Book Nook Cafe discussion

Round 1:
📚1- YA book (young adult):
Out of My Mind Sharon M. Draper

📚2- Takes place during a holiday or about a holiday. Any holiday:
A Match Made for Thanksgiving Jackie Lau

📚3- A banned or challenged book:
The Picture of Dorian Gray Oscar Wilde

📚4- STEM ( any field of science, technology, engineering, or mathematics) or a character who works in or is involved with any STEM area.
Five Winters

📚5- A book about a world leader or notable person(s) (living or dead)
Table for Two Amor Towles
Olivia de Havilland is prominent in the novella

📚6- A book from your TBR list or a book you own but never read.
Wandering Stars Tommy Orange

📚7- A book published in 2025
Death of the Author. Nnedi Okorafor. 10 Jun

📚8- A book that was nominated for a prize or won a book award prize. (any year, any prize)
The Frozen River

📚9- A book involving the Arts or character involved in the Arts
(dance, music, painter, theater, drawing, architecture, film, photography)
How to Age Disgracefully Clare Pooley (actor character)

📚10- Animal, vegetable or mineral:
Horse Geraldine Brooks

📚11- Re-read a book you read before:
Milkman Anna Burns

📚12- History, Current event, or historical fiction:
The Book of Lost Names

📚13- A book that takes place in or is about a country you don't currently live in
Bibliolepsy Gina Apostol

📚14- ...OLOGY --- Any field of study that ends in the suffix ology. For example: psychology, sociology, archology, cardiology, dermatology, zoology, ecology, oceanology, biology, zoology etc.
Can be non fiction or a fictional character that is involved in that field.
Still Alice Lisa Genova

📚15- A book dealing with mental health, physical disability or other health related issue
Reasons to Stay Alive Matt Haig

📚16- Author's Last Name begins with R, E, A or D.
Daughter of Fire. Sofia Robleda

📚17- Self help, motivational, inspirational, spirituality, mindfulness, or communication.
The Complete Poems

📚18- Biography, autobiography or memoir:
Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return

📚19- Mystery, thriller, suspense or true crime novel:
The Fellowship of Puzzlemakers Samuel Burr

📚20- novella, short story collection, essays collection, or play:
A Midsummer Night’s Dream William Shakespeare

📚21- (for 2025) Select a book that was published at least 25 years ago
A Separate Peace

📚22- A book that was translated into English:
The Nakano Thrift Shop

📚23- Travel or a journey ( could be literal or spiritual)
The Many Daughters of Afong Moy

📚24- Bildungsroman - Coming of age
Anne of Avonlea L.M. Montgomery

📚25- (for 2025) A book title with at least 5 words in the title. Bonus if it is exactly 5.
100 Cats Who Changed Civilization: History's Most Influential Felines Sam Stall

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Bonus prompts or substitution
NOT required to complete the challenge!
******************************************************************

📚1- humorous or funny book
Wow, No Thank You.: Essays Samantha Irby

📚2- fantasy, magical realism or science fiction
In Five Years Rebecca Serle

📚3- A book that features water. (ocean, swimmer, lake, ship/boat or has picture of water on cover)
Alison Espach

4- Romance or love 💖

5- A book with a female detective

Round 2:
1- YA book (young adult)

2- Takes place during a holiday or about a holiday. Any holiday.

3- A banned or challenged book

4- STEM ( any field of science, technology, engineering, or mathematics) or a character who works in or is involved with any STEM area.

5- A book about a world leader or notable person(s) (living or dead)

6- A book from your TBR list or a book you own but never read.

7- A book published in 2025

8- A book that was nominated for a prize or won a book award prize. (any year, any prize)

9- A book involving the Arts or character involved in the Arts
(dance, music, painter, theater, drawing, architecture, film, photography)

10- Animal, vegetable or mineral

11- Re-read a book you read before

12- History, Current event, or historical fiction

13- A book that takes place in or is about a country you don't currently live in

14- ...OLOGY --- Any field of study that ends in the suffix ology. For example: psychology, sociology, archology, cardiology, dermatology, zoology, ecology, oceanology, biology, zoology etc.
Can be non fiction or a fictional character that is involved in that field.

