Book Nook Cafe discussion

1- A book adapted to the big screen. Death in Venice

2- A book about slaves in the U.S. OR one about freed slaves. Beloved This was a reread for me, but I'm so happy I reread it. I think it's a masterpiece.

3- A book by an author you've never heard of before. Natchez Burning

4- A book you chose simply because of its cover. Giraffe

5- A book with an epistolary or diary format. The Color Purple. Another reread, and another favorite.

6- A book set on a farm or a ranch. Goat Mountain

7- Told from the antagonist's point of view. The Screwtape Letters

8- A book written in the second person. Ghost Light

9-.A book recommended to you, whether you think you'll like it or not.- Could be a recommendation from a person, a review you read, podcasts, etc. Geek Love Recommended by my creative writing instructor.

10- A debut novel or book. Idaho

11-A book with a verb in the title. Natchez Burning

12- A trilogy. Part of a trilogy. Natchez Burning trilogy.

13- A book with an index Social Media Marketing For Dummies

14- A comic novel or humorous book. A Good Man in Africa. So funny I laughed out loud.

15- A book published in the 1950s. Lolita

16- A book translated into English from another language. The Piano Teacher Read 1/1-1/2 For the most part, I liked it, though I didn't think I would.

17 - Book set in your current city or hometown Just One Evil Act I never thought a book would be set in Lucca, Italy, my birthplace, but this one is!

18 - Book based in a city you’d love to visit Shanghai Secrets

19 - Book written by OR about a current or past First Lady Mary, Mrs. A. Lincoln Fact embroidered with fiction.

20 - Book with a character that lives with a disability (or impairment) Idaho Character living with dementia.

21- Book about Witchcraft, Monsters of any kind (real, historical or fictional/magical)- or - Book with fantastical creatures (dragons, fairies, etc) or- A book with magic in it. The Red Garden Magic!

22 - Book about immigration or displacement Pachinko

23 - Book about Nature/the environment A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail. There's no one like Bill Bryson. Love all his books.

24 - Speculative Fiction or Dystopian novel Klara and the Sun Read 1/4-1/6

25 - Retelling of a Fairy Tale, fable, legend or ancient myth The Fisherman

26 - Book about motherhood (or parenthood) fiction or nonfiction The Unbreakable Boy: A Father's Fear, a Son's Courage, and a Story of Unconditional Love

27 - Book from Bill Gates’s Favorite Book List: Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln

28 - Book about inequality (financial, racial, gender or other) Natchez Burning

29-- biography, memoir or autobiography Bird Cloud

30 - Music, art, dance, theater, acting theme Ghost Light

31- A book published in 2023 I Have Some Questions for You

32- A play The Glass Menagerie

33- Read at least 23 books in 2023

34- Read a fiction and nonfiction book on the same topic The Wolf Hall Trilogy: Wolf Hall, Bring Up the Bodies and The Mirror and the Light and Thomas Cromwell: The Untold Story of Henry VIII's Most Faithful Servant

35- A prize-winning book that has a different prize than those listed in the other prompts. The Piano Teacher

36- A book about an animal(s) or nature fictional or nonfiction Giraffe

37- - The title has a word that begins with a B,N or C in it.
Book Nook Cafe :) Natchez Burning

38- A book about or set in a country you don't live in. Absolution

39- A book published before you were born Death in Venice

40- A Young Adult book- YA- Fiction or nonfiction They Wish They Were Us

41- Book with a name in the title Klara and the Sun

42-A classic (modern or older) Death in Venice

43- A National Book Award Sing, Unburied, Sing

44- Pulitzer Prize winning book The Known World

45- A Booker winner Bring Up the Bodies

46- A book written by a Nobel prize winner- any topic or genre The Books of Jacob

47-A book written about an author, novel, biography, criticism. Thomas Hardy

48- Contains the word "Wife" or "Woman" in the title. The Woman in White

49-A book about Native Americans OR a book written by a Native American. The Only Good Indians

50- A book about a Real Life Person you admire The King and I: The Uncensored Tale of Luciano Pavarotti's Rise to Fame by His Manager, Friend and Sometime Adversary

51-A book about a Royal Person--any nation, any time period. Spare Hated the book.

52-A book set in Asia. Fiction or nonfiction Pachinko

53-A book set in Africa. Fiction or nonfiction. A Good Man in Africa

54-A book set in Australia/Oceania. -Fiction or nonfiction Wanting

55- A book set in South America. - Fiction or nonfiction State of Wonder or The Spanish Daughter

56-A book about Asians in the US. or a book written by an Asian American-- fiction or nonfiction Pachinko

57-A Novel related to Classics, such as a character from Moby Dick with his/her own story/book. Mr. Timothy read 1/8

58-Novela Two Lives Two gorgeous novellas.

