MobileRead February 2012 - Run-Off Vote

[Nyssa]

Originally Posted by sun surfer

Some of the most famous romances are tragedies, such as Romeo and Juliet.

Saying that what people chose to vote for is "shocking, saddening and depressing" is a bit extreme, no?

(although, for the record, *I* originally voted for a book with fun, love and possible happiness )

Umm no, its not extreme, its how I feel. Considering last month's selection, it does surprise me that "we" would be to go "negative" again this month. As to Romeo and Juliet: been there, done that, have no intentions of ever doing it again. Great work or not I don't like Romeo and Juliet and therefore would not seek out its like. I don't like to be unhappy, especially in my entertainment.

Originally Posted by sun surfer

Genres can intermingle with each other. You think romance can't be classic?!?

Also, this month's category isn't "erotica", so I'm not sure why you are saying "so much for" erotica?

Yes, genres can and do intermingle, but the main theme of the work should be the genre in question. I believe Hamlet is stating that the books' main themes were NOT Romance. Romance seems to be a side dish, not the entree. Since this month's theme is Romance, then Romance should be the main course!
Not only that, in a book club where we already have two months dedicated to classic works, we really should try to find more modern works for some, if not all, of the other genres. If not, we might as well not list specific genres at all, or those who only want to only read classics should start a classics based book club.

[Nyssa]

Originally Posted by issybird

Indeed.

As for Outlander, I think people are getting it wrong. It's most definitely romance, of the historical/swashbuckling type updated to modern sensibilities. The sci-fi aspect (time travel of the woo-woo as opposed to the time machine type) is very, very, very minor, and for someone looking for the nuts'n'bolts type of sci-fi, non-existent.

Outlander is a fun read, if you don't mind Gabaldon's solecisms. As with a lot of SFF series, the first few books are good and then the quality plummets.

IF that is the case then I withdraw my personal objection to the book for this month. Reading the synopsis made it sound like SciFi and not a romance to me.

As to the author..Her views would not prevent me from reading her book, but I am less inclined to give any financial support. So if I found it in the library, or could borrow it from a friend, then fine.

[sun surfer]

Originally Posted by Nyssa

Umm no, its not extreme, its how I feel. Considering last month's selection, it does surprise me that "we" would be to go "negative" again this month. As to Romeo and Juliet: been there, done that, have no intentions of ever doing it again. Great work or not I don't like Romeo and Juliet and therefore would not seek out its like. I don't like to be unhappy, especially in my entertainment.


Yes, genres can and do intermingle, but the main theme of the work should be the genre in question. I believe Hamlet is stating that the books' main themes were NOT Romance. Romance seems to be a side dish, not the entree. Since this month's theme is Romance, then Romance should be the main course!
Not only that, in a book club where we already have two months dedicated to classic works, we really should try to find more modern works for some, if not all, of the other genres. If not, we might as well not list specific genres at all, or those who only want to only read classics should start a classics based book club.

So you're saying we shouldn't simply go by what the majority of people want to read? We had nominations and voting fair and square.

I also really didn't like that Black Rain won last month but what could I do? The group spoketh.

I will slightly disagree with you about main course vs side dish. I think it should be up to us to decide what's appropriate. Anyone is allowed to object to a book and if enough feel it's not appropriate to the category the nominator can remove it. I wasn't too thrilled when a sci-fi book won the comedy month in 2011 (and I don't think anyone complained then), but them's the breaks sometimes.

Actually, I will defer to your own opinion on the matter from some time ago. You were discussing the six-month rule, but it seems equally appropriate in this discussion:

Originally Posted by Nyssa

A book is only fully nominated after getting a 2nd and a 3rd. If people are not interested in reading it, or find it to be out of genre, then it will not get nominated. If it gets nominated, then there is a interest, and denying the nomination says that we do not care that there is an interest.

[Nyssa]

Originally Posted by sun surfer

So you're saying we shouldn't simply go by what the majority of people want to read? We had nominations and voting fair and square.

I also really didn't like that Black Rain won last month but what could I do? The group spoketh.

I will slightly disagree with you about main course vs side dish. I think it should be up to us to decide what's appropriate. Anyone is allowed to object to a book and if enough feel it's not appropriate to the category the nominator can remove it. I wasn't too thrilled when a sci-fi book won the comedy month in 2011 (and I don't think anyone complained then), but them's the breaks sometimes.

