Heena’s Comments (group member since Oct 13, 2014)

Heena’s comments from the RMFAO (Reading My Frigging A** Off) group.

I will be starting to read it today...

Asutosh wrote: "I am continuing my journey with My Dark Vanessa."

How is it turning out to be?

1) The Uncanny by Sigmund Freud - 1/5
2) AN INDELIBLE DAY by Cairo Marques - 3/5
3) Mainely Power by Matt Cost - 4/5
4) Things in Jars by Jess Kidd - 4.5/5
5) Controlling My Kids With Comedy A Love Story by Michael Kornbluth - 4.5/5
6) You by Caroline Kepnes - 1/5
7) The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware - 4/5

All were World Fiction for me :D

We are having a Buddy Read of Things in Jars by Jess Kidd on the RMFAO WhatsApp Group and the Facebook Group. We will be discussing Things In Jars in a Virtual Discussion on Facebook Private Group Room on the 11th of October.

If you want to join us for the buddy read or the discussion, then send me your WhatsApp number or follow the Fb group of RMFAO here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/52440...

As we now have a WhatsApp Group and a Facebook Group for RMFAO, I thought I should create this thread to post updates about what's going on there. I will keep on posting updates here so do keep checking in if you'd like to join in our side buddy reads and bookish discussions.

Here's the link to the Private Facebook Group (you have to be approved before joining in order to avoid spammers) of RMFAO: https://www.facebook.com/groups/52440...

If you'd like to join the WhatsApp group, then please MESSAGE me your WhatsApp number along with the country code.

Thanks

ATTENTION

Here are the links for the Buddy Read threads for the first 2 books selected in the Poll for October Buddy Read:

Buddy Read #1: If It Bleeds: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Buddy Read #2: My Dark Vanessa: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

All the members are invited and you can participate in either of the buddy reads or both, it is totally up to you.
The best thing is you can also count If It Bleeds for the October Genre Challenge for Horror!

Happy Reading!

Hello, members. Based on 40 votes, the book that won for October Buddy-Read is If It Bleeds by Stephen King, but because there was only a difference of 1 vote, I thought it would only be fair to have the 1st runner-up on our list to have as our 2nd option for October buddy read, My Dark Vanessa
You can participate in either of the buddy reads or both, it is totally up to you.

As this is a month-long buddy read, we'll be starting the discussions from tomorrow, 2nd of October. Feel free to share your thoughts, quotes, paragraphs or anything related to the book or your opinions. Please be mindful of not sharing any spoiler at least until the 15th of the month so as not to spoil the book for others.

After 15th I'll be sharing discussion questions and everyone is invited to answer them - it'll make the thread more lively. Please do not hesitate in asking any book-related questions for discussion of your own. All discussions are welcome. We encourage discussions but not aggressive debates, so in case if you have views wildly differing from others' then please frame them thoughtfully so as not to hurt other's feelings, but that does not mean you can't share your opinion.

Following are the book details:

Release Date March 10, 2020

Blurb: Exploring the psychological dynamics of the relationship between a precocious yet naïve teenage girl and her magnetic and manipulative teacher, a brilliant, all-consuming read that marks the explosive debut of an extraordinary new writer.
2000. Bright, ambitious, and yearning for adulthood, fifteen-year-old Vanessa Wye becomes entangled in an affair with Jacob Strane, her magnetic and guileful forty-two-year-old English teacher.
2017. Amid the rising wave of allegations against powerful men, a reckoning is coming due. Strane has been accused of sexual abuse by a former student, who reaches out to Vanessa, and now Vanessa suddenly finds herself facing an impossible choice: remain silent, firm in the belief that her teenage self willingly engaged in this relationship, or redefine herself and the events of her past. But how can Vanessa reject her first love, the man who fundamentally transformed her and has been a persistent presence in her life? Is it possible that the man she loved as a teenager—and who professed to worship only her—may be far different from what she has always believed?
Alternating between Vanessa’s present and her past, My Dark Vanessa juxtaposes memory and trauma with the breathless excitement of a teenage girl discovering the power her own body can wield. Thought-provoking and impossible to put down, this is a masterful portrayal of troubled adolescence and its repercussions that raises vital questions about agency, consent, complicity, and victimhood. Written with the haunting intimacy of The Girls and the creeping intensity of Room, My Dark Vanessa is an era-defining novel that brilliantly captures and reflects the shifting cultural mores transforming our relationships and society itself.

Additional Information Warning:My Dark Vanessa was a national bestseller. It was selected for translation and publication in 22 countries and optioned for the screen. Reviewed positively by The New York Times, National Public Radio, The Atlantic, The Guardian], The Economist, and The Washington Post, My Dark Vanessa brought Russell into a public conversation regarding the novel's treatment of abusive sexual relationships, as well as an individual's right to privacy regarding past trauma.

