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

I know that Mardi Gras is usually a February thing. However, our Mardi Gras in Australia is usually held on the last Saturday in Feb, which makes it feel more like March than Feb. And, I don't think it is a bad thing to celebrate, party, have a good time, and focus on inclusivity for another month. So that is what we are going to do!

This year's Mardi Gras theme is ECSTATICA! (which I will admit is a little confusing). But to unpack that a bit more, it is being defined as "a rallying call to gather, connect, and transform individual joy into a powerful collective movement." Another comment from the CEO was it is "what happens when you find your people, community and family". So let's embrace the theme of ECSTATICA! for our March reading.

Read a book that meets one of the following criteria:

• Has an LGBTIQA+ main character
• The main character has a 'found' or 'chosen' family - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chosen_...
• The cover of the book looks like it's heading to Mardi Gras. I mean we want glitter, sparkles, bling, feathers, rainbows, rhinestones, giant wigs, leather, metal studs, ridiculous makeup, etc. I will leave this to you, but I want the covers to be OTT! (over the top). If you are not sure if it fits, it doesn't and you need to go BIGGER!
• The book is a feel good, happy, joyful book. Explain.
• There is a massive party, gathering, wedding, event, etc in the book. Not a dinner party of 20 in your home's dining room, I want a big party.
• The book has a tie to a collective movement or protest. The main character may be working for a NGO organising a collective movement, there may be a protest as a large part of the story, you could read a non-fiction book about a collective movement or protest.

In the interest of celebration and inclusivity, there are no points this month. Just read!

General Rules:

1. The book may be in any format - paperback, ebook, audiobook.
2. The book may be combined with the Year Long Challenge and the Group Themed Read.
3. The book must be read between March 1 - March 31, 2026 (based on your local time zone).
4. The challenge is for one book. You may read more books if you chose but you may only report one.
5. The book must be 175 pages or more determined by the issue you read.

This looks great, thank you Rus!

This will be fun. I'll have to see what I can find.

Oh boy! Off to party... I mean gopher.

Oh that was the fastest gophering I ever did. Bullets and Beads


Not only does it scream Mardi Gras, but the first sentence of the book blurb is, "It’s Mardi Gras time and Fortune is looking forward to seeing the spectacle firsthand."

Oh, that's perfect, Janice! Wish I was ready for that one. I'm just wrapping up book 6.

I don't think Book 7 would fit - not much partying going on.

Janice wrote: "

Oh boy! Off to party... I mean gopher.

Oh that was the fastest gophering I ever did.
Not only does it scream Mardi Gras, but the first sentence of the book blurb ..."

LOL

Janice wrote: "I don't think Book 7 would fit - not much partying going on."

I don't think so either. I'm looking outside of the series.

Possibilities:

Blessings for found family / child under 2 annual challenge

To Catch a Fascist: The Fight to Expose the Radical Right - snake on cover
@Rus - I’m hoping that this one would fit collective movement / protest? I had thought antifa was an extreme left group but this book will help me understand it better as to how they are actively working against fascism - so hopefully that works?

And as to feel good/happy book - I’m betting humor on MPG won’t be enough, but not sure? As we have Thereby Hangs a Tail planned for mid month.

I'm planning to read Cat's People for found family.

Laura wrote: "To Catch a Fascist: The Fight to Expose the Radical Right"

Sorry, I thought I responded. This sounds like it would fit. You don't necessarily have to agree with the movement, (not making any assumptions here), you just need to be able to say, this is definitely a movement or protest. Antifs, no matter your feelings, fits this.

Laura wrote: "And as to feel good/happy book - I’m betting humor on MPG won’t be enough, but not sure? As we have Thereby Hangs a Tail planned for mid month"

Humour on the MPG doesn't itself fit, although a humorous book could of course. But humour can be quite dark or bleak as well. I am after something that makes you feel better about the world, makes you happy, has pretty low stakes, and no massive unresolved things happen. Does that explain my thinking a bit more?

Yes thanks Rus.

Hi, Rus. When you get a chance, I need a reporting thread. No hurry. Thanks!

I think I will do Together We Rise

Ooh that looks like a good one, Katrisa.

I’m actually thinking of doing The Little Book of Hygge: The Danish Way to Live Well and doubling up w Denmark task. I think the whole point of hygge is to be happier so I hope that will work.

Googled the definition: a Danish concept focused on creating a feeling of cozy contentment, well-being, and happiness through simple pleasures, often shared with loved ones, by embracing comfort, warmth, and mindfulness in everyday moments

Rusalka wrote: "I• The book has a tie to a collective movement or protest. The main character may be working for a NGO organising a collective movement, there may be a protest as a large part of the story, you could read a non-fiction book about a collective movement or protest."

For a different reason I'm reading a nonfiction memoir/etc book that I'd like to see if it counts. Nobody Cries When We Die: God, Community, and Surviving to Adulthood by Patrick B. Reyes which is both a memoir of a violent/scary childhood in Salinas, but who, starting as a teen, began working with others to help the Latinx community and is still dong so. These are definitely NGO groups he's been part of.

I have picked up Carry On for LGBTIQA+ main character. Hopefully can knock this off and a toppler read before the end of the month.