Cellar Book of the Month discussion group
The success of the just starting cd-exchange has given me the idea of setting something up like it, but with books.
Mailing books isn't as easy as mailing cd's, so I don't think that would work. What I had in mind is that we all read the same book in a two week (or maybe a month) time period, and we discuss it. We would each have to buy or take out of the library the book in question in order to be in.
Each period, someone new gets to pick the book for the following period. The books should not be War and Peace, Don Quixote, or The Stand sized for the sake of sanity.
Is anyone interested?
I guess so, I'm always reading something, but if we start to get into a quilting circle I'm outta here! :D
I am interested, that sounds like a good idea, one question though once we are in this do we have to do it every time? Like what if someone chooses a book I have read and I dont wanna read it again can I just skip a month?
The idea is flexible. If you want to step out for a month, that works. If you've read the book, you could participated in talking about it.
I like this idea, but since Alan and I rarely get time to read (much to our dismay) Please, Please, Please make the time you have to read the book in something like 3 or 4 weeks. But thats just me.
I vote for 3-4 weeks also, sometimes my schedule gets a little crazy and I wish I could only sit and read a book!
okay, 3-4 weeks sounds good to me.
Er, if it's "Book of the Month," shouldn't the amount of time dedicated to reading the book be... a month? Call me crazy. :D
That would make things too easy :D
How will you decide what book to read? Nominations, voted on or drawn out of a hat? Or just the first person to speak up?
I WILL BE DICTATING THE BOOKS THAT WE'LL READ.
you will all learn to enjoy what i enjoy.
the first book will be:
Curious George ( the original unabridged version)
ok, start reading!
I think we should all suggest books that we'd be interested in reading, and then have some one pick them from a hat and set up a rotation.
Perhaps Fiction Month One, Non Fiction Month Two and back and forth.
I also think the month time frame is the best.
I felt this book was disjointed, and for the most part the characters' actions were completely unmotivated; however, there is an extreme sense of irony in the "happy" epilogue which makes up for any discontent the reader may have felt throughout.
The most grievous error, in my opinion, is that character background is virtually nonexistent, and their relationships remain undeveloped to the last page. The Man with the Yellow Hat is hinted to be a psychic or medium of some sort, inasmuch as he apparently knows George's name without the latter's ability to communicate, yet that is never explored further or even given the proper justification. How might such a man live with always knowing his beloved pet's true feelings about him? We will never know.
But in the end, when George's carefree nature is tested to the ultimate limits by his institutionalization at a local Zoo, I as a reader felt his misanthrophic ways were only getting their just desserts, and I was quite pleased with the karmic outcome.
Put me down. But I would pretty much need the whole month as slow as I read. Plus, that makes it easy to know when we have to be done and all. A different freq would be hard to keep track of (just my $.02, tho).
I love to read but haven't read a decent book in several years (Clive Barker's Sacrament was the last thing I read and that was in the previous century).
I probably will just go along with whatever everyone else picks to read since I'm so far out of the loop these days with what authors and books are good to read.
Originally posted by Clodfobble
I felt this book was disjointed, and for the most part the characters' actions were completely unmotivated; however, there is an extreme sense of irony in the "happy" epilogue which makes up for any discontent the reader may have felt throughout.
The most grievous error, in my opinion, is that character background is virtually nonexistent, and their relationships remain undeveloped to the last page. The Man with the Yellow Hat is hinted to be a psychic or medium of some sort, inasmuch as he apparently knows George's name without the latter's ability to communicate, yet that is never explored further or even given the proper justification. How might such a man live with always knowing his beloved pet's true feelings about him? We will never know.
But in the end, when George's carefree nature is tested to the ultimate limits by his institutionalization at a local Zoo, I as a reader felt his misanthrophic ways were only getting their just desserts, and I was quite pleased with the karmic outcome.
10 POINTS.
someone make a note of it
Awesome, awesome review, clodfobble.
I think you really touched at the existenial heart of one Happy Monkey, there.
Book club is an extraordinarily cool idea, slarti. It is clear that lumberjim is despondent over not having come up with the idea himself.
hey, my back hurts as it is from carrying you people.
actually, i get my inspiration from others, usually. as im sure most of us do. your keychain thread, wolf. the cd thing came from :censored:f, the art gallery from ....damn, i cant remember, but i credited in the 1st post.....the whole dave thing was onyxcougar's idea .....;).....somtimes ideas kind of backfire......., and sometimes they're great. I also steal ideas from jinx, cuz she's too shy to post her own threads. ( she makes me do it)
you get the drift.
i'll post a new thread at the drop of a hat, that's all. I'm out of control.
Nominations?
Well, the books on my stack are:
The Exile, by Albert Camus
The Confessions of Jean-Jacques Rousseau
A Distant Mirror: The Calamitous 14th Century, by Barbara S. Tuchman (if I can find it).
I still haven't read Stranger in a Strange Land.
Others on the stack which probably are not valid entries:
Assassin's Apprentince, by Robin Hobb
Saturn's Quest, by Larry Niven
Have most of the people on the Cellar already read Guns, Germs and Steel?
