Play Book Tag discussion
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Trim 2021 – The Official Unofficial Challenge Thread
Shelly wrote: "Mine are Apeirogon and 12 Ways Your Phone Is Changing You.I don't know if I can read either of these! I don't think I want to read a book about Israel/Palestine at..."
Rats. I was hoping for a Buddy Read of Apeirogon. Is anyone interested?
Sallys wrote: "Rats. I was hoping for a Buddy Read of Apeirogon. Is anyone interested?."I've read it already but would encourage anyone to join in. I think it would make an excellent Buddy Read.
I DNF'd my May (#6) trim book. It was a spiritual book that wasn't doing it for me. You win some and you lose some, I guess. Lol.
Finished my second #6 - Three Lives by Gertrude Stein. Was more work to read than expected. My 3 star review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I am ready for a lighter June...I hope.
I read my #6 The Wolf and the Watchman on May 1 when driving down to visit my mom's new place (audio). It was dark, very dark. The corpse of a man is found in the water with all four limbs, eyes and tongue systemically removed over time in 19th century Sweden. The watchman, an injured veteran, finds him and becomes involved in the investigation to find his identity and the story of his end. He works with an unofficial investigator who is dying of consumption. Then the story switches over to a young girl where all the bad things happen when a person is poor and female. If I hadn't been driving, I might have stopped but I was glad I kept going and really got into the story. It was slight torture to arrive at my destination with an hour still remaining.
I started in on my June book a day early, and ended up finishing it today (6 hour audio listening on 2x speed and here we are).12 Ways Your Phone Is Changing You by Tony Reinke
A little dry, but I'm glad I read it. Link to my review: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
#6: Herbert Has Lots for a Buck: How 12 Small Prairie Towns Reinvented Themselves for the 21st Century / Elizabeth McLachlan
4 stars
This book looks at twelve small towns on the Canadian Prairies, four towns in each of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta. These are towns that have reinvented themselves to come back from dying out completely. One chapter for each town tells us the history of the town and what they’ve done to keep the town alive.
I grew up in a small town in Saskatchewan, so I found this really interesting. It might have helped that I know some of the towns (and I know about Rosebud, AB and Vulcan, AB and their “claims to fame,” so to speak); however, I really do think the stories of these towns could be interesting to anyone. The author really does write the stories of the towns very well. The book reminded me a bit of CBC’s “Still Standing”, except the book includes more town history, in addition to the current situations in the towns.
Favourites of mine were Craik, SK (now an eco-village) and Neubergthal, MB (done up as a historical Mennonite village). My Dad’s background is Mennonite, so that might also have helped with the interest there. Other towns (you can guess what Vulcan is famous for): Rosebud is for the dinner theatre in town; Warner, AB for a world-class women’s hockey program; Elbow, SK for their marina, Beacham, SK for the artists in town; Inglis, MB for their “elevator row” (historical grain elevators). The title really drew me to the book, as I have family in Herbert, SK. The author did not include Herbert as one of the essays, but she mentioned a bit about it (and the title) in the epilogue.
I finished my May book Human Croquet by Kate Atkinson.Interesting read, but not one of her best. Link to my review: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
LibraryCin wrote: "#6: Herbert Has Lots for a Buck: How 12 Small Prairie Towns Reinvented Themselves for the 21st Century / Elizabeth McLachlan
4 stars
This book looks at twelve small towns on the ..."
This sounds fascinating, Cindy. I'm gonna check to see if my library system has it (or can get it).
I read my first of two #3 - Jack of Spies by David Downing. Enjoyed it so much I went without sleep on a work night just to finish it!4 star review:
I absolutely raced through this, staying up much too late on a work night to finish it.
It's 1913/1914, and there are tensions and talk of war roiling around the world, from the Balkans, to Ireland, to China and India. Jack McColl, a Scotsman, travels the world selling the Maia, a custom luxury British automobile, to the rich, powerful, and status conscious. Jack is also a spy for the fledgling non-military modern Britiish intelligence service. The story opens with Jack on an intelligence gathering side trip in China to Tsingtao, the German colonial port which is seeing a build-up of amarments and navy. Jack is hoping to make being a spy for the Brits a full time job, if only they would recognize the need for one and be willing to pay a salary. Jack is also obsessed with an outspoken Irish American journalist, Caitlin, he encountered in Shanghai just before heading to Tsingtao.
