June Discussion Post
Jun. 18th, 2023 09:02 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
siberian_angel posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
thestoryinside
It's time for our monthly discussion post! This post will remain open for you to contribute at any time, so no pressure. Even if you didn't get around to reading any of your selected books or opted out of participating for the month, you're still more than welcome to take part in the discussion.
Please copy and paste this in the comments!
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Date: 2023-06-24 08:31 am (UTC)What books were chosen for you?
Choice 1: And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie (movie/tv-adaptation/thriller/female author)
Choice 2: The Last Romantics by Tara Conklin (contemporary/female author)
Choice 3: How to Stay Sane in an Age of Division by Elif Shafak (contemporary/female author)
Did you manage to read your books? Which ones?
I read "And Then There Were None" & "How to Stay Sane in an Age of Division".
If you read more than one, did you enjoy them? What was your favorite?
I did enjoy them, and even managed to correctly guess the murderer in the Christie book! It was my first book by her too, and a Goodreads friend who has read more by the author already, said that was a real feat ;) I think that one was my fave out of the two, as well.
I started "The Last Romantics" a couple days ago but it's slow going because I've had a lot of stress and been tired so I didn't have the spoons to read much. I don't think I will manage to finish it by the end of the month.
Would you recommend your chosen book(s)?
I would recommend both, even though the latter one felt a bit short - almost as though it was only part I of a bigger book. Which doesn't seem to be the case as far as I can tell.
Did you read anything else this month, outside of your chosen books?
I did!
-> "Spare" by Prince Harry (recommended)
-> "Mask Off - Masculinity Redefined" by J.J. Bola (recommended)
-> "Lady Clementine" by Marie Benedict (recommended)
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Date: 2023-06-24 02:10 pm (UTC)I know a couple of people who have read Spare by Prince Harry and have had varying opinions. What did you think of it?
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Date: 2023-06-24 02:22 pm (UTC)I was surprised at how much I enjoyed Prince Harry's book, especially considering I am not usually a big fan of the concept of monarchy or even interested in any "royal news". However, I'd heard good things of the book and was intrigued enough to give it a try. IMO it was worth it. It's an interesting read and Harry comes across as a kind, down-to-earth person. He's also very open about past mistakes he's made and atoning for them as good as he can. So yeah, I can recommend it. Some people have said he seems "whiny and privileged" but I personally don't think so at all.
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Date: 2023-06-24 02:36 pm (UTC)I'm mildly interested in the book, but have to consider how my TBR list is already out of control - LOL :D
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Date: 2023-06-24 04:19 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2023-06-26 01:31 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2023-06-27 06:43 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2023-06-24 02:08 pm (UTC)What books were chosen for you?
Choice 1: Sarah Addison Allen - Lost Lake (Female author)
Choice 2: Andy Mangels - The Good That Men Do (Star Trek: Enterprise #11) (TV/Movie adaptation)
Choice 3: Viveca Stern - Still Waters (Thriller)
Did you manage to read your books? Which ones?
I read Lost Lake by Sarah Addison Allen.
I have obtained a copy of The Good That Men Do and hope to read that next/soon. But honestly I still have books from last month's buddy reads that I thought I'd get to - LOL!
If you read more than one, did you enjoy them? What was your favorite?
Would you recommend your chosen book(s)?
Yes, especially if you're looking for something light and heartwarming. Copying my review here:
- If the themes of found family and starting over paired with an idyllic lake setting interest you, this book will be right up your alley. The author did a great job keeping the story focused while also providing insights into several characters who had been staying at the Lost Lake cabins. While the theme of grief is threaded throughout, the book felt heartwarming and hopeful. -
Did you read anything else this month, outside of your chosen books?
The Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams
The Fires by Sigríður Hagalín Björnsdóttir
Barracoon: The Story of the Last “Black Cargo” by Zora Neale Hurston
Miracle Creek by Angie Kim
Binti by Nnedi Okorafor
Into the Void by Tim Lebbon
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Date: 2023-06-24 02:24 pm (UTC)What did you think of "Barracoon"? I read it earlier in 2022.
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Date: 2023-06-24 02:48 pm (UTC)I listened to the audiobook version of Barracoon and the narrator did a fabulous job with the vernacular. I understand some found it hard to read in written form - I didn't experience that with the audio version.
