Help me find a couple books?

[Entropymama]

I'm trying to find two books I remember reading as a teenager, but I can't remember the titles or authors.

 

One was a sci-fi, futuristic book. I remember that everyone looked the same - women had even been 'bred' not to have chests so they looked like men. There were only four names shared among everyone (or something like that). Books were banned. English was the only language spoken and all other languages were banned. Everyone was assigned a job, apartment, etc. and everything looked the same. I remember the main character was a man who met some people who hid from the government and kept books.

 

The other was another sci-fi but it was more a study on behavior. The characters were a group of teenagers snatched off the street and put into a warehouse with a maze inside. They had to figure out how to perform in order to be fed - there was a machine and if they did the right thing in front of it, food would come out. They worked together and would perform elaborate dances to please the machine and get food. I can't remember how it ended.

 

Anyone remember either of those?

[Wheres Toto]

The second book is House of Stairs. I have a beat up copy of it that I've probably had since I was a teenager.

 

The first sounds familiar too but I have to think about it.

[Mandy in TN]

I was just discussing House of Stairs with my oldest the other day. :)

 

I agree that the first sounds familiar, but no luck digging a title out of my head.

Mandy

 

[ILiveInFlipFlops]

I have always managed to find what I was looking for here. If I searched on enough keywords, I'd eventually come up with one that worked!

 

http://www.loganberrybooks.com/stump.html

[Twigs]

I'm trying to find two books I remember reading as a teenager, but I can't remember the titles or authors.

 

One was a sci-fi, futuristic book. I remember that everyone looked the same - women had even been 'bred' not to have chests so they looked like men. There were only four names shared among everyone (or something like that). Books were banned. English was the only language spoken and all other languages were banned. Everyone was assigned a job, apartment, etc. and everything looked the same. I remember the main character was a man who met some people who hid from the government and kept books. …

 

Anthem (??)

[Lori D.]

Agree -- House of Stairs is your second book. It's about a government project using homeless teens to try out theories of behavior modification to turn the teens into obedient agents. I remember reading that one as a teen!

 

 

The first book sounds like a cross of several books:

- "women ... 'bred' ... looked like men" sounds a little like the race that only has gender when in relationship in Left Hand of Darkness

- "books banned ... man who met people and ... kept books" = Farenheit 451

- "only four names shared" = sounds a little of like the only five genetic classes in Brave New World

- "everyone assigned a job" = 1984

 

 

BEST of luck in figuring out your second book -- post the title if you do! Warmest regards, Lori D.

[Entropymama]

Thanks guys! House of Stairs is definitely the second. The first is not Farenheit 451, 1984, Anthem or BNW. I'm trying to remember more details! It's probably YA, since I must have been 11 or 12 when I read it. I'm pretty sure the characters were all assigned to continents, and America was where the outcasts went. The four names were normal, not numbers like in Anthem. I think there was one European name, one Asian name, etc. Wish I could remember more!

[Wheres Toto]

So how old are you? Knowing what year you read it might help figure it out.

[Entropymama]

So how old are you? Knowing what year you read it might help figure it out.

 

Good point. :) I'm 32, so let's say I read them in the early nineties.

 

There were no aliens - that may narrow down the sci fi genre. And it wasn't Left Hand of Darkness, I just checked into that one.

[Giraffe]

Here's how you submit a query on the book stumper site.

 

http://w1.loganberrybooks.com/stumpthebookseller/?page_id=8

 

Do let us know when you've figured it out. I'm curious as to what that book is!

[*Michelle*]

This Perfect Day?

[Entropymama]

This Perfect Day?

 

 

YES!! That's it! You're brilliant, thank you. :hurray:

 

Going to go hunt it down, apparently it's out of print.

 

Thanks everyone!

[kubiac]

Go team WTM!

 

For future reference, another good book-findy site is http://www.whatsthatbook.com/. I've seen them solve many stumpers in record time.

[lillybell]

Glad you found your title. Just wanted to add that my daughter just finished reading a book called The Giver by Lois Lowry and it is very similar to This Perfect Day. Really good book you might want to add to your reading.