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2025 ~ Book Challenge
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Alias's 2025 Book Challenge
John wrote: "You might prefer a book I liked: Swansong 1945: A Collective Diary of the Last Days of the Third Reich."Thank you for this title, John.
Your post, along with what Alias posted about our discussion of epistolary works, has been interesting. I realize i learned much about the day-to-day lives of those surviving WWII events, even if for a limited time only, illuminating. I've learned more from them about the war, thanks to these diary/journal books.
One thing which fascinates me is that leaders of the UK and Warsaw uprising (probably others, these two come to mind), encouraged citizens to keep journals about events they experienced during the war. Thankfully, it's made wars so human, more identifiable, in learning what citizens like ourselves encountered.
Two examples are The Diary of Mary Berg: Growing up in the Warsaw Ghetto--Mary Berg and The Stroop Report--Jürgen Stroop. Different sides of the same city events. Btw, the subtitle of Stroop's book is "The Jewish Quarter is No More!"
I just saw that i read another (all three one after the other), A Cup of Tears: A Diary of the Warsaw Ghetto--Abraham Lewin.
Thank you for those titles, Deb.
You're welcome, Alias. I will add that i read them in the mid-90s, so i don't know what else is available now. After i posted it, i remembered that last year i saw a film with one of these diary/journals as its base. Housewife, 49 was a tv movie in the UK. A call went out for volunteers and Nella Last responded. Per Wiki, "The Mass-Observation project was set up in 1937 by Charles Madge, a poet and journalist and Tom Harrisson, an anthropologist to 'record the voice of ordinary people'. They recruited volunteer 'observers' to report to them and in 1939 invited people to send them an account of their lives. Nella Last was one of 500 people who took up this offer"
I'm going to post this in the Movie category now. :-)
madrano wrote: "i remembered that last year i saw a film with one of these diary/journals as its base. Housewife, 49 was a tv movie in the UK. A call went out for volunteers and Nella Last responded. Per Wiki,."Interesting !
I checked off another prompt. I reviewed the book in the March Book Salon.✅14- ...OLOGY --- Any field of study that ends in the suffix ology. For example: psychology, sociology, archology, cardiology, dermatology, zoology, ecology, oceanology, biology, zoology etc.
Can be non fiction or a fictional character that is involved in that field.
Healthy Brain, Happy Life by Wendy Suzuki--Neurobiology
Alias Reader wrote: "I checked off another prompt. I reviewed the book in the March Book Salon.✅14- ...OLOGY --- Any field of study that ends in the suffix ology. For example: psychology, sociology, archology, cardi..."
Yay for another prompt!
How did you like this one?
It looks interesting, but I'm ashamed to say the small number of reviews and rating would usually turn me away. (I admit I'm quick to judge a book...)
Great for you, Alias. So many "ology" options are available. One would feel guilty not finding one (or more!) to satisfy the prompt & one's own joy.
Congratulations on Prompt 14 "...OLOGY" checked!
I checked off another prompt. I reviewed the book in the March Book Salon thread.✅3- A banned or challenged book
The Message
Great choices for both - congrats! Each has an interesting premise.
I applaud your choice, Alias. And am saddened that it is a challenged/banned book.
I finished prompt #7. I reviewed the memoir in the March Book Salon thread. ✅7- A book published in 2025
Source Code: My Beginnings by 
Bill Gates
Thanks for this one!
Just updating. I reviewed these in the Book SalonI read this in March
✅1- YA book (young adult)
An Abundance of Katherines
I read this in April
✅10- Animal, vegetable or mineral
World of Wonders: In Praise of Fireflies, Whale Sharks, and Other Astonishments
I read this in April
✅13- A book that takes place in or is about a country you don't currently live in
Rental Person Who Does Nothing ~~Japan
✅21- (for 2025) Select a book that was published at least 25 years ago.
Too Loud a Solitude
It was self-published in samizdat in 1976 and officially in Czechoslovakia in 1989
Prompt 13 & 21 are also translations. However, I'm guessing I'll read another translation at some point, so used these prompts instead.
Isn’t it exciting to see how far you’ve come on this Challenge? I’m happy for you, Alias.
madrano wrote: "Isn’t it exciting to see how far you’ve come on this Challenge? I’m happy for you, Alias."Yes. I always find it intersting to see there are certain prompts where I could have listed many books. It helps me to see what attracts me to certain genre/authors.
Alias Reader wrote: "Just updating. I reviewed these in the Book Salon..."Well done, and thanks also for your reviews.
And like you, I find that there are certain prompts that could be filled with two or three or more books that I've enjoyed reading -- a lot of those in the "mystery, thriller, suspense or true crime" arena (#19).
Speaking of, I literally just found out today that Sara Gran has recently had a collection of short stories published featuring Claire DeWitt, The World's Greatest Detective (Little Mysteries: Nine Miniature Puzzles to Confuse, Enthrall, and Delight), which definitely sets my table for bonus prompt #5 (book with a female detective) this year!
