I'm glad most of the Harry Potter books are too fat to be included in this, or else I could see us reading all of them one month at a time

I am in. This isn't too complicated because if the person hasn't finished reading the book yet they dont have to actually read the post about it yet. They can always add stuff in later, or they can just talk about what they have read and get caught up later if they really want. My question is I am so horrible at picking books what if all the books a person pick (like myself) are not interesting enough for people to actually go out and get them???

Wait, who put in a fatness limit???

Hmmm I'm trying to come up with 3 good picks for when I have to put up choices.

That's right SteveDallas, its a footnote written size 1 in silver on the contract you signed. Always read the fine print :p

Oh, it also says the Cellar inherits your house and other property.

Nekee, are there any books you have read that were great? Are any of them books you would like to re-read? You could use those.

You could browse books that have won all sorts of awards here:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...293207-3976946
If you are into sci-fi, looking at the Hugo and Nebula awards will bring up tons of books. Hmm, I just saw American Gods by Gaiman won a Hugo, Nebula, and a Bram Stoker's award. That seems right up my alley, if I didn't have two dozen other books I already bought and want to read.

Of course, just because a book won an award doesn't mean it will be interesting, fun, or even worth reading. You would still have to read the summary of the book and do some research to see if you might like it.

I currently have.... ( checking...) crap! 36 books on my to-read pile. But anything by Gaiman automatically goes on top.

May I play? I know I wussed out of the CD thing, but that was because I didn't have time to put together a contribution worthy of the project.

I can do penance, if necessary.

I do have one concern. Among the well-read, there is a tendency to raise one's nose at books that aren't written by authors in certain academic strata. A snob-fest would be unbecoming, I think. Would there be a way to separate philosophical treatises from mass-media fiction from beat poetry? Not everyone has an interest in the same kind of material, and might only want to participate in certain categories.

I'm paranoid, I guess. People get almost as upset about their favorite authors as they do their favorite god or political figger.

Ummm that should be fegro shouldn't it?

It appears that all we have in common are Harry Potter and Stephen King, both sufficiently large in readership that I'm not overly concered about it.

Jackie Collins, Mary Higgins Clark, John Grisham, and Danielle Steele are all tools of the Devil.

I do love Andrew Vachss, Harlan Ellison, Robert Heinlein, and enjoy Tom Clancy, just so long as I don't read more than one of his books every six months. It's easy to go into information overload on Clancy.

Regarding the question of when its ok to talk about the book and avoiding the thread till one has finished the book, one thing we could do is put a moratorium on discussing book one till we move on to book two. In theory, at the end of month one, we are supposed to finish book one and start book two. So, it might make sense to wait to discuss book one till the start of month two (and so on..).

In this way, I think the discussion would be the richest since half the members aren't avoiding the thread because they aren't through yet - i.e., everyone can participate in the discussion, which seems to be the point of the exercise.

I usually hate ideas that involve moratoriums on posting about stuff but would like to know what everyone else thinks about it.

Quote:

Originally posted by mrnoodle I can do penance, if necessary.

Read _Living History_ by Hillary Clinton, then we'll forgive you :D



I do have one concern. Among the well-read, there is a tendency to raise one's nose at books that aren't written by authors in certain academic strata. A snob-fest would be unbecoming, I think. Would there be a way to separate philosophical treatises from mass-media fiction from beat poetry? Not everyone has an interest in the same kind of material, and might only want to participate in certain categories..

The way I see it, we are going to end up reading books we might not have considered putting on our own to read list. Yes, we might get stuck with one we don't like, but then we wait until the next month and get a new one. And if you see that the current book of the month is something you would really never enjoy, you don't have to buy it.

I have no idea what kind of books the majority of you read (though I think I like wolf's taste in books). This is all one big gamble.

Maybe we can make a rule that the three books chosen have to be in different fields, by different authors. That will at least improve the chances that one of them is appealing to most of us.

That would also prevent the terrible situation of someone choosing three harlequin romance novels. If that happened, I think I would bow out for that month.

:shotgun: :joylove:

I thought part of the point of such a group was to kind of spread our diversity around ... having a vote for the top choice of three possibilities suggested flattens this out a bit, but still allows for a lot of choices that we might not ordinarily make for ourselves.

Like the CD exchange, I know that I am going to be encountering artists that I never heard before, get a taste of, and may be driven to further exploring.

It's all part of the fun.

As far as discussing any particular book of the month, it can commence at any time after the book is chosen. We can start by sharing thoughts related to our reaction to the chosen volume ... our expections out of the gate, so to speak, and then move on to our reactions to the books, either as the reading progresses, and also most importantly when it's completed.

