Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge discussion

Happy Friday.

Stats
PS: 15/50
ATY: 21/52
ATY Rejects: 4/25
ATY Rewind: 7/25
DBC: 17/36
GR Choice: 7/30
TBR: 3/10

Books I finished:

The Dating Plan ⭐⭐⭐⭐
ATY: 5. A book set in one of the 25 most beautiful cities in the world. (San Francisco)
This was a nice romcom that made me hungry every time I read it.

From the Ashes: My Story of Being Métis, Homeless, and Finding My Way ⭐⭐⭐⭐
PS: 36. A book written by an incarcerated or formerly incarcerated person.
I read Jesse Thistle's poetry collection a couple of years ago and I always meant to read this too. So I'm glad for the PS prompt because it pushed me to finally read this.

Southern Fried Sass: A Queen's Guide to Cooking, Decorating, and Living Just a Little "Extra" ⭐⭐⭐
PS: 41. A memoir that explores queerness.
So this was half memoir and half cookbook. The memoir was great but most of the recipes didn't appeal to me (Or I already have a recipe for them that's better IMO)

Aftermarket Afterlife ⭐⭐⭐⭐
PS: 27. A book where someone dies in the first chapter.
This is book 13 in the InCryptid series, and major things happen in this one. Mary gets to be the MC this time around, but she's not my favourite. The short story after follows Verity again.

Hair Love ⭐⭐⭐⭐
I needed a picture book for the Diversity Baseline challenge. I really loved the artwork.

The Premonition ⭐⭐⭐
ATY: 47. A book with a two-word title beginning with THE.
This was a disappointment. It was fine, but kinda boring.

In Progress:
Call Us What We Carry: Poems
Cruel Seduction


QotW
I have a bunch, and one is even on my coffee table right now. I got Canada and Impressionism: New Horizons for Christmas and I haven't read it yet so it's still out. Once I read them, I either find a spot on my shelves or I donate the book onward. My favourite that I own is Wilf Perreault: In the Alley / Dans la ruelle and the one I don't own that I would love to own is Hamilton: The Revolution.

Mandy wrote: "I just saw some super sad news. Dragon Ball Z author Akira Toriyama has died!

Super sad now. His work was one of the big 5 of the 90s."

Oh no, that is sad

Heather wrote: "I’m surprise struggling with the prompt “a book set 24 years before you were born.” I need a book set in 1960. It’s really difficult to Google for these books because “a book set in 1960” returns a bunch of results about books set in the 1960s, none of which are set in 1960. The only book I’ve found set in 1960 is When We Left Cuba, a sequel to Next Year in Havana, and if I end up having to read that I’m going to cry. I DNFed Next Year in Havana only to have “a book you didn’t finish” show up as the worst challenge prompt ever the next year and it was my only choice because I couldn’t remember any others...."

That is my year too. You have to phrase it just right or you just get books from the whole generation and not just that year.
I too was surprised that there wasn't that many of them.

I already read When We Left Cuba, it was pretty good. It's about the one sister who becomes a CIA spy so it's a little different than Next Year in Havana. But, I did also find Songs in Ordinary Time. I haven't read it yet so I hope that it's actually set in 1960.

Katy wrote: "I fnished The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. I saw th emovie years ago and I found the Lena story annoying and boring. I liked it better in the book. I don't know why they changed..."

The second movie was terrible because they took stuff from several different sequel books. I did enjoy the book series and I felt drawn to different characters stories in different books.

Hello! Finally actually checking in.

I've had a pretty successful book reading week. But a horrible weather week. After being dry for so long we are now drowning over here (not literally). It has been raining all day. That kind of rain where it's rather constant and heavy enough you just want to stay inside and snuggle up either watching TV or reading and even sleeping. It has been raining for days, maybe even a week, with very minimal sunshine. It is supposed to keep raining too. On the plus side, I've been able to keep the laundry up and even wash some things that don't get washed as often, since I'm not worried about water now.

I've recently gotten back in to doing puzzles. I have this whole collection of them and most of them I have never done. I started with a 1000 piece last week and then did a 2000 piece in just about 4-5 days this week. It was funny cause my guy friend came over Monday and all I had done was the border and one tiny section on the bottom, then on Wednesday he called and asked how far I was (I was working on it when he called) and I said about 3/4 done. But, I called him that same night and told him I finished it and he said "Dang, I think that would have taken me a year or two to finish" LOL!! I then started another 2000 piece last night. But, I want to take it slower this time so, all I did was sort out the edges. I didn't even touch it today.

2024 Challenges:
Popsugar: 18/50
ATY: 29/52
Robot Librarian: 27/52
A to Z: 17/26
Physical TBR: 0/92
Kindle TBR: 1/111

Goodreads: 34/50

Book Clubs:
PS Monthly: 21/50
Reese: 28/91
Oprah: 11/100
Jenna: 7/62
OSS: 6/39

Finished:
4 finished, 2 Completed Popsugar

Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants
PS#42, ATY#36
Loved this!!

The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning: How to Free Yourself and Your Family from a Lifetime of Clutter
RL#7 (NF 600’s)

XOXO
PS#50, ATY#11, AtoZ

New Kid
ATY#13, RL#41 (Newberry Winner), AtoZ
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Currently Reading
The Quarter Storm
The Ones Who Don't Say They Love You: Stories
My Name is Barbra Been listening to this while working on the puzzle.
Seoulmates

On the Backburner
Libby

Physical Library Rentals
Back of Beyond
Shady Hollow
Just My Type
The Second Murderer: A Philip Marlowe Novel
The True Love Experiment
Sounder
The Luminous Dead
Zazen

Magazines: (1/148)
Read since last check-in: 0

Question of the Week:
I do have a few. None of them are on my coffee table, which has nothing on it since we have a young one in the house. It mostly gets used to run trucks and tractors on, LOL.
I have one that is a collection of photography and currently resides in a container in my closet. I also have the first two volumes of the Garth Brooks Anthology which is on the floor next to a chair.