59- Book over 500 pages Natchez Burning Over 800!

60- A book by Agatha Christie Death on the Nile

61- One-word title Giraffe

62- book on a modern-day problem/issue? (ie global warming, gun violence, etc.) - Fiction or nonfiction Migrations (Global Warming)

63- A book you knew nothing about beforehand. However, something caught your attention. Cover, blurb, title. Tell us why. Giraffe I was immediately attracted to this book because giraffe are my favorite wild animal, and the giraffe on the cover is gorgeous.

64- a book out of your comfort zone, not a genre you normally read Klara and the Sun I don't usually read science fiction or fantasy or dystopian literature.

65- Concerning food or containing recipes The Debt to Pleasure

66- A book where weather is involved. Fiction or nonfiction Caribou Island

67- A book having to do with travel- fiction or nonfiction People We Meet on Vacation

68- Wild Card! Any book you feel like recommending to fellow readers. Where the Crawdads Sing or Sing, Unburied, Sing

69- A health, diet, exercise, fitness or wellness book The AFib Cure: Get Off Your Medications, Take Control of Your Health, and Add Years to Your Life

70- About business, the economy or economics. (Personal, home or business) Social Media Marketing For Dummies

71- related to science An Immense World

72- Book about racism Natchez Burning

73- LGBTQ+ character fiction or nonfiction Less

74- Read more books than you did in 2022

75- Book you started but never finished Bloodroot Had I finished it, I would have gone nuts.

76- Book on a banned book list The Color Purple

77- Education or teaching profession or has teacher or student in story F or NF I Have Some Questions for You

78- book with maps or photographs in it A Mapmaker’s Dream: The Meditations of Fra Mauro, Cartographer to the Court of Venice

79- set in a country you have never visited

80- set around a holiday Mr. Timothy read 1/8

81- books about trauma or mental health issue- fiction or nonfiction Goat Mountain

82 Book with a 4-word title The Books of Jacob

83- Famous author you've never read Natchez Burning

84-A book whose author's last name starts with B,N or C Eclipse by John Banville

85- graphic novel

86- WWI or WWII or any war - novel or nonfiction An Ice-Cream War

87- Book about or set in, the state or country you live in Just One Evil Act

88- an author who has published at least 5 books Natchez Burning

89- Author is under 35 years old Idaho Under 35 when she wrote the book.

90- Thriller or mystery Natchez Burning

91- Crime - fiction or nonfiction Natchez Burning

92 - History - Thomas Cromwell: The Untold Story of Henry VIII's Most Faithful Servant

93- Disease - fiction or nonfiction Death in Venice

94- legal profession - fiction or nonfiction Innocent

95 - short story or essays We Have Always Lived in the Castle

96- a leader whose country you don't live in (living or dead) Nicholas and Alexandra

97- a color in the title The Color Purple

98- historical fiction Wolf Hall

99- spiritual or inspirational Dark Night of the Soul

100- Romance

101- Bio or other NF about an Artist (paints, drawing, sculpture, i.e.), Author (poetry, books (F or NF) or an Architect. Leonardo

102- Book (F or NF) written before the 1800s. Dark Night of the Soul

103- Book (F or NF) about Religion or Atheism. Dark Night of the Soul

104- A book published in the 1960s. In Cold Blood

105- A sport-related book Beartown: A Novel

Some of mine are rereads. Think I read that's okay. I will read them again!

I will not read 100 books this year. So I looked at the list in a different light: have I EVER read a book in this category? Then I chose my favorite of those and filled them in. Later, I will look it over and see where I've missed categories and if there is a topic I'd like to know more about. I hope this is in the spirit of the suggestions, which I love and thank Kiki for. I'm assuming you want a progress report at some point? Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah to everyone. And whatever else you may celebrate. I hope the winter storm has not affected your plans. I am safe in Florida with my kids and grands, and feel very lucky to be here once more.
Michele

Michele wrote: "I will not read 100 books this year. So I looked at the list in a different light: have I EVER read a book in this category? Then I chose my favorite of those and filled them in. Later, I will look..."

The idea is to report each book as we go along. I'm going to post a book link on the list for the appropriate categories, as well as a post in my thread (with a link also) telling which categories are involved and my brief impressions of the book, usually two or three sentences.

