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Trim Challenge 2022 – Community and Announcement Thread
Amy you are awesome! Thank you for putting this together and organizing it! I'm incredibly excited!! Looking forward to reading Anxious People this month! Already grabbed it from my mom's house and I have two books to finish before I start it!
My obsessive side now needs to see if I can get those names to line up. I tout myself as having excellent executive functioning skills, but am also extremely low tech, although I have gotten somewhat better. But it will bother me if I can’t figure out my line up problem - lol. But other than that, I think it’s a great start and we are on our way. I was pleased that my number 10’s were the soulmate equation and the love hypothesis, which are fortuitously my science tag picks as well. I assume they will both be complete fluff and impossible to tell apart immediately after they are done.
Amy wrote: "My obsessive side now needs to see if I can get those names to line up. I tout myself as having excellent executive functioning skills, but am also extremely low tech, although I have gotten somewh..."Another way we are alike :) ... I would be bothered by the same thing if I had done it. At work I'm also the one that organizes processes or things. And I always have a spreadsheet going for things. :)
I'm interested to read your reviews on them. I've been on the fence for The Love Hypothesis, I wonder if it might be too much fluff. I will probably read the Soulmate Equation regardless... Christina Lauren are another author (set of authors lol) that I've fallen in love with this past year and I want to read more by them.
Oh I will figure out the lineup problem as soon as I can get back to my computer. That won’t last long, lol. So already a buddy read! Fabulous!!! I’m by the way so excited that you’re reading anxious people. That was in my top 10 this year. And even though I read it last January to fly to Sweden to start fly the skies, I read three books in January that were my contenders for the top 10, and two of them got painfully shaved off only because it has been so long. But that one stayed.
So looking forward to this!Thank you for all the work and organization you put into this!
So, what did Joanne pick for January 2022? I am new - maybe it was announced somewhere else and I missed it. My understanding is that we all try to read that book with comments during January 2022. Is that correct? peace, janz
It’s #10, Janz - enjoy!Most of us will be reading different books. All you have to do is put together your own list of 24 books that you want to read over the next couple of years, in some random order. Then read the book whose number is picked. Since this is an unofficial challenge though, it's super-flexible - if you happen to read a book off your list earlier, you can just swap another one in. Or you can move things around if there's something you feel more like reading that month. If people have chosen the same book on their lists, sometimes they like to match their numbers up and do a buddy read, but it's not compulsory :) Hope this helps
PJ - this is a challenge that it is never too late to join. All you do is set up 24 books that you want to clear off your TBR, hello and you can number them one to 24. If you look at the list of Buddy Reads in message one, if there are any books you also want to read with us in the same month, You’re just assign that go to the same number. One of us can talk you through it. So the number that Joanne picked for January, was number 10. So you would read your number 10 book. There happened to be too buddy reads going on in January, when Group is reading anxious people by Frederick Backman, and the other group is reading either Project Hail Mary, or anything by Andy Weir. I happen to be reading the soulmate equation and the love hypothesis, as my number 10, And they are doubling as my science books as well. I intend them to be light and fluffy and interchangeable. In any case, take a look at the body weeks and see if you wanna join in anything, otherwise organize your list anyway you like. Happy you are considering joining us.
Edited to include Shelley. I think I can live with the names not lined up because it looks way worse on my phone and the fix might not help as much as make it worse. Can someone let PeaceJanz know that I answered her in message 11?
I may join with Klara and the Sun as I do want to read it but it hasn't been on my TBR list as long as the others so I left it for next time. Won't put it on my list but if 15 comes up in a quiet marking period I may join if that's ok?
Can't sleep in Denver hotel, so trying some middle of the night catchup. Here are some updates-Welcome Darcy and Care! I was going to suggest that we maybe reach out to Care, Susan, and the new Kelly to see if they might want to join us.
I am making the updates on the Buddy list to add in from Meli, Darcy and Care. Anything left over, we can figure out.
HayJay - I have the Maid at #21. Anyone want to join in?
OK- I think I have all of the updates from Jen, Meli, BnB, JenK, and about half of the ones from Care.Care, I added you to the existing buddy reads. I know its some work to go back, but can you tell me who the others were with? I'll add them to the master list in message one. Others feel free to join in. So glad your'e playing with us
4 - A Distant Mirror
9 - It ended Badly
11- The power of Myth
12 - the Secrets we Kept
18 - the greatest traitor
21 - bridge of sights (might have to join that one)
23 - the traitors wife (might have to join that one)
24 - she wolves
First off, I need to clarify that I did give it the old college try-My #10 The Last Collection: A Novel of Elsa Schiaparelli and Coco Chanel is a DNF. I went well past 3 chapters, in fact nearly half through when I just said NO! It was horribly written, sappy and just bad. Too many other books to read this month to waste my time
Joanne wrote: "First off, I need to clarify that I did give it the old college try-My #10 The Last Collection: A Novel of Elsa Schiaparelli and Coco Chanel is a DNF. I went well past 3 chapters,..."
