You'll love this one...!! A book club & more discussion

January 2025

Yearlong Challenge

Tongues of Serpents
The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder
✔️ Starter Villain
Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop
✔️ The Booklover's Library 1/19/2025

✔️ The Frozen River 1/2/2025
✔️ The Briar Club (for RLBC) 1/26/2025

Get off my Kindle

The Fox Wife
The Red Tent

Series

Kindness Goes Unpunished
✔️ First Degree

I finished reading The Frozen River and loved it.
I gave it 4⭐s. I would have given it 5 but one character (view spoiler)[Ephriam, the main character's husband (hide spoiler)] is just too good to be true. Highly recommended.

It is taken from the mc's diary and she likely was a bit biased. :)

Finished First Degree. Super rich wise cracking lawyer with a dog has to defend his girlfriend accused of murder. I especially liked the court scenes. 3⭐

I thought you finished the Temerair books?
I haven’t looked at the yearly challenge yet. I need to get into the on-line GR version for that.

I like your “Get off my Kindle” category. I have some of those as well as my Nook books from Barnes&Noble.

I moved through the Temeraire books quickly when I could listen to them. I'd to that on my way to and from work. But then I couldn't borrow them as audio books, only as ebooks. I got Temeraire to Australia and then got sidetracked with other books. I'm ready to come back.
I added the "Get off my Kindle" because I really need to do that. What's the point of having them there if I don't read them?
Btw, I've been checking every day to see when you're going to finally join the Yearlong challenge. Hurry up,

I finished reading Starter Villain this morning. I liked it. I thought it was very clever and somehow disturbing. What's to stop billionaire businessmen from have evil side hustles? And looking at the world today, domestic and otherwise, villains aren't such a stretch. I must admit, I had a hard time at times understanding some of the details, kind of like some of the sci-fi books I read that get super technical. But that was okay. I'll chock it up to the author having a well developed imagination. I'm giving it 4⭐.

It's weird that you are having so much trouble getting your Goodreads web based site running. I hope it's sorted soon.

I do this every time. I make a plan that I think I'm going to read, then read books off plan. I intended to read Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop and The Fox Wife for the Yearlong Challenge, started both, and don't like either one. I'll be switching them out. I have so many "books about books" on my tbr, it won't be a hardship to find a replacement and I think I'll be able to find another mythology book. In the meantime I'm reading The Briar Club (a reread for my RLBC next month) and Tongues of Serpents. Maybe next month I should just put down numbers of books I plan to read and see what comes my way. A better plan.

I picked The Fox Wife for our real life book club which I'm hosting on the 23rd. I didn't like it either and I'm sad that it wasn't better since some of our members commented that it wasn't the type of book we usually read. Part way through, I realized that Choo was the same author of The Night Tiger which I didn't like either. If I had realized that early on, I would not have chosen the book.

Ouch, sorry you picked a book you ended up not liking for your RLBC. i get nervous when I have to pick a book for mine. There seems to be so much my group isn't into. I keep threatening to choose a sci-fi book and they start hyperventilating at the thought. I need to host in November so I have some time to think about it.
I switched my "books" choice to The Booklover's Library, and "mythology" to Circe.

When I think of some of the books members have chosen, I think nobody has the right to complain at my choices.

Sometimes discussing a book the group doesn't like makes for a good discussion. We used to go around and give a personal rating (1-5) but stopped that. Now we sometimes say whether we liked or didn't like the book but have to give a constructive reason why. I'm still thinking about shaking things up with a sci-fi book (nothing with aliens, more speculative) because I think we should be exposed to different genres. Watch, next someone will pick an erotica book. Hmmmm.

Go for it, Roz. Nobody has chosen erotica yet. Touch wood.

I find there is more discussion over books that people don't like. We read To Kill a Mockingbird and everyone loved it. There was very little discussion.

It's a good thing I'm hosting the group in November. We don't have a formal meeting in December (a luncheon / book exchange instead) so they'll have plenty of time to recover from my sci-fi assault. 😁

What type of books does your group normally read? We normally read historical fiction. At least it seems to lean that way.

We're the same. Historical fiction, strong female characters. Sometimes a classic or memoir. The next two books are The Briar Club (Feb) and Horse (March).

We recently read The Briar Club and it was a big hit with the group. What is the sci fi book you want to recommend|?

I was thinking of The Measure. I think the premise was interesting.

I would think that book would generate some great discussion.

I finished reading The Booklover's Library last night. It was certainly a book about books. Reading and the importance of books in our lies permeated the story from start to finish. Liked it. 3 ⭐

I finished reading The Briar Club for my RLBC and realized that I could also use it for the W (women) task of the Yearlong Challenge. This was really a reread for me prior to my book club meeting in February, but I must say, I liked it more this time. I got more out of it.

