Around the Year in 52 Books discussion

What are you reading for this category?
Shelter in Place by Nora Roberts

- Which element did you use?
H2O~water is on the cover of the book

I read The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America's Shining Women and I liked it a lot, though I wasn’t super into the writing style.

But I was inspired by The Only Harmless Great Thing, which is an alternate history of the radium girls and elephants. It’s also a novella, so if you are looking to balance out longer books, this is nice and short. It was also an amazing read.

I saw this book was coming out and liked the sound of it on Amazon. It sounds like it has some a quirky mix of music and science
Symphony in C: Carbon and the Evolution of (Almost) Everything by Robert Hazen
"Composed in four movements, Symphony in C explores carbon’s multi-faceted characteristics... A musical symphony is a unique and intriguing metaphor to explain the role of carbon in the history of life, but no other medium seemed grand enough, sweeping enough... The book takes readers on a fascinating journey exploring the role of carbon in the universe. The history of carbon, its origins and evolution, stasis and change, science and technology, spans almost 14 billion years, but remains utterly immediate and relevant today."

It's not out until June though, so I'll wait and see if the reviews are any good.

- What are you reading for this category?
Golden Fool by Robin Hobb - currently reading, so far I'd give it 4 stars

- Which element did you use?
"Au" - Gold!

- Do you enjoy science?
Yes, even though this book isn't very "science-y"

Emily wrote: "Some people mentioned that since the prompt says "...related to ONE of the elements..", things like water and salt wouldn't work.

That being said, it's your challenge and you can interpret the pr..."

I'll argue the other side on this, it does say 'one' element but it also says 'related to'. Even if it's referencing multiple elements I don't think that removes the relation to the single element. If you pose the question along the lines of 'what are all the things related to Oxygen' I think water would be on that list despite the fact that hydrogen is also there.

On that note, however, I'm a prompt purist so I'll be probably going with the cold hard interpretation. I just like playing devil's advocate in these threads. :)

I just started reading The Atomic Weight of Love by Elizabeth Church. Right up my alley and just realized “atomic weight” of each element is listed on the periodic table, so there is a connection, plus the cover is a replica of the periodic table—filled with birds rather than elements! I realize it doesn’t EXACTLY
Match the prompt, but close enough for me!

Lynn wrote: "I just started reading The Atomic Weight of Love by Elizabeth Church."

I've been trying to remember the title of this book! I came across it at the library awhile ago and jotted it down on a scrap of paper, which I promptly lost. Adding it my TBR List immediately. Hope you enjoy it....it sounds great and I love the cover art.

- What are you reading for this category?
Golden Son
- Which element did you use?
Gold in the title, and iron is mentioned a lot in the book.
- Do you enjoy science?
Yes, I love science.

dalex wrote: "Lynn wrote: "I just started reading The Atomic Weight of Love by Elizabeth Church."

I've been trying to remember the title of this book! I came across it at the library awhile ago and jotted it do..."

I loved it! It will definitely be one of my favorite reads for this year, and maybe for all time! I could soooo relate to the protagonist! I ordered a copy of Church's second book so I can read it!

- What are you reading for this category?
Mercury: An Intimate Biography of Freddie Mercury

- Which element did you use?
Mercury

- Do you enjoy science?
Biology yes, Chemistry nonono

What are you reading for this category? The Silver Linings Playbook by Matthew Quick
Which element did you use? Silver
Do you enjoy science? Was I a good science student? Not really. I'd rather curl up with a good crime mystery than contemplate the arrangement of molecules. But thank goodness for those who do -- where would we be without them?

What are you reading for this prompt?
A SKY PAINTED GOLD, by Laura Wood
and if time...
SPINNING SILVER, by Naomi Novak

Which element did you use?
Gold for the first book
Silver for the second book

Do you enjoy science? Yes.

Ps. How do I post the book in link form to its Goodreads listing? I can only post on my cell phone but figured out how to see the Desktop version of Goodreads.

Ok, if you're on your phone, you won't be able to do from the app at all. But if you go through your browser and see the desktop version, which you said you figured out, you will see small blue text just above the comment box that says "add book/author". Click on that, and then search for either the title or author you want to link.

What are you reading for this category?
David Copperfield by Charles Dickens

Which element did you use?
Copper.

Do you enjoy science?
I'm not particularly scientifically gifted, but it's interesting.

Oh! This is finally the perfect excuse for me to read The Hydrogen Murder! First book in the "Periodic Table" mystery series.

(I'm starting to think that there is a mystery series for almost any theme/subject!)

ladymurmur wrote: "Oh! This is finally the perfect excuse for me to read The Hydrogen Murder! First book in the "Periodic Table" mystery series.

(I'm starting to think that there is a mystery series f..."
I had no idea about this series! I work in a chemistry department. Guess I've got to at least try the first one to see if I might be interested in reading this series! :)

I read The Silver Star.

