Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge discussion

We’ve had colder temperatures and snow on the ground until today. Virtually all snow is gone now. (And may it please stay that way until spring!) My husband informed me that “Phil” the ever-important “Groundhog” of the Day did see his shadow, so supposedly 6 more weeks of winter for us. However, these prognostications have only proven accurate 40% of the time. So it would probably be more accurate to simply flip a coin! :)

They are working outside on the new house being built in our neighborhood again today so POUND, POUND, SAWING, POUND, POUND, SAWING are the accompanying noises to our day yet once again! I will be soooooo glad when it is done!! I do value “quiet”!

ADMIN STUFF:
The February Monthly Group read is The Sun Is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon!! This book can be used to fulfill prompt #43 A book that takes place entirely in one day. In honor of Groundhog Day, a North American tradition observed in the US and Canada on February 2! Katrina is the "knowledgeable navigator" who has graciously volunteered to lead this discussion! Thank you, Katrina! I'm excited to read this one! This one started yesterday and can be found in the Currently Monthly Group Read folder HERE
along with the thread to list the book(s) you’ve read to fulfill this prompt for February! Please accept my apologies for neglecting to move and open the February discussion threads until today! Ugh! I’m adding a reminder to my calendar for the end of each month to remember to do this in a more timely manner!

And…the votes are in! April’s Group Read will be Legends & Lattes (Legends & Lattes #1) by Travis Baldree! This book can be used to fulfill prompt #27 A #BookTok recommendation. I read this for an IRL book club in January and I thought it was adorable! This book was the result of NaNoWriMo and was self-published in the first iteration! Though it was picked up by a publisher thereafter. And for what it’s worth it was a nominee for the Goodreads Best Fantasy in 2022! I hope everyone enjoys it as much as my fellow book club members and I did! :)

Nadine will post the nomination poll for May next Thursday, so be watching for that one! That book can be used to fulfill prompt #24 A book with a rabbit on the cover! In honor of springtime in the northern hemisphere. (I love bunnies!)

We just finished Rock Paper Scissors by Alice Feeney for the January 2023 Monthly Group Read! This book can be used to fulfill prompt #3 A book about a vacation. Teri is the "powerfully provocative facilitator" for this month’s discussion! THANK YOU, TERI! This discussion will be moved to the 2023 Monthly Group Read folder in the next few days and will be available there forever after! :)

We are on the lookout for a “fascinating facilitator” to lead the March Monthly Group Read discussion of The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea! Please message either Nadine or myself to volunteer! This book can be used to fulfill prompt #7 A book with “Girl” in the title In honor of Women’s History Month in Australia, the UK, and the US!

Question of the Week
What is your opinion regarding “historical fiction”?
I am purposefully leaving this open-ended for this ‘readerly’ group to respond. The conversation recently arose in two of my IRL book clubs and I couldn’t recall this discussion as a Question of the Week in the past…so… :) It seems appropriate since the 2023 Popsugar prompt #34 asks us to read a “historical fiction” book! There was a former book club member who completely omitted the past/historical portion of a book we once read, stating that she was “not interested in reading about the past.” (The book had chapters alternating between the present day and the past, so she basically only read half the book.) I found that to be a totally unique perspective in my experiences of discussing books with others. And now I’m curious…

Personally, I adore historical fiction, especially when mixed with a mystery. However, I do prefer the author providing some details regarding their research and/or the historical aspects they may have altered somewhat to better accommodate their writing. Other than that, I appreciate a writer immersing me in the atmosphere of the time and setting. In addition, I particularly appreciate a more personal experience through characters’ interactions than just a litany of facts as may be laid out in a nonfiction historical account.

This is pertinent since I plan to attend an author presentation by Paula McLain in mid-February.

Popsugar: 25/50
Nadine’s Q1 Mini-Challenge: 6/10
AtY: 40/52
RHC: 10/24

FINISHED:
*Blackbird House by Alice Hoffman ✶✶✶✶ was a solid read, but some of these stories were a bit more maudlin than I prefer and there were some that were pretty happy. A truly diverse collection! Very interesting to see the differences and similarities among families occupying one house through the generations.
POPSUGAR: #1, #9, #19-2015: prompt #12 A book of short stories, #28, #31, #34
ATY: #3-A book shelved as literary fiction, #5, #12, #13, #28, #37, #45
RHC: #21, #24-2020: prompt #7 A historical fiction novel not set in WWII

*The Women in Black by Madeleine St. John ✶✶✶✶✶ was delightful and not as “Pollyanna-ish” as I feared it might be! I thought it was excellent, particularly for a debut novel, and I plan to read her trilogy!
POPSUGAR: #2, #4, #9, #19-2016: prompt #14 A book you can finish reading in one day, #28, #34, #36
ATY: #3-A book set in the workplace of at least one character, #5, #8, #10-They sold some very “posh” dresses, #13-dresses, #19-fashion design, #26, #29, #34, #37, NEW #38
RHC: #24-2017: prompt #11 A book that is set more than 5000 miles from your location.
Nadine’s Q1 Mini-Challenge: NEW #7

*Alex Cross, Run (Alex Cross #20) by James Patterson ✶✶✶✶✶ for a January Buddy Read! This installment was a good one, IMO! Emotionally fraught, but rather well-developed, especially for this series!
POPSUGAR: #2, #16, #19-2016: prompt #10 A NYT bestseller, #28, #31
ATY: #2, #3-A book involving friends, family, or a found family, #14-perpetrator using masks, #28, NEW #33, #37, #40, #43, #45
RHC: #23, #24-2015: A book written by an author whose gender is different from your own

*Chengli and the Silk Road Caravan by Hildi Kang ✶✶✶✶✶ was such an interesting read. This is one that has been staring at me from the top of a stack of books and I decided to throw it in the rotation last week during the Readathon. Set in the 7th Century, this depicted aspects of ‘childhood’ that would be unheard of in today’s society. I can’t imagine it wouldn’t appeal to the target audience and should provide obvious material for comparison to life in the 21st Century.
POPSUGAR: #2, #4, #16, 2015: prompt #29 A book set somewhere you’ve always wanted to visit (China), #28, #34
ATY: #3- A book that won a diversity award in the 21st Century-2012 Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature for Children, #5, #14, #15/16/17-7th Century, NEW #20, #34, #37, #45, NEW #50-My favorite is #3 A book that fits a suggestion that didn’t make the 2023 list- A book that won a diversity award in the 21st Century-this is the 2nd book I’ve read in 2023 that fulfills that prompt
RHC: #10, #14-233 ratings, NEW #15, #24-2015: A book that takes place in Asia

*Whiskers & Smoke by Marian Babson ✶✶✶✶ was a solid mystery, though the writing felt a bit disruptive at different times throughout. Of course, one of the main reasons I picked up this book from a library sale several years ago was the cover image and the title, since my very first feline housemate was "Smokie" who was also gray and will be forever my favorite kitty. (Yes, I still miss her...)
POPSUGAR: #2, #3, #19-2015: prompt #7 A book with nonhuman characters, #28, #31, #46, #47
ATY: #3-A book related to first contact, #5, #10-scary, #14, #28, #37, #43, #45, #52
RHC: #14-104 ratings, #23, #24-2016: Read a mystery/thriller

CONTINUING:
*Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe for my last January Buddy Read! So glad I reread this! Now I’m reading the critical essays. So interesting!
*The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story by Nikole Hannah-Jones This is absolutely amazing so far!
*The Hemingses of Monticello: An American Family by Annette Gordon-Reed
*Festival Days by Jo Ann Beard
*Mrs. 'Arris Goes to New York (Mrs. ‘Arris #2) by Paul Gallico
*Beloved by Toni Morrison

PLANNED:
February Buddy Reads:
The Darkest Evening (Vera Stanhope #9) by Ann Cleeves
Wild Fire (Shetland Island #8) by Ann Cleeves
*Cross My Heart (#21) by James Patterson
In preparation for the Paula McLain event:
When the Stars Go Dark
Love and Ruin

I finished Rilla of Inglesideas the shortest book on my TBR. I really enjoyed it even though I had to keep cleaning my glasses because I was crying too much.

I read Tyll as the book I meant to read last year. It was weird but in a good way. I wasn't sure I was going to like it at first, but I ended up really loving it.

