BIC book club!

[prettyinpa]

Some of us here have expressed an interest in a book club, myself, @mermadelove, @LCResz, @ZombieMetroAnt, @Mcakes. If you'd be interested in joining, reply below. My initial thought was to mail the books around but if it means that some people can't participate, then I'm all for dropping that requirement. I'd love this to be a place where we nominate our favorite book and others can read it and comment. Something fun for the new year!  ETA: the booklist:

1. Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng (16)
1. Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie (16)
3. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald (13)
4. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (11)
4. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson (11)
4. Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie (11)
7. Exit West by Mohsin Hamid (10)
7. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (10)
7. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (10) Discussion begins 8-13.
7. The Wedding Dress by Rachel Hauck (10) Discussion begin 9-2.
11. The Fault in our Stars by John Green (9) Time to discuss 9-26
11. The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas (9) Now discussing below.
11. Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro (9)
11. What Happened by Hilary Clinton (9) Now discussing below.
11. Fall of Giants by Ken Follett (9) Start reading now.
11. The Woman on the Orient Express by Lindsay Ashford (9)
11. milk and honey by Rupi Kaur (9)
18. A Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez (8)
18. Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty (8)
18. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll (8)
18. Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell (8)
18. Lady Chatterley’s Lover by D.H. Lawrence (8)
18. Mansfield Park by Jane Austen (8)
18. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley (8)
18. The Paper Magician by Charlie Holmberg (8)
18. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien (8)
18. The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo (8)
18. Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman (8)
18. The White Queen by Phillipa Gregory (8)

Participants in spoiler

Spoiler

Participants:

PrettyinPA

AlexaSteph

Beadshopgirl

LCResz

Kim888

SoBeautiful

Fatimamummy

ZombieMetroAnt

PalomaFoster

k617

bakeamuffin
Susubee
Skcfan
Lazybeautybeast
SpaceLlama
greeneyedgirl107

Mermadelove
Mcakes
Aaliaa
Serenely
Myinsidevoice
MissPuff
juliehnguyen
lmi82
Knowledgebeauty
Titian06
quspork
darlyndar
KellW
misscg
EuniceO
Elles117
ClassicallyFab
ShiraBT
melanito
Heylady14
ChicagoEngineer
Imightneedthis
PrettyPaint
rachface2921

[blackkitty2014]

One of my library has the audiobook at the moment and looks liked the kindle version is coming soon. Book mark this @itsfi 😘

[itsfi]

My goal this year is to read one book per month, with the addition of listening to one audiobook per month this summer. The audiobook goal has not been going well. I was on target with my book-a-month plan and being on vacation last week helped to push me ahead of schedule. 🙌  Here's the first of the books I read (on my Kindle) while on vacation - plane rides and waiting through flight delays sure did give me plenty of reading time. @jaaayp @blackkitty2014, last month's no-buy helped with getting in more time to read, but nothing beats vacation - and flying, for extra reading time. 😉 

In terms of genre, I'd say this is general fiction. It's a quick & easy read; each book in this 3-book trilogy tells the story of 3 women who have known each other since their college days, as they navigate the twists and turns of turning 50. Each book in the trilogy includes details of what each of the three women are going through at that time, but each book focuses primarily on one of the three friends and the life issues she is managing.

A Midlife Holiday is the first book in the series, and it was okay. I'd give it 3 stars ⭐⭐⭐. While I am interested in learning more about the other 2 characters (they intrigued / resonated with me a bit more than the character on which this book is primarily focused), it likely wont be for a while, if at all - I have a handful of books to get through, as well as a list of ones I want to read. 

Notable Quotes:

Spoiler

"Maybe that was what fifty meant? Maybe, when you turned the corner, you found that part of yourself you'd lost."

"Never bothering with the paraphernalia of appearances herself, Kay easily saw through everyone else's disguises."

"Answering honestly felt raw, like losing a skin, the layer of herself that always put everyone else first. But it was funny, the change she felt inside."

P.S. Very convenient to have The Kindle on hand while I was on vacation - super portable, takes up very little space and I have several books available for reading. The battery life was excellent too. So right now, I'm moving back and forth between The Kindle, good old fashioned physical books, and I'll swing by my local library when I'm off the waitlist for a couple of titles. 

[jaaayp]

Ah! Hope you had a wonderful travel @itsfi 🥰 I loooove reading during vacation, I know some people are like 🙄 but I say, hey, vacation should be downtime! I carry my kindle with me everywhere! Im glad youre getting your book a month! I ended up starting a second job and its pretty tight in terms of time but im also planning on reading a book a month (or attempt to...) 🥲

[itsfi]

100% with you @jaaayp. Non-work-related and non-technical reading is a downtime activity for me as well, and one I enjoy so it's on the "things to do" when on vacation because that's when I have more time for it. I'm not reading while I'm engaged in activities with other people - when I was a meal with one or more of the people in my group, no reading. But, if I was waiting for them to show up, yes, I'll read. 📚 

The Kindle has come in handy - finish one book, on to the next, without having to skip a beat if I didn't want to. For the most part though, I put a break ranging from half day to a full day between books - they ranged from 3 stars to 5 stars. This particular book wasn't my favorite of the ones I read while on vacation but it was entertaining and a fast read. 

