

YES! I read The Midnight Library last weekend in a few hours. Fell in love in seconds. What Nora Seed was feeling and wondering about and trying on is precisely the doubt and worry I've had the last few months. It's like Matt Haig had read my soul and written it. Fits with the magical realism prompt, especially as it's the current monthly book read.

I also recommend Half of a Yellow Sun for prompt #8 - a Women's Prize for Fiction winner. Wow. I learnt so much about Nigerian history. It was heart-rending, beautifully-written, and had a cast of characters that embodied everything about the Biafra movement and that historical period.

Milena wrote: "Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents for book seen on someone's bookshelf. I happened to catch PBS Newshour one day, and two different people had this book on their bookshelves.."

I noticed that too! I wanted to buy Judy a copy so all three of them would have it. But now she's back in the studio, so it wouldn't work.

Cendaquenta wrote: "The Red Tent - Reading a Biblical retelling is slightly out of character for me, I'm not religious at all, but I suspect that might've been a bonus in this case as the characters are not treated with any sort of reverence. Also, I understand why kid-friendly versions of the Joseph story omit Dinah because oh boy, the "main event" in her story is not only NSFW but absolutely bonkers.
Really liked this, and would actually once again appreciate similar recommendations. (The "Readers Also Enjoyed" page was not helpful - just ended up with a bunch of historical fiction bestsellers rather than books which actually resembled Red Tent.)..."


I really loved The Red Tent. It's absolutely NOT my kind of book normally, so I haven't read many other books like it. Another book that had the same feel was LeGuin's Lavinia.


I'll be interested to see if anyone else has any other read-alike recommendations. I've been wondering if The Gilded Chamber: A Novel of Queen Esther would be similar, but I haven't read it yet.

Cendaquenta wrote: "Never Let Me Go - ... this was a case of "got it immediately and was thus disappointed". I keep seeing this book discussed in terms of there being something under the surface of the plot which it would be practically a crime to spoil, and to me that supposedly under-the-surface thing was glaringly obvious..."


Same here! I kept thinking there would be more to it, but ... nope that was it. I felt pretty let down by that book. There's an entire sub-genre of books with that same basic idea, so I'd definitely read that before.

Hello, fellow readers! I've missed check-in again and I can't even remember how long it's been. I've been caught up in the state testing fog. I'm our school's tech person so I have to troubleshoot all of the computer issues and glitches and I have been so stressed that my left eye won't stop twitching.

Needless to say, I haven't made too much progress on my reading challenge and I'm actually behind at the moment. I did finish an ARC of My Contrary Mary and I used it for a genre hybrid because it's a mix of alternate history and fantasy. This one is about Mary, Queen of Scots. I like these books because they often reimagine historical figures and give them happier endings than they had in real life. I especially enjoyed this one because it tied into their previous trilogy with characters from My Lady Jane. This new trilogy will focus on historical Marys.

QOTW: I loved Fighting Words. I used it for a book with less than 1000 reviews but it could also fit for a social justice issues as it deals with a lot of issues including child abuse and consent. It's a tough read for a middle grade novel but it's so good, especially the audiobook.

Morning! (for another five minutes in the midwest anyway...)

I'm 35/40 on the Regular Challenge. Long story I'm away from home and my actual bookshelf until June, so won't be starting the advanced list until then.

I read Four books this week:
The Four Winds. This was for a book club. I was not excited about it and kept putting it off, but it was OK. I mean, it was well written and engaging, but it was super depressing and I kind of hated it content wise. I realize that Dust Bowl and Great Depression were right there in the description, but I just wasn't feeling it. Probably would have been a DNF if it weren't for book club. Well, probably wouldn't have started it. But, I was able to file under "Everyone seems to have read but me" since i think every one of my good reads friends has read it and I could not get it from the library despite requesting it two months ago. Would have been better for a prompt "everyone wants to read but me."

What Alice Forgot. This one I loved. I listened to it, with all its Australian accented glory. This filled my "Dream Job" prompt. Rich Housewife who then works at a not for profit part time.

A Very Punchable Face Also listened to this one. I just needed something light and funny between the great depression reads. Not for a prompt.

