Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge discussion
2022 Weekly Check-Ins
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Week 36: 9/1 - 9/8
non-patriarchal societyThe Last Emperox by John Scalzi. Sci-fi. I'm not a huge sci-fi fan but I like Scalzi. This wasn't my favorite of the trilogy but it was enjoyable.
not prompts
Small Angels by Lauren Owen. Billed as horror/gothic and I didn't find it to be too horror. I get the gothic part. Slow burn and it gets bogged down in its prose sometimes. If Goodreads allowed half-stars like Storygraph, it would've been 3.5 stars.
This would work for the duology prompt though
The Murder Between Us and The Grave Between Us by Tal Bauer. Contemporary romantic suspense. Two FBI agents are the mains. I enjoyed these books and would read more with these characters.
QOTW:
My local library is fine. But I don't actually have a local bookstore in the closest city to me. And Target (which is an hour away) is the closest thing to a bookstore in the next city closest to me. There is a used bookstore in a town pretty close to me but the organization is pretty chaotic and I can't deal with it. I'm in a book wasteland.
I finished The Gate Thief as the second book in my duology. I decided not to redo. I read them in good faith thinking there were only 2 books and since I didn't really care all that much about the characters, I won't read the third and thus it's a duology to me. I'm such a cheater this year.I read The Museum of Innocence as my romance by a BIPOC. 2 stars and I feel I'm being generous.
Happy Thursday, everyone!It’s been another crazy week, but I feel like I’ve accomplished a lot!
This past week I had the opportunity to look at two more houses, both of which were almost perfect for me. Unfortunately, the first one had a basement that just wouldn’t work for me, while the second had the basement of my dreams, but no dedicated space for an office (which I really need). I’m going to be looking at two more houses this weekend though. Hopefully one of them will be “the one.”
In addition to house hunting, I’ve kicked my packing into high gear. I managed to get about half of my home library packed up this week, and I’m hoping to finish the second half over the weekend.
I also did my final pre-move bookshelf purge, and I was surprised at how many more books I was willing to let go of. I’ll be taking three more boxes of books to the used book store later this week. Most of the books I’m letting go of were on my TBR for this year, so I was able to take a considerable number of titles off my list.
I do still have some books that I don’t plan on keeping long-term, but I would like to make an effort to read them before I let go of them. Maybe I’ll get one of those super cute book carts after I move and make a TBR cart for myself.
Although I got a lot done in the condo this week, I was really unproductive when it came to reading. It’s not so much that I didn’t have time to read…I just didn’t have the energy.
Goodreads: 463/200
TBR Checklist: 401/966 (41% complete! I surpassed my goal!)
Finished Reading (Fiction):
~Your Guide to Not Getting Murdered in a Quaint English Village
~The Half-Orc's Maiden Bride
Finished Reading (Nonfiction):
~The Lord of the Rings Location Guidebook: Extended Edition
Finished Reading (Manga, Comic Books, & Graphic Novels):
None
DNFed:
None
Currently Reading:
~Essential Doctor Strange, Vol. 1
~Forensics and Fiction: Clever, Intriguing, and Downright Odd Questions from Crime Writers
~The Starless Crown
~Rebecca
~The Librarian and the Orc
QOTW:
The libraries in my area do a great job with their seasonal and special event programming! I’ve had a chance to meet several wonderful authors through library-sponsored events, and they offer tons of programs for all ages…including workshops for writers.
There really isn’t anything that I would like to see changed at this point, but that might change when they switch their digital library app from Overdrive to Libby later this year.
We're getting all the rain we didn't get in summer. I'm trying to be grateful but got soaked down to my undies walking the dog this morning! Oh and everyone's in a weird mood because the queen is on her deathbed. This could go on for days, I don't know why we can't just leave her and her family be and find out when she's gone.Finished:
Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keys for ATY (older than 10 years). This was difficult read, lots of child abuse, bullying and terrible attitudes towards learning disabilities (though not the author's, I felt he was quite compassionate for the time). I can kinda tell it was expanded from a short story as it does have some waffly bits.
Notorious Sorcerer by Davinia Evans for a book starting with the last letter of previous book. This felt like it had some gaps in world building, took me ages to get into but liked it towards the end when I stopped trying to work out what's what.
PS: 38/50 | ATY: 42/52 | GR: 81/100
QOTW:
I don't have a local bookshop, I buy most my books online, although I go try and spread around my purchases. I wish libraries were better funded here, I don't use mine in person at all, it would be nice if they were open longer, but they are unlikely to have the books I'm interested in and I'd have to pay a fee to get them in from different branches. I do sometimes use the Borrowbox app for audiobooks, but I can't read the ebooks on a kindle, like you guys can do with US libraries.
It's starting to feel like fall - my favorite time of year!Challenge Progress: 42/50
Completed:
Noor: I really enjoyed Binti: The Complete Trilogy, so I had high hopes. But I never really felt connected to AO (the main character), and despite some really wonderful details, the plot was nothing special. ★★★
Under the Skin: The Hidden Toll of Racism on American Lives and on the Health of Our Nation: I already knew that health treatment/outcomes in the US were affected by racism, but Linda Villarosa made the issues seem very personal and relatable. ★★★★
Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art: Wow! I never knew so much about the art and history (and future!) of comics. Originally published in 1993. (PS 32: A book with a quote from your favorite author on the cover or Amazon page - Neil Gaiman: "You must read this book.") ★★★★★
The Diamond Eye: Another female historical figure I've never heard of before - Luydmila Pavlichenko, a WWII Russian sniper with more than 300 verified kills. Kate Quinn does a great job revealing these fascinating women. I particularly enjoyed the photographs that were included in the book. ★★★★
Seth, Elijah, and I are still reading cat books, but we managed to sneak a bunny book in as well this week: Bunnies on the Bus.
Currently Reading:
Parable of the Sower: A Graphic Novel Adaptation (PS 27: A Hugo Award winner)
The Dawn of Everything: A New History of Humanity
The Space Between Worlds (PS 47: A book featuring a parallel reality)
Still Just a Geek: An Annotated Memoir
Good Girl, Bad Blood
The Measure
All Good People Here (PS 26: A book with a misleading title)
QOTW: I am so pleased with my local library! I was worried when we first moved to eastern Washington that the library would be small and out-of-date, but they actually have a much larger selection than my library in Santa Fe had. The physical building isn't very impressive, and I miss my library book club, but their services certainly fit my needs. There's also a Barnes and Noble in the area, but while I frequently browse there, I don't purchase books there very often... unless they're signed editions.
