Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge discussion

Hello fellow readers!

It's the first full week back to work since the holidays and I'm feeling it. We also got our first snow of the season on Tuesday. It was a perfect snow - started after I got to work, snowed heavily for a few hours, looks gorgeous from my office window, and it had completely melted (barring a few patches on the grass) by the time I left work.

**Admin notes: January’s group read is well underway. We are still in need of discussion leaders for February and March.

February – The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

March – My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite

If you are interesting in leading discussion for either of these books please direct message me or Nadine.

On to the reading check-in!

Finished:
Naturally Tan by Tan France – This is the second book I’ve read from the Fab Five (the other one is Karamo). I enjoyed this one. His story is pretty tame, but he spends some time talking about prejudice and his years of being labeled "the brown one". Really well done, I thought (as a white girl with no experience in that area). Using for a book with a pun in the title.

The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary – Add this one to my list of good rom-com novels. I’m continually amazed at how many of these newer romance writers incorporate relevant and difficult topics within their stories and still manage to maintain a level of lightness to the bulk of the story. Using for a book set in a city that has hosted the Olympics (London).

Daddy-Long-Legs by Jean Webster – This book is so charming and entertaining! A young orphan is sponsored by an unknown benefactor and sent to college. The only request from the benefactor is that she write him once a month to let him know how she’s doing. Well, our little protagonist, Judy, can’t help but share ALL the antics from her years in school. It’s a highly entertaining read. It was written in 1912, so it’s also a classic. For anyone who has read Dear Mr. Knightley by Katherine Reay this should sound familiar. This book was the inspiration for Reay’s book. Using for a book with a pink cover.

Home Work: A Memoir of My Hollywood Years by Julie Andrews – I’m not quite done yet, but I have less than 2 hours left on the audio and fully expect to finish it today. I adore Julie Andrews and this memoir is just delightful. This is her second memoir. Her first one, Home: A Memoir of My Early Years, covers her early years in Vaudville. This new memoir focuses more on her adult years in Hollywood – Mary Poppins, The Sound of Music, Victor/Victoria. She also talks about trying to balance career, marriage and motherhood. If you are a fan of hers I definitely recommend this one. Also, she narrates both of her memoirs so use one of those audible credits. Using for a book with more than 20 letters in the title (counting subtitle).

Currently Reading:
Jesus Feminist: An Invitation to Revisit the Bible's View of Women by Sarah Bessey – I’m making slow but steady progress on this book. I was trying to read a chapter a day, but I haven’t read much since the weekend.

The Perfect Horse: the Daring U.S. Mission to Rescue the Priceless Stallions Kidnapped by the Nazis by Elizabeth Betts - I had the opportunity to see the world-renowned Lipizzaner Stallions perform about 10-12 years ago and it was such an experience! I wish they would come here again so I could take my daughter (she was with us the first time but was only a toddler).

Question of the week:
Do you reserve some books for reading later in the year or do you dive right in to your most exciting reads right away?

I picked a couple of quick reads to start my year. Now I’m moving into reading books for prompts that aren’t my favorite. I am deliberately reserving some highly anticipated reads for later in the year when I need to get out of a reading slump. I am saving The Only Plane in the Sky: An Oral History of September 11, 2001 because I know it will be a compulsive read.

Happy Thursday Everyone!

It was great to see how active last week's check-in thread was, I missed seeing a lot of you that have returned!

This past week I finally finished out my 2019 Popsugar Challenge (Did it from August 1st, 2019 until January 9th, 2020) and started on my 2020 Challenge! =) My 2019 List in case anyone is curious

It's been a great week for curling up beside the fire with a blanket, a hot drink, Dakota (my golden retriever) and a book! In the last 3 days I've gotten about 18 inches of snow and today it has finally stopped snowing but it's down to -24C. Yuck! Can it be May already?!

My current progress is:

2019 PS 53/53 - Yay!
2020 PS 1/50
2020 GR 4/100

Finished This Week
This week I read 3 books: 2 to wrap up my advanced prompts from 2019 and 1 to kick off 2020:

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas for 2019's: 43) An "own voices" book ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - This was an incredibly heartfelt emotional story that held my interest well. It was interesting to read about some pretty serious issues from a different perspective.

The Fellowship of the Ring (The Lord of the Rings #1) by J.R.R. Tolkien for 2019's: 49) A Book that has inspired a common phrase or idiom ⭐️⭐️⭐️ - This was much less exciting than the movie for me but I'm glad that I finally picked it up and read it. I learned some new tidbits about the story for sure & it was interesting to read about the parts that were completely cut from the movie as well. I definitely didn't care for all the songs in the book! As a bonus, I no longer feel like a failure of a fantasy fan for not having read this!

Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid - on audio for 2020's: 5. A Book set in a City that has hosted the Olympics (This is partially set in LA) ⭐️⭐️⭐️ - I liked this and the story kept my interest but I feel disappointed. I felt this was pretty underwhelming considering all the hype this book has gotten and I also don't think it measured up to The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. I think the format of this story made it more impersonal and therefore left me less invested from the get go, some of the characters were seriously underdeveloped and just plain not memorable. I also thought that the story was building towards a huge ending of some sort but nope!

Currently Reading

Confessions by Kanae Minato for 2020's: 44. A Book set in Japan, host of the 2020 Olympics - So far so good! I'm only 2 chapters in but I've already gasped audibly twice, which is rare for me!!

QotW

I tend to reserve some of my "exciting" reads for later in the year, to space some of my series reads out a little bit and try to tackle some harder prompts fairly early on. This year for example, I'll probably tackle my Medical Thriller and Western fairly early on and hold back on reading at least one of the Outlander and Song of Ice and Fire books that I have planned for 2020!

Finished
Washington's Immortals: The Untold Story of an Elite Regiment Who Changed the Course of the Revolution by Patrick K O'Donnell - A very in-depth, well-researched nonfiction book about the American Revolution. Trouble is, I think I've used up the majority of space in my head dedicated to nonfiction looks at this particular war, so I ended up giving it 3 stars.

The Devil's Queen: A Novel of Catherine de Medici by Jeanne Kalogridis - A good book for anyone interested in Catherine de Medici. It's historical fiction, but Kalogridis develops a compelling story about a fascinating woman.

+ rereads of The Invasion and Attack of the Deranged Mutant Killer Monster Snow Goons!

Currently reading
The Seafarer's Kiss by Julia Ember. A Little Mermaid retelling with a Norse mythology twist and a bisexual main character. It's a pretty short book compared to what I normally read but I'm loving it.

Crucible of Gold by Naomi Novik - book 7 in the Temeraire series. I'm planning on finishing the series this year, so only 2 more books to go after this one! If you've never heard of this series, it reimagines the Napoleonic Wars but throws dragons into the mix.

