Announcing the tag for July

[Theresa]

To go along with Christmas in July, I suggest Christmas Days: 12 Stories and 12 Feasts for 12 Days

[NancyJ]

Joanne wrote: "@ Nancy- sorry to be "one of those folks"-Memoirs are just not something I read. But I do have a book that is tagged 4 times, however it is more a memoir of an entire family [book:Unto the Daughter..."

I looked up the definition and it does include broader topics like that. I think people don't always know much about a book when they tag it. I'm guilty of it too. If I find a book on a tag list, I might trust that it belongs there and add the tag myself. The LGBT tag list is one of the worst I think. Many of those books really don't belong there. Oh well. Some were good anyway.

You must be very disciplined about the books you allow on your tbr.

[Theresa]

NancyJ wrote: "Joanne wrote: "You must be very disciplined about the books you allow on your tbr.
..."

Tagging is completely personal, done for an individual's own reasons to which no one else is privy. This is a case of buyer - or reader - beware.

GR has also not imposed any standards.

[[deleted user]]

IF I haven't finished it in time for June's LGBT tag, I WILL be reviewing This Much is True in July!

IF I manage to finish it in June however I plan to either read Being Heumann: An Unrepentant Memoir of a Disability Rights Activist or Sitting Pretty: The View from My Ordinary Resilient Disabled Body

[Joanne]

NancyJ wrote: "Joanne wrote: "@ Nancy- sorry to be "one of those folks"-Memoirs are just not something I read. But I do have a book that is tagged 4 times, however it is more a memoir of an entire family [book:Un..."

It is not a matter of discipline Nancy, I do not add books on whims, or any that I know there is a slim to none chance of my reading it. Compared to other people, my shelf names ( aka tags) are very basic

[Joanne]

Theresa wrote: "NancyJ wrote: "Joanne wrote: "You must be very disciplined about the books you allow on your tbr.
..."

Tagging is completely personal, done for an individual's own reasons to which no one else is ..."

Have to agree Theresa-did we all not learn this during Polls? 🤣 some of the tags we found, omg!

[Robin P]

Yes, some people were collecting funny and weird tags during that time. GR is basically providing a blank sheet of paper for anyone to label as they wish. You can't really say anyone's tag is "right" or "wrong" any more than you can judge what someone puts in their diary. This used to bother me but now I just accept it.

For another group I had a recent challenge that required a tag of Fantasy. I happened to read Trust and noticed it was tagged that way by a certain number of people. No way it is a fantasy - it's historical fiction and metafiction, maybe alternate history. But it counted for the challenge.

[Theresa]

Joanne wrote: "Theresa wrote: "NancyJ wrote: "Joanne wrote: "You must be very disciplined about the books you allow on your tbr.
..."

Tagging is completely personal, done for an individual's own reasons to which..."

Did we ever!

My shelf tagging is pretty minimal compared to many here and is 100% meant to be meaningful only to me.

[Karin]

Canadian was my second choice, but Memoir my first, so I can't complain!!!! I have a few sitting here but am trying to start catching up on reviews before the end of the month. I just posted one and hope to get a second done before I have to log off.

[Sallys]

I am not a memoir person but I LOVED Into Thin Air!!

[DianeMP]

Thanks NancyJ for the suggested correction to the author of Julie and Julia.
It has been corrected.

[Joanne]

Sallys wrote: "I am not a memoir person but I LOVED Into Thin Air!!"

One of my all time favorites, Sallys

[Book Concierge]

NancyJ wrote: "You must be very disciplined about the books you allow on your tbr..."

No, I don't have to be disciplined about this at all.

But then, I'll read anything with words ....

[Sue]

Joanne wrote: "It is not a matter of discipline Nancy, I do not add books on whims, or any that I know there is a slim to none chance of my reading it. Compared to other people, my shelf names ( aka tags) are very basic."

