Foggy Book Club discussion
General
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Introductions
I'm Megan, or just Meg. I'm 25 and I live in Tennessee in the US! So, yes, I do have a cool accent. I'm a mom to a little 5 year old who is going on 30, I swear! I have fibromyalgia and ibs, depression and anxiety, on top of multiple surgeries I've had for a variety of things. My favorite book? That's a hard question! I love classics, like The Count of Monte Cristo and Frankenstein. I love reading The Little Prince with my daughter. I'm also a big potter nerd XDAnnoying thing about books? I always buy soooooo many on sale and never end up reading half of them until I find them again.
Hi I'm Sainab, I live in a city called Leicester in the UK. I'm 21 years old, and I've had Fibromyalgia since I was 14 but was diagnosed at the age of 16. On top of that I have IBS and Anxiety, but neither of those have been properly diagnosed. I used to have a hamster, they are super adorable, now we have two cute Guinea pigs.As for my favourite book...I hope no one finds me boring but I really like 20th century books. Especially Russian and Japanese literature. I also do enjoy comics(manga) and YA. Omg I'm a fan of Harry potter and the The Little Prince. There are soo many lessons to learn from the The Little Prince.
-I hate it when I buy a hardcover book, they are so hard to read from and so heavy :D
Mod
Hi Megan, nice to meet you! I also get too many books on sale and then more books and more books and some I never get around to reading, but then again, I have my whole life to read them so I think I'll be okay :p
Mod
Hi Sainab! Lovely to meet you :) I LOVE Guinea pigs, they are so sweet. I want a little group but we don't have the space. Oh, that's interesting, I don't mind hardcovers, I actually like them better. Weird huh? :)
Hi y’all! My name is Stine - though I go by Sága as well (I have three first names: Stine Sága Eir). I’ll be 35 this year, and I’m Norwegian - living in Norway.
Some thing(s) about me: I pride myself in being autodidact and a language nerd, so naturally - I’m currently attempting to teach myself Japanese. It is technically my 5th language, but I’m only fluent in two. I’m also married to a fellow Spoonie.
My conditions are, in order of appearance, Bipolar Type 2 Disorder and Panic Disorder both diagnosed in 2010; And Fibromyalgia diagnosed in 2018.
My favorite book is Alice in Wonderland. Something I find annoying about books is that some of them can be hard to find in local stores (in English), because I tend to avoid translations if I can - or - I avoid Norwegian translations, and opt for English ones if I can’t read the original language. Same goes for audiobooks.
People can find me under the handle @TheSpoonieSaga everywhere (twitter, instagram, facebook-page, tumblr and youtube) - and at www.thespooniesaga.com
Hi Everyone! My name is Kaitlyn. I am almost 23 years old. I live in the US. I have three adorable dogs and a blog about chronic illness, mental health, and lifestyle. I have Myasthenia Gravis (an neuromuscular condition), IBS, Depression, Anxiety, and possibly a couple of other conditions. My favorite book is The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls. I find books with small print annoying because it makes it more difficult for me to read. My Instagram is @purpleperplexing and my Twitter is @perplexingpurpl My blog is perplexingpurple.wordpress.com
Hey everyone I am Caty! I am 21 years old! I have been diagnosed with bipolar type 1, major depressive disorder (depression), general anxiety, social anxiety, fibromyalgia, and a rheumatoid disease (I may have rheumatoid arthritis still searching for an answer). I love cats, coffee, and crocheting. My biggest pet peeve about book is when the author make the main character wayyy to perfect. I am also a writer myself. You can find me on Instagram and Facebook as @catythewriter on Wattpad as @catyloveswriting on YouTube as Cathryn Lyle aka Chronically Caty. I am so excited to join this book club and can’t wait to meet all of you!❤️❤️
My name is Nancy. I'm 47 years old. I live in Hutchinson, KS, not far from Lawrence, KS for you Supernatural fans. I'm single and have three kids, two who are grown and a 15 year old with severe ADHD who lives with me full-time. I have a Siamese cat a tri-color corgi and a blue merle corgi. I'm also a planner. I have fibromyalgia and IBS. My favorite book is Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - that's right, the book that started it all! I don't like those hard to remove stickers on boks either, but the most annoying this is that I tend to watch videos or read things and immediately have to go find the book. Other than books, I'm a relaxed minimalist. People can find me on facebook - Nancy French, Instagram as @nancy.french and twitter as @nancyfrenchy.
