Boards book club - Vote for your book!

Denerick

I've decided to take the lunge in case this thread (http://boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=67218771#post67218771) gets forgotten about.

Basically the theme this month will be last years (2009) booker longlist. (You can see them all here - http://www.themanbookerprize.com/news/stories/1252) However since it would be insensible to have 13 books on a shortlist, I've decided to narrow it down to 5 books. This will necessarily be arbitrary on my part, but I've decided to exclude books any longer than 500 words. This means that Wolf Hall will not be included, since it is already a very widely read book. Perhaps I'm being somewhat selfish, since I have already read it and don't want to read it all over again. Summertime is excluded as its the third installment of a trilogy. Quite frankly, I've excluded the rest on almost entirely arbitrary grounds, as I hadn't heard of most of them. I've read all the descriptions on goodreads.com and the link is included.

The five books:

1) Adam Foulds, 'The Quickening maze' - http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6256840-the-quickening-maze
2) Sarah Hall, 'How to Paint a Dead Man' - http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6345195-how-to-paint-a-dead-man
3) Simon Mawer, 'The Glass Room' - http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2694539.The_Glass_Room
4) James Scudamore, 'Heliopolis' - http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6325343-heliopolis
5) Sarah Waters, 'The Little Stranger' - http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6065182-the-little-stranger

Please read the descriptions and choose wisely....

Let the voting commence (Voting will close, August 10th)

P.S- I voted for 'The Glass Room'. It seems the most interesting out of the bunch. Do feel free to badger and propagandise on this thread in favour of your selected novel.

Quality

Thanks!

neveah

I voted for Heliopolis, but The Glass Room sounds good too. I'd be happy to read either of them to be honest.

Denerick

It seems like the Glass Room is taking an early lead...

Procasinator

Good work Denerick.

I voted for Heliopolis, but all the books sound good.

There has been 10 votes so far. Good to see some interest.

Denerick

The 11 votes mightn't necessarily turn into readers though. Could just be passing trade. If we get half a dozen people to partake it should be enough though and hopefully will be enough to keep momentum for the following month.

I keep waiting for Eliot to pop in. He seems to have disappeared all of a sudden...

I've always said it about Eliot, he's never here when you need him...

Quality

I always thought eliot was a chick

Cheetara

I love a good ghost story so voted for Sarah Waters.

gogo

Just after finishing my last book in time for this, always in the middle of something when the book club rolled around, so anyway, The little Stranger seems right up my alleyway, but they all look good. Cheers Denerick.

Edit: beware spoilers in those reviews, some people can't put help tell you the ending.

Denerick

Today is the last day to vote!!!

neveah

So we have a winner then - Sarah Waters 'The Little Stranger'. How long do we have to read it before the discussion begins??

Denerick

Nope, its not over till 8 o clock this evening, and the Glass Room seems to be resurgent!

neveah

So technically yesterday wasn't the last day to vote, today is :P

Denerick

neveah wrote: »

So technically yesterday wasn't the last day to vote, today is :P

Any more of this insolence and you will be banned from the book club. You will be forcibly preventing from reading the book. Don't push me. I have powerz.

Denerick

I do hope you know that I was joking, in my strange little way.

Anyway, one hour to go folks.

neveah

I got that you were joking;)

It's after 8 so I guess it's safe to call the winner now....'The Little Stranger' it is!

Denerick

I ordered the book on awesomebooks.co.uk today. Hopefully will arive early next week.

So when should we have it read for?

Quality

i ordered it on the book depository for €4.81 with free delivery..

Link

maybe two weeks time?

Eliot Rosewater

I'm certainly in on this, if I can get the book on time.

I think lemon_shebert was wrong to attribute blame to herself for the failure of the last "Boards Book Club"; it was more than no one person started the discussion. (I was off Inter-railing myself so I'm completely blameless ). Perhaps the lack of a central organiser tied in with that. Contrast the Lit forum with the Creative Writing forum, for example, where pickarooney seems to do a stellar job of going above and beyond the required mod duties by organising writing events, etc. That's not meant to be a dig at anyone here, mind, it's just an observation that could be totally wrong.

Quality wrote: »

I always thought eliot was a chick

I'm actually kind of complimented by that, for some unknown reason!

Denerick

Eliot Rosewater wrote: »

I'm actually kind of complimented by that, for some unknown reason!

We're all here for you buddy!

Cheetara

Just ordered my copy of 'Little Stranger' from Play trade for £2.49 - am excited!!!

