Grumpy Beastie's Other Lair

Snagged from dizzojay ages ago.


Day 5: Talk About Books This Year

I started the year in 4 book clubs. Now, I'm only in one. Funnily enough, the Pub Grub Book Club was the last one I joined, the one I heavily debated joining, and it's the only one I'm still in. It's run by the library, but is held at a local Lord of the Rings themed bar. We only read graphic novels and we vote on them from a list each month. In November, we had 2 books to discuss because we had a tie vote and just elected to read them both instead of picking between them. It technically has 12 members, but 5 of us show up consistently. It's a good number. They are also the reason I read Fourth Wing. Everyone else in group had already read it and strongly encouraged me to do so, with plans to discuss it after the next book club meeting. Unfortunately, the next book club meeting was cancelled do you the group leader having a family emergency.

The Freshly Written Book Club was a monthly book club at the library where we read books that had made best sellers lists and discussed if they lived up to the hype. It fizzled out on its own during the summer for several reasons. One being that it had been going for several years already and while it's normal for people to come and go as commitments change, no one was coming in to replace the members that were leaving. We had several books that were complete duds in a row, which made even more people lose interest. Also, this year, we had to change how we acquired books for book club and it caused massive delays in actually getting the books, to the point that we were never getting the books on time anymore and for the last meeting we actually met, we hadn't gotten the books in time enough to actually read them before the meeting.

The Haunted Book Club was an online book club being hosted by a YouTuber called Alt Knots. She is best known for being a spooky crochet/yarn/fiber arts influencer. The books were always interesting picks, but trying to keep up with book selection and the live discussion streams got to be too much for me. In order to stay on top of things, you had to be constantly monitoring her YouTube channel, her Instagram, her website, and her newsletter. I just didn't have the energy to be that invested and I have no idea if the book club is still going, but I do still follow her on YouTube and Instagram.

Roll for Reading Book Club died before it really got a chance to get started. We were supposed to meet every other month. Basically, there was a master sheet of fantasy books, each numbered, and we rolled a d20 to determine what book we were reading. We each read a different book and discussed it with the others at the next meeting. It was intentionally kept small, but this back fired because after someone moved and another member never showed up ever, we were down to 2 members and the library could no longer justify running it, as 1 of the members was library staff running it as part of his work schedule when he could have been put on other projects. We managed to have 2 book discussion meetings, and selected a 3rd book for each of us, we never got to discuss.

I'm also doing kingstoken's reading bingo, but I haven't updated my card since June, so I'm not sure how I am doing with it.

Our library did a Summer reading challenge this year. It was based on the number of books you read and you got enamel pins as prizes. (There was a random assortment to choose from.) You got one for signing up, you got one for hitting the halfway point, and one for finishing. You also got a bonus one for signing up on the first day. Your official tracker card also served as a raffle ticket for a gift basket when you turned it in. I had completely forgotten about that part and ended up winning! It was huge. It came in a Pizza Planet (from Toy Story) tote bag. Attached on the outside were 3 Pokémon enamel pins and a knock off brand tamigatchi. Inside was a zen magnet poetry kit, 2 different escape room games, 3 books, & 1 - 1000 piece puzzle of cats on a bookshelf.

Surprisingly, there was no Halloween reading challenge at the library this year. There usually is one.

Right now, the library is doing what they are calling the Golden Ticket Challenge. Your tracker this time looks like a little road map with gold scratch off spots. For every 30 minutes of reading, you scratch off a spot and have a chance at winning a prize (it says small or medium prize on the sheet and I know you pick them off a cart, but neither my mother or myself have claimed any of our earned prizes yet, so I don't know what they are). The end of the trail is 9 hours of reading, which then you can turn in your tracker for a large prize for finishing. You can claim your prizes as you go or all at once when you are done. On top of this, there are 30 golden tickets hidden in books and audio books throughout the library. If you check out a book with one in it, you get a special prize.

One of my main reading goals this year was to complete any ongoing series I've been reading. The only one I've come close to finishing is Lumberjanes, which I did focus on a bit more heavily, as it's the series' 10th anniversary. All I need is the last collected volume and I will have finished the graphic novel series. I've had it on hold for awhile, but it's still just marked as pending.

My Good Reads goal this year was 40 books. I haven't updated it in a few months, but I know I have surpassed it.

My main way of tracking books this year was with the Beanstack app. I do dearly love it, but it hard logged me out in September and after the first couple of attempts to log back in didn't work, I got too busy to deal with it and it kind of got back burnered. I will get back in & get it updated, but my stats are going to be way out of wack.

I used my history on my library account to help make this list, as my physical tracking of my reading after June is a bit spotty, so there are possibly some non-library books missing, but the complete list should actually be pretty complete.