Controversy: My Dark Vanessa occasioned pre-publication controversy when author Wendy C. Ortiz complained that Russell's novel had received different support from that given to Ortiz's memoir concerning a relationship with her 8th grade English teacher. Ortiz further alleged that My Dark Vanessa, which she had not read, possessed 'eerie story similarities' to her memoir. As was reported by the Associated Press, 'Reviewers who looked at both books saw no evidence of plagiarism.' Nevertheless, in response to social media comments, and in the wake of the controversy over American Dirt, Oprah Winfrey, who had originally tapped My Dark Vanessa as a selection for her influential Book Club, rescinded the selection.

Hello, dear members. Based on 40 votes, the book that won for October Buddy-Read is If It Bleeds by Stephen King.
It is hardly a shock that this book won... it is one of the most popular books released in 2020 and is present in almost everyone's book list. Even those of us who've already read it, won't mind reading it again.

As this is a month-long buddy read, we'll be starting the discussions from tomorrow, 2nd of October. Feel free to share your thoughts, quotes, paragraphs or anything related to the book or your opinions. Please be mindful of not sharing any spoiler at least until the 15th of the month so as not to spoil the book for others.

After 15th I'll be sharing discussion questions and everyone is invited to answer them - it'll make the thread more lively. Please do not hesitate in asking any book-related questions for discussion of your own. All discussions are welcome. We encourage discussions but not aggressive debates, so in case if you have views wildly differing from others' then please frame them thoughtfully so as not to hurt other's feelings, but that does not mean you can't share your opinion.

Following are the book details:

Release Date April 28, 2020

Blurb: If it Bleeds is a collection of four new novellas —Mr. Harrigan’s Phone, The Life of Chuck, Rat, and the title story If It Bleeds— each pulling readers into intriguing and frightening places.
A collection of four uniquely wonderful long stories, including a stand-alone sequel to The Outsider.
News people have a saying: 'If it bleeds, it leads'. And a bomb at Albert Macready Middle School is guaranteed to lead any bulletin.
Holly Gibney of the Finders Keepers detective agency is working on the case of a missing dog - and on her own need to be more assertive - when she sees the footage on TV. But when she tunes in again, to the late-night report, she realizes there is something not quite right about the correspondent who was first on the scene. So begins 'If It Bleeds' , a stand-alone sequel to The Outsider featuring the incomparable Holly on her first solo case.
Dancing alongside are three more long stories - 'Mr Harrigan's Phone', 'The Life of Chuck' and 'Rat' .
The novella is a form King has returned to over and over again in the course of his amazing career, and many have been made into iconic films, If It Bleeds is a uniquely satisfying collection of longer short fiction by an incomparably gifted writer.

Film Adaptation:On July 10, 2020, it was reported by Deadline Hollywood that Netflix had acquired film rights to "Mr. Harrigan's Phone", to be produced by Blumhouse Productions and Ryan Murphy. "Rat" was optioned by Ben Stiller, who intends to produce, star and direct. Darren Aronofsky's Protozoa Pictures has optioned "The Life of Chuck", with Aronofsky to produce. "If It Bleeds" could be acquired by HBO, due to their use of the Gibney character in The Outsider.

Book Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O27Hw...

Book Reading of If It Bleeds by Stephen King: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edzUp...

Cheryl wrote: "Horror is a popular genre. For me, it lets me escape by being able to say " For all the things going on in my life, at least I don't have a vampire, a ser..."

LOL... yeah! I guess we can all find some consolation in the fact that at least we're not yet plagued by either rabid animals, werewolves, vampires and/or zombies :D

OMG, thanks a lot, Cheryl, for posting the thread. I really appreciate it!

And thanks for explaining for all books can be counted for the challenge. I am really, really looking forward to reading some of the books I have on my shelf this month!

Series #3 - Liminal Sky Trilogy by J. Scott Coatsworth - Science-Fiction Fantasy

Book 1: The Stark Divide - 4/5
Book 2: The Rising Tide - 4.5/5
Book 3: The Shoreless Sea 4.5/5

#37 Things in Jars by Jess Kidd - 4.5/5
I highly recommend this book. Excellent prose, brilliant plot and superb characterisation! A brilliant gothic mystery set in Victorian London.

Fran wrote: "Heena, I'm so glad to see you listening to so many audiobooks. Didn't you just discover them last year? Happy listening."

Yes!! I actually tried to read them last to last year, but I failed miserably as I kept dozing off! Lol. Then I decided to give it a go last year and made some progress, but this year I had no other option because of my spine surgery. And I must confess, audiobooks really saved me from hours of boredom! I discovered so many great new authors without having to even list a book (I wasn't allowed to lift anything for nearly 2 months!)
And now, I am convert - I love audiobooks more than any other version!

