Reading the 20th Century discussion

Welcome to The Midnight Bell 2025 edition….


….a general discussion thread in which you can talk about anything and everything.

It also masquerades as a classic British pub.

Get your first pretend pint free - other pretend beverages are also available.

Come one, come all, gather round and, of course, be of good cheer.

Happy new year RTTCers


Here's to a great year

I am really looking forward to reaching my goals and following my reading plans for 2025. Last year was helter skelter for me because I ping ponged between too many genres, authors and titles. I got the most from my reading when I followed the comments here. I am trembling as I write this but I am going to try to get through the Proust reading. I have read nothing by this author and I know I will get lost but “nothing ventured, nothing gained” so this is the year. I may be drinking more wine too.

Happy new year to all!

I have done my best to bring a good 2025: I've made my Hoppin' John (a New Year's tradition in the southern states said to bring luck in the new year).

Happy new year to everyone too! x

Happy New Year. Wishing everyone love, health and happiness.

And (unlike me) may your GR notifications be with you.

Happy New Year, everyone!

I like to spend January 1st doing something to epitomise the year ahead, so I'm bypassing the sales and curling up at home with a pile of books!

Susan_MG wrote: "I am trembling as I write this but I am going to try to get through the Proust reading."

Delighted you'll be joining us, Susan_MG, and don't be nervous - Proust can be funnier and more accessible that his reputation suggests.

Proust is the perfect bedtime read. It is how I read him during Covid, when it was quiet and I would be undisturbed. He is not an author for the commute.

Anyway, Happy 2025 everyone.

I just discovered an author who previous books I loved has a new book out this year, A K Benedict Little Red Death. It is on NetGalley, but I may just pre-order and wait. Anyway, a good start to the year.

Happy New Year to everyone :)

Although I haven’t been posting much at all in the last year or two, I joined this group (and Reading the Detectives too) when I first found GR in about 2017 and, although I’ve joined and left quite a few other groups in that time, this one has always felt like home. I enjoy reading the posts even if I don’t feel I have much to contribute, and it’s a quiet, interesting and enjoyable haven in this world which has gone quite mad in the last few years.

So thanks to everyone who posts here, and here’s to a satisfying year of reading, whatever that is for you. For me - more Victorian and early 20th century literature, since I’m trying to pretend that the 21st century is just a bad dream that I’ll wake up from at some point!

Happy reading!
:)

A very happy new year to all.

I have learnt and discovered so much this past year with this group and it has been a comfort to read the discussions here.
I'm looking forward to discovering more brilliant authors I may have never heard of if not for this group.

That's so good to hear, Sue - and I think we can all relate to those sentiments.

History teaches us that all generations had the same thoughts, Sue. We have to live in the time we are given and find the oasis of sanity that books bring :)

Wise words, Susan.

Susan wrote: "History teaches us that all generations had the same thoughts, Sue. We have to live in the time we are given and find the oasis of sanity that books bring :)"

That’s a fair point Susan. Every now and again there will be an article in the news quoting some wise words about the young having no respect, and the world going to hell in a handbasket, which then turns out to be some chap from many centuries ago!
:)

Not getting Notifications is SO annoying. I've written to GR and had a completely useless reply, sending me to a setting page for the Desktop version that I had already set up properly, and alternatively to a settings page for the IOS app that doesn't have the settings they describe. GR is still usable for discussion groups, although it requires more effort to scroll to discussions I'm participating in, but I no longer will know when there are new comments on my reviews or where I had commented on other's reviews or where I had selected particular discussions that were of interest.

If any of you have solved this problem, please let me know.

Ben, I get very frustrated with Goodreads. Like the Amazon bookstore, and every thing they control, the user seems to be the least considered when they do updates, deal with customer problems, etc. Sadly we are held hostage if we want to participate. GRRR!

Happy New Year all! I love Susan's comment and agree there is an oasis of sanity in books. But I do hate Amazon and boycott everything about them but Goodreads.

Ben, I use the desktop version, and ticking the "Notify me when people comment" box (no longer auto-ticked for reviews) is working for me on reviews and discussions.

This is the link I have bookmarked on my browser....



https://www.goodreads.com/topic?discu...


It shows me the new discussions on all the groups I participate in. So whilst I only get actual notifications on review likes, comments etc, I can still see all the new comments on discussions in my groups on one handy page. Then I just right click to open new tabs for all the new discussion comments

I hope that helps you

When you say you're not getting notifications do you mean by email or to the notifications icon at the top right of the page?