46/50 I've been busting the Popsugar Challenge like crazy this past week, so I only have four left!Finished: Decision Leadership: Empowering Others to Make Better Choices Pretty good. Not sure it added all that much new info. to the field though.
Da Vinci's Cat Fun, but not long-impressing.
Sing, Unburied, Sing for prompt Anisfield-Wolf Award Winner. Distressing. Reminded me of a Toni Morrison book.
The Circle for social horror prompt. It was disturbing that we're really not that far removed from this dystopia.
Unshelved Love the theme of librarian comics. This particular collection didn't have my favorite ones included.
Slam for prompt title with onomatopoeia. Didn't like this at all. The main character was too selfish.
White Bird for prompt turning into a movie in 2022. I cried at the end. Very powerful.
Aru Shah and the End of Time for prompt tiger on the cover. Could also be used for set in Autumn. This was fun. I didn't like it as well as Rick Riordan's books though.
Started: The Disappearing Spoon: And Other True Tales of Madness, Love, and the History of the World from the Periodic Table of the Elements Reading for prompt cutlery on the cover/title. This one is really engaging and I'm relieved to not be reading anything food-related!
Qotw: I love my local library! It's a beautiful building. So much natural light. I volunteer there two days a week. Like Lynn, we can get holds from any branch in the system.
What I don't love is that most of their programming is age-based which has prevented us from being able to participate in it some times. Being in the homeschool community, age restrictions are very weird. They also have a super summer challenge that used to have a lot of cool prompts similar to Popsugar Challenge. But they wanted to make it easier for folx, so now the reading challenge is to read for 1/2 hour at a time. That's not a challenge! However, they included a different adult challenge that had more specific prompts, so I'm satisfied.
I also love a new LGTBQIA bookstore that opened up called Under the Umbrella. It has a very warm feel to it and the owner is knowledgeable enough that I can say, "Hey, Kaitlyn. Do you have any books set in a non-patriarchal society," and she'll come up with something.
What I don't love is that parking is tricky, so I don't go there very often.
Mod
oh good lord so are we!! rain rain rain EVERY DAY. I cannot mow!!! Too much rain!!!
Hi all, haven't checked in in a while again, this year just continues to be...this year. Was sick for a week, then had a three day power outage, then had friends come to stay all holiday weekend, on top of our septic finally being put in, and then then the landscaping failing to be put in because Angies list continues to be terrible. Never using them again (we scheduled septic and landscaping at the same time specifically so landscaping could start immediately after the septic was installed so we would not have a dirt pit back yard for several weeks....that clearly failed.) We paid them over a month ago but the financial department has failed to transfer the money to the landscape department so even though the landscapers have been ready since last Monday, they can't actually buy anything because they have no money. So now the work can't start until next Wednesday. Sigh. Let this be a lesson to other homeowners, Angies list does NOT save any time, or hassle like promised. Just hire your contractors directly.
So anyway, books i've read recently:
The Goblin Emperor - I ended up liking this more than i expected. Normally I don't like a lot of politics in my books, I find that boring. There were a few parts where my eyes kind of glazed over, but overall I liked the characters a lot, and I found it much more interesting than I expected. I think because I found Maia genuinely likeable, and that he was trying to make the empire BETTER rather than getting corrupted by the politics.
The Personal Librarian - september books & brew, discussing tuesday. This was just kind of ok for me. Bella sounds like an interesting woman, but the way the book was written she didn't really feel REAL, she felt like just a character in a book. I think it's probably due to the fact that since she was living a secret life, passing as white, she burned all her personal correspondence to make sure her secret never came out while she was alive. So the authors had to just build her based on the limited surviving business correspondence , write ups in the paper, rumors, and just general historical records of what life was like in that era. It just kind of came off as a bit flat for me.
Masques - this was one of those requested so long ago i totally forgot about it until my library informed me my hold was ready. It was pretty good.
A Prayer for the Crown-Shy - this was lovely, Becky Chambers has yet to disappoint.
The Book Eaters - went to an indie book store, this was my impulse "support the book store" purchase. I'd been seeing it advertised everywhere and the cover art was stunning, looked interesting. It was pretty good, overall. I think it could have used a little fleshing out, it was a bit short so I think there was room for it without getting bogged down. There were parts that felt rushed or kind of non-sensical that I think could have been explained better or grounded better, and relationships fleshed out a bit more. Overall a good start, and I hope she writes more to flesh the ideas out better.
Everyone Knows Your Mother Is a Witch - did an audiobook of this for my october books & brew. Hold came up way faster than it said it would. I didn't want to mess around with skipping, that can get dicey sometimes. (I've skipped before thinking it'd be 2 weeks and it was three months instead). This was kind of disappointing. I didn't realize until it was over that this was another fictionalized version of a true story. The astrologer son was a real person who did put his career on hold to after his mother was accused of witchcraft. This book is a fictionalized account of this from her perspective. I guess it was told in a kind of humorous fashion, but overall it was very meandering and it ended in a very anticlimactic way. That's kind of the problem with fiction that is following real history. Unless you're doing alternate-history, there's not a lot you can do change things to give a better resolution or a more satisfying conclusion.
The Witness for the Dead - i liked the goblin emperor to pick up another book in the same world. It was pretty good, although took me way too long to read considering how short it was, mainly due to having house guests all weekend.
Currently reading:
Haven't started yet, but going to start A Desolation Called Peace at lunch.
QOTW:
I don't really have a good local bookstore.
My home library has a good book selection, and they rent out hot spots which was awesome during the power outage so we could at least avoid draining data so bad with our phones, and for when the internet was still out after power came back.
They have really good programming for kids and teens and families, and for retirees, but i feel like there's a lack of programing aimed at working adults that isn't family centric. Even for a book club, I had to go to a different local library to find one that wasn't held during 9-5 working hours that wasn't aimed at teens. And my library has a maker space with a 3-d printer, that is awesome....but it's aimed only at teenagers, and is only open on a couple week days from 2pm -4pm. As an adult who makes things, that's kinda a bummer. I'd love to be able to bring in files and print some stuff, or use some of the other tools. I'm glad it's there for the teens, just would be cool if there were some general public hours as well.
Mod
LOL That looks hysterical! Is it anything like Sheep in a Jeep?
