Play Book Tag discussion
2021 Activities and Challenges
>
2021 Fall Flurry of Holidays Challenge -- Discussion and Planning
Book Concierge wrote: "I just finished reading María Amparo Escandón's latest book: L.A. WeatherIt covers a year in the life of a Mexican-American family in Los Angeles. There are scene..."
That sounds delightful!
Karin wrote: "Shelly wrote: "Amy wrote: "Definitely reading The Matzah Ball for December. Holly, Shelley, and Sally - you in? Also have a few others planned for November and December. I do think November will be..."I love Matzo Ball soup and of course being in NYC have a regular source for it. But I make a really good one and it is super easy. Just use some well seasoned chickent broth -- easy to buy and frankly College Inn brand canned chicken broth is just fine. Buy a box of matzo meal and follow recipe on box. You might have to stock up on Matzo Meal around Passover if your area's grocery store don't have a kosher section year round. NYC does of course.
As time has passed, I've tinkered with and made it my own - sauteed onions, celery and carrots to add for example.
@Amy - that book sounds really cute.
October is always the easiest month for me, but I there was a new one released yesterday that is perfect for October:Yours Cruelly, Elvira: Memoirs of the Mistress of the Dark
November is a lot harder, but I'm looking at Pumpkins in Paradise
Then a couple of options for December:
In a Holidaze
Christmas Letters
I've been a little behind on reading lately, but hopefully this mini challenge will keep me motivated.
Some Thanksgiving fiction options - quite varied:Www .psychologytoday.com/ us/blog/the-literary-life/201011/ harvest-thanksgiving-novels
You have to close up the 3 spaces I added when you copy/paste.
Thanks BnB! That is the same link I tried posting every which way and got Red Banner of Doom.In fact, when I first tried to reply and part of the link showed up, I got Red Banner of Doom. I had to delete reply italics message ref.
Booknblues wrote: "www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-l...See if this works.
Some interesting books."
WOW ... now it works ... no red banner of death! when I hit reply and included BnB's link ...
Let's try this:
https://www.ala.org/advocacy/bbooks/f...
Son of a gun! I guess all my emails back and forth to support achieved something after all.
I am doing a challenge via instagram called #31SpookyStories, so I will read a different horror short story every day. I don't have my plan yet, but here are some books I will try to pull stories from: Things We Lost in the Fire
Lost Highways: Dark Fictions From the Road
The Book Of A Thousand Sins
Scary Stories for Young Foxes
Echoes from the Macabre: Selected Stories
Nocturnal Emissions
Multiplex Fandango
Full Throttle
November I will probably skip, although I am interested in the Bromance Book Club so maybe I'll fit that in.
December will depend on my IRL book club.
We usually read something festive and romantic.
@JoyD - I have read The Coldest Winter Ever and I highly recommend it especially if you were a teen in the 90s. I found a lot of mentions about fashion and music nostalgic. It is kind of a teen drama.
Great job Tessa! I love how your advocacy makes a difference! I mean really, you helped make that happen, and it helped us all out to navigate all these tricky things! Thank you.
Theresa wrote: "Thanks BnB! That is the same link I tried posting every which way and got Red Banner of Doom.In fact, when I first tried to reply and part of the link showed up, I got Red Banner of Doom. I had t..."
For whatever reason, I still seem to be able to post links. Just don't ask me to post a picture. :)
Meli - if you start running short on spooky short stories, check my short story shelf or PM me. I might have some to suggest.Also publisher Thor has free short stories available on their website ... might want to check for Spooky.
Oh ... October 11 is CANADIAN THANKSGIVING ... so I'll read something set in Canada or by a Canadian author!
Book Concierge wrote: "Oh ... October 11 is CANADIAN THANKSGIVING ... so I'll read something set in Canada or by a Canadian author!"You could pair that up with an indigenous author who lives in "Canada". We have some really great indigenous authors. :-)
LibraryCin wrote: "Book Concierge wrote: "Oh ... October 11 is CANADIAN THANKSGIVING ... so I'll read something set in Canada or by a Canadian author!"You could pair that up with an indigenous author who lives in "Canada". We have some really great indigenous authors. :-) "..."
You have some that I really love, Richard Wagamese , Michelle Good
Meli wrote: "@JoyD - I have read The Coldest Winter Ever and I highly recommend it especially if you were a teen in the 90s. I found a lot of mentions about fashion and music nostalgic. It is kind of a teen drama.."Awesome. Thanks for the recommendation. I own a copy of the book so will plan to read it for December.
