Babble Book Club: Upcoming selection ideas?

Yes Roystonbones, this is the babble thread we have to discuss potential selections for the book club. We have a poll running in our Facebook group on the selection that you can vote on (just request to join on Facebook) or you can vote here or add a selection.

The current selections in the poll are:

Ru by Kim Thuy (translated by Shiela Fishman)

Straphanger by Taras Grescoe

Inconvenient Indian by Thomas King

Something Fierce by Carmen Aguirre

We are hoping to choose a new selection by Tuesday of next week as our current book wraps up. When we choose a new selection we also start a different thread.

Stop try to swing the vote catchfire with your peer pressue and your "my one vote equals three votes" nonsense. Remember, I have the power to ban you (through reporting you to yourself and hoping you follow through).

YOU CONTAIN NOTHING

As if we could keep Catchfire away from babble 

Catchfire: straight ballin. (title of your memoir?)

I'd like to also make another pitch for facebook poll voting or  just telling me what you want to read. Looks like with 2 votes The Inconvenient Indian is in the lead (with an endorsement from Caissa as well).

The decision is still any book's game, so vote in the group (I can add you to it if you are not already a member) or drop a vote in this thread and I will use my incredible math skills and tally it up.

Thanks everyone!

Cool thanks infracaninophile!

So your vote goes to Something Fierce because Inconvenient Indian is all tied up unfortunately, and don't mind straphanger. Basically non-fiction all the way?

That is good to know Infracainophile! By my subconscious, the last two novels have been intertwining stories in the form of a novel set in very short time periods, so it will be nice to move into something potentially more linear.

I think Les Mis would have been ambition for the book club just based on page numbers, even though it is possible to read the book for sure, and you make a good point about the process of reading. However, I think we have hit a good stride here with reading Canadian authors and books, and some more independent books.

Oh, and I contacted Jessica Grant's 'people' for a BBC chat, but unfortunately was unable to connect with them. I know that book has been brought up a couple times, so we should go ahead at one point and just read it!

Great ideas everyone. Thanks for the input!

I'm going to do a poll again in the facebook group (soon) with either a few other suggestions from readers or myself to see what others think and want to read.

The themes you both presented of joyless rural living :) and anti-colonialism are, for me, in line with the environmental issues that extend beyond earth week too. So bonus. 

[Also, even though these authors are not Canadian, they obviously present parallel aspects to Canadian lives and issues.]

Looks like Things Fall Apart is the lead -- any others voting who want to place a vote here on in the facebook group?

Looks like we have a winner!

Things Fall Apart is our next read! Thanks to Left Turn for the suggestion. Details of finish date and all the fun stuff coming up!

Thanks friends!

But, I think BBC is still out of the good of my cold, blackened heart :)

Slumberjack, I can't find a good link to what book you are exactly talking about -- I think I found one to the original book A Thousand Plateaus and it's use of large words scared me.

I like the idea of reading books about books -- little literary criticism. How meta.

Any other suggestions?

To add my two cents (!) for suggestions, I have a personal one and a couple I have combed out of the selections archives:

1. Something Fierce by Carmen Aguirre (political memoir): This has been recommended by numerous people and almost read numerous times. This selection seems to be the epitome of the cliche "always a bridesmaid never a bride"

2. Come Thou Tortise by Jessica Grant (fiction): Recommended by Infrancinophile a couples time. I actually tried to contact her people for a Q&A to no avail

3. In the Field by Claire Tacon (fiction): Recommended by Catchfire way back when. I grabbed this from the library site "An inspiring first novel, In the Field tackles the social obstacles that overshadow interracial family life in a rural town." where it is widely available and it is even available via ebook library rental (or at least in Toronto)

4. Godless but Loyal to Heavan by Richard Van Camp (fiction): My recommendation! Van Camp is a Canadian writer from the Dogrib (Tlicho) Nation from Fort, Smith NWT. It is short stories (sue me) about faith -- in humanity, in respect for the Creator, in the wish for 'masterplan' that finds peace -- and blends together three of the characters he has created through his writing career. He also teaches/has taught creative writing at UBC, I think.

There are a few other's to consider.

Also, I think we have passed the necessity to read only Canadian fiction all the time, although, I think it is great to explore. All these selections happen to be Canadian writers, but feel free to pitch others.

Catchfire, do you want Absalom, Absalom! has a selection choice? I'm sure some would be interested in reading some classics...