2025 Reading Challenge discussion

Hi Everyone!

Happy New Year! It is time to start nominating books for our March 2016 group read already. I am excited to see what you come up with for the theme. Our theme for the month is Courage.

The theme is completely open to interpretation. As long as you can tell us why you think it should fit the theme, it counts. Please state why the book you are nominating fits the theme. I am looking forward to seeing what books you nominate!

Please nominate only one book and ensure you either link the book or give the name of the author as well to avoid confusion. Please do not nominate books from a series, unless it is the first book in the series. You can second someone else's nomination, but that will count as your own. Nominations cannot have been chosen for a past group read (past buddy reads are fine).

This thread will be closed by January 25th, and we will choose ten books for the poll. If there are more than ten books nominated, we will choose the ten most nominated. If there is still a tie to get into the top ten, we'll go back to the Goodreads average rating to see which is highest.

I nominate Born Survivors: Three Young Mothers and Their Extraordinary Story of Courage, Defiance, and Hope by Wendy Holden. It was nominated for Goodreads Choice last year. It follows the stories of three pregnant Jewish women during the Holocaust.

When I think of our theme courage, I think of The Last Lecture. This book is about how Randy Pausch understands he is going die from cancer. He says goodbye with dignity. When I was diagnosed with cancer, I looked to his words. (I was fortunate, and am cancer free now, and I thank God everyday)

Kadijah Michelle wrote: "When I think of our theme courage, I think of The Last Lecture. This book is about how Randy Pausch understands he is going die from cancer. He says goodbye with dign..."

That's certainly courage..

That's tough Kadijah, I can only imagine. I am very happy you're cancer-free now!

Great to see nominations already!

The Last Lecture is a great idea! I've been meaning to read that for quite some time. It's unfortunate that you have such a personal connection to the book, but I'm glad that you are in remission.

Hope I do this right as I've never nominated before. My suggestion is The Red Badge of Courage, a book I never got to read in high school literature classes. Having the word "courage" in the title is one way it applies to the theme. Being fairly new to the group, you may have already read, if so, I'm sure somebody will let me know. Is there a list of nominated books I can check?

Sorry forgot the author...Stephen Crane.

Great suggestion Chris!

You can find group-reads by looking at the little meny on the right side of the page above where it says moderators. Click on bookshelf, then you can see what we have read :) We haven't read this one!

I nominate To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. For me personally it has to do with courage because I need a lot of courage to pick up a classic :) I'm always afraid that I don't like them...

Cassandra wrote: "The Last Lecture is a great idea! I've been meaning to read that for quite some time. It's unfortunate that you have such a personal connection to the book, but I'm glad that you are..."

I was very fortunate that it was found early. My cancer message is ALWAYS GET YOUR CHECK UPS!!! My annual check up saved my life!

It is so hard to pick what book to nominate. I have so many in my "to read" list that involves the theme of courage. Initially I had four books listed to nominate and I narrowed it down to two. I chose this one because it is cold outside and thought why not nominate a book where people are braving the cold.


Touching the Void: The True Story of One Man's Miraculous Survival.

This book fits the theme of courage for two reasons. The first is that Joe and Simon went to the Andes to climb a 21,000 ft peak. Yikes! It also fits the theme because when they got to the top of the peak one of them fell off an ice ledge and broke his leg. They went through so much to find their way back to base camp. If you read the write up from the link, the description there does a much better job at selling the book than I do. I also like that it is a non-fiction.

I would like to nominate The Impeachment of Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln's initiative to end slavery was very controversial and required great courage. This book is the fictitious accounting of what could have happened had Lincoln survived the assassination attempt. Seems fitting following February.

I second The Impeachment of Abraham Lincoln

Amanda wrote: "I second The Impeachment of Abraham Lincoln"

Me too. He is probably my favourite historic personality and I am always keen to read about him.

Keep 'em coming ^^

Reading Lolita in Tehran

Forgive me if it's already been done. Definitely takes courage to do what these girls did.

I would like to nominate The Paris Architect by Charles Balfoure. It may be fiction but it could have been. You'll think about the question where would I stand and what would I do if I lived in France during WWII. Would I have helped people from being swallowed up by the Halocaust. I wouldn't mind reading this again

I'm going to nominate The Shining because it takes courage to read scary books.

Kara - that's a clever take on the theme and a book I have always wanted to read but never got around to. I second The Shining

I nominate Astoria: John Jacob Astor and Thomas Jefferson's Lost Pacific Empire: A Story of Wealth, Ambition, and Survival.

"In 1810, John Jacob Astor sent out two advance parties to settle the wild, unclaimed western coast of North America. More than half of his men died violent deaths. The others survived starvation, madness, and greed to shape the destiny of a continent."

It must have taken great courage to set out to explore the unsettled American west.

That's so many good suggestions!!

I love that Kara, you make me wish I didn't read it last year ^^

I would like to nominate I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban . I think most of us will be familiar with her story in part. Malala was 15 when she showed courage by fighting for her right to education and was shot for her struggles. Since then she has recovered and won the noble peace prize. She continues to speak for the right to education for all girls.