That means it has been trimmed!
Wasn't that a new years resolution of yours to either start or continue? Not to read anything that's pulling from your enjoyment? well done Joanne!I'm looking forward to picking up my two Trim books from the library tomorrow. Crazily enough, people are giving the love hypothesis a five star review in the general feed. Even our won Nicole R, put it in her top ten! I'm excited now. I assumed it would be fluff. I'm super psyched my two trim books are both science.
That is one of the things I love about the trim challenge - a DNF counts as being trimmed! Whether you finish the read or not it is off the tbr officially :) My #10 is How We Fight For Our Lives and it is an awesome memoir. I highly recommend if you are looking for a talented young writer reflecting on life as a gay, Black man... in the same vein as On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous or Heavy. I would say with a more uplifting undertone than both and more linear than On Earth.
My #10 has to wait until I finish Dune for IRL Feminerdy Book Club and The Masterpiece by Fiona Davis for buddy read. Those will finish this week and I'll move into my #10 The Martian and teh Weir discussion buddy read. I also have A Game of Thrones read along and a science mystery to read, but those can come after my #10 is read. None of these are long reads. It's juggling work with reading that's going to be tricky. .
I'm really excited to be participating again. I hope I'm able to keep up with it this year.I started reading my #10 Anxious People today. It's a buddy read. Has anyone else started reading it yet?
Thank you Amy!!! The TRIM challenge is always fun!
Jenni Elyse wrote: "I'm really excited to be participating again. I hope I'm able to keep up with it this year.I started reading my #10 Anxious People today. It's a buddy read. Has anyone else started reading it yet?"
There's a thread started for the buddy read here, Jenni!
Just checking in so I remember to post on this thread once I am done reading~ Thanks again Amy for your diligent work in organizing!
Amy wrote: "OK- I think I have all of the updates from Jen, Meli, BnB, JenK, and about half of the ones from Care.Care, I added you to the existing buddy reads. I know its some work to go back, but can you t..."
Gah! I knew I should have kept track of that info. I'll scroll through quickly and get that for you.
Joanne wrote: "First off, I need to clarify that I did give it the old college try-My #10 The Last Collection: A Novel of Elsa Schiaparelli and Coco Chanel is a DNF. I went well past 3 chapters,..."
If you are interested in Chanel, Tilar Mazzeo's The Secret of Chanel No. 5: The Intimate History of the World's Most Famous Perfume is a pretty solid read. My one complaint was that Mazzeo could not seem to decide just where her focus lay: a bit Coco biography, a bit science of perfume, a bit history of Chanel No. 5, a bit glimpse of Europe and the U.S. at the time, a bit of a business book... you get the idea. The upside is that I did learn a lot about a lot of things!
Amy wrote: "OK- I think I have all of the updates from Jen, Meli, BnB, JenK, and about half of the ones from Care.Care, I added you to the existing buddy reads. I know its some work to go back, but can you t..."
Here you go:
4 - A Distant Mirror **with Heather Reads Books
9 - It ended Badly **with Heather Reads Books
11- The power of Myth **with Joy D.
12 - the Secrets we Kept **with Heather Reads Books
18 - the greatest traitor **with Cindy (LibraryCin)
21 - bridge of sighs (might have to join that one) **just me unless you join
23 - the traitor’s wife (might have to join that one) **with Cindy (LibraryCin)
24 - she-wolves **with Heather Reads Books
Looks like Heather and I should start a book club!
Care wrote: "Joanne wrote: "First off, I need to clarify that I did give it the old college try-My #10 The Last Collection: A Novel of Elsa Schiaparelli and Coco Chanel is a DNF. I went well p..."
Thanks Care! My focus was Coco, so this books looks like it should go on my ever leaning tower of TBR
Coco Chanel is my remarkable person of the year, so I am fascinated with how these books are going and with the suggestions people have.Care, I will add those in! Looks like you also have a Buddy Read for Idaho. I will figure it out.
Care wrote: "Looks like Heather and I should start a book club!"I know, right? I'm excited.
I finished my first trim of the year! Off to a great start... is this the thread where we will post our reviews? If so, here
Finished my #10 for January 2022:Pandora's Lab: Seven Stories of Science Gone Wrong by Paul A. Offit - 4* - My Review
I love that were off to such a good start. i am going to add in all the new buddy reads right now.....
