I've been looking forward to this. I always enjoy hearing your thoughts. Love and Missed and North Woods appeal to me the most from this group of books. Great job!
It’s really interesting to see a judge for the same group reviewing the books I also read. Robert said that everyone’s #6 ranking is someone’s #1. It’s true. I thought Love and Missed was going to be a shoe in for advancement because I could see how other people would love it even it fell flat with me. Stories about families usually do. We pretty much agree about Blackouts. The book wanted me to work harder than I was willing. Very thoughtful reviews.
I’ve been dying to talk to you about these books, Greg. I was really sad about Loved and Missed not moving on. What was your #1, if I may ask? And I agree-Blackouts just demanded too much, even while I see what he’s trying to do and I do applaud it….
@@BookChatWithPat8668 1. North Woods 2. Lone Women 3. The Vulnerables 4. The Queen of Dirt Island 5. Blackouts 6. Loved and Missed To be honest, I think only North Woods was top notch. While I like LaValle as a writer, I think Lone Women wasn’t his best. I appreciated The Vulnerables, but it didn’t do much for me as a reader.
@@anotherbibliophilereads Thanks, Greg. So interesting! I went into this round thinking North Woods would be my #1 as I had already read it for my book group the month before, but then I was blown away by Loved and Missed and Queen of Dirt Island. So interesting…
I have Blackouts, North Woods, and Lone Women hanging out in the endless TBR pile, and you've made me want to go out and buy The Queen of Dirt Island just to study the unique structure if nothing else. I'm fairly sure I would hate The Vulnerables and I don't think you could get me within a hundred yards of Loved and Missed without a serious cash bribe. But very glad you enjoyed it, if enjoyed is the right word for such a book. Cheers!
Hi Troy! I went into this round thinking that North Woods-which is phenomenal-would be my #1 pick as I’d already read it. But then I was blown away by Loved and Missed and by Queen of Dirt Island. These were all good books, all doing really interesting things. I just had the most powerful reading experiences with my top 3. Your reaction to my discussion of Loved and Missed did make me laugh! 😂 Thanks for watching and commenting, Troy! I hope you’re having a good weekend! 😊
I have been looking forward to your impressions of your book group for the Quarterfinals - and your video did not disappoint. I had "The Vulnerables" in my group for the Octos. It had some humorous parts - I got a kick out of the parrot. I have a full review of it that I will post later today. "Loved and Missed", "Northwoods" and "The Queen of Dirt Island" sound amazing. I remember all of them from the original list of 80 and thinking that they would be good reads.
Thank you, Reney! I did like The Vulnerables. I redid this ranking over and over, each time I finished another book! It was a strong, challenging batch. Thank you, as always, for responding to my videos so thoughtfully! I so appreciate YOU! 🥰
@ yeah. Just finished a book club talk about it. The three of us had different experiences. I think a lot was said in a few pages at times, and it was written in a unique non linear way at times. I’ll need to read it again later.
Hello Pat, I read the first Justin Torres book, we the animals, and I enjoyed it, partly because Justin Torres is half Puerto Rican like me, and grew up in upstate New York. I was brought up in the city so it’s different, but I understood a lot of cultural identification of that book. Of the books you mentioned, I read the vulnerable. I didn’t love it, but I appreciate it what the author was saying again the New York setting was familiar to me. The book about the women is the one that appeals to me the most when you said there’s some laugh out loud sections. Great reviews, and sorry your favorite wasn’t going forward. Aloha friend.
Hi Marilyn. Thanks for telling me about your associations to these books and to Justin Torres. I feel good that my 2, 3, and 4 did go through, but I’m sad about the #1. It really blew me away. There weren’t any bad books in this bunch. It’s just that the ones that resonated with me really took my breath away. Hope you’re doing well, my friend. 🥰
Great review Pat! I judged Blackouts in the Octofinal round and also put it in 6th. I appreciate what Torres was doing and the importance of the book but it wasn’t for me the way others were. What a beautiful description of Loved and Missed. I can’t wait to get to it! I judged Nonfiction Group D for this round and the book selections were more alike and less experimental than my first round of books.
Thank you, Holly. Yes, I agree. I totally understand what Torres is doing and I appreciate the book. I almost felt guilty putting it sixth. It just didn't work for me the way the other more experimental narratives did. I judged Non-Fiction in the Octofinals. I'm curious about what your top books were in Non-Fiction. I'm taking this semi-final round off.
