Nancy’s Comments (group member since Jan 07, 2011)

Nancy’s comments from the MobileRead Book Challenges group.

Homeinmyshoes wrote: "So I started A Tale of Love and Darkness, but man. The library needs to bump up their 14-day loan period for eBooks. Paper books get 21 days which is a much more reasonable period for ..."

This was a book of the year for me a couple of years ago; I'll be interested to see what you think. The other thing with paper books is that you can take into account the library policy on overdue books and fines (that is, if you can't renew it anyway) and make a reasoned decision. With an ebook? Poof! It's gone. There are stratagems, but they can be a nuisance. Back in the day, I'd manually set back the date on my reader and then not connect it to Wi-Fi or the computer until I was done with the book. Now, I just Alf. And delete when done, of course.

Homeinmyshoes wrote: "I've only read After the Quake in either club this year. Of course, that's the only book I voted for that won so far.

None of the voted for selections have peaked my interest. Maybe The Big Sleep,..."

My game plan was to participate in both clubs every month; as it turned out, I had already read four of the five books from the first five months in the main club, which was discouraging. Verne was the only one I hadn't read before and it was dreadful, and in a month with a lot of strong nominations, too. So I got discouraged, but then things picked up with Swerve. If ANTR wins, it's back to business as usual--another pedestrian, safe choice. A huge yawner.

I'm happy with either classics or current, it's the outdated and stale that frustrate me. OTOH, I think the lit club is the bee's knees--a lot of interesting choices and good discussions.

Homeinmyshoes wrote: "You don't want to read Fanny and Stella? I thought I had picked the right horse in supporting what I deemed the rather predictable A Night to Remember.


That's the problem with the book club, too many pedestrian choices. The first five months this year were an unmitigated disaster. But with Swerve and now Fanny & Stella (fingers crossed), things are looking up.

Christa wrote:
paying attention to the polls and noms but I can't get interested. I'm sort of in agreement with Wolfie in that there are too many old books.

I have no issue with classics, but far too many safe choices have been made this year. And then people don't bother to read the books they voted for, which is what irritates me the most.

I didn't support Theroux because I've read it and a book has to exceptional these days for me to reread. So many books, etc.

I agree with you; the nominations are the most valuable part of the process; the selection is secondary. Just the same, I wish the selections weren't, generally speaking, so run of the mill. There's too much typical book club fare. I'd prefer more esoteric choices.

Homeinmyshoes wrote: "Anyone else think the bookclub is making a mockery of Travel and Adventure by allowing [i]Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea[/i] win?

Ugh is all I can say to the bookclub. So many fine titles t..."

What a let-down! There are six non-fiction books nominated that I'd happily read (and Bryson isn't one of them). I expect I'll be passing next month--too many books I really do want to read.

The pbooks are more of a problem for me than the ebooks, since ebooks are so expensive with Agency pricing. But the challenge is really holding me back; I've got a few pbooks I'd love to buy, but I'm telling myself I have to earn them.

The sweetener is that the pbooks represent real physical clutter. I'd love to get a lot of crap out the house, and not just books.

As for DNFs, I borrowed a shelf title from someone else at GR: too crappy to finish. Obviously this could be cleaned up a bit, lol. I have to click read but I don't count them toward the 100-book challenge. And there they sit with their single star in my too crappy to finish folder.

I've been fascinated by this challenge, since I've been trying this year to work at my TBRs, both ebook and pbook. I just counted up, and so far this year I've bought five pbooks, but I've read 21--which seems a decentish ratio at slightly better than four to one, if not up to challenge levels.

I'm thinking that I'll take the year as a whole and aim for a five to one ratio, which means I'm four pbooks behind. By the end of the month I should be caught up, I think.

I am shocked, shocked to discover that authors review their own books. And unlike Capt. Renault, I'm serious. Do they think people don't notice? I know shill reviews are common, but using her own name? If I found a book where an author was unwilling to let it stand or fail on its own merits I'd hit the back button so fast it would smoke.

Give 'em hell, ladies!

Hi, I'm issybird at MR.

I'm middle-aged (don't make me say it! That 5-O was a blow) and live on the New Hampshire seacoast, but as a New York native I have retained my loyalty to the Yankees here in Red Sox Nation.

What do I like? Off the top of my head, almost anything that has to do with 20th century Britain. Which doesn't make me an Anglophile, as my ancestors were Irish. World War I. Travel. Mysteries. I read more non-fiction than fiction and I maintain a well-thumbed shelf of my favorite YA (that is, from my YA years) books.