How nice to meet all of you! My name is Remember Me. Yes, that is really my name. I am Native American and live in North Carolina, United States of America. I am 23 years old, married, have a 2 year old boy, a service dog and a retired service dog. I like playing with makeup.I have been diagnosed with fibro, border line personality disorder, IBS, PTSD (and anxiety but I think that's just part of the PTSD), autism, hypothyroid (recently found out I have precancer, that's a thing), anemia, POTS, EDS, asthma, and lupus. I don't think I missed anything. I've spent my whole life in the hospital practically.
I like classical literature the most. Jane Austen is probably my favorite writer. Favorite book probably pride and prejudice. I hate the paper sleeve on hard covers. Oh my gosh, they always get crumbled, in the way, and eventually lost... Maybe its just me.
I am on Instagram the most. @nativepawsquad
Hi there my name is Shelby and I'm 20 years old from California. I work for an elementary school as a paraprofessional, I love music, watching anime and playing table top role playing games with my friends. I'm diagnosed with fibromyalgia, major depression disorder, anxiety, and asthma. It's been so long since I've read I dont even know if I have a favorite book, but I love the horror and mystery genre.I've never read the Harry Potter series but would definitely like to. I really hope this book club can help jumpstart my love for reading again ❤. You can find me on Instagram: @prettygaurdian_sailorsavage and on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ShelbySavage143
Hi all! I'm Nico, I'm 35 and live in the United States in Kansas City area. I'm a bibliophile and musicophile of the worst sort. I'm always either trying to read something, listen to something, or both. I have a cat that behaves more like a dog and follows me around everywhere I go--which is a bit funny. I love nature, animals, and the study of both. I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia at 15 and by that time had a two-page list of symptoms (some basic, some kind of weird but I've heard so many others describe too). After that, I was diagnosed with a lot of the unflattering buddy-illnesses like IBS, IC, migraines, and so forth. But the worst was at 21 I experienced a sensation like my face was being shocked and then burned from the inside out and it kept coming in waves. It took time, but then I was diagnosed with a rare disease called Trigeminal Neuralgia that usually only happens to those who are 40+ (but even them rarely). I think mine was brought on by a dental injury. I also have very, very recently been diagnosed with two back issues: one of which is arthritis and I am hoping is JUST in the back and not elsewhere. I also struggle with depression and generalized anxiety disorder.
Favorite book is probably Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke. Which is kind of magicians battling it out if written in the style of Jane Austen, which is such a joy since I love Austen as well. I also love the Harry Potter series, especially the Half-Blood Prince. And I'm a tremendous fan of Ursula K. Le Guin, so just about anything she's written I've loved or at least liked.
Something I find annoying about books is probably how my TBR list never, ever shrinks. It shrinks by five, I get excited, and then I find ten more books I want to read. And just that with so many health problems, it can be hard to stay focused. I only use Twitter @TeacupNico and no other social sites at this time (I'd get too overwhelmed I think).
Mod
My name is Stine - though I go by Sága as well (I have three first names: Stine Sága Eir). I’ll be 35 this year, and I’m Norwegian - living in Norway.
Some thing(s) about me: I pride ..."
Hi Sága!
Welcome!!
Norway is one of my favourite European countries I've ever visited (after Portugal, of course hehe)
What are your languages? I can speak portuguese and english fluently, French not so fluently, and I know a lot of Spanish and Italian. I also tried to teach myself Japanese last year but my brain fog was so bad that I would forget everything and get super confused and frustrated..
I am the exact same with translations, I will always prefer reading it in the original language, and often can tell in portuguese translations where they have made mistakes which annoys me so much!
But I find that over here, we still get a big selection of books in english and that they are normally cheaper than the portuguese versions.
A little tip for you, in case you don't know, is bookdepository.com - they have relatively good prices, and have free worldwide shipping! I've ordered from them a few times and I’ve never had any problems so far! :) (also they always include a book mark and they have different ones every month, so you can collect them, if you're into that!)
