Retro Reads discussion

Abigail wrote: "Thank you, Carol, for another wonderful year!"

Hear, hear!

I was hurrying to finish The Swiss Summer by Stella Gibbons for my last read, and then realized it isn’t on the book pool list! So I wound up with just seven books overall. Carol started a separate thread for this book and I’ll post my comments over there tomorrow (I’m currently enjoying the sights of NYC) if anyone else wants to chime in.

Thank you most sincerely, Carol, for your leadership. I picture you as a border collie chasing herds of sheep in every direction but eventually getting everyone into the right pens!

Elinor wrote: "I was hurrying to finish The Swiss Summer by Stella Gibbons for my last read, and then realized it isn’t on the book pool list! So I wound up with just seven books overall. Carol st..."

Elinor--I threw The Swiss Summer into the pool for 2024. So you may well have people to share your comments with in the new year.

oh, good, I was hoping to hear more talk about The Swiss Summer!

Elinor wrote: "I was hurrying to finish The Swiss Summer by Stella Gibbons for my last read, and then realized it isn’t on the book pool list! So I wound up with just seven books overall. Carol st..."

Hahahahaha!

I'm in a bit of a rush to get a review up before I return the book, but later on I'll see if I can find a clip of an old NZ programme, A Dog's Show.

& there will probably be a bit of confusion between the two Book Pool threads over the next couple of days.

Does anyone have a book that they think they will finish by the deadline?

#8 reader here!

I was reading A Winter Away but have given up for now. I still want to finish it but I'm more in the mood for reading Christmas murder mysteries at the moment!

I've also just noticed that I Capture the Castle is in the Pool. I reread that in July but forgot to add it. One of my all time favourite books.

Added for you Lynnie. & your post reminds me...

Tania wrote: "#9 with book 10 finished on 26/11/23.
Lucia in London 5*s.

I did find the Kitchen table drama a bit far fetched, but they are just such funny books, 5* s all the way."

I got in a muddle here. It was Mapp and Lucia I finished, which was in the pool, not Lucia in London, which wasn't. I see you recorded it correctly, just me getting it wrong

Echoing previous posts to say Thank you so much for all you do. I love the book pool, it makes me get to either books I'e been meaning to read for ages, or books I didn't know I should have been meaning to rwad. I'm currently reading A Touch of Mistletoe, and though I won't finish on time, I love it so far. (It's one of the former).

Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂ wrote: "Elinor wrote: "I was hurrying to finish The Swiss Summer by Stella Gibbons for my last read, and then realized it isn’t on the book pool list! So I wound up with just seven books ov..."

No, I have a few in the pool I still want to read, but not by tonight! Glad The Swiss Summer is up for next year, and there’s a couple others on my TBR, thanks to everyone’s excellent suggestions!

Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂ wrote: "Added for you Lynnie. & your post reminds me..."

Thank you Carol and I've just seen the Poirot thread.

Also thank you very much for all the organising of the book pool.

I am joining with Abigail and Sharon - Thank you, Carol. I know you are moderating and are active in other groups, so it is quite a lot of time. Although it is also a fun - I hope ;-)

I wanted to see which books were the most popular (I don't know if Carol has such statistics). Sadly, my data differ a tiny bit from Carol's (in message #3) - I did not notice two books from Jackie and one from Barb. Nonetheless, it isn't a big difference.

So, if anyone would like to know, this year the most popular were:

Business as Usual by Jane Oliver (seven members read it)
Chip of the Flying U by B.M. Bower (six members read it)
Jill the Reckless by P.G. Wodehouse (six members read it)
Queen Lucia by E.F. Benson (five members read it)

Very interesting , thanks! I read those and enjoyed them, especially Lucia and Business as Usual.

Mela wrote: "I wanted to see which books were the most popular (I don't know if Carol has such statistics). Sadly, my data differ a tiny bit from Carol's (in message #3) - I did not notice two books from Jackie..."

Thanks for that Mela. I am about halfway through the count - & cursing myself for not doing a count as I went.

I rally enjoyed Jill the Reckless (The Little Warrior) & Queen Lucia was one of my favourite reads of the year. definitely my favourite read from the pool.

Well, I think everyone will have contacted me about their reads, so I will announce the winners!

1 Susan in NC! 16 books 🥇
2 Abigail 15 books🥈
3= Barb 🥉& Mela 12 books🥉

Congratulations, ladies!

Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂ wrote: "Well, I think everyone will have contacted me about their reads, so I will announce the winners!

1 Susan in NC! 16 books 🥇
2 Abigail 15 books🥈
3= Barb 🥉& Mela 12 books🥉

Congratulations, ladies!"

Thanks! It was a delightful year in reading, this group gave me so much enjoyment through the pool! I read my five, then got wonderful ideas of what to read next from all of your comments and reviews, thank you for that!

congratulations!

Jackie wrote: "congratulations!"

Thank you, dearest!

Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂ wrote: "Well, I think everyone will have contacted me about their reads, so I will announce the winners!

1 Susan in NC! 16 books 🥇
2 Abigail 15 books🥈
3= Barb 🥉& Mela 12 books🥉

Congratulations, ladies!"

Thanks to all for the great selection of titles. There were so many interesting books in the pool that my problem was not choosing a book but finding time to read it!
I started out with an idea of which ones I wanted to read and the the various comments lured me in many other directions. I had a great time.

Barb in Maryland wrote: "Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂ wrote: "Well, I think everyone will have contacted me about their reads, so I will announce the winners!

1 Susan in NC! 16 books 🥇
2 Abigail 15 books🥈
3= Barb 🥉& Mela 12 boo..."

Same here, great fun!

It was my first year with this challenge and I loved it. I have found wonderful books, thanks to you ladies (sorry, if I haven't noticed a man who is amongst us ;-) )

Applause all around! And cheers for what reading fun awaits us next year!

Mela wrote: "It was my first year with this challenge and I loved it. I have found wonderful books, thanks to you ladies (sorry, if I haven't noticed a man who is amongst us ;-) )"

We have had male members in the past, but they all seem to have wandered off.

Guys are more than welcome to join though!