Babble Book Club: Upcoming selection ideas?

I have read 84 books so far this year.I'm always motivated to keep reading.

I can't remember if I have read The Cellist of Sarajevo yet but I believe Ms. C. has read it. I'd be up for it even if I have read it before.

I can get Cellist of Sarajevo from the library so am all systems go for that. I have a number of friends or colleagues with personal experience of those events so look forward to reading it.

Quote:

Does the Friday 2pm spot still work for people?

Hasn't worked for me yet but might be OK this time. Work hours changing somewhat.

Inconvenient Indian was delightful and infuriating. It helps if you're a fan of Thomas King's brand of humour (I am), but it's not a prerequisite. As so many times in my life, every page reminded that I knew nothing about the indigenous people whose land we have camped on. I can't be alone in that respect. When you systematically colonize people, it helps to dehumanize them and, more, render them invisible. King treats us to a sardonic and subjective account of how this was done.

So Cellist of Sarajevo is a go?

Kaitlin, we put up with you because you're awsome. The bbc wouldn't exist without you. I marvel at your ability to track down the authors for so many of our discussions. Your taste in books is great, and your posts are a pleasure to read. Not getting the bbc blog posts done promptly is minor potatoes.

Kaitlin McNabb wrote:

I hope there comes a time when we can have it as a selection, but I fear the holds list will never, really decrease... although I'm rather negative, so let's hope that is not the case.

The long holds on The Inconvenient Indian don't really bother me that much. It means people are reading it, which is important. Those of us that get a chance to read it, as I will when my hold on it comes up, can post our thoughts about it once we've read it. That may be the best we can do with that selection.

I would love to discuss the Inconvenient Indian in the book club.  Another proposal is Lawrence Hill's new book, Blood, the stuff of life http://lawrencehill.com/blood-the-stuff-of-life/

[edited to add..]

Also Maude Barlow's new book would be an interesting read: http://www.houseofanansi.com/Blue-Future-P2172.aspx

though if we want to start something of the theme of eating local : Barbara Kingsolver's "Animal, Vegetable Miracle" (the book was recommended by someone in the Eat Local Challenge fb event page).

How about you put up a poll now Kaitlin since you have some suggestions?

Unionist wrote:

Just out of curiosity - do other babblers have online borrowing ability from their libraries? If yes, do you use it - or are you still clear-cutting forests?

I'm not sure exactly what you mean. Yes, my library has "online borrowing." Do you mean, searching the catalog, reserving and reviewing books online? I do that regularly.

As for "borrowing" books in electronic format, that is subject to more variables. They have a variety of e-reader formats you can download for a time-limited period, but of course you need an e-reader (don't have one). You can also download a pdf of a book for a time-limited period, which you can read on your computer.

I find reading hundreds of pages on a computer screen completely un-doable. I take books everywhere, and read in the car (not while driving), waiting rooms, lunch break and other opportune times. Can't take my computer with me. Paper books are not going to die out. I find borrowing them from a library is both the social justice thing to do and also environmentally friendly. Authors make more from "real book" sales (and libraries are a big customer), demand and use keep libraries in business and they serve people regardless of income, which makes books available to the poor who do NOT have Kobos or Kindles.

As for the trees, surely it is possible to have managed harvesting of forests so that tree populations are renewable. Not clear cutting.

I was exaggerating when I said "clear-cutting".

Yes, I meant using an ereader. I bought mine for $29 when it was on sale. I see the same brand - but with a touch screen and bigger screen - is now on sale for $39.96 (list price $149) for a display model. And more "name-brand" ones are available anywhere for $70-$80.

So it's true - it's an investment - and an adjustment in habits - but anyone I know who has tried, has made the switch and not looked back.

And yeah, it was nice to be able to log in to my library site, look for Carmen Aguirre's book, borrow it for free, and be reading it, all within 5 minutes. Hard to beat.

As to whether paper books are going to die out... I don't believe they will. But I can't believe that they'll become anything more than a specialty item (art books, cook books, crafts and mechanics, etc., things requiring illustration) within a relatively short period of time.

Something Fierce works for me.

You alliterative fool, Unionist.

