Play Book Tag discussion
February 2022: Thought Provoking
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Announcing the February Tag
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Amy wrote: "Anita, they are both pretty darn thought provoking!"Oh, good!!! I think I have both from the library still . . .fingers crossed.
KateNZ wrote: "Anita, I think you’d adore ‘On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous’ - it’s a gem of a book"Really? I do have a copy. Not sure why I never got to it. It's nice and short, lol. Thank you.
Hmm, I don't think I'll necessarily read much specifically for this tag, more just see what comes along... The Appeal just came in for me at the library, and I definitely think it'll count, though in a somewhat different way than the tag might be intended.
forsanolim wrote: "Hmm, I don't think I'll necessarily read much specifically for this tag, more just see what comes along... The Appeal just came in for me at the library, and I definitely think it'l..."Wow, that looks really fun! I anticipate your review and thoughts on this one!
A Woman is No Man is so good. This was definitely a good discussion in my book club last year.
The Notebook Trilogy by Agoga Kristoff - For those who have read this, would you say it's Thought Provoking? I'm also planning to read:
The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics
The Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood
The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin
My Year of Meats by Ruth Ozeki
Have a Little Faith: a True Story Mitch Albom
Faithful Alice Hoffman
Other possibilities
Fall of Giants Follett
A Gentleman in Moscow Towles
Humankind: A Hopeful History
Beloved Morrison
The Code Breaker: Jennifer Doudna, Gene Editing, and the Future of the Human Race Isaacson
A History of Loneliness Boyne
Making Faces Harmon
I have a growing pile of books by our 64 authors on deck, some are quite long (or trilogies). I hope Towles, Follett, Boyne, Atwood, Kristoff, etc. stay in the game long enough for me to finish their books.
Yes, I think the Notebook trilogy work for the tag.
I absolutely loved as i said, Mitch Albom’s Have a Little Faith. It’s a quick book but I never forgot it. I put it in my top 10 because I was so powerfully moved.
Hilde wrote: "Yes, I think the Notebook trilogy work for the tag."Thanks Hilde!
I just picked up Can We Talk About Israel from the library - I'm so excited that this tag allowed me to choose to read it right away. I'm also excited because tonight I start the book Holly has been recommending, the Unseen World, which was also high on the thought provoking list. From the girl who hates non-fiction, its so strange that before even February starts that I have read like 4 or 5 of them and I have a few more coming!
Amy, I had started to read Can We Talk About Israel a few months back. It was not the right time to read it and I had trouble concentrating. I will be interested to see what you think about it.I hope you love The Unseen World as much as I did. ;0)
NancyJ wrote: "The Notebook Trilogy by Agoga Kristoff - For those who have read this, would you say it's Thought Provoking? I'm also planning to read:
"
btw, Regina gave 5 stars to A Gentleman in Moscow
I upped The Unseen World because of you, Holly! I’m 20% in.
Karin wrote: "NancyJ wrote: "The Notebook Trilogy by Agoga Kristoff - For those who have read this, would you say it's Thought Provoking? I'm also planning to read:
"
btw, Regina gave 5 stars..."
Thanks Karin.
She also liked Boys in the Boat, Nineteen Minutes, and The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, which are on my list of potential books. I've been thinking of reading the sequel to Harold Fry - The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessey.
NancyJ wrote: "Karin wrote: "NancyJ wrote: "The Notebook Trilogy by Agoga Kristoff - For those who have read this, would you say it's Thought Provoking? I'm also planning to read:
"
btw, Regin..."
Yes, and I really liked Boys in the Boat as well (I mainly remembered the ones I hadn't read yet.)
Jgrace wrote: "I'm currently reading Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants. Beautiful writing and thought provoking in almost every sentence."I just downloaded this audio from my library thanks to your mention. It looks like a lovely read!
Anita wrote: "I have read so many of these, and am going to have to dig deep to find a book that is actually tagged thought provoking (that's on my TBR). Two faves that I would definitely recommend (and that a..."
I absolutely concur on Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End! You recommended this book to me after Winter died. I thought it sounded like absolutely the wrong book at the time! I was so wrong. I read it a couple years ago and kept thinking how much I wish I had read it when you recommended it to me. If I find myself going through end of life preparations for myself or a loved one -- or experiencing another sudden death of a loved one -- I intend to reread Being Mortal.