Wow! I'm trying to schedule my reading for the challenge during the year. Alias has managed some impressive reads!
James wrote: "AliaSpeaking of, I literally just found out today that Sara Gran has recently had a collection of short stories published featuring Claire DeWitt, The World's Greatest Detective (Little Mysteries: Nine Miniature Puzzles to Confuse, Enthrall, and Delight), which definitely sets my table for bonus prompt #5 (book with a female detective) this year!"
Excellent !
John wrote: "Wow! I'm trying to schedule my reading for the challenge during the year. Alias has managed some impressive reads!"Honestly, so far these are just books I come across and want to read. I don't think much about the challenge until later in the year when I have to buckle down to check off the prompts.
I guess I read more widely than I thought. Everyone here has been a big influence on me!
James wrote: "Speaking of, I literally just found out today that Sara Gran has recently had a collection of short stories published featuring Claire DeWitt, The World's Greatest Detective (Little Mysteries: Nine Miniature Puzzles to Confuse, Enthrall, and Delight), which definitely sets my table for bonus prompt #5 (book with a female detective) this year!…"Oh, thank you, James for this news!
Alias Reader wrote: "I guess I read more widely than I thought. Everyone here has been a big influence on me..."I hear you on that front, Alias!
Alias Reader wrote: "madrano wrote: "Isn’t it exciting to see how far you’ve come on this Challenge? I’m happy for you, Alias."Yes. I always find it intersting to see there are certain prompts where I could have list..."
I have had the same thing. I actually sat down at the start of the year and mapped out my reading for this challenge but have ended up changing it up a bit as I've discovered new texts. It's been wonderful to expand my reading horizons beyond my comfort zone!
Alias Reader wrote: "John wrote: "Wow! I'm trying to schedule my reading for the challenge during the year. Alias has managed some impressive reads!"Honestly, so far these are just books I come across and want to rea..."
I've found a lot of new favorites here, Alias, from everyone.
Heather wrote:. It's been wonderful to expand my reading horizons beyond my comfort zone!
Excellent ! That is exactly why we do the challenge. I'm so happy to see it's working out well for you.
Bella (Kiki) wrote:"I've found a lot of new favorites here, Alias, from everyone..."
I think the group is varied enough that we all can find good book recommendations that suit us all.
Msg 78 Heather wrote: "I have had the same thing. I actually sat down at the start of the year and mapped out my reading for this challenge but have ended up changing it up a bit as I've discovered new texts..."Similar story here. At the beginning of the year, i went through my TBR, listing titles to fit the prompts. I thought i was set!
Reality set in as i learned my library doesn’t have a number of the selections, mostly because they are older books. This illustrates how i need to weed out that TBR. Now I’m trying to find similar books, if the original was nonfiction. I’m doing okay but need to start better next year!
madrano wrote: Reality set in as i learned my library doesn’t have a number of the selections, mostly because they are older books. ."
This is one reason I grab a eBook on Amazon if it's on sale for a few dollars. Often older books the library doesn't have. And if it's really old there is no eBook.
Right, the lack of ebooks for older books are my biggest issue.
I checked off another prompt. I wrote a review in the April Book Salon thread. The book was translated form Korean.
✅22- A book that was translated into English.
I Want to Die But I Want to Eat Tteokbokki
Congrats on the prompt! However, gotta mention that I dislike the texture of tteokbokki.
John wrote: "Congrats on the prompt! However, gotta mention that I dislike the texture of tteokbokki.":) I've never had it. I don't care for spicy food and many recipes seem to say it can get quite spicy !
Another prompt checked off ! I really enjoyed this one. I gave it a 5/5 rating. I reviewed in the April Book Salon.
✅24- Bildungsroman - Coming of age
Dead Poets Society
Good choice, though I have neither read this one, nor seen the film.
Thanks John, The movie is wonderful.
Alias Reader wrote: "Another prompt checked off ! I really enjoyed this one. I gave it a 5/5 rating. I reviewed in the April Book Salon.
✅24- Bildungsroman - Coming of age
Dead Poets Society"
Well done on another prompt - I had no idea this one was based on a novel but I enjoyed the film the last time I saw it.
Actually the novel was written after the movie.
Checked off another prompt ! I reviewed the book in the May Book Salon. ✅25- (for 2025) A book title with at least 5 words in the title. Bonus if it is exactly 5.
The President and the Assassin: McKinley, Terror, and Empire at the Dawn of the American Century
Alias Reader wrote: "Checked off another prompt ! I reviewed the book in the May Book Salon. ✅25- (for 2025) A book title with at least 5 words in the title. Bonus if it is exactly 5.
[book:The President and the Ass..."
Congratulations!
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That's what we thought, too. Thanks!