Trim 2020 Continuation - Announcement, Community, and Chit Chat Thread

[Amy]

I have actually finished the flight attendant. But I’m not posting any reviews until Goodreads fixes itself. I imagine other people might be feeling the same. I’m also 87% through with Voyager. Another review that I don’t wanna post until I know folks will see it. I have just started queen bee, which is a Dorothea Benton Frank book that is her newest, featuring a beekeeper. So it’s great for animals, and I wanted to read it this year. Not sure if it’s any tags. Not sure what Southern Gothic is but I doubt it fits that. It is however definitely southern. Too bad they don’t consider bees an industry.

[Olivermagnus]

October - #16

The Winds of War - Herman Wouk - 5 Stars

Throughout this story, Herman Wouk focuses on the Henry family: career naval officer Victor “Pug” Henry, his wife Rhoda, and their three children: sons, Warren and Byron and their daughter, Madeline. Through their experiences, the author details the story of World War II, in both Europe and the Pacific, over two volumes: The Winds of War and War and Remembrance. It is a story of extraordinary scope, and while some aspects of the war are described in greater detail than others, the result is a picture of this extensive conflict that feels complete.

The Winds of War recounts the historical story of the events between 1939 and the end of 1941, when Pearl Harbor is attacked by the Japanese and the US enters the war. Our fictional characters interact with people and events in Berlin, London, Moscow, Rome, Washington, DC, Manila, Warsaw, and Pearl Harbor. I enjoyed reliving the actual events through the eyes of those characters, which made them more interesting than just reading the pure history.

We also experience the Jewish story, personified in Natalie Jastrow and her uncle, Aaron Jastrow, who is a famous American author and former Yale professor who lives in Italy, and whom Natalie works for as a researcher. She is also the love interest of Pug's youngest son, Byron Henry. They will become ensnared in the horrors of Nazi anti-semitism. The book is made engaging and profound by Wouk’s weaving of world historical events into the personal lives of the Henry family members.

Interwoven throughout the novel are excerpts from writings from a fictitious book titled "World Empire Lost" written by a fictional German general that Pug meets at the beginning of the book. These chapters explain the German viewpoint of the events leading up to the war and perspectives on the German personalities that created Hitler and energize the Reich. Pug is doing a postwar translation and offers comments as well. This was a great way to explain the historical events of that particular section is concerned with.

I read this book for the first time over thirty years ago. It is incredibly detailed and historically accurate. It's not hard to feel an emotional entanglement with the well crafted characters. I think good historical fiction can teach a reader, as well as entertain him and Wouk is a master storyteller. By writing a novel, rather than a nonfiction history, he brings the story to life, giving it far more impact and making it much more memorable than if he had written straight history.

At almost 900 pages, this absorbing novel is one of the finest ever written depicting the events concerning our entry into the Second World War. The characters come alive as the novel unfolds. I think this is storytelling at its finest. Some parts may seem melodramatic but Wouk wrote this volume between 1964 and 1971, so the writing style reflects what was popular at the time.

I listened to the 46 hour audiobook, narrated by Kevin Pariseau, but I found it handy to also have a copy of the book to consult with occasionally. I plan to listen to the sequel, War and Remembrance, which continues the story of the Henrys from 1942 until the end of the war.

[Jen]

Waiting on the Nov number. Very much liked my sept read Wool but haven't read for my other challenges this month except TBR and TRIM so am way behind. Think I'll reset the timeline as before the start of the next school year (Jan) for the others or reading will be no fun.

Does anyone who does other challenges (ATY/PS etc) have any suggestions of how to keep it fun when you may not be in the mood for specific categories for months at a time? Any suggestions of new ways to do the challenge? Lots of people seem to plan it all out and attack it like homework or a chores list...….never much liked either.

[Theresa]

Jen wrote: "Waiting on the Nov number. Very much liked my sept read Wool but haven't read for my other challenges this month except TBR and TRIM so am way behind. Think I'll reset the timeline ..."

