Play Book Tag discussion
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Last Call! - PBT Top Ten Books of 2016
Amy wrote: "Signature you mean, not heiress, right?"I'm enjoying both books, but Signature of All Things is the one in contention for the top ten list. Finished American Heiress today . . .liked it more than you did, but I can see why it might not be everyone's cup of tea. But not a top 10 contender . . .now I can focus on finishing Signature before the end of the year!
Anita wrote: "Trying to finish American Heiress first because I only have four days left on that one. Sigh. This is why I buy books. ..."Can you renew it?
The ebooks don't seem to be renewable . . .perhaps bc there are long waiting lists for them . . .but more of an issue is I will be on vacation and out of the country when it expires. I just need to finish!
Anita wrote: "The ebooks don't seem to be renewable . . .perhaps bc there are long waiting lists for them . . .but more of an issue is I will be on vacation and out of the country when it expires. I just need to..."Seriously? Are you telling me that when you borrow ebooks, you might have to put a hold on them and not get them right away? And here I thought it would be such a great help with those long holds for new books.
Karin wrote: "Seriously? Are you telling me that when you borrow ebooks, you might have to put a hold on them and not get them right away? And here I thought it would be such a great help with those long holds for new books. "
Sad but true --- a library only buys a certain number of copies so it works the same as physical books. However, depending on the app, if you don't connect your ereader to the internet, you can eek out a few extra days. It can only remove the book from your device when you connected to internet.
JoLene wrote: "Karin wrote: "Seriously? Are you telling me that when you borrow ebooks, you might have to put a hold on them and not get them right away? And here I thought it would be such a great help with thos..."Good to know, since I don't use wifi. Also, I hear that airplane mode is good, and it will be on airplane mode most of the time anyway, since that's better for me (I don't even keep any cell phones in my room unless they are turned off for the same reason it will be in airplane mode).
JoLene wrote: "Karin wrote: "Seriously? Are you telling me that when you borrow ebooks, you might have to put a hold on them and not get them right away? And here I thought it would be such a great help with thos..."Oooh, thanks for the tip! I can absolutely put it in airplane mode until I finish this one book I have out . . .
Anita wrote: "The ebooks don't seem to be renewable . . .perhaps bc there are long waiting lists for them . . .but more of an issue is I will be on vacation and out of the country when it expires. I just need to..."At my library, three days before an ebook is due, you should get (unless there are holds) a link to "renew". That's using Overdrive. I'm not sure if that's possible at all Overdrive libraries or not.
ETA: But the link only appears 3 days before it's due. You don't get to renew it before then.
LibraryCin wrote: "Anita wrote: "The ebooks don't seem to be renewable . . .perhaps bc there are long waiting lists for them . . .but more of an issue is I will be on vacation and out of the country when it expires. ..."You can only renew on Overdrive if no one has placed a hold. That's the same as with hardbacks. My library has Hoopla (which I only use for audio as Kindle is not currently supported) and they have unlimited copies but are a lot like Netflicks with books rotating in and out. They currently have maybe 25 books from my TBR of 375.
LibraryCin wrote: "Anita wrote: "The ebooks don't seem to be renewable . . .perhaps bc there are long waiting lists for them . . .but more of an issue is I will be on vacation and out of the country when it expires. ..."I think that must be a setting that the library selects. I've never had an option to renew - - even books that had no waiting list when I originally checked them out.
I'm jealous of all you with Overdrive that has renews. My overdrive library doesn't have renewals-ever.
Joi wrote: "I'm jealous of all you with Overdrive that has renews. My overdrive library doesn't have renewals-ever."So it's not just me being technically incompetent, lol . . .mine offers to let you buy the book when there are three days left!
Anita wrote: "LibraryCin wrote: "Anita wrote: "The ebooks don't seem to be renewable . . .perhaps bc there are long waiting lists for them . . .but more of an issue is I will be on vacation and out of the countr..."I think that must be a setting that the library selects. I've never had an option to renew - - even books that had no waiting list when I originally checked them out.
I currently have 2 books checked out. One has the renew option but the second doesn't. I'm assuming a hold has been placed on the second book. Overdrive just recently updated their site so I'm still working my way through the various options.
Anita wrote: "So it's not just me being technically incompetent, lol . . .mine offers to let ..."I'm now questioning myself on overdrive- like maybe I missed the renewal thing? I try and finish things before the three days so I can return them early. But the times that I have needed to renew I haven't been able to- but could have been because it was on hold for someone else? I'll have to save one and check the three day thing again for sure.
