Play Book Tag discussion
August 2019: 21st Century
>
Announcing the August Tag
I, for one, am thrilled with this tag! It is broad, but I have some ideas on how I can narrow it for myself personally.Idit had the great idea of reading about climate change. Lord knows I love that topic and I have a whole list of books that I have been meaning to get to.
Also, I know many of you will be reading from the Booker longlist and I may also do that if something strikes my fancy. (Spoiler alert: it will not be Black Leopard Red Wolf).
I will be back later with my specific ideas when I narrow it down a bit more.
I am thrilled as I had just started Between the World and Me when the vote came, and put it aside in hopes that 21st Century won. Given how the issues of race treated by Ta-Nehisi Coates are front and center topics today, obviously my interpretation of the theme is more about pivotal 21st Century issues. Anyone else interested in this topic, I also recommend these other books I read recently:
The Sellout by Paul Beatty - a wickedly brilliant satire.
Speak No Evil by Uzodinma Iweala - fiction whose ending, which is tied to the title, made me think deeply.
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas - if you have read this already, maybe we can buddy read her second On the Come Up.
Here's my list of potentials, I've removed my trim book because it definitely DOESN'T fit how I categorize the 21st century (having just checked what years it is!)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...
https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...
I am hoping to get through a couple of books, both about female athletes in the 21st century and some of the issues that they have to deal with. These should keep me busy.What Made Maddy Run: The Secret Struggles and Tragic Death of an All-American Teen by Kate Fagan
The National Team: The Inside Story of the Women who Changed Soccer by Caitlin Murray
Since such a broad tag won, I'm going to take that as permission to read whatever I want this month since I tend to read fairly current and I now have 19 years of stuff to choose from.A couple of my own recommendations from browsing the latter part of the top 25 pages:
The Poet X - YA novel in verse, phenomenal in audio
Sass & Sorcery - The first Rat Queens graphic novel, featuring D&D-like fantasy shenanigans.
My Trim also fits!!! Every Heart a Doorway-Woot! Woot!Still I wish it would have been witches........
Hebah wrote: "Since such a broad tag won, I'm going to take that as permission to read whatever I want this month since I tend to read fairly current and I now have 19 years of stuff to choose from.A couple of..."
Hebah-I think Graphic Novel fits perfectly...we did not have them before the 21st did we?
Joanne wrote: "Hebah wrote: "Since such a broad tag won, I'm going to take that as permission to read whatever I want this month since I tend to read fairly current and I now have 19 years of stuff to choose from..."Oh yeah... The Watchmen was published in the 80s and a quick google search shows the term was coined in 1964.
Graphic novels have been around a while, but I think the popularity of the medium is more recent, and I'd be happy to give more recs if people want to try them :).
Meli wrote: "Joanne wrote: "Hebah wrote: "Since such a broad tag won, I'm going to take that as permission to read whatever I want this month since I tend to read fairly current and I now have 19 years of stuff..."oops-
I am going to read Kamala Harris the Truth We Hold, as well as Soul of America. Possibly other things will fit as well, such as Educated and PoetX.
Amy wrote: "I am going to read Kamala Harris the Truth We Hold, as well as Soul of America. Possibly other things will fit as well, such as Educated and PoetX."The Kamala Harris book is on my TBR list. I hope you enjoy it.
Well, I was really hoping for "witches" or really, either of the other two. I did mention that I might read something about the environment/climate change, but I also might go for this one (I'll have to see if my library has it):iGen: Why Today’s Super-Connected Kids Are Growing Up Less Rebellious, More Tolerant, Less Happy--and Completely Unprepared for Adulthood--and What That Means for the Rest of Us by Jean M. Twenge
Yay! I’m glad I threw ten points at it. Obviously I’m going to reading the Booker longlist. Under five hours until it is announced!
Are others going to count books simply published in the 21st century? I like the idea of the book being pivotal or characteristically "21st century," but my book is a straight thriller. Not even tagged as 21st century, but technically it fits. I might have to count another book NOT my trim.
For those of you who wanted witches or holiday, you can dovetail the two! Perhaps find a 21st century witches book or a lovely holiday read!
Meli, so long as you think it reasonably counts that works for us!
Nicole R wrote: "Meli, so long as you think it reasonably counts that works for us!"Cool... my IRL book club is reading Kafka on the Shore and that showed up on page 1 of the tag list, so I could use that too.
Good opportjnity for me to catch up on etgalley offeri gs of new books:This Tender Land--William Kent Kruger
Quichotte--Salman Rushdie
The Book of Science and Antiquities--Thomas Keneally
The World That We Knew--Alice Hoffman
The Women of the Copper Country--Mary Doria Russell
Salvation Lost--Peter Hamilton
Michael wrote: "The Women of the Copper Country--Mary Doria Russell"I cannot wait for this one!