Methods for choosing the book
1) Each month a new person chooses the book. We can pull names from a hat to determine order. This gives a lot of power to the chooser, but if everyone complains about the chosen book, it can be vetoed and the chooser has to pick an alternate book.
-OR-
2) The chosen person picks three books, then everyone votes on which of the three will be the book of the month.
-OR-
3) Everyone nominates a book, and then a vote is made (1st choice 3 points, 2nd choice 2 points, 3rd choice one point). The book with the most points becomes the book of the month.
Personally, I like method 1 or 2 the most, but I'll go with what people agree.
Originally posted by wolf
Book club is an extraordinarily cool idea, slarti. It is clear that lumberjim is despondent over not having come up with the idea himself.
Thanks Wolf! Now I feel all warm and fuzzy inside. (must be that cat I swollowed)
LJ don't worry, you can still come up with Fish of the Month or Ideology of the Month, there is still a lot of ideas to choose from..
The second method sounds good.
Everyone reciting a list of books a la me will probably result in a quickly overwhelmed and fading thread.
*Torrere ponders deleting the post
Two votes for Option 2 (torrere and I)
Anyone else?
I like option 2 as well ... makes the whole experience more participatory ...
And we should set April to be the first month. We will need to know which book it is by march 24.
That would give everyone a week to pick up the book, is that enough time?
allows sufficient time for amazon shipping and handling, I'd say ... even if people start late, having a month to read the book is more than sufficient, unless it's a really, really long book, which we said we weren't going to do.
Sounds good to me. Reading is my life.
*stands up, takes a deep breath, and says"
Hello, my name is Shattered Soul, and I'm a bibliophile...
I'm right there with shattered. I'm usually reading a couple of books at a time, but I can always add one more.
Sidhe
Yep, let's do it. I like option #2 for selecting the books.
Okay, it seems like we are going with choice 2. That means we need a list of interested parties.
So far, we've got
List updated
Beastie
Slarti
Wolf
Torrere
Lady Sidhe
SteveDallas
Shattered Soul
LumberJim
Neeke
Clodfobble
Brigliadore
Hot Pastrami ??
Jinx
Cam
Griff
We also need someone to pull names from a hat. This can be done two ways.
1) If we pull all the names out of the hat now, we know the lineup to begin with, and new entrants get tacked onto the end of the list.
2) Or, we only pull only one name out of the hat, new entrants get tossed in as they join. Every month a new name is pulled.
The second one gives the excitement of wondering every month if you are next, but the first seems a little more fair to the folks that were in from the beginning, as they are guaranteed to get to go before latecomers.
I like choice two, I could go for a little bit of the unexpected.
[COLOR=indigo]Uh....when did I sign up?[/COLOR]
I would suggest option two ... random draw each month, but until a full cycle has been completed, no repeats? Let everybody have a chance at being the book chooser before a second iteration starts.
Sorry Onyx, I just took a list of folks that posted in this forum, and added question marks next to those that didn't specifically say 'count me in'. I should have put question marks next to your name. Are you interested?
If I put your name in by accident, sorry, I'll take it out, just let me know.
Good point wolf. We set a deadline for folks interested. Anyone joining after that point has to wait until the whole starting group has had a turn.
I don't think there should be repeats because it is going to take long enough for everyone to get a chance at being the book chooser.
Sure, I'm in--but I can't guarantee an in-depth review like that every time. :)
And few books have as much depth as Curious George.
Originally posted by Slartibartfast
Sorry Onyx, I just took a list of folks that posted in this forum, and added question marks next to those that didn't specifically say 'count me in'. I should have put question marks next to your name. Are you interested?
If I put your name in by accident, sorry, I'll take it out, just let me know.
[COLOR=indigo]In light of my failure to grasp the fundamentals of "Solitude", I'm going to bow out. Thanks, tho.[/COLOR] :)
I think the only thing anyone has to volunteer for is whether or not they would like to nominate books. As this is going to end up being completely voluntary anyone can join in at anytime without informing the group. It's not like the CD exchange where people dropping in and out throws the entire system off.
I think we've already seen enough interest to start the club already too. That being said I'll try and participate as much as possible.
edit: Damn somehow I missed Slartibartfast last post, I think option two is the best.
I'm in, but I reserve the right to whine about my reading load for school.
okay, so far
Beastie
Slarti
Wolf
Torrere
Lady Sidhe
SteveDallas
Shattered Soul
LumberJim
Neeke
Clodfobble
Brigliadore
Hot Pastrami ???
Jinx
Cam
Griff
Stacyv
i'll do it, but i can't promise that i won't just make jinx tell me about the book. i'll be damned if i'm going to buy 2 copies ofeach book. jinx is a fast reader, but i tend to become unconscious shortly after i open my book. I'd love to pick 3 books for your consideration, though. Does Playboy qualify as a "book"?
I like Penthouse better. You know, because of the Forum Letters, mostly. Find the bunny on the cover of Playboy is okay, though.
Hmm,
how does this sound?