If I'm getting library books though, I don't mind so much cause I didn’t have to pay for them.
Mod
Hi Kaitlyn, welcome!
DOGS! I wish I had three dogs! 🐕 🐩
My pooch lives with my parents, I'm working on my resistance so I can bring him to live with us, because we live in an apartment I will need to walk him so I need to be able to walk everyday before I put him through such a change.
Please feel free to send me photos of your pups though, so I can live through you! :D
Also, books with small print fool you into thinking it's not such a long read and then you're squinting for hours and get a headache, ugh! lol 😆
Mod
Welcome Caty!
What kind of writing do you do? :)
I know what you mean, sometimes the characters are so perfect, that it doesn't seem real. But I also get annoyed when the author makes the character make too many bad decisions, where you're just sitting there yelling "why would you do that" at a book ahaha
Mod
Hi Nancy, welcome to the club!
I adore corgis! They are one of my partner's dream dog too, so I expect we will have one one day too!
I swear I do the same! When I watch book review videos I am always holding my phone open on the goodreads app to look up the book and add it to my tbr!
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Hi Ronja! Nice to meet you, and welcome to the Club!
I hope you can get back to university eventually, and that this helps you read more!
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Hi Remember Me, welcome!
I hate the paper sleeves on hardcovers too! They keep riding up while you're reading and start looking super battered after a while, ugh.
I hope you enjoy the book club :)
Mod
Hi Shelby!! Welcome to the club :)
I love board games too, but we don't have a big friend group so we miss out on games for more people, but we are working on it! I think they're so cool, and such a fun way to pass the time!
I also have a great love for the mystery genre, particularly murder mysteries, and detective novels! (I'm a sucker for Agatha Christie)
I hope you find your love for reading again, too! I find it incredibly therapeutic :)
Mod
Hello Nico! Welcome :)
I'm the same way, I am always finding gaps to do a little reading and whatever I can do while listening to music, you can bet I will! My boyfriend got my wireless headphones for christmas and I am ALWAYS wearing them, while I do housework, when I go for walks, etc.
I tried reading a book by Ursula K. Le Guin a few months ago but I was so incredibly confused I couldn’t go through with it. But magicians battling à la Jane Austen sounds amazing!
I will try to always post to twitter every update so you can stay in the loop :)
Olga wrote: "Stine wrote: "Hi y’all! My name is Stine - though I go by Sága as well (I have three first names: Stine Sága Eir). I’ll be 35 this year, and I’m Norwegian - living in Norway.
Some thing(s) abou..."
Coincidentally, Portugal - specifically the city/town of Aveiro - is one of my favorite European countries that I've visited. I liked Porto too, but Aveiro was a little quieter and I prefer the slightly cooler climate.
Norwegian has two official written forms, and we are taught both in school, so I'm *technically* fluent in both of those, plus English. I also had French in school, but I can't speak it - really. I can read it, to a degree, though. Learning Japanese, and especially teaching oneself Japanese, is a long process, and I'm taking my time with it. I don't expect to be fluent in it at all, but every time I watch an anime and understand half a sentence, I get so excited :D
I usually get most books on Kindle, or Audible, but sometimes it's nice to have a physical copy. I have checked out bookdepository before. Seems like a good service. Libraries here hardly _ever_ have the English version of whatever book I'm looking for, and because I get brain-foggy sometimes, I forget to return the books I check out... sooo...... I get fined. I'd much rather spend the money (for the fine) on purchasing the book for myself, hehe.
Olga wrote: "Nico wrote: "Hi all! I'm Nico, I'm 35 and live in the United States in Kansas City area. I'm a bibliophile and musicophile of the worst sort. I'm always either trying to read something, listen to s..."I actually received noise-canceling headphones as a gift about a year ago now, and it's pretty much one of the few things I can recommend to anyone no matter what chronic pain problem they're struggling with. I think it's harder to block out external noises and really enjoy music when pain is even a 6, let alone an 8+.
I didn't know about bookdepository myself, so I bookmarked it for later use.
