Boards Book Club - Book Selections for Months of August & September

smilerxxx

wayhey wrote: »

Not at all It isn't a "typical" fantasy book at all. On Wikipedia it says the genre is "philosophical fiction". I have it upstairs and haven't read it yet. Thanks for getting involved The more nominations the better

. I read through the 100 list and that was what popped put at me. However my experience with fantasy is limited to harry potter. Crime is my favourtie, fiction and non fiction.

x_Ellie_x

Name: The Time Traveler's Wife
Author: Audrey Niffenegger
Brief Synopsis: From the back of the book...
This is the extraordinary love story of Clare and Henry who met when Clare was 6 and Henry was 36, and were married when Clare was 22 and Henry 30. Impossible but true, because Henry suffers from a rare condition where his genetic clock periodically resets and he finds himself pulled suddenly into his past or future. In the face of this force they can neither prevent nor control, Henry and Clare's struggle to lead normal lives is both intensely moving and entirely unforgetable.
Why We Should Read This Book: I don't normally read fantasy books but I started this one today and I'm enjoying reading it. I haven't been able to put it down and I'm currently on page 109. And another thing, the book is quite cheap. Amazon are selling it for £2.99 at the moment. Good deal

dr gonzo

wayhey wrote: »

I read American Gods by Gaiman in the past few weeks. I have to admit that I found his style very natural and accessible and the plot was very carefully crafted. I didn't love it, but I certainly wouldn't give up on Gaiman and I do think his style would be good for first timers to fantasy, going by American Gods anyway. Would you agree with that dr gonzo?

Absolutely agree with that, thats essentially where i was coming from.

coffee_cake

CdeP wrote: »

Yep. Are you a member of that club, bluewolf?

I intended to join but I've been too busy this month, and now I have a stack of books to get through first. But I will be joining.

Asphyxia wrote: »

There's another Boards reading club I didn't know!

Last meeting was on wednesday
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=73182761#post73182761

Callan57

Hi, I'd like to submit a nomination

Title: The Eyre Affair
Author: Jasper Fforde (no that's not a misprint)
Synopsis:
As the title suggests Jane Eyre features .. though it's not necessary to be faimiliar the Charlotte Brontë classic but I imagine anyone on this site would be. Have you ever been so engrossed in a book that you actually felt you became a part of the story? Have you ever wished you could enter the story and maybe rescue the hero/ine or maybe change the ending? How 'real' do characters become for you?
Why I am nominating this book:
IMO it is a unique and extraordinary flight of imagination and as an added bonus incredibly funny. Anyone I have recommended the book to has enjoyed it immensely. Please do not be put off by the cover art which unfortunately could suggest a child's book ... also it's available on Kindle.

Hermy

What's the theme for November?

I don't know enough about fantasy to suggest a book myself but I'll be interested to dip into whatever suggestions are included.

Asphyxia

x_Ellie_x wrote: »

Name: The Time Traveler's Wife
Author: Audrey Niffenegger
Brief Synopsis: From the back of the book...
This is the extraordinary love story of Clare and Henry who met when Clare was 6 and Henry was 36, and were married when Clare was 22 and Henry 30. Impossible but true, because Henry suffers from a rare condition where his genetic clock periodically resets and he finds himself pulled suddenly into his past or future. In the face of this force they can neither prevent nor control, Henry and Clare's struggle to lead normal lives is both intensely moving and entirely unforgetable.
Why We Should Read This Book: I don't normally read fantasy books but I started this one today and I'm enjoying reading it. I haven't been able to put it down and I'm currently on page 109. And another thing, the book is quite cheap. Amazon are selling it for £2.99 at the moment. Good deal

+1 to this, I've wanted to read it for a while but haven't got around to it yet. It seems like it would be great for discussing as well.

cailin_donn

The Time Traveller's Wife.... read it for the first time last week, epic book, I couldn't put it down!! Another book kind of similar would be One Day- that'd be a great "book club" book!

The Eyre Affair? Haven't heard of it but has anyone read "Wide Sargasso Sea"? based on "Mad Bertha"'s life pre-Rochester. Very good book, really well written not like some other novels based on novels where a writer just perverts the characters and plot... "Rebecca's Tale" anyone?

cailin_donn

The Time Traveller's Wife.... read it for the first time last week, epic book, I couldn't put it down!! Another book kind of similar would be One Day- that'd be a great "book club" book!

