Trim Challenge 2024: Announcement and Community Thread

[Amy]

That’s a great suggestion BC, about the coffee clash. I had hoped that I had explained all that really well but then when I read over my voice texting on my phone, it felt like it was a lot of garble. I hope that made sense to Liz.

[Kelly]

July #5

Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney
4 stars

Francis and Bobbi are friends in college. The two girls meet up with a slightly older married couple, Melissa and Nick. The story is told from Francis’s point of view and much of it really relates to things that were not said.

Francis starts a relationship with Nick, but as a form of self protection she does not say how she really feels. Francis writes a story about Bobbi, but does not inform her. Francis is also sick, but does not want to face it; so she does not tell anyone.

The author does not use a typical discussion writing style. It is different and interesting. She also only gives brief descriptions. This brings the focus back to what Francis is thinking about herself, her family and her friends.

The book was slow at first as characters are introduced. As it goes along their interactions become more complex. The ending is a bit unclear, but that makes the story more realistic. Fans of Sally Rooney will enjoy it.

[Hayjay315]

Amy wrote: "This is a note for Liz~.

First, Welcome and so happy you are joining us in PBT and in the Trim Challenge. This is such a wonderful dynamic community and we all look forward to getting to know you..."

I can definitely pick our August trim number if needed and will aim for something that will give us a buddy read, Amy! I am taking classes this summer, but am definitely trying to make more time for non-school reading.

[Amy]

Hayley is my Heroine!!!! So proud of everything you are doing for grad school, for life, and for us Tenacious Trailblazers. Pick away after the tag is announced, around the 22nd..... Maybe get us a letter and/or tag match (heh heh).

[Pam]

I hadn't forgotten, Amy, but no worries! I have been practically silent on GoodReads all year, so it makes total sense for someone who's staying active to get the pick.

I've only read two of my Trim picks so far -- although I have DNF'd several from my original list, so they are at least getting trimmed from the TBR!! -- but I am still planning to get to the rest in theory :)

Maybe my brain will be back in posting order next year and I can just slot in somewhere for 2025

[Amy]

Pam, I’m thrilled you checked in because I have been wondering what was going on. It’s your choice whether not you want to do September or 2025 when you feel up and running again. Either way, I’m glad you popped in to say hello.

[Pam]

Thanks, Amy. Whatever is easiest for you, works for me

[Jen]

I'm going to swap out the book I have listed for #20 because I want to read it now since I'm in the mood for it. So, removing Divergent, and replacing it with Seventh Heaven by Alice Hoffman.

[Joy D]

July #5:
Winter Loon by Susan Bernhard - 2* - My Review

I will keep my review short since I did not much care for this book. It is a coming-of-age story of fifteen-year-old Wes Ballott, a young man who is the product of a severely dysfunctional family. His mother dies in front of him in the first few pages. His father deserts him and he must move in with his hostile grandparents. It is what I call a “misery” book – continuous arguments, alcohol abuse, not to mention (view spoiler)[incest and the death of a child. (hide spoiler)] One bad thing after another happens to Wes, with no other extended storyline to hold the reader’s interest. I kept dreading what would happen next. I read lots of books that contain sadness and I appreciate them more when they have at least a tiny amount of kindness or hope. It is this author’s debut. The writing is okay, but I found it an extremely unpleasant read.

[Theresa]

July #5 - Tender at the Bone: Growing Up at the Table by Ruth Reichl

5 stars.

My Review

I really enjoyed this, so much that I found myself reading it slowly, an essay or two at a time, and when I only had about 60 pages left, I put it aside for a couple of days because I just did not want it to end.

Ruth's upbringing and coming of age was unlike anything I expected. Though I can't really say what I expected. While food and cooking, friends and family and their relationship to food and community are throughout, but much more. Reichl is only a few years older than I, which means I recognized her teen and college years, early 20s, rebellions, adventures.

