UNO 2023 Pre Challenge Chat

[Sammy]

Melindam wrote: "Sammy,

you see how faint-hearted I am. :) From what I have read about the book, for me it easily registered as "horroristic", so I just drew the conclusion.

But I bow to your wisdom & experience..."

As I said, I've not read book 2, and it could certainly move in that direction. I can let you know once I get around to it, lol.

[Sammy]

Ashley wrote: "Sammy wrote: "More a moody Urban fantasy."

This is now my new favorite genre name."

Should totally be a thing. Just like I stand by my conviction that "feed me Seymour" is a perfectly good shelf to put my food-related books on. :D

Sometimes the regular genres just don't cut it, lol.

[Sammy]

Jenny wrote: "I am worried that there is a whole new generation of readers that will not even give older books a try, because the authors lived in and wrote about a world that was not "woke".
It is harder to read a book that show racism or misogyny as de rigueur, but there are some amazing stories out there that are going to be cancelled out of existence and that is a shame. Our shared history shouldn't be whitewashed away, I think."

I completely agree. Just because there are unpleasant characters or situations in a book, doesn't mean you have to agree with them to appreciate the book.
If that were the case, the Dexter series wouldn't be so popular for starters :D :D

It is starting to feel like we're trying to move away from portraying things as they were, and instead people want to re-write history to suit modern values. Not only is that worrying in the 1984 sense, but dangerous too. People won't learn from things that went wrong is they never knew they existed in the first place...

[Melindam]

I also agree Sammy, Jenny.

[Cat]

I started a British Library Crime Classic yesterday which had a notice at the start, basically saying: "This was written back when, expect casual racism and sexism and other elements offensive to modern norms. We don't endorse these ideas, so haven't bowdlerised them, excepting for disguising the most egregious slurs."
Which I think is a good way to go about it, especially when I compare it to the casual anti-semitism (to the effect "he's OK for a Jew, I guess" but lots of it, as the "ok-for-a-Jew" character was pivotal to the mystery) in another book I just finished (Whose Body? by Sayers) that went unflagged.

[Sophie]

With you all on most of the book couples so far. Lan and Nynaeve is an underrated pick.

Toby and the Luidaeg from the October Date series is another of my top relationships.



When I first started on here, I was embarrassed by some of the smutty erotica reads on my shelves, but that's gone over time - just as well considering some of the group reads in other groups.

[Denise]

Sammy wrote: "Jenny wrote: "I am worried that there is a whole new generation of readers that will not even give older books a try, because the authors lived in and wrote about a world that was not "woke".
It is..."

I definitely don't think we should re-write history. If people forget, it's too easy to repeat it and I think we're starting to see that now. In the case of GWTW, I think it stirred up some mixed emotions because I wanted to see Scarlett succeed and run a business and manage things a woman wasn't allowed to manage in that time period, but then found myself saying, "oh yeah...she uses people and she's a racist."

It's a very discussion-worthy book, for sure!

[Denise]

The only Murakami I've read is After Dark.

1Q84 has been sitting on my shelf for about six years though.

[Melindam]

Kirsten, the main thing is that you did realise.

But also, while I was never a fan of Scarlett as a person (aside from her being racist), it is quite easy to be attracted to her glamour, strength and even in a way to her ruthlessness and selfishness.
It does happen in real life that we are deceived by others. :)

[Tammie]

📘 Favorite Fictional Relationship (Romantic or Otherwise)
I really like Roarke and Eve Dallas in the In Death Series

📗 A book(s) everyone (including friends) seems to love, but you ended up disliking (hating) it
I really struggled with this book. Since I've read several other Stephen King...some of the milder horror like The Green Mile and Apt Pupil.

📒 A Book(s) You Feel Guilty About Liking
I liked the Twilight Series and have re-read several of the books for challenges.

