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2025 ~ Book Challenge
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Deborah's 2025 Book Challenge
THE FOLLOWING IS MY WORKSHEET. I am trying to tie this into the BOOKS I WANT TO READ IN 2025 List, in order to compliment each. Not a one of these is written in stone. :-)UPDATE: As i complete one of these prompts, i'm removing it. I'd like to see how this method does, offering me a clean slate by the end...i hope!
1- YA book (young adult) Demon in the Tea House--Dorothy Hoobler & [author:Thomas Hobbler|7459]
OR Number the Stars--Lois Lowry
2- Takes place during a holiday or about a holiday. Any holiday.
Small Things Like These--Claire Keegan
3- A banned or challenged bookLysistrata--Aristophanes, anti-war, banned in the 1960s!
OR Elmer Gantry--Sinclair Lewis religious, banned in Boston, Ka. City, Camden, NJ & more
OR We--Yevgeny Zamyatin, precursor to 1984, banned in Russia
OR The Canterbury Tales of Geoffrey Chaucer: Special Edition for Young Readers--Geoffrey Chaucer. Banned for religious thoughts, & still abridged often today.
4- STEM (any field of science, technology, engineering, or mathematics) or a character who works in or is involved with any STEM area.
Thinking In Numbers: On Life, Love, Meaning, and Math--Daniel Tammet
OR
Ada, the Enchantress of Numbers: Prophet of the Computer Age--Betty Alexandra Toole
5- A book about a world leader or notable person(s) (living or dead) The Training Ground: Grant, Lee, Sherman, and Davis in the Mexican War, 1846-1848--Martin Dugard About these future figures of the Civil War in their days in Texas. They served together in the American army that fought "in the first U.S. war waged in a foreign country." Saved from a Schmurgels decades ago.
6- A book from your TBR list or a book you own but never read.
7- A book published in 2025 Three Days in June--Anne Tyler
� 8- A book that was nominated for a prize or won a book award prize. (any year, any prize) The Chrysalids--John Wyndham, winner of Poland's Golden Sepulka award
9- A book involving the Arts or character involved in the Arts
(dance, music, painter, theater, drawing, architecture, film, photography)
10- Animal, vegetable or mineral
11- Re-read a book you read before
The Three-Body Problem--Liu Cixin
12- History, Current event, or historical fiction
14- ...OLOGY --- Any field of study that ends in the suffix ology. For example: psychology, sociology, archaeology, cardiology, dermatology, zoology, ecology, oceanology, biology, zoology etc.
Can be nonfiction or a fictional character that is involved in that field.
Women in the Valley of the Kings: The Untold Story of Women Egyptologists in the Gilded Age--Kathleen Sheppard
15- A book dealing with mental health, physical disability or other health related issue
16- Author's Last Name begins with R, E, A or D.
The Wolf Children]
OR, i may use this for #22, translated from German;
17- Self help, motivational, inspirational, spirituality, mindfulness, or communication.
18- Biography, autobiography or memoir A Girl from Yamhill--Beverly Cleary
19- Mystery, thriller, suspense or true crime novel
20- novella, short story collection, essays collection, or play.
21- (for 2025) Select a book that was published at least 25 years ago.
The Warrior's Path--Louis L'Amour
23- Travel or a journey (could be literal or spiritual) American Ramble: A Walk of Memory and Renewal--Neil King Jr.
24- Bildungsroman - Coming of age
25- (for 2025) A book title with at least 5 words in the title. Bonus if it is exactly 5.
***
Bonus prompts or substitution
NOT required to complete the challenge!
*
1- humorous or funny book
The History of Mr. Polly--H.G. Wells.
2- fantasy, magical realism or science fiction
The City & the City--China Miéville
3- A book that features water. (ocean, swimmer, lake, ship/boat or has picture of water on cover)
4- Romance or love 💖
5- A book with a female detective
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I thought i would throw out some ideas i am entertaining for my personal 2025 Challenge. KeenReader's post started me thinking along these lines late last month. But Julie's Challenges have intrigued me for a couple of years now. Somehow i'm working out what might work for me.
Thus Far, i hope to include KR's International, Classic, and Translation categories. Also Julie's idea of reading one book published each year of one decade. For instance, this year she did 1980, so a book from 1980, '81, '82, etc. I'll probably use my own birth year or that of someone else i know.
Then there are these.
1) The next book in a series that i read long ago, be it mystery or not
2) BOOKS mentioned in Other Books i've read but not in endnotes
3) BOOK BY AUTHOR whose one work awed me but have yet to read anything else written by them.
THIS IS AS FAR AS I"VE GOTTEN, thus far.
