Play Book Tag discussion
May 2022: Character-Driven
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Announcing the Tag for May
I have read so many of the books on the first few pages of this tag. Definitely in my wheelhouse.I personally am deciding between The Dutch House and My Dark Vanessa.
But first, I seriously need to finish my detective book. It's very good, but for some reason is taking me forever. I have a plane flight tomorrow, so hopefully get it finished up! I am reading like four books at once right now, and not sure that's really wise.
Here are another couple of lists of character-driven books:
https://www.sarahsbookshelves.com/cha...
https://www.julesbuono.com/best-chara...
I have been very delinquent in reading for the PBT tag this far in 2022, but a good character-driven books sounds great!The long list for the Women’s Prize is floating around out there and I think there were a few books that may fit the bill. I am going to check that out.
I hope you are going somewhere fun Anita!I have a load of books for this tag, so I am a happy reader this month.
Books I can highly recommend:
Circe
Salt to the Sea
Cutting for Stone
Homegoing
Red Queen
I myself will be reading a lot of Fantasy next month. Most from that genre definitely fit
Hope you are going somewhere fun Anita! Enjoy!
OK, let me jump in straight away. Because I am also the announcer for the trim challenge this month. I always knew that if nobody had gotten to it by then, that I would be picking a particular number that has a large buddy read for the Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles. So this is good for any of us who wanted a character driven book, that also fits the favorite author challenge, and matches Trim in a perfect Trifecta. So I have two other books that fit character driven, at least another one that fits the author challenge. But I wanted to say this one right off the bat. I’m headed out for the day but when I get back I will put the number up on the Trim thread. But some of you will just go and look it up anyway…. Can’t stop you there. But very excited to announce another huge buddy read, and naturally anyone who is interested is welcome to join us for this book.
I am going to make it simple for myself, as the first one on the character driven list is Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine and it is on my tbr so that is what I will be reading.
This is an excellent tag! Love character-driven books and covers a lot of genres. I have many I've already read and several I can choose from to read if I have time for the tag.Also.... as per usual, Outlander! Someday I am going to read this book.
Joanne wrote: "Hope you are going somewhere fun Anita! Enjoy!"Thank you, Joanne! I am going to a wedding in upstate NY just for the weekend. I'm very excited because I lived there for 20 years, and am going to see a lot of my friends. And my sons were also invited, so happy to be seeing them as well!
I'm excited by this tag, I have so many book that fit this. :) I'm reading Six of Crows now so I could do the 2nd book in the series next month.
I've got The Final Revival of Opal & Nev queued for one of my next Audible listens.
I have a ton of choices on my shelves (both digital and print)!
This was the tag I wanted, I guess many others did too. I have plenty of choices. In a sense, all good fiction books, biographies and memoirs, and even some histories, are character-driven. The lists, as usual, are rather random, basically picking anything where there are strong characters or most of the story is told through one or two characters. For instance, I think a big point of All the Light We Cannot See is that the two main characters have very little chance to drive anything in their world, they are at the mercy of bigger forces. And then there's Gone Girl, where the characters do drive the action, but in ways that are so unbelievable as to make them cartoons. In any case, I will have no trouble with this tag.
For those who need a crossover book for the overlap period - here are two mystery series that also have character driven tags: Louise Penny's Gamache serie
Kate Atkinson's Brody series
Anita wrote: "Joanne wrote: "Hope you are going somewhere fun Anita! Enjoy!"Thank you, Joanne! I am going to a wedding in upstate NY just for the weekend. I'm very excited because I lived there for 20 years, a..."
Oh that sounds wonderful, Anita! Where will you be? In the 'real' upstate NY or the upstate NY from NYC's perspective?
I can't even pretend that this is a surprise! LOL!I will choose something on the weekend.
Thank the Maker! My 10 votes didn’t go to waste! Now, I have to decide what to read, lol.I think I’ll read either Eleanor & Park or Where the Crawdads Sing.
