JoeB1934 - Books Read 2024 YTD, or Will Be Reading Next

I am sure that almost every reader is continually dealing with the question: What book should I read next?

I know that I have been doing so for the last 50+ years of my life. Being an analyst by nature and education I have spent many hours trying to systematize an approach for answering that question for myself. I have always known that my methods are unique to me and not of any great help to anyone else.

I also know that an essential ingredient for selecting books that would appeal to me are favorite book lists being read by other members and winners of awards for things like '2023 top rated science fiction books', or '2020 best historical fiction books'. I personally have used to great benefit the 'Books to Borrow' for other members that seem to share some of my reading preferences.

In accordance with these thoughts, I have determined to develop a thread dedicated to listing the books I am reading this year that abandons any discussion of my methodology about how I arrived at those books.

In following posts, I will list the books I have read up through the end of Quarter One of 2024. I will maintain and update them as we go through the year.

A few things about how I present these lists. First, I find it easier to look at a list by the covers for each book. I also need to note that I am not qualified to be a reviewer, so as a new book is being read, I will display the book cover and a very brief statement about the book, like a publisher blurb. In more significant books for me I can write a brief indication of how I related to the book emotionally.

As an overview of what types of books I read, I present the following display of what I call 'Memorable Books of 2023'. I read many more books but this list contains those that I had a very strong reaction to.

If I read a book that I thought 'I really have to tell someone about this book!' it went on to the memorable book list.

                MEMORABLE BOOKS OF 2023

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It is logical to ask "What about these books led you to them?"

Without going into unnecessary details I am mostly interested in what are called Literary Mysteries. I have found that determing if a book has a genre-like tag of: 'Literary Fiction', or 'Mystery' the book has interest to me.

There are 'zillions' of books that are marketed as literary fiction, or mystery, or both. Over the years I have enjoyed authors who have written with any of these three tag sets, and I search for such books.

                BOOKS READ IN 2024 by 3/23

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As I have gotten older, I feel very protective of my time to read a book. If I get into a book sufficiently that I can tell that it simply doesn't seem worthwhile to me I abandon the book and it becomes DNF. When this happens, I display the book and explain my reasoning. Often the book is in many ways compatible with other members and I explain that the book simply wasn't right for me at this time.

                BOOKS I DNF IN 2024 by 03/23

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If you are interested in more details about the books in the previous two displays, they are available at:

https://www.librarything.com/topic/358564#n8481037

This thread will stay open, and questions can be asked there if you have any. All newer book reading will be described in this thread.

The books I expect to read in the near term, even though some holds are 4 to 10 weeks away, are in this display

Hello Joe,

I've spent the morning reading through your methodology for choosing what to read next and have enjoyed reading a very organized person's reasoning when choosing what to read out of the near infinite number of books to choose from. Reading a post of yours earlier in the year (January) got me started on listing the books I plan to read this year, but it mostly consists of books I started previously and just want to finish. I find it difficult to stick to a list because other choices constantly beckon. One thing I'm having success with so far this year is sticking to reading only three books at a time -- a non-fiction book, a novel, and an audio book (can be either fiction or non-fiction, but I have to finish before starting another). Oh, and on Fridays I try to read a short work (could be a short story or essay or journal article).

Of the list on your books to read in the near term, the only one I have read is The Elegance of the Hedgehog. I really enjoyed that book and gave it 4.5 stars, which means I thought it near perfect. I hope you enjoy it.

>7 janoorani24: Thank you for this update. Whatever works for you is just fine by me. Each of us has to develop a method which rewards themselves. I create this thread simply because it is another way to have book ideas. I look forward to reading The Elegance of the Hedgehog

After looking at your Club Read thread I saw that you will be reading The Labyrinth of the Spirits by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. He is probably my most favorite literary mystery author.

An excellent choice for books that I probably will like is to follow-up on a mention of a book by another member. When janoorani24 mentioned the Hedgehog book I thought I would see what other books Janiece is reading so I went to her profile to see what I could learn.

I learned that she is way more diverse than I am and even her literary choices for mysteries are classical early mystery writers rather than mine which are more current. My interest in Dorothy Dunnet, who is a favorite of hers, peaked when I found that Dorothy was an older classical mystery author of Scottish lineage.

I added 3 mysteries to my library by Dorothy Dunnet and might add some of her non-mystery books. The Dunnet books are not highly read by LT members, and I learned that the GR details on the books I selected was better.