Nice lineup, deb. I particularly like the ...OLOGY prompt selection. Well done !
Alias Reader wrote: "Nice lineup, deb. I particularly like the ...OLOGY prompt selection. Well done !"LOL--i'm a sucker for female archeologists, it seems. I read a couple this year, too.
Btw, i added to #7, after JoAnn reminded me of the Feb. release of the latest Anne Tyler.
Well, it seems i have dug myself deeper into my Challenge. Last month i mentioned i'd like to follow Julie's lead & read books from one decade. Last night i researched and found many from the first 5 years of the 1950s. I was surprised at what a breakthrough time it was for literature. I'm listing the following, again, so i can find it all in one place. Eventually, i hope to delete all these "extras", creating one list.That there are quite a number of science fiction novels doesn't surprise me. This was just a few years after dropping the bomb on Hiroshima, as well as "aliens" visiting Rockwell, NM. Factor in the McCarthy hearings & we have plenty of fodder for sci-fi, as it was then called. What does surprise me is how slender these volumes are; many are under 300 pages.
I listed only the first in a series. As well, only titles i'd known about but hadn't read are listed. I must admit this alone would make an outstanding 2025 Challenge, so don't be surprised...
1950
I, Robot--Isaac Asimov
The Martian Chronicles--Ray Bradbury
Strangers on a Train--Patricia Highsmith
The Grass Is Singing--Doris Lessing
�The Third Man--Graham Greene
1951
Foundation--Isaac Asimov
�The End of the Affair--Graham Greene
The Ballad of the Sad Café and Other Stories--Carson McCullers
The True Believer: Thoughts on the Nature of Mass Movements--Eric Hoffer
� Hangsaman--Shirley Jackson
Molloy--Samuel Beckett
Ginger Pye--Eleanor Estes
The Sabbath: Its Meaning for Modern Man--Abraham Joshua Heschel
�The Sea Around Us--Rachel Carson
1952
The Borrowers--Mary Norton
Wise Blood--Flannery O'Connor
Black Skin, White Masks--Frantz Fanon
Excellent Women--Barbara Pym
� Thousand Cranes--Yasunari Kawabata
The Space Merchants--Frederik Pohl and C M Kornbluth
The Natural--Bernard Malamud
1953
Childhood’s End--Arthur C. Clarke
Go Tell It on the Mountain--James Baldwin
�Casino Royale--Ian Fleming (1st Bond)
Junky--William S. Burroughs (FIRST all the chapters, not censored)
The Demolished Man--Alfred Bester
More Than Human--Theodore Sturgeon
A Woman in Berlin: Eight Weeks in the Conquered City: A Diary--Anonymous
A Kiss Before Dying--Ira Levin
� Life Among the Savages--Shirley Jackson (first of her memoirs)
1954
�I Am Legend--Richard Matheson
Twelve Angry Men--Reginald Rose
The Bad Seed--William March
The Sound of Waves--Yukio Mishima
A Spy in the House of Love--Anaïs Nin
The Sound of the Mountain--Yasunari Kawabata
1955
Pedro Páramo--Juan Rulfo
� The Quiet American--Graham Greene
� The Chrysalids--John Wyndham
Inherit the Wind: The Powerful Courtroom Drama in which Two Men Wage the Legal War of the Century--Jerome Lawrence
Carry On, Mr. Bowditch--Jean Lee Latham YA about sailor/math man
Thanks, Denise. Somehow, i thought i lost post # 5, while trying to edit it. Gratefully, here 'tis.I see that while rooting about for those '50 titles, i also listed books from each of those decades that i'd already read. I'm posting them to illustrate some of the well known titles from that half a decade. Incidentally, i didn't list the "Golden Books", which were best sellers in three of the decades listed. Mighty fine reading below. They follow:
1950
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe--C.S. Lewis This was the First Narnia book.
A Town Like Alice--Nevil Shute
1951
The Catcher in the Rye--J.D. Salinger
Prince Caspian--C.S. Lewis
The Day of the Triffids--John Wyndham
My Cousin Rachel--Daphne du Maurier
The Daughter of Time--Josephine Tey
1952
Charlotte’s Web--E.B. White
The Old Man and the Sea--Ernest Hemingway
East of Eden--John Steinbeck
Voyage of the Dawn Trader--C.S. Lewis
Invisible Man--Ralph Ellison
Waiting for Godot--Samuel Beckett
Player Piano--Kurt Vonnegut Jr.
