Austenesque Lovers TBR Challenge 2022 discussion
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Abigail
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Jan 17, 2022 02:37PM
Nice to meet you, Rachel! Sorry about your setbacks. We are all here to make your leisure time rewarding! 😉
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Rachel, glad to have you back with us in 2022. So sorry about your diagnosis. I hope you get all the rest you need. I look forward to seeing you in the reading challenge levels. Blessings... take care.
Debbie wrote: "Here I am again! The last few weeks have been kinda hairy, but I'm finally out the other side. Thank you to all who have been praying for me. I'm healing from my surgery very quickly - almost feeli..."Only just saw this Debbie. My word you've had a hell of a time. So glad to hear all is well. Thank God for our routine mammograms'. Will be thinking of you.
After nearly putting myself off reading last year because of pressure with group reads, NetGalley and challenges I'm taking things easy this year and getting back to what I love. Reading books I enjoy. I don't know how much I'll get to read in this group but I intend to read the six Austen novels again. Time for a reread. I'll be dipping in and out to see how everyone is doing.
Teresa, welcome back. I stopped ordering books from NetGalley, and dropped out of the group reads. It was just too much. I just read now what I want to. I do set a challenge level but if I don't make it... no worries. However, if I do achieve that level... everyone celebrates with me. I've had a rough two years and I'm taking it easy this year. So good to see you back.
Welcome. Sorry about your health problem but what a nice way to comply with doctor's orders...putting your feet up and reading.
Rachel wrote: "Back again for 2022!The intro: I'm Rachel! (hi!) During the week I work for the National Park Service- so if you ever have questions about your national parks, I'm your girl! I have a 6yo little ..."
Awesome!!! Welcome. And those all sound like great reasons to favor JAFF! I can't imagine having to sleep for 10 hours with a 4-year-old!
Mod
I'm a fan of the Nat'l Parks, for sure. Even have my little passport stamp book. ;)
Oh man, I'll have to look that one up, but anything that does that to your lifestyle is a baddie. Your reading silver lining is a good thing and yes, getting lost in a familiar world is a great reason to be drawn to JAFF.
Now, you'll have to hike to our highest levels here with that misty-peaked Darcy Library up there above the clouds. :)
Rachel wrote: "Back again for 2022!The intro: I'm Rachel! (hi!) During the week I work for the National Park Service- so if you ever have questions about your national parks, I'm your girl! I have a 6yo little ..."
My goodness, that must be so challenging. The Hope of JAFF books with their HEA, must be a good pill to swallow.
Sorry to hear about your medical condition. Glad you found a way to pass the time enjoyably.
J. W. wrote: "Teresa, welcome back. I stopped ordering books from NetGalley, and dropped out of the group reads. It was just too much. I just read now what I want to. I do set a challenge level but if I don't ma..."Glad to see you hear Jeannie. Hope all is well with you.
Rachel wrote: "This year I was diagnosed with dysautonomia, which was a blow to my lifestyle in a big way. The silver lining- needing more time at home with my feet up means more time for reading!..."Woah, Rachel! I used to do medical transcription for a cardiology group and frequently came across POTS, which I know is one form of dysautonomia. Not an easy condition to live with, especially when you have a little one to take care of. I admire your attitude! And yes, most JAFF is great escapist reading.
The daughter of a good friend of mine is a helicopter pilot who flies over wildlife fires to survey and direct firefighters on the ground. Your husband's a hero!
Teresa wrote: "Only just saw this Debbie. My word you've had a hell of a time. So glad to hear all is well. Thank God for our routine mammograms'. Will be thinking of you."Teresa wrote: "After nearly putting myself off reading last year because of pressure with group reads, NetGalley and challenges I'm taking things easy this year and getting back to what I love. Reading books I en..."
First of all, thanks so much for the good wishes. I'm doing well. Just crossing my fingers in anticipation of my oncology appointment this Thursday. Even though it's very unlikely that I'll need chemo, it's still a possibility.
Secondly, I'm right with you - around the end of 2020 I found I was losing my joy of reading because of self-imposed pressure to review everything and post on GoodReads regularly - and since I started having lots of additional activities around my new house, I couldn't keep up. I just had to step away last year. Back this year and, like you, trying to take it easy on myself! Good luck to us both!
Debbie wrote: "Teresa wrote: "Only just saw this Debbie. My word you've had a hell of a time. So glad to hear all is well. Thank God for our routine mammograms'. Will be thinking of you."Teresa wrote: "After ne..."
Please, do what fits your schedule, what you enjoy, but do put yourself first. There are enough reviews out there that those of us who want to read them...may. Sometimes I just look at the rating you and a few others give a story and that tells me all I need to know.