The Eyre Affair? Haven't heard of it but has anyone read "Wide Sargasso Sea"? based on "Mad Bertha"'s life pre-Rochester. Very good book, really well written not like some other novels based on novels where a writer just perverts the characters and plot... "Rebecca's Tale" anyone?

Callan57

cailin_donn wrote: »

The Time Traveller's Wife.... read it for the first time last week, epic book, I couldn't put it down!! Another book kind of similar would be One Day- that'd be a great "book club" book!

The Eyre Affair? Haven't heard of it but has anyone read "Wide Sargasso Sea"? based on "Mad Bertha"'s life pre-Rochester. Very good book, really well written not like some other novels based on novels where a writer just perverts the characters and plot... "Rebecca's Tale" anyone?

Can't say I share your enthusaism for The Time Traveller's Wife ... IMO an OK book but nothing special & personally I wouldn't be recommending it honestly. I've heard of Wide Sargosso Sea but haven't read it .... I made an effort to get it about a year ago but my bookshop didn't have it & to be honest I kinda forgot about it since. Might follow it up again on your recommendation.
You should try The Eyre Affair ... a very unusual book and not easy to say much about it without spoiling it .. except to say it's a brilliant flight of imagination and invention. IMO a unique and original author.

Einhard

I'd like to nominate The Once and Future King by TH White.

Because I'm hungover, I'm just gonna copy and paste from other sources:

T. H. White uses The Once and Future King as his own personal view of the ideal society. The book, most of which "takes place on the isle of Gramarye," chronicles the raising and educating of King Arthur, his rule as a king, and the romance between his best knight Sir Lancelot and his Queen Guinevere (which he spells Guenever). It ends immediately before Arthur's final battle against his illegitimate son Mordred. Though White admits his book's source material is loosely derived from Sir Thomas Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur (The Death of Arthur), he reinterprets the epic events, filling them with renewed meaning for a world enduring the Second World War.

Fantasy historian Lin Carter wrote, "...the single finest fantasy novel written in our time, or for that matter, ever written, is, must be, by any conceivable standard, T. H. White's The Once and Future King. I can hardly imagine that any mature, literate person who has read the book would disagree with this estimate. White is a great writer."[3]
[edit]

Denerick

Ok. +1 for Once and Future King. I also withdraw my Gemmell suggesting in favour of this.

wayhey

Name: War for the Oaks

Author: Emma Bull

Brief Synopsis: Walking home one night through the streets of Minneapolis after quitting her rock band and breaking up with her boyfriend, Eddi McCandry discovers that she is being pursued by a threatening man and an even more threatening black dog. They turn out to be one and same: a shapeshifting prankster faerie known as a phouka, who drafts Eddi to be the key linchpin in the ongoing battle between faerie's good and noble Seelie Court and the evil Unseelie Court, ruled by the Queen of Air and Darkness. Eddi soon finds herself in a struggle for survival against the Unseelie Court, all while trying to put a new rock band together...

Why We Should Read This Book: War for the Oaks won the Locus Magazine award for Best First Novel and was a finalist for the Mythopoeic Fantasy Award. I haven't read this book but reading through "best of" lists for contemporary fantasy it's been suggested a few times. I haven't read it but I think it would be a good place to start. The setting of modern-day Minneapolis shouldn't be too alienating for people new to fantasy. It's also not that long (for a fantasy novel at least) at 309 pages.


I know the deadline says 8pm but I won't be at home then and I mightn't even get back tomorrow (been unexpectedly called away). I'm placing the nominations in a thread to be voted on. Most votes wins, simple as

Slow Show

All the fantasy books I've read are part of series and might not be the most accessible ever, so I'm just going to +1 The Time Traveler's Wife because I've wanted to read it for a while.

