Retro Reads discussion
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Rainbow Reads
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https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
& of course, if consensus shows that most people would rather do the book pool again, that is what we will do! I just thought this would be a fun change!
Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂ wrote: "Some of you may prefer to be surprised at the beautiful rainbow you end up with, so I will put the covers under spoiler tags. But for those of you who would like to see...[bookcover:The Witch of..."
Clever! And pretty - I looked at the spoiler to visually confirm what you’re talking about - book background color, not color word in the title, like a book called “Red Sails in the Sunset”, or “A Color Purple”, right?
Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂ wrote: "& Tania, would you like to put your idea forward again?https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
& of course, if consensus shows that m..."
Oooh, tough call, I’ve loved the book pool, and Tania’s idea is a wonderful way to get discussion going - I think it would be a success, as both last year and this there have been books that “caught fire” and were read by several of us! And chances are, our “primary book” would be one we were personally invested in, would want to share and discuss, so that could be kind of wonderful, also! I’m torn, I like both ideas, I’m about as decisive as a bowl of jello…what sayeth the group?
Personally, I loved the idea put forward by someone of reading Furrowed Middlebrow books for a year (that provoked a spending spree, you may well believe) but I can see it’s limiting and might exclude some who are not fond of that type of book. And of course the rainbow idea is generalized enough that it wouldn’t exclude Furrowed Middlebrow books! So I’m in if the consensus goes that way.
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If someone wanted to lead, we could have some Furrowed Middlebrow reads next year. I do own a couple.
& we will carry on with the Angela Thirkell reads although I'm hoping someone else will lead them.
& I want to carry on with the E.F. Benson Mapp & Lucia books - they hit my reading sweet spot in a way that Thirkell doesn't.
& I did a form of what Tania suggested in this folder https://www.goodreads.com/topic/group... There was no discussion on Angelique as I was the only one who read the book, but we did have some discussion of Penny Plain, Anyone can start a thread there if they want to talk about a book they read in the Pool. On Goodreads, folders that aren't being used disappear from view, so some of you won't have realised the folder is there. :)
I could probably lead a Thirkell discussion—if it’s after our primary election in late May and well before the general election in November. I work for the League of Women Voters in several capacities and election years tend to keep me hopping.
Carol--I am a little confused about your rainbow covers idea. Are each of going to put in five books, and then attempt to build a rainbow with the books we select from the pool?
If so, I rather like that as a nifty challenge to perk up the pool.
If, we are each supposed to choose our books from the vast array of titles that fit our criteria, then the chance of any book attracting more than one reader for any kind of discussion seems slim and not something I would be interested in.
I like the pool as it is currently set up, as I love the chance at 'new to me' books that others found interesting enough to put in the pool.
Carol, now that you remind us I do recall anyone could start a thread - I'd completely forgotten. I'm going to start one about The Swiss Summer and see if anyone else wants to talk about it.
I'm OK with the regular book pool, the rainbow idea, or the Furrowed Middlebrow. They all sound good. I wish my library had the FM books but they don't.
Jackie wrote: "Carol, now that you remind us I do recall anyone could start a thread - I'd completely forgotten. I'm going to start one about The Swiss Summer and see if anyone else wants to talk about it."
I bought The Swiss Summer and look forward to reading it but probably won’t get to it in October.
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Thank you Abigail! The Thirkell reads have been around July each year so that would be ok for you - hopefully. :)
Yes, that would probably work. Election stuff will heat up in August.
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Are each of going to put in five books, and then attempt to build a rainbow with the books we select from the pool?
If so, I rather l..."
Yes everyone selects their own books - it is just a bit of fun. It will be seven books.
When we did it with the BLK group four of the colours were very easy, orange & violet a bit more difficult, indigo much harder. But with us being a retro group, I think violet will be easy, & I think there will be plenty of 60s & 70s groups with orange covers! Making my spoilered rainbow I did find three indigo covers that qualified.
I would probably say each cover has to be at least 60% of the colour. If too hard we could maybe say other shades other that indigo could be used - denim blue or blue grey for example.
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Sorry I missed this one, but yes the colour would be the colour of the book cover.
The “at least 60% of the color” rule is a bit concerning to me, as someone with a little experience with book covers. Certain genres and styles of book tend to have covers that are mostly one color, others don’t; so that might limit reading choices. Books with photographs on the cover mostly would not qualify. Hardcover copies of books (many of my retro-era books are inherited from my grandmother and have lost their dust covers) would not qualify. I liked the idea at first but it’s eroding for me somewhat.
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Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂ , She's a mod, yeah, yeah, yeah!
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(although I didn't add this cover)I think you would need at least 60% to get the proper effect of the rainbow.
Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂ wrote: "& Tania, would you like to put your idea forward again?https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
& of course, if consensus shows that m..."
Sorry, I missed this, I have just moved house and currently have no internet.
My idea was just a suggestion to generate discussion on certain books. It's still a book pool, but those who want to can nominate one of their choices and lead a discussion on it. I do enjoy the book pool. I like your rainbow challenge, that looks rathe fun.
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I'm not sure we have enough people interested in the rainbow idea.
Would most of you rather do the Book Pool?
I think, after reading everyone’s input, I’d rather stick with the Book Pool as is - there are so many interesting choices, I don’t think I’d enjoy it as much if I was having to choose a book for its cover, rather than it’s content…And as the saying goes, “DON’T judge a book by its cover!”
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Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂ , She's a mod, yeah, yeah, yeah!
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Ha! I do (judge a book by it's cover)
My daughter (who is a graphic designer) calls me an Advertiser's dream.
She doesn't mean it as a compliment.
One change I might look at as having a change to the 20th of December (instead of the 31st) for changing your books. This is so that those who like having their reads organised can start planning.
Of course new entries can still enter right up to the 31st of December.
Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂ wrote: "Susan in NC wrote: "I think, after reading everyone’s input, I’d rather stick with the Book Pool as is - there are so many interesting choices, I don’t think I’d enjoy it as much if I was having to..."Tell your daughter I said “Don’t be cheeky to your mother, young missy!” 😉😂
Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂ wrote: "Susan in NC wrote: "I think, after reading everyone’s input, I’d rather stick with the Book Pool as is - there are so many interesting choices, I don’t think I’d enjoy it as much if I was having to..."Agree about the date change, it is nice to plan and get hold f your first couple months of books for the new year!
Carol--I am in! I am happy to stick with the pool concept.Book Pool--check
Date change--check
Now to start finding books to add to pool---oh my, down the rabbit hole I go!
When will you start accepting additions to the Pool?
I am looking forward to another good year of Retro Reading.
Hear, hear! I have started a “book pool 24” shelf on GR because my memory is a sieve - when one of you lovely people review a book in this group or another that might fit, and interests me, I put it on the shelf to put into next year’s pool! And sometimes another book by the same author sounds good…definitely a rabbit hole, but a delightful one!
And we could opt to do the Furrowed Middlebrow, or rainbow, or put forth a primary book (of our five) to lead a discussion on if we chose to do so, I imagine?
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A GR shelf is a good idea.
I might leave the rainbow & see if there is more interest next time. (but feel free to make a post to do it yourself in our Group)
What we do have so far;
* Book Pool
* Book Pool related discussions (anyone can start for any reason)
* Angela Thirkell (lead by Abigail-thanks Abigail!)
* Furrowed Middlebrow (see if anyone comes forward)
* Mapp & Lucia books. (lead by me)
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Book Pool--check
Date change--check
Now to start finding books to add to pool---oh my, down the rabbit hole I go!
When will you start ..."
I thought I would accept participants that can change their mind from the 1st of November. They can change their books until the 20th of December (my time!)
From the 21st December-31st December people can sign up up & choose 5 books, but can't change their minds about their books.
From the 1st of January people can still join the fun, but can't add any books.
Any questions? 😊
Thank you for organizing and planning everything! I do love the Book Pool, even though I haven't read from it as much as I'd intended this year ...
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Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂ , She's a mod, yeah, yeah, yeah!
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I thought The Dancing Bear was just wonderful & would be happy to lead a read of A Chelsea Concerto next year. Anyone interested? I was thinking February.
Jenn wrote: "Thank you for organizing and planning everything! I do love the Book Pool, even though I haven't read from it as much as I'd intended this year ..."I’m glad I’m not the only one. (So many books, so little time.)
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I’m glad I’m not the only one. (So..."
I'm still hoping to get to one of the Wodehouse titles but may run out of time. :(
Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂ wrote: "With Furrowed Middlebrow & Dean St Press...I though The Dancing Bear was just wonderful & would be happy to lead a read of A Chelsea Concerto next year. Anyone int..."
I loved A Chelsea Concerto, but just read it this year - enjoy!
Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂ wrote: "Peggy wrote: "Jenn wrote: "Thank you for organizing and planning everything! I do love the Book Pool, even though I haven't read from it as much as I'd intended this year ..."I’m glad I’m not the..."
There’s always time for Wodehouse, “pure sunshine on the page” *Stephen Fry on the back of one of my Jeeves & Wooster paperbacks!
Although I'm thoroughly confused by it all, Book Pool sounded good to me so I signed up for that. My home library is a pittance since I sold off my entire collection including shelving thinking we were moving and did not. Yikes!! However between my amazing local city library and what made the cut for my own books, I have enough for more than a year. Help! So now what do i do? I will start a shelf for some authors and titles on my Goodreads. Do I just comment from time to time? Are there monthly selections?