Q: Do you reserve some books for reading later in the year or do you dive right in to your most exciting reads right away?
Several of my most exciting reads are new releases, so I'm stuck waiting for them to come out (although Shadowshaper Legacy just came in at the library! Squee!!) but otherwise I never really worry about what's "exciting" when I start the year because I very rarely find myself bored.

Had my first endocrinology appointment this week which was mostly going over everything I'd already worked out from the internet. But at least I now have a contact I can email with questions instead of googling them.

I read Crooked Kingdom for week one of ATY (I'm trying to read in order). My favourite of her books, despite having spoiled one part by reading King of Scars first. I'm also slotting this into Read Harder for doorstopper by a woman published after 1950, which seems like a convoluted prompt that turned out easy.

I'm nearly finished The Vanished Bride for a book that passes the Bechdel test. It's about the Bronte sisters trying to solve a mystery and it's so much fun.

Also currently reading The Places I've Cried in Public for ATY.

PS: 1/50 | ATY: 1/52 | BR: 1/24 | GR: 2/100

QOTW:
I read a fair amount of new books so I have new releases to look forward to that I can't read now. Because I'm reading one challenge in order, I'm probably going to be mood reading more for Popsugar.

Good morning from a bitterly cold columbus. I am having a hard time convincing myself to get out of bed. But, I am feeling good about my challenges this year. Usually I tend to wander from the task at hand so by the end of the year I’m binge reading to fit in the last books, but I’ve been making a point of only getting books that are for the prompts.

Middlesex for a book with a great first line. This is one of those books I hear people mention so often without ever having learned what the book was actually about. The Virgin Suicides is one of my favorite books so I figured I’d like this, and I did! I love long, winding tales about generations of a family and how actions have a way of having lasting effects in ways we can’t always predict. Beautiful writing, A+

The Jane Austen Book Club for a book about a book club prompt. Another book I’ve heard people talk about a lot. This was sweet and easy but still had substance to it. I loved learning more about the members of the book club and I bet I’ll adore the movie.

Every Heart a Doorway for a book riot prompt. This actually wasn’t on my official prompts list but I added it to my holds for whatever reason, someone here must have said something about it that made me want to read it ASAP. It checked out automatically and I found a prompt for it. Very interesting prompt, it’s a school for kids who came back from Narnia-like adventures and are trying to readjust to reality. It’s also a murder mystery. I was way more interested in the stories about the magic lands the students visited than the actual plot. But my understanding is the next books in the series visit those said lands so I’ll probably read them. The land of the dead the main character was honestly sounded so appealing, the way she talked about silence and stillness. But I guess that’s just my over-busy mom brain craving some alone time lol.

Sea Prayer for a book riot prompt. This is a short picture book about refugees fleeing for safety. Inspired by events we’ve seen on the news, it was sad but beautifully done.

I Capture the Castle for a bildungsroman. The theme of the week is books I’ve heard a lot about but didn’t know what the general plot was lol. A very well-written coming of age story about a girl writing about her life. I wish I lived in a castle too, minus the money woes.

I’m at 6 books read this year, 4/40; 0/10 for popsugar and 2/24 for book riot.

QOTW: I just try to go top to bottom, but if there something I really want to read I won’t stop myself. I do try to save ghost stories and otherwise horror-related books for October.

Finished:
Ninth House - I used this for prompt #3 - a book with a great first line - “By the time Alex managed to get the blood out of her good wool coat, it was too warm to wear it.” I wanted to love this book. The houses at Yale have always fascinated me, but this one just wasn't for me. It wasn't awful, but it wasn't great in my opinion either. 3 stars.

The Whispers of War - I love WWII historical fiction and this one was another really good story however it focused more on family and friendship than the actual war. I used this for prompt #5 - a book set in a city that has hosted the Olympics since it's set in London. 4 stars

Red, White & Royal Blue - I read this for prompt #30 - a fiction or non-fiction book about a world leader. I thought this was a cute story, and at first I thought it would be a 5-star read, but it felt a little drawn out to me. 4 stars

Challenge Progress:
Regular Challenge - 3/40
Advanced Challenge - 0/10

Currently Reading:
The Paris Wife - for prompt #44 - a book set in the 1920's
A Curse So Dark and Lonely - for prompt #9 - a book with a map
One of Us is Next (can't link for some reason) - for prompt #15 - a book involving social media

QOTW - Do you reserve some books for reading later in the year or do you dive right in to your most exciting reads right away?
I have some books on my list that are releasing later in the year so I'll do those prompts later, but for the most part I just dove right in with what I've been reading and have found prompts to go with the books.

Finished:
Ringworld, by Larry Niven
Actually my last book from last year so not part of the challenge at all.

Currently Reading:
The Ringworld Engineers by Larry Niven
This was going to be my book I meant to read in 2019, until I realised it contained a map so it's now my book with a map. (Fortunately, there are a lot of books I meant to read in 2019.)

Question of the week:
Do you reserve some books for reading later in the year or do you dive right in to your most exciting reads right away?

Neither. I generally decide my next five/six books and then work from there. Often, the books I'm reading will be greatly influenced by what I'm working on at the time.

It’s my first week back to work after the holiday vacation. I miss my reading time!

Finished
The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley (a book that passes the Bechdel test). I listened to this audiobook on my long drive home from vacation. I really enjoyed this. It’s a fun, modern take on classic mysteries set at an isolated country estate.

Confessions of the Fox by Jordy Rosenberg (a book by a trans or nonbinary author). I wanted to like this book so much, but it used a lot of devices I dislike. My main complaints are the extensive footnotes and the crude depictions of sex that took away from a meaningful story about a trans (possibly intersex) person in 18th century London.

Reading
A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens (a book with a great first line)

Dead End by Chris Wraight (the first book you touch on a shelf with your eyes closed)

QOTW
I've never thought of it as holding back. If I put off reading a book I'm excited about, I'll lose my excitement for it. It's more like I'm excited about too many books, and since I can't read them all at once, some of them have to wait a little bit. I am trying to space out the series I'm reading. I tend to enjoy them more if I pace myself.

Greetings.
We are currently under a cyclone watch (the first of the season) so the south of the country is burning and the top end being blown away. Mother Nature is not happy right now!

Finished:
A Thousand Splendid Suns which was my December TRIM so that is back up to date since I started in May.

The Dark Tower: Battle of Jericho Hill
Stephen King's the Dark Tower: Beginnings 4
Treachery
The Dark Tower: The Long Road Home
The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger Born

Twas the Nightshift Before Christmas

This puts me on GR 8/75 PS 4/50 ATY 4/52
However I still have not finished the 2019 PS challenge (2 to go) or ATY (5 to go) so I'd like to finish those too just for my own sake because I don't like not finishing. I'm just not really in the mood for those books right now.

Currently reading:
Jaws in preparation for my dive next week if the pretty sharkies show up. It will also fill the 7 deadly sins prompt due to the shark's gluttony and the human's wrath.