15- A book dealing with mental health, physical disability or other health related issue

16- Author's Last Name begins with R, E, A or D.

17- Self help, motivational, inspirational, spirituality, mindfulness, or communication.

18- Biography, autobiography or memoir

19- Mystery, thriller, suspense or true crime novel

20- novella, short story collection, essays collection, or play.

21- (for 2025) Select a book that was published at least 25 years ago.

22- A book that was translated into English.

23- Travel or a journey ( could be literal or spiritual)

24- Bildungsroman - Coming of age

25- (for 2025) A book title with at least 5 words in the title. Bonus if it is exactly 5.

***************************************************************
Bonus prompts or substitution
NOT required to complete the challenge!
******************************************************************

1- humorous or funny book

2- fantasy, magical realism or science fiction

3- A book that features water. (ocean, swimmer, lake, ship/boat or has picture of water on cover)

4- Romance or love 💖

5- A book with a female detective

I realized I did not use any of the 3 books I read for the challenge!

So I am going to plug in a book I finished a week ago:
14- ...OLOGY --- Any field of study that ends in the suffix ology. For example: psychology, sociology, archology, cardiology, dermatology, zoology, ecology, oceanology, biology, zoology etc.
Can be non fiction or a fictional character that is involved in that field.

Still Alice Lisa Genova

Alice has early onset Alzheimer's which is neurology and she teaches psychology before her illness

Great choice - congrats!

I read "Still Alice" when some relatives had Alzheimer's Disease, and thought the author did a great job of showing how it affected Alice and the family. It's a good movie too!

While i haven't read the book, i well remember watching the movie. It served the problem and the issues well, imo.

Well done on this selection for the prompt, Denise.

Denise wrote: "I realized I did not use any of the 3 books I read for the challenge!

So I am going to plug in a book I finished a week ago:
14- ...OLOGY --- Any field of study that ends in the suffix ology. For ..."

Excellent fit, Denise.

I am aiming to do 4 prompts a month, two rounds of prompts (48 books)

Here is #2 for January:
1- YA book (young adult):
Out of My Mind Sharon M. Draper

And #3:
2- Takes place during a holiday or about a holiday. Any holiday:
A Match Made for Thanksgiving Jackie Lau

This can also be used for novella and holiday

And #4:
20- novella, short story collection, essays collection, or play:
A Midsummer Night’s Dream William Shakespeare

Denise wrote: "I am aiming to do 4 prompts a month, two rounds of prompts (48 books)


Wow ! Very ambitions, Denise. I look forward to seeing the books you select.

Good goal, Denise. Congratulations on an excellent beginning.

And, thank you, for posting your #20 selection. Somehow i missed the fact a play is included in the options. I'd much rather read plays than any of the others in the list. Hurrah!

I'm updating the prompts with some February reads:
📚11- Re-read a book you read before:
Milkman Anna Burns

I love this book. It can also be used for award-winning (Booker Prize)

Bonus prompts:

📚2- fantasy, magical realism or science fiction
In Five Years Rebecca Serle

Contains magical realism

📚5- A book about a world leader or notable person(s) (living or dead)
Table for Two Amor Towles

Olivia de Havilland is prominent in the novella

Well done, Denise !

Outstanding progress, Denise. It looks as though you took advantage of this long weekend in the Very Best Way.

read my challenged book:

📚3- A banned or challenged book: The Picture of Dorian Gray Oscar Wilde

The full uncensored text has only recently been published (I didn't read it). It was challenged due to allusions to homosexuality and other "indecent" passages

also read my "animal, vegetable, mineral" book:

📚10- Animal, vegetable or mineral: Horse Geraldine Brooks

It's a about a horse, and a picture of said horse

Nice going! 👍

Well done, Denise !

Impressive progress, Denise.

I haven't updated in a while. I finished this 2 weeks ago:

📚13- A book that takes place in or is about a country you don't currently live in
Bibliolepsy Gina Apostol

Takes place in the Philippines

As I said in my review, these essay were hilarious:
📚1- humorous or funny book
Wow, No Thank You.: Essays Samantha Irby

📚19- Mystery, thriller, suspense or true crime novel:
The Fellowship of Puzzlemakers Samuel Burr

Not a conventional mystery in that the MC has to use the puzzle0clues to solve the mystery of his origins, but it is classified as mystery on GR

Well done, Denise. You are doing really well with all the prompts.