Mod
Yeah, my library's bookclub is during the week, too. I forgot about that!!
Blessed Feast of the Birth of Mary for those who are celebrating! We went to my daughter's open house for preschool. She did a 3-day program last year for 3 year olds, which was fine, but this year is the real deal. 5 days a week! I'm a bit of a mess. This never gets easier, does it?Currently Reading
Parenting in Repentance, Growing Together in Love, Gratefulness, and Joy for "book you know nothing about".
The Red Horse for "book about a man-made disaster". Ok. 30% into this massive tome. It's getting real now. Yikes. Russian Front in WWII was a NIGHTMARE.
QotW
I LOVE my local library because they can find me ANYTHING. Every library in the county is connected so if your branch doesn't have it, they'll just grab it from another one for you. And their inter-library loan staff are the BEST. If the county library system doesn't have it, I put in a request and they are ON IT like a hound! They've found the most obscure books for me (like a self-published book of poetry by a priest or the entire English translation of the Philokalia). I truly cannot complain about anything except their hours. They're in really weird chunks of time and I just wish they were consistent so I didn't keep having to look up when they're open.
I read 3 books for the week. 1. Half-Blown Rose by Leesa Cross-Smith. 3 stars I really liked This Close to Okay especially the ending. I was disappointed with her new book. It fell flat for me.
2. Search: A Novel by Michelle Huneven. 5 stars. My new favorite book for the year. Also the book has recipes.
3. The World That We Knew by Alice Huffman. 5 stars. I really enjoy her books.
QOTW: There are a few independent bookstores in the area but not close. I use a branch library that is in a small building. Even though the building is small I don’t notice because I usually have to put a hold on a book & wait for it to come from somewhere in the big county. I don’t like the hold system. It is slow. When I place a hold I can’t see where I am in the queue. I would read entirely on my IPad but their Overdrive/Libby system usually doesn’t have the book I want. At least they usually have the book I want in hardback or paperback but then I’m dealing with the hold system. We have one big chain book store at the mall so I use that some. I also belong to Book Of The Month Club. I check out Goodwill occasionally but I have never gotten a book there. Lastly the Dollar General has one spinning book rack that I check out.
An historic Thursday. My condolences to all Britons in this group with the loss of their Queen. I’m watching BBC since my phone beeped with the news flash. A very sober and modest broadcast, a true tribute to everything the Queen was to her country.We also got rain yesterday. And today. It's much needed and temperatures are also going down (which I'm not regretting). We had a wonderful vacation in Switzerland, not very special, just what you need: no obligations. Monday I started back at work. And now it's like vacation was like a month ago.
Finished
The Mountains Sing by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai
Not for PS
How families are torn apart by war. Learned a lot about the Vietnam war. The book is filled with hope.
Currently reading
Kranichland
Roller-Coaster: Europe, 1950-2017
QOTW
I just love there is one. For the bookstore I wish there will be a little bit more room to pass one another, it’s a very small shop. For a year I would have wished a better supply from the city library to our local library so I wouldn’t be out of books, but since I have my e-bike it’s a short and easy ride to the city, so that problem is solved. I really love our city library: it’s not a big one, but I can get all the books I want to read.
Things for me have been pretty good. Got my Covid and Flu shots this week, Tues, so Weds., the pain was excruciating. I couldn't even move my left arm (the one with the covid shot) as hard as I tried. Couldn't move the right that good either (flu shot) but it was better than my left.
The blood from my Covid one took up 2/3 of my bandaid. The arm pain was the worst. It even felt like I had a fever even though I had the air conditioner on.
Today the pain is tolerable. It's sore but I'm managing.
Now that I'm caught up on my vaccines I can probably ease up on the mask-wearing but I'm so used to them that I'll just wear it when I feel I need to.
******
In terms of books, I haven't read much this past week. Mainly been doing a lot of TikTok book videos but that's about it.
Mainly I've also been doing a lot of book hauls and these are the ones I've gotten:
The Sentence
The Mexican American Experience in Texas: Citizenship, Segregation, and the Struggle for Equality
Paradise: One Town's Struggle to Survive an American Wildfire
The Odyssey
The Illiad Of Homer
How to Write Like a Writer: A Sharp and Subversive Guide to Ignoring Inhibitions, Inviting Inspiration, and Finding Your True Voice
*****
QOTW: What do you love about your local library/bookstore? What do you wish they provided that they currently don't?
I absolutely love my local bookstore. I have been going to it for 3 years since it opened. The owner has basically become a friend. I don't have an answer to the second part of the question. The owner has had several authors go to his shop on book tours; both local authors and some well-known. I also love how the owner has a bunch of local work. He has a good Native American section with books I wouldn't find elsewhere.
Hello! I discovered the Hugo Awards ceremony were broadcast live on YouTube, and watched it joyfully Sunday night. On Monday, we went to a friend's Labor Day backyard cookout, but most of the people there were her husband's friends, meaning we mostly talked to her mom and the one college friend who came. I hadn't seen said college friend since pre-pandemic, so it was good to reconnect with her.Finished This Week:
When Sorrows Come by Seanan McGuire. Reread to prep for the next one in the October Daye series. Still very good. Not for prompt.
The Carter of 'La Providence' by Georges Simenon. One of the challenges I do had a prompt for a book by Georges Simenon. I had never heard of this guy, but the second-closest branch of my local library had a bunch of his books on their shelves, so it was easy enough to pick this up. Story is a mystery about a dead woman found in a stable at one of the lock and dams along a waterway in France in the 1930s. Not my sort of book, at all. At least it was short. Not for PS prompt.
Paladin's Grace by T. Kingfisher. The rest of the World of the White Rat books are becoming available through the library. Very much enjoying them, and I love that the author's note at the end of this one said she was planning to write the sequel to Swordheart, but listened to a podcast about the history of perfume while on a trip and ended up plotting out this book instead. Not for PS prompt.
Sweep in Peace by Ilona Andrews. Finished listening to the audio of the second Innkeepr book, with the new full cast recording from Graphic Audio. Very much enjoyed.
PS: 40/50 RH: 12/24 ATY: 47/52 GR: 133/100
Currently Reading:
Time Enough for Love by Suzanne Brockmann. I was looking for an audiobook to have on for some repetitive tasks on Tuesday, and discovered my library had this. This version of time travel has always been among my favorites, where double memories alert you that something has changed. But I haven't reread it in some time, and listening on audio really brings out how melodramatic everything is at certain points. Very much one of Suz's earlier books.
