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View Poll Results: Which runner-up from 2013 gets a second chance?
Stardust by Neil Gaiman 5 26.32%
In a Sunburned Country by Bill Bryson 1 5.26%
Animal Farm by George Orwell 2 10.53%
The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey 6 31.58%
The Giver by Lois Lowry 0 0%
A Night to Remember by Walter Lord 2 10.53%
Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card 2 10.53%
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck 6 31.58%
Le Morte Darthur by Thomas Malory 3 15.79%
All Quiet On The Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque 7 36.84%
The Mysterious Mr. Quin by Agatha Christie 6 31.58%
Multiple Choice Poll. Voters: 19. You may not vote on this poll

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Old 12-20-2013, 05:22 PM   #1
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January 2014 Book Club (non) Nominations

MobileRead Book Club
January 2014 Nominations


Help us select the next book that the MobileRead Book Club will read for January, 2014.

Book selection category for January is:

Second Chance

There will be no nominations this month. The way Second Chance works is that the poll will be comprised of selections that either came in second place or tied for second place during the previous 11 months.

The poll will be open for 5 days. There will be no runoff vote unless the voting results a tie, in which case there will be a 3 day run-off poll. This is a visible poll: others can see how you voted. It is You may cast a vote for each book that appeals to you. Here are the selections you will be considering:

From February:
Stardust by Neil Gaiman

From March:
In a Sunburned Country by Bill Bryson

From April:
Animal Farm by George Orwell

From May:
The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey

From June:
The Giver by Lois Lowry

From July:
A Night to Remember by Walter Lord

From August:
Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card

From September:
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck

From October:
Le Morte Darthur by Thomas Malory

From November:
All Quiet On The Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque

From December:
The Mysterious Mr. Quin by Agatha Christie

<><><> Descriptions <><><>

Stardust by Neil Gaiman
Amazon US / Barnes & Noble / Sony
Spoiler:
Hopelessly crossed in love, a boy of half-fairy parentage leaves his mundane Victorian-English village on a quest for a fallen star in the magical realm. The star proves to be an attractive woman with a hot temper, who plunges with our hero into adventures featuring witches, the lion and the unicorn, plotting elf-lords, ships that sail the sky, magical transformations, curses whose effects rebound, binding conditions with hidden loopholes and all the rest.


In a Sunburned Country by Bill Bryson
Amazon US / Barnes & Noble / Sony
Spoiler:
Every time Bill Bryson walks out the door, memorable travel literature threatens to break out. His previous excursion along the Appalachian Trail resulted in the sublime national bestseller A Walk in the Woods. In A Sunburned Country is his report on what he found in an entirely different place: Australia, the country that doubles as a continent, and a place with the friendliest inhabitants, the hottest, driest weather, and the most peculiar and lethal wildlife to be found on the planet. The result is a deliciously funny, fact-filled, and adventurous performance by a writer who combines humor, wonder, and unflagging curiousity.

Despite the fact that Australia harbors more things that can kill you in extremely nasty ways than anywhere else, including sharks, crocodiles, snakes, even riptides and deserts, Bill Bryson adores the place, and he takes his readers on a rollicking ride far beyond that beaten tourist path. Wherever he goes he finds Australians who are cheerful, extroverted, and unfailingly obliging, and these beaming products of land with clean, safe cities, cold beer, and constant sunshine fill the pages of this wonderful book. Australia is an immense and fortunate land, and it has found in Bill Bryson its perfect guide.


Animal Farm by George Orwell
No links provided.
Spoiler:
ANIMAL FARM is a short novel that can be read in a single two-hour sitting. The name seems to imply a children's novel, indeed the words are simple enough, but the satire is thick on every page. This novel is a companion to Orwell's equally famous novel, NINETEEN EIGHTY-FOUR. Both are essential reading.

Absolutely essential.

Animal Farm is the most famous satirical allegory of Soviet totalitarianism. Published in 1945, the book reflects events leading up to and during the Stalin era. Orwell, a democratic socialist, and a member of the Independent Labour Party for many years, was a critic of Joseph Stalin, and was suspicious of Moscow-directed Stalinism after his experiences with the NKVD during the Spanish Civil War.

The book was chosen by Time Magazine as one of the 100 best English language novels (1923 to 2005) and was number 31 on the Modern Library List of Best 20th Century Novels.

The novel describes how a society's ideologies can be manipulated and twisted by individuals in positions of social and political power, including how a utopian society is made impossible by the corrupting nature of the very power necessary to create it.


