Trim Challenge 2023 – Community Announcement and Discussion Thread

[Diana]

My #1 is One of Us Is Lying and I believe it's a buddy read with someone..)

[Jen]

Kateloves2read wrote: "My #1 is The Amish Spaceman by Stephen Colegrove.

This should make for some hopefully great GR ridiculous reads once read."

Let me know if it is any good....I could do with something bizarre and funny.

[Joanne]

My # 1 is Avenue of Spies: A True Story of Terror, Espionage, and One American Family's Heroic Resistance in Nazi-Occupied Paris-Thank goodness it is not a chunkster, with any luck it will come in quick from inter-library.

[Sallys]

My#1 is When We Believed in Mermaids!

[Amy]

I loved that one Sally!

[Sallys]

I think mine came into the library I'm excited

[Sallys]

Oops. It didn't because I just requested it. That's ok. I'm working on trimming my actual shelves in my house right now, Finished a gem. Intimacies

[Amy]

I want to look at that one so closely because you rated it so highly. Enjoy this winter break where you have plenty of time to read. And happy night six!

[LibraryCin]

My #1 is something I've had here at home for a long time:
Don't Throw It Out: Recycle, Renew, and Reuse to Make Things Last / Lori Baird

[Sallys]

Just started another that I found on my shelves, Forest Dark by Nicole Krauss

[Jenni Elyse]

Even though I only read 6 of last year's trim, I'm still in for this year. Here is my list from the remaining 12:

1. Mistborn
2. My Plain Jane
3. Eleanor and the Iron King
4. A Spy in the House
5. Winterkeep
6. Soul of Smoke
7. Lady Midnight
8. The Last Voyage of Poe Blythe
9. Crown of Midnight
10. Scarlet
11. Vampire Academy
12. The Spymaster's Lady

My friend will be so excited that I'm finally reading Mistborn. She's been wanting me to read it for 10+ years, lol.

[Amy]

You did great Jenni Elyse! So glad you are with us again!

[Jen]

Kateloves2read wrote: "@Jen

Moving Spaceman to the front of the line. I will say that this book has its own soundtrack. Each chapter has songs that you can play on Apple or Spotify to immerse yourself in the story."

Sounds fun but I don't have Apple or spotify.

[Amy]

Ann - you are in for a serious treat! I think this is kind of the book of the year! My local book club rented together and we just adored it. I also got to attend an online book group with the author and she was pretty incredible to listen to. Can’t wait to hear what you think of it.

[Meli]

My #1 is Between the World and Me which has been on my tbr for far too long and I really need to get it off there!

Wish I would've made an alternate list though, I would've liked the option to swipe it out.

[Book Concierge]

Kateloves2read wrote: "After 60 pages, I DNF The Amish Spaceman and changed to Harm's Way by David Mack."

2023 hasn't started yet, Kate .... or are you referencing your 2022 Trim list?

[Kelly]

I will use my remaining 12 from the 2022 TRIM list:

1. One of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus
2. Die Trying by Lee Child
3. The Stranger in the Lifeboat by Mitch Albom
4. Friends and Strangers by J. Courtney Sullivan
5. The Cactus by Sarah Haywood
6. Always in December by Emily Stone
7. Lightning Strike by William Kent Krueger
8. Eight Perfect Hours by Lia Louis
9. Forever, Interrupted by Taylor Jenkins Reid
10. We Were Never Here by Andrea Bartz
11. The Rosie Effect by Graeme Simsion
12. Golden Girl by Elin Hilderbrand

[Joanne]

No, you are right Ann-this non-official challenge is just that non-official. No rules except to clear those books off so you can put new ones on your TBR-Lol

[Heather Reads Books]

Hello from Santa Fe! Spending the holidays out of town has kept me busy, but I'm chiming in to say my #1 is:

Circe by Madeline Miller; and/or All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

I would ideally like to get to both of these; we'll see how I manage!

[Meli]

@Ann - thanks for the reminder! I figured that was the case, I think I added my original list late last year as well, but I am not sure how much thought I can muster into an alternate list😂

I might work on that later today since I am on vacation and mostly loafing, reading, decluttering and cleaning!

[Anne]

I'm going to join in, I have a stack of physical books that have been overlooked due to shiny new books on the Kindle or from the library. This will hopefully get me to read them and get them out of my house! Did two lists so I'd have an option and maybe read two a month! I put two that are part of a series on one number, so I'd read them both, in order.