I've just started Dream Town as my book that takes place in Hollywood. Only about 30 pages in, so not much of an opinion yet. A little nervous that he might be more about the setting than the story, but we'll see.

QOTW: I love historical fiction. It is my absolute favorite genre. I prefer it to be mostly historically accurate, but as long as they have an afterword describing how they changed the past, I'm fine with it. I think Sharon Kay Penman is severely underrated as she's a terrific storyteller while remaining accurate.

Finished:

Hollow Men by Una McCormack (4/5, reread, not for a prompt)

The combination of a great writer and late-period Deep Space Nine makes for a book that I love to reread.

Scooby-Doo Team-Up, Volume 6 (3/5, not for a prompt)

The cover story with the Birds of Prey is the best one. The rest are just okay.

I hope to finish another PS book in the coming week.

Question of the Week:

"Historical fiction" describes one piece of the setting, not the place, genre, or how far into history the book is. It's about as useful a descriptor to me as "literary fiction."

Is intent the only thing separating historical fiction from a book that was written to be contemporary but has aged a bit?

Brandon wrote: "Is intent the only thing separating historical fiction from a book that was written to be contemporary but has aged a bit?"

This seems to differ among readers but as far as I'm aware, historical fiction tends to be written several decades past when the book's time period actually occurred, rather than the book being written in said time period and aging; for example, Ruta Sepetys's I Must Betray You, set in 1989, was published in 2022 and is listed as historical fiction, while Jane Austen's novels aren't necessarily considered so.

It's supposed to be colder here too for a few days, but then going right back to above average temps again. I have been having almost non-stop hot flashes, and would appreciate the colder weather. As a result, I also have absolutely no energy. Also can't sleep due to said hot flashes, and that is not helping with the energy level. Sorry for the TMI.
All this leads to lots of reading, though. So that's a bonus.

Finished:
Hell Bent for rabbit on the cover. I loved this book so much more than the first. It makes me want to look into other Leigh Bardugo books.
Check, Please! Book 1: #Hockey for Read Harder webcomic.
Too Loud a Solitude
Beyond the Wand: The Magic and Mayhem of Growing Up a Wizard for celebrity memoir. For people who don't like celebrity memoirs, this book will not change your mind. It was very average.

Currently reading:
The Tale of Genji
I Sing the Body Electric! & Other Stories
Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont
Legends & Lattes audiobook. This is ready by the author, so beware if that's not something you enjoy.

QOTW:
I love historical fiction, although I don't read nearly as much of it as I think I do. I love that you can read about events in the deep past, but in a modern writing style. For example, I am reading The Tale of Genji right now, it's the longest book on my TBR. It was written in 1001 and was contemporary at the time. I can only imagine how much easier it would be to read if it was historical fiction of that time and setting but written today.
Thank you for the Sharon Kay Penman reminder, Katy. For the longest time I could not get her books in digital format from the library. But I just checked and NYPL has the audiobook of When Christ and His Saints Slept.

Happy Thursday! Tonight is final dress rehearsal for my play, which opens tomorrow - tonight is our first night with an audience! So exciteddddd. (This also means that I’ll get most of my weeknights back once we open, so more reading time again!) And before that, hubby and I are planning a date afternoon complete with dinner and bookstores :D gonna be the best day ever.

Finished this week:
The Women of Chateau Lafayette - 3 stars. This was good but I thought it could’ve used an editor. I liked all three MCs and was impressed by the triple-timeline. My Libby app decided to derail partway through so I wasn’t sure where I was in the book, which soured the experience a bit, but the narration itself was excellent. Historical fiction book

Cold Spectrum - 4 stars. I like the action of this series very much, and I’m cruising right along with my Schaeferverse read. Harmony’s still not my favorite character, but lbr they can’t all be Caitlin. Book with a holiday that’s not Christmas

The Drowning Faith - 4 stars. Shortest book on your TBR

PS 9/50
ATY 6/52
Mount TBR 5/60

Currently:
In the Hand of the Goddess - Tortallverse reread going strong!

The Hemingses of Monticello: An American Family - This is EXHAUSTIVELY researched and incredibly detailed. Learning so much! Book about a family

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - I started listening to this yesterday with the goal of reading one short story every morning as a break before I dive back into Hemingses, and while it means I’m already bending my one-book-at-a-time rule, this seems to be working very well. It’s also getting me in the mood for my next project, a production of Baskerville that I’ll be stage managing in April/May/June. Two stories down, ten to go! Author with the same initials as you

Upcoming:
Rebel Seoul
Possibly The Hacienda
The Count of Monte Cristo

QOTW: What is your opinion regarding “historical fiction”?
99% of the time I love it. Finding a book about a time period or historical figure with which/whom I’m not particularly familiar (and loving it) is an excellent way to steer me toward learning more about said feature in nonfiction books, which is an excellent way to broaden one’s knowledge. Favorite authors include Kate Quinn, Stephanie Marie Thornton, Stacey Lee, and Ruta Sepetys.

On the rare occasions when I find a historical fiction book that doesn’t work for me, it's a fairly jarring experience. Recently I haven't been a fan of The Dream of the Celt, Josephine Baker's Last Dance, and The Summer Queen. Fictional biographies are very hit or miss.

Happy Thursday! The weather is a very chilly low of 17 last night and a whopping high of 40 something this afternoon. The sun is shining so it won't be too bad. Monday was like 9 degrees and I tried to suck in a breath to call my dog and choked on very cold air.

Things are good. My heater finally got fixed on Friday. Yay!

My niece went to daycare for the first time and my nephew was like 'no. my school'.

Reading was fun. I really want to read Sugar Apple Fairy Tale, Vol. 1 (light novel): The Silver Sugar Master and the Obsidian Fairy. I've been watching the anime on Crunchyroll. It's awful and good at the same time.

Another book I can't wait for is Raven of the Inner Palace (Light Novel) Vol. 1. The first season is amazing. It takes place in ancient China and is dark (paranormal wise) and has lots of intrigue and mystery.

Popsugar:5/50
Finished:None

Reading: None

Aty: 6/52
Finished:
Instant Karma aty 16

Reading:None

Nadine's Mini Challenge 7/10
Finished:None

Reading: None

Goodreads Challenge 80/400
Finished:
The Pet Dragon
The World After the Fall, Vol. 1
Whispered Curses
Oh My Goddess! Volume 7: The Queen of Vengeance
Honey Lemon Soda, Vol. 11
Tsubaki-chou Lonely Planet, Vol. 1
Tsubaki-chou Lonely Planet, Vol. 2
The Dragon Knight's Beloved (Manga) Vol. 1
The Dragon Knight's Beloved, Vol. 2
The Dragon Knight's Beloved Vol. 3
The Dragon Knight's Beloved Vol. 4
The Savior's Book Cafe Story in Another World (Manga) Vol. 1
The Savior's Book Cafe Story in Another World (Manga) Vol. 2
The Savior's Book Cafe Story in Another World, Vol. 3
The Savior's Book Cafe Story in Another World Vol. 4
A Chinese Fantasy: The Dragon King's Daughter
Instant Karma
Usotoki Rhetoric Volume 1
A Returner's Magic Should be Special, Vol. 1


Reading:
The Werewolf Count and the Trickster Tailor
The Misfit of Demon King Academy: Volume 3
Psyche and Eros
Oh My Goddess! Volume 8: Mara Strikes Back

Mount TBR:
16/150 Ebook
14/150 Physical

QOTW:

Historical fiction is good. I'm drawn to certain time periods more than others. I like Regency, Victorian works more than I do the westerns. I don't poopoo westerns per se, but I prefer not dealing in rattlesnakes and scorpions. I also have a love of Medieval and ancient civilizations.

A lot of the time my love of a show will interest me in reading books that take place in those places. My fascination with Xianxia and Wuxia C-dramas has sparked a recent interest in books that take place in those time periods. Daughter of the Moon Goddess comes to mind as a love of visual media gave way to a love in a book.

Mythology has also been a great interest to me. As a kid, I loved Clash of the Titans. That sparked me reading all I could find on them. Before the internet, there was slim pickings even at the library. That also gave a rise to my interest in the stories behind the constellations, which is fascinating btw.

Plus, it sparked a secondary interest in looking at them from a non-Roman/Greek way. Indigenous tribes, Egyptians, Asian Cultures have each a different name and story for them. For example Orion was Osiris to the Egyptians, a drum or a kimono sleeve to the Japanese, and the different Native cultures imagine Orion as different things.