I haven't used the library nearly as much since I was younger, because I'm worried about fines as well Stine. It's just another thing I have to remember and would be concerned would slip through the cracks.
Mod
My name is Stine - though I go by Sága as well (I have three first names: Stine Sága Eir). I’ll be 35 this year, and I’m Norwegian - living in Norway.
Some ..."
That's cool! I love Porto too :)
I think that must feel amazing indeed, to work so hard to learn a language and start to understand it a bit, it's like reaping the rewards.
Yes, my library has a very poor selection of foreign language books, and they are all jammed together in one shelf - there's russian, german, norwegian (yes, really!), sweedish, english, french.. But it's like a few books of each. Most of the English ones are Stephen King, and it's not really mu cup of tea. Anyway, I tend to get the portuguese version of books I'm not sure I'd like to save me some money.
Hm, I'd never considered the forgetting to return the books. My library sends reminder emails, and I can call them and extend the loan if I can't go return them. But I don't tend to forget that kind of thing cause I write it all down on my bullet journal. But I get it, it doesn't work for everyone, and it's definitely more work to use the library!
Mod
Yes, totally!
I understand. It's not a problem for me, and I tend to find the trips to the library a nice afternoon out - where I would otherwise be stuck home alone. But I know it's not for everyone! :)
Hello! I'm Ari, I'm 17 (oh the joys of chronic illness as a teenager) and I live in England - although I'm also fluent in Italian.I have chronic pain + fatigue (getting investigated for fibro), POTS and probably a few other things that I'm currently trying to get to the bottom of. I'm also autistic, ADHD and have generalised anxiety.
I love animals and have a cat and rats (would absolutely love a dog but it wouldn't be good for my health)!
My favourite book is probably Snugglepot and Cuddlepie - sounds questionable but it's a lovely traditional Australian story about 'gumnuts,' tiny people-like things living in the Australian bush.
The thing I find most annoying about books is how hard it is for me to read them nowadays. It hurts my eyes, head, neck and back no matter what I do - recently started using audiobooks and apart from auditory processing issues, they're so much more convenient!
I'd rather not share my social medias but i'm always lurking around! Really excited to join, thank you so much for making it!
Wheelz wrote: "Hello! I'm Ari, I'm 17 (oh the joys of chronic illness as a teenager) and I live in England - although I'm also fluent in Italian.I have chronic pain + fatigue (getting investigated for fibro), P..."
Hi Ari! Don't get discouraged by chronic pain as a teenager. I went through it, and it gets easier. If anything by the time you're even 19 you'll be so confused why everyone else is getting upset by some "problems."
I looked up the book you mentioned, and it sort of reminds me of my favorite book series when I was a kid: the Serendipity series. I have so many cherished memories reading those books, admiring the illustrations, and just adoring a more gentle peaceful world.
One trick I do for reading is I put my heating pad on high and put it around my neck, then put a neck pillow around the heating pad. I look absolutely ridiculous, but it traps the heating pad in place and keeps that neck and head pain down a bit. And you have to be pretty immobile while doing it, so good excuse to read (or listen to an audiobook!).
I hope you get answers soon on the Fibro question and any other medical mysteries. It can be tough waiting on those answers.
Olga, I'm so jealous that you get call/text reminders from your library! At mine, we don't get any of that. Not unless they just introduced it and I'm unaware. We get a "receipt" at book check-out saying when it's due that's very flimsy, so you have to definitely mark it in a calendar. But with all the doctor appointments it can get... lost in there amongst the jumble. lol
I'm Sadie Agatha, an Alaskan 17-year-old and blatant lesbian. Some of my goals are to go to Pride, study environmental science at a women's college, and change the world, but considering all that is overwhelming so I won't go into detail.
I deal with depression, anxiety, and the lingering effects of emotional abuse from my family. I also have some issues with perfectionism, although that (and my self-esteem) have gotten tons better since I started my journey through mental health efforts. Physically, I don't have any diagnoses, but I deal with off-and-on headaches and a lot of back and hip pain that I'm unable to get checked out.