Edit: Oh also I saw a mention of Neil Gaiman somewhere and I want to read a book of his too. Well this post is a waste of time. If you make a poll in the new thread I'll decide. :pac:

Caros

Callan57 wrote: »

Hi, I'd like to submit a nomination

Title: The Eyre Affair
Author: Jasper Fforde (no that's not a misprint)
Synopsis:
As the title suggests Jane Eyre features .. though it's not necessary to be faimiliar the Charlotte Brontë classic but I imagine anyone on this site would be. Have you ever been so engrossed in a book that you actually felt you became a part of the story? Have you ever wished you could enter the story and maybe rescue the hero/ine or maybe change the ending? How 'real' do characters become for you?
Why I am nominating this book:
IMO it is a unique and extraordinary flight of imagination and as an added bonus incredibly funny. Anyone I have recommended the book to has enjoyed it immensely. Please do not be put off by the cover art which unfortunately could suggest a child's book ... also it's available on Kindle.

Love the sound of this one.

Blush_01

The Eyre Affair, Lost in a Good Book and The Well of Lost Plots are excellent - haven't read any of Fforde's other books yet, but they are on the list. Smart and funny.

Caros

Got the Once and Future King today from TBD, but in the middle of Game of Thrones so I don't know if I'll get it read or not in time. Anyways just wondering when will there be a poll, decision for the September book as ideally I'd like to get my mitts on it well in advance so I can schedule it in as my next read if you know what I mean.

wayhey

Caros wrote: »

Got the Once and Future King today from TBD, but in the middle of Game of Thrones so I don't know if I'll get it read or not in time. Anyways just wondering when will there be a poll, decision for the September book as ideally I'd like to get my mitts on it well in advance so I can schedule it in as my next read if you know what I mean.

Know exactly what you mean

I'll get a thread up for "The Once and Future King" this weekend for discussion.
And I'd aim to have our next book selected a few days before August is out. I'll sit down with a calendar and plan it all out. I know what you mean about needing time for the book.. I've wanted to be more involved, but I've started a new job this month and haven't been paid yet :mad: Tried to get it in the library but apparently they don't have a copy.

How is it going for people reading it? Is it good?

Callan57

wayhey wrote: »

Know exactly what you mean

I'll get a thread up for "The Once and Future King" this weekend for discussion.
And I'd aim to have our next book selected a few days before August is out. I'll sit down with a calendar and plan it all out. I know what you mean about needing time for the book.. I've wanted to be more involved, but I've started a new job this month and haven't been paid yet :mad: Tried to get it in the library but apparently they don't have a copy.

How is it going for people reading it? Is it good?

Can't say I'm exactly riveted by it but I've started so I'll finish ... I'm that kind of reader!

Huzzah!

Callan57 wrote: »

Can't say I'm exactly riveted by it but I've started so I'll finish ... I'm that kind of reader!

I'm in. I've bought the book and started reading it - fantasy's not really my cup of tea, but I'll give it a whirl.

looksee

Edit, posted in wrong place

johnayo

wayhey wrote: »

Know exactly what you mean

I'll get a thread up for "The Once and Future King" this weekend for discussion.
And I'd aim to have our next book selected a few days before August is out. I'll sit down with a calendar and plan it all out. I know what you mean about needing time for the book.. I've wanted to be more involved, but I've started a new job this month and haven't been paid yet :mad: Tried to get it in the library but apparently they don't have a copy.

How is it going for people reading it? Is it good?

I am reading this at the moment. Not really my sort of thing and am struggling a bit. I am persisting though.

CdeP

Has this died?

Callan57

CdeP wrote: »

Has this died?

Certainly looks like it ... pity

Einhard

Hey folks,

Sorry to say, but I don't think I can take too much part in the book, or any other sort of club, for the forseeable future. Just started a new course, and it's eating up all my time, so pleasures such as reading for the sake of it have become guilty ones, and recording my thoughts on books even more so!

Hermy

Not surprised to see this has failed.

Denerick

History doesn't repeat itself, but it does rhyme.

Mark Twain.

Hermy

If only that were true.

dr gonzo

I didnt have much interest in the book chosen so was gonna wait for the next round. Was there even a discussion or anything for the last one? How far did it get?

Caros

dr gonzo wrote: »

I didnt have much interest in the book chosen so was gonna wait for the next round. Was there even a discussion or anything for the last one? How far did it get?

What you see here is what you get!