LoT Book CLub - Book 3 is what? [Archive]

Not Afraid

08-12-2006, 11:57 AM

I think we need to have another poll. I'd like to add TC Boyle's WATER MUSIC to the list.

This was the last poll and results.

Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell 1 4.17%
I, Lucifer by Duncan Glenn 3 12.50%
Devil in the White City by Erik Larsen 4 16.67%
Marley and Me by John Grogan 3 12.50%
Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert 6 25.00%
Howard's End by E.M Forster 2 8.33%
Wind Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami 5 20.83%

Prudence

08-12-2006, 02:57 PM

oooh...are we opening the poll again? Because I have another one to add. (New release, not classic.)

Matterhorn Fan

08-12-2006, 02:59 PM

Well, what is it?

Are the leftovers automatically going on the poll?

Cadaverous Pallor

08-12-2006, 04:05 PM

I am racing through The Time Traveler's Wife and I HIGHLY recommend it for the club. It's incredible. I know Traci has read it, anyone else?

wendybeth

08-12-2006, 04:27 PM

I'd like to read the TTW too, CP. Another good one is Howard's End- plus, I already have it.:D

Ghoulish Delight

08-12-2006, 04:35 PM

I'll ask Munchking what book he'd like to chew on.

LSPoorEeyorick

08-12-2006, 04:44 PM

I love TTW. EH has read it too.

I would add "A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius" to th list, in case you haven't all read it yet.

tracilicious

08-12-2006, 05:32 PM

I'd prefer not to have the old poll selections automatically carry over. If someone wants one of the old selections in the new poll, perhaps they could nominate it again.

I nominate House of Leaves by Mark Z Danielewski. The weirdest book you'll ever read. It's huge though, and takes some time.

tracilicious

08-12-2006, 05:32 PM

I also nominate Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides.

wendybeth

08-12-2006, 05:40 PM

'The Crimson Petal and the White', by M. Faber. Weird book, but good.

Prudence

08-12-2006, 05:45 PM

I nominate "A Small Death in Lisbon", which is apparently some local phenomenon now because someone at Elliot Bay listed it as a staff recommendation and has held the top spot in sales there for months.

In keeping with the contemporary works in translation theme from book 2, I also nominate "The Seducer" -- from the Seattle P-I review: "His wife's murder sets off a picaresque journey of mystery, discovery and remembrance for a famed European TV documentary producer, a celeb noted for his unerring success with women. This creative and enthralling mega-novel won Scandinavia's highest honor and is the first American translation of a work by one of Norway's (and Europe's) reigning masters of fiction."

Snowflake

08-12-2006, 06:59 PM

Can Mods only do polls?

Here's the old list (minus the first two books) and the new list based on the posts here:

Old poll
Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell
I, Lucifer by Duncan Glenn
Devil in the White City by Erik Larsen
Marley and Me by John Grogan
Howard's End by E.M Forster

New Poll
The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers
House of Leaves by Mark Z Danielewski
Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
The Crimson Petal and the White by M. Faber

Shall we combine the poll or just do the new list?

Not Afraid

08-12-2006, 07:57 PM

Let's see what else gets nominated from the old list first, (or if we have any other additions) then we can do a poll. I'm going to retract Water Music (Snowflake read my mind) for later. It's a tome and, after reading a fairly hefty book, I think a shorter one would be better. I, Lucifer is still on my "must read" list, so I will nominate that one from the old list.

We can have up to 10 on a Poll but I think that's a bit much.

I've read both Devil in the White City (recently, so I can discuss), Middlesex (which was about a year ago and I won't read it again, but remember enough) and Howards End (ages ago).

€uroMeinke

08-12-2006, 08:08 PM

I'd like to renominate Cloud Atlas, since upon purchase I discovered it was Booker Prize nominie. I will read and comment on it regardless, I'm sure just maybe not in the next month.

Prudence

08-12-2006, 09:51 PM

Do my nominees not count?

