Reading the Chunksters discussion

Dear reading folk, you have not yet received an info message about the upcoming changes, but I have decided to use my authority. I hope you will excuse me. I have created this post to keep track of the recently published chunksters. It might help us in future to choose the book for a group read.

2013 has been particularly good to us, chunkster lovers, as many good BIG books have been recently published.

We Are Water by Wally Lamb
The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton and it won the National Booker Award
The Woman Who Lost Her Soul by Bob Shacochis
A True Novel by Minae Mizumura


Pleas help us to compile a recently-published chunkster directory (2010-2013 and counting :-))


P.S. THE THREAD TITLE WAS MODIFIED: now you can nominate not only the recent chunksters, BUT ANY CONTEMPORARY ONES THAT YOU BELIEVE WOULD SPARK GOOD DISCUSSIONS. POST AWAY!

Great idea! Love Wally Lamb's books. We Are Water is already on my To-Read List, as is The Goldfinch.

Love you Z!

The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker
We, the Drowned by Carsten Jensen
Life After Life by Kate Atkinson
Night Film by Marisha Pessl
The Son by Philipp Meyer

Good choices, Becky!

I have read The Golem and the Jinni, Life After Life, and Night Film, and they are very solid books.

I have been eyeing The Son and We, the Drowned for a while.

I would recommend Night Film and We, the Drowned without reservation. They're both excellent.

If we done any of these, let me know and I'll remove them, but I've also had my eye on the following:

Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell ( I thought this was superb!)

Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace

I just read Cloud Atlas and loved it!

Hmm...the only one I can think of published after 2010 (other than what's already been mentioned) is The Falcons of Fire and Ice.

I hope 2014 will bring us long, but exciting stories. Just let us know and post link to new big books.

John, I read The Owl Killers and quite enjoyed it.

2010-2013:
Fall of Giants Ken Follett
Reamde Neal Stephenson
11/22/63 Stephen King
NOS4A2 Joe Hill
Hild Nicola Griffith
The Art of Fielding Chad Harbach
American Elsewhere Robert Jackson Bennett
The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration Isabel Wilkerson
We Are Water Wally Lamb

These are older than 2010 but ... not sure if they are 'classic' in any sense though. Either I have read these, would love to tackle them, or see that they are very popular here on goodreads but I haven't read them yet...
It Stephen King
The Stand Stephen King
Cryptonomicon Neal Stephenson
The Crimson Petal and the White Michel Faber
I Know This Much Is True Wally Lamb
The Historian Elizabeth Kostova
The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle Haruki Murakami
The Blind Assassin Margaret Atwood
The Other Boleyn Girl Philippa Gregory
Outlander Diana Gabaldon
Dune Frank Herbert
The Great Book of Amber Roger Zelazny <3 but not for everyone, probably
2666 Roberto Bolaño
The Cider House Rules John Irving
The World According to Garp John Irving
A Prayer for Owen Meany John Irving

Zulfiya wrote: "Pleas help us to compile a recently-published chunkster directory (2010-2013 and counting :-))"

Just to clarify, should this list only include books published after 2009? I ask because the only other lists both include the term "classic" in the title.

So, if I have a book that was published in, say, the 1980s or 1990s, and is not really a "classic" by any strict definition...where should that go? Can I put that here? Or should it go in the "Modern classics" thread?

(sorry if this was answered somewhere else, I may have missed something at some point :))

Yes, it is only for the books published after 2009. We are tracking the books that are BIG and interesting, but because they have been recently published are under the radar.

we might use these recommendations for our Contemporary discussions.

John wrote: "So, if I have a book that was published in, say, the 1980s or 1990s, and is not really a "classic" by any strict definition...where should that go? Can I put that here? Or should it go in the "Modern classics" thread?
"


Good thought, John. We should create the database for the regular, interesting, entertaining contemporary reads. As a result, we will have two databases per each main read- Classics and Contemporary. I will talk to Kristi about it.

Is this database being created as a resource for nominations, or is it going to be what we are allowed to nominate from?

Just as a reference for ideas to nominate.

But it is nice to have one if you want to read something big, but you do not know what, and yes, it will help with the nominations ideas.

And it is only for ideas.

Hawaii. I've never read it. But it has the reputation of being an excellent book, though hardly I think considered a classic. Just a good read.

No worries, Everyman, this thread is just for any good, interesting contemporary fiction.

Zulfiya wrote: "Yes, it is only for the books published after 2009. We are tracking the books that are BIG and interesting, but because they have been recently published are under the radar.

we might use these r..."

So is there no way to nominate books written between 2000 and 2010? It seems our "modern classic" definition ends at 2000 and the contemporary chunkster one doesn't begin until 2010.

Added a bunch of books to my post above... both from 2010-present and a bunch of older but not-classic chunksters.

Deanna, do not worry. The thread was modified to be more inclusive.

I edited the opening post with the CAPITALIZED P.S. message.

I'd love to read Q. The description sounds so interesting: "brilliantly conceived literary thriller set in the chaos of the Reformation"

I'm also interested in reading The First Man in Rome by Colleen McCullough.

