Go Fug Yourself Book Club discussion

Its a brand new year, and for me it has started with some fantastic books (and a Covid vaccine and a new President and 2 new Senators from my long time home state of Georgia.) Everything's coming up roses. So here are the 5-star books I have already read in 2021 (and its only 1/20)

The Hilarious World of Depression
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Purple Hibiscus
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Sky Burial
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

And that is just the 5-stars! There are 4-stars too. And I am reading a book now Detransition, Baby that is shaping up to be great. I know I am due for a dud or two. but so far so great.

I have to give a shout-out to this - The Hungry Empire: How Britain’s Quest for Food Shaped the Modern World

Alicia wrote: "I have to give a shout-out to this - The Hungry Empire: How Britain’s Quest for Food Shaped the Modern World"

I saw your review of this, and it really looks interesting. I am always up for some anti-imperialist anthropology!

I was commenting to a friend yesterday that the thing that makes it particularly fascinating to me is that some of her references go well into the 1990s - it's not "Colonialism is a thing that happened then", it's "Colonialism has changed things and these are ongoing".

Alicia wrote: "I was commenting to a friend yesterday that the thing that makes it particularly fascinating to me is that some of her references go well into the 1990s - it's not "Colonialism is a thing that happ..."

They are indeed. And if Purple Hibiscus turns out to be our April book, that is a conversation that will be really relevant.

I've had a very good start to the year in books as well! All so far have been either 4 or 5 stars.

My favorite is the second in a sci-fi series -- not really easy for someone to pick up as a recc - but anyway, if you're interested in 90s science fiction, Invader is terrific.

I'm trying to get one of my work book clubs to choose The Once and Future Witches for our next read. I think a lot of you in this group would enjoy it, too, if you're into magic, alt-history, and feminism.

Sara wrote: "I'm trying to get one of my work book clubs to choose The Once and Future Witches for our next read. I think a lot of you in this group would enjoy it, too, if you're into magic, alt-history, and feminism...."

I really want to read this although I just finished Ten Thousand Doors of January and large parts of it bored me. (everything I've read this year has been blah)

I’m reading Once and Future Witches RIGHT NOW. It goes back to the library today, so I guess I’ll be buying it. It’s engaging enough. Like Bonnie, The 10,000 Doors was not a favorite of mine, so I hope I like this one better. So far, so good. What I’ve noticed about both books is a bit of detachment from the characters. We’ll see how it goes.

Kris wrote: "I’m reading Once and Future Witches RIGHT NOW. It goes back to the library today, so I guess I’ll be buying it. It’s engaging enough. Like Bonnie, The 10,000 Doors was not a favorite of mine, so I ..."

That's good to hear. My issue with Ten Thousand Doors was there was SO much backstory that it got in the way of telling the story. Once the dad's story was done, the book got much better

After reading for most of the day, I’m a little over 2/3 and I don’t want to put it down. I like it MUCH better than TTDoJ.

Adding Interior Chinatown https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... and Lot https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... to the Best of list. This has already been such a GREAT reading year

The Book of Longings, so far, is my fave book of 2021. I’m late to the party because my public library selection is very limited (Vermont problems). But I really enjoyed it, which kind of surprised me. I felt so connected with Ana, who wanted so much more than she could get as a Jewish woman in 0 BC. I finished it a week ago and can’t stop thinking about it.

How to Build a Healthy Brain: Reduce stress, anxiety and depression and future-proof your brain - I thoroughly recommend this. But not as an ebook because the formatting is dreadful.

I am not one for self-help books at all, but this is very practical and extremely interesting. I don't know if it is an incentive, but she was one of the finalists on Great British Bake Off.

So I have discovered Hoopla and have learned to sit and listen to audio books. Blew through most of the Vampire Knitting Club books, which are quality trash.

Thanks to a GFY book chat recommendation, I finally read Lily King's Writers & Lovers and it so snuck up on me. The writing was beautiful, and the character just grew on me, till I got to the end and was so angry the book was over. It's one of those books I wish I owned a copy cause I would reread during hard times.

Hoopla and Overdrive are so great!

Bonnie G. wrote: "Hoopla and Overdrive are so great!"

