04. A book related to something mentioned in the lyrics of What a Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong

[Jackie, Solstitial Mod]

For this prompt, you can find your own connection to something in the lyrics of the classic song "What a Wonderful World". A little bit of background:

Louis Armstrong was born in New Orleans in 1901, was a famous American jazz trumpeter and singer, was married four times, and has an asteroid named in his honor. Fun fact: he pronounced his own name "loo-is" and "loo-ee" at various times throughout his life, though the second pronunciation became more common overtime. The song "What a Wonderful World" was written by Bob Thiele and George David Weiss and recorded by Armstrong in 1967. It originally did poorly in the US because the president of ABC records didn't like the song and refused to promote it. It eventually rose to prominence after being featured in the film "Good Morning, Vietnam". It was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999.

Link to the full lyrics: https://www.lyrics.com/lyric/9825539/...

ATY Listopia: https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...

What are you reading and how did you connect it to the song?

[Thomas]

I changed my mind in the end but I thought some people may find this connection interesting The Dark Half because it involves a key early scene involving babies crying and the song says “ I hear babies cry I watch them grow”

[Dixie]

An Immense World: How Animal Senses Reveal the Hidden Realms Around Us There is a lovely version of David Attenborough performing this song on YouTube which was the inspiration for my choice.

[dalex]

I read an article about The Humans by Matt Haig which says this about the protagonist: “He begins to see hope and beauty in the humans’ imperfections and begins to question the very mission that brought him there.”

That sounds to me like the protagonist comes to view the world in the idealistic way that is expressed in the song.

[Irene]

The lyrics of the song also lead themselves really well to cover prompts, particularly these lines:

I see trees of green / Red roses too / I see skies of blue / And clouds of white / The bright blessed day / The dark sacred night / The colors of the rainbow / So pretty in the sky

The other interpretations mentioned above sound really beautiful though!

[Jillian]

I’m treating this as both a cover and title prompt with Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr

[Chrissy]

I want to find a book about “the dark blessed night” I think, since I do some stargazing and the loss of the dark sky saddens me.

[Robin P, Orbicular Mod]

dalex wrote: "I read an article about The Humans by Matt Haig which says this about the protagonist: “He begins to see hope and beauty in the humans’ imperfections and begins to qu..."

Yes, that's correct about that book.

[LeahS]

Yes, that is so sad. It always amazes me to see the starry skies shown in programmes set in remote places. No wonder the night sky became so important in myth and folklore

I'm reading Nightwalk: A Journey to the Heart of Nature for the 'book related to land' prompt. I see there's also Nightwalking. I've read another book by the author of that which was good.

For this prompt, I'm reading Birnam Wood and The Overstory, both with eco activism.

[Ellie]

With all the colours in the song, this is a good spot for Red Side Story, the very long awaited sequel to Jasper Fforde's Shades of Grey which is a about a society divided by what colour spectrum you can see. Publication date has been pushed so many times, but it has a cover now so I'm more hopeful it will actually be out in February.

[Bea]

Three possibles for me:

Trees: The Trees
Day: The Day the Music Died
Rainbow: The Glass Rainbow

Again, LeahS, you have mentioned a book that is now added to my TBR - Nightwalking. Thank you.

[LeahS]

Pleasure - hope you enjoy it, Bea.

[Jillian]

Ellie wrote: "With all the colours in the song, this is a good spot for Red Side Story, the very long awaited sequel to Jasper Fforde's Shades of Grey which is a about a society div..."

I had given up on the sequel. I was even able to track down a used copy of Shades of Grey, since it has been so long since I initially read it (of course I deleted my discount email yesterday). Amazon is showing up as releasing Red Side Story here in March. Sometimes it seems we have to they wait a lot longer to get a UK published book.

[Nancy]

Trees - A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
Roses - The Rose Code
Skies of blue - Reminders of Him (blue sky on cover)

[Pam]

If I can find it, I want to read The Rainbow and the Rose by Nevil Shute. The song mentions both roses and rainbows.

[Conny]

I was thinking that The Villa might be a good fit here, as (based on the cover blurb) it has a beautiful, dreamy setting and is centered on friends/friendship. That seems to resonate well with the idyllic opening verses of the song and the subsequent mention of friends.

[Dana]

Is this the sign that I need to finally start A court of Thornes and Roses?

Update: I was a bit behind with doing this challenge in order so I picked something easier to read for this one.
I went with In love & Pajamas by Catana Chetwynd and gave it a 3.5 rounded up.
It's a cute series, but not the best out there.

[Marie]

Totally not in keeping with the theme of the song itself, but connected to the lyrics the bright, blessed days, the dark sacred nights I'm going for Thirty Days of Darkness by Jenny Lund Madsen.

