2025 Reading Challenge discussion

This thread is to discuss Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin.

Pages: 401 pages

Length: 1 month (January)

Participants: Beth, Sunny2, Jen, Holly, SarahKat, Jennifer

Everyone reads at their own pace during a Buddy Read. Because participants can be at different parts of the book at different times, it is extremely important to mark spoilers so that the book is not ruined for someone who is not as far along as others!!!

Mark spoilers by placing {spoiler} before the text and {/spoiler} after the text but use the < and > instead of the { and }.

I would like to join too please.🤗

Welcome Penelope!

I've started this on audio. I'll try to update my thoughts so far when I get to a good spot to mark spoilers...

My library book is on the way to my branch. Looking forward to my first group read!

I read this last month and I still think about it. To me it was one of the best books I've read in a while so I'm gonna stop by here from time to time to see what you guys are thinking about it! Happy reading

I would like to join please

I would like to join please.

Welcome everyone! I'm on Part 3 I think. I'll have notes to share when I get a few extra minutes to sit down in front of the computer!

I picked it up from the library today. It's windy and rainy where I live today, a good excuse to stay inside and read!

The audio doesn't really tell me when a new chapters is starting so it's hard to end and comment at a good stopping point. Hopefully the parts and chapters match up to the physical version properly...

Through Part 3: Unfair Games, Chapter 5: (view spoiler)[I like this so far, but I'm not really sure why. There's not a whole lot of tension right now. It's a lot of mundane day-to-day stuff. But I like it. We're getting to know the characters really well. There is stuff that is going to cause some issues soon though, like Sam's foot getting worse, and Dove (is that how it's spelled?) being a horrible person.
I like the creation of the game and all the stuff surrounding that as well. I appreciate a good video game and the effort it takes to create any type of media. (hide spoiler)]

I'm planning to start this tomorrow or Friday. Looking forward to it!

Through the end of Part 4: Both Sides: (view spoiler)[Now there is a little more drama going on especially between Sam and Sadie. She's mad that he sent her to Dove for his engine when he knew they used to date and basically blamed her entire 3-year relationship on him. I agree it was horrible of Sam to do that. Not the greatest friend to send you back to an abusive ex for a favor (though I'm not sure he would have known how the relationship actually was). But he has a point too. She could have declined to go.
And it kind of sucks that the way they are being portrayed is that Sam is the better designer and Both Sides was Sadie's fault. I know Sam isn't malicious in that but he could probably be doing more to quell those misconceptions.
I don't like that their game Both Sides wasn't received well. I liked the sound of it and would be something I would really want to play. What's funny is while they were describing it, it sounded really similar to the Persona games, and then those games were brought up. (hide spoiler)]

Out of curiosity, because the book is about video games, is anyone a gamer here? If so, what do you play?

I used to game a lot with my first husband. And now our 11-year-old son plays. So I have a fairly good idea of the games that are out there at least, and have either played or watched a bunch. Especially the late-2000's games.

Have never been a gamer and probably never will but was encouraged to read this book because of all the other elements, friendship, tensions between workmates and friends and love in all its forms. The gaming is fascinating just the same.

I’m not a gamer, but in the past I loved playing Caesar III and Age of Empires. Further back than that, I played a lot of Jill of the Jungle and Dracula in London.

Nice Beth! The only one of those I've played is Age of Empires, and only once.

I just finished Part 7: The NPC: You are flying.

(view spoiler)[A lot has gone on since I last updated. I was really enjoying Marks and Sadie's relationship. Even though Sam was upset. I felt like things were going okay. This last part though. Marks dies?? That's horrible! And Sadie is pregnant with his kid. Ugh. Hits a little too close to home for me. I'm not sure what the next parts will bring. I'm glad her game is doing well at least?

Sometimes the timeline jumping around so much confuses me. Also, I hate the trope that when a woman pukes, she's pregnant. No possible other reason to do that. (hide spoiler)]

I'm planning to start this on Monday will post my update soon

Will join this one as well since I bought it just before Christmas after seeing so many good reviews. Will update as soon as I finish the one I’m currently reading!

Just finished this book. Excellent read. Hope you are all enjoying g it as much as I have.

If anyone wants to try out Emily Blaster for themselves, here is a link:
https://gabriellezevin.com/emilyblast...

Lina wrote: "If anyone wants to try out Emily Blaster for themselves, here is a link:
https://gabriellezevin.com/emilyblast..."

Fun!!

Finished! Here's my review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

It didn't "move" me like a lot of reviewers, but I really enjoyed it.

I started this last night. Whenever I do a group read, I google the book + discussion questions. Here's one from the first 30 pages or so:

Why were Sam and Sadie so drawn to video games as teenagers at the hospital? What did it offer them?

I think Sam and Sadie are both particularly socially awkward as teenagers. Sitting next to each other, rather than facing each other, and having something to do with their hands and a good part of their attention, lessens that awkwardness. This allows them to talk in a way neither of them is able to do with most other people.