Actually, I will defer to your own opinion on the matter from some time ago. You were discussing the six-month rule, but it seems equally appropriate in this discussion:

No Sun Surfer I didn't say we shouldn't go by majority rule. I said we should try to find more modern work for non classic months. My statement might trigger other members to consider more modern works going forward...who knows. I still stand by what I said then and now. There is no contradiction other than where you choose to see one. In fact, if you read my response to Issybird, you will see that I rescinded my objection based on her description. I have not asked anyone to invalidate either the nominations nor the votes..What I said was that I am disappointed. I then stated how I feel and why.

There is nothing you can say that will make me feel any differently.

My only hope is that Tender is the Night is a good read.

[issybird]

Originally Posted by sun surfer

I will slightly disagree with you about main course vs side dish. I think it should be up to us to decide what's appropriate. Anyone is allowed to object to a book and if enough feel it's not appropriate to the category the nominator can remove it. I wasn't too thrilled when a sci-fi book won the comedy month in 2011 (and I don't think anyone complained then), but them's the breaks sometimes.

Hal Spacejock was my breaking point, too. That's when I stopped feeling committed to read every selection. But it's all good--I read several of the nominated works.

Seriously, any book has a lot of hoops to jump through, so to speak, on the road to being selected. Seeing a vote disparaged seems disrespectful to those who are taking part in the process. I don't expect to like every selection--but perhaps it's just the ones that don't appeal that are the ones I most should read.

[WT Sharpe]

If you folks have never read any of the Hal Spacejock books, you don't know what you're missing. I've read them all, and can't wait for the 5th book in the series (Baker's Dough), due SOON! They're just plain funny!

[caleb72]

Oh - I believe I was the one that nominated Hal Spacejock at the time and it was because it was one of the few comedy books I actually had (recently acquired at the time).

I don't really know all the ins and outs of the comedy genre, but this seemed like a funny book and it really did have me tickled when I read it. Sorry if people felt there was a genre clash going on, I wasn't specifically trying to taint comedy with sci-fi.

As for Tender is the Night, I certainly voted for it to satisfy my own agenda. I have my own personal challenges this year and one involves reading something from the romance genre and one involves reading a certain amount of classics. Combined with the zero price of the book, this was a train that it made sense for me to board. Anyway, the other offering doesn't even seem to be available to me as an ebook so there was no chance I would vote for it.

Originally Posted by issybird

Hal Spacejock was my breaking point, too. That's when I stopped feeling committed to read every selection. But it's all good--I read several of the nominated works.

Seriously, any book has a lot of hoops to jump through, so to speak, on the road to being selected. Seeing a vote disparaged seems disrespectful to those who are taking part in the process. I don't expect to like every selection--but perhaps it's just the ones that don't appeal that are the ones I most should read.

Originally Posted by WT Sharpe

If you folks have never read any of the Hal Spacejock books, you don't know what you're missing. I've read them all, and can't wait for the 5th book in the series (Baker's Dough), due SOON! They're just plain funny!

I read Hal Spacejock because it was the monthly suggestion. Let's just say that as stated in this thread (https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=167030) what people find funny varies a great deal and I am just glad that it was short and didn't cost much.


So when all is said and done Tender is the Night is the book of the month. It's something I would want to read sometime and it's free, so cool.

[JaneD]

Oh, darn. I was certain Outlander was going to win and I started it!

I'm already 100 pages in and frankly, it's not terribly romantic so far. I'd classify it as an adventure/time-travel story. Maybe that'll change as I plow through the rest of 688 pages of it.

[hpulley]

Free and legal in Canada is good!

[WT Sharpe]

Originally Posted by hpulley

Free and legal in Canada is good!

You lucky dog! I just shelled out $11.99 to Amazon for a book whose author has been dead going on 72 years all to make sure I stayed on the right side of our insane copyright laws.

[HomeInMyShoes]

^An occassional freebie in Canada isn't really much to get excited about. While most of the world got Neil Gaiman's American Gods for $2 we could get it for $13 and for pretty much every book I've bought over the last thirty years I've had to look at the back and see the words "US $7.99 CAN $12.99"

[hpulley]

Originally Posted by HomeInMyShoes

^An occassional freebie in Canada isn't really much to get excited about. While most of the world got Neil Gaiman's American Gods for $2 we could get it for $13 and for pretty much every book I've bought over the last thirty years I've had to look at the back and see the words "US $7.99 CAN $12.99"

Oh, I know and soon our own legislation will be catching up.

Notice how lately real books here are Canada and UK instead so they can confuse us with quid instead of greenbacks?

[JsKindle3]

Im about to order the book

[orlok]

Just about to start Tender is the Night. Wish me luck.