[Nadine in NY]

I am reading An Immense World: How Animal Senses Reveal the Hidden Realms Around Us for this one - it feels tailor-made for this category, and this book is the reason I voted for this category!

[Jacqie]

Me too, Nadine!

[Tracy]

I'm planning on reading Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend by Matthew Dicks.

It is the story of an boy on the autism spectrum who has a long term imaginary friend... who acts as the narrator of the book!

The connection to the song is the lyric:
I see friends shaking hands, saying, "How do you do?"
They're really saying, "I love you"

[Dixie]

Ellie wrote: "With all the colours in the song, this is a good spot for Red Side Story, the very long awaited sequel to Jasper Fforde's Shades of Grey which is a about a society div..."

My niece's favorite Fforde book is Shades of Grey. I'm reading it this month for a different challenge ('a book with grey in the title'), and plan on Red Side Story for 'a book that comes out in 2024' next year. Fingers crossed!

[NancyJ]

Dana wrote: "Is this the sign that I need to finally start A court of Thornes and Roses?"

I thought I was the last to read it. I just read it for banned book week. It fits “trees of green” and rose is in the title. There is one scene (aided by fairy magic) that fits practically the whole song. The violence was a lot darker than I expected though, especially for YA. (It earned its spot on the banned book lists.)

[NancyJ]

Dixie wrote: "An Immense World: How Animal Senses Reveal the Hidden Realms Around Us There is a lovely version of David Attenborough performing this song on YouTube which was the inspiration for ..."

Great choice. This is a fascinating book.

I might use this prompt for a time when I need a boost. I could reread Harry's Trees. Otherwise I’m considering Cloud Cuckoo Land, or Finding the Mother Tree: Discovering the Wisdom of the Forest.

For nonfiction readers, I’d suggest
Humankind: A Hopeful History
The Day the World Came to Town: 9/11 in Gander, Newfoundland
The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World

[GailW]

Going with the lyrics: "I see trees of green..." I expect to read Harry's Trees by Jon Cohen.

Does anyone else feel sad when they hear this song?

[NancyJ]

Gail W wrote: "Going with the lyrics: "I see trees of green..." I expect to read Harry's Trees by Jon Cohen.

Does anyone else feel sad when they hear this song?"

Yes but in a good way. Wistful.

I hope you enjoy Harry’s Trees. It’s sad at the beginning, but it’s ultimately a feel good book. My book club really liked it.

[GailW]

NancyJ wrote: "Gail W wrote: "Going with the lyrics: "I see trees of green..." I expect to read Harry's Trees by Jon Cohen. Does anyone else feel sad when they hear this song?..."

Wistful. Perfect word! And thanks for the heads up on the beginning.

[SadieReadsAgain]

I've gone a bit on the nose with this, and these are my possibles from my owned, physical books:

- Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam
- Map of the Invisible World by Tash Aw
- The Wonders of the Invisible World by David Gates
- 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World by Elif Shafak

[Chelsey]

Thinking about using “colors of the rainbow” and reading something queer

[Hayley]

I'm planning to read The World That We Knew. I chose this book because it is historical fiction and the title contains the word "world." I don't really know much about this book but my library's website recommended it for readers of Lisa See and The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane was my favourite read this year. Can anyone who has read the book recommend it?

[♞ Pat]

Gail W wrote: "Going with the lyrics: "I see trees of green..." I expect to read Harry's Trees by Jon Cohen.

Does anyone else feel sad when they hear this song?"

I've got that one on my tbr list too. It's been there a long time, so I'm thinking this might be the year!

[Kristin]

I started reading a ton of books back in 2023 that are under my 'currently reading' shelf. Considering that I got super behind, I wanted to start the year off by eliminating some of the 'currently reading' books off my list.

When I noticed this prompt, I immediately thought of the line "red roses too." I started reading last year, and never finished it. So, I will be finishing it up under this prompt :)

[Dixie]

Gail W wrote: "Going with the lyrics: "I see trees of green..." I expect to read Harry's Trees by Jon Cohen.

Does anyone else feel sad when they hear this song?"

Yes - as NancyJ said - wistful. Even more so when I watch the David Attenborough version video.

[Sydney]

Wasn't sure what to pick for this challenge, but I saw several of you all mention Harry's Trees by Jon Cohen. After looking at the summary, I think this one is a perfect pick for me. Thanks for the recommendation!

[caterspotaters]

I decided to start the year by reading the entire Hercule Poirot series in order of publication. Death in the Clouds (“And clouds of white”) works for this prompt.

[Kathy]

I finished my first book of the year by reading The Day the World Came to Town: 9/11 in Gander, Newfoundland by Jim DeFede. It has the word "world" in the title.