Member Sign in deadline is by monday 15th
first Chooser of Books determined by 17th
Chooser should announce three chosen books some time from 18th to 20th
Voting concerning the three possible books 20th to 24th
Tallying of votes, and Book of the Month announcement 24th to 25th
Free time to go to library or buy from some bookstore 25th to 5th.
Month of April, reading time. Instead of waiting until the end of the month to start talking about this, we should figure out a way of allowing early talk without spoiling anything for anyone.
This is getting too complicated... :eek:
I can't decide whether I should attempt to participate. I like the idea, but I haven't got much spare time these days, and what little I have is consumed by a number of creative pursuits. Perhaps I'll tentatively join, with the pre-prepared excuse that I may fall behind, and therefore be unable to participate in discussions. Just put my name low on the book selection list, and we'll see if I can manage to keep up. If not, I'll give up my turn to pick a book. Fair?
Just like everything else around here ...
;)
Originally posted by wolf
Just like everything else around here ...
;)
Are you referring to "Fair" or "Complicated?" Heheh. Sorry, added complexity, didn't I?
you got your post in a hair ahead of me. I was referencing the "complicated" from Slarti's post.
Originally posted by wolf
you got your post in a hair ahead of me. I was referencing the "complicated" from Slarti's post.
I know. I was just being a Shmartass. I'd never tried it before, so I was wondering what it felt like. It feels exactly how Windex smells.
Instead of waiting until the end of the month to start talking about this, we should figure out a way of allowing early talk without spoiling anything for anyone.
...Why don't they just not read the thread until they're done with the book? Self-control is hard, I know.
The schedule must be able to repeat or it will turn into the That Book We Read in April Club. In any given month:
17th: Chooser is named.
20th: Chooser must have named his/her 3 books.
25th: Vote winner is declared. Thread is created and discussion may begin forthwith.
Sign me up. I officially have time.
Count me in as well, I need something to do in those few hours I'm NOT at the office or in Hazelton :)
okay, so far the Current list (19 hardly literate souls),
Beastie
Slarti
Wolf
Torrere
Lady Sidhe
SteveDallas
Shattered Soul
LumberJim
Neeke
Clodfobble
Brigliadore
Hot Pastrami
Jinx
Cam
Griff
Stacyv
Dagney
Villa Sonoben
warch
mrnoodle
Sometimes "Illiterary."
I liked Harry Potter and confess a fondness for Hairy Chested Men's Adventure Series.
oh my god wolf, we have something in common...i read all the harry potter books because i wanted to see what all the hype was about...i still like jackie collins, mary higgins clark, stephen king, john grisham, and danielle steele better, though.
Originally posted by staceyv
oh my god wolf, we have something in common...
bet you didn't see that one coming, wolfie.
made your day, i'm sure?
I'm in. I'll give it a try.
without looking, i'll nominate the 7th person on the list to pull the names from the hat for the choice order......and that is.......Shattered Soul...damn, missed me by one.
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???
Originally posted by Slartibartfast
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
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.
Originally posted by SteveDallas
[B]
Wait, who put in a fatness limit???
/B]
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.
Originally posted by nekee
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???
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/browse/-/542942/ref=b_bh_lr_b_aw/102-9293207-3976946
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.
Originally posted by mrnoodle
favorite authors as they do their favorite god or political figger.
Ummm that should be fegro shouldn't it?
Originally posted by staceyv
oh my god wolf, we have something in common...i read all the harry potter books because i wanted to see what all the hype was about...i still like jackie collins, mary higgins clark, stephen king, john grisham, and danielle steele better, though.
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.
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 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.
I would also like to join for those reasons.
Originally posted by Slartibartfast
Read _Living History_ by Hillary Clinton, then we'll forgive you :D
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.
Originally posted by Happy Monkey
intelligent political discourse.
There's a contradiction in terms.
[size=1]*cough*[/size]
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.
Originally posted by Happy Monkey
What's with people thinking that opposition politicians are insane? Stuff like that removes any intelligent political discourse.
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.
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.
Originally posted by Troubleshooter
The Great Book of Amber.
The gemstone, or the world developed by Roger Zelazny?
Originally posted by wolf
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...
Originally posted by Troubleshooter
Can you imagine sitting through waiting for ten books to come out for the conclusion?
I did. I don't have to imagine it.
Originally posted by wolf
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.
Originally posted by JoZ
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.
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...
cenobites, cellarites, what's the diff - we're all in our own private [FONT=courier new]H E L L[/FONT]
Bruhahahahahah!!!!
is the term Cellarites the proper way of denoting cellar members?
I think of us as Cellarers, but that might be due to lack of imagination. :D
cellizens
dwellars
cellarites
Have you picked out a book already? Shall I read all 7 pages trying to find the title? :)
Originally posted by mutating string
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?
Originally posted by Brigliadore
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.
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.
Originally posted by Slartibartfast
..... 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, ...
[SIZE=3]mrnoodle[/SIZE]
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?
Originally posted by Dagney
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 thang aaahl go weeuth tha cowboy book, pardner.
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.
[list=1]
[*]Ghost Soldiers (WWII - the best war ever)
[*]The Brave Cowboy.