1953
Fahrenheit 451--Ray Bradbury
The Silver Chair--C.S. Lewis
Nine Stories--J.D. Salinger
1954
Lord of the Flies--William Golding
The Horse and His Boy--C.S. Lewis
Lucky Jim--Kingsley Amis
How to Lie with Statistics--Darrell Huff
Sweet Thursday--John Steinbeck
1955
Lollita--Vladimir Nabokov
The Magician’s Nephew--C.S. Lewis
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof--Tennessee Williams
Gift from the Sea--Anne Morrow Lindbergh
Notes of a Native Son--James Baldwin
A Night to Remember--Walter Lord
Invasion of the Body Snatchers--Jack Finney
Profiles in Courage--John F. Kennedy
Eloise--Kay Thompson
Sounds like a good ambitious plan, deb. Good luck !
Thank you, Alias. The bulk of these books are under 300 and many from the '50s were already familiar, just unread. lol We'll see how it goes.
madrano wrote: "Alias Reader wrote: "Nice lineup, deb. I particularly like the ...OLOGY prompt selection. Well done !"LOL--i'm a sucker for female archeologists, it seems. I read a couple this year, too.
Btw, i..."
I love your choice for this prompt. when I was little and well into my teens, I wanted to be an egyptologist when I grew up. There is still that young Samanta somewhere inside that yearns to become one. :D
Like you, Samanta, i wish i'd followed up on my teenager interest in all archeology. *sigh*
WELL, it appears i never shared my final thoughts on what i am going to do about this Challenge. I am going to attempt the group challenge, as is. Also, i'm going to delve into the first half of the 1950s, reading all the books on that list (Post# 5). At last, i finished a book yesterday, followed by another today. Oddly, the tone of both novels were similar, which was a bizarre experience.
First, for Prompt #22- A book that was translated into English, i read The Tunnel--Ernesto Sabato. It was a Buddy Read with Samanta.
Published in the late '40s and set in Argentina, we learn in the first line that our 1st-person narrator, Juan Pablo Castel killed Maria Iribarne. The rest of the slender book is about his life as a painter, the way the two characters met and their unusual relationship.
In essence, i felt early on that we could not trust our narrator. First of all, he regularly explained how he interpreted almost every thing, person and event he encountered. Not just explained, but over-explained, to the point where i wasn't sure he wasn't lying to us.
Ultimately, i didn't care for a single person in the novel, not even his victim. Short as the novel was, i felt more could have been trimmed, as the suppositions he offered were quite repetitive. His fevered explanations reminded me, in some ways, of the unnamed narrator in Notes from Underground--Fyodor Dostoevsky.
That written, however, i felt the novel was interesting. I'm not certain how to interpret what i read but i found the story one i doubt i'll forget. Good? Bad? I'm just not sure.
Before reading the above, i began reading Hangsaman, Shirley Jackson's second novel. Unfortunately for me, the main character, Natalie Waite, also had the rambling, imaginative thoughts as in the above book. As i finished this after the Sabato, i was tired of the writing and skimmed quite a bit.
When we meet her, Natalie is living at home with her parents and brother, the summer before she enters college. The teen has a tendency to imagine a police detective is asking her questions about a murder. Odd, that, but i accepted it as part of the games a kid would play with her unoccupied mind.
The same day we witness the family entertaining friends of the husband. Our look at the party ends when Natalie is lured into some nearby trees by an older man, where she is sexually assaulted.
Next, she heads to college, where she feels an outcast. The small school is really for upper middle-to-wealthy female students. Nat feels out of sync with them. Because each student has her own room, there is an assured isolation (my opinion) for some students. We are told of her "adventures", which include drinking with a professor & his wife, trying to make friends with two students who seem iffy to me and, finally, meeting a girl many on campus consider strange.
The third segment of the book begins with Natalie back home for Thanksgiving, where she feels out of place. Instead of enjoying it, she lies & says she must return the next day to college. There, she meets with the strange girl and their adventure is strange.
I read a bit about this book prior to reading it, suggesting it is a bit of a horror story. Honestly, i'm not sure. Was she having a break down? That first year away from home is infamous for such mental stress. To me, it was just a story of a young woman searching for her place, away from family and on her own.
Oh, i forgot to mention that this selection is from my 1950s list, first published in '51.
Good job on the challenges deb. Let's hope you enjoy your next prompts more.
Impressive choice - thanks for the info!
madrano wrote: "Like you, Samanta, i wish i'd followed up on my teenager interest in all archeology. *sigh*"Is this something we all do? Wish we'd followed that little niggling of a career, the one others told us was silly or a long-shot, and to do something more practical?
Mine was anthropology.