I do not plan really. I may set some books aside that catch my interest from my massive TBR. But badically I read what I wznt and fit it in. It is amazing how often a book I just happen to decide to read can be fit to some challenge I have. For example, I just read a book with "Twenty" in title that caught my eye when someone read it for Poll Tally, and when I finished I slapped my forehead and said 'DUH!' - it fit one of the remaining prompts for Pop Sugar.

I have enormous print and ebook TBR Towers. It is surpringly easy to find books I enjoy, and sometimes I just approach from a different angle....like finding a cozy mystety or a cowboy romance I can fit. I have no qualms reading fluff for challenges. I recently discovered the joy of graphic novels.

So maybe you just need to relax and think outside the box.

[Jen]

Theresa wrote: "Jen wrote: "Waiting on the Nov number. Very much liked my sept read Wool but haven't read for my other challenges this month except TBR and TRIM so am way behind. Think I'll reset t..."

I think you might be right. I did plan less this year and went through my (also massive TBR) putting multiple options by each prompt which went ok for about 6 months then motivation even for that vanished. I also really want to finish a few series next year rather than focus on challenges. I like that challenges broaden my reading horizons though. It's the whole work/life/reading balance I struggle with. Perhaps 6 months of just reading and see if they fit then decide if I'll do a challenge or have the whole year off. I'll keep PBT (and TRIM if it still runs for the last 12) though cos 12 a year on specific topics is easy.

[Theresa]

Jen wrote: "Theresa wrote: "Jen wrote: "Waiting on the Nov number. Very much liked my sept read Wool but haven't read for my other challenges this month except TBR and TRIM so am way behind. Th..."

Obviously at some point in challenges you are down to that handful of prompts where you actually have to hunt for a book to fit. But since my main goal is to read from TBR, that usually leads me to some deep digging or creative thinking and it works out. Psycholgy tag, for example, was not something I was happy about. But I knew I had plenty of thrillers that I could fit. So I settled into the Bert Lahr biography I really wanted to read. Lo and behold, it fit the tag perfectly. And that discovery perked up my interest in the tag.

This year was intense...I was reading Proust and doing Poll Tally and Pop Sugar. Finished Proust, behind in everything else and now I am reading Bulgakov. I did manage to keep up on monthly theme. I am already thinking of taking it much easier next year. I have a lot of catching up to do by year end on my 2020 challenges.

[Theresa]

Jen wrote: "Theresa wrote: "Jen wrote: "Waiting on the Nov number. Very much liked my sept read Wool but haven't read for my other challenges this month except TBR and TRIM so am way behind. Th..."

Sounds to me you need to shake up your strategy a couple times a year. At beginning of year, just read whatever you want, maybe finish a series, and fit them into challenges as you can. Over summer change it...focus on a specific genre or two, binge read, again fitting into challenges as you can. Then in fall become organized. Look over the challenges and set up some specific target reads, or join some buddy reads to get deeper.

[Johanne]

A couple of months ago I decided to drop ps and aty. It was such a relief. I don't really plan either, but the tracking seemed tedious, and I kept eyeing the prompts i knew wasn't going to happen by themselves, and the medical thriller prompt kept me in dread, and eventually I was, na not gonna make myself do that. I've kept bingo and a superhero related challenge in another group. Both those challenges have in common that things are revealed along the way, and that suits me well. I already have quite a lot of designated reading in my life since I review children's and YA books, and run two children and youth book clubs at work, so that's approximately 10 books a month that are decided for me. Most of those are not a chore and some are picture books, but it makes a need for a serious mood reading space.

[Johanne]

I also dropped out of trim.

[Johanne]

I've more or less followed the strategy Theresa proposes, the last couple of years with success, until now.

[Jen]

Johanne wrote: "I've more or less followed the strategy Theresa proposes, the last couple of years with success, until now."

Thanks ladies. I do enjoy getting new ideas from other challenge readers. I haven't posted much on any pages since April other than logging my books as completed. The volume of paperwork with 3 y12 courses, a y11 and 2 y9s has been insane and it looks like next year will be worse with 3 possibly 4 y12 courses and 2 y11 plus a y10 if the 4th y12 isn't needed. Due to COVID a lot of interstate teachers moved home which I totally get but the rest of us have had to pick up the slack. This year I am marking y12 exams for another state and moderating their school based coursework too so there won't be any down time until Christmas/summer holidays.

