Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge discussion

Carmen wrote: "Happy Thursday!!!!

And happy me checking in on Thursday!!

I've had the page open since before I had to leave, and after just finishing up some Bingo admin I remembered and here I am! A miracle!

..."
What a saga! I'm so glad it sounds like some time and rest should allow the knee to heal. Having titanium knee joints I know just how awful it can be to still maneuver through pain! You are definitely a trooper to go through all of that!

Ron wrote: "Lynn wrote:

The March Monthly Group Read is Call Us What We Carry: Poems by Amanda Gorman!

Are you serious?!

Well okay then. I was going to read this for Feb. in honor of Black History Month, but I can hold off and read it then."
Hey! I am ALWAYS serious!! LOL

Cool!!

Nadine in NY wrote: "L Y N N wrote: "CONTINUING:
*...And Ladies of the Club by Helen Hooven Santmyer
A priority for February!..."

HOLY CROW that's 1184 pages long??? LOL oddly relevant to this week's QotW :-)"
Yes, it is, but I only put it down because it made me so angry! I'll have to describe what happened to incite so much anger in me. And I'm even more angry to realize this didn't hit me when I first read it in my early 30s. Time and life experience can change a reading experience so much!

Nadine in NY wrote: "Jennifer W wrote: "I discovered another library in the system has it in but won't ship it because it's a new book. I, however, put it on hold and can go pick it up at the other library in the next ..."
Almost everywhere I've lived in Indiana was just as mixed up as you are now! Living in a different county than where my kids' schools were. Living just across yet another county line road and that county was most convenient for store, post office, etc. Just weird...

And then my first teaching job was across the state line in a different time zone. Part of the year I would arrive at school before I left home and then it would take me an additional hour to get home! Talk about confusing!! LOL

Nadine in NY wrote: "Happy Thursday!!  Welcome to February!!!  But how is it February already???  wasn't it just October??  Also, this week feels like it's been three weeks long and it's not even over yet.  What is goi..."
Of course, I added The Auburn Conference to my TBR. Sounds like one I would enjoy! LOL

I do not have much experience using a crock pot, but I would hesitate to allow tomatoes to cook for 10 hours! Even if slowly! I sure wish you luck on getting the proportions of ingredients to create a spaghetti sauce you enjoy!

This week I read 3 books (3 for this Challenge).

*Nightwing, Vol. 1: Leaping into the Light - I read this for the prompt A book with the word "leap" in the title. I wanna get more into DC comics, most importantly into batfam comics and this was a really nice introduction into who the first robin is.

* Assassin's Quest by Robin Hobb - I read this for the prompt A book that features dragons. This is the third and final book in the farseer trilogy and I was lucky enough it fit into a prompt. For the fantasy lovers I cannot recommend this series enough.

*The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches - I read this for the prompt A book recommended by a librarian. Its a cozy fantasy standalone with found family and grumpy/sunshine elements. Really adorable story that will bring a smile to anyone.

Popsugar: 7/50
Yearly goal: 9/60

Question of the Week
I loooove long books, but lately I've been getting into novellas and I understand their charm. But I love getting into long series that have a ton of books and each book is 500+ pages.

Doni wrote: "The Percy Jackson show was much better than the movies, imo."



But you know how when one thing is not good, it makes you have no interest in any other things from that same world? Like, the Buffy movie was pretty bad, so for YEARS I refused to watch the TV show. It wasn't until my first daughter was born and I was up all hours and started watching re-runs on TNT, because there was nothing else on at 2 am, that I realized it was a great show. It's now my favorite show!!

L Y N N wrote: "And then my first teaching job was across the state line in a different time zone. Part of the year I would arrive at school before I left home and then it would take me an additional hour to get home! Talk about confusing!!..."


whoaaaaaa now THAT is confusing!!! Puts all my complaining in perspective: at least it's are all in the same time zone!

L Y N N wrote: "Of course, I added The Auburn Conference to my TBR. Sounds like one I would enjoy!..."



Yes, read it! It checks a lot of boxes:
✔ highly rated by many reviewers
✔ probably a quick read
✔ charming and clever
✔ no violence or explicit sex
✔ historical fiction
✔ Multiple POVs so it fills a Challenge category
✔ Nadine did not like it

Britany wrote:

I'm reading this one now too. I love her podcast and this just feels like a longer form of that. I agree that the chapters are way too long, but I am going to use it for the #2 Bildungsroman book prompt. I think it definitely counts. I just moved into Part 2 - the 2000s

Nice, that's the prompt I'm using it for too.

*****

On another note, either I'm too obsessed with Twilight or just a fool. I recently got some new highlighters (which is cool because the ones I have are starting to dry out.) But now that they are I haven't had time to finish annotating my Twilight books. So now I figure with this whole new set I figured I'd order a new set of Twilight books so I could start over. LMAO!