I'm obsessed with Overdrive but just figuring Hoopla out

Pamela wrote: "Bonnie G. wrote: "Hoopla and Overdrive are so great!"

I'm obsessed with Overdrive but just figuring Hoopla out"

The book selection/quality is not as good on Hoopla as it is on Overdrive, but it offers immediate gratification which is a major selling point! Also, its great for raunchy romance. It is my go-to for that.

Bonnie G. wrote: "The book selection/quality is not as good on Hoopla as it is on Overdrive, but it offers immediate gratification which is a major selling point! Also, its great for raunchy romance. It is my go-to for that."

Hoopla doesn't seem as portable- I can download my overdrive books on my kindle or my mp3 but it seems you have to do hoopla somewhere you can stream. Good for cheesy romances though! I'm about to listen to the next Bridgerton book that way (not raunchy!)

Pamela wrote: "Bonnie G. wrote: "The book selection/quality is not as good on Hoopla as it is on Overdrive, but it offers immediate gratification which is a major selling point! Also, its great for raunchy romanc..."

You can download audio and ebooks with Hoopla, you can stream but its not required. Just below the pic of the book cover there is a little rectangular box that says "Click to Download." I don't like EPub so the Kindle option is missed, but it's workable. I mostly use it for audio. And seriously, my borrowing history there would totally keep me off the Supreme Court. Have fun with Bridgerton! I love Julia Quinn's repartee, but she is not the read one goes to when smut is the goal.

Bonnie G. wrote: "Pamela wrote: "Bonnie G. wrote: "The book selection/quality is not as good on Hoopla as it is on Overdrive, but it offers immediate gratification which is a major selling point! Also, its great for..."

She really doesn't do smut- those netflix writers had to stretch! I find the books v harlequiney.

Pamela wrote: "Bonnie G. wrote: "Pamela wrote: "Bonnie G. wrote: "The book selection/quality is not as good on Hoopla as it is on Overdrive, but it offers immediate gratification which is a major selling point! A..."

I love those Netflix writers! The Duke is beautiful beyond measure and I want him to be a smut-master. I am a total fan of the series. I think they made The Duke and I 1000x better (and I like Quinn's writing.) For me she reads way wittier than Harlequin, and I love banter -- for me sexiness is largely cerebral (except the Duke in The (Netflix) Bridgertons, that man could be mute and I would be on board.)

Bonnie G. wrote: "I love those Netflix writers! The Duke is beautiful beyond measure and I want him to be a smit-master. I am a total fan of the series. I think they made The Duke and I 1000x better (and I like Quinn's writing.) For me she reads way wittier than Harlequin, and I love banter -- for me sexiness is largely cerebral (except the Duke in The (Netflix) Bridgertons, that man could be mute and I would be on board..."

I loved the Netflix show and omg, the Duke! But the more I think about it, the more I dislike it, esp the Duke's duplicity and how he expects this woman he supposedly loves so much to sacrifice what is most important and essential to her so he can hold a grudge?? I get he is scarred but still.

Pamela wrote: "Bonnie G. wrote: "I love those Netflix writers! The Duke is beautiful beyond measure and I want him to be a smit-master. I am a total fan of the series. I think they made The Duke and I 1000x bette..."

When i read the book I didn't see it as holding a grudge, I see it as him honoring what is most essential to him, to not carry on any part of his abusive father. That is not selfish, he is hurting himself too. That is self-preservation. I have a friend who grew up with an abusive parent and she chose not to have children because the loved kids and the fear that her parents' would come out in her if she became a parent caused crippling anxiety. I never saw it as unreasonable. It is sad, I think she would have been a great parent and I am confident she would not have ever been abusive, but it was best for her mental health and for her marriage.

^^^^^
100% why I chose not to be a parent.

So sorry you had that experience of growing up, but impressed you had the strength to do what was right for you.

I just raced through the Will Darling trilogy by KJ Charles and they were utterly perfect. Read in order (they build on each other). Sexy, twisty, sweet and occasionally poignant, acerbic, class-conscious, zippy, full of period details, delightfully well written. Start with Slippery Creaturesand clear your schedule.

Slippery Creatures

Leah wrote: "I just raced through the Will Darling trilogy by KJ Charles and they were utterly perfect. Read in order (they build on each other). Sexy, twisty, sweet and occasionally poignant, acerbic, class-co..."

