The End of the Year Book Tag for 2023

[@kirkwallmage]

The art of racing in the rain is a good animal viewpoint novel

[@SupposedlyFun]

Thanks for the recommendation.

[@jonnie7891]

Give yourself some grace. Reading shouldn’t be a chore. I am a mood reader so I may finish the books I’ve started, or I may not. I might buy something else and read that instead. Who knows 🤷🏿‍♀️ my goals going into the new year are to clean up my tbr and finish some soft dnfs

[@SupposedlyFun]

That sounds like a perfect goal!

[@deborahaguruso]

I loved Deacon King Kong. I found it funny and poignant; I laughed, felt sad at times, and loved how the story ended. I'm hoping that reading the physical copy of The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store will be better for you this time than the audio book. I watched a great interview with James McBride where he said he wrote H&EGS over one summer, but he did the research for the book for 15 years. It's an amazing read! Happy reading! Enjoy seeing Teddy!

[@SupposedlyFun]

Happy reading! I love interviews with McBride. He's so smart and always has interesting things to say.

[@PaulaBlazer-n7l]

My spirit hurts when humans are violent to each other. HUGS to you!

[@SupposedlyFun]

Thank you! ❤️

[@marciajohansson769]

1. Need to finish... The Soul of an Octopus, The Girl with All the Gifts, The Wall and the Gate. (when will I learn, one book at a time) 4. Books I want to read. After discovering Mean Spirit by Linda Hogan, Pulitzer prize nominee in 1991. She is a native author who wrote about the Osage murders in this book. Want to get to As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow and Demon Copperhead. My favorite book this year was Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus. Years ago I read Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff and was left feeling HUH? so it has put me off from her other books. Not sure I am smart enough to get it. I feel the same as you with any or all challenges. I buy the books and then get distracted by something else which brings me to the thought isn't everyone a mood reader? I think that is the most satisfying way to go about reading! Have a nice weekend. Gives some scratches to Teddy for me. 💜

[@SupposedlyFun]

Teddy loves scratches! We ordered him a bunch of his favorite balls to fetch with thanks to you. He will love them! I did not know what Mean Spirit is about--I'm going to look for that one! Thanks for the heads up. I want to try to squeeze in lessons in Chemistry as well.

[@marciajohansson769]

@@SupposedlyFun When I heard that Linda Hogan was a Pulitzer nominee in 1991 for Mean Spirit which is about the Osage murders from a Natives perspective it got me thinking. I did enjoy David Grann's book but I thought perhaps it was akin to your deep dive into Whose names are unknown by Sanora Babb and John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath. . My brain can associate things that may or may not be connected. Anyway... just my thoughts. 🤔😕😔

[@SupposedlyFun]

@@marciajohansson769 I get it! Mine works the same way. My library has Mean Spirit but there are ten people ahead of me. The Killers of the Flower Moon movie must have spurred some interest.

[@mradcaqbdb]

I heard Teddy toenails on the floor! Is he like Jamie dancing on the hard floors? I always loved to hear her dancing toes in your videos! ❤️

[@SupposedlyFun]

He does make noise on the floor the way Jamie did! It’s been nice hearing it again.

[@jeremyl2594]

If The Color Purple is in play for favorite book of the year then it has a good shot. Even if you don't "finish" the reading challenge you still did it. If you factor in the tremendous impact you've had on other readers as well as our community towards reading and loving books, then you've more than exceeded any yearly challenge! ♥️

[@SupposedlyFun]

That's true! I loved The Color Purple when I read it the first time.

[@benreadsgood]

Enjoyed this, Greg. Thanks for sharing! I just received a copy of The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store today and am very excited to read it (and to see what you think!)

[@SupposedlyFun]

Likewise!