[*]Deliver Us from Evil.
[/list]
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
OK then I will rank them:
1. Ghost Soldiers
2. The Brave Cowboy
3. Deliver Us from Evil
1) Cowboy
2) Ghost
3) Evil
1st choice: Ghost Soldiers
2nd choice: Deliver Us From Evil
3rd choice: Brave Cowboy
*sneeze*
*sneeze*
:)
I take back what I said about you NOT being sarcastic.
this is NOT a bet. i repeat, This is NOT a bet.
You forgot to rank "Deliver us from Evil"
You forgot an ending punctuation on that statement.
That wasn't a statement, it was a straight line.
With over half of the states votes having been tabulated, candidate Soldiers is in a clear lead. It seems the controversies over campaign funding, slanderous commercials, and an alleged kickback scheme in a Soldiers-owned tongue depressor factory, have not diminished this candidate's voting base.
Cowboy is in second place with four states won, compared to Soldiers' seven. Candidate Cowboy has been hampered by a weak debating style, but his youthful vitality and road kill barbequeing skills make him popular with a large audience.
Third party candidate Mr. Evil is not doing so well. With only three states taken so far, it is unlikely he will be voted in, but it is still statistically possible. Candidate Evil was hampered in the early days of campaigning because of rumors of an alleged affair with a chicken sexer from Nebraska.
Stay tuned here, where the news never stops (being made up)...
Originally posted by SteveDallas
You forgot to rank "Deliver us from Evil"
Work with me Steve.
Its pretty much a toss up for me...
but how about cowboy/evil/ghost....Whatever.
Do I get to vote, even though I picked em? Remember, every vote counts, and count every vote. Being a Gen X'er, I'm typically apathetic when votes are being taken on anything. However, being told I can't vote will whip me into a righteous lather and I'll probably write a song (in the style of Rage Against the Machine). Fear my angst.
I kind of want to vote for Evil, since that book is more likely to induce left wing sputtering, which amuses me to no end. On the other hand, political bickering gets tiresome after about 5 responses, and this has to last a month. Sean's not the best writer in the world either.
Cowboy is fun, because it triggers my nature-boy instincts, which sometimes run contrary to my general political leanings. I'm likely to contradict myself at some point, since I like capitalism and trees almost equally, so I'll actually have to think before I speak. It's also the deepest from a literary standpoint, with lots of bookworm stuff to talk about.
Ghost is also well written; actually, it's one of the best in the WWII genre. It's not a cheerleading exercise, in fact there are several passages critical of American military policy and the racial mindset of the time. Since it's about war, though, a debate about Iraq is bound to surface at some point, which will invoke the 5-responses-till-horse-is-beat law. Maybe, maybe not.
There is, however, one trump card for Deliver Us from Evil. Sean Hannity rules, and when people put their noses in the air at him it makes my right wing flap like mad. So I'm going to invert my vote :D
1) Evil
2) Ghost
3) Cowboy
[SIZE=1]edited to note that Evil Ghost Cowboy would be an excellent name for a band. As would Vote for Evil. Sincere apologies to Dave Barry.[/SIZE]
Originally posted by mrnoodle
Do I get to vote, even though I picked em?
No! You can't vote!
*ducks behind stacyv*
Does the president vote in his own elections?
Originally posted by Slartibartfast
Does the president vote in his own elections?
Yes.
Evil
Ghost
Cowboy.
Heck, even my vote sounds like the title of a book :)
Originally posted by SteveDallas
Yes.
sorry, unobvious rhetorical question. I was trying to say 'since the prez can vote in his own elections, so can mrnoodle.'
Soldiers is still in the lead, but Cowboy is one vote below. In the event of a tie, it looks like Soldier would still win because he has more 'second choice' votes than Cowboy. Evil is still in the running, having gained some ground.
I'm sorta from Chicago, does that mean I get to vote again, or do I have to be dead for that?
Originally posted by Slartibartfast
Soldiers is still in the lead, but Cowboy is one vote below. In the event of a tie, it looks like Soldier would still win because he has more 'second choice' votes than Cowboy. Evil is still in the running, having gained some ground.
How about first choices get two points and second choices get one?
I should say how I am going to tally the votes. The book with the most votes as first choice will be the winner.
In the event of a tie, I will count up the number of votes for each book as second choice, and the one with the most of those would then be the winner.
In the event of a tie, I would give the Chooser final choice between the two.
I considered giving 1st one value, 2nd another, 3rd another, and then summing up the total for each book, but I'm not a psephologist, so I really don't see the improvement in quality of choice.
If someone can explain to me that it would result in a better outcome for everyone, then sure I'll change to it.
I've been away for a few days, but I don't think that I've missed the end of the vote.
Ghost Soldiers
Brave Cowboy
Deliver us from Evil
I am going with
Evil
Soldiers
Cowboy
Okay,
Soldier is still ahead by one vote, Cowboy is in second place, and Evil is in third.
If noone else votes by midnight, Ghost Soldiers is Book of the Month!