Aside from learning about her books I found out that someone in the family might be an avid trout fly fishing enthusiast. The library contains Trout by Ray Bergman.

This book is the classic for such fisherman and an early book for me in 1940 when I decided to learn how to fly fish, including tying my own flies. Naturally I looked into the subject thoroughly in deciding equipment I should buy, etc. The book even mentions a stream in Wyoming that I have fished many times, trying to emulate what Bergman described.

I have also added her thread to follow as other of her reading choices appeal to me.

I love the cross-pollination!

>7 janoorani24: I plan on reading The Elegance of the Hedgehog soon and I'm happy to read your opinion.

>8 JoeB1934: Your plan appears to be working well. I hesitate making lists of books I want to read because it seems for me, putting a title on a list is the kiss of death for the book.

Joe, have you read any Sarah Caudwell mystery novels? I think you might like them.

Joe, have you thought of making hyperlinks of your book covers? Infind some hard to read, even when expanding by pinching out. Then people could click/touch through to the book descriptions and reviews. Right now in order to find out about the books behind your covers entails typing the name of the book into the search box, and being able to read the author’s name, IF it is on the cover.

Just a suggestion.

>12 kjuliff: I have been worried about that and wondered how to do the linking. My main problem is that I produce the picture of the covers by making a screenshot and adding the shot to my gallery. I will look into this problem as I know it is real.

Here are my current books on hold that is better, but I will look into the link idea.

>11 VivienneR: I haven't read any Sarah Caudwell but I will add one to see how she writes.

I am not sure where I got my idea for The Elegance of the Hedgehog but when I go to that book page, I see that numerous of the people I follow have the book also.

One key for me is that the LT Recommendations on that page tell me that 17 of the 30 books on the list are already in my library.

>13 JoeB1934: There are some helpful tips on this LT page here

>16 kjuliff: Thanks so much. I will look into it.

>17 JoeB1934: Joe, I just had a look at your gallery from your profile. I hadn’t realized you were doing screenshots of all the books together. Can I ask, how are you getting all the covers on the screen together? I’d imagined you were doing the books individually, like this


Here I’ve done the covers separately and hyperlinks them to the books. I just did two for an example.

>18 kjuliff: I have been off to the dentist for a root canal, so didn't see your post until now.

I have a collection, for example my Holds in Libby. I place the books I want to display in that collection. Then I go to the collection and choose to display covers, rather than the list of books.

Once I am there I do a screenshot with the borders just around the picture of the books. Once I have that I go to my gallery and add the screenshot to my gallery. From there I copy the link to the picture which I can insert into my post.

A very easy way to get a picture of up to about 30 book covers in one maneuver. A lot less work than the one-by-one approach but I plan for a few books to try your suggestion.

>19 JoeB1934: Yes I can see your way is quicker. But it can be relaxing setting it up individually with hyperlinks. Let me know how you go. I’m happy to help if you want to go that way.

Oh a root canal. I’m too scared to have them.

>20 kjuliff: I have looked a bit into your suggestion and was told by a very knowledgeable member that there is a major downside to doing what you have done, He said that the cover cannot be sized at your discretion. He thinks placing the touchstone for the book is preferable.

Have you found that to be true?

As to root canals I have had several and the pain is NOT as feared. It simply has to be done by a dentist familiar with current pain deadeners and techniques and making assurances that any infection in there has been killed ahead by antibiotics.

>9 JoeB1934: Joe, thank you so much for mentioning my library. I do hope you like Hedgehog - I read it in 2011, and unfortunately didn't write a review, so I only remember liking it very much. I gave it 4.5 stars back then, which is a very high rating for me.

Dorothy Dunnett isn't just a favorite author for me, she is almost an obsession. There is even a Dorothy Dunnett Society, of which I am a member. I have multiple copies and editions of all of her books including actual 'books on tape.' My favorites are her historical novels featuring Francis Crawford (often referred to as the Lymond Chronicles), but her mysteries are also very good. They don't have to be read in order, but I suggest starting with Dolly and the Singing Bird, which is the first. If you choose to find some of her non-mysteries, they must be read in order. Start with The Game of Kings for the Lymond Chronicles and Niccolo Rising for the House of Niccolo series. Her masterpiece is King Hereafter, which is a meticulously researched fictional telling of the life of Macbeth.

