21st Century Literature discussion

Nominations are now open for the August Open Pick. They will stay open thru the 24th, then the poll will go up.

Nominating guidelines:
- Fiction (original & translation, if applicable) published between January 1, 2000 and August 1, 2016
- One nomination per person (please do not nominate or vote for a book unless you are certain you can read and discuss if it wins)
- A book this group has not yet read

If you are nominating, please begin your post by stating "I nominate [name with hyperlink to book]".

Ready, set, nominate!

Thanks Marc. I won't be nominating this time because I don't want to do two in a row...

I am unfamiliar with this type of self-limiting behavior. :D

I nominate To Rise Again at a Decent Hour by Joshua Ferris.

I nominate Erasure by Percival Everett.

Thanks for the nominations--both look quite interesting!

I would like to nominate The Plot Against America, by Philip Roth.

I would like to nominate Winegarden by Anthony Ferner

I've got an unread copy of the Roth on my shelves and the Ferner looks like it might be a diamond in the rough.

I'd like to nominate All Our Wrong Todays by Elan Mastai

Interview with the author on NPR: http://www.npr.org/2017/02/19/5160647...

Kirsten *Make Margaret Atwood Fiction Again!" wrote: "I'd like to nominate All Our Wrong Todays by Elan Mastai

Interview with the author on NPR: http://www.npr.org/2017/02/19/5160647......"

Sounds interesting but looks like it was published after August 2016, which would, I think, make it ineligible.

Alas, yes, it is too recent under our latest rule changes. It will be eligible for the February, 2018 open pick, so keep it in your back pocket!

Is there another book you'd like to nominate?

I nominate Ape House by Sara Gruen.

Okay, there's a new rule??? I thought it just had to be in the 21st century....

There were some heavy discussions about availability of picks and not letting the newest books dominate things. The compromise was to try not nominating anything released within the last year. So, for August, anything published between 1/1/00 and 8/1/16 is fair game. Please do nominate another selection!

Okay, how about this one?

The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry ... or have we done this one?

Yup--that's a great nomination!

Oh, okay, my list showed a 2016 date. I'll keep looking.

You're good--the GR app I'd not give me the original date--I deleted my erroneous comment.

Have we done Before We Visit the Goddess by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni?

Essex Serpent does meet the new criteria. No need to pick anything else unless you change your preference. Sorry for the confusion. I need to go to sleep before I make this any more complicated!

Okay, good! I would like to stay with Essex Serpent

The Essex serpent is at the top of my to read list!

Ferris' To Rise Again at a Decent Hour and Roth's The Plot Against America both could generate spirited discussions from frequent participants here (I'll omit names). I'm enjoying The Essex Serpent now, but it's certainly less controversial than either the Ferris or the Roth. All would be good choices.

I support "To Rise Again at a Decent Hour". It's great fun and a rather interesting book.

I'd be interested in the Roth.

Dan wrote: "Ferris' To Rise Again at a Decent Hour and Roth's The Plot Against America both could generate spirited discussions from frequent participants here (I'll omit names). I'm enjoying The Essex Serpent..."

Clarke wrote: "I'd be interested in the Roth."

Marc wrote: "I've got an unread copy of the Roth on my shelves and the Ferner looks like it might be a diamond in the rough."

Excellent, then I'll count on your support in the poll (wink-wink)! I'm just having fun with all of you, of course. It will be good no matter what garners the most interest, I too am curious about a couple of the other titles. :)

Percival Everett is wondering when the poll will open, or whether he needs to get all of his friends and supporters to weigh in positively on the nomination thread . . . :)

Okay, Percival, the poll is open here and from the home page. Open until the end of June.

Happy voting!

Whitney wrote: "Okay, Percival, the poll is open here and from the home page. Open until the end of June.

Happy voting!"

Thank you :)

And the winner is - The Essex Serpent!

Kirsten, since you are the nominator, would you like to moderate the discussion?

And, Doug, since you nominated it back in February, are you interested in moderating if Kirsten isn't?

And, Parcival, hang in there! You were a close second, your day will come!

Thanks Whitney. I look forward to that one...

Whitney wrote: "And the winner is - The Essex Serpent!

Kirsten, since you are the nominator, would you like to moderate the discussion?

And, Doug, since you nominated it back in February, are you interested in ..."

He's hiring bots next time to inspire votes:) JK JK

Ah well. I will probably not be reading this one, as after a mad rash of book buying at the local bookstores yearly "tent sale," I am going to try to restrain myself and buy no books in July. I had the one I nominated and a couple of others on this month's poll on the shelf but not The Essex Serpent. While it is on my TBR list, it has yet to make a physical appearance on my shelf!

I read The Essex Serpent whilst on holiday a couple of weeks ago. I probably won't read it again so soon, but I will try to contribute sensibly to the discussion.

Like Neil, I just finished Serpent. Not a book that I would usually read, but the reviews were so glowing that I gave it a go. I'm glad that I did.

Whitney wrote: "And the winner is - The Essex Serpent!

Kirsten, since you are the nominator, would you like to moderate the discussion?

And, Doug, since you nominated it back in February, are you interested in ..."

As I just moderated this month, I'd rather cede the floor to someone else, but if Kirsten doesn't want to moderate and/or no one else wants to grab the mic, I'd be happy to accommodate! :-)

Doug wrote: "As I just moderated this month, I'd rather cede the floor to someone else, but if Kirsten doesn't want to moderate and/or no one else wants to grab the mic, I'd be happy to accommodate! :-) ..."

Thanks for volunteering, Doug. Kirsten has said she would like to moderate so it's all good. Looking forward to seeing you in the discussion!