Book Nook Cafe discussion

Thanks !

Alias Reader wrote: "Filled prompt:
✔️87- Book about or set in, the state or country you live in
Vanderbilt: The Rise and Fall of an American Dynasty- U.S. "

Congratulations!

Filled this prompt.

✔️27 - Book from Bill Gate’s Favorite Book List: https://www.gatesnotes.com/Books

A Gentleman in Moscow

https://www.lifestyleasia.com/hk/cult....

Hurrah! Well finished, Alias.

Thank you, deb.

Catching up on some of the prompts I've completed.

33- Read at least 23 books in 2023
So far I'm up to 31

62- book on a modern-day problem/issue? (ie global warming, gun violence, etc.) - Fiction or nonfiction
Demon Copperhead
opioid crisis, poverty

88- an author who has published at least 5 books
Barbara Kingsolver

90- Thriller or mystery
The Housemaid

Alias Reader wrote: "Catching up on some of the prompts I've completed.

33- Read at least 23 books in 2023
So far I'm up to 31

62- book on a modern-day problem/issue? (ie global warming, gun violence, etc.) - Fiction..."

Are you planning on slotting in a #33 book later?

John wroteAre you planning on slotting in a #33 book later?.."

Not sure what you are asking. I've read 31 books so far in 2023. So I fulfilled the prompt to read at least 23 book this year.

Alias Reader wrote: "John wroteAre you planning on slotting in a #33 book later?.."

Not sure what you are asking. I've read 31 books so far in 2023. So I fulfilled the prompt to read at least 23 book this year."

Okay ... I listed the 23rd book itself on my list.

John wrote: "Alias Reader wrote: "John wroteAre you planning on slotting in a #33 book later?.."

Not sure what you are asking. I've read 31 books so far in 2023. So I fulfilled the prompt to read at least 23 b..."

Got it. I'll go back and see what that was in my journal.

The 23rd book I read this yeas was
What I Talk About When I Talk About Running by Haruki Murakami

I just realized I had another prompt.

✔️46- A book written by a Nobel prize winner- any topic or genre
Demon Copperhead Barbara Kingsolver

Got another one ! I think someone had mentioned that the book fit this prompt. Honestly, this is one prompt I thought I would never get.

✔️57-A Novel related to Classics, such as a character from Moby Dick with his/her own story/book.
Demon Copperhead -- David Copperfield

Wow, you are really on a "knock 'em down and spin 'em round" roll (as they used to say at the candlepin lanes), Alias - congratulations!

Thank you, James. :)

I decided on my next read as it will also knock off a few prompts and was available from my library.

The graphic novel version of
To Kill a Mockingbird: A Graphic Novel by Fred Fordham

Just finished this novel. It worked for a few prompts.

✔️42-A classic (modern or older)
To Kill a Mockingbird: A Graphic Novel


To Kill a Mockingbird: A Graphic Novel
The classic 1960 novel about racial injustice in a Southern town has been banned and challenged in numerous communities. Challenges often cite language and racial depictions.
https://www.latimes.com/entertainment....

✔️85- graphic novel
To Kill a Mockingbird: A Graphic Novel

** I could have also used #94- legal profession - fiction or nonfiction
As one of the main characters is a lawyer and there is a court room scene.
But I'm going to wait and see if something else fits.

Prompts aside, Alias (and congratulations on those), I got the sense from your review on the Book Salon thread that you were less than pleased with this adaptation -- happy maybe that it would bring a book that you love to the attention of a different audience, but not really down with the transformation.

For myself, I often find it hard to accept that some work that really resonated with me or that I came to love (a book, a film, a show, music from a certain group or composer, for instance) can actually be transformed (into a film based on a book, a musical based on a film, a show imagined as a TV series, a band's music made into a Broadway show, for instance) and retain the soul of the work that initially moved me. I can accept, and at times even appreciate such a transformation as a whole new work unto itself, but it's not the same thing. And it isn't supposed to be, and that is what I hope, ideally, is being sought by those inspired to creatively draw upon the original sources.

In the ideal.

But I have to say that my suspicions about some of these transformations are best voiced by Candy Merrell (Maggie Gyllenhall) in Season 1, Episode 3 of HBO's The Deuce (writing credits Richard Price, David Simon, Chris Yakaitis): "It's America, right? When do we ever leave a f***ing dollar on the table for the other guy to pick up?"

On the other hand, I suppose that if a creator of an original work is involved in one of these kinds of commercial transformations -- a singer/songwriter endorsing a Broadway show about their music and life, for instance -- then they are probably making sure that if anyone is picking up those dollars (not all of them, to be sure, but enough of them), it is the original artist, and that is only right.

