2025 Reading Challenge discussion

Hi everyone!

It's time to nominate for November and the theme is Throwback!

Please remember to state a connection to the theme when you nominate. Thank you :)

Here are some short rules for nominating books:

~ Each person can nominate 1 book.

~ Book must be available both as a physical copy and as an ebook.

~ Authors: Please do not nominate your own book.

~ Please include the name of the book and the author or link to the book.

~ Please do not nominate books that are part of a series, unless it is the first book.

~ You can second someone else's nomination, but that will count as your nomination.

~ When nominating, please state a connection to the theme.

~ You cannot nominate a book which has previously been a group read. Past buddy reads are fine. (See Group Reads in the bookshelf)


This thread will be closed by September 26th, 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'm nominating The Throwback Special by Chris Bachelder. Not only is the title on-point, the book is about a bunch of former football players who get together to reenact a football game. It was a finalist for the 2016 National Book Award.

Ziggy wrote: "What exactly does “throwback” mean.? Is it an old book? Something that was nominated before and did not win? A book that you could not finish so threw it back?

I would like to join a group read, ..."

It's really up to your intepretation :) We're not too strict, we like to see how you interpret a theme.

The idea of a group read is interesting and worthy of a go. My first thought at Throwback was Jacqueline Susann's Valley of the Dolls. Published in the late 1960s, it takes a gritty look at the lives of three young women in the years following World War II and the emergence of the second wave of feminism. The #MeToo movement has nothing on the experiences to these women.

Ziggy wrote: "Using the definition of throwback being a book published a long time ago. I’m nominating a book published 110 years ago..Anne of Green Gables

I’ve never read it before but only have he..."

Good choice! I highly recommend the entire book series and then watch the Netflix series, Anne with an E:)

Ziggy wrote: "Using the definition of throwback being a book published a long time ago. I’m nominating a book published 110 years ago..Anne of Green Gables

I’ve never read it before but only have he..."

I second this nomination! It is such an amazing book.

I’d like to nominate Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder. This series is a major throwback to my childhood!

I will nominate The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August by Claire North.

Harry lives his same lifetime over and over again. Always born the same way in the same place with the same parents. Differences only arise as he makes different choices in each life.

In short, his existence is made of Throwbacks.

SarahKat wrote: "I will nominate The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August by Claire North.

Harry lives his same lifetime over and over again. Always born the same way in the same pl..."

I am very interested in this book! So, this is my nomination for November!

Connie wrote: "The idea of a group read is interesting and worthy of a go. My first thought at Throwback was Jacqueline Susann's Valley of the Dolls. Published in the late 1960s, it takes a gritty l..."

I'll second Valley of the Dolls. Such a great throwback to the 60's.

I'll third Valley of the Dolls. It's a book that I've been meaning to read and I already have a copy.

I nominate A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens. A throwback to the French revolution, it is one of those books I keep wanting to read and I haven't got around to it. November 'throwback' may be a perfect time!

I will nominate The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield. From the description "The Thirteenth Tale is a love letter to reading, a book for the feral reader in all of us, a return to that rich vein of storytelling that our parents loved and that we loved as children." So for throwback this promises to take us as readers back to happy childhood moments.

Hannah wrote: "I nominate A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens...November 'throwback' may be a perfect time!"

You could say it was the best of times, it was the worst of times. ;-)

Randy wrote: "Hannah wrote: "I nominate A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens...November 'throwback' may be a perfect time!"

You could say it was the best of times, it was the worst of times. ;-)"

Touché Randy :)

Lindsay wrote: "I will nominate The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield. From the description "The Thirteenth Tale is a love letter to reading, a book for the feral reader in all of us..."

I'd like to second this nomination!

I'd like to nominate The Greatest Generation as a throwback to the generation of our parents and grandparents who accomplished so much.

SarahKat wrote: "I will nominate The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August by Claire North.

Harry lives his same lifetime over and over again. Always born the same way in the same pl..."

I will second this nomination!

rose wrote: "I nominate The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath. I haven't read this book since my freshman year of high school, and it's always a good read!

From the description, "Esther Greenwood is brilliant, beautif..."

Unfortunately we have already read The Bell Jar. It looks exellent though, but could you nominate another book? :)

I'm nominating Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson because it's a throwback to my childhood and school library. Love this book!

Winter wrote: "I'm nominating Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson because it's a throwback to my childhood and school library. Love this book!"
I second this nomination

Two more days to nominate guys! Keep on suggesting!

Winter wrote: "I'm nominating Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson because it's a throwback to my childhood and school library. Love this book!"

Winter wrote: "I'm nominating Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson because it's a throwback to my childhood and school library. Love this book!"

This is a great idea and I second [third] this nomination

Winter wrote: "I'm nominating Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson because it's a throwback to my childhood and school library. Love this book!"

I'll also second this one. Avast ya scurvy dogs!

Poll is up! Go vote for our next read!

https://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/1...