Check-in: Pick a book, any book!

[fred_mouse]

Check in post! Tell us in the comments how you went. Did you finish the book? Did you make progress? Did you procrastinate and read something else instead? Did life or something else get in your way?

And! Because this was so successful for me, I'm going to run this at least two more weeks, with the goal of picking one book each week, and getting to feel smug if I achieve it. So! The other thing you can do in the comments is tell us about a book you want to make progress on this week. I'll aim to put up a check in post at about the same time next week ('tis Sunday morning where I am, but I'm aware it is still Saturday evening for a large number of people)

Comments

[fred_mouse]

I finished The Last Devil To Die by Richard Osman. It was worth keeping going, although I wasn't expecting a murder mystery to have me weeping for pages.

This week, my goal book to finish is The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner. I bought it at the airport, umm, in January I think, read half of it on the outward bound trip, and then life happened.

[illariy]

Oh, fascinating that a murder mystery was so moving! :O

Haha, things like with that Lost Apothecary have happened to me before. Sometimes, life just happens. Would be epic if you could finish the book this year! Or make the decision to leave it unfinished. Wishing you much progress with it. :D

A tear-jerking murder mystery??

[angledge]

Add another hold to my Libby lineup!

And I'll put a hold on The Lost Apothecary just because I like the title.

These books will come available weeks from now & I will have no idea why I put holds on them lol

Re: A tear-jerking murder mystery??

[illariy]

Haha, so cool that the comment inspired you to put holds on books.

I used to be a heavy library user but fell out of that. After your comment, I researched if the one public library I am still a member off does use Libby and they do! For audiobooks apparently. So cool. I should look into that - after I have done something about my horrid/tantalising physical TBR piles.

These books will come available weeks from now & I will have no idea why I put holds on them lol

That sounds wild but also delightful! :D

[kalloway]

I need to start writing up some comments on the advent ebooks, but I'm about halfway through what I've received so far.

(I was planning on doing my annual Merrineum 'lingering' challenge starting next weekend - we can certainly overlap though!)

[illariy]

Halfway through sounds great considering some of the ebooks are so lengthy!

Oh, another challenge! I look forward to it. :D

[angledge]

I could do with some encouragement to finish off a few of my lingering titles...

[illariy]

I don't know if you meant to post your comment as a reply to another comment or as a top level comment...

... but here comes some encouragement. Maybe you could put 10 min toward one of those lingering titles today? Or tomorrow? Deciding not to finish also shortens the TBR pile, I am just saying. ;-) Here's to a short session with some tasty beverage in a cosy place or whether the fancy strikes. ♥

[rmc28]

I finished the trilogy I had out from the library! (And then I fell off a kerb and can't go to the library as planned this weekend. But I can renew anyway, and take the books back some point next week when the ankle is a bit better.)

Something I haven't done in months is read a "goodbye book" - I have swathes of books that I probably want to let go, but I want to read one more time to be sure before I do. So my goal for this week is to read at least one of those, starting with The Black Echo by Michael Connelly.

[illariy]

Yay, finishing the trilogy! :D Oh noes, the ankle does not sound good. But good that you could renew the books and hopefully make it to the library next week.

Oooh, I have never heard of a goodbye book but that makes much sense. I have done that exact thing in the past. ;-) Best wishes for the Black Echo!

[cactus_rs]

Finished Crisis! Still working on Nightingale.

[illariy]

Yay, a finished book! Best wishes for Nightingale. :D

[illariy]

I had planned to read my book on the commute on Thursday but then Thursday came and I realised that I forgot my book at home. I had unpacked it for grocery shopping and then forgotten to repack it. I did not find any other time for reading this week.

But: I have found the book again and put it into my backpack for real this time. My commute next week will be two days, Tuesday and Thursday. I hope to get some reading done on both days! We shall see. I look forward to the next check-in. :D

[glinda]

I finished (just this minute) A Record of a Spaceborn Few by Becky Chambers! It’s been in the ‘started not finished’ pile since spring 2020, so while it was an enjoyable read in its own right I’m almost more excited to have it out of the pile and to be able to file it on my shelves!

this week I hope to finish another book from that pile, His Bloody Project by Graham MacRae Burnet.

[illariy]

Yaaaay, a finished book! I am so pleased for you! That is amazing to finish this book after all this time. Very good that it was overall an enjoyable read rather than just a slog to finish. Also, I am pleased that I am apparently not the only one who likes to run to this comm immediately after finishing a book. :D

Also, I am impressed that after all this time, you are still persisting with the spring 2020 pile. Started truly in another era. Here's to His Bloody Project! *\o/*

[angledge]

I finished Valiant Women: The Extraordinary American Servicewomen Who Helped Win World War II by Lena S. Andrews. It's a good read, with just enough statistics to drive home the all-encompassing effort that was WWII. For me, it was a good reminder that, although in some ways I have been a trailblazer for women in my own field, I still stand on the shoulders of these women who went before me.

My next book to finish is a re-read for me: This Republic of Suffering: Death and the American Civil War by Drew Gilpin Faust. There's a new Foreword by the author, reflecting on the deaths caused by COVID, which made the book feel more relevant than the first time I read it.

[illariy]

Wow, that is some heavy reading for sure. The first book especially sounds amazing. If I was entertaining the notion of eternal life, I would immediately add it to my wish list but ah well... well, F* it, I am going to add it anyway.

I am from Germany and as you would imagine, our school teachings and journalism about WWII is very different from the US from what I have learned. (Though I recall there are some feminist writings about post-WWII definitely.)

Very cool that the second book has added a new foreword. I hope your re-read goes smoothly :-)