2025 Reading Challenge discussion

Tell us what you thought of the book! You can leave your review here. Even if you read the book outside of the group, please feel free to let us know what you thought of it.

Please make sure to mark your spoilers by typing "[spoiler]" at the start and [/spoiler] at the end but replacing the []s with <>s.

This is something new I want to do this month, and I'll only state it this one time to keep the conversation positive.
Please by no means let it scare you away. Everyone is welcome! :)

I just ask for everyone to be nice during the month of March. We're here to have a discussion, learn facts, share stories, and still represent our believes without personally attacking anyone.

Happy Reading!

Taylor R wrote: "This is something new I want to do this month, and I'll only state it this one time to keep the conversation positive.
Please by no means let it scare you away. Everyone is welcome! :)

I just ask ..."

It's a good request, Taylor, but it's hard to do with this one.

I've seen the Handmaid's Tale show up as a group read for one of my groups in February, and now two other groups in March. That's obviously not a coincidence, and a lot of people are reading it through the lens of the Women's March and the Trump Inauguration.

For my part, I'm happy to limit my discussion to comparisons with other dystopias, how the plot arc is shaped, etc. However, the argument could be made that Atwood wrote the book as a political statement, and removing the politics defeats the purpose.

I've seen people who normally do well on Goodreads have a tough time staying classy recently, and, as you said, I hope we can all just be nice, even if we disagree.

I think that you can't ignore politics when you talk about this book. It was written in response to some of Ronald Reagan's policies back in the 1980s and just happens to have become pertinent again now. But, I do hope we can all be nice and respect everyone's opinions and have constructive conversations. Looking forward to reading some of your reviews :)

8 March update: I finished The Handmaid's Tale today which is rather apt considering today is International Women's Day. Here is my review:
Very thought provoking.
Not that I want it to but, given recent current affairs, I can totally imagine the events of this novel happening in the not too distant future. Atwood's subtle but realistic writing makes it seem likely too.
The constant switches in narrative between times were a little confusing but also very cleverly done because they gave an insight into Offred's state of mind as she adapted to the changes while remembering her old life.
An interesting, haunting and intelligent dystopia that everyone should even if and especially if you're not a feminist.

This is a terrifying book in so many ways, but for me the scariest part is how quickly societal change like this can occur-- not centuries, not decades, but only a few years (think Nazi Germany), and the way no one can be trusted.

Suki wrote: "This is a terrifying book in so many ways, but for me the scariest part is how quickly societal change like this can occur-- not centuries, not decades, but only a few years (think Nazi Germany), a..."

I agree. I read Boys in the Boat this year and that also makes you realize how quick Hitler moved.

A Holocaust survivor from Cincinnati (Werner Coppel) said, "During the war, I never met a German who wasn't a Nazi. After the war, I never met one who was." He was implying that people change quickly to be on the side that seems safer.

Phil wrote: "A Holocaust survivor from Cincinnati (Werner Coppel) said, "During the war, I never met a German who wasn't a Nazi. After the war, I never met one who was." He was implying that people change quick..."

Interesting, Phil. I agree with everyone about how change can happen rapidly, but I also think that the seeds for such change, the fertilizer that allows it to grow, and so on often lie hidden and are only seen after the fact. Nazi Germany was the result of a number of forces that had been in place starting with WWI (Economics, isolation, dislike for the rest of Europe (the 'winners') and a weak government resulted in extreme nationalism and finding scapegoats for the problems the typical German faced. Those resulted in the shifts in government to more extreme views winning the day.

I think that yes, for many who need to survive in such conditions, most will take the side they feel the safest under, even if against their beliefs, even when it may go against their self-interest beyond survival.

4,5 Stars

A womans account of a world that is just realistic enough for you to get chills as you read it. Even more frightening due to the way it is written and how you can recognise some similarities in how the world look today. It’s a must read among dystopias and one you won’t forget in a while.