I only get on-page notifications and those work fine. Or, as Nigeyb says, I check into my 'groups' page via the icon at the top next to notifications or via my profile, then groups. I only tend to use my computer when writing reviews, otherwise use the desktop view via browser on my phone.

Same as me RC. I gave up on the GR app a long time ago. A browser for my phone, or a browser on my home computer

Thanks Nigeyb and RC. I neglected to say notifications from the bell icon on that page are working, not email notifications.

Thanks all. In reply:

Yes RC, I have only used the notifications icon, and mostly use the desktop version, but the "bell" has been silent since 29 December. It currently tells me that the last post on this forum was 3 days ago.

Thanks Nigeyb. I can use that page, but it doesn't help me in terms of notifications on reviews I have commented on or when people comment on my reviews.

And Kathleen, my tick marks on individual discussions or on reviews have no effect anymore.

It's very discouraging in terms of limiting my future participation in anything other than group discussions.

Kathleen, if I knew back when I “joined “ Amazon that it would play such a monumental part in my day to day life I would never have joined. (I hate to think of all the subscription fees I’ve paid.) But the books were what got me hooked in the first place and I am forever trapped. This Goodreads group has changed me for the good.

That's so annoying, Ben, if you can't see comments on your reviews. I think GR have done some updates so hopefully it may shake out in a few days. Like Nigeyb, I don't use the app but maybe reset your settings on your phone browser to the desktop version just in case?

I'm sorry, Ben. I wonder if this will happen to all of us eventually.

Has anyone mentioned Cecily's group? They discuss ways to deal with Notification issues here: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

There might be something there that would help.

Yes, I've posted in Cecily's group too and will keep checking there for an answer.

One can only hope, RC, that an update will fix it, rather than giving everyone else what I've caught!

Kathleen wrote: "Thanks Nigeyb and RC. I neglected to say notifications from the bell icon on that page are working, not email notifications."

GR discontinued most email notifications in August. At the time they said a few categories would still be available, but I've not gotten an email notification from them since.

Ben wrote:


"Thanks Nigeyb. I can use that page, but it doesn't help me in terms of notifications on reviews I have commented on or when people comment on my reviews."

Well at least you can keep up to date with Group discussions

I'm pretty sure I don't always get notifications on my review comments - to be frank it's not really an issue for me. The groups are the reason why I participate here, that and recording what I've read and what I thought about each book I read

Just a reminder that we have this 2025 Midnight Bell thread. I notice the 2024 discussion, which Id archived, has reignited. No biggie but just so we all are aware.

G wrote:



"I can't find the buddy reads thread."


Here it is….

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Nigey,
I noticed your avatar is from Eraserhead. Are you a fan of Lynch's films? It's sad to hear about his passing. I watched his Mulholland Dr last night and absolutely loved it.

Yes, a big fan Vesna


Very sad news

His work will live on though

Mullholland Drive is quite the experience eh

What a depressing day. Someone please wake me up from this nightmare.

G wrote: "What a depressing day. Someone please wake me up from this nightmare."

I'm truly sorry G, I know I'd feel the same if I lived in the US right now. I listened to the inauguration speech and found it an odd mixture of trite and chilling. The only positive is that people are more likely to unite against such an obvious, common enemy so I imagine there will be a more organised, vociferous opposition, so you won't be alone.

GL . I am with you ...To quote a slogan from another time : The whole world's watching ... and probably on Tik Tok . Sums the day up for me when I saw Liz Truss , was invited .. along with various other right wing sycophants. Perilous times . Time to get organised .

And Elon Musk's salute?!! I'm not sure which was most upsetting: his gesture, the lack of horror from the crowd, or the mild reaction from the New York Times. At least the Guardian called it for what it is.

G, I really hope you have similar-minded friends so you can support each other. Yes, there has been organized opposition and that will grow but not everyone has access to or feels comfortable with organized resistance.

Hester, apparently our Liz Truss wasn't invited but took it upon herself to turn up, along with Priti Patel and Suella Braverman - what a trio to 'represent' us! I was just surprised not to see Nigel Farage there.

Ben, absolutely, that unabashed salute - and it's not a one-off occurrence. Who ever thought we would see the Nazis rehabilitated in our lifetime?

Roman Clodia wrote: "#. Yes, there has been organized opposition and that will grow but not everyone has access to or feels comfortable with ..."

Give me a break R. C.! I was just groping for something positive to say in the middle of the night! Like a platitude for a birthday card...Was trying to avoid anything that smacked of "Americans are screwed and a lot of them are screwy."

