Book Nook Cafe discussion

✅1- A biography, autobiography, or memoir of a U.S. president

The President and the Assassin: McKinley, Terror, and Empire at the Dawn of the American Century
20th Century READ May 2025


2- A book by Madeleine K. Albright

✅3- How to Meditate: A Guide to Self-Discovery-Lawrence LeShan Read Sept.

4- Beyond Columbo: The Life and Times of Peter Falk- Richard A. Lertzman

✅5- Camino Island- John Grisham READ in January

✅6- Nexus: A Brief History of Information Networks from the Stone Age to AI- Yuval Noah Harari READ in January

✅7- End of Watch-Stephen King Book 3 in trilogy READ in April

✅8-The Silent Patient-Alex Michaelides READ May

✅9- America First: Roosevelt vs. Lindbergh in the Shadow of War by H.W. Brands READ in January

10- History of the Civil War, 1861-1865- James Ford Rhodes

11- War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy

Great Graphic!

I look forward to the rest of your list.

Question: do you try to fill in areas the Challenge didn't address? Or is this something else. Of course, i recognize your first one as part of our mutual DL, so to speak. And i recall that you liked a previous Albright you read.

Just curious.

No. My Determination list has no connection to our prompt challenge.

I select books, authors or topics that I find interesting and I want to read in the coming year. Sometimes it's a book or author I've been wanting to read and never seem to get around to it. So I'm hoping the DL with push me to finally read it.

The year that I did the best with my DL was when I selected classics all under 300 pages that for whatever reason I never read.
I wanted to fill in that gap in my education.

I recall some of the books were:

Fahrenheit 451

Lord of the Flies

Ethan Frome

Thanks. I wondered if you cross listed selections. This clears that up.

I read shorter classics one year, too. It seemed like a good way to read a number of books i'd been intending to read over the years. Oddly, none you listed were included a couple of John Steinbeck's (we actually already owned a book of 5 of his short novels), Heart of Darkness--Joseph Conrad and The Awakening--Kate Chopin. Good reading that year.

Since deb asked the reason behind my picks, i thought I would briefly give a reason...if there is one ! LOL



1- A biography, autobiography, or memoir of a U.S. president

I do want to get back to working on the Presidential challenge as I didn't do it at all last year.


2- A book by Madeleine K. Albright

I read half of her book,Prague Winter: A Personal Story of Remembrance and War, 1937-1948 Prague . It was excellent but my reading of it was caught short when the pandemic hit. Dealing with the pandemic and this heavy read was a bit too much at the time for me. I also own but not have read her book Fascism: A Warning. So I hope to read at least one of these.


3- How to Meditate: A Guide to Self-Discovery-Lawrence LeShan

I want to start, once again, a meditation practice.


4- Beyond Columbo: The Life and Times of Peter Falk- Richard A. Lertzman

I've probably seen each Columbo episode a zillion times. A friend of mine is also a big fan and recommended this book. So I purchased the eBook.


5- Camino Island- John Grisham

This seems like a popular series, so thought I would give it a shot.


6- Nexus: A Brief History of Information Networks from the Stone Age to AI- Yuval Noah Harari

I've enjoyed immensely the books I've read by him.
Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind
Homo Deus: A History of Tomorrow
He has become a Must Read author for me. This is his latest.


7- End of Watch-Stephen King Book 3 in trilogy

This year I read book 1 and book 3 in the trilogy.
I mistakenly thought Holly was part of the series.

#1 Mr. Mercedes
#3 Finders Keepers

I enjoyed them. So I have to read #2 to complete the trilogy.


8-The Silent Patient-Alex Michaelides

Amazon has 2,608,813 reviews on this book ! This isn't my usual genre. However, that number of reviews is wild. Apparently I am the last person on planet earth that hasn't read it. So I hope to remedy that.


9- America First: Roosevelt vs. Lindbergh in the Shadow of War by H.W. Brands

I always have wanted to read a book by this historian. This year I did read another book on this topic, Those Angry Days: Roosevelt, Lindbergh, and America's Fight Over World War II, 1939-1941 I want to compare Brands take and writing style.


10- History of the Civil War, 1861-1865- James Ford Rhodes

This year I read and enjoyed The Demon of Unrest: A Saga of Hubris, Heartbreak, and Heroism at the Dawn of the Civil War. I wanted to read more on the topic.

Alias Reader wrote: "Since deb asked the reason behind my picks, i thought I would briefly give a reason...if there is one ! LOL



1- A biography, autobiography, or memoir of a U.S. president

I do want to get back t..."