Joi wrote: "Anita wrote: "So it's not just me being technically incompetent, lol . . .mine offers to let ..."I'm now questioning myself on overdrive- like maybe I missed the renewal thing? I try and finish t..."
You cannot renew any book on Overdrive if there is another hold on it. I have three library cards and it is the same across all of them.
The key to this is to turn off your wireless - the book is 'returned' into circulation but remains on your Kindle until you turn the wireless back on. (Please note that this does not work on the HDX)
Joi, if there is a hold, the renew option wont show up. It will only show up with three days left and if there are no holds.
Ladyslott wrote: "Joi wrote: "Anita wrote: "So it's not just me being technically incompetent, lol . . .mine offers to let ..."I'm now questioning myself on overdrive- like maybe I missed the renewal thing? I try ..."
Is "Request Again" code for "renew" on Overdrive? I see that IS now available on one of my books (which I actually did finish . . .). It just appeared (about 2 days ahead of expiry).
Anita wrote: "Is "Request Again" code for "renew" on Overdrive? I see that IS now available on one of my books (which I actually did finish . . .). It just appeared (about 2 days ahead of expiry). ..."I do not think those are the same two things. I think that "request again" puts you back on the waiting list but does not renew it at that time...I feel like I have seen both renew and request again as separate options at different times...
The Watchmaker of Filigree Street – Natasha PulleyLexicon – Max Barry
alt.sherlock.holmes: New Visions of the Great Detective – Gini Koch, Glen Mehn and Jamie Wyman
Ashley’s War: The Untold Story of a Team of Women on the Special Ops Battlefield – Gayle Tzemach Lemmon
Missoula: Rape and the Justice System in a College Town – John Krakauer
Ghettoside: A True Story of Murder in America – Jill Leovy
$2.00 a Day: Living on Almost Nothing in America – Katheryn Edin and Luke Shaefer
The Autistic Brain: Thinking Across the Spectrum – Temple Grandin and Richard Panek
Hard Magic – Larry Correia
The Taking of Chelsea 426 – David Llewellyn
Watchmaker, Lexicon and Sherlock were well written, creative and enjoyable.
Hard Magic and Dr. Who (Chelsea 426) were just really fun.
The non-fiction were informative and important.
Almost finished with Underground Railroad which is graphic and emotional but I don't think it will be a top read of the year. It's still very fragmented and I don't think the author can or will tie it up at the end. I wanted to read Underground Airlines and Underground Railroad together since they were published nearly the same time to great fanfare. An English professor would have to work to tie them together though, and both are not my preferred style so they were the best disappointing books of the year for me.
Ladyslott wrote: "Joi wrote: "Anita wrote: "So it's not just me being technically incompetent, lol . . .mine offers to let ..."I'm now questioning myself on overdrive- like maybe I missed the renewal thing? I try ..."
Turning off the wifi to finish a book has never worked for me. Somehow it always returns anyway.
I feel really stupid. What is overdrive?
Regina wrote: "I feel really stupid. What is overdrive?"Don't feel stupid. It is a service that provides loans of electronic materials (ebooks and audio books). Libraries purchase the service to offer books to patrons via online access. So if you own a Kindle or other e-reader and have a library card, you can borrow books via Overdrive. Overdrive manages holds, waiting lists, etc. for each library. Libraries decide which books to license and offer to their patrons via Overdrive . . .but Overdrive manages the lending process.
I am changing my top 10 list which is listed in message #4. I am adding The Signature of All Things and removing Hillbilly Elegy (sadly because it was very interesting, but 10 books is 10 books).The Signature of All Things - Elizabeth Gilbert
Hot Milk - Deborah Levy
Shotgun Lovesongs - Nikolas Butler
Purity - Johnathan Franzen
Fates and Furies - Lauren Groff
My Name is Lucy Barton - Elizabeth Strout
The Tsar of Love and Techno - Anthony Marra
The Imperfectionists - Tom Rachman
84, Charing Cross Road - Helene Hanff
Tenth of December - George Sanders
I haven't actually finished The Signature of All Things, but am 80% finished, and it is spectacular. There's no way it won't make the list.