You seem in a reading frenzy, which seems impossible, thanks to your work, including the Open House! Well accomplished, Denise.

Completed:

📚9- A book involving the Arts or character involved in the Arts
(dance, music, painter, theater, drawing, architecture, film, photography)
How to Age Disgracefully Clare Pooley (actor character)

Completed:

📚15- A book dealing with mental health, physical disability or other health related issue
Reasons to Stay Alive Matt Haig

Well done on the prompts, Denise. I enjoyed reading your reviews on both books in another thread. Thank you !

Neat selections, Denise.

Completed:
📚6- A book from your TBR list or a book you own but never read.
Wandering Stars Tommy Orange

Denise wrote: "Completed:
📚6- A book from your TBR list or a book you own but never read.
Wandering Stars Tommy Orange"

Well done on the prompt, Denise.

Completed:

📚17- Self help, motivational, inspirational, spirituality, mindfulness, or communication.
The Complete Poems

Did anyone know Blake wrote 4 epics/myths about the creation of the world, with many references to religion and spirituality? Cuz I didn't

Well done on the prompt, Denise.

I'm not well versed in poems. Though our poem thread has helped me a bit.

Denise wrote: "Completed:

📚17- Self help, motivational, inspirational, spirituality, mindfulness, or communication.
The Complete Poems

Did anyone know Blake wrote 4 epics/myths about the creati..."

I didn’t realize he wrote 4. I was aware of only one, now that i think about it. The things you learned from this prompt, Denise! Kudos.

madrano wrote: "Denise wrote: "Completed:

📚17- Self help, motivational, inspirational, spirituality, mindfulness, or communication.
The Complete Poems

Did anyone know Blake wrote 4 epics/myths a..."

Jerusalem, Vala, Milton, and Albion. Some of it may have been unpublished until collected after his death, the book also included fragments.

Which one were you aware of?

I was young, possibly 20. As i had heard of Milton: A Poem, i gave that a whirl. And was lost fairly quickly. As i recall i stopped because i just wasn’t getting the references made, which makes sense, since i hadn’t read Milton. Also, i believe it was supposed to include some prophetic lines, which i didn’t see. This is likely because i gave up fairly early.

Finished:
📚3- A book that features water. (ocean, swimmer, lake, ship/boat or has picture of water on cover)
Alison Espach

Well done on the prompt !

Neat, Denise. Love the appropriate-ness of it for the prompt.

completed:

📚21- (for 2025) Select a book that was published at least 25 years ago
A Separate Peace

Completed:

📚12- History, Current event, or historical fiction:
The Book of Lost Names

Denise wrote: "completed:

📚21- (for 2025) Select a book that was published at least 25 years ago
A Separate Peace"

Read it decades ago, did you find it depressing?

John wrote: "Denise wrote: "completed:

📚21- (for 2025) Select a book that was published at least 25 years ago
A Separate Peace"

Read it decades ago, did you find it depressing?"

I also read it a long time ago. I didn't find the book depressing necessarily but the way Finny passes was depressing and a shock

Well done on your prompts, Denise !

Good work on your Challenge, Denise.

Completed:
📚4- STEM ( any field of science, technology, engineering, or mathematics) or a character who works in or is involved with any STEM area.
Five Winters

MC is a veterinary nurse. One of the things I liked about the book is the MC was intelligent and had an interesting challenging job, even though the book is tagged romance.

Completed:
📚23- Travel or a journey ( could be literal or spiritual)
The Many Daughters of Afong Moy

Many of the characters travel, usually by ship, and the ending is an odd time travel through genetic memory (see the review in the Book Salon)

Denise wrote: "MC is a veterinary nurse. One of the things I liked about the book is the MC was intelligent and had an interesting challenging job, even though the book is tagged romance..."

Well, that's a pity. Sometimes those labels are more to be avoided than read. Thanks for that note.