I’m taking this next round off as well. I need to be able to read what I want to read for awhile. My top three were: We Were Once a Family, Wifedom, and Flee North. I also had 2/3 go through. The Wager was picked over Flee North. I am not surprised by that but I just felt like the topic in Flee North was more important and the whole book held up better. The Wager was good but the ending seemed to drop off in the quality of writing. The Dictionary People was my number 6 spot. It was an okay book but didn’t do anything exceptional in my opinion.
@hollyc4624 I’m totally with you on wanting to read what you want to read for a while. Everyone I’ve heard from this round had two out of three advance. I had The Wager in my first round. I liked it, but I think I ranked it #3. Thanks for filling me in on your quarterfinal round.
Hi Heidi! Thanks! Yes, I was really sad that my top book didn’t make it. I know a lot of people who were totally blown away by this book, but I think its subject matter may have turned some people off. Two of my top three made it through, and all of my top three non-fiction books made it through. This novel was just so personally significant to me that it hit me really hard when it was disqualified. I probably need to lighten up a little. 😊
Thank you for this, great wrapup. I think all of these sound worth reading, although I might skip Blackouts. The topic sounds very interesting but I think these parts of history would benefit from being made more accessible instead of trying to make the point of difficulty. Since the research has already been hidden, denied, blacked out - why hide it again in some puzzle of a book? Feels like it works against itself. It’s a lot like being a good teacher, I’ve always had more respect and appreciation for those who can explain things so that everyone understands, rather than the ones who seem like they just want to seem clever or knowledgeable themselves.
Beautifully put! I do get what he’s doing, I think. It just didn’t work as well, emotionally, with me. Thanks for this thoughtful comment, as always! 🥰
Great job, Pat! Thank you for taking the time to participate and give such thoughtful reviews. Your # 1 sounds wonderful but I'm a bit cautious as I've had my own tragedy. The only author I've read is LaValle many many years ago and found the novel interesting, weird, and a bit uneven but enjoyable. I sometimes enjoy the weird and probably make allowances for any shortcomings. You've certainly piqued my interest in your final four. Have a great weekend!
Thank you for the reviews! It may not have moved on, but you've convinced me to read "Loved and Missed!" I read and loved North Woods this month - such a unique book, and I feel the author really pulled off all the different genres. I loved it!
Hi Jessica. Thank you for this lovely comment. I did really love North Woods too. But the ones I ranked 1 and 2 hit me on a deeply personal and emotional level.
Hi, Pat. I really enjoyed this video. I actually just started Loved and Missed this afternoon. Early days, but the writing is gorgeous (and, yes, I can see I'm going to absolutely fall in love with Ruth). I have owned North Woods for a while and keep going back & forth on "should I or shouldn't I?" and your review has pushed me firmly into SHOULD. Finally, I just bought Queen of Dirt Island because you made it sound absolutely unmissable. Um, thanks??? 😂
@Nina_DP I’m sorry I’m costing you money!! I had read North Woods earlier for my book group, and I already thought it was pretty great. But Queen of Dirt Island and Loved and Missed resonated with me even more powerfully.
@@BookChatWithPat8668 No worries! There's worse things I could spend my money on than great books. I finished Loved and Missed this morning and I agree with absolutely everything you said in your review. Outstanding, exquisite, moving book.
@@BookChatWithPat8668 I'm doing great. I went to the gym with my housemate today. Then the comic book store. Enjoyed the nice weather in Michigan. I mainly read poetry, fantasy, history, abd philosophy
Really great video, Pat! Your group had some unusual novels. I have read Lone Women and North Woods. I agree with your reviews of those two, although my love of North Woods might have led me to rank it higher. I haven't read your top two so I can't say for sure! After this, I can't tell if I'm feeling challenged or trepidatious about my upcoming reading of Blackouts...
Hi Angelia. I went into this round already loving North Woods, but then I read the two that I ranked #1 and #2, and I was just blown away. Sadly, my #1 got cut. Don’t be turned off by Blackouts. It’s a really important book, as you know. It just didn’t work for me, even as I could clearly see why this is an important and powerful book. It was just too much of a collage or collection of stuff for me. I wanted Torres to work more to pull all the parts together.
@@BookChatWithPat8668 It gets harder in the last two rounds because the books remaining are usually so strong! Are you judging this round? I am fiction B.
@@readandre-read No, I'm taking this round off. I did non-fiction the first round and fiction in the second round. I needed a break. Where all three of my top picks in the first round advanced, this time I had two--and everyone I've talked to has also said that they had two advance. We'll see how I feel about jumping in again in the finals. I really enjoyed judging these rounds, but I felt A LOT of pressure. I want to feel a little less stressed right now. I hope you have a great judging round.