To be fair, I just read an anthropological book, and it highlighted many reasons that I made the right choice in NOT becoming an anthropologist :)
Reading through your worksheet of book ideas. You have some wonderful selections here!You've also helped me recall Number the Stars, which I read several times as a young teen. That's one of the books I'd love to re-read as an adult.
Lindsey wrote: "Is this something we all do? Wish we'd followed that little niggling of a career, the one others told us was silly or a long-shot, and to do something more practical?..."Funny you ask, Lindsey. A few years ago i realized that all my "missed" careers began with an "A"--archeology, architecture, astronomy and attorney. I suspect i found an encyclopedia & loved every occupation mentioned.
Readers are fortunate, imo, in that we can at least get a taste of these careers we didn't pursue. At the time, i'm not sure i even knew how a person could become an archeologist unless they happened to live in Egypt. Yes, i was easily discouraged. lol
Lindsey wrote: "Reading through your worksheet of book ideas. You have some wonderful selections here!You've also helped me recall Number the Stars, which I read several times as a young teen.'..."
Oh, i love that, Lindsey! I hadn't even heard of it, so was pleased to find it's still readily available.
Honestly, just planning, as i did above, was pure joy. It reminded me of my reading intentions from the past.
I completed the first book i began reading this year, for prompt #13--A book that takes place in or is about a country you don't currently live in. My selection was Frozen in Time: An Epic Story of Survival and a Modern Quest for Lost Heroes of World War II--Mitchell Zuckoff, set in Greenland.Last year i read his Lost in Shangri-la: A True Story of Survival, Adventure, and the Most Incredible Rescue Mission of World War II for our Challenge. I liked that book, which was tightly controlled. And it was from that book that i learned of this WWII book. In the intro to this one, Zuckoff tells readers that he looks at old newspapers to learn what lesser known events caught the nation's interest during the war. In this case, no real info was released until after the final survivors were well into recovery. I'm glad this story garnered his interest.
The story is an accounting of the US presence in Greenland during WWII, beginning in 1941. Just prior to being invaded, Denmark made a pact with the US, allowing them to set up bases on Greenland, to serve as a stopping site when equipment & planes were being transferred to England and other sites. Also a large part of the agreement was to allow the US to protect the sole site known to have cryolite, which was used for making the aluminum our planes needed. Germany and other European nations used a synthetic cryolite but it wasn't explained why the US preferred mining their own.
Almost as soon as stations were established, planes began crashing there, often due to the incredibly varied weather conditions, once described as flying into milk. In 1942, in search of a lost cargo plane on the ice cap of Greenland, a B17 crashed with 9 people aboard. A second rescue mission crashed a Grumman Duck (an amphibious plane).
The book primarily details the story of the survivors of the B-17, sharing their harrowing developments, including semi-successes, over the period of 6 months, when the human recovery was completed. One must marvel at their efforts to survive and the way others in the group helped pull companions out of deep depression. I teared up only at the end, reading what the survivors did with the rest of their lives. To wit, moved on.
Sadly, Zuckoff decided to insert his own efforts to retrieve the actual crashed Grumman Duck. This occured during the mid-teens of this century. It is a minor story barely worth telling, i wish it hadn't been included. It stymied the progress of the wartime events and, honestly, wasn't particularly interesting, outside of learning about the dedication of the US Coast Guard to retrieve bodies from the war before their last relatives who actually knew them died.
I am really so tired of authors doing this. It's self-serving and uninteresting. Also, isn't it an admission that their participation is a so-so story, which could only be published in connection with the Real Story? Richard Preston did this in The Wild Trees: A Story of Passion and Daring, which i read last year. Boring!
ANYway, Zuckoff writes well, using engaging prose to tell this remarkable story. His first chapter was about the climate and "land" (read ice) in Greenland, so readers have a better sense of the environment into which those hunting the crashes find themselves. Oh, those crevices in the ice! I had no idea.
I'm not one to read about the huge battles of any war, such as Midway or D-Day. These smaller historical stories provide me with plenty about the equipment the military had & how they used (& developed) them. They also illustrate the command decisions and how they proceed. I just don't need the actually fighting to learn about heroism.
Final point i want to mention is about illustrations. There are two maps, many photos of the people mentioned and several of the planes under discussion. As they are printed with the actual story of the person, it enhances my appreciation of the events.
Very well done on the prompt, deb. I do enjoy when one book leads the reader to another. Greenland is a timely read ! ;)
I don't mind so much when an author also includes their experience in a book. For me, it makes it more personal. Though I can understand your dislike of this approach.
That's very moving to read about the "the dedication of the US Coast Guard to retrieve bodies from the war before their last relatives who actually knew them died."
I did note this in one of the Amazon reviews.
