2025 & 2026 Reading Challenge discussion

Hi everyone!

*IMPORTANT CHANGE*

We now allow books the group has read for more than three years ago to be nominated again. To see which books are not eligble, see this google sheet:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...

It's time to nominate for March the theme is Bloom.

Please remember to state a connection to the theme when you nominate. Thank you :)

Here are some short rules for nominating books:

~ Each person can nominate 1 book.

~ Book must be available both as a physical copy and as an ebook.

~ Authors: Please do not nominate your own book.

~ Please include the name of the book and the author or link to the book.

~ Please do not nominate books that are part of a series, unless it is the first book.

~ You can second someone else's nomination, but that will count as your nomination.

~ When nominating, please state a connection to the theme.

~ You cannot nominate a book which has previously been a group read. Past buddy reads are fine. (See Group Reads in the bookshelf)


This thread will be closed by January 26th, 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.

I'd like to nominate 'The Perks of Being a Wallflower'. The link is to the theme is primarily in the name as bloom makes me think of flowers blooming :)

Oops forgot to link the author and I'm on my phone so currently can't edit: The Perks of Being a Wallflower is by Stephen Chbosky

I would like to nominate Snow Flower and the Secret Fan. The link being the title, bloom - flower, also the girl in the story is named Lily.

I will nominate Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes.

The connection to the theme is both in the title and in the story.

The story of a mentally disabled man whose experimental quest for intelligence mirrors that of Algernon, an extraordinary lab mouse. In diary entries, Charlie tells how a brain operation increases his IQ and changes his life. As the experimental procedure takes effect, Charlie's intelligence expands until it surpasses that of the doctors who engineered his metamorphosis.

Charlie blooms intellectually.

I second The Perks of Being a Wallflower I have always wanted to read this. It's also an amazing classic too! I personally feel that it fits the theme because it's a coming of age story, in which the character slowly blooms from being a teen and into adulthood.

I second Snow Flower and the Secret Fan

I second Flowers for Algernon!

Flowers for Algernon, yes

I would like to nominate The Color Purple by Alice Walker, since it has a beautiful blooming sunflower on the cover:

Thanks everyone for the nominations so far!

Also Happy New Year! ^^

Since I read them all except Flowers for Algernon, I vote for it.

Kristin wrote: "I would like to nominate Moloka'i by Alan Brennert.

Connections to the theme: There are many flowers on the cover , leis are flower garlands tha..."

I second Moloka'i - it's been on my TBR forever!

I'd like to nominate The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco.

I second The Color Purple

The Rose Garden by susanna kearsley

I'll third Snow Flower and the Secret Fan

I would like to nominate Nefertiti by Michelle Moran. It is told from the viewpoint of Nefertiti's sister, Mutnojmet, who is and herbalist and healer who works with flowers and plants.

Tom wrote: "I will nominate Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes.

The connection to the theme is both in the title and in the story.

The story of a mentally disabled man whose experimental qu..."

I read this last year and it is an absolute favorite. So very poignant!

Oooohhh...I second The Rose Garden. I has been on my TBR listing forever and Susanna Kearsley is one of my absolute favorite authors!

The Perks of Being a Wallflower

LaNona wrote: "The Rose Garden by susanna kearsley"

Sean wrote: "I'd like to nominate The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco."

LaNona, and Sean, could you please state a connection to the theme along with your nomination?

The Color Purple

I second The Name of the Rose, which had been on my TBR shelf for eons.

I would like to nominate The Long Forgotten by David Whitehouse

The connection to the theme are the flowers on the cover and a rare flower hunter in the story. Also fits the the title of the german edition to the theme which is Der Blumensammler (= the collector of flowers) and the reason why I associated the book with the March theme in the first place.

I second The Perks of Being a Wallflower

I sixth the Flowers for Algernon

Ilona wrote: "LaNona, and Sean, could you please state a connection to the theme along with your nomination."

my connection for The Name of the Rose is in the title and the propensity for a rose to bloom.

Alice Walker The Color Purple

Thank you all! Keep 'em coming! So many great books this month!!

Flowers in the Attic

What happens when you discourage children from being able to bloom?

I second The Perks of Being a Wallflower

I seventh the Flowers for Algernon

I second The Perks of Being a Wallflower

I'd like to nominate The Crimson Petal and the White by Michel Faber. I read this a few years back and loved it and would like an reason to read it again. The flower reference in the title and the characters development I think are suitable for the theme. It does however have some adult language and content so I'm not sure if this means it's not eligible? I have checked in the rules but this isn't clear?

I nominate Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer. It involves a mysterious biosphere with plenty of strange vegetation and plant-involved goings-on.

Ilona wrote: "I would like to nominate The Color Purple by Alice Walker, since it has a beautiful blooming sunflower on the cover:
"

I second this

Miguel Sousa Tavares , a Portuguese journalist and writer, has written the beautiful Rio das Flores (River of flowers).
I haven’t found the English edition here, only an Italian translation, but should you come across it, I highly recommend it.

I would like to nominate 'Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. The cover features a beautiful purple hibiscus in full bloom (in some editions at least). Moreover, the central plot is that of how a pair of siblings transition into adulthood, which is shown through the metaphor of the blooming of the purple hibiscus.

The theme "bloom" makes me think of flowers, and also, growing up (as a metaphor). So I think the book Monsieur Ibrahim and The Flowers of the Qur'anwould be perfect. I've read it some time ago, and I loved it. This book exists as a play and as a novel.

I’ll be the eight person who nominated Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes

I would like to nominated the Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

I would like to nominate Flower Fables by Louisa May Alcott

La_mariane wrote: "The theme "bloom" makes me think of flowers, and also, growing up (as a metaphor). So I think the book Monsieur Ibrahim and The Flowers of the Qur'anwould be perfect. I've read it some ..."

Unfortunately this one is the second book in a series. Most people enjoy reading a full series so we only include the first book in series here so everyone can enjoy it :)

Thank you everyone!

Winter wrote: "La_mariane wrote: "The theme "bloom" makes me think of flowers, and also, growing up (as a metaphor). So I think the book Monsieur Ibrahim and The Flowers of the Qur'anwould be perfect...."
That's stange, it's the only book by EE Schmit I've read, and I didn't realise it was part of a series.

Edit : Wikipédia has the answer. On the French Wiki page : it's a cycle of 8 stories, independant from one another. The link is that all those stories are about spirituality.

I would also like to suggest The Name of the Rose as others already have since roses bloom!!

I'm on board for The Perks of Being a Wallflower, as I've been meaning to read it soon.

Closing nominations. Thank you everyone! ^^

Have a lovely weekend!

Poll is up everyone! Go vote for what you would like to read!

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