2021 Reading Discussions

[Robin P, Orbicular Mod]

Emma wrote: "A Month in the Country looks really good. Adding it to the tbr pile!"

It's a short and uplifting book. There was a good movie made of it which my former book club watched after reading the book.

[Anastasia]

After watching the Lord of the Rings movies last week, I have decided to reread the books. I first read them as a tween. Now that I am older I wonder what will be different.

I am adding it to both my long read and to my long movie list.

[Emma]

It will be interesting to see how they compare now to how you felt when you first read them, I reread the Hobbit recently and liked it less, surprisingly- but that might be because there is so much diverse fantasy fiction around nowadays.

[Sherri]

I finished The Duke & I (Bridgerton's #1) by Julia Quinn for a book I consider a comfort read. I enjoyed it.

[Raquel (Silver Valkyrie Reads)]

I haven't read Lord of the Rings in a couple decades, and I've been thinking about doing re-read soon. I'm a little scared to because I loved it so much in my teens, for the story and characters, and after some comments I've heard recently from people I know who just read it for the first time I'm concerned it's going to feel really slow and draggy now...

[Anastasia]

@Raquel Evans I reread the Hobbit with my kids and it was so wordy. I was worried that LOTR would be too. It really isn't. If you still like Epic Fantasy you will probably enjoy it.

I understand why my younger self enjoyed the book so much. I grew up in a small place with similar attitudes as the Shire. It was familiar as well as an adventure.

[Raquel (Silver Valkyrie Reads)]

Anastasia wrote: "@Raquel Evans I reread the Hobbit with my kids and it was so wordy. I was worried that LOTR would be too. It really isn't. If you still like Epic Fantasy you will probably enjoy it.

I understand w..."

Yay, that makes me feel a little more inspired to try it again! :-)

[Sherri]

I read The Lions of Fifth Avenue by Fiona Davis for week 1 of Past,Present, and Future. This was for past. 2 stars. I thought I was going to love this book. It has librarians, the NYPL on fifth avenue, a tiny mystery, feminism. I felt the story was too pat in places. The protagnonist didn't work for me.

[Sherri]

I finished An American Sunrise by Joy Harjo for an author whose career spanned more than 21 years. So far her career has spanned 46 years. She is the current US Poet Laureate. I listened to the audio book. 4 stars.

[Emily, Conterminous Mod]

Gosh Sherri, that sucks about The Lions of Fifth Avenue! My mom keeps recommending it to me so I'll probably have to read it eventually.

I just did a tally and realized I finished 10 books this month! 3 audio, 7 print, but one of them was finishing a year-long reread of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, so it counts but barely lol.

[Emily, Conterminous Mod]

How did everyone do for their March reads? Any favorites? Any that we should all absolutely avoid?

[Kat]

I haven't had a new 5 star read yet this year. Trying to work out if it's me or the books I'm picking. There were a couple (Little Eyes and The Memory Police) that I thought were heading in that direction but then let me down at the end.

[Emily, Conterminous Mod]

I was let down by Memory Police's ending as well! I gave it 3.5 stars but it could have easily been 4 or 4.5 if it would have ended... at all lol.

[Jillian]

I loved Anxious People by Fredrik Backman

[Robin P, Orbicular Mod]

I gave 5 stars to The Girl with the Louding Voice, the audio was excellently done.

[Steve]

I think my top book of the 10 I read this month was The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared. I found it hysterical. I love Christopher Moore's books like Fool and Lamb, and felt that Allen was so much like those characters, and that Jonasson wrote in a similar tone.

[Emily, Conterminous Mod]

I read 10 books this month as well, Steve. I was surprised by that... I didn't realize until I was doing my final tally lol.

My favorites were Disappearing Earth and The Lost Apothecary!

[Raquel (Silver Valkyrie Reads)]

March was a slow, comfort read focused month for me. It felt like I DNF'd a lot, but most of the books I did finish were enjoyable, including a few re-reads. (And thanks for the confirmation of my decision to DNF The Memory Police!)

I found Everything I Need To Know I Learned From a Little Golden Book a big letdown though, so you can skip that one unless you feel SO nostalgic about golden books that you'll enjoy it just for the pictures. (I found the advice really random, and wished it had to do with the *stories* in the golden books instead of just vaguely having to do with random pictures from the books).

[Sherri]

I finished The Mummy Case (Amelia Peabody #3) by Elizabeth Peters. 3 stars. It has been years since I started this series. There are a few prompts it will work for but I use it for related to the lyrics of "My Favorite Things". Whiskers on Kittens. Really it was a cat & a lion cub.

[Sherri]

I finished No Man’s Land (John Puller,#4) by David Baldacci. I started this series in 2014. It took me awhile to finish it but I really enjoyed it. I was wondering if anyone else has read this series? I know people have but I haven’t met anyone that has.

