Literary Winter Wonderland • December 2020

[Bookworm_Girl]

Originally Posted by sun surfer

My first nomination is The Winter Ghosts by Kate Mosse (not the supermodel, heh). It's about an Englishman travelling in France in the 1920s still trying to recover from WWI, whose car swerves off the road during a snowstorm in the Pyrenees. Through the woods he finds a tiny village inn where he meets a woman and they share stories through the night.

Great choice! I read this book in 2009. I think I got it from Waterstones since they weren’t selling it in the US at the time. I also brought home Sepulchre and Citadel from England. The release dates in the UK were about 6 months earlier than the US, and I couldn’t wait.

Labyrinth was made into a miniseries starring Jessica Brown Findlay from Downton Abbey. Fun fact: Mosse was the cofounder of the Women’s Prize for Fiction (Orange Prize). I didn’t learn that until after I started reading her books.

[sun surfer]

Nominations are complete and voting is now open!

Voting will close exactly four days from this post.

Each person has EIGHT votes to use.

[sun surfer]

Originally Posted by Bookworm_Girl

I thought of this book, and I couldn’t remember the title or author. I just had that image of the cover stuck in my head! You solved the mystery for me. Thanks!

Glad I could help!

[sun surfer]

Originally Posted by Bookworm_Girl

Great choice! I read this book in 2009. I think I got it from Waterstones since they weren’t selling it in the US at the time. I also brought home Sepulchre and Citadel from England. The release dates in the UK were about 6 months earlier than the US, and I couldn’t wait.

Labyrinth was made into a miniseries starring Jessica Brown Findlay from Downton Abbey. Fun fact: Mosse was the cofounder of the Women’s Prize for Fiction (Orange Prize). I didn’t learn that until after I started reading her books.

I haven't read any Mosse yet (besides the preview now for The Winter Ghosts, heh) but most all of her books look intriguing and right up my alley. Also, I did not know that about her and the Orange Prize!

[AnotherCat]

My votes are:

2 The Frozen Thames - Helen Humphreys
2 The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe - C.S. Lewis
2 The Valancourt Book of Victorian Christmas Ghost Stories
1 Russian Winter - Daphne Kalotay
1 Beartown - Fredrik Backman

I do not often read short stories but the Valancourt collection looks interesting.

[sun surfer]

I've read all the previews now and, no surprises from the usual, like all of them and will be happy with any winning. I'll give

1 to The Snow Goose
1 to The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
1 to The Long Walk
1 to The Snow Child
1 to The Valancourt Book of Victorian Christmas Ghost Stories
1 to Beartown
1 to The Frozen Thames
1 to Russian Winter

[sun surfer]

About ten hours left for voting!

[astrangerhere]

Originally Posted by sun surfer

Help select what we'll read and discuss next!


The topic is Winter Wonderland.

This topic is pretty open for a lot of things!


Detailed nominating and voting guidelines can be found here. Basically, nominations are open for about four days and each person may nominate up to three literary selections which will go automatically to the vote. Voting by post then opens for four days, and a voter may give each nomination either one or two votes but only has a limited number of votes to use which is equal to the number of nominations minus one. Any questions, feel free to ask.

We hope that you will read the selection with us and join in the discussion.

*

Nominations are now complete. Voting is now open! Results through post #21-

• The Snow Goose by Paul Gallico
  Post . Goodreads . Preview . 048 Pages . Votes 1 . 1941 . U.S.
  
  
• The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
  Post . Goodreads . Preview . 174 Pages . Votes 3 . 1950 . England & Northern Ireland
  
  
• The Long Walk by Slavomir Rawicz
  Post . Goodreads . Preview . 256 Pages . Votes 1 . 1956 . Poland
  
  
• The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey
  Post . Goodreads . Preview . 400 Pages . Votes 1 . 2012 . U.S.
  
  
• The Valancourt Book of Victorian Christmas Ghost Stories
  Post . Goodreads . Preview . 223 Pages . Votes 3 . 2016 . England, Scotland & Perhaps Others
  
  
• Beartown by Fredrik Backman
  Post . Goodreads . Preview . 418 Pages . Votes 2 . 2016 . Sweden
  
  
• The Winter Ghosts by Kate Mosse
  Post . Goodreads . Preview . 260 Pages . Votes 0 . 2009 . England
  
  
• The Frozen Thames by Helen Humphreys
  Post . Goodreads . Preview . 186 Pages . Votes 3 . 2007 . Canada & England
  
  
• Russian Winter by Daphne Kalotay
  Post . Goodreads . Preview . 466 Pages . Votes 2 . 2010 . U.S.

I'll give one to the Snow Goose
I've read Beartown, Lewis
I'll also give 2 to the Valancourt book

[sun surfer]

Originally Posted by astrangerhere

I'll give one to the Snow Goose
I've read Beartown, Lewis
I'll also give 2 to the Valancourt book

I'm thinking you mean to give three votes total and none to Beartown or Lewis, but if that's not the case please let me know asap.

[Bookworm_Girl]

My votes are:

The Snow Goose by Paul Gallico - 1

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis - 2

The Valancourt Book of Victorian Christmas Ghost Stories - 2

Beartown by Fredrik Backman - 1

The Frozen Thames by Helen Humphreys - 1

Russian Winter by Daphne Kalotay - 1

[sun surfer]

Originally Posted by astrangerhere

I'll give one to the Snow Goose
I've read Beartown, Lewis
I'll also give 2 to the Valancourt book

I was curious which books you might be interested in for this topic. For my own part I ended up with three pretty serious and not really holiday-ish nominations to put up, though I had considered a number of holiday themed, winter fantasy or just 'fun' sounding books. I was happy to see some of the other nominations go in that direction though for a good variety to choose from.

(I didn't mean to doublepost for the same quote but this is me replying as me and not as the club runner. )

[sun surfer]

Voting is complete and the winner is The Valancourt Book of Victorian Christmas Ghost Stories which, incidentally, may be the longest selection title we've ever had! The discussion thread will be up soon.

[Bookworm_Girl]

I don’t read many short story collections, but I thought this one might be fun for a lighter closure to this crazy year.

[AnotherCat]

I don' read many short stories either but these look interesting and suit the Christmas season.

We have plenty of firewood here left from winter ready for a roaring fire while reading it and looking to put a snow making machine out in the garden .

[Bookworm_Girl]

Even the glow of Christmas tree lights and a candle would be good ambience for reading ghost stories in the evening. It was 80F here earlier this week. We can finally enjoy our gardens. My roses have been blooming beautifully. At least the temperatures drop into the 40s-50s at night so we can enjoy a fire. In a typical year they bring out the snow machines in some cities around Christmas for the kids to play and experience “winter.”