Also, there is going to be a lot of flux and flow related to who reads, who doesn't who just can't finish (Like OC and that book she has been unable to complete). That's grist for the discussion mill as well ... what makes this book difficult to get through, what made it a joy to read, what about it made you think?

As it happens, much as I'd hate throwing money in her general direction, I might be interested in reading the junior senator from NY's book. It's something I wouldn't choose on my own, presents far different viewpoints from my own, and would offer me an opportunity to further clarify or further adjust my own view of the world and politics.

See, even I can consider the possibilities!!

Posted by wolf
I would also like to join for those reasons.

You....you...ANIMAL! :finger:

Actually, I would be more than happy to read her book. I don't think she's unintelligent, I think she's insane. But I like insane people, by and large.

What's with people thinking that opposition politicians are insane? Stuff like that removes any intelligent political discourse.

There's a contradiction in terms.

*cough*

Sorry, couldn't help it. :D

I'll throw my hat in the ring. I read too much sci-fi as is. I need to branch out into the rest of the book world.
Like fantasy.

you can count on me, splice. my choices will be right up yer alley.

Actually, I think she's satan incarnate. I was trying to be nice. Oh wait. I did it again. sorry :D

Can we all agree not to put in any selections from Wheel of Time? I just finished the 10th book. 3 weeks of my life that I'll never get back.

Someone just brought in THREE volumes from that series for one of my patients.

We have to screen books coming in to make sure that nothing with violent or sexual content gets onto the unit. There's enough violent and sexual content there already, without bringing in how-to guides.

So anyway, I check the books, and mention to the visitor that I had just been having some discussion regarding this series, and that people seemed to have strong opinions about it, either really enjoying them, or finding them really boring.

His response? "I never really liked them, but I brought them for my brother because they calm him down a lot, and I thought that would help."

Bibliotherapy. Gotta love it.

23 members

Beastie
Slarti
wolf
Torrere
Lady Sidhe
SteveDallas
Shattered Soul
LumberJim
Neeke
Clodfobble
Brigliadore
Hot Pastrami
Jinx
Cam
Griff
Stacyv
Dagney
Villa Sonoben
warch
mrnoodle
Headsplice
Trillian-zz9
JoZ

Monday the 15th will be the last day to sign up!


So if you are sitting on the fence (ouch!) trying to decide, you have four more days.

Then next week, we can finally start to have an idea of what the first book will actually be.

intelligent political discourse- there's a word for that. oxymoron.

Isn't an oxymoron someone who is too stupid to breathe?

I'd join in, but I'm in the middle of:

Criminal Justice 101;
Political Science 201;
Music 151;
Psychology 101;
The Science of Good and Evil;
The Great Book of Amber.

And I just bought a stack of last semester's textbooks that are related to my research. I'm up to my ass in reading.

Sign me up...
 

The Book Club got me over the hurdle of "do I lurk FOREVER?"

Please count me in. My reading needs a shot in the arm, or something.

The gemstone, or the world developed by Roger Zelazny?

Zelazny.

Can you imagine sitting through waiting for ten books to come out for the conclusion?

No, wait, I don't have to imagine... Damn Jordan, damn him...

I did. I don't have to imagine it.

You sat through waiting for all ten Amber books? *ducking*

Yes. It is my friend Bob's fault.

Many things are my friend Bob's fault.

Re: Sign me up...
 

welcome, joZ. how long you been a lurkin'?

Oh, only about six months or so. From what I've seen, that's not even close to a record!

that still freaks me out. how many more of you out there?

:eek3:

I'll assume that question was rhetorical, or directed to other lurkers who may or may not respond! There's no one else here with me, at any rate... :p

Could we have one or two trusted senior Cellarites volunteer to be the one(s) to pull names out of the hat?


And is the term Cellarites the proper way of denoting cellar members?
It keeps making me think of...

http://www.horrordvds.com/reviews/a-...ser_shot4l.jpg

cenobites, cellarites, what's the diff - we're all in our own private H E L L
Bruhahahahahah!!!!

I think of us as Cellarers, but that might be due to lack of imagination. :D

or the cellary. crunch.

cellizens



dwellars




cellarites

Have you picked out a book already? Shall I read all 7 pages trying to find the title? :)

Nope, if I remember rightly, you've still got 'til march 15th to ask to join, then we'll start chosing books. :)

Okay, noone has volunteered to pull names from a hat, and I don't want to.

So here's what I've done.