Happy Saturday! I had a busy week. The past 2 days I crashed in front of the TV in the evening to watch the World Skating Championships. I'm doing the same now, there are more breaks in between today, so I've some time for the check-in.

Get well soon for everyone struggling with colds, flues and other sickness.

PS: 6/50
FNL: 8/40
Total: 13/52

Finished
Do you speak Disney?: Spraakmakende feiten en verhalen uit een eeuw Disney by Robin Broos⭐⭐⭐
PS #31, a book with a title that is complete sentence
Fun read for every Disney fan. It’s about the animations, the parks and the company. Lots of funfacts.

The Storm Sister by Lucinda Riley⭐⭐⭐
PS #17, a book set in a travel destination on your bucket list, FNL #20b
Entertaining and very predictable

Currently reading
Empress Dowager Cixi: The Concubine Who Launched Modern China by Jung Chang
Sold on a Monday by Kristina McMorris

QOTW
No, I don't have any coffee table books. I don't see the point. Photographs or paintings hidden in a book. Plus we have a small coffee table, so no space left for anything else but candles and mugs.

Finished-
The Lantern Men love this series1
Austenland
Benji
Currently reading-
The Postman Always Rings Twice classic noir, a bit dark for me
Crouching Buzzard, Leaping Loon loving this one so far
No coffee table books, I do have a coffee table, but it's covered in mail and my daughter's homework, I do have Around My French Table: More than 300 Recipes from My Home to Yours which I think would make a great coffee table book
This is my first post on a desktop, can't believe how user unfriendly the app is!

Popsugar: 18/50
This week I finished three books:

Confessions of a Forty-Something F**k Up by Alexandra Potter- This is for a book recommended by a bookseller. Now I'm watching Not Dead Yet on Hulu and I just love Gina Rodriguez.

The Mystery Guest by Nita Prose- This is for a book with a neurodivergent main character. I loved The Maid and couldn't wait for this book to come out. Loved this book, too.

The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry- This is for a book set in space. It's been on my book shelf for a long time and I finally can let it go. I'll admit it.. I don't get it. It was weird.

Currently reading:
Roastmaster by Janice Lierz- for a book set in a destination on my bucket list. COSTA RICA is on my bucket list. It took a while to find a book I'd be willing to read with this setting, and I'm not totally into it, but I will finish it.

Chain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah- for a book that takes place in the future. This book is very brutal, but I feel like a situation like this could happen in our future if we don't make some changes. While I'm reading this I'm reminded of the 1987 movie with Arnold Schwarzenegger called The Running Man. Richard Dawson's character reminds me of this book's character Mickey Wright, who is the game show host.

QotW
I also don't have a coffee table. I have a large ottoman instead. So my one coffee table book is also kept in a bookshelf. But I do pull it out from time to time to look at it. It is M.C. Escher: The Graphic Work. I just love his art. I'm proud of my Dutch heritage. :) I'm also a middle school math teacher so it all tracks.

JessicaMHR wrote: "That is my year too. You have to phrase it just right or you just get books from the whole generation and not just that year.
I too was surprised that there wasn't that many of them."

I'll add Songs in Ordinary Time to my list of potentials. Thanks!

Hello everyone! I don't remember the last time I posted any type of update to y'all but in my personal life: I have been in my current job for over 3 months now and I am so happy I left the museum job. I swear once you start working in retail, it drains you so fast. Now with my current job, I have been reading a lot. Most of the day, I am just either waiting for an email or doing mail duties. In between those two tasks, I am playing Monopoly Go (if you haven't played, don't start but if you do play, you know the struggle.) or reading. At home, I am learning how to use the oven now, I made baked ziti not that long ago and my god it was so good. I know soon I am going to make chili again but before it starts to get warm. My boyfriend and I have plans of getting carpet installed in our living room and I wonder what color we going to get.

I have a confession, I am not doing so hot on this reading challenge...I am clearing more prompts in 52 Books though! IDK even though the prompts are interesting this year, it is much more difficult for me to find books to fit them! I am currently reading a book that fits with the first prompt: A book with Leap in the title, but god the poetry is dragging. Believe me when I say I am trying! But still, it is only March so there is a lot of time to complete prompts.

QOTW: I own no coffee table books, I don't even own a coffee table!

I'll have to catch up with all of these posts another time. I was busy for a week so I did not have a chance to get online and post. All is well and good though. Had some exciting family stuff happen so as a result I was out helping where I could. Still did not feel like enough, but at least I contributed something, I'd like to think so anyway.

Hope all is well for you all.

Now I just have to adjust again and get back to my sense of reality.

I did find a reading challenge that has prompts going back as far as 2018 so I'm planning on creating my own prompt journal and picking my favorite ones from those.

Onto my book stuff:

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Reading:

Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents

The Great Displacement: Climate Change and the Next American Migration


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Books Bought:

Finding Me

Masters of the Air: America's Bomber Boys Who Fought the Air War Against Nazi Germany

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Question of the Week:
Do you own any “coffee table” books? If so, what is your favorite? If not, what one book might you purchase as a “coffee table” book?

I own several. One book that I do have which I've really been hoping to get to is Project 562: Changing the Way We See Native America which is a book on Indigenous cultures.