I have many, many favorite books, although the book "Perfect" by Ellen Hopkins is really close to my heart. I connect with Cara, and her brother Conner in the book "Impulse". Another favorite, one that makes me feel powerful and strong, is "The Vagina Monologues" by Eve Ensler. It helps me connect with myself when I read it.
My least favorite thing about books is when too many follow the same story line. I don't mind predictability at all, but I like varied predictability. It's one of the main reasons I dislike "chick flicks" and traditional romances, because there is rarely enough variety from one to another to hold my attention.
Mod
I have chronic pain + fatigue (getting investigated for fibro), P..."
Hi Ari!
Welcome to the club :)
I'm sorry you're ill so young, but I guess illness doesn't really care what age we are. I hope you find some answers soon, and that you can take some steps to make life a little better and less painful.
I have never heard of that book but it sounds very sweet. I need to add it to my TBR (this is how we end up with endless tbr's lol)
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I have chronic pain + fatigue (getting investigate..."
Nico, you have some good tips! That neck idea is genius!
Well, I don't know about other libraries, cause I hadn't used a library on a regular basis since I was a kid, but yes, basically I live in the suburbs of lisbon and our town is part of like a bigger "city" (kind of like a council) - so each town in our "city" has a library but they're all part of the same library, if you know what I mean. So I could go to any library in the city to get books out and return them to any other library in the city as well, which is kind of cool.
Whenever you get a book out, you automatically get an email from the Library system saying what books you got and when you need to return them (and their contacts in case you need to extend the time). And as the date gets nearer, you get automatic email reminders. You also get an automated email when you return them. It's really nice, I think and since they're all automated messages, its really not a lot of work for the library itself.
So yeah, I think I have a decent library, only wish it was bigger and had more foreign books! :)
Mod
Hi Renee! Welcome!
Mr. Taco is such a great name!
I have been meaning to read The Night Circus for ages, and I found it in enlgish at the library yesterday so I checked it out and shall hopefully get to it soon.
What you said about being sad that books end, I feel you. Sometimes when I'm really enjoying a book, and I start getting to the end, I get conflicted because I don't want it to end but also need to know what happens!
Mod
Some of my goals are to go to Pride, study environmental science at a women's college, and change the world, but considering all that..."
Hello Sadie!
Welcome!
How do you find living in Alaska?
I'm really happy you are getting better and working on yourself. It really is something to be proud of :) Also, I hope you find some answers to your pain soon. It can really help knowing what is causing your pain.
I know exactly what you mean, with Chick Lit, you know exactly what is going to happen from the first chapter, and it always seems like the same story.
I find that murder mysteries normally are predictable in a good way - you know there will be lots of plot twists but they take you on a journey and it's exciting.
Hello =) my name is Marcena, I'm 24 and lucky to live in a little slice of paradise in southern California U.S. with my beloved spoonie partner and our cat Coraline who's obsession with office supplies rivals my own. I am an artist, pacifist, folklore nerd, and green thumb, who's halloween decorations stay up all year. My confirmed diagnosis' are endometriosis, major depressive disorder, and cptsd. As I'm sure many of you may be I am also fighting for some sort of diagnoses that explains other long term symptoms, in my case pain, involuntary muscle movements, and dislocations. (If you can relate, keep fighting, you're so very worth it.)
As for my favorite book (only the most difficult question in the world! lol) of all time it would have to be Alice in wonderland, I read it maybe 3 times a year. Current favorite however is The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman.
The thing that drives me nuts is when what looks like a best seller sticker is actually printed into the cover, I just...why...why would they do that to a beautiful book? I don't understand. But my favorite thing is reading a very old copy of a book, theres nothing else quite like that experience.
You can find me on instagram @mistandmoonbeams feel free to come say hello, my ears are always open =)
Marcena wrote: "Hello =) my name is Marcena, I'm 24 and lucky to live in a little slice of paradise in southern California U.S. with my beloved spoonie partner and our cat Coraline who's obsession with office supp..."I love the Graveyard Book too, Marcena! It's wonderful. I read it and listened to the full-cast audiobook production as well--which was such a treat. I'm a serious Halloween enthusiast, too. I don't keep my decorations up all year, partially because I have a roommate and shared space and all that, but they go up PRETTY EARLY. lol
The dislocations and pain definitely sound symptomatic of Ehler's Danlos syndrome. I hope you find an answer soon. Good luck, I know how awful that purgatory is when you're between a diagnosis. I keep getting out of that purgatory and then slipping back in it again when something new comes up.