The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey
Amazon (US)
Spoiler:
Josephine Tey re-creates one of history's most famous -- and vicious -- crimes in her classic bestselling novel, a must read for connoisseurs of fiction, now with a new introduction by Robert Barnard

Inspector Alan Grant of Scotland Yard, recuperating from a broken leg, becomes fascinated with a contemporary portrait of Richard III that bears no resemblance to the Wicked Uncle of history. Could such a sensitive, noble face actually belong to one of the world's most heinous villains -- a venomous hunchback who may have killed his brother's children to make his crown secure? Or could Richard have been the victim, turned into a monster by the usurpers of England's throne? Grant determines to find out once and for all, with the help of the British Museum and an American scholar, what kind of man Richard Plantagenet really was and who killed the Little Princes in the Tower.

The Daughter of Time is an ingeniously plotted, beautifully written, and suspenseful tale, a supreme achievement from one of mystery writing's most gifted masters.


The Giver by Lois Lowry
Amazon US / Barnes & Noble / Kobo
Spoiler:
In a world with no poverty, no crime, no sickness and no unemployment, and where every family is happy, 12-year-old Jonas is chosen to be the community's Receiver of Memories. Under the tutelage of the Elders and an old man known as the Giver, he discovers the disturbing truth about his utopian world and struggles against the weight of its hypocrisy. With echoes of Brave New World, in this 1994 Newbery Medal winner, Lowry examines the idea that people might freely choose to give up their humanity in order to create a more stable society. Gradually Jonas learns just how costly this ordered and pain-free society can be, and boldly decides he cannot pay the price.


A Night to Remember by Walter Lord
Amazon UK
Spoiler:
From HarryT:

This is the classic account of the sinking of the Titanic from the eye-witness accounts of the survivors. A simply amazing book which everyone should read.


Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
Amazon Canada / Amazon UK / Amazon US / Barnes & Noble US / Bookworld Australia
Spoiler:
From Amazon:

Winner of the Hugo and Nebula Awards

In order to develop a secure defense against a hostile alien race's next attack, government agencies breed child geniuses and train them as soldiers. A brilliant young boy, Andrew "Ender" Wiggin lives with his kind but distant parents, his sadistic brother Peter, and the person he loves more than anyone else, his sister Valentine. Peter and Valentine were candidates for the soldier-training program but didn't make the cut—young Ender is the Wiggin drafted to the orbiting Battle School for rigorous military training.

Ender's skills make him a leader in school and respected in the Battle Room, where children play at mock battles in zero gravity. Yet growing up in an artificial community of young soldiers Ender suffers greatly from isolation, rivalry from his peers, pressure from the adult teachers, and an unsettling fear of the alien invaders. His psychological battles include loneliness, fear that he is becoming like the cruel brother he remembers, and fanning the flames of devotion to his beloved sister.

Is Ender the general Earth needs? But Ender is not the only result of the genetic experiments. The war with the Buggers has been raging for a hundred years, and the quest for the perfect general has been underway for almost as long. Ender's two older siblings are every bit as unusual as he is, but in very different ways. Between the three of them lie the abilities to remake a world. If, that is, the world survives.

Ender's Game is the winner of the 1985 Nebula Award for Best Novel and the 1986 Hugo Award for Best Novel.


The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck [Hamlet53, kennyc, fantasyfan]
Amazon Ca / Amazon UK / Amazon US / Barnes & Noble / Kobo
Spoiler:
John Steinbeck's Pulitzer Prize-winning epic of the Great Depression follows the western movement of one family and a nation in search of work and human dignity. Perhaps the most American of American classics.

The novel focuses on the Joads, a poor family of sharecroppers driven from their Oklahoma home by drought, economic hardship, and changes in financial and agricultural industries. Due to their nearly hopeless situation, and in part because they were trapped in the Dust Bowl, the Joads set out for California. Along with thousands of other "Okies", they sought jobs, land, dignity and a future. When preparing to write the novel, Steinbeck wrote: "I want to put a tag of shame on the greedy bastards who are responsible for this [the Great Depression and its effects]." The book won Steinbeck a large following among the working class, perhaps due to the book's sympathy to the workers' movement and its accessible prose style.


Le Morte Darthur by Thomas Malory
Patricia Clark Memorial Library: ePub / Kindle
Spoiler:
From Goodreads:

An immortal story of love, adventure, chivalry, treachery and death. Edited and first published by William Caxton in 1485, Le Morte D'Arthur is Sir Thomas Malory's unique and splendid version of the Arthurian legend. Mordred's treason, the knightly exploits of Tristan, Lancelot's fatally divided loyalties and his love for Guenever, the quest for the Holy Grail; all the elements are there woven into a wonderful completeness by the magic of his prose style.