Michele wrote: "I will not read 100 books this year. So I looked at the list in a different light: have I EVER read a book in this category? Then I chose my favorite of those and filled them in. Later, I will look..."

This is not a- read a 100 book challenge. It's 100 prompts. As you read, fit the books to the prompts. One book can fit multiple prompts.

In the thread you create, post the books as you read them and tell us your thoughts on the books.

A happy holiday to you, too, Michele !

Michele wrote: "I will not read 100 books this year. So I looked at the list in a different light: have I EVER read a book in this category? Then I chose my favorite of those and filled them in. Later, I will look..."

Good idea, Michele. The prompts are good in so many ways & you've listed one. I could imagine myself at a crossroad in the future, unsure what it is i want to read next, as has happened in the past. Turning to these prompts, i am positive i would find a category i wanted to pursue.

Enjoy having your loved ones near. Happy holidays to you & yours.

Michele wrote: "I will not read 100 books this year. So I looked at the list in a different light: have I EVER read a book in this category? Then I chose my favorite of those and filled them in. Later, I will look..."

I didn't come up with the list of prompts, Michele. We all suggested and one of the moderators put everything together, so he or she deserves the thanks. I am new to this, too, but looking forward to it.

I've read two books for the challenge now, THE PIANO TEACHER by Elfriede Jelinek and TWO LIVES by William Trevor, fulfilling three prompts.

I like both books, which are very, very different, but TWO LIVES just stole my heart. There will never be another novella writer like Trevor. His books are filled with humanity, compassion, and wisdom.

I chose books that I already own and are in my TBR stack. I really want to limit my book buying in 2023 since I already have so many to read, and a few will be rereads, but yes, I definitely will reread them!

Congratulations, Kiki. You are off to a strong start. Again, i appreciate the introduction to Trevor.

madrano wrote: "Congratulations, Kiki. You are off to a strong start. Again, i appreciate the introduction to Trevor."

Thank you, Madrano. I love Trevor's writing. It is so elegant, compassionate, and so human.

I finished my book #78, a books with photographs or maps. I chose A Mapmaker’s Dream: The Meditations of Fra Mauro, Cartographer to the Court of Venice because it was set in Italy, and 16th century Italy is fun to read about, the book seemed intriguing, and I like maps.

It did not disappoint, and as it was a short book, I was able to read it last night and today.

My review is here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I'm definitely not going to be able to keep up this fast pace, though. I have work to get done, and I've chosen the short books first.

Every time I need to edit my review, it adds the book to my book's read again. I think this one says I've read it two or three times, and I only read it once. My 2023 challenge looks like I've read more books than I have. Actually, I've only read three.

Well done! You read as much as you can, it's not a contest. Also, and this I say to myself as much as anyone else ... we're only four days out of 365 so far!

John wrote: "Well done! You read as much as you can, it's not a contest. Also, and this I say to myself as much as anyone else ... we're only four days out of 365 so far!"

I know. You and I have read quite a bit! The books I've read have been fairly short and easy to read. There are just so many good books I want to read, John. Better than not being able to find anything we think we'll like. :-)

Kiki wrote: "I finished my book #78, a books with photographs or maps. I chose A Mapmaker’s Dream: The Meditations of Fra Mauro, Cartographer to the Court of Venice because it was set in Italy, an..."

Fun review, Kiki, particularly about the milk.

The quote, “Quitting the place that we love means that we are condemned to inhabit our loss forever.” is as real as what i've experienced. Still, it does seem odd for a book on mapmaking.

Thanks for this title, short or not, it does sound delightful.

John wrote: "Well done! You read as much as you can, it's not a contest. Also, and this I say to myself as much as anyone else ... we're only four days out of 365 so far!"

Yes! My first book is NF full of back notes, which extends my reading time. Still, seeing how quickly folks are moving along with their prompts has me keeping apace with my book. (Not to mention the one on trees, a holdover from last year!)

madrano wrote: "John wrote: "Well done! You read as much as you can, it's not a contest. Also, and this I say to myself as much as anyone else ... we're only four days out of 365 so far!"

Yes! My first book is NF..."

The book on trees really has me intrigued. I love trees. I love walks in forests, hikes when I can manage them. I find trees incredibly beautiful, especially in the Spring when they being to bud and leaf out.

Kiki, one aspect of this author's writing is that quite often he'll insert in a chapter, "Go walk in the forest & see..." See whatever particular tree fact he's just written about. Such encouragement, with loads of things to see, if only we knew!