I'd like to add American Gods by Neil Gaiman,

If I remember correctly, I think it was mentioned that there are plans for an "Asia/India" themed group read? I'd like to suggest two contemporary chunksters that would fit into that category:

Red Earth and Pouring Rain by Vikram Chandra

Life and Death are Wearing Me Out by Mo Yan

Kristi wrote: "I'd like to add American Gods by Neil Gaiman,"

Seconded.

John wrote: "If I remember correctly, I think it was mentioned that there are plans for an "Asia/India" themed group read? I'd like to suggest two contemporary chunksters that would fit into that category:

[bo..."

You seem to be very well informed about books, it's mind boggling.

Luffy wrote: "You seem to be very well informed about books, it's mind boggling. "

Haha...I just spend WAY too much time browsing GoodReads. I would be much better off if I spent half of that time actually reading the books instead of cultivating to my to-read list :)

John wrote: "Luffy wrote: "You seem to be very well informed about books, it's mind boggling. "

Haha...I just spend WAY too much time browsing GoodReads. I would be much better off if I spent half of that time..."

I laughed out loud at your post - I do the same thing!

John wrote: "If I remember correctly, I think it was mentioned that there are plans for an "Asia/India" themed group read? I'd like to suggest two contemporary chunksters that would fit into that category:

[bo..."

It is our agenda. we will start nominating books after we launch the two classic reads. Hopefully, in February, we will start reading the book we will choose.

I will second yours, especially Life and Death are Wearing Me Out by Mo Yan

I'd also like to nominate

The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch

Foucault's Pendulum

John wrote: "I just spend WAY too much time browsing GoodReads."

I wish Goodreads had a feature where you could search for books currently being read by a group. There are some books I would love to discuss if I could find a group reading them.

Or even better, a feature where you could list books you wanted to read with a group and GR would give you an alert when those books were due to be read.

Everyman wrote: I wish Goodreads had a feature where you could search for books currently being read by a group. There are some books I would love..."

Those features would be great. I'm new to these groups and was wondering if there was such a feature. I guess you answered my question.

Also Everyman - thanks for the links to the online used bookstores. I finally ordered a used copy of TOAFK through Alibris for our group read.

Becky wrote: "I'd also like to nominate

The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch


That's one of my favorite books :)

Delmy, 1Q84 was read by the group last spring...I was very sad that I missed it :(

John wrote: "Delmy, 1Q84 was read by the group last spring...I was very sad that I missed it :("

Thanks, i should check the group shelf first! :)

Doctor Sleep by Stephen King

The Abominable by Dan Simmons

I'd really like to read Doctor Sleep, but I think we should do The Shining first! :)

Edit: Oh, actually the Shining is not a chunkster! Oh well, I'll have to read that on my own... :)

Another scary chunkster suggestion: Carrion Comfort, also by Dan Simmons. Maybe we could save these for a Halloween-themed read...

Speaking of Dan Sammons, I don't think we have ever read sci-if, but we have read Fantasy. He has an excellent series, I think the group would really enjoy Ilium by Dan Simmons

<3 Dan Simmons :)

Everyman wrote: "I wish Goodreads had a feature where you could search for books currently being read by a group. There are some books I would love to discuss if I could find a group reading them.

Or even better, a feature where you could list books you wanted to read with a group and GR would give you an alert when those books were due to be read. "

So there is this link, which I use every so often, that lists groups that are reading books that you have shelved.

https://www.goodreads.com/group/my_books

You do sort of have to search a little, since they are listed in order of activity instead of how many books you have in common, but I have found some great ones that way.

But I agree, the alert feature would be wonderful! Or a way to sort that page by how many books are in common, or to pick a certain shelf to compare with...

I have wanted to read Dan Simmons for while. I love horror so sorry, most of my suggestions tend to be about that genre or sci-fi. Plus everyday should be Halloween! (yes, i am one of those!)
:)

Delmy if we can't convince others, on the next go-around, I'd be happy to do a buddy read or small group read for sci-fi books :)

Yeah, that'd be great!

Hush there! We might have another thematic read later this year! I love Dan Simmons, and do not forget - there is also a MOD choice read. For example, if a mod wants to choose Dan Simmons as a read, we might read Horror, Carrion Comfort, The Abominable or his Illuim/Olimpus duology or his monumental Hyperion Cantos.

On the personal note, The Flashback is too 'right-wingy', and I am not ready to read about the dystopian future according to GOP. I apologize for expressing my political opinion so blatantly:-)

Well, if we are bringing epic sci-fi series into consideration, I must enthusiastically suggest Gene Wolfe's five-book masterpiece The Book of the New Sun, beginning with Shadow and Claw.

I've been wanting to read that one too! I've only just found out about it, can't wait to read it eventually! :)

I went through Hyperion/Endymion a while back and loved it, but haven't tackled Ilium yet, though it's sitting on my shelf and highly recommended.

The Forgotten Garden published 2008 and The Bronze Horseman published 2001 (series).

If I posted these in the incorrect thread, please let me know where to post these. Thanks!!

Lisa wrote: "The Forgotten Garden published 2008 and ...."

I just read this one a few months ago! Loved it :)

I would like to read sometime Shadow Country by Peter Matthiessen. So, I thought I would put this in the contemporary chunksters suggestion thread. I think it came out in 2008, but I don't think it would have fit in the other categories.