Trim 2021 – The Official Unofficial Challenge Thread

[Amy]

Forgive me that I forgot to announce our April Trim Picker! Its the lovely, Jen K, who is new (er) to us at PBT and completely rocked the Trim Challenge in 2020! Welcome Jen, and its been so great sharing books with you. After Anita announces the monthly tag, she will announce the number - right here; stay tuned!

[Jen K]

Amy wrote: "Forgive me that I forgot to announce our April Trim Picker! Its the lovely, Jen K, who is new (er) to us at PBT and completely rocked the Trim Challenge in 2020! Welcome Jen, and its been so great ..."

Thank Amy! Super excited to be part of this unofficial challenge and to pick the next number!

I'm doing much better this year ready my January and February picks in the same month picked. I have my March pick queued up for next week and hope to squeak it in!

[Jen K]

The Unofficial Trim Pick for April is #5

Hope it is a good one for everyone!

Edited to Add: My #5 is The Elegance of the Hedgehog

[[deleted user]]

The Cellist of Sarajevo - pretty sure this is a buddyread?!

[Sallys]

Will have to switch things around. I seem to have read my #5.

[Sallys]

I have a bunch I want to read. Any buddy reads going on. I'm leaning toward The Fruit of The Drunken Tree

[Amy]

There is a list on the top of the thread. I am reading Cold Sassy Tree, and I’m not sure, but someone may have joined me on that.

[Heather Reads Books]

My #5 is The Virgin Suicides - the oldest book on my TBR! I think this is a buddy read?

[Amy]

Oh! I have Hajay again! Perfect! We have a running streak! Pretty sure I have a streak with Sally too for 2021.

[Charlotte]

Nine Perfect Strangers is my #5

[Theresa]

My #5 is Circling the Sun and it is a buddy read with Kelly.

Too bad it missed March given it is about Beryl Markham.

[Joanne]

Sallys wrote: "I have a bunch I want to read. Any buddy reads going on. I'm leaning toward The Fruit of The Drunken Tree"

Great book Sallys, just recommended, minutes ago, to someone else

[Joanne]

My # 5 isThe Space Between Us-I still have not gotten to my March book, things books are piling up around here

[Olivermagnus]

My #5 is Small Sacrifices by Ann Rule. I've been looking forward to reading this again after so many years.

[Booknblues]

My number 5 is Reign of the Marionettes.

[Linda C]

My #5 is Alien Proliferation - Gini Koch

[LibraryCin]

#5 for me is Kitty Cornered: How Frannie and Five Other Incorrigible Cats Seized Control of Our House and Made It Their Home by Bob Tarte.

Why do I feel like I've read this already...? Better check!

ETA: I think I messed up in moving over which books I needed to bring forward to 2021 because I just read this last year. Will need to change this, anyway.

Shoot - looks like I read it for Bingo last year! I must have missed that I had it on my trim list, then I just pushed to this year the ones (numbers) we didn't read last year. Ok, I guess I just get to pick something else, then. Will figure it out tomorrow!

[Sue]

My #5 is The Only Story by Julian Barnes

[Book Concierge]

My # 5 is Jeffrey Eugenides' The Virgin Suicides ... but I'm not sure I'll get to it.

[Kelly]

Theresa wrote: "My #5 is Circling the Sun and it is a buddy read with Kelly.

Too bad it missed March given it is about Beryl Markham."

I am looking forward to it.

[Kelly]

March #7

A Promised Land by Barack Obama

A Promised Land

4 stars

Barack Obama has written an insightful memoir on his life with much of the focus relating to his time in the White House as President of the United States. Personal stories of his family are included making him relatable to others. He talks about his influences growing up and how his mother and her parents played important roles. He recalls nice memories related to his wife and daughters. He also address race and its affects.

Obama’s book is long, but very well written. He gives a lot of background and tries to explain polices affecting his work and the thought process behind many of his decisions. He gives credit to others when it is due and talks about obstacles. The memoir gives a good picture of Obama; and the reader sees more sides to him than just a President.

[Meli]

My number 5 is Bring Me Back, but I am 1 / 3 so far on the trim this year 😢

However, I do love me some BA Paris.
She doesn't write as well as Liane Moriarty and the stories aren't as smart as other thrillers but that's what I love about it. Just good ole' popcorn thrillers. I might have to fit this one in!

[Theresa]

Kelly wrote: "Theresa wrote: "My #5 is Circling the Sun and it is a buddy read with Kelly.