Hey guys, I've been planning to have a buddy read from the last couple of months, but for some reason wasn't able to give it enough time. I'm planning to have one for the month of October.
Keeping up with RMFAO's tradition of having month-long buddy reads, October Buddy Read would be the same, so anyone can participate at any time during the month.
I've created a list of books published in 2020 having mix bag of most genres, so please go through the details of each one and have your pick!
Please visit here to vote for your favourite book: https://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/2...

PS: Everyone is invited!

There's a Scandinavian author, Lars Kepler, who writes amazing crime thrillers (my favourite is The Hypnotist)
Another good author for people who are not from Japan is Haruki Murakami.

Also, I found this list on Listopia: Non-American books that all American should read: https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/5...

Here are a couple of other links to check out:
https://dublinliteraryaward.ie/news/1...
https://www.deadgoodbooks.co.uk/crime...

Dagny wrote: "Heena wrote: "If anyone needs recommendations for World Fiction, do try The Guest List by Louise Foley (she is a British author, and the book is a thriller based on an isolated isla..."

Haha... I'm not surprised! The book is great and it is becoming a sensation in the book community all over YouTube and Instagram and even on Goodreads.

Welcome to the group, John, Joan and Mez. It is great to have you all here! Please have a look around and check out our reading challenges and feel free to jump in whichever sounds interesting to you.
See you all around :-)

If anyone needs recommendations for World Fiction, do try The Guest List by Louise Foley (she is a British author, and the book is a thriller based on an isolated island.) Another one is Things in Jars by Jess Kidd (Again a Brit author but with Irish roots and the book is a gothic historical mystery-thriller and has a few fantasy touches.) It is a fantastic read. I'm almost done with it and the writing is so effing captivating that I savoured each and every second of the amazingly narrated audiobook in the delicious Brit accent.

Hello, eveyone! Here's the link to the next month's genre challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

September is here and thankfully we have come to the genre which will definitely provide us with some much needed respite - Humour! Thoug, if you're not a big humour enthusiast, then we have a choice of 2 genres - Humour or World Fiction. As always, you can choose to do either one or both of the genres, whatever suits you. You can join anytime during the entire month and read as many (or as less) books as you can manage, no restrictions whatsoever!

If you are a humour or world fiction reader then we request you to please recommend some awesome books to other members. Others, please feel free to ask for suggestions and recs. Reviews of books are greatly appreciated and we are okay with anyone posting relevant links too.

There are absolutely no limits so you can interpret this genre in its broader sense and include other similar genres and/or subgenres that you feel might have a wee bit of similarity with the main genre. You can also include books that are not particularly centered around the main genre but has its components or elements somewhere in the story.

The main intent of this challenge is to incorporate different kinds of books and genres in our normal reading routine to make the experience more fun and entertaining. Please do not lose yourself in the technicalities as we all know how literary genres can be confusing.
If you have any doubts or questions, then post them below and we'll be happy to answer/discuss them.

Here are the DEFINITIONs for this month's genres:

Humour Humour (spelt Humor in US English), is also known as comedy fiction. A comic/humor novel is usually a work of fiction in which the writer seeks to amuse the reader, sometimes with subtlety and as part of a carefully woven narrative, sometimes above all other considerations. It could be said that comedy fiction is literary work that aims primarily to provoke laughter, but this isn't always as obvious as it first may seem.

World Fiction - Fiction from around the world. For this challenge, it means reading works of authors from other countries than the one you are from. (I'll post the technical definition in a day or two.)

Here's a quick summary of the levels:

Level 1: Casual Reader: 1 book (easy)
Level 2: Frequent Reader: 2 books (moderate)
Level 3: Bookworm: 3 books (mildly strenuous)
Level 4: Bibliophile: 4 books (strenuous)
Level 5: Bookiopath: 5 books or more (challenging)

Please mention what type of books you'd be reading:

PB: Paperbacks
HB: Hardbacks
EB: E-Books
AB: Audio Books

Please feel free to announce your to-read books along with the level you are targeting for below. Though it is not necessary as you can announce your reads as and when you decide or read them.

PLEASE READ (especially new members):
1. You can read any number of books for the respective genre every month.
2. You can join the challenge at any stage (in any month.)
3. You can drop out of the challenge any time you like.
4. You can select different levels every month.
5. Use this discussion board to share your reads with other members of the group.
6. Please be active and don't hesitate to ask questions or recommend books.
7. You can couple this challenge with any other challenge here (or anywhere else.) We all do it and it makes it all the more fun!

Happy reading!