QOTW:
Last year I did all my favourite prompts and the quick prompts at the start of the year which is probably why I failed to complete. I forgot I would be travelling mid-year and would not have the holiday time for the reads requiring a brain cell. 2018 I did complete but spread the harder reads through the year so I plan to do that again this year so they don't all end up last.
I did start with the shiny pretty Dark Tower graphic novel series though because it was new and I loved the original series (this one not as much). It did put me back in a frame of mind to finish A Thousand Splendid Suns though which I did love.

I finished Thrown Under the Omnibus: A Reader as my book with a pun in the title. It was better than I thought it would be.

And I'll be finishing up Anne of Green Gables in the next day or two as my fave category from a prior year: a childhood classic you've never read.

I finished two books this week:

Unfuck Your Adulting: Give Yourself Permission, Carry Your Own Baggage, Don't Be a Dick, Make Decisions, & Other Life Skills by Faith G. Harper - This one was for the YA nonfiction prompt on the BR list. I hadn't many books like that around, it turns out, but this one was in a humblebundle that I'd bought at some point and it was labelled YA. It's less about practical tips and more about thinking and behaviour. The title makes it sound like it's only appropriate for those in their late teens and early twenties, but the casual tone of the writing and the subjects covered might make it a useful read for readers in their mid teens. Things like 'don't make other people carry your emotional baggage/don't let them make you carry yours' and 'think about whether you really like the things you're supposed to like' would be pretty relevant for those in that age range. Overall a quick, light read for me.

Unspeakable Things by Jess Lourey for a book released this year for PS. This is a thriller about twelve-year-old protagonist Cassie and her home life with her abusive father and her mother who ignores the abuse as well as a local rapist attacking young boys. The protagonist being so young means that some things aren't laid out so plainly until Cassie comes to understand them, which adds an interesting layer to the narrative. I found her incredibly likeable. The subject matter is heavy, and comes up both with the attacks on the young boys as well as Cassie's fear of her father doing to her what he does to her older sister. It's set in 1983 and I would have liked to have seen the homophobia directed at Cassie's gay teacher more fully explored, especially given that he's one of the few adults she can trust. The scene where Cassie finds out that her hero (view spoiler)[Aunt Jin (hide spoiler)] is not going to save her is also pretty heartbreaking. I found this an engaging read although I was disappointed by the identity of the culprit in the end since it invokes tropes I'm not fond of, (view spoiler)[ with the rapist having been sexually abused himself as a child (hide spoiler)]. The ending also felt a little abrupt. The author posted an epilogue (with Cassie as an adult) on her website that rounds it out better, imo, and I'm not sure why it was omitted.

Books I'm currently reading:

Autumn by Ali Smith (the first of her seasons series) for ATY's author with a single syllable surname prompt. I'm only a little way in but so far I love the gorgeous prose and the way she sets scenes. The prologue is just so wonderfully evocative.

Question of the week: I tend to read books when I feel like reading them. I might split up an authors work over the year, though.

I had a great first full week of the year. I finished two books, I went to see The Inheritance on Broadway, which is inspired by one of those books, and I was named a partner at my law firm. So, pretty good start!

This week I finished Howards End, which I really enjoyed. This is my book published in the 20th Century. After finishing the book, I saw the Inheritance, which is inspired by the book and includes E.M. Forster as a character. I enjoyed the play, but my one quibble is that it tells the story through the lens of gay men and I felt like the story was such a feminine one. I get the point of the play, but I love the feminist nature of the book and, as much as we progress, I feel like there's so much erasure of women from our popular culture and media. And it makes me mad. I haven't seen the BBC miniseries from a couple years ago, and it's being re-shown on PBS starting this Sunday, so I plan to watch that as well.

I also finished Some Kind of Fairy Tale, which was the book I selected from a shelf with my eyes closed. I used a random shelf in the fiction section of my library. I enjoyed the book and would consider reading something else by Graham Joyce. So, that was fun!

I am currently reading a bunch of books, as usual. I'm doing ATY as well as popsugar and I'm starting those books in order, although the nonfiction ones are probably always going to take longer than a week to finish. But I'm currently reading Wilson and Empty Hearts for ATY. I'm also reading The Silk Roads: A New History of the World (book with a map), The Path of Daggers (book with a made up language), and The Great Pretender: The Undercover Mission That Changed Our Understanding of Madness (book on a subject I know nothing about).

QOTW: Mostly I read whatever came in from the library. For the books I own, I just pick whatever I'm interested in from the stack at the moment.

Hi Everyone!

I still had to work during the holidays some, but it's still been hard having a full week with actual stuff to do.

Also it was cold yesterday, brr!

Started the year with some slow reads, feel a bit like I'm in slow motion this year.

I finished:

Finale - counting this as my 4+ star read on goodreads for here, and last book in a series for Read Harder. I don't love this series as much as everyone else seems to, and thought this was the weakest of the bunch. The ending felt very much "ok i put a nice bow on it, let's be done". Took much longer than a fantasy romp usually would.

Empress Orchid - this is my world leader book. It's a fictional account of a real person, the last Empress of China. It was a bit slow and took me a while to get through, but it was interesting. I never knew a lot about China. I read the interview with the author at the end, apparently Empress Orchid is taught in Chinese history, and most the world, as the upstart concubine who destroyed the entire Chinese Dynasty and ruined their way of live. However according to wikipidia and the author's own researches, a lot of that seems to stem from a general Chinese disdain towards women, and evidence seems to show that she ruled as capably as possible in an impossible situation. Apparently the author was actually able to bribe her way into official historical vaults in Beijing, and was able to read copies of Orchid's actual edicts, and the picture they painted was of a competent ruler. So the novel served as a way to humanize Orchid and show the story from her perspective. This novel was her early life and rise to power, there's a second that covers her actual rule. I think it still counts though, considering that she greatly assisted her husband as his husband failed, often creating decrees on his behalf, and then on behalf of her son, a child at the time.

Currently reading:
Every Heart a Doorway - I already read this but it's been a couple years, I want to read the second book and need a refresher. Also I want a nice short read after the last couple. The next book will be my Read Harder fantasy novella (I think, I'll have to check the page count. I know they're all pretty short though).

QOTW:
I don't have specific books I'm saving, I don't really plan more than a couple books ahead. But I do try to space out the prompts I'm excited about through the year. In particular i try to save them when I'm getting in a slump. So I'll probably save the AI/robot/cyborg prompt when I need a boot. And I tackled the world leader prompt first to get it out of the way, since I wasn't looking forward to it at all.

I have a reading goal of 90 books this year 50 of them will be part of this wonderful challenge. I also have a goal of reading 25% non-fiction. But it looks like I am reading at a slower pace than last year or I might have started with a couple long books...

