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Trim Challenge 2023 – Community Announcement and Discussion Thread
Amy wrote: "U challenge? Good Night Irene?"Just picked up my signed (and personalized) first edition at the book store!
And I just finished another of Urrea's books on audio this afternoon.
Finished my #5 for June:The Great Derangement: Climate Change and the Unthinkable by Amitav Ghosh - 4* - My Review
This book of ideas comprises three interrelated essays about climate change. The first, and my personal favorite, speaks to the need for literature to address global issues such as climate change. He views it as rather limiting to expect it to be handled solely by science fiction, his point being that these issues are not something coming along at some vague future date, but critical matters to be addressed now. The second takes a look at the history of climate change issues, with the initial build-up of greenhouse gases being caused by the industrialization of western powers and added to by recent rapid expansions of consumerism in Asia. The third relates to global politics, taking western powers to task for giving lip service to climate change. Rather than trying to solve it, they are maintaining their privileged economic positions. He also points out the transition from coal to oil has changed global political power structures.
This is not a book of science. It does not outline scientific approaches needed, and the author is not a scientist. Perhaps that is the reason that I found his first essay so powerful, since the topics of literature, the arts, and philosophy are in his wheelhouse. I picked up a good amount of recommended reading material. The author writes in an erudite and eloquent manner. This book provides much fuel for thought.
I notice Jenny Elise is our next trim picker. I haven’t seen her in the longest time. I am just so insanely busy right now, but I’d like to make an executive decision. Maybe JoyD who is up soon can be our trim picker for July. Which leaves us with some open spaces, that we can figure out how to fill. And that gives me a month to six weeks to ask Nancy if she’d like to pick next. I think I remember her saying that she wasn’t completely in, she might lurk or check in. I’m on my phone, not my computer. Then we can figure out what to do with the rest of the spots after that. Maybe after Joy and Nancy, we use the randomizer. See what Ursula is up to.
Speaking just for me, Amy ... I'd be just as happy if you (or the randomizer) just picked for the rest of the year.
I agree, but the randomizer wasn’t kind to Joy, and she’s been waiting two years. So after her, I think that’s the best plan. I know we can easily get her for July.
Even I, who was so victimized by Ursula, agree to use her after Joy. I can 'use' this new assignment as carrot for assuring her better behavior towards me going forward by saying I lobbied for it!
Thanks, Amy. I'd be happy to select one for our July read.
#5 - JuneThe Cactus by Sarah Haywood
3 stars
This book centers around Susan Green. Her mother has just died and Susan does not get along with her brother, Edward. Susan is very serious and has some issues in how she relates to people. However, the author slowly reveals things about Susan's childhood that has the reader start to understand that Susan may be trying to protect herself from disappointments she experienced growing up.
Susan is working to overturn her mother's will which states that Edward gets to stay in his mother's house. As she is doing this Susan finds out more information on her past and much of what she though is now in question. The author has done a good job of showing Susan change and grow as the story continues. She develops friendships and her future goes in ways she did not expect. It was a cute story.
I hope I’m my repeating myself but I finished a bunch. Pineapple street, hello beautiful The Glass Hotel
And DeSr Edward. I recommend Hellp Beautiful and the Glass Hotel
Finally finished my #6! The Black Company by Glen Cook. Extremely excellent, 5 stars. The review is here!I am also fine with a randomizer to finish out the year. I'm still 2 books behind, so I certainly feel no sense of urgency, lol.
Joy, I believe that one is a buddy read for you and I that has been waiting at least 2 years!
My #8 is Nothing But Blackened Teeth!I definitely want to get this one off my tbr, so I hope I can get to it.
Still need to finish my June pick.
Joanne wrote: "Joy, I believe that one is a buddy read for you and I that has been waiting at least 2 years!"Yes! I took the liberty to set us up for a buddy read, since Amy so kindly offered for me to pick this month.
My #8 is Ready Player Two, and I'm really happy about it because 1) it fits the tag and 2) I wanted to read something light and not connected with our everyday problems
Joy D wrote: "Joanne wrote: "Joy, I believe that one is a buddy read for you and I that has been waiting at least 2 years!"Yes! I took the liberty to set us up for a buddy read, since Amy so kindly offered for ..."