I am going to take my suggestions off in a different direction than some of the other books previously mentioned. Some of these I have reread, either in part or in full, in preparation for a university class I am teaching this semester on critical thinking. All are definitely thought provoking:Adam Grant's Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don't Know "examines the critical art of rethinking: learning to question your opinions and open other people's minds, which can position you for excellence at work and wisdom in life"
Jonathan Haidt's The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion -- This book is marvelous no matter where you fall in terms of politics, religion, or other ideology.
Malcolm Gladwell's The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference -- explores how everything from products to ideas are positioned to capture people's attention and take hold. Any book by Gladwell is going to be thought provoking.
Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking is similar, but it is about how our own thought processes control us.
Daniel Kahneman's Thinking, Fast and Slow is another great one about how we think, focusing on when lightning fast decisions are beneficial and when we need to tap into our more intuitive side.
And we cannot forget Steven Pinker! His Enlightenment Now: The Case for Reason, Science, Humanism, and Progress has become an absolute classic. If you already read it, you will be happy to know that Rationality: What It Is, Why It Seems Scarce, Why It Matters, a book sorely needed in the US right now, hit the shelves at the end of 2021.
I know these sound dry as dust, but trust me, these are all very accessible authors. My students, to whom I give a "Books Thou Shalt Read Before Thou Goest Forth" list, often read these over breaks because I talk them up so highly. They invariably come back to class or office hours because they just have to discuss what they have read with someone (exactly why the books are on that list).
I was just talking to my son. I told him this months tag, and he was cracking me up, telling me he had the “perfect” book that he has been telling EVERYONE to read:Stefano Mancuso’s The Revolutionary Genius of Plants: A New Understanding of Plant Intelligence and Behavior
My son is a bio major. He said the book is along the lines of Peter Wohlleben’s Hidden Life of Trees. Totally makes you think about plants in a whole new way.
Carter said he “frittered away” an entire afternoon in the library after pulling it off the shelf, finishing it in one go (he is so my kid). He never even made it to a chair, just made a pillow of his backpack and read in the aisle between the stacks.
Care wrote: "I am going to take my suggestions off in a different direction than some of the other books previously mentioned. Some of these I have reread, either in part or in full, in preparation for a univer..."I have read 4 of them and agree they are interesting and thought-provoking!
Anita wrote: "I love how you are helping me out . . .was it actually thought provoking?? ..."Absolutely! It was thought provoking and one of my handful of 5 star-books for last year.
I think I am going with:Swann's Way by Marcel Proust
From what I remember of Theresa's comments when she read the entire set of Proust, it should easily fall under "thought provoking."
Joy D wrote: "I think I am going with:Swann's Way by Marcel Proust
From what I remember of Theresa's comments when she read the entire set of Proust, it should easily fall under "t..."
😂😂😂
I believe Tracy also just read all of Proust and definitely would agree!
In case you are curious, I kept a sort of reading journal under Member Tracking starting in 2019 Sept and ending in 2020 June of my ramblings and thoughts as I read. Here's a link to the first post which of course is in archives now: Theresa Read's Proust part I.
Here's part of my review -- we read in sections over more than one month and Swann's Way has actually been published in separate volumes as few read beyond it.
Swann's Way Part I Theresa's Review
Rest is reviewed here: Swann's Way Part II Theresa's Review
Oh and Joy, if I can give you reading of advice: Start reading it now and just let it go at its own pace. I'm a fast and comprehensive reader. I averaged around 15 pages an hour which is positively glacial for me. Also, don't look for obvious breaks to put it down -- if you are in the middle of a 3 page paragraph and need to go to sleep, just stop and do so. You will pick up very easily. Even in the middle of a Proust paragraph.
Theresa wrote: "Oh and Joy, if I can give you reading of advice: Start reading it now and just let it go at its own pace. I'm a fast and comprehensive reader. I averaged around 15 pages an hour which is positively..."Thank you for the links, Theresa! I do plan to read it slowly and, for now, just Swann's Way. I may eventually get to all the volumes. We will see how the first one goes.
I have some books in mind for this month! I'm excited!I feel as though I know the answer to my question but I'll ask anyway; can we post about more than one book? If so, do we get the two points per post?
Follow-up question: If I read a book recently that falls under this category but not this month can I include that one?
Kelly wrote: "I have some books in mind for this month! I'm excited!I feel as though I know the answer to my question but I'll ask anyway; can we post about more than one book? If so, do we get the two points p..."
Yes, you can post multiple books in the month's thread.