Popsugar General Challenge-- 1/40
Popsugar Advanced Challenge -- 0/10

Personal Reading Challenge -- 1/90
Non-Fiction Books -- 1

Finished Reading:
For the first audiobook, which I started Thursday morning, I chose Never Cry Wolf: The Amazing True Story of Life Among Arctic Wolves a nonfiction about wolves in Canada. For the prompt: set in a Country starting with "C". It was a shorter book but it was full of information and humor and strongly suggest it to anyone who is a little wary of nonfiction books. It definitely is reader friendly.

DNF:
For my first ebook, I chose The Man Who Loved Books Too Much: The True Story of a Thief, a Detective, and a World of Literary Obsession for the prompt: Title that caught your attention. I am now going to have to choose a different book. This book started so slow and just couldn't grab my attention.

Currently Reading:
I started off the first of the year with reading my physical copy of Ross Poldark. I am reading it for the prompt: First book your hand touched with your eyes closed. I am at 60% right now and hope to finish it this weekend. I really am enjoying this book the prose is just beautiful.

For my second audiobook in which I am half way through, I choose Little Women for the Bildungsroman challenge. This book does run on some random tangents but it is a fun and cute story.

For my second ebook, which will be the first to actually go for a challenge, is The Dragon Republic for the prompt Author being a woman of color. I am only about 20% in but it is really good. I did have some issues with going such a long time between books in the series and had to read a recap to understand who everyone was and what were the major themes. But overall I am very happy with this choice.

QOTW:
Do you reserve some books for reading later in the year or do you dive right in to your most exciting reads right away?

I like to start the year off with a couple good books but mostly book order is dependent on the library holds. I do like to give myself a mix of nonfiction mixed in so that I can take breaks with it and read fiction when not in the mood. Also so I do not have a huge pile of nonfiction to be read at the end of the year.

I've finished a few comics and a picture book I got in a giveaway.

Currently reading so many things, chipping away little by little. Still trying to find a good flow for the New Year, will hopefully finish a few this weekend

The Tenth Girl Its very good I just need to buckle down bigger chunks of time to read, its not a 10 minutes at a time book
Flax-Golden Tales Reading these throughout the day at work. I love her! Getting my own copy of Starless Sea and Night Circus once I make it back to the bookstore
Daisy Jones & The Six This is the book I've been reading at lunch at work. Its so good and I've heard wonderful things about the audiobook so I may listen to that this summer on the way to Minnesota
The Romanovs: 1613-1918 This is what I read at intermissions of hockey games so thats about 40 minutes I'll get this weekend while the Walleye are in town

QOTW
I totally reserve some books, usually based on seasons. I can't read Hocus Pocus now, it's January! If it's a series then I need it immediately i.e. the Veronica Speedwell coming out in March! Stoked! Or when we finally get a translation of Backman's new one, that won't last long! yet I still haven't read Us Against You because it takes place in Summer.
tldr yes

Hi everyone! It’s been several weeks since my last check-in because things got busy, so I hope everyone enjoyed the holidays and I wish everyone a Happy New Year! Still no snow in Dallas - we are on year 5 without having any - and after a very cold November it has been mild here.

My 2020 reading year is off to a good start. I have no idea what my calendar will look like as the year goes on, so I’m happy to have solid reading time now. As of right now, I am also doing the AtY challenge as well as Reading Women in addition to Popsugar. I’ll evaluate things in a few months to see if I need to adjust my expectations.

Books I finished:
The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes (Around the Year: Book by an author I’ve only read once before) I loved this. I am extremely grateful that I didn't grow up in rural Kentucky during the 1930's and have great respect for the women who took a stand and helped educate the women and children there.

My Husband's Wife by Jane Corry (Popsugar #35: A book with a 3-word title) Another following the current trend of no redeemable characters. This book was a tale of 2 halves. The first half I enjoyed and the second I wanted to throw the book against a wall.

Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid (Around the Year: A book by an author whose name is just 1 syllable) This realistic fiction story was good and made me think. An upper middle class white woman hires a black 20-something to babysit her kids while she writes a book (but really shops, lunches with friends, and drinks). When the babysitter is stopped in an upscale grocery store late one night, she is accused of stealing the child. Then you get the reactions of each woman and how they move forward.

Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell (2019 Popsugar #48: Two books with the same title) This was my last prompt for the 2019 challenge. I debated whether to just forget it and use this for a 2020 prompt - it fits quite a few - but ultimately decided checking the final 2019 box was worth it. This book was a lot darker than I expected but I really liked it. I stayed up way too late one night to finish it. I have Jewell's newest book (The Family Upstairs on my shelf and can't wait to read it now.

One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid (Popsugar #30: A book with a book on the cover) This was emotional and predictable, but I enjoyed it. A woman's husband disappears in a helicopter crash and is declared dead, and 3 years later she is engaged to another man, who happens to be a friend from high school. When the husband finally comes home, she has a big decision to make.

I am currently reading:
Let It Snow by Sue Moorcroft (Around the Year: A book about a non-traditional family)
Save Me the Plums: My Gourmet Memoir by Ruth Reichl (Reading Women: A book about food)

QOTW:
I have absolutely no willpower. If I get a new exciting book I cannot save it for later. In theory I would love to get some of the more unexciting prompts out of the way early in the year. But I am such a mood reader and easily distracted by other books either newly purchased or recommended in one of my GR groups that it doesn't ever work out that way.

Books I've Finished:
Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James - DNF this book, had a very hard time getting into the writing style. Might try to pick it up in the future, maybe I just wasn't in the mood.

Wilder Girls by Rory Power- I did enjoy this book gave it 3 stars, but the ending left me wanting more. Seems the ending just came up without much being explained or answered.

A Woman Is No Man by Etaf Rum- for prompt "book featuring one of the seven deadly sins". This book got a 4 star rating for me. The book is told from 3 Palestinian women's perspective and at 2 different time periods - Grandma/Mother-In-Law, Mother, and daughter. It was interesting to read how the Palestinian men treat their women, even in America. It was a tough read in a couple places but overall a good read. The sin covered in the book is definitely Wrath.

Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak I did this for the ATY Winter reading Challenge, something that was translated into Latin.

After I read WWTA I was feeling nostalgic for when I used to read to my boys. They are now 16 and 11, don't want to listen to mom , much less reading picture books to them anymore. I told my youngest to come let me read to him. I read Love You Forever by Robert Munsch and couldn't get through it without crying! He had to read the ending to me. Then we picked out Big Cat, Little Cat and Someday to read also. It was nice to have him cuddle with me on the couch again

Currently Reading:

Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman prompt "book set in a city that hosted the Olympics"

Red Sister by Mark Lawrence prompt "book with great first line" and January Read

Question of the week:
Do you reserve some books for reading later in the year or do you dive right in to your most exciting reads right away?

I'm also doing the ATY challenge this year so this seems to be dictating my reading schedule this year. I do have a few books that are on both challenges so I try to pick out a book on Popsugar that is not on the ATY list. Really depends on what my library has available. I do a ton of audiobooks because I can listen while I'm working. Audiobooks/books that I own I tend to save until vacation when I'm not at home.