😁
My #8 is Gingerbread by Helen Oyeyemi. Hope I like it more than the Oyeyemi I read for my modern gothic discussion group earlier this year. I am also still behind in reading for this.
Diana H. wrote: "My #8 is Ready Player Two, and I'm really happy about it because 1) it fits the tag and 2) I wanted to read something light and not connected with our everyday problems"I have this one too! It is a great fit for July.
Amy wrote: " ... trim picker.I am just so insanely busy right now, but I’d like to make an executive decision. Maybe JoyD who is up soon can..."Amy, I haven't been playing, but I just happened to check in today. I'm happy to help if you need it. Perhaps Joy could fill me in on the timing/parameters if you're busy. I just sent you a DM. Barring an emergency, I check my messages at least twice a day.
Nancy, we welcome you to be our Trim Picker for August. I was also trying to remember if Pam joined us and put up a list of twelve. Then we would use the randomizer for October and November. Basically, sometime after July 15th I will tell you which few numbers have not been yet picked. After Anita tells us the tag on the 21st, all you need to do is pick one. Most of the time, people choose something from their remaining list that matches the tag, or that they are in the mood to read. For instance, Joy waited close to two years for her turn, and now she got to pick something that is a buddy read that she wanted to join in on. If there were a couple of buddy reads that you had been interested in possibly joining, perhaps that would be how you would pick amongst what's left. I don't know if you had a list of your own. Or perhaps you would just select a number you like. Thank you for pitching in.
Friends, my plan for 2024 is that we go back to 24 books and two year planning. Thats what we did in 2022. It will be super interesting to see what kinds of creativity will emerge when its the year one of the loop. Year two always seems to be a sort of "finishing" it out.
Before we hit a flurry of complicated group discussion on Trim Picking for 2024 - My encouragement is that we do what we have been doing. We randomize the names of the players involved, as I do think people enjoy picking something they are in the mood to read and/or that matches the tag. If someone has dropped out of the group, or simply cannot fulfill the task, we randomize, and at the end of the (second) year, should there be spaces left, we randomize. Again, I don't think this is rocket science. I am a firm believer in "If it isn't broken, lets not try to fix it". A kind of Occam's Razor like thinking about how to make sure we don't turn a tire into a computer. Folks good with that?
There is some discussion on the Island of Missing Trees thread about the Forty Rules of Love being a good pick for Adventure. I just double checked because its on my Trim List, and its Number Nine and it is indeed a Buddy Read for me, JenK, Nancy, and Sue.... All of which except for Sue, have been involved in this mornings conversation about FR of L. So here is my wondering - as Trim is supposed to be loose and whatever.... What if those of us who wanted to, simply switched our number 8 and 9? Like.... Jen K, Nancy, and Sue - would you like to read Forty Rules of Love this month, whether or not you switch it with your 8? Because I am liking this idea so much as I write, that i think I have just went with that plan.
Amy wrote: "Before we hit a flurry of complicated group discussion on Trim Picking for 2024 - My encouragement is that we do what we have been doing. We randomize the names of the players involved, as I do thi..."I'm totally good with everything, Amy! I'm in love with the idea of our Trim challenge, and I can play it forever. Thanks for not letting it stop!
What Diana H. said - I'm on board -- I am unlikely every to run out of TBR books to TRIM, LOL. I see no reason you all can't just swap the book at #9 with the one at
#8 - every # and thus every book left is going to get picked at some point this year regardless.
Meanwhile -- I am behind 3 including June. I think my June book
- The Magic Circle fits the adventure tag so will likely delay reading it until 4th of July weekend and just catch up on the other 2 books I'm behind.
Amy wrote: "There is some discussion on the Island of Missing Trees thread about the Forty Rules of Love being a good pick for Adventure. I just double checked because its on my Trim List, and its Number Nine ..."@Amy, my #8 is also tagged adventure and is a buddy read but I can try to read both #8 and 9 plus my June pick. I got behind again.
I get: The Night Window/Good Behaviour/Dawn of the DreadfulsJUL23as my July options...not sure which I will go with atm but after today I have 5 days off so plenty of time to think. Don't have full summer holidays since it is our winter but we do get a mid-semester break.
Yup think I will be having a whole month of adventure since 2 of my TRIMS are tagged adventure and I probably have enough for several a day all month (more than I can possibly read while working).
