First Class Lounge (Pre Challenge Chat)

[Robin (Saturndoo)]

Judith wrote: "Robin (Saturndoo) wrote: "Judith wrote: "Yes, ask away"

Thanks Judith.

For those of us who do read over 60 BPM cap or it's highly likely that we will read over the 60 BPM cap--I'm not sure I'm q..."

Yes that helps a lot!

I'm in another team challenge that has also placed a 60 BPM cap on the heavier readers-😢 but I understand.

What's the deadline for signing up? I've played off and on since the very first TT and I enjoy playing. I haven't decided yet if I'm going to play😁

[Judith]

A final call will be in the May newsletter. I’d say if you want to avoid the reserve list to sign up by like May 3

[Robin (Saturndoo)]

Judith wrote: "A final call will be in the May newsletter. I’d say if you want to avoid the reserve list to sign up by like May 3"

Thanks Judith! You've been a lot of help!

I went ahead and signed up🤪 I will forget even though I will read it AGAIN in the May newsletter. I get side tracked way to easily here on GR--jumping rails and NEVER finding my way back to any of them 😂

So I just continue to stumble along, tripping on rocks, sitting down, only to realize later it was my brain--that I lost years ago-- I was sitting on🤣

[Kelly (Maybedog)]

We have to wait another month??

[Sally906]

Kelly (Maybedog) wrote: "We have to wait another month??"

May is next week

[Kelly (Maybedog)]

Yeah but I looked at the info and it says it starts May 17.

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

[Denise]

I signed up. I think our summer may be a little chaotic (I feel like I've been saying this for all of 2025), but I also have FOMO, so I signed up with a conservative number of books per month.

[Vicki]

I LOVE this challenge and I'd be very upset if I ever missed the signups! It's definitely one of my most (if not THE most) favorite challenges! I look forward to it every time! I have been lucky enough to always be on teams with good peeps, but I think that's true nearly always so GR has a lot of great people on it.

[Elizabeth]

New to the group as of the beginning of the year so very new to this challenge. Not my first time doing a group reading challenge though - in fact it's been my favorite thing on Goodreads so looking forward to this. (:

[Leslie Ann]

I will be flying back from Greece on the 17 th !!! Just in time. How do I edit my submission?

[Denise]

Leslie Ann wrote: "I will be flying back from Greece on the 17 th !!! Just in time. How do I edit my submission?"

If you need a restaurant recommendation in Greece, my favorite was Athinaikon in Athens. Enjoy your trip!

[Leslie Ann]

Denise wrote: "Leslie Ann wrote: "I will be flying back from Greece on the 17 th !!! Just in time. How do I edit my submission?"

If you need a restaurant recommendation in Greece, my favorite was Athinaikon in A..."

Thanks!

[Suzanne]

Would it be possible for me (or a Mod) to change my monthly books to 15? (I had put 10.) I just got my Hugo packet, and to be a responsible voter I need to step up my reading!

So sorry to cause more work.

[MN Lisa]

Ummm. I don't remember if I signed up yet or not...Is there a place to check?

[Saar The Book owl]

Typical me...I almost made the same mistake as last year or the year before, where I forgot to sign up and was on the reserve list. Thankfully, I've read some messages here that there were already sign up's, so I did that quickly too.

[Judith]

MN Lisa wrote: "Ummm. I don't remember if I signed up yet or not...Is there a place to check?"

No we don't have a live link to the sign-up sheet. But you are on there :)

[Judith]

Suzanne wrote: "Would it be possible for me (or a Mod) to change my monthly books to 15? (I had put 10.) I just got my Hugo packet, and to be a responsible voter I need to step up my reading!

So sorry to cause m..."

Updated to 15 as requested

[Judith]

Kelly (Maybedog) wrote: "Yeah but I looked at the info and it says it starts May 17.

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/..."

That's because we have to sort probably 150 people into balanced teams, get everything set up, and give teams about a week or so for people to check in and ready to go.

All that takes time.

[Kelly (Maybedog)]

Oh, I know. I was just whining because I want it to start. Please don't think I'm complaining for real. I know it takes a ton of work to organize these things! My second post was because someone said May was a few days away and I was just clarifying that I knew that.