Ben wrote: "And Elon Musk's salute?!! I'm not sure which was most upsetting: his gesture, the lack of horror from the crowd, or the mild reaction from the New York Times. At least the Guardian called it for wh..."

He's a total weirdo, and he's been known for those kinds of views for years that's partly why Grimes was effectively cancelled because she went along with it for a while. Unfortunately he's a very rich weirdo, who looks bizarrely similar to a Mussolini-era statue.

Alwynne wrote: "Give me a break R. C.! I was just groping for something positive to say in the middle of the night!"

Yes, we need all the positivity we can muster up! And the protest in NY was good to see. It's going to be a struggle for activism with social media and much of the press aligned with Trump/the right, all the same.

On Musk, I was just thinking he's looking more and more like Trump - he's doing that odd duck thing with his mouth and lips! Definitely some kind of right-wing machismo thing going on there and very bizarre to see.

Some of you might have already seen this, but thought it was worth sharing more widely the resilient message from Hope Not Hate today:

' chaos has begun.

Within hours of being sworn in, Trump unleashed an avalanche of executive orders. He pardoned Capitol rioters, ended birthright citizenship, withdrew from the Paris climate agreement, and declared immigration a “national emergency”.

And Elon Musk? The richest man in the world isn’t just standing by. He’s actively amplifying hate.

At Trump’s inauguration rally, Musk gave what appeared to be back-to-back fascist salutes, gestures already being celebrated by neo-Nazis online. As shocking as this may be, we already know who Musk is.

His flirtations with the far-right, the rumours of donations to Nigel Farage’s Reform UK, and his now confirmed financial backing of jailed far-right extremist Tommy Robinson, should leave us with no doubts as to his intentions. Musk craves disruption and chaos, and he now has his sights set on the UK.

The odds might seem stacked against us. But we’ve seen time and again how communities rise in the face of adversity.

When riots shook cities across the UK, it wasn’t destruction that defined those moments. It was the people who came out the next morning. The ones who cleaned up the streets, supported their neighbours, and reminded us what resilience and community spirit looks like.

That’s the power we have: solidarity, hope, and a refusal to back down.'

Hope Not Hate are a leading anti-fascist organization - Google them if you want to sign up for their newsletters and support their work.

I pretty much stayed away from the news yesterday and today. He is allegedly coming to western North Carolina tomorrow to look at the damage. We need the money. I don't really have much hope in him releasing it. He didn't last time. After Matthew, money had been approved by Congress, but because we had a Democratic governor, he only released about 10% of it. Again, we have a Democratic governor. The Republicans have a strangle hold on the state reps but we voted in Democratic state-wide officeholders. One Republican judge is still trying to beat out a Democratic candidate who won by 734 votes. He's trying to throw out 60,000 votes. I think it is supposed to go back to the state supreme court. The Republican dominated state supreme court.

Mussolini-era

That is a term for which the US will have a lot of use.

I'm still pretty much on a media lockdown - just burying my head in the sand and immersing myself in the past

Nigeyb wrote: "I'm still pretty much on a media lockdown - just burying my head in the sand and immersing myself in the past"

Me, too. The occasional Facebook post sneaks through, or e-mail. But I just haven't gone back to news addiction that I have had for years.

We were reminded today that traffic will be bad tomorrow when DJT comes to town. The airport is on the main road between where I live and Asheville. It just means if I go to town I'll have to take a roundabout route. Which is how everyone else will be going too.

Was anyone else locked out of their account for a while? GR wouldn't recognise my email as valid, seems okay now but have set up a backup GR acct and friended myself just in case!

Only friends can comment on my reviews so if I get locked out permanently I'll add a comment on those so people who want to can find me again. Not that I'm expecting GR to screw up my usual account altogether or anything like that!

Phrodrick is determined to clear a growing backlog wrote: "Mussolini-era

That is a term for which the US will have a lot of use."

I should probably read up on Mussolini. I know a lot more about Hitler for a variety of reasons.

Nigeyb wrote: "I'm still pretty much on a media lockdown - just burying my head in the sand and immersing myself in the past"

I wish I felt I could do that, but since T is fully in dictator mode I don't feel like that would be responsible. I am limiting what I read on media, though, because it's so awful. Trying to find that space where I keep up enough without becoming overwhelmed.

Alwynne wrote: "Was anyone else locked out of their account for a while? GR wouldn't recognise my email as valid, seems okay now but have set up a backup GR acct and friended myself just in case!

Only friends ca..."

That hasn't happened to me, but the site has been more unresponsive than usual recently, so I'm not getting to read as many comments as normal.