Snowflake

08-12-2006, 10:33 PM

Do my nominees not count?

Yes, but because I'm an idiot, I missed the 2nd page. My bad! Mea culpa!:(

flippyshark

08-13-2006, 12:13 AM

I nominate House of Leaves by Mark Z Danielewski. The weirdest book you'll ever read. It's huge though, and takes some time.

You're not kidding. I've dived into that book about four times now and never conquered it. Fascinating concepts, but I guess I am just too linear- narrative-headed. I ended up waving the white flag each time.

I do enjoy POE's "Haunted" CD, however, which I'm told is a sort of "companion" to the book. (Poe is Mark D's sister.) I'll be blinkered if I could tell you how it relates to the novel, but it's a nifty album.

Alex

08-13-2006, 01:04 AM

Would there be any willingness to consider non-fiction titles. I know I'm weird in that 90% of my reading is non-fiction.

€uroMeinke

08-13-2006, 01:17 AM

Would there be any willingness to consider non-fiction titles. I know I'm weird in that 90% of my reading is non-fiction.

I'm more into fiction myself, but if you have something to suggest we can see how it does in the polls.

Gemini Cricket

08-13-2006, 06:04 AM

What about 'The Kite Runner'?

wendybeth

08-13-2006, 09:51 AM

Good book, GC.

I love biographies and history, so I'm up for anything in those genres, Alex.

Alex

08-13-2006, 10:54 AM

Well, I'll go ahead and nominate Cadillac Desert by Marc Reisner. I'm going to be rereading it soon anyway and it is a book I think anybody who lives west of the Mississippi should read.

It is a history of water policy in the American west with a particular emphasis on the great dam building era of the 1930s-1950s. Very accessibly written without much technical jargon.

Not Afraid

08-13-2006, 11:07 AM

CADILLAC DESERT is a great choice. I even have a copy.

tracilicious

08-13-2006, 12:42 PM

I'd like to renominate Cloud Atlas, since upon purchase I discovered it was Booker Prize nominie. I will read and comment on it regardless, I'm sure just maybe not in the next month.

The guy that wrote it is a wonderful writer. The story has a few elements that I consider weak, but overall it's a phenomenal book with many layers ripe for discussion. It might be one of those love it or hate it books though. It's hard to decide at points whether it is gimmicky or genius.

You're not kidding. I've dived into that book about four times now and never conquered it. Fascinating concepts, but I guess I am just too linear- narrative-headed. I ended up waving the white flag each time.

I do enjoy POE's "Haunted" CD, however, which I'm told is a sort of "companion" to the book. (Poe is Mark D's sister.) I'll be blinkered if I could tell you how it relates to the novel, but it's a nifty album.

Yes, it is quite the undertaking. For that reason I retract it from the nominees, unless anyone else wants it there.

The CD correlates in quite a few ways. It's been years since I read/listened, but I do remember that the answering machine messages on the CD are also from the book.

Gemini Cricket

08-13-2006, 04:25 PM

'Running with Scissors' ?

Not Afraid

08-13-2006, 04:26 PM

'Running with Scissors' ?

That's the best of his books, although I liked Dry an awful lot.

Eliza Hodgkins 1812

08-14-2006, 10:42 AM

I am racing through The Time Traveler's Wife and I HIGHLY recommend it for the club. It's incredible. I know Traci has read it, anyone else?

It's one of my all-time favorite books. I LOVE IT. It's one of those books I've bought many, many times as gifts for different people. Her illustrated story The Three Incestuous sisters, is also lovely. Another illustrated story is on its way. I really, really like her artwork.