Too bad it missed March given it is about Beryl Markham."

I am looking forward to it."

I will set up a buddy read thread in early April

[Shelly]

MY #5s are Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy and The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek.

I haven't read my March Trim yet, The Vanishing Half. I finally bought this book and I am going to start it tonight. We'll see if I can get to April's books in April! I have Tinker Tailor on the bookshelf. I took it down and when I opened it, there was a note from my husband to his father, written in 1974. He gave the book to his dad for his birthday. Makes it feel very special.

[Sallys]

Thanks Joanne. You just helped me finalize my decision

[Meli]

Shelly wrote: "MY #5s are Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy and The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek.

I haven't read my March Trim yet, The Vanishing Half. I finally bou..."

I LOVED The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek and The Vanishing Half! I hope you like them too.

[Kimber]

My #5 is Steppenwolf by Herman Hesse. I have so far consistently been reading my Trim TBR books one month behind, so I've read my January book, and I read my February book (Masques) in March, and I'll plan to read my March book - The Sea Runners -- this coming month.

Maybe I'll be able to fit Steppenwolf in this month, too, and be caught up. I've been wanting to read it for a long time. I have the 1990 edition, and I think I've had it on my shelf about that long.

[Theresa]

Kimber wrote: "My #5 is Steppenwolf by Herman Hesse. I have so far consistently been reading my Trim TBR books one month behind, so I've read my January book, and I read my February book ([book:Masq..."

Pretty sure I read Steppenwolf in college as part of a literature and philosophy course. Unfortunately like so many of the books read all those years ago - back in mid-1970s- I remember nothing.

[Joy D]

Joanne wrote: "My # 5 isThe Space Between Us-I still have not gotten to my March book, things books are piling up around here"

Mine is also The Space Between Us, Joanne! Hope you can get to it but no pressure.

[Joanne]

@ Joy, I am trying to make room for it-let me know when you start and I will see if I can, it's looking like it could be late April or May for me.

[Joy D]

Joanne wrote: "@ Joy, I am trying to make room for it-let me know when you start and I will see if I can, it's looking like it could be late April or May for me."

I am reading lots of books at once, so I can start whenever you are ready.

[Joy D]

Finished this buddy read for March, with Amy and Sallys:
The Time In Between by María Dueñas - 4 stars - My Review

Moved it up the list from its original position as #12 (so I've picked a replacement for whenever #12 is called). I am trying to finish my "real" #7 this month too.

[Amy]

I also knocked off my real number seven! Joy has indulged me. My Honorary Queen of Trim for the month!

[Joanne]

Joy D wrote: "Joanne wrote: "@ Joy, I am trying to make room for it-let me know when you start and I will see if I can, it's looking like it could be late April or May for me."

I am reading lots of books at onc..."

I moving some things around, because I really do want to read this-I will PM you when I have a start date-

[Booknblues]

Number 7 - Seabiscuit: An American Legend - Laura Hillenbrand - 3 stars

I love animal books and had high hopes for Seabiscuit as many like minded people I know rated this highly.

It started out strongly with Hillenbrand's excellent writing. I was focused on Charles Howard's story and impatient to get to Seabiscuit. Somewhere between the end of Charles Howard and the introduction of Seabiscuit the book bogged down with details and gathered too many extraneous details to be read smoothly and excitedly.

I am sorry to the author and everyone who loved the book, I didn't. I did love Seabiscuit, but I had to wade through a lot to find him.

Glad I have read and finished it and have one more off my shelf.

[Jen K]

Finished my #7, Cockroaches, and ready to go for the April pick. I've managed to read each of my Trim books on time this year and I'm enjoying where they are taking me.

Review: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

[Amy]

See? Jen K rocks this challenge!

[Olivermagnus]

I finished my #7 - March

Daughter of Sand and Stone - Libbie Hawker - 3.5 Stars

Daughter of Sand and Stone is a historical fiction novel that follows the life of Zenobia, Queen of Palmyra and Empress of the East in the 3rd century AD. I don't know if I ever remember hearing about this real life warrior who, like Cleopatra, saved Egypt from the powerful Roman Empire. Unfortunately, just when things started going her way, Aurelian, one of Rome's most powerful emperors, decides to take her dreams away.

In many ways Zenobia is an unlikable character that left me feeling annoyed about her incredible arrogance. There is so little known about her but for some reason I never felt the connection to female empowerment that I think the author intended. There's a strong romance thread that may or may not have been totally fictional.

