The Five Ghosts discussion

I suppose the only thing to starting a book club is to start suggesting books for each month and hope that we choose one before the first comes along! Any suggestions people might have, post them here. Near the end we'll narrow down the list and set up a poll. From the results of that we'll have our book for February.

If you really don't want to read the book that's chosen, you don't HAVE to. Just try to keep an open mind, you never know, you might like it ;)

Also, for now, I'll limit the suggestions to two per person... just so we don't have 100 to sort through. For the first month let's try to choose a book we haven't read or have started reading? Or at least is recently read. Later we can try throwing in old books that everyone should read.

My suggestion:
The Graveyard Book... only just started reading it, so far it's really good and it's fairly short, so most people should be able to get through it.
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - I've heard this is really awesome and I know a few people who've really liked it. It's not my usual genre but apparently the characterizations are so good that it doesn't matter.

Yeah, I'm just making this up as I go along so forgive my noob-book-club-manner.

I'll second the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. I've been meaning to read it. It's just sitting on my Nook being all .epub.

Though, I don't mind the NG book either.

I hear all sorts of things about The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. The ONLY thing that puts me off it at the moment is the length. It's huge and kind of daunting when I have so much reading for school! XD Normally something that big wouldn't scare me at all. Boo. But I have heard good things about The Graveyard Book and wanted to look at that so I second that?

The other suggestions I have is Little Brother by Cory Doctorow... I'm in the process of reading it... or, rather, I started and was forced to stop. In any case, it's already pretty awesome but that's just me. Yes. I fail. It's okay.

The Girl with a Dragon Tattoo is on mine--not where I need be, but I'm willing to expand as the novel I'm reading a this present moment is pissing me off with too much information. I'm dead tired as it is, the last thing I need is people shoving words down my throat... :P

PS. Coke, man does it hit the spot.

In a way though, I wanted to wane through "Dune," just for shit's and giggles, forgot what happened so far after reading "Dune Messiah" a couple odd months back. But that's just a throwaway, nothing a pressing matter.

It wasn't until just now I realized that, while I started and quite enjoyed The Graveyard Book, for some reason I never finished!

Shame on me!

So I second it!

I keep trying to start Dune, and I keep failing. I wonder why that is.

Rachel wrote: "I keep trying to start Dune, and I keep failing. I wonder why that is."

I can't get through it either 8|

Rachel wrote: "I keep trying to start Dune, and I keep failing. I wonder why that is."

It's really a 'you have to be in a certain mindset in order to enjoy this' kinda book.

i.e. stoned/drunk.

Okay, not really.

It kinda has an odd ending, one that most definitely ends this part in the series, but ends on a rather out of place line.

At least, it felt out of place to me. It seemed like it would have been more appropriate mixed in somewhere earlier in the book, not the end of it.

Over all certainly better than any of the film adaptations!

Collin wrote: "Rachel wrote: "I keep trying to start Dune, and I keep failing. I wonder why that is."

It's really a 'you have to be in a certain mindset in order to enjoy this' kinda book.

i.e. stoned/drunk..."

I enjoyed it as it tended to stray away from what many would call "typical" science-fiction. The artistic form in a universe where you could get lost (and unfortunately, I did) in detail. I have to agree with Collin though, being that you have to be in a certain mindset to enjoy the book, but I believe to a certain extent to read this, you should be a bit enthusiastic about the genre (and the fantasy mix in the sci-fi). But that could always be wrong.

And the ending? I agree with you. Can't really imagine a better ending though to fit what Frank Herbert really would've wanted. But ain't gonna complain, I enjoyed it (even if it took me six months to get through!) :P

Wouldn't happen to know if anyone's read "2001: A Space Odyssey," would they have?

A good friend of mine has, but I haven't yet. I've been meaning to but for some reason haven't gotten to it.

This friend of your's wouldn't have an opinion on it, would they? Because I have it over there, and I'm wondering if it was a mistake getting it. I've been getting up's and down's from people who've claimed to have read it and being me, that ain't good. That's like... penguins stealing three dollars from my pocket whilst eating my feet. It felt funny when it started to eat my feet, but then it stole my slurpee money and I sad-faced. I just woke up and can't think of a witty metaphor, leave me alone :P

She adores it, but I think it's really a matter of personal taste - you either love it or hate it XP

Translation: I'm boned? O_O

Meh, it'll be a good learning experience if I hate it. Or it'll be a thrill-ride full of Jigsaw worthy twist and turns that'll throw me in so many different directions, Arthur C Clarke may influence how I write.

Guys, I forgot to come to a consensus for our February read, because I'm retarded and lose track of time (and also had to put together a demo reel/portfolio for co op, which was time consuming too). Right now I'm leaning toward The Graveyard Book because it's shorter and I don't have a copy of Stieg Larson's book just yet, and I'm not sure how busy this month is going to be. I think there are more votes for The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo though, so if anyone insists, I'll go buy it.

I have the Dragon Tattoo, but I can go for Graveyard book if the tides turn that way.