📕 Any books/authors that you feel you should really try, but have never got round to reading yet


A few have mentioned the classics and I've been reading quite a few in this last year. I really liked

[Sophie]

Cat wrote: "I started a British Library Crime Classic yesterday which had a notice at the start, basically saying: "This was written back when, expect casual racism and sexism and other elements offensive to m..."

Oh I like that way of doing it. We tried to watch Peter Pan (Disney) with my kids and they had a similar warning that there were questionable portrayals in it and that it would be created now.


I think these books make for interesting discussions and I'll be interested to see what I have read over the last 10 years that I recognise as problematic in another 20-30.

[Denise]

Sophie wrote: "Cat wrote: "I started a British Library Crime Classic yesterday which had a notice at the start, basically saying: "This was written back when, expect casual racism and sexism and other elements of..."

I love these discussions. Our culture and our language also evolve and that changes what might make us uncomfortable. Our language around mental health and certain types of disabilities has changed sooo much over the past 50 years. I just read something from 1980 with some cringe-worthy terminology, but they were using the language of the time.

[Denise]

Tammie wrote: "📘 Favorite Fictional Relationship (Romantic or Otherwise)
I really like Roarke and Eve Dallas in the In Death Series

📗 A book(s) everyone (including friends) seems to love, but you ended up dislik..."

Rebecca is one of my favorite books!

[Sammy]

Melindam wrote: "Kirsten, the main thing is that you did realise.

But also, while I was never a fan of Scarlett as a person (aside from her being racist), it is quite easy to be attracted to her glamour, strength..."

Exactly! She was never meant to be a role model. She didn't care about anything or anyone besides herself.

Reminds me a lot of Becky in Vanity Fair, in fact.

[Melindam]

👍

[Robin (Saturndoo)]

📘 Favorite Fictional Relationship (Romantic or Otherwise)
Kate Burkholder and John Tomasetti

📗 A book(s) everyone (including friends) seems to love, but you ended up disliking (hating) it



📒 A Book(s) You Feel Guilty About Liking
None. Not every book is for every reader. You like what you like!

📕Any books/authors that you feel you should really try, but have never got round to reading yet
Lisa Scottoline Louise Penny

[Kirsten]

My GWTW and Scarlett love is so complicated--I wept for hours at the end, when Scarlett lost Melanie and Rhett and realized Ashley Wilkes wasn't all that the first 2-3x I read it. Teenage me prolly read the book 10x, though I did start skipping the Frank Kennedy section. And again, to teenage me, Scarlett was a role-model of a gorgeous, powerful, smart woman (so glamourous! so devious). But again, when I realized that it was basically a book written the 1930s to advocate a return to "plantation times" and justifying segregation...

I don't think it should be "cancelled," though I don't think it ought to be taught to high school and middle school students, and I think editions should be framed with the explanation that GWTW is one of many books that shrouds the brutalism of enslavement in nostalgia for a gracious moment when the world was right and true. Along with so many other books glorifying the South and the Southern cause (Cold Mountain, another book I loved, I'm looking at you), GWTW is part of the persistent lie that the Civil War wasn't about enslavement but about the autonomy to preserve a precious way of life.

So, yeah, I feel guilty that it took way too long to see that.

I do like the way that contemporary fiction--romance or not--recognizes that BIPOC and queer people had lives with agency long before the 1960s, and were present at all levels of society. That message needs to be trumpeted alongside books like GWTW, which give such a narrow view.

[Jenny]

I don't think it should be "cancelled," though I don't think it ought to be taught to high school and middle school students,

I think it might be interesting if GWTW was taught alongside something like 12 Years a Slave, perhaps for a unit in a Civil War history class. And then compare the reality of the times from differing perspectives. And then further compare the attitudes of those times to the attitudes of modern society.

I'm sure there would be no angry calls and letters from outraged parents for that class. Not a one. teehee

[Ashley]

not a single call Jenny!! none!

Kirsten, I love your thoughts on the matter!

[Kirsten]

Jenny wrote: "I don't think it should be "cancelled," though I don't think it ought to be taught to high school and middle school students,

I think it might be interesting if GWTW was taught alongside something..."

