SEPTEMBER CHATS, 2022

Tell us what's bugging you or what's making you happy.

COvID put paid to a lot of things including our regular group reads. Is there any interest in re-starting the Group Reads?

Yeah, I’d be up for catching up (or, more to the point, picking up where we left off) on some of our favourite series reads: for instance, how are the crew of the Oregon doing? And did Hero and Sebastian (St. Cyr) make a go of things?

And Cotton Malone! Anyone else with any favourites?

>3 Sergeirocks: Those are mostly mine also. I don't have all the info about what we had read as I did have because of some hackers a year or so ago...but I think we could make out okay.

Thanks for the feedback >3 Sergeirocks: and >4 Carol420:.

Over the next week I will work out where we are up to in all the series and what books we can get hold of and then choose a book to start with.

September Americana Challenge has been posted

https://www.librarything.com/topic/343918

>5 Andrew-theQM: this is the proposed list we had before covid hit

The Bishop's Pawn by Steve Berry Cotton Malone
The Gallery of the Dead by Chris Carter Robert Hunter
Standalone by TBD
The Gathering Dark by James Oswald Inspector Tony McLean
Bloodline by James Rollins Sigma Force
A Plague Maiden by Kate Ellis Wesley Peterson
The Scent of Death by Simon Beckett Dr. David Hunter
Play Dead by Angela Marsons DI Kim Stone
The Malta Exchange by Steve Berry Cotton Malone
When Maidens Mourn by CS Harris Sebastian St. Cyr
Standalone by TBD
The Stone Circle by Elly Griffiths Ruth Galloway

>7 bhabeck: Thanks Brenda, this is a great help 😁

Hi...don't want anyone to worry when I'm not on here 24/7. Our son and his husband are coming in today and will be here until Wednesday, so I won't have a lot of time until they leave. I'll check in as often as possible.

>9 Carol420: have a great time visiting!

>10 genesisdiem: Thanks. We haven't actually in person seen them for two years, but we talk on the phone and email. They're flying into Grand Rapids instead of Detroit. Our son hates the Detroit airport, but he hasn't encountered all the road closures between here and everywhere you might want to go in the state of Michigan. yet. We have two seasons...winter and construction:) Daniel, our son-in-law, will probably drive. He's so laid back that nothing short of an atomic bomb bothers him:)

>2 Andrew-theQM: I know I'm not always available but I would be interested in the group reads to the extent my schedule allows.

>12 ColinMichaelFelix: Would be great to have you with us when time allows.

I would love to read with the group again!

Will set up the first read before the end of the month, and will post the book to start with later this week.

>11 Carol420: - Enjoy your company. I had two different groups visit last month and, in both cases, took them to Detroit for the Ford Rouge Factory Tour and Henry Ford Museum. The road construction was awful!

>16 Olivermagnus: It's still awful. But the governor is fixing the "DAMN ROADS"...like she said she would. I just didn't think she meant every road in the state and all at the same time:) The only saving grace was that it was Sunday and today is Labor Day so there were fewer fools on the road:) Daniel is going to move into Greenfield Village. I didn't think we were going to get him to leave. Our son, Gary, had seen it all over his years in Michigan but he has always liked the Rouge Factory tour so he and his Dad did that while Daniel and I vistaed and explored. They're going to go and visit today with a guy that Gary graduated from High School with and hasn't seen in several years.

Quick question I would love some thoughts on, how important is it for you to like the characters in a book you're reading in order to enjoy said book? I asked this based on some comments I have seen in many reviews here. Because for me personally, I just want the character well written and believable. For example, Gone Girl. I couldn't find a single character to like but I found the story so engaging and well written that I loved the book. So what say you?

>18 ColinMichaelFelix: I find that I need to like at least the main character. They don't have to be perfect, but they need to have some redeeming qualities to make me care if they live or die or if they find a level of happiness in the end...especially if they are going to be a part of a series and reoccur. An example of that would be Eve Dallas from J.D. Robb's "In Death" series. That series is up to book 55. If the reader couldn't like Eve and her "hunky hubby"...no one would have probably read past book 2. I have read books that I simply liked the plot, but I hate characters that don't have the good common sense that God gave green apples. Consider posting your question on the "Read It Track It" group also. There are people on that one that aren't on this one and you will more than likely get some different answers.

>18 ColinMichaelFelix: M C Beaton’s Agatha Raisin is a most unlikeable, and sometimes downright obnoxious, character, which seems to have put off a lot of readers, but if you are able to get over that and accept her for what she is, then the series is infinitely readable, IMO. I also find Jack Frost (R D Wingfield’s character) a bit ‘distasteful’ at times, but I still keep reading those books.

On a personal level, Colin, I’d say the author’s writing style is far more important to me than their ability to invent a likeable character.

>18 ColinMichaelFelix: I like to be able to put myself into the story. If the main character is not someone I can relate to, then I don't usually finish the book. I am pretty open to living vicariously through a character that is different from me, but if it's not an experience I would want, then I don't read the book. I do think this might limit my reading a bit but I have a huge TBR pile and I have to narrow things somehow. I will make exceptions if the book is recommended or it's for book club, etc.

@Andrew65 I'm looking forward to restarting our group reads too! Great idea!

Thanks everyone. Can I suggest we start off the Group Reads with the next book in the Robert Hunter series by Chris Carter, The Gallery of the Dead, book 9 in the series.

I own this book already so let me know how long before you want to start the Group Read, or how long it will take you to get hold of it. Happy to start anytime.

@Andrew65 I own this one too!

>24 EadieB: Yay!

I'm definitely in! I've missed you all.

When they made the Agatha Raisin TV series they changed Agatha to make her a likeable character.
I had seen the show first, so how unlikable and obnoxious she was in the books came as a surprise.

>27 nx74defiant: Never seen the TV series but as you read the books she almost becomes a likeable unlikeable character 😂

>23 Andrew-theQM: i have the book

Most people see m to have the book so can i suggest we start the read on Saturday 1st October.

Start Date : Saturday 1st Oct
Book : The Gallery of the Dead by Chris Carter

Here’s the link to the discussion of the previous book in the series to remind us of what happened.

https://www.librarything.com/ngroups/21963/Book-Discussion-The-Caller-by-Chris-C...

Thanks Andrew!

I have set up the group with the schedule for the Group read of The Gallery of the Dead, it appears the feature inviting others to join the group or to send messages to people is no longer there! So please head over to the group to join.

https://www.librarything.com/ngroups/23817/Book-Discussion-The-Gallery-of-the-De...

Saturday 1st October : One - Twenty-Two
Sunday 2nd October : Twenty-Three - Thirty-Nine
Monday 3rd October : Forty - Fifty-Seven
Tuesday 4th October : Fifty-Eight - Seventy-Nine
Wednesday 5th October : Eighty - One Hundred and Four