July Book Choice – 2018 Reading Challenge

Hey readers! I feel like the reading challenge prompt for July is going to be a popular one – a dystopian novel.

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Maybe it’s just me, but it seems like dystopian stories are a constant pop culture favorite in books, movies, and tv. From older books like Brave New World and Animal Farm, to more recent favorites, like The Hunger Games or Divergent, people (myself included) seem to love reading about the inevitable train wreck that follows the founding of idyllic societies. You see it coming from a mile away and yet they are still so interesting to read, usually because of the veiled commentary on current social issues that really get you thinking.

My choice for a dystopian novel is The Handmaid’s Tale. It’s a title that had been in the periphery of my bookish consciousness for a while, but seeing clips of the Hulu original series based on the book has really intrigued me, so I’m going to give it a try. Reviews on this book seemed to be split down the middle – people either love it or hate. Whichever side of the fence you fall on, those strong opinions are always good fuel for discussion.

And an added bonus to choosing The Handmaid’s Tale is that if I like it I can watch the show afterwards. I tend to be a pretty die hard ‘read the book first’ type of movie watcher, and so far that policy has served me well. The book is always better than the movie, at least in my experience (I’m talking to you, Maze Runner).

Have you read The Handmaid’s Tale? What did you think of it?
What would be your choice for a good dystopian novel?

10 Comments

  1. I really didn’t enjoy Brave New World when I read it in High School. The world is bleak enough sometimes. But, it’s good to keep in mind what life can turn into so quickly.

    • I was shocked when I read it in high school. It was one of the most thought provoking books I had ever read at that point in my life. It is dark though, no doubt.

    • That’s good to hear! You never know if the tv/movie version will be like the book or it’s own separate thing entirely.

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