Play Book Tag discussion
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Trim Challenge 2024: Announcement and Community Thread
ooo, nice! I am thinking of doing a small switcheroo on my list, bump a #15 to #14, and read Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, which I was already eyeing for the Feb monthly tag.
Joanne, that has been on my list for forever!
Yes, BnB - I'm super excited for that one.
Amy wrote: "Yes, BnB - I'm super excited for that one."Should be fun, we just need to get everyone together and decide when to read.
Ann. I definitely do believe that our reading experience is impacted by our mood or life situation so I should have added that to my comments about The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store. At a different time I might have loved it. I may even reread it at some point. I'm reading Once Upon A River Now and it is really a wonderful experience, but its what I need right now. Reading is interactive so I guess that's how it goes and for now Ill have to choose my books more carefully.
I have a choice of The Darwin Elevator, Carpathia: The extraordinary story of the ship that rescued the survivors of the Titanic or You'll Be the Death of Me....all are good options but perhaps Carpathia because something positive would be good.
Ann☕ wrote: "Sallys wrote: "Ann. I definitely do believe that our reading experience is impacted by our mood or life situation so I should have added that to my comments about The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store..."100% agree. I start books and set them aside all the time (hence my currently reading shelf is massive). Sometimes you want to get a book finished, sometimes you just want to delay it until you are in the right mood. Sometimes delaying it means you keep reading fun rather than seeing it as a chore.
Amy wrote: "Joanne, that has been on my list for forever!"Mine too-and it fits the tag and the letters in BWF!
Booknblues wrote: "My #14 is a big buddy read, A Town Called Solace."Two buddy reads in a row! This is my #14 too.
Joanne wrote: "Amy wrote: "Joanne, that has been on my list for forever!"Mine too-and it fits the tag and the letters in BWF!"
I really liked this one! It isn't exactly easy but so beautifully written.
Yay fun, I get another thriller/suspense book. What Never Happened - Rachel Howzell Hall
I couldn't find the monthly tag already assigned on it, but it definitely fits so I'll be adding it when I finish it.
My number 14 is, coincidentally enough, Escape from Camp 14 by Blaine Harden. I’ve had this one on my TBR forever, so I’m excited to read it.
I may not get to my 13 until the beginning of February. It should be a fast read, though. It's THIS SPELLS LOVE which is perfect.My 14 is another romance, DATING DR. DIL. I look forward to a romance filled month. Lol.
I know it's almost February, but I'm finally starting my January trim book and then I'll read my February trim book. Woot woot!
Jenni Elyse wrote: "I know it's almost February, but I'm finally starting my January trim book and then I'll read my February trim book. Woot woot!"Sounds great! I'm only half way through my January Trim - it's a chunkster!
@A Town Called Solace people, I'm starting a couple days early since it doesn't fit the Feb tag and I'm out of historical mysteries. I can start the BR thread.
A town called solace is a historical mystery that starts with a T? Who knew? I am fitting in in these last days of January, a book by an author of color, but it happens to start with an L. It’s so funny and wonderful to me how we are organizing our reading around these challenges. I’m also really excited to read a town called solace with everyone.
January - # 13
Flying Solo – Linda Holmes – 3***
This was a fun rom-com / mystery / heist caper! Laurie comes back to her Maine hometown to clear out her great-aunt Dot’s home. When she finds a wooden duck decoy in a cedar chest, she can’t help but wonder why Dot would keep such an item. Her efforts to solve the mystery of Dot’s past lead to a con job, a heist, and a counter-con job. And she begins to rethink her “I’m a loner” philosophy as she reconnects with her friends from high school.
LINK to my full review
January - #13
My Italian Bulldozer - Alexander McCall Smith - 3 stars
Review:
Paul Stuart, food and wine writer, has a case of writer’s block on his current project due to his live-in lover having left him for her personal trainer. His editor, Gloria, tells him to go to Tuscany, the setting for his latest book, to see if that will get him back on track. He runs into a series of funny events that result in his renting a bulldozer instead of a car for the 3 weeks of his visit. As you can guess it draws a lot of attention. There are some great local characters and stories. He also has a bit of a romantic tangle. Typical subtle humor story from this author.
January #13 The Lost Girls: Three Friends. Four Continents. One Unconventional Detour Around the World. by Jennifer Baggett et al.
2 stars
In the late-2000s, three NYC 28yo women, friends, agree to spend a year traveling the globe together, a sort of final adventure before basically settling down and acquiring the emblems of adulthood: marriage, 2.5 children, and launching or continuing satisfying careers. At least that is what the book is marketed as being. Two of them work for magazines with goals to be writers/journalists and the third works in television.