Happy Monday! Last week has had 875 days in it, so I am excited to have a break. I’m getting tired of feeling like I am constantly behind. I read when I am stressed so… 14 books this week.
QOTW: I think I would prefer 3 short books, but it really depends on the story. If the story seems go on forever, that’s when it makes it feel like 900 pages.
2024 READING CHALLENGES:
GoodReads 59/365
Popsugar: 7/50
Around the Year (AtY): 3/52
Read Harder 24: 1/24
Read Harder 23: 22/24
52 Book Club: 1/52
Bookish Bistro: 13/48
Robot: 3/52

Currently Reading:
Grave Expectations
Bright Young Women- I’m really liking this book, and I’m about 60% done
The Hidden
The Night Is Watching
The Clue in the Crossword Cipher
Big Nate: Beware of Low-Flying Corn Muffins
The Dragonet Prophecy (Wings of Fire Graphic Novel)

Finished:
The Betrayed
The Sight
Never Ever Getting Back Together
All The Sinners Bleed
Big Nate: Blow the Roof Off!
Lone Women
Big Nate: Release the Hounds!
Big Nate: Aloha!
Big Nate: In Your Face!
Exquisite Corpse
Ghosted
The Bad Guys- Look Who’s Talking- I feel like this series is going on FOREVER.
Witches- The Graphic Novel
When Tara Met Farrah- I wasn’t loving it, so I read the reviews. One of the reviews pointed out some issues (switching from 3rd person to 1st person narrator, and the horrid nickname). So even though I didn’t love it, I could at least put a finger on why.

L Y N N wrote: "Carmen wrote: "Happy Thursday!!!!

And happy me checking in on Thursday!!

I've had the page open since before I had to leave, and after just finishing up some Bingo admin I remembered and here I a..."

Thanks!! I can feel my knee getting stronger, which is terrifying because I know it's nowhere near healed but it makes moving about easier, which means a wrong twist is much easier to make. My luck here is that it still feels wrong, it still feels swollen, so I get reminded often, haha!

Nadine in NY wrote: "I haven't watched it. The movies were pretty bad, so that means no one in my household is interested in trying the show."

If it helps, the author hates the movies, too. He had hardly any involvement whatsoever, and he hasn't made it a secret. (he bears no ill will towards the cast, btw). This show? It's his baby, it's his way of telling his own stories.

It's not perfect, so I'm not here trying to sell you on the best show ever, but just, a little perspective. Because I get it. If this were a third movie, I wouldn't have bothered watching it. But because this is a TV show by Rick's own hand, I just had to watch it!

Carmen wrote: "(he bears no ill will towards the cast, btw)..."



But of course!!! ANTHONY STEWART HEAD was in the second movie (which was significantly worse than the first)!!! NO ONE could bear ill will against him.

THE TRUTH!!!

I know we're barely in day 6 of February, but lately I haven't been in the mood to read nonfiction. I just can't get into it for some reason which is kind of weird for me. As a result I haven't been able to stick to my BHM books that I chose to read.

Guess we can't help what we're into sometimes.

That said, I've been indecisive on what to read so I'm going with these two:

Contact- I figure I can knock this one out in 3 or 4 days.

Twilight - Some people on another board want to read this one so I'm all in once my new copy arrives.

So happy Tuesday. I've been busy helping with move this past weekend, so I haven't had the time to post my update till now. I'm going to just post my reading for last week, and leave this week's books for Thursday.

Stats: (These are up to date.)
PS: 9/50
ATY: 13/52
ATY Rejects: 1/25
ATY Rewind: 4/25
GR Choice: 3/30
TBR: 1/10

Books I finished:

Wicked Beauty 4 stars
ATY: A book with a title that ends in A, T or Y.
I normally don't go in for explicit romances, but this series take on Greek mythology is so well done, I'm hooked. I just wish there had been less sex and more story, but I'm in the minority opinion on that one.

The Lightning Thief 4 stars
ATY: A book by an Edgar Award-winning Author.
So it was a bit of a switch going from the xrated take on Greek mythology to the family friendly version. I wish these books had been around when I was a kid because I would have loved them so much.

Thomas Cromwell: The Untold Story of Henry VIII's Most Faithful Servant 3 stars
PS: A book that was turned into a musical.
So this was a bit of a stretch for the prompt, but given the story of Henry VIII and his wives got turned into a musical, this was close enough for me. It was a good nonfic, but I've read so many books on this subject, it really couldn't tell me anything new.

