Old Books, New Readers discussion

Hello OBNR community!

The time is now to start choosing our next BOTM.

At the start of a new year, people often think about their own life trajectory and ways they could develop themselves. Like any good story, we are not just one thing; we are a blend of many things. For January, let's think of books that are not overtly one literary category. For example, To Kill a Mocking Bird is a coming-of-age novel but also a legal thriller, as well as a social commentary. Let's think beyond genres and choose books that blur the parameters. Better yet, imagine yourself as a book in a book store. How many sections would you be in?

Again, for those not familiar with the criteria, these selections should be over 50 years old, have literary merit, and most importantly, have relevance to the theme. Please list your suggestions on the thread below. Once we have six, I will make a poll.

Since we are nearing the end of the month, our deadlines for nominations and polls will be shortened.

I nominate Naked Lunch by William S. Burroughs

This is definitely a book that cannot be defined or confined by a particular genre. It is dystopian, experimental, satire, social commentary, dark comedy, surreal,

I nominate Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson
I think the social commentary on American society and the roman à clef style and start of Gonzo Journalism is always an interesting read.

I nominate The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Brontë, which is a masterpiece of balancing the mix of society found in a rural British farming village, gothic tones, and the sexist society in which women married to an abuser found themselves in Brontë's time.

Native Son by Richard Wright

Legal Thriller, Identity, Social Commentary, Coming of Age, Heroism, Depression, Inspiring, community

Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison

I nominate Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. I have started it a few times, but never got around to finishing it and I think this would be a good way to keep myself accountable to finish.

could a book have more genres to blur the lines?

Gothic: The novel focuses on nature as a character, sometimes god-like.
Pastoral: The novel is set in the countryside and glorifies the simple life of rural people.
Realism: This novel represents things as they are, rather than idealising rural life.
Crime

This novel challenges Victorian ideals and the rights of women suffering from double standards and the madness of what we now know to be PTSD.

This is Tess of the D'Urbervilles (1891) by Thomas Hardy

Mackenzie wrote: "I nominate Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. I have started it a few times, but never got around to finishing it and I think this would be a good way to keep myself accou..."

We have read Little Women in this group; therefore, it is disqualified from BOTM. Enjoy Reading, 📚

La Tonya wrote: "Native Son by Richard Wright

Legal Thriller, Identity, Social Commentary, Coming of Age, Heroism, Depression, Inspiring, community"

I read this in a book club before, excellent choice.

Thank you all for the nominations! We need one more to do a quick poll.

I had to look up a few of these, and I believe I had done a group read for Invisible Man, even though it's not showing up in our previous list.

Thank you all for participating

Hello! I’m new but I’d like to nominate Watership Down by Richard Adams.

Themes: fantasy, adventure, heroism, possibly even coming of age

Avionne wrote: "Hello! I’m new but I’d like to nominate Watership Down by Richard Adams.

Themes: fantasy, adventure, heroism, possibly even coming of age"

Thank you, Avionne!