Book nominations (Q4 2024): what to read Oct/Nov/Dec? > Likes and Comments

It's time to propose books for the final quarter of the year. Note that there is now a poll open to vote for the 3rd quarter books.

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PLEASE NOMINATE UP TO 2 BOOKS

BOOKS MUST BE SECONDED TO BE FINALISTS
You may second 2 books. Feel free to debate the options here.
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Here are some books you may want to nominate.
What we've already read.

• Apocalyptic/dystopian themed
• No sequels. 1st in series is fine.
• Must be easily available and in a form under $12 (not including the library).
• No maximum, but shorter than 450 is ideal.
No self-nominations.
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NOMINATIONS
• Lark Ascending by Silas House


FINALISTS

• Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
1932, 268 pages, 3.99 stars
$9.99 Kindle, starting at $7.93 print, at library

"Aldous Huxley's profoundly important classic of world literature, Brave New World is a searching vision of an unequal, technologically-advanced future where humans are genetically bred, socially indoctrinated, and pharmaceutically anesthetized to passively uphold an authoritarian ruling order–all at the cost of our freedom, full humanity, and perhaps also our souls. “A genius [who] who spent his life decrying the onward march of the Machine” (The New Yorker), Huxley was a man of incomparable talents: equally an artist, a spiritual seeker, and one of history’s keenest observers of human nature and civilization. Brave New World, his masterpiece, has enthralled and terrified millions of readers, and retains its urgent relevance to this day as both a warning to be heeded as we head into tomorrow and as thought-provoking, satisfying work of literature. Written in the shadow of the rise of fascism during the 1930s, Brave New Worldd likewise speaks to a 21st-century world dominated by mass-entertainment, technology, medicine and pharmaceuticals, the arts of persuasion, and the hidden influence of elites."

• Sphere by Michael Crichton
1987, 371 pages, 3.83 stars
$14.99 Kindle, starting at $14.25 print, at library
(This seems to disqualify it unless someone can find cheaper print somewhere.)

"A psychological thriller about a group of scientists who investigate a spaceship discovered on the ocean floor. In the middle of the South Pacific, a thousand feet below the surface, a huge vessel is unearthed. Rushed to the scene is a team of American scientists who descend together into the depths to investigate the astonishing discovery. What they find defies their imaginations and mocks their attempts at logical explanation. It is a spaceship, but apparently it is undamaged by its fall from the sky. And, most startling, it appears to be at least three hundred years old, containing a terrifying and destructive force that must be controlled at all costs."

• Bird Box by Josh Malerman
2014, 272 pages, 4.04 stars
$14.99 Kindle, starting at $9.39 print, at library

"Something is out there, something terrifying that must not be seen. One glimpse of it, and a person is driven to deadly violence. No one knows what it is or where it came from.

Five years after it began, a handful of scattered survivors remains, including Malorie and her two young children. Living in an abandoned house near the river, she has dreamed of fleeing to a place where they might be safe. Now that the boy and girl are four, it's time to go, but the journey ahead will be terrifying: twenty miles downriver in a rowboat—blindfolded—with nothing to rely on but her wits and the children's trained ears. One wrong choice and they will die. Something is following them all the while, but is it man, animal, or monster?"

• 1984 by George Orwell
1949, 368 pages, 4.19 stars
$14.99 Kindle, starting at $8.75 print, at library

"A masterpiece of rebellion and imprisonment, 1984 introduces a world where "war is peace," "freedom is slavery," and "Big Brother is watching." Terms like "Thought Police," "Big Brother," and "Orwellian" have become part of our vocabulary, thanks to George Orwell's classic dystopian novel. The story follows one man's nightmarish odyssey as he pursues a forbidden love affair in a world dominated by warring states and a power structure that controls not just information, but individual thought and memory.

1984 is a prophetic and haunting tale, more relevant than ever before. It exposes the worst crimes imaginable: the destruction of truth, freedom, and individuality. With a foreword by Thomas Pynchon, this novel remains a powerful exploration of a world where rebellion is crushed, and the truth is what those in power say it is."

• The Light Pirate by Lily Brooks-Dalton
2022, 336 pages, 4.05 stars
$13.99 Kindle, starting at $9.25 print, at library

"Set in the near future, this hopeful story of survival and resilience follows Wanda—a luminous child born out of a devastating hurricane—as she navigates a rapidly changing A “symphony of beauty and heartbreak” (Associated Press).

A Good Morning America Book Club pick · #1 Indie Next pick · LibraryReads pick · Book of the Month Club selection · Marie Claire #ReadWithMC book club selection · 2022 NPR “Book We Love” · New York Times Editors’ Choice

Florida is slipping away. As devastating weather patterns and rising sea levels wreak gradual havoc on the state’s infrastructure, a powerful hurricane approaches a small town on the southeastern coast. Kirby Lowe, an electrical line worker, his pregnant wife, Frida, and their two sons, Flip and Lucas, prepare for the worst. When the boys go missing just before the hurricane hits, Kirby heads out into the high winds in search of his children. Left alone, Frida goes into premature labor and gives birth to an unusual child, Wanda, whom she names after the catastrophic storm that ushers her into a society closer to collapse than ever before.

As Florida continues to unravel, Wanda grows. Moving from childhood to adulthood, adapting not only to the changing landscape, but also to the people who stayed behind in a place abandoned by civilization, Wanda loses family, gains community, and ultimately, seeks adventure, love, and purpose in a place remade by nature.