For those of you buying online, this is a good link (a little slow):
http://www3.addall.com/New/compare.cgi?dispCurr=USD&id=729968&isbn=038549565X&location=10000&thetime=20040321150053&author=&title=&state=AK
Overstock.com has the book for $11.54, half.com and others sell it used for cheaper.
so, i guess Soldier won. We haven't forgotten about this have we?
this begins in April, yes?
I have some free time at work today (no school this week, so I get to work in an empty building), and it feels like it is time to pick next month's chooser of books.
So without further delay, the random decay of radioactive atoms at fourmilab have determined that the next chooser is,
Trillian
If Trillian does not come forward by Sunday, which seems very likely as she hasn't posted anything in a month, choosing will fall to the next person in line (which I will now get).
Okay, the following chooser after Trillian will be
Hot Pastrami
If Trillian does comes forward, he will do June
Hot Pastrami!
Put up your selection of three books for the month of May!
We are all waiting anxiously for what comes next...
Well, at least I am :D
I think perhaps someone else should get the pick for this go-around. I had nowhere near enough free time to participate this month, and I don't foresee that changing anytime soon. I've hardly had time to visit the Cellar, let alone read a book and participate in a discussion about it.
I'm not trying to be uncooperative, it just seems silly to have me pick the book on a month where I know I won't have time to finish it. You can throw me pack in the rotation though... I hope to reclaim a little of my free time someday, at which time I'll want to read gobs of books.
Okay then, here it goes again.
The next one that came up is Nekee but that person hasn't posted in a month and might have dropped out. I'm going to skip him (her?) for the moment since we are pressed for time and can't wait around to see if he shows.
So choosing again, we come up with
wolf.
Okay miss wolf, you're up!
Nekee, if you want to claim your chance to choose, get back to me and I'll let you go for June.
Okay ... I have been advised that I am to choose the book o' the month for May ...
I had two choices all ready for this I toyed with the idea of making my third choice either the latest by Hannity, O'Reilly, or Coulter, but I decided not to do that to you guys. Several of my possibilities got nixed by their sheer size. Accessibility of books already in my possession actually became a factor in the choice ... if the book was so far down in the pile that it might cause an avalanche to unearth it, it didn't make the cut. I also avoided the obvious choices ... I still haven't read
More Guns, Less Crime or
The Bias against Guns by John Lott and didn't want to make you guys my excuse to do so.
Also be grateful that I didn't just throw my current reading selection in the mix ...
The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People.
The choices for May Selection are:
Snow in August by Pete Hamill
(This is a book I read quite a few years ago. I lent it to my boss, probably about five years ago ... he still hasn't returned it. This may be my excuse to get it back!)
Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal
(This was actually recommended to me by a cop, who described it as hilarious. As I am generally unused to cops who read (no affront intended to any law enforcement personnel) I took this as high praise, and a very serious recommendation)
Only Forward by Michael Marshall Smith
(First novel by an author for whom good things should happen. I understand one of his later novels is under option by DreamWorks.)
So, there you have it. All three are works of fiction, and of much lighter content than our opening choice, which was still quite a fascinating and enjoyable read.
Have at it. Let the voting commence.
Snow, Forward, Lamb.
I really meant to read Hamill's book when it first came out but I never got around to it, although Forward might be just the kind of speedy read I need right now.
thanks for cutting us a break on Hannity but the Lott book could be interesting
Lamb, Forward,Snow
I voted for Lamb first because it was going to be one of my picks. I read it recently, and it is probably the best and most easily likeable book I've read in like 5 years. (You'll love Biff) I'm not just copping out and picking one that I've already read; I'd really like everyone to read it, because it is hilarious, and straight down the middle about jesus and religion in general. it pokes fun at all of the major religions of the day, but it an oddly respectful way. 17 thumbs up!
Forward
Lamb
Snow
How long should voting last? I'm thinking Monday sounds like a reasonable deadline.
Forward
Snow
Lamb
Oh, wait.. can we find out which one has the most gratuitous sex before we vote?
Just a quick aside. For anyone who enjoyed Only Forward, MMS has written some other stuff, one of which I can highly recommend by the name of Spares.
Okay the votes are in, and totalled ...
It's a tie.
Lamb and Only Forward each have three votes for number 1 pick.
The tension mounts, as the individual weighted calculations are done for each book ...
Snow in August ... 15
Lamb ... 16
Only Forward ... 17
So, the Book of the Month for May shall be Only Forward by Michael Marshall Smith
Got mine yesterday at ye olde used book store down the street from my house for a mere $3.25.
I was already pumped about reading the book (my first choice) then I saw that the cover has a great review blurb from one of my favorite authors, Clive Barker. WooHoo!
I read Only Forward a few years ago at my brother's suggestion....Every so often it sends a little shiver down your spine.....in a lyrical sort of a way.
Damn. I guess I have to change the name of my manuscript.
It was "Brave Cowboy Ghost Soldiers Deliver Us From Evil". Now, I don't know what to call it...
Damn. I guess I have to change the name of my manuscript. It was "Brave Cowboy Ghost Soldiers Deliver Us From Evil". Now, I don't know what to call it...
