2021 Reading Discussions

[Sherri]

I read The Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri set in India & America. I used it for a book set on or below the Tropic of Cancer.

[Sarah]

While I've started the year with a comic book fitting the NATO side challenge, I've now started ATY with My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite. My audiobook version is narrated by the Nigerian actress Weruche Opia who's doing a wonderful job.

I'll probably use it for prompt #35 A book set in a country on or below the Tropic of Cancer since I have enough other ideas for prompt #10 Female villain or criminal.

[Ali]

My reading this weekend has been really disrupted by a book club book I should be reading for Tuesday. I don't hate it or anything but really am struggling to get myself to read it but I feel bad about reading anything else!!

Does anyone else get like that?

[Emily, Conterminous Mod]

I feel that way, Ali! I just finished The Kingdom of Copper so I have one book left to go in that trilogy. But I also need to have my book club book (Piranesi) read by January 26th, and The Empire of Gold is 752 pages... I'm probably just going to go for it and cram Piranesi in after.

[Ellie]

I used to end up resenting my book club reads when I was part of one. I didn't really have similar tastes to the group so I would be reading books that were fine but just not what I wanted to read. So then I'd spend even longer on the books I didn't want to read. I quit when I moved house and as you can expect haven't tried to seek out a new one!

[Anastasia]

Ali wrote: "My reading this weekend has been really disrupted by a book club book I should be reading for Tuesday. I don't hate it or anything but really am struggling to get myself to read it but I feel bad a..."

Yes, there are times that I really can not get into the book. I just dnf it and explain why when the group meets. It is not like school where you need to read the book for a test. It is supposed to be fun. The other people in the group agree.

It is a great way to learn about new authors, genres, and discuss ideas that we discover in the books. We do not all agree on what a good book is which can lead to some great discussions. It has opened up my mind to what a good book can be that I had not thought of before.

So my advice is dnf the book if you do not like it.

[Robin P, Orbicular Mod]

Back when I was in them, I almost always read the books for my book clubs. Sometimes appreciated that they were books I wouldn't have read otherwise. If I really disliked a book, I enjoyed trashing it to everybody. But at one point, I was in 2 groups and I felt I didn't have enough time to read the other books I wanted to.

[Emily, Conterminous Mod]

My book club and I have very similar tastes (I've been pretty picky about who we let in the club lol) and we are very forgiving if someone wasn't able to read or finish the book for whatever reason. One month, someone picked Life After Life, and every single person DNF'd it except the girl who picked it lolol. She only finished it because it was her pick. It made for a fun discussion of why we hate books and what things we avoid in the books we pick up.

[Sherri]

I read The Song and the Silence by Yvette Johnson for a book about racism or race. 5 stars. This is the February read for my face to face book club. Yvette Johnson's maternal grandfather was murdered in Greenwood Mississippi before she was born. She knew very little about him. Her mother never spoke about her father or growing up in Greenwood Mississippi. Yvette struggled with living in her own skin. She struggled with relationships. She goes on a quest to discover who her grandfather was. What life in Greenwood Mississippi was like for African Americans from the town's inception through today. Non Fiction.

[Alicia]

Has anyone else had a bad reading start to the year?

I've finished 4 books and 3 have been 1 or 2 star reads. The two star I bumped up only because it wasn't AS bad as the other two.

I guess it can only go up from here, right?

I'm starting Kingdom of the Wicked for the prompt about an author from one of my favorite reads in 2020, in hopes that my reading fortune will change.

[Ali]

Oh Cripes Alicia - that's dreadful! Fingers crossed it's only up from here....

I'm pleased to say I've finished my book club book - it wasn't a bad book, just not really what I was in the mood for. Thanks for the moral support with it - I'm pretty brutal at chucking books I don't like normally but I really make a big effort to finish my book club books.

[Jillian]

Emily wrote: "My book club and I have very similar tastes (I've been pretty picky about who we let in the club lol) and we are very forgiving if someone wasn't able to read or finish the book for whatever reason..."

That book was awful, it was my last book for the ATY 2019. I finished it because I did not like the prompt it filled, and I was not up to picking another book.

[Jillian]

Alicia wrote: "Has anyone else had a bad reading start to the year?

I've finished 4 books and 3 have been 1 or 2 star reads. The two star I bumped up only because it wasn't AS bad as the other two.

I guess it c..."

I ended up liking one book better than I expected. I did have a 2 star book but I had no expectations going into it. My third book was a reread so not surprises there.

[Sam]

I've had a run of really solid to great books for January, but also all books that have made me cry or prompted wellsprings of emotion! (Unclear if it's the books or me actually). I maybe need to find some cute, light reads? It's not what I gravitate towards, but I am not usually this weepy all the time reading.

And I am a huge Life After Life stan but can definitely see why it doesn't work for everyone!!

[Alicia]

Sam, I saw you were reading Bury My Heart at Wounded knee. I definitely started sobbing at The Sand Creek massacre and had to put the book aside for a few days. So I definitely get it.

[Ali]

Sam wrote: "And I am a huge Life After Life stan but can definitely see why it doesn't work for everyone!!"