I am reading The Plutonium Files: America's Secret Medical Experiments in the Cold War for this prompt which is about plutonium but also uranium, too.

I'm really excited about this book. In The Girls of Atomic City: The Untold Story of the Women Who Helped Win World War II, the author mentions that a worker was injected with plutonium without his consent but it's just an aside in the book. I just happened to find this when I was browsing the library for a book for the astronomy prompt!

I can't say I like all science books across the board but I like books that combine science and sociology, culture, history, and/or ethics quite a bit!

P.S. I read The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America's Shining Women last year, and found it eye-opening and horrifying but a very good book. If I hadn't already read it, I probably would have used it for this prompt.

- What are you reading for this category? Golden Boy by Abigail Tarttelin
- Which element did you use? Gold
- Do you enjoy science? Yes

- What are you reading for this category? The Strange Case of the Alchemist's Daughter
- Which element did you use? I'm going with the whole alchemy is changing lead to gold thing. The book talks about a lot of the traditional sci-fi scientists (Frankenstien, Jykell, Van Helsing), but it's more on the biology side of science
- Do you enjoy science? Yes. I have my membership to NASA (Johnson Space Center) and use it often.

- What are you reading for this category? Like several others I am going with The Disappearing Spoon: And Other True Tales of Madness, Love, and the History of the World from the Periodic Table of the Elements
- Which element did you use? The whole table but seems like it will review many of the different elements.
- Do you enjoy science? When I understand it.

I'm currently reading Quackery: A Brief History of the Worst Ways to Cure Everything by Lydia Kang and so far it has long sections on using mercury and radium to kill things.

I read Killing the Blues by Michael Brandman.

My element was Sulphur/Sulfur (symbol in the periodic table, inventively, S), the connection being matches on the cover:



Reading about Sulphur on wikipedia there's another connection - sulphur was known as brimstone in the Bible, and brimstone means burning stone. This book is about Jesse Stone and there's some arson, so an alternative title could've been Burning Stone.

Science is so broad! I wouldn't say I enjoy science generally, but some of it is interesting - I love geology, weather and space related documentaries.

For this prompt I read Swimming Lessons by Claire Fuller (for chlorine). I absolutely loved it! It's basically just the story of a marriage/family and how/why the wife/mother went missing BUT the way it is written is just marvelous. It is partly in letters written by the wife/mother before she vanishes, which she hides in books around the house, and partly in a narrative about the present day and how the husband and daughters have been impacted by the disappearance of the wife/mother. Just brilliantly done and so compelling. 5 Stars and definitely recommended.

Reading The Disappearing Spoon: And Other True Tales of Madness, Love, and the History of the World from the Periodic Table of the Elements.

Bizarre stories relating to every element on the periodic table. Very interesting stuff.

-What are you reading for this category?
Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup
- Which element did you use?
Silicon
- Do you enjoy science?
I’m a nurse, I find the human body interesting. I’m not a fan of chemistry though.

Brittany wrote: "-What are you reading for this category?
Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup
- Which element did you use?
Silicon
- Do you enjoy science?
I’m a nurse, I find the..."

Very clever. Why didn't I think of that? Too bad I already fulfilled this category.

Milena wrote: "Brittany wrote: "-What are you reading for this category?
Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup
- Which element did you use?
Silicon
- Do you enjoy science?
I’m a ..."

I didn’t think of it at first either. I was scrolling through my The hoping I maybe had gold, silver, or maybe iron in a title and it jumped out at me.

- What are you reading for this category?
I've interpreted this a little loosely, but do have a back-up read if I find time at the end of the challenge. But I was reading
Witch Way Down Under: A Witch Way Paranormal Cozy Mystery and the parents go missing in outback Australia as they are there looking for the Copper pyramid. So I'm using it for copper.

- Which element did you use?
Copper

- What are you reading for this category?
The Silver Dark Sea
- Which element did you use?
Silver
- Do you enjoy science?
A bit. I find it fascinating, but then this book didn't have anything to do with science.

So, I'm a total nerd and I love Jeopardy. A recent (April 25) final Jeopardy category was "The Elements" and I got the question right......only because of this challenge prompt and the research I did to find a book that fit. :lol:

ANSWER: Oddly, mining of this rare earth element with a geographic name, atomic no. 63, is mostly in Asia & with some in S. America & Australia.

QUESTION: What is europium?

dalex wrote: "So, I'm a total nerd and I love Jeopardy. A recent (April 25) final Jeopardy category was "The Elements" and I got the question right......only because of this challenge prompt and the research I d..."

In my house we record Jeopardy so we can watch it while we eat dinner. How's that for nerdy? I remember this and I totally guessed Europium. I wasn't even sure if it was a real element.

I guessed it as well, Milena. Not sure if I would have risked the money had I really been playing, but always feels good to get them right.

Milena wrote: "In my house we record Jeopardy so we can watch it while we eat dinner."