A Thousand Ships. Loved this one as well. But, I love all the mythology books: Madeline Miller, Daevebod Series, Witch's Heart, etc. Counted this one as "women's fiction award". It was shortlisted. I have Hamnet on my shelf which If I get to I'll replace, but I've already read most of the actual winners.

Currently Reading How to Be an Anti Racist, Map of Salt and Stars (BLM and mineral prompts), Libertie. I'm waiting on my Dark Academia one from the library, I need a best seller from the nineties, and a place I'd like to visit in 2021 and I'll be done!

Library books on my shelf:
When the Stars Go Dark (Loved the author's book)
Ready Player Two
The Olive Season (place I'd like tor travel_
Three Dark Crowns YA Recommended highly by Librarian
Hamnet one of 10 best books of 2020, women's fiction award winner....not all that interested
Anxious PeopleThe Mothers


QOTW
I really liked A Children's Bible. I used it for my outside prompt. It would probably work as Dark Academia too. It's post apocalyptic dystopian and they set up a school. So, not really in the spirit, but if you don't like th prompt.

Hey y'all! I got my first dose of the vaccine last Saturday, so I am thrilled to be on my way to invincibility.
In the past two weeks, I only finished two books:
The House in the Cerulean Sea: very sweet and cute
Black Sun: it took a while for me to get into this one, but I ended up hooked on the characters.

Currently reading:
Shuggie Bain: I just love this book, though it is horribly sad. The best way to read it is to assume that nothing good will ever happen to anyone.
The Bone Maker: This is another one that started off slow, but I'm totally drawn in now.

Coming up:
The Awakening by Nora Roberts: I've got a long drive this weekend, and Nora Roberts is the best at making me want to know what happens next. This will be the first of her fantasy novels for me, so we'll see how that goes.
Thank You, Jeeves because we all need a bit of Bertie in our lives.

QOTW: I felt very clever about two of the ways I filled prompts, and both the books were great.
For a book about art or an artist, I chose a fantasy novel where the main character is a CON artist: The Mask of Mirrors. It was a super fun book.
For a book about do-overs or fresh starts, I chose Strong Poison, which is about a retrial. Like all the Lord Peter Wimsey books, they are lighthearted but eventually reveal a deeper sadness.

Nadine wrote: "I really loved The Red Tent. It's absolutely NOT my kind of book normally, so I haven't read many other books like it. Another book that had the same feel was LeGuin's Lavinia.."

Oooh. I do own Lavinia and haven't read it yet!

@Cendaquenta I loved the Red Tent! I've heard comparisons to Alice Hoffman's The Dovekeepers but have yet to read it. The other one that springs to mind (which I'm planning to read this summer) is Tosca Lee's Havah: The Story of Eve.

Happy Thursday! And some happy news: my father has an appointment for his covid-19 vaccine shot by the end of this month. Now waiting for my mom’s invitation to get a shot.

Wanted: spring. Last time seen: around March 15, 2021. Reward: my gratitude. It’s been c-c-cold here in the Netherlands. A cold northern wind brought some polar temperatures. And it was blowing straight on the window next to where I’m working, so I’m wrapping myself up in blankets when I’m not having a video meeting (I know, just wrap them on during a meeting, or camera off, but hey, there’s something as ‘dress to success’).

12/40
Finished
Nothing

Currently reading
Angela's Ashes

QOTW
The Eighth Life. Absolutely loved it. It was my favourite from last year. Prompts: #9 a book with a family tree, #28 a magical realism (if you consider the chocolate magical realism *smile*) and #33 a book featuring three generations.
The Shadow of the Wind is one of my favourites. It's a magical realism book.

Hi everyone! I'm waiting to hear back from a literary agent, therefore, I'm a useless heap of stress and hope, but mostly stress.

Finished

She's Too Pretty to Burn by Wendy Heard (about art or an artist). I absolutely adored this.

This Is My America by Kim Johnson (social justice issue). This was so good! Super heavy and at times monumentally depressing, but it was fantastic.

Currently Reading

Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay

How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi (BLM reading list)

Among the Beasts & Briars by Ashley Poston (possibly set mostly outside; we'll see as I read)

Sister Outsider: Essays and Speeches Audre Lorde (same zodiac sign, Aquarius)

QotW

The two books I finished this week are so perfect for their prompts. She's too Pretty to Burn is a Dorian Gray retelling that really centers the art of the characters. And This is My America is a really hard-hitting look at the prison industrial complex and generational trauma, and just racism in general. I absolutely recommend both.