Here's one of her prints:

http://www2.colum.edu/centers/bpa/gallery/exhibitions2004/tenthanniver/index/artistspages/size_niffenegger.jpg

Gemini Cricket

08-14-2006, 10:49 AM

I am racing through The Time Traveler's Wife and I HIGHLY recommend it for the club. It's incredible. I know Traci has read it, anyone else?
EH1812, I just read the description on Amazon and I think it sounds really cool!
:)

Stan4dSteph

08-14-2006, 11:33 AM

I nominate Angle of Repose (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/014016930X/sr=8-1/qid=1155580202/ref=pd_bbs_1/104-1967215-8930341?ie=UTF8) by Wallace Stegner.

tracilicious

08-15-2006, 12:46 PM

I'll add Miracle Life of Edgar Mint by Brady Udall. Some of the funniest, best writing I've read in a while. I'm only 70 pages in.

Not Afraid

08-15-2006, 03:05 PM

OK, what's on our list? We can't have more than 10 on a poll - and I think even 10 choices is too many to select from. Can we get a short list?

Snowflake

08-15-2006, 03:09 PM

OK, what's on our list? We can't have more than 10 on a poll - and I think even 10 choices is too many to select from. Can we get a short list?

A poll for the poll, very good!

Not Afraid

08-15-2006, 03:10 PM

A Metapoll - as Chris would say.

Matterhorn Fan

08-15-2006, 03:12 PM

The current nominees (lucky #13!):

The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers
Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
The Crimson Petal and the White by M. Faber
A Small Death in Lisbon by Robert Wilson
The Seducer (by Jan Kjaerstad ?)
Devil in the White City by Erik Larson
Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
Cadillac Desert by Marc Reisner
Running With Scissors by Augusten Burroughs
Angle of Repose by Wallace Stegner
Miracle Life of Edgar Mint by Brady Udall

Not Afraid

08-15-2006, 03:18 PM

That's three too many for a poll. What to do?

Matterhorn Fan

08-15-2006, 03:18 PM

The only one on that list that I really know anything about is The Kite Runner, which, I'm sorry to say, I won't be trying to finish again.

So, once the metapoll gets going, I'll have to do some research before I make my vote.

Matterhorn Fan

08-15-2006, 03:19 PM

That's three too many for a poll. What to do?How about splitting into two polls. 6 in each. Top 3 in each poll advance to the semifinals?

Not Afraid

08-15-2006, 03:21 PM

THen how do we divide the selections up so as to not skew the polls?

Matterhorn Fan

08-15-2006, 03:26 PM

What do you mean? How is anything going to get skewed? The book the majority of people want to read should "win" regarless.

You want the books to each compete with each other first so that we can have proper seeding in the playoffs?

Alex

08-15-2006, 03:33 PM

How about everybody just rank the top 5 books in the order of their interest. Once that is done it is 10 minutes work to do a weighted calculation of everybody's list and see what comes out on top.

This way all nominations remain equally in play. So for example, my vote might be:

1. The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
2. The Seducer (by Jan Kjaerstad ?)
3. Cadillac Desert by Marc Reisner
4. Devil in the White City by Erik Larson
5. A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers

In the calcuation (which again is easy with two minutes in Excel), #1 gets 5 points, #2 gets 4 ,#3 gets 3, #4 gets 2, and #5 gets 1. Most points wins. And I'll volunteer to do the math.

Alex

08-15-2006, 03:36 PM

Or, in the long lasting book clubs I'm aware of the book selection is not a democracy. They have a system for rotating the book selection among the participants so that every regular gets a turn just picking something for the whole group.

They find this leads to greater diversity where voting tends to produce the similar middle ground.

Not Afraid

08-15-2006, 03:39 PM

Matterhorn Fan

08-15-2006, 03:49 PM

I say, lets for for this method - if everyone agrees (and Alex volunteers to do the math ;)).

What happened to I, Lucifer?You buried it at the end of a paragraph in post and I missed. Skimming, I must have just assumed you were talking about yourself, not nominating a book. ;)

Not Afraid

08-15-2006, 03:51 PM

1. The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
2. The Seducer (by Jan Kjaerstad ?)
3. Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell
4, Cadillac Desert by Marc Reisner
5. I, Lucifer by Glen Duncan
Or, if the Duncanbook isn't an option:
5. A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers

I did not even votefor the books I have already read.

tracilicious

08-15-2006, 03:55 PM

tracilicious

08-15-2006, 03:56 PM

How about each of us that has nominated multiple books just pare it down to one for this month?