We do the exact same thing! :lol: We don't watch it every night, though, so we're always several episodes behind, which is why we didn't watch April 25th until last night.

Sara wrote: "I guessed it as well, Milena. Not sure if I would have risked the money had I really been playing, but always feels good to get them right."

I'm always ridiculously pleased when I get a question correct that all of the contestants miss!

I read We Have Always Lived in the Castle for this prompt. I began this book for the “black cover” prompt, but a this book involved arsenic so in using it for this prompt. The book was pretty strange, but it was not terribly long, and it could be used for several different prompts.

I read Tom McCarthy, C for this topic. C represents many things in the novel, one of which is Carbon.

Golden Child by Claire Adam

Au on the periodic table

What are you reading for this category? How to Breathe Underwater, by Julie Orringer

Which element did you use? Hydrogen and oxygen...

Do you enjoy science? I guess we all enjoy science all day every day. But it isn't something I think about, or read about...not really.


Review
This is probably the best short story collection I've ever read. Often with collections, even in good ones, there are some stories that don't meet the same standard as others. That isn't the case here. Every single story is strong, moving, well paced and with brilliant characters and plots. I'd be hard pushed to pick a favourite, because I was totally captivated by the melancholia and bittersweet beauty of the stories. The common thread through all of them is how Orringer so perfectly captures the pivot point in her female protagonists' lives from which nothing will be the same. From the burden of guilt of surviving a car crash in which her brother's girlfriend dies, to watching her terminally ill mother say goodbye to a lifelong unrequited love, to being harshly initiated into the world of sexuality, the girls in these stories are not spared the full force of life. But the telling is beautiful and almost gentle enough to soften the blow. I loved this collection.

What are you reading for this category? Foundation by Isaac Asimov
Which element did you use? Uranium (the book discusses the use of nuclear energy through the majority of it)
Do you enjoy science? Not particularly.

What are you reading for this category? The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America's Shining Women
Which element did you use? Radium
Do you enjoy science? Yes!

This book was about discovering that radium was really dangerous. Radium made watches glow in the dark. But the workers who made the watches saw their jaws literally fall out. It also talks about how the companies the workers were employed at minimized the dangers involved in their jobs.

It was a hard read, but it is a very good book.

I'm another Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup reader.

I do enjoy some science but not really into medical stuff like was in this book.

For this task, I read Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik. It was an extraordinary Rumpelstiltskin revamp.

- What are you reading for this category?
*I just finished reading THE ATOMIC CITY GIRLS by Janet Beard.

- Which element did you use?
*Uranium

- Do you enjoy science?
*I am generally "somewhat" interested, but do not have what I call a "scientific mind." I don't retain scientific terminology very well and often don't "get" discussions that go too deep into that kind of jargon. Last science class I took (& did not like) was in high school (Biology) and I hated it. I can't even look into a microscope and see whatever it is I'm supposed to see! Not much better at math either, but managed a Statistics class in college. English, Literature, History, Art were always my best subjects.

That being said, I really enjoyed THE ATOMIC CITY GIRLS. First of all, it's an historical novel - my favorite genre. Secondly, I am a Baby Boomer who is interested in that time period (dad was in Army during WW2) so topic caught my attention. Thirdly, the author touched on several aspects of the mission of the Oak Ridge, TN site where the uranium was being processed for the first A-bomb, including the various backgrounds and motives of the (fictional but well-portrayed) people working there. Well-written. Gave it 5-stars and wrote a review here on GR, which I shared on my FB main page & to 3 FB book groups to which I belong. Hope you read the review!

- What are you reading for this category?
The Silver Music Box
- Which element did you use?
Ag
- Do you enjoy science?
Math is a science and I enjoy math

For this prompt, I've chosen #80 on the periodic table, Mercury by Margot Livesey. Good story, bad writing.

What are you reading for this category?
The Hydrogen Murder, by Camille Minichino


Which element did you use?
Hydrogen

Do you enjoy science?
I did when I was at school, but as a reading topic now, not so much. I enjoy history so much more.

I am reading Periodic Tales: The Curious Lives of the Elements by Hugh Aldersey-Williams. It is a non fiction book that studies the cultural importance and history of many elements of the periodic table. It relates to many elements. It is a book that is very much my cup of tea even though it is out of my comfort zone. I enjoy reading about the history of science and I enjoyed science during my school days, but chemistry was the subject I was weakest at. I liked maths, biology and physics better.

I’m reading the second book in The Lightning Thief series with my son, & I’m having a difficult time figuring out where to tie it into the challenge. I think I might stretch this prompt to fit water (H2O) & sodium chloride (NaCl) - “Sea” of Monsters.

What are you reading for this category?
Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik

Which element did you use?
Silver

Do you enjoy science?
Love it!

What are you reading for this category?
I read The Silver Pigs by Lindsey Davis

Which element did you use?
Silver

Do you enjoy science?
Not particularly