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

[Jen]

Meli wrote: "Amy wrote: "Thank God it’s unofficial! I have yet to not make a challenge work. But I did Joanne and Teresa’s trim number nine, Or 12 or whatever we’re up to now, and I’m still only 25% into Carell..."

Well I've sucked and not completed one book for anything in the last 2 weeks. Life is being a total cow atm.

[Theresa]

Life is being a total cow atm.

😂😂😂😂😂

Oh Jen! I have never heard that one before but describes my past couple of days perfectly!

[Heather Reads Books]

I also fell behind on this challenge. January's pick, The Terror, was just too long for me (I just finished my other chonker for the Poll Ballot Tally and couldn't stand the thought of tackling another at the moment). Then I had a surprisingly hard time getting my hands on my February pick (still #2 in the hold line at the library for the ebook, the only version I could find).

My March pick is A Place for Us by Fatima Farheen Mirza, and it was readily available at the library, so I'm jumping right to that one for now! About 40 pages in, very good writing so far, and less than 400 pages long. We'll see how it goes. :)

[Joanne]

I am going to say it here and now-The chances of me finishing my March book in March-ain't going to happen. I will read it. But it won't get crossed off in March

[Amy]

Finally finished my 2nd #9, Correlli's Mandlolin.

[Meli]

I am officially DNFing my March pick, My Absolute Darling.

It's depressing, none of the characters are at all likable, the dialogue feels weird, and the incessant descriptions of the nature in the area are driving me bonkers. At the halfway point I feel like I am getting nothing out of it so I am done! Gross, hate this book.

[Joanne]

Meli wrote: "I am officially DNFing my March pick, My Absolute Darling.

It's depressing, none of the characters are at all likable, the dialogue feels weird, and the incessant descriptions of t..."

Still got it off your shelf! so Hurrah! for that

[Meli]

Joanne wrote: "Still got it off your shelf! so Hurrah! for that."

Agree, that is what is important!

[Amy]

Loving this no pressure! Freedom to DNF is a good thing!

[Joy D]

Finished #22 for the Trim:

Dawn by Octavia E. Butler - 4 stars - My Review

[Sue]

I finished my March trim book Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate - 5 Stars

Link to my review: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

[Amy]

I just finished (with Kelly) our 22 substitution The Foretelling by Alice Hoffman, which also helps the Purple People with Kentucky horses. Both reviews in March - other books. So glad we are able to continue this challenge and clear our TBRs - together!

[Heather Reads Books]

I forgot to report this, but I finished both my #22, A Place for Us, and #9, The Dead Mountaineer's Inn. Feeling accomplished and looking forward to the next number being called.

[Meli]

Should we post our April number since the tag is announced? Or do we wait for Poll Ballot?

[Hayjay315]

I've been waiting excitedly for the new number all day so I say post now!

[Joanne]

I will do it Meli-right now

[Joanne]

APRIL NUMBER IS...........6



Sorry, I forgot to do it this morning!

[Theresa]

Mine us Last Train to Istanbul - could be just the escape read I need!

[Olivermagnus]

My #6 is an old one that I read in the 70s.......The Moneychangers by Arthur Hailey.

[Booknblues]

My Number 6 is The Lizard Cage

[Johanne]

My number 6 is Saga vol 1. Great it's an easy read (graphic novel). Hard part is to get it now, since it's at the closed library...

[Amy]

I called this one in my bones! I just knew it was time for China Rich Girlfriend! I didn’t even know it was my number six, but I knew that book was for this month! I was excited because it was a sequel, because it was in my house, and because it even fits a poll tally. Although, if you asked me off the top of my head I couldn’t dream to imagine which one it possibly fits. But it was on my original list. We will all be surprised when it comes out. I just knew it! Also during all of this craziness, how happy am I to be reading a few escape books. And of all of the five 1988 books that I got out of the library before it closed, I settled on Nora Roberts sweet revenge. Which makes me very happy because it’s yet another escape book that I’ll enjoy.

[Theresa]

Perfect reading, Amy!

[Amy]

You know it Theresa! Well it ain't Proust - lol!

[LibraryCin]

Joanne wrote: "APRIL NUMBER IS...........6
"

I still have to get to mine from this month! (It will likely be my last book read this month, or I may even push it to the first book for next month, depending how quickly I get through the others I want to finish.)

Anyway, #6 for me is The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World by the Dalai Lama. I think this is probably a good one to read at this point in time! ;-)

[Booknblues]

Theresa wrote: "Mine us Last Train to Istanbul - could be just the escape read I need!"

I read that a couple of years back. A good book , but not great. It did educate me a bit and that always counts for something.

[Sue]

My number 6: Ask Again, Yes

And I have it on hold for a Kindle copy from the library. Works out great.