Regina wrote: "I feel really stupid. What is overdrive?"This is all new to me, too :)
Turning off the wifi to finish a book has never worked for me. Somehow it always returns anyway..."What kind of Kindle do you have? Turning on Airplane Mode should shut off all communication and the book should be on your Kindle. Unless it is an HDX, somehow there is an override on that device.
Nicole R wrote: "Anita wrote: "Is "Request Again" code for "renew" on Overdrive? I see that IS now available on one of my books (which I actually did finish . . .). It just appeared (about 2 days ahead of expiry). ..."I think i agree with nicole on this.
Anita wrote: "I am changing my top 10 list which is listed in message #4. I am adding The Signature of All Things and removing Hillbilly Elegy (sadly because it was very interesting, but 10 books is 10 books)...."
Lots of short stories on this list. I just got Tsar on Overdrive. Looking forward to starting it.
LibraryCin wrote: "Nicole R wrote: "Anita wrote: "Is "Request Again" code for "renew" on Overdrive? I see that IS now available on one of my books (which I actually did finish . . .). It just appeared (about 2 days a..."Thanks for the clarification. Then, I'm quite sure Overdrive is not supporting renewals at my library. I've borrowed some ebooks immediately suggesting no waiting list, and still have not been provided with a renewal option.
Sara wrote: "Anita wrote: "I am changing my top 10 list which is listed in message #4. I am adding The Signature of All Things and removing Hillbilly Elegy (sadly because it was very interesting, but 10 books i..."I think I'm kinda getting into short stories . . .which surprises me! Hope you enjoy Tsar . . .I liked it, but it is complex.
List updated as of 12/25/16It would be helpful if we all (myself included) would get back to just posting lists. I just went through more than 20 posts about Overdrive and there were only two posts relevant to the lists. I'm just as guilty as everyone else, but going forward it would be helpful to take this discussion over to Footnotes.
Thanks.
Ladyslott wrote: "Turning off the wifi to finish a book has never worked for me. Somehow it always returns anyway ..."Audiobooks can be an option for the problem of tight timelines for library electonic loans. For mp3 players I have no problem keeping an audiobook as long as I need. The Overdrive version on my computer that I downloaded it on erases, but not on the Sandisk device I use for listening.
Here is my list of top 10 books that I read during 2016:Trail of Broken Wings ~ Sejal Badani
One Summer, America 1927 ~ Bill Bryson
The Empress of Ice Crean ~ Anthony Capella
The Various Flavors of Coffee ~ Anthony Capella
Madam: A Novel of New Orleans ~ Lynn Cari
Five Days at Memorial ~ Sheri Fink
The Nightingale ~ Kristin Hannah
The Heretic's Daughter ~ Kathleen Kent
The Mascot ~ Mark Kurzen
Handle with Care ~ Jodi Picoult
Anita wrote: "Sara wrote: "Anita wrote: "I am changing my top 10 list which is listed in message #4. I am adding The Signature of All Things and removing Hillbilly Elegy (sadly because it was very interesting, b..."I actually really want to put the short story collection I just finished by Colum McCann on my top 10 list, but I can't figure out what to take off. Ugh!
I adored America's First Daughter so much it deserves to be on my top ten list for 2016. But I am technologically stupid. I don't think I'd even know how to find the original thread, not to mention fix it. And I'm not sure I want to. I like my to ten as is as it represents the year. I sort of was thinking this would be in my to ten from 2017. I'm only days off, who would care? Or remember. I guess I should have even mentioned it, in case someone is going to bother me over just a few days. It's more likely anyway in 2017 that others will read this book and I can then lend my vote. Truly, I'm that technically poor it would be an impossibility anyway. Just airing thoughts - but you should read it. I'm truly blown away.
Amy wrote: "I adored America's First Daughter so much it deserves to be on my top ten list for 2016. But I am technologically stupid. I don't think I'd even know how to find the original thread, not to mention..."If you really want to change it, it is message #16
Seriously I'd have no idea how. Don't try to explain it - it's not within my skill set. I'd rather wait....
Amy, just go to the post and hit edit, then change what you want and save.
Ladyslott wrote: "Amy wrote: "I adored America's First Daughter so much it deserves to be on my top ten list for 2016. But I am technologically stupid. I don't think I'd even know how to find the original thread, no..."What Anna said
I changed my list, I removed West With the Night and added The Nix which is my favorite book of the year.