Check out our latest Buddy Read list!Just made all the updates adding in all the next one's of Care's, and the Idaho with Meli and JenK).
Our Kelly is our next Trim Picker for February and will announce as soon as the January tag is announced. I will make sure she has a heads up. Love to all, Amy
Could be! This is the fourth year of the challenge, and the first year it wasn’t mine to (unofficially) moderate. The second year it was 24 books and we were all just figuring ourselves out. And last year it was just 12, to account for the final 12 of the 36. But I think we have over 50. It’s also so easy to have your eyes open wide. I always have eyes that are too big for my stomach. Like even this month I have 10 bucks I would love to read and they’re all out of the library waiting for me, and I can’t even get through my first one, and on the list is the lengthy Cloud Cuckoo Land. Could be I only get through four. Maybe these snow days will help.
I just finished my first Trim read: ANXIOUS PEOPLE. I’m a little ahead of all my fellow buddy readers because of library due dates. Let’s just say I adored this book!
Care wrote: "Joanne wrote: "First off, I need to clarify that I did give it the old college try-My #10 The Last Collection: A Novel of Elsa Schiaparelli and Coco Chanel is a DNF. I went well p..."
Esterification....kids (y12) love that experiment because of all the equipment, the 32M sulphuric acid and the fire, makes them feel like proper chemists even though the yield sucks with school kit.
I finished my first number 10 (Atlantis Found, review in the other books folder but it wasn't that great or worth getting excited about) a week ago but then life got sucky and I couldn't focus. I may or may not get to the other 2 but the idea was to have 3 to pick from and possibly do more, so if I do grand and if not, all good, 1 less on the pile anyway.
#10 - The Martian - 5 stars! My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
More comments in the Footnotes/Andy Weir Buddy Read this month.
Amy wrote: "Fabulous Book! Made my Top Ten for 2021!"I'm sure ANXIOUS PEOPLE will be in my Top Ten for 2022 if not my very favorite. I know it's crazy I'm saying that as we still have a whole year to look forward to, but that's how much I adored it.
It goes without saying that Backman is in the 64 author race.....
But you know what really pleases me everyone? I'm so excited that we smoothly pulled of Trim for yet another year. Like I am really pleased to see all the people who are reading Anxious People together and the even larger Andy Weir/Project Hail Mary Group. It makes me really happy that people are still into and got into the newest Trim version. I'm excited to see what's up for February.Also, anyone new to us, or who didn't jump in at the start is still welcome. Katie, PJ, new folks.... Don't be shy....
Amy wrote: "But you know what really pleases me everyone? I'm so excited that we smoothly pulled of Trim for yet another year. Like I am really pleased to see all the people who are reading Anxious People toge..."Andy Weir also has a YA graphic novel which I have ordered. Different but I haven't given his others less than 4 stars....prob 5 for the Martian, 4.5 for Hail Mary and 4 for Artemis...so can't imagine it will be bad.
Amy wrote: HayJay - I have the Maid at #21. Anyone want to join in?
Amy my friend, I somehow missed seeing your post until now! Coincidentally, I just picked up a copy of The Maid today! This is high on my TBR so whenever works best for you to read it let me know!
Play Book Tag
Books mentioned in this topic
Homage to Catalonia (other topics)The People of the Abyss (other topics)
Girl, Interrupted (other topics)
The Shadow King: The Bizarre Afterlife of King Tut's Mummy (other topics)
Pandora's Lab: Seven Stories of Science Gone Wrong (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Johann Hari (other topics)George Orwell (other topics)
Paul A. Offit (other topics)
Susanna Kaysen (other topics)
Jo Marchant (other topics)
More...
The Tradition of Fun and Community Continues!
This is the official thread for the Unofficial Trim Challenge 2022-2023
PBT is continuing to hold an unofficial challenge for the community, meant for old and new members both. This challenge emerged from one of the yearlong challenges in 2019, and we liked it so much, that we are still continuing it. It’s meant to be something that new or old members can join in, and join in at any time. My role in this, is to make sure it gets a good strong organized dynamic kickoff, and then just to keep up excitement and morale.
This is not an official PBT challenge, and is meant to be secondary to the yearlong challenges. You do not have to participate, you can drop or enter participation at any time. You can switch your books, you can read them earlier or later than you were “supposed” to, or not at all. You can substitute, change your list completely, throw it out and start over. There is complete flexibility. This is the ultimate easy extra. You will not receive any extra points for books that you read, but you should put them in the monthly or other folders to get points, as well as if they fit into particular challenges. It is for fun. And for some, the fun is creating Buddy Reads that we can read something together.