Ruth is a woman I want to sit down and just have a conversation. She's also a born storyteller.

There's an ongoing buddy read for this -- I invite anyone to join it.

[Sallys]

I am reading the Picture of Dorian Gray . It actually fits the tag for August as it is Oscar Wilde's first and only novel.

[Sallys]

Or is debut the tag for July?

[Jen]

Finished my July Trim book! Wish I could say I enjoyed it but...hey, at least it's not on my list of things to read anymore, right?

Sugar Crash by Elena Aitken 2 stars.

[Heather Reads Books]

Okay, so I actually finished Fire & Blood by George R.R. Martin, which was my alternate trim choice for May! At this point I might just switch it out with my July pick because I'm still a couple months behind.

Regardless, the review is here.

[Hayjay315]

11 is my pick for the August Trim number! I've got a buddy read of A Dress of Violet Taffeta with Amy and Fran plus it will serve as an extra letter match for BWF!

[Theresa]

My #11 is A Strangeness in My Mind by Orhan Pamuk. It's one of his contemporary novels set in Istanbul and is a chunkster. We'll see if I manage to read it in August. I still have a couple relatively short ones to read from this spring.

[Heather Reads Books]

My #11 is either How High We Go in the Dark or Yellowface. I'm not sure which to pick, so I'm putting both on hold at the library and seeing which one speaks to me more.

I was also looking at reading Babel by R.F. Kuang for the monthly tag, so I may end up knocking out two books by the same author.

[Booknblues]

Hayjay315 wrote: "11 is my pick for the August Trim number! I've got a buddy read of A Dress of Violet Taffeta with Amy and Fran plus it will serve as an extra letter match for BWF!"

Well, I guess that answers my question of what I will be reading.

[Book Concierge]

My # 11 is A Slow Fire Burning by Paula Hawkins

haven't looked at the tags yet, but it spells 'S' for BWF.

[Jen]

My number 11 is Lights Out by Elise Hart Kipness which doesn't help me for BWF but that's ok---I have vacation in August and it looks like it might be a fun getaway read.

[Olivermagnus]

My #11 is The Cartographers

[Amy]

I liked that one! The Cartographers!

[Sue]

My #11 is Ringworld - and it's tagged with 5-Strars - Yay.

[LibraryCin]

My #11 is The Taster / V.S. Alexander

[Sallys]

My #11 is A Good Hard Look by Ann Napolitano.

[Booknblues]

Completed my trim for July, Tender at the Bone: Growing Up at the Table which was a buddy read with Theresa.
Review-
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Book Concierge]

June # 17


Jacqueline In Paris – Ann Mah – 3.5***
Mah’s debut is a work of historical fiction that gives the readers a glimpse into the life of a young Jacqueline Bouvier, spending a year as a student in Paris shortly after the end of WW2. It is a marvelous coming-of-age story. The year Jacqueline spent in Paris was a formative one. It was a time when she was free to discover and explore her own passions and dreams, to find what it was that moved and inspired her. What we see is a young woman just beginning to spread her wings and try independence from family.
LINK to my full review

[Linda C]

My #11 is Flight of Dreams –Ariel Lawhon

[Booknblues]

My other July read was my #5 A Land More Kind Than Home

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

[Book Concierge]

JULY # 5


Raymie Nightingale – Kate DiCamillo – 4****
On the first day of baton-twirling lessons, Raymie Clarke meets Louisiana Elefante and Beverly Tapinski, her fellow competitors in the Little Miss Central Florida Tire competition. This is a lovely coming-of-age tale suitable for the middle-school crowd, where three girls with different circumstances form a bond of friendship. As far as I’m concerned, these three girls are ALL winners.
LINK to my full review

[Liz]

Amy wrote: "I have to post three times because when you do this on your phone, and who knows what kind of garble is coming out, it doesn’t let me go too long. But the last thing I want to say is that people wh..."