[Denise]

i'm using a cover for this prompt...A December to Remember. It has trees of green, skies of blue, and a couple (me and you) among other connections

[L Y N N]

Nancy wrote: "Trees - A Tree Grows in Brooklyn"
One of my all-time favorite books!

[L Y N N]

Chelsey wrote: "Thinking about using “colors of the rainbow” and reading something queer"

Great interpretation!

[Eli]

I read The Four Agreements which shows the reader how to live a more peaceful life and I believe that if everyone followed the suggestions in this book we would live in “a wonderful world”

I found this book very inspiring and I hope to live more in line with the values in this book this year

[♞ Pat]

TASK #4 ~ A book related to something mentioned in the lyrics of What a Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong

My 2024 plan is to "not plan."
BOOK 1 ~ I work at a big library and I'm just going to go with the first book that appeals to me that crosses my returns desk.
BOOK 2 ~ And I'm challenging myself to work on clearing out my old TBR shelf this year, so I'm going to read the dustiest "fits the prompt" book on my TBR shelf as well.

~ ♞ ~

BOOK 1
Harry's Trees by Jon Cohen
Read ~ 1.12.24
Pages ~ 432
Rationale ~ "I see trees of green..."

Review ~ ★★★★★
Have you ever read a book that you wish you had read sooner so you could have been recommending it longer? That's how this book was for me, and obviously for a large number of other GR readers as well, based on it 4.19 rating. I was immediately caught up in Harry and Amanda's lives, captivated by Orianda, and enraptured with the multiple community of characters that fleshed out this entire world (Ronnie, Olive, Stu, and even Wolf). It's really magical realism at it finest, and when I read the last page, my first thought was, "what a charming book," much like when I walked out of the Forrest Gump movie. It was just a great heartwarming read and I'm sad to see it end. I'm going to go see what else I've missed from John Cohen, because I would like to spend some more time with his characters.

~ ♞ ~

BOOK 2
The World That We Knew by Alice Hoffman
Read ~ 1.14.24
Pages ~ 372
Rationale ~ "...what a wonderful world..."

Review ~ ★★★★★
I haven't got the words to unpack all the emotions I am feeling having finished this book. It was brilliant. It brought me to tears. More than once.

[Robin P, Orbicular Mod]

Kathy wrote: "I finished my first book of the year by reading The Day the World Came to Town: 9/11 in Gander, Newfoundland by Jim DeFede. It has the word "world" in the title."

That one is perfect because the whole theme of the book is bringing people of the world together.

[NancyJ]

♞ Pat wrote: "TASK #4 ~ A book related to something mentioned in the lyrics of What a Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong

My 2024 plan is to "not plan."
BOOK 1 ~ I work at a big library and I'm just going to go ..."

Pat I LOVED The World That We Knew. It helped me re-discover my love for reading when I was feeling totally burned out. Harry’s Trees was wonderful too. It was a hit with my irl bookclub.

[Kathy]

Robin P wrote: "Kathy wrote: "I finished my first book of the year by reading The Day the World Came to Town: 9/11 in Gander, Newfoundland by Jim DeFede. It has the word "world" in the title."

That ..."

Yes, it is, Robin. It was the perfect book to start the new year.

[Phil]

For this prompt I've read The Trees by Percival Everett (Read 14th Jan; 4*)

[Robin H-R]

I read:
Murder at Wedgefield Manor by Erica Ruth Neubauer

A very colorful cover: skies of blue, clouds of white, so pretty in the sky, bright blessed day, a couple (me and you)

[Marie (UK)]

I read The Day the World Came to Town: 9/11 in Gander, Newfoundland

This is a welcome reminder of the good in people that triumphs over adversity. What a wonderful world it features on the listopia

[Robin P, Orbicular Mod]

Marie (UK) wrote: "I read The Day the World Came to Town: 9/11 in Gander, Newfoundland

This is a welcome reminder of the good in people that triumphs over adversity. What a wonderful world it features ..."

The show Come From Away is based on that book. I have seen it in person and on Apple TV and it always makes me cry, but in a good way. My favorite stories are those where people come together and help each other, but there are so few of those compared to the ones where you can't trust anyone and life is cutthroat.

[J]

I was looking through some lists for this prompt and spotted Standing in the Rainbow by Fannie Flagg - that sounded perfect.

But then I found out that it is book 2 of a series. So, I read Welcome to the World, Baby Girl! for this prompt - which is Book 1. And now I plan to do Standing in the Rainbow for the 'Second Book from Your Favorite Prompt' week.

And also slot books 3 and 4 of the series into this year...

[Tracy]

Sounds like you really enjoyed Book 1 J!