Well that week went fast! I don't feel like I'm quite back into routine yet and SO tired that I just have not done much reading this week. I might also have burned myself out a bit trying to get all my challenges done by the 31st! I did a LOT of reading that last week:) So I only got one read this week, and none for the PS challenge.

Finished:

Empire of Wild by Cherie Dimaline - for ATY book without "A" "T" or "Y" in the title. I liked this better than The Marrow Thieves, which I didn't hate but thought was just ok. Most likely because it was not YA, which I don't tend to love, and also I think her writing has gotten better. I enjoyed it and found it quite readable, although I am not always a huge fan of myth interacting with the real world (I hate magical realism). But overall a good read.

Currently Reading:

There There by Tommy Orange - reading this for my IRL book club and I'm the host this week, so it was my choice. I'm almost halfway and I'm finding it quite good although I know there were a lot of mixed reviews on this one last year. Imagine it will make for a good book club discussion Using this for author name with flora (Orange)

The Gone Dead by Chanelle Benz - just started this on audio last night because I had a headache and couldn't read, but I also have the paper copy out of the library because I am terrible at listening to audio books. It was on the NYT Notable 100 this year and so far I'm liking it. Using it for ATY one syllable author name

QOTW:

My TBR list is mostly dictated by what comes into the library when since I do not buy books ever. Once in awhile I get exciting new books as gifts, like at xmas, and I often end up slotting them in around library due dates. I read ATY in order, so I will sometimes slot in a book I am super excited about for later on in the year, but if I can find a good PS prompt for one, I'll often end up reading it asap. I do need to be a bit more strategic about leaving some of the not so fun prompts for my other challenges until the end though - I was reading some weird things that last week of December :)

I normally don't finish more than one book a week, but I managed to finish 3 books the first week of 2020!

Currently: 3/50

Finished:
The Gunslinger by Stephen King for "Book with an upside-down image on the cover"
Inside Out by Demi Moore for "A Book with the same title as a movie or TV show but is unrelated to it"
Watchmen by Alan Moore for "A book with at least a four-star rating on Goodreads"

Currently Reading:
Catch and Kill: Lies, Spies, and a Conspiracy to Protect Predators by Ronan Farrow for "Book with a 3-word title" but may get moved to "Book by or about a journalist"
Down and Dirty Pictures: Miramax, Sundance, and the Rise of Independent Film by Peter Biskind for "Book recommended by your favorite Podcast"
I didn't intend to read both of these books at the same time, but they both deal with what a difficult and sh*tty person Harvey Weinstein is in different contexts (the Biskind book was published 15 years ago) so they make really interesting parallel reads.

QOTW:
Do you reserve some books for reading later in the year or do you dive right in to your most exciting reads right away?

Some of the books I've chosen for the PS prompts this year are ones I think my true crime bookclub may read at some point (like The Suspect: An Olympic Bombing, the Fbi, the Media, and Richard Jewell, the Man Caught in the Middle), so I'm putting off reading those for now so that I can be fresh for book club discussion.

Happy Thursday, y'all.

Man, this wasn't a good reading week. Had one winner and one loser, DNFed two books, and am STILL slogging my way through Stephen King's brick of a novel The Stand. Don't get me wrong, "The Stand" is pretty good so far, it's just a slow build with a LOT of characters, and I'm not even a quarter of the way through.

Books read this week:

The Wooden Sword -- for “book you meant to read in 2019.” I really wanted to like this fantasy novel, and the author makes an effort to add some unique touches to what’s otherwise a bog-standard Middle-Ages-style fantasy novel. But it was a slog to get through… and am I the only one tired of all these Middle-Ages-style fantasy novels where women are treated like property and constantly crapped on?

Passing Strange -- not for the challenge, though could qualify for “passes the Bechdel test” and “great first line.” (The opening line is “On the last Monday of her life, Helen Young returned from the doctor’s and made herself a cup of tea.”) A magical-realism novella about LGBT women connecting and trying to be true to themselves in 1940s San Francisco, during the World’s Fair. Lovely and compelling.

Regular challenge -- 3/44 (split the last prompt into five)
Advanced challenge -- 0/10
Not for challenge -- 2

DNF:

The Rules of Supervillainy -- I inter-library loaned this clear back in November, but didn’t get it until the end of December. And I got one chapter into it and found it unbearable -- mostly because no one bothered to proofread it and it was loaded with spelling errors. Ugh…

The Bookish Life of Nina Hill -- was going to be for “book with a book on the cover.” Picked it up thinking I’d really like the antisocial book-loving main character, but found the writing style and the story to be too cutesy and Hallmark-movie-ish for my taste.

Currently Reading:

The Stand -- for “book with a 4 or greater rating on Goodreads”
Tamsin -- for “book by an author with fauna or flora in their name”
S is for Space -- not for the challenge

QOTW:

Usually I'll save an exciting book for later, unless it's brand new at the library or I'm REALLY excited about it. I put my entire reading list on hold last year just so I could grab and read Anthony Daniel's memoir, I Am C-3PO: The Inside Story soon after it came out, and I do not regret it for a second.

Brooke wrote: "Hi everyone! It’s been several weeks since my last check-in because things got busy, so I hope everyone enjoyed the holidays and I wish everyone a Happy New Year! Still no snow in Dallas - we are o..."

Glad you liked Such a Fun Age - it's on my TBR but my library still only has it On Order, which means it's going to be some time before I get my hands on it! Thinking of slotting it in for the PS prompt of a main character in her 20s.

Amy wrote: "I was feeling nostalgic for when I used to read to my boys. They are now 16 and 11, don't want to listen to mom , much less reading picture books to them anymore. I told my youngest to come let me read to him. I read Love You Forever by Robert Munsch and couldn't get through it without crying! "

I totally get it - my boys are 24, 21, and 16 (how did that happen) and I miss reading to them all the time - I tried it with my husband but it just isn't the same ;) And I don't think I have ever been able to get to the end of I Love You Forever without choking up! I'm going to be that weird lady sneaking into her adult son's room one day (one of my boys finds the book totally creepy and I can kind of see it :))

Heather wrote: "It’s my first week back to work after the holiday vacation. I miss my reading time!

Finished
The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley (a book that passes the Bechdel test). I listened to t..."

I have that one on my TBR list and trying to figure out a prompt for it - I already have Bechdel test, so wondering if it might fit in for one of the seven deadly sins? I'm assuming so because it's a murder mystery but hard to know in advance ...

Slumping a bit the last couple days. I think it's trying to get used to living in a new city... I just moved to Santa Fe at the beginning of December, but with all the holiday hubbub and traveling back to St. Louis to visit family, the reality of the move is only now really starting to set in. I need to make some friends. I'm just not sure how.