[Emily, Conterminous Mod]

I have been struggling to finish any books this month. I did SO WELL for the first three months of the year, and now it's like I hit a wall.

[Kathy]

I've changed up my whole plan, Emily. I got tired of seeing the same old list of books!

[Jillian]

I’m finding this year harder than last year to read.

[Joyce]

Despite trying to pace myself, I’m coming towards the end of the main challenge with an excess of longer, denser books to read. Palace Walk is taking me ages. I had thought I might move on to the rest of the The Cairo Trilogy but that’s quite enough early C20th Egypt for now.

[Milena]

Joyce wrote: "Despite trying to pace myself, I’m coming towards the end of the main challenge with an excess of longer, denser books to read. Palace Walk is taking me ages. I had thought I might mo..."

Ooh, I just started Palace Walk. It's a long book. It's going quickly in the beginning, but I wonder if that will change.

[Emily, Conterminous Mod]

I'm actually halfway done with the challenge, which is unusual for me (I usually take longer) but I've put zero restrictions on myself, unlike in previous years with reading in order or pulling prompts from a jar.

I'm just having trouble focusing on anything long enough to read it lol. I started I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter, which is my book club book this month and it's just... not great. Or at least not captivating.

I did finish The Rose Code, which was wonderful, even if it's long and took a while to read.

[Joyce]

Milena wrote: "Ooh, I just started Palace Walk. It's a long book. It's going quickly in the beginning, but I wonder if that will change."

I'm wondering if I have a poor translation. I'm reading the Everyman edition and the language seems awfully stilted.

[Milena]

Joyce wrote: "Milena wrote: "Ooh, I just started Palace Walk. It's a long book. It's going quickly in the beginning, but I wonder if that will change."

I'm wondering if I have a poor translation. I'm reading th..."

I am reading this edition: Palace Walk

[Ellie]

Emily wrote: "I have been struggling to finish any books this month. I did SO WELL for the first three months of the year, and now it's like I hit a wall."

I was struggling a bit last month, I put it down to the anniversary of lockdown, but my reading has started to pick up again. I just finished Firekeeper's Daughter which I loved.

I've definitely not got my pre-pandemic reading mojo back to full power, still want to read comforting, fun or easy things.

[Ali]

Emily wrote: "I have been struggling to finish any books this month. I did SO WELL for the first three months of the year, and now it's like I hit a wall."

I'm with you Emily. I've read 27/52 books for the challenge but have had a terrible time in April. I've read some honestly dreadful books and had some real disappointments recently. Right now I can't seem to get through a written book although I've got an audiobook on the go. I'm hoping to snap out of it soon....

[Kat]

I've read the first chapter of so many books lately and just can't get into them. I end up going back to something I've read before or an author I know I like. A lot of my challenge reads so far have been an accident and nothing like I originally planned.

[Alicia]

Ali, I’m the exact same as you. I’ve been good with audiobooks, but can’t find the motivation to read anything in print.

It started with A Court of Silver Flames which was epically terrible (and this is from a big Sarah j Maas) fan. Now I’m a quarter into These Violent Delights and I just can’t find a care for any aspect of the book. I don’t know if it’s me, so afraid to start another book in case I’m just in a grumpy reading mood.

[Entropia]

I've only managed to read 10 books this year so far, but I expected this year will be hectic for me, so my challenge is for 21 books instead of 52. This month I only finished one audiobook, but hopefully I will finish 3 more books before the end of the month (The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat and Other Clinical Tales in audiobook format, I have two chapters left in Debt: The First 5,000 Years and Baśń o wężowym sercu albo wtóre słowo o Jakóbie Szeli which I'm in the middle of, but it's a fast read that I have love-hate relationship with, so there is still a possibility I will drop it).

[Sherri]

I finished The Book of Two Ways by Jodi Picoult. It was a relief to finish because it was driving me crazy. 3 stars. I really wanted to love this book but the protagonist wasn't always believable on so many levels for me. I used it for prompt #11 to celebrate The Grand Egyptian Museum. I loved the history of Egypt in the book.

[Anastasia]

I usually do not have a problem finding a book to read. Books are my go to in bad times. The last couple of weeks that has changed. Even my standard fantasy novels are difficult to pick up. A book that would take a week is taking over a month to finish.

I have reached out for help as this is not a good sign.

The reason I am posting this is to remind others that it is okay to ask for help. If you are feeling overwhelmed talk to a friend, family member or a medical professional.

[Robin P, Orbicular Mod]

Anastasia wrote: "I usually do not have a problem finding a book to read. Books are my go to in bad times. The last couple of weeks that has changed. Even my standard fantasy novels are difficult to pick up. A book ..."

Thank you for your honesty, Anastasia, I commend you for being vulnerable and seeing asking for help as a strength, not a weakness. Many of us have run into this issue at various times. Especially in the last year, all kinds of stress have added up for people. Last year there were several darker books that I decided not to read, or not to finish. I also won't knowingly read anything about characters with cancer for the last year and a half, since my own adult daughter has been dealing with it. (She's doing very well at the moment.)