@@BookChatWithPat8668 I judged the first round and took my break on the 2nd so I felt ready to jump back into it. I don't think I'd ever stay in it for all the rounds!
@@readandre-read No, I’m not sure how anyone does four rounds! There are too many other things to read outside of this award. It’s hard to read for judging and participate in other things. I hope this is a great round for you.
Great reviews as usual, Pat. I really enjoy watching your videos. I judged Nonfiction Group B for this round, but I have read two of the books that you reviewed here (Lone Women and Loved and Missed) and once again I agree with your reviews of both. I look forward to seeing what makes it through to the finals. Keep up the great work. I may not always comment, but I enjoy watching your videos regularly.
@@BookChatWithPat8668 Yes, I started following you because it turned out that you and I judged the same group in the Octofinals (Nonfiction Group D) and I was impressed with your reviews. As for the Quarterfinals, I had difficulty with my rankings only because I felt that all the books were great and worthy of their place. I really sat with my rankings for a long time, but I'm happy to report that my top 2 made it through, as well as Eve, which I ranked fifth, but really I would have been okay with any of the books going through because I got a lot out of them all.
It’s such a fascinating process, isn’t it? I also sat with these rankings for a long time, and they changed several times. Were our picks close in the Octofinals?
@@BookChatWithPat8668 Yes, our rankings were similar. The only book we didn't place similarly was The Story of Art Without Men which I really liked and placed first. From what I recall, your top three ended up all going through, and those books ranked 2,3, and 4 for me. I guess it's meant to get harder as the rounds go on. I wasn't selected to judge in the Semifinals, but we'll see how it goes in the finals. I'm trying to read all of the nonfiction books in the prize, so I have a few more to go.
@@angieispuzzled oh yes! Now I remember! Sorry. I didn’t volunteer for this semifinals round. I needed to feel a little less pressure. We’ll see how I feel next round.
I've been looking forward to this. I always enjoy hearing your thoughts. Love and Missed and North Woods appeal to me the most from this group of books. Great job!
Thank you so much, Helen. I appreciate hearing your feedback! Thanks for watching!🥰
It’s really interesting to see a judge for the same group reviewing the books I also read. Robert said that everyone’s #6 ranking is someone’s #1. It’s true. I thought Love and Missed was going to be a shoe in for advancement because I could see how other people would love it even it fell flat with me. Stories about families usually do. We pretty much agree about Blackouts. The book wanted me to work harder than I was willing.
Very thoughtful reviews.
I’ve been dying to talk to you about these books, Greg. I was really sad about Loved and Missed not moving on. What was your #1, if I may ask? And I agree-Blackouts just demanded too much, even while I see what he’s trying to do and I do applaud it….
@@BookChatWithPat8668
1. North Woods
2. Lone Women
3. The Vulnerables
4. The Queen of Dirt Island
5. Blackouts
6. Loved and Missed
To be honest, I think only North Woods was top notch. While I like LaValle as a writer, I think Lone Women wasn’t his best. I appreciated The Vulnerables, but it didn’t do much for me as a reader.
@@anotherbibliophilereads Thanks, Greg. So interesting! I went into this round thinking North Woods would be my #1 as I had already read it for my book group the month before, but then I was blown away by Loved and Missed and Queen of Dirt Island. So interesting…
I have Blackouts, North Woods, and Lone Women hanging out in the endless TBR pile, and you've made me want to go out and buy The Queen of Dirt Island just to study the unique structure if nothing else. I'm fairly sure I would hate The Vulnerables and I don't think you could get me within a hundred yards of Loved and Missed without a serious cash bribe. But very glad you enjoyed it, if enjoyed is the right word for such a book. Cheers!
Hi Troy! I went into this round thinking that North Woods-which is phenomenal-would be my #1 pick as I’d already read it. But then I was blown away by Loved and Missed and by Queen of Dirt Island. These were all good books, all doing really interesting things. I just had the most powerful reading experiences with my top 3. Your reaction to my discussion of Loved and Missed did make me laugh! 😂 Thanks for watching and commenting, Troy! I hope you’re having a good weekend! 😊
Brilliant round-up Pat. I really want to read Loved and Missed now. Your reviews were really insightful as usual. Thank you 😊
Thank you, Debs! It was a good batch. 😊
I have been looking forward to your impressions of your book group for the Quarterfinals - and your video did not disappoint. I had "The Vulnerables" in my group for the Octos. It had some humorous parts - I got a kick out of the parrot. I have a full review of it that I will post later today. "Loved and Missed", "Northwoods" and "The Queen of Dirt Island" sound amazing. I remember all of them from the original list of 80 and thinking that they would be good reads.