[Johanne]

Sounds like you need to make space for mood and fluff reading as well ...

[Theresa]

I made peace months ago that I am likely not going to finish most of the challenges I took on this year. I will keep just fitting whatever I am reading where appropriate. Or not. Without any push to do by year end. Use them to diversify my reading a bit.

I am not abandonning any. I just modified the personal goal from my usual finish on time, or preferably early, to seeing how much I manage in a year like this one. Just mentally putting a different perspective on why I do challenges. As a very competitive person and someone who feels guilty when she doen't finish things (taught by nuns in elementary school), that is key.

[Jen]

Johanne that is spot on!

Theresa I'm the same with having to finish what I start, hate to give up on anything, but life is short and there are so many good books out there why read them when you are not in the mood for them?

I will finish this year's challenges just not on time and I think I'm OK with that. With all the restrictions around the world atm time with people I care for, whenever possible, is way more valuable. I miss random hugs when I see friends shopping etc.

Thanks for the ideas!

[Joanne]

Jen wrote: "Theresa wrote: "Jen wrote: "Waiting on the Nov number. Very much liked my sept read Wool but haven't read for my other challenges this month except TBR and TRIM so am way behind. Th..."

In 2020 I started making up my own personal challenges and put them in my personal challenge thread here on PBT. I built them around books and genres I wanted to read(ie: HF Fantasy)-although I ended up filling in a lot of those books in these "selfie challenges, It would have gone better had I not got so into Poll Tally! LoL. However, even with Polls, I can count on my fingers the # of books I hated this year, and I only went into 1 bad reading funk (it did last way too long though). Read what you want, as Theresa says and go from there-it usually works out.

[Joanne]

🎷🎺NOVEMBER NUMBER ANNOUNCEMENT🎷🎺

The Number is 17

ugh for me-mine is The Seven Sisters, and I have no time for another 400+ page book-I will get to it sometime, Amy, I know you loved it

[Amy]

Hey I am not alone - there are a bunch of PBT-ers who went mad for this series.... The seventh is coming out sometime.

You know the Trim challenge was really meant to be stress free. if you don't like the book you were chosen to read. If other challenges take on more weight. If you are having a rough year.... I think we anticipated we would lose some, and there would be a handful of faithfuls, but that some folks would come in and out as they pleased. I see it as just another angle of community, and to finish the buddy reads planned, and to appease those like me, who can never leave a challenge undone.... I'm excited to see my 17. Will report back.

[[deleted user]]

Mine is Sense & Sensibility

[Amy]

My #17 is a book I have been wanting to read. It's called Something Beautiful Happened. It's I think a true story. Holocaust and yet another story of resilience and rescue. And fate intervening toward the the light. A theme lately. You know when we read so many accounts of how folks escaped WW2, and there are so many others that books have not made public, I have to believe in God, or collective unconscious, or something. I mean sure 6 million Jews and 12 million people died, but the amount of stories of people how escaped or were helped, or miraculously found loved ones is astounding. The amount of people who have unusual stories that saved them from 9/11, or from school shootings. I don't know why a merciful God would take these people, but certainly some were spared to tell the stories. There are hateful people out there, but there are also righteous ones. And in our current (American) crisis of conscience, there are righteous people standing up once more. We are developing an army of light. This is why I believe going forward, we are choosing humanity and goodness, and compassionate politics. This is our path. In any case, I feel like this is a lovely time to read a difficult book, and one where there is a beautiful story of resilience, friendship, and reaching out.

[Sallys]

Hi Amy. Did I not post my list? I thought that I did.

[Sallys]

If not where should I post it?