Our book club read it as well. Everyone really enjoyed it.

Growing up in Canada I didn't know much about the McCarthy years, but some of our older members have some memories about hearing their families talking (whispering they said) about it. I'm wondering how politically charged the discussion will become given the present political climate and how our small community has become somewhat divided. Most of the members of the club are pretty quiet about their political affiliations, some say nothing, but there are some in the community at large who were very vocal (in your face) in expressing their views. The discussion should be very interesting.

We have some strong opinions in our group as well and we try to avoid political discussions as a result. However, this last meeting ended up being mostly political, even though the book didn't lead into it whatsoever. Fortunately, we were all in agreement.

Fortunately the most vocal neighbors are not in the book club. I think having a civil political discussion is a good thing but the recent election was very contentious and there were some strong feelings flying around. Usually people are quiet but this time there were many lawn signs sprouting up supporting one or the other candidate. My husband and I decided not to advertise our choices. No one but our neighbors would see them if we chose to put them up. The community isn't gated but it is pretty enclosed away from main roads, so who would see except our friends and neighbors? I just don't like having an 85 yr old woman screaming at me. Not pretty. I don't really thing the book club will get rowdy and I think most are in agreement,.... I think.

I don't put up signs during elections either. I'd rather not invite the hassle.

Hi Roz - I am going through the threads and trying to get back in touch with what is going on. I have started the Yearly Challenge and I am reporting my books read, finally. On the good side, I have finished quite a few books, but I am behind reporting them. I don't want to thrash Janice with too many. Not a problem, I just need to sit down at the lap top and do it. I got some help from my granddaughter with the online docs and have a spreadsheet set up to keep track. For the religion theme, I just finished the second book by Octavia E. Butler. I guess she passed away before she finished the third book in her Earthseed series. It was interesting but nothing earthshattering. I gave both books three stars. I am reading the Practical Magic series books by Alice Hoffman for the women theme. Actually, I am listening to them. I finished book 1.0 Practical Magic and book 0.1 Magic Lessons. I am going to start listening to 0.2 The Rules of Magic tonight while I crochet. I am still working on the shawl for my other granddaughter. I know that it seems weird not to be using them for the magic theme, but the Owens "women", sisters, daughters and aunts are really what they are all about.

I kept looking for you Cherie. Glad to see you've joined the Yearlong Challenge. You're ahead of me already. I've only finished 4 to your 6. Every year I try to set up a spreadsheet with my "planned" books, but somehow the plans get changed and it's a pain to keep updating the spreadsheet. So, this year, no sheet. If I change a choice, I'll just revise my thread. I like the way you report, with an explanation of what the book is about and how it fits the theme. It makes it easier to decide to steal or not. Eruption is on my tbr so I'll have to see if it's available. I just finished reading Mischief in Mudbug for the ghosts task. I had read the first in the series and I think I'll continue it. Even though being haunted by a mother-in-law ghost can have its drawbacks. The books have their funny moments and there are only 6 of them.
I'm jealous of you crocheting away. I'm still looking at my boxes of yarn, trying to figure out to make. Maybe I'll work on a sweater or something. And then there are the half finished needlepoint canvases I have in the same boxes.

February

Yearlong Challenge

The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder (finish)
One Second After KU
The Princess Bride KU
✔️ The History of Love

Get Off My Kindle

The Red Tent 📱

Series

✔️ Showdown in Mudbug 2/9/2025
✔️ Louisiana Longshot (Libby) 2/27/2025

Others

✔️ Eruption 2/18/2025

It has been such a long time but I still remember reading The Red Tent. The details have faded but the feeling I had reading the story still remain.

If you can get Eruption this month, you could use it for the monthly challenge too, since there are two authors.

I am going to read another book by the author of Impossible Creatures. It is set in two different locations.

I added Eruption to this month's plans. I had to put a hold on the book.

My spreadsheet is nothing major. Just a word doc to track the books, the pages, and any other details that I jot down as I find books to fit the categories. Also to keep track of what is on hold and where I have the book, if I own it.

As for being ahead of you, I have simply been lucky with the audiobook finds. It won’t be as quick now because most of the rest of my reads are ebooks or hard copies and a couple are on long holds. My “dog” book just arrived at my library today. I just got an email notice. I haven’t visited the library in quite a while. I may go there and read tomorrow, if it doesn’t snow.

I gave recall reading The Red Tent as well. It was back in 2016 and I don't remember much of. It did have an impact on me.

