The 52 Book Club: 2025 Challenge discussion

WEEKLY CHECK-IN
April 1, 2024 -- Week 14

You know we like to have a little fun on April 1st, so what better theme for a mini than the classic internet prank, a rickroll! (Thanks for being good sports for all those who got rickrolled this morning!)

And while we had a little fun with how we announced it, the mini itself is not a prank. So, for today's weekly discussion, let's chat about this April challenge!

What books will you be using for this mini? What creative interpretations or ideas did you come up with for each prompt?

For those who haven't seen it yet, here's the direct link to the April mini (no rickroll this time, we promise!) https://www.the52book.club/april-2024...

This is a great mini Challenge! Got to love being Rickrolled!

So, for the "Never Gonna Give You Up" prompt, I am going to read Master Slave Husband Wife: An Epic Journey from Slavery to Freedom by Ilyon Woo which tells the story of William and Ellen Crafts bold feat of self emancipation and never giving up on each other as they leave Georgia for the Northern free states in 1848 and ultimately end up in England.

For the "Let You Down" prompt, I have decided on The Broken Hearts Honeymoon by Lucy Dickens. It is about Charlotte, who calls off her wedding as her fiancé has "cold feet" and goes on honeymoon alone to Japan.

For the "Desert You" prompt, The book I have chosen is The Library: A Fragile History by Andrew Pettegree & Arthur de Weduwen as I adore my local library and librarians and will never desert them! They are a community's best friend for reading.

I have gone for slight different takes on the prompts for this mini challenge and I love how creatively broad it is so that folks can find different books to read! I look forward to reading the other comments and hearing about what others have chosen for the April 2024 mini challenge.

(Edited choice for "Never gonna give you up" prompt from Virgin River byRobyn Carr which I am still going to read and hope to find a prompt for in the main challenge and added links to books and authors.)

Never gonna give you up -- 17 Carnations: The Royals, the Nazis and the Biggest Cover-Up in History, because King Edward didn't give up Wallis Simpson, and I'm not gonna give up on this boring book since I'm reading it for a book club.
Never gonna let you down -- We'll Be the Last Ones to Let You Down: Memoir of a Gravedigger's Daughter, because it sounded interesting.
Never gonna desert you -- The Deserters: A Hidden History of World War II, for the same reason.

I'm reading a lot of different fairytale and romance books for different prompts, so it's hard to tell what I can do for the mini-challenge. I guess Evil Spy School the Graphic Novel can be Never Let You Down, as the main character is never gives up as he tries to save the world. And then My Gently Raised Beast, Vol. 5 could be Never Gonna Give You Up or Never Gonna Desert You.

Hmm... Not sure. Perhaps I Let You Go by Clare Mackintosh for "... Let you go"

I am currently reading The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver for the challenge "four or more POV". I suspect that by the time I finish it will fit both "give you up" and "never gonna give you up" in multiple ways.

I just finished 1638: The Sovereign States, part of Eric Flint's Ring of Fire series. It isn't on my challenge list, so I'm glad to fit it into this minichallenge. In the series, a 20th century town, Grantville, is transported to 1631 by an unexplained phenomenon, with global repercussions from the spread of technological, economic, political and cultural influences. In 1638, serfs are deserting Muscovite Russia for Free Russia, and a general avoids the repercussions his surrender would have on his family by asking his troops to mutiny and turn him in. There are people embracing change, and others who refuse to desert the old ways.

Another series book I just got is Toll of Honor by David Weber, #20 in the Honor Harrington series. I'm pretty sure that will fill the Never Gonna Let You Down challenge.

So, for the "Never Gonna Give You Up" prompt, I am reading Beyond That, The Sea. The parents gave her up to live in American during WWII. It feels like there may be a love story that never gives up too.

For the "Let You Down" prompt, I don't know. I have The House on Biscanye Bay so I am hoping that I can work that in some how. If not I am sure I will have a stinker of a book at some point this month.

For the "Desert You" prompt, I have No Ordinary Assignment. It is about a journalist's time in Afghanistan which is mostly a desert country.

I'm reading two books right now that I think I can fit into prompts:
The Sun Also Rises: never give you up
The Age of Innocence: Desert you, as the characters are definitely deserting the divorcee

As I'm trying to use books I already own, some may feel like a stretch.

Give You Up - The Wicked Boy: The Mystery of a Victorian Child Murderer by Kate Summerscale or Giving Up the Ghost by Hilary Mantel

Let You Down - probably A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara

Run Around & Desert You - When You Disappeared by John Marrs