As a person who taught at a Texas university--definitely not!

Although, I have a high school student, and it would be a struggle to get her to read 2 long books. But yes, would be interesting.

[Kirsten]

Ashley wrote: "not a single call Jenny!! none!

Kirsten, I love your thoughts on the matter!"

Aww, shucks.

[Melindam]

Also Kristen, your feelings and interpretations at various times are all valid and valuable & not to be ashamed of.

Your changed views and feelings shows how much you have changed as a person and where you were on your road at various times.

[Kirsten]

Melindam wrote: "Also Kristen, your feelings and interpretations at various times are all valid and valuable & not to be ashamed of.

Your changed views and feelings shows how much you have changed as a person and..."

Yes to the second statement, but I have to agree to disagree on the first. I think it's okay to be ashamed of not recognizing my own racism, even if I was young and even if Scarlett is a complicated and complex protagonist. But I absolutely appreciate the sentiment, and thanks.

[Kaley]

📘 Favorite Fictional Relationship (Romantic or Otherwise)
Nyktos & Sera in the Flesh & Fire series -- I love Nyktos so damn much.

📗 A book(s) everyone (including friends) seems to love, but you ended up disliking (hating) it
I don't want to say to this particular group and be hated . . . but there was a certain series that was a theme of a group challenge lately that I could just not get into. :-| I definitely wouldn't say I hated it or even that I disliked it, but I just couldn't get into it.

Other than that . . . Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. I wouldn't necessarily say that I disliked it though . . . I just didn't particularly like it either. I'm more indifferent, I suppose.

📒 A Book(s) You Feel Guilty About Liking
I don't really feel guilty about liking anything these days, though there are books I used to really like that I certainly have complicated feelings for these days after learning more about the author(s).

📕 Any books/authors that you feel you should really try, but have never got round to reading yet

[Denise]

Kirsten wrote: "My GWTW and Scarlett love is so complicated--I wept for hours at the end, when Scarlett lost Melanie and Rhett and realized Ashley Wilkes wasn't all that the first 2-3x I read it. Teenage me prolly..."

Very well said! And good call on skipping Frank Kennedy. 😂

[Denise]

Jenny wrote: "I don't think it should be "cancelled," though I don't think it ought to be taught to high school and middle school students,

I think it might be interesting if GWTW was taught alongside something..."

I love this idea, but having recently sat in on a 4 hour school board meeting discussing "inappropriate library materials," it might also give me nightmares. I do love the idea though...maybe as a college class. Lots of schools do mini classes for one or two credits. I could see this really working there!

[Ashley]

So excited! Hello, my name is Ashley. This will be my third year playing and I look forward to it as soon as December hits! My fave genre is YA, but I love all mystery, thrillers, and horror. I have a blog solely dedicated to my reading adventures. Total Bibliophile here and can't wait to play with you!

[Molly]

📕 Name: Molly
📕 Team Challenge experience: This is my first year playing - excited to see how it goes :)
📕 Favourite genres: Horror, Thriller, History
📕 Book you can't wait to read in 2023: Right now I'm VERY interested to read Prince Harry's book. I live for drama so looking forward to that. Otherwise, I am looking forward to reading many things that I meant to read last year but didn't get to :)

[Karolyn]

I’m loving this GWTW discussion. As someone who reads a lot of non-fiction I think it’s critical to read great older novels with some context about the time period. And it’s a good thing to be uncomfortable and recognize what makes us uncomfortable with racism/sexism/anti-LGBTQA+ plots and characters.

On to my intro… Karolyn. I’m back again, I think it’s my 4th UNO. I can’t believe it’s already UNO time again, I’m still recovering from Towers!

I read non-fiction (history and science), horror, thriller/crime and occasionally something super random for a challenge.

I have a HUGE TBR pile right now, so trying to focus on it rather than new releases. One of my goals is to read more about Native American history and culture after visiting Arizona and the Badlands in 2022. But I really do want to read Prince Harry’s book too 😀

[Barbara]

HAPPY DAYS!