It seems that everyone but me has read The Red Tent. It's been on my tbr shelf for years, so thank you, Janice for giving me an opportunity to read it.
I started keeping shelves that let me know where my books can be found (Kindle Unlimited, Libby, one of my local libraries for hard copies, books I own....).
Snow, Cherie? We'll be in the 80s next week. Crazy to me.

My reading has been bouncing all over the place. I start a book and then something else becomes available and I need to start that one too,
I finished reading Eruption (thank you Cherie) and really liked it. I used it for my Nature book in the Yearlong Challenge. We take nature for granted, I think. Look at the pretty flowers, do I need an umbrella today, what a lovely view from that window. But nature is not benign. And as much as we think we can change or control it, we can't. Mother Nature is ultimately in control and she likes to remind us sometimes.

I'm still on the fence about reading Eruption. With my sister living on the Big Island, and the one volcano there currently erupting, I think it might make me anxious.

I read Once There Were Wolves for the nature task. It spoke about the need for the eco system to be in balance. It also spoke about man's nature as well, and how out of balance it can be. A different kind of nature, to be sure.

Eruption takes place in the near future (April 2025) and is about trying to contain/divert an eruption of Mauna Loa. I've never been to Hawaii, only seen beautiful pictures of it. Living on the Big Island with 5 volcanos, 3 of them still active must be very stressful. I can see why you may want to take a pass on reading this one.

I was on the top of Mauna Loa looking down into the crater. It was pretty incredible. I see why people are so fascinated. But a few months ago, I watched a Netflix documentary about a group of tourists that were rescued when the volcano they were view erupted. It bummed me right out. Kilauea started erupting just before Christmas and it's still having eruptions. My sister sent me pictures of them overlooking the volcano. People were flocked there to see it. Nature can be cruel and dangerous, and the dangerous thing is that people have no respect for it.

I agree. People have no respect for nature and preserving the world we live in. As a race we're pretty arrogant.

After I watched that documentary, I thought how trusting (if that's the right word) we were to go visit the volcano. They really are unpredictable even though our technology is improving. We have this false sense of security that there would be warning signs.

Have you ever noticed how people often put themselves in dangerous situations? Maybe it's the thrill. Like going down to the beach to look at the huge waves during a hurricane, going to look down a volcano that's getting ready to erupt, chasing tornados, or going outside during a lightning storm. I suppose we are trusting that those in the know will let us know when we're in real danger, but I also think that there are many of us that don't/won't listen. There's a rush that can irresistible. As long as we survive the event to feel it. I'm afraid of heights so I don't think I'll be looking down into a volcano anytime soon.

It was surreal. You're standing on the top of a mountain (from a viewing platform). You expect to see nothing but trees. Instead, you see a bleak otherworldly flat plateau that is barren. All you see is dirt and plumes of steam/smoke. And it's so far down, and it's so huge. I took pictures, but they don't do it justice.

Then we went to my brother's land that was completely ruined by lava flow from the same volcano that is erupting now. In my mind, I had been picturing lava about a foot deep. But it was more that 10 feet high. It was a wall. When they started looking at houses to buy, there were a lot in that they couldn't get insurance for. The house they did buy is far enough away that they could get insurance.

It must have been awesome experience. Looking out onto that landscape, knowing the potential danger under your feet. I remember going to Grand Canyon after dropping off my youngest son at college in California. Standing at the edge was almost a religious experience. It's so deep, so big, so quiet and looks like a painting.
I can imagine your brother having trouble getting insurance living near an active (or potentially active) volcano. When we lived on Long Island in New York there were several communities that were on the water and couldn't get flood insurance because of hurricanes. And now in California after the devastating fires recently, anyone wanting to rebuild will probably be denied fire insurance. It has become very risky to own a home with a beautiful nature view (an ocean, forest, mountain top).

It's relatively safe where I live, but we still get forest fires, mild earthquakes, and rare tornadoes.

I've been to the Maritimes a few times, grew up in Ontario and went as far north as James Bay, but I've never been to Manitoba and points west. Well, not true. I was in Vancouver for a day waiting to board a cruise to Alaska. Western Canada has been on my bucket list for a while. Here in cental Texas we mostly get brutally hot, dry summers. No earthquakes, rare tornadoes and no volcanoes.

If you do make it to western Canada, go give me a PM. We can arrange a get together.

Of course!

I finished reading Louisiana Longshot. I can see this as one of my go-to quick reads. It had me shaking my head and chuckling. 4⭐

This is a fun series, for sure. I just finished the 10th book and it still makes me laugh.