Its time to get started with June's book of the month.
So, here goes, the next chooser is going to be Beestie!
Beestie, find us something good to read!
edit: typos
Fantastic. When are the selections due?
Originally posted by Clodfobble
Eh... 24th or so.
???
Clodfobble, we need about a week to vote and a week to order the books.
Beestie, could you have three choices by the 19th (wednesday)? If you think you need more time, just say so, I don't think it's a big deal.
Oops, you're right, the 24th was when the votes were supposed to be tallied and the winner declared. I smoke crack.
Beestie, could you have three choices by the 19th (wednesday)?
Will do. Two down - closing in on the third. Choosing three books is harder than it looks.
It occurred to me after I posted about time travel on the philosphy forum, theres an amazing book which plays with that theme a little. If you guys havent read it yet it's a very strange book. "Behold the Man" by Michael Moorcock. Basic run down;a chap goes back in time to see who/what Jesus really was.....I'll not tell you any more just in case any of you want to read it, wouldnt want to spoil the plot:P
Here are the selections for June. Choose 2. Choice 1 gets 2 points and choice 2 gets one point. Most points wins. I'll break a tie. Polls close Monday morning (May 24th) at noon GMT.
Imajica by Clive Barker
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
There has never been a book like Imajica. Transforming every expectation of fantasy fiction with its heady mingling of radical sexuality and spiritual anarchy, it has carried its millions of readers into regions of passion and philosophy that few books have even attempted to map. It's an epic in everyway; vast in conception, obsessively detailed in execution, and apocalyptic in its resolution. A book of erotic mysteries and perverse violence. A book of ancient, mythological landscapes and even more ancient magic.
Gates of Fire by Stephen Pressfield
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Go tell the Spartans, stranger passing by, that here obedient to their laws we lie.
Thus reads an ancient stone at Thermopylae in northern Greece, the site of one of the world's greatest battles for freedom. Here, in 480 B.C., on a narrow mountain pass above the crystalline Aegean, 300 Spartan knights and their allies faced the massive forces of Xerxes, King of Persia. From the start, there was no question but that the Spartans would perish. In Gates of Fire, however, Steven Pressfield makes their courageous defense--and eventual extinction--unbearably suspenseful.
Snow Leopard by Peter Matthiessen
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Published in 1978, The Snow Leopard is rightly regarded as a classic of modern nature writing. Guiding his readers through steep-walled canyons and over tall mountains, Matthiessen offers a narrative that is shot through with metaphor and mysticism, and his arduous search for the snow leopard becomes a vehicle for reflections on all manner of matters of life and death. In the process, The Snow Leopard evolves from an already exquisite book of natural history and travel into a grand, Buddhist-tinged parable of our search for meaning. By the end of their expedition, having seen wolves, foxes, rare mountain sheep, and other denizens of the Himalayas, and having seen many signs of the snow leopard but not the cat itself, Schaller muses, "We've seen so much, maybe it's better if there are some things that we don't see."
DAMN YOU BEESTIE!
they ALL look great.
hmmmmm....
1. Gates of Fire
2. Imajica
...i guess.
1. Imajica
2. Gates of Fire
1. Snow Leopard (I have this guy's book on Tigers ... phenomenal pictures, excellent and unsual commentary.
2. Gates of Fire
It was actually difficult to choose between Gates and Imajica.
1) Imagjica
2) Snow Leopard
only 4 voters??? :(
Monday looks like a good day to close voting.
A small but enthusiastic crowd has selected Clive Barker's Imajica as June's Book of the Month! I did not vote since there was a clear winner.
WoooHooo!!
Just so no one gets confused, this version of Imajica is the Part I version. The original work is almost 1,000 pages so they split it into two volumes. I bring this to everyone's attention so that if you think you want both books, you might find the 1,000± page original less expensive than Part I and Part II purchased separately. I'm taking the plunge and getting the big one.
I'm a big fan of Barker's and hope everyone enjoys the book.
I've just run the random number generator once more, and I have here July's Chooser of Books.
And the chooser is...
Stevedallas!
*golf clap*
Are you going to make us read some Bloom County? Or how about making everyone buy:
The Complete Far Side Leather-Bound Set [Signed Limited Edition]I'm not worthy... I'm not worthy....
When am I supposed to post my three choices?
Heh heh heh..... I'm still narrowing it down... However cartoons are doubtful. ("The Complete Cherry Poptart" might still make the cut, but I'd be afraid to be responsible for giving blue a coronary.)
This was such a tough choice--not only did I want to find interesting books, I also wanted to make sure they would be relatively easy to acquire and would be readable by most people within the month. In the end I will nominate the following three books, which I have lettered A, B, and C for your voting pleasure.
Since we have had two straight fiction nominees, I have decided to take us back on a nonfiction tack.
[list=a]
[*]
Witsec: Inside the Federal Witness Protection Program
by Pete Earley and Gerald Shur
This book is co-authored by Gerald Shur, one of the driving forces behind the creating of the Witness Protection Program. It gives an inside (though obviously biased) account of the creation of the program up to the present day, and tells of the many problems and turf issues Shur faced in getting the program up and running.