It's so cool that one pattern of stars can be so mean something different but still connect us.

Happy Thursday!

I am speeding through books for January so fast! Hopefully I can finish the challenge this year.

Finished:

We Were Never Here - the writing was bad, not a fan. The story was good but predictable to a point. It was just ok.

Once Upon a River - if not for the audiobook narration I would have given up, it was beautifully narrated. Great story and great writing BUT I feel like it dragged on a little bit.

Currently Reading:

Hook - slightly different from the movie but follows pretty closely.

It Happened One Summer - I am not a fan of romance and will fight it every step of the way. HOWEVER, I do not hate this book. I picked it because it takes place in my home state of Washington and references Seattle.

QOTW:
I think of "Historical Fiction" - one of my favorite genre's BTW - as a novel surrounding a real-life historical event. I read The Dressmaker for example which is a fiction novel written around the Titanic sinking - so it was Historical Fiction.

I have always steered toward Historical Fiction because I like that I have a landmark of the time period. I can imagine what was happening in the story based on the historical events taking place (ie: the Titanic sinking).

Milena wrote: "It's supposed to be colder here too for a few days, but then going right back to above average temps again. I have been having almost non-stop hot flashes, and would appreciate the colder weather. ..."

Tale of Genji is on my list as the longest as well. I want to read it, I really do, but I'm not sure if i'm up to the task of something so daunting.

Mandy wrote: "Milena wrote: "It's supposed to be colder here too for a few days, but then going right back to above average temps again. I have been having almost non-stop hot flashes, and would appreciate the c..."

I started it just before the new year and I am only at 19%. If you delete it, then it will no longer be the longest book on your TBR, just saying. It's not a difficult read at all, just very long.

Happy Thursday!

We're in the middle of moving our storage, after our unit got broken into last year. So lots of fun, calling insurance companies and hiring movers. Thankfully, this new place seems more secure, and our new unit is indoors so somewhat more climate-controlled as well.

Finished:
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow - 5 stars - for the BookTok prompt. I'm of an age with the protagonists, and I had a lot of the same formative experiences with video games, so maybe I was predisposed to love this. It gave me similar nostalgic vibes to Ready Player One, without the future sci-fi plot.

Brokeback Mountain - 3.5 stars - for Nadine's mini-challenge, a book about sheep or shepherds. The two men work as shepherds for part of the story. I had never seen the movie, just heard jokes about the "gay cowboy movie". This is a short story that packs a lot of punch.

Comics and manga, not for prompts:
That Wolf-Boy is Mine!, Vol. 1
Komi Can't Communicate, Vol. 22
Queen's Quality, Vol. 16
The Tea Dragon Festival
The Tea Dragon Tapestry

I am currently at 5/50 for Popsugar (3/40 and 2/10). I am also at 4/10 for Nadine's Mini-Challenge #1.

Currently reading:
The Strange Case of the Alchemist's Daughter - for the historical fiction prompt. It's sort of a melting pot of classic literature, with the main character being the daughter of Dr. Jekyll, and also running into Sherlock Holmes and an assortment of other famous literary characters or their relations. It also has an interesting style, in that the book is being "written" by one of the characters in it, and every so often the other characters interject. It's a lot of fun so far.

Planned:
Long Way Down
The Wedding Date
The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea

QOTW:
I enjoy historical fiction, but I think it depends on the author and time period. I've always been a big mythology lover, as well as a huge fantasy fan. When I was a teenager, I would read a lot of historical fiction set in everything from ancient Rome up through Victorian times, because a lot of it satisfied my fantasy-loving brain even if it wasn't actually fantasy. I tend not to enjoy WW1 and WW2 historical fiction as much as other eras, with some exceptions.

We're supposed to get a "polar vortex" tonight with windchill down to -30-something. I remain a winter-hating Canadian.

I'm in an odd place where I finished most of my January books, but haven't got my February books from the library yet.

Finished:

Troublemaker: Surviving Hollywood and Scientology
ATY prompt: A book related to Hollywood (Tehcnically the rejected prompt)
Popsugar prompt: A book about or set in Hollywood

Series - 3/15
Series Completed: 2 - Lying Games, Bronwyn the Witch

Nobel laureates - 0/7
Random books - 0/7

ATY - 5/40
PS - 5/30
Nadine's 23 challenge - 4/10
Around the year in 52 movies - 6/52

6. A movie where books are important - Nightbooks

Currently reading:

A Ballet of Lepers: A Novel and Stories - 55% done

The History of Rome, Vol 1: The Period Anterior to the Abolition of the Monarchy - 40% done

QOTW:
I always say that don't like historical fiction, but I think it's more nuanced. I love "classic books" - Austen, Dickens, Poe, Shakespeare - but that's not historical fiction since they were contemporary stories in the time period in which they were written.

I think The Book Thief and All the Light We Cannot See, while being great books, burned me out of WWII fiction. (view spoiler)[ I'm tired of books where everyone dies or has some PTSD inducing thing happen to them, even if it's realistic to war. (hide spoiler)]

There are probably time periods in which I might enjoy historical fiction books being set, but I haven't found them. There also seems to be some debate as to what counts as historical fiction. Is it set 20 years in the past, 30 years, or 50 years. Did My Best Friend's Exorcism, written in the 2010s, but set in the 1980s count as "historical fiction?

Man, I have been crazy busy with school. I'm only taking 3 classes but this week I had 11 assignments for them which was crazy. I'm still in the process of working on some of them.

*****

My January reads was perfect. I read 7 books so I was proud of that number. I wasn't even sure if I would get to 5. My reading goal for the year is 25 because I don't know how much time I have due to school and if/or when I'll get a job. Jobs are hard to come by in a population of over 9,000. And then I don't have a lot of experience so that becomes an issue. Enough rant on that though.

Like I said, my goal for the year is 25 books. Including my February ones too right now, I'm at 11.

Here are the books I read for January:

The Mother of All Degrassi: A Memoir
Girl in Pieces
The Very Next Thing: Follow God. Where You Are. Right Now.
The Words We Keep
Spare
Life on Delay: Making Peace with a Stutter
The Myth of Normal: Trauma, Illness, and Healing in a Toxic Culture

*****

Here are my February reads:

Critical Race Theory, An Introduction
Only Jesus: A Voice That Sounds Like Home
Left Behind

*****

Currently reading:

Women vs Hollywood: The Fall and Rise of Women in Film

*****

Plan to read:

Tomboy: The Surprising History and Future of Girls Who Dare to Be Different

*****
QOTW

What is your opinion regarding “historical fiction”?

- I have a hard time with this genre. I have a hard time with fiction in general and I will read fiction if I'm only in a serious mood but it has to be serious in the sense that I can't think of another book the most.

Historical fiction is much harder. It's a book that's not a high priority for the popsugar prompt since it's not a genre I'm good at. I wasn't even sure I was going to do it but then I saw someone recommend The Clan of the Cave Bear which is a book I already own so that sounded like an okay one but I haven't hit that serious to-read mood yet.

Milena wrote: "Mandy wrote: "Milena wrote: "It's supposed to be colder here too for a few days, but then going right back to above average temps again. I have been having almost non-stop hot flashes, and would ap..."

oh good. i started it like two years ago and quit. i read so much manga on kindle that when i went back to genji, i forgot that it went left to right instead of right to left and completely lost my page and what was going on in the book.

Yayyyy! It's Thursday again and I had a full week of reading and other stuff.

Read:
The Black God's Drums I read this for Prompt #19- Popsugar 2015 prompt 29-Set somewhere you always wanted to visit. The story is set in New Orleans but in an alternative universe/reality. My dream is to visit New Orleans this year.

GLORY: Magical Visions of Black Beauty
I read this book for Prompt #3 A book about a vacation. This book is so visually astounding. This husband and wife in essence takes these pics around the world why they are vacationing/working. They feature beautiful black children that are doing important work in their own right.

I used this book for Prompt#24 A book with a rabbit on the cover. I also choose it so that I can give it to my 2 month old granddaughter :)

Bitter Root, Vol. 2: Rage & Redemption i choose this book for Prompt #31 A book about a family This book is a series that focuses on the Sangerye family that are a group of monster hunters.