Of course, they're also in a hospital, a boring yet stressful setting. The video games distract them from the anxiety and allow them to escape into a world where Sam isn't in pain and Sadie isn't worried about losing her sister.

SarahKat wrote: "Out of curiosity, because the book is about video games, is anyone a gamer here? If so, what do you play?

I'm old- my favorite games were the original Ms. Pac-Man and Space Invaders.

I just started listening to the audiobook this morning on my commute, and should move through it quickly. The early references to Nintendo games like Super Mario Bros. does bring back a lot of memories, but although I toyed with it, it was mostly my brother that had the nintendo. :)

Jen wrote: "Why were Sam and Sadie so drawn to video games as teenagers at the hospital? What did it offer them?"

I think your answer covers it. Definitely escapism. They both want to be part of a different world than their own for their own reasons. Sam can walk and run and jump in video games. Sadie is the hero in video games and not the forgotten sister of a cancer patient.

Thank you for finding a discussion question and posting!

I'm so frustrated. I've been listening to this on Spotify, because I recently realized premium (which I just signed up for) included a limited number of audio books and this was one of them. It doesn't list the names of the parts in the book, but lists the chapters in order. I think my spotify shuffled because I have apparently skipped ahead through at least one chapter, and started another.

Fortunately, I decided to go ahead and pick up the physical book that I had also put on hold, and I may convert to mostly using that. Arrgh.

So far I've read through the end of part 3 (Unfair Games) plus a little here and there...

Enjoying the comments.

Here's another question that will work for any part of the book. I'm up to page 120 or so:

What are your thoughts on Sam and Sadie’s friendship throughout the years?

I probably would have done the same thing as Sadie does with the volunteer hours, and for the same reason. I always liked getting gold stars, points, badges, anything that seemed like recognition as a kid. Likewise, I would have been as offended as Sam to learn I was a charity case. Not sure I would have been able to overcome my resentment to leverage our combined talents like he does.

I also like that when they meet up again in Boston, they collaborate and there's very little hint of either of them hoping it will turn romantic. They can genuinely see each other's genius and understand that's their connection.

There are hints that it will not always be smooth sailing, so I'd imagine that like many artists, they're both stubborn and temperamental, and they'll disagree about money, relationships, or game design many times in the book.

Jen wrote: "What are your thoughts on Sam and Sadie’s friendship throughout the years?"

I thought it was pretty realistic. There are ups and downs. (view spoiler)[I also appreciated that they never did get together romantically. I probably would have gotten the volunteer hours too but I think I would have told him about it, and that I wouldn't be doing it if I also didn't like hanging out with him anyway.

But yeah I would have been hurt to find out someone was only hanging out with me for their own gain. I already have enough anxiety about that. (hide spoiler)]

I've finished the book, and I'm not sure how I feel about it.

(view spoiler)[ I think in a way I feel cheated that Sam and Sadie didn't repair their relationship more, but I also feel like that reflects real life. Things don't always work out the way we think they "should."
I was frustrated with Sadie's response to the loss of Marx, how she cut herself off for so long. I also hate how it never really resolved whether or not Sam intended any of the stuff Sadie accused him of. I feel like it wasn't intentional, but the story never really clarifies that. And dang it, why'd we have to lose Marx? I really liked the characters in the book overall, but I also found them frustrating at times. (hide spoiler)]

Lina wrote: "If anyone wants to try out Emily Blaster for themselves, here is a link:
https://gabriellezevin.com/emilyblast..."

Thanks for the link! That was kind of fun to play around with.

Jennifer wrote: "I've finished the book, and I'm not sure how I feel about it."

I agree... (view spoiler)[Books like this that are more realistic to how relationships and life works are on the one hand, disappointing because we don't get a very good climax or ending, but I appreciate how true-to-life it feels. This book did that really well.

I don't think Sam did most of it intentionally but I also think he knew it was happening and didn't do anything to correct it. (hide spoiler)]

Okay, we're about halfway through the month, so here's a question that comes up quite early in the book but has significant repercussions:

If you were in their shoes, would you have taken the deal with Cellar Door Games or Opus Interactive to produce Ichigo? How would the novel have turned out differently if they had chosen Cellar Door?

I personally would have taken the creative license that Cellar Door was offering. Sadie has dozens of ideas for games and doesn't want to be pushed into a burnout. I'm not American and don't live there, so I don't fully understand the healthcare system there, but no one talks about him re-enrolling in school or getting insurance through their company.

I think Sadie probably would have been a lot happier, and they still could have left Boston. People drive in plenty of places that don't have winter and aren't as expensive as LA.

I don't remember the exact offers of each company...

(view spoiler)[If I remember correctly, one was offering a one-time contract with good money and the other was offering better money but they'd have to create a second game soon?