They are SO GOOD. Such a good example of historical done well. And now I am going back to Proper English and Think of England.

If anyone's looking for fantasy that's not going to feel like repackaged medieval Europe, I have two authors for you to try:

1) P. Djèlí Clark and his Dead Djinn Universe, only one of which is a full-length novel so far, but all of which are unique and a good time. Set in an alternate 1912 Cairo, you get to follow agents of the Ministry that deals with situations evolving from the sudden introduction of magic beings into the mortal world.

2) Rebecca Roanhorse's new series, Between Earth and Sky, has just one book out so far, but it's also delightful. It's a secondary world inspired by pre-Colombian Americas civilizations, and yes, I'm opting you into a series that just started, but I don't regret it.

Both authors write engaging characters who I really enjoy spending time with, and hope to see more of.

Great Circle was amazing in every way. The writing at the sentence level was breathtaking. The story was in some ways an old-fashioned epic, but Shipstead really updated and re-energized the form (I rarely much enjoy historical fiction.) The romance, such as it was, was the most minor of points, though that is all most anyone in the actual book other than the two main characters wanted to focus on. And those main characters! I loved Marian so much!!!!

Bonnie G. wrote: "Great Circle was amazing in every way. The writing at the sentence level was breathtaking. The story was in some ways an old-fashioned epic, but Shipstead really updated and re-ener..."

Ooo! I was just grooming my library hold list and almost pruned that off! Good to hear keeping it was the right call.

Pamela wrote: "Bonnie G. wrote: "Great Circle was amazing in every way. The writing at the sentence level was breathtaking. The story was in some ways an old-fashioned epic, but Shipstead really u..."

I would love to hear your thoughts on it. I actually did prune it off my Overdrive list based on the blurb. I have OD out of more than one library, and I forgot that on one of my lists I had placed a pre-release hold. When that came in (after I had deleted the book from my most used library list) I realized I always like Shipstead's books so I might as well give it a read. I am so happy I did.

Bonnie G. wrote: "I would love to hear your thoughts on it. I actually did prune it off my Overdrive list based on the blurb. I have OD out of more than one library, and I forgot that on one of my lists I had placed a pre-release hold. When that came in (after I had deleted the book from my most used library list) I realized I always like Shipstead's books so I might as well give it a read. I am so happy I did.."

I spend an insane amount of time in the care and feeding of my various OD lists....

Well, as a rule I'll almost always read a female aviator book although I also DNF them if it gets too unrealistic, so we'll see!

Just finished Fug National's Jasmine Guillory's latest While We Were Dating and it was such fun! I have some quibles but that's not what her books are about. I love the characters she presents.

I'm almost done with Seven Days in June- which I think I heard about from Jasmine on the Today show or maybe in the GFY book chat- but it is SOOO good! The characters and story are so engaging.

And something different from my string of fun romance. last week I finished Mudlark: In Search of London's Past Along the River Thames (def recommended in a GFY book chat in December) and I so loved it-- she is such a good writer that the book was so fascinating!

Pamela wrote: "Just finished Fug National's Jasmine Guillory's latest While We Were Dating and it was such fun! I have some quibles but that's not what her books are about. I love the characters s..."

Thanks for letting me know about Seven Days in June. It just came up on my Overdrive and I had to throw it back because I was already juggling too many books, but I will request it again!

I have not loved a number of Jasmine's books, and was considering abandoning ship, but I an reading While We Were Dating right now and liking it a whole lot. The men in Jasmine's books tend not to be super interesting, but Ben is more fully drawn than most of the others.

I have read a number of good books lately. A few nonfiction titles I am recommending are:

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If you are interested in the therapeutic process this is wonderful https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...


This one is hard work, but worth it. I have some disagreements with Park's politics, but this is her book and it is a compelling memoir/manifesto/commentary. It really left me thinking hard and reassessing some of my observations. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...


I learned so much here. It is hard to believe how little I knew about living with disability. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show....

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Impossible to describe, and absolutely wonderful. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Bonnie G. wrote: "I have not loved a number of Jasmine's books, and was considering abandoning ship, but I an reading While We Were Dating right now and liking it a whole lot. The men in Jasmine's books tend not to be super interesting, but Ben is more fully drawn than most of the others..."

