Laurel County Public Library discussion

LCPL wrote: "QOTD: What’s something you’re looking forward to this month?"

There's not really anything lol.

LCPL wrote: "QOTD: What’s something you’re looking forward to this month?"

No big plans that I can think of atm.

QOTD: Do you keep a reading journal or any type of reading log? If not, do you plan to keep one starting next year?

LCPL wrote: "QOTD: Do you keep a reading journal or any type of reading log? If not, do you plan to keep one starting next year?"

I've tried for many years to keep a reading journal, and I can't find a way that helps me stick to it. I buy a new journal every year and by March it's stashed away never to be seen again.

I keep an online log of my yearly reads and such with online platforms like Goodreads and StoryGraph. I try to keep a physical reading journal and this year I kept up with it better than I have in previous years, but I slacked off by the first half of the year. I will try again next year. I think that if I incorporate an actual routine it will be easier to stick with.

LCPL wrote: "QOTD: Do you keep a reading journal or any type of reading log? If not, do you plan to keep one starting next year?"

Nah, just goodreads.

LCPL wrote: "QOTD: Do you keep a reading journal or any type of reading log? If not, do you plan to keep one starting next year?"

Goodreads. No plans to change.

QOTD: Do you have a favorite poem or poet?

One of my favorite poems is Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost. Some other poets I enjoy are Courtney Peppernell, Rupi Kaur, and Mary Oliver.

LCPL wrote: "QOTD: Do you keep a reading journal or any type of reading log? If not, do you plan to keep one starting next year?"

I just use Goodreads. I don't plan on adding anything else.

LCPL wrote: "QOTD: Do you have a favorite poem or poet?"

I don't read enough poetry to have one, but there have been some poetry collections I've really enjoyed.

Rifqa by Mohammed El-Kurd
This Wound is a World by Billy-Ray Belcourt

LCPL wrote: "QOTD: Do you have a favorite poem or poet?"

I dislike poems more than anyone on the entire planet. But there is a simple children's poem I like. Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss (Theodor Seuss Geisel)

QOTD: Are there any authors whose work you’ll automatically buy?

There's a few authors that are auto-buy for me:
V. E. Schwab
Katherine Arden
R. F. Kuang

LCPL wrote: "QOTD: Are there any authors whose work you’ll automatically buy?"

Billy-Ray Belcourt
Akwaeke Emezi
Adam Haslett

Those are probably the main ones.

QOTD: Do you have a favorite quote from a recent read?

“Life, although it may only be an accumulation of anguish, is dear to me, and I will defend it.”
― Mary Shelley, Frankenstein

“Things don’t have to stay as what they started out as.”
― Travis Baldree, Legends & Lattes

LCPL wrote: "QOTD: Do you have a favorite quote from a recent read?"

"Each season of life is an edition that corrects the last and that will be corrected in turn until the definitive edition, which the editor delivers to the worms, free of charge." - The Posthumous Memoirs of Bras Cubas, Machado de Assis

“It seems very American to expect grief to change something. Like a token you cash in. A formula. Grieve x amount, receive y amount of comfort. Work a day in the grief mines and get paid in tickets to the company store.” - Martyr!, Kaveh Akbar

“I shouldn't treat my body like a shore for others to shipwreck onto. Somehow no one has told me this yet.” - Coexistence, Billy-Ray Belcourt

QOTD: Are there any underrated authors you think deserve more attention?

Some underrated authors that I think deserve more attention:
• Scott Thomas - his haunted house novel, Kill Creek, is one of my favorites.
• Tembi Locke - her memoir, From Scratch: A Memoir of Love, Sicily, and Finding Home, is one of the best memoirs I've read. It's really great on audio because she narrates. There are some phrases in Italian, and hearing the language is beautiful.
• Taylor Adams - I've seen mixed reviews on some of his books. There are some that are loved more than others, but I read No Exit and really enjoyed it and I'm surprised so many people don't know what I'm talking about when I recommend this book for a good wintry thriller.

QOTD: What’s a non-bookish hobby you want to spend more time on this month?

LCPL wrote: "QOTD: What’s a non-bookish hobby you want to spend more time on this month?"

Ceramics

QOTD: Do you read holiday-themed books? If so, do you start reading them in November or wait until December?

LCPL wrote: "QOTD: What’s a non-bookish hobby you want to spend more time on this month?"