I hate the sticker thing, too. I keep my nails so carefully filed and short (I never want to accidentally hurt someone if nothing else), and it makes it impossible to get those stickers off.
Mod
Hi Marcena! Welcome to the Club!
Can I hire you to keep my plants alive? I can pay in long rants about random things and also I'm pretty good at making food so maybe that?
I am also obsessed with stationary! I agree with Nico that your dislocations sound like EDS but I don't know much about that at all.
OMG the fake stickers! I know! And sometimes when the brain fog is thicker it takes you a while to realise you're just scratching at your book cover... UGH! lol
And I just remembered another annoying thing - When you are being super careful with a paperback and accidentally crack the spine. This happens especially with larger books.. I am reading Truly Devious and this happened and I am too upset about it haha.
Hi!!!!!!! I've been fighting the app to try to post this for SO long! On the website itself now!!I'm Robin. I am a 30 year old woman living in Kansas City Missouri USA (Nico: hi neighbor!!)
I have 4 silly wonderful rescued senior dogs that I call the Oddballs.
I have been diagnosed with depression, anxiety, migraines, and borderline personality disorder and am working through finding an answer to my chronic pain/inflammation. (Shout out to Olga for being such a support to me right now!!)
My favorite book is Shrill by Lindy West.
I have a major case of tsundoku, aka I buy a ton of books but don't read them. They're currently beautifully organized by color as my largest decor in my sitting room. Moreso, my biggest book pet peeve is when they seem to just END with nothing really tied up clearly!!
Find The Oddballs and me on Instagram at @rjharman13.
Robin wrote: "Hi!!!!!!! I've been fighting the app to try to post this for SO long! On the website itself now!!I'm Robin. I am a 30 year old woman living in Kansas City Missouri USA (Nico: hi neighbor!!)
I ha..."
Wow, hey yourself, neighbor! :D That's so cool (and hey, even close-ish in age). Small world!
Hope you find a diagnosis that explains your chronic pain and inflammation. I know how terrible it is to go without that answer, especially as someone who delves into researching things and trying to find solutions and life-improvements (even if it's small things).
I have a major case of digital tsundoku. I used to have a ton of physical books, but I kept having to move to smaller and smaller apartments and so... yes, space became problematic. And just having to haul them with each move. So, oddly enough, I guess that's another thing I don't like: wishing I had infinite book space.
I haven't read Shrill, but I need to, I've enjoyed the TV show a lot. It feels very authentic to some experiences I've had.
Mod
I'm Robin. I am a 30 year old woman living in Kansas City Missouri USA (Nico: hi neighbor!!)
I ha..."
Hi Robin, I'm glad you finally won over Goodreads haha!
Welcome to the club :)
I'm glad to help :)
I know what you mean, when you are left wondering what the hell happened.. I read a book last summer, Orphan of the Sun, that I was so invested in, really liked the characters and everything, and it ended with the laziest ending ever, so many characters left out, so much left unanswered..
Hello my name is Nancy. Half Japanese. I am 58 years old. I have two children. A son who is 30 and daughter who is 28. We have 6 dogs, 2 cats, and 1 parakeet. I live in Sacramento county in California (USA). I have fibromyalgia, psoriatic arthritis, IBS, depression and anxiety. I like to read any book that keeps me awake. The way a book feels is important to me. Peace be with you all.
Mod
Hi Nancy!
Welcome to the Club!!
6 dogs sounds like a lot of dog energy which is not a bad thing! :)
I hope you enjoy the books we start reading together!
Hi Nancy,I'm going to be 51 this coming Monday (the 29th of July) I have two sons 26 & 22 (on the 25th of July) I've been married 27 years. I'm a huge reader and a steward of a Little Free Library for 4 years. I too, have fibromyalgia- also rheumatoid arthritis and diabetes type 2. Along with Hashimoto's, Hypothyroidism, IBS, clinical depression, and anxiety. I recently graduated from the community college with an AA degree. I'm so happy that I was able to finish my degree when I did my health is knocking me down. I'm on a new medication (RA) in hopes to be in remission. On a new pain medication for fibromyalgia. I use reading, movies, music, and journaling to distract me from the daily pain & struggles. I read you post & felt a kindred spirit.