Also, you get 1 participation point for every review you post in the "other books" thread (i.e. those that do NOT fit the monthly thread)
Kelly wrote: "Follow-up question: If I read a book recently that falls under this category but not this month can I include that one?"No. To get the 2 participation points you must read the book in the month that the tag is selected. You may begin a book in the previous month, however, and finish it in THIS month to report it in this month's tag folder.
Book Concierge wrote: "Kelly wrote: "Follow-up question: If I read a book recently that falls under this category but not this month can I include that one?"No. To get the 2 participation points you must read the book ..."
Thank you for the clarification!
Finally decided on a book. Going to try The Plague byAlbert Camus. Dipped into it a little last night and it grabbed my attention.
First book of the month for this tag: The Alchemist by Paulo CoelhoAn Andalusian shepherd boy named Santiago travels from his homeland in Spain to the Egyptian desert in search of a treasure buried near the Pyramids. Along the way he meets a Romany woman, a man who calls himself a king, and an alchemist, all of whom point Santiago in the right direction for his quest. No one knows what the treasure is, or whether Santiago will be able to surmount the obstacles in his path; but what starts out as a journey to find worldly goods turns into a discovery of treasure within.
Lush, evocative, and deeply humane, the story of Santiago is an eternal testament to the transforming power of our dreams and the importance of listening to our hearts.
This book was highly suggested by some friends and has been popular in social media recently so I've decided this is as good as time as ever to read it!
Kelly, that was a beautifully written review. The alchemist is both on my TBR and in my house. I happen to really like Paulo Coehlo. I'm so glad you have joined us, and I look forward to getting to know you more. In order to get the 2 points though, the review goes in a different place. You have to go to The Thought Provoking folder and throw it in there. I know it can be confusing at first - but it is a heck of a lot of fun. And your TBR and your friend network both are about to explode.
Joanne wrote: "Finally decided on a book. Going to try The Plague byAlbert Camus. Dipped into it a little last night and it grabbed my attention."I totally approve! Thought provoking AND french! You get from me 2 gold stars and a french crèpe!
Theresa wrote: "Joanne wrote: "Finally decided on a book. Going to try The Plague byAlbert Camus. Dipped into it a little last night and it grabbed my attention."I totally approve! T..."
May I have a cheese crepe, please?
Joanne wrote: "Theresa wrote: "Joanne wrote: "Finally decided on a book. Going to try The Plague byAlbert Camus. Dipped into it a little last night and it grabbed my attention."I to..."
Sure...if you prefer savory to sweet...like a chocolate one.
Care wrote: "Anita wrote: "I have read so many of these, and am going to have to dig deep to find a book that is actually tagged thought provoking (that's on my TBR). Two faves that I would definitely recomme..."
I am so glad that you found Being Mortal to be worthwhile, Care. Your message warms my heart. I'm right there with you; it will be a book I will read and re-read as times call for it.
Second book for this month I've chosen: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper LeeCompassionate, dramatic, and deeply moving, it takes readers to the roots of human behavior - to innocence and experience, kindness and cruelty, love and hatred, humor and pathos.
This is a book that I feel like a lot of people read in middle/high school, but it wasn't a requirement for my school. Once again I feel like since I have the book, now is the best time as ever to take it off my shelf and read it!
Kelly wrote: "Second book for this month I've chosen: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper LeeCompassionate, dramatic, and deeply moving, it takes readers to the roots of human behavior - to innocence and experienc..."
Kelly, when you finish reading To Kill a Mockingbird, you can write a review, by starting a new topic with To Kill a Mockingbird as the title.
The new topic button is right under and just a bit to the right of Discussion Topics at the top of the page.
Joy D wrote: "Cloud Cuckoo Land is tagged 5 times as "thought provoking" (it was 4 but I just tagged it to get to 5 - not sure how long it takes to register)."I just finished this and enjoyed it very much. I didn't find that it was tagged Thought-provoking! I have to go move it out of "other" I guess. :-)
NancyJ wrote: "Barbara M wrote: "Recommendations - abridged because I don't want to repeat some above. Many are older ones that shouldn't be missed for any who did miss them.[book:The Language of Flowers|1003267..."
I'm loving Grandmother!
Play Book Tag
Books mentioned in this topic
The Plague (other topics)The Plague (other topics)
The Plague (other topics)
The Plague (other topics)
Swann’s Way (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Albert Camus (other topics)Albert Camus (other topics)
Albert Camus (other topics)
Albert Camus (other topics)
Marcel Proust (other topics)
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I love how you are helping me out . . .was it actually thought provoking??