The result is not only one of the most readable accounts of the knights of the Round Table but also one of the most moving. As the story advances towards the inevitable tragedy of Arthur's death the effect is cumulative, rising with an impending sense of doom and tragedy towards its shattering finale.


All Quiet On The Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque
Amazon UK / Amazon US Amazon US
Spoiler:
This is arguably the greatest anti-war novel ever written. Told from the perspective of a German soldier, one soon becomes part of the universal human tragedy that caught up all those whatever their nationality. The book is a powerful and moving cry that is relevant yet.

From Wikipedia:

"All Quiet on the Western Front (German: Im Westen nichts Neues) is a novel by Erich Maria Remarque, a German veteran of World War I. The book describes the German soldiers' extreme physical and mental stress during the war, and the detachment from civilian life felt by many of these soldiers upon returning home from the front.

The novel was first published in November and December 1928 in the German newspaper Vossische Zeitung and in book form in late January 1929. The book and its sequel, The Road Back, were among the books banned and burned in Nazi Germany. It sold 2.5 million copies in 22 languages in its first eighteen months in print."


The Mysterious Mr. Quin by Agatha Christie
Amazon Ca / Amazon UK / Amazon US / Barnes & Noble / Google Books
Spoiler:
From Amazon:
The Queen of Mystery has come to Harper Collins! Agatha Christie, the acknowledged mistress of suspense—creator of indomitable sleuth Miss Marple, meticulous Belgian detective Hercule Poirot, and so many other unforgettable characters—brings her entire oeuvre of ingenious whodunits, locked room mysteries, and perplexing puzzles to William Morrow Paperbacks. The inimitable Christie intrigues, surprises, and delights once again with The Mysterious Mr. Quin—a riveting collection of short stories centered around the enigmatic Harley Quin, whose unpredictable comings and goings are usually a good indication that something is about to happen…and rarely for the best.

Excerpt from Wikipedia:
...Each chapter or story involves a separate mystery that is solved through the interaction between the characters of Mr Satterthwaite, a socialite, and the eponymous Mr Quin who appears almost magically at the most opportune moments and disappears just as mysteriously. Satterthwaite is a small, observant man who is able to wrap up each mystery through the careful prodding and apposite questions of Quin, who serves as a catalyst every time the men meet.

In Agatha Christie's Autobiography, she claims that Quin and Satterthwaite became two of her favourite characters....

Last edited by WT Sharpe; 12-26-2013 at 03:06 AM.
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Old 12-21-2013, 05:51 PM   #2
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I think The Mysterious Mr. Quin would be an excellent subject for discussion. Who was he? Was he even real? Why did he always have that knack for always appearing just where he was needed? How did he know the things he knew? From where did he come? Outside of her own never explained disappearance in the winter of 1926, Mr. Harley Quin was indeed the most mysterious of Agatha Christie's mysteries.
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Old 12-21-2013, 08:58 PM   #3
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Leaving

Sorry folks - I'm pulling out of the Club as I'm finding I just don't have the time for both book clubs and my own reading, plus other things like spending time with a convalescent dog who has just had a major leg operation.

So I wish you all well for the future and happy reading.

Here's a picture of poor Emma:
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Old 12-22-2013, 03:46 PM   #4
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sunsurfer's choice is in the lead.
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Old 12-22-2013, 03:57 PM   #5
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Sorry folks - I'm pulling out of the Club as I'm finding I just don't have the time for both book clubs and my own reading, plus other things like spending time with a convalescent dog who has just had a major leg operation.

So I wish you all well for the future and happy reading.

Here's a picture of poor Emma:
Sorry to hear that. You often provided great comments. The door here is never shut anyway. Hope your dog recovers well. She sure looks sad in that photo.

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Old 12-23-2013, 09:17 AM   #6
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Ditto what Hamlet53 said, Bookpossum. Any time the mood strikes you feel free to pop back in (but don't pop out at parties...(old I Love Lucy reference )).

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sunsurfer's choice is in the lead.
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Old 12-23-2013, 12:08 PM   #7
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Can somone clarify: Is In a Sunburned Country by Bill Bryson the same as Down Under (about his Australian travels)? I know that many of his books are published in the USA under different names. Is that one of them?

Mike
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Old 12-23-2013, 12:47 PM   #8
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Can somone clarify: Is In a Sunburned Country by Bill Bryson the same as Down Under (about his Australian travels)? I know that many of his books are published in the USA under different names. Is that one of them?