As to my copy of Trout, I can't lay claim to an enthusiasm for fly-fishing. I inherited the book from my Dad. He loved to fish, and I loved to go fishing with him, but he did all the fishing, I sat on the bank and read.

>21 JoeB1934: Your very knowledgeable member is incorrect. People resize their images all the time. The examples I showed you in >20 kjuliff: were already resized. I’ve been writing html for 30 years. You can also see how it’s done in the LT help pages.

I would not suggest you doing something that couldn’t be done.

Look below - all images resized.

>21 JoeB1934: PS. Yes, by all means use the touchstone for text links. I thought you liked using the covers. You can’t put a link in cover images, only the text title. To put the cover you need to resize. It’s a matter of choice,. I use both on my reviews - see my recent review where you can click on the link OR the resized cover photo to get to the main title page.

That description is terrific, and I will go back to the link you gave me many posts back with detailed information. I will be posting about a book I just finished and I hope to make it similar to your recent review. I don't do reviews like you do, but my display can use the technique.

>25 JoeB1934: I’m glad to hear this Joe. I enjoy trying new things out too. Please feel free to message me if you need any help at all.

>26 kjuliff: I will be doing that this morning after I get going. Thanks for the offer.

>22 janoorani24: I certainly will do more work on Dorothy Dunnett. The only problem I forsee is my preference for audio books, but I won't let that hinder me if necessary.

As to Trout several things came to mind. First, I don't know your age, or your fathers age, but it is possible given that I am almost 90 that I might be of his age.

Your story about reading while he fished reminds me very much of my relationship to my 2 daughters. We all went together on many back-packing trips to high mountains in Wyoming. I planned the route and they as teenagers planned all meals and organized how much weight each of us carried. I did fly fishing and they used a different technology to fish high mountain lakes. Each of us had a paperback book along to read in downtimes.

There are countless stories I could tell, but one experience that comes to mind was the night we spent above timberline and made camp on a grassy knoll. The night was horrendous with very heavy rain, thunder and lightning all night long. Woke up to a light rain but surrounded by waterlogged ground all around us.

My bad route planning put us in that difficult situation where our tent could have attracted lightning and killed us all. We made breakfast, packed up and slogged on to a 7-day trip. No complaints from them and we laugh about it today. Except me because of the risk I put them in.

The fishing and scenery were fantastic, however!

Equally memorable was getting back to our pickup after a 5-day backpacking trip. Got loaded up and started to drive away, turned on the radio to see what had happened while we were gone, just to hear the announcer say that President Nixon had just resigned.

I just finished last night a book that I really enjoyed. Not 5-stars, but a solid 4-stars.



. Key Tags: Literature, Literary-Fiction, Historical-Fiction, Family, Romance, Relationships, Coming-of-Age, Racism
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford With an Average Rating 4.04 for 299,655 ratings on GR


From AI:
“Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet” is a historical novel by Jamie Ford, which tells a poignant story of love and loss set against the backdrop of World War II. The narrative unfolds through two timelines, one during the 1940s and the other in the 1980s, focusing on the relationship between Henry Lee, a Chinese American boy, and Keiko Okabe, a Japanese American girl.

1940s Timeline: Henry and Keiko meet at an all-white school in Seattle during the war. Despite the racial prejudice of the time and his father’s anti-Japanese sentiments, Henry befriends Keiko. They bond over their shared love of jazz music and navigate the challenges of a society marred by war and racism. As the U.S. government begins the internment of Japanese Americans, Keiko and her family are sent to an internment camp, and Henry promises to keep her family’s photo albums safe.

1980s Timeline: Decades later, Henry, now a widower with a son, comes across items that belonged to Keiko’s family, which stirs up old memories and emotions. The story explores Henry’s reflections on his past, the impact of his relationship with Keiko, and the enduring effects of the choices made during those tumultuous times.

The novel is a testament to the enduring power of first love and the resilience of the human spirit in the face of adversity and societal pressures. It’s a touching tale that captures the essence of the era and the complexities of cultural identity and loyalty.

I was drawn to this story because of the historical events in treatments of Japanese heritage residents of the US during WWII. Many of whom considered themselves Americans because they were born in the US. Meanwhile Chinese residents of the US were considered allies of the US since they had been at war with Japan for centuries. This created a very dynamic set of interactions among all three categories of residents, made more complex because of those of all nationalities about where were they born.