The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate: Discoveries from a Secret World--Peter Wohlleben, a German forester.

madrano wrote: "Kiki, one aspect of this author's writing is that quite often he'll insert in a chapter, "Go walk in the forest & see..." See whatever particular tree fact he's just written about. Such encourageme..."

Thank you for the link, Madrano. The book sounds fascinating to a tree and forest lover like I am.

madrano wrote: "Kiki, one aspect of this author's writing is that quite often he'll insert in a chapter, "Go walk in the forest & see..." See whatever particular tree fact he's just written about. Such encourageme..."

Deb, does the book include color photographs ?

The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate: Discoveries from a Secret World--Peter Wohlleben is a good one, now that i've finished reading it. The highlights of what's been discovered about the interconnectedness of tree species, fungi and insect life were informative.

Sadly, Alias, there were no photographs, which was disappointing, particularly as his descriptions of some insects were vivid. Periodically there were drawings of tree species but even they weren't particularly large or precise, just drawings.

madrano wrote: Sadly, Alias, there were no photographs, which was disappointing, particularly as his descriptions of some insects were vivid. Periodically there were drawings of tree species but even they weren't particularly large or precise, just drawings..."

Darn. That is disappointing.

I know! Suzanne Simard, whose book i liked better, had photos but they were mostly of her family & such.

Oddly, though, while reading The Pioneers: The Heroic Story of the Settlers Who Brought the American Ideal West, author David McCullough has used paintings which helped me see some of the points Peter Wohlleben was making about old forests in his book. Happy coincidence.

My review of Klara and the Sun is here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I really liked this book. I love Ishiguro's writing, though dystopian novels aren't my cup of tea. This one was just head and shoulders above most, though.

Thank you for providing the link to your review, Kiki. Your concluding sentence is on target.

As you shared excerpts from the book, i am reminded of the clarity of Ishiguro's prose. He is a master at stringing words together for concise depictions. Remains is still my favorite but subsequent works illuminate his talent.

madrano wrote: "Thank you for providing the link to your review, Kiki. Your concluding sentence is on target.

As you shared excerpts from the book, i am reminded of the clarity of Ishiguro's prose. He is a master..."

Thank you, Madrano. I love his writing as well. I think, with this book, I've now read everything he's published. He's one of my favorites.

There is a satisfaction in having read everything a favorite author has published. I feel that way about Anne Tyler

madrano wrote: "There is a satisfaction in having read everything a favorite author has published. I feel that way about Anne Tyler"

Besides Ishiguro, I feel that way about Toni Morrison, Elizabeth George (except her YA books), John Banville, and William Boyd.

Quite the stable of authors, Kiki. Tyler is the only one for me, as i recall offhand.

madrano wrote: "Quite the stable of authors, Kiki. Tyler is the only one for me, as i recall offhand."

I don't think I've read any of her books, Madrano.

For me, they are gems but others i've encouraged to try were less enthralled. A cousin & i talked for almost an hour about our mutual appreciation for her novels. Her attention to the details of life for people just like me but in new circumstances calls to me most.

Kiki, looking at the authors you mentioned, i felt the same way--who? I think that for some readers they are attracted to someone's writing and become enchanted. It is enough. If no one else in the world cared for them, our appreciation would be no less. This is the glory of fine writing, imo.

(Although, i must admit to reading all of authors who never make it big. So, there's that.)

madrano wrote: "For me, they are gems but others i've encouraged to try were less enthralled. A cousin & i talked for almost an hour about our mutual appreciation for her novels. Her attention to the details of li..."

I used to read a lot of midlist authors, Madrano, but as my favorites among the "biggies" grew, the midlisters got shoved to the side. That seems a bit unfair, but I don't really discriminate against midlisters. I just don't hear about them as much, and people won't read a book they haven't heard of. If someone recommends an author highly, even though I haven't heard of him or her, I will check out the work and make a decision to read or not read then. Some authors write genres I just don't care for like romance, horror (though I do like Southern Gothic and JCO Gothic), science fiction or fantasy (though I like magical realism). I've never read a novel by Nora Roberts, for example, even though she's hugely popular because I just don't read genre romance novels.

Well written, Kiki. I tend to avoid the Big Authors, so am quite different on that front. By that i mean writers who seem to be "mills", as those tend to be exciting books that are read in a day. I don't feel the need to read the "latest", perhaps that's the best way to phrase it.