Unionist wrote:

 

Yes, I meant using an ereader. I bought mine for $29 when it was on sale. I see the same brand - but with a touch screen and bigger screen - is now on sale for $39.96 (list price $149) for a display model. And more "name-brand" ones are available anywhere for $70-$80.

So it's true - it's an investment - and an adjustment in habits - but anyone I know who has tried, has made the switch and not looked back.

I have been keen to try e-readers since they first appeared, but until a neighbour buys one and tells me it works I am reluctant to fork over the cash, however discounted. I live in an electronic dead zone -- no cell phone signal, no cable TV, no wireless internet. I don't know how I would download books to an e-reader  with none of those things. By osmosis?  Surrounding country roads have all the above, while the major road I am on does not. Very weird. I don't miss TV (I can watch the odd show at the gym) but smartphones and ereaders are among the cool gadgets that are useless here. I don't want to have to get in my car and drive to Tim Horton's to download a book from the library or from Project Gutenberg. 

The e-reader users I know are still books-first folks. They love the e-reader for commuting (you can stand in the subway and read) and traveling and waiting in line. But they curl up with an old-fashioned book.

Maybe this deserves a thread of its own, but just to respond to a few points:

infracaninophile wrote:

I have been keen to try e-readers since they first appeared, but until a neighbour buys one and tells me it works I am reluctant to fork over the cash, however discounted.

It works, neighbour.

infracaninophile wrote:

I don't want to have to get in my car and drive to Tim Horton's to download a book from the library or from Project Gutenberg.

You can do all those things any time to post to babble or send an email or (as you mentioned) regularly search, reserve, and review books in your library catalogue. How often would you need to borrow or buy e-books anyway?? And I can email you an ebook for free. Or send you one (or 10,000) on a USB or a DVD. Try that with a paper book.

bagkitty wrote:

I will get all enthused about e-readers when I actually own the file I have downloaded, when I can recycle the file at the used e-book store, lend the file without having to hand over the e-reader itself (comes from having friends and family who are notorious for not returning books after they themselves have read them). Colour me archaic, but when I purchase a book I like to actually own what I have purchased - not interested in just renting it from the publisher.

When you borrow from a library, you don't get to own the book either. Just to get that one out of the way. So on that point, ebooks and paper books are equivalent.

As for owning what you buy... Well, that's a separate debate. You don't really fully "own" a paper book either, do you? Otherwise you could copy and paste the whole text somewhere without worrying about copyright liability. As for lending books to friends, trust me - I can lend you ebooks and vice versa, without any kindles changing hands. Not a problemo. And best of all, we can both read it at the same time!

Once you've bought an e-book, it's yours forever. Trust me - not the Los Angeles Times.

And I'm not even talking about the 42,000 Project Gutenberg books which are freely available, all of them, right now.

Can you get the complete works of Shakespeare in paper format for free? I rest my case.

"Compatible formats"? No such thing. Any e-book can be read on any e-reader or any computer or any tablet. Trust me, not urban legend.

Or don't trust me. Use google. Or PM me for full details.

"Luddite tendencies"? I can't treat that. I'm assuming your vinyl and cassette collections are doing well?

bagkitty wrote:

What makes you assume I didn't google in the first place, oh trustworthy font of all knowledge? If the situation has changed since the time this (and other) articles on the subject were published, the PR departments for all the various platforms should be sacked for the totally incompetent way they released the information that access was now totally seamless.

I asked you to trust me. You don't have to. I'm not the font of all knowledge. I do, however, know, from personal experience, a lot about use and portability of e-books. You don't. If you want a book, and if you PM me, I will be happy to give it to you. It will then be your choice whether and how you use it. Trust is important.

In Vancouver here, The Inconvenient Indian still has way too many holds on it at public library to be accessible on short notice. However, there's at least one copy available at the People's Co-Op Bookstore on Commercial Drive (their website doesn't list number of copies available). I read part of it when I had it out of the Library in September (after 8 months on hold), but didn't finish it. Not sure how well I'd be able to discuss it without a copy in hand.

Given that Something Fierce was my suggestion, I'm going to hold off on making any suggestions for this round unless nobody else can come up with anything we can agree on.