CURRENTLY READING:
The Book of Night Women

So You Want to Talk About Race

Question of the Week
What is your opinion regarding “historical fiction”?
I love Historical Fiction. I enjoy learning from history. History can be bitter and hurtful but it can also bring a sense of pride when knowing what people did to better themselves. I feel like not learning from history is dooming your future. There were so many past atrocities that we're repeating. Some people can just keep their heads in the sand and say I don't want to learn about history because it's not important etc. Those are the people I choose not to deal with because they're living in an alternative reality.
The Book of Night Women is a good example of historical fiction. I didn't know anything about slavery in Jamaica in the late 1700's-early 1800's. This story brings some of that history alive for me.

Mandy wrote: "Milena wrote: "Mandy wrote: "Milena wrote: "It's supposed to be colder here too for a few days, but then going right back to above average temps again. I have been having almost non-stop hot flashe..."

Hah, well that is a very specific problem that I do not have.

Dubhease wrote: "We're supposed to get a "polar vortex" tonight with windchill down to -30-something. I remain a winter-hating Canadian.

I'm in an odd place where I finished most of my January books, but haven't g..."

52 MOVIES!! OOOOO! is there link to this?? sounds amazing!

Finished: The Girl Who Fell from the Sky Read for banned book. I read this in part because it was an author's guild banned book on Fable, which the author was leading herself, which I thought would be awesome. I was surprised that another book club by some random instagrammer got a lot more traffic. I don't know if that is a consistent pattern for all the author's guild book clubs since is the first one I read... Won't say much about the book here since we're reading it in March...

Nina Simone's Gum Read for prompt I think I will hate this of my personal challenge. This started out quirky with a musician from Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds saving Nina Simone's gum in a towel from a concert of hers. But partway through, I just felt ick. Like this guy valued the gum so much just because it had come in contact with Nina Simone, and didn't even seem like she done anything all that great, besides being a regal person. I finished it, but I did not like it! But, as far as the book as an object goes, the pages were nice and thick, so they at least presented it well.

Reasons to Stay Alive There were a few quotable moments, but for the most part, this book was not very memorable.

Real Friends Read for saw author in person of personal challenge. I saw Shannon Hale speak at a banned book protest. She said how she had included Jesus in one of her books and how other Mormons had gotten upset at her depiction. So of course, I had to read it. I thought it was a perfectly respectable reference to her own religion!

The Black Cauldron Re-read. I dunno about this one... It felt like it served up a character as despicable just so they could get rid of him, and the only redeeming thing he did was cast his life away, which made me uncomfortable. I'm stuck re-reading the series now. I do love how it reminds me of the Black Cauldron computer game that came out in the '90's!

Started: Oh my gosh! I am having the hardest time settling into reading the past few days. Usually, I read 2-4 hours each day, easily. It's what I choose to do to unwind at the end of the day. But the past few days, I haven't known want to read. I blame choice overload!

The Ministry for the Future For some reason, I thought this was a utopia. It definitely is not. Reading because Terry Tempest Williams recommended it. It's quite a commitment!

Africa Risen: A New Era of Speculative Fiction reading for Fable bookclub. So far, I'm liking it okay, even though I don't usually read short stories. I'm thinking I might be able to use it for positive depiction of Blacks for personal challenge.

The Categorical Imperative: A Study in Kant's Moral Philosophy So far, a pretty straight-forward read.

Qotw: I think historical fiction is a very useful teaching tool. You can pair it with non-fiction to bring the period you are teaching about more to life. I also like the challenge of writing historical fiction, although I tend to get mired in the trap of being true to what really happened even if it doesn't serve the story well. I don't end up reading much historical fiction, however.

Happy Thursday!! For some reason this week FLEW by - I feel like it was just Thursday two days ago. I'm still tie-dyeing, and I've had some failures as well as some successes. Today's dye is an attempt at a beach scene for my daughter (you know: sand, waves, water, sky). I'm going to have to buy some more white shirts soon, I'm running out of "blank canvases" for my art ;-)

It's continued to be a mild winter here - we've finally gotten a few days below freezing and some snow, and temperatures are nosediving tonight, but it's nothing compared to a "normal" winter.

I am NOT complaining. Not really. The ground is frozen and covered by snow again so I have no muddy paws to deal with. I brought in the first two pots of forced bulbs so I am happily tending to some tiny purple crocuses in my kitchen.




This week I finished two books, and they both fulfilled Challenge categories, so I am now 6/50.

Suburban Dicks by Fabian Nicieza - I finished this last Thursday, but I think it was after the check-in, so I'll include it here. This was a fun New Jersey mystery. I gave it five stars because I liked the prickly and unlikeable protagonists, and I liked the NJ suburban setting. This was one of the (many!) books I intended to read back in 2022.

Olga Dies Dreaming by Xóchitl González - I just finished this morning while I was driving my punk kid (the same punk kid who is getting the beach scene tie dye) to school because she missed her bus! This is on the Tournament of Books shortlist for this year, and at first I was really enjoying it, but gradually I got annoyed with how messy it was, it needed a few more rounds with a strong editor to straighten it out. Olga is the main character, so I checked off "main character's name in the title." (It also has more than four colors on the cover, for AtY)


I haven't made any progress in my two mini challenges. yes, that's right, I have read NOTHING for my OWN winter challenge.
Pop: 6/50
Winter: 0/10
AtY: 6/52
2023 must-reads: 1/12




QotW

It seems like historical fiction has been incredibly popular lately, especially among women-lead book clubs (like mine). I don't remember it being so prominent back at the end of the 20th Century. Are we all experiencing a collective longing for the past now?

My personal opinion is that it's fine, I don't seek it out and I don't avoid it. There's not any particular time period that I prefer or that I dislike, although I am getting a little tired of all the WWII historical fiction.

Wow! What a momentous week!

First, attended a wellness evening with a friend. One hour of yoga (my first!), vegan meal and conversation, and then one hour of a sound bath (lying quietly, meditatively, while tones are played on crystal bowls). That was Friday eve.

Saturday went for a hike with same friend...then checked out new vegan/herbal store...then ate soup together. That hike was the last of my January goal of 4 hikes of 1+ miles. (Next month it will be 4 hikes of 2+ miles.)

In the meantime, my elderly lab mix was declining. So Monday I made the decision to put her down. Vet was to come at 5:30, so my friend Carrie came over...but vet did not show. Rescheduled to next day noon time...vet did not show. Called office and cried that this was too hard not to have vet show up. Rescheduled for 5...went to library and on the way home got a call that vet was on the way. Accomplished about 2p.

Carrie came over and we spent the evening watching a silly movie that was supposed to be a love comedy...only both people had cancer and were facing death.

Then last night, two houses over from mine, a car caught fire in the driveway and burned so high and furiously that the garage caught on fire! Scary times.

As a result of the emotion around Roxie's decline and death, I have not been able to concentrate much on reading this week. Most of what I accomplished was through Sunday.

Finished:

The Labrador Pact - PAS, RwS. This is an audiobook. Wouldn't you know this ended with the lab being put down?! Told from point of view of dog about his attempts to protect his family from destruction. Ironic ending. 3*

Kitchen - PAS, ATY - This is an ebook. I am really enjoying it. Japanese setting. Short stories. Will use for ATY
Quarterly January read. I am not a big enjoyer of short stories, but these were connected. 3*

This Lie Will Kill You - PAS - Slow start for me and I do not love any of the teen characters. A bit of a thriller with an unknown killer lurking. Writer pulled the characters and story together with an explanation in the end...but still didn't care much for any of the teens. 3*

To Shield the Queen - PAS, old challenge. Another Ursula character. Historical Mystery. One of Queen Elizabeth's ladies during the time of uncertain heirs and political subterfuge. I did like the Ursula character and would look for another in the series. 4*

Bluebird, Bluebird - ATY, PAS, old challenge.
This story dealt with race in Texas with a protagonist that was not only black but a Texas Ranger. Very interesting twists. 4*

The Cat Who Smelled a Rat PS, PAS, SRC. Planned for #46 pet character. This is a series that I enjoy. Light cozy mystery. Interesting characters. 3* only because the writing in this book felt formulaic.