We still into Graveyard Book? I just bought it recently and was just about to go into it along with 2001: Space Odyssey--interesting book if that's any consolation.

Yeah, let's do Graveyard Book. We may be the only two reading it, I'm not sure how many people are going to participate, but at least there's two of us and not one XP You need at least two people for a club discussion.

Lol, alright--I'll start tomorrow.

Out of curiosity, how far we going? And what shall we talk about? I've never been in a book discussion before.

We'll just read it and once we've both finished, discuss what we liked, what we didn't like why, stuff like that. It's the 'why' I'm after more than anything. Why we like the things we do and why other things make us go :( (in a bad way, not an empathetic way XP)

Hi there! I'm new here! Just passed to say that I've already read the girl with the dragon tattoo, and it's pretty good :)
Anyway I wil crack open the graveyard book and see how the tides will turn (Gaiman is a very good writer anyway)

Got the Audio version of the graveyard book. I shall see how it goes, considering it's read by the author. :3

And I'm so glad that I read the book--wow, nearly sat heartbroken in the middle of the mall when I finished reading it today. Fuck man, I'm actually sad, argh!

Just so many memories of my childhood, all back in spades--Chapter six was the real kicker to this all, his school days.

I'm so glad you liked it too. It's been a while since I read something that affected me this much.
Just went to the bookstore today and picked up the first two of his Sandman graphic novel volumes, along with a totally different book called 'Uglies' which I've been seeing around a lot, but never picked up till now. I should be banned from bookstores for the sake of my bank account...

Lol, least you ain't running on empty :P

Out of curiosity, what is the Uglies? Never even heard of it actually--need to pick up "The Hunger Games" as well, been seeing that a couple times over and yet seldom even thought about picking it up. College course is around the corner, and I want to stock-pile for the home away from home.

What's next on the list for reading? I was thinking about "House of Suns," since I was about to dive into it anyway :)

That or Animal Farm, George Orwell--that's fairly short and what I've heard from a couple co-workers, is supposedly well-written.

Uglies is a story about a futuristic society where, at the age of 16, everyone is required to get an operation which makes them uniformly beautiful. During their teen years before this, they are referred to as 'Uglies' and generally brainwashed into believing that this operation is the thing which keeps their society stable and healthy. With everyone looking the same, there's no discrimination or jealousy going 'round. The premise of the story is that the main character, Tally, is blackmailed into finding a secret society of runaways called the 'Smoke' after her friend, Shay, disappears. If she doesn't do this, she will never be given the operation. One of her best friends lives in 'New Pretty Town' and has already had the operation, so she's got a lot of incentive to want that, but she doesn't want to betray Shay... That's pretty much the gist of the premise. It's pretty well done. I couldn't put it down.

The Hunger Games is fantastic. Everyone I've recommended it to since reading it has loved it.

I think I read Animal Farm in high school. It's more of a 'classic', but it's enjoyable enough, if a little... hmmm. Infuriating. XP But a good book.

Uglies is pretty predictable, but I couldn't put it down either. It's nice to see a dystopian society that wasn't just slums, slums and more slums. I do love the genre, so its great to see a little bit of a deviation from the standard mold.

I still have a few days to finish The Graveyard Book. I keep getting distracted by other shiny things that aren't book related!

It is predictable. That was my one qualm too when I reviewed it. Somehow it still kept me pretty hooked though.

Right now I've become distracted by Ouran High School Host Club XP

Alanna wrote: "It is predictable. That was my one qualm too when I reviewed it. Somehow it still kept me pretty hooked though.

Right now I've become distracted by Ouran High School Host Club XP"

Yay! Ouran! I need to finish that. I've stopped in the same spot twice now (once watching fansubbed, and once watching the dubbed version on Netflix instant).

Forgive my ignorance, but what is Ouran High School Host Club? Is it another novel I should put on my waiting list? :)

It's not, it's an anime XP A comedy that sorta makes fun of a lot of the cliches of anime. It's got a lot of interesting characters. I find it hilarious XP

Lol! Might look into it once I get the chance after school perhaps, though in the past I've had a lot of bad reports and reviews of past animes. The only one that stood with me is Sailor Moon (wow, shouldn't've admitted that :/). Next one I'm going into is Broken Saints on my sisters words (one day).

I just hope I can squeeze it into Whose Line, I've been working my way around the British Version on youtube, lol!

I've recently been watching a lot. I just blew through all of Soul Eater, Baccano, Samurai Champloo, and now I have to episodes of Ouran left XD Ouran is kind of geared toward a female audience, but I know some guys who find it funny anyway. I actually really enjoyed all of the ones I've watched, despite the fact most didn't have very satisfying endings (with the exception of Baccano). It's kind of a trend that I notice with anime, that they rarely ever have an ending that provides sufficient closure 8| Samurai Champloo made me go "HUAAAAAAHHHH WHAT!?"

All animes I have and haven't finished but I enjoyed while watching.