[@myreadinglife8816]

Absolutely you should let any reading challenge go that is no longer working for you. ❤

[@SupposedlyFun]

❤️🥂

[@curtjarrell9710]

Hi Greg. I'm not having a smooth reading year. Mom has been sick, we've had four family deaths, and a former co-worker lost her battle with depression and mental illness. I'm working at downsizing my library and getting tripped up with books that no longer match my reading tastes. My favorite read of the year was Chasing Bright Medusas, which is a new bio of Willa Cather. It makes me want to read more of her work or re-visit old ones again. Currently reading Arctic Dreams by Barry Lopez and Dubliners by James Joyce. On deck if I get to them and no more bad luck clobbers me are a re-read of A Christmas Carol, Island by Alistair MacLeod, The Moon and Sixpence by W. Somerset Maugham and The Notebooks of Malto Briggs by Rainer Maria Rilke.

[@onourpath]

If you decide you want to read a book from an animal's perspective, Martin Marten by Brian Doyle is fab! It has many perspectives -- mostly male marten and human boy -- but also plants and minerals! If that doesn't sound like a fit for you, try Firmin by Sam Savage. He's a rat that lives in a bookstore, and eats the paper from the books because he's otherwise starving. Pretty soon the book pages give him an unusual gift: he can read now. Both books are really fun, but I completely support your decision to give up challenges. I did, and I feel so free to read what the heck ever I want to! Plus, the Tournament of Books long and short lists will be coming soon -- then you'll have 18 books on your plate! Are you planning to read the tournament this year?

[@SupposedlyFun]

Thank you for the recommendations! I confess that I haven't followed the ToB recently. I think I got burned out on how it sometimes feels like you get really invested in an unlikely competitor that makes a run at the title only to get knocked out in the Zombie round.

[@onourpath]

@SupposedlyFun so true! It can be a big bummer if things don't go your way. I like it for all the amazing authors it's handed me in the past 20+ years!

[@SupposedlyFun]

@@onourpath It's definitely a rollercoaster!

[@user-yg6ft1iu1i]

Really enjoyed hearing these tags and I’m looking forward tothe 3 story collections you mention. But I have some other ideas lined up mainly 2 more of my big books which was my goal for the year. I’m with you on reading challenges, I like the idea of them but so many books so little time so I’ll stick with my TBR. Plus people like you give me so many ideas throughout the year it’s hard to keep up

[@SupposedlyFun]

So many books, so little time!

[@janethansen9612]

I've had a tough year with chronic illness and some mental health issues, so I had to drop a few of my reading plans too. However things are improving and I've really enjoyed the last four or so books I've read. I'm planning to pick up Jesmyn Ward's new book soon as I've never read her before and the James McBride plus a couple of new Aussie titles.

[@SupposedlyFun]

I'm so sorry about the tough year. Sometimes you do have to let reading go a bit to work on other things--but it will always be there when you're ready again. ♥️

[@janethansen9612]

And it's perfectly okay to take a bit of break@@SupposedlyFun

[@SupposedlyFun]

@@janethansen9612 Very true!

[@toweringtbr]

Definitely give up the challenge if it's going to make you read things you're not in the mood for. Reading is fun! I had to after a 5 year streak of completing it and my worlds no worse for it.

[@SupposedlyFun]

Thanks for the reminder! I appreciate that. It is supposed to be fun.

[@readandre-read]

Hey, you made it through a tough year and you read some good books. Score!

[@SupposedlyFun]

Very true! Thanks.

[@nanimaonovi2528]

Remarkably Bright Creatures has an octopus narrator named Marcellus for part of the story and it's definitely in your wheelhouse.

[@SupposedlyFun]

I didn't finish it when I picked it up about a year ago, but so many people love it that I feel like I should try again.

[@nanimaonovi2528]

@@SupposedlyFun respect your initial opinion, there are so many authors out there on your wavelength you could enjoy your time with. I'm currently staring down Alix E. Harrow's new book. I know we are bad together, yet the sexy synopsis is so compelling. Respect the no, stand by the no. Don't be like me!

[@SupposedlyFun]

@@nanimaonovi2528 Fair enough! 🥂

[@jacquelinemcmenamin8204]

So Late In the Day , is a story of a man who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing. I’m currently listening to The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store March Happiness Falls Still reading The Stone Diaries I won’t get much reading done this weekend as we have a big family wedding. ☘️👋🍀📚☕️📕📖🇮🇪

[@SupposedlyFun]

Have fun at the wedding!