Amy wrote: "I am going to read Kamala Harris the Truth We Hold, as well as Soul of America. Possibly other things will fit as well, such as Educated and PoetX."I highly recommend Poet X. Do you do audio books at all? Elizabeth Acevedo reads her books herself, and she's such a phenomenal reader.
Hebah wrote: "Amy wrote: "I am going to read Kamala Harris the Truth We Hold, as well as Soul of America. Possibly other things will fit as well, such as Educated and PoetX."I highly recommend Poet X. Do you d..."
I've just recently gotten into audio and this is one on my list but further down. If I do audio I could fit it in, maybe not this month, but sooner. Thanks for the recommend! (even though it was for someone else)
Meli wrote: "I've just recently gotten into audio and this is one on my list but further down. If I do audio I could fit it in, maybe not this month, but sooner. Thanks for the recommend! (even though it was for someone else) "Happy to provide! The book is a novel in verse, so in terms of listening time, it's not a very long book, so that might be something to weigh in to your decisions :).
Hebah wrote: "Meli wrote: "I've just recently gotten into audio and this is one on my list but further down. If I do audio I could fit it in, maybe not this month, but sooner. Thanks for the recommend! (even tho..."Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds is free verse and it's a quick read, and probably listen, too. Highly recommend.
Meli wrote: "Hebah wrote: "Meli wrote: "I've just recently gotten into audio and this is one on my list but further down. If I do audio I could fit it in, maybe not this month, but sooner. Thanks for the recomm..."That one's on my TBR too. I had the e-audio checked out at one point but didn't get to it. Might be one I loop in this month.
Michael wrote: "Good opportjnity for me to catch up on etgalley offeri gs of new books:This Tender Land--William Kent Kruger
Quichotte--Salman Rushdie
[book:The Book of Science and..."
I have been to Calumet a number of times-Can't wait to hear your thoughts Micheal-I am trying to find this one
Michael wrote: "Good opportjnity for me to catch up on etgalley offeri gs of new books:This Tender Land--William Kent Kruger
[i>
I am also eagerly waiting for the release of This Tender Land. Early reviews are good. But the release date is September 3. If you have an ARC then I will be soooo jealous! I plan to buy it on September 3rd, since there are already 2,133 people on the waitlist for it at our county library.
For those looking for 21st century themes, here are a few recommendations for books published in the 21st centuryFor post-apocalyptic scifi:
The Windup Girl complex, "biopunk," published in 2010
Cloud Atlas (this is a collection of 6 stories that cross time from 1800's into the future, published in 2004
For non-fiction
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
bioethics, gene therapies, and racism
I'm thrilled with this. I think I put extra points down for it. I'm not sure at all what I will be reading, but I planned on reading something on the Booker Long list.I'm eagerly waiting the announcement for this.
Anita wrote: "Despite all the chatter about witches, the following tag had a decisive win:21st century
Please share your reading plans and recommendations below.
Remember, for the regular monthly reads, the ..."
I am so very happy. Not interested in reading witches in the summer (but also, that's more of a past fictional interest). I don't remember which shelf I put 10 votes into (yes, this was one of those months, but I don't always do that) but I suspect it was this one. It's summer and "the living is easy" (well, I am trying to make it that way :) ).
I recommend All the Light We Cannot See because it was 5 stars and 3 hearts for me on audiobook and it's on the first page. It isn't set in the 21st Century, so won't work if that's your goal, but it was written then and so I most likely shelved that as 21st Century fiction because that is when it was written.
As for me, I am not yet sure what I'll read. I'd like to read the book I just won because it is a new release, but it is also set in the 20th C.
Nicole R wrote: "For those of you who wanted witches or holiday, you can dovetail the two! Perhaps find a 21st century witches book or a lovely holiday read!"Exactly--this is such a wide open shelf that it is easy to stretch your reading even as you stay within it.
Hebah wrote: "Graphic novels have been around a while, but I think the popularity of the medium is more recent, and I'd be happy to give more recs if people want to try them :)."Oooh, I forgot that! I have 4 graphic novels sitting here that fit the theme!
Thanks, Hebah!
Michael wrote: "Good opportjnity for me to catch up on etgalley offeri gs of new books:This Tender Land--William Kent Kruger..."
I got all excited about a new Krueger until I saw that This Tender Land won't be released till Sept 3! Bummer.
And darn it! J.D. Robb's next book comes out Sept 3, just missed the tag!