In poking around some of my physical TBR Towers, looking for Becoming George Sand and Startup among others, I found a Thanksgiving cozy I did not have before.Still searching for those other 2. 😅
Theresa wrote: "Meli - if you start running short on spooky short stories, check my short story shelf or PM me. I might have some to suggest.Also publisher Thor has free short stories available on their website ..."
Excellent, thank you!
I have several giant collections though, so I think I'm good.
Thor?
Haven't heard of them, unless you mean Tor?
Theresa wrote: "Karin wrote: "Shelly wrote: "Amy wrote: "Definitely reading The Matzah Ball for December. Holly, Shelley, and Sally - you in? Also have a few others planned for November and December. I do think No..."Yes, it is easy, but not everyone in my house is equally smitten with it. They aren't in love with some of my favourite ethnic dishes from my heritages, either, even mild ones like this.
Another really easy, mild dish that I love that they don't is congee (Cantonese for those who have never heard of it.)
It's interesting. Theresa makes matzo balls from scratch and I use Croydon House's easy to make mix. My friend Shantha who hails from India makes matzo balls too (and uses the mix).Karin, I certainly understand that not all of your family members like it. There were some foods that my mother served which ended up uneaten. I'm thinking about meatloaf, in particular. (My sister would try to hide it under her mashed potatoes.)
Meli wrote: "Theresa wrote: "Meli - if you start running short on spooky short stories, check my short story shelf or PM me. I might have some to suggest.Also publisher Thor has free short stories available o..."
Ugh yes Tor. Autocorrect got me!
Might look at Soho Crime....more crime fiction but they also translate older works and publish interesting themed short story crime collections.
Holly R W wrote: "It's interesting. Theresa makes matzo balls from scratch and I use Croydon House's easy to make mix. My friend Shantha who hails from India makes matzo balls too (and uses the mix).Karin, I certa..."
Well I live alone so making a batch gets me 2 bowls of soup. I like 2 or 3 matzo balls per bowl.
I almost didn't ask because I knew what you meant, but I wanted to double check in case there was a publisher offering free stories that I wasn't aware of! I will check them out though, and see what they have to offer.
I almost didn't ask because I knew what you meant, but I wanted to double check in case there was a publisher offering free stories that I wasn't aware of! I will check them out though, and see what they have to offer.
Booknblues wrote: "You have some that I really love, Richard Wagamese , Michelle Good..."Richard Wagamese was the first one who came to my mind. Particularly, of course, Indian Horse.
Thomas King is another good one.
Oh, here's a good list (and I see Thomas King and Richard Wagamese are 1, 2 on the list!):https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/9...
Joseph Boyden, I could see appealing to the literary types, here. And many others!
Theresa wrote: "Holly R W wrote: "It's interesting. Theresa makes matzo balls from scratch and I use Croydon House's easy to make mix. My friend Shantha who hails from India makes matzo balls too (and uses the mix..."Yes, it's a great idea! When I lived alone I sometimes cooked that way as well, depending on what it was. Plus I could make whatever I wanted to for supper.
Theresa wrote: "Holly R W wrote: "It's interesting. Theresa makes matzo balls from scratch and I use Croydon House's easy to make mix. My friend Shantha who hails from India makes matzo balls too (and uses the mix..."Theresa, I respect that you make the matzo balls from scratch. I'm just a lazy cook, who doesn't enjoy cooking that much... That said, even while using the mix, I once had a matzo ball calamity. Evidently, I measured in too much oil. When I thought the matzo balls were done cooking, I lifted the soup lid and saw (much to my chagrin) that the balls had exploded into tiny bits and pieces. Whoops - I'm more careful about measuring ingredients now!
Never had a matzo ball in my life and it suddenly seems utterly tragic :(I wonder if I could get my husband to make them, because I don't cook! He loves a good cooking challenge.
Meli wrote: "Never had a matzo ball in my life and it suddenly seems utterly tragic :(I wonder if I could get my husband to make them, because I don't cook! He loves a good cooking challenge."
My husband is the same way and does most of the cooking in our house.
Holly R W wrote: "Theresa wrote: "Holly R W wrote: "It's interesting. Theresa makes matzo balls from scratch and I use Croydon House's easy to make mix. My friend Shantha who hails from India makes matzo balls too (..."🤣. Yeah when you want matzo ball soup you don't want to end up with matzo mush!