Hello! My suburb in Minnesota is one suburb over from where a police officer killed a Black man during a traffic stop earlier this week, and the trial for last year's police officer killing a Black man is almost finished. They'll have closing arguments and then go to the jury on Monday. Half the Cities are boarded up and we've had curfews every night this week. Seems like everyone is bracing themselves.

In happier news, I somehow qualified for the state led vaccination clinic at the State Fairgrounds, and managed to find an first shot appointment for Sunday evening. (They were restricting eligibility to only certain zip codes, and I didn't think mine was included.) People going to and from vaccination appointments are exempt from the curfews, so fingers crossed it doesn't get canceled. At least it's the day *before* the jury gets the case.

Also, my spring work busy time has ended. I crashed hard Friday night and slept 12 hours. But now work is way less stressful, and I can get back to reading my heavy non-fiction history books.

Finished this Week:
The Harlem Charade by Natasha Tarpley. I needed a middle grade mystery for Read Harder, and didn't want to go read the Bobbsey Twins. My library doesn't have middle grade as a filter choice in the catalog, but I discovered they do have reading lists posted that can be filtered for middle grade and mystery. I found this on one of the lists. It's the story of three seventh graders who live in Harlem. A gentrification project is being proposed by a city council member that would affect their neighborhood. In the middle of that, a painting from an artist from the Harlem Renaissance era is found in a garden. The kids band together to figure out the mystery of the painter, her lost paintings, and what's really going on with the gentrification plan. It was a lot of fun, diverse, and taught me about Harlem. Plus it was a good mystery with a satisfying ending. Only prompt I thought it fit was Fewer than 1000 reviews. It has 172.

Blood Heir by Ilona Andrews. In the midst of all the bad in the world, I wanted to reread something that made me happy, so I picked this up again. Still love it.

PS: 20/50 RH: 2/24 RW: 6/28 ATY: 25/52 GR: 45/100

Currently Reading:
The Perfection Deception: Why Trying to Be Perfect is Sabotaging Your Relationships, Making You Sick, and Holding Your Happiness Hostage by Jane Bluestein. I found this after reading Tools of Engagement, which had me thinking about perfectionism. This book spends about 60% of the book talking about how perfectionism can present itself, and why that's bad, and the last 40% is for how to deal. The author is an educator, so there's a lot about perfectionism develops in kids, especially how parents can screw up their kids, but I haven't gotten to the parts yet about how the adults those kids grow into can deal and undo all that. Hope it's coming. Not for prompt.

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte. I'm extremely early in this. Like page 3 early. I put the book down after the main character turned out to be a guy, and called my mom to ask why this was her favorite book. She couldn't remember, but knew she liked it. Will keep reading.

I got ebooks We Ride Upon Sticks and A Closed and Common Orbit from the library with work busy time over, and Igniting Darkness and Rebel Sisters as physical books. I imagine one of them will be next, but everything is subject to change.

QOTW: Is there any one book you could recommend to POPSUGAR members that perfectly fit a 2021 Challenge prompt and you absolutely adored? (Or just simply really enjoyed?)
Absolutely adored is a high bar. Well, Blood Heir was amazing, and I'm using it for Published in 2021 prompt, but I would only recommend it if you're already invested in the Kate Daniels world. It's not something to pick up if you've never read the Kate books.

For a book that perfectly fits a prompt, Time of My Life by Alison Winn Scotch was perfect for #27, do-overs or fresh starts, since she's getting to relive summer of 2001 and make different choices.

Ashley Marie wrote: "@Cendaquenta I loved the Red Tent! I've heard comparisons to Alice Hoffman's The Dovekeepers but have yet to read it. The other one that springs to mind (which I'm planning to read ..."

Funny, I was thinking The Dovekeepers also.

What a fun set of surprises! Enjoy your new books.

I like the idea you have on setting a boundary so that a workout happens by a certain time. My goal is to work out first thing in the morning, but if I miss that it's a total loss for the day. Maybe giving myself a secondary target would help... like take a lunch break if I haven't worked out by lunch and do it then. It's worth a try.