The author includes a substantial Author's Note that makes the path she chose for the book more clear. She definitely wrote an atmospheric novel, with wonderful descriptions of the desert and culture. Overall, I liked the book and enjoyed reading about Zenobia.

[Joanne]

I was able to move some books around, so Joy and I are reading The Space Between Us, starting April 15th. Anyone who would like to join us is welcome to

[Meli]

Amy wrote: "See? Jen K rocks this challenge!"

I, on the other hand, am not rocking this challenge AT ALL 😂

[Joy D]

Finished my #7 for March:
Great House by Nicole Krauss - 4 stars - My Review

[Theresa]

My #5 is done! I am actually ahead now!

Circling the Sun by Paula McLain



3 stars

Beryl Markham is a fascinating and remarkable woman. Raised on a farm and race horse training stable in Kenya, Beryl grew into an independent woman who followed her own path, breaking many barriers along the way such as becoming one of the leading race horse trainers in Africa if not the world let alone as a very young age and the first woman to be licensed at that. Beryl moved between local colonial farming and racing communities and the local tribes, mingled with the upper class British who found their way to colonial Africa and even with British royalty. She counted Karen Blixen as a friend and even rival as they both loved the same man. What Beryl is most famous for though is being an aviatrix, one who not only was the first woman to fly across the Atlantic solo from east to west, but was the first person ever to do so. In so many ways, Beryl Markham epitomizes the spirit of the British for whom Kenya in the 1920s and 1930s was their true home.

I do not believe that McLain succeeded as well with this historical novel centered on a remarkable woman as she did with either The Paris Wife or Love and Ruin. I did not feel that she caught Beryl's actual voice in the same way. McLain and thus the reader remain observers, reporters, not pulled into the character or the events as well. I'm wondering if that's because there was so much less primary source material available? It's a very enjoyable work of historical fiction, and particularly excellent at depicting colonial Africa from about 1910 to 1930. I found the sections on training race horses in Africa to be quite interesting. I also thought that McLain captured well the variety of colonialists and colonial society that existed.

Now I need to read Beryl Markham's autobiography and also Out of Africa and compare.

[Sue]

My #5 The Only Story started out with an interesting premise, and the writing is beautiful, but it just doesn't go anywhere.

About 1/2 way through the book and I need to DNR another one.

I'm happy to take it off my TBR at least!

[Hayjay315]

Amy wrote: "There is a list on the top of the thread. I am reading Cold Sassy Tree, and I’m not sure, but someone may have joined me on that."

Hi Amy! I just picked up Cold Sassy from the library! When you are planning to read this one?

[Amy]

Right, Hayjay! We are four for four! I am three books away. By Sunday I should be starting the Name of the Rose for gothic, and then maybe a week later? Like around 4/18 to start Cold Sassy Tree?

[Amy]

But that shouldn't stop you if you want to start earlier....

[Heather Reads Books]

Finished my #5, The Virgin Suicides. It was my oldest book on my TBR so I feel super accomplished, and ended up really loving it. It even fits the "gothic" tag! Review is here. :)

[Kelly]

April - #5

Circling the Sun by Paula McLain



4 stars

Paula McLain captures the personality of her main characters well when she writes historical fiction about real life people. She did this in The Paris Wife, where she wrote about Ernest Hemingway's wife, and she has done it in Circling the Sun with Beryl Markham. Most of the setting of Circling the Sun takes place in Kenya. Beryl grew up on a horse farm there with her father after her mother had left them. She did not have much in the way of a formal education, but Beryl's full life taught her to be adventurous and fend for herself. The timeframe is mostly the 1920's to 1930's and the author includes older cultural views of that period. Beryl is young and stands out as she enters the mostly male dominated area of horse training. Her relationships are often complicated, and she negotiates her way through them with some failures. The book includes the solo air flight of her crossing the Atlantic Ocean that she is known for, but that event is not really the focus of the book. Beryl's love of Kenya and nature come through as does her tenacity. Her character is flawed, but it adds a sense of realism. I did not enjoy Circling the Sun quite as much as The Paris Wife, but readers of Paul McLain should like this book.

[Meli]

I started Bring Me Back today and damned if I am not going to finish an unofficial trim this month 😇

[Amy]

Hayjay, I am one (long) book away!

Kelly, loved that pick, and your review.

Meli - You made me laugh out loud with an actual guffaw! You go girl! You get that unofficial prize and the reward of recognition!