Play Book Tag discussion
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Trim Challenge 2024: Announcement and Community Thread
September #3Minding Frankie / Maeve Binchy
3.5 stars
Noel is an alcoholic and lives with his parents, but when a girl he doesn’t even remember contacts him to tell him a. she’s dying; b. she’s pregnant; c. the baby’s his, it takes a bit to get used to the idea, but he manages to pull himself together and takes on fatherhood to his new baby girl, Frankie. He has a lot of help from family, neighbours, and (new – he never really had any before) friends. In addition his cousin, Emily, has come from the US to visit and see Ireland where her father grew up, but never went back to. Moira is a social worker keeping an eye on Frankie to make sure Noel can provide a good home, but sadly, she seems to have something against him and is constantly watching for him to mess up. And there’s more!
The book was good. But there are so many characters. All the way through, I kept forgetting who was who and how they related. I do realize many (most? all?) of them are characters from other books, as well, and I recognized some of them, but it’s been so long since I read the books that focused on those I recognized, I really didn’t remember much of them from those books, either. There was a little surprise at the end of the book. Overall, it’s an enjoyable read.
Finished October #8:Land: How the Hunger for Ownership Shaped the Modern World by Simon Winchester - 4* - My Review
Published in 2021, Simon Winchester explores the history of land ownership and its significant impact on civilization. The book covers a vast timespan, from ancient civilizations to modern times, and describes how attitudes towards land have evolved. It takes a worldwide perspective, examining specific examples from multiple continents and countries, and offering examples from various cultures around the world. Winchester combines elements of history, geography, economics, law, and social science to provide a comprehensive overview of land ownership.
The author interweaves his own experiences, including his purchase of a woodland tract in New England. Winchester also addresses environmental issues related to land use, including climate change, conservation, and sustainability. He delves into how laws and political systems have shaped (and been shaped by) land ownership. One of the key areas of focus is the way in which indigenous people of various countries have been adversely impacted by colonization, often being displaced from their ancestral lands. The author speculates on future trends in land ownership and use, considering factors like population growth, technological advancements, and changing social attitudes.
I always enjoy Simon Winchester’s writings. Despite tackling broad complex topics, his style is engaging and accessible. This book is certainly ambitious in scope and could have suffered from trying to cover too much, but the author is skilled at synthesizing a massive amount of diverse information into a coherent narrative. I always enjoy his ability to identify a topic’s far-reaching impacts. Land continues this tradition by examining how the fundamental idea of owning a piece of the earth has shaped much of human history and culture. Recommended to those interested in sociology, geography, and history.
Just wanted to announce that Pam is our Trim Picker for November. Numbers we have already used this year are:3, 5, 7, 8, 11, 13, 14, 18, and 21.
BooknBlues will be our trim picker for December. As always, I will wait until the 2025 challenges to be chosen, to help us construct our new Trim Lists which will remain at 12. I am going to put the remaining buddy reads into slots already taken by 2024, (and reveal the numerical shifts) so that the groups can remain the same. Naturally one does not need to commit to these for 2025, but those will stay on the same number together so you have it as an option. Do not fear.... We have done this for many years and it always works. Purple Jen is the Trim Picker for January 2025. I will help facilitate that.
October #8 doneRunaway: Stories / Alice Munro
2.25 stars
This is a book of short stories. Set in various parts of Canada. In the first one a woman was trying to get away from her husband. A few others (same characters) involved a woman and her daughter.
I listened to the audio and short stories make that difficult. If you lose focus, the stories are usually too short to figure out what you missed, as the percentage of the story you miss is much larger than that of a novel if you miss bits and pieces. The first story kept my attention the most, I think – where the woman was running away from her husband. The other series of stories mentioned with mother/daughter, I probably caught more of because there were multiple stories. But really, none were overly exciting where I wanted to keep listening. The first story was the closest to that. Not a fan – of short stories or Alice Munro, really.
Amy wrote: "Just wanted to announce that Pam is our Trim Picker for November. Numbers we have already used this year are:3, 5, 7, 8, 11, 13, 14, 18, and 21.
BooknBlues will be our trim picker for December...."
All good. I love that I always seem to get my birthday month to choose the number.
November's Unofficial Trim Challenge number:November will be #20
Pam wrote: "And #20 is The Left Hand of Darkness for me!"Me too! Though I hadn't marked it as a Buddy Read. I might not manage in November though as I finish up other challenges. Definitely December though. Excited to read it!
