Author Topic: Suggestion Box for Future Book Discussions ~ (Read 283394 times)

mrssherlock · « **Reply #120 on:** September 20, 2009, 10:38:07 AM »

Polls are now open to choose Bookclub Online titles for JULY and AUGUST Discussion!

VOTE HERE UNTIL JUNE 8!

Title	Author
*Adventures of Huckleberry Finn*	Clemens
*The Lacuna*	Kingsolver
*Frankenstein*	Shelley
*Dracula*	Stoker
*Gulliver's Travels*	Swift
*From the Beast to the Blonde: On Fairy Tales and Their Tellers*	Warner

Contact: JoanP

JoanR · « **Reply #121 on:** September 21, 2009, 10:34:01 AM »

Connie Willis is such a fine writer! I wish that her books were not considered "genre fiction" - that limits her audience. The Doomsday Book was one of her best.
I would like to nominate " The Year of Wonders" by Geraldine Brooks as a book for discussion. I see that Pat has already posted a link to a review! Thank you!
I bought a nice hardcover copy at a house sale a month or so ago, figuring that it would certainly be up for a discussion someday. Also my esteemed sister has been talking it up for quite a while!!! I'm very involved with Dickens right now, so have been holding off on reading my prize find.
I would love to read it with company!!

JoanP · « **Reply #122 on:** September 22, 2009, 10:09:18 AM »

JoanR - a fine nomination. We love Geraldine Brooks!
By the way - I hope to see you in the discussion of Matthew Pearl's Last Dickens. We have the author in there in the prediscussion already - he's raring to go - BUT we need participants - such as yourself!

marcie · « **Reply #123 on:** September 28, 2009, 02:59:40 PM »

I know that we have some avid science fiction fans here but the following collection could appeal to others who like interesting fiction. I'd like to nominate a short story collection by Isaac Asimov, master of science fiction, who was a prolific writer, not only of science fiction. I, Robot is a collection of nine stories about humanoid robots and how people react to them and explore moral behavior in light of robots. The stories are linked together as the narrator, a reporter, interviews Dr. Susan Calvin, chief robopsychologist at U.S. Robots and Mechanical Men, Inc., the major manufacturer of robots. One of the stories introduces the famous "Three Laws of Robotics" which govern robot-human interaction.

We could also talk about the film by the same name, which was inspired by several of the stories.

marcie · « **Reply #124 on:** September 28, 2009, 03:06:50 PM »

I haven't read a Connie Willis story yet but your enthusiasm for The Doomsday Book has me wanting to read it. It sounds like it might have similarities to Michael Crichton's "Timeline."

mrssherlock · « **Reply #125 on:** September 28, 2009, 03:19:21 PM »

I haven't read Timeline so I can't comment about it. Doomsday is about a university History Department experiment to send a graduate student back to medeval times. There are parallel tracks, the students adventures alternating with the goings on in the world she left behind. I have read it several times. No I have to read Chrichton's book; just what I need, another bookto read

mrssherlock · « **Reply #126 on:** September 28, 2009, 03:21:51 PM »

There are too many choices! I want to read them all. We really ought to in include Geraldine Brooks' March; it is very special.

marcie · « **Reply #127 on:** September 28, 2009, 04:22:32 PM »

mrssherlock, If you enjoy Crichton's books, I think you'll like Timeline. It's about a small group of specialists in various areas of 14th-century history. They are trying to rebuild two ancient castles at an archeological site in France. The hi-tech company funding the research decides it wants more immediate results in the restoration, and that's where the time travel/parallel worlds comes in. It's quite an adventure story with lots of references to the medieval world. There also was a movie, based on the book, with the same name. I haven't seen it yet but have been meaning to do so.

JoanP · « **Reply #128 on:** September 29, 2009, 09:52:04 AM »

Oh such good suggestions! I'll try to get them all into the table in the heading in time for the vote next week. If I miss someone, please post here -

Still open for more nominations, though the clock is ticking!

PatH · « **Reply #129 on:** September 29, 2009, 12:45:16 PM »

The way Doomsday Book and Year of Wonders are alike is that they both deal with the plague in small villages--Doomsday in the 1300s, and Year in the 1600s, so there is similarity of a lot of details, but where Doomsday has the time travel and parallelism between two times, Year is supposedly a straightforward journal of a woman living through it at the time.

mrssherlock · « **Reply #130 on:** September 29, 2009, 01:03:57 PM »

IMHO the experience of the village during the plague is much sharper and more emotional in Doomsday than in Year. While the time travel is a major element in Doomsday it is the tragedy of the villagers that is most memorable to me. I'm not disappoint in Year, it simply is not the powerful story that Doomsday is nor are the characters as distinct or as memorable. The realities of the feudal life is sharper, has more impact to my senses. I could go on and on but I won't.

PatH · « **Reply #131 on:** September 29, 2009, 01:22:55 PM »

I'm with you there, Jackie. After you read Doomsday Book you feel like you've been run over by a truck, and you can't get it out of your head for days.