Challenge Progress: 3/50

Completed:
Rising Out of Hatred: The Awakening of a Former White Nationalist: Saslow's account of Derek Black's renunciation of white nationalism is the best explanation of the rise of Trump that I've encountered. He describes the tactics and vocabulary of the the white nationalist movement and its insidious insertion into mainstream politics in horrifying detail. Ultimately, Derek's story is uplifting and a reminder to us all that we must keep talking to each other, breaking down barriers between people. (A book with at least a 4-star rating on Goodreads) ★★★★★

American Rose: A Nation Laid Bare: The Life and Times of Gypsy Rose Lee: While parts of this were fascinating, I couldn't keep up with the shifting timelines. Even within a chapter, I'd be reading along and then... Wait. When are we? It was extremely difficult to keep the narrative straight. I would have enjoyed it much more if the story had been told in a more straightforward fashion. (A book with more than 20 letters in its title) ★★

Eligible : A Modern Retelling of Pride & Prejudice: A modern take on Pride and Prejudice, successful in some ways, but it doesn't seem to capture the tension between Elizabeth and Darcy in quite the same satisfying (and sizzling) way as the original. I particularly enjoyed the use of a reality TV show as a framing mechanism; that was quite ingenious. (A book featuring one of the seven deadly sins - Pride) ★★★

Currently Reading: And I Darken (a book with a map), A Double Life (a book by an author with flora or fauna in their name - Flynn Berry), Ill Will (a favorite past prompt: 2017 - a book published in 2017), The Furies (a book you meant to read in 2019), Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth, and The Baby Thief: The Untold Story of Georgia Tann, the Baby Seller Who Corrupted Adoption

QOTW: My reading is almost always impulse driven, but I'm trying to do ATY in order this year so I've had to put some things off. It's kinda driving me nuts.

Hey everybody...I am still trying to get out of my reading slump from the past year, but I think I can see a glimmer at the end of the tunnel. I also started a new job mid September after being a stay at home mom for the better part of the last 18 years so I am still learning how to balance my time between work, family, household chores and reading.

Regular 1/40
Advanced 0/10

Finished
Fool's Errand by Robin Hobb - a book by an author with flora or fauna in their name
I had read the first trilogy in the Farseer series last year, and while I enjoyed it, I did find all three a little draggy so I wasn’t sure about continuing the series. I am glad I picked this book up though. The pace was much quicker than the previous 3 and I sped right through it and love it. Can’t wait to continue.

Currently Reading
Renegades by Marissa Meyer - still not sure what prompt this will be for
This a reread for me so that I can read the final book in the trilogy that came out at the end of last year.

QotW
Do you reserve some books for reading later in the year or do you dive right in to your most exciting reads right away?
Previous years I read the most exciting and easy prompts first and waited on the harder prompts, which is why I usually have a hard time finishing. This year I am not planning at all, just taking the challenge one random prompt at a time.

Finished

Song for the Unraveling of the World - First book of the new challenge! I've heard Brian Evenson recommended so many times, but this is the first time I've actually read his work. This collection of short horror stories was a joy to read, and I devoured it in one sitting. These are the type of horror stories I like best: just long enough to hit you with one really powerful idea, ending before they wear out their welcome. Some lovely writing, and I got genuinely creeped out a few times. Read for the anthology prompt. 4 stars.

Standout stories for me included:

No Matter Which Way We Turned
Song for the Unraveling of the World
The Second Door
Room Tone
The Hole
Smear
Lord of the Vats
Glasses
Line of Sight

Total Complete: 1/50

Currently Reading

The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly - a book that has a book on the cover
Senlin Ascends - a book with a map

Up Next

The Tolkien Reader - a book with a bird on the cover

Question of the week: Do you reserve some books for reading later in the year or do you dive right in to your most exciting reads right away?

I felt really restricted at the end of last year trying to finish all my challenges, so now I'm just reading anything I want! Am I setting myself up for the same situation again this year? Probably!

Honestly, I'm such a mood reader that trying to plan reads is pretty much impossible. I always read on a whim.

Hi everyone!

I officially finished my first book for the challenge:
Educated by Tara Westover for 23. A Book that Won an Award in 2019. Audie award and I very much enjoyed the audiobook version of this one appropriately! It wasn't exactly what I expected, but still really interesting to learn about how different other people's lives are. I've also been doing some follow up research about her family's reaction to the book, which is definitely surprising as well!

I'm currently still working on:
Five ​Dark Fates by Kendare Blake (a book with three word title) I'm really dragging my feet with this series, but I need to just suck it up and finish it. I went through the first three books in the series so quickly, but for some reason now, I hardly like any of the characters and it's more of a chore to read. I have about 150 pages left and am hoping to get myself to sit down and finally finish it this weekend!

Know My Name: A Memoir by Chanel Miller (a book by a WOC). I'm super excited to finally get to this one! I've wanted to read it since it came out, but the wait list at the library was pretty long. I'm only three chapters in, but so far I'm loving it! I was really surprised that she got right to the point and has been addressing everything that happened so straightforward, but it really forces you to put yourself in her shoes and understand how she was feeling from the moment it all happened.

The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd (a book with a bird on the cover). The Secret Life of Bees was one of my favorite forced readings from high school and because I already read (and hated) one of the more obvious choices for this prompt (The Goldfinch), I was excited to see Sue Monk Kidd pop up when I was researching ideas for this one. This is my new audio book and as a book with two perspectives, it's really nice to hear with two different voices!

Question of the week:
Do you reserve some books for reading later in the year or do you dive right in to your most exciting reads right away?

I just moved out and don't have the money or space that I used to to be able to purchase a lot of books or keep a tall TBR pile, so I've been using the library as much as I can! I've definitely gone for one anticipated read right away (Know My Name), but a lot of times it depends on what is available at the library or the libby app at the time!

Hello from nice, warm North Texas! I am so jealous of those of you talking about snow, especially considering it's supposed to be in the 70s here tomorrow. I know snow is only nice for a short while, but I was really, really crossing my fingers for a snow day or two this winter. Doesn't look likely.

My reading this past week hasn't been great. My depression and anxiety are ramping up for some reason (could be the new medication), and with that I've had some serious executive dysfunction. I'm having so much trouble forcing myself to do much of anything.

Currently Reading:
West: a book you meant to read in 2019. I'm really enjoying it so far, although I've had to look past a couple of inconsistencies with the prologue from the first book...

The Art of Authenticity: Tools to Become an Authentic Leader and Your Best Self: This is for work, not for a challenge. It is sooooooooo boring.

The Pink Fairy Book: A book with a pink cover. I'll be "currently reading" this one for a long time because I typically just read a story or two before bed each night.

QOTW:
Not really, unless (like someone else said) it seems more appropriate for a different season. I like the organization and planning of my reading challenge each year, but I also like leaving some flexibility based on my mood.