Murphy's Law ALCM and PAS. This is the first of a new series. It is the story of an Irish young woman who comes to America. She is running from a killing...and comes over pretending to be someone else. There is a love interest that develops as the story goes along with a police inspector. Set in early NYC. 4*

Reading:
An American Princess: The Many Lives of Allene Tew - SRC. Kindle book.
H is for Hawk - ATY, PAS, RwS, old challenge Monthly read for PAS (January).
The Note - Ebook. SRC.
The Witch's Heart - PAS, PS Quarterly, RwS, SRC
The Cat Who Saved Books
Aunt Bessie Believes - Audiobook. ALCM

On deck:
Horse (finally came in and due back on 2/14)
Alpine for You for ATY Quarterly
The Book of Names - old challenge
Start Shooting - old challenges

PS 3/50 and 2/10 for Quarterly Challenge
ATY 5/52 and 7/12 for Quarterly Challenge
GR 32/200
RwS 18/30
SRC 20/67

Question of the Week
What is your opinion regarding “historical fiction”?

I enjoy historical fiction, particularly when the writer has done the necessary research to make the story fit as well as can be the actual facts (and then shares some of that info at the end).
Several years ago I went to Las Vegas. One of the casinos had a Titanic interactive exhibit. I happened to experience that at the same time I was reading The Girl Who Came Home, which described the very things I was experiencing in the exhibit. Very moving! Rated that book 5*!

Brandon wrote: "Is intent the only thing separating historical fiction from a book that was written to be contemporary but has aged a bit?..."



Yes, I think so. If it was a contemporary time period when it was written, then it's not historical. I guess it's "a classic" then?

rabbit on the cover

Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo. Fantasy. It was okay. I really liked Ninth House but this one fell kind of flat for me.

no prompts

Until Him and Always Him by Cora Rose. Contemporary romance and decent reads.

QOTW:
I love historical fiction. I especially love Ruta Sepetys who tends to write about eras and events that aren't all over the historical fiction landscape.

Rain, wind, storm: winter in the Netherlands. Yesterday, it was 70 years ago the western part of our country was flooded by a big storm. Over 1.800 people died. Even more people lost their homes: islands were completely flooded. Since, we built the ‘Delta works’: big dikes that closed the sea ways into our country. And now, we have to think about building dikes together with nature because of the sea level rise.

End of today’s history lesson. I’d liked to share it because we had so much help from all over the world. Maybe you heard of it in your country. I’d like you to know we still remember it and never forgot the overwhelming help.

PS: 7/50
Total 2023: 7

Finished
The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Daré⭐⭐⭐⭐
PS #7, a book with ‘girl’ in the title
Perfect to read after ‘I am Malala’ last week. Adunni wants to go to school. Because this is the only way to get ‘a louding voice’, her mom has taught her. I had to get used to ‘Adunni language’ at first, but it made the book even more powerful.

Normal People by Sally Rooney⭐
PS #18, a book that's been banned or challenged in any state in 2022
Not for me. And please, use quotation marks.

Currently reading
Still Alice by Lisa Genova

QOTW
Historical fiction is my favorite!! History is all about stories. And it’s a great way to learn something about an historic event, about what it meant for ordinary people.

Jen wrote: "When I was a teenager, I would read a lot of historical fiction set in everything from ancient Rome up through Victorian times, because a lot of it satisfied my fantasy-loving brain even if it wasn't actually fantasy...."



LOL when I was a kid, I read A LOT of fantasy. It was practically the only thing I read. And one of my favorite books was The Mark of the Horse Lord. I assumed it was fantasy. It's only when I re-read it a few years ago that I realized it's historical fiction LOL and so far as I can tell it's fairly accurate history, too.

Dubhease wrote: "There also seems to be some debate as to what counts as historical fiction. Is it set 20 years in the past, 30 years, or 50 years. Did My Best Friend's Exorcism, written in the 2010s, but set in the 1980s count as "historical fiction?..."


LOL well that's easy, it's fiction set in a time period that's older than I am!! So, no, a book set in the 80s is decidedly NOT historical. ;-)


(Although I will concede that perhaps for someone born in the 90s or more recently, the 80s is "historical")

Bea wrote: "Wow! What a momentous week!

First, attended a wellness evening with a friend. One hour of yoga (my first!), vegan meal and conversation, and then one hour of a sound bath (lying quietly, meditativ..."


I am so sorry for your loss. Saying goodbye to a beloved pet is so hard, and this was made so much harder by your vet not showing up.

Mandy wrote: "Tale of Genji is on my list as the longest as well. I want to read it, I really do, but I'm not sure if i'm up to the task of something so daunting."

I read The Tale of Genji last year, and I highly recommend breaking it up in small chunks.

Happy Thursday, everyone!

As of yesterday morning, I am taking part in the Seasons of Reading Winter’s Respite readathon, which runs through the month of February. Even though the readathon does not ask participants to read a specific genre, I’m planning to focus mostly on fantasy novels (with a little science fiction thrown in). I’ve got quite a few fantasy books (mostly series) on my TBR list this year, which gives me plenty of titles to choose from. I decided to start with Legends & Lattes, since it was the book I mentioned wanting to read in last week’s QOTW.

I ended up doing a ton of reading this week, and managed to make some pretty significant progress on my TBR list. I’m currently just past the halfway point on my Mount TBR Challenge goal, and feeling really good about how much I’ve accomplished.

I also decided that my Goodreads Challenge goal was looking a little too easy, so I increased my reading goal from 200 to 400 books.

Goodreads Challenge: 103/400
Mount TBR Challenge: 78/150 (Climbing Mount Olympus)

📚Physical TBR: 70/634
📱Ebook TBR: 6/236
🎧Audiobook TBR: 2/13
TBR Checklist Total: 78/883

This week I also managed to finish the remaining titles on my New Books list…for a few hours anyway.

While I hadn’t planned to buy any additional books until later this month, I did a little impulse buying and picked up a box set of Neal Shusterman’s Arc of a Scythe series. (I’m going to be attending an author event at my local library next week where Shusterman is going to talk about his writing, and I want to read the series before attending.)

“New” Books Bought in 2023: 24
“New” Books Read in 2023: 20/24

Here are the books I finished this week…

Finished Reading (Fiction):
~Because of Miss Bridgerton — I thoroughly enjoyed the first book in the Rokesby series! The main characters were a lot of fun. 📚: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
~The Girl with the Make-Believe Husband — This is the second book in the Rokesby series. I really enjoyed the drama in this book. 📚: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
~The Other Miss Bridgerton — I really enjoyed the third book in the Rokesby series. Regency romance with pirates is just so fun. 📚: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
~First Comes Scandal: A Bridgerton Prequel — The fourth Rokesby book turned out to be my favorite of the series. There were a lot of humorous moments, which I really enjoyed. One scene in particular (involving the main character’s cat) was so funny, I actually laughed so hard that I started crying! 📚: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
~Lady Whistledown Strikes Back — This was a fun collection of romance novellas. 📚: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
~Death of a Cad — This is the second book in the Hamish Macbeth mystery series. It was a great mystery and a very fast read. 📚: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
~The Invisible Library — I picked this book up on impulse the last time I went to Barnes and Noble, and I’m so glad I did. It was a very fast-paced fantasy. I’m already looking forward to reading the rest of the series. 📚: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
~Legends & Lattes — I ended up reading this book in a single morning and absolutely loved it! If you’re looking for a great cozy fantasy to read, then I highly recommend this one. 📚: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Finished Reading (Nonfiction):
~Clanlands: Whisky, Warfare, and a Scottish Adventure Like No Other— I really enjoyed reading this book when it was first released, and loved listening to the audiobook version. The authors are wonderful narrators, and they’re also incredibly funny. I can’t wait until we get a second season of Men in Kilts! 🎧: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Finished Reading (Manga, Comic Books, & Graphic Novels):
~The Return of the Lone Iguana: A FoxTrot Collection — 📚: (re-read) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
~At Least This Place Sells T-Shirts: A FoxTrot Collection — 📚: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
~Come Closer, Roger, There's a Mosquito on Your Nose — 📚: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
~Welcome to Jasorassic Park: A FoxTrot Collection — 📚: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
~I'm Flying, Jack...I Mean, Roger: A FoxTrot Collection — 📚: (re-read) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
~Think iFruity: A Foxtrot Collection — 📚: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
~Math, Science, and UNIX Underpants — 📚: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
~Death By Field Trip: A FoxTrot Collection — 📚: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
~Encyclopedias Brown and White: A Foxtrot Collection — 📚: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
~His Code Name Was The Fox: A Foxtrot Collection — 📚: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
~Your Momma Thinks Square Roots Are Vegetables: A FoxTrot Collection — 📚: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
~Who's Up for Some Bonding? — 📚: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
~Am I a Mutant, or What!: A FoxTrot Collection — 📚: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
~Orlando Bloom Has Ruined Everything: A FoxTrot Collection — 📚: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
~My Hot Dog Went Out, Can I Have Another?: A FoxTrot Collection — 📚: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
~How Come I'm Always Luigi?: A FoxTrot Collection — 📚: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
~Houston, You Have a Problem: A FoxTrot Collection — 📚: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
~And When She Opened the Closet, All The Clothes Were Polyester: A FoxTrot Collection — 📚: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
~FoxTrot Sundaes: A FoxTrot Collection — 📚: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
~Jasotron: 2012: A FoxTrot Collection — 📚: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
~Some Clever Title: A FoxTrot Collection Blah Blah Blah — 📚: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
~Mother Is Coming: A FoxTrot Collection by Bill Amend — 📚: (re-read) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
~Deliciously FoxTrot — 📚: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