Thank you, Reney! I did like The Vulnerables. I redid this ranking over and over, each time I finished another book! It was a strong, challenging batch. Thank you, as always, for responding to my videos so thoughtfully! I so appreciate YOU! 🥰
Nice reviews. I really liked “lived and missed” which I just finished
Thank you. I loved that book! Heartbreaking but so powerful.
@ yeah. Just finished a book club talk about it. The three of us had different experiences. I think a lot was said in a few pages at times, and it was written in a unique non linear way at times. I’ll need to read it again later.
Hello Pat, I read the first Justin Torres book, we the animals, and I enjoyed it, partly because Justin Torres is half Puerto Rican like me, and grew up in upstate New York. I was brought up in the city so it’s different, but I understood a lot of cultural identification of that book.
Of the books you mentioned, I read the vulnerable. I didn’t love it, but I appreciate it what the author was saying again the New York setting was familiar to me.
The book about the women is the one that appeals to me the most when you said there’s some laugh out loud sections. Great reviews, and sorry your favorite wasn’t going forward. Aloha friend.
Hi Marilyn. Thanks for telling me about your associations to these books and to Justin Torres. I feel good that my 2, 3, and 4 did go through, but I’m sad about the #1. It really blew me away. There weren’t any bad books in this bunch. It’s just that the ones that resonated with me really took my breath away. Hope you’re doing well, my friend. 🥰
Great review Pat! I judged Blackouts in the Octofinal round and also put it in 6th. I appreciate what Torres was doing and the importance of the book but it wasn’t for me the way others were. What a beautiful description of Loved and Missed. I can’t wait to get to it! I judged Nonfiction Group D for this round and the book selections were more alike and less experimental than my first round of books.
Thank you, Holly. Yes, I agree. I totally understand what Torres is doing and I appreciate the book. I almost felt guilty putting it sixth. It just didn't work for me the way the other more experimental narratives did. I judged Non-Fiction in the Octofinals. I'm curious about what your top books were in Non-Fiction. I'm taking this semi-final round off.
I’m taking this next round off as well. I need to be able to read what I want to read for awhile.
My top three were: We Were Once a Family, Wifedom, and Flee North. I also had 2/3 go through. The Wager was picked over Flee North. I am not surprised by that but I just felt like the topic in Flee North was more important and the whole book held up better. The Wager was good but the ending seemed to drop off in the quality of writing. The Dictionary People was my number 6 spot. It was an okay book but didn’t do anything exceptional in my opinion.
@hollyc4624 I’m totally with you on wanting to read what you want to read for a while. Everyone I’ve heard from this round had two out of three advance. I had The Wager in my first round. I liked it, but I think I ranked it #3. Thanks for filling me in on your quarterfinal round.
Excellent reviews! Sorry your fave did not make it through. That is always a bummer.
Hi Heidi! Thanks! Yes, I was really sad that my top book didn’t make it. I know a lot of people who were totally blown away by this book, but I think its subject matter may have turned some people off. Two of my top three made it through, and all of my top three non-fiction books made it through. This novel was just so personally significant to me that it hit me really hard when it was disqualified. I probably need to lighten up a little. 😊
Thank you for this, great wrapup. I think all of these sound worth reading, although I might skip Blackouts. The topic sounds very interesting but I think these parts of history would benefit from being made more accessible instead of trying to make the point of difficulty. Since the research has already been hidden, denied, blacked out - why hide it again in some puzzle of a book? Feels like it works against itself.
It’s a lot like being a good teacher, I’ve always had more respect and appreciation for those who can explain things so that everyone understands, rather than the ones who seem like they just want to seem clever or knowledgeable themselves.
Beautifully put! I do get what he’s doing, I think. It just didn’t work as well, emotionally, with me. Thanks for this thoughtful comment, as always! 🥰
Great job, Pat! Thank you for taking the time to participate and give such thoughtful reviews. Your # 1 sounds wonderful but I'm a bit cautious as I've had my own tragedy. The only author I've read is LaValle many many years ago and found the novel interesting, weird, and a bit uneven but enjoyable. I sometimes enjoy the weird and probably make allowances for any shortcomings. You've certainly piqued my interest in your final four. Have a great weekend!
Thank you, Penny, for such a thoughtful comment. There were no bad books here. But my top choices just spoke to me on a really profound level. 😊
Thank you for the reviews! It may not have moved on, but you've convinced me to read "Loved and Missed!"
I read and loved North Woods this month - such a unique book, and I feel the author really pulled off all the different genres. I loved it!