You can include me in the "I haven't read The Silent Patient" club. I have no idea why I haven't read it, though.

Samanta, I know it's super popular. I guess it's a genre I normally don't read.

One more on the Haven't Read. I know i am out of most Book News but i've not heard of the novel, nor the author of The Silent Patient--Alex Michaelides. The GR reviews are quite mixed but there are names i recognize & whose reading tastes i remember still, who didn't care for it. I'll be eager to read your comments upon completion, Alias.

Meanwhile, thanks for sharing your titles & motivation for next year's DL. It's varied enough to keep your interest, that's for certain. Best of luck on the road to completing it, Alias.

Thank you deb ! I'm looking forward to reading the books on my Determination List as well as our 25 Prompt challenge.

I did try to make my DL varied.

Likewise. I enter some kind of pleasant black hole, trying to select books i want to read that match the challenge. Love It!

I've added War & Peace to my Determination List. Yikes !

Wow! Best of luck, Alias Reader, who will really be living up to her name in '25.

madrano wrote: "Wow! Best of luck, Alias Reader, who will really be living up to her name in '25."

:)

It may turn out to be too ambitious. Since I have the prompt challenge and my Determination List. Still, I am happy to have a goal and focus.

Author Gretchen Rubin on her Happier podcast put the W&P bee in my bonnet. ( who but dinosaurs use that phrase? lol ) 🦖🦕

I was torn between my yearly pledge to read the Bible and not doing it. However, years ago I did read the New Testament and found it inspirational. It's the Old Testament that I usually bail on after Exodus. It's still on my To Do list.

Alias Reader wrote: "put the W&P bee in my bonnet. ( who but dinosaurs use that phrase? lol ) 🦖🦕 ..."

I'd reply but i'm too busy dodging asteroids!

I love the notion, frankly, so use it, on occasion, too.

Re. the Old Testament. This is where i've usually started but get so goldarn angry i stop. When i read the NT, i concentrate on direct quotes from Jesus. Well, as reported there. :-)

Like you, i put these on my To Do but don't do.

Alias Reader wrote: "madrano wrote: "Wow! Best of luck, Alias Reader, who will really be living up to her name in '25."

:)

It may turn out to be too ambitious. Since I have the prompt challenge and my Determination ..."
I'm thinking of tacklingWar and Peace. Let me know if you want to buddy up, maybe divide it over several months?

Re: War and Peace

Denise, I will probably stick to the chapter a day or 7 chapters a week plan.

I can set up a thread for us if you like. Let me know.

If anyone else is interested let me know.

Much as this appeals to me, i cannot commit to such a long book, at this time. While our plans are up in the air, i know we'll be on the road for much of the year. At least, that's the plan.

Alias Reader wrote: "Re: War and Peace

Denise, I will probably stick to the chapter a day or 7 chapters a week plan.

I can set up a thread for us if you like. Let me know.

If anyone else is interested le..."

Let’s do it. It will be more like 7 chapters a week for me because I get more reading on weekends

I realized I never checked off the prompts I completed in January.

I checked off 3. That's a good start for this years Determination List. (DL) .

Two I have a library hold on and am waiting for the books to come in. The Stephen King book and The Silent Patient.

This is a good pace for the year. Congratulations, Alias Reader!

Thanks, deb.

Checked another one off my 2025 Determination List !
I will review it in the April Book Salon thread.

7- End of Watch-Stephen King Book 3 in trilogy READ in April

Good job, Alias.

Thanks, deb !

Checked off another prompt from my 2025 Determination List !

✅1- A biography, autobiography, or memoir of a U.S. president

The President and the Assassin: McKinley, Terror, and Empire at the Dawn of the American Century
20th Century READ May 2025

You are making very good progress on your DL, Alias. Congratulations.

Thanks, Deb.

The McKinley book help me check off a prompt on my 3 challenges.

I repeat--Hurrah!

I see I forgot to check off a book that I read in May for my Determination List.

✅8-The Silent Patient-Alex Michaelides READ May

It’s nice to know i’m not alone on this problem, Alias.

Checked off another book from my 2025 Determination List.
I'll write up a review in the Sept. Book Salon.
Unfortunately this one wasn't exactly what I was looking for.

✅3- How to Meditate: A Guide to Self-Discovery-Lawrence LeShan Read Sept.

I look forward to your comments, Alias. His was one of the first i read on the topic.

Congrats on completing another prompt!

Thanks, Deb.