Trim (Unofficial) Challenge 2023:


1. Boy, Bird, Snow – Oyeyemi/ Don’t Overthink It – Bogel/Shadow of Water-Benson
2. Sweetwater Creek – Siddons/Life After Life – Atkinson/This Golden Fleece -Rutter
3. Little Bee – Cleave/The Castaways – Hilderbrand/The Falcon-Maldonado
4. Scarlet/Cress – Meyer/Unbroken – Hillerbrand/The long way to a small angry planet-Chambers
5. The Lola Quartet – St. John Mandel/Don’t Let Go – Coben/Miss Benson’s Beetle-Joyce
6. Tyrannosaur Canyon – Preston/The Sugar Queen – Addison Allen/Everything must go-Pagan
7. The People We Keep – Larkin/The Scottish Prisoner – Gabaldon/The Girl in his shadow - Blake
8. Cocktail Hour under the Tree of Forgetfulness – Fuller/The Lincoln Highway – Towles/Piranesi-Clarke
9. Wilderness Tips – Atwood/Uncommon Type – Hanks/Recursion-Crouch
10. Geek Love – Dunn/Sabriel – Nix/Daughters of the lake - Webb
11. Crying in H Mart – Zauner/Rebecca – du Maurier/Harry’s Trees - Cohen
12. When Crickets Cry – Martin/The Snowman – Nesbø/Lab Girl - Jahren

Edited to combine my lists and added a Kindle book option.

[Amy]

Welcome AnnD!!! Glad you are joining us!

[Amy]

Welcome AnnD. I think some of the books on your list, might match others. For one, the Lincoln Highway might be on a few people's lists. And a few others I recognized. If you can arrange your numbers to match others, then we have created whole new Buddy Reads that others might be interested in.

Coffepot Anne! Guess what! Longstanding member Punxygal has said she has been missing for awhile and not really involved with this or other challenges. She is offering you her Trim Picker Spot for 2023. Or rather, she was offering the spot, and I am offering it to you. I believe she said it was early spring. I love how we are getting our new members to feel immediately welcome. For those who missed it, BooknBlues also offered up her Trim Picker spot and Kate is picking for February. That makes me really proud of our warm and inclusive community.

[Amy]

Second Note.... I just went through the list and two books that I might have noticed twice, might have been True Biz and Remarkably Bright Creatures. Perhaps you guys will also have eagle eyes as well to catch those I missed.

[Kerrin]

Amy wrote: "OK - I am starting January 2023 with a bang! First, there is the Tag Buddy Read - The Lager Queen of Minnesota, which fits the candle for a five star read for a Mod. Then... Aperigon is another lar..."

Happy New Year, Amy!

[Kerrin]

Amy wrote: "Here is Amy’s List

1 – Aperigon*/Songs in Ursa Major*
2 – The Gown/When Stars Go Dark
3 – The Stranger in the LifeBoat*
4 – Dark Tides /Chateau of Secrets
5 – The Lager Queen of Minnesota
6 – Bota..."

Great list, Amy. I plan on reading The Gown at some point.

[Anne]

Amy wrote: "Welcome AnnD. I think some of the books on your list, might match others. For one, the Lincoln Highway might be on a few people's lists. And a few others I recognized. If you can arrange your numbe..."

Hi Amy,

How do I find the correct number to switch it too? Still finding my way around all the lists/challenges etc. Haven't even found the "candles" yet.?

[Amy]

Kerrin, I will write to you to make sure you know when I get it started. Would love to do that one together.

[Amy]

Yes Ann, September 2023!

[Amy]

AnnD. I think the best thing to do is to look through all the lists that people have posted, and see if there’s a match with your own or something you want to read. Starting with the very first one with a buddy Reads are already listed just in case something interests you. Then you can ask the person who might have the book and another number whether they want to switch. In past years, we’ve had tons of mixing around to make those switches happen. This year almost none. But it can work. Start by figuring out who might have some similars. I’m getting on a plane but perhaps later I can help.

[Amy]

Forgive me that I just saw that you mentioned you hadn’t even seen the candles yet. I’m just throwing it out there, but maybe one of the Admins, or someone can kind of partner with you just to kind of help you feel more comfortable around the group site. I can only imagine that for someone just joining the whole thing can feel really confusing. Please know that there will always be someone to step in and help.

[Kerrin]

Amy wrote: "Kerrin, I will write to you to make sure you know when I get it started. Would love to do that one together."

Thanks! Right now I am trying to get ahead of my NetGalley and book club books. I rarely have time to read something I own.

[Hannah]

Anne wrote: "Haven't even found the "candles" yet.?"

Anne,

The "candles" that people are referring to are part of a different game in this group called Happy 15th Birthday, PBT that will run through 2023. This is the link to the announcement and rules thread where you can see what you need to do for each candle in the second message:

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

[Hannah]

I'm in again for this year, though I'm going to give myself three options for each number in different formats so I have more choice.