See You Yesterday by Rachel Lynn Solomon. Have made it to page 10. Due back to the library next Wednesday, with long waiting list, so need to get going.
A Desolation Called Peace by Arkady Martine. Winner of the Hugo on Sunday for Best Novel, and the only candidate for Best Novel that I didn't finish. Will probably need to start over, but definitely need to read it now.
QotW: What do you love about your local library/bookstore? What do you wish they provided that they currently don't?
I don't really have a local bookstore. I found one during the pandemic as a place to order books locally, but I've never actually visited in person. They've been good, although I haven't figured out how to preorder from them through their webpage.
My local library, on the other hand, is great. It's county wide with 41 branches. My local branch is just down the street, and the next closest local branch is still closer than a trip to Costco. Materials move between the branches quickly, with maybe a week at most for something In Transit. I pass like 10 branches on the days I have to go to my office, so it isn't a hardship to just drop in a different branch instead of waiting for something to make the trip. A good friend of mine works at the downtown branch, and almost every day off, I contemplate visiting him there, just to see the place.
They have a large movie collection, often ordering 50+ copies of new releases, and we've been able to watch a lot of movies for "free" that way. Just got Morbius a few weeks ago.
My card works at all of the different library systems in the metro area. All seven county libraries banded together in 2021 to combine their digital catalogs, meaning if any of them have the ebook or audiobook, I can check it out with ease, even if it's not my county library that owns it. They'll also do library loan for physical materials anywhere in the state, although I haven't tested that yet.
I guess my one complaint would be the hold system and the coordination (or lack thereof) between the many branches. I saw a book I wanted for one of the PS prompts was Available at my local branch last week. I put it on hold since I knew I wasn't going to get to the library that day and didn't want someone else to check it out. But a branch on the other side of town saw my hold, and shipped their copy. Now I have to wait for their copy to arrive, even though it's still on the shelves at my branch. Although I think if I just check out my branch's copy, the one in transit will immediately go back as no longer needed once it arrives.
edit: and I see the question was about what they provided, not a general complaint. I'd want them to have blu-ray movies available, not just regular DVDs.
The QOTW got me so excited, I'm answering that first!My local library system is MAGICAL! I have branches in walking distance from both home and work and they will deliver books to your desired branch within just a couple days if you request a hold. They are great about ILL, have no late fees, great Libby selection (with a high limit on # of holds) so I am able to plan my reading weeks and months out, and get things when I'm ready for them.
My only wish would be for their opening hours (for branches) expand to include Sunday. Oh, and it would be cool to have a tool lending library like some cities have.
I am ALSO blessed with 2 excellent local independent book stores, one in walking distance and one closer to where I used to live. (There are others too, but those are the ones I visit.) I wish I could wave a wand and give all book lovers a local independent bookstore - makes me so sad that some of you have none!
Mod
That's a totally fair complaint!! That's happened to me a time or two, also, and I don't understand it. SOMETIMES it's because the local branch makes new books not available for holds, and that's not always clear in the on-line catalog. But sometimes it's just ... an idiotic algorithm.
Mod
Awesome!!! :-)
Hi all!I decided the long weekend was the perfect time to attempt to bake my first pie from scratch. I like baking but I had never made a pie before. I went with mixed berry. It actually turned out pretty well for a first attempt. I might try to make an apple pie next time.
Challenge Progress: 36/50
Finished:
American Gods (PS different book by author you read in 2021) 3 stars. I found a quote in the book that describes how I feel about it, "the path takes the visitors, millions upon millions of them every year, down into the caverns, where they stare at black-lit dolls arranged in nursery-rhyme and fairy-tale dioramas. When they leave, they leave bemused, uncertain why they came, of what they have seen, of whether they had a good time or not". The book was slow to start and confusing if you don't really know various cultures gods. I liked parts of it but not others. I think I wanted to like it more than I did.
Stag (no prompt) 3 stars, A Righteous Man (no prompt) 3 stars, and Bloody Summer (no prompt) 4 stars from the Trespass collection on amazon. All short stories. I definitely liked Bloody Summer the best because the author wrote it as if he was writing for a historical book on an event that really happened. Cool short story idea.
The Echo Wife (PS reflected image on cover) 3 stars. This book was good. It definitely highlights the pitfalls of human cloning. And makes me never want to get married ha
Coming up:
The Shining Girls (PS book made into movie or tv show 2022)
QOTW:
My local library is Boston public and there are 25ish neighborhood branches in the system. Being part of a city library means they have always found me the book I wanted. On the other hand, the online rental system also serves those 25ish neighborhood branches. It means for a very popular book, the wait list will be long. I read The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo this year. The library had about 150 kindle copies and I started on the wait list at about 1300. This is the trade off of a big library system. You have more book choices and more copies but more people trying to get those books.
Nadine in NY wrote: "Laura wrote: "Bunnies on the Bus. ..." LOL That looks hysterical! Is it anything like Sheep in a Jeep?"I don't think so... The bunnies are crazy. Misbehaving on the bus and wreaking all kinds of havoc. And then, although it's not mentioned anywhere in the text, there's a visual side story of two squirrel thieves being chased by a dog policeman. The illustrations are hilarious!
Nadine in NY wrote: "That's a totally fair complaint!! That's happened to me a time or two, also, and I don't understand it. SOMETIMES it's because the local branch makes new books not available for holds, and that's not always clear in the on-line catalog. But sometimes it's just ... an idiotic algorithm."I often think the holds are a game of which branch checks their hold request list first. I want to think that the pickup location library has first dibs, but that certainly has not always been the case.
Mod
I decided the long weekend was the perfect time to attempt to bake my first pie from scratch. I like baking but I had never made a pie before. I went with mixed berry. It actually turned ou..."
Congrats on your excellent pie! I think a good pie is pretty simple to make when you start w fresh fruit. The challenge for me is to make a PRETTY pie. My crust always tears - tastes great, but it's a bit rumpled.
And makes me never want to get married ha
LOL!! Yes, no one's marriage is very happy in that book!!
Yeah a librarian friend said it’s 100% based on what library sees the hold and fills it first, regardless if it is fillable at the home library or not. I’m guessing it would complicate the system more to separate it out into having to wait for the home library to mark whether or not they filled it. Then you get into what if the first library didn’t fill it because of that but then someone checked out both your home library copy AND the one at the library that was going to fill it but was waiting for your home library to fill it. Now there’s no copies and you’re back to waiting.