I feel her men are kinda idealized- they communicate and are so civil and they have "problems" which are overcome so easy. I know romance means happy ending (and if Seven Days in June does not end that way, I will be VERY angry) but I feel when you're reading a series of 6, to have them all wrap so perfect is unrealistic.

Bonnie G. wrote: "I have read a number of good books lately. A few nonfiction titles I am recommending are:

...."

I have vowed not to read anymore memoirs cause I always hate them but there is something about Crying in H Mart that makes me want to read it

Pamela wrote: "Bonnie G. wrote: "I have read a number of good books lately. A few nonfiction titles I am recommending are:

[bookcover:Good Morning, Monster: A Therapist Shares Five Heroic Stories of Emotional R..."


it is pretty great IMO, but if you always hate memoirs maybe not for you? I do love a really well written memoir, so I am the target audience.

Pamela wrote: "Bonnie G. wrote: "I have not loved a number of Jasmine's books, and was considering abandoning ship, but I an reading While We Were Dating right now and liking it a whole lot. The men in Jasmine's ..."

The women in Jasmine's books have problems and flaws (as do we all) but the men seem to have no problems at all except holding on to the woman of their dreams. They never screw up, they never say the wrong thing, they never get pissed when the women react in dramatic ways to thing that occur and yet they never lost their cool. I find it very problematic. It was particularly bad in The Wedding Party and it pissed me off that Theo put up with Maddie's crap. Why? She was spectacularly nasty to him all the time. Is that was good men are supposed to want? Royal Holiday was truly one of the maybe 3 most boring romances I have ever read. It was straight up terrible. IMO Jasmine does to men what writers have been doing to women for years - she strips them of humanity, their only import existing in how they serve their mate. It is not my cuppa. That said, While We Were Dating was my last try before giving up her books, and I am liking it.

Bonnie G. wrote: "Pamela wrote: "Bonnie G. wrote: "I have read a number of good books lately. A few nonfiction titles I am recommending are:

[bookcover:Good Morning, Monster: A Therapist Shares Five Heroic Stories..."

Yeah, memoirs aren't for me, there's just something lacking

Bonnie G. wrote: "The women in Jasmine's books have problems and flaws (as do we all) but the men seem to have no problems at all except holding on to the woman of their dreams. They never screw up, they never say the wrong thing, they never get pissed when the women react in dramatic ways to thing that occur and yet they never lost their cool. I find it very problematic. It was particularly bad in The Wedding Party and it pissed me off that Theo put up with Maddie's crap. Why? She was spectacularly nasty to him all the time. Is that was good men are supposed to want? Royal Holiday was truly one of the maybe 3 most boring romances I have ever read. It was straight up terrible. IMO Jasmine does to men what writers have been doing to women for years - she strips them of humanity, their only import existing in how they serve their mate. It is not my cuppa. That said, While We Were Dating was my last try before giving up her books, and I am liking it."

I think that is what I like about Seven Days in June- these are damaged people.

I think men in romance novels are always there to serve women's fantasies- "if i can break past his reluctant exterior, he will be perfection." I've never found that man.

Right there with you sister. Fantasy is great, but perfect is not sexy. Flawed but trying is sexy.

Pamela wrote: "Bonnie G. wrote: "I have not loved a number of Jasmine's books, and was considering abandoning ship, but I an reading While We Were Dating right now and liking it a whole lot. The men in Jasmine's ..."

I've enjoyed her books, but they definitely feel same-y and all have very similar beats. As long as I give myself some time between them, though, I enjoy them.

Bonnie G. wrote: "Pamela wrote: "Bonnie G. wrote: "I have not loved a number of Jasmine's books, and was considering abandoning ship, but I an reading While We Were Dating right now and liking it a whole lot. The me..."

I think your beefs with her characterizations all arise from the fact that she's following a formula. She *has* to create tension and a crisis to resolve before the characters find their way back to one another. There has to be some kind of misunderstanding and some kind of tantrum thrown and then a reconnection of two cute people with amazing jobs who happen to be hot for each other. I don't find her stuff to be high lit by any means, but it makes me so happy to read about people of different ethnicities finding romance, that I enjoy them anyway. It's a celebration of something that was impossible to find in libraries when I was growing up.