I finished 4 books this week, and I'm at 19/50 for the challenge:

How Much of These Hills Is Gold by C. Pam Zhang - I think this is a good book, but it was a slow read for me. Used for prompt "a book with a gem, mineral, or rock in the title."

book:The One and Only Bob|52936517] by Katherine Applegate - I didn't love this as much as The One and Only Ivan, but I did like it. Bob is a trip. Used for another challenge.

Mr. Miracle by Debbie Macomber - an ok romance, used for prompt "a book about do-overs or fresh starts".

Angel Falls by Kristin Hannah - used for prompt "a book about forgetting", I thought this was a powerful love story in more ways than one, as it does have a romance but also a great family saga.

QOTW: So far my pick would be Know My Name by Chanel Miller, for the prompt "a social justice issue."

Happy Thursday! I need to get back to journaling so my days stop running together, yeesh. Bit of a quiet week here, but I've got a bunch of errands to run on Saturday (which I'm actually kind of looking forward to? idk). I covered for our shipping guy at work today (and may do the same tomorrow) so I'm a lot more tired than usual, heh. My flowers are coming in beautifully! The daffodils bloomed and died already, but the hyacinths are gorgeous, the clematis is growing, and the two hosta plants a friend gave me last year are sprouting nicely :) The tulips seem to have been killed off with the April snow, but they'll be back eventually.

Books!
Daughter of Sand and Stone - 4 stars, an excellent story. Book from your DNF pile
A Gentleman in Moscow - DNF. Maybe it was a mood thing but I was intensely bored.
Invisible Man - 4 stars. It's aged a bit and there are a lot of tangents, but excellent points overall and I'm glad I stuck with it.
The Fear Institute - 3.5 stars. Dreamscapes aren't my usual fare but Howard's wit made this enjoyable. Seen on someone else's bookshelf

PS 29/50

Currently reading:
A Curious Beginning
The City of Brass

Upcoming:
Last Night at the Telegraph Club
Shadows Linger
The Instruments of Control

QOTW: Is there any one book you could recommend to POPSUGAR members that perfectly fit a 2021 Challenge prompt and you absolutely adored? (Or just simply really enjoyed?)
I'm still a bit surprised by how much I enjoyed Amberlough (used for MC works at your current/dream job, in this case theatre). I rated it 4 stars but it's stuck with me and I'm deeply looking forward to the two sequels. The trilogy as an omnibus (ebook) edition is still only $2.99 on Amazon!

This week was my first week back at work and I am so thankful! I was quarantined for 2 weeks while my boyfriend tested positive for COVID (I tested negative twice). I was going crazy working from home from a tiny laptop with no desk (dining room table), printer (had to have coworkers print and scan to me) and a dog that would not stop needing my attention (no complaint there).

Still negative after 3 tests and the first shot is done! Just waiting for my next one - but didn't read much this week since being back at work. I am so close to finishing 2 books:

Still Reading:

Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart. Its ok - I don't love it or hate it.

Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson. Again don't love or hate - just a good, light read.

On Deck:
Not sure what to read next, I will have to review my TBR list.

QOTW:
Obviously, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue works for "Forgetting" I also think The Song of Achilles was a perfect choice for Women's Prize for Fiction. None of the others looked worth reading, but this one was good.

Ashley Marie wrote: "@Cendaquenta I loved the Red Tent! I've heard comparisons to Alice Hoffman's The Dovekeepers but have yet to read it."
Milena wrote: "Funny, I was thinking The Dovekeepers also..."

Wonderful, that's another one I actually own!

Melissa wrote: "Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte. I'm extremely early in this. Like page 3 early. I put the book down after the main character turned out to be a guy, and called my mom to ask why this was her favorite book. She couldn't remember, but knew she liked it. Will keep reading. ..."


You have to power through the long boring beginning, where some rando stumbles into town and stops and (rents?) a home and complains about some rude guy and then listens to the cook tell a story. THEN the real story begins!

Nadine wrote: "You have to power through the long boring beginning, where some rando stumbles into town and stops and (rents?) a home and complains about some rude guy and then listens to the cook tell a story. THEN the real story begins!"