The story itself, both Cudjo’s and Ms. Hurston's, were quite interesting and the way it wasn't published until recently made me wonder how many other stories that were written for publication haven't seen the light of day.
Cudjo’s descriptions of his community outside Mobile in particular were of interest - communities founded by Black Americans didn't always survive the Jim Crow era, especially in the South and I was curious as to what that community looks like today.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Africatown
Overall the book and how it came to be published so late makes me incredibly sad (and frightened) that my own country (U.S.) is trying to erase stories like this from our history.
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Date: 2023-06-24 04:20 pm (UTC)makes me incredibly sad (and frightened) that my own country (U.S.) is trying to erase stories like this from our history.
That is very sad indeed.
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Date: 2023-06-25 06:22 am (UTC)Both Binti and Miracle Creek are on my TBR - can you recommend?
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Date: 2023-06-25 02:27 pm (UTC)I listened to the audiobook version, so wasn't able to skim the many, many, technical references like I may have had I been physically reading it. I felt the scientific bits outweighed the story bits making the story slog in certain parts. I picked it up because it was set in Iceland and the female protagonist was over 30, so it checked those boxes for me - even if I didn't care for Ann that much by the end.
What did you think?
Both Binti and Miracle Creek are on my TBR - can you recommend?
I do!
Miracle Creek is a courtroom drama with a good-sized ensemble of characters and the alternative chapter POV really gave a flavor of how so many different and seemingly unconnected things could - quite literally - explode. There were characters I was angry with, characters I sympathized with, and characters I was rooting for. It ran quite the gambit and was a pretty engrossing read.
Binti has the benefit of being short - so a low-level investment should you choose to dive in. Yet in such a short work there is a lot of world-building going on and a good foundation set for the protagonist. It is the first in a series, but the story told isn't left on a cliffhanger and feels complete. I really like Binti (the character) and if you're at all interested in Afrofuturism this is a good introduction to the types of tales that genre can encompass.
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Date: 2023-06-28 07:45 am (UTC)Truth be told, I had no idea that Afrofuturism even was a genre in its own right when I picked up "Remote Control" a few years ago. I was going in completely blind and found it weirdly beautiful - so, if you haven't read that yet, I recommend! I think that's why I put "Binti" on my list in the first place.
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Date: 2023-06-28 03:26 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2023-06-24 08:23 pm (UTC)What books were chosen for you? Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel, The Body Lies by Jo Baker and The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow
Did you manage to read your books? Which ones? I am about 40% of the way through The Once and Future Witches and I am absolutely loving it. It's beautifully written and the story is gripping me. I can't wait to find out what happens next
If you read more than one, did you enjoy them? What was your favorite? Sadly, I started the month with WAY too many in-progress books so that's the only one I've got to so far. I'm working on clearing it down some though
Would you recommend your chosen book(s)? I've recommended it to my friends, I've recommended it to my work colleagues - 100% recommended
Did you read anything else this month, outside of your chosen books? Kaleb Cooper - The World According To Kaleb
Andrea Penrose - Murder at Half Moon Gate
Tim Marshall - Prisoners of Geography
Ransom Riggs - Library of Souls
Neil Gaiman - The Ocean at the End of the Lane
Peter Ackroyd - History of England: Foundation.
And, along with Once & Future Witches, I'm currently reading, and almost finished with
Alexis Caught - Queer Up
Wendy Jago - How To Manage Your Mammoth
Susan Cooper - Over Sea, Under Stone
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Date: 2023-06-25 02:31 pm (UTC)I haven't yet read her other book, The Ten Thousand Doors of January, but hear it's also very compelling.
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Date: 2023-07-31 05:33 pm (UTC)I will definitely be checking her other book out
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Date: 2023-07-31 06:54 pm (UTC)I have a copy of one of her other books, but haven't read it yet. It's almost like I'm holding it for a special occasion or something - LOL (which is silly of me)
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Date: 2023-06-26 01:40 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2023-06-25 11:05 am (UTC)What books were chosen for you? The Diviners by Libba Bray, Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James, The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater
Did you manage to read your books? Which ones? I read Fifty Shades of Grey and I'm almost done with The Raven Boys
If you read more than one, did you enjoy them? What was your favorite? Fifty Shades of Grey... was something. Truth to be told, I've read better fanfics with BDSM themes which is quite ironic seeing that the book in question started as a Twilight fanfic... The Raven Boys was much better, with more fleshed out characters and an actual plot.