[Amy]

You did post it somewhere. Do you still have a copy? What is your #17? Honestly, since you are joining late, you can pick one of ours, one from the list at the top of the thread, or really any book you like. You can read the Seven Sisters with Joanne, even though she may not actually read it - lol.... You are welcome to read my historical fiction (nofiction?) with me, although not everybody is a WWII junkie like me. Might you have posted it on this thread? There is another planning thread for this challenge, and perhaps you posted it there. Curious what your number 17 was.... We will redo them for last 12 left in December, as long as the moderators have no problem with that for 2021.

[Amy]

Oh - most people are just keeping theirs, or putting them in their member tracking threads, or in the planning thread. That's how I had the master list made. Mine is on my laptop in my books folder, under 2020 challenges. I had a PBT friend, and we lined up our lists to read like up to ten books together, and I had a pang of missing her when I realized the next one up was one of those we had looked forward to enjoying together. Sometimes in this community, or more like once in awhile, folks mysteriously disappear, and then reappear years later. I just was really missing her when I saw the #17. Another person I am close with has been missing for a long while too. But every now and then a book brings a person back, or something does. I love how we are all surrounding Charlotte right now, and are there for dogs, jobs, illnesses, world crises, and the good stuff too. That was quite a digression, but you guys can tell I am in a moved and spiritual mood this morning. Deeply connective and deeply hopeful. In any case, I am grateful for the community, and this morning, feeling the love. So happy for Charlotte, but also that she has this community surrounding her and that we all do.

[Amy]

#Amygoesexistential, #Amyiscompletelyundone

[Sallys]

I'm so silly. I was responding to your initial post from 2019. My list is in my individual challenges. Going to check my #17 now. Good timing. I just finished a book.

[Sallys]

My #17 is The Lover by Yehoshua. Has anyone read it. I bought it on Amazon a while back because it grabbed my attention. But I'd love to hear from someone that it's good before I start it. There are tons of other books that I'd love to read. And I'm the type of person who won't abandon a book once I started it.

[Joanne]

Amy wrote: "You did post it somewhere. Do you still have a copy? What is your #17? Honestly, since you are joining late, you can pick one of ours, one from the list at the top of the thread, or really any book..."

Hold on now, I am going to read it Amy-just may not be until next year! LoL. I did decide that my 2020 list will include those I wanted to read and still have not gotten to, so there 😋

[Johanne]

My #17 is Nobel laureate Herta Müller's The Hunger Angel. Not sure I can stomach a book about post ww2 labour camp atm ... Though it's supposed to be really good.

[Jen K]

Mine is Behold the Dreamers which I do look forward to reading.

[Charlotte]

Awww... thank you Amy. Part of the visualization that I did was planning out the post that I was going to write. It's been so wonderful having you all as a community. I am so behind on Trim. I don't think I'll finish a single book this month for the first time ever.

My #17 The Heart's Invisible Furies

We'll see what happens with the end of the year.

[Sallys]

I loved Behold the Dreamers

[Olivermagnus]

My #17 is War and Remembrance, which is great because I just finished The Winds of War and I'll be able to continue the story without too much time passing.

[Booknblues]

Jen K wrote: "Mine is Behold the Dreamers which I do look forward to reading."

Jen, mine too. I have been way behind with this, but let me know when you will be reading.

[Jen K]

Booknblues wrote: "Jen K wrote: "Mine is Behold the Dreamers which I do look forward to reading."

Jen, mine too. I have been way behind with this, but let me know when you will be reading."

Fun! It looks readily available from the library but I may not manage until the second half of the month. Let me know if there is a good time for you.

[Booknblues]

Jen K wrote: "Booknblues wrote: "Jen K wrote: "Mine is Behold the Dreamers which I do look forward to reading."

Jen, mine too. I have been way behind with this, but let me know when you will be ..."

Alright then, I will plan for the second half of November.

[LibraryCin]

I still need to get to #16 from this month (had to wait a while for the library copy, and now I have a couple others I want to finish first. Anyway, it's here, so I'll get there.

My #17 is The Dalai Lama's Cat and the Power of Meow

I think have this one in print, so I just need to find it.