Oh thank goodness. The three pages I'd read so far did not seem anything like what I've always heard about Wuthering Heights.

Melissa wrote: "Oh thank goodness. The three pages I'd read so far did not seem anything like what I've always heard about Wuthering Heights. ..."


It's one of my favorite books, but she sucked at pacing and the beginning was terrible. I gave a copy to my daughter for her birthday, and I told her if the beginning is too boring, just skip and go back to it later.

Chapters 1 & 2 just tell you that everyone is cranky and mean.
Chapter 3 is important, but the real story gets going when Mrs Dean tells the narrator about the Earnshaws & Heathcliff in Chapter 4.

DNF:

A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab (at 25%)

It was pretty slow paced, but I could have lived with that. However, combining that with the sadistic rulers of one of the Londons made for an unpleasant reading experience, and I was not looking forward to reading another chapter.

Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow (at page 555 out of about 730)(book with the same name as a song)

I feel like I gave this one a pretty good "shot" by reading this much. I have the sense of how the rest of it will go from my knowledge of history and the much better musical. The research is extremely thorough, and the writing is above average for a biography. Those who want to know Hamilton's life in such detail will find it a more engrossing read. I give it 3 stars as a reading experience, which I usually do not do for DNFs, but what I did read had enough strengths to merit that.

Finished:

The Rings of Time by Greg Cox (4/5)

If you have an interest in space exploration or Saturn, I highly recommend this book. The 2020 story is actually better than the 23rd century portion, even though both are good. For the most part, all of the tension and drama comes from circumstances and people acting understandably instead of full-on antagonists, which is refreshing.

Currently Reading:

Reunion (Force Heretic, #3) by Sean Williams and Shane Dix

The Black Jersey by Jorge Zepeda Patterson

I'm interested in what Patterson has set up so far (at the 17% mark). Already, I've learned a decent amount about the Tour de France and some of the tactics involved with the race.

Question of the Week:

I have completed 19 of the prompts for 2021, and these three are the ones that yielded good books for me.

The Thinking Fan's Guide to Walt Disney World: Epcot by Aaron Wallace (a book about a subject you are passionate about)
Murder with Honey Ham Biscuits by A.L. Herbert (a book with under 1,000 reviews; it still only has 210 ratings on Goodreads, let alone reviews)
Return of the Jedi - Beware the Power of the Dark Side! by Tom Angleberger (a book from a favorite past prompt: a book with a character that is a cyborg, robot, or AI)

Greetings on a rainy Thursday! My functionality is challenged today - can't find things, feel like my brain is half asleep, can't keep track of what I should be working on... we all have those days.

I'm at 25/50 for PS!

Finished:
The Shadow of the Wind - prompt book everyone has read but me. Enjoyed it but it did not necessarily keep my attention as it should have. I fully intend some day to take the Barcelona walking tour of the book's sites in the gothic quarter!

The Thursday Murder Club - a 2021 Edgar nominee - run do not walk to get this book! I laughed, I cried, I was surprised and enchanted. A group of retirees assist local police in solving a couple of murders affecting their luxury retirement community. Second in series is being published soon. Can't wait. Did not fit a prompt I need.

-Turn to Stone by James W. Ziskin - skip - another Edgar nominee but really poor IMHO. Historical set in 1963 Flroence Italy. Described as a locked room mystery - it barely qualified as such although that is the prompt I used for it.

Currently Reading:

Winter Counts - another Edgar nominee and excellent. Fits indigenous author prompt.
Rebecca

QOTW: Well I don't plan my reading -- at least not until I get down to harder categories or like this year where I will be picking the advanced one from my GR Want to Read list -- so it's more the books I was reading that I was pleasantly surprised to see fit a specific prompt and were really good:

A Brief History of Seven Killings - not an easy or light read by any means, but I was really pleased to find it on BLM reading lists because it is about racism and poverty and social injustice for those with brown skin. Highly recommend this brilliant amazing book but it is not for everyone and needs to be read not listened to (lots of bad language and sexual references).

Where'd You Go, Bernadette was just perfect for do-over or fresh start. So enjoyed it too.

Midnight Blue by Simone van der Vlugt - song title (by Melissa Manchester) and an historical fiction set in Delft Holland among the potters when Defltware was created. Fun read.

