21st Century Literature discussion

I'm not sure this thread isn't made redundant by the various bookshelves and general book discussion threads about what we're reading. But sometimes, I want to recommend a book because I want to see what others think. Or I want to explain why I think people should try a book. So, here we are.

I have a friend (an acquaintance really) who I worked shopped with on Zoetrope about twelve years ago. He's gone on to win various awards for his short fiction. And of course he's been nominated for various others. So, while I too think it's icky for us to hawk our personal wares, I think my recommendation here is made in good faith, rather that out of a sense of fraternity.

Anyway, I'm recommending Bob Thurber's Paperboy. I was tempted to nominate for the Most Important list, but was afraid my personal regard for Mr. Thurber might be clouding my judgment.

I'd love to know what other's think of it. I should warn everyone though that it's not an easy book. It's scary and shocking. (Not in a Freddy Kruger way.) It's themes are in many ways unpalatable.

This thread is a good idea!

Oh, I have no qualms about flogging one's work, or the work of your friends, just not claiming you're #1 with a first effort published 6 days before, as somebody else so recently did. So it's completely within the spirit to suggest stuff by people you know. In that spirit, here's the book you just mentioned:

Paperboy: A Dysfunctional Novel written by Bob Thurber

Anyway, word of mouth is the most important method of transmission in media.

Here's my father's book:
The Limbus of the Moon written by Bill Mego

In that continuing spirit, anybody else know some authors? Be kinda interesting to see how many works we could get listed here.

One of my teachers, Roselle Angwin, has written

Riding the Dragon: Myth and the Inner Journey

and Creative Novel Writing

and several more...

and another one, Fiona Benson has written

Faber New Poets: V. 1

Awesome! I love this, come on anybody, any other authors or poets you know? This is fun!

Ellen Meister
Maryanne Stahl
Rusty Barnes
Mark Budman
Rachael King
Jim Ruland
David Bulley

Well...that would depend. You've JUST joined the group. Are you actually going to be a part of the group, or did you just join to plug your book?

For example, Mikela joined a while back, and has made lots of comments. If she wrote a book, I'd let her talk about it in a heartbeat. Are you going to be reading and commenting as well? If you really just joined and posted as an excuse to give yourself advertizing, you're mostly just risking the people here thinking poorly of your book without having even read it yet.

Also, not that it matters, but of the two reviews the book has had, only one was 5-stars, and that was from yourself, so I'm not sure the plural was best used there.

So, to end, if you're going to be a real part of the group, then it's fine with me...otherwise, how about you remove your own post so we don't have to?

very good point, I suppose, I should keep my patience in line.

I recently finished Housekeeping by Marilynne Robinson. She came in to speak in my grad program and seemed quite down to earth and honest.

I adore Marilynne Robinson, especially Housekeeping. I also really loved Gilead.

I agree. Gilead is one of the few books that I've read more than once. I also enjoyed the 'sequel' Home

'Housekeeping' I may well read again. Robinson is a remarkable writer.

I was most amazed when I found out it was her first novel! What complexity and whimsy.

I was doing some research on Paul Murray after finishing Skippy Dies and ran across an interview where he lists some books he read the past year, and they sounded interesting, so here are Paul Murray 's suggestions:

The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman
The Possessed: Adventures With Russian Books and the People Who Read Them
The Ask
Me Cheeta: The Autobiography
The Rehearsal

Personally, I've added all except for me cheeta to my to-read list, which sounded a little pointlessly sad from other GR reviews about it.

Paul wrote: "I was most amazed when I found out it was her first novel! What complexity and whimsy."

Yes, pretty amazing. But although this was her first novel it wasn't her first book. Plus her background (Christian) meant that she would have lived with the material for most of her life. But you will doubtless know this already!

Will wrote: "I was doing some research on Paul Murray after finishing Skippy Dies and ran across an interview where he lists some books he read the past year, and they sounded interesting"

Thanks for sharing Will. Yes, they do sound good. They are on my burgeoning TBR list!

I want to recommend my book, but cannot only because of the rules.

No, I want to say it again, both you and Paul are more than welcome to plug your books, as long as you're planning on being somewhat active in the group, not just joining to plug it then leave. If you're going to read some books with us, comment occasionally, then I want to ENCOURAGE you to post your book here.

Yes, I've realized it's actually much more fun to participate in the discussions and get to know the characters of the group first. We're all learning here.

I'm working closely with Tom Barbash, author of The Last Good Chance: A Novel. I haven't read his novel yet, but his short stories are really compelling and straightforward, and he's an interesting fellow.

My house is full of books and I love being on a readers blog. Do any young people read Anatole France?

Since there's quite a few questions and conflicts where people wonder what's appropoite as far as self-promotion from authors in this group, allow me to lay it out a little better:

#1: if you're an author/friend of author, and you're a member of the group, and you are/intend to be active in the group, go ahead and post the book here. If you're just trying to advertize yourself, see #2.

#2: If you just want to self promote, OR you already have followed #1 and you want to promote some more, feel free to use our "Promote yourself" folder freely, post whatever, whenever, guilt free.

#3: Otherwise your posts might be removed, and if you kept it up even after that, you'd have to be removed from the group.

#4: Did I mention the promote yourself folder? Go crazy, seriously. Plug away.