This is how it works. You create a list of 24 books that are on your TBR and that you would like to get to. Each month, a participating member will randomly pick (or we’d never know if you picked decisively) a remaining number from 1-24, and we all read the number on our list, thus ensuring that this book comes off your TBR. And for some, creating the opportunity to do a Buddy Read together. And no pressure with the Buddy Reads either. Just because you signed up to read something does not commit you in any way to do so. In the past, some people have put more than one book choice on their list – feel free. The reason some people choose to have more books added to their lists is because they either want to have choices, or participate in more than one buddy read. Or folks will talk together and switch a number, so they can do more than one without it being the same month. Again, totally flexible, and I will continue to add the Buddy Reads as they evolve.
Anyone joining in late who would like to refer to the old lists, and or would like to post a new list, can do so on the Planning and Organizational Thread, which can be found just below. But I imagine that in general, the old thread will become pretty inactive, and that all the activity will be found here. This will be the thread where we announce the number, and where we can chat in community. My suggestion is that if you want to talk about buddy reads, or switching numbers around, or that you finished your book, or what have you, sounds fabulous, but maybe not to use it for lists and reviews. We can always post links to those, if it feels important to do so.
Link to previous planning and organizational thread:
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Here is our list of Trim Pickers. Each month, a participating member, the first 22 to sign up, will get to randomly (or directly) choose the number. I will help make sure folks know when their time is up, but in general, we have such a dynamic and invested group that I am really not worried about it. Once the monthly tag has been announced, you post the number, so folks can plan their reading month. You will notice we have 22. This is because (for folks joining in new), that in 2023, 24 becomes 12. I will help us organize that at the end of the year, which is easy to do. And a good time for folks to amend their lists. The pickers are as follows, but to erase confusion, it works like this: Joanne is the Picker for January 2022, but she announced it in December 2021, just after the tag. So you should be prepared to announce your number about a week prior to your month.
January 2022: Joanne (10)
February 2022 Kelly
March 2022 Theresa
April 2022 HayJay
May 2022 Amy
June 2022 Jen K
July 2022 Heather Reads Books
August 2022 Diana H
September 2022 Charlotte
October 2022 KateNZ
November 2022 OliverMagnus
December 2022 Book Concierge
January 2023 Jen
February 2023 BooknBlues
March 2023 Sally
April 2023 Meli
May 2023 Joanne
June 2023 Library Cin
July 2023 Jenny Elyse
August 2023 JoyD
September 2023 Punxygal
October 2023 Sue
November 2023 Nancy
Emerging Buddy Reads as they arise will be posted here, as well as lists of participants as they sign on. As you can see, #10 has already been chosen for January 2022. Buddy Reads So Far Are:
1 – Aperigon (Jen, KateNZ, Nancy, JenK, Shelley, Care)
1 – Lee Child’s books (Kelly, Charlotte)
1 – One of Us is Lying (Kelly, Diana)
1 – Lady Clementine (Hannah, Amy)
2- Euphoria (Theresa, Diana, Sally)
3 – Dear Mrs Bird (HayJay, Theresa, BnB, JenK)
3 – Stranger in the Lifeboat (Kelly, Amy)
4 – Rules of Civility (BnB, Sue)
4- A Distant Mirror (Care, HeatherR)
6 – West With Giraffes (BnB, Oliver)
6 - Wolf Hall (Diana, Jen, HeatherR)
6 – The Botanist’s Daughter (HayJay, Amy?)
6 – The Cactus (Hannah, Kelly)
12 - Clockmakers' Daughter (Amy, KateNZ, Charlotte, HayJay)
12 – Unlikely Adventures Shirgirll (BnB, KateNZ)
12 - The Secrets We Kept (Care, HeatherR)
14- Black Company (Joanne, HeatherR)
14 - The Last Thing He Told Me (Diana, Heather, Charlotte)
14- Women Talking (Meli, Theresa, JenK)
19 - The Escape Artists (Joanne, JoyD)
19 - Ready Player Two (Diana, Jen, Charlotte, JenK)
21- Forty Rules of Love (Amy, Sue, Nancy, JenK)
21 – Giver of Stars (HayJay, BnB, Nancy)
21 - The Widows (Oliver and Joanne)
21 - Bridge of Sighs (Care, Amy?)
23 - The Traitors Wife (Care, Library Cin, Amy?)
24 – Once There Were Wolves (Diana H, Oliver, Amy?, JenK)
24- The Tuscan Child (Hannah, Joanne)
24 - She Wolves (Care, HeatherR)
Have Fun Everyone – We are off to a great start!
***Still Available Numbers to Choose for Trim Picker, as of October 2022;
1,2,3,4,6,12,13,14,16,17,19,21,23,24