The Next Best Book Club discussion

Nominations have been closed.
The polls have been created.

GO VOTE!

One vote per catagory

Voting is open from now until Monday 6/22.
Once voting has closed,(and I get in from work!) I will announce the two group read winners.....

May the best Books win!!!




Hi everyone!
Let's get nominating... I almost forgot it's past the middle of the month already! Where DOES the time go??

We will have two catagories this month:
Cat1- Regular Fiction/Non-Fiction
Cat2- Short Stories

OK, based on your level of interest, short stories are the wild card for this month. Please nominate any collection of short stories you would like us to read as a group..... doesnt matter if it is all from one author, however, that seemed to be the most common request.

One nomination per person.
Please be sure to post the title, author, and the catagory it belongs to.
If your post does not have those three things, it will not be counted.

Are you ready?
I will leave nominations open until Wednesday nite.....

Go.....

Cat 2. Everything That Rises Must Converge by Flannery O'Connor

(oooohh Cait!)
A girl after my very own heart!!!!!

Lori wrote: "(oooohh Cait!)
A girl after my very own heart!!!!!"

You know it!

Cat 2: Wastelands: Stories of the Apocalypse by John Joseph Adams

This is a compilation of apocalyptic short stories from various authors. I've had it on my shelf for a while and this would be a perfect time to squeeze it in!

Cat2: The Best Short Stories of Edgar Allan Poe by Edgar Allan Poe

Cat 1: A History of Love: A Novel by Nicole Krauss.

And Cait, you know what I'll be voting for! LOL!!!

Becky, Wastelands sounds really good. Ive added it to my list of gotta-gets!

I know... I want his other compilation too: The Living Dead, which is a compilation of zombie stories.

Damn it Becky... that one looks good too! So many great authors...

Oh, I have to nominate You Are Not a Stranger Here Stories by Adam Haslett for Category 2.

I am nominating Everything's Eventual 14 Dark Tales by Stephen King. Category 2.

I nominate:

Category 2: A Good Man Is Hard to Find and Other Stories by Flannery O'Connor

I've had this sitting on my shelf ever since a good friend of mine gave it to me. I NEED to read it!

Someone else nominated this in another group and I thought it looked sooo good!

Category 1: Those Who Save Us by Jenna Blum

Category 1: Shogun by James Clavell

Kandice, I was thisclose to nominating that one, but I opted for Wastelands instead.

(Sorry for adding another to your TBR, by the way, Lori! ... Well, not really. :P)

Cat2: The Friend Who Got Away: Twenty Women's True Life Tales of Friendships that Blew Up Burned Out or Faded Away by Jenny Offill, Elissa Schappell

Something fun for summer reading :)

Cat1: Olive Kitteridge A Novel in Stories, by Elizabeth Strout

Cat 2: The Complete Fairy Tales of Oscar Wilde

If I could, I'd like to change my nomination to:

Cat 2: Great Russian Short Stories
I have this one on the shelf, just waiting to be read.
Thanks!

category two - the wastelands looks awesome!

Category One- The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein

For Catagory 2, short stories, a collection of short fiction by an extremely gifted wit: The Doors of His Face, The Lamps of His Mouth by Roger Zelazny

Category 2: Labyrinths Selected Stories and Other Writings by Jorge Luis Borges

Hey Jamie - Unaccustomed Earth was what I was thinking when I suggested Short Stories, but I have another:

Category 2 - Our Story Begins by Tobias Wolff

Cat 1 Shanghai Girls- Lisa See

Jessica wrote: "Cat 1 Shanghai Girls- Lisa See"

Ooo good one, Jessica!

Cat. 2: Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri

Ok, let's recap what we have so far!

Cat1: Reg Fic/Non Fic
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - Stieg Larsson
A History of Love: A Novel - Nicole Krauss
Those Who Save Us - Jenna Blum
Shogun - James Clavell
Olive Kitteridge A Novel in Stories - Elizabeth Strout
The Art of Racing in the Rain - Garth Stein
Shanghai Girls- Lisa See


Cat2: Short Stories
Everything That Rises Must Converge - Flannery O'Connor
Wastelands: Stories of the Apocalypse - John Joseph Adams
The Best Short Stories of Edgar Allan Poe - Edgar Allan Poe
You Are Not a Stranger Here Stories - Adam Haslett
Everything's Eventual 14 Dark Tales - Stephen King
A Good Man Is Hard to Find and Other Stories - Flannery O'Connor
Unaccustomed Earth - Jhumpa Lahiri
The Friend Who Got Away: Twenty Women's True Life Tales of Friendships that Blew Up Burned Out or Faded Away - Jenny Offill, Elissa Schappell
The Complete Fairy Tales of Oscar Wilde
The Doors of His Face, The Lamps of His Mouth - Roger Zelazny
Labyrinths Selected Stories and Other Writings - Jorge Luis Borges
Our Story Begins - Tobias Wolff
Interpreter of Maladies - Jhumpa Lahiri


Keep em coming!

Cat 1-The Girl Who Stopped Swimming-Joshilyn Jackson

I'll agree with Becky and would like to add The Living Dead to Cat 2. That is one on my shelf that I have been dying to read. (Although, Wastelands has me intrigued too!)