Oh, shoot! Its only now I've discovered this is #3 in a series. I think it was gifted to me. Oh, well. I don't imagine this is the kind of series that needs to be read in order!

[Amy]

Charlotte, you MUST get to that someday. Your number 17! Congratulations friend!


PS: I will update you all on my life on next Tuesdays thread. This week is for Charlotte.

[Theresa]

My #17 is Gertrude Stein's Three Lives. I could even get to it! This book has been in my nightstand TBR for years.

[Heather Reads Books]

lmao, my #17 is War on Peace: The End of Diplomacy and the Decline of American Influence by Ronan Farrow. Either a constructive or a depressing read for the month after the election, I suppose...

I have been neglecting my trim list lately, though. I need to get back on track!

[Jen K]

Booknblues wrote: "Jen K wrote: "Booknblues wrote: "Jen K wrote: "Mine is Behold the Dreamers which I do look forward to reading."

Jen, mine too. I have been way behind with this, but let me know whe..."

Looking forward to it!

[Shelly]

My #17 is American Wolf which I read (audio) in June when I couldnt get a copy of #19 Next Year in Havana.

I have been jumping around, trying to read 1 Trim book each month. So not sure what I will read this month. Maybe Next Year in Havana !

[Amy]

I really loved Havana!

[Book Concierge]

My # 17 is The Winter of Frankie Machine

[Jen]

The South Pole 2000 Is what I get. Actually might be just what I need right now, a bit of adventure and some inspiring women who achieve what they set out to.

[Meli]

My #17 is Lolita and it fits November's tag, woo hoo!
I really wanna get this controversial classic off my list so I will make as much effort as possible to finish it.

[Miriam]

Hey guys! I tend to get caught in all the hassles of real life a lot at the moment and only follow the discussion generally until I take time to comment like now. I have actually read my #16, Normal People by Sally Rooney, and loved it! And, what a coincidence: my #17 is Conversations With Friends by the same author! So looking forward to it, but I do have a few others on my list/plan before that.

[Meli]

Miriam wrote: "Hey guys! I tend to get caught in all the hassles of real life a lot at the moment and only follow the discussion generally until I take time to comment like now. I have actually read my #16, Norma..."

I've been that way the past couple months as well.
Work got busy so my ability to pop in online to chat has drastically reduced :(

[Joy D]

Finished October #16:

The Sunlight Pilgrims by Jenni Fagan - 3 stars - My Review

[Book Concierge]

I see I forgot to post that I did read # 6 (finished it back in Sept, but I'm so far behind in posting anything that isn't Poll Ballot ....)


The Boston Girl – Anita Diamant – 5*****
85-year-old Addie Baum is interviewed by her “favorite” granddaughter for a project. She focuses on her youth in the early 20th century, from age 15 to about age 30. I just loved this book. I loved Addie – feisty, intelligent, curious, determined, adventurous, compassionate. She’s a loyal friend and confidante. She’s also practical about her decisions, but still willing to take a risk. I was completely mesmerized by her storytelling.
My full review HERE

[Kelly]

November #17

The Dutch House by Ann Patchett



5 stars

Danny and his older sister, Maeve, have grown up in a large home in Pennsylvania referred to as The Dutch House. Their father purchased it after World War II for their mother who did not like it and soon left the family behind to follow her own dreams.

The father eventually remarries, but dies a few years later. Danny and Maeve are then kicked out of The Dutch House by their stepmother and depend on each other. Their close relationship is at the center of this story.

The actual Dutch House is often in their thoughts. It is a reminder of what they feel they have lost and who they think took it from them. Even though their time living there was not always pleasant the two go look at it for years.

The story is told from Danny’s view. He does not remember as much of his childhood as Mauve does. Through him the reader learns how Maeve puts in place a plan for Danny’s life whether he likes it or not.

The author has developed very interesting and different characters. Some become more clear as Danny grows up and realizes that the people around him have fuller lives than he knew, and Danny also feels he owes everything to Maeve for looking out for him. The Dutch House is an excellent book with a few unexpected turns. By the end of the story generations of the family are learned about and so are their different opinions of the house.