Bookclub

This year for the first time the crew over on the Discord are doing a reading challenge. If you've done a reading challenge before you'll know the gist - a bunch of prompts for which you choose books that fulfil the criteria and try and read them over the course of the year.

The link here is to the Storygraph version of the challenge, although you can of course track it however you prefer. There are some template graphics and things in a thread on the Discord which might help if you like making summary graphics when you complete a challenge like this.

It's more than half way through the year now but the challenge counts anything you've read this year (as long as it fits the other criteria) so you can do the thing where you sign up and instantly mark a tonne of prompts as completed, which I always find kinda satisfying.

Anyway, I just thought I'd post about it over here as well as I'm always looking for reading challenges and things to add a fun sense of completion to reading.

Is there a book you've read you wish you could go back and give to your younger self and say, "read this!" or a book you read and you're mad you've gone through however long being oblivious to how good it is?

Out of all the books you've read in 2023, which are your favorites so far?

Or a few of the funniest if you just can't choose.

First of H.G. Wells work that I've read and I really enjoyed it. Reminded me a lot of Jules Verne though a bit lighter on the technical aspects and heavier on the social commentary.

The foresight to predict things like climate change was impressive but it was the implications with regards to capitalism and the system of haves and have-nots that's really sticking with me.

Planning to read War of the Worlds next, then maybe The Invisible Man.

What have you found helps you read more?

If you can't choose just one feel free to share more.

What is your most reread book? What about it keeps you coming back?

Is there a book cover that sticks out in your mind as being particularly excellent?

By this, I mean either an author you love despite their shortcomings (ie "guilty pleasure"), or an author who you know is a terrible person which causes you to not be able to look away in fascination (ie "hate-read"), or an author who you know is terrible but despite this you're like, damn, their writing is still excellent (ie "your fav is problematic.") What makes them terrible, and what makes you like them anyway?

Are there any authors you have a love-hate relationship with? Where you love some of their books and they're among your favorites, but you hate others and they're some of your least favorites?

We have a discord server with ten book clubs. https://discord.gg/KgFF9j3GTh

The themes of the book clubs are Fiction, Non-fiction, Graphic Novels, FOMO (for classics and other well known books), Cozy Reads, Classic Crime Novels, Short Reads, Long Reads, Romance, and 80's Ladies as well as ReReads for popular book series.

As of July 1st we're reading the following books in the following book clubs:

• Fiction: All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
• Non-Fiction: Men Who Hate Women by Laura Bates
• Graphic Novels: M is for Monster by Talia Dutton and Strange Planet by Nathan W Pyle
• FOMO: The Road by Cormac McCarthy and Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
• Cozy: The Plot is Murder by VM Burns
• Classic Crime Novels: The Godwulf Manuscript by Robert B Parker
• Short Reads: A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K LeGuin
• Long Reads: The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco
• Romance: The Bookworm’s Guide to Flirting by Emma Hart
• 80's Ladies: A Cry in the Night by Mary Higgins Clark
• Re-read: A Feast for Crows by George RR Martin and The Vile Village (A Series of Unfortunate Events #7) by Lemony Snicket

You can read some, all, or none of the books. No pressure! Everything is read at your own pace. We just ask you use spoiler tags for spoilers.

And if you don't want to join discord to discuss these books please feel free to post your thoughts in the comments on this post.

I wasn't expecting to like The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid but I found it to be a rare case where the hype was deserved. I went into Stoner by John Williams completely blind and it's one of my all time favorite books.

Do you have a book that surprised you by being so much better than you expected?

Is there a movie you think really nails the book, or maybe even improves on it? Is there anything you were shocked to learn was based on a book?

My roommate recently read Jaws and he said he can't believe it was made into a movie, and I attempted to read the first book in the Dexter series and felt the same way.

Dune by George RR Martin, maybe?

Are you trying to hit a certain number goal in 2023? Or do you have a certain type of book you're trying to read more of?

I always have a goal of reading at least 52 - one a week, but I'm really aiming for 100 with the HOPE that I might read more than I've ever read before.

I've been aiming to tackle more classics from my TBR this year. I've gotten much better at DNFing when I'm not enjoying something which has allowed me to find more books I really enjoy. My favorite classics so far this year have been The Handmaid’s Tale, Their Eyes Were Watching God, and A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.

We have a discord server with ten book clubs. https://discord.gg/KgFF9j3GTh

The themes of the book clubs are Fiction, Non-fiction, Graphic Novels, FOMO (for classics and other well known books), Cozy Reads, Classic Crime Novels, Short Reads, Long Reads, Romance, and 80's Ladies as well as ReReads for popular book series.

As of June 1st we're reading the following books in the following book clubs:

• Fiction: Earthlings by Sayaka Murata
• Non-Fiction: Ten Days in a Madhouse by Nellie Bly
• Graphic Novels: Sweet Tooth Vol 1 by Jeff Lamire and iZombie Vol 1 by Chris Roberson
• FOMO: The Road by Cormac McCarthy and Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
• Cozy: Flat White Fatality by Emmeline Duncan
• Classic Crime Novels: The Third Man by Graham Greene
• Short Reads: Breakfast at Tiffany's by Truman Capote
• Long Reads: City of Brass by SA Chakroborty
• Romance: Satisfaction Guaranteed by Karelia Stetz-Waters
• 80's Ladies: Flowers in the Attic by VC Andrews
• Re-read: A Feast for Crows by George RR Martin and The Ersatz Elevator (A Series of Unfortunate Events #6) by Lemony Snicket

You can read some, all, or none of the books. No pressure! Everything is read at your own pace. We just ask you use spoiler tags for spoilers.

And if you don't want to join a discord to discuss these books please feel free to post your thoughts in the comments on this post.

What is the strangest book you've ever read? Be it the format or the content.

Whazzup everybody? I like books (and edibles) so when I saw this community I wanted to contribute. I just finished Artemis by Andy Weir, a sci fi novel about a young delivery worker/smuggler who gets entangled in a plot to change the balances of power on the Moon's only city.

I picked up The Deepest South of All by Richard Grant at Ollie's for a few bucks the other day and have started that. It tells the tales of various people the author meets in Natchez, Mississippi and explores how it's slavery centric past still influences the area today.

What are you all reading? How big is your backlog? I started explicitly keeping a physical backlog when I buy new media because I'm 100% that guy who'll put it up and forget forever. haha

Any books about social media, big tech, or the minds of CEOs?