Anyone feel like reading my gothic novel But a Walking Shadow
A beautiful young woman, Aphra Devereaux leaves Paris after the death of her father to live in the mansion that was her deceased sister, Lady Freya Fitzroy’s home. She finds the once grand Stoneleigh is now a gloomy, decaying mansion. Additionally her sister’s husband Sir Roland is now a deranged drug addict. To her surprise she finds her sister’s neglected child of whose existence she was unaware. Also a woman of dubious character appears to be managing Roland’s life. The only hope she has is Roland’s brother Edmund but he is away fighting in the Crimea. The society background of her young life has not conditioned her for what she experiences at Stoneleigh or the filth and lowlife of the London streets and the hypocritical upper class London Society.

A dark, gothic tale of disillusionment, tragedy, loss, rape, lunacy, child abuse, and frustrated love set in Victorian England

available on Amazon and Kindle - reviews welcom

Will wrote: "Since there's quite a few questions and conflicts where people wonder what's appropoite as far as self-promotion from authors in this group, allow me to lay it out a little better:

#1: if you're a..."


wHERE IS THE PROMOTE YOURSELF FOLDER?

If you got to the home page Promote Yourself or Others Here! is just above the archived discussions - right at the very bottom.

I have a recommendation that might be more appropriate for the Poet section: Alice Walker's "Revolutionary Petunias"

Thanks for the recommendation. I'm definitely going to read this! Yes, it may be better posted in the poetry section...

Sophia wrote: "If you got to the home page Promote Yourself or Others Here! is just above the archived discussions - right at the very bottom."

I have been up and down the home page three times and can't find any archived discussions or Promote Yourself

Oh, dear. How about I post something there - that may alert you...

Maybe

Done!

No can't find it - did a search and it didn't come up as a hit - I think I will give up

Sorry. I tried...

Jacquee wrote: "Anyone feel like reading my gothic novel But a Walking Shadow
A beautiful young woman, Aphra Devereaux leaves Paris after the death of her father to live in the mansion that was her deceased siste..."

This story seems interesting and nostalgic, I have not read it though

@Jacquee - the folder can be found here: http://www.goodreads.com/topic/group_... Go nuts!

Rohn wrote: "I have a recommendation that might be more appropriate for the Poet section: Alice Walker's "Revolutionary Petunias""
It's fine to recommend it here as well, but yes, there's a thread to suggest poetry for us all to read, at: http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/8...

But nothing wrong with putting it here as well.

Will wrote: "@Jacquee - the folder can be found here: http://www.goodreads.com/topic/group_... Go nuts!"

Thanks for the link - I have found it - but there was no option on the home page on my pc

Mike wrote: "Jacquee wrote: "Anyone feel like reading my gothic novel But a Walking Shadow
A beautiful young woman, Aphra Devereaux leaves Paris after the death of her father to live in the mansion that was he..."

Thanks for putting my stuff on here - much appreciated

Need help on editing and reviewing

Mike, I've already contacted you regarding that, so not to toot my own horn, but you've got editing and reviewing help. This thread is to suggest works of fiction you think people might like.

Will, you and me will take it off line .. Thanks I hope you received my mail. However I would like to have joint authors since there are many story plots in my mind and I have no time to put them in print. The emphasis is on film scripts

Ok, so you're looking for ghost writers to work on film scripts, and that's fine. My only point is that this thread is to suggest good books for others to read. Perhaps you should make a thread in the general folder to look for and discuss collaborative writing projects.

Kansai Airport
Available now from Landfill Publishing - eBook and audioBook. Free for those who want to review it. http://patriksampler.wordpress.com/20...

I'm currently reading Joanna Hershon's The German Bride. So far, I'm encouraged. I will see this book to the end!

There are two books I would love to discuss with others:

The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration, while it is officially a "non-fiction" book, it truly reads as a literary novel. In fact, that is partly why I would love to discuss it.

Also...
The Kitchen House
This is a book where I truly felt a sense of loss when it ended because I felt so connected with the characters.

Girlie wrote: "There are two books I would love to discuss with others:

The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration, while it is officially a "non-fiction" book, it truly reads as a l..."
@Girlie,
I haven't noticed if this group is inclined to non-fiction reading. If not,I suggest 21st Century Literature online book club. There are lots of members,and lots of non-fiction reading going on...I belong!

My friend Bob Thurber has a new Novellette available at Amazon. Cinderella She Was Not.
I like hawking Bob's work because he's so damn brilliant and not nearly well known enough.

Well, next month's mod pick will probably be wide open.. Hint hint

Well then!

Death with Interruptions by José Saramago

José Saramago is the 1998 Nobel Laureate in Literature. This book is available as today's special, 12/20/2013, in Kindle edition from Amazon for $1.99.

I have not read the book, but have ordered it. J.S. has been on my list to read, but I have not yet done so . This one sounded interesting enough (and at 257 pages, short enough) to sample.

Amazon's done it again today, 12/21/2013. A featured Kindle special ($1.99 again) is

Life and Death are Wearing Me Out by Mo Yan

Mo Yan is the 2012 Nobel Laureate in Literature.

Again, I have succumbed to Amazon's sales effort. ;-0 I don't know if this is a book from Mo Yan that one might want to read, nor have I read other of his work. This one is 552 pp in its print edition.

This location has a suggested list of books to watch in 2014. It has recently announced award of its "Rooster Award" to The Good Lord Bird by James McBride:

http://www.themorningnews.org/tob/

List starts with:

Go to work and do your job. Care for your children. Pay your bills. Obey the law. Buy products. by Noah Cicero

The Brunist Day of Wrath by Robert Coover

Thirty Girls by Susan Minot

The Enchanted by Rene Denfeld

...

The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro

What a delightful book! I highly recommend it!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

One of my top 10 books I read last year is on sale on the Kindle Daily Deal for $1.99 today!

The Bees: A Novel by Laline Paull

http://amzn.to/1Pa448d