In 1885, long before my childhood in Rock Springs, Wyoming there had taken place what is called the Chinese riots (massacre) which killed many Chinese immigrants because they were thought to have stolen mining jobs from 'Americans'. This town is actually known for the diversity of immigrants with a documented 56 different nationalities. Somehow the challenge of racial integration and behavior has always been important for me.

For me this story is outstanding because the central characters are really children whose lives are controlled by the various ethnic categories. This coming-of-age story goes from pre-teen to mature adults and from early WWII into the 1980s.

By focusing on the relationship of two children and their respective communities it was possible to translate the facts of the situation into a story that kept my interest all the way to its conclusion.

The portrayal of the differences between a Chinese family and the Japanese family was dramatic. Henry's father was so tied up with the ancient Chinese Japanese history that Henry struggled with his desire to be friends with a Japanese girl, which his father opposed violently. The ultimate result of Henry's father on the complete outcome was undetectable until we have all of the pieces integrated by the author.

We aren't totally familiar with how the girl, Keiko dealt with the loss of contact with Henry for many decades. Meanwhile Henry matures in his treatment of the separation from Keiko when her family is sent to an internment camp. He develops numerous strategies for dealing with the separation and ultimately decides that he needed to 'let her go' and move on with his own life with marriage to a Chinese girl at the end of WWII.

It is in the 1980's timeline that we see how Henry has maintained his love for Keiko without ruining his relationship with his wife, who has died with cancer, and his children. It isn't until the end of the book that we finally understand what had happened in the intervening years.

I commend Jamie Ford for writing a totally believable scenario about a complex environment that transcends a recounting of historical facts by focusing on these two 'children' and how history worked out in their lives.

The AI synopsis presented at the beginning of this posting is so well developed that I can't actually say anything more enlightening than that.

>29 JoeB1934: This sounds interesting Joe. And I really like the new format of your book notes. 😊

I haven’t read any other book set during WWII where the main characters are ethnic Chines.and Japanese relationships living in America.

I’m reminded that there are many similarities between Australian and U.S. bhistoty. Australia too had a gold rush which led to many Chinese immigrants to, and during WWII Japanese Australians were interned.

Thanks for drawing my attention to this book that I might have otherwise missed.

I have decided that it might be useful to display the covers on all of current holds in Libby where the hold time is 8 weeks, or less.

I would like to post these covers with built-in links to the book details as kjuliff suggested but I am still working on how to accomplish that.



It isn't plausible that I can read all of these books in two months, so I will delay accepting any book that becomes available before I have time for it.

I finally finished my journey into the literary mystery book titled The Mystery of Edwin Drood by Charles Dickens. This journey was accomplished by reading that book in eBook format as a prelude to the book THE D CASE or The Truth About The Mystery of Edwin Drood by Carlo And Lucentini Fruttero, Franco Lucentini, Gregory Dowling (Translator)



Using Copilot I obtained the synopsis of the Dickens book as follows:

“The Mystery of Edwin Drood” is the final novel by Charles Dickens, which remained unfinished due to his death in 1870. The story is set in the fictional town of Cloisterham and revolves around the disappearance of young Edwin Drood. Here’s a comprehensive summary:

Characters and Setting:

• John Jasper: Edwin’s uncle, a choirmaster and opium addict, secretly in love with Rosa Bud.
• Edwin Drood: An orphan and apprentice engineer, engaged to Rosa Bud due to his father’s will.
• Rosa Bud: Edwin’s fiancée, who feels no love for him and is frightened by Jasper’s obsession with her.
• Neville and Helena Landless: Siblings from Ceylon, with Neville developing feelings for Rosa and a rivalry with Edwin.

Plot Overview:

The fathers of Edwin and Rosa, who were close friends, arranged for their children to be married. However, Edwin and Rosa are not in love and decide to call off the engagement. Meanwhile, Jasper’s hidden infatuation with Rosa and his opium addiction lead to erratic behavior. Neville Landless, who is attracted to Rosa, clashes with Edwin, causing tension.

Jasper befriends Durdles, a stonemason, and learns about the cathedral’s tombs. During a night visit, Jasper steals a key from Durdles, but its purpose remains unknown. As the story progresses, Jasper’s jealousy and obsession intensify, especially after deducing Rosa’s affection for Neville.