ANNIE · « **Reply #132 on:** September 29, 2009, 01:43:26 PM »

Hi to all,
JoanP, as you know, I have a non-fiction title and hope to discuss it in January. My library has finally started taking reservations and I am #1 on the list. Should I be putting the title and author in here or keep it to myself until I read it??

JoanP · « **Reply #133 on:** September 29, 2009, 06:23:39 PM »

Annie, I think that's your call. It would be a bit unusual to put up a title for a vote if you haven't read it yet - and yet it would be a good way to test the water to see if there is interest. Do you want to talk about it here, without putting it up for a vote? Like folks are talking about Connie Willis' The Doomsday Book - without actually nominating it. PatH - you felt as if you had been run over by a truck after reading it? That's how I felt after reading Cormac McCarthy's The Road. (Has anyone been brave enough to see the movie?)
Am I right - no one has nominated Doomsday for discussion?

JoanR · « **Reply #134 on:** September 29, 2009, 07:53:16 PM »

I will nominate Connie Willis"s Doomsday Book! I did like it better than Year of Wonders but I hesitated because I feared that it would be labeled "genre" and might not draw enough votes. I do wish we could do away with such labels - but the publishers and reviewers seem to keep up the practice, not to mention the shelving practices of bookstores and libraries.

JoanP · « **Reply #135 on:** September 29, 2009, 08:20:42 PM »

Thanks, JoanR. From reading the reviews just now, The Doomsday book sounds like something that would work very well in a group discussion!
Hope to see you in Matthew Pearl's Last Dickens on Thursday...

retired · « **Reply #136 on:** October 01, 2009, 02:00:19 PM »

My vote is for" The Story Of Edgar Sawtelle"for a future discussion pick. I know it was an Oprah Book Club Selection in The Recent past.

I would like to suggest we consider her most recent Book Club choice for a future discussion. Say You're One Of Them " by Uwem Akpan . An African author . Thse are short stories and received excellent reviews from readers listings on amazon .com

I have not read either book I have identified here and would like to read these selections as part of a group discussion.

Aberlaine · « **Reply #137 on:** October 01, 2009, 06:10:30 PM »

Quite a selection! I'd be happy with most of them, so I'm not going to nominate one of my own. But I will be back to vote, and possibly discuss.

Nancy

JoanP · « **Reply #138 on:** October 01, 2009, 08:25:00 PM »

Nancy, there are some wonderful titles here - and as you say, quite a few! I'm thinking of doing things a bit differently this time - how about asking folks to tick all the titles they would be interested in discussing in the future months - and see where we are then. It would be a good way to assess interest - and narrow the list.

Retired, I've added your recent nomination. Thank you! Will wait a few more days to be sure we hear from all who are interested in nominating titles that do not appear on this list.

marcie · « **Reply #139 on:** October 01, 2009, 09:35:58 PM »

Joan, I think that having our first vote be for ALL the titles which we'd be interested to discuss is a great idea.

mrssherlock · « **Reply #140 on:** October 01, 2009, 10:38:38 PM »

Joan: If I understand you correctly we would vote on more than one book (for example three) and those with the most votes would be scheduled over the next few months. That seems to be a good way to whittle the list down,

JoanP · « **Reply #141 on:** October 02, 2009, 12:37:48 PM »

Well, it might come to that, Jackie. I'd like to start by having folks tick off all the titles they'd be likely to participate in - and see how many of them are in the running... We won't know until we try that. Just an idea.

kidsal · « **Reply #142 on:** October 05, 2009, 11:33:34 AM »

Last year I participated in a book discussion with our local college. The subject was science fiction and I thought what on earth will we talk about? Was amazed at how much discussion resulted.

JoanP · « **Reply #143 on:** October 05, 2009, 07:49:48 PM »

kidsal, tell more! We've been talking about getting up a discussion of a sci fi book. There's a nomination here for Asimov's short stories - a collection of nine - I, Robot.

We're about ready for a poll - any more nominations? Don't delay!

PatH · « **Reply #144 on:** October 05, 2009, 08:22:08 PM »

JoanP, I really like your idea of having a preliminary vote in which people say which books they are actually interested in discussing. Then on the next round we will only be voting for books that have a real chance.

PatH · « **Reply #145 on:** October 05, 2009, 08:25:07 PM »

Kidsal, what did you talk about in that discussion. Maybe you'd like to tell us in the sci-fi discussion.

http://seniorlearn.org/forum/index.php?topic=81.0

mrssherlock · « **Reply #146 on:** October 05, 2009, 11:36:44 PM »

The Doomsday Book is considered to be Sf also, I believe.

kidsal · « **Reply #147 on:** October 08, 2009, 11:46:58 PM »

You asked about my experience with our venture into science fiction at our community college book discussion group. Our discussion leader was a science fiction fan and the rest of us had never read this type of book.

The first book we read was Neuromancer by William Gibson. This was primarily a crime story with futuristic technology. Our primary discussion was how technology had/would in the future impact our lives.
One of the books (I can’t remember the title because I destroyed my notes) concerned a family living in a part of city walled in to keep out those who were poor. Outside the walls people were killing one another for food. Members of the family were killed as they went outside the walls and finally the girl and her boyfriend, realizing that they would soon be attacked, plotted their escape. The girl was determined to establish her own religion and that is part of the plot. They set out, gathering members as they travel north to Oregon, trying to avoid the starving mobs along the road. At one place they come across a town that is run by a company. The walls are guarded and the employees must buy all supplies from “the company store.” So in reading this story we discussed religion, what we would do to survive, the issue of working for the “company store” which is part of our history, and whether or not we would kill others for food/shelter.