Anita wrote: "Joanne wrote: "Hope you are going somewhere fun Anita! Enjoy!"Thank you, Joanne! I am going to a wedding in upstate NY just for the weekend. I'm very excited because I lived there for 20 years, a..."
Have fun!
I can recommend The Dutch House and if you like audio books there is an Audible version read by Tom Hanks. He reads it perfectly with inflections in all the right places in that dreamy voice!
Jenni Elyse wrote: "Thank the Maker! My 10 votes didn’t go to waste! Now, I have to decide what to read, lol.I think I’ll read either Eleanor & Park or Where the Crawdads Sing."
Wow! That's nice. I already read Eleanor&Park and I am currently reading Where the crawdads sing:)
Theresa, the real upstate NY, lol!!! Rochester . . .
Anita wrote: "Theresa, the real upstate NY, lol!!! Rochester . . ."Cool, Anita. My son went to Univ or Rochester. I've been there a few years ago.
ShazM wrote: "I can recommend The Dutch House and if you like audio books there is an Audible version read by Tom Hanks. He reads it perfectly with inflections in all the right places in that dreamy voice!"Yes, I'm sure the narration added at least one star to my rating. He is even wonderful at saying "Chapter 1"!
Anita wrote: "I have read so many of the books on the first few pages of this tag. Definitely in my wheelhouse.I personally am deciding between The Dutch House and [book:My Dark Vanessa|4489008..."
Like others above, I highly recommend Dutch House, especially in audio - read by Tom Hanks.
Perfect, just what I wanted! I have lots of books in this tag and many I could recommend that are also recommended above.As for me:
This Tender Land
The Four Winds
and possibly one or more of these depending on time:
Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone
Malibu Rising
Atonement
Salt to the Sea
Patricia wrote: "Jenni Elyse wrote: "Thank the Maker! My 10 votes didn’t go to waste! Now, I have to decide what to read, lol.I think I’ll read either Eleanor & Park or Where the Crawdads Sing."
Wow! That's nice..."
Oh, that's cool. I've read a few by Rainbow Rowell already, but Eleanor & Park is one I haven't yet.
I just saw the trailer for Where the Crawdads Sing and it looks so interesting. I want to read the book before I watch the movie so I'll probably go with Crawdads over E&P.
Anita wrote: "Theresa, the real upstate NY, lol!!! Rochester . . ."Hey! I live in Webster just outside of Rochester. Glad to have you in my neck of the woods. It's sunny today, 58 and cloudy (no rain) tomorrow, and 76 and sunny Sunday
I have too many options which I guess is a good thing. Just noting that the Women's Prize shortlist comes out this Wednesday on the 27th for those considering one on the list.
Jen K wrote: "I have too many options which I guess is a good thing. Just noting that the Women's Prize shortlist comes out this Wednesday on the 27th for those considering one on the list."
I'm reading Flamingo: An exquisite and heartbreaking novel of kindness, loneliness, hope and love now. No idea if it will make the shortlist.
Options for me: - The Dutch House / Ann Patchett (I'm happy to say my library has the Tom Hanks audio)
- Our Souls at Night / Kent Haruf
- Freedom / Jonathan Franzen
- A Gentleman in Moscow / Amor Towles
Jen, thanks for the head’s up about the shortlist! I didn’t realize. There is one on the longlist, Careless by Kirsten Capes, that I think looks interesting, but it does not come out in the states until mid-May. But maybe I can make that work and I would be even more motivated if it ends up on the shortlist!
Nicole R wrote: "Jen, thanks for the head’s up about the shortlist! I didn’t realize. There is one on the longlist, Careless by Kirsten Capes, that I think looks interesting, but it does not come out in the state..."
I picked it up from Amazon.
Linda C, you live in Webster????? How did I not know that? I lived in the Rochester area for twenty years, and my in laws lived in Webster for a short while. I am so glad we are having some reasonable weather!! Next visit we should meet up for coffee!
