Babble Book Club: Upcoming selection ideas?

Fri, 2016-04-22 18:44

#402

swallow

I always suggest the shortest possible books!

Seems like a relatively quick read, but I don't think I could manage it in 2-3 hours!

Fri, 2016-04-22 19:01

#403

Unionist

Do we know for a fact that his son read it?

Fri, 2016-04-22 21:19

#404

Left Turn

Got the book out of the Library today, and after seeing its short length, I'd be fine with May 13 as a discussion date.

Sun, 2016-04-24 11:08

#405

infracaninophile $infracaninophile's picture$

May 13 is fine with me but I won't be able to chime in until after 10 pm. Working 1-9.

Wed, 2016-04-27 14:46

#406

Caissa

So someone can open a dedicated thread on the morning of the 13th?

Mon, 2016-05-02 14:41

#407

Catchfire

Obviously I can't in good conscience support reading, but I support this book choice and reviving the BBC, so I'm in.

Fri, 2016-06-17 08:00

#408

Caissa

Any suggestions for our next book?

Fri, 2016-06-17 18:07

#409

Left Turn

I've got two suggestions:

[url=http://www.cbc.ca/books/2016/06/the-shoe-boy.html]The Shoe Boy: A Trapline Memoir|Duncan McCue[/url]

This book is a short 94 pages and is being released this Tuesday June 21st.

[url=http://rabble.ca/books/reviews/2016/06/heavy-tale-lightly-told-mona-awad... Ways of Looking at a Fat Gir|Mona Awad[/url]

This fiction book is a somewhat longer 224 pages. The link is to the Rabble Book Lounge review of it.

Fri, 2016-06-17 19:16

#410

Unionist

"13 Ways..." sounded really interesting - and unique - from the review. I'd be down for that.

But I'll wait for more suggestions, and I may have a couple of my own. For example, I'm a big fan of Ruth Ozeki, even if her books go back a few years (like My Year of Meats - amazing on so many levels - also loved A Tale for the Time Being, much more recent).

I'm more partial to fiction for the book club, because we all spend so much time reading political-type non-fiction. The problem with those Ozeki books, of course, is that I've already read them... but would love to discuss with babblers. And being 1998 and 2013 respectively, they should be more easily available from libraries.

Fri, 2016-06-17 21:39

#411

Left Turn

I'd be up for either of the Ruth Ozeki books. A tale for the Time Being looks like the more interesting of the two based on the synopsis, but I can't say for sure.

Looked up 13 Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl at the Vancouver and Burnaby Libraries. Vancouver has 107 holds on 24 copies. Burnaby has 1 of 5 copies that just got returned today; might be able to get it tomorrow, .though we won't likely have a decision made by then.

Mon, 2016-06-20 09:48

#412

Caissa

I, too, prefer fiction. I am just finishing Station Eleven. One of the best novels that I have readin ages.

Mon, 2016-06-20 16:17

#413

infracaninophile $infracaninophile's picture$

Sigh, I am rarely a fiction reader (and most of my non-fiction isn't political), but I can rise to the challenge. For example, I read Kevin Chong's Beauty Plus Pity when it was one of our selections, but was then thrilled to discover two of his books in the library that I enjoyed with much more appreciation, My Year of the Racehorse and Northern Dancer: The Legendary Horse that Inspired a Nation. And I have thoroughly enjoyed a few works of Canadian fiction in recent years, including Crow Lake, Come,Thou Tortoise and The Way the Crow Flies (enough to read each of them twice).

So, I'll go along with whatever others choose, provided I can find it in the library. OTOH I probably won't have anything intelligent to say about it. But yikes, Caissa, Station Eleven sounds pretty depressing (I read the NYT review)..

Mon, 2016-06-20 16:43

#414

infracaninophile $infracaninophile's picture$

Further to Unionists's suggestions, of the Ozeki books there are multiple copies of A Tale for the Time Being at the library, but only one of My Year of Meats. Just from the blurbs, the former strikes me (superficially) as more engaging, although it jumps around in time apparently and might be hard to follow. But come to think of it, so did Come, Thou Tortoise, and that didn't bother me at all in that book. So maybe it won't be a problem here either. I'm just not a sophisticated fiction reader.

Next I'll have a look at Left Turn's ideas. I keep plugging Come, Thou Tortoise (because I haven't met anyone else who read it and am eager to bandy ideas with somebody) but I've given up.

EDIT to add: Both Left Turn's suggested books are 2016 publication dates and not in stock in the public library yet, though the Awad book is on order. However, both sound like interesting reads, maybe for later this year? I particularly like the Shoe Boy one, having lived in the wilds of Northern Labrador for awhile in my misspent youth.

Fri, 2016-06-24 10:10

#415

Caissa

Bump- More input?

Sun, 2016-06-26 20:01

#416

swallow

Carol Anderson, White Rage: The Unspoken Truth of Our Racial Divide?

Since white rage is replacing self-satisfied white smugness as the world's ruling emotion....

Mon, 2016-06-27 17:32

#417

Left Turn

So far the most support seems to be for Ruth Ozeki's [i]A Tale for the Time Being[/i]. 3 of us say we're up for reading it. Is this a go?

Mon, 2016-06-27 17:56

#418

Unionist

Left Turn wrote:

So far the most support seems to be for Ruth Ozeki's [i]A Tale for the Time Being[/i]. 3 of us say we're up for reading it. Is this a go?

I don't want to sway public opinion - but I'm still good with this.