Mike
Yes, it is. I picked up In a Sunburned Country when I was visiting the US a while back thinking I'd found a new Bryson book.

I hadn't!
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Old 12-23-2013, 06:15 PM   #9
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Thanks very much, Hamlet and sun surfer for your kind messages.

Emma is progressing well but still needs a lot of attention to keep her quiet.

I'll see how I go with my catching-up programmes. Maybe I can pop in from time to time, especially if you decide to read one of the books in my enormous heap.

and Merry Christmas to everyone.
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Old 12-25-2013, 10:58 PM   #10
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Wow, come from behind win for All Quiet on the Western Front, I may join in on this one if I can get it from my library. I wasn't at all excited when The Grapes of Wrath was the leader.
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Old 12-26-2013, 02:47 AM   #11
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Wow, come from behind win for All Quiet on the Western Front, I may join in on this one if I can get it from my library. I wasn't at all excited when The Grapes of Wrath was the leader.
Aw, CRAP!!! I just visited the US Amazon Kindle Store and saw "This title is not currently available for purchase."

I'd like to read it also.
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Old 12-26-2013, 03:03 AM   #12
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This link works:

http://www.amazon.com/All-Quiet-West.../dp/B00DAD25O8

$5.98. Not too shoddy. I would have rather read The Mysterious Mr. Quin, but as I've watched the 1930 movie, it should be interesting, at the very least

It seems to me as if people in this club have moved away from voting for books on the simple basis of pleasure. It seems every book that gets chosen these days has to have social importance or possess a certain highbrow level of literary merit. Could we be morphing into the Literary Club II? Not that there's anything wrong with highbrow aspirations or the Literary Club; it's just that if the two clubs are going to have identical aims, one is unnecessary.
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Old 12-26-2013, 03:07 AM   #13
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I've updated the link in the first post.
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Old 12-26-2013, 08:20 AM   #14
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I had a feeling the Remarque might win, seeing how close the vote was and knowing of at least one affinity for WWI-era books.

It does sound interesting, but the film is so very excellent that in a rare case of possible role reversal, I'm not sure if the book will live up to the film. Though very different genres, I had that exact experience in reading The Maltese Falcon, which didn't live up at all to the classic film.

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...It seems to me as if people in this club have moved away from voting for books on the simple basis of pleasure. It seems every book that gets chosen these days has to have social importance or possess a certain highbrow level of literary merit. Could we be morphing into the Literary Club II? Not that there's anything wrong with highbrow aspirations or the Literary Club; it's just that if the two clubs are going to have identical aims, one is unnecessary.
I've noticed that sometimes as well, but I would say that regardless, what's the problem as long as people enjoy each club? I can see your frustration with this month since the last two months the same book you were hoping for came in second to something literary. But the Christie and Tey only lost by one vote and the Gaiman only by two. Many months it's been close and it just so happens that something literary squeaks ahead. Though just two months ago Monte Cristo won and it may be long but it was probably the least "literary" of the top vote getters that month. Dr. Izard won just three months ago and aside from being older, that one isn't literary at all. Also The Big Sleep, A Study in Scarlet and Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. Last year we also had books win such as Neverwhere, The Princess Bride, Crocodile on the Sandbank and Shutter Island.
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Old 12-26-2013, 09:44 AM   #15
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Originally Posted by WT Sharpe View Post
It seems to me as if people in this club have moved away from voting for books on the simple basis of pleasure. It seems every book that gets chosen these days has to have social importance or possess a certain highbrow level of literary merit. Could we be morphing into the Literary Club II? Not that there's anything wrong with highbrow aspirations or the Literary Club; it's just that if the two clubs are going to have identical aims, one is unnecessary.
Good point, and a distinction that hadn't occurred to me. I nominated Dubliners and I'm about as non-highbrow as one can be. I don't even have highbrow aspirations (or know what that means). So I had to look up literary versus popular fiction on Wikipedia. I'm still not sure how to define any particular book. Having read Dubliners, I sort of get what you are saying. The Satanic Verses was definitely literary. The Count of Monte Cristo and Doomsday Book were not.

If the distinction is important to people and some books reduce their pleasure in participating in the clubs, then it is an important distinction for the purposes of both book clubs. If a book is nominated that doesn't fit with the expectations of the MR club, then that should be pointed out and discussed during the nominating process. If a book is clearly termed 'literary' and not 'popular', I won't vote for it in the future. Everyone should enjoy the chosen book, at least most of the time, or participate in the club that meets their expectations.
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