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The Sunday Post is a chance to recap the past week, talk about next week, tell you what I’m reading, and share news. It’s hosted by The Caffeinated Book Reviewer, Readerbuzz, and Book Date.
The Sunday Post #313
On The Blog Recently
- Recommending Books From My Favorite Genres
- Magical Book Recommendations
- "Dark" Nonfiction Book Recommendations
- Young Adult Book Series Recommendations
- The End Of The Year Book Tag
In My Reading Life
It's going poorly, people! I somehow got bogged down in two tedious books that I have absolutely no motivation to read. I feel like I'm back in college and reading textbooks! I have been slogging through these giant tomes for 20 days and am nowhere near finished with either of them!
I can hear you saying, "Then DNF them, you blithering idiot!" I can't! I've gone too far to give up now! I want to learn the information that's inside them, but the writing is so dry that I fall asleep after a few pages.
Here are the beasts that are destroying my reading life:
The Life Of Elizabeth I by Alison Weir is exactly what it says on the cover. It's a biography of Queen Elizabeth I, who ruled England in the late 1500s.
A People's History Of The United States by Howard Zinn is an upside-down look at US history. Instead of focusing on presidents and business leaders (like history classes in schools do), it tells the story of working-class people.
In The Rest Of My Life
Five things that made me happy last week:
- Secret Santa! I apologize to anyone who follows me on Twitter because the Secret Santa chat is a lot. It's fun, though. I look forward to it every year.
- Speaking of Twitter, I've been looking into alternatives. I bought myself a cellphone tripod and ring light, so maybe I'll try Instagram again. Are there any #Bookstagram photo challenges happening in December? I need motivation.
- Food Network holiday shows! I'm watching all of them. I want to see all the pretty food and know what everybody is eating for every holiday meal.
- Did my fellow horror fans watch Cabinet Of Curiosities on Netflix? I loved it. There's going to be another season, right? RIGHT?
- I spent the summer listening to tourists say, "Colorado is so beautiful! I want to move here!" I need all the tourists to watch this brief, educational TikTok:
@tobielder For real lol #colorado #coloradocheck #denver #fyp #foryou #funny #homesick #sad #jokes #mountains #lonely #comedу #video #trendingsound #wtf #sos ♬ original sound - Vegas Be Lit 🔥
I Will Go Down With The Social Media Ship
Pinterest || Bloglovin' || Goodreads || Instagram || Twitter || TikTok || Donate || Book Wish List
Take care of yourselves and be kind to each other. See you around the blogosphere!
Cabinet of Curiosities is on our list to watch! I've heard such good things about it! I love Instagram but I don't do as much with the bookstagram part of Instagram as I should. Or want to?
ReplyDeleteWell, you know what they say - that which does not kills us makes us stronger. Maybe that's the case with those two books. I get the truth of the video. I grew up in NYC and everyone thinks that place is great (I don't really). I am still searching for that perfect place to read, but I fear it does not exist.
ReplyDeleteI'm loving the pic. I had to learn about chocolate the hard way two times this week and boy I'm going to to keep it off my diet this week. I've liked NY the few times I've been there and it helps give you perspective on where One currently lives (for sure!)
ReplyDeleteThe first definitely sounds dry, I’d have hoped the second was better. Maybe time skim a little
ReplyDeleteWishing you a great reading week
You might see if your library has an audio edition of either of the books you're bogged down in. Sometimes I find it easier to get through a nonfiction book in audio format -- and at least you can listen to it while you do something else, like wash dishes or fold laundry or take a walk.
ReplyDeleteHad to laugh about the video you posted. Every place has it's pluses and minuses. I guess the trick is finding the place where the pluses outweigh the minuses, in the eyes of the person choosing to live there.
I'm sure there are December challenges on #bookstagram. There are always challenges on bookstagram!
Wow! Those are definitely two challenging-looking books! What, if anything have been some interesting things that you've learned from them?
ReplyDeleteLaughing at the Colorado TikTok. My co-worker just moved there with his family and they are in love with the state so far. They'd never seen Fall before so Winter should be fun!
I went through a Elizabeth Weir phase years ago, but that one passed me by. I hear you on the DNF. If I don't DNF by 10% or page 40, I just have to push through. Too much invested!
ReplyDeleteI've missed the whole twitter debacle, but I am on Instagram and quite enjoy it!
I hope you will have a good week and get to finish at least one of your doorstops!
Elza Reads
Sad that you are stuck with those books, when there are so many on those exact topics that you might like better. I like to read social history (which may be another way to say not about politicians and wars) and there are many many choices!
ReplyDeletebest… mae at maefood.blogspot.com
Wow.. I'm so impressed that you keep on reading. I would have given up a long time ago.
ReplyDeleteHave a great week and happy reading.
Do I follow you on Twitter? I have been waiting for it to collapse so I can gain an extra hour in my day :)
ReplyDeleteJust checking, yes, we do follow each other. I'll save you a seat in the lifeboat when the platform sinks!