[Heather Reads Books]

My #6 is In the Woods by Tana French. This is great, it's been on my to-read list forever but I've never gotten around to it. Now to see if I can find an ebook copy...

[[deleted user]]

I finished my March book the other day (The Daughter of Time) - 4 stars.

My #6 is The Breaker by Minette Walters.

Can I just say that I'm still loving this challenge? Probably because on my list I don't have any books that fit other ones, so it calms the mood reader in me! :-)

[Joanne]

My # 6 is Destination Casablanca: Exile, Espionage, and the Battle for North Africa in World War II-a book I was looking forward to. I still have my March book to start...and thinking if I start April's and it is depressing, it is going back on the shelf for now

[Jen]

Mama's Last Hug: Animal Emotions and What They Tell Us about Ourselves

We shall see the last one from this author didn't live up to my hopes so fingers crossed this one will.

[Meli]

My #6 is The Witch Elm by Tana French! This will be my first Tana French so I am excited about that.

[Booknblues]

Jen wrote: "Mama's Last Hug: Animal Emotions and What They Tell Us about Ourselves

We shall see the last one from this author didn't live up to my hopes so fingers crossed this one will."

I've been curious about that one. She was included in his other book, so I wanted to hear more about her.

[Amy]

Heather, I have In the Woods high on my list too. In fact it’s out of the library - lol. I won’t be far after you!

[Heather Reads Books]

Anna, there’s 105 holds for the In the Woods ebook at my library. 😂 idk, I might have to break down and buy the kindle version if I want to read it!

[Shelly]

My #6 is In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin

Will have to see if I can get a copy.

[Jen]

Booknblues wrote: "Jen wrote: "Mama's Last Hug: Animal Emotions and What They Tell Us about Ourselves

We shall see the last one from this author didn't live up to my hopes so fingers crossed this one..."

Well I shall let you know instead of us both being disappointed this time.

[Amy]

Heather I should mail you my library book to enjoy!

[Meli]

Shelly wrote: "My #6 is In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin

Will have to see if I can get a copy."

I have this on my list still I think, but can't recall which number it is now...

[Heather Reads Books]

I read “In the Garden of Beasts” a few years ago and enjoyed it. I think I thought the pacing was a little weird in spots, but overall it was very interesting.

[Hayjay315]

My #6 is Frenchman's Creek and I am awaiting it's arrival along with my #22 Murder on the Orient Express on Friday which will hopefully be wonderful adventure reads to dive in to! This is my first full week of working from home and the intersection of work/home life is already driving me crazy!

[Meli]

Hayjay315 wrote: "My #6 is Frenchman's Creek and I am awaiting it's arrival along with my #22 Murder on the Orient Express on Friday which will hopefully be wonderful adventure reads to ..."

I love working from home but it is just me and my husband and he's pretty quiet so I'm very productive.

Looks like I will be WFH next week as well.

[Booknblues]

#22 Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis -JD Vance -3 stars

I'm afraid that I fall in the underwhelmed category when it comes to Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis by J.D. Vance. Maybe the time wasn't right for me, but it wasn't riveting nor was it groundbreaking. Maybe it was just too close to home. I grew up on the edge of Appalachia in upstate NY. My once thriving hometown has descended into a permanent depression with many addicted to opiates.

In some ways this reminded me of Educated by Tara Westover because Vance was so clearly out of his element when he attended Yale, but because of his ability to make connections he quickly mended that. Like Westover he grew up in an environment fraught with violence and danger and he overcame it.

I enjoyed his description of his transformative time in the Marine Corps and perhaps the most important passage of the book was about that:

"Whenever people ask me what I most like to change about the white working class, I say,"The feeling that our choices don't matter." The Marine Corps excised that feeling like a surgeon does a tumor. "

I suppose a large part of my problem is that this book felt more like something I should read than something I wanted to read.

[Book Concierge]

My # 6 is The Boston Girl ... but it'll have to wait until the library re-opens.

[Amy]

I loved that book BC! I think you will too.

[Charlotte]

I didn't get the books for Jan or Feb read yet and am at the beginning of my March book but my #6 for April is The Stand hahahahahaha

[Joanne]

Charlotte wrote: "I didn't get the books for Jan or Feb read yet and am at the beginning of my March book but my #6 for April is The Stand hahahahahaha"

maybe change that title to..."the stand-off" Haha

[Joanne]

I have not read my March book yet, My April book is not calling to me....just going to keep reading light for now, only what I want to read, not what I need to

[LibraryCin]

Charlotte wrote: "I didn't get the books for Jan or Feb read yet and am at the beginning of my March book but my #6 for April is The Stand hahahahahaha"

LOL!

Over at LibraryThing, one of my groups with monthly challenges is doing a year-long disaster challenge. The theme for March: Epidemics and Famine.

[Joanne]

Over at LibraryThing, ..."

Well, that is timely, eh? LoL