Meli wrote: "Never had a matzo ball in my life and it suddenly seems utterly tragic :(I wonder if I could get my husband to make them, because I don't cook! He loves a good cooking challenge."
It is a form of dumpling .. like a biscuit in texture rather than a rolled dough that is stuffed.
Meli wrote: "Never had a matzo ball in my life and it suddenly seems utterly tragic :("I've never heard of it! Don't know what it is, although I see Theresa is describing it just above my reply. :-)
LibraryCin wrote: "Meli wrote: "Never had a matzo ball in my life and it suddenly seems utterly tragic :("I've never heard of it! Don't know what it is, although I see Theresa is describing it just above my reply. :-)"
Recipe: https://www.google.com/search?gs_ssp=...
Theresa wrote: "..."Oh, a photo, even! Thank you! :-)
I think I'm going to try a little Fall Flurries for the first time. Does anyone have recommendations for stories about witches? A very popular one came out within the past couple of years, but I do not remember the name. It's not Practical Magic or its sequel. I've read those. Some suggestions would be appreciated! Thanks.
Books I am considering:October:
The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury
The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories by Angela Carter (also fits feminist tag)
Red Dragon by Thomas Harris
The Strain by Guillermo del Torro (this would be a re-read for me so that I can read the second installment)
Moon Called by Patricia Briggs
From the Dust Returned by Ray Bradbury
Still Life by Louis Penny
We Are Not from Here by Jenny Torres Sanchez
November:
There There by Tommy Orange
The Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley
The Roundhouse by Louise Erdrich
Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann
Johnny Got His Gun by Dalton Trumbo
The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien
Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging by Sebastian Junger
December
**Not sure yet. Will get back to this one.**
How sweet it is just came in from the library. I already have two or three Halloween books lined up, but I think I can’t resist!
Autumn by Ali Smith is 1.99 on bookbub today. I haven't read anything by her, and based on the reviews I'm not sure it will be for me, but it's worth a look.
Some great books on this list (both fiction and non) for Octoberhttps://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/th...
For October I plan to read The Golem and the Jenni. I'd also like to squeeze in the sequel, The Hidden Palace, if time permits.
I won a give-away Sister Séance, so I am going to give it a try...sounds a bit "Meli" to me, but I will give it a chance. No idea how or why I won
I am about to soon start the Once and Future Witches, for both Feminist and October Fall Flurries. I believe it was a recommendation from Theresa, if I am not incorrect.
Joanne wrote: "I won a give-away Sister Séance, so I am going to give it a try...sounds a bit "Meli" to me, but I will give it a chance. No idea how or why I won"🤣🤣
That SCREAMS even HOWLS, Meli....but a Meli read can be fun.
Amy wrote: "I am about to soon start the Once and Future Witches, for both Feminist and October Fall Flurries. I believe it was a recommendation from Theresa, if I am not incorrect."Not me Amy. I am not much on reading about witches.
Ya! I love theme holiday books! I read My Best Friend’s Exorcism by Grady Hendrix for a buddy read in October and there was some funny high school drama happening in the story during Halloween. I loved the book!For November I’m hoping to read The Thanksgiving Visitors by Truman Capote.
I’ve also got all my Christmas themed physical books set up on my bookshelf! Can’t wait to read some of them. I also have Debbie Macomber’s new Dear Santa to read for Netgalley.
Oh and yes, I’ve already watched like 8 Christmas movies so far for my Countdown to Christmas 2021.https://boxd.it/dQHaA
Michelle (MichelleBookAddict) wrote: "Oh and yes, I’ve already watched like 8 Christmas movies so far for my Countdown to Christmas 2021.https://boxd.it/dQHaA"
I am right with you! My DVR memory is split between classics like How to Steal a Million and (mostly) Hallmark Christmas movies.
@ Theresa, I had to get FrndlyTv because I drove my mom crazy last few years with all the Hallmark etc romance movies I recorded. She’s fine with the ton of TCM classic movies I record though. Loving their line up for the classic noir movies.
Play Book Tag
Books mentioned in this topic
The Usual Santas (other topics)The Usual Santas (other topics)
The Usual Santas (other topics)
The Usual Santas (other topics)
The Winds of War (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
María Amparo Escandón (other topics)María Amparo Escandón (other topics)
Stephanie Laurens (other topics)
Bob Woodward (other topics)
Rivka Galchen (other topics)
More...
Something to add to December is Hygge - and there are all kinds of books bei..."
I went to your link for Hygge and it sounds wonderful!! Maybe we all need some of that after the past few years. :-)