2025 Reading Challenge discussion

Hi everyone!

We now allow books the group has read for more than three years ago to be nominated again. To see which books are not eligble, see this google sheet:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...

It's time to nominate for July the theme is Space.

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.


This thread will be closed by May 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 would like to nominate Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff! it's the very first book in a trilogy called The Illuminae Files and is a space opera epistolary novel (i totally didn't copy-paste this from google, hmm, nope) following characters whose planet just got invaded: this is where the theme of space comes in.

it is available both as an ebook and as a physical copy!

I am going to nominate The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers, a lovely space opera about a crew on a mission to a small angry planet. The title says it all :)

I am going to nominate Hidden Figures. It is about the African-American women who helped to get the US into space.

I would like to nominate by Brandon Sanderson. It touches a few different meanings of the word "space." It has aliens coming from outerspace, it has people fighting to recover more "space," and the main character is fighting to find her place in the world, or, you know, her 'space.' (Okay, the last one is stretching it.) Also, it has this cool idea where certain people can "hear" the stars.

I would like to nominate The Martian by Andy Weir. It's about a man who's sent to walk on Mars, and ends up stranded (in space!).

I've heard good things about it, it's a goodreads choice award winner, and ngl I really want to finally watch the movie but I can't till I read the book!

sal wrote: "i would like to nominate Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff! it's the very first book in a trilogy called The Illuminae Files and is a space opera epistolary novel (i totally didn't copy-pa..."

I think I'd be in for that one.

Ilona wrote: "I am going to nominate The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers, a lovely space opera about a crew on a mission to a small angry planet. The title sa..."

I wish to second Ilona's nomination of Becky Chamber's The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet.
This book's been sitting on my Kindle since forever and I'd love to get a chance to read it.
There's a Buddy Read for Andrew Weir's The Martian in June....

Ilona wrote: "I am going to nominate The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers, a lovely space opera about a crew on a mission to a small angry planet. The title sa..."

I'm just finishing this book. I've enjoyed it a lot and I think it would be a good choice. (Audiobook is excellent, too.) But I'd like to nominate An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth by Chris Hadfield.

I will nominate Rocket Men: The Daring Odyssey of Apollo 8 and the Astronauts Who Made Man's First Journey to the Moon by Robert Kurston

Sara wrote: "I would like to nominate The Martian by Andy Weir. It's about a man who's sent to walk on Mars, and ends up stranded (in space!).

I've heard good things about it, it's a goodreads..."

I'll second The Martian by Andy Weir. :D

I was *going* to read it for the June buddy read, but that month is too packed for me, so I'd be up for doing it in July.

(I mean, we had a Buddy Read for Perks of Being a Wallflower in February...and then had it as the Group Read in March, so why not, right? XD)

I'd like to nominate Lightless which is a sci-fi genre book :)

Ilona wrote: "I am going to nominate The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers, a lovely space opera about a crew on a mission to a small angry planet. The title sa..."

I’ll second this one too!

I'd like to nominate Red Rising by Pierce Brown! It has been sitting on my TBR for a while and I've heard nothing but good things! It is the first book in a science fiction series that centers around a dystopian society, in which the lower caste consists of miners on Mars that are forced to labor and provide for the rest of humanity. It also involves a political uprising which I am definitely here for!

I would nominate Ender’s Game

I found this a very enjoyable read the first time around.
You follow the trial and tribulations of Andrew 'Ender' Wiggins as he progresses through his space military training against earths possible alien invaders.

Its the first book of a trillogy but great as a stand alone book, the remainder of the series I found not to be as good as this book.

I will second Hidden Figures

I will also suggest The Martian

Some great nominations here!

Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card. I watched the motion picture and it was great. And after watching Divergent and reading the books, I can only hope the Ender's Game novel is much more inticing

S wrote: "I would like to nominate The Wind in the Willows"

Hi :) I'm not sure I see the connection to our theme space in this nomination. Every month we have a theme and ask you to nominate books that relate to the theme. It can be any connection really, just a connection.

Other than that it's an exellent book :D

Sorry. Wasn't paying attention lol

S. B wrote: "Sorry. Wasn't paying attention lol"

The connection is that he "spaced" before nominating it...

Taking place on two different planets and the space between, space travel takes place in my nomination: The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin.

Goodreads calls it #6 of the Hainish Cycle Series, but it also states that "Each book stands alone, although all books in the cycle are set in the same universe."

S. B wrote: "Sorry. Wasn't paying attention lol"

No worries ^^

I nominate The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell.

I've wanted to read this book since I first heard the author give an interview. In terms of "space", it concerns the space travel of an expedition to meet beings on another planet, as well as the "space" of consciousness/spirituality.

Sean wrote: "Taking place on two different planets and the space between, space travel takes place in my nomination: The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin.

Goodreads calls it #6 o..."

I second this! I loved Le Guin's The Word for World is Forest and would absolutely love to read another book of hers.

I’d like to nominate To Be Taught, If Fortunate, a Goodreads Choice Award Nominee (2019) in the Science Fiction category. The story takes place in space and follows four astronauts in their research mission to four planets. The book chronicles their adventures and explores the wonders and dangers of their journey.

oshizu wrote: "Ilona wrote: "I am going to nominate The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers, a lovely space opera about a crew on a mission to a small angry planet..."

You can't go wrong with a book written by Becky Chambers, IMO! Though I've read them all! :)

I would like to nominate The Sun Is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon because of the title of the book. The Sun and Stars are in space.

I´m nominating Children of Time

It´s been on my shelf for ages now and I think it is set in space ^^

Closing nominations :)