I was surprised that we could find so much to talk about.

marcie · « **Reply #148 on:** October 09, 2009, 01:09:32 AM »

Kidsal, Many thanks for describing the science fiction discussion in which you participated. The second book that you describe sounds like "Parable of the Sower" by Octavia Butler. She was an amazingly imaginative writer. I think that William Gibson is an amazing writer also. Their styles are very different but both portray fully detailed worlds that portray the outcomes of various social issues.

mrssherlock · « **Reply #149 on:** October 09, 2009, 01:05:13 PM »

Reading SF has given me a world view that is vastly more optimistic than reality would suggest. For one thing I have lived hundreds of lives in settings ranging over the Universe. For another I have lived in societies with every possible political variation that can be imagined. Also I have witnessed the utmost disasters, been one of the handsful of survivors who struggle to keep mankind alive. I have also walked in the footsteps of saurians, Neanderthals, insectoids, and beings who cannot be categorized. How could I not believe in all that is best in the human spirit?

Frybabe · « **Reply #150 on:** October 09, 2009, 01:40:28 PM »

Well spoken, mrssherlock!

JoanR · « **Reply #151 on:** October 09, 2009, 03:31:57 PM »

Oh, I do love what you said, Jackie!! I'm sure that you will be quoted often!!

marcie · « **Reply #152 on:** October 09, 2009, 03:50:31 PM »

jackie, I, too, appreciate what you said about your reading of science fiction.

JoanP · « **Reply #153 on:** October 10, 2009, 05:43:51 PM »

Jackie, we've noted your quote up in one of the News Lines at the top of the page? Well said! I'm sure there are many who will agree with you!

We are so close to putting out the titles for you all to consider and check off for future discussion - but there is a last minute entry. a novel by Katherine Howe called, The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane suggested by our October guest author, Matthew Pearl in the Last Dickens discussion.

This is a tale of New England grad-student life in 1991 and the Salem witch hunts in 1692. The story follows several sets of mothers and daughters: Connie and Grace, Grace and Sophia, Deliverance and Mercy, Mercy and Prudence. Each of these women have different points of view, and they often have trouble communicating across the generations.

Here's Katherine Howe's website - I think it's fun to "play" with - http://katherinehowe.com

And quite a good review by the Washington Post's Carolyn See...

Let us know what you think? Shall we add it to our list for consideration? We may be able to get the author to participate.

salan · « **Reply #154 on:** October 10, 2009, 07:08:52 PM »

I like the idea of presenting a number of books for us to vote on. I read The Book Thief and think it would make a really good discussion book. I am familiar with a number of books on the current list.

I am not really a fan of Science Fiction, although, I really enjoyed all the "Dragon Rider" books by Anne Mccaffrey. I am looking forward to the book proposals.

Sally

PatH · « **Reply #155 on:** October 10, 2009, 08:27:47 PM »

Sally, I hope you will vote here. There is a lot of overlap between your club and here. We've already read "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel society", "Loving Frank", and the "Thirteenth Tale", and it's good to have your impression of "The Book Thief".

I think what will happen is that we will shortly have a first round vote to narrow the field, then go on from there.

If you liked Anne McCaffrey, there are lots of her fans on the Sci-fi site.

mrssherlock · « **Reply #156 on:** October 11, 2009, 09:02:53 AM »

Oh, Pat, how could you? A fascinating premise plus possibly author participation (Hows 'that for alliteration?) .As if we needed another choice in this already overpopulated field. Oh, well, that's life - feast or famine.

JoanP · « **Reply #157 on:** October 11, 2009, 09:49:49 AM »

A Special Announcement -

We've just opened a poll to assess interest in a number of titles for upcoming Book Discussions.
IF YOU NEED MORE INFORMATION, the titles in the header of the Suggestion Box are links to reviews.
PLEASE MARK AS MANY TITLES THAT YOU MIGHT LIKE TO DISCUSS in depth in the coming months. (We're looking for a number of titles)
WHEN YOU ARE READY, THE POLL IS HERE

Ella Gibbons · « **Reply #158 on:** October 11, 2009, 12:49:23 PM »

JOANP, I voted for Year of Wonder by Geraldine Brooks and, of course, I must tell you that (as you know) I am not a good reader of fiction, but that one looks good. It is somewhat historical along with the story and I read the first chapter on my Library site. I think I would have no trouble getting it, so.............

And, of course, as with everyone else it depends on when we discuss it. I have a couple of upcoming small trips planned, so...........

PatH · « **Reply #159 on:** October 11, 2009, 01:34:08 PM »

I ended up voting for about half of the titles. I can hardly wait to see the results.

News:

Author Topic: Suggestion Box for Future Book Discussions ~ (Read 283394 times)