At some point i should count up my Books Read to see how i end on that front. I've not heard the term "midlist" authors but appreciate that. I am a fan of US "regional" authors and find them presenting depictions of the nature of an area, as well as their residents. I don't know how those would compare to midlisters.

madrano wrote: "Well written, Kiki. I tend to avoid the Big Authors, so am quite different on that front. By that i mean writers who seem to be "mills", as those tend to be exciting books that are read in a day. I..."

I tend to avoid the authors who churn out book after book after book, too, Madrano. I won't name any, but you know the ones I mean. ;-) They tend to be formulaic and once you've read one, you've read them all. Some authors make a small fortune writing these, though.

I like books set in the American Southeast or West (but not California unless it's Northern California), and I like books set in England. The place isn't as important to me as a strong evocation of place, so much so that place almost becomes a character in itself.

A midlist author is one who's never had that breakout novel that really stands out and reaches the top five or ten in sales. They get published, but their books really never stand out. There are some authors who have a bestselling debut, then fall back to the midlist. Being on the midlist, in publishing, is a terrible place to be because the only way to get off it is to write a breakout. When publishers see their latest manuscript, they think, "Well, we do need a thriller, romance, police procedural, mystery, historical, etc., this year, but we won't make any money on it." So, the advance is low. They rarely get published by one of the Big Five, i.e., Simon & Schuster, Penguin Random House, HarperCollins, Hatchette Book Group, or Macmillan.

Excellent explanation of a midlist author, Kiki !

Alias Reader wrote: "Excellent explanation of a midlist author, Kiki !"

Thank you, Alias.

After Klara and the Sun I felt I needed something a little lighter, so I spent today reading Mr. Timothy.

I liked it, but it wasn't a favorite.

If interested, you can find my review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Good for you in sticking with it! I believe I tried that one a long time ago, but couldn't finish.

John wrote: "Good for you in sticking with it! I believe I tried that one a long time ago, but couldn't finish."

I don't think I would have finished, John if it hadn't been a quick read. It was pretty predictable, but I felt the writing was good. Despite that, the book didn't really interest me that much.

The only Bayard book I've read has been Courting Mr. Lincoln.

Thank you, Kiki, for the midlist definition. It makes perfect sense to me.

Your review of the Bayard book makes it sound fun, if only to revisit Tim, in a fashion. I'm not familiar with the author but see that his The Pale Blue Eye has been made into a Netflix film.

Thanks for sharing, Kiki.

John wrote: "The only Bayard book I've read has been Courting Mr. Lincoln."

I don't think I'll be reading him again soon, John.

I still haven't watched that movie, Madrano. It seems Bayard likes to write about secondary characters in books (Timothy Crachit) or incorporate real-life people into his books (Lincoln, Edgar Allen Poe).

I think this is a good book for the #57 prompt, Kiki.

Kiki. We share a few of the same books on our current lists. I made a note of the Trevor book. Thanks. Also, I enjoyed the discussion of Klara + the Sun. George Saunders had discussed humans as lawn ornaments in “Tenth of Decemnber” and again as musical wall ornaments in “Liberation Day.” I was very surprised when I saw a similar idea in Klara.

Michele wrote: "Kiki. We share a few of the same books on our current lists. I made a note of the Trevor book. Thanks. Also, I enjoyed the discussion of Klara + the Sun. George Saunders had discussed humans as law..."

Thank you, Madrano and Michele.

Humans as lawn ornaments? I don't think I'd like that! I prefer a bird bath or a nice garden statue.

LOL--agreed!

I do have a St. Fiacre (patron saint of gardens) in my daylily garden and I love that. He's very heavy, cement, I guess, but he's very lovely. I love seeing him in the midst of the daffodil yellow daylilies that line my terrace.

Kiki wrote: "Michele wrote: "Kiki. We share a few of the same books on our current lists. I made a note of the Trevor book. Thanks. Also, I enjoyed the discussion of Klara + the Sun. George Saunders had discuss..."
George Saunders is s little different. The lawn ornaments were status symbols in his satire of capitalism and consumerism. As were the singing wall ornaments.

Kiki wrote: "I do have a St, Fiacre (patron saint of gardens) in my daylily garden and I love that. He's very heavy, cement, I guess, but he's very lovely. I love seeing him in the midst of the daffodil yellow ..."

What a lovely scene you've described, Kiki.

Singing wall ornaments sound interesting. It reminds me of the unfortunate singing bass fish that was once a popular decor item. Pass. ;-)

LOL
Sorry, Big Mouth Billy Bass. I'll take a pass.

I'll pass on that wall ornament, too! LOL

It didnt work out too well for the family that kept the humans hanging on the walls as entertainment units. But the story had everything- humor, sex, violence & some politics.