I'll keep Miracle Life of Edgar Mint and eliminate Middlesex.

SacTown Chronic

08-15-2006, 04:00 PM

1. The Kite Runner
2. Cadillac Desert
3. I, Lucifer
4. The Time Traveler's Wife
5. Devil In The White City

Matterhorn Fan

08-15-2006, 04:02 PM

This is too hard. And I'm way too lazy to look all these up on amazon in order to rank them.

I'll see what y'all settle on and if I have the time and am interested in the book, I'll read with you. If not, I won't.

Apathy. Sometimes it's a good thing.

Not Afraid

08-15-2006, 04:07 PM

Bum

Ponine

08-15-2006, 04:09 PM

My nominees

The Crimson Petal and the White by M. Faber
A Small Death in Lisbon by Robert Wilson
The Seducer (by Jan Kjaerstad ?)
Cadillac Desert by Marc Reisner
Angle of Repose by Wallace Stegner

Prudence

08-15-2006, 04:33 PM

Have we settled on the top five ranking? Because I could totally go along with the each person only nominates one book idea.

Cadaverous Pallor

08-15-2006, 04:38 PM

I like the idea of rotating who picks. Also - if you nominate a book you should also cut/paste a blurb.

Often lighthearted, thoroughly original, and ultimately profoundly moving, Audrey Niffenegger's first novel tells the story of two people destined to be together: Clare, a perfectly normal woman, and Henry, a time-traveler.
According to the unique rules that Niffenegger creates, Henry travels unexpectedly and mostly to his own past, often when he is "all stressed out and [has] lost his grip on now." As Henry explains when he first meets Clare: "…the person you know doesn't exist yet. Stick with me, and sooner or later he's bound to appear. That's the best I can do." And while it's true that Henry travels to different moments in time, he also travels from them as well. He frequently gets lost in time and doesn't know "when" he is.

But the real story of the book is the lifelong love Clare and Henry share as they try to make the most of the times they have together -- the times when Henry is not traveling.

Subtle but powerful, The Time Traveler's Wife is a book whose importance becomes more evident with each turn of the page, provoking readers to ask themselves if they've made the most of the moments of their lives --moments so fleeting, they could be time travelers themselves. (Fall 2003 Selection)

Not Afraid

08-15-2006, 04:38 PM

Have we settled on the top five ranking? Because I could totally go along with the each person only nominates one book idea.

I have no idea, but I'm fine with going that route. If we want to do something else, I'm fine with that too. I just want to decide and not discuss any more. ;)

lizziebith

08-15-2006, 04:39 PM

I finally got The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle this past weekend. [/lagging behind miserably]

Prudence

08-15-2006, 04:44 PM

I prefer voting to rotating. I'll have to post my list later, though.

Snowflake

08-15-2006, 08:31 PM

A Metapoll - as Chris would say.

Or cause we're so swanky, a metro-poll;)

1. The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
2. Cadillac Desert by Marc Reisner
3. The Seducer by Jan Kjaerstad
4. Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell
5. Miracle Life of Edgar Mint by Brady Udall

Matterhorn Fan

08-15-2006, 10:07 PM

I finally got The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle this past weekend. [/lagging behind miserably]
I just started, and I've only read 3 chapters. You have company!

Bum Meh.

€uroMeinke

08-15-2006, 10:24 PM

I have an extra book, if anyone wants to join in round 2?

DreadPirateRoberts

08-15-2006, 10:32 PM

I have an extra book, if anyone wants to join in round 2?

Loan it to Jorge?

Prudence

08-15-2006, 10:39 PM

I'm still working on the wind-up bird and his chronicle, as well, it's just been slow going for me -- too many distractions.