Mod
My system does usually prioritize the "home" branch. I don't know how it works. Which also means, if there are 20 holds on the book, my home branch has a copy but 19 of those people ahead of me are not from my home branch, I'm going to leapfrog over all of them and get that book right away. And there is no way to see that this might happen in advance!!! So, I love getting books sooner, but sometimes it REALLY messes with my planning.
I should have posted earlier when the day looked brighter instead of being one of national sadness.I had a busy week of two kids going back to school. I started 2 new books this week. One is a kids book that I finally tracked down the title of, so that I can re-read it. The other is a hard book (due to subject matter, not readability) that will take me all of September, if not into October to read.
Finished:
The Well of Lost Plots
ATY prompt: - A book where the main character is a female detective/private eye/police officer
Popsugar prompt: A book set in the 1980s
ATY - 38/52
PS- 32/35
Series -12/13
Clearing my TBR list: 30/40
Currently reading:
The Gulag Archipelago 1918–1956 - almost 20% done
Victoria - over 20% done
QOTW: The bookstore I use the most often is a national chain. I like that it's big enough to have sections. I sometimes find the specialty sections of horror, mystery, fantasy, and SF which are carved out of "fiction" to be arbitrary. I think the time I found a Tolkien book in SF instead of fantasy, it was a customer who put it there and not the store. They still carry mostly best sellers and I'm still forced to order some books on line. Fortunately, if you ship to store instead of yourself, the shipping is often free.
My library has great staff. They don't have the selection that a big city library would have, but they are helpful for doing inter-library loans, which I use a lot.
Hi. Hope everyone is having a good Thursday.
It's been in the low 100s here for the week. Thankfully it will drop to the 80s soon.
Finished:
Onmyoji and Tengu Eyes: The Spirit Hunters of Tomoe Vol. 1
The Royal Tutor, Vol. 12
The Royal Tutor, Vol. 13
The Royal Tutor, Vol. 14 I have to find book 16 this weekend so i can finish the series. I thought it was with the others but it's not. sigh.
Naruto (3-in-1 Edition), Vol. 4: Includes Vols. 10, 11 & 12
Hinamatsuri, Vol. 1
Inuyasha (VIZBIG Edition), Vol. 5: Dueling Emotions
Currently reading:
Naruto (3-in-1 Edition), Vol. 5: Includes Vols. 13, 14 & 15
Cemetery Boys
Planning:
Inuyasha, Volume 6
Inuyasha (VIZBIG Edition), Vol. 7: Dueling Emotions
Hinamatsuri, Vol. 2
Naruto (3-in-1 Edition), Vol. 6: Includes Vols. 16, 17 & 18
and 10 or so first volumes of manga that I own.
QOTW:
I love my library. I see it everyday for 8 hours and have become quite familiar with each and every nook and cranny. Ghost and book fairy that shift books around. I love my office, I but wish the books would process themselves.
I would love a brand new building or a retrofit of the old one. Nobody should have built anything in the 70s. Who in the world would give a library a vaulted ceiling where you have to get a cherry picker to even change a light? Seriously. That we definitely need more storage and more shelving, a teen room, and a handicap friendly door and a changing table in the bathroom. I've been advocating for the last two since I began working here.
Since we are sooo small, we do not have a bookstore. the nearest book store is thrift stores either about 56 miles or 72 miles away. a new book book store would be 92 miles away.
The longest 4 day week in history -- and next week promises ot be the longest 5 day week in history -- all because 2 complex litigations I'm overseeing for clients are all FINALLY after months, even years, pandemic delays, having oral argument on motions in court. Please cross your fingers and send good vibes that actual progress will be made in the suits. It's a scramble and all reminds me of why I never became a litigator, opting to be a transactions and general counsel instead. But I have been reading, if not for PS! Still have 6 to go.
Finished:
Paris by the Book - if you need an unreliable narrator book and don't want to read a psychological thriller, this is your book. The Paris bits are fantastic.
Longbourn: Dragon Entail and Netherfield: Rogue Dragon - with this I finished the sub-trilogy retelling of Pride and Prejudice in Maria Grace's Jane Austen's Dragons ongoing series. Loved them - true retellings, fun, some mystery, some action, some romance. Free on Kindle Unlimited.
The Kingdom of Copper - part 2 of The Daevabad Trilogy and absolutely wonderful. I'll soon read the final book - The Empire of Gold - hard to believe Chakraborty is a debut writer.
Currently reading:
The Lincoln Highway
The Eyes of the Dragon
QOTW: I live in NYC - one of the largest internation cities. We have an abundance of both libraries (NYPL, two borough libraries Queens PL and Brooklyn PL each with main and neighborhood branches, multiple univercity, school, and private/membership libraries) and independent (and chain) bookstores. I mean, if I don't like things about the Queens Library (and I find its collection pitiful and its physical spaces awful) I just go to a different borough or branch. For ebooks and audiobooks I can access all the public libairies through Libby. I guess the one thing to complain about is that we have way longer waits on holds than anywhere else given we have a population of around 9 MILLION people.
Our public library system even has branches specializing in subjects - like the Performing Arts NYPL branch at Lincoln Center. Many branches have art, objets, and book exhibits open to the public. Most have readings and author programs as well as children's programs, business centers and programs - the list goes on.
I really can't complain. I do adore having such extensive access to multiple librairies.
Now on to bookstores - and again I can't complain. We have great bookstores of all kinds located all through the city, some specialized (a cookbook store, mystery bookstore, drama architecture, on and on) to general. Used bookstores abound- ignore the Strand which has all kinds of questionable business practices coming to light, but look for the small used book stores and rare bookstores to be found in neighborhoods all over the place. Even indie bookstores have multiple branches - Book Culture has 2 stores in Manhattan - one mostly dedicated to books needed by Columbia University students - and one store in Queens. If you can't find a bookstore here to make your Happy Place, you can't be satisfied.
Personal faves: All the Book Cultures, Kew & Willow in Queens, Center for Fiction bookstore in Brooklyn, Books are Magic also in Brooklyn, and The Drama Bookshop in Manhattan that is nearly a theatrical experience just walking in the door.
Plus NYC is the home of US publishing - even if there are publishing houses all over the US, it is those in NYC that dominate. The publishing houses themselves have bookstores....
