2025 Reading Challenge discussion

It is time to think about what book we would like to read for our November Group Read. The theme for November is "Remembrance". The theme is completely open to interpretation: as long as you can tell us why you think it should fit the theme, it counts. I am looking forward to seeing what books you nominate!

Please nominate only one book and ensure you either link the book or give the name of the author as well to avoid confusion. Please do not nominate books from a series, unless it is the first book in the series. You can second someone else's nomination, but that will count as your own. Nominations cannot have been chosen for a past group read (past buddy reads are fine).

This thread will be closed by September 22, and we will choose ten books for the poll. If there are more than ten books nominated, we will choose the ten most nominated. If there is still a tie to get into the top ten, we'll go back to the Goodreads average rating to see which is highest.

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I'd like to nominate A Century of Wisdom: Lessons from the Life of Alice Herz-Sommer, the World's Oldest Living Holocaust Survivor by Caroline Stoessinger to help us remember the Holocaust victims. A friend of mine gave this 5 stars and I've been hoping to read it this year.

I nominate A Land Remembered by Patrick D. Smith. This was one of my favorite books in high school. We were required to read it because our school pushed state literature. The book is about remembering the drastic changes in Florida over the last three generations, as told through the eyes of one family. Good historical fiction, and I wouldn't mind reading it again:)

I nominate Eat, Memory: Great Writers at the Table: A Collection of Essays from the New York Times edited by Amanda Hesser.

The book includes essays on food and memory by novelists like Ann Patchett, Gary Shteyngart and Pico Iyer, as well as by the poet Billy Collins, the chef Julia Child, and many others.

I have read every single book that everyone has nominated since i started this group but don't nominate anything because my taste is very odd with books. but i think i would like to nominate a walk to remember. A Walk to Remember

Something completely different-"The Killing" by David Hewson.Political/crime fiction at its best.

I would like to nominate One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich.

I tried reading this but didn't finish it. I want to give it another go.

I'm going to nominate The Memory Keeper's Daughter

There's only one book I can nominate when it comes to remembrance: Tigana by Guy Gavriel Kay

One of the strongest books about remembrance there is. The language is poetic and beautiful, a book where each sentence is meant to be read and savoured.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...

If you don't know of it, here's the place I first read about it:

http://bestfantasybooks.com/best-stan...

"Tigana,once shining beacon of hope to a shattered world, now a land no one can remember. To revive the memory of their beleaguered land and free a world enslaved by a sorcerer tyrant, a musician and his compatriots will embark on an impossible quest..."

The theme of the book is remembering and the importance of belonging.

A Walk to remember is also a great choice btw.

If Tigana would bepicked for reading there's noteworthy for audiofans that the audible version by Simon Vance is absolutely amazing. That guy is just made for narration..

He has also narrated a lot of Dickens, might be worth noting too :)

I nominate Angela's Ashes , a pulitzer prize-winning memoir of the author's childhood in Ireland.

I second Angela's Ashes

i read Angela's ashes in college its a great read!

I will read the Adventures of Tom Sawyer.

I'll second Dandelion Wine.

Winter wrote: "If Tigana would bepicked for reading there's noteworthy for audiofans that the audible version by Simon Vance is absolutely amazing."

Second Tigana. I was just looking for my next Guy Gavriel Kay book a few days ago... Thank you for the audio suggestion!

Joe wrote: "Winter wrote: "If Tigana would bepicked for reading there's noteworthy for audiofans that the audible version by Simon Vance is absolutely amazing."

Second Tigana. I was just lookin..."

Yay ^^ Glad someone else know this wonderful author! Even for people normally not into fantasy I think this is so different that they could enjoy it a lot.

Have you read Fionavar Tapestry? And if you have, is it good?

My nomination is All the light we cannot see. What do you think?

Raluca wrote: "My nomination is All the light we cannot see. What do you think?"

I think that I wish we will read it next year since I'm going to, but I might try to speed up my reading if it is picked, such a good group read!

But with almost 50 books tied to challenges for the rest of the year.. hm. I want to be a fast reader!

I'd like to second All the Light We Cannot See and provide a connection to the theme Remembrance.

From the Goodreads blurb:
"Marie-Laure lives with her father in Paris near the Museum of Natural History, where he works as the master of its thousands of locks. When she is six, Marie-Laure goes blind and her father builds a perfect miniature of their neighborhood so she can memorize it by touch and navigate her way home."

I think helping Marie-Laure remember how to be in her world counts for Remembrance.

I'd like to third? All the Light We Cannot See.

I couldn't agree more!

Thanks Cassandra for providing an explanation for why All The Light We Cannot See fits the theme. It definitely fits the theme but I was wondering from the initial nomination.