Mystery and Speculation:

Edwin Drood mysteriously disappears, leading to speculation about his fate. The novel explores themes of jealousy, secrecy, and prejudice within the small community. Dickens had published only six of the twelve planned parts, leaving the mystery unresolved. Theories about the conclusion abound, with some suspecting Jasper of foul play.

Literary Significance:

Despite its incomplete status, “The Mystery of Edwin Drood” is notable for its gothic elements and being Dickens’ only true mystery story. It has inspired various adaptations and continuations by other authors, attempting to provide a resolution to the enigmatic plot12.
For more detailed analysis and character studies, you might want to explore academic resources or literary critiques dedicated to Dickens’ work.

Also using Copilot I obtained the synopsis of The D Case as follows:

“The D Case” or “The Truth About The Mystery Of Edwin Drood” is a unique literary work that combines a novel form with a critique of Charles Dickens’ unfinished novel “The Mystery of Edwin Drood.” Authored by Italian writers Carlo Fruttero and Franco Lucentini, it was first published in Italy in 1989.

The book is structured in a postmodern style, alternating between chapters of Dickens’ original text and the authors’ narrative. The story is set against the backdrop of a convention organized by wealthy Japanese patrons who aim to complete unfinished works of art. During this seminar, the chapters of “The Mystery of Edwin Drood” are read aloud to the attendees.

In the intervening chapters, Fruttero and Lucentini introduce various famous literary detectives, such as C. Auguste Dupin, Sherlock Holmes, and Hercule Poirot. Each detective presents their theories and discusses potential clues to how Dickens’ tale might have ended. This approach allows the authors to explore the mystery from multiple perspectives, offering a blend of literary scholarship and detective genre tropes.

The book’s conclusion does not provide a definitive answer to the original story’s ending. Instead, it presents a satirical and academic examination of the text, making it both accessible and scholarly. The novel is known for its humor and offbeat satire, as it delves into the intricacies of literary analysis while also paying homage to the detective genre.

“The D Case” has been appreciated for its innovative approach to literary critique and its engaging narrative that invites readers to ponder the possibilities of an unfinished classic. It’s a celebration of storytelling, detective work, and the enduring legacy of Charles Dickens

                WHAT DID I LEARN FROM THIS JOURNEY?

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Just to steal from the synopsis above "The book’s conclusion does not provide a definitive answer to the original story’s ending. Instead, it presents a satirical and academic examination of the text, making it both accessible and scholarly. The novel is known for its humor and offbeat satire, as it delves into the intricacies of literary analysis while also paying homage to the detective genre.

I would emphasize that I didn't think of this as an "homage to the detective genre". To me it was more satire about the gymnastics that book detectives go through on speculations about who and how the solution to the mystery happened. Sporadically through the book there was built four different proposed solutions. Thesis A, B, C and D with various combinations of individuals and events pointing at possibilities.

It must be noted that there wasn't ANY data to support any solutions. All this was speculation. We readers of mysteries learn early on that the writer of the book has total control in setting up 'suspects' and final solutions. That is why I am not a who-done it speculator.

What did Dickens actually have in mind when he was at the point the book abruptly ended? There was mention in the D Case about so-called friends that he was supposed to have told his planned solution, but they were also speculative.

The most interesting thing I learned in The D Case was that, supposedly Dickens was envious of The Moonstone which was the first mystery written by Wilkie Collins And that the Dickens book was an effort to top The Moonstone. So, I used Copilot to see if this was a valid idea.

There is a documented instance where Charles Dickens expressed criticism towards Wilkie Collins’ “The Moonstone.” At a low point in their relationship, Dickens wrote to his sub-editor Wills that "The construction is wearisome beyond endurance, and there is a vein of obstinate conceit in it that makes enemies of readers"1. This comment suggests that Dickens had some reservations about the novel’s structure and Collins’ approach. However, it’s important to note that Dickens and Collins had a long-standing friendship and professional relationship, with Dickens publishing many of Collins’ works in his magazine, “All the Year Round.” The nature of any envy or jealousy is not well-documented beyond such critiques and would be speculative.

                THIS IS ALL I LEARNED

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I also learned that my academic training, which is non-existent, in Shakespear, literature, literary criticisms and so forth undoubtedly caused me to miss much of the subtle humor.