DNFed:
None

Currently Reading:
~H.H. Holmes: The True History of the White City Devil — I’m continuing to gradually make progress on this book, but I’m not really enjoying it. 📚
~The Hobbit — I’ve been listening to this audiobook right before bed each night, and I’m loving it. Andy Serkis is the perfect narrator for The Hobbit. 🎧
~Scythe— I’m currently about halfway through the first book in the Arc of a Scythe series, and I’m really enjoying it. 📚

QOTW:
I don’t read very much historical fiction.

Good Afternoon. I finished 3 books for the week.
1. When We Believed in Mermaids. 3 stars. #5 A book with mythical creatures. There was a lot of talk about mermaids.
2. Bookends: A Memoir of Love, Loss, and Literature. I was excited last year when I downloaded the book for free from Amazon. I was disappointed in it by the end. 3 stars. Not for this challenge.
3. Black Cake. I loved the story. 5 stars. #9 A Book with a color in the title.
QOTW: The majority of the books I read are historical fiction. I love historical fiction but the history & the timeline has to be correct. I don't like too many liberties taken with the facts.

K.L. wrote: "Mandy wrote: "Tale of Genji is on my list as the longest as well. I want to read it, I really do, but I'm not sure if i'm up to the task of something so daunting."

I read [book:The Tale of Genji|7..."

I have it on kindle so it will seem way faster than it is. I just have to be in the right mind set to read it.

So little by little I've started listening to audiobooks. They're normally not my thing. I had never listened to one until last year when I read and listened to Hilarie Burton's The Rural Diaries: Love, Livestock, and Big Life Lessons Down on Mischief Farm

*****

I'm currently reading the physical copy of Women vs Hollywood: The Fall and Rise of Women in Film but I kind of wanted to check out the audio of it.

Good morning! Here in southern Australia, winter's come early and I'm wrapped up in a blanket. With the rain pouring outside, it's perfect reading weather, and that's what I'll be doing once I finish my work for the day in a couple of hours. I haven't done much reading recently, but I'm hoping to get back into the swing of things.

PopSugar 5/50
ATY 5/50

Finished Reading
Guards! Guards! This was my first Discworld book, and the only other Pratchett I've read was Good Omens, with Neil Gaiman. There were a lot of laugh-out-loud moments, but it never pulled me in so that I just wanted to keep reading. I think it took me three weeks to finish, and it's not that long. So, glad I read it, but don't think I'll read the rest of the series. Prompt: Book with mythical creatures

Currently Reading
I'm going to start either Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell or The Sting: The Undercover Operation That Caught Daniel Morcombe’s Killer this afternoon.

QOTW
I love historical fiction. I find anything that lets me experience life in the past fascinating.

It’s another Thursday! And another Thursday where I have to leave before the new week is posted and probably won’t be back until a time where 30+ replies are already posted, haha! So my strategy this week is to write this in advance *waves from the past*. I have to leave for the psychiatrist in 25 minutes and my carer can be here any minute so we’ll see how far I’ll get xD

Let’s start with the weather, a staple of these check ins I always forget. It’s been super windy, and chilly, and feeding the bunnies their dinner in the dark has been Not Fun. I’m not great with heat, but a bit of warmth would be nice.

My week has once again been … phew. Went to the movies with dad on Thursday night (M3GAN), on Friday my Game Weekender started of my thon, and I had nothing on except for my carer once and a tv show on Saturday and Sunday evening, so I was ready to read! I was ready to blast through books! And then… we gave the bunnies their meds because of Jesper’s fur mite. All of them had to be treated once as a precaution, and so we did. When I went to feed them their veggies for lunch, I noticed Lucy wasn’t alright. She didn’t run over, started falling over and tumbling… So I immediately took her inside, took her temp (36,3 iso at least 38,5) and called the vet’s emergency number.

So I spent time washing the meds off of her (Stronghold) with dish soap, and then trying to get the dish soap out (this is so hard ohmygod), giving her pain meds and put her on a hot water bottle. I then had to keep an eye on her for two hours and hoped she would eat, and then call back.

It was magical, however, cuz as soon as we deemed the dish soap cleared, and I gave her some parsley and a candy, she immediately ate the candy. When we got upstairs (where I was, and it’s calmer) she didn’t wanna stay in the carrier or under the blanket, and almost righaway started eating the parsley. After an hour her temp was up to 37,8 and after two hours it was 39,4.

If there had been any doubt before, it was proven now: she is majorly allergic to Stronghold, and washing it off was enough to kick her back into recovery. (Guess who won’t ever be getting Stronghold again xD)

But.. that was my entire afternoon gone. So instead of reading all day, I’d read 9 pages by 11pm.

She’s been fine and her old self every since so *phew*. I’m glad we gave those meds around 11:30am (with lunch at 2pm) instead of before bedtime. I’m not sure this could have ended fatally, but I’m glad I didn’t get to find out.

Fun fact: on the same day, we tried Ezra and Sjaan together again. Within 5 minutes they clashed again so tomorrow we’re bringing them back to the shelter and Ezra gets to find a new ladyfriend.

Then on Monday I went to the dental hygienist, and the rheumatologist yesterday. I am, once again, exhausted. And no rest coming up anytime soon. Sunday is the Pathé Festival, though, so I get to watch 4 movies back to back, which while relaxing, is also exhausting xD I started planning a quick getaway to London soon to go and see Newsies, but the second I came home I was like “I’m too tired I can’t” so *shrugs*

ANYWAYS, let’s get to my reading:

Read
Beyond the Wand: The Magic and Mayhem of Growing Up a Wizard for celebrity memoir

I didn’t listen to this cuz I didn’t wanna spend money on it/wait to spend money on it indirectly, and while on the one hand I’m sad about that (his narration seemed a lot of fun, though I am also cynical and expect his little laughs were acting instead of genuine) on the other I don’t mind not having paid for this. It’s very much a ‘this is what it was like filming Harry Potter, how I got there, and then a few pages on how I struggled’. I don’t know, maybe it felt extra trivial after having read Matthew Perry’s book recently, but it felt .. performative. I’m not downplaying his struggles (since he does that himself the entire book, which sounds like a coping mechanism to me), but in the way it was presented now, it felt uncomfortable, and not in the way it should have. Loved knowing more about the filming of movies, though, I’m always really interested in that!

Alicia Alonso Takes the Stage for book about an athlete
The joy of getting this eARC (I’m pre-approved) because I dreaded this prompt so to get the option to read a short children’s book about an athlete? Perfect! Didn’t know her before this, but am in awe of her now. A shame the book seemed incredibly rushed, I feel like it could still be better done without upping the page count massively (I’m aware you can’t make a book for kids 200+, most will get scared). Right now, I could barely keep up where in time we were and how old she was, it was so unclear and fast.

The Women of Troy for retelling of a classic
This… fell entirely flat after The Silence of the Girls. It retconned the end of the first book, and I hate being gaslit like that by a book. Nothing much happens, and Briseis goes from admirable to exasperating. Once again we get male POVs but I didn’t feel they added much this time around except to be in certain rooms Briseis wasn’t and to show the Bad Guy wasn’t All That Bad. Shame. Still excited for the third book, though, I just love Cassandra too much! (And hopefully it being her book will mean she gets treated with more respect than in this one. Fingers crossed there won’t be another retcon.)