Gaming

LCPL wrote: "QOTD: Do you read holiday-themed books? If so, do you start reading them in November or wait until December?"

Sometimes I read holiday books and it's usually in December. Sometimes I start in November, maybe like around Thanksgiving.

LCPL wrote: "QOTD: Do you read holiday-themed books? If so, do you start reading them in November or wait until December?"

i usually don't, but i might this year. i'll probably wait until december

LCPL wrote: "QOTD: Do you read holiday-themed books? If so, do you start reading them in November or wait until December?"

No, I don't typically read holiday books.

QOTD: What book do you associate with cozy vibes?

The Hobbit - it has warm and cozy descriptions of the Shire, Bilbo's love for simple comforts like tea and a good meal, and the storybook narration create a sense of homey charm, not to mention the whimsical adventure, great friendships, and humor in the book.

LCPL wrote: "QOTD: What book do you associate with cozy vibes?"

Maybe Garlic and the Vampire or Garlic and the Witch by Bree Paulsen

QOTD: Do you enjoy reading cookbooks or trying recipes from other books you read?

I haven't really been into cookbooks much, but I think I may give them a go. I typically borrow recipes from my mom's recipe box, from friends, or recipes I find online. But I think there is something kind of special about having a collection of your own favorite recipes to keep and pass down. I also enjoy trying recipes from books I read. There is a "recipe" for a pumpkin bomb from the book Pumpkinheads that I've been meaning to try. It sounds like a delicious fall treat.

LCPL wrote: "QOTD: Do you enjoy reading cookbooks or trying recipes from other books you read?"

I have very few cookbooks and usually they're just for show, I don't usually consult them. I generally make up my own recipe and tweak it over time or use Pinterest, and the ones that work I write down and keep in a binder.

LCPL wrote: "QOTD: Do you enjoy reading cookbooks or trying recipes from other books you read?"

Nah, I usually get them from online.

QOTD: Which fictional family would you want to celebrate Thanksgiving with?

LCPL wrote: "QOTD: Which fictional family would you want to celebrate Thanksgiving with?"

I know they're not related at all, but I would love to spend the holiday with the friend group in Giant Days. I think it would be so entertaining.

QOTD: What’s a book that feels like comfort food for your soul?

LCPL wrote: "QOTD: Which fictional family would you want to celebrate Thanksgiving with?"

I'd love to celebrate Thanksgiving with the hobbits or the fellowship of the ring.

LCPL wrote: "QOTD: What’s a book that feels like comfort food for your soul?"

The Hobbit is one of the most comforting books I've read. It's so near and dear to my heart.

QOTD: What's on your December TBR?

TBR December

Continuing from November
- Chapter & Hearse by Lorna Barrett

Planned
- Violet by S.J.I. Holliday
- Green by Ted Dekker
- The Brethren by John Grisham
- The Street Lawyer by John Grisham
- The Testament by John Grisham
- Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree

Maybe
- Blue by Abigail Padgett
- Finlay Donovan Is Killing It by Elle Cosimano
- The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin

...

LCPL wrote: "QOTD: What's on your December TBR?"

I don't think I'll get to anything. I'm still just reading The Fellowship of the Ring and The Wishing Game.

December Hopefuls:
Home for Christmas by Courtney Cole
Snow & Rose by Emily Winfield Martin
Circe by Madeline Miller

QOTD: How many books did you read in November? What were your favorite and least favorite reads of the month?

I only finished Legends & Lattes in November, but I did read the majority of Circe in November as well. I have less than 100 pages left.

LCPL wrote: "QOTD: How many books did you read in November? What were your favorite and least favorite reads of the month?"

Read: 19 (A ton of short stories and novellas.)
Favorite: Annex by Rich Larson
Least favorite: Indigo by R.M. Demeester, 2 stars

QOTD: Are there any December releases you're excited for?

December releases I'm excited for:
A Monsoon Rising by Thea Guanzon
North Is the Night by Emily Rath
The Last One by Rachel Howzell Hall

LCPL wrote: "QOTD: Are there any December releases you're excited for?"

What the Woods Took by Courtney Gould

LCPL wrote: "QOTD: Are there any December releases you're excited for?"

Only Stars Know the Meaning of Space: A Literary Mixtape by Remy Ngamije

Sister Snake by Amanda Lee Koe