Instead we get alternating indistinguishable chapters shifting (allegedly) among the girls full of Millennial angst over failed or lack of relationships, unsatisfactory jobs, endless drinking and partying in dirty roach infested hostels from South America through Africa, India, the Asian subcontinent, and Australia/New Zealand. There are moments of travel wonder - hiking the Inca Trail to Machu Pichu, working for a month in a Kenyan village, hiking and a homestay among the Hmong in Sapa, Vietnam - but the fact I can count those moments on less than 5 fingers does not speak well for 542 page travelogue.
One of the things that most surprised me was how little these girls (they refer to themselves as 'girls' and they seem more like young college students than young single women pursuing careers in NYC) seemed to take in the culture and society, art and music, of the countries and communities they travelled through. Except for Kenya, of course. Maybe they just left all that out but I doubt it. I have backpacked in my time, mostly as a solo traveler too, and I know all about staying in hostels, mixing with others backpacking to share information and even socialize, but either hostels the 1970s and 1980s with no drinking/drug scene or I was just really lucky or clueless. Yes, I did make social connections at the hostels, and even teamed up with those met in the hostels to explore a city, hitchiked with another (who is a friend to this day), or encountered them elsewhere in my travels, but it wasn't all about drinking and clubbing and going to raves in dodgy neighborhoods, which is primarily what these girls seemed to do.
This was incredibly disappointing and my rating reflects it. I would not even recommend it to millennials.
February - # 14
The Fortunes of Jaded Women – Carolyn Hyunh – 3***
Mai’s ancestor was cursed by a Vietnamese witch: the women would birth only daughters, never a son. Oh, what a tangled web of melodrama! In general, this is about family – especially an extended family whose members are always in each other’s business. They meddle, fight, make-up, mourn, and celebrate. Ultimately, they come together as a family, rising in unison, ready to conquer the world.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... to my full review
Just want to make sure that Hannah knows she is our Trim Picker for March. We have a bunch of buddy reads planned, so I am sure that I might enjoy whatever she picks. It will be interesting to see where her lovely mind goes for the pick.
Oops, I just looked at the trim picker list and it looks like both Hannah and I are listed for March 2024? If that's in error, I'm happy to concede my turn. I've been so behind on everything lately I think that is totally fair.
Heather, on my list you were next up, and were up for April. Does it not look that way? I would never forget about you. No concession necessary. Let me check to make sure I’m not crazy…
Heather, you were right! How the hell did that happen? I think I just randomized the names, and put them in the order that they happened. I didn’t even see that I had made a mistake like that. Oh no! And I pride myself on being on top of those kinds of things. Now we have a pickle!Trimmers, what shall I do? Anyone have thoughts on how to make it fair? Fran, got any thoughts?
Amy wrote: "Heather, you were right! How the hell did that happen? I think I just randomized the names, and put them in the order that they happened. I didn’t even see that I had made a mistake like that. Oh n..."Don't worry about it, Amy. I absolutely have looked at the list before and said, "Seems right!"
As I said, I'm happy to concede my turn if that's easiest. Otherwise, I'm open to suggestions.
Amy wrote: "Let me drink on it, lol!!!"HAHA sounds good!! Thanks <3
@Amy - just push everyone back a month, correcting the schedule -- and that actually then takes us to December 2025, the end of this round.April would be Heather, May is Sue, June is Amy and so on. No one is left out, order is preserved, easy peasy. December 2025 would be Saorse rather than November 2025.
Theresa has the answer. Which is pretty good considering my drinks did not help. But actually November 2025 pics for both months. Saorse falls off the list to the next level. Which is perfectly fine as she joined the game later. We tend to get a dropout somewhere along the line anyway, so you never know what will happen in the next two years cycle. But I will do that as Theresa has suggested. Hannah from March, Heather for April and the list gets pushed back. Excellent suggestion Theresa, who just saved the day!!!Currently at a crêperie at 10PM on the resort. I ordered and lemon and sugar crate and Cameron ordered a banana chocolate Nutella. Had a wonderful evening together at the amusement park they are building on the resort.
Love a lemon and sugar crepe! Enjoy!And glad to provide a solution.
That sounds like a great solution and a delightful vacation!! Have fun, Amy!!!
I hope it is a relaxing time for you Amy!
Trim Picker List UpdatedAnother Book Reviewed
Time for Breakfast
Sally, Definitely find the Buddy Read Thread. We were all across the board on this one.
Ah, I finally finished a trim book!! #13! The Last Tale of the Flower Bride - 3 stars.Review is here.
I am two for two so far! I finished my #14, Exquisite Corpse by Poppy Z. Brite - 5 stars.
Review here.
I finished both of my picks so far.#13 - The Coffee Trader - David Liss - 4 Stars - 1/7/24
Review
#14 - The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane - Lisa See - 4.5 Stars - 2/7/24
Review
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You will be reading #14 in February!
Looks like I will be reading the other non- fiction book on my Trim List, and an armchair travvel book, sort of, at that - Flâneuse: Women Walk the City in Paris, New York, Tokyo, Venice and London.