Cat 2: Welcome to the Monkey House by Kurt Vonnegut

Emily wrote: "Cat 2: Welcome to the Monkey House by Kurt Vonnegut"

Oooh! Good one. I loved that book and just realized I never put it on my GR shelves.

Category 1: The Last Chinese Chef by Nicole Mones

Cat 1: Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman!

Now Cat 2 I need to think a little...

Carol wrote: "Cat 1: Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman!

Now Cat 2 I need to think a little..."

There is one nomination per person, you either nominate for Cat 1 or Cat 2.

Cat 2. The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven by Sherman Alexie

"In this darkly comic short story collection, Sherman Alexie, a Spokane/Coeur d'Alene Indian, brilliantly weaves memory, fantasy, and stark realism to paint a complex, grimly ironic portrait of life in and around the Spokane Indian Reservation. These twenty-two interlinked tales are narrated by characters raised on humiliation and government-issued cheese, and yet are filled with passion and affection, myth and dream."

Cat 1: The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan

Cat 2: The Dog of the Marriage Stories by Amy Hempel

The back of the book hails Amy Hempel as Chuck Palahniuk's "god among writers," which is why I originally picked it up.

Cool -- my first month seeing the nominating process. I don't have a Category 2 nominee, but for Category 1, I nominate Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami.

Cat:1 What the Dickens: by Gregory Macguire. I read one chapter and I have been dying to read the rest after I am done with the two books I'm reading now. And Stephanie now I have to add The Dog of the Marriage Stories. I am not going to have time for anything this summer. YAY! :)

Oh, man! There's so many good ones I've been wanting to read. Decisions, decisions!!!

Jessica wrote: "Oh, man! There's so many good ones I've been wanting to read. Decisions, decisions!!!"

I agree Jessica - it will be hard to vote!

For category 2: The Necklace and Other Short Stories by Guy de Maupassant.

Emu wrote: "For category 2: The Necklace and Other Short Stories by Guy de Maupassant."

I love!! these stories. Good choice. But I will nominate

Cat 2 The Periodic Table by Primo Levi ... it's non-fiction, but the 21 "essays" are descriptions of his life before during and after the 2nd world war and read quite like stories.

I have to say I wasn't all that excited about the short story genre but now that I've seen the nominations, I'm psyched!!

For Cat. 1

Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay

Hayes wrote: "Emu wrote: "For category 2: The Necklace and Other Short Stories by Guy de Maupassant."

I love!! these stories. Good choice. But I will nominate

Cat 2 The Perio..."</i>

Hayes - I have been in awe of Primo Levi since I read [book:If Not Now, When?. I've been slowly trying to work in his books. I'm glad you mentioned this one - another on to add to the TBR!

I haven't read that one yet, but I loved Periodic Table and would love to re-read it.

This is only my second month being involved with these nominations and then discussions. I love seeing all the suggestions that come in, some of which I've never heard. It's such a great way to discover new authors and books that I otherwise would have missed out on.

I am a newbie. I would like to nominate Replayby Ken Grimwood for category 1.
@Janny Zelazny is awesome! It is always nice to see someone else appreciate his work.

Still going.....

Cat1: Reg Fic/Non Fic
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - Stieg Larsson
A History of Love: A Novel - Nicole Krauss
Those Who Save Us - Jenna Blum
Shogun - James Clavell
Olive Kitteridge A Novel in Stories - Elizabeth Strout
The Art of Racing in the Rain - Garth Stein
Shanghai Girls- Lisa See
The Girl Who Stopped Swimming-Joshilyn Jackson
The Last Chinese Chef - Nicole Mones
Practical Magic - Alice Hoffman
The Omnivore's Dilemma - Michael Pollan
Kafka on the Shore - Haruki Murakami
What the Dickens - Gregory Macguire
Sarah's Key - Tatiana de Rosnay
Replay - Ken Grimwood


Cat2: Short Stories
Everything That Rises Must Converge - Flannery O'Connor
Wastelands: Stories of the Apocalypse - John Joseph Adams
The Best Short Stories of Edgar Allan Poe - Edgar Allan Poe
You Are Not a Stranger Here Stories - Adam Haslett
Everything's Eventual 14 Dark Tales - Stephen King
A Good Man Is Hard to Find and Other Stories - Flannery O'Connor
Unaccustomed Earth - Jhumpa Lahiri
The Friend Who Got Away: Twenty Women's True Life Tales of Friendships that Blew Up Burned Out or Faded Away - Jenny Offill, Elissa Schappell
The Complete Fairy Tales of Oscar Wilde
The Doors of His Face, The Lamps of His Mouth - Roger Zelazny
Labyrinths Selected Stories and Other Writings - Jorge Luis Borges
Our Story Begins - Tobias Wolff
Interpreter of Maladies - Jhumpa Lahiri
The Living Dead - John Joseph Adams
Welcome to the Monkey House - Kurt Vonnegut
The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven - Sherman Alexie
The Dog of the Marriage Stories - Amy Hempel
The Necklace and Other Short Stories - Guy de Maupassant
The Periodic Table - Primo Levi