Around the Year in 52 Books discussion
Weekly Topics 2024
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03. A book that fits a suggestion that didn’t make the final list
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Roxanne
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Jan 23, 2024 08:06AM
thanks LeahS!
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I read Six Scorched Roses for the "A book with a disembodied hand on the cover" I really loved that prompt and was sad it didn't make it on.
I suggested a book set around a building or a similar prompt the last two years. 😊 I took advantage of this prompt to read
Wylding Hall
3⭐
For those who are looking for a horror story that is not horror, this would be a good choice. It has a slow build up to the horror aspect with some atmospheric passages.
I used the suggestion A book involving migration or relocation to another country and read The Maid's Room and The Moon And Sixpence Each book covered one aspect of the suggested prompt.The Maid's Room involves Filipino women who are economic migrants to Singapore. The story follows two sisters and their experiences, and also uses contrasting blogs by one of the sisters and by an employer to highlight the difficulties faced including low wages, poor accommodation and sexual exploitation. Singapore is not of course the only place where this can happen; the author estimates there are around 17 million domestic workers world wide without legal rights. The book is involving and interesting.
The Moon And Sixpence was inspired by the story of the artist Paul Gaugin. Although it follows his trajectory of leaving his family to go to Paris and then Tahiti in pursuit of his art, the MC, Strickland is a different character and has different experiences. Generally, I found this easy to read and a well-told story. Some of the language and attitudes reflect that it was originally published in 1919. However, it raises issues relevant today - can we divorce a creative person from their art, how far does talent excuse appalling behaviour?
My in person book club is reading Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros. We decided we needed to see what all the fuss was about! This book fits in quite nicely with the "book about dragons" prompt that was not chosen. This book was a hoot! Some Harry Potter, Hunger Games, maybe Twilight all swirled together. Literary fiction is was not but I had a great time reading it. I think the book club will be quite divided!
I had hoped for the suggestion to honor Wilkie Collins to force me to finally read The Moonstone, which I have had on my shelf for ages - since I read The Satapur Moonstone by Sujata Massey (the second in a favorite series that begins with The Widows of Malabar Hill, which I highly recommend!) So anyway, I let that suggestion force it into my hands even though it didn't make it and man am I glad I did! Loved it. Delightful.
I read Plastic-Free: How I Kicked the Plastic Habit and How You Can Too by Beth Terry for this prompt. I used the prompt about technology. It was an excellent book.
I will be reading Hold on Edna by Aneira Thomas. It fits the prompt for poll 11 - A book with a common household object on the cover. -
It has a sweeping brush.
For this prompt I read:The Girl in the Tree by Şebnem İşigüzel - 3.5 - My Review
(A book with girl, boy, man or woman in the title)
I loved this suggestion, a book with character who is a fish-out-of-water from the start. And the book I chose, Four Treasures of the Sky by debut author Jenny Tinghui Zhang fit for a couple of reasons:1) The theme of this historic novel sounded unique (it was)
2) Surprisingly, the heroine, Daiyu, lived her life as a fish out of water
3) That cover was almost too perfect (check)
Book with a body part in the title ...
✔ - 22Feb24Take My Hand – Dolen Perkins-Valdez – 4****
In 2016, Dr Civil Townsend, reflects on her time three decades previously when she worked with Montgomery (Alabama) Family Planning. Perkins-Valdez took inspiration from a shameful episode in America’s history, when poor, Black people were used as subjects for medical studies without their informed consent. Additionally, Perkins-Valdez looks at the class distinctions between poor, rural Blacks and the wealthier professional Blacks. Kudos to Perkins-Valdez for shining a light on these policies in our history.
LINK to my full review
I read Death of a Bookseller by Bernard J. Farmer which fit the prompt: A book where a main character is a writer, a librarian or a bookseller.3.5*
Katie wrote: "I had hoped for the suggestion to honor Wilkie Collins to force me to finally read The Moonstone, which I have had on my shelf for ages - since I read The Satapur Moonstone by Sujata Massey (the se..."It's such a great book, isn't it? I also loved The Woman in White.
I read Dark Matter by Blake Crouch.As a subsequent prompt from the list of suggestions that were rejected, I opted for a book about an invention or discovery .
I found this sci-fi novel intriguing in that it made me wonder where I would be if I'd made different choices in my life. If I had the chance to change any of my past decisions, would I?
I'm pretty sure the answer would be no.
4 stars
My review here:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I love this prompt- even though it's a "read any book" I like to find a good connection!
That being said, I chose "A book related to fire" and read Fire Exit. Cause, duh
That being said, I chose "A book related to fire" and read Fire Exit. Cause, duh
Went the easy route and forced myself to finish a book I have been 'reading' for a while now. Read The Quarter Storm for a book I meant to read in 2023
For this prompt I read The Elegance of the Hedgehog and it fit the suggestion "A book with a child character"
Dixie wrote: "Tracy wrote: "Right now I'm planning on reading Entangled Life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds & Shape Our Futures by Merlin Sheldrake (what a fabulous name!)[bookcove..."
I did end up reading the Merlin Sheldrake book, but for another prompt — A book that has been on your TBR for over year. It really was fascinating!
Tracy wrote: "Right now I'm planning on reading Entangled Life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds & Shape Our Futures by Merlin Sheldrake (what a fabulous name!)..."So, I did read the book I stated originally above, but for another prompt. For THIS prompt I ended up reading The Truths We Hold: An American Journey by Kamala Harris. The "suggestion that didn't make it" that I used was "A biography, autobiography, or memoir". With the upcoming elections, I found this book really interesting and important. It didn't change how am voting, but just made me appreciate at a deeper level how Kamala Harris thinks. We can expect good things from her!
For this one, I read A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking by T. Kingfisher. This was for the prompt "A Book with 'Guide' in the Title".
2nd time through I read:
Leaden Skies by Ann ParkerA book with twins in it
REJECT: A book that fits a suggestion that didn't make the list this year (A book with twins in it)
Finished: 11/30/2024
Rating: 4 stars
3rd book in the Silver Rush series set in Leadville CO
My favorite regular prompt, I did a couple different rejects challenges this year. https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
My choices for the 3 rounds
1- A book involving Immigration, migration or relocation to another country -
Go, Went, Gone - - 🌟5 stars
What Strange Paradise - - 🌟5 stars
2- A biography, autobiography, or memoir - Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness, - - 🌟5 stars
3- NPR Books We Love- side challenge (I read 23 NPR books total)- I'm Glad My Mom Died, 4 stars
Books mentioned in this topic
Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness (other topics)What Strange Paradise (other topics)
I'm Glad My Mom Died (other topics)
Go, Went, Gone (other topics)
Leaden Skies (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Ann Parker (other topics)T. Kingfisher (other topics)
Bernard J. Farmer (other topics)
Jenny Tinghui Zhang (other topics)
Linda Stratmann (other topics)
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