Thin Ice by Paige Shelton - book about forgetting - was perfect because about a woman with temporary trauma induced amnesia. A mystery where her trauma is not the main story, but merely a through theme for a series.

This week I have finished:
The Desolation of Devil's Acre by Ransom Riggs and Kiss the Girls by James Patterson
I am currently reading:
So This is Love by Elizabeth Lim (This is on my Kindle app and I don't get to it much)
White Fang by Jack London
Most Talkative: Stories From the Front Lines of Pop Culture by Andy Cohn
What Alice Forgot by Laine Moriarty (This one is in my car and I only read it when I am waiting for the girls I babysit to come out of school, or for someone I've driven somewhere)

QOTW: I think that one of my favorites so far has been The Desolation of Devil's Acre by Ransom Riggs #1 A book that's published in 2021
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller is good for prompt #8 A book that has won the Women's Prize For Fiction
Clara's Greek Adventure by Lacy London was my absolute favorite so far, this is good for prompt #35 A book in a different format than what you normally read (I have never seen any of the Clara books in any format but e-book, I do not read this format often, but I do love the Clara Series.)

This week I finished a book I have been slogging my way through for weeks! I listened to this audiobook 3-4 hours a day at work for almost 4 weeks, but I have finished! And I am proud of myself for doing it, but disappointed in the book. Les Miserables is one of my favorite stories (per the Broadway show). That story is hidden in the dark recessed corners of this book. 80% of the book could have been edited out and it would have been perfect. Too bad editors weren't invented yet!

For the prompt of Longest Book on my TBR

Les Miserables by Victor Hugo

Happy Thursday, y’all.

So... I purchased a book this week. And it was, of all things, a My Little Pony/Transformers crossover comic book. I'm so weird in my reading tastes... See below for a brief review.

Books read this week:

Igraine the Brave -- for “book from your TBR list that reminds you of a favorite person, place, or thing” (in this case my nerd conventions -- I got this book at the Boise Comic Arts Festival, and boy do I miss it…). A cute children’s fantasy, with plenty of humor and delightful illustrations.

Rule of Wolves -- for “book on your TBR list with the prettiest cover.” There was WAY too much going on in this book… but it did follow two of my favorite characters in the Grishaverse (Nikolai and Nina) and had a cameo from a third favorite (Kaz), and it was great revisiting Ravka. I’m wondering if she’ll ever write more in this series, though...

Fangs -- graphic novel, not for the challenge. I’m normally not a fan of vampire or werewolf romance, but Sarah Andersen manages to make it adorable and sweet here.

My Little Pony/Transformers: Friendship in Disguise -- graphic novel, not for the challenge. Yes, it’s a My Little Pony/Transformers crossover comic book. Yes, it’s pretty much as ridiculous as it sounds. But dangit, it’s FUN and I was grinning like a fool through the whole thing.

DNF:

All the Stars and Teeth -- for “book from your TBR list with the prettiest cover.” Just could not get into it. The protagonist is an unlikable brat, the author loves to infodump, and I’m sorry but I’m getting tired of every YA fantasy thinking it has to throw in a love triangle to make it interesting.

Challenge stats:

Regular challenge books -- 29/45
Advanced challenge books -- 9/10
Not for the challenge -- 25

Currently Reading:

Bradbury Stories: 100 of His Most Celebrated Tales -- for “longest book on your TBR list”
Providence -- for “favorite prompt from 2019 (book set in space)”
The Sparrow -- for “book you think your best friend would like”
The First -- not for the challenge

QOTW:

Like so many other people, apparently, I'd have to say The Red Tent for "book with a family tree." It was not what I expected it to be at all, but it was SO good!

Hi everyone. I just found out that I am going to be an aunty again! So I'm excited and happy! Now I just have to convince my brother to name the baby Princess Leia lol

This week I finished The Three-Body Problem FINALLY!! I feel like I've been reading this book for three months instead of three weeks. It was interesting but I was never really invested in the story.