I have this habit of starting shows, I do this with a lot of British stuff too.

I go through 'sprees.' I just watch everything I can get my hands on until BAM I find out that makes me rage quit so hard that I don't watch anime for another three years O_o By then people have found new ones that are actually good and finished. I don't usually watch ones that haven't finished yet, it's always a toss up whether it'll be the never ending stuff or what.... Next on my list is FLCL.

And what can you find out that makes you so infuriated that you must leave the "spree"? :P

The only thing I can think of off the top of my head is perhaps a death of sorts--or perhaps someone leaves, which ever of the two come first.

I can't remember the last time I went on a spree of my own. When on a British comedy spree once, but anime seems few and far between as everything I know is all pokemon, Yu-gi-oh, and other stuff I got bored of long before I hit 12. I ended my spree a few years ago, from a couple characters from Sailor moon that died--that and a couple pokemon episodes I found morbidly depressing when I was "Yay" high.

Unnecessary character death does it, yeah. If I feel like the death is justified, like it fits the story and I don't see any way around it, then I am fine with that and I'll be sad but I'll keep watching. But a lot of tv shows kill fan favourites for the sole purpose of making the watchers cry it seems 8| Death Note did me in last time. After one of the main character deaths I said 'fuck this noise!'

So far my spree is going strong. Finished Ouran today. It's my favourite of all the ones I listed so far. It's so funny but the characters are actually interesting and aren't the stereotypes that they originally seem to be. I WANT TO WATCH IT AGAIN FOR THE LULZ!

The other thing that makes me stop watching... dumb romance developments. Romance is great when it's done right 'n all, but sometimes authors are so dead set on getting their 'OTP' together that they forget to mention WHY these two are better together than the characters are with other potential people in the show/novel/whatever... ie Harry Potter where I was like 'EXPELIEPLIOGUEIS' 8|

I wish... that it was easier to find good fanfiction. Why do people bother if they're going to make the characters ooc? POOP

And this is exactly what I fear in fan-fiction in general. Haven't read a good fan-fiction in years--last time I checked the genre, it's exactly as I've left it. A romance here, a war there, a character here, and kill there. And I'm just sitting there asking myself, "so this is what pokemon's all about, aye? Bad characters, ill-logical sex, and infidelity."

The only fan-fiction I can ever stand is original fan-fiction. And thankfully, there are good numbers out there to help me get back into shows here and there. I hate to be that guy though, but when do you think the spree will end? Surely there has to be something in stock that'll just shoot you back down to hard ground.

If it's any consolation, I'm on my own spree at the moment. I'm on the "classic movie" spree. And so far, I've already been stopped by "One who flew over Cuckoo's nest". The ending stopped me dead in my tracks being strong, it hurt :(

There are a few good fanfiction authors, they are always just nigh impossible to find. I'm not even as picky about the actual STORY so long as the characters remain in character, but so many people turn them into... completely different people. I can't understand this in the slightest. Isn't the point of fanfiction to give yourself and other people the characters they love so that when they run out of manga/anime/whatever they can still enjoy reading about their favourite characters' shenanigans? It doesn't make sense to then CHANGE THE CHARACTER'S PERSONALITY D8. And realistic sex scenes are almost non-existent. In 90% of them at least a) one person is a virgin b) they will cum at the same time c) they will say 'I love you' even though it's the first time/they haven't been together that long/there really wasn't enough development for it to feel that meaningful. It becomes so formulaic. Blow, bang, orgasm, 'I love you.' There, now you don't have to read 90% of what's out there 8| I'm not anti-erotica obviously, but jesus, people need to get creative.

Admittedly... a friend linked me to a fanfiction for Naruto that was GaaraxLee. I was SO dubious about this. I was like 'nowai.' Then I read it and I was like 'YESWAI.' GOOD fanfiction authors can make you believe shit that at first makes you roll your eyes. Truefacts.

I have always been too afraid to even go near fan fiction. Too many horror stories.

I've tried, hooked on a couple fan-fic's, but lost interest when I looked into both of them. Writing or not, when you're looking at one and then pass over the other, see the similarities, sometimes you just have to go out and yell at old people passing by. Sometimes ruffians if they ever dare, but being in the most violent part of BC, that's not such a good idea being that one of them are going to be armed :/.

Key thing on the erotica, while I'm not biased and open to new idea's and what not, I could read one and safely say I read four-hundred after. Same shit, different paint. There are a couple standouts, but that's such a seldom statement that I'm actually going to edit this post later on! But that formula sells, the whole "sex sells" mantra is what bases that. A certain degree of fantasy all meld into that formula to make that particular book a hit seller. God-damn you formula.

Totally didn't get the book read. Blame my lack of being able to sit down and listen to an audiobook. Ah well. I'll finish it sometime. It's different, and so far I'm digging it.

Are we going to read something new for March? I know this question is totes late, but, you know... for curiosity sake.

We should probably make a thread for March suggestions, yes :D I will do this :)