Thanks for your thoughts on this Dickens book. I don’t think it’s my cup of tea. I wouldn’t worry about your lack of academic training. Writers are meant to write for every reader and it is a measure of a good writer that they can appeal to a wide variety of readers. That’s why Dicken’s other books are still popular.

So far in 2024 I have been doing mostly what I have done in the past in deciding what books to read. I started the year with around 500 books in my current TBR. That list has grown to about 700 books as I have heard/read about additional books that sounded interesting to me.

Somehow, I have placed a number of those books on hold at Libby or purchased select ones on Audible for my preferred audio format.

As I stand today in 2024, I have thought that maybe I was over influenced by the vagaries of what I heard, or an impression gleamed on a day that I was in a certain mood.

Which of the 700 books have I simply not taken a serious look at? I probably will read maybe another 50-75 books this year and I wonder what books out of 700 should I read to maximize my reading pleasure.

Being a crazy analyst, as you all are aware, I decided to conduct an exercise to lead me to that number of books without using what I heard about any given book.
Of course I used my overall reading preferences for literary mysteries. I added to those preferences books which are not literary mysteries but are classified as literary fiction. Then there are what I consider mostly mysteries, or non-mysteries without any specific criteria.

Being a crazy analyst, as you all are aware, I decided to conduct an exercise to lead me to that number of books without using what I heard about any given book.

You’ve set a high bar for yourself, and made great strides, but is it possible? You are using the lists you generate as good starting points, but art is not logical; theres too much subjectivity involved.

I just spent hours looking at the International Booker longlist books and checking to see if they were on audio anywhere, then looking at their reviews if they were. It’s time consuming and possibly if AI knew enough about my tastes I could ask one of the AI programs. But I’m a bit iffy about AI anyway.

>35 kjuliff: I fully understand your observations and without any doubt today's effort can prove to be not very useful. However, I will be presenting a first cut with cover displays. I have expanded the size of the covers for more visibility but have failed to make their links by use of touchstones as lines below the covers. I will continue to get links in by fiddling more.

>36 JoeB1934: You’ll get there Joe. Once a computer engineer, always an engineer. Please feel free to message me any time. My eyesight is so bad, otherwise I’d email you an example.

In my next display I will show covers for 47 books that my process produced for consideration in my next reading. You MUST understand that there isn't a best set of 47 books to read out of my 700 book TBR. These 47 books are simply what my semi-automatic approach produced.

I am actually somewhat encouraged as quite a number of the books located were on my previous set of targets. Meanwhile, there are additional books that are totally new to me and when I looked at them, they do sound interesting.

                My Newest Books to Read List?

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I am sorry that I couldn't produce touchstones on these books in a reasonable way. I am still working on that.




In a way, what I have done is a personalized version of what LT produced a few months ago with their Recommendations feature which uses Tags in a way that I do.

I also must emphasize that these are books for me to read and most likely you might find very few on the list that are candidates for you.

After some reflection, as can be sensed by the series of deleted messages prior to this one, I plan to change my LibraryThing thread style.

Those of you that have frequented my various threads over the years will understand when I say that they have been methodological and panoramic about my searching for books to read that please me. This has been rewarding for me, but I'm not sure very helpful for other members doing their own searching.

I have spent an incredible amount of non-reading time in this process, which I am drawn to by nature, but the time has come to re-allocate my time and energy back to reading. This time has taught me a tremendous amount about myself, and I have become acquainted with other members and the books they read and their thread styles.

Some members are terrific reviewers that can really inform me about the books they are reading. Many members simply report on the books they have read, and their goals for choosing their current books.

I consider the vast majority of threads as reading journals with varying amounts of detail about their personal histories and events in their current lives.

A new thread will be of the reading journal style. An appropriate journal which captures in reasonable detail 2024 reading seems to be attainable by reconstructing sections of my current 2024 threads. Which LT Group this new thread belongs with requires some thinking also.

Thanks so much for all of your comments and support to me through the years.

Hi Joe,

To see the 'others' link, you must be within the Add A Message box. Type the name of the book you want to add a touchstone to within single brackets

The Little Liar by Mitch Albom



When you click on the (others) link, a drop down menu opens:



click on the title of the book you want to add as a touchstone.

I hope this helps.

As a message to this thread I decided to post the covers on my Holds list in Libby. These books are the ones that will start my new reading journal thread, which I haven't created yet.



It occurs to me that since I am committed to these books, I can continue this thread and simply discuss each book in my new reading journal style.