"My one major criticism is that the book wasn't really finished when the author and publisher decided to go forward. The amphibious plane so arduously sought, largely for the sake of the families, was finally located but not soon enough in the mission to allow for a retrieval of even a few pieces of hardware, much less any of the three bodies at the crash site. It seems that one more fully planned and equipped trip to the crash site would have allowed the aircraft and the bodies to be retrieved and properly dispositioned."
The story sounds absolutely amazing.
I LOVE photos and maps ! I'm glad to hear they were included in the book.
Sadly, Zuckoff decided to insert his own efforts to retrieve the actual crashed Grumman Duck. This occured during the mid-teens of this century. It is a minor story barely worth telling, i wish it hadn't been included. It stymied the progress of the wartime events and, honestly, wasn't particularly interesting, outside of learning about the dedication of the US Coast Guard to retrieve bodies from the war before their last relatives who actually knew them died. Jon Krakauer did the same in Into the Wild. It was odd, because I do not think it was the same place, but he wanted to share his experience of being alone in the wild. Still, I was so-so about the inclusion of that part.
madrano wrote: "I completed the first book i began reading this year, for prompt #13--A book that takes place in or is about a country you don't currently live in. My selection was [book:Frozen in Time: An Epic St..."Sounds like a really interesting piece of history! Love these small moments inside larger scale historical moments too
Alias Reader wrote: "Very well done on the prompt, deb. I do enjoy when one book leads the reader to another. Greenland is a timely read ! ;)
I don't mind so much when an author also includes their experience in a b..."
Thank you for fleshing out one of my bigger issues with including the story from this century. There really is no conclusion. IF it's such a fascinating story, why not hold off until the recovery is complete? There was enough material for it. And, in its own way interesting material, given the commitment to retrieve bodies of US war dead.
He made much of the fact that one of the dead soldier's sister was still alive, then failed to tell us if she was still alive, when publishing. Her heartbreak must have been deep.
When an author inject her/himself into a story with a line or two, i don't mind. But when they create another whole story, as Zuckoff did, i am turned off. When Preston did it, the intrusion wasn't as deep for me, until he became part of the research team. Maybe i'm just jealous? :-)
Samanta wrote: "Jon Krakauer did the same in Into the Wild. It was odd, because I do not think it was the same place, but he wanted to share his experience of being alone in the wild. Still, I was so-so about the inclusion of that part. ..."I didn't know that, Samanta, as i haven't read his book. Perhaps it's much more prevalent than i realized. In Krakauer's case, i don't think readers would mind an introduction, in which he shares those lonely experiences. But it slows the flow of their prose, in my opinion.
Thanks for that info. You have me wondering whether i've just happened to miss many of books which include this format.
Heather wrote: "Sounds like a really interesting piece of history! Love these small moments inside larger scale historical moments too ..."I agree. They make history more relatable, for me. And there is something about the perspective--a giant, ongoing war simultaneous to these smaller, just as deadly, events.
Personal story. My dad was a teenager when "Wrong Way Corrigan" claimed he "accidentally" flew from California to Ireland in 1938. Even as an old man, my dad enthusiastically related the story. From the Wiki page, "Corrigan's "error" caught the imagination of the depressed American public and inspired many jokes. The nickname "'Wrong Way' Corrigan" passed into common use... when someone had the reputation for taking the wrong direction."
He never mentioned & i never told him directly, but his claim was suspect from the beginning. He was an experienced mechanic & pilot, who made those claims. And "coincidentally", he had been denied permission to fly to Ireland. Oops.
Much more info here--
I think the public latches onto such stories & they become a part of their lore. I like that, which is another reason these "smaller stories" call to me.
To complete this rambling post, i must add that there is another genre, akin to this, which i like. Three such books come to mind. They are books about individuals who did something "different", were celebrities for their 15 minutes, then vanish. I relished each book and remember more details about them than i do many other books.
The Man Who Walked Backward: An American Dreamer's Search for Meaning in the Great Depression--Ben Montgomery
The Ride of Her Life: The True Story of a Woman, Her Horse, and Their Last-Chance Journey Across America--Elizabeth Letts
Grandma Gatewood's Walk: The Inspiring Story of the Woman Who Saved the Appalachian Trail--Ben Montgomery
Deb, I read and enjoyed Grandma Gatewood. I recall you mentioning The Man Who Walked Backward. It's probably buried in my TBR notebook. Thanks for the reminder.
I'd forgotten that you read the Gatewood book, too.As i was typing up my notes, i found Zuckoff wrote this in his Introduction, "In intro, “I learned about these events while hunting through newspaper archive for hidden treasures: stories that once captivated the world, only to fall through the cracks of history.�
Yes!
