This Is Not A Book Club

Hey! Sorry this is a day late - I'm bad about these sorts of things. I don't know how many of you read the book, but for those that did - questions are here! =)

( read on )

 So I have been selected not to choose the book for July! I'm not sure what people have read, so if it's more than just a few people that have read this, please let me know and I will find another one! But I was thinking about the House of the Scorpion, by Nancy Farmer. I know it's fairly well-known, which is why I worry that people may have read it. Let me know! =)

If not, I'll see you all July 31st (or thereabouts) for the discussion post!

I now present: the much-belated discussion post for The Book of Lost Things. Many apologies for the delay!

( Cut for spoileriffic questions. )

Please do not feel limited by these questions! If anyone wants to discuss other topics, leave your own questions in comments, and maybe we can get some discussion going.

I've also reviewed the book in my LJ. If you've written a review, leave the link in comments! (And if you're participating in Herding Cats, this book is on the rec list, so don't forget to tag your review in del.icio.us, too.)

I would like to thank owlmoose and her hat for choosing me to pick the book that we will not be reading for May.

I would like to suggest that we not read JG Ballard's Empire of the Sun.

It's a mostly autobiographical novel about World War II and is set in Shanghai, and my sister really likes the book. Her tastes and mine don't really match up all that well, but I thought I'd give this a chance and drag a not!bookclub with me for the experience.

Empire of the Sun was first published in 1984, and since that was a long time ago, I think it would fair to let anyone who's read it before to participate in the discussion that won't be held later because we aren't a bookclub. The book was shortlisted for the Booker Prize the same year and was later made into a movie by Steven Spielberg (no I haven't watched it) starring a young Christian Bale (!), and the movie apparently was nominated for a lot of Oscars.

Since this is late, the discussion post will be up on the second weekend of June, if that's ok with everyone.

So three people were eligible to choose the next book that we aren't going to read: bottle_of_shine, cyrnelle, and dior_anghel. By the thoroughly scientific method of pulling names from a hat, I have chosen the next book selector and it is...

cyrnelle!

Congratulations. ;)

I hope to have a discussion post for The Book of Lost Things up tomorrow! Sorry for the delay.

Well kids, we're a few days into May and the discussion post for The Book of Lost Things will be up on Wednesday or so. But before then, we need to start thinking about who chooses the next book we aren't going to read. So, to that end, a progress poll:

Poll #1182174
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All

My status on The Book of Lost Things is:

I thought this wasn't a book club?

( This entry contains spoilers! )

Feel free to throw your own questions out so everyone else can answer them!

I am procrastinating on the following things: reading, writing, book discussions, vacuuming, and laundry by hosting this reading challenge!

I keep talking about recommendation lists but finally, I have taken Matters into my own hands. Now I have a plan to suck everyone else in! EXCELLENT.

(See you there? OR NOT. EITHER WAY IS FINE.)

We haven't had a Sunday challenge in awhile, so we will pretend that Wednesday is actually Sunday and have one now! This will be in the form of recommendations! Everyone loves recommendations (...or maybe they don't but the whole concept of not gives me hives).

Murder mysteries that are good. I am not a big fan of people dying (this doesn't explain my fascination with Phoenix Wright, but the slashy undertone probably helps I guess) so I am not sure what sort of good literature is out there that isn't like, Agatha Christie or Janet Evanovich.

I am also including things that seem like murder mysteries but actually are not, books that have the same mystery and tension as murder mysteries might, etc., etc.,

I have a few examples:

• Three Bags Full, by Leonie Swann


• The Body of Christopher Creed, Carol Plum-ucci


• I Am The Messenger, Markus Zusak

Yes, my examples are sparse. I AM LAME.

However, consider the challenge thrown. >D

I would like to thank bottle_of_shine's friendlist for choosing me to pick the book that we aren't going to read in April, even though they didn't realize that was what they were doing.

My selection, which you should totally feel free to ignore since this isn't a book club, is:

The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly

Because "fairy-tale retelling" is the same siren call to me that "post-apocalyptic fiction" and boys kissing is to Nay. And when I read animecrush's rec, I knew I was going to be utterly unable to resist.

I'm going to be out of town for the first few days in May, so let's say the discussion post goes up on Wednesday, May 7th. Or thereabouts. Plenty of time to acquire and read a book. Or not. Whatever you like, we're not picky around here.