No need to laboriously create a new thread with my limitations in mind.

>46 janoorani24: Thanks for that explanation about the touchstones. @kjullif provided me with that explanation in a separate communication. Knowing this I still plan to provide touchstones on my books in the best way possible.

Unfortunately, my current hold display doesn't have that feature yet. I just don't want that desirable feature to distract me from my reading objectives.

I have been thinking about how to structure a different reading journal, so I pondered what I find more valuable to me in reading threads by other members,

i find detailed reviews of books read by other members to be a great source of ideas for books to read. When I read a review, I am always thinking "is this a good book for me?" If it seems like a promising book for me, I add the book to my ever-expanding TBR list for analysis later.

Another source are those members who periodically display the books they have read in a recent period, like YTD or the last quarter. Such lists often include the rating stars they gave the book. If a book is 4 to 5 stars I respond like I do for a review.

>47 JoeB1934: You've got some interesting-looking titles pictured here. I'm looking forward to hearing what you think of them!

I have created a new thread in the form of a reading journal. It can be found at:

https://www.librarything.com/topic/359868#n8498471

>45 JoeB1934: but the time has come to re-allocate my time and energy back to reading

not sure if youll see this; but my experience from the last three years of having a thread matches yours. I agree at least for me these are journals of reading with the added joy of discussing with others. I like my thread but it is very toned down compared to others. I cannot spend time making huge lists and keeping u with them. Much rather read

>52 cindydavid4: Thanks for that comment. I should take a look at your thread also.

My latest thread mentioned in >51 JoeB1934: is far more manageable, but even there I spend quite a bit of time describing what I received from reading the book. I am wondering if that time actually is of benefit to any other member.

After all, each of us obtains personal reactions to any book. Mine isn't necessarily anything of value to anyone else.

>53 JoeB1934: Reading about what other people think about and interpret books is very important. For many it helps enrich their understanding of books. It also helps in choosing books to read. That’s why groups such as LT and Goodreads and newspaper book sections exist. Otherwise these would not be necessary. It’s possible to use LT just to catalogue one’s books, but why have groups like CR at all if we have no interest in what others think of books they’ve read?

                My Newest Books to Read List

Title Author                 Avg. Rating                 Number of Tags

A Refiner’s Fire: A Commissario Guido Brunetti Mystery Donna Leon 4.2 35
First Frost: A Longmire Mystery Craig Johnson 4.2 29
None of This Is True: A Novel Lisa Jewell 3.9 27
A Long Long Way Sebastian Barry 4.1 26
James: A Novel Percival Everett 4.3 23
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay Michael Chabon 4.2 22
Indian Horse Richard Wagamese 4.3 21
Mississippi Blood: The Natchez Burning Trilogy (Penn Cage, 6) Greg Iles 4.4 20
The Wishing Game: A Novel Meg Shaffer 4 18
The Nickel Boys: A Novel Colson Whitehead 4.3 17
A Man Called Ove: A Novel Fredrik Backman 4.3 16
The Game of Kings (Lymond Chronicles, 1) Dorothy Dunnett 4.3 16
Cutting for Stone Abraham Verghese 4.3 16
Beartown: A Novel (Beartown Series) Fredrik Backman 4.2 16
The Bird Hotel: A Novel Joyce Maynard 4.1 16
North Woods: A Novel Daniel Mason 4.2 12
The Women: A Novel Kristin Hannah 4.4 11
The Nightingale: A Novel Kristin Hannah 4.3 11
Road Ends Mary Lawson 4.2 11
So Late in the Day: Stories of Women and Men Claire Keegan 4.2 11
Table For Two Amor Towles 4.4 10
Wandering Stars: A novel Tommy Orange 3.9 9
The Hours Michael Cunningham 3.9 9
Mrs. Dalloway Virginia Woolf 3.9 9
Cathedral Raymond Carver 4.2 7
Lonesome Dove (Lonesome Dove, 3) Larry McMurtry 4.5 6
How to Say Babylon: A Memoir Safiya Sinclair 4.3 4
Flight of the Wild Swan Melissa Pritchard 4.5 3
Martyr!: A novel Kaveh Akbar 4 3

>53 JoeB1934: oh i think reactions of others to books we read is the purpose of LT! I cant tell you how many books Ive read based on reviews here. No, mine isnt necessarilyof value to others, But I know others have been for me.

managable is a good thing, no pressure, just easy peasy and snapping up good reads, or sharing my own.

