BOOK.it! Book Club – November 2024 edition (Newsletter)

Bonjour!

Welcome to the BOOKit! – Ela’s Book Club newsletter, where I share the news from the publishing industry and recommend books that I believe are worth your attention. 

Over the last two-three weeks I have been studying the influence of the AI in the publishing industry. I even tested some of the tools and the AI chats myself (surprise, surprise!) And although I am going to keep things as they were and continue to use my own creativity and the good old pen and paper, I keep an eye on the technology and maybe one day – MAYBE – I will invite a tool or two into my life. Not yet, though ; )

Apart from many interesting new releases happening this month, my Very Subjective Recommendations, discussion questions and this month’s Challenge, November’s newsletter will bring closer some familiar stuff such as NaNoWriMo writing challenge and GoodReads Choice Awards. More about these in a moment, so keep reading.

Last but not least: November is the last month of the year, when I allow myself to start reading new books. As I read many different books simultaneously, there’s a point when I must impose the  ‘let’s finish what we started’ rule. This usually happens in December, however, I have just realised I have 20+ books with a ‘Reading Now’ status; the pile of paperbacks next to my bed became as big as the nightstand. Therefore I can start only one new book this month and then take care of all the other books that are patiently waiting for my attention. 

How about you? Getting close to the amount of books you wanted to read in 2024? Playing around with the AI in your reading experiences?

Happy reading!

Ela
BOOKit! Book Club – Grand Cru Experience

Tales & Treasures

My Very Subjective Book Recommendation – a book (or books) that I have read and liked in some or many ways. A must-read, in fact.

This November I would like you to consider reading a book: ’A General Theory Of Oblivion’ by José Eduardo Agualusa, 2012 (translated by Daniel Hahn)

I got into this book thanks to my dear friend J., who earlier this year shared with me a list of countries of the world (all 198 of them!) paired with one author and one book title from that country. Not knowing where to start, we chose the easiest path and started with the letter ‘A’; the first country on the list and then followed through to another book/country, and so on. This challenge will take us at least several years to complete, but it’s so much fun to read the books I probably would have never found, and get to know authors from the countries I know little or nothing about.

In his novel Agualusa explores the themes of identity, memory, and the concept of oblivion. Using rich imagery and introspective tone, the author takes us to a journey into the depths of inner lives of the characters and the broader socio-political context of Angola. In the wake of Angola’s independence from Portugal, a main character, Ludovica, seals herself off from the world in her apartment. She becomes a witness to the societal changes around her, while trying to escape painful personal memories and the scars left by the political conflict.

What I like the most about this book is the blend of genres and the use of different narratives, where the author successfully combines fiction, philosophy and history. Not an easy read if it comes to the subject (aftermath of a war for independence), however definitely worthwhile your time, whether you are a fan of war themes, or not. In short: I do recommend.

Shelf Discovery

New releases and lists of books to wait for in November:

• Haruki Murakami ‘The city and the uncertain walls’ (translated from Japanese by Philip Gabriel); ISBN 9780593801970; Shinchosha

Haruki Murakami tells a captivating story of an unnamed middle-aged narrator who, after falling in love as a teenager, enters a parallel world where he becomes a Dream Reader. As he navigates between his ordinary life and memories of this alternate reality, he encounters resonant figures that blur the boundaries between the two worlds, questioning the nature of reality itself. Blending a love story, a quest, and a tribute to books and the libraries that hold them, The City and Its Uncertain Walls serves as a poignant reflection for our unusual post-pandemic era.

• Donald Sutherland ‘Made Up, But Still True’; ISBN 9780593728789; Crown

In ‘Made Up, But Still True’, Sutherland shares his deeply personal story and legendary acting career. With humour and raw honesty, he reveals intimate details from his childhood, relationships and health struggles, and walks us through his best (and not so good) memories from his nearly six-decades long Hollywood acting career.

• Ken Krimstein ‘Einstein in Kafkaland’; ISBN: 9781635579536 (hardcover), 9781635579543 (paperback); Bloomsbury Publishing

I am not a fan of comic books, however there is one position that I will be happy to put my hands on: ‘Einstein in Kafkaland’ by Ken Krimstein. A graphic novel by New Yorker cartoonist Krimstein, where the author intertwines real historical events with fantasy, humorously exploring Einstein’s quest to formulate an equation for his theory of relativity through imagined dialogues with Kafka.