I didn't even vote this time, because I had a feeling that this tag would win and was just fine with that :-) I plan to read one or two of the following:
- A Gentleman in Moscow
- All the Light We Cannot See
.... and probably one of two cozy mysteries, because many modern cozies are far more about the characters than the plots.
.... and I agree with many previous recommendations and would add the following:
- Major Pettigrew's Last Stand (one of the few literary romance novels)
- A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (I read it twice in the past few years.)
- Ordinary Grace
- Never Let Me Go
- LaRose
- The Stand
- Nobody's Fool - Not just character driven, but a true "character study". Love this from the description of the book ... " Sully, a man who has been doing the wrong thing triumphantly for fifty years."
- Olive Kitteridge - another good character study
- Last Bus to Wisdom - A coming of age novel that I did not expect to love .... but totally did.
Anita wrote: "Linda C, you live in Webster????? How did I not know that? I lived in the Rochester area for twenty years, and my in laws lived in Webster for a short while. I am so glad we are having some reasona..."That sounds like a plan.
Lyn wrote: "This works great for me since my book group is reading The Dutch House in May!"I plan to do the same thing; however, I can't resist listening to the audiobook if Tom Hanks is the narrator.
This tag is well suited for my favorite authors and WPF.For WPF, I want to read
The Absolutist or A History of Loneliness by John Boyne
Eventide by Kent Haruf
Faithful, or Dovekeepers if it fits
Beartown
Maybe:
Taylor Jenkins Reid - one of her early books
Towles - Lincoln Highway - Does it fit the tag?
Patchett - Commonwealth - Does it fit?
Atwood - Cat's Eye sounds good
Austen - Emma
Ishiguro - Artist in the Floating world
Ozeki - The Face
Salt Houses - Does it fit?
Other possibilities:
Sorrow and Bliss
Happiness
Sea of Tranquility
Listening Still
The Final Revival of Opal & Nev
Salt Lick ?
Island of Missing Trees?
Recommendations:
Gilead books by Marilynne Robinson - for those who like meaningful and slow-paced character driven books.
For WPF I recommend
The Heart's Invisible Furies
A Gentleman in Moscow
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
The Remains of the Day
The Marriage of Opposites
Olive, Again or Olive Kitteredge
A Man Called Ove
Daisy Jones & The Six
Emma
Mansfield Park
Magic Lessons
A Ladder to the Sky
Nancy, I've read and enjoyed: Salt Houses, Commonwealth, Happiness, and Island of Missing Trees. All have well-defined characters. I think they would fit the tag.
Holly R W wrote: "Nancy, I've read and enjoyed: Salt Houses, Commonwealth, Happiness, and Island of Missing Trees. All have well-defined characters. I think they would fit the tag."@Nancy, I agree with Holly on Salt Houses and The Island of Missing Trees. I haven't read the other two.
I would also fully confirm The Lincoln Highway and Sorrow and Bliss as very character driven.
NancyJ wrote: "This tag is well suited for my favorite authors and WPF.For WPF, I want to read
The Absolutist or A History of Loneliness by John Boyne
Eventide by Ke..."
I do believe that The Lincoln Highway fits the category as well as another one of Ishiguru's novels, Klara and the Sun, even if one of the characters is a observant and insightful android.
John wrote: "NancyJ wrote: "This tag is well suited for my favorite authors and WPF.For WPF, I want to read
The Absolutist or A History of Loneliness by John Boyne
[book:Eventi..."
Ivabsolutely believe an android can be the character driving the story! Look at Murderbot series. Or even 2001: A Space Odyssey.
I can recommend Sugar - see my review in the '2022 other books' folder for my review and trigger warnings.