Hah! Same!! I'm really into books that explore the road not taken... I've not been able to get into her other books though so maybe I just love the trope so much.

[Sam]

Ali wrote: "Sam wrote: "And I am a huge Life After Life stan but can definitely see why it doesn't work for everyone!!"

Hah! Same!! I'm really into books that explore the road not taken... I've not been able ..."

Hahaha there are dozens of us! I also love alternate lives/time loop stories. And it took me a bit longer to get into A God in Ruins but I ended up loving that as much, if differently. Haven't tried her other books.

Alicia wrote: "Sam, I saw you were reading Bury My Heart at Wounded knee. I definitely started sobbing at The Sand Creek massacre and had to put the book aside for a few days. So I definitely get it."

I'm a pretty fast reader in general but it took me awhile to get through that for the sheer level of wanton evil exhibited... I tried to not read other things but eventually had to. A really important read and I am so glad you had this on your plan and I joined in, but just a constant gut punch of sadness.

[Sherri]

I just finished The Midnight Library by Matt Haig for a book with a building in the title. I didn't like it. I wanted to DNF it but for whatever reason I can't not finish a book once I start one. I kept wondering what I read about the book that made me want to read it.
I had to wait months for it on hold also.

[Jill]

I'm like you Sherri, I can't not finish a book once I have started it.

[Emily, Conterminous Mod]

I rated The Midnight Library 4 stars because I feel like it was definitely something I'll be thinking about for a while. But I can see why you wouldn't enjoy it... my expectations for it were a bit high and I was thinking there would be more action.

[Jillian]

Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee: An Indian History of the American West by Dee Brown was a great book but I could only read it a little at a time.


I only added The Midnight Library by Matt Haig because it won the GR award but I have no idea what it is about or any expectations.

I was really disappointed in Daisy Jones & The Six byTaylor Jenkins Reid. On FB, everyone has been saying it is one of the best audio books and I love audio books so I borrowed it. I found it to be boring and I did not like the ensemble cast narrating it.

I’m a bit worried about the hype of The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune, especially, since it has over a 6 month wait at the library.

[Alicia]

For Midnight Library, would you consider it a “future” book? Thinking of it for our past, present, future prompt.

[Emily, Conterminous Mod]

It could be used for future. The main character is analyzing different versions of her life and trying to decide on her future, so I think it would work.

[Robin P, Orbicular Mod]

Ali wrote: "Sam wrote: "And I am a huge Life After Life stan but can definitely see why it doesn't work for everyone!!"

Hah! Same!! I'm really into books that explore the road not taken... I've not been able ..."

I felt Life after Life should have been called Death after Death. It seemed to me the message was that you are doomed whatever you try! I guess the main thing was that I just can't read any more books with Nazis and I didn't realize that was part of the book.

[Emily, Conterminous Mod]

I didn’t even get far enough into it to see the Nazis 😂😂 it was just too repetitive for me (and too many pages for me to say “I’ll just power through it”)

[Bana AZ]

I set goals to read more non-fiction or read more books published in 2020-2021. But after watching Bridgerton on Netflix (based on The Duke and I by Julia Quinn, the first book in the series), I read the 2nd and 3rd books of the series, and I think I'm gonna keep going and put my other goals on hold.

[Alicia]

Yessss. I loved bridgerton. I had to rearrange my prompts to fit in all those books too

[Sherri]

My five star for January is The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune. I used it for Title and author both contain the letter U.

[Emily, Conterminous Mod]

That one is on my January list! I’ve read so much fantasy this month that I’m taking a break with a historical fiction novel, but I might pick that one up next.

[Laura, Celestial Sphere Mod]

I finished Bridgerton today and it had me completely engrossed. I have such mixed feelings about (view spoiler)[ her forcing the insemination (for lack of a better word). I read a lot of criticism of that in the book reviews and am honestly surprised that it didn’t get cut or changed for the show. (hide spoiler)]But still loved the show for the overall romance, set pieces, and characters.

I can’t decide if I want to read the books. Typically, it would be a resounding “yes” but I’m wondering if they would be a bit too romance-for me.

[Alicia]

I mean that spoiler you mentioned definitely was wrong on her part, but I don't think it's what people are claiming that is more extreme, and I'm someone who can find things like what they are claiming as triggering.

It is the same in the book, and I'm glad they kept it in the show. I think it highlights how both of them have truly betrayed each other but also is a big part of Daphne's character arc.

I feel like I'm writing in code, which is weird, but definitely happy to go in-depth with anyone interested.

The books are definitely rom coms, but not lovey dovey Halllmark-esque. The banter between Daphne and Simon is fun and enjoyable to read. A big difference is we learn very little about the other characters in the book. The book is 95% about Daphne and Simon. That said, I enjoyed understanding them both better. While Simon is clearly swoon-worthy on the show, he's not the best actor. And we get a deeper appreciation for him in the book.

[Robin P, Orbicular Mod]

Yes, I like how the TV series included more about the other characters. I have read one of the series, not the first one and how the main character's story went in the book doesn't seem to match how he is shown in the series. But I haven't finished the series yet, so we'll see. My daughter looked up about some of the actors on the show and found that a number of them are much older than you would think, for instance the chubby Penelope/Pen is actually in her 30's!