Ok, well, anyway, congrats again on the prompts and sorry about the rant. I started this off thinking about the Classics Illustrated comics that I would find in doctor's offices or camp libraries as a kid and just kind of got side-tracked. What I was actually going to say to begin with was that there are certain graphic novels that I've read (Maus, for instance, or Batman: The Dark Knight Saga) that I really do like -- but those were original works.

James, I think you may have hit on something. When you have a certain image in your mind, it's hard to accept something different.

Having just seen the movie, once again, a few days ago, I had Gregory Peck and Mary Badham etc. in my mind. The graphic of course was different.

I haven't read the novel in quite a while so I am not sure if the author of the graphic novel took liberties with the text. There were parts that were not in the movie. In an endnote Fordham says it was a faithful adaption. Though there are parts that I don't think were in the book. I could be wrong as I haven't read the novel in ages. The racial slurs were really flying in the graphic novel. Would a novel from 1960 have that many ? I don't recall. I guess I'll have to read the novel again at some point.

It is good that graphic novels are getting a new audience for books that otherwise might go unread. Also graphic novels might be a gateway for some younger people to get into reading. I know as a kid I did love Archie comics ! LOL

This is only the second graphic novel I've read. The first one was for last years challenge. It was non fiction. I thought it was well done. I own the eBook but had not read it yet. I got it on an Amazon sale when it first came out. Anyway, I had nothing to compare it to and that may be key.
On Tyranny Graphic Edition: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century

You mentioned Maus I: A Survivor's Tale: My Father Bleeds History. I do want to read that at some point as it is a target for those wishing to ban books in schools. I should have selected that one. Oh well,... next years challenge. :)

Completed 2 more prompts.

✔️4- A book you chose simply because of its cover.
Life in Five Senses: How Exploring the Senses Got Me Out of My Head and Into the World


It's a bit hard to see but the cover has beautiful painted flowers. The cover isn't the only reason I selected the book. However, I do think it's a very pretty cover.


✔️65- Concerning food or containing recipes
Life in Five Senses: How Exploring the Senses Got Me Out of My Head and Into the World

One of the senses is taste. Here are some of the things she did to explore that sense.

She goes with her family to a restaurant that twice a week has a "dinner in the dark: The restaurant is called Abigails Kitchen. It's in NYC. You eat the meal blindfolded. Without ones sense of sight the smell, texture and sounds of the food become more intense.

She takes a taste testing class in Illinois. Most of her classmates were professionals. They learned how the body experiences flavor, how flavors are evaluated.

Rubin also has some friends over for a taste testing party where they compared various brands of foods. To see which brand they liked best.

She also went on a tour with her mother-in-law and daughter and to try foods from her MIL's childhood in Manhattan. They went to a Knish bakery, Russ & Daughter for a bagel with smoked salmon and cream cheese. Then they went to Economy Candy for some sweets. Then on to Kossar's bagels and Bialys.

She also did some taste testing in her own kitchen. One interesting tidbit is that when you add vanilla to a recipe, you are adding a pleasant smell, not taste. Vanilla has no taste. It's called olfactory location illusion or oral referral. We experience the food's flavor as coming though our mouth, even though our nose furnished much of that flavor.

I finished the audio book of The Guncle by Steven Rowley

The author narrated the book and did an excellent job,

The book filled 3 prompts for me.

✔️14- A comic novel or humorous book.
The Guncle

✔️68- Wild Card ! Any book you feel like recommending to fellow readers.
The Guncle

✔️73- LGBTQ+ character fiction or nonfiction
The Guncle

I bailed on that one, Alias, though it's popular. Congrats on your three-fer!

John, did you read or listen to The Guncle ?

I think the narration by the author made the story.

Listened

Nice going with 3 prompts! I wasn't planning on even attempting the humorous book prompt, but I might give this one a try. I love a good author-read audiobook.

Alias Reader wrote: "I finished the audio book of The Guncle by Steven Rowley

The author narrated the book and did an excellent job,

The book filled 3 ..."

Great going knocking out three, Alias!

Thank you !

✔️28 - Book about inequality (financial, racial, gender or other)
The Personal Librarian

This novel covers racial prejudice in the early 1900's Gilded Age.

Nice going 👍

John wrote: "Nice going 👍"

Thanks !

I decided my next read will be Twelve Angry Men by Reginald Rose

I was looking for a book published in the 1950's for the prompt
15- A book published in the 1950s.
and saw this one. I've enjoyed the movie and I expect I will enjoy reading it too.