I cannot complain. I can get anything. There's even a marvelous French bookstore - Albertine - in the French Embassy by the Met Museum. Oh, did I mention the Museum bookstores????? We even have a library that's a museum - the Morgan Library and Museum -- you can actually make appointments to do research there.
Enough. I'm sure I've made many jealous. Other members in big cities and major international cities likely have similar stories.
Hey everyone.Still plugging away at school. Three weeks in and I'm already ready to be done, haha... I keep telling myself it'll be worth it, I just need to be in the groove for it.
Books read this week:
The Jumbies -- while it’s nice to see Caribbean culture highlighted (the author is from Trinidad), this book just fell rather flat for me.
In the Wild Light -- wow! I loved Jeff Zentner’s The Serpent King and Rayne & Delilah's Midnite Matinee, and this book was just as good! Also has some fun callbacks to the other books -- nothing you’ll be confused by if you haven’t read those books, though, this isn’t a trilogy.
Fires of Invention -- The City of Ember meets The Unwanteds, with a steampunk twist. A little predictable but still a lot of fun.
Tidesong -- graphic novel. A cute and surprisingly emotional story about witches, dragons, and how trauma can be passed down from one generation to the next.
DNF:
Do You Dream of Terra-Two? -- sorry, I came here for a space romp, not teen angst and drama in spacesuits…
Currently Reading:
Nightmares and Dreamscapes
Cemetery Boys
Someone Who Will Love You in All Your Damaged Glory
Catfishing on CatNet
QOTW:
I work at a library, so I admit to being slightly biased, hehe... I think we offer a LOT to the community, and I love that we have a good e-book program as well as non-book-related things like movies, video games, board games, learning kits, and even cake pans.
I do wish our due dates were longer -- we only allow people to have books for two weeks. But that's not my call...
Happy check-in! What a week. This past weekend was horrific here. In a four day period our provincial alert system was used at least 15 times for three groups of dangerous persons who have been arrested or are deceased. The news has been heartbreaking with information on a mass murder. I am fortunate to not be directly effected but it still was scary. Now our news is eclipsed with the sad passing of Queen Elizabeth II who is our queen as well because Canada didn't fully separate from the UK. Needless to say I haven't read much in terms of books. I'll just post my books from last week.Finished Reading:
Love on the Brain ⭐⭐⭐
This was one of my most anticipated reads for this year and it was a bit of a let down. This seemed very samey to The Love Hypothesis but the characters were a little annoying. It still had the humour I enjoy so it gets the three stars.
Ruby Fever ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (2022 published in 2022)
Again a highly anticipated book but this one beat my high expectations. I have my fingers crossed that they continue this series following my favourite character. They did leave things open so they could.
The Dog Stars ⭐⭐
This was a strange book and I'm glad I read it. There were many things to discuss but the writing style really did not work for me. The author does not make it clear which characters are talking because there are no quotation marks so if you like audiobooks I suggest that it would be a better read in that format. This was a good dystopian but overall I wanted more details and less philosophy.
Currently Reading:
The Final Gambit This is good but slow going. Sometimes short chapters make me speed through a book other times it kills them. My mood is such that I can put the book down after every chapter instead of binging through.
QOTW:
My library system is great. All the libraries in the province are connected and there is no charge for holds to be delivered or late fees. They got rid of late fees because they realized most of the people accumulating them couldn't afford to pay any ways. Now they will charge you for the material if you have it for a while, not sure how long. Requests are easily made like online shopping and you can pick whichever location works best. Waits aren't too long usually. We don't have any independent bookstores here just a chain store.
Erica wrote: "Happy check-in! What a week. This past weekend was horrific here. In a four day period our provincial alert system was used at least 15 times for three groups of dangerous persons who have been arr..."Are you in SK? That story was horrific.
Mod
I had a busy week of two kids going back to school. I started 2 new books this week. One is a ki..."
you can't have known it would happen so quickly. I expected her to linger on for a while, but I guess they held the news of their concern until the last possible moment when she really was close to the end.
Hugs all around! I've missed you guys! Haha, you think I'm nuts. GR was being buggy, it wanted me to verify my email address in order to post, but when I clicked on verify, nothing happened. I just found a dozen emails in some random folder in my inbox... Suffice it to say, I was going through withdrawal. I can't believe the Queen is gone. I don't know why I feel an affinity for her, I could care less about the drama of the younger generation.
My daughter started pre-k on Tuesday, full time, 5 days a week. And she had her first sick day today! That didn't take long! She seems better, I'll see how she is in the morning, but I'm inclined to send her back.
I didn't finish anything this week. I started The Satanic Verses, and though I'm only in chapter 3, I'm liking it a lot so far. I decided that I'm not going to focus too hard on references I don't get, but it hasn't been bad.
I also picked back up Hissy Fit for something lighter.
QOTW: I love my library! They did a renovation a couple years ago and I don't like the layout of the adult books now, some of the stacks are 4 shelves long, so if I go down the wrong side, I'm getting a workout to get back... But I guess that's not the worst thing.... The teen and children rooms are awesome, too. Tons of choices all around, good interlibrary loans, and good electronic selections. I guess the only thing I wish is that they were closer! When I was working, they were a block away from my office, but now that I'm not, it's about half an hour away. There's a closer library I could use, but it's much much smaller, and I can't let go of the extravagance I'm used to!
There are also a couple of small book stores, but tbh, I never go. I do sometimes go to the chain book store in town, but books are just too expensive for me to buy very often.
Twice a year, the Friends of the Library has a huge book sale where I've found loads of great books for amazing prices, so I do hit that up at least once a year.
Nadine, for your physical holds too? My library has preference for digital, but not physical.
Yes I’m in Saskatchewan and watching the news is still very sad. There is a bright spot that all those who were injured are out of intensive care. I agree for hugs all around. Sorry for being a downer.
Happy Thursday! It's still way too hot here- the last couple days have been miserable. Over the weekend, my family got together for lunch, and it was 112 degrees when I got into my car. Unacceptable! But I actually got some reading done, since it was to hot to move or do really anything. So that's good, but I need this heat wave to end asap!Finished:
Café Con Lychee- this wound up being pretty cute. Two boys from rival family businesses come together to try to save their families' stores. Tropey romeo and juilet style romcom, but I liked it.