Would you recommend your chosen book(s)? A big NO for Fifty Shades of Grey, yes for The Raven Boys
Did you read anything else this month, outside of your chosen books? I read Towers of Midnight, +850 pages of great fantasy ;)
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Date: 2023-06-25 11:45 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2023-06-29 02:10 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2023-06-25 10:24 pm (UTC)What books were chosen for you?
Choice 1: The Rising - Mira Grant (Female Author)
Choice 2: The Final Reflection - John M. Ford (Movie/TV adaptation)
Choice 3: The Housewife Assassin’s Handbook - Josie Brown (Thriller)
Did you manage to read your books? Which ones? Not yet. I'm still having trouble getting into novels.
If you read more than one, did you enjoy them? What was your favorite?
Would you recommend your chosen book(s)?
Did you read anything else this month, outside of your chosen books? I've been switching between Temporally Out of Order, which is lighter fare, and Uncanny Magazine #10, which have stories that are heavier. I also started Black Cat Weekly (a science fiction, fantasy, mystery, and adventure magazine that is mostly reprints), but I got to the mystery novel (the second Charlie Chan novel) and fizzled.
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Date: 2023-06-26 01:58 pm (UTC)What books were chosen for you?
The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell (thriller/female author)
Hallowe'en Party by Agatha Christie (TV/Movie adaptation/female author)
Marlena by Julie Buntin (contemporary/female author)
Did you manage to read your books? Which ones?
I read Hallowe'en Party and Marlena. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to obtain a copy of The Family Upstairs.
If you read more than one, did you enjoy them? What was your favorite?
I liked both, though I will say that I wanted to read Hallowe'en Party because of the upcoming A Murder in Venice, and while the film is supposed to be based on the book the overall feel of the trailer was very different from the content of the book. My favorite of the two was definitely Marlena. It was different from what I've been reading lately, very character-focused rather than plot-focused. If you like John Green's Looking for Alaska or Anne Fine's The Tulip Touch then you will definitely love this as well. For a story about addiction, the way it deals with the topic is extremely sobering. The book goes back and forth between present day and the past, walking a thin line between the warmth of nostalgia and the coldness of reality.
Would you recommend your chosen book(s)?
Yes to both!
Did you read anything else this month, outside of your chosen books?
I tried and failed! But—I have started reading Uprooted by Naomi Novik and Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury and I'm still reading Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.
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Date: 2023-06-28 03:36 pm (UTC)Re: the one you didn't get to, The Family Upstairs it had enough twists and turns that it kept me on the edge of my seat for a good portion of the book. I'm still not sure how I feel about a couple of characters. *side eyes everyone*
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Date: 2023-06-29 05:30 am (UTC)Oh, now I really want to read The Family Upstairs. That side eye has piqued my interest!
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Date: 2023-06-27 06:41 pm (UTC)What books were chosen for you? Le Livre des Baltimore by Joël Dicker, Heidi jeune fille by Johanna Spyri and Il est grand temps de rallumer les étoiles by Virginie Grimaldi.
Did you manage to read your books? Which ones? Yes! I read them all!
If you read more than one, did you enjoy them? What was your favorite? I enjoyed all of them. Heidi jeune fille is a children classic (and I think I read it when I was a child because I remembered a couple of things) and it's a beautiful story in a beautiful setting. Il est grand temps de rallumer les étoiles was the one I wasn't sure about because everyone raved about it and I didn't believe it'd live up to the hype. But it did, and I really loved it. And Le Livre des Baltimore was just Joël Dicker doing what he does best. There was so much mystery and questions and it was next to impossible to put down. I loved it so much!
Would you recommend your chosen book(s)? Yes to all of them!
Did you read anything else this month, outside of your chosen books? I only read La Confession d'un enfant du siècle by Alfred de Musset, and a graphic, Nice, de Catherine Ségurane à nos jours.
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Date: 2023-06-28 03:31 pm (UTC)AND there were a lot of interesting comments about reading various translations of the book.
Did you read them in French, Dutch, or English?
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Date: 2023-06-28 04:40 pm (UTC)