I also finished The School for Good and Evil: One True King. I was so happy to be back adventuring with Sophie and Agatha again. I know the target audience is not me, but I loved this series any way. There's so many twists and turns and this book in particular explored so many creative and inventive new worlds. There are that many side characters by this book that I had forgotten who a lot of them were but I had most of them straight by the end. My one gripe is Sophie's "happy ending" (view spoiler)[with the creepy, annoying stalker who she has been rejecting since the first day of school, perpetuating the friend-zone myth that guys just have to be persistent to get the girl they want. I would have much preferred her to be happy alone or even turn completely evil again rather than this. (hide spoiler)]

Currently reading: The Angel of the Crows technically, but I haven't read any of it for a while. I think I might DNF because I'm not feeling it.

I also started Grasshopper Jungle. I'm only 50 pages in and I know that the POV is from a teenage boy but I'm not sure how much more I can read about how horny every little thing makes him. This could be another DNF

QOTW: I bend the prompts a lot so I can't verify that they're all perfect fits but these are my five star reads of the year so far:

The Moonstone
Poison
Half a King
Bruised
Down Among the Sticks and Bones

Happy Thursday. Well winter has returned here. The snow is light and fluffy and picture perfect which would be wonderful if it wasn't April.... I want the sunshine back!!

Books I finished:

I Will Judge You by Your Bookshelf ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Some of it was really funny, but I couldn't help comparing it to Book Love which was soooooooooo much better.

Crooked Kingdom ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - I love this series. The ending was perfect and it was wonderful but I still can't believe (view spoiler)[ Mattias died! 😭😭😭 (hide spoiler)]

Isabella: The Warrior Queen ⭐⭐⭐ - I haven't read much about Spanish history, so this was great but it wasn't anything special.



Books I made progress on:

Happy Hour in Hell
To Love and to Loathe
The Last Exiles



QOTW

To anyone who hasn't read the Daevabad Trilogy by S.A. Chakraborty - They would be perfect for Muslim author, long books, Mineral/Rock in title, or Social Justice. Before the Coffee Gets Cold works for the restaurant setting prompt. And I'll second the recommendations for This Is How You Lose the Time War and The House in the Cerulean Sea even though I can't think of prompts for them off the top of my head.

The Weather Was Nice and Now Inexplicably is Not Anymore: a story of living in Chicago, written by me just now, describing the past week. Every April is like this, and every year I'm surprised by it for no good reason.


Finished:
Ain't I a Woman: Black Women and Feminism by bell hooks - oof, this was a hard read, but a deeply important one. Used this for the social justice issue prompt.
Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me by Mariko Tamaki - this was my book I meant to read last year. I was really excited for this book, and while the art and framing of it were wonderful, and the characters were interesting and had promise, it just .... didn't go anywhere? It was fine, but kind of felt like a first draft of a story? It's a bummer.
Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust - I liked this a lot! I'm always down for a good queer retelling of myths/fairy tales. I haven't decided yet what prompt to use this for.


Currently Reading:
Oona Out of Order
If on a Winter's Night a Traveler
Bel Canto
Malice
One to Watch


QOTW:
I think all my favorite reads this year so far are already on everyone's radar, so I'll reiterate the one I loved that I've seen talked about the least, which is The Empress of Salt and Fortune. I didn't know anything about this book going into it, and I found it to be such an unexpected and subtle delight.

Alex wrote: "The Weather Was Nice and Now Inexplicably is Not Anymore: a story of living in Chicago, written by me just now, describing the past week. Every April is like this, and every year I'm surprised by i..."


I've never lived in Chicago, but I did have the feeling that the weather is very changeable there. It's been my experience that weather is very changeable EVERYWHERE in the USA except the sunny & arid west. Which is why it really jumped out at me in Tana French's new book, The Searcher, when her ex-cop from Chicago who is now living in Ireland moans about how changeable the weather is.

He can’t imagine ever getting accustomed to the effortless hairpin turns of the weather around here. He’s used to a hot sunny day being a hot sunny day, a cold rainy day being a cold rainy day, and so on. Here, some days the weather seems like it’s just fucking with people on principle.

Now, I've never lived in Ireland, either, but I can tell you it's quite common in NY to have a day that starts warm, turns cold, goes from sunny to snowing to cloudy to drizzle, etc. Basically, the weather is constantly changing here and that's why we all dress in layers. And I would expect a guy from Chicago to not be surprised by changeable weather!