[*]
Genius: The Life and Science of Richard Feynman
by Jame Gleick
A biography of nobel laureate Feynman. This book gives a fascinating counterpoint to Feynman's own memoirs "Surely you're joking Mr. Feynman" and "What Do You Care What People Think?" As the title indicates, the book discusses Feynman's scientific work along with his personal life, including his time at the Manhattan Project, the Challenger inquiry panel, and the nobel-winning quantum physics work in between. However the level of technical detail is not excessive for a general audience.
[*]
Why We Buy: The Science of Shopping
by Paco Underhill
Underhill is the proprietor of a company that specializes in doing research for retail stores on how to maximize their sales by optimizing the design of their stores. For example, if a drugstore wants to sell more hair coloring products, what part of the store is the best place to put them? This does not sound like a very promising subject for casual reading, but Underhill's wit and liberal use of anecdotes and examples from his past research makes it very readable and thought-provoking for anybody who has ever been frustrated by their shopping experience.
[/list]
Now, as a special added attraction, because I know many of you will have laid awake at night thinking, "Gee, I wish I could have more than three books picked out for me by SteveDallas," I have listed some favorites (along with typical quotes) that did not make the cut, primarily because they were too much fun, and I wanted to keep things serious. You may wish to check them out on your own time!
[list]
[*]
The Mind of Egypt: History and Meaning in the Time of the Pharaohs
Misfortune lay outside the province of social action, and only this latter was connected by the link between doing and faring, the connective justice of ma'at."
[*]
A New Firebolt Sweeps Clean: Reflections on Textuality and Intertextuality in J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter Series
Although the romantic[?] "triangle" of Harry, Ron, and Hermione is obvious, the more compelling relationship is that between Harry and Draco Malfoy, with its subtle but omnipresent homoerotic overtones.
[*]
I Was A Teenage Dominatrix: A Memoir
I'd always hated my muscular legs but I was grateful to them for the first time.
[*]
pr0n: A History of Dirty Pictures on the Internet
As these sample images show (see Figure 1a, "cheerleader" and Figure 1b, "cucumber"), even the most common and innocent search terms can result in image hits of breathtaking audacity and disgust.
[*]
Techniques for Drawing Female Manga Characters"
Female [bicycle] riders normally sit on their skirts, so a skirt that flutters behind in the wind is a fictitious manga effect.
[/list]
A New Firebolt Sweeps Clean: Reflections on Textuality and Intertextuality in J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter Series
If you like that kind of thing look up a wonderful little tome called the Philosophy of Pooh, fantastic little volume that walks an incredibly tight line between poking fun at itself and being perfectly serious.
I Was A Teenage Dominatrix: A Memoir
Bit of *ahem* late night reading eh?
They all look good. B is my first choice, but I can't make up my mind for choice two. I'll have to think about it some more.
A
B
C
It was actually choosing number 1 ... the Shopping book, while interesting (and marketing was something I was once fascinated with as an expression of human behavior and manipulation) I don't know if I could sustain interest through an entire book, no matter how many amusing and witty anecdotes it contains.
I love Feynman and have read The Pleasure of Finding Things Out as well as Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman which is why it ended up as my second choice ... it represents ground already covered, thus Witsec is #1.
Originally posted by SteveDallas
[B]
The Mind of Egypt: History and Meaning in the Time of the Pharaohs
I think I read that a long time ago! I had two or three chapters as optional reading for a history class. The book itself is technical but it's not too dry or academic. I would call it a must read for all Ancient Egypt addicts!
It looks like Genius: The Life and Science of Richard Feynman by Jame Gleick
has won with only three votes cast.
To be fair, let's allow two more days of voting, but I think everyone that is going to vote has voted.
I can't tell if people are participating and not voting, or if we only have three or four people participating at all :(
I for one don't want to stop because we have yet to have a bad book, they've all been really good! Even most of the runner-ups look good to me.
I'd like to day that i'm participating, but even though i've voted, i have yet to read one of these books. i've been busy reading a decology that perth would frown upon, and i'm a very slow reader.......up to book 6 i think.......jinx has made me buy a couple of the selections, but i dont know that she's read them yet......
i still like having three strongly recommended books reviewed, though, so keep it up.....i'll get thru this series eventually.
I didn't vote because I don't think I will have the time to really read a book this coming month. I don't think its fair for me to vote for a book I have not intention of reading.
I admit I fell down on reading Ghost Soldiers and Imajica... in both cases I just couldn't connect with the books and ended up reading other stuff. I'm not sure why. But let's keep it going for a bit.. even if it's just reading suggestions.
BTW wolf and others who have read stuff by Feynman himself, I did not find there was a lot of duplication between that and the Gleick biography.
(PS... some of my "extra suggestions" are bogus... I was waiting to see if anybody went out to try to find them)
I'm definitely still in, just not this month. I got so excited about reading Lamb that even though it wasn't voted in whatever month that was, it got put in line and read anyway. I'm still gonna bust out with Imagica eventually here, but I wanted to take a month off to catch up.