Alias - that sounds like a great one! I have been on the hunt for a good 1950s option.

Goid choice. I tried to read The Adventures of Augie March by Saul Bellow for that prompt but It was really dense and I switched to John Steinbeck. Feel compelled to read Augie March after the challenge is done, though. BTW, when is it over?

When is what over? That challenge? December 31. It's a year long challenge.

Michele wrote: "Goid choice. I tried to read The Adventures of Augie March by Saul Bellow for that prompt but It was really dense and I switched to John Steinbeck. Feel compelled to read Augie March after the chal..."

I read Bellow's Henderson the Rain King years ago. I don't recall the story any more. Though I know I wasn't a fan.

A play about 12 men on jury duty. Deals with racism.

✔️15- A book published in the 1950s.
Twelve Angry Men


✔️94- legal profession - fiction or nonfiction
Twelve Angry Men

Alias Reader wrote: "A play about 12 men on jury duty. Deals with racism.

✔️15- A book published in the 1950s.
Twelve Angry Men


✔️94- legal profession - fiction or nonfiction
[book:Twelve Angry Men|2..."

I love the movie! Have never read the book. Congratulation on checking off two more.

Thank you, Kiki.

Alias, you are really doing great on this year's prompts. The twofer & threefers are striking. Keep it up!

The discussion on graphic novels from classic fiction (and the Classics Illustrated James mentioned) has me thinking about those old classics. I cannot recall following up the reading one of the comic-style classics with the original. However, they did give a good sense of the events, which helped me later.

As one who savors the language & word usage in classics, i always feel their loss in reworkings. A writer can capture the characters and events but the words of the eras matter to me. Rewrites almost always fail me on that front.

madrano wrote: "Alias, you are really doing great on this year's prompts. The twofer & threefers are striking. Keep it up!

The discussion on graphic novels from classic fiction (and the Classics Illustrated James..."

Thanks, deb. I'm absolutely stretching my reading horizons with the challenge.

Alias Reader wrote: "madrano wrote: "Alias, you are really doing great on this year's prompts. The twofer & threefers are striking. Keep it up!

The discussion on graphic novels from classic fiction (and the Classics I..."

Here's to you! I got off track with reading while I was writing, but I'm getting back into it now.

Kiki (Formerly TheGirlByTheSeaOfCortez) wrote: "Alias Reader wrote: "madrano wrote: "Alias, you are really doing great on this year's prompts. The twofer & threefers are striking. Keep it up!

The discussion on graphic novels from classic fictio..."

Thanks, Kiki !

I didn't enjoy this book. However, it did knock off 3 prompts for me.

✔️7- Told from the antagonist's point-of-view.
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd

✔️60- A book by Agatha Christie
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd

✔️83- Famous author you've never read
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd-Agatha Christie

Interesting! Congrats on the prompts, though it's not one I'd call exactly typical, as I recall.

I knocked off another prompt. My review of the book is in the Book Salon Folder.

✔️30 - Music, art, dance, theater, acting theme
Old in Art School: A Memoir of Starting Over

Well done!

Filled another prompt with a classic book that was 5/5 stars for me.
I read the eBook as I listened along with audio.
The audio was good and was narrated by Ben Onwukwe
I also watched parts of the movie on YouTube. I had seen the whole movie many times years ago on TV.

✔️77- Education or teaching profession or has teacher or student in story F or NF
To Sir, With Love

While looking at my challenge list I realized I didn't fill in one prompt that fit a book I read.

✔️101- Bio or other NF about an Artist (paints, drawing, sculpture, i.e.), Author (poetry, books (F or NF) or an Architect.
Old in Art School: A Memoir of Starting Over

Two solid titles - congrats!

Thanks, John.

I started another book today that I'm enjoying.
by Christian Cooper

I just wish it had photos of the birds. It's fortunate that I reading it on a Kindle Fire so I can google and see color photos of the birds They truly are quite beautiful.

It will fill prompt
36- A book about an animal(s) or nature fictional or nonfiction

Great going, Alias!

Thanks, deb !

Checked off two more prompts.

✔️67- A book having to do with travel- fiction or nonfiction
Better Living Through Birding: Notes from a Black Man in the Natural World
He travels to Mount Everest Base, East Africa, and to the Galapagos for example.

✔️36- A book about an animal(s) or nature fictional or nonfiction
Better Living Through Birding: Notes from a Black Man in the Natural World

I didn't check off the myth prompt, but I wanted to note that Cooper states in the section where he talks about working at Marvel comics, "In western culture, where myth has atrophied, superhero comics became the last bastion of mythmaking. The unrecognized hunger for myth where so little remained. "