48. A book with two POVs
Convenience Store Woman- I loved this so much. I was already reading the author's short story collection and loving it, but this is one of my favorite books of the year. The author Naoise Dolan wrote a really good review/article about the book in The Guardian that I'd recommend reading.
-not for a prompt
Spy x Family, Vol. 2- this series is so fun. Just requested Vol 3 from the library
-not for a prompt
Currently reading:
Life Ceremony- this collection is so good, so weird, I love it
Cemetery Boys- just starting for the book of the month
QotW:
The public library is pretty great here. They have a pretty great selection across the board. And the one time I specifically requested they buy a book, they got a copy pretty quickly. They also got rid of late fines, which is amazing.
If I could change anything, I wish they were open on Sundays. Pre-covid, they were open 7 days a week, with late hours twice a week, and now they've cut the late hours and stay closed Sundays. Which I know is just about funding, but it's difficult getting there after work before they close. Also it'd be nice to give kids a free place to go on the weekend- especially during this heat wave.
Happy Thursday!I have a couple of finishes since last check-in:
Other Birds - this was a really quick read, and really engrossing.
Into the Broken Lands - I liked this a lot. It's the kind of book that throws you in and you have to pick up a lot of the worldbuilding through inference.
I'm currently reading Aiden Thomas's new book, The Sunbearer Trials, which is sort of like a queer Percy Jackson mixed with the Hunger Games - a group of young demigods competing in ritual trials to help keep their world safe from evil gods. I'm really enjoying it so far. The characters are fantastic.
QOTW: I don't physically go to the bookstore much these days because it's a bit of a drive, but if I want to preorder a physical book, I do it through a local independent bookstore called Third Place Books. The few times I've been there pre-COVID for author events, I loved it - the location nearest me is a huge place complete with a food court.
I do more digital than physical holds from the library, but I have no complaints about my local library system. My local branch is pretty small, but there's a larger one not too far away.
Hello from Australia! I'm house sitting by the beach and we keep getting storms blowing in from the sea. It's been very, very cold, but at least the dog is happy to cuddle and keep me warm. I only finished one book this week, and not for PopSugar. So I'm still at 36/50. I also DNFed a few.
Finished
Golden Retrievers For Dummies Some interesting information about the breed, but the stuff about training was outdated.
DNFed
Howl, Kaddish and Other Poems I try to read at least one poetry book for the challenge, but Ginsberg really wasn't doing it for me. Back to the drawing board for both poetry and onomatopoeia.
Sad Janet I thought this would fit the holiday prompt. The reviews suggested you'd either find it hilarious or incredibly annoying. I found some parts funny and other parts hilarious, but I wasn't intrigued enough to keep going.
Currently Reading
Women With ADHD: A Life-Changing Guide to Embrace the Hidden Struggles of Living with ADHD – Includes Debunked Myths and 15 Effective Tips to Positively Transform Your Life Useful, so far.
All That I Am I started this, then returned it to the library so I could get my own copy to underline. I finally bought a pencil as well, so I'll get stuck back into it today.
Coming up
Muster Dogs is going to be next to meet the "book starting with the last letter of your last read" prompt.
QOTW
I'm based in a small country town, so no local bookstore. There is a library in the next town over. I love that I can order in books from anywhere in the state. I also love the small-town vibe - the librarian sees me through the window walking to the door and has my holds waiting for me by the time I get to the desk!
I don't like that the actual collection is pretty small and very focused on YA, because the library is part of the high school. It's also not set up very well if someone wants to wok there. The lighting isn't great, there's nowhere to plug in a computer and the internet isn't the best. I work from home and like working at a library on occasion for a change of scenery, but it's a 70min drive to get to the closest one that's comfortable for an afternoon of writing.
You've all made me even more grateful for my library and independent bookstores!
This qotw is reminding me so much of The Library Book by Susan Orlean. I thought it was a true crime book on the fire at the central library of Los Angeles but really it was more of a micro history on the library and it’s importance in the community. I would really recommend even though the bits about the fire destroying books was upsetting.
Mod
ONLY for physical holds. The digital items are owned by the county as a whole, no branch gets priority
Mod
I have been "really" wanting to read that since it came out!! Everyone says it's great! It's definitely on my TBR. But I'm just never in the mood to read about a library fire!!
Hi everyone. It has been another strange week. I'm still on the job hunt; which my brother seems to have interpreted as a free babysitting service. Luckily the eldest has gone back to school yesterday but the baby is here again today. It's a good job she's cute! Then I found out an old colleague had been killed in a motorcycle accident and then add the queen on top of that; it's been a weird one.This week I finished Pumpkin. Waylon felt very real to me. I could immediately associate him with a bunch of other people I know, but his sister felt very two dimensional and just there as someone to be his opposite. I never really cared about her portion of the story. I have enjoyed all of these books and I'm a little sad to be at the end of the trilogy.
QOTW: The library in my town is tiny, doesn't open for very long and you have to pay to put a hold on a book. No thank you! I use the library in the closest big city to me (it was right across the street from where I worked so was great for rainy lunch breaks). They recently got rid of late fees completely which I love.
My only complaint would be that they changed the website last year from a super-dated-but-actually-really-useful format to one that looks pretty but doesn't give out as much information. For example, the old website would tell you if the book was hardback or paperback and the number of pages. Now it's a mystery so if I accidentally put a hold on an 800-page hard back (which has happened more than once), I leave it on the shelves.
Mod
I'm sorry for your loss. And good luck with your job hunt! It can take time.
QOTW: The library in my town is tiny, doesn't open for very long and you have to pay to put a hold on a book. No thank you!
When I learned that in other countries you often have to pay for your library, or pay to put holds on books, I thought "finally! something that can make me happy to live in the US!" (I'm being facetious of course. I mean, we've got real maple syrup and Reeses peanut butter cups, too! 😉)
Job hunting has been a huge priority for me too. I haven't worked in 3 years for several reasons: 1.) the Covid pandemic, 2.) the lack of jobs where I live, and 3.) the lack of my qualifications.Part of me enjoys this free time. I don't take it for granted at all but at the same time, I would like something new to do.