Jen K wrote: "Pam wrote: "And #20 is The Left Hand of Darkness for me!"Me too! Though I hadn't marked it as a Buddy Read. I might not manage in November though as I finish up other challenges. Def..."
Oh hey! I'm sure that's my fault. Pretty sure I did some really late alterations to my list at one point...
This is one of the books I'm determined to get to by the end of the year, but I'm going to have to be in the *exact* right mood for it. And need a working brain, which is the tricky part :)
My #20 is The Secrets We Kept. Looking forward to it! And I'm about to read October's pick. Still a couple behind but I think all will be read by year end.
The Spymaster of Baghdad: A True Story of Bravery, Family, and Patriotism in the Battle against ISIS, have to order inter-library, and will do right now.
Hmm, I'm not sure I'll be able to get to my #20. I'll give it a bit of time and see. It's Cry Rape: The True Story of One Woman's Harrowing Quest for Justice by Bill Leuders.
I was planning to use Open Library to read it, but it's been down for a week or two due to a cyber attack. I might have to switch books if it doesn't come back.
My # 20 is Second Chance Grill by Christine NolfiI read it earlier this year and given all I have on my plate this month, I'm just gonna call it done rather than substitute a different book.
Here's my review:
Second Chance Grill – Christine Nolfi – 2.5** rounded up
The plot is both typical and unrealistic (think Hallmark movie), but it fit a couple of challenges. Perfect light romance to fill the time when I was laid low by COVID. Glad to get this one off the tbr.
LINK to my full review
It's so hard for me to read during the school year The only times I can are Saturdays and on school vacations. So for now I'm sticking with YA. I have discovered Jason Reynolds and I'm hooked! I started with Long way Down, and now I'm reading Look Both WaysI'm not generally a fan of YA but I recommend his books for all ages!
Finished my October Trim!The Rule of One by Ashley Saunders 4 stars. Completed 10/30/2024.
My November will be Seventh Heaven by Alice Hoffman.
I’m a reading slump. But I’m also very busy with school so hard to tell what’s causing it. I’ve been reading YA books which I usually avoid. I discovers an author I cover. Jason Reynolds. Amy. I recommend his books for your son. Ling WAy Doen might be too Hesvy but Look Both Ways is fun
October #8Women Talking - Miriam Toews
4 stars
Review: This is a fictitious account of a secret meeting between 8 women who live in a Mennonite Community in Bolivia and have found out that they have been sexually abused by men in their own community after being drugged. They are only a few of the women who were affected. Their menfolk have gone to the jail where the perpetrators are held to post bail and bring them home. These women are meeting to discuss what they should do about it.
I cannot imagine being in these women's position. Obviously it is hard to do when it didn't happen to me; I am not illiterate, isolated by language and location from the world; treated as a lesser being to the extent these women were; and I am not of the religious mindset of this community. So all of their arguments and resolutions are removed from me to some extent.
I think that is what we are meant to see when we see things through August's eyes and ears. Since he has been exposed to the world he has at least a bit of both worlds to use as a filter. A sort of halfway place between the women and the reader. The fact that August has his own set of secrets and is accepted by the women enhances the idea of a middle ground. I wasn't sure at the beginning that I wanted to see through male eyes, but I grew comfortable with it over the course of the story. Recommended.
Sallys wrote: "I’m a reading slump. But I’m also very busy with school so hard to tell what’s causing it. I’ve been reading YA books which I usually avoid. I discovers an author I cover. Jason Reynolds. Amy. I re..."@Sally, I went to his reading in DC at Planet Word last week. He really is pretty fabulous.
#8 - Women Talking by Miriam Toews - finished 11/7Very glad I finally got to read this book that's been in my nightstand TBR Towers for years. I do have mixed feelings about the book and its writing, as you can read in my review. Also in the Buddy Read discussion in this thread.
April - #21Boundary Waters by William Kent Krueger
4 stars
Cork O'Connor is no longer the sheriff in Aurora, Minnesota; but people still come to him when they have problems. In Boundary Waters, the singer Shiloh is missing. Her father and the FBI are looking for her. When she was young, Shiloh witnessed her mother's murder, and now years later she may be have remember what happened that night.
Others are looking for her also, but to kill her. They all know she is along the lakes of the reservation by Aurora; Cork and some others have joined together to find her safely and figure out why people want to kill her.
The book talks about tensions between Native Americans on reservations and the towns around them. It includes messages and stories of Native Americans. Both the beauty and hardships of nature are shown; and the story highlights what people will do for money.