My #8 is one of The Room on Rue Amelie, Run Girl or A Modern Family. I've not read any of my options for June yet, but we only have 4 more weeks before the summer break - 3 weeks teaching and 1 week leading a school trip to Barcelona - so I should be able to catch up by the end of July.
@Joy-FYI our book is tagged 9 times Adventure!
That's great news, JoAnne! We can set up a Buddy Read thread for it. If anyone else wants to join, the book is:The Escape Artists: A Band of Daredevil Pilots and the Greatest Prison Break of the Great War
My Trim book for July. I got a little ahead, but I'm so glad this one finally came up!Pastoral by André Alexis 5 stars
The author packs a lot into this short book. The story takes place in Barrow, Ontario in Lambton County. Although born in Trinidad, the author grew up in Lambton County and acknowledges this is a fond pean to his childhood home.
The author also notes that the book is in part an homage to Beethoven's Sixth Symphony - the Pastoral Symphony - and the chapters follow the symphony's five movements:
1. Awakening of cheerful feelings upon arrival in the country
2. Scene at the brook
3. Happy gathering of country folk
4. Thunderstorm; Storm
5. Shepherds' song; cheerful and thankful feelings after the storm
The book was a slow, gentle telling of some pretty wild stories, set in a place that would only seem beautiful to someone searching for beauty.
I am reading The Many Daughters of Afomg Moy for one of my June books. It’s taking me a while to get into
Sallys wrote: "I am reading The Many Daughters of Afomg Moy for one of my June books. It’s taking me a while to get into"I found that one really picked up about a third/half the way through. The beginning part was really depressing and disjointed for me, but then it started to come together later in the book.
July #8Eight Perfect Hours by Lia Louis
3 stars
In this book Noelle and Sam meet when they are both stuck on a highway in a snowstorm. They have an immediate connection and spend eight hours together while the road has been closed down. They do not expect to see each other again, but coincidentally they keep running into one another after this. They quickly find that they have things in common. They are both are separately dealing with deaths of friends from long ago and are each trying to figure out relationships.
The book questions why they keep being in the same place so often. Is it by chance or was it meant to be? The story is form Noelle's point of view. She is scared to take chances and thinks of who she was before an accident took her best friend's life. However, Noelle starts to focus on goals and gains confidence. Sam is very understanding and encouraging of this.
Not all of Noelle and Sam's encounters are predictable. Family and health along with the responsibilities that come with them are themes through the story. The characters grown and support each other. It is a sweet book.
April #6Always in December by Emily Stone
3 stars
Josie meets Max by accident one December. Josie feels they could start a relationship, but then Max appears to think differently about this. In the next year they run into each other in New York and again at a wedding. Josie believes that Max is being rude and must have another girlfriend. He does not explain his reasons to her or try to fix things. Josie's character learns to take chances and deal with her own past as the book goes allows. There is a twist in the end that readers some readers may seem coming while others do not expect. The book has both happy and sad moments, but that is what makes this story different.
Almost done with Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow. Another 5 star!
I had to dnf my June #5, Beloved.This is nothing against the book at all, but I didn't plan well.
I started with the paper copy, then moved to audio (read by Toni Morrison herself!) because I over committed in June. THEN, I found myself missing big chunks of the audio getting distracted and now I am just all turned around.
I have too much other books I will need to finish in July, so I had to dnf it :(
I will revisit it another time.
I am rereading My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante
I never read the rest of the series and I want to so I figured I’d reread the 1st one
Meli wrote: "I had to dnf my June #5, Beloved.This is nothing against the book at all, but I didn't plan well.
I started with the paper copy, then moved to audio (read by Toni Morrison herself!) b..."
In all honesty, I didn't like Beloved. I was bored.
LibraryCin wrote: "In all honesty, I didn't like Beloved. I was bored."Maybe that was why I got distracted. But I will give it another try.
I just finished Sula and it is more linear and straightforward and I really loved it.
Meli wrote: "LibraryCin wrote: "In all honesty, I didn't like Beloved. I was bored."Maybe that was why I got distracted. But I will give it another try.
I just finished Sula and it is more linear and straigh..."
I loved Sula too! I started Beloved many times over the years, and never got past the very beginning. I put it on one of my Subdue lists, but didn't repeat it on the next list.
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Link to my review: My Review