Thanks Sheila for the pep talk. I hadn't really done reviews before and when I got a few books from NetGalley and then an author asked me to review a book I suddenly felt like I couldn't do them justice. I'm not a confident person and I tend to let things get on top of me. I'll be sixty at the end of this year and I've had a chat with myself. Time to get a grip!!!
Rachel wrote: "Back again for 2022!The intro: I'm Rachel! (hi!) During the week I work for the National Park Service- so if you ever have questions about your national parks, I'm your girl! I have a 6yo little ..."
My goodness Rachel, you have a lot on your plate. You definitely have to take care of yourself so you can take care of those loved ones of yours. I know what you mean about 10hr of sleep not the luxury it sounds like. Hugs from afar, blessings, prayers, and so glad you have joined us.
Debbie wrote: "Marlene wrote: "Debbie, I think I missed that info, because I don't think I would have forgotten that. Thank God for that!!!!!"Pea-sized spot of Stage I cancer first detected on my annual mammogr..."
Debbie, I was away for awhile so this is late in commenting. But I did think about you and I'm so glad your news is good.
I don't know why I ever think that post-holiday January is going to be more laid back, cozy and relaxing. I don't think I have experienced that since our son was in elementary school. And he is 42. This January has proven to be even further from that fantasy than ever. Life around here has been more frantic than ever, and yet every day...actually several times a day my mental jaw hangs open with something making me ever grateful for our circumstances. Two weeks ago my husband's sister was put into the hospital with COVID and pneumonia, after that morning waking up to find her husband had died in his sleep that night. Both had been ill for a few weeks but apparently didn't think they were 'that bad.' With the huge scare over my sister-in-law's life it really hasn't become reality to us that our brother-in-law is no longer here. My husband's family live in a different city, not that far away but in the winter we don't do as much Interstate driving. It's always chancy. But even with frequent updates from our niece it's not like being there to visit. Although my husband was able to visit her the weekend after we heard the news. We thought this was miraculous.
Someone earlier this month said that people were dropping like flies and she'd heard of more and more cases recently. I have to concur. Now another one in his family has tested positive and their family is isolating at home. Our own city has raised the danger bar to the red-zone which it hadn't been at that level since early pandemic days. Our schools have gone to a 4-day week in order for the teachers to catch a breath, since so many teachers and students are out due to COVID. I just got a text from a friend in the state we lived in for twenty years and moved back 'home' from in '17. They both are recovering from COVID.
I don't think anyone wants to go back to 2020, closing schools and closing down businesses permanently. I don't want to go back there either. A year of staying home didn't seem like a punishment to us, we're homebodies. But it wasn't good for us at all in so many ways, primarily physical in my case. I'm working on that, but it's very slow going. I don't know why I chose to unload all of this on y'all except this group feels like the kind of friends you can visit with frequently or infrequently and pick up right where you left off. All because we share one specific love in our lives. Jane Austen. And I've really come to appreciate and care for all of you I see popping up here so often. I still need to become more familiar with some of you. But God bless you all.
Good Lord Michelle what an awful time you've had!!! My heart goes out to you. I agree with you about this group. They have been there for me many times. I don't have many friends so they've seen me through many a gripe. Also Jane is a great comfort. Her books are marvelous to sink into and forget about life's worries for a while.
Teresa wrote: "Thanks Sheila for the pep talk. I hadn't really done reviews before and when I got a few books from NetGalley and then an author asked me to review a book I suddenly felt like I couldn't do them ju..."I'm 75 so this is something I do to help keep my brain exercised.
Mod
That's not the January rush; that is so much more that hit your family.
You bring a sting of tears of joy to my eyes that you came to our group to share your burdens and trust us to help you carry them for a bit. Sympathies to you and yours.
MichelleH wrote: "I don't know why I ever think that post-holiday January is going to be more laid back, cozy and relaxing. I don't think I have experienced that since our son was in elementary school. And he is 42...."My heart goes out to you. Tonight you will be in my prayers. So sorry for your family's loss.
Teresa wrote: My heart goes out to you. I agree with you about this group. They have been there for me many times. I don't have many friends so they've seen me..." Thank you so much Teresa, what you said about not having many friends got to me. I have no one in my family or small circle of friends who read any Regency, let alone JAFF! So, getting to talk about the books I love and read what other people think about them has meant the world to me.
Sophia wrote: "Oh my stars, Michelle!You bring a sting of tears of joy to my eyes that you came to our group to share your burdens and tr..."
Oh, Sophia. You're an angel.
Those of us who are up can support those of us who are down. Just as God intended. No pressure on the reviews, everyone! I find that for myself, it can be difficult to know how many reviews to read. I've been aiming for 5 each day, and I think that's a pretty good number. (It's so easy for me to keep reading and keep reading and keep reading reviews. But then I often run out of time to read!)