I'm the exact opposite! Since my TBR is entirely virtual now (I refused to acquire even a library book before I'm ready to read it) my TBR has gotten really wild and woolly. I've started tagging more widely just so I can easily sort through all the potential on my list.

[Kelly]

My list to pick from this month:

The Fact of a Body: A Murder and a Memoir
Lab Girl
Girl, Wash Your Face: Stop Believing the Lies about Who You Are So You Can Become Who You Were Meant to Be
Girl, Stop Apologizing: A Shame-Free Plan for Embracing and Achieving Your Goals
Lessons: My Path to a Meaningful Life
Confessions of a Sociopath: A Life Spent Hiding in Plain Sight

[NancyJ]

Sue wrote: "Joanne wrote: "It is not a matter of discipline Nancy, I do not add books on whims, or any that I know there is a slim to none chance of my reading it. Compared to other people, my shelf names ( ak..."

Me too Sue! Wild and wolly describes my TBR and tag system too. It's fun for me to go down rabbit holes searching for new books for every tag, challenge, prompt, or new interest. Sometimes I feel like a kid in a candy store.

@Joanne, OK I don't know what you call it. If it's not discipline or self-control, maybe it's about priorities or focus? So maybe I was projecting. It would require discipline for ME to refrain from finding new books for every tag or challenge, because I really enjoy exploring new topics and challenges. But it's easy for you because you know what you want to read, and it would be a waste of time to do it any other way. Is that a little closer?

It's all OK because no one is telling either of us to change. Isn't retirement grand? For 30+ years I read very little for fun, and I focused on reading that was related to work, school, or clients. If you would have described all these reading challenges to me back then, I would have been completely dumbfounded.

[NancyJ]

Book Concierge wrote: "NancyJ wrote: "You must be very disciplined about the books you allow on your tbr..."

No, I don't have to be disciplined about this at all.

But then, I'll read anything with words ...."

😊 Nods head. (I can't find the nodding head emoji.)

[Amy]

Kelly, I think you will really like Lab Girl. A lot of us here very much loved it.

[Joanne]

@ Nancy, I guess it is a little of all those things. I do not add books for a tag, or for challenges. With 904 books on my shelves I can usually find what I need. Books that get added, like I said, are books I really want to read. I suppose my own 1000 (or close to it) to read in my lifetime.

[Anita]

I'm obsessed with memoirs, and honestly there could not be a better selection for me. I'm pretty sure I'm going to read My Friend Anna: The True Story of a Fake Heiress and a book that has been on my TBR forever, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly. I also have Eat a Peach on my Kindle, so might dig into that as well if I have time.

Some of my favorite memoirs (that I don't think anyone else mentioned yet) are:

On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft
Maybe You Should Talk to Someone: A Therapist, Her Therapist, and Our Lives Revealed
All Creatures Great and Small
Beautiful Boy: A Father's Journey Through His Son's Addiction
Wild Game: My Mother, Her Lover, and Me

My Salinger Year wasn't quite as perfect for me as the ones above, but I really enjoyed it and do highly recommend.

I also just finished a debut work called Blood Orange Night: My Journey to the Edge of Madness, and I thought it was quite compelling reading.

[Anita]

Amy wrote: "I have two books. Both owned. Smile: The Story of a Face by Sarah Ruhl. And Inheritance by Dani Shapiro."

I feel I also have Inheritance: A Memoir of Genealogy, Paternity, and Love on my Kindle/TBR, so that's another option!

[Jgrace]

Put me on the list of wild and wooly taggers, Rabbit holes ? Yep. Love 'em.

And retirement is wonderful.

[Anita]

DianeMP wrote: "All Right, All Right, All Right! I've always thought I didn't like memoirs. But in retrospect I've read and enjoyed more memoirs than I ever thought possible.
There are several that I recommend:

B..."

I love that you realized you do like memoirs. I think you would very much enjoy Lab Girl or Julia and Julia - - both of those were very good!!