Thanks Amy and Book Concierge for all the additional info about the group - that is very helpful. The coffeeclash sounds interesting as an opportunity to chat about anything and everything going on in people's lives.

I'm catching up on my Trim the TBR challenge and as I reviewed my plan, I noticed that I've already read a number of books that I'd included on my list. Oops! I'll have to add new titles where the numbers haven't already been called.

On a side note, I completed my July #5 last month:
The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley

This book wasn't for me - not sure if it was due to the mood I was in. At first, I enjoyed the author's unusual similes and metaphors but after a while, there was just too much of them, and I started to feel that they didn't make sense. I also felt that the entire middle section was simply filler rather than effectively providing insight into the characters themselves.

My number 11 for August was A Deal of a Lifetime by Fredrik Backman but that's another book I read earlier in July.
I'll be replacing it with One of Us is Lying by Karen McManus.

[Amy]

You are doing awesome Liz and I’m so glad you’ve joined us!!! that’s the wonderful thing about the trim the TBR challenge. It’s completely optional. I too made a list and I’ve already read half of the books on it out of order. I didn’t like when it came up and had the opportunity to trash it. What’s really nice about this is that it gets us to read things we might not have picked up this month, or to do some buddy reads, and it’s yet another way to clear ours. TBR’s with a somewhat planned surprise. I love it when our newer members jump in and we all look forward to getting to know you more.

[Theresa]

#21 - April
I am catching up!

Stoner by John Williams
5 Stars

We follow William Stoner through his entire life, from birth to death, in this exquisitely written, quietly absorbing novel by John Williams, all of it spent in Missouri. All but the first 19 years of it is spent at the University of Missouri, first as a student then on the faculty. If that sounds narrow and dull, think again as Williams' writing brings it all to vivid life. Stoner's life is tragic -- or is it?

Stoner is ultimately a simple midwestern working man, unworldly, innocent and ignorent in so many ways, yet in his first college year, when his intention is to study agronomy and eventually return to his father's farm to apply his learning there for the rest of his life, instead he falls deeply irrevocably in love with literature, the first time love and passion enters his life. This leads him to get degrees in English literature, become an instructor and even publish a book. He is not ambitious beyond being able to teach. He wants marriage, a child, romantic love, and he gets those, but not in a HEA way. It is sad, even tragic. Yet ... I don't see Stoner as ultimately unhappy because he was able to teach where he wanted to teach. In the end, his life wears Stoner down to his stoic, awkward, loner essence, a recognizable everyman.

The secondary characters are brilliantly drawn, and the academic life starkly portrayed. Historic events including 2 world wars, the Great Depression, and even McCarthyism, are not neglected. In fact, some of the harshest portrayals are here.

This is a book that makes my 2024 top 10 and will no doubt settle near the top of my lifetime favorites.

[Liz]

#11 for August complete.

Written by Karen N. McManus, One of Us is Lying is a YA mystery/thriller that delivers.

Five students find themselves in detention. When one of them suddenly starts choking and dies, fear and questions abound: Was it an accident or did someone murder him? If so, who and why?

This is a book intended for a young adult audience and I feel McManus did a good job setting out a story and characters that her audience could relate to. She's a great storyteller, and although some readers may feel that her writing was trope heavy, it's difficult to make this comment without acknowledging that the characters are teenagers. Emotions, angst, preoccupation with superficial things, first loves, and drama are part of growing up and I feel it's reasonable to expect that a story about adolescents would include this.

4 stars!
My review here:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Amy]

Good job Liz!!!

[Booknblues]

HayJay and Amy, I wondered when you plan to readA Dress of Violet Taffeta?

[Hayjay315]

Booknblues wrote: "HayJay and Amy, I wondered when you plan to readA Dress of Violet Taffeta?"

I have the book and any time this month works for me. What works best for both of you?

[Booknblues]

The week of the 18th would be good, but I'm flexible.