For those that are into Feynman, there are two comic books that touch on his life, one of them, Fallout, centers more on the Manhattan Project, and the other one, Two Fisted Science, is short pieces on many different scientists. You can find info on them at:
http://www.gt-labs.com/I'm glad you're all still interested, let's keep the ball rolling!
So we're doing the Feynman biography, right?
Damn! I never look at this thread at the right time. Maybe I need to set up something to remind me.
Steve, I was so sure that
I Was A Teenage Dominatrix was one of your fake books -- especially when I tried to search for it on Amazon and didn't find it.
Praise Google!
Originally posted by wolf
So we're doing the Feynman biography, right?
It looks that way! I'm putting my order in today.
That author, James Gleick, also wrote Chaos, which is a really good science book, though a bit dated by now.
I also ordered today. And I got the Fallout comic.
Just because I could :)
I'm very much enjoying Genius, but I doubt that I'll finish before the end of the month ... Do we have a comments thread for it yet?
(THIS IS NOT REALLY A COMPLAINT: Is it me, or are the books getting longer?)
I haven't started one, but I will. I'm planning on re-reading it while I'm on vacation.
Actually I eliminated one choice, Girls Lean Back Everywhere by Edward Degrazia (which I still recommend highly for anybody who is interested in the history of censorship in the US) because I decided it was just unrealisitically long. (Though it probably does have more naughty bits than any selection to date, so maybe that would encourage closer reading? :doit: )
I am STILL waiting for my book from eBay/half.com. Its nearing the outer edges of the expected delivery timeframe.
Wolf, did you get Fallout? Tell me what you think when you get a chance to look at it.
I just noticed its about time for announcing next month's chooser.
so without further delay, I've run the number generator, and my result is
Headsplice!
While I haven't spotted this person around, he has posted as of 7-8-04, so he's around. I've pm'ed him, so let's see if he responds quickly.
I have Fallout, but really want to finish Genius before I get distracted by something else.
I also have a copy of Half Asleep in Frog Pajamas beckoning seductively from the bedside. As well as a large pile of DVDs and a pile of assorted books I got on sale from the Townhall.com Conservative Book Club.
Zell Miller's A National Party No More is my current bathroom book. (does anyone else do that? Leave some reading more interesting than People Magazine in the temple of comfort for those moments described in the sit or stand thread? Usually the potty book is something that is a bit more "sectional" than this. One that I had MUCH enjoyment with was an encyclopedia of mystical places, so I whiled away my time reading about Stonehenge and Atlantis and the Piri Reis Map.)
Okay, I'll admit it. I started to read Fallout. It's very cool. The artwork and layout is very nicely done! I've only gotten about 10 or 15 pages into it, but I got a real case of the giggles over seeing Leo Szillard in the bathtub ...
Zell Miller's A National Party No More is my current bathroom book. (does anyone else do that? Leave some reading more interesting than People Magazine in the temple of comfort for those moments described in the sit or stand thread? Usually the potty book is something that is a bit more "sectional" than this. One that I had MUCH enjoyment with was an encyclopedia of mystical places, so I whiled away my time reading about Stonehenge and Atlantis and the Piri Reis Map.)
I've got Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus in mine--no, wait! Now I remember-that's what I flushed. Sorry. Just sleepy.
That's on my "to read" pile.
I have read "Mars and Venus on a Date," which is really quite useful.
Really? How so? Do you feel like you can communicate more effectively after reading the booK? Or just know what is typical weirded-out behavior of the dating game?
Headsplice hasn't responded. My next pick was JoZ, but this person has been inactive since March, so I pick again and I get
Torrere
So let's see if we get august going now.
I don't think I'm going to get Genius finished before the end of July!
(I'm doing my best too ... it's just been too busy to read at work. Also, now that I'm past the Manhattan Project the story is bogging and my interest is waning)
If we can't get someone to choose for August ... rather than taking a month off, what about having each person interested in continuing to participate choose one book, then after a bit of time, we vote ... however you can't vote for your own book for choice #1, but it can be ordered as either #2 or #3? (I was thinking three votes per person, no matter how many books are in the pool ... )
That sounds like a good idea, wolf. What say the masses? I am itching to start...
Sounds good to me. My suggestion is "Lamb," before anyone else picks it. :)
need more info--"Lamb" by who???? (m)??????
Am practically illiterate!
I totally vote for that one! What say we all?
So we have something else to vote on ...
Half Asleep in Frog Pajamas, by Tom Robbins
Yeah, I'm totally up for Lamb too ...
Ok, so we've got three votes for "Lamb" and one vote for "Frog Pajamas" (with Wolf voting once in each category :)). Unless someone speaks up in the next 24 hours or so, I'm going to start a thread on "Lamb."
I was wondering if this was still open to join?
Most definitely. Anyone is welcome to read the book and talk about it. And as for selecting books, enough people have dropped out that we seem to be playing it by ear for now anyway.
I will watch for the next go around. Unless there is still time on the current book?
There's definitely still time. Only just started the thread for it yesterday. The book is "Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal" by Christopher Moore.