All messages welcome and friend requests may even be accepted.
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Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂ , She's a mod, yeah, yeah, yeah!
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Hi Darlene
I specialise in confusing people!
If you look at our home page https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/... you will see thaT next month we are reading Hercule Poirot's Christmas for our Christmas read.
We are reading Mapp and Lucia atm, but you would really want to read the earlier books first - they are so funny.
Next year I will lead the final two in that series. There are further books, but written by different authors & they are out of our time period ( which is 1900-1980)
We have been reading one Angela Thirkell a year. Abigail will be leading the next one, Probably June or July.
& there was talk of a Furrowed Middlebrow/Dean St Press read. The Dancing Bear was in our Book Pool this year. I loved this one, so I am very keen to read A Chelsea Concerto which is also by Frances Faviell. She wrote it after Bear, but it is set earlier in her life.
Other than the Book Pool that is it so far. :)
Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂ wrote: "Darlene wrote: "Although I'm thoroughly confused by it all, Book Pool sounded good to me so I signed up for that. My home library is a pittance since I sold off my entire collection including shelv..."Thanks. That helps a lot. I have several titles by authors on your group bookshelf so am looking forward to discussion. Will probably also start the Mapp and Lucia series and catch up. Thirkell i found on fadedpage.com so can start the series anytime.
Again, thank you for clarification.😊
Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂ wrote: "Darlene wrote: "Although I'm thoroughly confused by it all, Book Pool sounded good to me so I signed up for that. My home library is a pittance since I sold off my entire collection including shelv..."I didn’t know we were reading Mapp and Lucia right now, I know it’s in the book pool. I thought we just read Lucia in London? I’m all for it, I’ve just lost track!
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Yes, two of the books were in the pool. As I had an anthology of the Lucia books we have been reading them as group reads. The final two Lucia books we will read next year. :)
I am probably for the idea, but I am not sure that I understand it completely (although I have read other people's messages). I understand it as follows:On my own, I find and decide which books I will read in 2024 "with the group". I must only stick to the first publication date, choose such books whose covers are in the mentioned colors, and then read them according to the order of color on a rainbow (it is not important when I read it, as long as the order is correct). Do I take it correctly?
Mod
On my own, I find and decide which books I..."
Hi Mela
I abandoned the idea of the Rainbow Read, since the consensus was that most members preferred to do the Book Pool.
I may do it myself to show how it works.
Overall you have it right, but you don't have to read them in colour order. & you don't have to read the edition you choose to display. :)
Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂ wrote: "I abandoned the idea of the Rainbow Read, since the consensus was that most members preferred to do the Book Pool.I may do it myself to show how it works.
Overall you have it right, but you don't have to read them in colour order. & you don't have to read the edition you choose to display. :)"
Ok. Thank you for your explanation.
Mela wrote: "Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂ wrote: "I abandoned the idea of the Rainbow Read, since the consensus was that most members preferred to do the Book Pool.I may do it myself to show how it works.
Overall yo..."
Regular pool, as I understand it: you find five books, your choices, first published 1900-1980, to “throw in the pool”. You tell Carol, so she can add them to the visual pool she’s created on that thread, and she’ll tell you if there are duplicates, or you’ve chosen a book outside the period, & ask you to choose another. Then you read as many of your five and/or other people’s choices. Hope that helps ;o)
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Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂ , She's a mod, yeah, yeah, yeah!
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My 2024 Rainbow
Completed 20/5 & the only cover I had finding was a red. I used covers that fit the challenge not necessarily from the edition I read. Since this wasn't an official challenge, I used Missus for Blue which was written slightly after our time period. I will probably be able to find a blue in our time period over the next couple of months.
good for you, even though it seems like way too much work to me I'm glad you found something new to enjoy.
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Nah, the coding on GR makes it easy to do! :)
Retro Reads
Books mentioned in this topic
The Prince and the Pilgrim (other topics)Missus (other topics)
The Saint Meets the Tiger (other topics)
Dust Tracks on a Road (other topics)
Death in the Stocks (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Angela Thirkell (other topics)Angela Thirkell (other topics)
E.F. Benson (other topics)
I thought from January 1st till the 30th of November we could do a Rainbow Read!
The concept is simple. You set up the colours of the rainbow & choose your book titles based on that.
Red
Orange
Yellow
Green
Blue
Indigo
Violet
Then put your book cover & maybe the date read beside it. I wouldn't put too much else or you will spoil the effect. &, of course, I'm not going to check if the cover you use is the cover of the book you actually read! 😉
Our usual rule will apply - all books must have been first published from 1900-1980.
What do you all think?