The author does a good job or portraying Cork as not perfect. However, he balances this by having Cork try to do the right thing and be close to his family. Cork feels responsible for others and will put himself at risk for them. Readers of William Kent Krueger will enjoy the book.
#20 - NovemberThe Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin
4 stars
A.J. Fikry is a young widower who runs a small bookstore on Alice Island. He is just getting by with his business and is very selective about what books he likes and does not. One day a small child named Maya is left in his store with a note, and the girl's mother has just committed suicide.
A.J. and Maya get along very well and he adopts her. A.J. starts to open his life even more and gets remarried to a book sales representative, Amelia Loman. Minor characters are related through different paths in this book. They add humor and depth. The chief of police is an interesting friend of A.J. and helps him along the way. The backstory of Maya's mother is also done well.
The author did a good job with grief. The reader can sense how much A.J. missed his first wife, and Maya's school story tells how she imagines her own mother's last day. It is a sweet story told with a lot of feeling.
Finished #20 for November:Spies by Michael Frayn - 5* - My Review
The novel opens with Stephen Wheatley, as an older man, reflecting on his childhood days during World War II when he and his friend Keith were playing at tracking German spies. Stephen’s naïve enthusiasm for their spy games gradually transforms into fear and confusion when he stumbles upon real secrets in the adult world. The storyline explores how innocence and imagination can lead to dramatic misunderstandings with serious consequences.
It is an unusual coming-of-age novel in that it focuses on psychological factors from a child’s perspective. Stephen narrates the story, so we are privy to his inner thoughts. I think the use of the same person in different stages of life is quite effective. Of course, Stephen as an adult can provide the context that younger Stephen misses entirely.
It is both a story of wartime intrigue and an exploration of how memory, perception, and guilt leave lasting effects. Frayn’s use of the setting, an isolated English neighborhood, enhances the suspense and sense of entrapment. The wartime atmosphere with its pervasive paranoia adds to the dramatic tension. Readers know something bad is going to happen and will try to anticipate what it might be. The author does a great job of keeping it under wraps until the end and I suggest going into it without knowing too much ahead of time. This is an impressive and well-crafted novel with something to say about how childhood experiences shape our adult lives. I loved it.
Hello Friends~. Forgot to announce that BooknBlues is our Trim Picker for December. Since the tag will likely be announced tomorrow and possibly the challenges soon thereafter, I thought it was wise to get our ducks in a row.
Here's what happens to the optional Trim Challenge in 2025. I will help us organize this. There will be lists of 12. If you should so choose it from your original list, the numbers we haven't used from 1-12 remain the same. Entire groups of numbers unused from 13-24 will be moved into the open spots so prior buddy reads will be able to stay together. I will create a new planning thread that will explain everything and that will be (still and always) welcome for new members to join us. As always, this is the easy challenge because you don't have to do it. You don't have to honor what you picked. You can shift your list around any time, any way. My plan will be to help us with this about 3 days or so after the year long challenges have been announced so that those conversations can take the priority. But alas, this is happening yet again in 2025. For anyone who is uber-detailed and needs to know, we are going to fill the spaces starting with number 13 if it has not been called and so forth. This is not rocket science, and we will have another great year in 2025. At least for books, lol. We will stay with our light, and each other.
I was asleep there for a bit. I have a cold and haven't been doing anything but reading my 25 book series.Anyway the trim number for December is #23. Mine is Unlikely Animals.
My #23 is Fostering Sustainable Behavior: An Introduction to Community-Based Social Marketing by Doug McKenzie-Mohr
I have read BOTH of my 23's already this year. Really liked one of them. The other was a great discussion. Well that frees me for holidays and mystery-suspense.
Hayjay315 wrote: "Jen K and I have a Buddy read of Loot!"Yes! I'm excited for this one! I put my library hold on thaw and hopefully it comes soon.
My #23 is Killed by Clutter - think it is the first time all year the pick on my list fits the monthly tag.
Theresa wrote: "My #23 is Killed by Clutter - think it is the first time all year the pick on my list fits the monthly tag."I had 23) The Ruin/ The Girl in the Spider’s Web/ See What I Have Done
I think they all fit the tag but I really want to read The Wager so we'll see. Very odd that one fits the tag never mind all 3 options, guess it was meant to be.