Hi All, it is cold here too & we got the snow also. I finished two books this week. The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker. I am using it for the following prompts. A book that won an award in 2019. It won the Women’s Prize for Fiction 2019. A book featuring one of the seven deadly sins. Features greed,lust,gluttony,pride, wrath, envy. I also finished Girl,Woman,Other by Bernardine Evaristo. I am using it for the following prompts. A book set in a city that hosted the Olympics. Set in London. The first book you touch on a shelf with your eyes closed. I only read ebooks. I am trying to read from Over Drive, Libby,etc. it is really hard finding books to borrow that you don’t have to put a hold on & wait forever for. I couldn’t believe I found this book on Hoopla I could borrow right then. A book that passed the Bechdel Test. A book by a WOC. A book with a three-word title. This book could also be used for a book that won an award in 2019. It shared the Booker Prize 2019. Also the Goodreads Choice Award for Fiction 2019.

Hello! I've completed 2 books in my challenge so far.

The first was Nevada. This was for A book by a trans or nonbinary author.

The second book I read was Queens of Geek for a Book with a pink cover.

I am currently reading The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America's Shining Women for Women in the STEM program.

And The Silent Patient - A Medical Thriller

And Red Queen - for a book with an upside-down cover.

That's it for now!

Dani wrote: "Good morning from a bitterly cold columbus. I am having a hard time convincing myself to get out of bed. But, I am feeling good about my challenges this year. Usually I tend to wander from the task..."

I watched the movie because Hugh Dancy is in it, and I really enjoyed it!

Hi! this is my first challenge, and I'm having such fun!

I've finished 2 books so far,

I read (well, re-read) We Need to Talk About Kevin - a 4 star rating,

and Nature Girl - a book by a journalist

On to book 3!

Good morning all! I've completed a total of 4/50 for this challenge.

Finished 3 this week:

The Dry by Jane Harper for Featuring one of the seven deadly sins (greed). 4 stars

The Late Starters Orchestra by Ari L. Goldman for By or about a journalist. 2 stars

Gray Mountain by John Grisham for By an author who has written more than 20 books. 1 star

Working on
The Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon - could work for Passes Bechdel test, Woman in STEM, 4-star Rating
The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan- more than 20 letters in the title
Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood- 3 word title
The Capture by Kathryn Lasky- Bird on the cover
The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway - By an author in their 20's, or set in the 1920's
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child: Parts One and Two- A Bildungsroman perhaps? Not far enough in to be sure it will count.

QOTW: Do you reserve some books for reading later in the year or do you dive right in to your most exciting reads right away?

I do a bunch of monthly and quarterly challenges on top of about 10 yearly challenges. This helps me narrow my choices month to month. Otherwise I would just be overwhelmed with what I should read first. I look for books that fill a prompt on as many challenges as possible and then based on library availability, start there.
So no, I don't "save" any for pure enjoyment, but if I know a book will fit a later monthly challenge, I'll save it for that. For instance, I read 6 pages of a book the other day before realizing it would fit a February challenge so I put it down for a few weeks.

Hey everyone!

My exhaustion is still going strong and I'm cancelling appointments left and right. Hosting a readathon also takes up quite a bit of time, and my mom is constantly watching TV, so everything combined adds up to me not reading as much as I would like to. Also, the weather is currently 15 degrees celsius so we're having a great winter over here *sigh*. There are dandelions, the mosquitoes have never left us, nor has hay fever, and my bunnies are already starting to slowly lose their winter coats. Let's hope they'll have enough left if temperatures were to start dropping!

Finished
Shadow and Bone for a book by or about a journalist. It wasn't planned for this prompt at all, but in the 'about the author' section it was mentioned she worked as a journalist for a while and so I said it counted! Really enjoyed it, 4/5. Also worked for ATYs silhouette on the cover.

The Binding for ATYs word with -ing in the title (for now). This was a reread, on audio this time, and as you all may remember, I adored this book last year. It hasn't let go of me since, and I still adore it after my reread. Definitely an absolute favorite for me. 5/5 (I don't think this fits any Popsugar prompts sadly)

The Little Prince for ATYs can be read in a day (for now). Really loved this little read, though I'm not sure I caught the full allegory- but it might just be that I try to look for more than there is and I got it all the same. 5/5 (same for the PS prompts)

The Fury for unrelated movie with the same title (thank you IMDb! I figured surely a movie with this title must exist, and I was right!) and emotion in the title for ATY. A reread as well. Honestly this series is so awful (although I love the trilogy that comes after) but I just can't help but enjoy it! I used to love the TV series as well, but that went downhill fast and it's become one of my most loathed ones haha!

Currently Reading
Vengeful I really loved Vicious when I read it as a buddy read for the Bookie Trials Winter Quest last year so was really glad the others wanted to continue with Vengeful. I'm really enjoying it so far! Will figure out where it may fit after finishing.

The Essex Serpent another buddy read (all my reads so far have been buddy reads, save for The Little Prince. It's a busy January haha!) that I technically have not yet started, but I intend to after finishing writing this post!

Progress
2/50 - 4/52 - 0/12 - 5/100

I am finding ATYs prompts a lot more fun this year, even if they got some ridiculous ones that I hate (the Maximilian Hell one? wtf?), and they are much easier to fill by just reading. Hopefully Popsugar will get easier like that as I go along.

QOTW
Not specifically. I am currently deciding my reading on the countless buddy reads I've got going on, and prompt based readathons (mine is just reading, luckily). I still feel so out of it, and overwhelmed by all the things I want to read, that I'm just reading for now and once my mind has settled, I'll see if my most anticipated reads will be moved up :D

Errlee wrote: "I have that one on my TBR list and trying to figure out a prompt for it - I already have Bechdel test, so wondering if it might fit in for one of the seven deadly sins?...."

Yes, it will. I actually think all seven sins are represented. I don't want to give spoilers so I won't the name the one that is the motivation for the murder, but it plays a big role.

Happy Thursday, all!

Currently reading:

Radiance (author has fauna in her name - Catherynne Valente) - Ehh I'm not really feeling this, might be my first DNF of the year. I really liked the premise: All the inhabitants of a village on Venus mysteriously vanish (similar to the lost colony of Roanoke). A year later, the main character is filming a documentary on location. She encounters mysterious phenomena and then also vanishes. It's told through a mixed-media format, so we get news articles, interviews with her loved ones, etc.

But so far, it's really longwinded and digressive, and it's taking its time to get anywhere near the central mystery. I'm still curious so I'll probably give it a bit more time to pick up.

QotW: Nope! I'm very much a mood reader. I see something shiny and then I read it.

This kinda gave me a book slump in November-December last year, when I had a string of mediocre books for prompts I was putting off all year. But, oh well. It was still a great book year overall.

Carmen wrote: "Shadow and Bone for a book by or about a journalist. It wasn't planned for this prompt at all, but in the 'about the author' section it was mentioned she worked as a journalist for a while and so I said it counted!"

Whoa, I didn't know she was a journalist. Very cool since I have Ninth House and King of Scars on my TBR.


