Play Book Tag discussion
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Interesting Tidbits
Lyn wrote: "Oh gosh, I hope they don't move my TBR to my Amazon wish list. Most of the books on my TBR are books I already own or plan to get from the library for my book groups. That would be quite the mess t..."Same and the other thing my Amazon wish list is out of control and I don't want these books which are just on my radar or kind of interested in on my GR list.
Theresa wrote: "They call them ribbons? I think they look like bookmarks!Anyway, I spotted them in January as I check my reading challenge frequently because too often duplicate copies of books pop up or one is ..."
Oh, you're right, I suppose they are bookmarks! I barely glanced at them.
Lyn wrote: "Oh gosh, I hope they don't move my TBR to my Amazon wish list. Most of the books on my TBR are books I already own or plan to get from the library for my book groups. That would be quite the mess t..."I have 2 different lists on GR - "Owned" includes books I already have, whether on paper, in ebook, or audiobook (an embarrassing number!) "Want to Read" includes books I definitely want to read at some time and many others that I just might be interested in someday, so an even higher number, but it's too much work to weed them out.
Lyn wrote: "Oh gosh, I hope they don't move my TBR to my Amazon wish list. Most of the books on my TBR are books I already own or plan to get from the library for my book groups. That would be quite the mess t..."This part of the message implies you have to take action for your TBR to come over to Amazon, plus you have to have the accounts linked:
"Simply type "Your Books" in the search bar on the Amazon Store, and the top result will open the Your Books feature. (Currently available for US customers who have linked their Goodreads and Amazon accounts.)"
Robin P wrote: "If you have set up a GR challenge for the year, if you click on See Challenge, there are different colored markers for each month. I had no idea they were there till I was looking at the challenge ..."I have set up a challenge. Thanks. Is this something new?
ETA: I took a look and definitely agree with Theresa that they look like bookmarks.
KateNZ wrote: "It looks like the duplication of the Goodreads TBR and the Amazon wish list (cue eye roll) is only for US customers who have deliberately linked their Goodreads and Amazon accounts. So maybe I do n..."Oh, that's good. So if anyone has linked their accounts, maybe they can unlink them, too, if they don't want this?
I have no idea. I have not linked the two and have no plans to do so. It just invites even more marketing, which I dislike intensely.
LibraryCin wrote: "KateNZ wrote: "It looks like the duplication of the Goodreads TBR and the Amazon wish list (cue eye roll) is only for US customers who have deliberately linked their Goodreads and Amazon accounts. ..."Yes, you can unlink accounts. I just did it a few days ago, not for reasons to do with changes in GR. It is very simple - I believe it is in your account settings.
LibraryCin wrote: "Robin P wrote: "If you have set up a GR challenge for the year, if you click on See Challenge, there are different colored markers for each month. I had no idea they were there till I was looking a..."The challenge has been there for many years, but I think the bookmarks are new this year. Some people set the challenge low , even 1 book, since you can always increase it.
Robin P wrote: "LibraryCin wrote: "Robin P wrote: "If you have set up a GR challenge for the year, if you click on See Challenge, there are different colored markers for each month. I had no idea they were there t..."Yes, I've been doing the challenge for a few years now; I just wasn't sure about the bookmarks. Thanks!
ETA: Oops, guess I wasn't clear what I was asking about in my comment!
The new logo GR has adopted is now of course popping up as its avatar on my devices - and I must say that it does NOT catch my eye amid the page of avatars to tap on my phone and other devices. In fact my eye skims right over it. I think their promo said something about the redesign making it more eye-catching or some such claptrap. I'm here to say that's a fail!
I didn't notice, but I may have deleted the app on my phone because I detest it. On my tablet or even the phone, I go to the website. I can never figure out where to find things on the app.
Robin P wrote: "If you have set up a GR challenge for the year, if you click on See Challenge, there are different colored markers for each month. I had no idea they were there till I was looking at the challenge ..."Thanks. I see I have all of them so far, but that I only have 17 more books before I'm done. So much for my sticking to 100 books this year (that was my goal--to keep it down. I have slowed down, but obviously not enough ;) ). I may up it, or I won't get bookmarks for all of the months.
Why did GR have to start that when I was doing so well?
Karin wrote: "Robin P wrote: "If you have set up a GR challenge for the year, if you click on See Challenge, there are different colored markers for each month. I had no idea they were there till I was looking a..."I assumed that even if you finish your challenge before the end of the year, you would get bookmarks for reading. If not, you could just up your challenge each month to what you think you will read.
Robin P wrote: "I didn't notice, but I may have deleted the app on my phone because I detest it. On my tablet or even the phone, I go to the website. I can never figure out where to find things on the app."Actually I should not have said the app - I don't use the app and it's not on any of my devices. Loathe it. However, the same avatar button pops up when I open my browsers on any device as my frequent sites visited - fantastic fiction is one, and some legal websites, lol. They use the same button avatar as for the app but it takes you immediately to the home webpage.