When I read romances, I do the shifted suspension of disbelief. Like with fantasy, I understand that dwarves and sorcerors are rare to find in the field, sure, but you go with it. With all romances, I go in to them accepting that these people will not behave the way I would in romantical situations and they will probably annoy the shit out of me and travel trough some sort of redemptive arc, because that's how these books progress.

Or are there romances that don't follow the formula? I mean the: we like each other - whoops we hate each other - oh, ok I just realized we're perfect for each other.

Laural wrote: "Or are there romances that don't follow the formula? I mean the: we like each other - whoops we hate each other - oh, ok I just realized we're perfect for each other. "

I always appreciate when authors don't rely on miscommunication or insulting their characters' intelligence to find late-chapter drama. It can be a need to get over their own egos, or a family crisis/dilemma of choice, or a mutual realization that they need to grow up/get their act together to be relationship-ready. Misunderstandings are certainly common in the genre, but not mandatory!

Laural wrote: "Bonnie G. wrote: "Pamela wrote: "Bonnie G. wrote: "I have not loved a number of Jasmine's books, and was considering abandoning ship, but I an reading While We Were Dating right now and liking it a..."

I read a lot of romance, so the tropes and the formulaic structure are good for me. And I love the representation in these books. I just like a more fully drawn man to engage fully. That said, I am really liking the new book which I think I will finish tonight.

I’m only two chapters into Intimacies and the writing is so fluid and elegant and perfect and very engaging, all at once. I wish I could set aside the day just to read it. It’s atmospheric in a way I love too … I think about her previous book, A Separation, often because of the setting and atmosphere. I can already tell this one is going to come up a lot at the end of the year.

Another standout book for me this year has been The Dance of Anger: A Woman's Guide to Changing the Patterns of Intimate Relationships. It is so much better than you could ever expect it to be. So wise and insightful in a way that blew my mind. It’ll be my go-to book when handling conflict, and i don’t know why anyone has looked elsewhere for premarital counseling. Also weirdly gripping, where I wanted to find any moment possible to read it.

Alisa wrote: "I’m only two chapters into Intimacies and the writing is so fluid and elegant and perfect and very engaging, all at once. I wish I could set aside the day just to read it. It’s atmo..."

I just put Intimacies on hold at the library. I have a few weeks at least until I get it, but I am so glad to see your review!

I have read more this year than any other, ever. I am not sure why that is, but there you have it. Overall it was a VERY good year. Other than in the romance genre I had a hard time identifying reads I really disliked. On the other hand, I found it impossible to limit my list of favorites as I have in past years to 5 each in fiction, nonfiction, and romance. For purposes of this listing I will do that, but my own list has ten in each category, and I really struggled to pare these down. So, anyway... here are my top 5 (or at least a selection of items from my top 10 that is this moment I would say are in order of greatness) for each category --

Fiction

Crossroads https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Hell of a Book https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Interior Chinatown https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Intimacies https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Great Circle https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Nonfiction

Crying in H Mart https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Something That May Shock and Discredit You https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Minor Feelings https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

In the Darkroom https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

The Suicide Index https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Romance

The Intimacy Experiment https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

The Heart Principle https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

People We Meet On Vacation https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Devil In Disguise https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

American Dreamer https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I'm hoping to read a few more before the end of the year, but my faves this year:

Will Darling Trilogy by KJ Charles (mentioned these up-thread: sexy, twisty, pulpy, sweet, class-conscious, well-written, and utterly so fun)

Himself by Jess Kidd (discovered thanks to the newsfeed on Goodreads and so glad I did, small-town Irish eccentrics, an unsolved disappearance and a hero that's started me on a theory that there needs to be a wave of historical romances set in the 1970s)

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy by John Le Carré (duh, all time great spy novel is great)

The Spy and the Traitor by Ben Macintyre (nonfiction spies are just as fun if not more so than fictional ones)

Honorable mentions: Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall (very good and often quite funny contemporary romance) and A Replacement Life by Boris Fishman (expat Soviet Jews in New York and memory and grief...heady stuff but some of my favorite themes)