Complete List
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Complete blank meme in box
December Meme Snagged from <user name="dizzojay"> <B>Day 1: A Photo of You Taken This Year</b> <B>Day 2: Your Holiday Wishlist</b> <B>Day 3: Talk About Movies This Year</b> <B>Day 4: Talk About Television This Year</b> <B>Day 5: Talk About Books This Year</b> <B>Day 6: Talk About Food This Year</b> <B>Day 7: Talk About Music This Year</b> <B>Day 8: Talk About Games This Year</b> <B>Day 9: Talk About Art This Year</b> <B>Day 10: A Photo of You Taken Over Ten Years Ago</b> <B>Day 11: Talk About Volunteering/Charity This Year</b> <B>Day 12: Talk About This Year in Medical News</b> <B>Day 13: Talk About Hobbies This Year</b> <B>Day 14: Something That Made You Proud This Year</b> <B>Day 15: Something That Made You Laugh This Year</b> <B>Day 16: Something That Made You Sad This Year</b> <B>Day 17: Something That Made You Happy This Year</b> <B>Day 18: Your Favorite Photo This Year</b> <B>Day 19: What You Learned This Year</b> <B>Day 20: A Picture of You Taken Over 20 Years Ago</b> <B>Day 21: Your Favorite Websites This Year</b> <B>Day 22: New Items You've Added to Collections This Year</b> <B>Day 23: Travel You Did This Year</b> <B>Day 24: Something Which Caught Your Interest This Year</b> <B>Day 25: A Photo of You and Your Family</b> <B>Day 26: Talk About Politics or Current Events This Year</b> <B>Day 27: 3 Goals For Next Year</b> <B>Day 28: Your Plans For New Year's Eve</b> <B>Day 29: Talk About Things You Are Excited For Next Year</b> <B>Day 30: A List of What You Got For Your Winter Holiday</b> <B>Day 31: Best Moment of the Month</b>

I did this at the library with the countdown clock staring at me the whole time, I should probably do it again when I can think, lol.

Snagged from razielim

Favorite Pseud: My favorite of mine is probably spiralicious, even if its origin story now has not necessarily the happiest feelings for me anymore. I have others that are certainly easier to spell and make more sense, but this is the one that has stuck.

Time Zone: PST

Star Sign(s): Cancer sun (Aquarius moon, Virgo rising)

Favorite Holidays: Halloween & New Year's Day

Last Meal: As in the last one I’ve had? I had leftover cream of mushroom soup with garlic and hamburger and oyster crackers, cranberry juice to drink, and I had a tester cookie for breakfast. I should probably eat something soon.

Current Favorite Musician: I wouldn’t say they’re my favorite, but my playlists have been heavily favoring Fall Out Boy & All Time Low lately.

Last Music Listened To: According to Spotify, it was “Dani California” by Red Hot Chili Peppers on my Cooking playlist (the playlist has nothing to do with cooking). Though I think in reality it was that selection of Fall Out Boy, All Time Low, Florence and the Machine, The Front Bottoms, & other random things I’ve been relistening to over and over again.

Last Movie Watched: Rewatching The Shining as part of my horror movie and knit marathon.

Last TV Show Watched: People’s Court while I was getting ready this morning.

Last Book/Fic Finished: I binged a whole bunch of Stargate Atlantis fics last night (I am pretty sure some Batman, The Witcher [video game], Interview with the Vampire [tv series] fics were in there too.) But the last book was The Power of Style by Christian Allaire, according to Beanstack.

Last Book/Fic Abandoned: The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store by James McBride. It was for book club, which met today and I didn’t finish it, though I am not sure I have completely abandoned it yet.

Currently Reading: I am starting a new book when I get home, I think it is Man Made Monsters by Andrea L. Rogers.

Books/Shows/Movies/etc. You Want to Get Around To: On my overly ambitious list for by the end of the year I have, Good Omens season 2, The Boys, the new Batman Christmas movie who’s name suddenly escapes me Merry Little Batman, finish Harley Quinn season 3 & watch season 4… and there are like 3 or 4 things on my HBO list I can’t look at right now and a stack of library materials XD Justice League: Warworld (2023), catch up Batman: The Audio Adventures, Prague Spring by Simon Mawer (though I will probably skip this one), Lumberjanes #11-13, The Strange True Tale of Frankenstein's Creator Mary Shelley by Catherine Reef, Ice Cream Man Sundae Edition, Volume One, Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte, This Book is Gay (2021 revised and updated edition) by Juno Dawson, Mushrooming by Diane Borgato, Samurai Champloo rewatch, Batman: Death in the Family interactive blu-ray, Yuri on Ice, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show rewatch.

Last Thing Researched for Art/Writing/Hyperfixation: curly haired animals and how bushy a racoon tail is exactly.

Last Eureka, Breakthrough, or Neat Fact/Concept Learned: I actually had a really important one like a week ago, but its probably completely TMI

Favorite Online Fandom Memory: I am going to be vague and go with old group chats.

Favorite Old Fandom You Wish Would Drag You Back In/Have A Resurgence: I honestly don’t have one. It feels weird to say that.

Favorite Thing You Enjoy That Never Had an Active or Big "Fandom" but You Wish It Did: There was a time when I could name a few things, but sitting here with the countdown clock going, my mind is blank.

After thinking about it for a day, I just want to add here that most of the time I think something doesn't have a big or active fandom, it either does and I just haven't been looking in the right spot or it ends up having one later. Also, I don't know if this counts, as its a weird crossover pairing from two fandoms that have no reason to meet whatsoever, but it is lonely over here on appropriately aged Zuko/appropriately aged Jason Todd island.

Tempting Project You're Trying to Rein In/Don't Have Time For: I have an AU idea for a no capes AU of the Justice League as Youtubers. It has gotten entirely out of hand. The post about it, just talking about the idea on DW, I started in September has gotten so out of hand/unruly I haven’t been able to get it posted.

Tempting Project You're 100% Going to Undertake: Filling as many requests as possible at fandomtrees and holiday_wishes.

ETA: To fix a typo, Add/fix titles on "get around to" list, and add too "favorite thing you enjoy that never had a big or active fandom

This is definitely not complete, especially the Webtoons list, but it's as complete as I could make it. A lot of the non-fiction books are also graphic novels. Most of the novels are book club picks, including the Colleen Hoover one. My Adventures with Superman is new animated series on HBO. Adventures of Superman is a live action series from the 1950s.

cut for length ( Read more... )

hhd: 70 Last Month Things