One possibility is to reread something you loved in the past or even as a kid. Maybe a different format, like graphic novel or audiobook, would appeal to you. It sounds like you are already taking any steps needed to get overall help by reaching out to the appropriate people.

[Alicia]

For those that have read the Daevabad trilogy, am I the only one that has disliked Dara from the start? I'm on book 3 and just totally sick of his chapters.

[Kendra]

Alicia wrote: "For those that have read the Daevabad trilogy, am I the only one that has disliked Dara from the start? I'm on book 3 and just totally sick of his chapters."

You're not the only one. Dara is such an idiot.

[Emily, Conterminous Mod]

I hatedddd Dara. I know we were supposed to be sympathetic to him, especially in the last book, but I couldn’t find it in me.

[Kathy]

Anastasia wrote: "I usually do not have a problem finding a book to read. Books are my go to in bad times. The last couple of weeks that has changed. Even my standard fantasy novels are difficult to pick up. A book ..."

I’m glad you’re getting help, Anastasia. When I can’t read, I too know I’m depressed. Hope you feel better soon.

[Suzanne]

Sherri wrote: "I finished The Book of Two Ways by Jodi Picoult. It was a relief to finish because it was driving me crazy. 3 stars. I really wanted to love this book but the protagonist wasn't always believable o..."

I didn't end up liking this book either. I was also reading it for the Egyptian prompt. It had an interesting structure but it was so hard to read all the history and physics. I know it related to her overall themes but it was a bit too much. Also, many things were just not believable.

[Jim]

Good afternoon!

I'm reading a Library of America (www.loa.org) omnibus, Novels, 1930-1942: Dance Night / Come Back to Sorrento / Turn, Magic Wheel / Angels on Toast / A Time to Be Born by Dawn Powell (1895-1965), which I borrowed from my local library on April 12, 2021. The first novel, *Dance Night*(1930), at 204 pages, fits the Short Book (< 210 pages) by an Author New to You prompt. That and the second novel, *Come Back to Sorrento* (1932), chronicle life in small-town Ohio where Powell grew up. I'd like to list them in my general Goodreads Challenge as separate books, but I don't think the software will allow it unless I use multiple start and finish dates, one pair of dates for each novel in the omnibus. This will also inflate the page count of the omnibus to 5,340 (5 times 1,068). LOA touts the "witty and playful satirist" as a "literary rediscovery of rare importance". It's the first of two LOA volumes, the second containing four novels Powell wrote between 1944 and 1962, the only listing on Goodreads of this author.

[Anastasia]

Dara was very opportunistic in all of the books.

[Alicia]

Ok thank you all! I keep feeling like the author wants me to be sympathetic to him. And I keep yelling, not going to happen!!

And yes, I talk to my books.

[Sam]

I’m also very #teamAli, Dara I didn’t love in the first book and was so irritated with in second book. Haven’t read the final book yet!

[Kelly Sj]

Jim wrote: "Good afternoon!

I'm reading a Library of America (www.loa.org) omnibus, [book:Novels, 1930-1942: Dance Night / Come Back to Sorrento / Turn, Magic Wheel / Angels on Toast / A Time to Be Born|92286..."

Jim, it looks like each of those books was published individually, so you could use the stand-alone editions to track your reading. I've done that with Jane Austen books, since I have her complete novels published as a single volume. The page count might be off a bit compared to the book you're actually reading, but if you're more interested in tracking which books you've read it's a solution.

[Sherri]

I finished Anxious People by Fredrik Backman. 3 stars because I thought it kept dragging out at the end. I liked it but I kept thinking any of the last 6 chapters had finished the story. I used it for by the author of one of your 2020 best reads. I read Us Against You (Beartown #2) in 2020 & really liked it.

[Pam]

This has been a terrible year for reading for me. I've been distracted by other hobbies and can't focus on reading. I did enjoy The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick and am making my way through the TV series. I also enjoyed Dune: the Graphic Novel, Book 1. I'm really struggling to finish anything yet keep checking out more books from the library! At this rate, I will not finish the challenge unless I just read novellas, graphic novels and children's books. I'll keep plugging away, though, in hopes to find something that really captures my attention!

[Sherri]

I read Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley. 4 stars. It is YA. I really like the book. I used it for title refers to someone without giving a name.

[Emily, Conterminous Mod]

Oooh I got Firekeeper's Daughter from Book of the Month this month and haven't gotten a chance to read it. I'm glad you enjoyed it!

Pam wrote: "This has been a terrible year for reading for me. I've been distracted by other hobbies and can't focus on reading. I did enjoy The Man in the High Castle by [author:Philip K. Dick|47..."

Here's hoping the year picks up for you, Pam!