Stan4dSteph

08-16-2006, 06:52 AM

I just started, and I've only read 3 chapters. You have company!Mine's still in the Barnes & Noble bag.

lizziebith

08-16-2006, 10:33 AM

Hey there's no rule against having a round two of Wind Up Bird... is there? How about a late-comers book club? :D I still have to finish about 5 chapters of a friend's novel before picking up Bird...I could start after the weekend!

What say you others who have yet to really get going on Bird?

:confused:

Matterhorn Fan

08-16-2006, 12:08 PM

I may end up bailing in a couple weeks when things get busier, but I'll do my best.

Cadaverous Pallor

08-16-2006, 02:54 PM

Threads can always be bumped. Another round of swankers may already be discussing the next book, and some might skip a book or two - it's all good. Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law. :)

€uroMeinke

08-16-2006, 06:42 PM

Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law. :)

And here I thought you were Jewish,

Cheers Mr. Crowley :evil:
:cheers:

tracilicious

08-16-2006, 06:45 PM

Ok, since the vote seems to be the annoying top five ranking thing, I shall rank. Actually, I only really know anything about my books and Kite Runner, and my books don't have votes so far, so I shall just rank one book.

1. The Kite Runner.

I really really recommend that everyone read The Miracle Life of Edgar Mint at some point. It's hilarious, and heartbreaking, and lots of other adjectives. One of my favorite books ever. Which is saying something considering I just read Murakami.

Cadaverous Pallor

08-16-2006, 08:07 PM

And here I thought you were Jewish,

Cheers Mr. Crowley :evil:
:cheers:Jewish yes, though I've taken a few detours as well, one of which was Ayn Rand's Objectivism. I know she stole a thing or two out of Crowley's book...

*tips hat to Crowley and his admirers* :cheers:

Ok, since the vote seems to be the annoying top five ranking thing, I shall rank.Eh, I'd rather not rank. Seems like a lot of work to me and my time online is short. You guys pick, I'll read the book or I won't. :evil: ;)

If I can pick one book I pick my own recommendation, Time Traveler's Wife. If that doesn't work within the top 5 system then don't worry about it.

mousepod

08-16-2006, 08:10 PM

I just started Wind-Up Bird, too - so I guess we can have a tiny latecomers thread somewhere...

As for the next book - here's a left-field suggestion based entirely on my own selfish I-just-bought-it-today-at-Borders-and-I-want-someone-else-to-read-it-too reason: "The Queen of the South" by Arturo Pérez-Reverte. Due to some odd case of synchronicity where both my bookshop-owner pal recommended his books and Alex praising him in another thread (I think specifically "The Club Dumas" in the Movie Musings thread), I went and bought this one. I'm gonna read it, dammit, and if anyone wants to talk about it with me, well...

Readers of Pérez-Reverte's sixth thriller won't be able to turn the pages fast enough: the author of The Club Dumas, The Seville Communion and other literary adventure novels now tackles the gritty world of drug trafficking in Mexico, southern Spain and Morocco, offering a frightening, fascinating look at the international business of transporting cocaine and hashish as well as a portrait of a smart, fast, daring and lucky woman, Teresa Mendoza. As the novel opens, Teresa's phone rings. She doesn't have to answer it: the phone is a special one given to her by her boyfriend, drug runner and expert Cessna pilot Güero Dávila. He has warned her that if a call ever came, it meant he was dead, and that she had to run for her own life. On the lam, Teresa leaves Mexico for Morocco, where she keeps a low profile transporting drug shipments with her new lover. But after a terrible accident and a brief stint in prison, Teresa's on her own again. She manages to find her way, but Teresa is no mere survivor: gaining knowledge in every endeavor she becomes involved in and using her own head for numbers and brilliant intuition, she eventually winds up heading one of the biggest drug traffic rings in the Mediterranean. Spanning 12 years and introducing a host of intriguing, scary characters, from Teresa's drug-addicted prison comrade to her former assassin turned bodyguard, the novel tells the gripping tale of "a woman thriving in a world of dangerous men."