I completed a book from my '50s list, this one from 1953, Life Among the Savages--Shirley Jackson. This will end my Jackson books from these years. Ostensibly, this is nonfiction, listed as a memoir. This is like calling the books written by Erma Bombeck memoirs, which they are not. They are humorous takes on raising a family in the era in which they were written. Or, as Jackson herself called this one, “a disrespectful memoir of my children.�What will surprise some readers are the practices from Jackson's era--not only no seatbelts but the youngest child standing on her head in the back seat, as mom drove through the hills and winding roads. No? How about the fact mom put the baby in the front seat, next to her--this long before car seats or even seatbelts? How about the abundant use of cookies, candy (think in pounds of, not bars of), and desserts (chocolate pudding being the most often served) mentioned? After the cookies & candy were offered as snacks, then, mom mentions apples.
Given the fact she was born in 1916, it may not be surprising that Jackson (nor her earlier-born husband) did not drive. Some time is spent in the book describing her lessons in driving. Then she is off, making all sorts of journeys with her children, roaming the hills in search of items. She marvels that the car's cigarette lighter didn't work. Today, she'd be hard pressed to find a lighter in her new car, at all. And on.
One final fact i must share. In planning on relaxing after giving birth to her third child, she's looking forward to saying in the hospital for 10 days. LOL!! Even with a Caesarean, as i had, a week would have been a verboten luxury. I personally don't know a woman who was in the hospital longer than 5 days, and that was with complications.
So, if nothing else, one could romp down Memory Lane, (or, more likely, your mother's Memory Lane) and enjoy the saunter. The Lifestyles have changed & this is proof. The writing here is well done, afterall, it's Shirley Jackson. Dare i admit that i felt she squandered her talent writing this?
It sounds as though i didn't like it but i thought it was fine. The fact that i have learned her husband was rampantly unfaithful to her, colored my feelings about her efforts, but it's obvious she was in her element otherwise enjoying family life.
madrano wrote: not only no seatbelts but the youngest child standing on her head in the back seat, as mom drove through the hills and winding roads. No? How about the fact mom put the baby in the front seat, next to her--this long before car seats or even seatbelts? How about the abundant use of cookies, candy (think in pounds of, not bars of), and desserts (chocolate pudding being the most often served) mentioned? After the cookies & candy were offered as snacks, then, mom mentions apples.."It's amazing anyone survived ! LOL
I enjoyed your review deb.
Isn't it?! I forgot to mention that for at least a year, the family got around by taxi. It seems to me that would add but quickly, but maybe back then the rides cost much less.
Ok, i had fun with this selection for prompt #8- A book that was nominated for a prize or won a book award prize. (any year, any prize), The Chrysalids--John Wyndham. This was also on my 1950s list, as it was published here in '55. However, in 1985 it was awarded the Golden Sepulka award, which is the second oldest Polish literary award in the field of fantasy creativity. How could i resist using this as my award winner, eh?Wyndham was a popular post-war British science fiction writer. His The Day of the Triffids was a best seller, over there. This was his first novel about a post-apocalyptic world, in which one section of Labrador is rigidly enforces a no deformities agenda, from any species-- animal, vegetable or human. So, what's a teenage kid to do with his telepathic abilities?
By the time we meet David Strorm, he has learned to hide his telepathic ways, as have a few "friends" he has connected with telepathically. Of course, this is a deviation from the Image of God, which is the ideal for his part of the country. Indeed, if a baby is born with an extra toe, it is taken from its family. It's unclear if they are killed or sent away, but such abnormalities are against the Perfect Image of God, so are not tolerated. The group has burned full fields of crops because they've been determined to be from deformed seed.
You may imagine how hard it is to eliminate those with deviations which are not physical. So, when the society realize there are people who can "talk" with one another without being heard, the danger looms large. How can they be detected? What to do with them, especially since David's father is on the council who decides what's deviated & what's not?
You can see how this would be a ripe story for the post WWII years. Mostly, it is well told, if unevenly paced. But it is all worth it, as the story progresses and readers learn more about this world, its myths and its realities. David's fairly perfect world begins to dissolve, almost before his eyes.
To learn more about this award, try this Wiki page. Warning: I used translator services offered by them, so the English is iffy.
madrano wrote:"1985 it was awarded the Golden Sepulka award, which is the second oldest Polish literary award in the field of fantasy creativity."
You win the prize for thinking out of the box on this one, Deb. Well done !