>54 kjuliff: I fully realize the importance of what you are saying and agree that such opinions are very important.

Meanwhile my experience over the last few months indicates to me that not many members, other than you aren't especially interested in the same books that I am.

To see what I mean scan through this thread and count the number of posted comments about the books I have read. Several of these books were important to me emotionally and I revealed those emotions in my posting. Comments were negligible.

In the end I have come to the point where I concluded that I have invested too much time and energy writing for other members instead of doing more reading.

My new format reveals why I am selecting the books I do read in enough detail that anyone else can see if those same details would lead them to read the book.

In many ways I think that my cover displays, in essence reveal where my reading is taking me. It seems that many members simply list the title and author of books they have read, with many not even listing them with touchstones.

I am working on such a listing for my Books on Hold in my most recent post which takes a bit more to make it useful.

Thanks for your comments on my books over the last year as they have meant a lot to me, and I hope you continue to provide me with those in the future.

>56 cindydavid4: Do I understand you correctly that: You believe that other comments are valuable to your book choices, but that your own thread isn't designed to provide others of your thoughts?

>57 JoeB1934: Oh, I understand what you are saying. But take heart. You are not alone. Often I feel as you do, especially after taking a lot of time to write a review, and finding no comment on it for days. But remember, for every comment there are others who have indeed read your notes or reviews and just not commented. Please don’t give up.

Groups only hang together and continue when everyone contributes in some way. Already today your post about not analyzing has encouraged two people to respond.

Also writing reviews or notes is helpful to oneself as you force yourself to think more about what you read, and also it’s a handy reference. Often I’ll forget what l liked or disliked about a book and will go back and read what I wrote.

I always read your posts and hope you will let those who follow your thread, know your opinions, as they are of value.

>58 JoeB1934: no thats not what Im saying. I think my thread is designed to provide my thoughts. but Im trying to be humble and like you notice that I dont get a lot of reaction to mine, ccompared to other threads. If my thread is useful to a few its all good. But a few years ago when I didn't have a thread, I was commenting on lots ot different threads indiviual and group and getting responses, that serve the same purpose.

Your comment about time commitment reminded me how long it took to get all my lists done right for this quarter. I think my comments that I make on other threads often get responses, which is why I think I might do that rather than a thread . but then I like having a thread where I can keep track of my reads and post reviews. so theres a push and pulll to bothideas

Just chiming in to say that I look forward to your thoughts on the books you read, but I also realize that sometimes the effort to write a lengthy review instead of getting right on to the next book might not seem worth it. If you glance through my thread, you will see that I don't write great reviews like some people do, however, I try to write something to at least give a sense of what I got out of the book. Most of my comments are pretty short, but I spend a lot of time reading other people's reviews on their threads, even if I don't always say something about them.

And to add another perspective, I write reviews mostly for myself. Writing helps me process my thoughts and also helps me down the road when I want to remember my impressions of a book in more detail. Some of my reviews are long, some short, some well-thought out, some mere notes. I'm happy if someone finds them useful, but I'm okay with them just being for me too.

On the other hand, I agree with what Kate is saying in that Club Read is a community of readers. If we don't share our thoughts about our reading, there won't be much of a community.

I think some of the readers of your thread may have fallen off of late because you have multiple threads going. It can be hard to know where to respond or to follow you, unless people star all of your threads.

Finally, this is the time of year when participation tends to wane a bit as a whole. The good weather in the Northern Hemisphere means more people apportioning their time between reading and outdoor pursuits. I know I've been busy in my gardens and not reading or being on LT as much as I do in the winter months. My thread is seeing less traffic these days too, including my own presence.

I do read all of your posts, Joe. I just don't always comment. I will try to speak up so you know I'm here too.

>62 labfs39: Thanks for that comment. I certainly agree with what you are saying here. As to multiple threads in >51 JoeB1934: I actually tried to send people to my current thread.

But cindydavid4 in >52 cindydavid4: made a comment on April 27. I responded to her and that led to even more comments here. In retrospect I should have responded to that post simply by sending her to my current thread. Instead, I compounded the issue by working on this thread.

Please go to my current thread where this discussion continues.

https://www.librarything.com/topic/359868#n8521767

>63 JoeB1934: :) its all good