[Anita]

Becky Lynn wrote: "Jenni Elyse wrote: "Woot woot! I’m glad my 10 points were worth it! I’m thinking of reading:

As You Wish by Cary Elwes
Taste by Stanley Tucci
[book: Becoming|3874..."

You are in for a treat. The Glass Castle is SO good. Sad, but great.

[Anita]

SouthWestZippy wrote: "Here is just a few Memoirs I have read and recommend.
Finding Me
Confessions of a Prairie Bitch: How I Survived Nellie Oleson and Learned to Love Being Hated
[book..."

You mention a number of memoirs that are new to me, and I look forward to knowing more about them.

I also gave a rating of 5 stars to [book:Three Little Words|1924322]. Excellent memoir.

[Anita]

NancyJ wrote: "I have many more books than I realized for this tag!!

Starting with books or audios that I own:
*Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China
*[book:Maybe You Should Talk to Someone: A Ther..."

Oh, Nancy - - we both own Wild Swans and Eat a Peach, lol. So maybe we will have some overlap this month.

However just want to steer you away from Seven Years in Tibet. It's beyond boring . . .

Maybe You Should Talk to Someone is so good.

[Charlie]

I recommend any of the following:

Fortunate Son: The Healing of a Vietnam Vet - an amazing and sad story about the son of famed Marine Chesty Puller and his Vietnam experience.
A Three Dog Life - the amazing story of a woman (and her dogs) as she copes, navigates and survives her husband's illness.
Iacocca: An Autobiography - the autobiography of the famous car man. I read it when I was a freshman in high school.
Counselor: A Life at the Edge of History - the memoir of JFK's speechwriter and advisor.
West by West: My Charmed, Tormented Life - an amazing book about Mr. Clutch, the basketball player who is truly iconic (he's the figure on the NBA logo).

I am going to read either Open or A Rumor of War or both.

[Joy D]

Here's another one I enjoyed - a woman travels across Australia by camel:
Tracks: A Woman's Solo Trek Across 1700 Miles of Australian Outback by Robyn Davidson

[Karin]

NancyJ wrote: "Joanne wrote: "@ Nancy- sorry to be "one of those folks"-Memoirs are just not something I read. But I do have a book that is tagged 4 times, however it is more a memoir of an entire family [book:Un..."

I'm not very disciplined about what I put on my tbr. Often I used to put them there because they were up for group discussions and I never got there, or I'll put them there when I read a review or something. I have far too many books on my tbr, but it's so slow to cull them since GR only lets you do that one. book. at. a. time.

[Kelly]

Amy wrote: "Kelly, I think you will really like Lab Girl. A lot of us here very much loved it."

I've been wanting to read it for so long, but whenever I get this hyped up about a book, I can't read it out of fear of disappointment!

[Amy]

It’s absolutely true that too many raves raise the expectations too high. Put others thoughts of it out of your mind. For every book many have loved there have been haters. It seems to be a fun PBT topic that resurfaces every year. Name a book that everyone else loved but that you hated and don’t understand the hype. We all have five or six of these on our list. For me it’s olive Kitteridge. And about half of her books. Although I must say I have enjoyed the other half. We often talk about the Lovekamp and the hate camp. Let your experience be your own. Which is pretty funny that I’m the one who’s saying this, because I have a book I’ve been listening to an audio that I’ve been pretty daily scathing about. And the truth is is that maybe other people would like it. I try really hard not to do that to an author unless I really feel it’s warranted. It’s very rare for me to put down any authors work. So it means a lot when I do. But I do wonder. Are there others who found value in it? There must be. It’s an interesting topic. But I just wanted to say don’t let that stop you Kelly.

[Kelly]

Amy wrote: "It’s absolutely true that too many raves raise the expectations too high. Put others thoughts of it out of your mind. For every book many have loved there have been haters. It seems to be a fun PBT..."

That's really great to hear! It's mostly that people say how good books are but then I'm let down by them. That or I do it to myself like Barry Lyga's Time Will Tell I had to get as soon as it came out because his previous series is my top favorite series and I'm hoping this one will be just as good. So that one is still on my TBR list.

