spoko’s Comments (group member since Mar 05, 2021)

spoko’s comments from the EVERYONE Has Read This but Me - The Catch-Up Book Club group.

I second A Christmas Carol.

Hello EHRTBM readers and welcome to your October updates!

Nominations for our December 2025 group reads are open—nominate (or second other nominations) in the appropriate nomination thread by October 16 to count. Please note that members are limited to one nomination, but you can second as many as you’d like.

This month, we are reading the following books:
📕 Classics: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, nominated by Linda
📘 Modern Classic/Popular: The Bluest Eye, nominated by Rora
📙 Bookshelf Catch-Up: Something Wicked This Way Comes, nominated by Renata

Check out group discussions in the Currently Reading folder.

Voting has ended for the November selections, and up next we will be reading:
📕 Classics: We Have Always Lived in the Castle, nominated by Sandra
📘 Modern Classic/Popular: Bridget Jones’s Diary, nominated by Rae
📙 Bookshelf Catch-Up: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, nominated by Renata

CHALLENGES
▶ Relay Race Reading Challenge Last year we read 367,988 pages together. Log your pages with each book read to help us beat that this year!
▶ TBR Revival Challenge Each quarter will feature a different theme to help get those books you've been meaning to read read. The theme for October–December is “5 books from the Group Bookshelf.”
▶ Bingo Reading Challenge You can go for Bingo, Mix-it-Up or Blackout!
▶ Pick-It-For-Me Relay Challenge This game does what it says on the tin. Come try the fun way to choose your next great read.
▶ House Challenge Join a house and compete to read the most.

OTHER GROUP ANNOUNCEMENTS
⦁ Any questions, comments or suggestions? Please add your voice to our ongoing discussion in the General Support, Questions and Suggestions thread.
⦁ If you like to discuss in a smaller group and in more detail, we have posted a Buddy Read Notice Board. Follow this thread for buddy requests or post your own requests.
⦁ Threads are open for all previously read books, so continue to catch up as suits you. Check out group discussion in the following folders:
    Classic Reads
    Modern Classics/Popular Reads
    Long Reads
⦁ Welcome to our new members. Introduce yourself here and check out some of our discussions for those who want to get to know their fellow group members!
⦁ Check out ongoing discussions in the For Fun section!

Happy Reading!

Habit hides the true aspect of things.
   ❧ Michel de Montaigne


(This message was also sent by private message to all members.)

This begins our group discussion of our Modern book selection, The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison, nominated by Rora.

This discussion will be full of SPOILERS.

Did you enjoy the book? What stood out to you? Morrison shows us multiple perspectives on Pecola; did your feelings about her change as you saw her through different eyes? Why do you suppose we get so little of her own perspective? What questions were you left with?

This begins our group discussion of our Classics book selection, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving, nominated by Linda.

This discussion will be full of SPOILERS.

Did you enjoy the book? What stood out to you? How did Irving's writing style affect your reading pace—did you find yourself savoring the atmospheric details or wanting to skip ahead to the action? Did you find yourself rooting for Ichabod, laughing at him, or something else entirely? What questions were you left with?

Something Wicked This Way Comes has been selected as the Catch-Up title for October 2025. Please feel free to continue with points from previous discussion, or bring up something new!

Do remember that this is the SPOILER thread, in case you would prefer to finish reading before proceeding here.

I second The Nickel Boys and Kindred.

Liz~In~Colorado wrote: “Please forgive me.. I’m a little confused on the start and end date?”

The actual start date for the discussion is October 1, and it “ends” October 31 (though actually anyone is free to continue discussing it beyond that date). There will be a “spoiler” discussion thread at that point. These “spoiler-free” discussions go up early, so that people can chat about the book generally, without specifics that might spoil it for people who haven’t yet read it.

Thanks everyone—nominations are now closed, and the polls are open! Help us pick the next Catch-Up read by casting your vote here.

Thanks everyone—nominations are now closed, and the polls are open! Help us pick the next Classic read by casting your vote here.

Thanks everyone—nominations are now closed, and the polls are open! Help us pick the next Modern read by casting your vote here.

This is one of those books that I actually have read, but my embarrassment is that I don’t remember much about it! I’m not able to re-read it at the moment, but I’m planning to lurk in the discussion in the hopes that it will prompt me to re-read it, and/or to remember it better.

I second Kindred.

I nominate The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin (106 p., pub. 1963).

I nominate The Life We Bury by Allen Eskens (304 p., pub. 2014).

And I second The Namesake.

This begins our group discussion of our Modern book selection, Girl with the Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier, nominated by Lea.

This discussion will be full of SPOILERS.

Did you enjoy the book? What stood out to you? When you first started reading Girl with the Pearl Earring, did you have any assumptions or expectations about Griet’s story? How did those change as you read it? What questions were you left with?

This begins our group discussion of our Classics book selection, A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare, nominated by Bella (Rhysand’s Version) (School Semi-Hiatus).

This discussion will be full of SPOILERS.

Did you enjoy the play? What stood out to you? How did Shakespeare’s magical, fantastical setting influence your reading experience? Did it make the story feel more vibrant and alive, or did it distract from the human conflicts? Have you seen the play performed, and if so, do you find that that affects your reading of it? What questions were you left with?

Sense and Sensibility has been selected as the Catch-Up title for September 2025. Please feel free to continue with points from previous discussion, or bring up something new!

Do remember that this is the SPOILER thread, in case you would prefer to finish reading before proceeding here.

Thanks everyone—nominations are now closed, and the polls are open! Help us pick the next Catch-Up read by casting your vote here.

Thanks everyone—nominations are now closed, and the polls are open! Help us pick the next Classic read by casting your vote here.

Thanks everyone—nominations are now closed, and the polls are open! Help us pick the next Modern read by casting your vote here.