So when do we have to read it by?

Hopefully the book will arrive early next week so anytime after that would be good.

Denerick

Cheetara wrote: »

Just ordered my copy of 'Little Stranger' from Play trade for £2.49 - am excited!!!

So when do we have to read it by?

Hopefully the book will arrive early next week so anytime after that would be good.

I'm in the same boat, I ordered it off the internet today and expect it early next week. We should give ourselves some time; I know the next two weeks will be relatively busy for me. Say... The end of the month? First week of September? I'll have it read by then.

Cheetara

Denerick wrote: »

I'm in the same boat, I ordered it off the internet today and expect it early next week. We should give ourselves some time; I know the next two weeks will be relatively busy for me. Say... The end of the month? First week of September? I'll have it read by then.

Yeah have a few things on myself so the first week of September sounds like a plan. I'll aim to read by the 1st I think.

Just hope the postman doesn't stand in the way of my deadline!!!

Procasinator

How about the first Monday of September, that being the 6th?

neveah

I agree with the week beginning the 6th Sept. That's 3 full weeks so it should give people plenty of time to get their hands on the book and have it read on time.

Eliot Rosewater

6th of September is good for me. Someone defrauded my Visa account last week, so all my money's tied up and the bank have cancelled my card. So I won't be able to get the book for at least a week!

ilovenerds will also partake in the book club, so long as the book's "not too scary".

lemon_sherbert

I'll probably join in next month, I've already read this book and lent it to a friend, so I couldn't get it back to reread it.

Eliot Rosewater

It's rather coincidental that this same book has been running in The Guardian book club for the last four weeks (ending today). Should be a good few articles over on their website about it.

Procasinator

Eliot Rosewater wrote: »

It's rather coincidental that this same book has been running in The Guardian book club for the last four weeks (ending today). Should be a good few articles over on their website about it.

It was also on Channel 4's, The TV Book Club, earlier this year. Featured as a best read.

Just received my copy today. I should be reading it before week end. 500 pages or so.

Cheetara

Procasinator wrote: »

How about the first Monday of September, that being the 6th?

Sounds prefect. The book arrived today so that gives me plenty of time!!

sceptre

September 6 seems to be pretty much a consensus for go then. I have a copy here somewhere sitting there waiting for me to find it.

Callan57

I've already read this book so I'll keep out of it 'till next month

Blush_01

I only finished reading this recently - I'll keep reading the books I'm reading but join in the discussion when you're all finished if nobody minds.

You should have loads of time if you're giving yourselves until 06/09/10 - I was surprised at how quickly I flew through it.

Cheetara

Blush_01 wrote: »

You should have loads of time if you're giving yourselves until 06/09/10 - I was surprised at how quickly I flew through it.

That's always a good sign. I just need to finish The Lacuna first......

Wreck

I'm going to join in with the book club if I may, will pick up The Little Stranger today if I can hopefully have it read for the 6th.

ellibela

Another newbie... I'm going to try and get the book on time to finish reading it by the 6th

Denerick

I keep on meaning to start this book, but I'm really enjoying the book I'm currently reading (Halfway through Tony Judt's 1,000 page 'Postwar') so I'm struggling to start. I cannot guarantee I will have it read by 6th September

Procasinator

Currently only about 80 pages in, but I only started it over the weekend. I should have it done. If you (or anyone else started it) averaged around 75 pages per night (paperback) between now and the 6th, you would have it done. That's not too bad, probably around 2 chapters a night.

We can always consider pushing the date out a little if few have completed the book by the 6th.

Denerick

I'm about 300 pages in, read a lot over the weekend. It's quite good actually, better than I expected.

How's everyone else faring?

Procasinator

Denerick wrote: »

I'm about 300 pages in, read a lot over the weekend. It's quite good actually, better than I expected.

How's everyone else faring?

Pretty much the same as yourself. Didn't get to reading as much as I would have liked over last week.

Denerick

Procasinator wrote: »

Pretty much the same as yourself. Didn't get to reading as much as I would have liked over last week.

Procrastinating?

Sorry.

Anyway, the discussion thread is up on the forum if anyone is interested.

Cheetara

Am nearly there!!!!

Was at a Wedding last weekend so didn't get much chance to read but will try and avoid the thread until I have the book finished.

Am really enjoying it though

neveah

Still haven't finished the book yet either unfortunately, was at electric picnic last weekend so that set me off track. Hopefully I will have the book finished in the next few days and I can join in the discussion then!

Procasinator

Anyone else finished the book?