TroyTroy for forbidden romance (bit of a stretch, but eh, it counts)
Overly detailed for a long time. Fry even says you don’t have to remember all the names and lineages which makes you wonder why they’re all there in the main narrative instead of in the extensive appendixes and character lists. To get to the actual war took most of the book, and then it felt very superficially handled, because he was running out of pages. Having said all of that, his writing is terribly amusing because of his humor, and it isn’t the slowest non-fiction read out there. Can’t wait for his take on Odyssey!
(The only uncomfortable bit was him showing Briseis as loving Achilles and Patroclus, without a mention of that’s how the women were portrayed in the OG poems but that it was unlikely that’s how they actually would have felt; with the exception of Tecmessa.)

Well, as you can see, I have felt overly critical this week, and I hate it. But here we are *shrugs*

Popsugar: 20/50
Nadine’s Q1: 8/10
Goodreads: 14/50

Currently Reading
Moby-Dick
Still going strong! Haven’t read today’s chapter yet, but I have read two on eight days already so even if I end up too tired after the movies and dinner tonight, I’ll still be on track. I passed the 20% and 150 page mark!

In the Lives of Puppets
Remember how I said I wanted to read this during the Game Weekender? Yeah. I haven’t even picked it up. I feel like I need to binge read the next part, and I haven’t had the time and right mood for it yet. Hopefully soon!

Slaughterhouse-Five
Read the first chapter last night, which was not what I’d expected it to be, so we’ll see if the actual story will be as much of a struggle. If so, it’ll become another One Chapter A Day book, and I’ll have finished it in another 9 days, haha! Love the unapologetic use of other languages so far, of Latin and German, but that might be because I could understand what it said, hahah!

QOTW
Historical Fiction is a tricky one for me. First of all because more and more people are counting books set in the 90s as historical fiction which makes me feel incredibly old. Secondly, I'm not much of a Fiction reader; too complicated. If it's an urban fantasy set in the past (like Wishyouwas, which I put down for this prompt) I'm cool with it. Counting books like The Silence of the Girls as historical fiction however, also feels wrong, as in my brain it needs to be realistic at least, and mythology ... isn't that. (I am also aware this sounds incredibly contradictory, but I promise in my brain they are two very different categories xD). But in general books set in the past don't bother me!

(Sorry for the massive message, guess I just needed to vent for a bit, haha!)

(It’s 11:30pm, and I am finally checking in. Other messages will have to wait <3 Puss in Boots: The Last Wish was fun though!)

Hi all! I'm keeping a keen eye on my phone and computer to see if school will be closed tomorrow. We had a wind chill alert of -20F. Syracuse has already closed schools for tomorrow. I don't think I ever had school closed for cold when I was a kid. I've already decided that if school is closed, the kiddo and I will bake cookies (weight loss plan, you *will* lose when it comes into conflict with keeping a 4 year old busy!). Beyond that, wish me luck!

Otherwise, I've done a bunch of reading this week. I had 2 books come in on hold last week and they both have to be back by the 15th. Fortunately, they're both short, so even I should be able to manage.
Secrets of the Nile was the first one in. A murder mystery set in 1904 in Egypt with a dual timeline of ancient Egypt. I wasn't expecting the ancient Egypt timeline, so I'm liking that part less. The murder mystery part is fun, even if I think I figured out the killer as soon as we had a victim.

67 Shots: Kent State and the End of American Innocence was next. I'm only 25 pages in, but I also think I should be able to get through this in 2 weeks.

For those who have mentioned Penman, I'm over 100 pages into When Christ and His Saints Slept and really liking it! That one will slow down while I try to get to the other 2, though.

QOTW: I love historical fiction. I love learning about different times and places. Like any book, it has to feel realistic, but I give authors quite a bit of leeway- creative license and *I* wasn't there...
As for what qualifies as historical fiction, I think it's anything older than the author. So if I take what I learn from 67 Shots and turn it into a novel, it's historical fiction. I didn't live through Kent State. I would have to research what clothes people were wearing, the Vietnam protests, what college life was like in the 60s, etc. Now if I wrote about a different deadly government action, Waco, I was alive for that one. I don't know what you would call that, though. Contemporary historical fiction? Contemporaneous past fiction? I dunno, makes my brain hurt.

Jennifer W wrote: "Hi all! I'm keeping a keen eye on my phone and computer to see if school will be closed tomorrow. We had a wind chill alert of -20F. Syracuse has already closed schools for tomorrow. I don't think ..."


yes we already got the notification for our district! it's unusual for them to call it so early.

Happy check-in! We got good news today about my dad's health issues. Such a relief. 😀
I want to read all the books but can't seem to sit still to actually read them. Somehow I can manage to keep borrowing books though...

Finished Reading:

What Moves the Dead ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (PS modern retelling of a classic)
This was an enjoyable surprise. Just read this because it was short and available for the read-a-thon. I haven't read Poe's Fall of the House of Usher but it's moved up on the tbr for sure.

Shadow Princess ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (PS forbidden romance)
Still hooked on this series. I'm not sure where it's going with the characters but that's okay.

Royal Valentine ⭐⭐ (PS holiday not Xmas)
So I actually borrowed a collection of a three novella series and this was the first but it was so disappointing I just finished this one and didn't carry on with the other two.

Bunnicula ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (PS rabbit on the cover)
This was so cute. The library sent the 40th edition copy which is fuzzy and shows the various artwork from book covers or cartoons over the years. This is great for pet character as well.

The Backup Plan ⭐⭐⭐ (ATY theme of returning home)
So this was nearly a two star. I might be over her books.

PS 2023 12/50
ATY 2023 6/50
Nadine's 5/10
Goodreads 23/200

Currently Reading:
Nothing yet but Strange the Dreamer is BOTM for my one group so I need to start that soon.

QOTW:
I love historical fiction. I read a lot of SFF because the story requires world building which historical fiction needs too.

Nadine in NY wrote: "I am so sorry for your loss. Saying goodbye to a beloved pet is so hard, and this was made so much harder by your vet not showing up."

Yes, that did add to my stress, but, in all fairness, the vet is a caring woman whose practice interfered twice with the plans. When she did get to the house, she allowed me and Roxie the time we needed and was very gentle with both of us.

Good Evening all! It has been a long week of snow and illness. I am glad to be coming out of the fog. Unfortunately, that means that I did not read much this past week.

Finished:
The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (#17)⭐⭐⭐⭐ I really enjoyed this book. Unfortunately, I have to wait 15 weeks for the 2nd book from the library. I don't know if I can wait that long. That's what I hate about series.


Current reads:
Becoming by Michelle Obama
Mansfield Park by Jane Austen
Blackout by Dhonielle Clayton
The Sun Is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon ~ Be sure to join me in the discussion. I hope to do the discussion justice.

February TBR:
Black Enough: Stories of Being Young & Black in America
Amari and the Night Brothers
Piecing Me Together
Go Ask Alice
Skin of the Sea
African Myths

QOTW
Historical fiction is really not my thing. However, I could get with it if it had some kind of sci-fi, paranormal, or horror twisted up in it.

Jennifer W wrote: "Hi all! I'm keeping a keen eye on my phone and computer to see if school will be closed tomorrow. We had a wind chill alert of -20F. Syracuse has already closed schools for tomorrow. I don't think ..."

Weird they rarely ever cancel school here. That's why covid lockdown was so difficult for people because you can't just close school when it's minus -30 C = -20 F because that could be a few weeks. We have indoor recesses and they let kids into the school as soon as they get there. There might not be bus service because of hydraulics though.

Nadine in NY wrote: "Jennifer W wrote: "Hi all! I'm keeping a keen eye on my phone and computer to see if school will be closed tomorrow. We had a wind chill alert of -20F. Syracuse has already closed schools for tomor..."

I wish if they were going to do it here that they'd just announce it already and let us (me!!) sleep in!

It's COLD here in Idaho. It got down to 7 degrees this weekend, and my sister (still in Idaho but four hours away) reported a low of -27 at her house. Yikes...

Books read this week:

Aliens on Vacation -- for the PopSugar prompt “a book about a vacation.” The premise (a kid spends his summer at his grandma’s bed-and-breakfast that plays host to alien guests) is cute, but the execution is fairly forgettable.