1 - Another Country / Violeta / A Tangled Mercy
2 - The House in Paris / Island of Sweet Pies and Soldiers / Supporting Cast
3 - Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China / Prince of Spies / Ich Fühl Mich So Fifty-fifty
4 - White Noise / Murder at the Brightwell / Six Foot Six
5 - Their Finest Hour and a Half / The Unquiet Dead / Some Kids I Taught and What They Taught Me
6 - The Cactus* / Murder at the Mayfair Hotel / The Collective
7 - Where We Belong / The Boy at the Door / My Name Is Leon
8 - The Room on Rue Amelie / Run Girl / A Modern Family
9 - Mr Norris Changes Trains / The Boyfriend Project / The Woman at 1,000 Degrees
10 - How Long 'til Black Future Month? / How to Find Love in the Little Things / Small Pleasures
11 - Cider with Rosie / The Things We Left Unsaid / The Trick to Time
12 - A Spy Among Friends: Kim Philby and the Great Betrayal / Gallows Court / March: Book Three

[Amy]

It’s a great question. I actually think we should save the reviews for either the tag, the challenge, or the other books thread, though you are welcome to make a link. And that way we save this thread for general discussion, the announcement of the number, and general community. Sorry if I didn’t make that clear. The other thing I realized is that in the past, we would have a planning thread and on the actual thread. And this time around since those people know the drill after year four or five, that seems silly. What I think I might do instead, it’s just kind of change the title and take the word planning out of it. In which case I should have announced that about the reviews. I think better to keep this thread unclogged. So glad you are playing with us Ann.

[Amy]

I changed the title of the thread - So we can announce our next number picks, talk together as a community, and share in the experience - and without having to refer back to the planning thread. I do think that works better anyway. I am conscious of the ever far far off issue of threads over time. This is just more efficient anyway. Especially in a 12, rather than a 24 year.

[Book Concierge]

Anne wrote: "AHaven't even found the "candles" yet.?."


Anne ... The PBT Birthday Candles are Here

[Theresa]

Amy wrote: "I changed the title of the thread - So we can announce our next number picks, talk together as a community, and share in the experience - and without having to refer back to the planning thread. I ..."

Excellent idea! And for those wanting to share a link to their reviews as they read and discuss - look upat the top of the comment box on the right and you will see (some html is ok) - it shows you how to do that -- and many other things.

[Theresa]

#1 - Murder on Capitol Hill by Margaret Truman

4 stars - really enjoyed this! Plan to continue reading the series - this is 3rd and they can be read in any order as so far there are no continuous characters book to book.

Link to my Review

[Theresa]

Hellooooo....oooo....oooo? Anyone out there?

It is the 12th and I was the first person to read and post my January trim pick? It wasn't even my first read of the year ... my 4th and 3 books after starting with an 800 page monster.

Where is everybody? Was the thread moved and I missed it?

It's lonely. 🥺

[Sue]

I'm definitely lagging on my first Trim of the year. Looks to be another heavy hitter and I need some light reads as a buffer first.

[Joanne]

Life has really gotten in the way of my reading - I am ticked off about it!

[Booknblues]

Theresa wrote: "Hellooooo....oooo....oooo? Anyone out there?

It is the 12th and I was the first person to read and post my January trim pick? It wasn't even my first read of the year ... my 4th and 3 books after ..."

Thanks for the reminder, I forgot to post as well.

Here is my review for The River of Kings

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Amy]

There are two books on my number one spot, but as everyone knows Apeirogon (one of my number ones) has been kicking my butt! But guess what! I’m finishing it tonight. I’m at 90%. So when I review it, it’s gonna be my third candle to post, as it was in the top 10 in one of these last year’s. So I’m knocking off trim and a third birthday candle. And then guess what, I’m starting my second subdue book. My other number one Trim book is So gs of Ursa Major and HayJay and I are going to read it together. But that may be the end of the month and I may even leak into February. All of my trims have two books on each, which is going to get hard to manage with all the other challenges, but the only one that was a single what’s my number five, which happened to be Lagor queen of Minnesota, which many of us just read for the food tag. Semi number five is completely empty. Which I realized I better have stay that way, to fit some of the overflow..

[Theresa]

FORGOT TO POST? Dear dear. I still claim first finish and post.

@Amy - you started with a slow read. My first was a mystery, far easier.

@Sue - most of my trim lists are easy reads. But you have been reading some delicious light reads.

[LibraryCin]

I own my Trim book. Trying to get through library books first! They have due dates. :-)

[Jen]

Hannah wrote: "I'm in again for this year, though I'm going to give myself three options for each number in different formats so I have more choice.

1 - Another Country / Violeta / [..."

I did that last year....they were all on my trim anyway and I got 13 books off the list in the end (2 months I didn't finish due to not being able to focus at all but I plan to catch those up when my head is in a better space). This year I'm continuing with the same list with 3 choices for each number and just numbered the unused options 1 to 12. Some months you need light reading and others you can do heavier depending on what life is doing and how busy work is. Hope it works for you too.

[Jen]

Theresa wrote: "Hellooooo....oooo....oooo? Anyone out there?

It is the 12th and I was the first person to read and post my January trim pick? It wasn't even my first read of the year ... my 4th and 3 books after ..."

Still here just not focused enough to read.

[Amy]

I loved the audio of that one Ann!

[Book Concierge]

January # 1 - ✔ 10Jan23


The Violin of Auschwitz –Maria Àngels Anglada– 2.5**
I really wanted to like this book … no … I wanted to love this book. But it missed the mark for me. The basic story line is engaging and what kept me reading, but there were huge gaps that left me hungry for more detail. So, while the author played the reader’s heartstrings like a violin virtuoso, I felt that the book was unfinished.
LINK to my full review