I was hoping there was a prize! Give it to me in 30 years, to honor Wyndham's record. ;-)
Impressive choice for #8! Triffids was a bit of a cult film among some of us back in high school.Agree about Greenland being a timely setting. Sometimes, unfortunately, authors do include elements that are important to them, but leave me feeling "Guess you had to be there ..."
True, John. I want to be fair to Zuckoff & state that i can understand why he included it. It just did his book no favors. I love knowing that Triffids was a cult thing back then. Science fiction was a later addition to my reading time. Oh, what i missed!
6- A book from your TBR list or a book you own but never read.In '23, i attended an event in Oklahoma, sponsored by the Caddo Indian tribe. One of the speakers was the son of the author of this book, A Pipe for February, written by Charles H. Red Corn. I immediately bought the book, then forgot about it. Just last week i ran across it again, & decided now is the time.
John Grayeagle, full-blood Osage, is educated, has traveled to Europe, works at his art and is indifferent to his finances, even when notices things are amiss. He sends his cook to France, to learn how to cook their dishes and thinks little of it, even when she suggests returning overseas for a refresher’s course. He has three cars and one truck. One of the cars was purchased after the salesman told him about his starving family.
Once oil was discovered on the Osage reservation land, the US government decided most tribe members would need to have a white guardian to handle the finances. Enter the con men. Yet, John is aware of his finances. For instance, while his friends believe he owns the fancy hotel in town, he informs him that he only loaned the money to the owners & they pay him interest. Games are afoot, as the hotel is popular, yet the owner declares he’s losing money. And on.
His cousins, with whom he was raised when his parents died in a car accident, are as close as siblings. This book follows the three, as cousin Mary loses several family members to unusual events and as cousin Ted falls in love with a white woman. Their personalities become a part of the strength of the story, as we see they are like any young people of wealth, giving to charities, yet also spending extravagantly.
Initially, the prose was a bit uncomfortable because, while the characters are speaking English, it is their second language, so it seems stiff. As i became more accustomed to it, i realized this was helping readers understand why interaction with their adult, white advisors seemed innocent. Their Osage language dealt with their values of honest and trust, which ends up not serving them well.
When Red Corn has the "siblings" and some of the elder tribe members talk about their traditions, we better comprehend that they are a generation which is stepping far away from their tribal customs. Yes, they are taught the rules and many ceremonies, but they come to see that the differences between what once was practiced and how it is now practiced is changing & will affect them for the rest of their lives.
For me, this would be a good Bildungsroman selection, as this is a real coming of age for these young adults, as they come to understand what the tribe, as well as white society, expects of them. I felt it was very well accomplished.
As i mentioned, John is an artist. In the beginning he mentions wanting to paint, from his memory, some of the churches he saw while in Europe. Part of his personal story is to figure out what he wants in his own life. As he practices his art, readers become aware of how his outlook is changing. Very well done.
Martin Scorsese used this book to flesh out some of the characters in his movie Killers of the Flower Moon. Honestly, I rather wish he’d stuck to this for all of the film. Or turned it into a mini-series, adding the FBI at the appropriate time.
Wonderful comprehensive review, deb. Thank you! I liked Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI more than you did, Deb. I gave it 4/5 stars.
I also didn't like the movies as much as the FBI angle wasn't as prominent as in the book.
LOL - So I'm on the opposite side of the fence of you with this one.
Well done on the prompt, deb !
Thanks for such a thorough review of a unique, interesting book for this prompt.
It's great that you met the son of the author of this interesting book. It's terrible how many con men that Native Americans have had to deal with.
Alias Reader wrote: "Wonderful comprehensive review, deb. Thank you! I liked Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI more than you did, Deb. I gave it 4/5 stars. ..."
I think i gave the wrong impression with the Grann book, Alias. The fact it shined the light on what happened to the Osage was well presented. I recommended it to many people. I think it's the last book my Mother-in-Law read, at which point she asked me to find her more like that. LOL
Until i read this Red Corn novel, i felt i was informed, thanks to Grann. It was the film by the Grann title that i meant to say i disliked. Having read this novel, i see that Scorsese really tried to flesh out the individual tribe members by using it. I didn't think Grann did that as well.
Mostly, i'm just glad the story has had the coverage it deserved. In a time when we see open conmen, it is interesting to observe how easily it can be hidden. It's my hope that one of those folks who like to re-film movies will turn this one into a mini-series. In that way, i believe, each story--FBI, con men & Osage with their history included--could be well covered.