Jack's spy mission is going well, until it doesn't and he barely escapes capture. Back in Shanghai, he manages an introduction to Caitlin, and a love affair starts that endures through the rest of the story, adding greatly to Jack's emotional journey and upping the stakes in his work. You see, Caitlin's family NYC is close to those seeking Irish independence and as Jack's spying takes him across the world from China to the US, down to Mexico, then ultimately to England, the efforts of India and Ireland to independence become interwoven with German policy and action in the months leading up to the start of WWI. The novel ends just weeks after WWI starts and Britain enters the war to defend France.
The history here is fascinating. I had absolutely no idea about most of it - how closely allied Ireland and India were in seeking end of British rule, even that Germany had a presence in China and Mexico! In truth, most historical fiction seems to treaat WWII and WWI is practically ignored.
There is a lot of fascinating political and world history here.
I had trouble figuring out how to rate this one. I enjoyed it but also felt it was a tad more convoluted and filled with some excess plot that was not really needed (Jack in Mexico - was it necessary? Interseting and added some action, but necessary to the story?) Jack has a real emotional journey here too, one that includes his maturing a bit too, even though he's in his late 30s and not exactly green and young. I liked that he made mistakes, underestimated the spy business, but never gives up. He's a bit emotionally aloof, but that does start changing. I like that Caitlin is a feisty suffragette and defender of the underprivilege with revolutionary ideas that are often counter to Jack's somewhat stogdy 'defender of Britain' tendencies, and that their relationship isn't obviously one that can develop and survive once initial lust calms. Ultimately, I gave it 3.5 stars bumped to 4 because the cover and title are absolutely perfect.
. This is the first of a quartet carrying Jack and Caitlin's story through WWI and the immediate years after. I look forward to exploring more of the history for the first of the Great Wars that changed the world.
Book Concierge wrote: "This sounds fascinating, Cindy. I'm gonna check to see if my library system has it (or can get it)...."
Given that it's a little Canadian book, I do hope you can get your hands on it!
I need some encouragement. Having trouble starting Apeirogon
My #3 is complete, Death Is Hard Work. It is a retelling of As I Lay Dying so I feel I should read that one soon but not during Beach Read month.
Done with my #3 - Priest by Matthew Colville. Only 3 stars for a bunch of complicated reasons. It's a self-published fantasy book by someone who has since become pretty famous in the YouTube/streaming space for making Dungeons and Dragons content, so my review philosophizes a lot about that and whether stories based on table-top RPGs can make good novels. Review is here!
#3 for me got thrown back-the writing style was just not agreeing with me. Off the TBR though 😁
Just wanted to announce that our Trim Picker for July is the lovely Library Cindy - and she will announce the number just following the announcement of the tag! I feel almost a little bad that the next three or four people will have less numbers to choose from, but this is the way the cookie crumbles. I am really glad that Trim has worked so well - and that so many folks are participating and having fun.
I finished the audio of my #3 June Trim.When Christ and His Saints Slept - Sharon Kay Penman - 5 Stars and a 💕
Review
Ok, now that the tag has been announced, I believe it's safe for me to announce July's unofficial trim! We'll be reading #12 in July!
Enjoy!
My #12 is another double header with the short Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and the historical fiction I have longed to revisit: The Secret of Santa Vittoria. Both have been turned into movies that I have seen.
Originally, my # 12 was The Secret Life of Violet Grant ... but I read it back in January!So my new # 12 is: Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit by Jeanette Winterson
Perfect! It is the only book I own on TBR which fits the PBT tag for july. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies
Friends, we moved our #12 Buddy Read (Joy, Sally, HayJay, and I) to read the Time in Between for the Africa tag, at my request and urging. So I had a second option for #12, the Most Fun We Ever Had, which I was going to read with Sally, but she's reading it now. I decided, that since I have a lot of big/long books on my plate this month and The Most Fun is another chunker, that I am just going to wait and see how others like it. I am not necessarily drawn to it. One way or another, however, its going to get cleared from my TBR, and that was the point, right?