Vickie wrote: "Hi Nancy,I'm going to be 51 this coming Monday (the 29th of July) I have two sons 26 & 22 (on the 25th of July) I've been married 27 years. I'm a huge reader and a steward of a Little Free Library..."
Happy early Birthday, Vickie! I love Little Free Libraries. There's one that is well-cared for near where I live that I donated to a couple of times (when I had some copies that weren't second-hand already before I got them and so looked really nice--I'm a bit obsessive with book care... haha).
Congrats on your degree! It's always an accomplishment, but even more meaningful when you have health problems of that magnitude getting in the way. Good luck with your new medication. I know how it can be, with multiple illnesses, myself personally I always seem to be trying something new (a new medicine, new diet, just... something always).
Hello!1)Name - Skyler
2)Age - 26
3)Country - USA
4)Something about yourself - I'm a video gamer and bullet journaler
5)Your conditions - MCAS, EDS, POTS, and a pluthera of mental health issues (cPTSD, DID, OCPD, Social Phobia, etc)
6)Favorite book - hmmm that's a tough one... but when I got married almost 2 years ago I used pages from my favorite romance book - Between the Lines - to make roses for my bouqet. I emailed the author to ask her permission and she emailed me back that very day to give her blessing for me ripping up a copy of her book. It was the most amazing part of getting ready for the wedding to me, to have a favorite author of mine give me her blessing and congratulate me on getting married
7)Something you find annoying about books (it's amazing how much bonding can be done when we complain with someone about the same thing, 😜 ) - when authors don't understand "show don't tell", I can't stand over-explaining of clothes, environment, etc. The point of a book is giving you a world that you can in your mind see, if I wanted to be told exactly what to see I'd watch a movie
8)Where people can find you, if they want to (social media) - I don't have social media, but am on goodreads daily!
Hi! I'm Taegan, I'm 15 and currently living in Scotland (also homeless oops)! I suppose the homelessness is an interesting fact, right? I have anxiety, depression, possibly other mental illnesses and a debilitating, undiagnosed physical disability. My current favourite book is The Tattooist of Auschwitz. I find the level of concentration I need to read annoying haha! My main social media is Instagram (@sunromantic) and Facebook (Taegan Lewis). It's lovely to meet you all!
Mod
1)Name - Skyler
2)Age - 26
3)Country - USA
4)Something about yourself - I'm a video gamer and bullet journaler
5)Your conditions - MCAS, EDS, POTS, and a pluthera of mental health issues (c..."
Hi Skyler! Welcome to the book club!
I loved that you made your bouquet out of pages from a book, so creative! :)
Mod
Hi Taegan, nice to meet you and welcome to the book club!
I hope your homelessness can be solved asap, and that you are safe :)
I also find how much concentration i need to read a little annoying sometimes haha I'd never thought about it until you said that!
Mod
Hello Trev! I'm so sorry it took me so long to get back to you!
What kind of video games are you into?
Aw, I'm so glad you found us! You are not alone, and I hope you can become a part of our teeny tiny community :)
Please leave some book suggestions in the "Book Submissions" Thread! :)
- I'm Michelle. - I'm 33.
- Born and raised in the US (I would've loved to travel before fibro).
- I've had fibromyalgia since 2010 and was officially diagnosed in 2012.
- I used to be on a bowling league and averaged 149 (out of 300).
- My favorite book is Lord of the Rings (but Tad Williams is my overall favorite author).
- I love physical books but I hate how heavy hardcovers are, and usually buy my chonky epic fantasy books as trade paperbacks. 😱
Hi everyone :)I'm Heather, 35, originally from London and now live in Glasgow, Scotland. I'm a pop culture and disability awareness blogger and content creator who blogs about all things geeky, living with seven chronic illnesses and my love for beauty products. I'm a massive bookworm and regularly review books, with fantasy, science fiction, horror and urban fantasy being my favourite genres. As a disabled bisexual woman I'm always on the lookout for diverse books and recently found out about We Love Diverse Books (so love that this group was founded as a result of that movement!).