Like, Literally, Dude: Arguing for the Good in Bad English 4 stars
ATY Rewind: A book with the letters A, T & Y in the title.
I love a good linguistics book, and this one looked at several current quirks of the English language, and gave examples of similar language that have been around long enough we no longer think twice about them.

Me: Moth 5 stars
ATY: A book with wings on the cover.
This was heartbreaking and hopeful in turns. I'm just a sucker for a novel in verse.

Moving Upstream 4 stars
PS: A collection of at least 24 poems.
This was a really lovely collection of nature inspired poetry.

Girl Logic: The Genius and the Absurdity 3 stars
PS: A book from a genre you typically avoid.
I was expecting a comedian memoir and I got a self help book. It was funny, but still, there's a reason I don't usually read self help.

Books I made progress on:
The Sea of Monsters
Radiant Sin

QotW

As long as the book is good, I don't care how long it is, but I have been reading mostly shorter books for a while now. Part of that is my genre preferences have changed (Not that many 900 page romcoms or graphic novels) and part of it is if I'm reading a shorter book and I'm not 100% enjoying it, it's easier to keep going if it's short. Plus there are certain authors who have reached the stage where their editors don't reign them in, so they produce 900 page books that only have 400 pages of story in them......

Nadine in NY wrote: "LOL!! I can't even guarantee that I'll be gentle if I hate it"

OH, I would NEVER expect a gentle opinion on this one. I am girding my loins to find out!!!

Ron wrote: "OMG I am reading this one too! What do you think of the book so far?"

She's very verbose, and I think the editor could've used a slightly tighter pen here. I'm not getting through it as quick as I had hoped. How are you liking it?

Melissa wrote: "I've had it on hold since August, and it finally came in on Wednesday. I finished in last night. It was definitely a fast read for me.."

AND...?? What'd you think?

Britany wrote: "Ron wrote: "OMG I am reading this one too! What do you think of the book so far?"

She's very verbose, and I think the editor could've used a slightly tighter pen here. I'm not getting through it a..."

Not getting through it as fast I should either. Only on ch.4, pg. 93. It's good, but I struggled with ch. 3 when all she talked about was boys (boring). And ch. 4 feels more of the same so in that regard I'm starting to lose interest. Nothing wrong with that of course, I know its her life which I totally respect, I just can't relate connect to it.

At this point though I'm probably going to hold off on the rest. I'm trying to get to books like the Twilight books by Stephenie Meyer and Contact by Carl Sagan. 'One In A Millennial' no longer feels like a priority book anymore the way it did at the beginning.

It's good, don't get me wrong, and so far I have it at a 4-star rating, but at this point, it's becoming one of those books that I'll finish when I finish and that might be for a while after I read all of the Twilight books, at least 3 of them.

Britany wrote: "Nadine in NY wrote: "LOL!! I can't even guarantee that I'll be gentle if I hate it"

OH, I would NEVER expect a gentle opinion on this one. I am girding my loins to find out!!!"



I started reading Fourth Wing yesterday, and so far ... I LIKE IT!!! The writing is good, the characters are good, the dialogue is fine ... I don't know what other people are complaining about. I see reviews bemoaning the lack of originality - but so what? there are SO FEW books out there that are truly original. Even Tolkien borrowed themes from older works.

And yeah sure I instantly knew who the love interest would be when we met him, and I am FINE with that, because he is SMOKING (I mean, I'm just assuming I'm correct on this - so far there's been no sign of romance and she's terrified he's going to kill her).

And okay fine some of the dialogue is teen-boy-cringey, but whatever. I think we are meant to understand that this is how people talk in this society, there is a lot of sexual innuendo and it's acceptable. If I knew her in real life I'd be embarrassed for her, but she's just a character in a book.

Nadine in NY wrote: I started reading Fourth Wing yesterday, and so far ... I LIKE IT!!!..."

I *almost* checked this out last night on Libby. I was browsing for something completely different and it was, surprisingly, in. I decided I didn't want to go that different! But I've been reading *heavy* stuff. Even I need a break! I didn't go with 4th Wing, but found Burying Water, which mentions that the lead male is 24 years old! And then after all my browsing, it was late and I went to bed! lol
ETA: The main female character was in a coma for 9 days. I just love it when random books check off hard tasks! :)

Hello!
This week I finished The Girl on the Train. I remembered from the movie who was the bad person in this story, before the plot were unfold in front of the reader, so no surprise there. But a good story anyway, if you saw the movie or not.
I also finished a comic book Chico Bento Moço #12. It is a crossover with other characters from the creator of this universe. It was an ok story.

I started reading The Picture of Dorian Gray (30%). Man, this dude has some opinions on woman behavior. I know he is from the 19th century, but WTH, he keeps talking about how women are sentimental and unreasonable, and I’m like save me from that, just write your tale about this young man who do not want to grow old because he would be ugly then and would die (also ageist, which I’m not surprised?). Who's unreasonable???