As a side note ... I still have not gotten to my October book (#8) ... which is ALSO a mystery/thriller/suspense book. YAY
Now that Open Library (Internet Archive) is working again, I can get back to my reading there (I have an October challenge book I had to abandon, so I plan to finish that). My November Trim book was meant to also be from there, but it looks like they no longer have access to it, so I'll have to pick something else.
Continuing with YA books . Currently rereading. Catcher in the Rye
Oh strange, GR stopped giving me notifications on this thread!!I am happy to hear we will be continuing on in 2025. I have been in a bit of a book slump so I think I will just try to read a book or two that fits the December tag (maybe I Have Some Questions for You or My Sweet Girl) but I am excited to compile the list for next year! Thank you for organizing as always, Amy.
Happy Thanksgiving, for those who are in America!
Heather Reads Books wrote: "Oh strange, GR stopped giving me notifications on this thread!!I am happy to hear we will be continuing on in 2025. I have been in a bit of a book slump so I think I will just try to read a book ..."
They changed their policies - actually simplified the notification process - but it means you need to re-check what you want notifications on.
I would like to join for 2025. How do I sign up? When do I present my list?
Jason wrote: "I would like to join for 2025. How do I sign up? When do I present my list?"Amy will post the start in a week or so. Check Message #427 above. You won't miss it. But you can start pulling together your list - should have 12 books listed. Some put two or three choices at each number so to have options. I've redone my list of 12 at least twice already, LOL. I use my Member Tracking thread to work park it.
Theresa wrote: "Jason wrote: "I would like to join for 2025. How do I sign up? When do I present my list?"Amy will post the start in a week or so. Check Message #427 above. You won't miss it. But you can start p..."
Having options is really good if you are in a reading slump or not always able to finish a book when intended due to the content triggering reminders or flashbacks and sending you off on a negative spiral.
This is the only reading challenge I've finished since 2022 and the only one other than my total book count since 2019. The flexibility means everyone can do it however bad life is, because it can be adjusted to fit around whatever is kicking you in the head.
Jen wrote: "This is the only reading challenge I've finished since 2022 and the only one other than my total book count since 2019. The flexibility means everyone can do it however bad life is, because it can be adjusted to fit around whatever is kicking you in the head."100% agree! The flexibility is super nice, even if it is just because you've already read three in a row of a certain genre and want to read something fresh.
Looking forward to joining in 2025!
I am just seeing these new messages! Thrilled that Melanie Joy and Jason will be joining us for 2025. I will get out the new scheduling and planning thread tonight!
I have posted our new planning thread for 2025.
Jen K wrote: "Hayjay315 wrote: "Jen K and I have a Buddy read of Loot!"Yes! I'm excited for this one! I put my library hold on thaw and hopefully it comes soon."
@Hayley, I picked up the hard cover of Loot today. I just need to read before I travel on Friday or pick it up again when I come back. Will set up a BR thread!
Going to start my 2025 list now as well.
#23 - December One Of Us is Next by Karen M. McManus
5 stars
Bayview High is filled with drama once again. In the sequel to One of Us is Lying texts are being sent out by an unknown person. It is a game of Truth or Dare. At first the dares are public and students want to see who will be next. People think the game has stopped, but then someone ends up dead. A group of the students try to figure out the mystery.
It is an exciting book and captures the readers attention. Characters from One of Us is Lying are in the story along with some new friends. It is hard to keep secrets in Bayview, but the group is good at finding clues. They take chances and use their skillsets to discover what is really going on. The kids have their own issues to deal with, but they support one another and it is a fun read.
Play Book Tag
Books mentioned in this topic
See What I Have Done (other topics)Faith (other topics)
Whiskers of the Lion (other topics)
Fox Creek (other topics)
Unlikely Animals (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Jennifer Haigh (other topics)William Kent Krueger (other topics)
Alice Steinbach (other topics)
Sarah Schmidt (other topics)
Michael Frayn (other topics)
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Hideaway - Nora Roberts
2 stars
3/31 - 4/1
In this story Cate Sullivan is from a family who for generations have been famous actors. When Cate was young she was kidnapped, but escaped. As the case is being investigated, it was found that her mother was involved with setting up the plot. The mom and two others were sent to prison for their roles in this crime.
Cate grows up and starts to find her own career. She never reconnects with her mother, who when released from jail uses the situation to gain publicity. Then years later people related to the kidnapping case start being murdered.
The author focuses on family and overcoming one's past. Roberts includes some the minor characters who are amusing and bring humor. Parts of the book are predictable, but it is an easy read.