Hi Jessica. Thank you for this lovely comment. I did really love North Woods too. But the ones I ranked 1 and 2 hit me on a deeply personal and emotional level.
Hi, Pat. I really enjoyed this video. I actually just started Loved and Missed this afternoon. Early days, but the writing is gorgeous (and, yes, I can see I'm going to absolutely fall in love with Ruth). I have owned North Woods for a while and keep going back & forth on "should I or shouldn't I?" and your review has pushed me firmly into SHOULD. Finally, I just bought Queen of Dirt Island because you made it sound absolutely unmissable. Um, thanks??? 😂
@Nina_DP I’m sorry I’m costing you money!! I had read North Woods earlier for my book group, and I already thought it was pretty great. But Queen of Dirt Island and Loved and Missed resonated with me even more powerfully.
@@BookChatWithPat8668 No worries! There's worse things I could spend my money on than great books. I finished Loved and Missed this morning and I agree with absolutely everything you said in your review. Outstanding, exquisite, moving book.
@@Nina_DP I’m so glad you loved it too. I was just blown away by it. 💔
Nice video Pat!
Hi Todd! Thank you! How are you doing? Good to see you!
@@BookChatWithPat8668 I'm doing great. I went to the gym with my housemate today. Then the comic book store. Enjoyed the nice weather in Michigan. I mainly read poetry, fantasy, history, abd philosophy
@@ToddsBookTube91 sounds like a great day, Todd! That’s awesome!
Really great video, Pat! Your group had some unusual novels. I have read Lone Women and North Woods. I agree with your reviews of those two, although my love of North Woods might have led me to rank it higher. I haven't read your top two so I can't say for sure! After this, I can't tell if I'm feeling challenged or trepidatious about my upcoming reading of Blackouts...
Hi Angelia. I went into this round already loving North Woods, but then I read the two that I ranked #1 and #2, and I was just blown away. Sadly, my #1 got cut. Don’t be turned off by Blackouts. It’s a really important book, as you know. It just didn’t work for me, even as I could clearly see why this is an important and powerful book. It was just too much of a collage or collection of stuff for me. I wanted Torres to work more to pull all the parts together.
@@BookChatWithPat8668 It gets harder in the last two rounds because the books remaining are usually so strong! Are you judging this round? I am fiction B.
@@readandre-read No, I'm taking this round off. I did non-fiction the first round and fiction in the second round. I needed a break. Where all three of my top picks in the first round advanced, this time I had two--and everyone I've talked to has also said that they had two advance. We'll see how I feel about jumping in again in the finals. I really enjoyed judging these rounds, but I felt A LOT of pressure. I want to feel a little less stressed right now. I hope you have a great judging round.
@@BookChatWithPat8668 I judged the first round and took my break on the 2nd so I felt ready to jump back into it. I don't think I'd ever stay in it for all the rounds!
@@readandre-read No, I’m not sure how anyone does four rounds! There are too many other things to read outside of this award. It’s hard to read for judging and participate in other things. I hope this is a great round for you.
Great reviews as usual, Pat. I really enjoy watching your videos. I judged Nonfiction Group B for this round, but I have read two of the books that you reviewed here (Lone Women and Loved and Missed) and once again I agree with your reviews of both. I look forward to seeing what makes it through to the finals. Keep up the great work. I may not always comment, but I enjoy watching your videos regularly.
Thank you, Angie! I appreciate your thoughtful responses. I read Non-Fiction in the first round. Were you pleased with the outcome for your group?
@@BookChatWithPat8668 Yes, I started following you because it turned out that you and I judged the same group in the Octofinals (Nonfiction Group D) and I was impressed with your reviews. As for the Quarterfinals, I had difficulty with my rankings only because I felt that all the books were great and worthy of their place. I really sat with my rankings for a long time, but I'm happy to report that my top 2 made it through, as well as Eve, which I ranked fifth, but really I would have been okay with any of the books going through because I got a lot out of them all.
It’s such a fascinating process, isn’t it? I also sat with these rankings for a long time, and they changed several times. Were our picks close in the Octofinals?
@@BookChatWithPat8668 Yes, our rankings were similar. The only book we didn't place similarly was The Story of Art Without Men which I really liked and placed first. From what I recall, your top three ended up all going through, and those books ranked 2,3, and 4 for me. I guess it's meant to get harder as the rounds go on. I wasn't selected to judge in the Semifinals, but we'll see how it goes in the finals. I'm trying to read all of the nonfiction books in the prize, so I have a few more to go.
@@angieispuzzled oh yes! Now I remember! Sorry. I didn’t volunteer for this semifinals round. I needed to feel a little less pressure. We’ll see how I feel next round.