[Emily, Conterminous Mod]

I'm in the same boat as you, Laura. As much as I loved the show, I feel like the books may be too steamy romance book for me. They renewed the show for 8 more seasons and the first book has a 9 month hold at the library, so I think I'm just going to stick to the TV series.

[Kim]

My reading was a mixed bag this week. I read The House I Loved (1.5), Never change (3.5), Heat Wave (3 - for book published anonymously), Murder in the Paperback Parlor (4), How to Raise an Elephant (3), First Comes Scandal (3 - Bridgerton) and A Clockwork Orange - which I couldn't rate. Also, still working on Hawai'i.

[Anastasia]

Sherri wrote: "My five star for January is The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune. I used it for Title and author both contain the letter U."

I am so glad you liked it. It is one I have been recommending to friends and family as a light, fun read.

[Emily, Conterminous Mod]

I finished the Daevabad series yesterday (The City of Brass series), and I'm really, really sad it is over. These books fit A LOT of ATY prompts, but I used the three in the trilogy for female criminal, Muslim author, and Grand Egyptian Museum, which were my hardest prompts so I'm glad to have knocked those out, and with a series I really enjoyed too.

I needed a break from fantasy so I picked up The Only Woman in the Room for a historical fiction book... not sure which prompt I'll slot it in for yet, but I'm enjoying it so far.

[Ali]

Oooh I've borrowed City of Brass from the library twice now but have managed to send it back unread both times - I do really want to get to it though! I'm glad you've enjoyed it

I'm really on the hunt for some easy read police procedurals at the moment.

[Bana AZ]

Alicia wrote: "I mean that spoiler you mentioned definitely was wrong on her part, but I don't think it's what people are claiming that is more extreme, and I'm someone who can find things like what they are clai..."

I'm interested. I'll make a different Bridgerton discussion thread.

I always feel kind of guilty when reading romance novels like Julia Quinn's. I guess for Laura and Emily, if you want to give one of the books a try, it could fit in the "You Read What?!" prompt, maybe. But reading them is also pretty fun.

[Laura, Celestial Sphere Mod]

Great idea, Ana A! I wasn’t sure what I would read for that prompt. I may just have to do that 🤔

[Alicia]

Does anyone count books they DNF for the challenge?

I used to always force myself to finish books, but then someone once said that life is too short to read bad books. But I still feel guilty. I read almost 75% but I just can't stand them anymore. Their stupid stupid lives.

[Jillian]

I don’t count books I DNF for challenges but that has to do with the fact that I tend to read 120 books a year. Also, I hardly even DNF a book and it has to do with my brain. If I finish a book I can forget it and move on, but if I start a book and don’t finish it the book is always taking up memory space.

If you read 75% of a book and you have no desire to read a different book for that prompt, it makes sense for you to use your book there.

[Emily, Conterminous Mod]

TBH, I only read 60% of The Goldfinch but I count it as read. I also listened to the last 25% of The Dutch House on 2x listening speed so I could be done with it.

I don’t count DNFs, generally, but if I get 75% into a book, I feel like it’s read “enough” to count. I usually DNF by like 20% in though.

[Alicia]

Ughh I know I know. I just hate that I wasted so much time hoping it would get better, when it didn't. I'm just having a bad start to the reading year.

I've definitely used the 2x trick on some audiobooks though.

[Kendra]

Personally, I just can't count a DNF book for a challenge. If I want to use it for a challenge, I have to finish it. But I normally DNF books before I get to the halfway point. If I've already read most of the book, I usually feel like DNFing it is letting the book win, so I force myself to finish it, or it lands in a pile on my nightstand where I glare at it occasionally.

[Entropia]

I usually DNF books early on, so I wouldn't count them, but if I had book with high percentage of completion and nothing better to fill that spot in a challenge I might bend the rules.

[Ellie]

I also tend to DNF early on but I were you I'd just read the last chapter and count it done.

[Robin P, Orbicular Mod]

I sometimes skim the last part and then count it. If I quit fairly early, I won't even enter in GR at all.

[Sherri]

I finished Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson for a monochromatic cover prompt. Excellent book. Life changing. 5 stars

[Sam]

On the DNF front, these days if I am not vibing with a book fairly early I will stop and not count, hopefully by the 20% mark. There are too many great things to read and too little time to push through things I clearly am not interested in. But it's not a hard and fast rule for me.

As an example, I had The Cold Millions on my challenge list: I opened the ARC I had, tried to read about 5 pages and just could not engage or care, and promptly stopped. But I pushed through The Kingdoms because so many people I know love Natasha Pulley's books and I was hoping this one would finally click for me (spoiler alert, it did not), and even though I didn't love it, it was readable and I wasn't so turned off I needed to stop.

That said, I personally would only count books I finished 100% of for the challenge, so it behooves me to get out early if I don't like something.

[Alicia]

I ended up finishing the book. I was too upset that I wasted so much time with the book for it not to count for anything. It was still terrible.