2025 Reading Challenge discussion

Yay! I am so excited to discuss this book with all of you. I couldn't wait and read it immediately when published, and am looking forward to everyones opinions!

Can I still join this buddy reads?? I just bought a copy and can't wait to read it!

This is waiting for me at the library. I just got back to town after a work trip and am catching up on so many things. Hoping to start it this week though!

Count me in, please!

Started reading last night. I re-read the Handmaids Tale a few months ago so it was not difficult to jump into this one. That being said, it would be a little confusing if you were not familiar with Handmaid...

I'm about 100 pages in (chapter 20). I like that we get a few different point of views in this one. I love Handmaid and the way it was done, with limited perspective. But it is nice to get a wider picture of Gilead in this one.

I finished...

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I agree Kristin. I like YA books, but I wasn't looking for that here. I need to be in a YA mood to enjoy that perspective.

I actually hadn't followed any marketing for the books, and stopped watching the show after the first season. This book did make me want to catch up on the show again though.

It's definitely a different kind of book than The Handmaid's Tale. Some find that off-putting, but taking it for what it is, I still found it enjoyable.

Full disclosure: 1. I think Handmaid's Tale is brilliant, as is the author, Margaret Atwood
2. I am a Canadian, so I love all the cultural references to Canada and the USA
I finished this book last night. I loved it as much as I thought I would. Ms. Atwood did not give up all the secrets of Gilead but she took us down another path. As I said, brilliant. (view spoiler)[ I need to point out how brilliant Margaret Atwood is. At the end of the book, Nicole and Agnes are aboard the Nellie J Banks. This is not a fictional name. The Nellie J Banks was truly a rum-runner ship in the days of prohibition for a tiny little North Atlantic Island in Canada- Prince Edward Island. She ran rum into small harbours about 20 minutes from where I grew up (just long before my time!). Smuggling alcohol and smuggling these girls had a lot in common. Margaret Atwood does not come from this part of Canada but she used real history to her advantage to create this part of the story. Amazing that she would have thought to use this ship in her novel! (hide spoiler)]. Thank you for all of you who suggested this as a buddy read- if any of you would like to explore other Atwood novels in the future let me know- and we can buddy up on them too!

I would probably join for more Atwood as well. I've only read this series and the Blind Assassin. I love her writing though. She's genius at layering her stories and giving the reader just the right amount of information at a time.

I agree that this was not Atwoods best book, but she is a brilliant writer. I would also love to buddy read more books, so far I have read this series, Alias Grace and The Blind Assasin.

Kristin wrote: "@Kelly, SarahKat, and any other interested parties:

Would you be interested in buddy reading any of the following?
--Surfacing
--Cat's Eye
--Oryx and Crake a..."

I would be in for any of those!

Me too! Oryx and Crake is #1 of trilogy. I suggest we do it and then we could choose to finished the series or leave it, depending on how we like it I read the Blind Assassin a number of years ago but like you Kristin I would be willing to revisit it

Kristin wrote: "Great! Oryx & Crake sounds great. When would everyone like to read it? Next month may be tough for me, but could try. A later month would be a little easier."

I can do whenever.

let's do January.

Great, I am in! :)

I did start reading this one several days ago. Hopefully I’ll finish