Oh, your free time is definitely more limited than before. Would audiobooks be something that would work for you? 

[Titian06]

@itsfi - I had a Kindle for years and loved it.  After it bit the dust, I was going to buy another one, but discovered I could read books on my (Android) tablet through my library's app, so I do that instead.  Because I use the library's app, I can read the same book on my phone too.  It's nice to have that option if I forget (or just don't want to) bring my tablet.

[itsfi]

@Titian06, the Kindle has come in handy. It won’t eliminate physical books for me but it’s convenient when I’m traveling. Out of curiosity, how long did you have your Kindle before it gave out?

[Titian06]

@itsfi - I probably had it for a 2 to 2 1/2 years and the original owner who gave it to me for the BIC Book Club probably had it for 3 or so years.  Five plus years altogether????  We both were and are avid readers.  You'll get good mileage out of it!

[itsfi]

That's a great shelf life @Titian06! I went through 4 books on vacation, and am starting a 5th now that I'm back, but am juggling that with a physical book I was working on before I left for my trip. This should be interesting... I've tried 2+  books at a time years ago but it didn't go so well. We shall see. 🤞

[blackkitty2014]

Yay you got a Kindle @itsfi . I’m too cheap to get one but I have the app on my iPad Pro and I love it. One of my library has the link to kindle app so it’s great to look up words in the dictionary or highlight or take notes etc. PS sometimes having a good old fashioned book is great too. We still buy and gift traditional hard copy books 😘

[itsfi]

I like having both physical books and the Kindle @blackkitty2014. I don’t see myself doing away with physical books anytime soon but there are options with the Kindle, like ebooks through the library, etc. 

[greeneyedgirl107]

Kathy Griffin's Celebrity Run-Ins from A to Z.  It wasn't filled with Juicy tidbits.  Disappointing. 

[quspork]

That's disappointing, @greeneyedgirl107. What's the point of a book about celeb run-ins if there's on good gossip??

[blackkitty2014]

Another quick read from James Patterson Micheal Bennett series. I’m debating what to read next. Just too many to choose from. I’m great full that I can borrow so many good reads from my local library. I wish I can transfer my digital copy to my library 

[itsfi]

@blackkitty2014, I have this on my list and am just debating when to start the series - I have a series I've just started and am trying to decide whether I should have more than 2 books to juggle at the same time. 😬

[blackkitty2014]

This series is kinda liked a tv cop show. Not deep thinking nor 5 ⭐️. Still fun read series though @itsfi 

[fatimamummy]

I just finished reading Lessons in chemistry after seeing it in this thread. It was a long library hold before my turn. In general I loved the characters and story. Other than the strong push on religion aspect without much solid logic (at least for me), It is a good read.

 

[Mellmars1185]

@fatimamummy My aunt lent me this book. I have not read it yet. I guess I will have to read it to see if I like it!

[itsfi]

This was my SEPHORiA 2023 NYC reading and what got me back into reading for leisure more so it's got some sentimentality for me. I appreicate that the repetitive "I'm a scientist" statements were probably more to drive home the point that there were not many women scientists at the time the book took place - I really must have blocked it from my memory because I'm just rethinking that with the comments from other BIC readers. In any event, had I known going into reading the book that phrase would be so oft repeated, I might have made a game out of it - buy a lipstick (or other beauty product of choice) every time she says "I'm a scientist."   @fatimamummy @blackkitty2014  Oh my goodness, maybe you could do that @Mellmars1185?!! 😃🛍 Just a suggestion ... 😇

[Mellmars1185]

@itsfi I totally understand what you mean about a book having sentimental value (especially with Sephoria '23). The book I intended to read there was about NYC. When I read it after, the memories came flooding back. I bet you I have a lipstick for every time the word scientist is said in the book...or maybe I am under estimating how many times it is said?! I already have some in my cart for the upcoming sale. I just can't resist.

[fatimamummy]

Hahaha that would have beeen fun @itsfi . I also think the repetition was intentional. Not only to highlight the fact that she was a woman scientist at a time when there weren't many but also to show the extent of misogyny she was continuously facing. She had to keep reminding everyone that she was a scientist and not a chef or a lab attendant or just a pretty girlfriend of a successful man only for the fact to be completely ignored by every man other than Calvin.

[blackkitty2014]

I like this book but I cringe every time I read “I’m a scientist” @fatimamummy 😂🤣