Long Live the Pumpkin Queen: Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas -- for the PopSugar prompt “a book about a holiday other than Christmas” and the Extreme Book Nerd prompt “a book about a holiday.” I can’t say I was champing at the bit to read a “Nightmare Before Christmas” sequel, but this was actually pretty good and did a great job at fleshing out the world of that movie some more.

Maniac: The Bath School Disaster and the Birth of the Modern Mass Killer -- for the PopSugar prompt “a book with a song lyric in the title” (“Maniac” from the movie “Flashdance”) and the Extreme Book Nerd prompt “a book with a subtitle.” Heartbreaking but interesting read about the Bath School Disaster in 1927, though I don’t think it really needed to be derailed by a few chapters about Charles Lindberg. And a few photos wouldn’t have been remiss -- I swear I’m not morbid, I’m just used to true-crime books, even ones as horrific as this, having photos of the people and places involved.

From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler -- for the PopSugar prompt “a book from a celebrity book club” (NFL star Andrew Luck’s book club). I read this decades ago in school, and it was nostalgic and fun revisiting it.

DNF:

Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang -- originally intended for “favorite prompt from the 2022 PopSugar challenge (Hugo Award winner).” For being an award winner, this was BORING.

Siren Queen -- intended this for the “book about or set in Hollywood” prompt, but it was just failing to hold my interest. Which is a shame, because I’ve loved the author’s Singing Hills novellas.

Currently Reading:

Point Pleasant
Spaceman of Bohemia
The Last Gargoyle
The Goblin Emperor

QOTW:

I'm not a huge fan of historical fiction. I'll read it if the story seems interesting or if I'm particularly interested in the time period/historical event, but usually I'm not really interested. I do enjoy historical fantasy and alternate history on occasion, though...

There's roughly 13 chapters to Women vs Hollywood: The Fall and Rise of Women in Film and I'm just about to start ch. 3. Already I am loving the book.

I'm the type of reader who can tell what rating I'll give a book by the first few chapters. I can be very critical with my ratings and it's rare I rate books 5 stars. This one though I'm already giving it a 4.

Bea wrote: "Wow! What a momentous week!

First, attended a wellness evening with a friend. One hour of yoga (my first!), vegan meal and conversation, and then one hour of a sound bath (lying quietly, meditativ..."

My tears for your loss <3

I'm sorry it was such a painful few days to get there.

Jennifer W wrote: "I wish if they were going to do it here that they'd just announce it already and let us (me!!) sleep in!..."



Yes it's nice for my daughter that she knows already that she wont' have to get up :-)

The next book I have planned is Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You

This has been on my tbr for a while and I was reminded of it yesterday. It's perfect because it's Black History Month and it fits into the banned book prompt.

Greetings all! I'm heading off for a long weekend at a friend's country place - on a lake, in the woods, and I CAN'T WAIT! It's been such a rough week!

I have a lot to do, so I'll just dive in.

Finished:

Squirm - ATY book with title not completely horizontal and PS - vacation (in Montana)
The Cook - ATY - translated book (from French) and PS book I'd want to read for first time again. This was a tricky prompt in PS because initially I thought this meant re-reading something. I'm not a planner so I just ignored it for now. However, when I finished this book, which was wonderful, I thought to myself 'I wish I could find and read this for the first time again'. I had an epiphany immediately after -- THIS would fit the prompt! It is not something I could plan for, and it doesn't happen all that often but it did here and I am thrilled.

Currently reading:
Improbable Patriot: The Secret History of Monsieur de Beaumarchais, the French Playwright Who Saved the American Revolution

QOTW: Love historical fiction, and all the subgenres like regency romance and mysteries. It's actually quite astonishingly broad because alternative history fantasies are also historical fiction.

Frankly that comment "I don't want to read about the past" is nonsensical. It makes sense if you don't want to read FICTION about the past only history or other NF, or read books written contemporarily to whenever the period is in the book, but not interested in reading about the past? Books written in 2000 are a very different past world from those written today.

Sorry - comments like that just make no sense. Vent over.

Happy Thursday! January both flew by and also feels like it lasted a year. I went up to visit my mom this weekend- my dad's still in the hospital, so I brought dinner and we watched celebrity jeopardy and some kdramas. It was nice, a break from all the stress. Right now for the challenge I'm at 10/50- I was feeling good about my jump start on the challenge, and then immediately stopped reading for the week...

Finished:
Nothing!

Currently Reading:
The Bell Jar- I'm having a hard time motivating myself to finish this

The View from the Cheap Seats: Selected Nonfiction- I'm enjoying this, some speeches/essays I like more than others, but overall I'm liking this collection.

QotW:
Historical fiction is such a broad category- it can go in so many directions depending on the era or country. It has so much potential- in general I'm a fan. There are definitely some eras that I'm less interested in reading, and unless a book comes highly recommended I probably won't pick it up.

This question made me realize that I really haven't picked up any historical fiction in awhile. I think last year I read one historical mystery and one historical romance, and that's it. And I have so much historical fiction on my shelves!

I decided this year that I wanted to post monthly reading wrap-up posts on Instagram. Since I’m reading mostly library books this year, that does require some juggling of due dates and renewals. But the posts are fun, so I think it’s worth it. Towards the end of the month, it does motivate me to make more time for reading to finish one last book so I can get it back to the library.

Finished
Other Birds by Sarah Addison Allen (a book with a pet character). The birds in this book are only loosely pets, seeing as how (view spoiler)[they carry the souls of deceased loved ones (hide spoiler)], but since most people are unaware of this, I’m good with using it for this prompt. I loved this book, as I love all of Sarah Addison Allen’s books.

Reading
The Chalk Man by CJ Tudor

Blood of Elves by Andrzej Sapkowski

QOTW
Historical fiction has to walk a fine line for me to enjoy it. Too far from historical accuracy, and I lose interest because I feel like it should have been written as an alternate history instead. Too close to historical accuracy, and I lose interest because I already know what’s going to happen.

I think I do better with historical fiction that doesn’t follow well-known people. I really enjoy books like The Winter Siege because it’s about totally random, insignificant figures living through a real historical event. Books like Philippa Gregory’s put me to sleep.

Somehow I feel more hopeful in February. The long bleakness of January is over (not that the weather is actually different, but it feels lighter). I suppose part of it is because I adore Valentine's decorations. I love the color red to a ridiculous degree, and hearts and roses and chocolate all speak to my soul. As a single women, you'd think I'd hate this holiday - but it makes me very happy to buy it all for myself with no emotional baggage to go along with it. Bring on all the (self) love!!

I've been reading books so far this year that I meant to read last year or have sounded good from this group's reading. Hadn't planned any of them for the challenge but have fit almost everything in somewhere so far.

Finished
Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn
4 stars; PS #3 (book about a vacation - maybe, I keep moving things around)
I'm glad you guys brought this to my attention, because I really enjoyed this read. Women my age retiring from being assassins? Right up my alley. I felt their age-related complaints so hard.

Goodreads: 9/90
Popsugar: 8/50

QOTW: I love historical fiction when it is done well. It really brings history to life. And then I love to do a little research afterwards to make sure what I learned is accurate. I don't read as much of it as I would like, so I'm excited about the prompt this year, although I haven't yet narrowed it down. So many good choices!

I had to finish up the arc Wildblood by Lauren Blackwood for review. I thought it was going to be for a forbidden romance but....that was the least well done aspect of it and I didn't think it fit. It did however fit A book with a song lyric as its title (I did enjoy the book but the romance was a bit of a miss)

I also read The First Cut by Dianne Emley for the prompt A book by an author with the same initials as you. I enjoyed it but I was annoyed I had to go to the library for this. I checked four bookcases and like two boxes of books and I had nothing easily to hand that fit. How unlikely is that?!?

QOTW

Oh wow, I can't imagine reading half a book because you dislike historical fiction so much. I absolutely love it. I'm not sure there's a time period I don't enjoy reading about. Most of the ones I read are Victorian as that's super popular with the mystery authors. But I've read ones from Ancient Rome, the regency, Colonial times, and lately I'm seeing a plethora of WWI & WWII eras and now 60s, 70s and as much as I hate to say it 80s (because I don't want h.s. to be 40 years ago but there we are)