Check out other books that are coming out in November 2024 (click here – Source: PW) and have a peak at books to be released in December 2024 (click here – source: PW); and another source of upcoming releases (click here – Source: GoodReads). Big names and must-read titles are great, but I encourage you to also keep an eye on the debut novels and self-published books; some of them sound promising!

Literary News

Be so kind and note that I am not sponsored by any of these companies / brands / organisations / authors, just sharing what I consider interesting.

• Rebind – first AI-publishing company.

A new enhanced e-reading experience that allows to read Classics with AI-powered expert guides. Each e-book includes expert commentary, video introductions and AI-driven discussions. At this moment there are five books from public domain, such as James Joyce’s Dubliners, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, and several more. Rebind plans to expand its portfolio to 22-24 books by late 2025. My first reaction was ‘oh no, not an AI publishing company’, however, when I dug deeper in the subject I found it intriguing. I believe I could say that this is a positive example of how to use AI in order to invite people to experience Classic Literature in a new interactive way. (Source: rebind.ai)

• Smashing app

Another AI tool, Smashing app, created by a co-founder and a former CEO of GoodReads, Otis Chandler. Again, as I do not really like the idea of ‘AI+book’ industry that much, I have been dealing with an ongoing challenge of an ever-rising ocean of (rarely good and mostly bad) content. I find it challenging going through too many low quality and simply bad articles, podcasts and so on, in order to find that one, which does not only answer my question, but also offers a high quality written language. This app seem to be the solution for my issue, so I may be willing to test it and see, whether this tool might help me ease the process of going through all the publishing news for my BOOKit! Book Club Newsletter. Time will tell. (Source- smashing.xyz )

• NaNoWriMo

This one is not really about reading, but still worth mentioning- November Writing with NaNoWriMo – this year is special for NaNoWriMo community, as it’s been 25 years since the NaNoWriMo was created. I had a pleasure to participate in the challenge several years ago (and yes – got my Writer Certificate and almost doubled the needed 50 000 words!). The 2024 Writing Challenge starts on the 1st of November, and if you’re reading this in the mid of November do not worry – you can always jump in and start writing. Good luck and Happy 25th Anniversary to NaNoWroMo! (Source: nanowrimo.org)

• Good Reads Choice Awards 2024

Ready to vote on your favourite books? GoodReads Choice Awards’ opening round starts on November 12th (and will last until November 24th, while the second round will take place 26th November till 1st December), so go and check the categories, choose your favourites and vote. Winners will be announced on December 5th. (Source: GoodReads.com)

Discussion Questions

Fancy a deeper connection with the book you have just finished or are about to finish? I always believed that a book is not only about the written word, the story and characters, but – most importantly – what stays with me when I put the book back on a bookshelf. I would like to invite you for a deep dive into your own feelings and reflections on the book you have just recently finished reading. You can just reflect on it the way you like the most, or you can get inspired by the list of questions I share below. Either way, have fun!

• Q1. Where there any plot twists that surprised you? If so, how did they change your perception of the story?

• Q2. If you could change something about this book, what would it be and why?

• Q3. Is there any question you would like to ask the author? What would you like to know about the book?

• Q4. Are there any themes in the book that resonated with you most? Why?

• Q5. Think of the ‘ending’ of the book. Have you found it satisfying, or where you expecting something more? If so, what was it?

Monthly Challenge

As usual, below you will find an idea for a monthly reading challenge. We all have our ‘want-to-read’ list and usually tones of recommendations from friends, family and people we admire (if they read books, obviously). Sometimes, however, even reading books becomes boring if we just read another one from the list. Having a challenge may be a solution for those who look for excitement in discovering new books or new ways of finding recommendations. Whichever book you pick up next, I hope it takes you in to the world that captivates your imagination and leaves you thinking long after you’ve turned the last page.

November’s Challenge:
Go through the list of the countries of the world. Choose one that you know the least. Search for the books from this country (focus on those, which has been translated to your reading language of choice) and choose one book that speaks to you the most. I encourage you to read about the history of this country, traditions and the culture, so that you better understand the background of the book you have chosen. Then open the book and.. enjoy the read!