💬 Friday Thread: Choose Your Own Question(s)
Today is free for all, come meet & connect with other readers
Hello reading friends!
I had to double check my calendar to see if today is actually the last Friday in July1. Well, as you know, it is and on the last Friday I usually ask about your favorites of the month. I’ll be doing that—next week. As we still have several days left in July to read, watch, and discover more favorites, next Friday will be the monthly favorites question and we can chat about our August reading plans as well.
Today, I’d first like to welcome new subscribers and say thank you to those of you who’ve been longer term subscribers. Many of you may not realize that Substack has been making big changes to the platform’s algorithm and those changes are impacting how people discover creators in ways both big and small. Only time will tell as to how it all shakes out2.
No matter what, my energy and intentions for my newsletter and podcasts remain the same—I love writing this newsletter and talking books and reading with you!
This Friday Thread is an opportunity for the community to get together each week and talk about the books we’ve read, our reading lives, the shows we’ve watched, the products we’ve loved, etc. If you have a recommendation to share or need a recommendation, this is the place you’ll find both!
I usually try to just ask one general question and the always asked what are you reading now question—because we all want to know that!—but today I want to offer a variety of questions. Inspired by the Choose Your Own Adventure books I read as a kid, this week it’s choose your own questions. Answer as many as you’d like:)
Question Time
The questions I ask in weekly threads are meant to be fun and help us connect, so please know you don’t have to answer each question, if you only have the time/desire to answer one, great! Please put book titles IN ALL CAPS for easy reading:)
What was your last 5 star read?
What book are you saving for a rainy day or vacation read?
If you could gift everyone here one book, what would it be and why?
What have you been reading lately?
Have a great weekend 📚
Renee
The summer is FLYING by! I feel like July just began yet it’s ending
Especially for smaller, more niche newsletters like mine who rely on potential new subscribers being able to find me
Hi everyone! Happy Friday. I'll be sharing my answers to the questions in a separate comment but wanted to pin them here for easier viewing.
What was your last 5 star read?
What book are you saving for a rainy day or vacation read?
If you could gift everyone here one book, what would it be and why?
What have you been reading lately?
My last 5 star read is THE RIVER IS WAITING by Wally Lamb. This book continues to haunt me and is going to be a tough act to follow.
I'm saving THE SHELL SEEKERS by Rosamunde Pilcher for a rainy day. I don't really know why I'm saving it because I bought a copy eagerly anticipating reading it and expecting it's one I'll love and want to keep. But I continue to hoard it and as of late feel like I want to save it for a time I'm not busy and/or not being distracted by a gluttony of new releases. I picture myself reading it under a blanket when the air turns crisp - again no idea WHY I have this in my head haha. Maybe I just love the idea of having it to look forward to??
I'd gift to all of you THE SUN DOES SHINE by Anthony Ray Hinton because it's a life changing story. Since reading it many years ago, It still comes to my mind often. I'd gift it because we all have faced or will face adversity and Hinton's story is one of the most inspiring stories of holding onto hope, having resilience, and not giving up that I've ever read. Plus, it's a testament to the power of our imaginations. I think you'd treasure this book like I do:)
Last week I mentioned that I was reading JUST A LITTLE DINNER by Cecile Tlili - translated from the French by Katherine Gregor. I ended up finishing it in 2 sittings and loved it! It's very much a mood book - set in Paris on a hot and sticky August evening. It's about a little dinner party between 4 friends that ends up being anything but. There's simmering tension, ulterior motives, marriage and friendship drama interspersed with small talk that's maybe not so small after all. At 155 pages the author packed a great story, razor sharp dialogue and layered characterization into a small package. This is very slice of life, be a fly on the wall while a story plays out type of storytelling--there is minimal plot and this is most definitely literary. I initially gave this 4.75 stars when I finished but I have no criticisms so maybe this really is my last 5 star read?:)