[@camillodimaria3288]

The MBC reading challenge looks interesting. To diversify expanding my horizon. On another note, Lately I’ve been bouncing back & forth btwn The Book of Form & Emptiness & Pachinko. Am enjoying them. I wanna check out The Good Lord Bird as per your recommendation. Also wanna read The Shards & A Brief History of Seven Killings. I just finished Empire Falls. It was mostly hilarious.

[@SupposedlyFun]

I remember really enjoying Empire Falls. I hope you enjoy any of the books you pick up! I definitely have found some good reads from following the prompts on the Montana Book Company challenges.

[@athertonca]

Alice McDermott’s new book, Absolution, published this Tuesday. That is one book I will definitely read this year. Based upon two earlier books of hers, Charming Billy (National and American Book Awards) and That Night (Pulitzer finalist), Absolution should be in my top five for 2023. Other than that, I plan on completing two or three Pulitzer winners before year end, one of which will be The Stories of John Cheever.

[@SupposedlyFun]

I remember really liked The Stories of John Cheever. And the new Alice McDermott is great! I hope you like it as much as I did.

[@bookofdust]

I have a terrific, inventive and short animal perspective book for you. Open Throat is about a Gay mountain lion stalking the hills of Griffith Park in LA and having satisfying and unsatisfying interactions with humans. I think the audio, which I recommend, may come in in about 2 hours, there’s some catty, bitchy observations, a bit of drama and thrill and a very satisfying and triumphant ending of the story. You and Joel could easily listen together (fun to discuss) on an extended car ride of errands or shorter trips.

[@SupposedlyFun]

I've heard good things about that book. Thanks for the recommendation!

[@KurtAnderson812]

Very much looking forward to the new Claire Keegan. I’ve mentally listed “Small Things Like These” as an annual Christmas read. Speaking of Christmas, it’s November, where are the decorations?!?!

[@SupposedlyFun]

Ha! The Christmas decorations have been popping up in the rest of the house. I had never considered decorating the library, but this is the first holiday season it will have been set up like this. Hmmm.

[@hayleystenger2799]

F I read Stone Butch Blues this year and I personally felt that the violence did settle somewhat. Unions are also a big part of the book and that becomes part of a really interesting conversation. Don't get me wrong, I was uncomfortable at parts and there was abuse, but the beginning of the book was like being doused in ice water. It made me sick to my stomach with the descriptions of abuse. I couldn't have finished if it continued at that level.

[@SupposedlyFun]

Thanks--that's very good to know.

[@jackwalter5970]

I reserved Roman Stories by Jhumpa Lahiri at my library, and I just found out I will get it by this weekend. Also looking forward to reading The Portable Jack London. Very autumnal/winterly.

[@SupposedlyFun]

I hope you enjoy Roman Stories as much as I did!

[@loriroemer1122]

Stone Butch Blues is a difficult read for sure, but worth it. You have some short stories in your tag- I got a short story advent calendar, 24 or 25 short stories, individually bound, in a small case. I cannot wait to read them!

[@SupposedlyFun]

I've thought about doing one of those story advent calendars and haven't done it yet.

[@karendavies7510]

Read some short things to get those prompts finished! For example, my library has a children's book by bell hooks called Skin Again. It is only 32 pages long.

[@SupposedlyFun]

Well that's good to know. Thanks!

[@karenkonz3181]

Dude there was a movie with Oprah as supporting cast member…that’s the BEST version..We don’t NEED another.

[@SupposedlyFun]

But I’m really excited to see what Danielle Brooks brings to the part!

[@curioushmm9027]

i thought you read the food book by stanley tucci this year.

[@SupposedlyFun]

I read that one last year! Feels like yesterday though.

[@curioushmm9027]

@@SupposedlyFun tempus fugit😀

[@spexi513]

Added Vaster Wilds to my November BOTMC box anddddd they had Jesmyn Ward’s latest as one of the selections, so chose that. You mentioning the former reminded me I had thought of you while I composed my box. 📖🪱💚

[@SupposedlyFun]

I think Vaster Wilds is going to be my next audio!