I'd definitely take the creative license one as well because I wouldn't really like being pressured to come up with another game quickly.
However, I completely understand Sam's point of view. (hide spoiler)]
Being American, I can tell you that getting healthcare through their company or almost any other avenue of "healthcare" does not mean you won't go thousands of dollars into debt. It's the difference between owing $60,000 that you don't have and owing $20,000 that you don't have.

I understand it's not the point of the book, she needed a way to push Sadie into the deal that may or may not have been good for her. But this oh, this is the only way I can pay for the surgery is in cash so I need to take the deal with more money was a plot contrivance to me. It doesn't take away from my enjoyment of the book, it's just they don't explore any other option. I googled Harvard university student medical plans, and I'm sure it's as good as it gets. They even have a hardship fund. Granted, this is 2024 and the book is set 30 years ago, but it does detract slightly from the believability for me.

Jen wrote: "Okay, we're about halfway through the month, so here's a question that comes up quite early in the book but has significant repercussions:

If you were in their shoes, would you have taken the deal..."

I want to say I would have taken the Cellar Door deal, especially as a 20-something younger person. Money has never been a guiding force for me, but my ideals and values have been. However, for that same reason, I may have gone with the choice my friend wanted as well.

I wish Sadie had advocated for herself more, because she kind of turns herself into a martyr to some degree.

Yeah, I see that as well. She seems to have a hard time coping with things and suffers frequent bouts of depression. Yet they never say she's getting therapy or medication, Sam just seems to hope she'll find her way back through gaming. It's not a panacea!

I just finished and thought I'd stop by...

I loved this book so much! Although I found it to be emotionally intense, I actual felt as if I was living through these experiences, not just reading about characters' experiences. It all felt so very REAL to me. I do believe we can "love" others in many different ways and for many different reasons. And "love" doesn't always have to be or need to be expressed sexually! Or even in a committed partnership or cohabiting relationship. Perhaps I could relate to this easily because I have and have had throughout my life several very close relationships with males (I identify as female) that were strictly platonic. The conflicts among the charactrers felt genuine to me. And Marx was an absolutely perfect manager, IMO!

I admit to being a bit angry with (view spoiler)[Sadie for apparently 'blaming' Sam for her renewed sexual relationship with Dov after she went to him to use his engine. I did appreciate the fact that Marx informed her as far as he could remember there was no way Sam had seen the note on the game cartridge from Dov to Sadie... It was her choice to renew that relationship. I felt she was just angry with Sam and wanted to blame him for everything. That also helped relieve her of feeling responsible for her own actions, IMO! Plus she was embarrassed in the aftermath by all the abuse she allowed Dov to heap upon her. (hide spoiler)]

I was surprised by Marx and Sadie's relationship. I just didn't expect it, I guess.

I thought Zoe's character was quite interesting. She added a bit of spice and spark to the story. Especially the scene where she kissed (view spoiler)[Sadie in front of Marx (hide spoiler)]! That made me chuckle!

I loved the fact that they wanted Ichigo to be genderless and that they included more diverse characters and relationships in their games. I also appreciated the diversity in the characters and their relationships in the book! Not everyone is heterosexual, after all!! Not in the real world!

I could definitely understand Sam's choice of the higher paying contract which included a sequel rather then the lower paying contract that didn't demand an Ichigo sequel. He had never (view spoiler)[had much money, even when his mother was alive since she had just recently landed the game show position which finally paid enough for her to move out on her own, etc., and purchase a car. Now he didn't want to be a financial burden to his grandparents yet once again, and he did have outstanding medical bills. I can only imagine those were very high. Marx and Sadie both came from moneyed backgrounds. They were accustomed to having money and not having to worry about outstanding bills, etc. (hide spoiler)]

I'm just so glad I read this book!

I finished this book about a week ago! It was a struggle for me to get through. This read was just not enjoyable for me which was disappointing because it had great reviews.

Ugh. Still haven’t started it. This zooms to the top TBR for February. I just didn’t get to it in January.

Tammy Winn wrote: "I finished this book about a week ago! It was a struggle for me to get through. This read was just not enjoyable for me which was disappointing because it had great reviews."
I am sorry it wasn't more enjoyable for you! :(

Beth wrote: "Ugh. Still haven’t started it. This zooms to the top TBR for February. I just didn’t get to it in January."
I hear ya! Been there, done that!

Finished!

While I really enjoyed the book, I'm not sure I see what All. The. Hype. was about. It's quite an interesting and engaging story, but for me, it's not all that.

The relationship between Sam and Sadie was lovely and frustrating. Poor Sam! Poor Sadie! Poor Marx! My favorite part was the Pioneers play. I didn't see the twist at the end of that. And how did I not pick up the Shakespearan title??

Beth wrote: "Finished!

While I really enjoyed the book, I'm not sure I see what All. The. Hype. was about. It's quite an interesting and engaging story, but for me, it's not all that.

The relationship between..."

I agree. It was a solid book but I don't really get the hype either.