Shortcut! That's the term! Not app!
Sorry for confusion - I'm not tech enough to remember proper terms - or don't care enough actually.
So today I've found 3 articles of interesting tidbits:Booker Judges 2025-
https://thebookerprizes.substack.com/...
Washington Post articles gifted:
RIP Martin Cruz Smith
https://wapo.st/40pwFnI
10 noteworthy books for July and August:
https://wapo.st/4lX6Qnb
Feel free to discuss any or all
I have four of the 10 noteworthy books for July and August on my TBR. I'm really looking forward to Elly Griffiths new series. I just finished the final book in her Ruth Galloway archeological mystery series and just loved the characters and Norfolk, England atmosphere. I admit I never understand the Booker selections since Literary Fiction isn't one of my favorite genres. It was interesting to see how such a wide variety of judges take the responsibility very seriously.
I love the Booker "season" and have read the entire longlist for the last 4 years. I have an ongoing project to read the prior years' nominees (not sure if I'll ever read them all, since some are hard to find). Honestly, anyone who loves literary fiction is guaranteed to find a few gems. There is another group I belong to that discusses every book in detail. I find it great fun.
Gorky Park was the first book by Martin Cruz Smith I ever read and I loved it. I think I even re-read it when the 2nd came out. Amazing author. I have a primarily hate affair with the Booker award winners, LOL but yet some of my lifetime top 10 are also Booker winners - A Brief History of Seven Killings for example. I'd say my relationship with Booker winners and nominees over all is far better than my relationship with Pultizer winners. 😂
Seriously though, I have read about the judges, judging etc. for the Booker in the past and find it quite fascinating.
As for the books -- I've not yet read any Elly Grififths - her books are on my TBR though and I do love books involving archeology. Next year I am going to put on the unofficial trim list all those author first in series books I have been meanting to start. , with one or two next in series I started this year finally as well. I think that at least gets them to the top of the reading pile faster.
On the upcoming Silvia Moreno-Garcia , it's not immediately appealing to me; I have others of hers compelling me to read them. However, she is passing through NYC very soon and doing an interview and signing at The Strand. I'm giving it a pass - timing is bad plus I'm not that interested in the book though she's a terrific interesting speaker.
Theresa wrote: "Gorky Park was the first book by Martin Cruz Smith I ever read and I loved it. I think I even re-read it when the 2nd came out. Amazing author. I have a primarily hate..."
Yes, I remember reading Gorky Park when it was new!
Some years back, a book club I was in read several prize-winners, I think Pulitzer, and I found them all disappointing. Just like with movie critics and the public, book judges aren't looking for the same things readers are. I do agree that James and Demon Copperhead deserved all the prizes they got. But they are books with a story. Sometimes prizewinners are atmospheric and impressionistic - Tinkers, Lincoln in the Bardo, On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous.
Robin P wrote: "Some years back, a book club I was in read several prize-winners, I think Pulitzer, and I found them all disappointing. Just like with movie critics and the public, book judges aren't looking for t..."Yes. One thing I've learned from reading about the judges and judging is that quite often a book earns the prize because it breaks new ground which may not always mean it's all that readable. Ideas are awarded.
And of course current zeitgeist has a signficant impact.
Picking up on the Amazon/GR crossover, I have my Amazon account linked to GR, and it did indeed create an Amazon Wish List from my TBR.It was automatically set to Private, and not combined with any other Wish Lists. I'll be interested to see if it keeps itself updated as I add/remove books from that list.
I get most of my books from the library, and so I don't see this linked list prompting me to buy any more from Amazon than I might have otherwise bought.
ETA: I hope they add some functionality to see which of my TBR books are on Audible+, which are included in the annual Audible membership. THAT is a function I would use for sure!
ETA Again: I asked Amazon's AI whether I could search the audible catalog by my Wish List. Here's the response:
The Audible Plus catalog contains thousands of audiobooks, podcasts, and Audible Originals that can be streamed or downloaded. However, there is no direct information provided on how to compare a specific Amazon Wish List to the Audible Plus catalog.
Yes, there is no easy way to see what is available free on Audible Plus and for how long. They only indicate toward the end that something is going away. Also, there has never been an easy way to search Audible by price, which is silly, because some of us would buy that way. Lots of classics are cheap but it's not easy to find them. (When they have a sale you can search sale book by price but that's all I'm aware of.)
I found the combination of Booker judges this year to be quite interesting with a diversity of ages, backgrounds, nationalities and style.I enjoyed reading the full interviews and love comparing their answers. It was interesting to see how they managed to read 100 books in 7 months and that their book discussion meetings proved to be so valuable. I'm really interested to see what they come up with this year. Roddy Doyle is the only one who I have read although I've had one of Kiley Reid's book on my tbr for years.
I used to try to read as many of the Booker nominees as I could but have since limited it to reading what interests me, because there were a number which I didn't care for. There were also quite a few which I loved.