[Amy]

Its out from the library and in the car.... I think the week of the 18th sounds perfect! Thank you HJ for picking something we three can enjoy together.

[Sallys]

Finished The Picture of Dorian Gray and my August book is The Best Minds, quite a chunkster

[Linda C]

April - #21

- Gail Tsukiyama - 4 stars

Review: Set in rural China from 1919 to 1938, the story follows the life of Pei from age 8 to 27. Due to the family’s poverty the father take’s Pei to a silk factory to work and send money home. She is left at a girls’ house (a boarding house for girl workers). As she learns the process and moves through the job levels she makes friends with a close knit group of women whose lives revolve around the silk. This leads to a strike against harsh working conditions, tragic deaths, family estrangements, and eventually the invasion by Japan. It ends with her and a new ‘sister’ leaving China for Hong Kong.

Lots of tragedy in this book. But also great description of China at the time, silk cocoon processing and the stories of the women who worked in the factories. Looking forward to reading the next phase of her life.

[Joy D]

Finished #11 for August:

Signal Fires by Dani Shapiro - 4+* - My Review
PBT Review: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Ben and Mimi Wilf are married with two children, Sarah and Theo. They live in the suburbs of New York. Sarah and Theo are involved in a tragic accident that changes the course of their lives. The Shenkmans live nearby. The lives of these two families intersect in two main incidents, one involving a birth and the other a death. Shenkman’s son, Waldo, is a socially awkward child genius who is obsessed with astronomy, which angers his father, who wants him to be like other “normal” kids. The storyline follows how these two families handle tragedy and conflict. The characters make mistakes and must deal with the aftermath.

The timeline moves back and forth between the years 1970-2020. Themes include guilt, interconnectedness, and many forms of isolation. It emphasizes the importance of confronting issues rather than burying them in layers of secrecy. It is a story of parenting, time, memory, and chance. There is more than a hint that science and spirituality can peacefully coexist within a single consciousness. It was easy for me to become absorbed in the story. I wish it had not included one totally unnecessary episode of sexual violence. It is sad but also offers hope.

[Amy]

Just wanted to remind everyone that Book Concierge is the Trim Picker for September. We will circle back to Pam in 2025.

[Heather Reads Books]

Finished my #11 awhile ago, just remembered to finally post it (still trying to decide if I will read the other option I had):

Yellowface by R.F. Kuang - 5 stars. Really enjoyed this one. Review is here.

[Booknblues]

Hayjay315 wrote: "11 is my pick for the August Trim number! I've got a buddy read of A Dress of Violet Taffeta with Amy and Fran plus it will serve as an extra letter match for BWF!"

Hayjay and Amy, I wanted to let you know that I began reading A Dress of Violet Taffeta. Are you ready to start?

[Amy]

I have spent the last 7 days trying to continue the Last Tiara. I just can't make headway, and its a small book. Taffeta dress is next up. Although I do have to finish Wellness which is a chunkster by 9/3. But that is my plan to start it next.

[Booknblues]

Amy wrote: "I have spent the last 7 days trying to continue the Last Tiara. I just can't make headway, and its a small book. Taffeta dress is next up. Although I do have to finish Wellness which is a chunkster..."

Okay good. I have any number of books which I am trying to make progress with but have moved on mostly to ones I will actually read.
I wonder where Hayjay on her reading.

[Joanne]

I hope you all enjoy Taffeta Dress-I did

[Amy]

In anticipation of todays Tag - Book Concierge, these are the numbers already chosen from 1-24:

5, 7, 11, 13, 14, 17, 18, 21

[Book Concierge]

August - # 11


A Slow Fire Burning – Paula Hawkins – 3***
If you like unreliable narrators, this is the book for you. Hawkins gives us not one, not two, but a plethora of unreliable narrators to tell this twisty tale of dysfunctional families and murder. It’s not great literature, but it certainly held my attention.
LINK to my full review