My # 12 is The Paper Magician-I got real excited because I thought it may be in the Regency area, unfortunately is is Victorian. Oh well, it is a short 222 pages, so I will most likely get to it
My #12 is Warlight by Michael OndaatjeThe reviews show a Love/Hate pattern - a bunch of 5 Stars, and just as many 1 and 2 Stars. I'm interested to find out what camp I'll fall into.
I've enjoyed some of the author's other books, so I'm hopeful.
Jen wrote: "Perfect! It is the only book I own on TBR which fits the PBT tag for july. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies"Nice! That one is a possibility for me to read for the tag, but it's probably the bottom of the three options I'm looking at. (P & P & Kitties is one of the others, though!)
My #12 are Breakfast at Tiffany's and Five Quarters of the Orange. Fortunately, they both aren't very long, so I'll be able to pick up a few regency stories.
#3 - JuneThe Man Who Saw Everything by Deborah Levy
4 stars
This story is split in two and follows Saul Adler during different parts of his life. The first one is in the 1988 when Saul is hit by a car crossing Abbey Road in London. He is a historian and shortly after the accident he travels to East Germany to do research. There he meets Walter and his sister Luna. The second section is about thirty years later. Not much is known about the time in between. In this part Saul has been hit by a car again; he has serious injuries and is confused. Saul's timeframes are wrong and he often thinks he is back in 1988 on his trip. Other characters show up in both sections, but they are different than Saul remembers. He has not worked out his relationships and people do not always have a good opinion of him.
The author often leaves the reader unsure of what is real. She relays information about his life indirectly through characters like his ex-girlfriend, Jennifer, and other friends or family members. Levy's technique of mixing up years adds to the uncertainty of Saul's life. This is a unique story and a fast read. Answers are not clear, but in this case it is appropriate due to Saul's own confusion.
As Amy said, we read #12 as a buddy read, so I have substituted another book:Heaven and Hell by Jón Kalman Stefánsson
My #12 The Most Fun We Ever Had. It’s good quick read. Could definitely qualify as a beach read. I'm almost done. I would recommend it. Thick but quick.
#3. The Silver Linings Playbook / Matthew Quick
3.5 stars
30-year old (he thinks) Pat has just come home with his mom from the “bad place” – the mental institution – where he has been for a while. He doesn’t (initially) realize it’s been actually been years. Pat is convinced he and his wife Nikki will come together after their “apart time” because he trying really hard to better himself, with exercise and choosing to be kind (instead of being right). He, his father, and his brother are all huge football fans of the Eagles. Pat and his brother bond fairly quickly, with the help of the Eagles games, but Pat’s father is having a harder time connecting with Pat. Pat’s best friend Ronnie introduces Pat to Ronnie’s sister-in-law, Tiffany, but Tiffany is just odd. And Pat still loves Nikki and plans to reconcile with her as soon as possible.
I liked this! There way maybe more football than I liked, but still, overall I liked it. I really liked Pat’s therapist. I did see the movie I-don’t-know-how-many-years-ago and remember liking it, too, but I remembered very little about it. I believe it is why I decided to read the book, though. It is a very quick read.
FINISHED April call out - # 5 - ✔ 20June21
The Virgin Suicides – Jeffrey Eugenides – 3.5***
Eugenides’ debut work focuses on one family in a Detroit suburb. The five Lisbon sisters chafe against their mother’s strict rules and attract the attention of the neighborbood boys. Eugenides can write characters that fairly jump off the page, they are so real and so passionate about their feelings. But this book is somewhat different. There is an ethereal quality to this novel. We never really know what happens inside the Lisbon home, we have only the memories of men who, some twenty years later, cannot let go of the events of that year. What they remember most clearly is how they felt – their hopes, dreams, passions, fears. And although they witnessed the girls’ final acts, they are haunted by what they did not – and never will – know.
My full review HERE
FINISHED - March # 7 - ✔ 26June21
Cockroaches – Jo Nesbø – 3***
Book two in the popular Norwegian mystery series, has Inspector Harry Hole traveling to Bangkok to investigate the murder of Norway’s Ambassador to Thailand. Nesbø crafts a complicated plot with many twists and turns and enough suspects, and side plots, to distract the most dedicated detective – and reader. His descriptions definitely evoked the sights, sounds, smells and flavors of Bangkok for me. I did find myself cringing quite a bit at the more violent scenes. So, if you are bothered by such graphic depictions this is probably not the series for you.