I am still listening to Recollections of Things to Come (15%)

Challenges:
GR: 4/33
PS: 2/14
EHRBM: 1/7

Question of the Week
Would you rather read one long (900ish-pages) book or three shorter (300-ish pages) books?

I am team short book! Especially if we're talking about physical books.
Most of my reading it is done on my commuting, so a long, 900 pages book is too heavy to carry around, along with my lunch box, my snacks and water.
If the book is in audiobook or digital format, I will be more incline to read it, but because of length, maybe I might get tired of the story and want to leave it aside for a while and focus on another one, shortest. For that, I consider myself more incline to short books.

Picked up a book yesterday about famed outlaw Billy the Kid. I've always wanted to read books on him, just never got around to it. So far I'm liking the book. The author certainly has a way with words.

Nadine in NY wrote: "I started reading Fourth Wing yesterday, and so far ... I LIKE IT!!!."

WHEW.... I am LIVING for these updates!

Jennifer W wrote: "ETA: The main female character was in a coma for 9 days. I just love it when random books check off hard tasks! :)."

My favorite kind of bookish serendipity.

Britany wrote: "Nadine in NY wrote: "I started reading Fourth Wing yesterday, and so far ... I LIKE IT!!!."

WHEW.... I am LIVING for these updates!"



LOL I'm about 25% in now and it's safe to say I am loving this book!

Nadine in NY wrote: "Britany wrote: "Nadine in NY wrote: "I started reading Fourth Wing yesterday, and so far ... I LIKE IT!!!."

WHEW.... I am LIVING for these updates!"

LOL I'm about 25% in now and it's safe to sa..."

Aw man, now I'm wishing I'd gotten it! Though I'm really enjoying mine, too!

Jennifer W wrote: "Aw man, now I'm wishing I'd gotten it! Though I'm really enjoying mine, too! ..."


I'm not actually sure if you would like it, but yes read it and find out! It is a fun tropey romance. It's got a YA feel to it, but I understand it gets more "adult" as it goes. (I'm not there yet so I can't say.) You have to like romance novels and romance tropes to enjoy this one. I think all the negative reviews must be from people who wanted hardcore dragons and no romance.

How many people here are also members of the PopSugar Facebook group? Is anyone else appalled at the amount of spam making it through?

Kenya wrote: "How many people here are also members of the PopSugar Facebook group? Is anyone else appalled at the amount of spam making it through?"




I don't know why, but I never see the spam!! I only see posts complaining about the spam.

Nadine in NY wrote: "Jennifer W wrote: "Aw man, now I'm wishing I'd gotten it! Though I'm really enjoying mine, too! ..."


I'm not actually sure if you would like it, but yes read it and find out! It is a fun tropey r..."

I'm actually in a romance-y mood for some reason. Valentine's Day next week? Crazy spring-like weather? Who knows? Burying Water is a romance, too, though I also haven't gotten that far (and it's actually more intense than I was looking for, but now I need to know who is this girl really, who dun it and why).
You're reading it? Libby had the audiobook available.

Kenya wrote: "How many people here are also members of the PopSugar Facebook group? Is anyone else appalled at the amount of spam making it through?"

haven't seen any of the spam people are complaining about, but i don't scroll in the comments much unless it interests me.

QOTW:

Short books, but 300 pages isn't a short book. Although I am working on House of Flame and Shadow right now ;).

Question of the Week
Would you rather read one long (900ish-pages) book or three shorter (300-ish pages) books?

It's the rare book that needs 900 pages to tell its narrative.

Most of them can be broken up into at least two books. Do that, and spare us the pain of lifting it.

Nadine in NY wrote: "I made some spaghetti sauce in my crock pot yesterday, with meatballs, sausage links, mushrooms, and two large cans of tomatoes plus some seasoning like garlic, onion, a shot of red wine, some pesto, etc ... and I let it cook for 10 hours. And I wasn't crazy about it. It just didn't taste vibrant, and it was oddly peppery (I did add some black pepper, but not THAT much!). I need to ask my mom what she used to put in her sauce when I was little. That's the real problem here, I was trying to reproduce a favorite meal from my childhood, and it wasn't the same. Maybe I don't like sauce that's cooked for 10 hours? Is there something else I could have added to it to make it more vibrant?"

Can verify that bay helps. So does using fresh herbs.

I don't generally let my sauce cook that long, because it always gets that 'overcooked' blah flavour. I'll admit that when I was working, I'd do the long cook thing, but only by making the sauce with fresh tomatoes. Cooking already-cooked tomatoes for 10 hours simply can't and won't taste all that fresh.