Michelle, my condolences to you and your family. We are here for you. This is a safe zone for all members. As Marlene said... we support each other then, when we are down, others will support us. Blessings, my dear. Stay safe.
Michelle, I am so sorry to hear your news. My sympathies to you and your family.I also have known many more people with Covid recently. In all of 2020, I only knew one couple who had the virus. She had a mild case; he was dangerously ill but survived.
In January 2021, the sister of a close friend died from Covid in Wyoming. In the fall of 2021, I knew of three relatives who had mild cases.
Since Christmas, I know of ten people with confirmed cases. That isn't so very many but more than I have known all that time.
I was together with family on December 26th. The first week of January my niece's family tested positive. They are sure they were infected on New Year's Eve. They are doing fine but it is a scary thing. They had all been vaccinated and boosted.
Oh, Michelle, I'm so sorry that 2022 is not starting out well for you and your loved ones. As you see from Rose's (wosedwew's) comment above, COVID is adversely affecting lots of people right now - some more than others. I know we're all feeling it and wishing we could go back to the way things were in the good old days (three years ago!) before this horrible pandemic started. It's part of what makes reading JAFF so appealing - a drug- and alcohol-free means of escape. And this IS a wonderfully safe place to express our cares and vent and get support from a group of caring people. Love you all!
The numbers have just taken off. The good news is that for the most part, it's mild, and from what I can see in the news, we might be on our way to endemic rather than pandemic. My entire family got hit with it this week. None of us had it all the way up until this past Thanksgiving, when my husband was able to successfully isolate himself 100%. Then two weeks ago Friday, two of my boys tested positive. We isolated them for three full days. Then two of my girls tested positive on Monday, and I was pretty sure I had it even though I had tested negative. And it's been a ripple effect. But our family from ages 8 to 45 have ranged from no symptoms (two of the kids) to throwing up once and a runny nose (the 8-year-old) to me - I felt like I had a cold and was unusually low on energy for about a week.
So very many people have it or have had it around here. But I haven't heard of anyone who had bad symptoms.
So I am very hopeful for endemic status. Maybe that's something to pray about.
Did anyone see that Austraila has decided to "let COVID rip"? Wow.
I am hopeful that life will normalize more this year. Truly.
My daughter had COVID, and she had to miss what was supposed to be her very first band and chorus concert this year. She didn't have a single symptom.
My oldest daughter is going on a trip to Disney for a performing opportunity during February break. Her two friends are VERY concerned that they're going to end up getting COVID right before the trip and not be able to go.
I have decided that I am going to continue to do whatever is expected of me and to follow the rules, but that I want to contribute to a culture of "No Fear, Let's Treat This Like the Flu and Move on because Contact Tracing and Masking and Social Distancing aren't Protecting Us Anyway" by normalizing COVID in my own head and to not speak of COVID in a way that promotes a culture of fear.
I have absolutely no idea why I decided to start talking about this. None of you were fear-mongering.
Love you all!
Way to handle things, Marlene. I've recently had a sinus/bronchitis attack [after being out on a windy day] It started with a sore throat and light cough and worked its way down my throat. I decided to self-isolate... just in case. I didn't go and get tested as I didn't want to be out and about. I was in the house for over 2-weeks. I did go out yesterday for a grocery run before this next wave of snow. It was the first time I had been out of the house since the 5th. I wore a mask and used hand-wipes on the cart before and after I use it.
I used to get this when I was still in the classroom. This is the time of year I'd lose my voice and my students thought that was hilarious. I didn't have a fever, kept my taste, didn't feel any different than any other time in the past when I had this. I took my usual precautions and I was pretty sure I was OK. I feel fine.
I am staying in and, with the snow and cold weather, don't expect to go out again unless I absolutely need to.
I ordered the free tests for us...just never know when you will be exposed. Our pastor tested positive, but I have been doing "church" on ZOOM.
Marlene wrote: "The numbers have just taken off. The good news is that for the most part, it's mild, and from what I can see in the news, we might be on our way to endemic rather than pandemic. My entire family ..."
Yes, that is what they are saying in the news here. Being cautiously optimistic, depending.... Both England and Israel have decided to open everything, let everyone get Omicron and build herd immunity to it. Hopefully, it will work.
As they said enough is enough, we now need to learn to live with it.
I say - as long as they keep working on vaccines and pills to cure us!!!
Didn't Sweden do that last year? They determined that the economic hit was too great to consider shutting everything down as other countries were doing. They were hoping to establish herd immunity. They, of course, protected the elderly and the young. I never did hear the results from their decision and would be curious as to the findings from their research. Did it work?
Jeanne - maybe you would benefit from a preventative inhaler during the winter months? I have one - Pulmicort - which I am supposed to use at the first sign of a cold. My son uses his everyday, because by the time I realize, "Hey, he has a cold, maybe he should start taking it," he's already coughing. Re: COVID -
I looked up "what countries have decided to ignore COVID" and found that Norway ended restrictions in September and found confirmation about the UK:
https://www.voanews.com/a/britain-to-...