My full review HERE
Finished my second #3 - The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart5 stars
A personal ad addressed to a gifted child would certainly have captured my attention! Told primarily from Reynie's point of view, this an adventure! A group of children calling themselve The Mysterious Benedict Society go undercover at a mysterious school to find enough information about a dastardly plot to save the world and it is nothing short of delightful. There is Reynie who is a natural leader and strategist, Kate with her bucket, tools, bravado and circus skills, Sticky with his glasses, fidgeting and astounding memory, and, well tiny Constance who perhaps is the most astounding of all. It doesn't hurt that the dastardly plot involves the use of children for evil purposes, meaning that in many ways, it's children defeating and/or saving children. Lots of surprising twists and turns, humorous moment, amazing feats, puzzles you get to solve along with the kids, and even a few childish pranks. I loved it as an adult and would absolutely have adored it as a kid. I'm so glad it's a series!
#12Honolulu / Alan Brennert
4 stars
Named “Regret” by her parents, this little Korean girl so wanted an education but it was forbidden. As a teenager, though, she managed to get permission to travel to Hawaii as a “picture bride”. Immediately upon arrival, along with four other Korean girls she met on the ship, and now self-named Jin (meaning “Gem”), they married their new husbands before being allowed entry into their new country. Jin’s hope had been that her husband would be able to get her an education in Hawaii, but she was sorely disappointed (to put it mildly), not only with this, but with many other things, as well.
I really enjoyed this. I not only learned about the life of a picture bride, I learned about Hawaii in the early 20th century, and about Korea and the interactions with Japan that I really knew nothing about. I was impressed with how many real-life people Brennert brought into the story.
JUNE call out - # 3 - ✔ 03July21
Jumbo: This Being the True Story Of the Greatest Elephant In the World – Paul Chambers – 3***
This is a “biography” of the African elephant who gave the world a new word for large, gigantic, stupendous, huge, magnificent: Jumbo. Chambers details how the young calf was captured by nomadic Hamran traders, subsequently became the darling of Victorian England, and eventually was a star attraction of P T Barnum’s circus in America. I found it fascinating to learn how the giant elephant was trained and appreciated learning more about the various personalities surrounding Jumbo. But there were times when the story dragged even for me, an admitted fanatic when it comes to elephants.
My full review HERE
I finished my #12 Warlight by Michael Ondaatje.This has been on my TBR since it was published in 2018. I love this author, but his books are in the "I've got to be in the right mood" category for me. Luckily, I was really ready for exactly this book!
My Review:
From reviews I know people either love or hate this book. I'm in the "loved it" camp.
I've read other Ondaatje books, and in my opinion he emphasizes atmosphere and character over action and dialogue. Knowing that going in, this book exceeded my expectations.
The story follows the life of Nathaniel, starting when he's 14 years old in the immediate aftermath of WWII. Both his parents suddenly depart - leaving him and his sister Rachel in the care of a nefarious seeming stranger they dub "The Moth". Other shady characters also make appearances in Nathaniel and Rachel's lives - "The Darter" and a variety of women.
Eventually we come to understand where the parents went and the real roles The Moth and The Darter play in the overall drama.
As I mentioned above, this book evokes a post-war England feeling. A bit surreal and only fully understood by the characters with hindsight many years in the future.
Finished my #12 for July. This one is an addition to my list, since I had read my original #12 as part of a buddy read earlier in the year:This is a "cool" book set in Iceland at the turn of the 20th century, which I very much enjoyed:
Heaven and Hell by Jón Kalman Stefánsson - 4 stars - My Review
Link to PBT Discussion Thread
Just wanted to share with everyone that Sensational Sue will be picking our Trim number for August. She will announce it here, after Anita does her announcement in a few days. Happy that our continued Trim experiment has worked yet another year for our group, and looking forward to seeing what the next one is!
Maybe I will even read my unofficial trim in August 🤞It's been an unsuccessful trim challenge for me but overall I am reading more from my tbr and not buying as much new as usual! The tbr books just aren't coming from my trim challenge list.
Still, I always look forward to the new number being picked!
Play Book Tag
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Authors mentioned in this topic
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Review is here.