Please remember to provide a connection from the book you are nominating to the theme if it isn't an obvious connection from the title. There have been a few times where I haven't seen any connection. As long as you can justify it, the book counts. Thank you.

I would like to nominate Marley and me!

I would like another YA book to read or something in the mystery genre.

Winter wrote: Have you read Fionavar Tapestry? And if you have, is it good?

Well, I have not checked in for a few days...

I have not read Fionavar Tapestry. I have only read the Sarantine Mosaic, several years ago. Somehow I wasn't even aware of his other books and I am really glad you brought this up! His books are so memorable, almost alternative history rather than fantasy, not unlike George R. R. Martin if you ask me...

Joe wrote: "Winter wrote: Have you read Fionavar Tapestry? And if you have, is it good?

Well, I have not checked in for a few days...

I have not read Fionavar Tapestry. I have only read the Sarantine Mosaic..."


True, I haven't thought of it that way. It's within the fantasy genre, but fantasy is different now than before, it's modern fantasy which is a low-magic type with intricate history and politics.

Tigana is beautiful. There's just something about it..

I would like to read something like Girl on a Train (but not that book since I'm reading it now) or Gone Girl (not that one either since I've already read it). A good drama would do (Summer Sister like - again, read that one). I'm not good with book titles to suggest just genres to choose from. Not a fantasy type person, so hope to exclude those type of books.
Grazie.

I would like to nominate A Little Love for Amanda Prowse

"The Rathbones" - Janice Clark. Brilliant book, all about remembered and forgotten family history / lore. Highly recommend to all, even if it's not selected for voting.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...

Mervat wrote: "I would like to nominate A Little Love for Amanda Prowse"

Hi Mervat,

Can you please connect the book to the theme? Or post a link to your book or book description.

thank you

Jodi

I also think Angela's Ashes is a great choice.

I'm going to nominate The Last Time We Say Goodbye which is about remembering the past and lost loved ones

"The last time Lex was happy, it was before. When she had a family that was whole. A boyfriend she loved. Friends who didn't look at her like she might break down at any moment.

Now she's just the girl whose brother killed himself. And it feels like that's all she'll ever be.

As Lex starts to put her life back together, she tries to block out what happened the night Tyler died. But there's a secret she hasn't told anyone-a text Tyler sent, that could have changed everything.

Lex's brother is gone. But Lex is about to discover that a ghost doesn't have to be real to keep you from moving on."

I'd like to nominate Private Peaceful by Michael Morpurgo.

"From the Children's Laureate of England, a stunning novel of the First World War, a boy who is on its front lines, and a childhood remembered.

"They've gone now, and I'm alone at last. I have the whole night ahead of me, and I won't waste a single moment of it . . . I want tonight to be long, as long as my life . . ." For young Private Peaceful, looking back over his childhood while he is on night watch in the battlefields of the First World War, his memories are full of family life deep in the countryside: his mother, Charlie, Big Joe, and Molly -- the love of his life. Too young to be enlisted, Thomas has followed his brother to war and now, every moment he spends thinking about his life, means another moment closer to danger"

I am going to nominate First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers.

Chronicles the brutality of the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia, from the author's forced ''evacuation'' of Phnom Penh in 1975 to her family's subsequent movements from town to town and eventual separation.

In a month of Remembrance for Remembrance Day, I think this is quite a fitting book. There is so much that is going on in the world and travesties that have gone on. We need to know about it and need to remember it.

I nominate As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner. It is about "the Bundren family's bizarre journey to Jefferson to bury Addie, their wife and mother. Faulkner lets each family member, including Addie, and others along the way tell their private responses to Addie's life."

If is not too late I will like to nominate The Remains of the Day

Caro, I've heard great things about that book. Can you connect it to the theme of Remembrance? Any connection that makes sense to you is fine.

For sure... The story is narrated from the point of view of Stevens, he narrates what was his job and his life, as well as describe how were the"golden times" of England. Since remembrance is the action of remember something I was thinking that the book adjust pretty well to the theme.

That's perfect, Caro. Thanks!

Thanks Caro for the last minute suggestion. Nominations are now closed. I will get the poll posted this weekend. Thank you to everyone for all of the nominations.

Hi Everyone,

The Poll is up and running. To find it please click on the link below or it can be found in the Poll section of our home page. This time we have 11 books to choose from because our two 10th place books tied for Goodreads Ratings. Please take a minute to vote for our November Group Read. https://www.goodreads.com/poll/list/5...

Thanks,

Jodi

Voting for our November Group Read Poll closes tomorrow. Please remember to get your vote in.

Also Don't forget to nominate a book for our December group read. Look for the nominations thread above this one. Looking forward to seeing what you all vote for.

Jodi