My top ten from 2016:
The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics - Daniel James Brown
Ross Poldark - Winston Graham
A Year in Provence - Peter Mayle
Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
The Birth House - Ami McKay
The Other Einstein - Marie Benedict
West With the Night - Beryl Markham
The Last Runaway - Tracy Chevalier
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks - Rebecca Skloot
Rebecca - Daphne du Maurier
The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics - Daniel James Brown
Ross Poldark - Winston Graham
A Year in Provence - Peter Mayle
Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
The Birth House - Ami McKay
The Other Einstein - Marie Benedict
West With the Night - Beryl Markham
The Last Runaway - Tracy Chevalier
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks - Rebecca Skloot
Rebecca - Daphne du Maurier
This is unlikely to change, but you never know. I'm still reading. A Gentleman in Moscow - Amor Towles
To the Bright Edge of the World - Eowyn Ivey
The Lions of Al Rassan - Guy Gavriel Kay
The Tsar of Love and Techno - Anthony Maar
Memory Wall - Anthony Doerr
The Last Painting of Sara de Vos - Smith
Crooked Heart - Lissa Evans
A Room of One’s Own - Virginia Woolf
A Song for Arbonne - Guy Gavriel Kay
And the Mountains Echoed - Khaled Hosseini
The Alienist - Caleb CarrThe Kraken - China Mieville
The City Of Mirrors - Justin Cronin
The Queen Of The Night - Alexander Chee
It's A Long Story: My Life - Willie Nelson
11/23/63 - Stephen King
The Scar - China Mieville
& Sons - David Gilbert
84 Charing Cross Road - Helene Hanff
Tipping The Velvet - Sarah Waters
Marnie wrote: "The Alienist - Caleb CarrThe Kraken - China Mieville
The City Of Mirrors - Justin Cronin
The Queen Of The Night - Alexander Chee
It's A Long Story: My Life - Willie Nelson
11/23/63 - Stephen King
..."
It's good to see another Mieville fan!
Denizen wrote: "It's good to see another Mieville fan! "That's one author I always want to read, but somehow never get around to. Hopefully 2017 is the year it finally happens.
Anita wrote: "oh wow Linda on The Nix!!!"I loved the book, but since a good portion of the book was set in the 60's I really related to a lot of what happened. But I also think it's an amazing work of literary fiction. It's funny, sad, satirical and I became very attached to the characters. The book is very layered with people you may not like at first - but by the end of the book they have all grown on you. But it's rather long, over 600 pages, it could have been shorter but I don't think that detracted from my enjoyment at all.
Taking Anna and Linda's advice, I redid my top ten. So I fixed it in the thread, and then I need to re-post it? This is now message 16 and 50, but they should be identical.Safeekeeping was a Ten! So with America's First Daughter being also a 5 star read, I am redoing my top ten list, taking out the bottom two. Replacing Circling the Sun and Amy Snow, with America's First Daughter and Safekeeping!
for Linda/Lady, yes I am, replacing message 16 with this one, hopefully it works. On a computer it was in fact easy. And I would have had to figure out how to do it for the 2017 challenges anyway.
Amy's New Top Ten List:
Here Goes:
A Gentleman in Moscow - Amor Towles
Small Great Things - Jodi Picoult
A Marriage of Opposites - Alice Hoffman
A Man Called Ove - Frederik Backman
Hot Milk - Deborah Levy
Last Dance of Mata Hari - Michelle Moran
The Tsar of Art and Techno - Anthony Marra
The Zookeepers Wife - Diane Ackerman
America's First Daughter - Stephanie Dray
Safekeeping - Jessamyn Hope
Those were my top ten. I know these can't count but I want to give a nod to a few runners up. Truly Madly Guilty, 84 Charing Cross Road, Grace, and Snow Child. Adding to the old note, Amy Snow, and Circling the Sun
What fun! I can't wait to see others responses.
I think only 5 or so put Gentleman in Moscow down, and I don't know if that is enough to make the list, but I am sort of hoping so. My bets are on Ove, Tsar, God of Small Things, maybe even the Awful Lucy Barton, and possibly Gentleman?
Last minute change. Message 113. Replaced Brown Girl Dreaming with A Thousand Pieces of You.If you liked Dark Matter and YA, you should check out A Thousand Pieces of You!!
Play Book Tag
Books mentioned in this topic
Homegoing (other topics)The Death of Ivan Ilych (other topics)
The Beak of the Finch: A Story of Evolution in Our Time (other topics)
The Water Knife (other topics)
Girl at War (other topics)
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It was a 5-star read for me!