Oh, I'm happy this one won. My plan is to start Booker longlisters and two non-fictions that deal with 21st century issues, White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism and Why I'm No Longer Talking to White People About Race.
annapi wrote: "And darn it! J.D. Robb's next book comes out Sept 3, just missed the tag!"That is a brilliant idea! I have been wanting to get to her next installment....
Booknblues wrote: "I'm thrilled with this. I think I put extra points down for it. I'm not sure at all what I will be reading, but I planned on reading something on the Booker Long list...."https://amp.theguardian.com/books/201...
I have scads of books on my TBR list. And many of them are physically present on my bookshelf. Most importantly #16 from the TRM challenge, The Children of Men, is also tagged 21st century. So that rare occurrance of TAG and TRM matching has happened this month. Woo Hoo!!!!!!!!!!!!other books I can read:
The Kite Runner
A Thousand Splendid Suns
Angels and Demons
The Lost Symbol
The Hate U Give
Elinor Oliphant
The Magicians
Oddly enough, I have all these other books sitting on my physical shelf, but the Children of Men I have to go out and buy or get from the public library. Go figure.
Michael wrote: "Booknblues wrote: "I'm thrilled with this. I think I put extra points down for it. I'm not sure at all what I will be reading, but I planned on reading something on the Booker Long list...."https..."
I saw that and thank you . I've only read one, Lost Children Archive, but My Sister, the Serial Killer, has been on my radar for awhile. There are a few more I'm interested in although not all are available for American readers.
My choice is : Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks
I use century tags to indicate fictional settings, not publication dates. So far most of the 21st century books on my 'read' shelf are those split timeline books that share some of the storytelling with another century. I want to find something with a strictly 21st century setting for this month. I will also look at some nonfiction books lingering on the TBR.
I can recommend:
The Cuckoo's Calling - or any of the other Cormoran Strike mysteries by Robert Galbraith (aka J.K. Rowling)
Autumn by Ali Smith (maybe, I will get around to reading Winter and Spring)
The Painter - Peter Heller
Case Histories - Kate Atkinson - or any of the other Jackson Brodie mysteries. (There's a new one that I might read!)
And, probably the one I most recommend:
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close - I wonder if it will always be the defining moment of this century.
Those of you interested in climate change, I highly recommend The History of Bees by Maja Lunde - a third of the book is set in 21st Century..2098 to be exact. It is all about Bee Colony Collapse Disorder. Lunde did a tremendous amount of serious research which shines through and supports the fictional story she tells. A 5 star read for me in 2018, and I cannot wait for the English translation of her next in this climate change series, due in January 2020. It addresses water shortages, which are becoming a serious problem in Europe.
Oh I had not connected the dots! Maja Lunde is also a children's author and I have read some of those. I haven't read a history of bees yet, but her next book 'blå' (blue) was out in Danish last autumn, though I could have read it in Norwegian, our language are very similar. Thanks for reminding me to read them Theresa!
I am planning to read one of the Booker Longlist selections: Quichotte by Salman Rushdie, about a modern day Don Quixote. I may read some others, but this one is for sure.
For those of you who were musing about Poet X, I discovered last week that there is 9th grade Summer Reading (PoetX), and 11th grade reading (Educated). As you guys know I swore i wouldn't read Educated, but here we go. One woman literary specialist has to keep up! These reads are desperate attempts to make sure my kids are getting good reading comprehension skills and learning how to understand what they read. Serious big ass month for me. Feels a little less fun, to be honest. I am trying to see if I can slip in a few that will be really fun. I'm going to need it. I guess August is a good time for this heavy intense reading. Trying to intersperse. I also think that if the nonfiction and Invisible Bridge feels like a slog, I might do the unthinkable and try to read two books at once. AAAACKKKK! That is a never for me. I won't lie - this month is going to be tough for me.
I will finally get to "Educated", I am quite possibly the last person on the planet to not have read this one yet.
Play Book Tag
Books mentioned in this topic
Angels & Demons (other topics)Before the Fall (other topics)
Angels & Demons (other topics)
Before the Fall (other topics)
The Day the World Came to Town: 9/11 in Gander, Newfoundland (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Matthew Desmond (other topics)Matthew Desmond (other topics)
Ali Smith (other topics)
Salman Rushdie (other topics)
Maja Lunde (other topics)
More...
21st century
Please share your reading plans and recommendations below.
Remember, for the regular monthly reads, the book can be shelved as 21st century on Goodreads, or be a book that is not yet shelved that way but you feel should be.
One way to find books to read for this tag is to please visit:
https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/...
I encourage people to link to additional lists below if they find them.
Also curious what your approach will be - - books written in the 21st century? Set in the 21st century? Dealing with specific 21st century issues? So many options.