Told in four parts—power, water, light, and time— The Light Pirate mirrors the rhythms of the elements and the sometimes quick, sometimes slow dissolution of the world as we know it. It is a meditation on the changes we would rather not see, the future we would rather not greet, and a call back to the beauty and violence of an untamable wilderness.

Includes a Reading Group Guide."

Here are some leftover nominations from last time, if anyone wants to second them now.
• Fire on the Mountain (please read blurb first, not certain about matching group theme)
• Black No More (please read blurb first, not certain about matching group theme)
• My Monticello
• Refractions
• To Sleep in a Sea of Stars

Sea of Rust This is currently on Kindle sale for $1.99 so IDK how long that will last but the book itself definitely sounds interesting and I didn't see it on our lists from before, so I would like to nominate this one!

We actually did! June 2023. Sorry Lupe. :-(

Gertie wrote: "We actually did! June 2023. Sorry Lupe. :-("

No problem! I must have glanced over it when I checked the list!

The list has gotten quite long - I now use a page search when I am looking for a book on there.

Oooohhh I didn't think of that!!!

I have to put my thinking cap on….

I'm going to nominate the The Light Pirate again, because it sounds interesting and I own it, but haven't read it yet. Also, I think there were a few others who were interested last time.

Justin wrote: "I'm going to nominate the The Light Pirate again, because it sounds interesting and I own it, but haven't read it yet. Also, I think there were a few others who were interested last..."

I second this!

Okay it's back on there!

I will see if I can find anything to add. It's always so hard to find books that fit the criteria. I know we have the criteria for good reasons but it does make it a little harder!

I'll nominate Lark Ascending. I found it when cleaning my shelf and realized i haven't read it. Its free with Kindle Unlimited (11.99 regular kindle) but its also 2 years old so people should be able to find used/library copies. On Amazon the "new" physical is over the price point so i don't know if this will be an issue.

It sounds like its more on the literary side of apocalypse storytelling but the reviews are good.

Thanks!

I was surprised to see there are two books titled Lark Ascending, I figured it would be unique!

I'll nominate Brave New World. The ebook is currently free: https://www.amazon.com/Brave-New-Worl...

Also, I'll nominate Sphere, though it's more sci-fi...

Just bumping this topic since we need more nominations and seconds.

Vérité wrote: "I'll nominate Brave New World. The ebook is currently free: https://www.amazon.com/Brave-New-Worl......"

I second this.

I'm surprised we haven't read Bird Box as a group yet.

Gertie wrote: "I'm surprised we haven't read Bird Box as a group yet."

I read Bird Box back in 2017. It’s excellent. I wouldn’t mind reading it again.

Gertie wrote: "I'm surprised we haven't read Bird Box as a group yet."

I thought we had but maybe it was a buddy read? I am sure I read it as a group.

Ok, we watched the movie as a group in 2018:

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

I had read the book in 2014. It must have been the group movie I was thinking of.

Must be! Wow, a whole DECADE ago.

We only have a couple of finalists but need to get voting, any recommendations how to proceed?

I read Bird Box as part of a buddy read and liked it. So, I'll 2nd that if it helps us get to 3?

Since Bird Box seems to have either already been read/seen by some of us I’d like to choose something else. I have Brave New World which was nominated and seconded see spost 20 also there’s a free ebook on Amazon of it. Or we can go with another of the nominations The Light Pirate that has been seconded, see post 10.

Gertie wrote: "Must be! Wow, a whole DECADE ago."

IKR! It feels like it wasn’t that long ago.

Can I second more than one book? I will second Sphere.

Yes! People are allowed to second up to 2 books.

Silvia wrote: "Since Bird Box seems to have either already been read/seen by some of us I’d like to choose something else. I have Brave New World which was nominated and seconded see spost 20 also there’s a free ..."

For now we are just creating the list of items to be included in the poll so people can select which ones to read. We currently have four, which means all but one will get read unless we come up with some more finalists. I have read all but one and think they'll be fine though, so at least there's that!

If the nominations are still open I’d like to nominate 1984 by George Orwell
and
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury.

Bradbury was read in February 2022, it might be too early for a re-read.

Yes, we don't do rereads, so Fahrenheit isn't eligible, but 1984 is!

If anyone finds good links to these older books online please share. Some are old enough to be found free.

Whereas some are almost 40 years old but still pricey, like Sphere. If anyone finds a site selling paperbacks under 12 bucks please let us know.

Gertie wrote: "If anyone finds good links to these older books online please share. Some are old enough to be found free.

Whereas some are 30 years old but still pricey, like Sphere. If anyone finds a site sell..."

ThriftBooks.com has Sphere paperbacks for sale that are cheaper than the ebook on Amazon. I just bought the hardback for $9.88 which included shipping.

Awesome thanks for letting us know!

Poll now up!
https://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/3...

I haven’t checked but when I used to have a Half Price Book close to me they always had a bunch of Crichton books. I bought my paperback copy there. They sell online as well.

This an outstanding selection of books and I want to read most of them! I hope some of those that don’t win get nominated again.

Justin wrote: "This an outstanding selection of books ...."

I agree, and I've read all but The Light Pirate, but I'd read any of the others again. Great choices!