I nominate Every Man Dies Alone by Hans Fallada - based on the true story of a courageous, clandestine resistance campaign against the Gestapo in Berlin. "It’s more than an edge-of-your-seat thriller, more than a moving romance, even more than literature of the highest order—it’s a deeply stirring story of two people standing up for what’s right, and for each other."

I will second (or third) The Last Lecture. It has been on my 'to read' list for some time. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...

I'm nominating

I am probably most for , although any of the choices above would probably be fine with me.

I am Malala is on my list to read this year so I second ( or 3rd) that!

I'll second The Shining

I nominate The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank because I think this story is a true example of keeping strong in your faith through dark times and being truly courageous.

There are so many good suggestions for March already!

I had a few suggestions, but I whittled my list down to just a couple to make life easier. My first is The Wright Brothers by David McCullough. Being originally from the "first in flight" state of North Carolina, I've always been fascinated about the brothers who came from absolutely nothing but had both the courage and intellect to actually create the first working flying machine (calling it a plane is too generous).

This next one I have actually found, believe it or not, in my freshman US History 101 class for my baccalaureate degree and read probably 3 times. Triangle: The Fire That Changed America by David von Drehle. While it is about the tragic 1911 Triangle Shirtwaist fire, within it courage runs deep. At a time when there were no unions or work safety laws, the workers tried to stand up for themselves and their fellow workers, sometimes to their own detriment.

Monica wrote: "I'm nominating "

I would like to second this nomination.

I second Reading Lolita in Tehran

I nominate Devil in the Grove: Thurgood Marshall, the Groveland Boys, and the Dawn of a New America by Gilbert King.

ReGina wrote: "I would like to nominate The Impeachment of Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln's initiative to end slavery was very controversial and required great courage. This book is the fictitious accou..."

This looks really good! I think this is a great suggestion. Even if it doesn't get chosen it is now on my list of books to read this year.

I am going to nominate I am Malala written by Ann Monica

I want to second Astoria: John Jacob Astor and Thomas Jefferson's Lost Pacific Empire: A Story of Wealth, Ambition, and Survival

I'm going to nominate When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi, the memoir of a man who has now died from lung cancer, and who was a prominent neurosurgeon until his illness took hold of him. It deals with morality, and how to deal with facing your own imminent death, especially when he had a wife and a child, and was young.

I think it's courageous not only to look into the face of your own morality, but also to put that into words and out into the world.

I'm going to nominate The Brothers Lionheart .

It's in it's essence a tale of courage, brotherly love and how to face your fear and the unknown.

It's a childrens fantasy, but I think it is a beautiful tale fitting all ages. This book and tv-series has been with me since childhood.

I think I will officially cast my nomination to second The Last Lecture - I was kind of wishy-washy on it last time I posted but I think it would make a great discussion book.

Legend
Legend by David Gemmell.
Mr Gemmell’s first and most famous novel.

The Dreni Empire is in peril. A horde of Nadir tribesmen, 500,000 strong, are marching on the Dreni homeland. The outcome is bleak for the Dreni, The only thing that stands in their way of certain defeat is the fortress Dros Delnoch, and Druss, the man, the warrior, The Legend.
This book epitomises everything that courage stands for; bravery, nerve, valour, daring, heroism….I could go on. Mr Gemmell is the King of Heroic Fantasy, and it is portrayed flawlessly in this book.

Gah... I'm torn between I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban and City of Thorns: Nine Lives in the World’s Largest Refugee Camp...

Give me a couple days, I'll figure it out. (Might mean flipping a coin).

I nominate A Stolen Life

In the summer of 1991 I was a normal kid. I did normal things. I had friends and a mother who loved me. I was just like you. Until the day my life was stolen.
For eighteen years I was a prisoner. I was an object for someone to use and abuse.

For eighteen years I was not allowed to speak my own name. I became a mother and was forced to be a sister. For eighteen years I survived an impossible situation.

On August 26, 2009, I took my name back. My name is Jaycee Lee Dugard. I don’t think of myself as a victim. I survived.

A Stolen Life is my story—in my own words, in my own way, exactly as I remember it

think surviving something like this shows lots of courage

I nominate Shoot The Damn Dog A Memoir Of Depression by Sally Brampton.

Any story about the struggles of clinical depression shows outstanding courage displayed day by day to seemingly ordinary people. And sharing that struggle is another type of courage altogether.

This theme really has resulted in so many interesting suggestions!

In two days this topic will close for nominations, so this is your chance to nominate the book you want to see in March or to second one already nominated!

Ann wrote: "Monica wrote: "I'm nominating "

I would like to second this nomination."

Me too

I second When Breath Becomes Air

It is the last day of nominations, I will close the thread tomorrow.

I hadn't heard of 'The Last Lecture' before, but I'm now curious to read it and so will second the book for the March group read nominations.

I am Malala would be a great one for courage:)

I've ordered I am Malala and should be getting the book soon, had read The Last Lecture and would be nice to re-read, as it is now one of my favorite book . I'm okay with both. :)