I'll not whine in the future. It's unbecoming. And I don't even like wine. Cheese though...

[Karen ⊰✿, Fiction Aficionado]

I'll take your wine (and also your cheese) 😊🧀🍷
Although on my recent trip to the Hunter Valley I was told you shouldn't have white wine with cheese, and Muscat actually goes very well with it. Completely changed my world!

[Judith]

We all whine from time to time, I was more explaining the lead time.

I was whining about stuff in our mod group earlier as Karen can attest too 🤪

[Shelby]

Karen ⊰✿ wrote: "I'll take your wine (and also your cheese) 😊🧀🍷
Although on my recent trip to the Hunter Valley I was told you shouldn't have white wine with cheese, and Muscat actually goes very well with it. Comp..."

Whomever said you shouldn't have white wine with cheese is clearly no friend of mine.🤪 This is my favorite combo and a staple in my women's book club. Literally last week my girlfriend and I sat here drinking pinot grigio with an amazing rosemary and garlic sourdough bread with prosciutto, apples, brie, a syrah toscano, blueberry goat cheese, herbed goat cheese, and some carrots with ranch...this was our entire dinner -- well lunch too actually as neither Emma or I had eaten that day. Yes, we are that ridiculous.

[Kelly (Maybedog)]

That's not ridiculous, that's delicious!

[Jhmingos]

Nothing wrong with a girl dinner every now and then, Shelby. It's fun picking through tasty snacks.

[Lauri]

Karen ⊰✿ wrote: "I'll take your wine (and also your cheese) 😊🧀🍷
Although on my recent trip to the Hunter Valley I was told you shouldn't have white wine with cheese, and Muscat actually goes very well with it. Comp..."

Welll….I don’t like any wine at all (Everyone GASPS) I drink Coke with my cheese! So ghetto!

[Lauri]

Shelby wrote: "Karen ⊰✿ wrote: "I'll take your wine (and also your cheese) 😊🧀🍷
Although on my recent trip to the Hunter Valley I was told you shouldn't have white wine with cheese, and Muscat actually goes very w..."

I want to join your book club! Where are you? I’ll move there!
In my last RL book club, we used to try& make themed meals to go with that month’s selection. We had everything from tater tot casserole to chocolate layer cake! Delicious and educational…

[Melanie]

Lauri wrote: "Karen ⊰✿ wrote: "I'll take your wine (and also your cheese) 😊🧀🍷
Although on my recent trip to the Hunter Valley I was told you shouldn't have white wine with cheese, and Muscat actually goes very w..."

I will join you for that Coke with the cheese instead of wine since I'm also not a wine person.

[Beth]

I signed up a few weeks ago, but life is getting busier and I need to withdraw. Have fun, all!

[Melindam]

Coke-club here as well, please.

Although I appreciate the occasional G&T experience. 😊

[Shelby]

Lauri wrote: "Shelby wrote: "Karen ⊰✿ wrote: "I'll take your wine (and also your cheese) 😊🧀🍷
Although on my recent trip to the Hunter Valley I was told you shouldn't have white wine with cheese, and Muscat actua..."

Funnily enough we're not all local to each other any more. We all used to be in LA, but now are spread around the country so some of us get together in person in small groups (it's usually me and one or two of my best girlfriends) and then we all also log into zoom to meet with everyone else. There's usually two groups of the LA contingent and then we get Wisconsin, San Diego, Nashville all signing in separately.

[Sally906]

Melindam wrote: "Coke-club here as well, please.

Although I appreciate the occasional G&T experience. 😊"

Love G&Ts - many years ago hubby and I were in Amsterdam (they call gin jenevers) and went to De Drie Fleschjes which has been making gin/ jenevers since the 1600s.

A very snooty man almost fainted when I shuddered tasting neat Gin and asked for tonic as well for my samples.

I might be a philistine in his eyes - he assured me I would not experience the proper taste (nuances was his word) but complied. And we bought 3 bottles of Damrak Gin for AU$90 and back here in Oz it costs about $200 a bottle!