Nadine in NY wrote: "Sarah wrote: "Hi everyone. It has been another strange week. I'm still on the job hunt; which my brother seems to have interpreted as a free babysitting service. Luckily the eldest has gone back to..."We can get Reese's here, but I have to confess, I hate peanut butter. Shocking, I know lol
Mod
I have heard this from other Europeans. You all are nutty LOL
Summer Reading is finally over, I’ve been on vacation to recharge this week, and I’m starting to worm my way out of my reading rut. Yay! Now I’m ready for cold weather and the holidays. Have I mentioned summer is my least favorite season? lol.Finished:
Voices from Chernobyl: The Oral History of a Nuclear Disaster by Svetlana Alexievich
Ok, I wanted to like this one a lot but it fell a little flat for me. It consisted of many (probably 30-50) short monologues that were only 2-3 pages long each, so you really only a tiny snippet of someone's experience or thoughts. There were still some powerful stories, but I wanted more from them. Also, I didn’t know a ton of details beforehand and this was not a good book to try to learn more about what happened from.
Prompt: A book featuring a man-made disaster
When No One Is Watching by Alyssa Cole
This was just ok. The plot did keep me reading and was interesting but I think the author tried to do too much in the end. The mystery element was good and I learned some new things, and while still somewhat believable felt really over the top as well. Perhaps it seemed over the top from how everything went from 0-60 in 2 second flat at the end. The mystery, romance, and plot was all a slow burn until the last 50 pages when all heck breaks loose for lack of a better term, haha.
Prompt: A social-horror book
Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe
This was pretty good. I like a good graphic novel and this fit the bill. It was interesting to read Maia’s perspective and learn a little bit about it. I really just enjoyed learning about things from Maia’s perspective as well and I think this was a really well written graphic novel to help people learn in this way. I enjoyed the art too.
Prompt: A book about gender identity
Cemetery Boys by Adien Thomas
This was super fun and cute. I loved the world Adien created while using already existing traditions of Dia de Muertos. Please forgive me there brujo/a in a culture that I am unaware of. I definitely got swept up into the magic of the story. The characters were super believable and lovable as well. It really left me wanting more and I’m glad for that because a lot of the books I’ve read recently have left me feeling a little meh.
Prompt: A book by a Latinx author
Currently Reading:
Bringing Down the Duke by Evie Dunmore
Prompt: A book set in Victorian times
Overall Progress:
34/50
QOTW:
You asked the wrong person this question because I am one of the local librarians, haha. There are so many things I love about my job. I love the relationship we are able to develop with are regulars and giving them book recommendations. I love with kids and family to help boost early literacy skills before kindergarten and foster a love of reading. I love getting to help people searching for a job or a place to live. There are plenty of times I wish I could do more, but we offer so much and work diligently to try and best meet the needs of our community. I hope you all feel this was about your public library. September is National Library Card Sign Up month, btw. So if you don’t have a card, go get one!
You can always make peanut butter cups with almond butter or other nut butters. They’re fairly easy to make.
I finished Lore Olympus: Volume One by Rachel Smythe which is a really good graphic novel and American Goth by Cyn Mackley which wasn't half bad but a little judgy of a main characterQOTW My local libraries (I'm between two) actually for rural Appalachian libraries with very limited funds they do a good job. They have children's programing, get local authors in for talks, have programing related to health and crafts. They do talks on ghosts and cryptids. One even got the Bodies exhibit in (and asked me to do talks)
Ironically this is the question the provost asked of our university library, what can we do better. The overwhelming response was be more like the town libraries, do some outreach.
What my main library needs to do better is back to what it was before the older librarians were sort of 'encouraged' to retire get some YA books in. The new librarian seems to think teens don't read. I'm all for adding in gaming and that sort of thing but kids need a good YA section and its been downsized
Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge
Books mentioned in this topic
Dumplin' (other topics)Cat's Paw (other topics)
True Biz (other topics)
Burma Chronicles (other topics)
Tune It Out (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Erin Sterling (other topics)Aiden Thomas (other topics)
Emily Henry (other topics)
Stacy Schiff (other topics)
Elle Cosimano (other topics)
More...
The weather is still warm, but nights are cool, and the purple asters are blooming. This is a lovely time of year, cooler nights, and the Farmers Market still has summer produce (peaches, raspberries) and now has fall produce (apples, squash, spinach again ...)!
Admin stuff
September group read of Cemetery Boys is HAPPENING! With Lynn at the helm!
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
We still have openings for discussion leaders for:
October (The Ex Hex)
November The House in the Cerulean Sea
and
December (Book Lovers)
Let us know if you are interested in being a discussion leader for any (or, heck, why not ALL) of these months. And if the group as a whole doesn't see the need for a discussion leader, that's fine too. Maybe we need to restructure the group reads to be looser?
This week I read three books, one for this Challenge, so I am now 41/50:
The Regional Office is Under Attack! by Manuel Gonzales - meh ... this tried really hard to be funny, but it also tried TOO hard to be plot twisty, and as a result, it did not reveal enough information soon enough and I lost all interest.
The Fervor by Alma Katsu - this started off really slow, but the characters felt very real, and I'm still thinking about them. It felt quite different. This was not for the challenge, but it would work for social horror or published in 2022.
Sanctuary by Paola Mendoza & Abby Sher - my book by a Latina author, this near-future dystopian was incredibly bleak, but a very fast read. This would also work for multiple languages, multiple authors (an old category), found family, (maybe) social horror, and (briefly) set on a train!
Question of the Week
This question is an old one from Lauren, and I think it was inspired back when bookstores and libraries were closing due to the pandemic, and we all missed them. Or maybe it's even older than that!
What do you love about your local library/bookstore? What do you wish they provided that they currently don't?
For me, it's my local library - we don't really have a local bookstore here.
What I love: we can borrow from any library in the county system, I just go online, put the books I want on hold (and I pause the holds to try to time things so I'm not hit with a whole pile of books at once), and they all get sent to the branch of my choice.
Their children's programs were pretty great, too, back when I was a stay-at-home mom with little kids.
And they offer so much more than just books. They even have passes to our local state parks, handheld gaming consoles (and games), puppets, and ukuleles you can borrow! They have a lovely little garden, with three dinosaur sculptures (no, I have no idea why, but I love them anyway), and a local garden center puts together wonderful containers every year - their containers overflow with petunias and other interesting flowers, they do a great job.
What I wish they did better:
I wish they had a better selection of graphic novels and poetry books.
They just remodeled in the last few years, and it's nice, but I miss the old layout, I particularly miss the murals they used to have in the children's room that were paintings of the birds, animals, and insects one might find just outside. Our library is on the shore of our local lake, and it was a lovely mural.