📕Barbara
📕 I love the interaction, although I don't really read much
📕 Yes
📕 Historical Fiction, History, Dystopia
📕 The list is vast but I am looking forward to read I'm Glad My Mom Died

[Emily]

I would like to join.

Emily
Team Challenge experience - yes a ton
I think I have done UNO before but not 100% sure
Genres-romance, contemporary, paranormal, fantasy/YA/new adult pretty much anything
2013 want to read - way too many to count. Pretty much anything from my favorite authors.

[Lauri]

I just saw this & promptly signed up! I’ve been in a bit of a funk lately. Also just finished Crying in H Mart so, messy crying, NyQuil combination hangover. Arrrggghhhh!

I think I’ve played every UNO since 2016. I love the planning. I’m in Hawaii, so love it when someone else is still awake to chat. The time zone thing is so weird. My favorite genres are historical fiction, chick lit, paranormal & mysteries. I try to offset the fluff with blood & gore. So yes to psychological thriller s and werewolves!
One underrated author who comes to mind is Juliet Marillier. I am a sucker for titles with bad puns. I will never pass up anything by Nora Roberts, Janet Evanovich or Charlaine Harris. I’ll say it loud and proud!

[Kat]

Hello, I’m Kat. I am looking forward to starting

I haven’t played before but I’ve always wanted to.
My favourite genres are thriller, memoirs biographies , crime and romance and contemporary and humour. The odd occasion I’ll read some other stuff such as young adult and new adult I know these are variety but this is in romance genre still.
Laura Marshall husbands killer and hoping Serena Terry brings a new one out.

Just realised there’s a theme, should I be worried? As certain stuff I don’t read like a lot of stuff…

[Karen ⊰✿, Avaricious Reader]

Kat wrote: "Hello, I’m Kat. I am looking forward to starting

I haven’t played before but I’ve always wanted to.
My favourite genres are thriller, memoirs biographies , crime and romance and contemporary and..."

The theme is just the team names. You can read what you like :)

[Lauri]

As for some of the questions…

📘 My earliest reading memory
Getting in trouble in kindergarten for disrupting the class! Somehow I already knew how to read at 4 years old and found the alphabet & that phonics stuff soooo boring!
📗 My favourite book growing up
Harriet the Spy & Mara, Daughter of the Nile
📒 The book that changed me as a teenager
A Separate Reality
📕 The book I came back to
The House of the Spirits
📘The book I could never read again
???
📗 The book I discovered later in life
A Woman of Substance
📒The book I am currently reading
Deeply Odd
📕 My comfort read
Any Harry Potter book…

[Vicki]

Melindam wrote: "Hello Everyone!


Only 43 days 01 hour and 21 minutes until UNO 2023 starts. ;)

Just sayin'.


https://www.timeanddate.com/countdown......"

Thanks for the countdown!

[Vicki]

📕 Name: Vicki
📕 Team Challenge experience: Let's just say I need a 12-step program for CHALLENGE ADDICTS!
📕 Have you joined UNO before? YES! One of my favorite challenges and I can never miss it! I always look forward to it! My first time playing was in 2019 so this will be my 5th time!
📕 Favourite genres: historical fiction, mystery, thriller/psychological thriller, sports romance
📕 Book you can't wait to read in 2023: I'm looking forward to reading Mad Honey among many others.

[Jhmingos]

📘 My earliest reading memory
I remember reading the Disney movie book Cinderella. I was so obsessed with reading that book as a child.

📗 My favourite book growing up
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and The Witch of Blackbird Pond. They got me into reading the classics and history.

📒 The book that changed me as a teenager
Flowers in the Attic and Jane Eyre for different reasons 😂. In middle school, I borrowed Flowers in the Attic from my English teacher's library, and it was wild. Jane Eyre became one of my favorite all-time books.

📘The book I could never read again
A Little Life, it's the most depressing book I've ever read.