As I said, I am reading the Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles for the tag, but I have 2/3 other books that also fit that I would like to get to. For one, The Spies of Schilling Lane has been on my TBR and short list for forever, and fits this tag, so its a good opportunity just to knock that off. Also Abide with Me by Elizabeth Strout fits this tag, and that could be another PBT Favorite Author Pick. Two more that derive from challenges that also fit, are my yearlong focus on Coco Chanel, with my next book on her, CoCo at the Ritz. Finally, and we will see whether this happens, my next book for History Lane is "Madame Foucards Secret War, which is unquestionably character driven, if I get to it in time for the tag, but its does not have the five tags for the points. Not that I particularly care about that. But these are some books you might just see from me this month. As for what else in on my dance card this month, I am reading Beautiful Little Fools right now, which is most excellent and interesting. You are likely to see Kommandants Girl by Pam Jenoff and very very soon, the Diamond Eye by Kate Quinn, If I really get a fabulous reading month in, you will also see Carnegie's Maid by Marie Benedict, and Abigail, and quite possibly These Precious Days by Ann Patchett, who is also a 32 round author still.
I have a ton of best new hot and popular books out from the library, but as usual, they will be soon recalled and sent back, and eventually land in the backseat again. I am excited to see if I can get to some of those reads over the summer.
Amy wrote: "As I said, I am reading the Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles for the tag, but I have 2/3 other books that also fit that I would like to get to. For one, The Spies of Schilling Lane has been on my TBR..."So happy to see someone read Madame Fourcade's Secret War: The Daring Young Woman Who Led France's Largest Spy Network Against Hitler-I thought this book was fabulous
I knew that no matter what it would be one of my 2 History Lane books! I’m so looking forward to it! I love that you loved it!
Amy wrote: "I knew that no matter what it would be one of my 2 History Lane books! I’m so looking forward to it! I love that you loved it!"I have Lincoln Highway as my trim book, so maybe I'll join you. I'll let you know. I've kind of, accidentally started a lot of books at once trying to find one that fit my mood. I need to stop starting new books and get a few of these finished lol!
Charlotte wrote: "Amy wrote: "I knew that no matter what it would be one of my 2 History Lane books! I’m so looking forward to it! I love that you loved it!"I have Lincoln Highway as my trim book, so maybe I'll jo..."
Charlotte - I had the same problem a couple of months ago -- kept starting books - and they didn't fit my mood so started another -- then I also have 2 longterm read alongs.... my currently reading was ridiculous. I finally buckled down have whiltled all but one down (and of course the 2 long term read alongs stay put). Ended up with several wonderful reads too -- even though initially they did not fit my mood.
Holly R W wrote: "Nancy, I've read and enjoyed: Salt Houses, Commonwealth, Happiness, and Island of Missing Trees. All have well-defined characters. I think they would fit the tag."Jen K wrote: ...
I would also fully confirm The Lincoln Highway and Sorrow and Bliss as very character driven.
..."
Thanks for the feedback. It's going to be a great month.
The only one I'm not really enthusiastic about (yet) is Lincoln Highway. It's probably the length that's holding me back, because I would have to bump 2-3 other books in order to fit it in.
John, I agree about Klara and the Sun. I suspect that anything by Ishiguro will probably be character driven.
I will be listening to The Dutch House. I decided to forego reading it so I could listen to Tom Hanks as narrator. Who could resist this? I will be reading The Lincoln Highway. Ann Patchett and Amor Towles are two of my favorite writers.
I have to say the banner isn't at all what I was expecting for character driven but I love it. Great job moderators!
Play Book Tag
Books mentioned in this topic
Will Grayson, Will Grayson (other topics)The Raven Boys (other topics)
This Tender Land (other topics)
Little Women (other topics)
Six of Crows (other topics)
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The tag for May is:
character-driven
Please share your reading plans and recommendations below.
Remember, for the regular monthly reads, the book can be shelved as "character-driven" on Goodreads, or be a book that is not yet shelved that way but you feel should be.
One way to find books to read for this tag is to please visit:
https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/...
We encourage people to link to additional lists below if they find them.
Happy Reading!!!