Stacey wrote: "Confessions by Kanae Minato for 2020's: 44. A Book set in Japan, host of the 2020 Olympics - So far so good! I'm only 2 chapters in but I've already gasped audibly twice, which is rare for me!!"

Oh man I love this book, great to see someone else enjoying it!

Laura wrote: "Slumping a bit the last couple days. I think it's trying to get used to living in a new city... I just moved to Santa Fe at the beginning of December, but with all the holiday hubbub and traveling ..."

Laura you will make friends but it is hard when you move especially when you are an adult on your own. I know I found it much easier in my teens and 20s than in my 30s. I just like going to the shops and having people run up to me to say hello or give me hugs (usually 20-something ex-students) so I probably won't move again. You are brave for making the move and I hope it turns into a positive adventure.

Drakeryn wrote: Whoa, I didn't know she was a journalist. Very cool since I have Ninth House and King of Scars on my TBR.."

I didn't know either! So I was very pleasantly surprised to read that little tidbit :D I am doing a readalong of the GrishaVerse, so the next one will be read in February!

Carmen wrote: "I am finding ATYs prompts a lot more fun this year"

I'm having this experience as well. I'm already 4/52 for ATY without really trying. Popsugar has a lot of tough ones for me this year, and surprisingly, none of them are in the advanced section!

Laura wrote: "Slumping a bit the last couple days. I think it's trying to get used to living in a new city... I just moved to Santa Fe at the beginning of December, but with all the holiday hubbub and traveling ..."

I moved back in 2016 to the area I grew up in after living in Chicago for 10 years. You'd think it would be easy but it was still hard. I started making friends in the area via the Meetup app. I joined a dog walk group and that really helped. I started volunteering at an animal shelter and met a few people. I also have become friends with a few co-workers. You'll meet people, it just takes a little time. Good luck!

Sarah wrote: "Carmen wrote: "I am finding ATYs prompts a lot more fun this year"

I'm having this experience as well. I'm already 4/52 for ATY without really trying. Popsugar has a lot of tough ones for me this ..."

Same here! I could fill in most of the advanced section without really trying, having several options even, but the regular prompts.. We'll see how it goes!

Happy Thursday!

I am ready for the weekend. This work week is dragging and I am ready to just sit around and read.

Finished:

The Goldfinch for a book with "gold," "silver," or "bronze" in the title. I started this in December and finally finished it last weekend! I really liked it but there are parts that drag on in the story for too long. I for sure recommend reading it though, it's worth it.

My Dark Vanessa for a book with a three-word title. Wow, this book. It's so good and so frustrating. I won the ARC of it and didn't know what I was in for but man I am glad I got it and read it.

2/50

Currently Reading:

Over the Top: A Raw Journey to Self-Love for a book by a trans or nonbinary author. I picked this book next because my last two books were a bit on the depressing side. This ones isn't going to be all sunshine and rainbows either. But so far, I'm really liking it.

All the Light We Cannot See for a book with a character with a vision impairment or enhancement (a nod to 20/20 vision). I'm listening to this on audio and just started it last night since my hold just came in. I've heard to much about it, I'm excited to dig in.

QOTW:

I do put books on hold. I don't really think about it too far in advance. But I do get excited when something I've been on the wait-list for comes in. It's like a little gift.

Sarah wrote: "Carmen wrote: "I am finding ATYs prompts a lot more fun this year"

I'm having this experience as well. I'm already 4/52 for ATY without really trying. Popsugar has a lot of tough ones for me this ..."

Ditto.....I already had books to cover every ATY prompt on my TBR so hopefully that will make a dent this year. I was 7 short for PS so have had to go and find things to fill those prompts.

Carmen wrote: "I am finding ATYs prompts a lot more fun this year, even if they got some ridiculous ones that I hate..."

I feel like I know the ATY prompts really well but I'm yet to really memorise the Popsugar list. I'm hoping a few more weeks of retrospectively slotting books in will help me get to grips with what I need to read.

Finished 4/25.
This week I read:
The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides. I really enjoyed this book. It was a great medical thriller and as a psych nurse it spoke to me. I was surprised by the twist at the end. It was a perfect read. This book fulfilled the medical thriller prompt.
Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library by Chris Grabenstein fulfilled the book with a book on the cover prompt. It was a fun light read that I finished in one day. Very reminiscent of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory or the Escape Rooms this was a fun story about kids being locked in a library and having to get out.
The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell. This fulfilled the first book you touch on a shelf with your eyes closed prompt. I really enjoy Lisa Jewell’s work. This was an excellent read. Although there were twists some of them were not easy to guess! I gave this book 4 stars. Trigger warning for sexual assault with force and statutory rape.

Currently reading:
I just started And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie. I am using this book for the book by an author who has written more than 20 books prompt. I am really struggling to get into it. I have heard great things about it and I do not want it to end up being a DNF but I am having a hard time connecting with the characters. We will see how it goes.

Question of the Week:
I reserve some books for reading later in the year. I like to read romance books while I am on vacation so I usually save those kind of books for then. I also save books I am really looking forward to for later in case I reach a reading slump and I know it will help me jumpstart back into my reading.

AGATHA CHRISTIE NOVELS ARE ON MY LIST...!!!

Book that takes place in a city that hosted the Olympics

The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell. Thriller that takes place in London. It was an okay thriller. I think it’s just because I’m over the back and forth time periods.

Book with a map

The Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo. Mixed reviews on this one on the facebook groups I’m in but I really enjoyed it. There was a lot of world building so it took a bit to get into but I will be reading the second book.

QOTW:
I usually just read the next book on my TBR shelf. This year I do plan on reading my Books of the Month when I get them and my niece has requested a couple of books from my TBR shelf to be ready for here when she visits in February.

Catherine, do you do audiobooks? The audiobook of And Then There Were None read by Dan Stevens was really great. You may like it better that way.

Happy Thursday! I'm doing a 2 week check-in. I finished a whopping 5 books.
Finished:
Becoming for prompt # 33 A book with at least a four-star rating on Goodreads. I actually started reading this for last year's challenge and decided to use it for this year's because it fit. I gave it 5 stars. It was real and gave me a glimpse into political life.
Brokeback Mountain for prompt #37. A Western I wanted to read this book because I have a goal to read at least 12 books that have been turned into a movie or t.v. show. I was surprised to learn it was just a short story. It was so sad. It was a love story and I felt all the emotions.
Murder on the Orient Express Not for this challenge but for my personal challenge of books turned into movies. I saw the 2017 version and wanted to listen to it. It was pretty good. If I hadn't saw the movie I probably wouldn't have guessed anything.
Revenge of the Living Dummy
Knit It!: Learn the Basics and Knit 22 Beautiful Projects

Currently Reading:
Their Eyes Were Watching God
Untold Stories: Life, Love, and Reproduction
The Knife of Never Letting Go

Question of the week:
Do you reserve some books for reading later in the year or do you dive right in to your most exciting reads right away?
I actually just read whatever comes my way and what's available.