Mod
Ahhh, hugs Nicole! You were brilliant and courageous to slip out of your cozy corner and share how you are and join us this year. Feel free to stay cozy in your corner reading chair and join convos and book chats whenever you like. A few Austen characters can totally relate even Mr. Darcy himself. :)
Have a peaceful evening, Nicole. Welcome back and hope you find some friendship with no expectations here. I am retired and read for "escapism" and write reviews to keep my mind active.
Yeah … So … I chickened out and erased my rambling. You and Sophia were too quick, and are the only ones who caught it. Not so courageous after all, but y’all are sweet. I will have a peaceful evening - I’m going to go read :)Sidenote: When I was younger, I use to see myself as an Elizabeth Bennet. I’m not quite sure at what point in my life I developed the awkwardness of Mr. Darcy and the nerves of Mrs. Bennet. Sheesh! Lol.
Mod
No worries! Nothing wrong with a quiet personality at times or all the time.
Welcome, Nicole. I noticed you had removed your comment. I'm sorry you felt you needed to do that but respect your wishes to do so. You are loved and appreciated here. I'm glad to see you back in the group. We appreciate your comments and participation. Blessings, my dear.
Goodness, I just realized that I need to introduce myself. Hello, I’m J.W. also known as Jeanne. I am retired and I LOVE to read. Mother would be so proud as she was a prolific reader. When she passed, dad sold her collection [over 9,000 books] to someone opening a used book store. For several years, I was a full-time caregiver until August of last year when my husband of 50-years passed away. Although I am in mourning, I am trying to forge a new life without him. I try to adopt Elizabeth Bennet’s philosophy and be happy where ever I find myself. I’d rather not lean toward Mrs. Bennet and her nerves.JAFF has been a refuge and entertainment as I don’t watch TV. Goodreads has been a community of fellow Janeites that has been the friendships I needed to get through the day. Do you know how hard it is to find someone that reads the same books that you do? Very difficult. Not that my friends don’t read… just not JAFF and they just look at me and smile. Any minute I feel like someone is going to pat me on the head and say, “there, there.” LOL!
To the new people trying to decide if they want to join the chaos… um… party… come on in, there is room for all. We have a lot of fun and you can participate at any level you wish. You can walk around the perimeter with Mr. Darcy until you feel comfortable enough to join Mr. Bingley and the rest of us in the group chats. We won’t judge you if you are quiet and sit on the sidelines and observe the goings-on with Miss Mary or Mrs. Long.
It has been so much fun talking to people from all over the world who love JAFF. That was the most amazing thing discovering just how many countries are represented within these discussion groups. No matter the time of day or night… with the time differences… someone is up and willing to talk about JAFF. It simply boggles my mind. So, come on in, the water is fine. Blessings to all reading this in this new year.
Hi Nicole! Glad you're here!I'm sorry I didn't catch your since-deleted comment - I'd be curious to know how much we might have in common because I had been very active here and in Facebook groups in the JAFF community for several years but pulled back to "lurking" last year. For the most part, it was because I just had too many other things to do with home and family.
Once I stepped back, I realized I'd really been overloaded by all the JAFF social media. Plus, many Facebook groups have gotten increasingly negative. Our GR group is a rare place where everyone is always respectful and accepting of each other - regardless of differences of opinion or frequency of posting. Happy to be HERE!
J. W. wrote: "Goodness, I just realized that I need to introduce myself. Hello, I’m J.W. also known as Jeanne. I am retired and I LOVE to read. Mother would be so proud as she was a prolific reader. When she pas..."Always glad to see you adding to the comments, Jeanne. Welcome back.
Thanks, Sheila. Always glad to read your comments. You are always so uplifting. Blessings.
And I find you do also, Thanks for the compliment. Have a blessed day.
J. W. wrote: "Didn't Sweden do that last year? They determined that the economic hit was too great to consider shutting everything down as other countries were doing. They were hoping to establish herd immunity...."They did, at the very beginning. They decided to do full on herd immunity. However, they also refused to release their numbers. So who really knows which way was best at that point.
After 2 years and bankrupt businesses, not to mention vaccines and new pills, I completely understand the need to open everything and let us all live. I choose to keep a mask on, but that is my personal choice.
Now for embarrassing moment No.1 of 2022 :
I was leaving comments for blogs and got 2 mixed up. Referenced one book on the other site. Gaahhhhh!!! AND I couldn't delete my comment.
Left a FU comment with apologies, but still! SMH
Oh, Sam. Maybe the moderator can delete it for you. Now that your embarrassing moment for 2022 has happened... you can look forward to being free of embarrassing moments the rest of the year. One can hope.