[Kelly (Maybedog)]

I strongly dislike gin. When I was a kid, my grandparents had gin martinis pre-dinner when we visited on holidays. They used the same glasses as everything else. More than once I picked a glass up thinking it was my water and was horribly surprised. Maybe that's why I don't like gin. :)

[Leslie Ann]

I wanted to edit my form, but I can’t seem to. I would like if possible be on a team with Trinia,Suzanne, Alaina, Diane Firefly , Cathy M

[Melissa]

I’m taking Shelby’s menu items for the next time I host book club! My book club will love it!

I’m more of a beer, pretzels and beer cheese kinda girl- tbh, but I don’t discriminate :).

I’m looking forward to this theme. I always mean to read around the world, but then zip back to my comfort books. This will be a good push.

[Erin *Proud Book Hoarder*]

I have finally gotten into Red Wines thanks to my aunt/uncle/mom, and also enjoy Sangria. Not a beer gal. Have always been a coca-cola girl and try to limit myself to one a day as a treat.

[Judith]

Leslie Ann wrote: "I wanted to edit my form, but I can’t seem to. I would like if possible be on a team with Trinia,Suzanne, Alaina, Diane Firefly , Cathy M"

We'll try to at least have you all grouped together in some fashion but I'm not going to promise all 6 of you will end up on one team as we try to balance books per month and number of members per team.

[Judith]

Beth wrote: "I signed up a few weeks ago, but life is getting busier and I need to withdraw. Have fun, all!"

thanks for letting us know!

[Lauri]

Oooh! No gin for me, either! Yuck! I am much more of of tequila or vodka person. When I go out, I love a nice frosty umbrella & fruit drink. At home, I’ll stick to Coke. No beer, no whiskey, thank you very much! When I was little, my parents let me try both as they had their drinks of choice. That put me off both for life! I don’t know why some adults seem to think it’s funny to do that to young children… not amusing at all really.

[Kelly (Maybedog)]

Judith wrote: "Leslie Ann wrote: "I wanted to edit my form, but I can’t seem to. I would like if possible be on a team with Trinia,Suzanne, Alaina, Diane Firefly , Cathy M"

We'll try to at least have you all gro..."

And I like to meet new people so I'd like to get to be on a team with some of you!

[Preeti]

Am I the only person here who loves gin? It has become even more of a favourite after I discovered the better quality of gins, particularly the wide range of artisanal gins being manufactured in India at present. My current favourite is called Jaisalmer... it is so good!!!

I used to drink a lot of Coca-Cola but have lost my taste for it. Now I drink it very rarely either as a Campari Cola or with lime juice.

[Saar The Book owl]

I've never tasted gin. It used to be a hype here in the summer with lots of brands, but not anymore. I love sweet white wines and beer with cherries. With aging now, I get more headaches the day after, even if I only had one glass.

[Sophie, The other one]

I'm gin girl. Have a few different in the cupboard.

What I have noticed is that the tonic water makes an enormous difference to how it tastes too.

[Melindam]

I cannot drink gin in itself, but happy to do so with ice, tonic and lime. 😊

[Judith]

Sign ups from here on out will be on the reserve player list

[Jenny]

Sophie wrote: "I'm gin girl. Have a few different in the cupboard.

What I have noticed is that the tonic water makes an enormous difference to how it tastes too."

I love a good Gin and Tonic, but I don't know gin as well as I know whiskey. Not sure I could distinguish one from another that well. Hmmm...
I have never done a gin tasting evening. Whisky, bourbon, vodka, tequila, yes, but not gin. I see a flaw in my history.

[Jessica]

Hi, Can't believe I missed this! Please add me as a reserve 🙂. 30 BPM

[Melindam]

Jenny wrote: "I see a flaw in my history."

Not a flow, an opportunity to grow .... 🤭

[✿~Danielle~✿]

Jessica wrote: "Hi, Can't believe I missed this! Please add me as a reserve 🙂. 30 BPM"

You still need to fill the form in to go on the reserve list.

[Keely]

Just dropping in with the bombshell that is I don't like cheese... or wine. I've tried a few gins but I'm not much of a drinker unless it's a special occasion.

[Jenny]

Keely wrote: "Just dropping in with the bombshell that is I don't like cheese... or wine. I've tried a few gins but I'm not much of a drinker unless it's a special occasion."

I have a bumper sticker that reads-"If you love someone, give them cheese."
Might be that I am from Wisconsin, but cheese is a whole food group unto itself.