DeleteUgh Twitter! I love instagram but it requires me to be prepared and that is a problem for me. That meme is hilarious(ly accurate).
ReplyDelete"Don't make me run" lol
ReplyDeleteA People's History looks like a book I'd pick up too, and then have a hard time finishing as well ha. I mean I love history but sometimes books about it can be mind numbing.
That TikTok... yeah. I feel that way about Michigan sometimes. So beautiful in the summer... then winter and it's like Antarctica.
Well sometimes if I don't want to give up on a book I pause and go back to it later or just read a chapter a day or something along with other books. A People's History looks interesting but I'm thinking audio would be easier for me. I talked a bit about Twitter alternatives last week and this week on my Sunday posts. I've set up at Mastodon. I am looking at TribelSocial and Post.news also. Happy Thanksgiving.
ReplyDeleteAnne - Books of My Heart This is my Sunday Post
Hmm, those books do look challenging! I've had the Queen Elizabeth book for a while, but it's intimidating, lol. I'm on Twitter and Instagram, but aren't really good at either one. I'll look you up. Yay for holiday cooking shows! Happy Thanksgiving!!
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear that you are stuck in some slog of books! I read The People's History of the US several years ago and enjoyed it, but I'm a history nerd and I love those things.
ReplyDeleteAs for Twitter, I deactivated my account as soon as the talk about you know who was going to buy it. I recently started up a Mastadon account and am slowly figuring out how that whole thing works. - Melinda @ A Web of Stories
Oh dear. I hate it that you are slogging through those two books. And I really hate it that these books are both nonfiction. So many haters of nf out there. I'd definitely say, Give it up. And if you just really, really can't, I'd skim to the end.
ReplyDeleteI'm very sad about the mess that is Twitter.
Colorado can be beautiful. But there is also winter. And winter goes on and on for a long time.
I hope Twitter somehow survives, but I'm looking for alternatives as well. I know what you mean about slogging through a book. When that happens to me, I feel like I've invested to much to just DNF.
ReplyDeleteThat's quite a lofty combination! Maybe focus on one and mix in something more fun to help you slog through them? I can't DNF when I have a lot of time invested either but that sometimes will help me get through it. I hope you have a wonderful week!
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed Cabinet Of Curiosities also. lol about the Colorado clip, I feel like it's that way everywhere, especially NYC. Have a nice week and Happy Thanksgiving!
ReplyDeleteCabinet of Curiosities sounds so good. I have it on my list to watch. I can understand not wanting to DNF a book you've been reading. I'm the same way. Sometimes I'll just put it aside and get back to it later and then my interest is back. I'm looking into alternatives for Twitter, too. I'm starting to use my Instagram again but not much. Hope you have a great week!
ReplyDeleteI usually do the Instagram monthly photo "challenge" hosted by thereaderbee. Her prompts are really fun!
ReplyDeleteOh, I hate slogging through dry books, especially when I feel I can't DNF them! Enjoy whatever you read next.
ReplyDeleteI'm quick to DNF books these days. Good luck slogging through if you can't bring yourself to quit them. Every place has some negatives. I love Minnesota but the winters can get longe when you don't enjoy winter sports. Come see my week here. Happy reading!
ReplyDeleteI definitely DNF books that aren't working for me. I don't want to feel resentful of my reading. But, I am impressed that you are going to power through them both.
ReplyDeleteLike all states, Colorado has its good parts and its bad parts. Lol. I hope you finish those books soon and move onto something more enjoyable.
ReplyDeleteI'm currently bogged down in The Satanic Verses. I haven't officially DNF'd it but I also haven't picked it up in a couple of months. I just keep re-checking it out of the library, avoiding it, returning it, going back to the end of the hold list, repeat. I do intend to finish it but....
ReplyDeleteAnd I just started The Three Musketeers for a book challenge. It's another chunkster. I expected to struggle with it but the translation is well done and I'm moving through it fairly quickly. Thank goodness.
My husband wants to watch Cabinet of Curiosities. I read a lot of horror but I can't actually watch much of it. The show looks pretty scary to me so I keep avoiding it.
My husband and I keep talking about spending a summer in Colorado with his job. But it keeps not happening for a lot of reasons. Maybe we'll find a way to make it happen some day. Our home back in Asheville, NC is getting overrun with new people moving in too. We're having a lot of growing pains.
Good luck with your tomes!
Yeah that TikTok is just the right touch, ha! Welcome to Paradise.
ReplyDeleteYikes, I can understand being bogged down. Usually if I have to read books I end up disliking, I read first sentence of every paragraph lol. When you think about it, first sentence is main idea, and consequent sentences tend to spice up main idea. Hope it helps and good luck!
ReplyDeleteI have Zinn's book here, but I've never opened it. My husband wasn't a fan, but I might try it. I bought it more for research than anything else.
ReplyDeleteTwitter seems to work more for me with books and publishing than the other social sites. I tend to use Insta and Facebook for real estate.