📗 The book I discovered later in life
I grew up reading so much adult fiction and classics that I missed out on the children's classics. Now I like reading them and discovering new ones.

📒The book I am currently reading
I'm finally trying to tackle The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich: A History of Nazi Germany which has been on my TBR for years. It's a hefty read but so interesting and horrifying.

📕 My comfort read
Anything by Agatha Christie, Stephanie Plum series, regency romances

[Melindam]

Jhmingos,

Same here. There are quite a few children's classics I only read as an adult and I there are still some I need to tackle.
I enjoy most of them. :)

[Eldarwen]

Sammy wrote: "Exactly! She was never meant to be a role model. She didn't care about anything or anyone besides herself."

I'm almost gutted that I missed this wonderful GWTW discussion last night (my time). But then again... no, I had yummy sushi with friends and lots of laughs.

But I do agree with a lot of what has been said with regards to Scarlett! Especially the above from Sammy. But that being said, it also needs to be mentioned that Scarlett was a bloody powerhouse. Her principles and ideals may have been non-existent or utterly horrible with regards to other people, but when push came to shove, she got shit done when she easily could have just let herself, and the others along with her, die in a ditch somewhere (figuratively and literally).

I would absolutely participate in that comparative study class suggested above! Would not want to be the teacher however to put that out there and deal with all the outraged parents.

[Eldarwen]

Cat wrote: "I started a British Library Crime Classic yesterday which had a notice at the start, basically saying: ......."

I really like their way of reissuing these old novels that would otherwise be completely lost to the world most likely. I've only read a couple so far but I've enjoyed them!

I always take these things with a grain of salt anyway. Reading a book, no matter in which time it is set, is basically like having a discussion with others. Everyone has their own view. You might read it or listen to it, but that doesn't mean you automatically have to agree with it or accept it at face-value. Especially true when reading older books. So James Bond was a mysoginistic asshole! Doesn't mean the books are crap. Or the films for that matter, considering how many billions those make. ;-)

Ah I could go on and on, but I won't haha.

[Kat]

Karen ⊰✿ wrote: "Kat wrote: "Hello, I’m Kat. I am looking forward to starting

I haven’t played before but I’ve always wanted to.
My favourite genres are thriller, memoirs biographies , crime and romance and cont..."

Thanks

[Melindam]

Agree with you E about Scarlett being a powerhouse and getting shit done. You don't have like her (I didn't), but you can still recognise her strong points. :)

[Kat]

Can I ask is it a struggle to find certain covers like yellow? Or is there something more to this discussion?

[Jenny]

Elderwan, the most important question about the womanizing cad James Bond, is of course, which one of the actors who portrayed him would you allow to eat crackers in your bed.

I've actually never read Ian Fleming. Are there any worth trying?

Also, is there a better name in stories than Pussy Galore? Yeah? Name it.

[Jenny]

Kat wrote: "Can I ask is it a struggle to find certain covers like yellow? Or is there something more to this discussion?"

Yellow can be tough. Give this list a try...

https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/2...

[Lisa - (Aussie Girl)]

Jenny wrote: "Elderwan, the most important question about the womanizing cad James Bond, is of course, which one of the actors who portrayed him would you allow to eat crackers in your bed.

I've actually never ..."

Well, there is one Alotta Fagina from Austin Powers which is a parody on Pussy Galore, I believe.. 🤣

[Sammy]

Jenny wrote: "the most important question about the womanizing cad James Bond, is of course, which one of the actors who portrayed him would you allow to eat crackers in your bed.
"

Sean Connery. (up until his late 60s at least! That man just got better looking every year...)

Also, the Bond books are fun if you can ignore the misogyny. And I recently read Chitty Chitty Bang Bang for the first time, which I would have adored as a kid.

[Melindam]

It's Pierce Brosnan for me, though I would not kick Daniel Craig off my bed if he happened to be there. ;)

[Sammy]

I have a serious aversion to Daniel Craig... To the point that I actually stopped watching bond movies! :S