I've read a number of Martin Cruz Smith's books starting with Gorky Park. I quite enjoyed them and his Arkady Renko character. He was an author who I always thought of as a good reliable read.As for the list of noteworthy books, there were at least 5 or 6 which I put on my Amazon wishlist. My top two are This Here Is Love
, because the cover and the title just pull on my heartstrings and A Year with the Seals: Unlocking the Secrets of the Sea's Most Charismatic and Controversial Creatures
because I would love to know more about seals.
I added the Elly Griffiths book. It looks very good.
Theresa wrote: "Gorky Park was the first book by Martin Cruz Smith I ever read and I loved it. I think I even re-read it when the 2nd came out. Amazing author. I have a primarily hate..."
I read my dad'scopy of that book when it came out in paperback (I think he waited until then, since most of the fiction he bought was paperback) and was riveted by it, but I have a feeling it's no longer something up my alley.
The Center for Fiction 2025 First Novel Prize Longlist has been released. It is a very long list and I added so many to my wishlist. I did have one on my tbr already. I love reading debut novels.https://centerforfiction.org/book-rec...
I looked at the Longlist and haven't heard of most of the books.However, the two that I read were standouts. They are already on my personal "Best of 2025" list.
The books are:
Woodworking
The Correspondent
I am THRILLED you posted this one, BnB! The Center for Fiction is in Brooklyn and is where I went to discussion group to read Proust among other books. It runs programs for writers, etc. as well as having a great bookstore, discussion groups for readers, and now these awards. Often they are picking up on writers and books that don't hit the mainstream.
I added a lot of them to my TBR. Many would work for the Family Drama tag.
Goodreads has put together an interesting list of recent award books. I counted 27 read and 15 on TBR (it is of course possible that I've counted some twice.)https://www.goodreads.com/blog/show/2...
Nancy J was asking about books with mothers and daughters and I just happened upon this article.https://www.theguardian.com/books/202...
Booknblues wrote: "Goodreads has put together an interesting list of recent award books. I counted 27 read and 15 on TBR (it is of course possible that I've counted some twice.)https://www.goodreads.com/blog/show/2..."
It looks like I have 37 or 38 separate books. James won at least 6 categories.
I had 5 or 6 books in several categories - Pulitzer had 6
But 0 in the Edgar’s and Bram Stoker. (I only read one Edgar nominee so far this year - with you.)
I can’t fully support the blogger’s advice to count only winners for “quality control.” I often like the nominees more.
I’m very liberal in clicking the want to read buttons (you never know!), but there are only 4 that I fully intend to read.
Booknblues wrote: "Nancy J was asking about books with mothers and daughters and I just happened upon this article.https://www.theguardian.com/books/202......"
Thanks. The article is really interesting. I think I will find the medical parts funny. Now that I finally have a definitive diagnosis for myself (it took years!), I see my mom’s medical history in a different light. I started Hot Milk last summer, but I ran out of time and returned it.
Booknblues wrote: "The Center for Fiction 2025 First Novel Prize Longlist has been released. It is a very long list and I added so many to my wishlist. I did have one on my tbr already. I love reading debut novels...."
Fascinating list. I have a copy of Pan that I got from NetGalley. I read Sleep but was not a fan.
Booknblues wrote: "The Center for Fiction 2025 First Novel Prize Longlist has been released. It is a very long list and I added so many to my wishlist. I did have one on my tbr already. I love reading debut novels...."
I've read four of them. My favorite of the four is:
Awake in the Floating City
I just stumbled across this very insightful and just plain interesting article on Lit Hub by Elaine U. Cho who wrote a SciFi duology set in a future where Korea rules Space. https://lithub.com/on-the-joy-of-buil...
The Wainwright Shortlist has been announced. This is a prize for nature and conservation books. I always find something interesting in this list.https://wainwrightprize.com/news/2025...
Booknblues wrote: "I read this in the WP today and gifted it:https://wapo.st/475WU6U"
Fits right into our Sunday Conversation! Thanks for sharing
Obama always has the most interesting and varied reading lists. I see he has already read the next SA Cosby, one of my favorite contemporary crime fiction authors.
Theresa wrote: "Obama always has the most interesting and varied reading lists. I see he has already read the next SA Cosby, one of my favorite contemporary crime fiction authors."He always has SA Cosby on his list. I love reading Obama's lists.
Booknblues wrote: "Barack Obama's Summer Reading List:https://www.usatoday.com/story/entert..."
Yea! I always like his lists.
This is the first year that I haven't read any books on Obama's list and none are especially calling to me.
New for me, but others probably already know, the first streaming movie based on Richard Osman's The Thursday Murder Club is released at the end of August.I don't have a high opinion of Netflix productions, but Helen Mirren and Ben Kingsley seem like inspired choices. I'm not sure about Pierce Brosnan as Ron, but the rest of the cast looks good.
I think there is also a new book in the series planned for this year.
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