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

Bonjour!

Below you will find some key excerpts from the previous newsletter.

Happy reading!

Tales & Treasures

My Very Subjective Book Recommendation – a must-read, in fact.

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 December:

• Tom Clancy ‘Defence Protocol’ (Brian Andrews, Jeffrey Wilson); ISBN 9780593717974; Penguin Random House

In brief: Jack Ryan in action again, preventing a devastating war (Chinese President plans a secret military invasion of Taiwan) that could cost thousands of lives, including his own daughter’s. I loved ‘the real Tom Clancy’s’ books and I have not really followed with the ones written by other authors after Clancy’s death, yet this time I decided to take a leap of faith and give the story a chance. The book will be released at the beginning of December. 

• April Balascio ‘Raised by a Serial Killer: Discovering the Truth About My Father’; ISBN 9781982177034; Gallery Books

I wasn’t really sure if this is a new release I want to recommend in my BOOKit! Newsletter, but as I know that many of you are fans of a true crime, I thought you’d be also interested in this memoir. In her book, Balascio shares her childhood trauma and a heaviness of a silent fear, as well as her decision to expose her father’s crimes and how living with such abuse shaped her and affected her adult life. It is a rare perspective of someone growing up with a serial killer as a parent. In my subjective opinion worth reading.

• Deepak Chopra ‘Digital Dharma: How AI can elevate spiritual intelligence and emotional Well-Being’; ISBN: 9780593797525; Harmony

An interesting perspective on the AI as a tool to enhance personal growth and consciousness. Chopra blends the spiritual wisdom with the newest technology and shows his readers how they can use the power of the AI as a complemental accessory rather than a replacement in their personal transformation. I think this book may spark some interesting reflections.

Check out other books that are coming out in December 2024 (click here – source: PW) and have a peak at books to be released in January 2025 (click here – source: PW); and here is another source of upcoming releases (click here – Source: GoodReads). While bestselling books often steal the spotlight, it’s worth paying attention to debut novels and self-published books, as many of them have great potential. Keep discovering!

Literary News

I am not sponsored by any of these companies / brands / organisations / authors, just sharing what I consider interesting.

• HarperCollins’ AI Deal.

HarperCollins is the first of the Big Five to reach a deal with an undisclosed company for AI training. Authors must opt in, and they will be offered $5000 (split half-half with the publisher) and the payment won’t be deducted from the royalties. This deal caused quite a chaos in the publishing industry, as well as among writers and readers. While some authors express concerns about the long term impact of the deal, others see it as a reasonable offer considering the evolving AI landscape and the first kind of deal on the market with a big publisher. 

I cannot really decide how I feel about this. On one hand I am curious how will the AI become a part of publishing world and how it will impact the writers and the readers. However, I think that at this moment there is too much uncertainty about how AI training will evolve, as well as authors may not fully understand the long term consequences of their work being part of AI systems, especially that they won’t be able to control the way their books are used (or mis-used). And in some way I feel like the ‘traditional way od publishing’ might lose its prestige; if we know that the big publishing houses are dealing with AI in one way, how can we be sure that in a year or two we won’t be offered the AI-generated books by same publishers?

What about readers? My fear is that books might lose quality and authenticity. There’s a risk that we will end up with less original content, which will weaken the reading experience. As these books will be used to train AI, it’s most likely to create more AI-generated books that will flood the market. How can we be sure that we will be protected from feeling like each book we pick up is sort of ‘the same’. On the other hand, AI could create innovative ways for readers to engage with books and offer even a deeper reading experience. Feel free to share your thoughts with me on the subject. (Source: here)

• Ghostwriting, a 6-figure business

Gotham Ghostwriters shared a survey among and it is clear that ghostwriters are not only in high demand, but also well paid for their job. The data revealed that 1 in 3 ghostwriters makes more than $100 000 in annual income. Not bad for a writer, don’t you agree?

I used to be a ghostwriter in the past (more than a decade ago, and the fees at the time were microscopic in comparison to these days) and when I have read this report I thought that perhaps I could go back to business and just get some more cashflow. 

Then I started to wonder.. as a reader I like to know that the book was written by The Author himself or herself and ghostwriting stirs up lots of emotions in me (such as AI-written books do!). That is why I usually avoid books written by celebrities or public figures, as I know that most of them are ghostwritten, as the ‘authors’ usually have the story to tell, but no skills to write that story. Therefore if I read this kind of book it is for the enjoyment of the story, not for the writing itself, and I assume right away that the book was written by someone else, even if there is a name of my favourite actor on the cover. But if I knew (transparency is the key, right?) that the book was ghostwritten, would I buy it? How about you? Do you care whether the book you read was written by the author or by someone else? How would you feel if you’d find out that some of your favourite books were written by a ghostwriter? (Source- here )

• Good Reads Choice Awards 2024

First of December is the last day of a final round of voting in this year’s Choice Awards, so it’s your last chance to vote. While going through the nominated books, I have found some that I really want to read (such as Whoopi Goldberg’s memoir released in May 2024 that I must have missed earlier this year!). In other words – my ‘want-to-read’ list has expanded and I now need to find a way to extend my 24 hours into 48 or even better, 78! I have just picked my favourite book of the year and given my final vote. Cannot wait for the winners list, which will be announced later this week, on December 5th. (Source: GoodReads.com) (Source: GoodReads.com)

Discussion Questions

To me, a book is more than just the style, plot and characters; it’s about what stays in me and how it impacts my life after I’ve closed it. I’d like to invite you to connect more deeply with the book you’ve recently finished or are about to finish. You can do this in whatever way feels natural to you or use the list of questions below as a guide. Either way, enjoy the journey!

• Q1. How did the pacing of the story impact your reading experience? Were there any moments that were too slow or rushed?
• Q2. If you could choose one secondary character that stand out the most for you, who could it be and why?
• Q3. Would you read another book of this author? Why?
• Q4. Did you find yourself invested in main character’s emotional arc? How did it impact your reading experience?
• Q5. Was there a specific scene that was hard for you to read? Why? How did you processed those emotions?

Monthly Challenge

December’s Challenge is different than any other monthly challenge of 2024. I won’t recommend any ‘new ways’ of finding a book to read, yet I will (firstly) encourage you to reflect on the books you have read in 2024: How did they change your mindset? Did they affect your life in any way? Were there any new authors, stories, genres that caught your eye? If so, what was special about them?

Secondly, give your attention to the books you have already started reading. I am myself the guilty one of reading multiple books at the same time (usually they are different genres, fiction and non-fiction, different languages etc, but still… there is a growing pile of books near every sofa, armchair and bed in my house) and the end of the year is for me a last chance to finish the ones with a ‘reading’ status. If you are like me, I invite you to focus on completing the books you are reading. This will help you fully direct your energy to new titles and new authors with the start of a new year. Trust me, you’ll be glad you did.