NJ lotto holds the game Mega Millions at 11:00 PM Tuesday night.

The Mega Ball number is from 1 to 52.
I've given everyone two numbers next to their names below.
If the Mega Ball number matches a number next to your name, you are the Chooser for the month of April! If the Mega Ball turns out to be a number with no name (currently 47 - 52), then *%$&#@, I am going to pull names out of a hat. But don't worry, that won't happen because I've rigged the NJ lotto to make the Mega Ball turn out to be number 3.

Anyone joining on Monday will just get assigned the next two free numbers from the range. We have enough room for three more to join. In the event that more than three late comers join, then *&$#@* I'll pull names out of a hat or think of something else to do.

The official Mega Millions numbers and rules are posted at
http://www.state.nj.us/lottery/games/1-1_big_game.shtml
The Mega Ball is the number at the end listed after the + sign.

1, 2 Beastie
3, 4 Slarti
5, 6 wolf
7, 8 Torrere
9, 10 Lady Sidhe
11, 12 SteveDallas
13, 14 Shattered Soul
15, 16 LumberJim
17, 18 Neeke
19, 20 Clodfobble
21, 22 Brigliadore
23, 24 Hot Pastrami
25, 26 Jinx
27, 28 Cam
29, 30 Griff
31, 32 Stacyv
33, 34 Dagney
35, 36 Villa Sonoben
37, 38 warch
39, 40 mrnoodle
41, 42 Headsplice
43, 44 Trillian-zz9
45, 46 JoZ

Oh you were looking for volunteers to pull names? I would have done it but someone said something about the cellar elite and, well, I am not one of them. If you still want someone to draw names I am up for it otherwise the Mega Ball is cool with me.

Question: What happens in May if the mega ball picks the same person to choose a book?

I just meant someone that has been on the board long enough so that they are generally trusted by everyone, I'm a recent newcomer myself. I don't really mean the Cellar 'elite' and I don't think I used that word, though if you've racked up over 1000 of anything you are an elite something :D


And we would have to take names off the list as they get picked. I was trying to think of a fun and totally random way of picking people, and this was the best I could think of on a sunday afternoon.

well, you should smoke more pot on Sunday afternoons. There's no need to wait until tuesday. you do the order since it was your idea. lets not get tripped up over a detail. take the 3rd letter of each user name and go reverse alpha or some shit. OR....pick your favorites first. it matters not. you do it. do it now. lets get going. I got your back if anyone questions you. This starts tomorrow.

Alrighty then,

For the impatient out there, I'm just going to pick somebody tonight.


Determined through random number selection, the month of April's Book Chooser is, ...

mrnoodle


People can still sign up until tomorrow, but then that's it, no more people can be in the running for book selection.

mrnoodle, give us something good to read, or else we will riot

When were we supposed to get the title of the book so we could go shopping?

shhh, mrnoodle is sleeping.

If he doesn't wake up in a day or two, we are going to have to pick someone else. to choose our first book.

huh? who? wha..
sorry, I had stepped away. Let's see, three books. Today's theme is 'death'.

Death of the American West book: The Brave Cowboy by Edward Abbey

Death March (Bataan) book: Ghost Soldiers by Hampton Sides

Death of Liberalism illustrated: Deliver Us from Evil by Sean Hannity (just to be that way)

I like em all for different reasons.

My vote's for Hannity ...

I vote Ghost Soldiers by Hampton Sides

mrnoodle, when I search on amazon for Ghost Soldiers, I get at least two books with the same title, but different subtitles.

Is it Ghost Soldiers: The Epic Account of World War II's Greatest Rescue Mission

or

Ghost Soldiers: The Forgotten Epic Story of World War II's Most Dramatic Mission


Both are by Sides.



My first choice will be Deliver Us from Evil

I thought we were going to each rank the three instead of just voting for one. No big deal either way.

Oh, and voting ends on Sunday, that should be enough time.

1. The Brave Cowboy
2. Ghost Soldiers
[note: I've read Ghost Soldiers... the only reason I put it #2. Slarti, I'm pretty sure they just changed the subtitle for the paperback release.]
3. Deliver Us From Evil

www.abebooks.com is your friend.

If you want a ranking of three, then ...

Hannity
Brave Cowboy
Ghost Soldiers

I have not read any of the three ... although I may have ordered Hannity's book from townhall.com. I have to check on my order status there ...

I just did the math. We need to rank them.

1. Ghost Soldiers
2. Deliver Us From Evil
3. Brave Cowboy

cowboy
ghost
evil