Apologies for the confusion i presented. :-)
Connie wrote: "It's great that you met the son of the author of this interesting book. It's terrible how many con men that Native Americans have had to deal with."Once some tribe members began to see patterns, the author illustrated the issue of whether or not there were any white people they knew who were trustworthy. I thought that was well presented, as well.
madrano wrote: "Alias Reader wrote: "Wonderful comprehensive review, deb. Thank you! I liked Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI more than you did, Deb. I gave..."
No apology needed. Thanks for clarifying.
Deb, I was thinking for prompt Ology, you would select mythology. As I know that is an topic you enjoy. I was surprised when you said you were looking at archaeology I can't find the thread where you mentioned this. Either way, I hope you enjoy your "ology". :)
Mythology would have been a good choice for me, Alias, you are correct. However, this week i began reading Women in the Valley of the Kings: The Untold Story of Women Egyptologists in the Gilded Age--Kathleen Sheppard, which i selected for the "ology" prompt. We'll see how this develops. Thus far, the women covered are "amateurs", so i'm not sure how much archeology there will actually be.
Egyptologists in the Gilded Age sounds really fascinating. Enjoy !
"madrano wrote: . . . Apologies for the confusion i presented. :-)..."Wait, is "apology" good for the "-ology" prompt? . . . 😁
"madrano wrote: . . . Mythology would have been a good choice for me, Alias, you are correct...."
madrano, I saw this book, Pandora's Jar: Women in the Greek Myths by Natalie Haynes (2020), and wondered if you had read it and if so, would you recommend it?
James wrote: ""madrano wrote: . . . Apologies for the confusion i presented. :-)..."Wait, is "apology" good for the "-ology" prompt? . . . 😁
"
lol ! Good catch.
LOL on the apology. Clever guy, you.I haven't even heard of the Haynes book, but have added it to my TBR. It is available at my library, to boot! Thanks for pointing the direction for this one, James.
James wrote: ""madrano wrote: . . . Apologies for the confusion i presented. :-)..."Wait, is "apology" good for the "-ology" prompt? . . . 😁
"madrano wrote: . . . Mythology would have been a good choice for m..."
Listen to her standing up for the classics, she is wonderful
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� 2- Takes place during a holiday or about a holiday. Any holiday.
The Children of Green Knowe--Lucy M. Boston.
� 3- A banned or challenged book Lysistrata--Aristophanes
4- STEM ( any field of science, technology, engineering, or mathematics) or a character who works in or is involved with any STEM area.
� 5- A book about a world leader or notable person(s) (living or dead) DEAD: The Moralist: Woodrow Wilson and the World He Made--Patricia O'Toole
� 6- A book from your TBR list or a book you own but never read. A Pipe for February--Charles H. Red Corn
� 7- A book published in 2025 Three Days in June--Anne Tyler
� 8- A book that was nominated for a prize or won a book award prize. (any year, any prize) The Chrysalids--John Wyndham (Winner of Poland's Golden Sepulka award, see review below)
� 9- A book involving the Arts or character involved in the Arts
(dance, music, painter, theater, drawing, architecture, film, photography) Michelangelo, God's Architect: The Story of His Final Years and Greatest Masterpiece--William E. Wallace
10- Animal, vegetable or mineral
11- Re-read a book you read before
12- History, Current event, or historical fiction
� 13- A book that takes place in or is about a country you don't currently live in: Greenland Frozen in Time: An Epic Story of Survival and a Modern Quest for Lost Heroes of World War II--Mitchell Zuckoff
� 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. Egyptology
Women in the Valley of the Kings: The Untold Story of Women Egyptologists in the Gilded Age--Kathleen Sheppard
15- A book dealing with mental health, physical disability or other health related issue
16- Author's Last Name begins with R, E, A or D.
17- Self help, motivational, inspirational, spirituality, mindfulness, or communication.
18- Biography, autobiography or memoir
� 19- Mystery, thriller, suspense or true crime novel A Glancing Light�Aaron Elkins
20- novella, short story collection, essays collection, or play.
� 21- (for 2025) Select a book that was published at least 25 years ago. Not Without Laughter: Langston Hughes: Langston Hughes--Langston Hughes
� 22- A book that was translated into English. The Tunnel--Ernesto Sabato
23- Travel or a journey ( could be literal or spiritual)
� 24- Bildungsroman - Coming of ageOther Voices, Other Rooms�Truman Capote
25- (for 2025) A book title with at least 5 words in the title. Bonus if it is exactly 5.
***
Bonus prompts or substitution
NOT required to complete the challenge!
*
1- humorous or funny book
2- fantasy, magical realism or science fiction
3- A book that features water. (ocean, swimmer, lake, ship/boat or has picture of water on cover)
4- Romance or love 💖
� 5- A book with a female detective Maisie Dobbs�Jacqueline Winspear