[Joanne]

Anita wrote: "I'm obsessed with memoirs, and honestly there could not be a better selection for me. I'm pretty sure I'm going to read My Friend Anna: The True Story of a Fake Heiress and a book t..."

ooo, I have My Friend Anna: The True Story of a Fake Heiress on my shelf!

[Book Concierge]

Oh here's another one I don't think has been mentioned - fantastic!
West with the Night by Beryl Markham

[NancyJ]

Kelly wrote: "Amy wrote: "Kelly, I think you will really like Lab Girl. A lot of us here very much loved it."

I've been wanting to read it for so long, but whenever I get this hyped up about a book, I can't rea..."

It's not a big best seller, or a book that will blow your mind, so forget the hype. Just think of it as a modest memoir by a scientist who doesn't fit all the stereotypes. It provides a slice of life that is different from most novels. I think that fresh view is what many of us liked.

[Joanne]

Book Concierge wrote: "Oh here's another one I don't think has been mentioned - fantastic!
West with the Night by Beryl Markham"

Loved that book

[Kelly]

NancyJ wrote: "Kelly wrote: "Amy wrote: "Kelly, I think you will really like Lab Girl. A lot of us here very much loved it."

Thank you for the comment! This was actually really helpful to prompt me to read it!

[NancyJ]

Anita wrote: "NancyJ wrote: "I have many more books than I realized for this tag!!

Starting with books or audios that I own:
*Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China
*[book:Maybe You Should Talk to ..."

Thanks Anita. I've wanted to read Wild Swans for a long time, and that's a definite. Maybe you should talk to someone is high on the list, and I also just added Blood Orange. I'll fit in some WPF books where I can.

I'll push seven years in Tibet down the list.

[Patricia]

Jen wrote: "Patricia wrote: "I am not a fan of memoir books but I have I Am Malala: The Story of the Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban and [book:Wild: From Lost to Fo..."

Okay. I really want to read Wild cause it seems interesting to me.

[Doughgirl5562]

Thank you for enabling my celebrity memoir addiction! I'm going to start with Out of the Corner by Jennifer Grey, and then maybe Goldie Hawn or Sidney Poitier's memoir.

[Lyn]

I have several on my shelf. I'll start with Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life. After that, if I have time, I have The Oregon Trail: A New American Journey, Simple Dreams: A Musical Memoir, and a couple of Bill Bryson books to consider. I also have been trying to fit Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End into my reading. I was surprised to find it tagged memoir, but maybe...

[Kelly]

Lyn wrote: "I have several on my shelf..."

Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the Endsounds so interesting! If you get around to it, I would love to see what you think of it!

[NancyJ]

Lyn wrote: "I have several on my shelf. I'll start with Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life. After that, if I have time, I have [book:The Oregon Trail: A New American Journey|234927..."

I will probably read Animal Vegetable Miracle too as I really like this author. I read The Oregon Trail with a book club and learned a lot (even though I had zero interest in the topic before I started.) I was a huge fan of Linda Ronstadt in the late 70's and I look forward to hearing what you think.

[Jen]

Patricia wrote: "Jen wrote: "Patricia wrote: "I am not a fan of memoir books but I have I Am Malala: The Story of the Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban and [book:Wild: Fro..."

I'm going to try it again....perhaps if I can get into it I will enjoy it. Sometimes it is just a slow start right?

[NancyJ]

Jen wrote: "Patricia wrote: "Jen wrote: "Patricia wrote: "I am not a fan of memoir books but I have I Am Malala: The Story of the Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban an..."

Yes, and if you're like me, there are some days when you're willing or able to be more patient with a slow start.

Non-fiction books often have extremely boring beginnings, especially if you already know something about the topic.

Sometimes I'll open a book on a random page, and start reading to see if anything triggers my curiosity or interest. If I have the Kindle I might do keyword searches for topics that might interest me. Or I'll look at the index or footnotes, or the author's note at the end.