I'm a massive geek, gamer and have research superpowers. I'm also a bit of an overachiever with two undergrad degrees (Art History, and English Literature) and was planning a career as a Librarian when my seventh chronic health condition, ME/CFS came along and quite literally kicked my ass as I was studying for my Masters in Information and Library Studies. I was very fortunate to have a fantastic and supportive supervisor (who was also chronically ill) and department that allowed me to go on medical leave for the full time, so I was able to finish my dissertation and graduate with merit!
My other health conditions are hypermobile Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (hEDS), chronic migraines, asthma, IBS, anxiety and depression, and rhinitis.
Favourite books... umm.. too many to name?! :D Kushiel Legacy by Jacqueline Carey, the Iron Druid Chronicles by Kevin Hearne and Old Magic by Marianne Curley are at the top, but I could go on and on so I'm going to stop there! As for something that annoys me about books.. it's got to be the lack of real disability representation in them.
You can find me talking about all of these openly on my blog at Just Geeking By - http://geeking-by.net
And I'm on social media as justgeekingby, feel free to come say hi!
Hi Heather, welcome! Glad you had such an understanding supervisor and were able to finish your degree. I hope you're able to find work in the library field that will be possible despite your conditions. I was diagnosed with POTS last summer and there is such an overlap in symptoms between POTS and ME/CFS (that crippling fatigue, vertigo, weakness, headaches, stomach issues) that oftentimes POTS has to be ruled out before ME/CFS is considered, so I can empathize a bit.
I actually finished an anthology called Carniepunk that had a short story by Hearne in the same Iron Druid Chronicles universe, and was curious about the books given that it was one of my favorite stories of the collection.
My own introduction/about me is message 14, so more toward the top if you're interested.
Glad you've joined!
Hi Nico,Thanks for the welcome. Unfortunately, my ME/CFS on top of the other six conditions has made working very difficult and I've been housebound ever since, mostly just going out for appointments. Before the pandemic, we used to go away for a convention once a year, which would leave me exhausted but was worth it.
But I currently sleep over 12 hours, so I use the skills I've picked up from my degrees in my freelance work and I'm hoping to start a virtual research business by the end of the year. I'm hosting a big event in September for the disability community so I'm slowly beginning to work forward, it's just a very slow journey.
I've read Carniepunk and it's one of my favourite anthologies! It has a lot of my favourite urban fantasy authors in it, and that story is a pretty good view of the Iron Druid Chronicles universe :D
Foggy Book Club
Books mentioned in this topic
The Historian (other topics)Carniepunk (other topics)
Between the Lines (other topics)
I thought we could start this off by introducing ourselves and getting to know each other a little bit.
I will leave a few suggestions of what you can include (but feel free to say as much as you want), and I will introduce myself too!
1)Name
2)Age
3)Country
4)Something about yourself
5)Your conditions
6)Favorite book
7)Something you find annoying about books (it's amazing how much bonding can be done when we complain with someone about the same thing, 😜 )
8)Where people can find you, if they want to (social media)
Okay, so I'll go first!
I'm Olga, I just turned 26 and I am Portuguese. I live in the suburbs of Lisbon with my boyfriend. We have a cute hamster. I have Fibromyalgia, diagnosed in February 2018, IBS diagnosed in December 2018. My favorite book is probably Harry Potter and The Half Blood Prince, but I am a Potterhead through and through so all of them. Other books that have also really spoken to me were The Little Prince and Tuck Everlasting. The one thing that annoys me beyond reason in books is store stickers or "best seller" stickers that are super hard to take off and sometimes ruin the book when you peel them off! UGH hahah.
Places where you can find me are Instagram and Twitter (@OlgaChronics), YouTube (@Olga Chronics) where I make videos twice a week about Fibromyalgia and my life with it, and also Etsy (@Crafty O Designs) where I sell some of the crafts I make to cope with the pain/anxiety/depression.
I can't wait to meet all of you <3
Make sure you leave a book suggestion for our first book! :D